“The only thing I’m sure I want in that new life is you.”
Ever since her sister’s car crash, Emily’s been living in small town Willow Creek helping her sister and niece. Not only does this include laundry, meal prep, and long car rides to school, but volunteering at the town’s local Renaissance Faire. During the Faire, town residents dress up as queens, kings, princes, and in Emily’s case a tavern wench. They entertain visitors, pretending to be in the Renaissance Era for a whole summer.
For Emily, spending her summer as a tavern wench in the middle of the woods, wouldn’t be so bad if the Faire runner, Simon, wasn’t always on her case. He’s not interested in her playful nature or suggestions to alter the Faire. Soon enough, the two can’t even be in the same room as each other without fighting.
However, once the Faire starts and Simon turns into a pirate and Emily takes the persona of a wench, their whole relationship changes. Simon has transformed from a strict English teacher to a pirate that spends his time flirting with Emily. During the Faire, they have to pretend to be married, which only complicates their relationship more. Emily is trying to keep fiction and reality straight, but the more kisses the two share, the lines start to blur. Emily wants more, but she’s been burned before. And she’s just in Willow Creek for the summer, right?
I have to admit, I was super skeptical going into this one. I’m not one for historical romances and the idea of a Renaissance Faire taking up the majority of the novel really turned me off of the book. But, I’ve seen this book everywhere and so many of my reader friends pushed me to read it and I’m so glad I did.
This rom-com is laugh out loud funny, even from the first line! Not only are the characters thrown into many quirky situations, but the main character, Emily, has the best inner dialogue. She really drives the novel, making you care for her and everyone around her.
Simon is her total opposite personality wise. They both may love Shakespeare and literature, but it feels like Simon hasn’t cracked a smile in years. His stoic demeanor makes him all the more swoon worthy when he finally does let his romantic side slip with Emily. This makes for an amazing enemies-to-lovers with great banter.
The small town vibes also makes all the drama more intense. Each local has their own, distinct personalities which makes me all the more excited for the next books in the series that features them.
If you like enemies-to-lovers with the perfect ratio of spicy scenes to sweet ones, then this book is for you! Jen DeLuca’s rom-com is an unforgettable love story.
If you’ve read this one or plan to, leave a comment below or on my bookstagram @/readinromance!