Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca: Dex Can Be Redeemed

There are not many series where I’ve read every book, but Well Met is one of them. Well Traveled is the latest book and while at first, I wasn’t sure because…it’s Dex. We aren’t supposed to like him. Well, this book changed my mind. No one was more surprised than me!

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Synopsis (from Goodreads):

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 realizes 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?

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Lulu is a workaholic attorney but while in North Carolina for work (of course), she feels the pull of the local Renfaire. So she goes and guess who she sees there? Stacy and the Dueling Kilts! She met them when she was visiting her cousin Mitch the summer before.

But while it’s great to know people when you’re at a place like Renfaire, Stacy also happens to witness Lulu’s major meltdown. Not only does she yell at her boss and quit her job, but she also throws her phone into a laundry tub of water. #relatable

This leads to a decision that will change her life forever. She’s going to go completely off the grid and travel with Stacy and The Dueling Kilts including the one and only Dex.

At first, Lulu could not be less impressed with him. His flirting does not work on her but she completely understands why it works on other women. She has eyes after all.

But the more she travels with the group, the more Dex opens himself up to her and she sees a side to him that no one has ever seen, she feels a connection she never would have expected. While he’s still flirty, he’s also kind, thoughtful, and helpful when given the chance.

But as Lulu starts to notice, people don’t give Dex a chance to prove himself. They just assume he can’t or won’t want to do certain things. She allows him to open up, seeks out his thoughts, opinions, and interests, and listens. Dex didn’t stand a chance lol!

As for Dex, he’s never met anyone like Lulu who sees him as more than just a good time. More than just a body and a good-looking face. He can’t help but be intrigued by her and soon, he realizes he might just have feelings for her.

Unfortunately, as they go from fair to fair, their time is quickly coming to an end. Lulu will be staying with Mitch and then getting back to her life. Unless the two decide they want to put their hearts out there and try for something more.

In my opinion, no one but Lulu could have made me like Dex. She is honest, blunt, and doesn’t take his crap. But she also brings out something in him that we never saw in the other books. It’s wonderful. Lulu’s point of view is really what makes this story. I loved getting to know her and getting to know Dex better.

I also loved seeing Lulu build relationships with Stacy and the other people she worked with at the fairs. I loved seeing her open up her mind to other ways of living. Whether it be tarot reading, crystals, or traveling in a caravan, as the story goes on, she becomes more and more open-minded and happy. She has made me want to buy a tarot deck of my own!

I also liked learning about Dex’s brothers, their relationships, and of course, MITCH! He tried to be protective of Lulu but that shit was not happening lol.

Well Traveled is a great addition to the Well Met series and further proves why I love it so much. I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars!

Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca is available now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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