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.
Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review
It doesn't get much cuter than this: girl makes a temporary move to a small town and thanks to the magic of Ren Faire ends up falling for one of its organizers.
It's the wrong kind of sparks that fly on their first meeting when Emily agrees to be her niece's chaperone at Ren Faire and she has to work under the ever present scrutiny of Simon who took over the reins as organizer from his brother. He runs a tight ship and has no idea what to do with Emily's easygoing and sarcastic nature. They goad each other constantly. At first Emily sees Simon as a humorless drill sergeant with no people skills but changes her mind when she sees how he exuberantly inhabits his role as a pirate at the faire. She also starts to develop a soft spot for him after learning about his family's history. For some odd reason, they get along better when they're in costume. During Ren Faire weekends Simon becomes lively and charismatic - totally opposite from weekday Simon. He woos Emily who has been cast as a bar wench and their dalliance (purely for the show, of course) is a smash with the regulars and visitors. Emily doesn't know what to make of this other side to Simon and begins to appreciate what the Faire and its participants mean to him.
Emily is at a strange crossroads in her life and living here has also given her ample time to consider what her next step should be. She always thought her stay was temporary but she's a natural people person and has been happily getting to know its inhabitants and assimilating to life there. The bonus is that it's brought her closer to her sister and this is something she ultimately cherishes. But it's one thing to be a visitor. Falling in love, remaining in town and embracing a full life here is a huge next step. If she does this it has to be for herself and not because of some guy. Been there, done that. It's her time now!
Having been to a couple of Ren Faires in the past I enjoyed the various references and images the story conjured up. It made me want to go to one again soon. Emily is also a huge Shakespeare nerd who'd instigate stuff with Simon which was highly entertaining. I admired Emily for her introspection as she as looked back on her own history and debated about her next course of action. There's also something about being in costume that releases inhibitions because it allows someone like Simon, who shoulders so much responsibility, to let loose. Emily and Simon are a good team and it was nice to root for them as a couple. The story is also full of side characters that added to the fuzzy feels of this book.
Well Met is all sorts of good fun with a happily ever after befitting its central characters. It also has me wishing that summer would never end!
~ Bel
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