Three years ago I probably would’ve told you that I didn’t read contemporary romance. It just didn’t interest me that much. There were a couple exceptions, I’d enjoyed Laura Florand’s books1 with heavily featured chocolate, but hadn’t really explored much else.
I honestly have no idea where I heard about Jen DeLuca’s debut, Well Met2, but I picked it up because it was a contemporary rom com set at a RennFaire. And it was fun and light and quite re-readable.
Here is the Goodread’s 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.
One of the things I really appreciated about the story was that it was simple, and hinged on how we view the world through the lens of our own self-doubt and experiences. Emily makes assumptions about Simon based on her own insecurities, and Simon does the same. This is the primary barrier they have to overcome before they can have a relationship.
But it’s also a story that enjoys being light and fun.
There is a spicy scene: It has a natural feel and some really lovely moments where the characters stop and talk about insecurities and boundaries.
All in all, lovely read with great supporting cast and a nice sister-relationship. Bonus points if you enjoy Shakespeare or Once Upon a Time. I enjoy the other books in the Renn Faire series also, but Well Met is probably my favorite.
If you’re looking for curvy protagonists and like a spicier fare, check out Olivia Dade’s work.3
For the nerds among us, start with Spoiler Alert. I am not a Game of Thrones fan, but am generally aware of the show and the fan reactions to it, and Spoiler Alert is alllllll about fan fiction. It’s low key fan fiction about the GOT final season fiasco, but also AO3 features prominently in the plot (for the un-initiated, this is a fanfiction site that really exists). It features a famous (and dyslexic) hero and a curvy female protagonist, and deals head on with the issues facing fat people. And I mean the issue of being treated like a person, and as being treated as more than their weight.
It’s also got some funny moments, some sweet moments, and swoon-worthy moments. I don’t love all the tropes, but overall I do come back and re-read because I find the story enjoyable. The characters are likable, and it all works out in the end. I actually enjoy Alex’s story more (All the Feels) and, weirdly enough, her tennis story, 40-Love, best (it’s about a 40 year old teacher who falls in love with a young retired tennis pro while on vacation—it’s like a summer romance for the middle aged, I thought it was really cute and the tension of the story was entirely them facing down the serious conversations they had to have in order to have a relationship. Which, honestly, was tension enough for me.)
Somewhere between Dade’s super spice and DeLuca’s lighter spice, is Cathy Yardley. 4 She has a bunch of novellas that are fast and enjoyable reads (Fandom Hearts). Some are spicier than others, but they hinge around a group of video game programmers which is kinda funny. The most ridiculous thing about them is how many of the programmers are also lean and muscular, but I guess the romance genre can be forgiven for it’s fantasies. I devoured the novellas pretty quickly, found them to be relatively low stress and with a nice punch of humor. Her Ponto Beach Reunion series is enjoyable as well. She plays with sexual tension and build up a lot, which I enjoy.
My favorite by Yardley (so far) is Role Playing, which is a novel about a single mom, empty nester, and a retired male nurse who looks like a lumber jack. They meet playing an MMO and have no idea they’re both middle-aged. It’s really cute, I like the MCs a lot, and thought the set up was unusual and fun. It has cozy vibes and I’ll definitely be re-reading it this year.
Do you have other contemporary rom coms that incorporate geek culture to recommend?
Laura Florand writes 4-5 on ye old spice-o-meter—but they also heavily feature decadent desserts, broody heroes, and extravagant descriptions of perfume. Her books are a very sensory experience. They’re also deeply emotional stories and deeply emotional sex.
Well Met is a 4 due to one on page scene, Well Played is a bit closer to a 5, Well Matched and Well Traveled are, I think, 4.
Dade describes her stories as bawdy, and she’s not wrong. Most of them are high on drama and tension and gratuitously descriptive sex. If that sounds like a fun read to you, go for it, if you think you might be traumatized for life, skip it and be happy.
Yardley’s work is definitely 4-5 on the spice-o-meter, but I think more 4 than 5. She’s more on the sexual tension than the sex, though doesn’t shy away from the sex when they finally get to it.
You know I love a takedown of a bad book. But I've really enjoyed reading your enthusiastic discussion of good books.