Well Met by Jen DeLuca / a romance at a Renaissance Faire

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

I still remember my first time at a Renaissance Faire. The atmosphere, the costumes, the actors (which I didn’t even know were actors) and the food. But especially the location, tugged away in a wooded area, slow meandering paths leading through it all, connecting areas and stages. It was EXACTLY as the author described in this book. The heat, the dust and grime, the feeling of getting transported into a different time. It was FABULOUS!!!

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All’s faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author, Jen DeLuca.

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon’s family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn’t have time for Emily’s lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she’s in her revealing wench’s costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they’re portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can’t seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

MY THOUGHTS

Overall, the novel was right up my alley, the setting was unique, and the writing on par with other romances I’ve read.

The love story between Emily and Simon was a bit of a slow burn. But I didn’t mind much, I love a good slow burn romance.

Surprisingly the novel focused a good amount on Emily. Her transition to being single again and living in a small town with her sister and her niece, a place where she literally didn’t know anyone. Interestingly enough, Emily really liked the small town feel, compared to her sister. And she welcomed the friendships and opportunities that opened up for her. Loved that distinction between the sisters a lot.

When it came to the couple Simon and Emily, although Simon was interesting when he was personating his Ren Faire character, when he was himself he felt a bit bland, and stodgy. Even Emily once said “he had a stick up his butt”. Which did go hand in hand with his more serious and quiet demeanor.

I loved and adore when Emily and Simon were bar wench and pirate. They were so much fun watching interact and personalize these characters, and by doing so they were able to just let go and be someone else. Now, because I loved their Ren Faire personas, I wished that there was more page time about them doing their reenactment. I would have loved more interaction between wench and pirate.

What I loved about the novel:

The book was a great debut novel, with a wonderfully refreshing plot. The writing flowed and the characters were very well developed. It was easy to experience the Faire with Emily, since the author apparently wrote about her own experiences working at a Renaissance Faire. This experience came across in clear and vibrant pictures, and wonderfully detailed. And since I’ve been to a Renaissance Faire twice so far, I can only detest to its accuracy. And the Ren Faire vibe was definitely my favorite part of the novel. The book is one that many romance readers will enjoy, one of those perfect summer reads – light-hearted, uplifting and easy.

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I received a copy of this book from Berkley for free.
My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.

Well Met by Jen DeLuca