We have reached the final novel in Jen Deluca’s ren faire romance series, Well Traveled. She saved a good one for last though, having teased out Dex MacLean’s character across the series and adding boss-woman Lulu Malone into the mix. It’s a riveting one, and the fates have something in store for these two.

A high-powered attorney from a success-oriented family, Louisa “Lulu” Malone lives to work, and everything seems to be going right, until the day she realises it’s all wrong. Lulu’s cousin Mitch introduced her to the world of Renaissance Faires, and when she spies one at a time just when she needs an escape, she leaps into the welcoming environment of turkey legs, taverns, and tarot readers. The only drawback? Dex MacLean: a guitarist with a killer smile, the Casanova of the Faire… and her traveling companion for the summer. Dex has never had to work for much in his life, and why should he? Touring with his brothers as The Dueling Kilts is going great, and he always finds a woman at every Faire. But when Lulu proves indifferent to his many plaid charms and a shake-up threatens the fate of the band, Dex must confront something he never has before: his future. Forced to spend days and nights together on the road, Lulu’s interest in the kilted bad boy grows as he shows her a side of himself no one else has seen. The stresses of her old lifestyle fade away as she learns to trust her intuition and follow her heart instead of her head. But when her time on the road is over, will Lulu go with her gut, or are she and Dex destined for separate paths?

Having touched upon Lulu’s career and family situation in Well Matched, we kick off in quite spectacular fashion here in Well Traveled. The scene is both simple, intense, and funny, and really sets the tone for the rest of the novel. Seeing Lulu develop and grow as a character is so exciting and interesting as the pressures of life and expectations begins to ebb away and her true callings become clearer. She gets to have fun, live a little, and experience a unique and enlightening break she is never going to forget. What’s more, along the way we see changes in the resident ladies’ man that is perplexing, intriguing, and telling of a lot of things we the reader can see but Lulu cannot.

I was thinking about this the other day, likely having glanced at this novel while it was sitting on my library book stack: there is something so well-plotted about seeing the playboy or ladies’ man in his element at the beginning of a series, and them for him to go through the changes and developments of falling in love in the final book in the series. We get to see the progression of this character who has done no real harm (though this is debatable) but is living life on the road, enjoying single manhood and the options available. Then we get the slow, or perhaps sudden, fall. The realisation that his heart has been taken and there is no going back to that life he once knew. Everything changes, and it is magnificent to see on paper. There’s a tension build outside of this individual book as a result, and the revelations hit so much harder as a result.

I quite enjoyed Well Traveled, and I think it wraps the series off so wonderfully. It has some great dialogue, some amazing character interactions and developments, and the serious yet sweet notes of a romance book done right. I hope everyone gives Well Traveled a chance, and the whole series a go in general. This is such a quick yet lovely read, perfect for the warmer days.