Well Versed by Jen Deluca
Publication Date: September 22, 2026
Summary from NetGalley:
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 eighteen 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 the first time, 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 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”?
ARC provided by Berkley Publishing Group via Netgalley for an honest review.
Confession:
It was so much fun being back in the small town of Willow Creek and their lovely Renaissance Fair. Well Versed is a lovely, charming and very sweet second chance romance and I just adored it. This is the fifth book in the series, but just like other romance series you don’t have to read them in order, but in this case I would recommend that you do. Mostly because Caitlyn is a character that we have watched grow up throughout the series, and I think that is important to her journey.
Caitlyn is a lovely young woman who thought she had found her true love at an early age, only to have her heart broken. Since then she has toughened her skin and has not let herself get attached to any man again. She is now a little bit lost in her life, having lost her IT job and needing to move back home. She grudgingly agrees to help at the Renaissance Fair, something she used to love to do, but now only brings sorrow and memories of her lost love. Of course she runs smack into Alex first thing, and all of those feelings, both good and bad come surging back. Caitlyn tries to be strong and not let Alex in, but things don’t always work out like we plan. I really enjoyed the way the author worked through Caitlyn’s conflicting feelings, not rushing it, but taking the time to make it seem believable.
I loved Alex! He was such a sweet and romantic fellow. But he was also so patient with Caitlyn and making sure that he wasn’t pushing her into something she didn’t want. They were perfect together, she is more down to earth, whereas he is much more on the sentimental and spontaneous side. He makes lots of very sweet gestures, that any woman would adore, to win Caitlyn back. He can also handle a sword, quote Shakespeare, play the guitar and sing! A true Renaissance man.
The best thing about this series is the Renaissance Fair. All of the books have this as their central core and it is where all of the characters fall in love. Just like in the first book, Well Met, the story takes place over the four weeks that Willow Creek’s fair is happening. Some of the other books take longer and one even takes place at some other Fairs, but my favorites are the ones that feature Willow Creek’s Faire. I have never been to a Renaissance Fair, but whenever I read one of these books, I always want to go.
I never expected this fifth book in this series, but I am so glad that the author decided to return to this town and the characters that live there. All of the previous books main characters are here so it was nice to catch up with them as well. I am hoping that we get another chance to hang out in Willow Creek sometime in the future. Highly recommend this series if you like small town romances or if you are a fan of Renaissance Fairs.
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