Well Met is the perfect cute and nerdy summer read. For anyone that loves Renaissance Faires this book is a heartwarming story of a small town and sisterly love. While the romance was good in this book, the main selling feature is the sisterly bond between the main heroine and her sibling. That sisterly bond and re-connection really elevated the story for me. Put on your corset and grab a tankard of ale for this cute and fun romance romp.

ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I read the blurb I knew I had to read this book.

I still remember my first time at a Renaissance Faire. The atmosphere, the costumes, the actors (which I didn’t even know were actors) and the food. But especially the location, tugged away in a wooded area, path leading through it all, connecting areas and stages. It was EXACTLY as the author described in this book. The heat, the dust and grime, the feeling of getting transported into a different time. It was FABULOUS!!!

And I loved how the author brought all of this to live in WELL MET.

The book was a great debut novel, with a wonderfully refreshing plot. The writing flowed and the characters were very well developed. It was easy to experience the faire with Emily, since the author apparently wrote from her own experiences, and visited a Renaissance Faire before.

The love between Emily and Simon was slow burn. And I wished there was a bit more to it. They didn’t spent nearly enough time together. And the time that they did spend together, wasn’t really enough for a deeper relationship. But it was a great start, I just thought the story needed another layer, to make their interest/love more believable.

The story was mostly about Emily, her transition to being single again and living in a small town with her sister and her niece, where she literally didn’t know anyone. Interestingly enough, Emily really liked the small town feel, compared to her sister, and she welcomed the friendships and opportunities that opened up for her.

Simon was interesting when he was personating his Faire character, but otherwise he felt a bit bland, stodgy, and as Emily said once, he had a stick up his butt. Which did go hand in hand with his more serious and quiet demeanor.

When Emily and Simon were bar wench and pirate, the interest was palpable but still not enough for me to be convinced. In my opinion they didn’t go far enough with their personalization. I wanted to see full on scenes between them, pages upon pages playing to the crowd, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. They had some interaction but not enough, maybe a paragraph here and there – I wanted pages. I also felt much of the Faire scenes were told rather than shown. I needed a bit more interaction overall. There was so much potential. I actually craved the interaction that the author hinted on but never fully delivered. I needed that to be a vital part of the book.

But otherwise Well Met was a sweet, and well written debut novel. Definitely a book many readers will enjoy. One of those perfect summer reads – light hearted and easy.

Well Met, indeed, Jen DeLuca! Helping out while her sister recovers from a broken leg means that Emily does the driving, the shopping - and the volunteering, serving as a pub wench at the local Renaissance Faire run by the high school English teacher, Colin. But there’s more to this Faire than just turkey legs, and there’s more to Colin than his checklists and logistics, which Emily soon discovers. I love a promising début, and this is a solid first effort.

My biggest concern about the story is that the Colin and Emily of the first third of the book just don’t have a lot in common with the two of them later on. The good news about this inconsistency is that while the early characters and their relationship merit maybe just a B-, the second part of the novel is closer to an A. Early on, Colin is written as an isolated disciplinarian type, grumping at Emily in order to cover up his attraction to her. It’s a stock hero, and not a good fit for a teacher and leader of volunteers. Second-two-thirds Colin is a sweet romantic who dons a swashbuckling pirate persona at the Faire, but in real life is resigned to being in someone else’s shadow. Growing up, it was his brother, who started the Faire, and whose death at a young age has left Colin the guardian of this legacy. Now, it’s people like his friend, the strapping and chiseled Marcus (described, fantastically, as a Gaston) – whom Colin simply assumes Emily would choose over him. See how much more developed and sympathetic later-Colin is? Similarly, Emily is given an abandoned English degree in her backstory, but it feels contrived, so as to allow her to banter about Shakespeare with Colin. At the Faire, she is less interested in the history and performances than in the business model, and later, she makes a business plan for a friend's book shop. This later Emily, with her shrewd head for logistics, business, and marketing, is more rounded and appealingly competent.

As the characters get going, so does the Faire, and at its peak, this story hits a whirring DIK stride. Emily clears up the Big Mis about Marcus and deftly learns to manage a bar tent. In my favorite sequence of the book, Colin enlists the entire Ren Faire to help him woo Emily. DeLuca mentions in her bio that she was a volunteer wench, which I’m sure helped her bring to life details like the groaning delight of an end-of-day shower and the rituals and traditions of the cast. However, the few specifics she gives about the more dedicated performers felt unlikely. I bought that Emily would wear a chemise with elastic in it, but would Colin really wear anachronistic leather trousers, especially in the heat of the summer? No wonder the shower felt so good…

The denouement drags slightly, as several obvious misunderstandings go unsorted and an OTT romantic gesture is forced, but on the whole, the ending is satisfying and fun. I enjoyed a knowledgeable look at a quirky contemporary setting, and I really liked the couple that Colin and Emily became. I look forward to more from Jen DeLuca!

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To be honest, at first this started off slow for me but, did begin to pick up and it captured my interest.
I loved how relatable all the characters turned out to be, and also that it wasn't just a typical love story, and that there was a lot that had to happen to make it work. It was human and it was honest and it was worth waiting till the end.

Well Met is a fun time at the Faire.

Emily has come to the little town of Willow Creek to take care of her sister and her niece while her sister recovers from a car accident. Her niece is very excited to be part of the Renaissance Faire which the school puts on each summer for fund raising. Unfortunately for Emily, that means a parent or guardian also needs to volunteer to keep on eye on the minor. Emily decides to make the best of it but no matter what she does or says, it doesn’t seem to be good enough to please Simon, who is the organizer of the event. She didn’t fill in her volunteer form correctly. He doesn’t think she put enough effort into her Faire name. She isn’t putting enough effort into her character. Emily is having fun and making friends and it all would be a great time without Faire killjoy Simon around.

Simon’s brother started the Faire and after his death three years ago, Simon has taken over the reigns in his brother’s memory, but Simon is convinced the only way to put on the Faire each year is the same way his brother did and he won’t hear any suggestions from Emily about things to improve the experience.

After weeks of preparation, the Faire finally opens and most surprisingly to Emily is the fact that, Emma the tavern wench (Emily) finds that flirting with the pirate Captain Blackthorne (Simon) to be very simulating indeed. If only Emily could stand to spend time with Simon out of costume. Yet as their stage personalities spend more time together, Emily starts imagining what it would be like if only they could keep this chemistry going outside of Faire weekends.

While this story and the Faire is set for the Renaissance, it has a definite Pride and Prejudice feel between Simon and Emily. It is told in first person, so we never get complete insight into Simon, but Emily’s first meeting with Simon where he complains that she doesn’t fill in her volunteer form correctly and that she isn’t taking the whole thing seriously, sets up Emily’s antagonism to Simon, and she sees all future interactions with Simon as his attacks against her because he must not like her. We eventually learn that Simon (like Darcy in P&P) has been mooning over Emily unaware that she disliked him so much. He only stays away when he thinks she is falling for Mitch, the gym teacher, who flirts with all the women and who is our stand in for Mr. Wickham so to speak but without the bad intentions.

Part of Emily’s problem is that her long-time boyfriend, who she dropped out of college to support while he was in law school, dumped her once he got a job in a prestigious law firm since a college-dropout, waitress girlfriend made him look bad. Her break up was why she was free to move to Maryland and help her sister, but it also kept whispering dark thoughts to Emily about her worthiness and you just wanted to shake her after awhile because she never allowed herself to just enjoy the good things coming her way. There was always a whisper of doubt questioning whether or not she would be pushed aside once again.

I enjoyed the telling of this story and I also enjoyed the backdrop of the Faire. If you have ever attended a Renaissance Faire, it made me appreciate more the hard work the actors put into the event as well as how much fun it must be to truly be a part of it.

This is a first novel for author Jen Deluca and it was a very enjoyable story.

Well Met was a cute read with a unique premise. The idea of a romance novel set at a renaissance fair had me definitely intrigued. It’s a very different concept. The accents and planning behind the fair was fun to read. Unfortunately, I felt some of the main characters fell a little flat. The main character, Emily, moved to a small town in Maryland to help her sister who had an accident and her niece. To allow her niece to volunteer at the town renaissance fair, she get roped into helping out. I did like Emily’s spirit. She was a bit feisty and stood up for herself. However, she seemed to cave pretty quickly towards the love interest, Simon, who was a bit of jerk the whole time. Simon never really grew on me even after they became a couple. Overall, I enjoyed Well Met, but I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would.

4.5 stars
I loved this book!
I loved everything about this book! I was shocked that this was a debut author! This writing was amazing. Quick, funny, witty, smart! The plot was interesting dealing with a Renaissance Faire. One of the best books I have read in 2019!!

What a charming story! When Emily moves to her sister's small Maryland town to help her recover from a car accident, she didn't anticipate getting involved in the local Renaissance Faire, alongside her teenager niece. From the very first day, Emily seems to rub Ren Faire organizer Simon the wrong way. But as the summer continues, Emily settles into her role as a bar wench and enjoys getting to know Simon's pirate-like alter ego. Is this a real attraction, or just part of the act? And what happens when summer is over?

I really enjoyed the setting of this story — the town is full of fun, interesting characters and it felt like a real place. The tension between Emily and Simon is well drawn. It resolved a little quicker than I anticipated, but I appreciated that both characters had past experiences that made them wary of each other. A perfect summer read.

This was a solid book! I loved that it centered around a ren faire. This was just very cute and summery.

This book was an absolute delight. I was a theater kid in high school and our group of friends were OBSESSED with our local Ren Faire. This book brought back all those associated memories PLUS left me longing to immediately watch Shakespeare in Love. Would definitely recommend for the keeper shelf -- the witty dialogue, the unique premise, and swoony chemistry between the main protagonists are just a few reasons WELL MET deserves this lauded status. Pick up this book. Read it in one sitting. And then go tell all your friends about it. Does NOT disappoint.

Well Met is a contemporary romance, but it feels very Young Adult to me. The wording irked me. The characters irked me. They felt more like teenagers than mid twenties adults. If that is the kind of romance novel that you like, this is the perfect lighthearted and fun book for you!

Fun summer romance; really enjoyed it! Characters were well-developed and likable, and the story line was sweet. If you're looking for a fun romance, this is a good choice.

I love the slow burn, how gradually Simon and Emily start to unwrap the layers of each other and start to like and trust each other. It felt like a well earned relationship, not the insta love you sometimes see in novels. I also enjoyed all the Ren Faire details, as I've never been to one!

I loved this book because I really identified with Emily. A lot of her vulnerabilities and insecurities felt like a mirroring of my own life as I tend to overthink everything on a regular basis. We even share the same last name. The setting of a Renaissance Faire was different and interesting, as was Emily's niece Caitlyn who thankfully was not your typically portrayed angsty teenager. I liked all the characters but I did feel the romance was a bit underdeveloped. Overall, still a great read and a fun romance. 5 stars.

Ren Faire romance, wenches, taverns, sexy pirates.... I loved this cute Rom Com so much. Simon and Emily have great chemistry. I like the supporting friends roles too because it made the every day romance more relatable.
The family love between sisters and niece was perfect. Simon well and Mitch 😉were both swoon worthy. Honoring loved ones, support of family, Renaissance history and small town culture. This book was rich in life and love.

Such a great story, it was sweet and cute.It was fast paced and I loved the concept.I adored the characters and I devour it in one sitting.

Emily has moved to stay with her older sister and niece for the summer while her sister recovers from a car accident.Emily goes her niece Caitlin to sign up to be a cast member for the Ren Faire.But she has to work too, there she will meet Simon, the Faire’s organizer. They do not get along well at first.Their conversations were fun!

I loved the set up and the characters were well developed!I loved Emily, she was so nice.Simon was a swoon worthy hero, I loved him so much!

Just an OK book. Story feels very choppy, would have enjoyed multifaceted character development rather than relying on the same traumas over and over

A rom-com set at the Ren Faire. What more could my cos-playing heart could ask for? I was barely into this book and I was giddy with laughter and as the story went on. It only got better. Swoony moments of fun that I could not get enough of. This debut is going to be a big hit.

A sweet romance that has so many touching moments between Simon and Emily, that will have you dreaming for much more...

Let's begin by stating that this is Jen's debut novel and the first time reading anything by her, so I am rather surprised at myself that I was able to enjoy her story. Why am I surprised you may say? Because lately, with new authors I have not been hitting it squared. And it scares me to think that this may be a constant thing with future new authors. Either way, I can say for sure that reading that synopsis had me drawn to idea of requesting this baby. I mean, have you read it? Renaissance reenactment? I mean, HECK YES! Sign me up one hundred percent! There is a lot to this story that brings the eye to the attention in all good aspects. Especially when dealing with the characters that will have you questioning a few things, but also make you fall in love with them.

I am keeping it short and sweet with this review, because you cannot miss from reading this novel. I am keeping my eye out that hopefully we can get a book for Mitch? Seriously, I need his kilt to be taken off by my teeth if I am being honest. Jen DeLuca, you better give us more Mitch action. Because I seriously want him like right now. But overall, this story is heart melting. Make sure to check it out, because you don't want to miss out on it.

WELL MET certainly has a lot going for it. Its characters are charming, the setting is unique, and it's a hell of a lot of fun. It's a book I would recommend to anyone looking for an engaging rom-com in the vein of Sally Thorne. With that said, I wish I had been able to connect to the romance itself more. The pivot moment in which realizations are made and feelings begin to change felt unearned to me and impacted my overall enjoyment. Books like these hinge on the romance and if you're not fully into that aspect, the story as a whole takes a hit. However, I did still get a lot of enjoyment while reading and I suspect that many others will love this one more than I did.