The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway

A teenager working the Renaissance faire circuit experiences a summer brimming with new experiences and slow-burn romance in this sincere rom-com by Schumacher (Amelia Unabridged). Following her mother’s recent death from cancer, 17-year-old Madeline Hathaway wants to hide away from the world. She begrudgingly continues on with the family business instead, which involves traveling around the country with her father while he peddles wares at Ren faires, and attending school online. When they arrive in Oklahoma, her mother’s favorite stop, she constantly finds herself “peering around corners hoping to see [Mom] coming toward me, only to be disappointed.” Madeline soon meets Arthur, a teen bard and the faire owner’s son, who asks her to be the faire’s Princess Guinevere. She’s initially hesitant, believing no one wants to see a fat girl in the role. But as the teens grow closer, she becomes more confident in the idea that she has what it takes to be the faire’s princess. Madeline and Arthur are irresistible romantic leads; their burgeoning feelings for each other and their mesmerizing chemistry, coupled with Madeline’s worries surrounding body image, grief, and her future, makes for a swoony, uplifting love story. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)