If we were judging simply off cuteness factors, this book would get all the stars. Now, thank goodness that everything else in this book was *simply the best* because the entirety of this book was a five star read for me.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway wasn’t just a story of finding yourself, it was also about the power of friendships, the cataclysmic power of grief and how it can just completely change you as a person but it was also about the love that two lost teenagers were able to find in each other.

I adored the heck out of this book in its entirety and I cannot thank Wednesday Books & the author for both sending me an early galley of this book and for writing such a beyond amazing book respectively.

Make sure you pick this one up next time you’re book shopping!

An amazing YA romance set in the Renaissance faire world. Madeline has always live in the faire world with her parents. Now before her senior year she navigates her favorite faire a year after losing her mom to cancer. She meets Arthur who swoops in and reteaches her to be strong and brave and set out to tame the world. A beautiful story of learning to live with the loss of a parent, learning to not live in a grief loop, to try new things. Body positivity also thrown in to make it even more amazing!

Madeline Hathaway is ready for her favorite Renaissance Faire. And she’s not. It’s been almost a year since she lost her mother to cancer. She had spent most of her life on the road with her parents, working Ren Fest after Ren Fest. It’s all she knows. That and grief. Now she’s back for her favorite Renaissance Faire, at the one that was her mother’s favorite, at the one that was the last one her mother could attend, and everything is different. Madeline looks around her, and literally everything is different.

It had been dusty paths and a fake castle. Now the paths are all paved, the structures are all sturdy, and the castle is real. There is an actual castle, with a real moat, on the Faire grounds. For Madeline, this is disappointing. She had been looking forward to spending the summer there, remembering her mother and trying to think of what to do with her life. She has one more year of her online high school, and then she has to make decisions about her future. Instead, she is standing at a moat, wondering what happened to her plans.

As she stares into the water of the moat, Madeline is interrupted by a young bard who tries to cheer her up. He calls her Gwen and tries to sing her songs, but she stops him. Arthur is unstoppable, however, and ends up not only becoming an acquaintance but also talking Maddie into becoming the princess of the Faire and going on adventures with him during the week.

As the days and then the weeks go by, Maddie finds herself enjoying her time with Arthur more and more. She adds her good feelings to her journal. Since her mom died, Maddie has been marking things in her journal, like talks with her dad or calls with her best friend. Her therapist calls it her noticing, and Maddie feels compelled to make her marks, so that she doesn’t lose anyone or anything else that she treasures. But as her life fills up with good feelings and good times, she finds that she has less time for the noticing.

Maddie’s world seems to grow through the weeks she spends with Arthur and his compassionate way of helping her face her fears. But when she’s faced with a possible heartbreak again, will she take the chance at happiness, or will she hide away with her journal and her noticing and her grief?

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is a sweet romance about grief and growing up, about dealing with insecurity and isolation, about opening up to road trips, video games, coloring, and actual friendship. This book has a lot of kindness and gentleness, which is good, because there is also a lot of pain and sadness. But this journey is important and healing and filled with laughter and lovely surprises.

I found a lot to love with The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway. Maddie is a fantastic character with flaws and strengths and beauty and confusion, and I adored her. Author Ashley Schumacher has crafted this adorable romance and then set it at a Renaissance Faire, with all the vendors and pageantry and camel jousting to add fun and adventure. While there were a few tears shed during this book, I had lots of laughs too, and I really appreciated the kindness and compassion in these relationships. This is simply an enchanting story, and I am grateful that fate dropped it into my library.

Egalleys for The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway were provided by Wednesday Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Madeline (Gwen) and her father are spending their annual summer doing the Oklahoma renaissance faire circuit. Except, this summer, her mother’s death anniversary is looming over Gwen.

Arthur, a bard at the faire, is determined to not let Gwen isolate herself from the summer’s events. Arthur’s parents, the new faire owners, make Gwen the faire princess, and she finds herself joining Arthur’s road trips to see attractions around Oklahoma.

I absolutely loved this book. It’s everything I love about YA romance with the perfect setting. This is my official petition to have all books set at a renaissance faire!

Arthur and Gwen’s friendship was so sweet, and I love how it developed organically. I also really liked the plot line dealing with Gwen’s grief and the loss of her mother. There’s also great self discovery and body positivity in this story!

Love love love love love.

Genre: YA Romance
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Wednesday Books for an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Unfortunately, while his book had a lot of really good promise, I found it really hard to connect to the characters and keep my interest in this book. Which stinks because I really thought the summary was so interesting!

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway was SO FUN! I thorughly enjoyed this YA story and loved the renaissance faire setting in Oklahoma. Such a fun summertime read! Let me tell you, I could TOTALLY feel the stifling heat of the Oklahoma summer as I was reading it. It's a brutal heat, y'all, and in renaissance attire... no sir, take me to Montana! This story has tons of heart as Maddie is facing her mother's favorite faire without her this year. Maddie is closed off and has fallen into strict routines to get her through her grief. But as the faire begins, she happens upon Arthur and he has ideas for all sorts of adventures. It was a blast to follow along as Maddie journeys through hard things to find more of herself.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher is a delightful and charming read. It's out NOW! Thank you Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin's Press for my e-arc!

"Tame the world...No one else is going to do it for you."

Madeline Hathaway has lived her life on the road, travelling with her parents on the Ren Faire circuit, but her entire world came crashing down a year ago when her mother passed away. Now with the death anniversary quickly approaching, Maddie and her father arrive at her mother's favorite faire...only to discover changes everywhere. Not only have the new owners made renovations but their bard of a son is a thorn in Maddie's corset., especially since he's dead set on Maddie playing princess this summer.

Can she let go of the monotony of her current life and trade it in for a tiara and acceptance?

Let me just throw out all my jeans and trade them in for a bodice and flowered headpiece because THE RENAISSANCE OF GWEN HATHAWAY has my heart.

WHAT I LOVED:
-First off, I would have loved this book as a teenager myself; learning to love my body because it's my body and not because I fit the stereotype of what the world thinks my body should be. Body positivity and body inclusion needs more awareness and TRoGH is leading the charge.
-Tim and Martin. I love them. I'd love a book of their romance even further than what we get in the story.
-Of course, I loved the setting. Growing up in Maryland with the lavish Maryland Ren Faire, I looked forward to entering their gates every year and Schumacher's writing brought me right back.

Add this book to your collection immediately. Everyone needs a wizened old wizard telling you to tame the world and dispensing sage advice.


My thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A chance to be a princess, yes please. Madeline definitely has a lot emotional issues going on, the loss of her mom, body image issues, and little interaction with other kids since she travels around to different fairs. Enter Gwen, a nickname and persona that let's her let loose a bit and have some summer fun.

I liked the character in this book, especially Arthur. Even though he has his own insecurities, he sees Madeline for who she really is and is very patient with her. They also have a bunch of fun together. Who wouldn't like a road trip in an avocado colored car that involves lots of tootsie pops.

As with Ashley's other books, this one is another emotional ride, but feel hood as well. I enjoyed all of it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

It’s been almost a year since Madeline Hathaway lost her mother and she's still learning to deal with the loss. Now it's just her and her father in the camper van as they travel the Ren Faire circuit. They are spending the summer at the last faire of the season, and also her mom's favorite. Maddie is dreading the one-year anniversary and isn't really coping well...And she's not sure if her new 'friend' Arthur is helping or making is worse.

Overall, this was a good, quick read, but could have been better for me. The Ren Faire setting and the road trips were great. The characters were well flushed out, but the main character of Maddie/Gwen was where I was left frustrated. She constantly pushed Arthur away as he was being just about the kindest person in existence, and how quickly she leaped to (WRONG) conclusions had me constantly rolling my eyes. But as we all know, teenagers are kind of annoying, so you get what you pay for I guess!

Even if this one didn’t wow me I would still recommend it for those who want a simpler YA book, with a sprinkling of romance but some other meaty stuff too.

Overall rating: 4.5⭐️

This book gave me Well Met vibes but make it YA, since they both take place in a ren faire and involve a person who has a deep emotional connection to it because of similar reasons. Though this could also be because that’s the only other book I’ve read set in a ren faire 😆

👍
+ Grief and healing are such big parts of this story. How Maddy is processing her grief, while at times heartbreaking, is incredibly real. Which also makes her healing throughout the book even more beautiful to see.
+ Though there is grief in this book there is also joy. From the excitement of first love, to many road tripping adventures, from being a princess to having a life affirming Target trip, from having your burns attended to, to making new friends…
+ Arthur was such a precious and sweet love interest. The ways he respects Maddy’s boundaries, and gets her at times better than she understands herself was just 🥺He’s almost too considerate at times because of his own insecurities, but he goes through some growth through the book as well.
+ The body positivity in this book was also superb. Not in the sense that we always have to love our bodies, but accepting that it’s a journey, that we will have good days and bad days, that our feelings are valid, and that struggling with body image comes in many shapes and sizes.
+ Overall this was a book about letting people in, and letting yourself out. Finding your confidence, not hiding behind walls you’ve built for yourself, accepting who you are, and embracing life with all its unpredictability and lack of guarantees.

👎
- Hard to describe without spoilers but I thought the some of the communication between Maddy and Arthur at the end could have been resolved better.

Thank you St Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway
by Ashley Schumacher
Pub Date: 14 Mar 2023

I am an absolute fan of Ashley Schumacher! She writes such beautiful prose filled with strong characters who make you feel so much...

This time we meet Madeline, a plus-size, grieving teen who is now traveling the Faire circuit with only her father since her mother's passing. She is stubbornly holding on to the thought that if she avoids anyone getting close to her then she won't have to fear losing them. Enter, Arthur...oh, my. This boy captured my heart (as well as "Gwen." the Guinevere to his Arthur.) Talk about a lovely cinnamon roll! I adored the two of them together and the progression of their relationship. (Are we friends yet?) Sigh.

The thing about Ashley's writing is that she can take deep topics and mix humor and sweetness to give you a perfect balance of all the feelings. The storyline, the scenery, the characters all blended into one magical experience just makes you smile so hard when you turn that last page. I believe in fate...Double sigh.

I definitely believe fate will lead me to Ashley Schumacher's next book! :)

All the stars to this warm hug of a YA novel that follows Maddie Hathaway through a summer where she grieves her mom, meets a boy, embraces her alter ego Gwen by trying new things and maybe letting people in, and finally: grapples with fate.

I loved so many things about this book. So many of 17-year-old Gwen’s experiences brought back specific memories from my own teenage years: when a boy picked me up and I was terrified I was too heavy; thinking I wasn’t worthy of a princess dress; worried that I wasn’t like other teenagers. I wish this book had been there for me as a teen but I also think I appreciate it just as much now. Thank you Ashley Schumacher for writing such a beautiful story and such amazing characters. Also in the acknowledgments you mentioned being Bridgerton-obsessed so I think maybe you are my soul sister?! Here’s a list of other things I enjoyed about this book:
* Olivia Rodrigo references
* Journaling
* Nicknames
* Tiny glass animals
* Road trips
* Viewmaster memories
* Fates
* Ren faire magic
* Normalizing a plus size princess

Shocked at how timely the reference was:
* cordyceps

Thank you to Wednesday Books/SMP for the copy via NetGalley. I’m also about to run out and buy one because I loved the book so much, truly. It just came out this week so you can read it now!

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher is Madeline Hathaway's story about the summer one year after her mother passed away and how she worked through her grief with the help of some wise adults and a group of new friends.

My Reading Experience:
At first, I was skeptical about how much I would enjoy this book. Maddy is so well-mired in her grief that, though I felt sorry for her, I found it hard to relate to her on a reader-to-character level. But she shows enough growth as the story continues that I grew to care about her and understand her choices, even when I disagreed with them. I've worked with many teens going through grief, and I felt the authenticity of her character development even though it initially bogged down my reading.

I love the setting – a Renaissance Fair in Oklahoma – part of the Renaissance Fair circuit Maddy and her parents had worked for many years. It brought a fun element to a story full of the emotions Maddy and her father struggled with. I especially loved that the fair had new owners who changed enough about the setup that it threw Maddy off and made her begin working through her grief.

What makes this story utterly charming, though, are the characters. Arthur, the boy who renamed Maddy - Gwen for Guinevere - is quirky and has the biggest heart. He is genuine in his kindness and understanding of all Maddy is going through. And Arthur's two dads were my favorite. If they were real, I'd ask them to adopt me. They are just the essence of adults who have it all together. Arthur reflects that in his ability to understand Maddy's grief and body image issues – as she is curvier than she would like to be.

This story is more about working through grief than romance, but I loved how Maddy and Arthur became friends first and then became more. It felt authentic and genuine, melting my heart in the process. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is the perfect feel-good, heart-melting story for readers who need a book that will put a smile on their faces and a glow in their hearts.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is a sweet, funny, sometimes heartbreaking story of finding yourself after loss. Maddie Hathaway has grown up on the Renaissance Faire circuit, but after the loss of her mother almost a year ago she’s at sea, struggling with grief. When she arrives at Stormsworth, the faire her mother loved the most, she’s aghast to find it changed and under new ownership. She’s also taken aback by Arthur, the son of the new owners and a bard who dubs her “Gwen” and who is persistent in his attempts to be her friend. Maddie doesn’t want to let anyone new into her heart for fear of the pain of losing them, but Arthur has a way of getting under her skin. Before she knows it, she’s going on adventures and letting go of her routine, which scares her but it’s also thrilling.

It’s easy to adore Maddie and Arthur. I wanted to hug Maddie who was sad and vulnerable but finds herself and learns to move forward over the course of the story. Arthur is sweet, determined, and very careful and considerate of others’ feelings. He’s got a charm offensive which is adorable but he also has vulnerabilities. I liked watching them become friends and fall for one another and it isn’t a smooth ride for them. Grief, fear, and insecurities aren’t small obstacles and author Ashley Schumacher doesn’t treat them as such. The result is an ending that is not only satisfying but feels earned.

Despite its heavy themes, The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is light on its feet and has plenty of fun. From knights riding camels because they’re afraid of horses to moats with crocodile floaties to more, Schumacher blends the bright with the dark. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this story with its good heart and endearing characters.

👑 Book Review 👑

#therenaissanceofgwenhathaway
#AshleySchumacher
#NetGalley published 3/14/23
#stmartinspress
#YAromcom


👑👑👑👑/5

Fun, light rom/come about a 16 yr old girl, Maddie/Gwen, that grew up living on the Renaissance circuit. She meets the kid of the new owners who have changed everything from when she was there last. Just before her mom died.

She becomes, reluctant friends with him as the summer goes on. A bit too light for a YA book for me. But still quite enjoyable. It has some snark. Like I said, reluctant. What's a rom/com with no snark? Meh, in my book.

I usually like my YAs to have a bit more substance. This does mention grief of a parent. But I guess it doesn't darken the story at all. I didn't feel it. I'd have to check on the subject matter before I decide whether or not to give this author another try.

#wednesdaybooks
#ya
#romcom
#grief
#bookstagram #booknerds #bookworm #booklover #bookdragon #readalot #ilovereading #inkdrinker #librarymouse #bookaddict #bookaholic

This was a really sweet young adult novel about two kids who are going through personal struggles while also feeling insecure about how they fit into their teen world. Arthur is a totally sweet boy being raised by two dad’s, and despite their strong parenting he’s insecure about his looks and how he fits into his high school clicque. Madeline, who’s never gone to high school, doesn’t have that same issue, but she does have insecurity about her weight and whether she can ever live up to the beautiful free spirit that was her mother. She is also mourning her mom and struggling to communicate with an also mourning father which adds to her issues. The two of them find each other when they need each other the most and you can’t help but feel charmed by the mystical, fun Renaissance Faire setting.

I like how Madeline has so many sides to her. She is talking to a therapist, trying to hold her family together, keeping her mom’s memory alive, and also trying to be a teen age girl with her first crush- although she fights that almost to the bitter end. Despite all of her issues, her character is strong, opinionated, and funny. She was an easy girl to identify with and like, for sure. Arthur was a little bit more of a caricature, with his two gay dads and his charming personality, but once you read further you realized that despite seeming like he’s got it all he’s kind of a mess as well and you can’t help but hope he and Madi get their act together and realize they can be stronger with each other than without.

I love the whole Renaissance faire vibe. It’s a great setting for a young romance! Turkey legs, costumes, and joust’s oh my! There were moments of absolute delight mixed in with the more serious subjects that gave this story a well-roundedness that made it a delight. If you’re in the mood for a young adult novel with some depth, but is still fun, give this one a try! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest.

Is there anyone who writes complicated grief like Ashley Schumacher? I’ve read all three of her books, and loved all of them. THE RENAISSANCE OF GWEN HATHAWAY introduces Madeline, a girl who’s approaching the first anniversary of her mom’s death– and her mom’s favorite Renaissance Fair, which has been redesigned by new owners. So, her grief over losing her mom and how it’s changed her life irreversibly gets kind of mirrored by this other big event. I thought it was really clever to pair those two things so closely together.

I really liked Maddie’s character, too. She’s a loner, but not in a sad, get-that-girl-some-friends kind of way. She’s an introvert who treasures close relationships with a few people.

The only thing that worried me at first was Arthur’s approach to Madeline. He gives her a nickname she doesn’t like, and plays the “I know what you need better than you do” card, which tends to rub me the wrong way. It’s a little too close to refusing to respect someone’s “no.”

However, in several scenes, Arthur listens to Madeline’s preferences and quickly adjusts his behavior in response to her boundaries, so I liked that. And I liked that it became clear that wasn’t his whole approach to relationships with girls.

One of the subplots of the story is the evolution of how Madeline feels about her body and how she behaves in response to those feelings. She’s a curvy girl who still carries some hurts from unkind things people have said to her. When Arthur first asks her to be the Fair princess, she has a hard time believing he’s serious, or that accepting the role won’t open her up to ridicule. But as she begins to explore what makes her comfortable in her own skin, she realizes that some of the things she’s been thinking about herself aren’t reality-based. And she finds ways to shop and dress that make her feel good. I liked that journey, and I especially liked that while it didn’t happen in a vaccuum– there were people who influenced her here and there– it was still her journey.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

This was such a lovely read, and you don't even have to know anything about, or even like, Renaissance Fairs to appreciate this story.

This is a book about Maddie, a soon to be high school senior who lost her mom a year ago and she is still processing her grief. She grew up on the "ren faire circuit" and this is her first time back to her mom's favorite fair since her passing. Everything has changed. The fairgrounds, the vendors, the owners, there is now a full blown castle, and a moat! Let's not forget Arthur, the son of the new owners who takes an instant liking to Maddie, starts calling her Gwen, and we are off to the races.

This is a story about acceptance, love, grief, dreams, and road trips. Sounds eclectic? Well, it is, in the very best of ways. Will read more from this author, for sure. I don't know why I doubted this book in the beginning, St. Martin's Press always delivers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!*

I first read Ashley Schumacher last year, when I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the ARC for Full Flight (read my review for it here). After that, I knew she would be an auto-buy author for me. So, I was very excited when I received my ARC for The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway!

I love that there are so many books coming out about Renaissance Festivals. I love going to them, and getting to attend one through books when there isn’t one near me is a great way to fulfill my longing. This particular story is more on the bittersweet end of things, but I have found that I should expect no less from a Schumacher story.

Gwen was such a lovely character to follow through this story. She struggles greatly with anxiety, self-criticism, and depression. I could sympathize with her trying to work through the loss of her mother, especially at her mom’s favorite festival on the anniversary of her death. I really liked how she became more and more open to working through her feelings as the story progressed. Her feelings around letting anyone else into her heart were so sad, but completely understandable.

Arthur was such a precious little bean, and I just wanted to squeeze him. I loved how he was absolutely struggling with feelings of self-loathing, but he was still able to bring Gwen out of her protective shell. His persistence was charming, rather than annoying. I loved his sunshine-y little self.

This was a romance, but I was more moved by the journey of self-discovery and growth that Gwen went on. This was a case of falling for someone slowly, and a steady journey to healing. All in all, I thought this was a sweet story with some important themes surrounding grief, body image, and vulnerability.

My Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I gave The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway 4 Stars!

This book made my heart happy. I loved the size inclusion and how Schumacher highlighted the struggles all teens go through. Her portrayal of the spectrum of grief was touching and so important to remember when interacting with others.