Well Played by Jen DeLuca – a Review

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Description:
Stacey is jolted when her friends Simon and Emily get engaged. She knew she was putting her life on hold when she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her sick mother, but it’s been years now, and even though Stacey loves spending her summers pouring drinks and flirting with patrons at the local Renaissance Faire, she wants more out of life. Stacey vows to have her life figured out by the time her friends get hitched at Faire next summer. Maybe she’ll even find The One.

When Stacey imagined “The One,” it never occurred to her that her summertime Faire fling, Dex MacLean, might fit the bill. While Dex is easy on the eyes onstage with his band The Dueling Kilts, Stacey has never felt an emotional connection with him. So when she receives a tender email from the typically monosyllabic hunk, she’s not sure what to make of it.

Faire returns to Willow Creek, and Stacey comes face-to-face with the man with whom she’s exchanged hundreds of online messages over the past nine months. To Stacey’s shock, it isn’t Dex—she’s been falling in love with a man she barely knows.

Review:

Well Played by Jen Deluca is the 2^nd book in her Well Met series.  This story revolves around the Renaissance Faire that comes to Willow Creek every year.  We met Stacey (our heroine) in the first book, as she was Emily’s (previous book heroine) best friend.  Stacey is happy with the friends she has in Willow Creek, but she feels something is missing, since she came back to Willow Creek years before to care for her mother.  She looks forward to the Faire every summer, playing her fun part as a wench, flirting with visitors and spending time with friends at the bar, but for the rest of the year, she is lonely.  She did find herself having a one night stand the last two years with Dex MacLean (a manwhore) who was part of the band Dueling Kilts, though he ignored her the rest of the time.

When the faire is over, to her surprise, she begins to receive emails from Dex, who is with his band at a large Renaissance Faire event that last for months.   Stacey finds herself looking forward to the emails, and beginning to have some feelings, but when it gets closer to the summer again and the faire at Willow Creek, she notices some things in his emails. She starts paying more attention to them, since they really do not sound like things Dex would say; sounding sweet, fun, caring and nothing like the egotistical Dex she knew. Stacey suspects that the man she was falling for is really his brother Daniel.

Daniel MacLean, our hero, is a nice guy, but also a bit shy. Upon arriving in Willow Creek, Stacey corners him accusing him that he is the one writing to her. At first Daniel will deny it, but he finally gives in and acknowledges that he was indeed her pen pal. At first Stacey is mad, but in a short time her and Daniel begin to act on their new found feelings, and the real romance begins.  They made a great couple, and I really liked them together, as they had great chemistry.  What follows is a fun romance between Stacey and Daniel, and if they will find a way to stay together, since Daniel and the band are on the road most of the year, and Stacey has family and friends in Willow Creek.

Well Played was a fun, sweet and sexy story, with another amazing heroine in Stacey.  I really loved the secondary characters in this series. I am looking forward to the next book, when its April (Emily’s sister) who will be matched to Mitch.  Jen Deluca did a wonderful job writing this wonderful romantic comedy that that had a lot of humor and charm. I suggest you read Well Played, as it was a fun enjoyable read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher