Well Met

The first half of this book was so much fun, and the second half was so angsty it was almost like it switched authors halfway through. So the rating is a little hard for me there. The ending was decent enough, but it really just felt like there were loose ends not touched on, or if they were touched on it was in passing. A lot of this story felt like the author wanted to show a lot of time was passing or wanted to only focus on the weekends but it left it feeling like the story was holed through and missing large pieces. I feel like it would’ve really tied the romance together more if Simon and Emily’s story was even the central story here, but it was so focused on the Ren Faire not having enough staff for the bar that it became boring and monotonous.The worst thing I felt this book did however was on the character Emily. The main character. To start with she seemed like a strong and funny yet introverted character. A character with a backbone, no matter her “tragic” past. However, as the story progressed she actually DECLINED instead of progressed.She had mostly accepted who she was in the beginning even if it was just that she was starting over somewhere new with nothing and could shoot fire balls at anyone who dared disrespect her, but as the story went on she became grossly pathetic. I didn’t even want to read whole paragraphs of her whining about her inadequacies and how she wasn’t good enough and how similar Simon was to her horrible no good ex who ditched her for the big league. She would trust people one second and then turn around and wonder their secret motivations the next. It was just awful to watch. Like she stopped using her brain halfway through so that her anxiety would be the highlight of the story.This story was supposed to be about the uptight Simon and the new girl to the block Emily.It was all about the Renaissance faire and how to run a tavern.Honestly Simon isn’t even in the book all that much. Although when he is, it IS fun. It just doesn’t happen that much.

I am soooo very disappointed with this book. I stopped reading it about 60 some percent through and thankfully I could return for a refund. I thought it would be a nice sweet romance but the crude humor and graphic details were disappointing. Don’t let the sweet cover fool you this is not a sweet book I won’t read anymore from this author I’m just glad I had time to get a refund. If you like clean romance this book is not for you.

Loved this book. I’m not going to recap the book, it’s been done here by better than I. Suffice it to say, I loved this book. Everything about it. The characters were all great, especially the two leads. Simon wasn’t your typical hunky romance novel specimen, but he was made completely swoon worthy by the author. Emily was in a rough spot and had landed with her sister and her niece and her interactions with them felt real and authentic. The supporting characters all hit the right notes—from the gym teacher in the kilt, to the queen, to Emily’s fellow wench (I liked her book excerpt at the end. Looking forward to it).Setting a romance at a Ren Faire was so unique and well done. You can tell the author has had experiences with such faires because her descriptions were so evocative. Made me want to run out to one and grab a turkey leg and look for a pirate.So, I loved Simon and Emily. The supporting cast of characters contained nary a misstep. I particularly loved the bookstore angle and the resolution of Emily’s reason for ending up in a small town. That setting was well written, as well, without the typical bad reps small towns usually get. I think the winner for me, though was Simon, the pirate. His backstory was sad, but while that, it was handled extremely well and realistic. Loved how he was more confident when in costume.I have to admit, I was picturing Killian from Once Upon a Time, especially when the eyeliner was mentioned.This was a book that hit all the right buttons for me. Wasn’t sure I wanted to spring for the kindle price on a debut novel, but I’m glad I did. One of my favorite books—almost reaching The Hating Game status. Almost.

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 is written in 1st person with Emily being our narrator. The writing style is easy to get on with and try chapters average about 10 pages each. The book deals with break ups, single parenthood and grief - but it is a light heartened read, with these things only touched upon. There are a couple of steamy moments in the book and they are detailed - there is no fade to black in this book.I enjoyed this book, I liked the character of Emily - she was very kind and a problem solver. She also had a bit of fire to her, which I liked. I also enjoyed the small town setting and how everyone got on and helped each other out. I also loved the faire, it was interesting to see behind the scenes of it and how much it meant to people. It also sounded like a lot of fun!I felt the pacing and therefore the tension of this book was a bit off. For example, Emily found some stuff out about Simon's past from other characters and it left things feeling a bit anticlimactic to me. I also felt that things could have been wrapped up around the 60% mark, so it felt like a bit of a slog getting through the rest.That being said I did enjoy the book and would probably read more from this author again if I fancied another light hearted read.

A rom-com set at a Ren Faire is what’s been missing from my life, and if this book was a movie I’d put it on whenever I needed a pick-me-up.Emily, recently out of a five-year relationship with a douchebag, has moved in with her older sister, April, and niece, Caitlin, in the small town of Willow Creek, following a car accident that left her sister with a broken leg. With no idea what she’s doing with her life, she devotes her time to helping her sister out, and finds herself roped into the town’s summer Renaissance Faire when her niece wants to volunteer and can’t unless she has an adult to volunteer with. Luckily for Caitlin, Emily is a fan of the works of Shakespeare, and doesn’t mind stepping back into the Renaissance for her niece’s sake. She does mind Simon, however, the faire organiser whom she soon butts heads with. When the pair of them are in character during the Ren Faire, though, sparks fly.I was hoping Well Met was going to be a five star read – I’m a complete history nerd, so a Ren Faire setting is literally the perfect rom-com setting for me – but I was hoping for a little more banter between Simon and Emily when they were playing the roles of Captain Ian Blackthorn and Emma the tavern wench. For me, Emily fell into her ‘wow Simon’s really hot and I suddenly care what he thinks of me’ mood a little too quickly, and what I wanted most out of this book was witty banter and the two of them winding each other up throughout the summer.That small disappointment aside, this was still just the book I needed. I sped through it, as I pretty much always do when I read romance, and while it didn’t quite play out how I expected, I did still end up really liking Emily and Simon as characters, and I especially liked that Emily called Simon out when he was an unnecessary pain in the backside. There’s a little miscommunication, as there always is in a rom-com, but the two of them are good at talking things through and voicing their feelings when it matters, and while it was a little difficult to imagine them being interested in each other at first I did believe their chemistry by the end of the novel.There’s also plenty of time for Emily to develop relationships with other characters. She strikes up friendships with other locals in the town, all of whom make her feel welcome, and she gets the chance to have a proper relationship with her sister, too, after their 12-year age gap left them not really getting a chance to know each other in their younger years.The setting is definitely what I loved most about this book, though, and how DeLuca explores all the good things about small towns and how these communities so often pull together when it really matters. That another book, following one of the side characters in this novel, is due to be released in the autumn has me so excited – there’s no way I’m going to say no to a romance series centred around a Ren Faire. Give me more, please!

This book is utterly delightful!! The definition of joy in a book... I absolutely loved it!The Renaissance Fair setting, the characters, the family dynamics, the friendships... All awesome.The romance? Top notch.Simon freaking ruled! Okay, I could be 100% biased on this point because I cannot think of this book, and Simon, without picturing Hook from Once Upon a Time but that's irrelevant: Simon was a good dude but his Captain Blackthorne alter-ego stole the show! Did Simon annoy me at times? Yes. Did his ren-fair control-freakery make me stabby sometimes? Yes. Do I care? Nope! Give me that pirate!His relationship with Emily was gold and had me smiling - and laughing - like a loon!Emily was super endearing. I loved how she found her home in that quirky little town (and fell in love with the pirate English teacher... Did I mention the pirate yet?!) She'd had a tough time of it and it was wonderful seeing her find her purpose and her tribe.It was all just adorable. I read it through in one sitting (I seriously don't think I stopped to even get a drink) and I loved it. I didn't want it to end and jumped straight onto the next one in the series.Highly recommend it (especially if you love a sultry, flirty (non) pirate!)

What a fun read!If you like a little Shakespeare, you'll love the underlying Bard-connections to this romance that wouldn't go amiss as one of old Will's original plays!Emily has come to stay with her sister to help her with recuperation after an accident. Perfect timing as she wrestles with her own grief at her five-year relationship breakdown.She gets roped into joining a summer faire, to please her niece who wants to take part, but can't without adult supervision.There are plusses and minuses.The plusses? A bunch of new friends, bring able to enjoy one of her loves; Shakespeare, and a kilted hunkThe minuses? Having to dress up as a wench, change her name to Emma, and that moody form filler Nazi.A lot of fun, a little naughty, but plenty of romance!

I had been recommended this so many times but had it languishing in my 'to-read' list for the longest time. I'm SO glad I finally got around to reading it. Brilliantly rounded characters, with actual emotional depth and complexity but also TRULY laugh out loud moments and swoon-worthy wooing.It was also refreshing that the major male character wasn't the usual stereotype. I identified a lot with both characters, but especially Emily.Cannot wait for the second story (and secretly hoping there will be a few more tales told about the residents of this charming town)