This YA novel deals wonderfully with grief, trauma, body dysmorphia, and mental health. Maddie is a teen who is dealing with the loss of her mother while traveling the Ren Faire circuit. Arthur is the son of the new owners of her mother’s favorite stop. The story was engaging and entertaining while still dealing masterfully with sensitive topics and issues.

“‘The world…can be vast and cruel. But it can, sometimes, be shrunken and tamed. Sometimes, if you’re clever, you can find ways to make it kinder. Remember that.’”

Madeline Hathaway has been working the ren faire circuit with her parents her entire life. She loves it, but her life was upended a year ago when her mother passed away. Now, Maddie is determined to make sure nothing else can change. So when she and her dad arrive at her mom’s final and favorite stop on the circuit to find that it’s under new management and practically everything has changed, Maddie isn’t exactly happy. Unfortunately for her though, the new owners’ son Arthur immediately attaches himself to her, even roping her into becoming Princess of the Faire and bestowing the name “Gwen” upon her. With road trip adventures and ren faire romps on the horizon, Maddie is in for the summer of a lifetime. But can she open her heart to change and this boy who can always make her smile? Or does fate have other plans?

I have a confession to make: I have never been to a Renaissance Faire. I know, I know, that’s hard to believe for someone who minored in theatre and history in college, but it’s true! So when I saw Ashley Schumacher’s latest book that’s all about ren faires, I knew I needed to read it. And I’m so glad I did! THE RENAISSANCE OF GWEN HATHAWAY is a fabulous book full of fun characters, a cute romance, and lots and lots of ren faire shenanigans. I loved the body positivity, the inclusion of a character actively going to therapy (yay for mental health representation!), and the fantastic diversity. Schumacher also provides an honest depiction of grief that will definitely tug at your heart strings but also feel so, so relatable. I absolutely shed a few tears reading this book, but I also literally laughed out loud a ton too! Maddie and Arthur are such a cute couple, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their adventures together and watching as their characters grew. Suffice it to say, make sure you add THE RENAISSANCE OF GWEN HATHAWAY to your TBR right away because this is one book you don’t want to miss!

Content Warnings: Cancer, mentioned homophobia, strong language, fatphobia, mentioned emotional abuse, death of a parent, anxiety

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

I just love Ashley Schumacher's writing! This was a sweet story with characters you can't help but root for. Underneath the wonderful banter and the fun Ren faire setting were deeper issues like grief, insecurity and negative body image and the author deftly managed to balance the heavy with the light perfectly. It may be YA but readers of all ages will fall for Madeline and Arthur.

Thanks to Wednesday books and NetGalley for the copy to review.

When I first found out about this book, I literally squealed! Books set at Renaissance Faires always seem to be the most magical, whimsical tales. Plus, to escape the world and visit a Ren Faire (whether in person or when reading a book, is always a fantastic time!

The book opens upon Madeline who is struggling with the loss of her mother a year before. While it is mentioned in the synopsis, the depiction of Madeline's grief and her father's was a bit triggering for me. I haven't read another book with such a true and real depiction of the grieving experience since The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie. The exploration of grief in The Renaissance Of Gwen Hathaway was incredibly raw. However, the joy of friendship and the steady blossoming of change was a hopeful constant that gave the book an uplifting message.

I don't often cry while reading, but Ashley Schumacher's impeccable writing enchanted me to do so. I haven't read her other books, but I am looking forward to reading more from her now.

The budding friendship between Madeline and Arthur is lovely to witness. The Ren Faire, of course, as a backdrop makes everything more magical.

The relationships are truly a star in this! While there is a focus on Madeline's grief, the support that she receives from the different relationships in her life are so heartwarming. I, especially, adore the relationship she has with Fatima, her best friend. Though they primarily communicate through online video calls, it always feels like they are both physically together with how much their banter and friendly chatter light up the page.

I haven't been liking the YA contemporary books I have been reading lately. In fact, I was a little nervous to start this one, worried that I wouldn't like it. Before diving into this, I was also thinking that I should take a step back from YA contemporary but this book singlehandedly brought my faith back into the genre. The fantastic writing, well rounded characters, and sweet friendships shined in The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway in such a way that I haven't seen in other books in a while. Readers will surely fall in love with this book as quickly as I did.

The Renaissance Of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher was such a heartwarming story about friendship, grief and everything in between. It is one of those books that will no doubt be able to put a huge smile on your face.

So, I read this book back in December, because I was really missing being at the Ren Faire. Most of the time I try not to read a book so far before publication. That is especially true because when I read this one, I hadn’t quite decided to jump back into blogging. But I’m glad that I’ve made the decision to blog again, because oh boy, I’ve really missed this.

I miss Ren Faires too. 2022 was the first year I haven’t gone to the faire since I went for the first time back in 2017. I absolutely love getting dressed up in garb and wandering around, trying out all the delicious food, seeing the different shows, and browsing the shops and stalls. There’s basically no feeling like it, aside from maybe going to comic cons.

Now this isn’t the first Ren Faire focused book that I’ve read (if you haven’t checked out the Well Met series by Jen DeLuca, you’re missing out), but I did devour this book just about as quickly. Getting to follow a teen whose family work and travel the faire circuit made for an interesting story.

Maddie was a compelling story and I really felt for her. I don’t know what it’s like to lose a parent the way that she did, but I do know what it feels like when a parent is just gone. It’s tough at any age, and it does change things. And I understood her reluctance when Arthur kept popping up and trying to pull her into doing things.

Arthur was cute and fun, but he also had his own struggles. I loved watching the friendship develop between Arthur and Maddie, and them going on all their little week day trips (traveling on paths that I went on while driving between conventions, so that was fun for me).

Honestly, this story just felt real and cute and honest and emotional, and I was definitely wrapped up in all of it. I ended up reading this story very quickly, and I can’t wait to have a finished copy on my shelves.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review. (Publish Date: 14 Mar 2023)

“The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway” is a wonderful coming of age story that explores a plus-sized teenage girl grieving the recent death of her beloved mother, lacking self-esteem, having only one friend, an unexpected admirer, and realizing her life isn’t always within her control - for better or for worse. The unique twist? She’s living with her dad on road while traveling around the country working the renaissance faire circuit.

I quickly liked Maddie (a.k.a. Gwen) and Arthur in this story. They’re both lovable underdogs growing up in misfit lifestyles who find each other at the perfect time one summer. However, Maddie is still very guarded and lacking confidence in herself and Arthur’s motives, so she does react childishly at times – which pushes Arthur away.

I really loved the “big reveal” moment near the end of the book and, while I won’t share any spoilers, I will say that the story came together nicely and was well written. My only small complaint was the ending not tying up all the loose ends, but maybe the author plans on writing a sequel to continue where this story left off.

Overall, I found this book to be a delightful breath of fresh air amongst a vast sea of teenage angst stories. I highly recommend it!

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher left me feeling lukewarm. While the emotional moments in the book were touching, the predictable storyline and frustrating actions of the protagonist, Madeline, left much to be desired.

As a YA novel, I understand the importance of addressing trauma and the resulting emotional struggles. However, Madeline's actions of shutting out others became tiresome and made it difficult to empathize with her. While her relationship with her father was one of the redeeming aspects of the book, it was not enough to carry the entire story.

Furthermore, the predictability of the plot made it hard to stay engaged. I found myself skimming through parts of the book because I could already anticipate what was going to happen next.

Overall, The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway may appeal to those who enjoy a formulaic YA novel with emotional moments, but it simply wasn't my cup of tea.

A fun YA romance that takes place at a Ren faire featuring a quirky, diverse cast of characters. I enjoyed this lighter offering from author Ashley Schumacher. The fat rep was great and the characters were likeable. A quick enjoyable read. Would recommend for fans of the Well met series by Jen DeLuca. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway has ALL of the representations! There was fat representation, handling grief, mental health, LGBQT+, and even skinny representation. For the same reasons that this is an amazing feat for the author, it also acts as content warnings. I can’t praise Ashley Shumacher enough for how she wrote this book. It was so emotional and sucked you in. I think that all teenagers and YA should read this book because there is something that they all can relate to.

Now you may have noticed that my rating seems rather low for me singing the author and book so much flattery, this comes down to my personal tastes more than anything. I loved Arthur and thought him and the side characters were the stars of the book. That being said, I did not like Madeline/Gwen at all. For someone that constantly said she wanted to change the world by making it nicer, she was not a nice person. I would go so far as saying that she was mean. Being in her head for the whole book was really difficult, she is so mentally unhealthy and just not likable. For me, I would have benefited from a second POV so that I could see her through others eyes. I honestly feel like I missed something by only having her POV, because Madeline was not nice and not someone that I can imagine anyone would want to be around.

While there were so many things that are positives, readers should really pay attention to all content warnings when going into this book. There is so much great representation and the author is amazingly talented. Despite not liking this book because of the MC, I will definitely be reading more Ashley Shumacher in the future and think that this book is worth the read for others.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis: The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway follows the story of Madeline, a teenager who lives in the Ren Faire Circuit traveling with her family to sell their jewellery and journals. Dealing with the recent loss of her mother, her and her father attempt to cope with visiting the last faire her mom ever attended. But when she meets a young boy of her age her summer plans begin to shake up and she is left to wonder if fate exists or if we make our own fates.

This is a very true YA book and fits the vibe of that genre perfectly, I would recommend this book to fans of YA and really slow burn romance.

Pros:
-the whole plot was really intriguing and different and I enjoyed all the medieval renaissance aspects of it
-it deals with difficult topics (such as grief and body dysmorphia in a very open and thoughtful way
-the characters had a lot of depth to them
Cons:
-the pacing was quite slow

After reading Full Flight and Amelia Unabridged, I couldn't wait for more Ashley Schumacher in my life and she absolutely did not let me down one bit. I loved watching the way that Madeline, or should I say Gwen, was able to have her heart healed over the course of this Ren fair with the assistance of Arthur. I have to admit, I'm a fairly big stickler for my romance hero's name being something hot and swoony and Arthur just doesn't do that for me. I had to restrain myself from reaching out to Ashley to ask if there would be a later reveal in which we would learn that his name is actually something a whole lot dreamier and I'm so glad that I didn't. He absolutely won my heart over in spite of myself, pretty much like he did with Gwen and I was absolutely here for it. I truly cannot wait for her next book because I am sure it will be absolutely wonderful. One of my new go-to authors for teen romance!

Ashley Schumacher's THE RENAISSANCE OF GWEN HATHAWAY is a truly enjoyable, adorkable read. I've never been to a renaissance faire, but this novel had me really wanting to schedule a trip to the nearest one (why have I not been part of this delightful community my entire life!?). Maddie has such a strong voice and I couldn't help but be drawn into her world (that opening chapter was perfect). Her grief and insecurities are so relatable; she's just a very sympathetic character. And then there's Arthur, who is equally endearing. I love how Arthur calls Maddie Gwen from the get-go (a wonderful Easter egg--among many other nods to Arthurian legend in the story). Basically, if a teenage, summer romance version of A Knight's Tale sounds appealing to you, you will love THE RENAISSANCE OF GWEN HATHAWAY.

5 stars - Outstanding!

I loved this! The story and the setting were fantastic, and I adored Maddie and Arthur. The author does a fantastic job with the grief and loss aspects of the story as well as the body image pieces. I was highlighting passage after passage. The writing here is terrific. This book was a perfect fit for me. (Language)

There is so much to love about The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway! It took me a few days to get into it, but once I hit about 30%, I finished the rest in one sitting.
First off, I loved Madeline’s character. Madeline (aka Gwen) is dealing with the grief of losing her mother and coming up on the first anniversary of her mother’s death. Her grief felt very real and honest. We see her grappling with getting close to anyone, scared she’ll lose someone else. I also loved that she was a plus sized main character. She is a teen with insecurities about that, and while it’s not the main focus of the book, I did think it was handled really well.
Arthur was also the perfect balance to Madeline’s character. He was funny, kind, and sweet, while Madeline was more grumpy and standoffish. And their banter? *Chef’s kiss* Arthur’s dealing with his own insecurities and body issues in the book as well, feeling too thin, not muscular enough. That was such an impactful inclusion, since men and boy’s body insecurities aren’t as seen… well, anywhere.
There was a great cast of background characters as well: Arthur’s dads Tim and Martin, Madeline’s dad, Madeline’s best friend Fatima, Bre, Noah, Arthur’s extended family. I adored every character, and I was happy to see there wasn’t a villainized character.
I also really enjoyed the background of the Renaissance Faire. It made an interesting setting, and while I’ve never been to one, I could easily imagine it.
My only complaint is maybe the pacing? I have a hard time getting into books a lot until it picks up. This one felt pretty slow in the beginning and really picked up around 50%. But then it seemed like they had to cut out part of the book and we’d get time jumps and summaries of events that I would’ve liked to see in the book—like Arthur and Maddie’s adventures.
In the end, it’s a must read for me, and my review probably isn’t doing it justice. It’s honest, funny, a little sad, and thought provoking. I will definitely be picking up this author’s next book.
Thank you Wednesday books a million times for sending me an ARC!

This is a sweet & heartwarming Young Adult book. I attended Renaissance Faires in my teen years and then promptly forgot about them for the next 20 years until picking up Well Met in the last few years. I loved the Well Met series and this reminded me a lot of it. It's part romance and part coming-of-age. I enjoyed it!

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher
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Madeline has been noticing lots of things since her mother died almost a year ago. And mostly it has been that life just keeps going. But this year her mothers favorite renaissance faire has changed a lot, and Madeline doesn’t like it. And she is determined to NOT be friends with the new guy at the faire who’s dressed as a bard and follows her around.
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This was a wonderfully heartfelt story of grief and finding a way to open your heart again after losing a loved one.
I felt hit in the heart at everything Maddie was feeling and trying to keep inside.
I adored her “not” friendship with Arthur, and loved that he dragged her on these road trips.
Maddie does a lot of growing throughout the summer long story and it felt honest and real.
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I especially loved Arthur’s story for “Gwen” at the end. 🥺🥰
Solid 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I would recommend this book, especially if you enjoy YA or RenFaire or Young coming of age type stories.

A sweet story of love, grief, and becoming who you’re meant to be. Maddie has spent her whole childhood on the renaissance faire circuit with her parents. After her mom dies just before Maddie’s senior year, she and her dad have been looking forward to revisiting her mom’s favorite faire. Only this year, everything is different. The grounds are cleaner, the structures are fancier, and there’s an honest-to-goodness moat around the castle. Maddie learns that this was the work of Arthur’s dads. Arthur, the geeky teen bard who calls her Gwen and seems determined to be friends, even as Maddie is just as determined to protect her heart from any more love or loss.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Madeline Hathaway has grown up working the renaissance faire circuit alongside her parents. After her mother’s death, Madeline becomes obsessed with documenting her life. Her father and her best friend are the only two people left in her life that she truly loves, and she’s determined to keep it that way, because anyone she loves is someone who could be taken away from her. Until she and her father reach the last faire of the season (and her mother’s favorite), and she meets Arthur, son of the new owners. Madeline (who Arthur nicknames “Gwen”) tries to keep Arthur at a distance, but they slowly become friends and maybe more in this really sweet story of grief, friendship/young love, and moving on. As someone who lost my mom when I was only a few years older than Madeline, I really identified with her grief. I also suspect that the author has experienced similar loss, because it felt really authentic. There were some hard parts, but also plenty of lightheartedness to balance it out. I wasn’t sure how I would like the ren faire aspect, but it was really fun, and I’d recommend this one for a cute and sad-but-not-too-sad YA. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC!

What a lovely story by Ashley Schumacher!! Madeline and Arthur are wonderful characters who each have their own personal growth while learning from and with each other. This story offers inspiration and hope, while Madeline navigates the grief of losing her mother and returning to the site of her favorite faire I loved the Renaissance Faire setting and loved this story! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

*I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I went into The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway expecting a lot, and I was absolutely pleased with this novel. This was my first Ashley Schumacher book and I will absolutely be coming back for more.

"Dumplin' meets Well Met" is how this book caught my eye, and it absolutely delivered on that promise. Fat Ren Faire shenanigans? ABSOLUTELY. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is delightful, and covers difficult topics (grief) with care and attention, and shows Madeline organically accepting her fatness. Add in a sprinkling of queer side characters and this book can't be beat.