Well Met

A book that brings together my love of sweet romance stories and renaissance fairs! What more could I ask for? Not much, actually. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

In this summer romance story, Emily volunteers to be a tavern wench in the high school renaissance fair so that her niece can participate. Emily at first takes a major disliking to Simon, the man in charge. However, as she learns more of his true personality, she finds herself drawn to him.

The characters in this book are very likable. Emily is believable as a young woman who is a bit lost after being burned by her long time boyfriend. She is not sure where she fits anymore or what she should do with her life. Luckily, she finds the renaissance fair and forms bonds that help to ground her and make her feel like part of a family. Simon is a character with a lot of weight on his shoulders, some of it self-inflicted. He is so serious most of the time, but it is fun to watch his more playful side emerge when he become a pirate at the fair. As someone who has always been serious, I completely relate to the way Simon has to take on a persona to let himself have fun. The secondary characters are all fun and charming. I especially enjoyed Mitch, the handsome charmer in a kilt.

The plot moves at a really nice pace, never getting slow or boring. There is just enough detail about the fair to be charming without becoming too nerdy. I use that word with love as I am a bit a of a nerd myself when it comes to these types of things. Some of the romance elements are a bit cheesy, but then its a renaissance fair setting. Cheesy is expected, but in a good way. I like that there is no overdramatic plot conflict between the two main characters. There is a conflict, of course, because it is a romance novel and they all have at least one. However, it is a believable, realistic conflict that feels like something lots of adults deal with in relationships.

Overall, I enjoyed this reading experience. I am rating this at 4.5 stars. I would recommend it to any contemporary romance reader, especially those with a little bit of renaissance fair fan in them.