⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Yes. Tangled is my favourite Disney princess movie and Christina Lauren captured those charming and endearing qualities perfectly in Ren and Fitz.

Ren has never held an iPhone, googled the answer to a question, or followed a crush on social media. What she has done: read a book or two, or three (okay, hundreds). Taught herself to paint. Built a working wind power system from scratch. But for all the books she’s read, Ren has never found one that’s taught a woman raised on a homestead and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years how to live in the real world. So when she finally achieves her lifelong dream of attending Corona College, it feels like her life is finally beginning.

Fitz has the rest of his life mapped out: graduate from Corona at the top of his class, get his criminal record wiped clean, and pass himself off as the rich, handsome player everyone thinks he is. He’s a few months short from checking off step one of his plans when Ren Gylden, with her cascading blonde hair and encyclopedic brain, crashes into his life, and for the first time Fitz’s plan is in jeopardy.

But a simple assignment in their immunology seminar changes the course of both their lives, and suddenly they’re thrown out of the frying pan and into the fire on a road trip that will lead them in the most unexpected directions. Out on the open road, the world somehow shifts, and the unlikely pair realize that, maybe, the key to the dreams they’ve both been chasing have been sitting next to them the whole time.

MY THOUGHTS

This entire book was such a delight. I couldn’t help but be swept away by Fitz and Ren and her wide-eyed innocence. Just like the movie, there was Fitz and then he was just Edward. Ren stripped away all his pretend layers until he was completely bared to her.

Some of their travels were maybe a bit slow, but I enjoyed their interactions and their growing friendship. Every step they took served to bring them closer together. The actions and ramping anxiety leading to the culmination of finding Ren and her parents had me at the edge of my seat and my eyes flying across the pages.

There are many parallels between Tangled Up In You and the movie, but enough differences to give this story a unique feel. I enjoyed this excellent Tangled retelling filled with heart, hope, and courage.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: June 25, 2024
Sensuality Rating: Subtle
Series: Meant to Be