Tangled Up in You

Content warnings: kidnapping, blackmail, police raid, shooting

Ren leaves her country home for her first school experience -- college!

Ren Gylden was raised on a farm in Idaho, sheltered from the world around her. She has no cell phone, no TV, no Internet, not even a landline phone! Her strict parents have finally agreed to let Ren start college as long as she comes home on the weekend to do her chores. She's excited to attend Corona College as a freshman at 23 and is placed in advanced courses because her breadth of self-taught knowledge is far beyond a typical freshman's.

She meets senior Fitz ("just Fitz") and is warned against his charm. While everyone else on campus is charmed by Ren, Fitz seems irritated at her presence. When Ren catches Fitz in a compromising position, she uses the information to her advantage -- she blackmails him into driving her across the country.

Fitz reluctantly agrees and as their trip progresses he's drawn in more by Ren's optimism and joie de vivre. But he's hiding his past from her, and she may find out before he plucks up the courage to tell her himself.

Writing duo Christina Lauren does an amazing job of plucking details from Disney's Tangled and using them to craft a story that's separate from the film but adds subtle nods like Fitz's white Mustang "Max" and her flowing golden locks.

Recommended for Disney fans, romance readers, and teens. None of the content is inappropriate for teenage readers.

Author: Christina Lauren

Series: Meant to Be, #4

Publisher: Hyperion Avenue

Length: 320 pages

Release Date: June 25, 2024

Representation: orphan, adult (former child) of the foster care system

I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.