Книга: Well Met (DeLuca Jen); Penguin, 2022

'I didn't choose the wench life. The wench life chose me . . .'

Emily's moved to the small Maryland town of Willow Creek for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident. But when teenage niece Caitlin volunteers for the local Renaissance Faire, Emily's suddenly signing up too as a . . . tavern wench.

She's not sure how it happened, but it's certainly nothing to do with Simon, the infuriating and inscrutable schoolteacher running the show.

The Faire is Simon's family legacy - and he hasn't time for Emily's jokey approach, her take on Shakespeare, or her suggestions to liven things up.

Yet as the Faire comes together and each inhabits their costumed roles, he becomes a different person. Is irritation turning to flirtation?

Soon, Emily's asking herself: is their mutual attraction real, or just the roles they're playing?