I've enjoyed so many other books from Ashley Schumacher, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway. Billed as Dumplin' meets Well Met, this YA book takes on the Ren Faire scene, and it's a fun romp.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I felt very “meh” about this book. It very much felt like a YA version of Jen DeLuca’s Well Met. Which was fine. My problem was with the relationship. I just couldn’t root for Gwen and Arthur. In a way, too, this book was very repetitive. It also feels like it didn’t really have a plot, but maybe that’s just me.

This was a very cute and quirky romance. It's always fun to read such out of the box settings in romance and the author delivered. I really liked the chemistry between the main leads. I also liked how the author handled the themes of grief with the main lead. Really poignant and well done.

I really enjoyed this quirky YA romance, which is set in a Renaissance faire. The main character, Maddie, is grieving the loss of her mother and must learn to navigate life without her, and is desperate to keep change at bay. But at her mother's favorite faire, everything has changed with new owners, and she meets their son Artie, who is determined to get Maddie out of her shell and living again. Schumacher had a a nice mix of serious and fun in the story. In addition to grief, the plot also navigated insecurity, body image, and acceptance.

I thought this was cute, and I enjoyed the ren fair setting. It's a unique environment for a YA novel and kids in nontraditional family setups might appreciate this. I do think that I'd be cautious handing this to teens struggling with body image as the main character struggles with accepting her size and expects negative comments at every turn.

“The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway" by Ashley Schumacher is a delightful fusion of Dumplin' and Well Met, offering a fresh take on finding one's place in the world. The novel beautifully explores themes of body acceptance and overcoming mental obstacles, wrapped in a fun Renaissance faire setting.

Schumacher weaves a sweet romance with a plus-sized heroine, while the inclusion of a wise old magician and gallant knights afraid of horses adds whimsical charm. The novel's unique premise and relatable characters make it a compelling YA read, demonstrating that love is a risk worth taking and sometimes, embracing change leads to unexpected joy.

A four-star recommendation for its heartwarming narrative and playful exploration of self-discovery.

This was a sweet and fun! I love the setting and the characters didn't feel like typical teenagers, in a good way. There were a lot of laugh out loud moments and some great concepts about grief and finding the "new normal".

Schumacher really knows how to write emotion driven YA that leaves me emotionally connected to the characters and this did not disappoint. Gwen misses her mom desperately after her death and is bound and determined that nothing else in her life will change. She relies on lists and routine and the Renaissance faire but when the new owners and their son Arthur enters her life everything is about to change. Loved the atmosphere and everything about this one!
Thank you #wednesday and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

this was a fun read especially if you love faires! The characters were fun and quirky and it was a good read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

As a big fan of Well Met, this is a great option for teens. A great book about grief with a sweet male protagonist who lives in a literal castle.

This was such a sweet and wholesome story set at the Ren Faire. Maddie and Alex's relationship is so adorable and I appreciated the author's way of addressing grief and body image.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought that I would, but I was surprised by how much I truly did like it. This book explores difficult themes such as grief (tw: death of a parent, off page) and accepting oneself despite not fitting in with typical societal standards, and I just felt that Schumacher did a really good job exploring these themes. I really liked how the romance started as friendship (or acquaintances) and just grew from there, and I really liked Madeline's growth throughout the novel. I honestly think that this was the most important aspect - as she learned to navigate life without her mother, and figure out how to be comfortable in her own skin, but at the same time, it wasn't too heavy as to be overwhelming. Schumacher did a good job balancing the heavier themes with levity. Overall, I recommend this one and I am really glad I read it.

As always, Ashely Schumacher has written a book that tugs on the heartstrings and both makes me cry while also bringing me some delightful hope. I really loved this one and I loved Maddie as the main character. What a wonderful, complex and thoughtful character. And Arthur! I love Arthur.
I also loved the Ren Faire setting - as someone who very much enjoys attending them, I loved the attention to detail and joyful way that the faire was woven into the story and into the lives of the characters! Highly recommend this one.

The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway was a very sweet and charming book! There were moments that were emotionally poignant as the lead character copes with having lost her mother a year earlier. The book, set at a renaissance fair, is most likely a dream come true for younger readers.

At the heart of this story, is a very slow and cute romance between Maddie and Arthur, the son of the son of the owners of the faire. He is so clearly captivated by her while she works through a lot of her body issues.

I think this is a good read for teens looking to lose themselves in the ren faire world.

3.5 stars rounded up

I am instantly drawn to anything that has to do with Renaissance Fairs, so this book was a must. And the whole insight into what it would be like to live inside the traveling group is so interesting. I loved that aspect.
It was so much fun reading as Arthur moved into the picture and, as an almost enemies to lovers appeal, breaks down her hardened facade and finally gets her to open up.
Plus, give me a old man selling potions to random bystanders, love it.

Maddie grows up in the renaissance faire circut. When her mother dies, she refuses to get close to other people and is intent on remembering everything through journals. A chance meeting with a bard named Arthur forces her to open herself up to new people and new experiences.

I connected with Maddie's grief and fear of change including wanting to remember everything. While her experience resonated with me, I didn't quite connect well with her. She had a tough exterior that sometimes frustrated me, and her initial treatment of Arthur made me mad at her. Arthur was nice and had an abundance of patience for her.

Although I liked Arthur, Maddie's hesitation about him and his suddenly strong feelings for her were well-founded. I would have felt the same knowing that someone who suddenly liked me was just recently in love with someone else. They had fun moments with each other that I enjoyed. Because I am cynical about love but a hopeless romantic, I was still rooting for them. I liked what they brought out in each other, especially the hope they sparked in one another.

I like Ashley Schumacher's writing. She writes teens and teenage romances well. While her previous two were more evocative, The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway has more humor in it and less heart-crushing. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I was predisposed to find this one cute because I connected with my now partner over the ren faire!
It was cute and fun as expected.

I loved this sweet YA romance set at a ren faire, in which Madeline works through her grief over her mother's death and tries to figure out if Arthur is worth her vulnerability. The biggest thing I didn't like was Arthur's insistence on calling her Gwen (not her name or nickname, just his observation that she looks like Guinevere from his childhood book of fairy tales). Other than that, I really enjoyed the characters (both Madeline and Arthur and their parents), and the setting was super fun.

Early copy received, and I’m digging in right away!
...it skipped the line (sorry, TBR!) so I could finish it by today. It’s such a sweet coming of age story! Highlights include: a Renaissance Faire, a diverse cast, camel jousting, sunshine/grump love story, finding joy through grief, and so many witty banter moments. Don’t miss this one!

Thanks Wednesday Books!