How to Juggle Ballads & Blades

by Jess Galaxie

Get ready for something Silly, Sapphic, and Romantic at the Albion Renaissance Faire!

Chicot and her best friend Elijah have finally landed their first season at a Renaissance Faire with their show The Jester and Bard, Forever at Odds, but Chicot is quickly discovering there's more to surviving their first Ren Faire than beating the heat. When her new friend Lyza asks Chicot to take her place as 'Wee' in the incredibly popular The Pirates Big, Middle, and Wee show, Chicot jumps on the opportunity without thinking.

Chicot wants to help her friend, especially if it means making her and Elijah look better the next time they apply to perform at a big faire. There's just one detail that Chicot neglected to think Monty, Lyza's younger sister who is both a major distraction, and doesn't seem to like Chicot very much. Chicot decides to push through for Lyza's sake, even if it means Chicot has to spend countless hours in Monty's arms as they prepare and perform. Worse, as Chicot tries to keep her crush in check, Monty suddenly drops the surly attitude and starts actively flirting with Chicot.

Adding a show to her roster shouldn’t be so complicated, but Chicot's caught between not knowing what state she'll be living in after Albion's season finishes and Monty's strong hands. At this rate, Chicot's going to melt before the season is over—and not from the heat of the sun.

How to Juggle Ballads & Blades is a romantic comedy perfect for anyone who The Renaissance FaireSunshine x Sunshine romanceSilly little Jesters

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Queer, Lesbian, Adult, Contemporary

238 pages, Paperback

Published October 29, 2025

Reviews

[Dieuwke VolleyDucky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first of all want to thank the author for allowing me an ARC of this wonderful book!

I should start off by saying that I finished this book within 24 hours after it appeared in my inbox, and do know that I am a slow reader. If you're looking for a Cozy romance in a ren faire setting with queer main characters do pick up this book as soon as it releases! You won't regret it.

The characters and their relationships felt so real and comforting. From bickering siblings to long time friends. All with their own complications, ups and downs.

I also fell in love with the cozy elements of the story. Seeing how the ren faire crew interacts with each other. The descriptions of the performances themselves. And not to mention the romance blossoming between the two main characters. Just everything made me wish to be at an actual ren faire myself at that very moment.

The ending left me satisfied, with all my questions awnsered. Although being an angst lover I am curious as to how Chicot's relation with her family develops from where the story ended.

If you're looking for Cozy queer books, I highly recommend Jess Galaxie! Cozy with a sprinkle of angst.

[nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ .]

dnf @ 41%

i'm so sad bc i was so hyped for this one but i'm almost halfway thru and like.... nothing is happening. which i can do character-focused stories but i'm just not getting enough writing-wise.

might come back to try to finish, but gotta prioritize other arcs and reads rn.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Jess for a copy of this fun read!
I had such a good time. Monty and Chicot were cute. The new friendships and found family were awesome.
I was really into the Ren Faire aspect. I’ve never been to one, but it always looked interesting and appealing to me. This story makes me want to go to one!
I recommend to people who enjoy ren faires, found family, queer love, and performance.

-found family
-bi4bi sapphics
-ren faire performers
-facial blindness

[Olga Ziminska · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet, cozy, and beautiful sapphic story! I love how real the faire felt! I absolutely fell in love with Monty and her cottage core style! Chicot is just a sweetheart and together they made my heart race and melt!

If you love renaissance faires, adorable jesters, and understanding partners… you will absolutely fall in love with this book! 🥹

[✧₊⁎Haru • 🦦🪷⁎⁺˳✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Just a little jester, happy to be with her new family.”

storia super carina e soft, ho adorato un sacco l’ambientazione e l’atmosfera della fiera di contea!! Monty e Chicot le mie figlie meritano solo tantissima felicità🥺🩷

5⭐️

[Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was incredibly cute
I loved the descriptions of the acrobatics and the environment (as someone from the UK where we don't really have Ren faires)

My only gripe is that I didn't find Monty that standoffish at the start of the book? Like her behavior could've been explained as anxiety at a new person and the situation from my experience.

Also I wish the author had just added a few weeks into the pregnancy timeline - up to 12 weeks she would've been fine to continue with acrobatics as the baby would be covered by the pubic bone so any mishaps would've been unlikely to cause any issues.
However she would've had to stop before the end of the circuit at Albion so it's not really that deep. I just know a bit more about this due to my mum being a midwife

[Amber’s Bookish Journal · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨
Thank you Jess Galaxie for an earc of this book!
I have to start off by saying that I will be recommending this book to anyone and everyone who loves Sapphic romance or is looking for an entry point into it! I absolutely loved it and was sucked in from the beginning. The whole environment of the Ren Faire, found family vibes, and just also discovering yourself as a person really made this book top tier for me. Also the connection between Monty and Chicot was the topping on the cake. I loved the yearning and the slow build they had as well as the banter. It wasn’t exactly non stop witty banter but I loved how much they both wanted to make each other feel comfortable with who they are.
I also loved the Ren Faire drama, Brewhilda is a witch, literally and figuratively! The cast of characters is diverse and makes you truly feel like you are friends with everyone.
I also really appreciated the included list of trigger warnings at the start. It helped me know what I was walking into and if I could handle it.
One thing I do need to talk about is everything with Chicot and her dad. I obviously don’t want to give anything away but those scenes really blew me away. Galaxie does an amazing job capturing the pain, love, and growth Chicot goes through when dealing with her family and the scenes with her dad are where they truly shine.
Honestly this book has a little bit of everything: romance, drama, laughter, and friendship. I really cannot recommend it enough!

[Leyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute sapphic romance with an interesting setting, lots of cosy moments and also just enough heartfelt and more serious moments to really get you emotionally invested.

A summer renfaire romance!! I was so excited when I read the premise and it really didn’t disappoint. It felt real, but still very whimsy (I mean how many people do you know that are professional jesters?!?) and I really liked that balance.

Chicot knew who she was from a very early age- a court jester. I just love it when people have interesting passions! Her being face blind was also unique, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered this in a character before but I liked how it was just like a casual aspect of her being and seamlessly blended into the story.

There’s a bit of a lack of action in the middle part of the book, which works fine if you’re reading it in one sitting but could feel a bit boring if you’re more of a one chapter a day kind of person. I felt like it made sense and as I quite like discovering more about a characters day to day I didn’t mind it but just so you know :)

All the hopeless romantics got a happy end and that in turn made me (also a hopeless romantic) very happy hahaha

4.25✨

[Skyrific · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delicious, absolutely scrumptious, more please, i want seconds

I'd first like to express my thanks to the author Jess Galaxie for providing me an ARC copy!! <3

This was so so fun and so so enjoyable!! I love it when adult mcs get into relationships and communicate and talk it out like!! gah!! I love Chicot and Monty so so much! Their romance was so cute to read and eventually I was just squealing.

The story is quite simple, but just so so cozy and really fun (what could be less fun than a silly little jester). It follows Chicot as she and her best friend Elijah performs at the Albion Renfaire, their very first faire. Chicot also agrees as a stand-in for the pirate's three, a group they share a stage with. Chicot would normally be fine with the workload, besides the fact that she would work closely with Monty, someone she may or may not have a crush with.

Honestly, their romance was just so so cute. It had me gushing and sqeauling and just,, I love the tension and slight slowness and awkwardness in it, and the communication and maturity these two both have?? But like these two aren't perfect definitely not but just!! Their relationship felt very very nice, I'd love more please <3 Like I love how they're kind of bumbling around each other at first then slowly get more and more comfortable. And also the yearning?? from both sides?? <3
Can I also just say I absolutely adore Elijah's and Chicot's friendship. The way these two look out for each other and how close they are like hhf

And my fav aspect, found family <3 found lil clown family <3 That was just so so wholesome. I really like how Chicot just slowly got so so comfortable around the performers and appreciates how colorful and queer it is and ugh <333

Okay okay this is such a cute sapphic story, i love silly little jesters. I love characters pursuing their passion and succeeding in it. I love Chicot & Monty, I'm definitely reading more from this author :)

[Brittney Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

This was a cute low stakes rom com style sapphic romance. The book takes place between ren faire workers and discovering each other a long the way. Chicot has become a ren faire worker with her friend Elijah after leaving a toxic home. Chicots parents do not accept the fact that she likes girls (and guys) and basically kicked her out. Chicot is shy and anxious and meets Monty and her fellow performers. Although there is some ren faire politics and drama, it is still a low stakes romance that is fun to read. It is a quick read that has a lot of humor and self discovery. It is perfect for fans of found family and the ren faire! I loved it so much just wish we had even more!

I am so grateful to have been given an arc of this book! The thoughts reflected are my honest opinions!

[Maggie M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una boccata di aria fresca e un tenero abbraccio!

Ringrazio l'autorə per avermi permesso di leggere l'ARC di questo libro.
È una storia breve, ma in cui ci si affeziona fin da subito ai personaggi.
Le vibes circense sono la ciliegina sulla torta! Quelle... e l'adorabile coppia saffica al centro di tutto.

Una storia cozy, con una meravigliosa found family, che affronta alti e bassi tra notizie inaspettate e rapporti familiari turbolenti.

[Astrophel R · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5
Thank you to the author for letting me be a part of the ARC team. All opinions are my own.

I have been so excited for this book since the first time I saw the cover on the author’s instagram, and oh my god it exceeded all of my expectations. This is truly the perfect ren faire rom com!

I loved how silly and anxious Chicot was, and how sweet and kind of awkward Monty was. Their relationship also felt pretty natural while still having that kind of campy rom-com element. I loved how even most of their relationship conflicts were brought on by them trying to be supportive/respectful, even if it wasn’t necessarily the best move. I also found the ending very satisfying and sweet, without feeling like it was rushing their relationship.

Also! Jess Galaxie really nailed the atmosphere in this book. It is so cozy and fun, in a way that makes me want to go to a ren faire. All the performers in the faire community (Brewhilda and crew aside) created such a good found family too.

If you’re struggling with a reading slump right now, you NEED to read this.
Or if you just really need a cozy feel-good romance.
Or if you love silly little jesters <3

[Virginia Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really ended up loving this book so much more than I expected! It’s a bit of a genre switch for me, but it really was a joy to read. It’s a pretty quick read, and about halfway in it was difficult to put down. The characters were endearing and the stakes were low, making it a perfect comfort read. I could see myself coming back to this book when I need the literary equivalent of a weighted blanket!

[Kristal · Rating 5 out of 5]

TLDR: If you like cute happy sapphic romance that takes place in a renaissance festival, and centers two Bi women who act and handle things like adults? You'll probably like this.

To Short Wanted More:
We follow Chicot (Shee-ko) as she works her first renaissance festival with her best friend Elijah. Their act shares a stage with a trio of performers, and Chicot quickly starts to fall for one of them named Monty.

This is a story of a person coming into her own, finding a community, and what she wants, then working toward it in spite of her avoidant tendencies. Its cute and I love it. After finishing the book I didn't have post book blues or anything. Just a happy feeling with where this left us.

The characters are a blast, all of them feel distinct and like they're their own people.
The romance was alot of fun. It's not all fireworks and explosive moments, but the little moments leading up that made this so relatable. Plus the intimate scenes? Cute and real AF.

The only thing I wish from this was that it was longer, and we got more interactions of the two leads throughout their time at the festival. As it stands this is a nice and tight story where we basically get the highlight reel from their time working festival, which works perfectly fine with the story as intended. I'm just a sucker for more slice of life interactions in any given world.

Overall I think Jess Galaxie knocked the cute sapphic romance book out of the festival and I sincerely hope they write another in the future. If its a sequel to this or an entirely different cast, They can write happy Sapphics so well, and I appreciate that.

Note: I was sent an ARC copy by the author but that doesn't change my thoughts on the book at all. I would've loved the anxious jester either way.

[tahlia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been my most anticipated book for ages now. The plot sounded perfect and I absolutely adore renaissance faires myself.

It was such a joy to read! As someone not from the US, I've always been envious of the festivals and curious about what it is like for the performers. This book felt like a small glimpse into the joy and community of that world (and obviously a hint at the drama). It was really heartfelt and truly enjoyable to read.

I had a couple issues with struggling to understand the pacing of the story and how much time had passed but it didn't ever take away from the story. Likewise, same issue with understanding the ages of the characters throughout the story. Little confusing, but harmless to my enjoyment of the story.

The romance was adorable - I mean it didn't have to try hard to have me hooked but I WAS HOOKED. I saw the author promoting the book as a good rec for lovers of TGSWIIWAGAA and they were completely right for that. Same fun wholesome vibes (with a tiny sprinkle of angst) but make it medieval jester pirates.

Also, the story itself is just fun. There's some moments that are serious, and they are important to the story, but it very quickly comes back to the silly goofy fun of bards.

I loved the perspective of a new group trying to audition for these renfaires and the reminder that this a job - one that has a highly competitive entry and take a lot of skill and practice.

Thankyou to the author for providing me an ARC copy! My review has been formed from my own opinions.

[The Atlas of Stars · Rating 5 out of 5]

(This is a review of the alpha read that I did of this back in August, I wanted to let the ARC team get their hands on it before posting this)

That being said, thank you to Jess Galaxie for an Alpha and ARC copy of this!

This was adorable, heartwarming, and so fun. I feel like this is the first book that I've read in a long time that I could re-read over and over again and still manage to feel the coziness and magic like reading it for the first time. I really felt like the overall feeling and vibes of the ren faire were captured beautifully in this. Jess really managed to encapsulate the sense of community and warmth that makes up a faire.

UGH! Can we please talk about how adorable and awkward Chicot is?! Especially around Monty but just kind of everywhere. I found her so relatable. I feel like Chicot and Monty's relationship was based in reality. It wasn't forced, it wasn't perfect, there were some ugly uncertain moments, and I think that's why they have stuck with me. I also really enjoyed watching the relationships that Chicot had with the other characters bloom into friendship. The characters that Jess writes always feel so real.

The end of the book wrapped everything up perfectly. I didn't have any questions left unanswered and found myself day dreaming about the future for the whole group!

[Bookfairymel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t something I usually read but I’m a fantasy girl through and through. I love cosplaying like a fairy and I recently made a medieval princess hat so this was right up my alley. I found this read really refreshing and fun, with just the right amount of drama, angst and spice mixed it. The best way I can describe how it felt was a summer breeze; like a mild summer night outside with friends. The Faire was so vivid and the characters were so lovable and real it felt like home. Everyone was queer, fun and caring for each other, you felt like part of the family. My favorite dynamic was definitely Elijah and Chicot, two best friends who are each other’s family, encouraging and pushing each other to be better, even when the other might not want to hear it.

I think one or two of the things I was missing was the progression of Chicot and Monty’s relationship. I would’ve loved to see them go on more dates or have domestic moments but it seemed a bit skipped over once the spice line was crossed. That part felt a bit rushed to me but I still loved their dynamic as well. I personally loved seeing Chicot push Monty to be more femme and comfortable and Monty accommodating Chicot’s face blindness. They were really cute together! It took a it of time for me to get into it at the beginning, but I ended up really enjoying it!

[AshleyReadsThings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello? What this is such a good book. I am shaking it's so good. I've read a lot of books so far this year and this easily made the top spot. Jess did a fantastic job at creating a well-written rom-com with lots of laughable and relatable moments. Both Chicot and Monty have a uniqueness about them that was also relatable to me as a reader, and it really helped me form a deep connection with the two. (They had me at fried cheese curds, to be honest)

There were lots of moments I found myself giggling because of the scenes I was reading. Jess provides such a great atmosphere in their writing and has such great banter. The conversations were all really fluid and natural to me. I really wanted nothing but the best for so many characters.

The story is tied up so nicely, and I felt like my questions were answered. I adored so many of these characters, especially the ones that were like family to Chicot. I read this in not the fully finalized version, but to me this was THEE STORY. To read it in its still imperfect state and be absolutely blown away is just a testament to how much I think everyone will love it.

You are going to want to boost this to the top of your tbr when it drops.

[Sol F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute little romance with a fun setting and found family. I loved that this cozy romance had such a unique location. The ren faire aspect appealed to me as a person who has never gone to one of these events and has an interest in the fantasy genre. The description of the faire, its performers, and vendors sets the stage nicely for our cast of characters.

While this book is definitely cozy, there are adult issues that the characters face. Money problems, job hunting, and family conflict were just some of the topics blended into the plot that made Chicot and the others feel like more complete characters. There are stakes, but none of them weigh too heavily on the plot to distract from the romance or take away from the fun moments.

The "plot twist" at the end was clever and a fun spin to a common dynamic and pattern in romances.

I'm looking forward to reading the author's next work.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the sense of community in this one! The story was so sweet and full of heart, with honestly zero angst at all, which made it such a cozy read. It was so wholesome to see how much of a family these performers became for one another — their bond and support for each other really stood out.
Even though the pacing felt a little slow in parts, the warmth of the story and the found-family vibes more than made up for it. By the end, I couldn’t help but smile seeing how everything came together so beautifully.

[Jake Vanguard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and adorable, low-stakes, summer, renfaire, sapphic - what else could we want? Oh, right, a cat! Also provided.

I've enjoyed this story about a silly little jester and the girl pirate a lot. While it's more on the slow side, there's still enough both struggles and happy moments. We have topics like (unaccepting) family, community, making amends, and friendship.
My favorite side character actually is Sunnie - love me a wonderful mentor!

Overall, would 100% recommend reading in the sweltering summer sun.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looks like I'm the odd one out here. It was cute, but I just never quite connected with the writing style which left me not excited about what was to come next, and a relatively short book ended up feeling very long. Definitely a me thing though.

[murmur · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

"Just a little jester, happy to be with her new family."

Oh, how I love queer books that feels like a safe space. And the setting is in a renfaire what more can I want? My only problem is that it wasn't longer.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an adorable book! I read it on KU but i’m gonna run to buy a physical copy as well! I’m a bit obsessed