The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher

Published: March 14, 2023
Wednesday Books
Genre: Young Adult Romantic Comedy
Pages: 308
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Ashley Schumacher is the author of Amelia Unabridged and Full Flight and has a degree in creative writing from the University of North Texas. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s either singing Disney songs, finding new and exciting ways to pester her family, or trying to find her inside voice, which has been sadly missing since birth. She lives in a small town north of Dallas with her husband, son, and more books than is strictly necessary.

“Fate can’t take away what you don’t have.”

Madeline lives an interesting life, traveling with her parents to Renaissance faires. When her mom gets sick and dies, Maddie and her dad keep moving forward. Arthur is cheerful and kind. And he is the brightness that Maddie needs, even if she won’t admit it.

This was such a charming story. I loved the whole concept. Maddie was quite stubborn throughout.

I loved Arthur as a character. He was such a pure, sweet soul. And I love how kind he was. He was the perfect balance for the carefully controlled Maddie. Their chemistry was fantastic.

This was such a sweet read, and I like how it dealt with processing grief and the various forms that it can take. I also loved how positive this story was in every aspect.

The side characters were great, and it’s so easy to get lost in the fantasy of this sweet story. I enjoyed the concept of fate versus coincidence and the way that was woven in every aspect.

This was an entertaining read and such a lovely story.

I really enjoyed the many small notes/jokes woven in throughout the text (for example, the family RV being named "Britomart") and the way that each faux renaissance aspect is made almost tangible through the description. Maddie is a realistic but likeable protagonist, and her relationships (those in her head and those with people in her life) are deeply relatable. Anyone who has ever both wanted to hide forever and to be seen and understood will love this book.

Thank you so much to Ashley Schumacher, St Martins & Wednesday for an advanced copy of this book!

"The things that can bring us the most pain in life can also bring us the greatest joy."

This book is heavy with grief so please prepare yourself if you think you are in a vulnerable position especially after losing a parent specifically a mother. Madeline is so young and is navigating her new normal almost a year after losing her mother to cancer. The way that Schumacher describe Madeline's grief was so believable that you could feel the sadness from the pages.

Her family lived an unconventional life traveling to different renaissance faires while doing online schooling. I thought this aspect was very different and unique for a YA book.

While there is a romance between Madeline aka Gwen and a young bard, Arthur, the faire new owner's son, I found this book to be more of a discovery of herself and learning to heal. The theme of fate runs throughout the book, while Arthur is all about fate Madeline is doesn't want to believe due to all the bad stuff that has happened in her life. I'm sorry Madeline but it definitely was fate that you met Arthur because I believe he came at the perfect time for you. Arthur wanted nothing more for Madeline to embrace the fun that life has to offer even on the days that she did not want to do anything.

"At some point you're going to have to stop assuming the worst about yourself and everyone else around you."

There were a few moments that I felt so relatable as a teenager and also as an adult especially when it came to trying on clothes. I wish I could remember all my feelings that I had as a teen. I knew I was different and that I wasn't what was "normal" but looking back I don't think I disliked myself as much as a lot of other fat characters I read about. I wish I could remember more perhaps my old journals would tell a different story.

One of my favorite moments from the book was the chapter of Madeline going to Arthur's family cookout. We really got to see Madeline shine and work through her insecurities and learning more about Arthur's story. It was just really lovely.

It was getting a little frustrating when Madeline was so tunneled vision that she knew exactly what Arthur wanted and thought when it was the complete opposite. I had to keep reminding myself that she was a teenager (though I'm certain adults would do the same thing). She had been so used to her routine and bubble that when he came into her atmosphere, she didn't know how to react.

I really liked that Madeline and her mother seem to have a beautiful relationship and while the relationship likely wasn't perfect there didn't seem to be the added pressure from her to lose weight.

I really liked the incorporation of the positive therapy discourse throughout the book. You could see Madeline's development throughout the book with the help from Dr. Jenkins. And by the end she was able to let go some of the habits that she started when her mom passed and decided to move forward with healing.

I wish I had this book as a teenager and I think other teenagers will also be thankful for it.

I adored this book. It is such a sweet romance, but it also deals with some heavy topics.

Maddie has spent her life on the road with her parents at Renaissance Faires. She does online school and helps her parents make jewelry and leather journals to sell. But this summer is different, because her mom died last year. She and her dad are coping, barely at times, but Maddie is seeing a therapist (virtually) and using a journal to note occurrences so she won't forget.

They arrive at her mom's favorite faire, Stormsworth, and everything is different. The new owners have built a real castle, paved the paths and made everything nicer. Maddie isn't sure what to think, but she can still see some of what her mother loved there. The security guard is ready to throw her out when she's exploring at night. But the owners' son, Arthur, saves the day. When he asks her to meet with his dads the next day and become the princess of the faire, she reluctantly agrees. She agrees to go on day trips with Arthur during the week, but she tries to resist actually becoming his friend. It seems she WANTS to open up and experience more, but will her grief let her do it?

As I said, there are some heavy topics. Maddie is, of course, still grieving. She also feels uncomfortable in her body because she is not model skinny. She is coping with her grief with a regimented schedule and an avoidance of people - she thinks if she doesn't let anyone in, they can't hurt her. And she thinks Arthur is still pining after Bre, one of his friends from school, and she's just a fill-in for the person he really wanted to be the princess. She definitely has some self-confidence issues. But it is fun to watch Maddie grow in confidence over the summer.

If you are looking for a slow burn romance that is sweet and rated G, this is a great choice! Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway follows Madeline, a girl who has grown up in the ren faire circuit, a year after her mom has died. She tries to spend the time leading up to the anniversary of her mom’s death remembering and grounding herself. Making it so her life can go as smooth as possible going forward. With this in mind, Maddie doesn’t really have room for any new friends. And that’s when an annoying bard comes along to shake up her summer.

This book tackled so many topics. Grief, body image, fate…

For the grief aspect, I liked that it explored how the remembering gets tied into our ongoing present life. How hard it is to move on although we do it anyway. How people tend to hold themselves back facing a loss, and what we do when that isn’t an option. I liked that this was an overall happy book despite those horribly sad undertones.

And when it came fo Maddie’s body image, I liked that it was just there. Her insecurities were prevalent but didn’t take up the entire focus. She felt like too much at times because of her body, but still allowed herself to enjoy things. It wasn’t something mentioned once and abandoned nor was it something that was a constant. It just was.

And for fate, who doesn’t love a princess and her bard. Arthur and Madeline were so cute. I was constantly screaming at them to just confess! They were so annoying but in the best way. Maddie was a strong character despite her struggles, and Arthur was the comedic relief with a lot more layers. Beautiful, wonderful characters.

I will say that some things felt a little off like things being known without the characters telling each other (and I am not accounting for when they were being extra observant), and there were some consistency issues. I did read an ARC and hope these issues are resolved come pub day.

Other than those few things, this book was fantastic. It made me laugh (out loud!), made me cry, and made me cringe with second-hand embarrassment. Could these two be any more dense when it came to their feelings? Arthur was so hilariously oblivious for someone who was also very cautious and observant. I loved him so much. And I loved Maddie too. She was so genuine and although she had so much going on in her life, I liked that it never stole away from her main plot.

This book is for people who love ren faires, for people who can handle some high schoolers being awfully cheesy, for romance enjoyers, and for people trying to find their place in this world.

It took me a bit to really connect to this one. But honestly, once I did, I really enjoyed this book. I really liked the Ren Faire atmosphere! I thought it was very fun and whimsical. I loved Gwen/Madeline and how she worked through her grief and also her insecurities about her body and her social anxiety. I thought the way she and Arthur talked about their body image issues was a really well done scene. The part where she was trying on clothes in Target really got me. I loved the scenes with her and her therapist. Arthur was ADORABLE. Oh my goodness, just an absolute ray of sunshine. I liked how he was very conscious and considerate of how Gwen/Madeleine was feeling and how he followed her lead when she needed him to in different situations. I also really loved his dads. They were too funny. And NOAH. His time in the book was brief, but he had me cackling. Also, LOVED the ending. It tied everything together so perfectly. Overall, I thought this was a well done look at grief, insecurities, fate and how we can look for ways to tame the world, but also be okay with taking up space in it,
TW: grief, fatphobia, body image issues

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

A huge thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy for review.

Ashley Schumacher has just solidified her status as a one-click and pre-order author for me. I am so glad that this one didn't make me sob though!

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway was such a delightful and wholesome read. Maddie has been part of the Ren Faire circuit her whole life, traveling from Ren Faire to Ren Faire with her parents. Sadly, her mother dies and almost a year later, her and her father are returning to her mom's favorite Faire. When they get there so much of it has changed that Maddie just wasn't prepared for. She also wasn't prepared to meet Arthur who she tries very hard to not be friends with and who insists on calling her Gwen.

OMG I loved this story SO MUCH! First of all, it's set in Oklahoma. I loved the little nods to my home state sprinkled throughout the book. I could picture everything so easily and felt like I could go visit this Ren Faire. And I wanted to so bad!

Ashley just knows how to weave a story so you fall in love with the characters. I could relate so much to Gwen and I just felt so many of the same emotions and feelings as she had while thinking back to when I was a teenager. Just so relatable. All the stars!

What a cute read! This isn't usually my genre, but I really enjoyed this book. The story felt unique and engaging and the characters had their own charm. Recommended!

DNF at 50%. I really, really wanted to love this one but I had the hardest time picking this one up. I just didn't really care about either character.

I think this is definitely a me problem as many other reviewers seem to love it.

This was a cute lite teen romance. A very easy read and enjoyable setting. It was nice that Madeline found support from so many random adults, and there was no malice in the book really.

This book was great. I had just finished reading an entire series about Renaissance fairs and this one was the right book to follow up after with. The main character broke my heart a little when she was trying to create a normalcy with her mom being gone a year and attending dates. It just hit close to home. But overall, a great book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday books for the early arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

TW: Death of a parent

What didn’t work for me

Not enough Faire: I *love* that this book was mainly taking place in the world of the Renaissance faire—something that’s always fascinated me but that I’ve never been to. That said, I didn’t get a good sense of the faire. I understood Maddie’s family’s stall, kind of, but beyond there also being jousting, I couldn’t really picture it in my mind. If I had no frame of reference from the outside, the setting would have completely gotten away from me. I wish we expanded into the world a little bit more.

The Gwen of it all: I understood right away when Arthur started calling her Gwen (I mean, his name is Arthur), but about halfway through the book (or maybe a little further), there was a reveal about why he chose that name for her, and it just seemed so obvious to me. And then she took on this Gwen identity—like it’s even in the name of the book—like it wasn’t weird that he just started calling her that? It really confused me, and I didn’t think it was necessary.

What I liked

Plus-size main character: Considering how many plus-size people there are in the world, you’d think there’d be more representation. That being said, I liked that she was just fat, and that was that. Of course, she was a little insecure about it—she is a teen, after all—but she didn’t try to make herself smaller or do anything about it…it just was.

Grief: I am lucky enough that I have not lost any of my parents or parental figures, but I do know about grief and Maddie’s journey through grieving her mom is very well done. Obviously, it affects her, as it would any teen but especially one who is homeschooled and whose whole life is with her parents, but you can see her progressing through it and being quite mature about it. If it was going to go there with the parental death (why is every book I’m reading about a parent dying these days?), at least it actually went there.

There were parts of this book that I really did enjoy, and I thought it was really well written, but there were a few things that I would have liked to delve deeper into to get a better sense of the world and all the characters. That being said, Arthur and Maddie are super cute, and I liked falling in love right along with them.

3.5 STARS

Thank you to St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

CW: death of a parent, cancer, homomisia (recounted), fatmisia, fainting

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Madeline Hathaway is perfectly content with her unchanging life, thank you very much. After the death of her mom, Madeline decides to keep track of the things in her life that she can control and that includes only being close to her dad and her childhood best friend. Yet, when Madeline and her Dad arrive at Stormsworth Renaissance Faire to find it under new management, Madeline runs into the new owners’ son, Arthur, and is swept into being princess of the faire with the nickname “Gwen”. Along with Arthur’s initiative to start the “Gwen Discovery Program”, Madeline wonders how to open up her heart again.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is an interesting YA rom-com that is worth reading this spring. Against the backdrop of whimsical renaissance fairies and spontaneous road trips, Schumacher is able to create a story one can simply ease into and feel completely cozy in.

What drew me into the book initially, besides from the Ren faire setting, is the plus-size rep that Schumacher provides with Madeline. Madeline is such a good MC and I could really relate to her. Throughout the book, you really get to see her grow and learn to deal with the grief of losing her mom and then opening herself back up again. I think that Madeline really serves a driving force into what makes this book great.

Arthur is also another character I enjoyed reading in The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway. I instantly was charmed when Schumacher first introduces him and I continue to like him for the rest of the book. Schumacher does a great job creating this nerdy, but cute love interest (who I think might possibly be neurodivergent) that brings out more of the book’s plot. Arthur and Madeline compliment themselves very well and I liked seeing their dynamics between the Ren faire and their road trips. Plus, Schumacher provides an excellent, swoon-worthy ending for our two main characters.

So, next time you’re traveling out to a renaissance faire or are in need of love interests that compliment each other well, you’re going to enjoy reading The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway.

Thank you Wednesday Books for the gifted eARC

3.5 Stars

Madeline Hathaway has spent her life in the ren faire circuit living out of an RV and traveling with her parents. Now she’s approaching the one year anniversary of her mom’s death and she’s determined not to care about any new people, because if you don’t care you can’t get hurt. She protects herself with her routines and her journaling, but fate has other plans in the form of a young bard who wants more for her.

This is a beautiful and moving YA story about a young girl who is facing grief and insecurities. It feels authentic and timeless. I especially loved our sweet bard, Arthur. Ashley Shumacher has such a way of pulling at my heart with the beautiful words she weaves together. I *actually* finally made it through a Schumacher book without crying, huzzah!

If you are in the mood for a beautiful YA story with emotional depth, I will always recommend any one of Schumacher’s books! I personally preferred her other two novels, but still enjoyed this one.

Pub day: March 14

TW: death of a parent from cancer/grief

I can't say that I've ever been a ren faire or know much about them, but this adorable YA romance centers around one and I have to say I really enjoyed it.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway was fast paced, hilarious, and honestly a super cute grumpy/sunshine romance!

Ashley has this beautiful way of bringing grief and young people together. She writes beautifully and I want to read whatever she rides.
Madeline and Arthur’s story was so just magical. I love reading books that take place in Ren Faires and this one was so good. The conversations about body was done in a positive and believable way- with emphasis on girls being too much and boys being not enough.
I also enjoyed all the different parent and children relationships.

Very cute! A very sweet Ren Faire story.

I think people interested in a YA version of Well Met will enjoy this.

The Ren Faire setting was fun, and I liked how Maddie gradually became both more comfortable and confident in herself over the summer.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an arc of this book. Below is my honest review.

Maddie and her parents travel to different renaissance festivals all year round. They sell the jewelry her mom makes and the journals her father makes.

One day, when she is in her street clothes instead of her faire attire, she meets an old wizard. He promised to answer one question for three tokens — three things that mean something to Maddie. She doesn’t take him up on it, so instead he gives her a globe necklace and tells her to come back tomorrow, but the next day he is gone. And Maddie, Maddie wanted to ask if a coin flip accurately predicted if her moms was going to survive after being diagnosed with cancer.

Years later … Maddie’s mom has passed and nothing feels right. Maddie, now aged 17, and her father are at a faire they go to every year. It is the last faire her mom attended. Maddie meets a bard who breaks all the rules, is her age, and for some reason calls her Gwen. She is less than amused by his antics and says he looks like teenager #3 in a movie.

When her father goes to a faire party, Maddie sneaks out to go to her dads stall and a security guard calls the cops for trespassing but the bard saves her. He says she was meeting him … his name is Arthur. (Which, okay, was pretty great.)

The next day, Arthur and his dads come to ask Maddie to be princess of the faire. It turns out, his fathers are the new owners. And … Maddie. A Princess? She begrudgingly agrees after much cajoling.

Will Maddie learn to believe in herself? Will Arthur win her over? Will she learn how to live with the grief of losing her mom? Who was the mysterious wizard?

I loved this book. Maddie was a phenomenal character and having plus sized rep in a YA book was much appreciated. How Maddie handles her grief is masterfully done. Arthur’s compassion was remarkable, especially on the anniversary of her moms death. Arthur was just an incredible human. Both main characters were flawed, but in the very best way. I thoroughly expected to despise Bre and Noah, but they absolutely won me over.

Maddie’s father was my favorite secondary character. His sharing of stories about his youth with her mom was wonderful. Arthur’s fathers were fantastic additions as well.

This book had me laughing, too! Just wait till you see what credit cards Maddie and her father accept at their booth. I highly recommend.

TW- cancer, death of parent (off page)

If Emma Lord and Jen Deluca had a book baby together, it would be this. We watch Madeline, or Gwen, as Arthur has named her, learn to live her life after her mom's passing. There were a lot of elements I liked, Arthur brought the humor in the beginning, Fatima being a true blue and encouraging Madeline, the Ren Faire background. There were also a couple of things I didn't care for, Madeline's fixation with her weight was though, at times it felt like that was a bigger hurdle to her than her mom passing. While she did come to terms with and start to like her body, I wish she didn't spend so much time putting herself down or comparing herself to others. There was also a bit in the middle that seemed to drag a little. The ending though, was so sweet. I loved the way they worked things out and finally got their feelings out there, not just Madeline and Arthur, but Madeline's dad too. Overall it's a pretty good read, I realize I'm probably not quite the target audience, but would definitely recommend to my nieces or daughter.