Evie takes a vacation from her life and it changes her forever. Much Ado about You is a heartwarming story about Roane and Evie. It is a slow burn love story that takes place in a charming small village in England. The townspeople that live there are entertaining and nosy and Evie seems to fit right in with them.

Evie is tired of being rejected and feeling worthless and decides to take a vacation to get away from everything and everyone. It saddened me that Evie’s inner dialogue is always so critical. She is so focused on all the negative things about herself, that she doesn’t realize how many good qualities she has. Evie doesn’t have a lot of confidence and can’t understand what Roane sees in her.

Roane is everything Evie could ever want in a man but unfortunately, Evie friendzoned him and he has to work hard to show her they should be together. Roane is so patient and understanding. He is a good looking farmer who meets Evie as soon as she arrives in England. While Roane is instantly attracted to Evie, it takes Evie a long time to let down her guard and honestly, I was a little impatient with her. After all the losers Evie has had in her life, she finally meets a nice guy and she hesitates, in my opinion, too long. I was surprised and delighted Roane didn’t give up on her. If you like slow burn stories in picturesque English villages, you will enjoy this one.

Evie is living a bookworm's dream, renting a bookstore on vacation in a cozy village on the border of Scotland. This was such a great escape and a feel-good romance.

Evie and Roane’s chemistry was instant, but Evie had reservations to hold her heart back on her vacation and not get hurt again, but the friendship that grew and the sexual tension with it was swoon-worthy. Evie and Roane were just so great! There are times when I thought was weren’t some questions asked and answered, from a person that was concerned about certain things you’d think they would.

The secondary storylines were just as intriguing. I would have loved getting to see more from Viola and Lucas and further expanding on Caroline’s journey. Though they were wrapped up nicely in this book, I wanted more.

Overall Samantha Young brings these characters to life and gives us a story filled with love and laughter.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆
Evie is tired of her life, her job, and no real love life in sight. She heads to a little town in Scotland to run a bookstore for a few weeks. Something she has always wanted to do. She meets a lot of friendly people and one sexy farmer. She isn't looking for a man, but I think it is what she needs.

This story is a really good one, and I think I might want to do this, just leave my life behind to live somewhere else but in a warmer place. Where you get to meet new people, experience the culture, the life of a different town. Sounds like an adventure to me.

Will Roane and Evie get together in the end? Will she go back home to Chicago? Is there a chance she stays on in this lovely little town?

I love this author and have been reading her stories for years. This one is sweet, funny, and a little heartbreaking but worth the time to read it.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
Evie is having to figure out where she fits in in the lives of her closest friends. Everyone around her is getting married, settling down, and having kids. And Evie... well she's just Evie. Tired of her life, job, and lack of dating material, she decides to take a "working" vacation where she can pursue her dream job while on vacation. (Apparently you can run/work in someone else's business while living in their home. It's like Airbnb but with a job.)

Determined to figure out what she wants to do with her life, she books a four-week stay in a small village in Scotland. Everything there seems like a dream and there's even a cute guy that keeps hitting on her. Not ready for more, Evie tells Roane that she just wants to be friends.

Roane is a great guy, smart, handsome, and a hard worker. She really likes what sees and the more time she spends with him, the more Evie thinks could love him.

At times, you can see Evie struggle with the age difference between her and Roane as well as the fact that she's torn between living in the US and uprooting her life to live in Scotland. Pressures all around keep Evie from being happy and she manages to let her insecurities tear at her happiness.

A great book for an afternoon read.

4.5 Stars - Top Pick

I loved this book. I just got all of the feels reading this. Ms. Young pulled me in once Evie got to Northumberland and never let me go until we got to the last sentence. I just felt cozy reading about a small town with so many characters and real-life issues.

Evangeline Starling has a crappy few days. First, she was stood up by a man she started to have an emotional attachment to. Then, she quit her job after she was passed up for a promotion and now, she has learned that her mother is home out of rehab again. She can’t seem to catch a break and she doesn’t want to get swallowed up in the black hole of depression. She finds an ad to be a renter at a bookstore in Northumberland and immediately sends off a request. A trip out of the country is just what she needs.

Evie arrives at the small coastal town and is immediately drawn to her bookshop and the towns people. One in particular. A tall, handsome and kind farmer whom she meets on her first day there after saving his dog, Shadow. Roane Robson is very easy on the eyes and lays on the charm immediately. The problem is that Evie has sworn off men. The focus of this trip is to find herself and what she wants to do next in life.

Like I had mentioned previously, I was hooked. I like that there is a mutual attraction between the main characters immediately. The both try to fight it for respect of Evie’s decision to not date for the four weeks she is in town but each day is harder and harder for the both of them. The slow burn is so intense I felt my skin crawling with anticipation for when they would finally hook up.

In the meantime, the author pours into the lives of the towns people. There are multiple love stories, friendships, family feuds, and even a huge town feud to keep readers entertain as the main couple navigate through their feelings for one another. I needed to know about every single character because they had a story to tell.

Just when I thought it was going to be a clean romance, the author dropped a bomb that shakes up the romance and I wonder how they could get past it. I have to admit I looked at everything a bit differently because I just didn’t expect it but I got over it quickly.

This book is just a feel good small town romance and if you are a fan of that this is the perfect cozy read for you.

~ Samantha

4.5 stars

‘Poor Evie. She’s in her thirties and still single. Shouldn’t she be working harder to find a man, not taking a break?’

Much Ado About You by Samantha Young is the most wonderful feel-good romance. It had us transported to a sleepy village on the English coast. We could smell the salty sea air, and the fish and chips dinners, whilst we read with a perma-smile on our faces. Really, it doesn’t get better than a bookworm heroine leaving her life in Chicago behind, flying cross the pond and renting a book shop, all the while falling in love with a bearded luscious farmer. No question about it, the picturesque and vividly written setting was a whole character just on its own.

‘He looked at me like a guy who wanted everything. It was seductive, compelling, and despite all my concerns about how a relationship might derail me from working out my future plans, I couldn’t deny myself him anymore.’

Evie is such a sweet, funny, and gutsy heroine, she was so real we immediately connected with her character. Her hang-ups, her struggles and her love for bookshops and disappearing into the written word. The realism of society’s expectations can be utterly ridiculous, yet they exist, and Evie is the victim of such nonsense. The judgements hurt and they cause anxiety and feelings of worthlessness. When you’re found wanting it’s easy to put that on yourself when really it has nothing to do with you, the problem is where the judgement originates from. We understood Evie’s need to find herself and figure her life out, away from everything and everyone, whilst doing something she loves. We were with her every step of the way.

“If you’re successful at something, celebrate that success. If you know you’re smart, then demand that other people treat you as someone of intelligence. If you look in the mirror and you like what you see, then halle-fucking-lujah!”

Roane was our kind of man, we could completely picture him walking through the hills of Alnster, Northumberland with his loyal sidekick, Shadow. Roane was a man who embodied loyalty and patience, and of course, we must mention the ‘tall dark and handsome’ with the yummy-licious beard too. The friendship between Evie and Roane was beautiful and it came with the addition of fiery sizzling chemistry that slowly burnt and singed the pages.

“Are you okay?”
“Are we about to have sex?” he asked bluntly.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Then, aye, Angel. I’m fan-fucking-tastic.“

Much Ado About You was just what we needed; a real comfort read indulgence. We didn’t just fall in love with Evie and Roane; we fell in love with the village, the people living there and the beautiful setting. We felt like we knew everyone who lived there and had our own bar stool in The Anchor pub, ordering ‘our usual’ and settling in for the evening for the daily craic. We really do hope there’s more to come from the good people of Alnster!

“So much, Evie, I’m terrified you’ll disappear. I didn’t know this much happiness went hand in hand with fear.”

5 stars!

This is a delightful gem of a read! A book that completely captured my heart and whisked me away to the wild English coast in a story of love, friendship, and finding your true place in the world. I laughed, I swooned and I fell in love as I journeyed with a wonderfully relatable heroine and, like her, fell in love with a rugged farmer and a village full of assorted characters. A 2021 fave!

Evie is 33 and struggling to figure out her life. She’s had no luck with relationships, has been overlooked for a promotion once again, and it feels like her friends’ lives are moving on without her. Desperate for a change of scenery and some time to get away from it all and take stock of her life, she books herself a trip to a small village on the north-eastern coast of England where she finds an apartment that comes with a built-in job temporarily managing the local bookstore downstairs from her rental. As a mad book lover, it’s a dream opportunity, and just what Evie needs while she sorts herself out.

It takes no time at all for Evie to settle in to her new life – she loves everything about her new job, and is quickly swept up into the lives of the local townsfolk. None more so than local farmer, Roane. Roane’s interest in Evie is evident from the very beginning, but she has no intention of starting anything with him. Not only is she generally wary of men, but her stay is temporary and she doesn’t want to tempt heartbreak by getting involved, so she proposes friendship, and she and Roane grow close… and closer… and closer still as the sexual tension builds into an irresistible chemistry that becomes so much more than she ever expected.

“This isn’t just sex for me, Evie. I want us to take a chance on each other, for real.
… I knew Roane. I knew that it would never just be sex for him. He wasn’t that guy. And he didn’t look at me like a guy who just wanted one thing."

Roane just stole my heart! He is sweet, fun, protective and devoted to the people he cares about – and that includes Evie. He makes no secret of his attraction to her, but he respects her wishes and keeps his distance until she’s ready. And when she’s ready, damn. The man is sexy and affectionate, pure “lady porn”, and he’s all in, holding nothing back, and I absolutely adored him!

“I want you to be mine, as I am yours.”

But a life-changing romance wasn’t in Evie’s plans, and she’s still got a few personal demons to wrestle with. There is some drama and ups and downs while she figures it all out, but it’s all a part of her journey and it’s a mostly low-angst read as we watch her work through it all.

“You’re my home.”

I loved Evie as a heroine. She’s so relatable, and a lot of her journey and the reasons behind it are really realistic. I found myself agreeing with so many of her thoughts and revelations as she seeks to figure out what she wants and where she wants to be.

“I don’t want you, or anyone, to wake up in ten, twenty years’ time, and wonder what could have been. Such benign little words – ‘what if’. But at some point in life, those two words become the scariest two words in the English language.”

And the little village of Alnster came to life for me with Evie’s vivid descriptions, and in the lives of its residents. I felt transported to the little seaside town, and a part of the local community of characters as Evie became a part of their lives and went out of her way to help her new friends deal with their issues and find their own happiness. A lot of times while reading I kept hoping that Young would turn this into a series, with so many of the side characters deserving a story of their own, but there’s lots of little side-plots running through the book which provide entertainment and character development for them and I love that we get this all-encompassing story that is so much more than a romance (though that romance is more than enough to carry the book on its own).

I can’t gush enough about how much I loved this book. It’s the perfect escapist read, and I read it in a day, unable to put it down, and finished it hugging my kindle with a huge cheesy grin on my face.

5 huge stars.

Samantha Young revient avec cette small town romance toute mignonne, où (presque) tout le monde est beau et gentil, ce qui donne une lecture bien doudou qui fait du bien.

Suite à des échecs personnels et professionnels, Evie décide sur un coup de tête de passer 1 mois dans la région de Northumberland au nord de l’Angleterre à s’occuper d’une librairie. Elle va faire la connaissance de locaux chaleureux, et surtout d’un chien et de son maitre tout aussi craquant.

Le roman est un hommage à Shakespeare, dont l’héroïne est fan, et dont le titre est une référence appuyée à l’œuvre Much Ado About Nothing (Beaucoup de bruit pour rien). Evie se mêle d’ailleurs des querelles du village pour tenter de résoudre les conflits, ce qui donne un aspect comique à l’histoire. Elle m’a un peu agacé à être freinée par ses peurs et surtout frustrer le pauvre Roane, alors qu’elle-même joue les entremetteuses.

On voit venir les grandes révélations à des kilomètres, mais dans ce genre de romance contemporaine légère, ce n’est pas grave. On compatit plutôt au dilemme du héros, Roane, qui est une vraie crème. C’est simple, il est parfait, gentil, beau, travailleur, serviable, loyal, protecteur, adorant Evie mais restant respectueux de sa volonté. Bref, je l’ai adoré et j’aurais aimé avoir un peu de son point de vue. Son chien, un dogue allemand, est aussi adorable, même si c’est un chien impressionnant. Samantha Young ayant elle-même deux toutous, je savais qu’elle allait en parler de manière bienveillante.

Cette lecture est une belle bulle pleine de douceur qui réconforte. Le roman sort aujourd’hui, merci Samantha !

So I went into this with excitement because I haven't read a Samantha Young book in so long and hers were some of my first favorites in the romance genre. Did I set my expectations high? Yes. Were they met? Unfortunately not.

We follow Evie, a 33-year-old American from Chicago, as she gets stood up at her date and quits her job, only to move to Northumberland to recenter her life and swear off men while she's at it. Problem is, she meets this gorgeous farmer named Roane and finds herself falling in love. I've encountered this plot many times in the past and enjoyed most of them. Picture this: living independently someplace far away by renting an apartment above a Shakespeare-inspired bookstore that you also get to run from time to time? Enticing to any bookworm. A love interest that's too good to be true with a sweet dog always in tow? Adorable. What I didn't like though was the fact that it took quite fast for Evie to adapt and be everyone's favorite tourist/outsider. She somewhat became the town's fixer, sticking her nose into everyone's personal business. It seems every year-long conflict got resolved the moment she appeared in their town. Add those drama between couples that got me rolling my eyes. Overall I still liked some parts of it, but I wanted more.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the earc! This book comes out today!

Take one disillusioned Chicagoan, stick her in a teeny tiny English village near the border of Scotland, then add an old bookstore, a handsome farmer and an adorable great dane named Shadow. What do you get? The absolute coziest and sweetest romance ever.

Evie Starling lives in Chicago, she’s 33, just got passed over for yet another promotion, stood up by a guy she's been chatting to online for weeks, and decides she really needs a break. She's always been a fan of the British classic authors and decides that England is the place. She finds a bookstore owner who will rent her upstairs apartment and let her work in the store, so off she goes, leaving her life behind. She didn't bank on meeting a super sexy farmer and his adorable dog though...

I loved all of the characters in the book (even the ones you are designed to hate). They were real, and nuanced, and everyone had their own baggage they were dragging around. The author also painted such a wonderful picture of Alnster, a little sea-side village that I really hope exists (or at least was based on a real place). It gave me major flash-backs to when my family lived in Salisbury. While not on the coast, my mum owned a second-hand bookstore on a little river, it definitely had small-town vibes, and I met some real characters while I was there.

Basically I loved everything about this book, it was super cozy, had the perfect balance of laugh-out-loud and tear-jerk moments, and just the right amount of steam (in my opinion). Definitely add this to your #FlirtyFebruary reading list!

Are you longing for one of those feel good, romantic comedies? Need a little “getaway” to an adorable small English town? Look no further, Samantha Young’s newest book has you covered!

Our heroine, Evie, has had a bit of rough time both personally and professionally. She’s in her thirties, has been passed over for a long overdue promotion, her love life is going nowhere, and her bestie just announced she’s pregnant – unsurprisingly, Evie finds herself having a bit of a crisis. After quitting her job, Evie finds herself at a loose end and takes a leap: she decides to use her savings to take a long overdue vacation to a small town in Northumberland, England. For a month. Where she has rented out a small apartment and bookshop. Yes, you heard that right – she also rented the bookshop which she will get to run!

Given that this is what I would describe as a cozy romantic comedy, you will be able to guess at some of what will go on – but it is all about the setting, characters, and journey to get there that make it wonderful.
Evie, of course, falls in love with Northumberland (and honestly so did I – I was so jealous of her find herself vacation, it sounded magical). The town she’s in is small, everyone knows everyone else and of course it’s filled with fun, quirky characters…and you might have guessed, our wonderful hero too! 😊💛

Evie meets our handsome, down to earth, animal loving hero, Roane, but of course is trying to friend zone him given her circumstances. Roane is obviously irresistible, sweet, and incredibly book boyfriend worthy. (I must note that in addition to our MCs, I absolutely adored Caro, Violet, and Lucas and truly hope to see more books with their stories!)

This was a wonderful story of starting over, finding yourself, and of course romance. I could picture the setting perfectly – and it made me long to visit England myself. I could also picture this as a Netflix adaptation and can only hope it gets picked up 🤞🤞, it reminds me of all my favorite romcom movies in the best ways. Also, I did mention the bookstore right? This story is basically my dream. 😉

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Review posted to GoodReads 2/1/21
Amazon on Release Date 2/2/21
Bookstagram Recommendation Post Week of Release

Being a Much Ado About Nothing fan, I was really excited for the concept of this book.

Sadly, I found myself oddly dissatisfied with almost everything about this. I tried reading from this author previously, and those characters weren't a good fit for me. I thought I would have better luck this time around.

In some ways, I did. I enjoyed the general concept and premise of this story. There was a lot of potential for both Evie and Roane. Sadly, neither got there for me. This was an opportunity for growth, and neither got to where they should have.

Shadow was one of the best parts of this book, and the concept of renting out the bookstore was fantastic. I just wish that the characters had been a bit more substantial. I felt like they didn't have the depth that this story needed to really work for me. It's such a shame, because I was so looking forward to an amazing read.

This was a fun, heartwarming romance set in a small, rural English town. It was filled with romance, heat and quirky small town humor and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Bookworm Evie gets the wonderful oppurtunity to vacation in England in exchange for running a book store. It's a dream come true for her, especially since she's trying to escape her life in Chicago after a series of bad dating experiences. Evie is the lone American in this quaint close knit English town but her outsider status quickly changes as she is welcomed into their fold.

Roane is the sexy, hot bachelor farmer that catches Evie's eye right away. Not only is he downright handsome, he also has the sweetest heart and is not afraid of commitment. Rather he seems to be seeking a long term relationship and he has his heart set on Evie. This was a bit of a slow go because Evie is adamant that she has sworn off against men. She and Roane rather form a friendship with lots of flirting and attraction until one day they just can't stop themselves and cave to their desire for each other.

There are wonderful side characters and we get their stories too. From long standing family wars and secret relationships, there is quite the drama in Alnster, Northumberland. Evie was such a caring person who was also a bit nosy. She was determined to help out her new friends in anyway that she could and I just loved the dynamics of all these relationships.

In the end Evie's actions were only a tad annoying when she stood in the way of her own happiness with Roane. It was very brief though and she came to her senses pretty quickly. I absolutely loved this couple! Their friendship, their chemistry and the fact that individually they both had such kind hearts. They really were perfect for each other. I always love Samantha Young's books and I definitely recommend this one!

4 Stars
Contemporary Romance
Heat Level: Mild to Moderate
POV: Heroine
HEA: Yes

Poor Evie. She’s in her thirties and still single. Shouldn’t she be working harder to find a man, not taking a break?’

Much Ado About You by Samantha Young is the most wonderful feel-good romance. It had us transported to a sleepy village on the English coast. We could smell the salty sea air, and the fish and chips dinners, whilst we read with a perma-smile on our faces. Really, it doesn’t get better than a bookworm heroine leaving her life in Chicago behind, flying cross the pond and renting a book shop, all the while falling in love with a bearded luscious farmer. No question about it, the picturesque and vividly written setting was a whole character just on its own.

‘He looked at me like a guy who wanted everything. It was seductive, compelling, and despite all my concerns about how a relationship might derail me from working out my future plans, I couldn’t deny myself him anymore.’

Evie is such a sweet, funny, and gutsy heroine, she was so real we immediately connected with her character. Her hang-ups, her struggles and her love for bookshops and disappearing into the written word. The realism of society’s expectations can be utterly ridiculous, yet they exist, and Evie is the victim of such nonsense. The judgements hurt and they cause anxiety and feelings of worthlessness. When you’re found wanting it’s easy to put that on yourself when really it has nothing to do with you, the problem is where the judgement originates from. We understood Evie’s need to find herself and figure her life out, away from everything and everyone, whilst doing something she loves. We were with her every step of the way.

“If you’re successful at something, celebrate that success. If you know you’re smart, then demand that other people treat you as someone of intelligence. If you look in the mirror and you like what you see, then halle-fucking-lujah!”

Roane was our kind of man, we could completely picture him walking through the hills of Alnster, Northumberland with his loyal sidekick, Shadow. Roane was a man who embodied loyalty and patience, and of course, we must mention the ‘tall dark and handsome’ with the yummy-licious beard too. The friendship between Evie and Roane was beautiful and it came with the addition of fiery sizzling chemistry that slowly burnt and singed the pages.

“Are you okay?”
“Are we about to have sex?” he asked bluntly.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Then, aye, Angel. I’m fan-fucking-tastic.“

Much Ado About You was just what we needed; a real comfort read indulgence. We didn’t just fall in love with Evie and Roane; we fell in love with the village, the people living there and the beautiful setting. We felt like we knew everyone who lived there and had our own bar stool in The Anchor pub, ordering ‘our usual’ and settling in for the evening for the daily craic. We really do hope there’s more to come from the good people of Alnster!

“So much, Evie, I’m terrified you’ll disappear. I didn’t know this much happiness went hand in hand with fear.”

Quel grand plaisir de retrouver la plume de Samantha Young dans une comédie romantique qui se déroule en Ecosse avec un héros au charme fou, un village avec des personnages secondaires plus qu'attendrissants et une librairie que notre héroïne va louer quatre semaines. Je me suis régalée d'un bout à l'autre

Evie Starling est une jeune femme de 33 ans qui est à la croisée des chemins pour sa carrière et sa vie amoureuse. A Chicago , elle attend avec impatience la promotion qu'elle mérite tant dans la maison d'éditions chez qui elle travaille depuis des années. Quant à sa vie sentimentale, elle espère que la rencontre IRL avec Aaron , avec qui elle communique depuis quelques semaines, sera LA rencontre qui fera battre son coeur. La déception sera forte sur les deux points et c'est pour cela qu'elle va traverser l'Atlantique pour partir dans le petit village de Alnster. Le dépaysement sera total mais elle a besoin de se recentrer sur elle même et de ne plus se laisser tourner la tête par la gente masculine. Elle va s'occuper d'elle et travailler pendant quatre semaines dans un endroit de rêve pour cette passionnée de livres. Much Ado About Books est une petite pépite au milieu de nul part et j'ai adoré l'ambiance qui s'en dégage. On sent que Penny aimerait que sa librairie survive dans cette ère économique difficile mais cela n'est pas gagné . Evie va donc faire sa petite place dans cette communauté où l'information circule plus vite que leur ombre. On va évidemment commenter son arrivée mais en sauvant le chien de Roane , elle va se mettre tout le monde dans la poche. Elle va prendre un grand plaisir à découvrir ces personnes, leur histoire et à découvrir ces lieux si magiques. Quand la période de vacances se rallonge , on espère qu'elle va enfin céder à la tentation car l'alchimie entre elle et notre héros fait des étincelles et on a des papillons dans le ventre. On se met à rêver d'une belle histoire d'amour mais nos héros sont les seuls à avoir toutes les cartes en main.

Roane Robson est un sacré héros et je mets quiconque au défi de ne pas succomber à son charme envoûtant. Outre son accent, cet homme est parfait sur toutes les coutures. Ce gentleman fermier est prévenant, gentil, rend service sans qu'on lui demande, il est proche de ses proches et on peut compter sur lui en cas de coup dur. Il sait tout des troubles qui agitent ce petit village mais il met tout en oeuvre pour venir en aide quand cela est nécessaire. Il est évident qu'il est sous le charme d'Evie dès leur première rencontre mais il saura se montrer patient et poser les bases d'une belle relation. Au pub qui deviendra leur point de rendez vous , on découvrira l'histoire de Mily et Dex mais aussi de leur fille Viola et j'ai adoré le fait que la sous intrigue soit aussi passionnante que l'intrigue principale. On va aussi comprendre que des anciennes histoires ont encore un impact puissant sur les nouvelles générations. Avec l'aide d'Evie , il va aussi résoudre un souci familial de longue date et nous apprendrons donc à connaître la cousine de notre héros, Caro, qui a su m'émouvoir avec son histoire. C'est un héros au grand coeur qui va donc tenter de conquérir sa belle et lui prouver que tous les hommes ne sont pas aussi mauvais que ceux de ses précédentes expériences. Avec lui , elle s'ouvrira aussi sur son histoire personnelle , prouvant qu'elle peut lui faire confiance. Parviendra t-il à la retenir et lui faire comprendre qu'à deux , ils pourraient vivre de belles choses?

Bref, je ne peux que vous recommander cette romance qui a été pour ma part un coup de coeur absolu. J'ai aimé tous les personnages , les rebondissements, les thématiques abordées et évidemment nos héros qui ne nous laisseront pas indifférent. Une histoire magnifique à ne manquer sous aucun prétexte.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

Much Ado About You is an adorable, cozy romance that tells the story of Evie Starling, a 30-something who impulsively plans a trip to a small English village after having her heart broken one too many times. The holiday package takes her to Northumberland where she is able to temporarily run the most adorable bookstore called Much Ado About Books. (This is seriously my dream vacation. Does this actually exist?). Evie then meets a hot farmer and she begins to wonder if she has finally found what she has been missing.

Again, this is the dream vacation. I am obsessed with this storyline. Much Ado About Books is a bit of a slow burn at the beginning, but you fall in love with the character of Evie and you NEED her to find love. I loved the small town atmosphere and all of the side storylines. The supporting characters are adorable and you are just as invested in their stories as you are with Evie and Roane’s. The romance is sweet, the hijinks are adorable, and the speeches are swoonworthy. Fans of Kate Clayborn and Sarah Smith will love this romance when it releases on 2/2/21!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Much Ado About You by Samantha Young is one of the most delightful rom-coms I’ve ever read. From its Shakespeare-loving heroine to its sexy farmer love interest to its quaint English village setting, this book captivated me from cover to cover.

The story follows 33-year-old Evie Starling, who just feels like her life is going nowhere. Her love life is not great to say the least, and when she is passed over for a big promotion at work that she fully expected to get, Evie decides it’s time for a change. That change comes in the form of a last minute holiday package to England. As part of the package deal, she will live in an apartment above a charming little bookstore called Much Ado About Books, which she will also temporarily manage. How perfect does that sound?! Evie’s plan is to take four weeks to lick her wounds, regroup, and come up with a new game plan for her life. She wants no distractions from this plan and for Evie, that especially means no men.

Let me just say how much I adored Evie from the opening chapter. I was cheering her on from the moment she told her boss off and quit her job. I admired her courage and her determination and I especially loved that she didn’t just wallow, but instead came up with this great plan to recharge and reset her life. It was so much fun watching her travel to this little village and immediately start fitting in with them like she belonged there.

I knew Evie was doomed though as soon as we meet my second favorite character in Much Ado About You, the sexy English farmer, Roane Robson. Roane is the most eligible bachelor in town and all the ladies swoon over him. He’s not a player though and is heart-set on finding that special someone to share his life with. Roane is kind, soft, and as soon as he meets Evie, he knows he wants to get to know her better. Needless to say, I was eager for Roane to find a way to wear down Evie’s defenses and her “No Men” rule because he was practically perfect. We’re talking serious book boyfriend material here! Not only that, but the chemistry between Evie and Roane is off the charts.

I devoured this book in just a couple of sittings because I was so invested in these characters and whether or not they would take their growing friendship to the next level. What I also loved is that the townspeople were clearly right there with me, trying to play matchmaker whenever possible. And speaking of the townspeople, the novel also features a delightful cast of secondary characters, including Roane’s cousin Caro, who becomes like a little sister to Evie, as well as Roane’s gigantic and fabulous dog, Shadow, who can be credited with Evie and Roane’s meet-cute when Evie runs into the street to keep him from being hit by a car.

Much Ado About You does pack some emotional weight to it as well as the fun and romance. There are some town rivalries and fractured relationships floating about, a touch of deception, and Evie has some drama with her mom and with her best friend from home. All of these elements added just the right touch of drama and made me love Much Ado About You all the more. 4.5 STARS

As always when I heard Samantha Young was releasing another book I was on countdown to settle down to read it, I was one chapter in and knew I was going to love this book and adore Evie

The first couple of chapters draws you in and you will love Evie from the start. As with all of Samantha’s leading ladies you love her, she’s a strong woman who decides to embark on an adventure in England and what an adventure she has....

You will love this book it’s a page Turner, written with all the usual Samantha young descriptions, characters and locations you can imagine the scenery and the characters

This is a book I will definitely reread I loved it
5 stars as always

CW: Groping, racism, substance abuse

As many of you know by now, I've been struggling with finding the right books to keep my attention. After my grandpa & aunt passed away last year, I've been just drifting along and having to be extremely selective with my current reads. Luckily, I'm starting to feel more myself, and when the ARC to Much Ado About You by Samantha Young hit my kindle, I couldn't contain my excitement.

Have you ever wanted to escape your life and run a bookstore for a month? I have! This book was such a fun read. I loved the characters that Samantha Young created. They're fun. They're lovable. They're everything I needed at the moment. This book felt like an entertaining new adventure, and I couldn't wait to read another chapter.

The book itself was a lot of fun, yet at times it was a little too reminiscent of Samantha's first book in the Hart's Boardway series. This could be because it's a big city girl falling in love with a quaint town. Even though it felt a little Hallmarky at times, I enjoyed the book. The chemistry between Evie and Roane was excellent & I couldn't help but root for them.

All in all, this big city goes to a quaint town story was good. I enjoyed all of the characters, and this could be a strong start to a series.

As a book nerd, one typically fantasizes about owning a bookstore and in Much Ado About You deepens that fantasy. It’s got the idealic location and well the handsome stranger. While Evie and Roane are destined to be together it is her journey of self discovery that allows her to finally open herself up to love and friendship.

The books has a lot of wonderful characters that help Evie along.

I will tell you, there was a period of time during college when I one-hundred percent fantasized about escaping to somewhere in the British Isles and charming a local into falling in love with me. While I worked in a book store. So I definitely salute Evie, the heroine of this book, for achieving my 2005 Caiti fantasy life.

As for the book overall, it was fine. I can’t say it was bad. It just wasn’t really for me. I felt like there were a lot of side stories at play and a lot of other characters which would not have been a problem for me if the two protagonists has been developed a bit more. Formulaically, it felt like this was a book about Evie in England verses a romance novel. And I just wanted a romance novel.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.