Review: Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Well Met
by Jen DeLuca

September 3, 2019
336 pages

Goodreads      Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

All's faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author Jen DeLuca.

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.

Review

What a delightful and down to earth story Well Met was! The story was low on relationship drama but with an abundance of swoons. I especially loved the description of the Faire and all its various dramatic acts.

Emily was a fabulous main character. She was the model helper to her sister and niece- never once complaining about all the things she does for them. Emily always cared even if sometimes her insecurities got the better of her (considering her past experience, it was understandable). It was a pleasure to see Emily establish a bond with her much older sister and to see her putting herself first to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.

Broody and misunderstood at first Simon was actually a really sweet love interest. His quiet yet serious declaration of intentions with Emily had me swooning hard. I could feel the sincerity in every gesture he made. It took a little time for Simon's devilish charming side to come out but come out to play it did~ The sexual tension between Simon and Emily was off the charts. They heated up the pages of Well Met good!

Besides the wonderful protagonists there was an amazing cast of side characters. From April and Caitlin, the reason that brought Emily to Willow Creek, to Stacey and Mitch, the most helpful and fun townies Emily could befriend, to Chris, the mother figure Emily never expected, everyone was super nice and supportive. I'm a fan of this small town and its residents!

Well Met was the cutest love story with a slice of reality. I was so excited to learn there's a sequel in the works! If Well Played is anything like Well Met then I have no doubt it'll be worth the wait. 2020 simply cannot get here soon enough!!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.