My Faire Lady

by Laura Wettersten
published: Simon & Schuster; 2014
pages: 352

Rowena's ex-boyfriend is a dirty rotten cheater, a cheater that she would have to see practically every day during the summer if she kept her job at the mall.  So when she comes across a job opportunity an hour outside of town, she jumps on the chance to get away from him.  Doubling as a face-painter and a bar wench, Ro finds herself navigating the summer in the Renaissance Festival.  It helps that she has set her sights on an incredibly attractive knight that could help her take her mind off of her ex.  Will she find what she's looking for, or will her simpler summer turn out more complicated than she planned?

I haven't had this much fun reading a book in quite a while.  It was light and cute, but it also dealt with topics that so many teens deal with: parental pressure and passion.  We see the Rowena struggle with balancing what she wanted and what she knew her parents wanted.  It was quite believable.

Even though I had this story mapped out in my mind within the first 50 pages, I enjoyed reading this so much.  Granted, there were twists and turns that I did not account for so there definitely were some surprises for me.

The characters were so much fun to read.  I love Suze and Ro's relationship and the ease in which they fell into being friends.  It is dynamic but it shows the fragility of new friendships.

I absolutely love Renaissance Festivals, so when I first heard about this book I was extremely excited to read a book with this fairly uncommon setting.  I used to dream about working at a Renaissance Festival, so it was fun to live my childhood/teenage dream out through this book.  I wish I had read this closer to festival season though because now I have a hankering to go! 

I sure hope Laura Wettersten writes many more books in the future because I will definitely read them.

Star: 4.5/5

Praise:

"Sharp, funny dialogue is mixed with thoughtful resolutions of relevant teenage topics--love and lust, admitting fault, the mettle it takes to pursue a passion.  The rich backdrop of the fair, with its vivid description and appealing characters, is icing on the cake.  Verily, fine fare."
     --Kirkus Reviews

"Wettersten provides a playful, fresh setting for her YA debut, and summer fun abounds amid the jousting, mead-drinking, and evidence that chivalry is indeed not dead...[a] light touch and solid characterizations make it a satisfying read."
     --Publishers Weekly

"Wettersten offers a whimsical setting, engaging characters, and plenty of summer romance, making this an easy sell for teens."
     --School Library Journal

A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 book.