by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler

Sigh. This was such a good one. So perfectly romantic and quirky.

Cal and her mom follow Renaissance Faires — you know the ones, with the jousting and the booths selling swords and the wenches. For years Cal’s life has had to fit into a cardboard box that can moved at the whims of her mother, and it’s really starting to wear on her. When they arrive in Asheville, it seems like it will be just like any other summer — until she meets Eliot. Eliot, the son of a preaching fat-camp director. Eliot, who is passionate and intelligent and whose stability is exactly what Cal’s been searching for without knowing it.

And they fall in love.

And it’s wonderful.

There are other characters — intricate and changing, making Cal and Eliot a part of their lives. I loved the verbal interplays, the Romeo and Juliet-esqueness of the plot and their honest conversation about “going all the way.” I fell for their “meant to be-ness” hook, line and sinker. I can see how some people would maybe find it hokey, but up against the emotional baggage and the parental disconnectedness, their love was just right for me.

Rated: Mild, for a little bit of mild language and discussions of teenage sex