I am a big fan of Jen Deluca's Well Met series, which takes place at a Renaissance Faire. So, I was SOOOOO excited when I found out this was also set at a Ren Faire! Add in some positive LGBTQ representation and sensitive handling of plus-size teen anxieties and a sweet but goofy bard. The plus-size girl got to be princess of the Faire! It was everything that teenaged me would have loved! As I'm writing this, I'm just smiling, thinking of all the positivity and sweetness in this book!

Thank you St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for the digital ARC!

It’s hard not to get caught up in The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway. The jousts, royalty, castles, food. Author Ashley Schumacher immediately immerses readers in the world of renaissance fairs — specifically the one that has the most meaning to her protagonist, Gwen.

And you can tell that Schumacher has an affinity for medieval re-creation. Her descriptions bring events to life while still leaving room for readers to fill in the gaps. The setting has this sort of warm glow to it.

And so does Maddie and Arthur’s relationship. Between the banter and sincere conversations, it’s hard not to like the duo. Maddie’s journey of self-discovery and Arthur’s earnest nature make this book worth reading.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is a cute contemporary YA romance that is thoughtful and relatable. It’s a great choice heading into upcoming spring breaks.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an arc of this. This was my first Ashley Schumacher and I really liked it. I found it to be very cute and the pacing was really good. It has made me interested in reading Schumacher's backlog. I haven't been to Ren Faire before but hopefully one day I can go and with this I was able to experience some of that.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Following her mother's death, Maddie Hathaway is ready to return to her family's favourite ren faire. But when she arrives, it's under new ownership, and is nothing like it used to be. Hoping to make the best out of a bad situation, she tries to avoid the handsome son of the new owners, but Arthur is nothing if not determined, and wants to be her friend. Convincing Maddie to be Princess of the Faire, Arthur becomes more than a nuisance, but someone she can rely on. But will Maddie be able to overcome her own insecurities, and open herself up to the chance of happiness with Arthur?

I wasn't sure what to expect of this book when I first started it. I tried it back in late 2022 and couldn't get past more than the first few chapters, but I didn't feel like I was in the mood for it. So on a cold, wet January weekend, I decided now was the time, and I could barely put the book down. Maddie and Arthur were great characters, full of flaws and imperfections, but perfect for the plot, and, more importantly, for each other. This book was a fun read, but there were heartfelt moments, particularly when Maddie was talking about her mother, or her body images. I did want to give both her and Arthur a shake a couple of times, but they were teenagers, making teen mistakes, and all came out right in the end. A lovely read!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

I think this is my favorite Ashely Schumacher book. The setting, a ren faire in OK, is vividly described, which put me right into the book immediately. The main character's, Madeline, point of view--one of grief from losing her mother combined with that tricky age just before childhood ends and adulthood begins --is clear and strong. Even when she dips into that angsty inner monologue that Schumacher gives to her main characters, I didn't find it annoying or over the top. Her companion/potential romantic interest, Arthur, is charming and loveable without being unbelievable. The plot moves along at the perfect speed, and even the predictable parts are understandable.

If you are a fan of sweet romances and coming of age novels, then you should pick this one up.

4 stars — This was a solid YA contemporary, dealing with grief, body image issues, new relationships, and just the basics of being a teenager and all the normal angst that inspires.

I really enjoyed Maddie, and she felt very real in so many ways. It was so hard to read about the way she had convinced herself to hold people at bay to avoid caring for them, and thus avoid losing someone else she loved. The flaws in the plan are so basic, but I do understand how humans young and old can get trapped in their coping mechanisms. I was really worried that she would end up hurting Arthur more than she did, but he’s kind of a special soul. It was interesting to watch her try to navigate all these changes at a kind of pivotal point of her life. I thought she grew and made missteps in a totally realistic way. She definitely frustrated me from time to time, but I did understand why she was making the choices she was making.

With both Maddie and Arthur we get to see how hard it is to be outside the mold of society’s ideal. And I loved the push and pull we had on that, how both were blind to what the other saw as their own failings. It really illuminated how we don’t see others the same way we see ourselves.

Arthur was pretty adorable right from the start, even if he was frustrating in his own way. I loved his sunshine to Maddie’s grumpy, I loved that he persisted. I loved how he brought such fun to everything even as he struggled himself.

While the story is mostly Maddie and some Arthur focused, there were some fun background characters that brought their own bits of wisdom to the story and helped Maddie grow and deal.

All in all a solid YA, and one of those YAs that actually feels really relevant to *teenagers*…you know, the target audience.

Four and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher is a lovely, emotional young adult, romantic comedy that I just loved. The setting of a renaissance fair, and a delightful set of characters make this a wonderful book.

Story Recap:
Madeline “Gwen” Hathaway has worked the renaissance fair circuit with her parents for most of her life. Her mother passed away a year ago, and now it’s just her dad and her working the circuit. Now Madeline has decided that nothing more can change, because she can’t bear another loss, and she’s determined to keep it that way.

Madeline and her father return to the ren fair for the summer and realize the fair has new owners. And nothing is like it was before. She meets Authur, the son of the owners and he is determined to be her friend and called her Gwen, as she is his Guinevere. Eventually, Gwen realizes that change is ok and Arthur isn’t as bad as she first thought.

My Thoughts:
I love a good renaissance fair setting and I felt like I was at the fair with Gwen and Arthur. Gwen is stuck in her grief and needs help. Arthur isn’t the help she expected, but it turns out that he is the help she needs. Grief can be messy and everyone is different I thought the author did a wonderful job of handling this subject for the YA audience.

I enjoyed their slow-burn romance, loved both characters, and rooted for them during the entire book. I loved how Gwen and Arthur became friends first and then built on that friendship for something more. Arthur is a bit of a dork, and awkward at times, and that just endeared him to me.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway to anyone who enjoys young adult romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this book! If the Well Met series was turned into a YA novel. I'm seriously loving these Renaissance Faire books and now I really feel like I need to schedule a trip to go to one this summer, ha!

Maddie's dad works the Renaissance Faire circuit. She is in virtual school so travels around with her dad after her mom passed away a year ago. When they spend the summer at her mom's old favorite tour stop, she befriends the new owners' son, Arthur. Not only did this book have a sweet romance, it dealt with grief and doubt and teen angst. I'm really loving the author's YA books! I really enjoyed this book and read it really quickly. 4.5 rounded up

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy.

Maddie Hathaway has grown up on the Renaissance fair circuit. She and her parents have lived in an RV and sold jewelry and leather journals. She’s been homeschooled or done school online. It’s been her life, and she’s felt comfortable and safe. But her mother’s death from cancer has left her feeling uncertain and unmoored. Then she and her father set up shop for one summer at a faire her mother loved, a place that holds lots of memories. Maddie is displeased to find Stormsworth has been overhauled and upgraded by new owners. It’s actually pretty impressive, a large castle in the middle surrounded by a lazy-river moat, for instance, but she’s not happy about this change.

On top of that, a boy now lives there with his dads, one who insists on a) talking to her and b) being upbeat. He christens her “Gwen,” for some inexplicable reason. And she can’t seem to get away from him.

Arthur (who plays the lute, even!) not only keeps talking to her, but he convinces her to become the Princess of the Faire. Maddie gets fitted for beautiful dresses and can’t hide away from people’s attention. She’s made some kind of peace with her larger figure, but the dress fittings and attention bring up self-consciousness about her weight and what other people are thinking.

She and Arthur do become friends, spending time together around the Faire and going on day trips, but Maddie doesn’t want to label their relationship. She doesn’t want to find herself caring for someone else — and losing someone else.

While she doesn’t believe in Fate, it seems Fate does have other plans for “Gwen.” And it’s a pleasure to watch her bloom.

I’ve so enjoyed Schumacher’s other books (including Amelia Unabridged), so I had to read The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway. All are filled with heart and endearing characters. All deal with teens facing grief, and the author has a deft touch as she helps them navigate their losses. And since they’re teens, they’re dealing with all the usual adolescent concerns too, whether it’s insecurity, friendships, romance, or uncertainty about the future and adulthood.

This good young adult romance book has so much to recommend it: charming characters, a delightfully nerdy setting, funny touches like jousts on camels and crocodile floaties in the moat, and loving families. I would have been happy for the book to continue so I could spend more time there.

This was such a fun book that discussed the idea of grief and how we all change from it. I love all kinds of stories about Ren Faires so having teenage angst mixed in with the whimsical atmosphere was such a delight.

Madeline isn't your typical high school kid. Her family is on the circuit, the Renaissance Faire circuit that is. Living her life from an RV and selling wares while dressed in garb, her life is far from average, especially as they roll up to her favorite site closing in on the first anniversary of her mom's death. When she meets the world's most annoying bard she is challenged to change not only her view of the world and herself but of fate.

Maddie/Gwen is the plus-size, grief-ridden, anxious mess a lot of us felt like in high school. It was such a pleasure reading about her coming into her own. The Target dressing room scene made me want to raise a triumphant fist in the air and battle cry for those of us who have spent way too much time crying over clothes. Arthur is just the sweetest and was a delight to read. His dads were precious! This was a feel-good read despite the main themes of grief, anxiety, and body image issues. May we all tame the world and be kind humans!

I am so glad to finally see fat girl rep in young adult novels. Yes it's been happening for a while but it's healing my inner young adult something fierce. After the loss of her mom, Gwen is still trying to figure out how to function. She has journals and lists and a therapist and a dad who loves her but is also going through his own grief journey. Gwen thrives on control and order so when Arthur arrives on the scene and throws a huge wrench into her calm, predictable life, Gwen is not pleased.

I think Ashley Schumacher is one of the best YA writers out there. This is the third book she's published, the third I've read and I have enjoyed each and every one of them. I think she captures grief and the impact on humans so incredibly well and even though I know I will need a tissue box or two while reading, I look forward to her books.

Happy pub day to The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway. Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an early, gifted copy and continuing to rock as a publisher. They're one of my favorites.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is a shout out to all of us who feel looked down upon because of our appearances and our insecurities. It is a story of grief and how to let go of those precious memories we are terrified we will forget.

This book is a ballad to living your true authentic self and a lesson in knowing we all have something in us that is incredible cool and noteworthy.

There were a lot of sweet themes. I loved the Ren Faire setting, the twists on fate, the sweet love interest in the form of a bard. I loved how Arthur was able to pull Madi from her shell and teach her how to live and experience again.

Unlike Ashley’s other books, this one didn’t have me weeping. It’s a fun, lighthearted YA with some heavier themes but I think it would make a fun summer read.

And BONUS: it’s set in Oklahoma…so it was fun to see where the characters would travel within my state. Now I just wish this Faire was the real deal!

***Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press Wednesday Books for sending me an advanced reader copy of The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway! All thoughts are my own!***

3.5 stars

Madeline "Gwen" Hathaway has been raised in Renaissance Faires for almost her whole life. When she is 10, she arrives a faire her parents are working at while her mother is sick with cancer and meets the Wizened Old Wizard, who spontaneously arrives at a faire to sell his wares. She seeks out his advice and leaves her with the words "tame the world" and gives her a globe necklace.

Years later, returning to her mother's favorite faire, the Stormsworth Renaissance Faire, just short of one year since her death. The faire is now under new ownership and has changed so many things she and her mother loved about it. They added and castle with a moat (with alligator floaties in it.) All she wants to do is help her dad with their shop, get through the duration of this faire, and keep her routine. One night walking the ground of Stormsworth, Maddie meets Arthur, a lute playing bard, who then starts calling her Gwen, who can't seem to leave her alone in her grief. All he wants is to be her friend and help her realize she doesn't need to keep a journal of noticing to see the world around her. He asked her to be the princess of the faire with his fathers who own the faire's permission, and reluctantly she agrees, hoping it will be something her mother wanted her to do.

This book is very heavy with grief. You can feel how much Maddie loves and misses her mom. As someone who has also lost a parent, I heavily resonated with her in the first year of a parent passing. Her and her father have a bit of a strained relationship over the fact that they both are learning how to handle their grief.

I liked the friendship between Maddie and Arthur and the different road trips they went on. You could really see how Maddie wanted to trust him, but was afraid caring for another person would mean they would inevitably leave her life sometime and the pain associated with it. Maddie really finds herself throughout the book, between her grief and her body image issues. It was really nice to see her development over the course of the novel.

I felt like we could have gotten a little more from the Ren Faire itself. We learn about their jousting and the disaster it became with their historical accuracies with the camels. But I just think we wandered through the faire without enough time to explain the different aspects of a Renaissance Faire.

I'm so glad we finally got to find out who the Wizened Old Wizard was and the whole connection of it. It was seriously going to bother me if we go through the whole book and it was never mentioned again. The ending was just really sweet.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is available March 14th!

It's been almost a year since Madeline "Gwen" Hathaway lost her mom. Since then, she's determined that nothing in her life will change ever again. She keeps extensive lists in her journals, goes to therapy once a week, and looks forward to working the monotonous year-long ren faire circuit selling wares with her dad. But when summer hits and they arrive at her mother's favorite end-of-tour stop, Madeline realizes the faire is under new management and nothing is the same. Her plans of skirting by the faire unnoticed as always takes a turn when she meets Arthur, the lute-playing bard son of the new owners, who insists on being her friend and bringing her out of her shell as the Princess of the Faire. Hesitant at first, with the help of her mother's family coin Maddie embraces her role and change in routine, and has fun doing it. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is a tale full of a potion-selling magician, camel-riding gallant knights, a crocodile-floatie filled castle moat, and a plus-sized heroine with a wide-open heart... if only she can admit it to herself.

This story was absolutely delightful. Ashley Schumacher has noted that of her three novels, this one is the lightest in tone, and I'd have to agree - I'll also say that the lightness in tone does not take away from exploring deeper topics, like grief, death of a parent, dealing with body issues as a plus-sized teen girl, and making friends as someone who does online schooling. Madeline lost her mom almost a year before the story begins, and there are some days where she and her father are still struggling with grief. It can be especially difficult as the year-anniversary approaches, and Maddie has to create the jewelry pieces to be sold at their ren faire booth, which was previously a big part of her mom's contribution. When they arrive at the end-of-tour stop, Maddie is terrified to find that the environment is completely new due to new management, which, as someone who strives for as little change as possible, is difficult for her to accept. And then she meets Arthur, a skinny bard who plays the lute and saves her from security after she's around after-hours because his dad's are the new owners. At first she's confused as to why he wants to be her friend so badly, but he can tell that Maddie, or Gwen as he fondly calls her, is in need of some adventure this summer. Their banter and friendship was truly lovely to watch grow throughout the story, and the respect that Arthur has for Maddie's boundaries while also encouraging her to go out of her comfort zone one step at a time. At first it looked as though the two had completely different philosophical ideologies - Maddie does not believe in fate, while Arthur seems to embrace it - but as a team they work so well as being both a grounding force and a sense of encouragement. I loved how present Arthur's dads were, as both owners, and kings, of the faire but also as a representation that allowing yourself to love, and be loved, can be scary sometimes but it is worth it. Maddie's dad is less present in the story, but he grants her the space to go out on her own and try new things, especially make new friends. I appreciated how Maddie attends a weekly teletherapy session, as it gives her a way to talk through some of her feelings when she doesn't understand them, but also encourages her to allow herself to be a kid and live in the moment. As someone who can also feel scared of change, I found Maddie's "noticing" journal extremely relatable - it gave the illusion of being present but all the noticing can take away of just enjoying whatever the moment brings. I also wanted to say that I appreciated the lack of girl-on-girl hate - sometimes in YA books we can find several female characters pitted against each other, for reasons that include both vying for a love interests attention, power dynamic struggles, or simply teen insecurities that cause jealously. While there was a moment where it could've gone in that direction, when a former crush of Arthur's also begins volunteering at the faire, when we're introduced to that character it's clear that a misunderstanding has occurred, and the two actually strike up a really sweet friendship - which I loved because as a teen who's done online schooling almost her entire life, Maddie wasn't always in the position to make many friends her age. Though I will say that when Arthur's classmates begin working at the faire, there are several moments where we see Arthur feel a bit of jealously, and that made for some interesting scenes that brought a smile to my face.

All in all, I was smiling a lot while reading this book. I love the way Ashley Schumacher writes her characters for teens and lets them be kids that may have had some serious things happen to them, but work through their feelings and emotions with friends and family. She's said that her next novel may just be the most devastating yet, and I honestly can't wait to see just how much it tears my heart apart. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This book is the angsty YA version of "Well Met" where the heroine is the grumpy one while our hero is the sunshine. Maddie is the only child of two life-long Renaissance Faire devotees that raised her on the Faire circuit, where they lived out of a RV making and selling jewelry and leather journals. She had a childhood full of wonder and delight, until a year ago when her mother died. Now, pulling into Stormsworth, Oklahoma, which was the last Faire her mother enjoyed, Maddie has to face the upcoming anniversary her death in the last place they were together as a family. The last thing she expects to find is a fully renovated and "upgraded" fairgrounds, complete with a castle surrounded by a moat lazy-river filled with inflatable alligators! Disoriented and disheartened by all the changes, she runs out into the grounds in the middle of the night, trying to find some semblance of the Faire she remembers. Instead, she finds a boy her age named after the great knight, Arthur. He nicknames her Gwen, after the objet of the historic knight's affections. Over Tue course of the summer at the Faire, Arthur convinces Maddie to take on the role of Princess of the Faire, to his fathers' kings, while he is the bard with a lute. After losing her mother, she resists Arthur's charms, on the basis of if she doesn't anyone allow to get close to her or care for anyone, then she never has to feel the pain of loss ever again. But eventually his persistance of friendship and adventure, as well as his genuine affection for not just her but her emotional well-being wears her down.

A delightful, humorous and heartwarming tale of friendship, love, adventure and fate, The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is for anyone who’s lost someone and has tried to find their way back to living their life.

Very cute! A definite feel good book. The cover is adorable too. It was quick and predictable, bit in a “I need a home run happy ending” sort of way.

The elevator pitch for this book was "Dumplin' meets Well Met," and I was sold. While I've never been to a renaissance faire, I absolutely love reading about them. I'm still a theater kid at heart and the performance aspect of the faire fascinates me, so I can't resist a book that gives a peek behind the scenes.

Madeline - aka Gwen - is a home-schooled high school senior who has grown up on the road, traveling via RV with her parents from one renaissance faire to the next. When the story begins, she's coming up on the one-year anniversary of her mom's death, and she and her father are returning to what had been her mom's favorite faire stop. Once there, she discovers that the faire is under new ownership, and nothing is like she remembers.

She also meets Arthur, who dubs her Gwen and insists that she play the role of Princess of the Faire. Arthur just so happens to be the son of the faire's new owners, and he brings just the right amount of chaos to Gwen's rigidly ordered life. He convinces Gwen to join him on their days off from the faire as he takes road trips seeking adventure. Over the course of the summer, Gwen finds herself letting go of some of the routines and rituals she had imposed to try to bring order to her life following her mom's death, and giving in more to the spirit that Arthur brings to her life.

This book has plenty of sweet romance between Arthur and Gwen - it really nails that awkward will-they-won't-they element between high school crushes. Both Arthur and Gwen have confidence issues stemming from their physical appearance, and they struggle to trust each other. Their friendship develops long before any romance, and it's truly heart warming to read.

More than the romance, though, this is a story about a young girl navigating grief and loss. I experienced a similar loss at Gwen's age when my younger brother passed away, and I can remember trying desperately to make sense of things in a world that had been turned upside down. It can feel impossible to relate to anyone, which leads to so much loneliness, and like Gwen, I found myself clinging to rituals that added some sense or order back to my life. This was such a realistic portrayal of working through grief and struggling to let others in, and I found myself weeping over the pages at multiple points.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, especially if you have fond drama club memories, or if you remember what it felt like to feel lost and adrift as a teenager.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway follows homeschooled teen Madeline whose parents work a ren faire circuit. One year after her mother's death, Madeline struggles to work through her grief as she and her father wrap up that year's circuit at her mother's favorite stop, which has recently undergone a abundance of changes thanks to new management.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway was a fun and quick read. While it didn't do anything that felt particularly new in the YA contemporary romance genre, it was pretty solid on all counts. The story was interesting and deftly balanced the romance with themes of grief, family, and self image. Madeline and Arthur were decently developed, if a little predictable, but ultimately they just made this book easy to quickly sink into.

Overall, this was a pretty comfortable read for its genre, and while I think it was fairly standard, I do also think it is well executed and that there are plenty of readers out there who will love it.

Madeline is haunted by her mom's death/memory. When she and her dad return to Oklahoma for the Stormsworth Renaissance Faire, all Madeline can think about is that it was her mom's favorite and last.
Traveling to different Faires keeps her and her dad busy with work but little time is left for friends her own age. When Author approaches her at Stormsworth and calls her Gwen, Madeline doesn't know what to think but she knows she is not interested. Author, however, is very persistent.
Opinion
This book was a super sweet novel. I loved the setting of a Ren Faire and that the main characters worked the Faire alongside their families. As Madeline (aka Gwen) worked her ways through her problems, I became more and more vested in her and Author. I also loved that the "popular" kids were not mean as they are often portrayed in other books.
This book is ideal for young romance readers as the story is kept innocent with only kisses. I think that there may be a calling for more books centered around unusual life circumstances like traveling families.
The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is a well written book that will keep the reader entertained for hours. Many thanks to Net Galley and to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.