Synopsis
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.
Rating
★★★★★
Thoughts
My ren faire loving heart loved this one so much. It was geeky and steamy in all the right places. And what a strong debut for this author, wow!
This contemporary romance is a rom-com, but it has some layers that keep it from being too fluffy. Past personal traumas provide depth to the main characters and also left me rooting for their ultimate happiness. While the romance may be slow burning and a bit frustrating at times, I enjoyed it and where everything ended up.
Book one in the Well Met series left me looking forward to the last three: Well Played, Well Matched, and Well Traveled!
Edition
This sweet edition is from Afterlight by Illumicrate. I especially love how Emily and Simon are depicted in casual clothes on the dust jacket, but appear in costume on the front cover.