Wonderfully, perfectly adorable. I laughed, I got misty eyed, I swooned. This was such a surprise! This story did not just tug at my heart strings, it played them like a Ren. Faire bard.
5 star read!

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway was entirely not what I was expecting, but in a good way.

Madeline's mom passed away last year and since then, she is clear that nothing can change. Daily tally marks and note taking have ensured this. That is, until she arrives at her favorite Ren faire to see that it is under new owners and has changed.

Arthur, son of the new owners and baird, is about to change Maddie's life. For a reason Maddie cannot think of, he wants to be her friend and include her in the faire proceedings. Now, they're going on road trips and collecting post cards at each stop. Yet Maddie cannot help thinking at every stop about her fate. This definitely isn't the life she expected this summer.

I really enjoy any novel written by Ashley Schumacher and this one is no different. Schumacher took care when writing about grief and there were multiple lines that stuck with me about the process. I enjoyed getting to see little tidbits into faire life and the multiple road trips that Arthur and Maddie go on. While I thought the novel dragged at times, it's one I'm glad I read.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cute but not for me. I think this book is definitely past my age demographic. It was a sweet YA book, that is really unique to the genre but, I didn’t feel connected to it.

“grief isn't a contest because there are no winners, so we might as well all help each other toward healing”

Maddie is adjusting to life at the ren faire circuit for the first time without her mom. It’s been a year since her mom passed and when Maddie and her dad reach the end-of-tour spot that was also her mom’s favorite but they find it completely different, Maddie hopes for all these changes to stop.

Maddie catalogs various lists of what she calls “notices” in her journal because she doesn’t want to not remember these details as she’s starting to forget little things about her mom. To say the least, Maddie is busy and has no room in her life for new friendship or romance but then she meets the son of the owners who brings both to the table along with a proposal for her to be princess of the faire.

This book did an amazing job with so many things. It has a plus-sized heroine so deals with body perception and it discusses mental health, therapy, and loss in a relatable way. But overall the romance really tired me out. The will-they-won’t-they isn’t for me and it felt like it was dragging on forever in this book while the end was on the cheesy side that isn’t my taste.

So stinking cute! I really love Ashley Schumacher's writing and this book is no exception. While less heavy than her previous novels, The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway still centers around grief and life after loss.
Maddie "Gwen" Hathaway has been raised on the ren faire circuit, helping her parents sell jewelry and journals in their stall and living in an RV. After her mother passed away, Maddie and her dad make the trip to Stormsworth, her mom's favorite faire, to find it's entirely different. This book follows Maddie as she grapples with the upcoming anniversary of her mom's passing, trying to find her place in the world, and figure out who she wants to be.

I found this book to be utterly charming. Maddie and Arthur are both delightful and insecure and so entirely relatable. This is a book about life after losing a loved one, accepting yourself, friendship, and finding comfort in one's own skin.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my e-arc. All opinions here are my own.

This was a bit more YA than I expected going in, but that being said was well written and constructed with a cute back drop and great characters!

💙❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is a charming-YA Contemporary Romantic Comedy set at a Renaissance Faire. If that description sounds even slightly alluring to you, you need to pick this up posthaste.

In this story we follow 17-year old, Maddie Hathaway, who has traveled and worked the Faire circuit with her parents her whole life. Maddie doesn't attend regular school and has had only one really close friend.

A lot has changed over the last year for Maddie though. Her good friend and their family have left the circuit, so they are forced into long-distance friendship. The most devastating change though is that Maddie's Mom has passed away, leaving her and her Dad to travel the circuit alone. It's understandably left a huge hole in their lives and while they are still close, they have a more difficult time connecting without Mom around.

When we meet Maddie, they are just getting to the final stop of the season, a place in Oklahoma that was her Mom's favorite. This seems fitting as the one-year anniversary of her passing is going to happen while they are there. Unfortunately, the property is under new management and a lot has changed.

Being back at this place and seeing the changes sends Maddie for a bit of loop. She is struggling and feels alone. Her Dad keeps himself busy with work and Faire friends, so it gives Maddie a lot of time to just be in her own head. Sometimes that is not a comfortable place to be.

Then we meet Arthur. A jovial and fun-loving bard, son to the new owners, who sets his sights on Maddie, christens her Gwen, as in Guinevere, and then refuses to leave her alone, no matter how much Maddie tries to shut him down.

We are talking the teen grumpy-sunshine set-up of my dreams. Once Arthur and Maddie meet, I was unable to look away. They are just so cute. I loved how wholesome this story felt. I generally wouldn't use that word, but I don't know, it just seems to fit here. It was such a great examination of IRL-issues, while also bringing such warm humor and charm.

The setting of the Faire is so well done. I love how the Faire shapes the action. It's not just stated as the backdrop to sell copies, it actually is an integral part of the story.

I feel like a lot of Readers will be able to connect with this one. As an exploration of grief and confidence issues, I can't give it higher marks. I also liked the way Maddie's character grew over the course of the story.

As Maddie was able to let down her walls, the world opened for her in such a positive way. I know this is a standalone, but I would love more of this story and these characters. Maddie is at such an important point in her life, the end of high school, and I would love to see what choices she makes for herself in the future.

Initially, I gave this one 4.5-stars, but the more I have sat with the story, thought about it, talked about it, recommended it to people, the more in love with it I am. I laughed, I cried, I became so invested in Maddie's life and outcome; how could I not bump this up to 5-stars?

If you love witty banter and humor, paired with the honest exploration of real-world issues, you have to check this out; particularly if you a fan of Renaissance Faires. Additionally, I think this could be a great story for parents and teens to read together. I think it could open up some great dialogue.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is the first novel I have read from Ashley Shumacher and I am definitely excited to read more of their work in the future!

I'm always going to read what Ashley Schumacher writes! I will do that on the strength of Ameilia, Unabridged. If you have not read it, rectify that immediately.

The Gwen of this novel, real name Maddie, is grieving the death of her mother and coping by making meticulous notes, or 'noticings' but not actually living. Maddie and her father live in a travel trailer called Britomart, selling his leather journals and her handmade jewelry on the Renaissance Fair circuit. Maddie is lamenting all the changes in her mother's favorite fair in Oklahoma, when she is interrupted by a very unusual guy named Arthur who persists in calling her "Gwen", yep, as in Guinevere.

Maddie is insistent on keeping her world small, because if you don't care it won't hurt. But Arthur is relentless and charming. Suddenly she is Princess of the Faire and traveling to offbeat destinations with him, trying (and failing) not to care.

I found Arthur and Maddie/Gwen's friendship turned 'more' delightful. Frankly, I don't know who could resist Arthur. The portrayal of grief seemed realistic and relative to young adults - and made me want to hug Maddie. I think I have thoroughly overused 'delightful' and 'charming' but I stand by it. I was charmed by this delightful book.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinon.

This is a very cute YA novel that anyone who enjoys a light romance will be happy to read. It all takes place at a Renaissance Faire, and it has a sweet cast of characters. Madeleine is mourning the death of her mother a year ago, and continuing to travel with her dad to Run Faires around the country. She has had little opportunity to interact with other kids her age due to taking online classes because of the travel, and she is self-conscious about her weight, as is so common in teen-age years. So when she meets a cute boy at the newly improved site of the next Ten Faire, she isn’t sure how to handle things and is afraid to get attached. The story takes place over the summer run of the Faire, and builds to a nice gentle conclusion. I enjoyed it as a refreshing change from the heavier fare I usually read.

I received a preview ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was such a sweet book. Madeleine and her dad have been on the Renaissance Faire circuit where her parents met for most of her life. When they arrive at a favorite spot, it’s been overhauled: dirt paths are now gravel, buildings are permanent structures, and everything has a Hollywood sheen. The son of the new owners, Arthur, seems determined to win her over, and dubs Gwen the Princess of the Faire. Reluctantly drawn in, suddenly she is schewing plans with her dad, hanging out with friends, and trying to remember what her mother’s laugh sounded like. Will shaking up her routine make her forget her mother?

This lovely book deals with grief so beautifully, and also addresses body image, budding romance, and LGBTQIA issues (Arthur has two dads). The device of a best friend to Zoom with and a journal provide opportunity for Gwen to process, but so do her conversations with Arthur. This is a great for fans of Well Met who also enjoy coming of age romance.

I received a free, advance reader’s review copy of #TheRenaissanceOfGwenHathaway from #NetGalley.

A sweet romance set at a Renaissance faire, this novel also deals with grief and healing. The romance is middle school appropriate; recommended for 8th grade an up. A delightful read!

Another solid book by Ashley. She creates the best characters and warm fuzzy feelings. I’ve read all of her books and will continue to do so. Thanks NetGalley!

This book was such a wonderful surprise! I did not expect to enjoy the renaissance fair setting as much as I did, but here we are! What a charming and warmhearted story about processing grief, finding hope in friendships and falling in love along the way.

'The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway' is a sweet young adult contemporary romance. The book centers on a teen named Maddie who has grown up touring with her parents on the renaissance faire circuit. The first anniversary of her mother's death overlaps with her mother's favourite Renaissance Faire on their yearly circuit. Maddie is finding it difficult to stay connected and enjoy life and the faire they way she used to with her mother around, Enter, Arthur, a persistent and exuberant young bard, who is adamant in becoming Maddie's friend even though she's hesitant about letting another person into her life that she could potentially lose.

First and foremost, I loved the Renaissance Faire setting. It just made the metaphors, the Shakespearean references and the silliness in the character's that much more fun. I wish the author spent a little more time on the everyday life in the faire in certain chapters because that would led to more exciting side plots for Arthur and Maddie.

Starting with Maddie - she's a strong willed, jewelry maker, plus-sized and renaissance faire expert. She grew up in that life and has known only happiness with it. Her mother passing away hurts her so deeply that she's afraid to let anyone else in so she doesn't have to experience that pain again. Watching her flourish and be kinder to herself as the story progressed brought me so much joy. Maddie has a lot of internalized shame about being fat that often presents as anger and seeing her overcome this by being around good, diverse people was so important. Arthur makes her smile and breaks her out of her shell. She makes more friends and bonds with her father. It just made me so happy to see a young character have such a wonderful supportive network around her.

Now, Arthur. I love this boy - I truly do. He was fated to meet, befriend and fall in love with Maddie. This character is kind, funny and genuine-to-the core. It made me so happy to see Maddie flourish and open up again to adventure and joy just by hanging out with Arthur. He's so attentive to her needs and understands her in a way even she doesn't understand herself. He's going into my list of "sweetheart characters".

I really enjoyed the slow-build romance between Maddy and Arthur. It was very sweet and realistic. They go on day trips and slowly fall in love and that was so lovely to witness. I do wish we got to see them interact more with other people and have more plots attached to the ren faire. Also - I really needed an epilogue about their life after the conclusion!

Overall, this book was a fantastic, queen and light-hearted read that makes you go 'aww' every few pages.

Thank you so much St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and Netgalley for giving me an eARC of this book!

I never realized how badly I needed a ren-faire book until I picked up this Schumacher book. I can't express how much I loved this. It touches on tougher subjects, like death, grieving and loss. The author took great care and approached the subject beautifully I felt. I can't recommend this one enough.

It’s no surprise that I loved YA romance The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway since I’m a huge fan of author, @ashwritesbooks. I’m so grateful to @WednesdayBooks for a copy of this one.

Madeline is still processing the death of her mom. She copes by tracking things she notices about people so she won’t forget, but her noticings may actually be a way to avoid life. The first anniversary of her mother’s death is coming up when Madeline and her father stop at what was her mother’s favorite Renaissance Faire on the circuit they work year-round. But the Faire has new owners and everything has changed. On her first day there, she meets Arthur, a bard at the Faire, who is determined to be her friend whether Maddy likes it or not.

Even with Maddy processing so much grief, this book is still lighter than Ashley Schumaker’s previous books. Which doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of depth. Obviously there’s the loss of a loved one which the author handles beautifully. Then there’s Maddy being a plus-size teen. I’ve read some reviews that said they didn’t like the “fat shaming” in the book, and I have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about. This felt like a very true-to-life (take it from someone who was also a plus-size teen) story and felt so much more realistic to me than a lot of the excessively body-positive books I’ve read. I mean, those are great. But I don’t believe them. The only body shaming in the book comes from Maddy herself and there’s lovely character development as she learns to accept herself more throughout the book. I also loved the relationship Maddy had with her father, who was also struggling with his own grief, and the backstory about Arthur’s two dads.

For anyone who loves a Renaissance Faire setting, this book delivers in spades and the slow-build romance between Maddy and Arthur was so sweet, if a tad drawn out. My only complaint was that I wanted a little more of them together at the end, but I understand why the story was structured the way it was.

I highly recommend this one to fans of YA romance.

A great rom com about coming into yourself and letting someone else love you just as you are while also learning to love yourself. A plus sized heroine that gets to be princess of the Faire in a world that normally doesn't see her body as worth anything this was a breath of fresh air!

Love this is set in the Ren Faire with the younger set. A father and daughter who just lost the Mom and are grieving and trying to figure out their new life. But Maddie wasn't doing well until she met this bard who was around her age who gave her attention and brought her out of her comfort zone when she needed it the most. Sometimes change is what helps when grief is too much, new memories you know they would love that you were doing. Loved that she was a plus size character and although she had some issues with things he just wanted to be around her. A sweet coming of age story with a sweet romance.

Thank you wednesdaybooks for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Love love love to see more plus sized rep in YA! I was drawn to this because I love the Well Met series by Jen Deluca and it did not disappoint! Such a great and fun book for early Spring reading.

I really enjoyed this book but found myself wishing for more development on several plot points (the adventures, daily Ren Faire life, etc.) which ultimately is what kept this book from being a 5 star read for me.

This one was not for me but that’s not to say this book is not well written. It’s about a girl grieving in her own private way. Perhaps if I had read it another time I would have enjoyed it more.