Well Versed

Well Met #5

by Jen DeLuca

It’s a second chance at first love at the Renaissance Faire, where the search for a new queen shapes a destiny, from USA Today bestselling author Jen DeLuca.

Caitlin Parker was a teenager when she fell out of love with the magic of the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire—the site of her first real heartbreak. But now, twenty-four and unemployed, she finds herself in her childhood bedroom and her childhood lady-in-waiting costume, assisting a rotating cast of substitute queens for the season. The very last person she wants to see is Alexander Wright—the sword-fighting, Shakespeare-spouting young man who won and broke her teenage heart. Yet there he is, older, annoyingly hotter, and back on stage at her Faire.

When Alex broke things off with Caitlin five years ago, he thought he was just ending a summer fling. He didn't realize how much he’d fallen for her until he let her go, and he certainly didn't know he’d tarnished her memories of her cherished Faire and worse, shattered her view on love and relationships. His need to right that wrong this summer brings them together again and again, and the four-year age difference that kept them apart years ago isn’t a big deal now. This time, it won’t be so easy to let go of this summer fling.

But as summer winds down, real life is catching up to both of them. Caitlin’s always thought that being an adult with adult responsibilities means leaving whimsy behind. Alex, with a life full of stage combat, songs, and sonnets, doesn’t know how to live any other way. Can they go after their dreams and find a future together where they can still say “huzzah”?

Genres: Romance, Adult, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Second Chance Romance

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 22, 2026

About the author

Jen DeLuca was born and raised near Richmond, Virginia, but now lives in Arizona with her husband and a houseful of rescue pets. She loves latte-flavored lattes, Hokies football, and the Oxford comma. Well Met is her first novel, inspired by her time volunteering as a pub wench with her local Renaissance Faire.

Reviews

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus}]

You guys have no idea how much the Well Met series means to me, and to know that Caitlin is getting her own book and IT IS PINK!?!?!?!

This is going to be so good, I can feel it!

[Erin Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of heated yearning and DeLuca’s signature wit, WELL VERSED is an absolute delight that will have you rooting for second chances and wishing it was Ren-Faire season!

[Mimi Schweid]

TAKE MY MONEY NOW!!! This is one of the first RomCom series I got hooked on back in 2021 and truly got me into loving romance novels as much as I still do today.

[Lloyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex was a bottom-tier love interest, and this is saying a lot from the same book universe that has catfish Daniel. I wanted to love Caitlin’s story but she felt more like a teenager in this book at 24 than she did when she was an actual teenager. I officially accept that Well Met will never be topped.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! This one had some foreshadowing that made the plot almost too predictable but it didn’t bother me.

[Gretchen Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely sweet follow-up to my fave ren faire series. Caitlin and Alex felt young to me - not in their emotions, but probably just because I’m old, haha. Loved that we got to see all four couples from the original books!

A small note: I started out this story feeling positive that one of the former characters was being set up for a pregnancy subplot and I was a little disappointed when it didn’t work out.

[Mande · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! It was so fun to be back in Ren Faire territory with the same cast of characters…everyone’s all grown up both in age and maturity several years later. Cozy feels and relatable moments.

[steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this series was over, so when I saw that book #5 was out on NetGalley I snatched it up quicker than you could say "Huzzah!". And while this isn't my favorite book of the series, it was such a delight being back at the Willow Creek Faire amidst all the familiar faces and antics that I didn't even care. Long love the faire!

Book #5 follows Caitlin, the now 24 year-old daughter of April (book #3) and niece of Emily (book #1). Caitlin loved volunteering at the Ren Faire as a teenager, but after an epic summer love story turned sour, she has swore off love, Shakespeare and Renaissance Faires. Until she is unexpectedly home for the foreseeable future, unemployed, living with her mom and stepdad (shout out to April and Mitch, probably my favorite couple from this series or at least tied up there with Emily and Simon from book 1) and being forced to step in and assist at the faire. She is fine, she is doing JUST FINE BEING HERE THANK YOU VERY MUCH until her former love Alex shows out, looking just as cute as before, and super determined to win her back.

I really liked Caitlin. She has the stubbornness of her mom, and the unique ability to draw others into friendship around her like her Aunt Emily does. She did read a little young at times but I had to remind myself she is just a few years out of college with not a lot of life experience under her belt (sidenote am I maybe I am getting a bit old? because twenty-four years old sounds like an infant to me haha) and while she is still figuring life out, she overall does have a good head on her shoulders. I liked all of her and Alex's interactions, and the fact that he found a rose to match her dress each weekend made me swoon. Yes, sirrrrr. Get it!

It was so good to see all the other couples from the four other novels make appearances in this book and nudge Caitlin along on her love story. I wasn't super happy with fourth act break-up/argument but after looking at some of my reviews for the previous books, I realize this might just be the M.O. of this particular author so I'm going to let it slide. If you want to get swept away into the magic and beauty of Ren Faire, if you want a cozy romance full of family support and friendship, I highly recommend picking up this novel. I enjoyed it.

[Lexie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book 100% played in to my nostalgia factor and I’m not mad about it.

I read the first book in this series back in 2019. And I was pleasantly shocked when another book in the series was announced especially since it was going to be Caitlin’s book. We met Caitlin back in “Well Met” when she was just a teenager. Now she’s a full grown adult hell bent at avoiding the renaissance faire after she’s forced to return home after getting let go from her job in New York. Caitlin has bitter feelings towards the beloved renaissance faire after she got her heartbroken the last time she attended one. But her family and friends need extra body’s to fill the places of those who’ve retired from the faire. Caitlin agrees as long as The Sword Bros troupe aren’t invited to participate. Except a certain Sword Bro snuck through and now Caitlin has to deal with her ex Alex the entire summer. And he’s determined to make her re-fall in love with the faire.

Now even with the nostalgic factor I still didn’t love this book as much as I thought I would. My biggest issue was Alex. For a love interest I found him extremely unlikable. This boy not only messed up once, but again and again. Like he is supposed to a full grown adult but he acts like a dumb high school boy. And to make matters worse Caitlin is way too forgiving. Girl I loved you. But you deserve so much better than that man child.

Now even though I had big issues with our love interest couple. I still had fun being back at the faire specially with all the throw backs and returning characters. Seeing April, Mitch, Emily, Simon and Lulu again living their best happy lives brought me so much joy. And I love how much support and advice they offered Caitlin throughout her story.

Overall, even though this isn’t my favorite in the series. I still had fun being back in Willow Creek. Now would I recommend. I would 100% say yes if you’ve read the series since the beginning. But if you’ve never read any of the other books I’d say read those first before grabbing this.

Lastly, big thank you to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for providing me with an ARC to read and review

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has read Jen in the past, and has read and re-read Well Met, this book gave me all the extra smiles and a little heartbreak as seeing Caitlin all grown up and trying to find her place in the world. Caitlin left home for college and then stayed away after getting a job. Now laid off, she is back in Willow Creek and just in time to help at the Ren Fest that her aunt and uncle run with amazing friends. The one thing Caitlin couldn’t wait for each year when she was in high school was Ren Fest, until one guy took her love for the faire away. Her hope was to never have to see him again, but what kind of story would it be that we don’t see him again. Alex Wright was back at the Ren Fest in Maryland, not realizing that he would run into the one girl he never could forget. Only he wasn’t prepared for her words telling him he ruined the one place she had always loved. He makes it his mission to show her all the good in the fair and in time these two find that the chemistry is still there. I truly loved getting to see Caitlin working through life and we see how real-world bleeds into this fictional story. People don’t have all it worked out perfectly and no life is not all sunshine and roses. And it isn’t just Caitlin working it out, but also Alex. He has his own things he is dealing with. It is the little things that Alex does that shows his true character and how much he truly loves what he does but also loves Caitlin. He sees her in a way that no one else really has.

The cast of characters and seeing all our familiar couples, but also the addition to Caitlin’s two best friends makes this book extra special. Please note that this is a standalone in the world and you can 100% read this as one. Though, I would be amiss if I didn’t say the other books are great reads and allow you even more time with the Willow Creek family.

[Jana at ThatArtsyReaderGirl.com]

DNF @ 26%

This is one of my favorite book series ever, so I was extremely excited when I found out about a fifth book and then was able to get it from NetGalley within days of the announcement. Unfortunately, this book feels very YA to me. Caitlyn is 24, but she still acts and talks and thinks like she’s a 14-year-old girl. She keeps reminding herself and everyone else that she’s an adult, but she doesn’t act like one. Who changes their college major because some guy they had a little flirtation with over the summer kisses another girl? She is so mad at him and can’t stand him, but has no problems ogling him and swooning over his crop top. Seriously, a crop top? I loved seeing all the characters from the previous four books, and I wish this book was about somebody that was their age instead of Caitlyn’s. It bugs me that they are being talked about like they’re so old and unable to do the things they used to do. I’m also just past a quarter of the way through, and there has hardly been any time spent at the ren faire so far. I’m just missing that breezy, whimsical summer vibe I got from the other books in this series.

[Margherita · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars and 5 more roses! The absolute best final book in a series.

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley, and Jen DeLuca for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

All the best qualities of each of the first four books combine to make this a fantastic piece of work. Especially all the callbacks to the OG, Well Met. There's yearning, wooing, Shakespeare, and finding yourself in the Ren Faire world and the community surrounding it.

Loved Caitlin's POV. She feels like one of us, having experienced the other romances and storylines secondhand. and I appreciated seeing the influence both April and Emily had on her character.

Alex is just f***ing precious! He's the perfect combination of the four other MMCs: nerdy/sexy Shakespeare guy (Simon), a little self-conscious in love (Daniel), sunshiny and sarcastic (Mitch), and a musically inclined, charismatic stage performer (Dex).

The book was sweet, sexy, and super nostalgic. So many stupid smiles throughout my read.

Jen DeLuca did an incredible job bringing the series full circle. I smiled like an idiot with tears in my eyes reading the last line. 🥹 When you get to it... IYKYK.

Thank you, Jen ❤️

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enchanting return to the world of the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire. Caitlin is all grown up and completely over the faire, but somehow she ends up back home and in a gown once again. She decides it won’t be too bad, though, until the very reason she lost her belief in faire magic shows up onstage and reciting Shakespeare. Alex broke her heart (by text!) the first semester of college and hasn’t been heard from since. But now he’s older, wiser, and seems to want Caitlin all over again. Can she trust her heart with him—and the faire—this time?

I really felt the lack of dual POV in this book. Because we’re only seeing Caitlin’s perspective, I didn’t feel as invested in Alex or his struggles or motivations. I don’t know if DeLuca is planning any more books in this series, but this seems like a natural stopping point and good place to end things. We’ve seen Caitlin grow from a young teen to an adult, and now nearly everyone in her life is happily paired off.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

[Maddelyn]

My lords, ladies and gentlefolk, welcome back to the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire. A place of wonder, joy and romance. The newest installment in Jen DeLuca's Well Met series is another delightful romantic romp. Cassie started volunteering at the faire at age 14. When she was 17, she fell in love had her heart broken. Now 24, she was just laid off and living at home while she figures out her next steps. She has no intention of being involved with the faire this year, but when Aunt Emily askes her to help, Cassie can't say no. However, she was not expecting to run into Alex, the guy who broker her heart. As Alex and Cassie navigate unresolved feelings and the uncertain future they're both facing, the question becomes what do they both want and is that possible. Or will this be another summer romance? A fun, breezy summer romance and another great addition to this series.

I got an advanced reader copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy! When I found out Jen was writing a fifth Willow Creek book, I could barely contain my excitement! It can be difficult to come back to a series and insert a time gap but Jen does it well, acknowledging the changes through Caitlin’s eyes and remarking on how strange it is to be an adult in her hometown.

Cait reluctantly agrees to help with the Ren Faire, even though she hates everything it represents now. She loved it so much growing up but all the joy and magic was ripped away from her by her first love- Alex. He broke her heart, and she swore off the Ren Faire forever. Both her journey and growth throughout the book occur at a believable pace and the way Jen writes, you feel like you’re walking the lanes with the characters!

I love the interactions between Cait and Alex. And all of our Willow Creek favorites make appearances as well! I loved every second of this series and the fifth installment was no exception!

[Migdalia Jimenez]

Back home for the summer after getting laid off, Caitlin reluctantly agrees to help with the local Renaissance Faire. Ever since her heart was broken there by Alex five years ago, she's avoided them at all costs. She’s still not over the heartache, but when she seems Alex at the faire, she grudgingly accepts his apology.

The romance of it all gets to her, and they end up rekindling their relationship. This time , Caitlin convinces herself it means nothing and that she’ll break it off with him at the end of summer . But a few years older and wiser, they both are feeling all the feels, and find it hard to say goodbye again.

Set in a cute small town , a well-lived in Ren Faire backdrop, this second chance romance with strong new adult themes includes characters from the previous 4 books in the beloved Well Met series.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caitlin happily spent her teenage years as a part of the Willow Creek Ren Faire. That changed when Alex broke her heart in college. Now an adult, Caitlin is back, albeit grudgingly, to help her aunt Emily. The problem? Alex has returned as well. The Willow Creek series is one of my all-time favorites and I was thrilled when Jen DeLuca announced there would be one last visit. In the first book, Well Met, Caitlin was a teenager. Now, it's ten years later, and her turn for romance. I loved everything about this book, especially with all of the couples from the other books having roles that make sense and propel the plot forward. It really is a full circle read and I couldn't put it down. This book made me want to reread the series again and go to the nearest renaissance festival at the same time!

I received an advance reader copy of this title from the publisher.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so sad that this is our last trip back to Willow Creek but it was a good one! When this was still a mystery, I hoped that it would be Caitlin's book and I was so happy to get to follow her around faire this time! I loved how we kind of revisited our past MCs' journeys as Caitlin navigates her own. Also, men should wear more crop tops, thank you Alex for your service. Huzzah!

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available for my review.

While I enjoyed coming back to this RenFaire romance series, this book suffered a bit from too many multi-paragraph inner thoughts that were very "woe is me", as well as too many "hot body distracted me from everything else" scenes. Still good enough to keep me coming back for more.

[Katy Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I picked up Well Met several years ago now and tore through it. As someone who worked at Renaissance Faires for a good portion of my late teens and early twenties, I too think the the faires are an inherently amazing place to base a series of romance novels and this book is a great addition to the series!

[Reena McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. I preordered this one as soon as it was announced and snatched it from netgalley the moment I saw it there. I am not unbiased. That being said, this was an absolutely delightful final cap on the Willow Creek series and I had an excellent time reading it.

[Leah (Jane Speare) · Rating 5 out of 5]

😭😭❤️❤️ goodbye, Willow Creek, and to my friends who live there

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley for the advance copy of the newest book in my favorite romcom series. It made me so happy!

[Kate Johnston-Moschak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just adore this whole series. These books always put the biggest smile on my face and truly I want nothing more than to run away and join the Ren Faire life.

[kiersten]

youre joking

[Ih8JaneAusten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second chance romance
Spice level 💖
ARC Netgalley

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pending