Well Met: Cute AF Romance at a Renaissance Faire

This is such a cute book. I went into this knowing I would love it and I was 0% wrong. An enemies to lovers romance at a renaissance faire?? YES PLEASE.

It all starts with Emily’s niece. In order for her to be allowed to participate in the faire, an adult must volunteer with her . So Emily figures she can have a little fun and get to bond with her niece. Little does she know that the person in charge of the faire is a teacher named Simon, and he is possibly one of the most annoying, irritating men on the planet. Or at least that’s what Emily thinks when they first meet. Let’s get to the review!

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Synopsis (from Goodreads)

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.

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Needless to say, Emily does not appreciate Simon serious attitude. She’s dressed up in a corset she can barely breathe in and acting like a tavern wench; she wants to have a little fun! But Simon seems hellbent on taking everything too seriously and not geting any of her jokes (how dare he?!).

But Simon isn’t all that he appears to be on the outside and that becomes abundantly clear when he gets into his costume for the faire. He is a pirate and let’s just say he is a VERY flirty one. I think some visuals are needed, don’t you? Absolutely.

Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to use Once Upon a Time gifs in a book review?? Too long! But let’s get back to the topic at hand. When Simon puts on his pirate costume, he turns into a sexy, flirty, irrestible man and Emily is getting whiplash from the change in personalities. Clearly, he takes his role seriously if he’s willing to act so out of character, right?

Well…it’s complicated. The longer Emily volunteers at the faire, the more she learns about Simon’s past. As it turns out, he inherited running the faire after his brother died. The faire was the only thing his brother really cared about and Simon didn’t want it xto  die too.

But it soon becomes clear that Simon is in a bit over his head and that he has never really considered what he wants for himself. Emily wants to change that.

And as you can probably guess from my intro, Emily and Simon eventually get together.  It starts with a “fake” kiss at the faire, but after that…well…neither of them can stop thinking about each other.

Don’t let the illustrated cover fool you (I have been surprised before!!)! There are plenty of sexy moments in this book.  *fans self*

I really enjoyed Emily and Simon’s relationship. It felt very ‘Darcy and Elizabeth’ and you know I’m all here for that. I like that it isn’t perfect. They each have their issues to work through. Emily was horribly dumped before moving in with her sister and Simon is dealing with his family issues.

For them to work through these problem, they sometimes need time apart. But, in the end, they work things out, sexy times happen (YAY!), and the faire goes off without too many issues.

Well Met is one of the funnest (is that a word?) books I’ve read all year. How could it not be when most of it takes place at a renaissance faire? But the characters and how they grow and develop is fun to be a part of as well.

Sometimes, romances have a problem where one character is more well-developed or described in more detail than the other, but that is not the case here. Emily and Simon are their own people, with their own issues, and their own distinct personalities. As much as I love a good plot, I mainly read for characters, to experience their emotions, and to watch them grow. So I was thoroughly enthralled by  this book. I have never wanted to visit a renaissance faire more!

I am giving Well Met 4 out of 5 stars. If you’re looking for a good adult contemporary romance to read, this is your book!

Well Met by Jen DeLuca comes out September 3, 2019.

Thank you to First to Read and Berkley Books for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.