I'm disappointed by how little I care about this one. I'd loved Schumacher's debut, Amelia Unabridged, but both this and Full Flight have fallen flat. They just don't have the emotion that Amelia did.

And really, I should've loved this one. I loved Well Met. I love Ren-Faire settings. I love all the concepts this one utilized. I just didn't like the actual book. It wasn't bad, it just also isn't anything I'd recommend or read again. I'm starting to realize that Schumacher's writing might no longer be for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

a renaissance fair romance with a plus-size main character??? that's a YES for me! a huge thank you to the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Madeline “Gwen” Hathaway has been grieving the death of her mother and the only thing she looks forward to is working the ren faire circuit with her father...until she arrives at her mother’s favorite end-of-the tour stop to find that the faire is under new management and completely changed... and then she meets a bard who is about to change her entire summer. Madeline doesn’t handle change well, and is dealing with grief over her mother’s death, mental health, and her insecurities about her weight and social awkwardness. When she meets an annoying bard, or rather the son of the new owners named Arthur who actually is a lute-playing bard, she’s in for a lot of change. Arthur is convinced that it’s fate he met her and that she is the perfect person to play the princess in his family faire and that they have a connection. Now Madeline is in for an adventure she never imagined and despite how much she doesn’t want to be his friend or like him, she can’t help but enjoy his company and have fun. Now she has to figure out if she’s willing to risk it all to be with the one person who will change her forever and if getting her heart broken is worth the risk. This was a cute romance perfect for fans of Well Met! It takes place at a ren faire, has a pretty fun cast of characters, and the romance/friendship was cute.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Overall easily 5/5 stars from me, I enjoyed every moment while reading, even the moments I weeped at.

I hesitated jumping into reading this book. Not because of any worries it would be bad or even worries it would be bland. But I knew the subject matter involved a girl learning to deal with life after her mother's death, and I knew it would effect me greatly since I'm in the same shoes. I was right of course; I cried at nearly every struggle, every up, every down. I cried at the poetry included, the way Maddie clung onto her noticings, the way she didn't know how to let go and move forward because to her that was losing another part of her mother. (heck, I'm crying writing this review)

I felt utterly seen and recognized; I felt comforted even when it made me cry. It was a joy to read Maddie's journey and I definitely came out the other side feeling like I just got some good advice from a friend on how to have my own little Maddie journey.

I love YA books that have a core to them that is rooted in family, friends, and a life outside of romance. I think it gives the eventual YA romance so much more substance and reality, to know these characters have bloomed from a whole life they have lived, rather than having been shoved together for romance and romance only.

My bias on feeling emotional about mothers aside, this was an excellent YA novel. Easily a top ten that I have read this year and may even break top 5 when I look at my 2022 as a whole. I think as an adult reader (and even in my own teen years) I always preferred to read about characters who were not so caught up in wild emotions that they never step back to figure out how much is their own fault and how they could change (instead of just constantly blaming outside forces). There was still the incendiary height of teenage emotions and miscommunication, but they figured it out! It wasn't left to stew too long, and it wasn't steamed away into just petty grievances. The characters all had their own journeys to go on, their own princess or prince or knight stories to embark.

I really love how the side characters were not flattened away. Even the most minor of minor characters felt like they had a personality trait beyond "Side Friend Number 2". I also love the faire as a character; it is a place with personality and gosh do I want to visit so bad!

I loved the teeniest tiniest touch of magical element. An argument can be made that it was totally based in reality, and the book does argue that, but I also think the ending and epilogue shows that the magic in your heart, in your hope, in your belief.... that can make a simple coincidence into fate.



Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Wednesday Books for the eARC! It was much appreciated!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute read and I loved the ren faire setting! Give it a try.

AS really said “let me write ‘Well Met,’ but for teens.”

And she did a decent job. The setting is fun if you enjoy ren faires, the characters are cool if you enjoy teenage humour, and the story is engaging if you enjoy messages about coping, growth, and identity. It ticks all the boxes for a YA contemporary novel.

That being said, this did feel a little too simple, a little too basic for me. Everything important is given in the synopsis, so it never felt like I was discovering anything new in the story.

But I do think, for what this is, it's okay.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by @ashwritesbooks was such a fun, endearing story.
Madeline is struggling with her mother’s death… trying to figure out her way through her grief, learning to deal with her life as it is now.
Along comes Arthur, trying to make her his Guinevere! Bringing joy to her life, while also acknowledging her grief.
It’ll be out in March, you should read it!

The number one thing that drew me immediately to Ashley Schumacher’s new novel The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is that it is set against the backdrop of a Renaissance faire. What an amazing world to spin a tale of young love around! Renaissance faires are already steeped in such romance and mystique, it just felt like the perfect setting in which to write a love story.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway follows a teen named Madeline (you will discover how she comes to be called Gwen when you read the book), who lost her mom nearly a year ago, and who travels the Renaissance faire circuit with her father, selling her mother’s handmade jewelry and her dad’s journals. This is their family’s business and it the only life Madeline has ever know, journeying from one town to another, selling their wares and enjoying all the magic that a Renaissance faire can bring.

But this year, Madeline and her dad will be at Stormsworth, her mom’s favorite faire, on the anniversary of her death. As Madeline’s grief manifests in her various ways, including tallying “noticings” in a journal she keeps to ensure that she never again misses a single moment of her life before it slips away from her, she meets an intriguing young Bard at the faire. Arthur just happens to be the son of Stormworth’s new owners, and when he proclaims Madeline “Princess of the Faire,” she discovers that this summer is going to be unlike anything that she expected, whether she is prepared for it or not.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is a difficult book for me to review because I wanted to LOVE it so much. It had all of the elements to be something great! But the part of the book that I was most excited about - the Renaissance Faire setting - truly wasn’t painted as vividly as I would have liked. While the faire is mentioned frequently throughout the book and plays a starring role in numerous scenes, I feel that Schumacher did readers who have never actually attended a Ren faire injustice - in my opinion, she does not build this world strongly enough to allow readers to accurately picture a Renaissance faire as it is. She could have done so much, so easily, and yet she did so little.

I also took issues with the character and plot line. Both fell flat, and while they were good enough, I never felt truly compelled to pick up this book and read it. This story wasn’t fun or exciting, and rather focused primarily on angsty teenage miscommunications and body insecurities. While these are certainly issues that teenagers face daily, I would have preferred for this story to have had more oomph. As it stands, it is a solid read, but not one I am likely to remember.

4.5 Stars. So, I really like Ashely Schumacher’s books and jumped at the chance to read this one.

I thought this book was adorable and it made me want to attend a Renaissance Faire ASAP!
Gwen Hathaway has been living the Renaissance Faire circuit her whole life with her parents. She is homeschooled and works in her father’s shop when not studying. Since the death of her mother, she has also taken on the responsibility of creating the jewelry her mother used to make.

But Gwen needs her lists. It is the only way she makes sure she doesn’t miss anything that has happened since her mother’s death. And then she meets Arthur, who happens to be the son of the owners of the current faire. His positive outlook on life lends to an easy friendship that helps her find her way to fun.
I loved Arthur and Gwen. Their characters’ lives were hard, but they were both loveable and watching them grow together was very satisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Madeline is seventeen, and has travelled and homeschooled with her parents on the Renaissance Faire circuit her entire life. Madeline’s mother died from a lengthy illness, and she and her father are awash with grief. As the year anniversary of her mother’s death approaches, Madeline knows she needs to take some healing steps. As she and her dad return to their final stop for the season, her mother’s favorite and coincidentally final faire she attended, Madeline discovers everything has changed. The former owners have sold the property to a couple who have revamped everything. The changes are grand – there is an actual castle and moat, and even though Madeline knows she should see these as improvements, all she sees is changes that her mother never will. Heart firmly closed (allowing more people in allows more opportunity for loss), Madeline meets Arthur, the bard and son of the faire owners. Arthur promptly dubs her “Gwen” (as in Guinevere), suggests she is truly a princess, and tries to convince her to open her heart to adventure and perhaps…more?
This is a lovely novel and doesn’t shy away from showing the toll grief can take on a person. Madeline has been coping by keeping careful notations of things, “noticings” in a journal, and does see a therapist online regularly to cope with her mother’s death. The cover indicates that Madeline also struggles with insecurities regarding her weight and social awkwardness, but it’s clear to the reader that this is a young woman struggling with larger mental health issues related to the trauma of having a chronically ill parent who succumbs to their illness. However, while the character struggles with her mental health, she has professional help and there is no stigma attached to any of this by any of the characters. Arthur is a lovely character, supportive and kind, but he also is fleshed out enough to be revealed to not be perfect, his flaws and insecurities while not as pointed, exist. The romance is very innocent, and appropriate for all readers. All in all, this is a lovely little novel about love- with familial, loss, friendship, and romantic all part of the plot. I was given an advance copy in return for an honest review.

This was very cute ! I honestly have no complaints about this novel; this was just a prime example of personal tastes triumphing over any qualms (or lack thereof) on the author’s behalf. I might even one day round this up to a 4, but right now it’s staying at a solid 3.5 stars.

The setting and pace of this novel was utterly phenomenal. I felt like I was transported into the midsts of a Renaissance faire and I LOVEDDDD the plus-size representation that was provided. Very appreciative of the fact that Madeline/Gwen’s fatness was just accepted and that the plot line didn’t revolve around her body-image. AND THE COVER?!? Major props to the artist & author!!

On a more serious note, when I first requested this book on NetGalley, I was a tad nervous about the depth in which Ashley Schumacher would tackle grief, but it was so beautifully and eloquently written that that one caused me to increase my rating on this book. Yes, I got a little tearful at parts but I was also laughing with the characters at others. I wish there were more books that tackled grief like this.

Overall, a highly impressive book and one that I would immediately recommend, but just to the right person.

This was such a lovely, restoring read and I'm so happy I read it. I would recommend this to anyone who wants an earnest story with a great lead and fun setting.

Gwen is going through grief as her mother died the previous year and she is struggling to cope. The way this story displays the grieving mechanisms of individuals and how different people handle it was remarkable to me, it felt so real and often made me emotional. The characters are both diverse and not just simple caricatures of the stereotypical YA roles of love interest, mean girl or best friend. Gwen is plus sized and as she is roped into becoming the princess of the fair we see her deal with her own self image while also learning to cope without her mother and learning to love again.

Another highlight of this story is definitely the setting of the medieval fair because not only does Gwen and her father work there but she lives on the grounds along with Arthur, her new summer friend. We see knights jousting or just walking around, late night walks among a castle, and weekly duties like carriage rides in a parade. It is playful and the fair actually feels like another character in the story since 90% of the story takes place there.

Once again would recommend for an emotional and inspired contemporary YA romance.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Serviceable story.
Some typical teen elements but the Renaissance fair elements keep everything fresh.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was super adorable. Just the right amount of cheesy humor and depth. A great coming of age tale for those uncomfortable in their own skin.

A lovely YA novel told from a truly likeable and relatable protagonist. Maddie meets Arthur on the Ren Faire circuit and learns to love and accept herself after the loss of her mother. This YA story has just the right amount of teen drama, making it an easy and excellent read.

This is a heartfelt coming-of-age tale about a girl struggling to find her way a year after her mother's death, and with other constants in her life shifting at the same time. The Renaissance Faire setting helps to make this tale unique.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!
"Because even with all of these hard, inescapable truths clouding my brain, the one secret I want to confess has everything to do with a coin flip, a bard, and my heart. So I say it aloud, I let it echo back to me tenfold, and then, when the last echo dies, I step back from the circle and leave the secret behind me."

I really enjoyed this book, as I finished it in one sitting. Maddie is a girl who is dealing with the grief of losing her mom to cancer and keeps a journal of everything that happens in her life with tallies. She starts the book as a character struggling to come out of her comfort zone, staying close only to her friend and her therapist... Until she meets Arthur. Arthur makes her his Guinevere in his family's renaissance festival and introduces her to a new way of life, showing her a path to feeling comfortable in her own skin and the light that exists on the other side of death, with some jousting in the middle.
I think this book fell into my hands at the right time. I'm always struggling with body image and how people see me, but so is Maddie. Maddie's perspective felt so much like my own that I felt close to her. The insecurities about being a bigger girl in a dress, about being seen in a swimsuit, and buying clothes hit very close to home for me. Watching her go through the summer before her senior year and working to fill the shoes of the princess she becomes for the ren faire is a treat all in itself. She goes through so much in the short span of this book and yet none of it feels rushed, and it all feels very natural. Very human.
This book was a fun ride of dresses, emotions, and new adventures and I think it has the potential help a lot of people struggling with self-esteem and coping with the changes of life.

Review copy and pasted from my goodreads

I'm not super familiar with renaissance faires so having that as the central setting of this book intrigued me. It was such a quirky and fun setting and I'm glad I read this! And with Schumacher's writing, it felt like I was there at the ren faire, watching everything unfold. I really appreciated how the topic of grief was handled throughout this story too; having lost family members before myself, I could relate to Madeline's anxiety and her grief journey, especially the feeling of needing to "notice" things in fear that they will, too, go away and you'll be left with nothing.

Arthur was such a cute and thoughtful character, and I think he balanced out Madeline's character really well. When I think of the grumpy meets sunshine trope, I always think of the grumpy character being the MMC, but I liked how it was reversed in this story. Arthur was patient and caring, and I absolutely loved him. I also loved their banter. He was the perfect character for Madeline to be around and get to know as started to piece her life back together and try to make sense of life without her mother. <3

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I adored this story! Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! (:

I lucked out and as sent an early ebook edition of this book through NetGalley. I hadn’t actually heard of it beforehand. But I’m a big fan of Jen Deluca’s Ren Faire series and I was excited to read this book too!

Maddie and her parents have spent her whole life traveling on the Ren Faire circuit. Shes been homeschooled her whole life and she’s an only child. She loves her little family bubble, she enjoys their unique life. But then Maddie’s mom died. Maddie has spent the past year just trying to remember everything about her mom. She isn’t open to any new experiences. Everything new that happens in her life is something her mom missed. On top of that, she is afraid to get attached to anyone because her heart is already broken over losing her mom.

When Maddie and her dad show up at Maddie’s mom’s favorite ren Faire location Maddie is shocked and upset to see how much it has changed in the past year. A new family has bought the location and upgraded everything. But Maddie doesn’t want upgrades, she wants familiarity. She wants to see the place her mom loved when she looks around.

Maddie meets Arthur very soon upon her arrival. He’s around her age and his parents are the ones who purchased the location.
Arthur wants to be friends with Maddie. Maddie tries to resist. Arthur convinces Maddie to be a princess. Maddie never pictured herself as a princess, she’s insecure about her weight at times.
Arthur also immediately starts calling her Gwen. When he finally explains why he calls her Gwen it’s absolutely adorable.

Maddie felt so real that you want to protect her. She’s hurting so badly and she’s trying to keep people at a distance. But some people in her life find a way to break down those walls.

I loved Arthur too. What a perfect person for Maddie to have in her life. Their summer filled with road trips, the ren Faire, and heart to heart talks is so good for both of them.

Add in all the ren Faire fun too.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very emotional but fun too. I’d definitely recommend it.

Thanks for the review copy!!

I loved it! It was a fun little book!! And plus it comes out on my bday! ☺️☺️