Folger Book Club
‘Well Met’ by Jen DeLuca
Our February selection dives into the world of romance and Renaissance Faires, with author Jen DeLuca joining us in conversation. Presented in collaboration with Folger Institute.
Booking and details
Coming SoonDates Thu, Feb 5, 2026, 6:30pm
Venue Folger Virtual
Tickets Free, Registration required
Duration 6:30pm - 8:00pm (ET)
Our pick for the February book club is Well Met by Jen DeLuca.
About the book
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.
Why did we choose this?
The Folger Shakespeare Library’s collection explores not only Shakespeare’s life and works, but also the plays’ historical context, source material, critical and performance histories, and the ways in which they inspire and are adapted by contemporary novelists.
There are over 200 Renaissance Faires across America, but what about Shakespeare’s era makes them so attractive to participants? Author Jen DeLuca joins the book club to discuss the history of Renaissance Faires, their setting in Shakespeare’s world, the theatricality of participation, and how she found local inspiration for her novels.
About the Book Club
Our informal Book Club is free and open to all. Our picks range from historical fiction to adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays, encompassing a wide variety of genres.
Each session begins with a guest speaker exploring that month’s pick and highlighting items from the Folger collection related to the novel. After the short presentation, participants will be broken into smaller groups for breakout discussions, moderated by a team of staff and volunteers.
Content transparency
Well Met includes potentially sensitive subjects. Expand below for a full list of content (includes spoilers).
- Sexual content
- Grief
- Death
- Car accident
- Cancer
- Toxic relationship
- Alcohol
- Terminal illness
Guest speaker
Jen DeLuca
Jen DeLuca is the USA Today bestselling author of the Well Met series, inspired by her time volunteering as a pub wench with her local Renaissance Faire, as well as the Boneyard Key series, set in a haunted Florida tourist town. Jen loves Publix chicken tender subs, cold brew coffee, and the Oxford comma. She lives in the Arizona desert with her husband, their rescue dog, and almost too many cats.
Buy the book
Support the Folger Shop with your book purchase.
Fall Folger Book Club selections are now available online and in-person through the Folger Shop!
Click below to purchase your copy of Well Met online or come visit us at 201 East Capitol St SE during our opening hours.
You can also choose to support your favorite local bookstore through Bookshop.org or Libro.fm.
We would like to thank the following organization for its generous support of this program
