User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
ARC provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.Be still, my heart. This really was the romcom of my dreams. My whole life, I’ve been obsessed with going to renaissance fairs every fall in Michigan. My heart (and my nostalgia) is just so strong thinking about the memories I have from each year I went, numerous times. But never have I ever read a book where the setting was a renaissance fair! Well, that is until Jen DeLuca decided to give me everything I’ve ever wanted.
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Emily - 24, travels across the country, to a very small town, after a breakup to help out her sister and niece while her sister recovers from an accident. Her niece, Caitlin, very much wants to be a part of the renaissance fair this year, but she needs a parental guardian to volunteer as well! Emily soon turns into Emma, the tavern wench.
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Simon - 27, a high school English teacher, and very protective of his town’s renaissance fair, that he helps run every year, while he also becomes Ian Blackthorn, the hottest pirate ever.
“Emma the Tavern Wench was turned on by Captain Blackthorn, Pirate. This could be a problem.”
I mean, you all know where this is going. But the ride? One of the best I’ve been on for all of 2019. I fell so in love with both of these characters and everything they were going through, while also wishing that Willow Creek, Maryland, was a real town, because I fell in love with the entire community, on and off the fairgrounds.
I loved the themes of family and community throughout this story too. The unconditional love between Emily and her sister and niece was the stuff of dreams, and it was a treat to read. The angst between Emily and Simon was the stuff of magic.
“Let us love you, and remind you that you’re worth it until you figure out what you’re going to do next.”
Overall, I just adored this one. From the romance, to the witty banter, to the sex, to the small-town setting, to the unconditional love of family, it was just everything. I couldn’t stop smiling while reading this one. This is such a unique gift to the romcom world, and I hope you all pick it up and fall in love with it soon.
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The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.Content and Trigger Warnings: talk of loss of a loved one (non-hodgkin's lymphoma), grief deception, depression depiction, and abandonment.
Buddy read with Riley & Alexa! ❤
I read this for SummerAThon! ❤
Rating: really liked it
FIVE FULL HOTTEST PIRATE ALERT and BEAUTIFUL, FAIRE-Y TALE-Y, SWEETEST STARS!
After for a long time and worst experiences with my favorite authors, I was about to lose my hope to find some lovable romance! Then I finally start this book and TATATA I FELL IN LOVE with it! I’m correcting it! IT LITERALLY WOOED ME!
Cute, sweet, swoony, smart and plus it gives you to urge attending a renaissance fair urgently. (I already ordered my Marie Antionette costume for me and Robin Hood costume for my husband dearest who didn’t give a good reaction to my generosity by rejecting wearing tights! Shame!)
Elements for falling in love with this book and to be bound for one year and one day:
- WE HAVE LOVELY HEROINE IN THE TOWN: Emily, golden-hearted, sweet, friendly, honest, loyal heroine who had dumped and kicked out their shared apartment by his douchebag ex after five years of her relationship (We have a winner slap/punch what makes me happy so much contest: Prize is 10 slaps and 10 punches against this character’s ugly face and uglier soul who made Emily drop her school to support him finish his own law school! Then he dumped her and said they haven’t been dating! Another self-esteem destroyer scumbag!), she moves to support her sister who suffers from injuries and helps her niece for her faire experiment.
- WE HAVE A LOVELY, ROMANTIC HERO: At first I thought he was know-it-all, boring, strict, pretentious douchebag. But his connection with his dead brother and his mission to tribute to his memory by taking responsibility of all the hard works of faire earned him 3thousand brownie points. Also his secret identity as pirate is better, hotter, heterosexual version of Jack Sparrow!
- SIZZLING CHEMISTRY: They are so hot as a couple. Of course they are also cute especially as their role play parts as Captain Blackthorne and Emma put the fair on fire! So many parts I wonder if it could be more erotic romance because I felt the building tension that any minute they could rip each other’s clothes!
- BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTERS: All statues go to the man who carries kilt sexier than Outlander’s star Sam Heughan, yes I’m talking about MITCH, sarcastic, entertaining, flirty, lovable character. Don’t forget smart, mature, sweet little nice Caitlin and best big and supportive sister April.
- AMAZING FAIRE ATMOSPHERE: At the beginning I thought it could bored me to death to read a book taken place at faire but as soon as I started turning paces, I took my first steps to the renaissance times and I wished to spend more time, there.
- SUMMARY: Likable characters, good plot, fast-paced, moving, romantic, emotional, heart-warming story, wooing gestures, great conclusion! IT WAS GREAT FIX FOR MY ROMANCE CRAVING! I’m happy and smiling. (I know it won’t be long because there are more thriller books on my tbr list but so far this is the best relaxing, entertaining story I’ve read for so long!)
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Rating: really liked it
It is with great sadness and dignified surprise that I must inform you: I am an alien.
I have always assumed myself to be of this Earth, considering I have memories going back 15+ years of living here and also zero memories of space or spacecraft or alien technology. Also I feel that I would have some sort of soft spot for galaxies and planets and whatnot if I were an alien, and as is I have no affection of the kind. Plus I don’t even like sci-fi. It’s usually my least read genre.
But apparently all of this is moot, because clearly I am an alien.
Why else would every single thing, every interaction and relationship and joke, that happens in this book make no sense to me? Why would I spend these 336 pages trying to teach myself Human Culture?
There’s no other explanation. I must be from another planet.
That, or this book is off the rails.
Anytime I start reading something I would qualify as quick / easy / fluffy, I intend to finish it the day I pick it up. So that book taking me THREE DAYS TO FINISH, for instance, would be a very, very bad sign.
But nothing about this makes any sense, so.
This Grand Romance follows Emily, a woman who has lost her path in life and come to live with her estranged sister and niece following a car accident, and Simon, the English teacher who runs the Renaissance Faire that Emily and her niece are joining.
As soon as Emily and Simon meet, they go, “I hate you.” Out of nowhere.
And then later, but not that much later, they go, “I love you.” Out of nowhere, again.
It is WILD.
Let me tell you, if enemies to lovers is your favorite romance trope, as it is mine, you are in for a life full of disappointments because books RARELY get it right.
(It may not be fair that I am writing this review the day after finishing You Deserve Each Other, an enemies-to-lovers that is one of the best romances I’ve ever read and a five-star rating that resulted in eight people acting so stunned it was as if I told them I’m an alien.)
(Oh wait.)
While Simon and Emily’s sudden hate-fest and equally sudden love-fest did not add up to me, that wasn’t the only instance I had of turning into a human question mark.
For example: At one point, Emily says she hates Simon’s parents for “foisting” their house on him.
That’s right.
Simon’s parents committed the grave grievance of giving their son...a HOUSE. A WHOLE HOUSE. AN ENTIRE HOME.
Excuse me while I weep for his suffering.
Also, at another point, for the drama, Simon assumes that Emily is dating his frenemy Mitch.
There’s no real reason or evidence for this. Just adding to the will-they-won’t-they, I guess, and also my pending mental breakdown.
And in the cherry on top, this calls itself a “rom-com” and characters often call each other funny/hilarious/the reincarnation of comedy legend George Carlin/etc., but I never once found anything funny.
I would have trouble pointing out a joke in the pages of this at all.
But then again, I’m an alien.
Bottom line: If anyone is aware of a spaceship I can borrow, please let me know. I’d like to reconnect with my alien family, and also launch this book into space while I’m at it.
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currently-reading updatespretty sure this book is either going to be a delightful, cheer-me-up read or annoy the bejesus out of me.
let's find out
Rating: really liked it
Need a good read for a bad day? Here's a Booktube Video all about it!!
The Written Review And someday, I wanted someone who would love me. Not for what I could do for them, but for who I was to them.
Emily has hit a crossroads.
She supported her boyfriend for years as he went for his law degree...only to be
thrown aside now that he's achieved his dreams.
She's decided to relocate to Willow Creek to take care of her injured sister...but little does she know that even that
comes with strings attached. Corset strings, to be precise.
Emily's niece wants to volunteer to work at the Renaissance Faire but she's too young to do it without an adult.
So, with barely a backwards thought - Emily steps up and into a dress,
it's bar-wenching time. “I didn’t choose the wench life. The wench life chose me.”
The Renaissance Faire is the treasure of the town - and no one guards as much as Simon (the leader).
Immediately the
two of them clash. Her laissez faire attitude and his stick-in-the-mud one keeps them at each other's throats.
But despite the tension,
there's sparks. Lots and lots of sparks.
“This good sir Knight here was showing me his most impressive weapon."
Should she leave after the summer (like she's always planned)? Or is there enough here to put down roots?
Oh my gosh.
I adored this book.There's so much to love - the characters, the plot, the tension, the sexual tension, and more.
Emily was such an
amazingly funny and hilariously witty main character. A sweetheart and a sass-bucket, all rolled into one.
Simon was a perfect pirate/dastardly swordsman (and nervous nelly).
The two of them balanced so well and the banter between them was perfect!
And the setting!
Oh my gosh the setting! I loved every page - it brought back so many wonderful memories and made me so jealous.
If you are feeling reminiscent of the Renaissance Faire but don't want to risk the literal plague - then this book is for you.
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Rating: really liked it
Re-read 8/21/20: A solid re-read! I don't think I enjoyed this one quite as much the second time around, but it was still mega cute and I'm excited to carry on with the rest of the series! I need Mitch's story, like, yesterday
Original read 7/1/19: This was SO DAMN CHARMING. Pretty sure I was grinning like a fool the entire time because I just loved it so much. MY HEART!
Rating: really liked it
you guys. its official. hot english teachers whose alter-ego is a roguish pirate are so my thing. it may sound a bit niche, but its the only thing that will do it for me. my heart has decided and theres nothing i can do about it now.
and until that perfect guy comes along, i guess i will just have to spend my time happily daydreaming about simon. i have a weak spot for guarded, yet vulnerable, romantic interests, so simon had my attention from page one. i enjoyed seeing him come out of his shell and really step into his own person. that character growth made the entire story worth it for me.
of course, i also enjoyed the interactions between him and emily. this story is very rom-com-esque, so i know the constant miscommunications and predictable ending would be a given. it didnt lessen my reading experience, but it just lacks that feeling of originality and angst i want when it comes to romance stories, especially when its pitched as 'enemies to lovers.'
but overall, this is a sweet, light, and fluffy read that totally hit the spot!
↠ 4.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
respectfully... this is a book for people who read primarily YA and don’t read a lot of romance.
and i’m not one of those people.
Rating: really liked it
2 StarsI picked this for my August Book of the Month box selection. I was fresh off The Reckless Oath We Made and was in "Renaissance mode," I guess. And while this book is usually not something I go for - I don't typically read light, mainstream contemporary romance (nothing against it, just not really my typical fare) - this book sounded really cute and I was very drawn to it and excited for it to arrive. Plus, it had a really cute cover in what is pretty much my favorite color. So there's that...
Unfortunately, however, despite knowing this would be light and fun...it ended up being just a little
too light for me. I felt like I never really got to know
any of the characters beyond the surface level and the main romantic relationship was without any romantic tension or chemistry.
I enjoyed the writing style, but as I said, it all felt very surface level. I never felt like anything - the characters, and their problems, motivations, and relationships - were never fully fleshed out to my satisfaction. And there was a lot of fodder to make it happen. So many missed opportunities.
That said, this was a light, sweet read from which will appeal to many readers. It just didn't work for me.
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars although I may bump it up to 5. I’m just annoyed with it right now.
This book was 5 stars for the first 75%. Banter. So much banter. So much hate to love. Perfection in every way and I had no complaints. It even had the best written sex scene I have ever read and I’m someone who typically cringes at sex scenes, especially how they are written.
The major conflict near the end of the book was what tripped it up a bit for me. The main characters personality changed a bit and some things, imo, were blown way out of proportion. So that soured the experience a bit.
I still adored this and it will likely be a favorite of the year. I already plan to reread it and I rarely reread. This made me think of Ren Faires as a romance setting when I’d previously thought of them as anything but. I’m very much looking forward to more in this series.
I will also be gushing about this on my channel I promise - so more in depth thoughts there.
Rating: really liked it
4.5/5 ⭐
Full review on my Blog: The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺
*swoons into a puddle of cuteness**stops swooning*Ah, damn, I loved this so much!
*starts swooning some more*And no kidding. From the first few chapters, I was sure I was going to love this.
I mean, it had everything – the atmosphere was really great, the story was going nicely and the characters were portrayed so well.
And on top of that? I really liked the MC,
Emily. She was really cool.
Oh, and of course the love interest wasn’t the hot hunk taking the spotlight but the pompous arse in the background who apparently irritates the shit out of Emily (aka the female MC).
...That was the code for ‘the bloody prick is a damn annoying bastard but I cannot get over him, ugh’.
The
title of the book is pretty clever, I’ll have to say. It connected perfectly with the Elizabethan theme of the Faire/book, with some nice Shakespearean elements that were very nicely introduced.
The most common way to greet someone in that period?
Well met!The way those two get to be together?
Well met!The title of the book?
Well Met !
So bloody well connected, I loved it. Very well met.
Now, back to our nice little lovebird characters, they just got better and better.
Simon, who at first was such a cold little prick, becomes the epitome of perfect homemade bread – hard, crusty exterior and soft, delicious and warm interior.
Also, bonus points for him – he can pull off a decent hot and evil pirate (I mean exposed chest, leather pants and a silver hoop earring? Well ahoy there, sexy Captain Hook!). Mix that with a sad past, some personal issues he needs to work on and the fact that he is actually a great guy and bam! You’ve got yourself a new book boyfriend!
And also, if you aren’t already convinced:
he is a damn smooth hand kisser.*melts*
And Emily was exactly what he needed to discover all that about himself too.
There are some
pretty sweet scenes in there, ready to make you swoon out of your mind.
This was, in fact, the first book in so long that made me wonder
how in the hell could a chaste and pure scene be so hot and slightly dirty at the same time.
No clue, but I bloody loved it nonetheless.
Of course, at some point, there was going to be some annoying trouble in paradise, but
, of course, , the pair was going to get past them as they should because let me tell you something:
Emily and Simon are perfect for each other.I couldn’t get over the fact that they were so sweet and gentle and loving with each other and that aspect made my heart burst into unicorns and rainbows and made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside!
Ah, I love them so much…!
I don’t even know what I was expecting from this book – probably not much given the fact that I managed to fall in love with it so hard.
But oh well, that’s more than a generous bonus for me. And I took it with both hands and hang on to it as if it were my precious.
I simply loved this cute, fluffy and cosy little romance novel!
(Book-styled)
Rating: really liked it
Many thanks to Berkley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review ”Someday, I wanted someone who would love me. Not for what I could do for them, but for who I was to them.
This is truly one of the most romantic and addictive books I read this year or at this point last year because it’s 2020 now which is absolutely crazy.
So, what is this book about? Well Met follows Emily who has come to Willow Creek, Maryland to take care of her sister, April, who has broken her leg and can’t drive. She expects the job to be easy and simple but when her niece,
wants to do the local Renaissance fair, She finds out that she has to participate as well because each child must have an adult with them. And so because she loves her niece she chooses to participate in the Renaissance fair.
It seems to be going pretty well at first. She’s made friends and is actually enjoying herself. But then she encounters Simon, an uptight but surprisingly hot English teacher who has been placed in charge of the entire fair.
Simon seems to find any reason to criticize Emily and does so constantly. but at least he’s easy to hate. Or is he? Once the Renaissance fair begins Emily realizes that his persona is a dashing extremely handsome pirate who is in love with Emily‘s persona Emma the barmaid. As the fair goes on, Emily starts to lose track of what is acting and what is real.
Let me start by saying that I was reading this over Christmas break and at one point I had to pause it to have dinner with my family. Throughout the entire dinner, I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters (specifically Simon) and what they were thinking, feeling, etc. if that isn’t a sign of a good book, I don’t know what it is.
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Simon - First of all, here is his real-life lookalike (you’re welcome):
[Credit: Anthony Crouchelli]
Simon reminds me of me. I mean, I’m not as much of an asshole as Simon is (I hope) they could still relate to his general uptightness and control issues.
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Emily - I could definitely relate to Emily in that we both have trust issues. I really liked that they delved into Emily‘s backstory and why she had trust issues and how they affected her.
On that note, I loved the overall theme of “It’s dangerous to put your trust in someone but it’s even more dangerous to never try.” This is something I did for a long time. I was always afraid to let people in because if I let them in, they could (whether on purpose or not) hurt me. It’s something I still struggle with to this day but I’ve gotten a lot better.
This book was a classic enemies-to-lovers romance and it was absolutely perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better romance to end the year. It was classic and well done. I absolutely loved Emily and Simon’s relationship. I loved how they bantered and play fought. And most of all, I loved that they made each other better.
Finally, I love the sex scenes. Perfect amount of steamy without being gross or overwhelming. Extremely well done.
Overall, this book was romantic, funny, steamy, and all-around perfect way to end the year
Bottom Line:
5 Stars
Age Rating: [ R ]
Content Screening (Mild Spoilers) -
Educational Value (3/5) - [History, Renaissance Fairs]
Positive Messages (3.5/5) - [Moving on from the past, Putting your trust in someone even when you’re afraid.]
Violence (1/5) - [Fake fighting]
Sex (4.5/5) - [Detailed sex scene, kissing, sexual themes and innuendos.]
Language (4/5) - [F**k, sh*t, cl*t]
Drinking/Drugs (2/5) - [Alcohol consumption]
Trigger and Content Warnings - PTSD, Loss of a loved one, Car accidents
Cover (3/5) ~Characters (5/5) ~ Plot (5/5) ~ Audio (4/5)
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2019
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Genre: Romance/Comedy
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HOLY MOTHERFORKING SHIRTBALLS!!!!!!!!!! Way to finish out the year with a bang... Thanks, Jen DeLuca!
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Rating: really liked it
5 stars 
This was the sweetest and most delightful romance! I'm a sucker for a good enemies to lovers story. Add in the fact that this takes place at a Renaissance Faire and I was sold. Just seeing the cover and reading the blurb, I knew I would love this book, and I was 100% right.
Emily isn't much of a small town girl, but when her sister gets in an accident and needs help with her teenage niece, Emily moves to Willow Creek to be there for them. When her niece wants to join the Renn Faire for the summer, Emily is fine with being her ride. What she's not anticipating is having to volunteer herself. But she does it. For her niece. She commits to being a tavern wench for every weekend in the summer. It wouldn't be so bad, except that the guy running the show seems to have it out for her.
“Ugh.” I turned to Stacey. “Is he always that unpleasant?”
“No, you seem to bring it out in him. Good going.” She watched him walk away. “The thing about Simon is that Faire’s just … it’s his thing. He’s very protective of it. Everything has to go right.”
Simon's brother used to run Faire, but now it's left to him. Everything has to go perfectly. He's rather particular about the details. As soon as the Faire starts, Simon- the uptight English teacher becomes Captain Blackthorne, the fun loving pirate who Emily- or Emma the tavern wench, loves to banter with. I loved the back and forth these two had. Their sexual tension was off the charts.
As Emily gets to know Simon, she understand why he is the way he is. And she starts to fall for him. Not only Captain Blackthorne, but Simon the person. No one is more surprised about this than her.
I’d known Simon for months now, and I’d seen different sides of him. Uptight rule-follower. Easygoing pirate. Both of those personas were stripped away now and I’d found a new Simon underneath. The real Simon. I liked him. A lot.
As Emily decides what to do with her life, whether she'll stay in Willow Creek once her sister gets better, or move on, Simon factors into that choice. I adored both Simon and Emily. Simon is my favorite kind of character. He was a bit high strung and Type A, but he has his reasons. I loved that Emily got to the root of who he truly was and loved him for it.
Well Met is a fantastic debut novel. I seriously will be reading anything and everything else this author writes. I hope we get some more from this world... maybe a Mitch book? The writing was great, the banter between the two characters- perfect, and the ending was swoony. This charming read was a gem of a book and I highly recommend it to all lovers of romance!
Rating: really liked it
Consider me properly wooed by this book! This was the perfect summer romance.
Fresh of the heels of a bad break up, Emily moves to a small town to take care of her older sister and niece after her sister was in a car crash. Emily gets roped into joining the towns annual Renaissance Faire as a tavern wench. Right off the bat she get’s off on the wrong foot with the leader of the faire, Simon, who seems to disapprove of every move Emily makes. But once the faire begins, Emily’s wench persona can’t take her eyes off the pirate captain, played by none other than Simon. And when Captain Blackthrone wastes no chance to flirt with her, she becomes confused as to whether this is all a part of the show or actually real.
I loved the premise of this book so much. Emily and Simon clearly detested each other. But their faire characters fell into somewhat of a “showmance". And the banter was 10/10. I really loved the two sides of Simon. During the week he was a buttoned up English teacher but on the weekend, he let loose and became a devilish pirate with a wicked tongue *wink*
I also really liked Emily as a protagonist. Because of her previous breakup, she was dealing with insecurities of not being enough. She was somewhat lost at the start of the book and I loved seeing her move out of her comfort zone and embrace a new start.
I am definietly adding whatever Jen DeLuca writes next to my tbr!
Rating: really liked it
Well Met is the quintessential modern rom-com. Emily, after moving to a small town to help out her sister and niece, is roped into participating in the town's Renaissance fair as a tavern wench. There she meets a swaggering, flirty pirate, Simon, with whom she immediately feels the sizzle of attraction. The problem is that the pirate happens to be played by an uptight English teacher who runs the fair on a tight leash while disapproving of Emily's carefree attitude. So what's a girl with this kind of hot/cold interaction supposed to think?
This is a slow romance, and it took a while to get going. It wasn't until about 100 pages in that the reader gets the first whiff of Emily and Simon's attraction to each other. But once there, the story gets to the good part, with lots of fun flirtations amid the backdrop of a Renaissance fair. Then, when they finally act on their feelings for each other and all seems set, another 100 pages of the book remained. Those last pages dragged on a bit with mostly uninteresting drama. In particular, Emily was extremely needy, and had to be reassured almost on a daily basis that Simon still liked her, which got a little tiring.
Overall, this rom-com fell in the middle of the pack for me. It's cute and fluffy, with the best part being the tavern wench/flirty pirate banter. It's a feel-good story, enjoyable though never quite rising to the level of memorable for me.
Rating: really liked it
“someday, I wanted someone who would love me. Not for what I could do for them, but for who I was to them.”
Emily is in town to help her sister, who is recovering from a bad car accident. When her niece begs Emily to take her to audition for the local Renaissance Faire Emily finds herself having to join in as well.
Pretending to be a wench from the 17th century turns out to be more fun than she expected. The only part Emily doesn't like is that she and Simon, the guy in charge of the volunteers and also pirate in the Faire who she can't stop thinking about, never see eye to eye.
The setting of this book was so interesting to read about. It was unique and made me want to go to a Faire so badly.
The general atmosphere of the plot was great. I loved everything to do with the Faire and once the romance picked up I became really invested in the story.
I just wish we had POV from Simon. I felt a bit disconnected from him and for the first 3/4 of
Well Met he hardly had meaningful interactions with Emily and it took me long to warm up to him. If we had his perspective, it would have made me like him sooner.
I still very much enjoyed this book and can't wait for the sequel!
Buddy read with Karima; Fares and Warda !!
