At thirty-three-years old, Evangeline Starling's life in Chicago is missing that special something. In a burst of impulsivity, she plans a holiday in a quaint English village that comes with a temporary position at Much Ado About Books, the bookstore located beneath her rental apartment. 

Not only is Evie swept up in running the delightful store as soon as she arrives, she's drawn into the lives, loves and drama of the friendly villagers, including Roane Robson, the charismatic and sexy farmer who tempts Evie every day with his friendly flirtations. 

I enjoyed being swept up in this romance so much! It reminded me of the movie The Holiday (one of my faves!), and I was all for the whirlwind romance. Having been stuck at home for almost a year now, it was wonderful to pick up a book that had me traveling across the world. The chemistry and steam between Evie and Roane didn't hurt either. 😉 

Give me a hunky farmer, a catalogue of secondary characters with their own stories and a cute dog, and I am one happy reader. This book checked so many boxes for me -- would definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I unfortunately had to DNF this book. I did not know going into this that this book would be with the Older Woman/Younger Man trope and I've also realized that this trope is used as a big part of the plot. I'm actually really disappointing by this because I used to love Samantha Young's books and I haven't read one in at least four years so I was really excited when I got this ARC. Samantha Young still has that inviting and addicting writing style that I remembered so I may check out more of her books in the future, but unfortunately this one is not for me. I wish that this was said in the synopsis or I wouldn't have wasted my time and the publishers requesting this book.

From chapters that I've read of this book, I was interested in some of the secondary characters, especially Viola. It's always great to see authors incorporate more diversity in their books and I was also really intrigued by Viola's family drama and her relationship with Lucas. If the author writes a story about them I definitely think I would pick it up.

Much Ado About You is a highly readable, slow burn romance set in Northumberland, the most northerly county in England, bordering the South East Coast of Scotland.

Anyone who reads Samantha Young's work will know the quality of the storylines she produces.

So what sets Much Ado About You apart? I love that we have a mix of cultures. Not only an American in the UK but a small village that loves, or hates, people who don't fit the 'village mould'.

A village that, when needed, rally round each other offering help, support and advice.

Not only are the main characters beautifully developed, but we are given histories of other village residents giving the reader a sense of familiarity, community and belonging even if it's only for the length of time it takes to read Much Ado About You.

I'll definitely be visiting the fictional village of Alnster again and again.

Much Ado About You in one word? Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The story follows Evie, a woman who has recently quit her job and made the decision to swear off men after a string of bad dates. She departs on a trip to a small English village, hoping to spend some time alone and use the vacation to recenter her life. These careful plans go awry when she encounters Roane, the town's resident (sexy) farmer, and a romance she never saw coming.

Sounds great, right? I thought so too, but this book falls SO flat.

All the characters were hollow outlines with no substance, there was nearly no plot for the first 80% of the book, and the writing was weirdly robotic. The pacing was all over the place, leading to the feeling of insta-love and zero chemistry between the MC and LI. As someone who is often perfectly content reading romance books that are on the lighter/sweeter side, the fact that I thought this book was dry as fuck should really say something.

I did not need to wait so fucking long for a single (mediocre) sex scene, especially when the primary hang up between the two main characters was Evie's determination to resist the dick. Her insecurities and reluctance for a relationship could have been an interesting layer for character development, but it was not even close to enough conflict for the entire novel.

I mean, shiiiiiit, let's all step into Evie's shoes for a hot second:

1. you meet a hot farm dude
2. realize that you want to fuck hot farm dude
3. learn that hot farm dude also wants to fuck you

let the man plow ur field, girl. IT'S FINE.

Sounds so simple, right? That's because it was. Even with Samantha Young's best attempts to add other elements of drama into the story, at the end of the day, nothing had much of an impact on Evie and Roane's relationship besides Evie and Roane.

Anyway, enough complaining. It's a two star from me, only because I have read worse. Much Ado About You is not an abhorrent dumpster fire; it's just a fucking bore.

And to be honest, I think this book is going to do well upon release. The blandness of Evie and her escapades are prime self-insert material, and the trendy cover will draw a lot of people's interest (no judgement, I was fooled too). That said, I'd personally recommend skipping it, unless what I've described from the 384 pages of ever-loving NOTHING I just read actually sounds appealing to you.

(cw: mentions of abuse, alcoholism)

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this free copy to read and review! I loved this book! I had a few issues, with the believability of the situation - renting an apartment above a bookstore and getting to consoles run the store as a vacation including buying new stock 😅, that would never happen - and I’m not huge on insta attraction/feelings, there was so much more about the book that I loved! Even if the situation isn’t thag believable, it’s every book lovers dream, running a bookshop in the quint English countryside/coast. Plus I was loving for all the Shakespeare love 😆 And Roane is just 🔥 Perfect. Plus I loved that this book touched on quite a few deeper subjects as well! I cried multiple times 🙌😂 To be fair I cry pretty easily with books though, lol. But if you’re looking for a cutesy, cheesy, bookish romcom, this is the book for you!

First and foremost I would like to thank Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I tend to find rom coms the easiest to read on my kindle, so that is generally what I request the most of from Netgalley.

So, when I saw this book show up I knew I had to request it. And I am so glad that I did! This was such a fun read that I finished in just two sittings.

I am always looking for a book that provides more than just a romance, and this book was no exception. I thought it brought up important issues of addiction and what it can do to family relationships.

Now on to the romance. I absolutely adored Evie and Roane, and their relationship was a pleasure to watch unfold over time. I really enjoy books that don’t have insta love and found this one to feel very realistic. It felt genuine and easy to root for.

Lastly, the setting of this book on the English countryside was something I never knew I needed. This story makes me want to pack up and move to a small English town and run a bookstore. Maybe in another life 😉

All in all this was a fun, quick, and enjoyable read. So be sure to check it out and head to your local bookstore on February 2nd to pick up your copy, you won’t regret it!

This was really cute! I'm a sucker for the move-to-a-small-town trope, and I love a good start-over, so this was always gonna be a winner for me. The characters were great and the slow-burn was super good, but the "we can't communicate even though we're adults!!" thing is just boring. Like, TELL THE TRUTH YOU'RE ADULTS. It's just such a lazy plot device, even if it's something that a lot of real people deal with. I don't really want what real people deal with, this is fiction! Give me something exciting! Anyway, it wasn't such a road block that I didn't genuinely love all of these characters, the town, and the story. An excellent feel-good read.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was exactly the book I've been looking for! I would love to step into Evie's shoes and not only travel to a place I've never been but try running a bookstore for a few weeks to see if I could make something of it. She gets to set her own hours, becomes a member of the small town community almost immediately, and finds the home she didn't know she was looking for. Now I've already got my partner for life, but finding a town full of friendly people, beautiful views, and a quaint bookshop sounds perfect to me.

This is a very slow burn romance as Evie moves to England to run Much Ado About Books for a month, and she has decided she is not going to fall for anyone during her stay, let alone handsome local farmer Roane Robson. Her decision to not date doesn't deter him one bit. Evie has had it with dating and men in general, after another failed attempt at dating and after getting passed over for another promotion in favor of a younger man. She is tired of being undervalued, under appreciated, and unloved so when she sees an ad for a vacation rental that also lets you run the bookstore below it, she books a flight to England. Upon arrival at the shop, Evie finds herself immediately drawn to the people in the town and is swept up in the daily gossip and drama of their lives. She didn't expect to find happiness and contentment in England but this might just be the fresh start she's been looking for especially when ridiculously good looking farmer Roane finds a way to spend time with her every day and slowly breaks down her defenses.

I really loved the characters in this. Not only is Evie wonderful, but she is surrounded by the lovely townsfolk of Alnster. Evie was immediately part of the town and meddling in their lives, or "just planting a seed" as she says in the book to get those around her to take the first step. I am a bit jealous of her lovely vacation. I loved Roane as well. He was patient and kind to everyone, supportive of Evie and a wonderful cousin to Caro in her less than ideal situation, and just a great male lead. I hope you love all the characters as much as I do when you read this!

There is some mild angst, but this is the feel good love story I've been looking for. It has great banter, some great comedic moments, and at its heart a wonderful couple. I expect nothing less from Samantha Young!

I really enjoyed this book! The location, the characters, the meddling, the romance. It was all spot-on.

All I want to do now is go run a charming little bookshop in a small town by the ocean. Is that really so much to ask???

Samantha Young is amazing at transporting you to another world, and this book is no exception. Thanks for another great read!

This was some cute escapism that filled both the need for human interaction and a desire to travel that I've had lately. I don't tend to like the third act conflict in romance novels, and while this wasn't an exception, it still added to the overall plot.

3.5/4 STARS

See my review in French <a href="http://www.goodreads.com">here</a>


My first “feel good” read of the year!!
A sweet and sexy small town love story with a swoon worthy Roane, his adorable Shadow and Evie, who needs a break from her life in Chicago…

I enjoyed the pace and the characters, especially Roane, Evie may have annoyed me a little in a very specific moment of the story, but I can understand her reaction.

So, if you need a break from reality, grab this book, a big mug of hot chocolate (or vodka, I mean… I won’t judge, because 2020 really sucked and 2021 isn’t starting great either!!!) and enjoy this love story between a Chicago girl and her sexy farmer!



***ARC kindly provided by Berkley | Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review***

Visit my French blog: https://isalacroqueusedelivres.wordpress.com

This is a cute, light read. Some parts didn’t feel 100% realistic at times, but to be perfectly honest, sometimes what we need in life is anything but reality.

This book explored feeling miserable with your own life and choices, and doing everything you can to find yourself – even if that means not following your heart. With a strong love for books myself, I was hooked just from the title itself – and the story and main character’s love of all things literary definitely did not disappoint.

Much Ado About You was a perfectly delightful escape. I zoomed through this novel in a blink and I was sad to get to the end--as usual, with Samantha Young novels, I am hoping that we get another look at this cast of characters in another novel because it was just such a comforting place to visit in my head that I would love to go back. Evie and Roane had the best build up -- the instant attraction that they both sorta kinda ignore as it really just simmers between them, their friendship and swoony ooey gooey romance once they finally capitulated?! So good. And the heartbreak and resulting make up? *chef's kiss* Additionally, the secondary characters and their stories were interesting and enhanced everything that was happening.

The novel was packed with scenes of the most picturesque and quaint setting and I could vividly imagine it...and found myself wanting to visit. I truly hope we see one or two more couples come out of this novel but if not, I am equally eager to see what Samantha Young does next.

Who wouldn’t want to travel to England and run a book shop for their vacation? I’m sure many book enthusiasts would love to do this! I know I would!

Evie is one of those characters that you just can’t help loving. She takes a chance on herself, to find herself, and learns that home isn’t always a place.

I spent most of this book with a dreamy smile on my face. Loving the descriptions of the quaint village this book takes place in.

Roane is one of my favorite types of heroes. Definitely swoon worthy, and kind hearted. This book is low angst, but will tug at your heart in the very best way.

“How...,” I choked out. “How do you know he’s my home?”
“You wouldn’t be so shipped wrecked right now if he wasn’t.”

Featuring a quaint English village and a cute (and in some places steamy!) romance, the book is somewhat hampered by the writing, which can be clunky and uneven. I also found that the literary references to be a bit crammed in - until they weren’t and all the Shakespeare talk essentially disappeared without much followup. This is definitely a love at first sight sort of story rather than a slow burn/pining one, so if you’re looking for quick, light small town romance along the lines of Jenny Colgan or Gil McNeil, you might enjoy.

I am truly amazed about this story.
Samantha did it again.
Since I first read On Dublin street, I thought there were not a chance that I love another book of her more than THAT one.
Well, I was wrong.
This not a love story.
This is a Town story, with romance, fights, banters, gossips, and all the salt and pepper of a small village.
Evie, this young thirty something woman is tired of her life in Chicago and realized she can do so much better, so she takes some time off and find a temporary bookshop rental. The ideal job.
She met this fantastic people, with their own stories, with their own life and problems, and she finally gets a glimpse of a life she wanted to have.
Roane, this handsome farmer man, was a total hottie who cross her path and well, their journey begin.
I love this book.
I love everything on it, the dialogues, the photography description of the village and all the small towns around, I love the life Samantha created not only for Evie also for all this supports characters as well.
A must-read for me. Definitely.

Much Ado About You is a very endearing story. Evie is on an adventure to get away and find herself. What she finds is even more than she expected or could have hoped for.

I loved the village of Alnster. Samantha Young paints us such a vivid picture of this beautiful, quaint village and its wonderful people. I felt so at home! These characters will burrow into your heart and you will grow to love them all.

And Roane, what a character we have here. He is everything you could hope for in a companion. I loved the build of Roane and Evie’s friendship. Their interactions were so fun and heartfelt, you could feel the love seeping out of them. Watching their friendship blossom into more was beautiful.

Much Ado About You is a sweet, heartwarming story that will leave you with a smile on your face.

After being passed over for promotion (again), stood up by her flirt of four weeks and feeling like her life has taken a left turn and missed a few key markers, Evie Starling is ready for a break. When she sees an advertisement for a vacation rental that involves managing a Shakespeare-themed bookstore in northern England, she immediately books it. She's looking for a reset, not love, but there's something about the town and everything else that just calls to her. Will Evie go back to Chicago, or will she follow her heart (and a sexy farmer)?

Great start, dragging middle and weak finish.

The beginning is basically The Holiday minus Kate Winslet's character, with the part of Jude Law played by a sexy childless farmer with an adorable Great Dane. Minus the Jude-Law stand-in, I love the beginning. Evie was ready for change, ready for a break after working to death for her boss, taking the hits and expecting payoff when he retired (*cough cough* as a natural shoe-in as his replacement), and when all of her expectations faltered, she just needed a reset. I felt that so much, and I loved her friendship with her best-friend Greer, who had just discovered she was pregnant (totally something that didn't not affect Evie's desire to get away), and had high hopes that this once a female friendship would last in the face of a romance.

It didn't. Not really.

[Roane enters]
Not that I minded his rugged appearance. He was altogether the most masculine specimen I had ever come across. Even his voice was deep and rumbling. I felt that voice in places I had no business feeling it.

Roane is basically Sex on a Stick™️, with minor personality beyond doing anything that'll please Evie (a woman he ~literally~ just met and fell in love at first sight with) and help his cousin, Cinderella. He and Evie have an immediate, lustful attraction, but oh no! She's leaving in a month, he can't do a fling, and she is trying to keep things light and breezy. So they decide to be friends, and she ends up hanging out as a local in the small town of wherever England.
"Evie, I don't make a habit of asking tourists out but I can't help myself. You're brave, you love animals. You're stunning. I'm a mere mortal." His chuckle had a slightly disbelieving tone to it, like he couldn't understand himself in that moment. "So please have a drink with me tonight?""

People attracted to cis men--if you ever hear something akin to this right after meeting someone, run. It's a line.

But it can't be a line, because Roane is All That Is Man and therefore a gem. I think the issue I have with this is that before leaving Chicago, Evie does a Scan The Mirror and highlights all of her flaws, but when she arrives she is literally the Hottest Woman To Ever Walk the Earth. She is Isabella Swan, all grown up (if she hadn't been vampired and frozen at 18 or whatever). It was...a little much.

Plus, Roane has a cousin named Caro, who has spent the majority of her life verbally, physically and emotionally abused by her aunt, and Roane has never realized that it was that bad for Caro, despite her personality being the flavor of battered graham cracker and her dressing like a pilgrim. Evie helps free Caro from the shackles of the evil aunt, and then helps her blossom out of her forced-modesty and into something that reveals her tiny waist, and also gives her the courage to pursue her passion as a baker.

Anywho, Evie becomes something of a Fixer within the village, and while everyone seems to love this American tourist who descended upon them, it just felt...weird? Like Evie's extreme exceptionalism immediately pushed past all their misgivings? There's a village rivalry, star-crossed lovers, and I dunno but I felt that it was weird that a 33-year-old woman was hanging out with early twenty-year-olds.

Plus, the main source of conflict during Evie and Roane's incredibly smooth-sailing relationship (who eventually get together and try to make it work after Penny the bookstore owner decides to move to Australia and wants Evie to stay on a little longer with the store) is something that seemed...really out of character for previously fairly easy-going Evie? Sure, he lied to her, but the lie wasn't anything bad, he was just basically acting like Nick Young and preserving a bit of his family history to avoid someone who could take advantage of it (or another way—stepping outside of his role to experience love with someone who didn't know his baggage or lineage).

So the majority of this review has been all about the things that I did not like.

Obviously, there were many.

However, I rated this three stars instead of two. Why?

Because despite its irritation and moderately cookie-cutter Mary Sue romance, it was entertaining and enjoyable. Yes, it fell into the flaw where everyone only read classic books instead of modern stuff, but there were books, running a bookstore (the business model is a little sketch but you know, whatever), fascinating side characters in the people of the Anchor restaurant (cannot remember their names), and some really solid insights on sexism and growing up as a young woman.

Also, I'm a sucker for Shakespeare and it kinda pulls off some retellings of some of the bigger plays.
Unfortunately, we live in a society where we tell our kids to be confident and successful and then as soon as they are, we tell them to shut out about it and be humble. Especially women. Guys can get away with cockiness until the end of time, but if a woman is cocky, she is arrogant and superior.

Even worse, women are just as likely as men to condemn a confident woman for not being most enough. The only way we can change that attitude is to change it among ourselves. If you're successful at something, celebrate that success. If you know you're smart, then demand that other people treat you are someone of intelligence.


I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

The characters and humor of this book are what clinched it as a five-star read. I loved watching Evie grow into her own when she left Chicago and moved to England. Her slow-burn romance with hottie Roane was sizzling. And the people in the town were so much fun to get to know. I wasn't a huge fan of the last-minute conflict of this one, but the way the author pulled it all together made up for it. I was hoping there would be a second book with two of the secondary characters and their Romeo & Juliet type romance, but was also pleased that the author wrapped everything up in one. I love this author's writing style and will seek out her backlist and future books.