A chance to find your true soul mate is what Evie has in this magical romance, filled with angst and true emotions that will have you fluttering through every page...

I gotta say, Samantha Young knows how to write a romance novel that transports you to another world. Taking place in Northumberland, Evie and Roane meet under some heroine circumstances that brings them together in an angst and intimate way. I have not read a book like this one in such a long time, and that's because I have been on an insta romance wagon band. Though it's an angst-y romance, Evie and Roane start as friends due to Evie's emotional walls being up after being in relationships that have not given her hope for true love. Leaving the life of Chicago for a small vacation of three weeks and renting out a bookstore and running it during the duration of the trip, is what makes her realize what she is truly looking and missing in life.

The people in Northumberland are in a tight community filled with lots of fun, drama, and honesty. It's truly beautiful reading a small town romance not taking place in the states, because of the very well described sceneries surrounding the characters. With that being said, Evie is surrounded in a world filled with the beauty or romance. Whether it's finding a partner, or simply enjoying life, she instantly falls in love with everything around her.

After spending some extended time in this magical town, Evie realizes that fighting the emotional flutters she gets for the people, and more specifically the attraction she gets for Roane are some intense emotions that she cannot go against. And when her time comes closer to an end, she needs to figure out what she really wants or where she really wants to stay.

There are so many beautiful characters, like Caro, Viola and Lucas in which we NEED their stories. I am keeping my eyes out for them because Caro needs to find her happily ever after. While Lucas and Viola need to stop with that banter and just be together already! With that being said, Samantha Young has not disappointed once again with this marvelous novel. I cannot wait to see what else she has in store for us!

The small-town romance is a staple for a reason, and Much Ado About You manages to be a very cute addition to the genre. The charm starts with the main setting - a charming village bookshop that, I imagine, most readers will daydream about for days after. A dreamy bookstore, a colorful (and deliciously gossipy) set of background characters, a lovable Great Dane - what more does a rom-com need other than charming leads?

For the most part, the book delivers on that front, although I would have liked to see just a little bit more unpredictability from them. Both Evie and Roane are the kinds of characters you root for, both individually and as a couple, but there's just a little something missing from them - it feels like we've missed some steps with them, and the major obstacle turns out to be both predictable and somewhat contrived. That doesn't make it any less enjoyable, to be clear, but it does mean it's missing that little extra something. In some ways, the supporting characters are actually more interesting - I'd gladly read a spinoff of Roane's cousin Caro! But all in all, it's still the kind of sweet romance that offers a few hours' respite from a stressful world.

This book starts off like Evie and the no good, horrible, terrible week. Poor Evie has some serious issues going on, and decides that it's time to take a step away from life as she knows it to evaluate and reconsider. At one point, she says that the reason she decides to go to England during her breakdown is that she knows if she doesn't take charge of her life, she'll spiral into an even worse place from which it would be incredibly hard to escape. I love this about her! The descriptions of the charming village, the pub, and the local residents were so lovely that I feel I've escaped to an English summer. What an incredibly fun book. I highly recommend it!

And if that's not enough to convince you to read this book, there is a GREAT DANE. Be still my beating heart. Enjoy!

This book was about a 3.5 stars for me. Samantha Young had me with the bookshop rental premise, but I wish it had more of a place in the story. Other than that this was a cute and sweet romance and while some of the plot and twists were obvious I really enjoyed the ride.

Perfect for anyone who wants to read a book that will give you Hallmark movie vibes! Evangeline is working my dream job at a publishing company where she meets Roane. She's 33 and I love that this book focuses on two adults going through life.

This was a great contemporary romance featuring a solid “friends to lovers” structure. My first by this author, but the book lived up to the praises for her past works.

What I liked:
* Great location and supporting cast
* The “meta” way that the Shakespeare fan moves to a town where everyone is the living embodiment of various
plays, complete with a “If I Were a Man” hat-tip
* Tropey classic Romance format (we love these for a reason!)
* Bookshops and libraries are my kryptonite, these settings are always a winner

What I disliked
* Fatphobia. It is very important that Evie be “not like other girls,” but the hyper focus that she is just
tall/unique/curvy, but definitely Not!Fat! (as if that would be a bridge too far for someone to find her attractive)
missed the mark on body-positivity
* The handling of race, especially the “villagers don't see color” aspect could use some sensitivity reading.

Overall a good read that has me putting many other works by this author on my TBR list.

I love the Samantha Young On Dublin Street series! This was a very sweet fairy tale. More than one happy ending!

Much Ado About You picks up with thirty-something year old Evie Starling as her life hits rock bottom in Chicago. On a whim, Evie applies to run a quaint bookshop - Much Ado About Books - in the Northern English seaside village of Alnster. Evie is immediately welcomed into the small community, and even saves the local farmer's (and most eligible bachelor's) dog from a potential accident. The farmer, Roane Robson, quickly takes a liking to Evie where their friendship always walks the line of possibly something more. It's up to Evie to see past what is holding her back from welcoming Roane and happiness into her life.

This book was such a delight! I loved that there were so many sub-plots with such heart from the local villagers: involving emancipation from abusive guardians, a 30-year-old village feud that keeps two fated lovers apart and a tale of love and acceptance of an LGBTQ child. The author does a wonderful job of fully immersing the reader in this town with her poetic descriptions of the scenery, as well as her thoughtful inclusion of some tips about the local dialect through the main character's thoughts! As for Evie and Roane's relationship - WOW! I loved this tale of friendship to love - it was so heartfelt (and heart-racing), yet realistic! I loved every moment of it! Also, huge thank you to the author for making sure that Evie had not only a body type that I felt represented myself, but also including moments of Evie's introspection around her body-type!

If you loved - The Switch by Beth O'Leary, In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren, One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London, A Rogue of One's Own and Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore, Beach Read by Emily Henry or any other recent "friends to something more" romance novel - you're going to LOVE this one! I promise!

I came into this a big fan of Samatha Young. I adored On Dublin Street and Fight of Flight!! Much Ado about You seemed to have all the ingredients I usually love, but it fell a bit flat for me. The romance itself didn't give me a whole lot to latch on to. That said, I still enjoyed the idyllic UK setting and bookstores are still one of my favorite romance tropes. Not the best Samantha Young, but I'll still read anything and everything she puts out!!

I couldn't get into this book. I'm not sure if it was the writing or the plot but I was really struggling. DNF.

Sweetish- softish- swooning and absolutely Hallmark-ish, feel-definitely-good romance takes places in magical Northumberland!

And a lucky cow heroine having a dreamy holiday at this sweetest town, taking my dream job (a special bookstore with collections of Shakespeare plays) , meeting with friendly, quirky but also vivid town’s people ( I loved how the characters were portrayed in this story),flirting with charming farmer Roane!

Nope, I’m sold! Amazing escape opportunity from the compelling real life problems and stressful situations! Just open it and start your entertaining, lyrical journey at this small town, in this lovely bookstore!

Evangeline Starling struggles in her life. Since 10 years, she’s been working as an assistant position at the same publishing company. For 2 years, she stopped dating after her heartbreaking experiences but now she’s 33.

All of her friends moved on, getting married, changing their career direction, living their dreamy lives as she suffers from loneliness and emptiness. Of course she has also problems with her mother which holds to live her life fulfilled. Now her best friend is pregnant which makes her feel like third wheel at the other people’s lives.

After being stood up at her last date and losing the promotion to a 25 years newbie, she decides to think through what she has been doing wrong in her life. She plans to take a break, quitting her job, spending her 4 weeks at small English town, working in a bookstore, discovering the scenery which will help her gather her thoughts for making her fresh start!

But unfortunately when she jumps in from of a car to save a dog’s life, her heroic maneuver results in meeting with one of the hottest guys also the dog’s owner she’s ever seen in her life: farmer Roane Robson.

She promised herself to stay away from the men to find out who she is and what she really wants in her life but Roane is big distraction. He accepts to stay friends with her but why he needs to be so sweet, caring, protective. He’s the one, isn’t he?

Maybe staying friends is not good idea! Maybe he’s more than a 4 weeks long holiday fling but what if he’s hiding something which will be game-changer for her!

I already gave too much away. I had incredible time and visualize to spend my holiday at miraculous Northumberland and spending my time with those amazing fictional people.
I’m giving 4, Shakespearian, I feel good like I said I wouldn’t so good, I feel nice like sugar and spice stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this incredible reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

This was so cute! I loved the characters. The village was a character in itself. I read Fight or Flight a couple years ago and purchased it for my library where it has been popular. I will buy this one as well, and expect that it will also be checked out often.

I enjoyed Much Ado About You at the beginning but it started to fall flat about half way through, and I kept waiting for the "punchline" to be delivered. Main character Evie promised to be a strong character but felt wishy-washy toward the end, and completely oblivious about what was really happening with her love interest, much hinted-at implied relationship deal-breakers which, in the end, didn't make a bit of difference after all the drama.

Solid 3 stars for the setting, I think Much Ado About You will appeal to a lot of readers but contained some of my own personal book pet-peeves which might not bother other readers at all.

*As always, not purchasing this adult title for my HS Library.*
Sooooooo......I go around and around with this one. It took me almost a full day to write this review because I wasn’t sure what I’d give it. Ultimately, it felt like a 3-4 type range.....maybe a 3.25? Here’s why:

There were some excellent lines, like “I am going to Much Ado About Nothing the shit out of this thing!” So that endears me to it right off the bat. I also adore the dog and dog focus in the story, as well as the setting. I mean, coastal England in the Spring and Summer??? Come on. Ridiculously good. I also like the development of the secondary characters.

However, all of that was overshadowed constantly by that tropes: 1-he’s immediately in love with her and 2-he’s the most beautiful man she has ever seen and 3-everyone automatically loves her in this tiny, insular, not very welcoming to most outsiders coastal town. It’s WAY overdone. And I just think there are too many lessons vying for solutions and so many other issues that muddy the waters.

A very cute book! I really loved the characters and especially liked Roane what an awesome character! The plot was really good and the twist was quite surprising I also really enjoyed the will-they won't-they and liked that it actually had some substance. Samantha Young is an awesome writer and I can't wait to read more from her!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc for an honest review!

I really liked Much Ado About You a lot. It was perfect for my unable-to-leave-the-States-because-of-Covid wanderlust. Roane was dreamy, the setting was dreamy, and owning a bookshop on the English coast is dreamy. There were 2 quibbles with this book that I had though: First, as Evie is describing herself at the beginning she says she's a bigger girl but is quick to say she's not fat and that she hates when she's called fat. Like... can we just not with that? Let not use fat as a bad word. Second, toward the end, Viola mentions that most people in the village didn't see the color of her and her dad's skin. Let's not with that either. Color-blindness has no place in 2020 and beyond.

I went into this book with high expectations since Samantha Young is one of my all time favorite romance authors and I was NOT disappointed! One of my favorite aspects of her writing is setting which is very unlike me. Placement rarely matters to me but the was she writes makes me feel like I’m there and falling in love with the cities themselves. Evie is so relatable as a character and I loved watching her grow and no longer accepting treatment she didn’t deserve. Romantic interests aren’t the only relationships that can be toxic and watching Evie navigate making her relationships and her own way of thinking better was 100% perfect. And I haven’t even mentioned the romance yet! SWOON ROANE SWOON. Can I run an English bookstore and meet a handsome farmer to sweep me off of my feet??? Absolutely loved this book.

I love Samantha Young! This book had me laughing and imagining myself as the main character. Imagining finding myself and falling in love in England while working in a quaint village at an adorable bookstore with a handsome stranger!

Such a fun read! I had NO idea you could actually RENT A FREAKIN' BOOKSTORE IN ENGLAND FOR A WHOLE MONTH. Um, if I could write a romance novel, I would 100% do what Samantha Young has done so well. Although I'm not a huge fan of insta-love, Evangeline's story was genuinely written and not easily tied together, which made for a joyful read. As Evangeline leaves her Chicago life behind her and decides whether to live the rest of her life in England (uh, with a hot English farmer? duh.), the reader is pulled into the story and characters who truly come to life--Caroline's side story is a heart-wrencher but wonderfully written. Loved it--for bibliophile romance readers everywhere!

As someone who's visited The Open Book bookstore/airbnb in Wigtown, Scotland, which serves as inspiration for this novel's setting, there was so much to enjoy about Much Ado About You! And I adored the way the author incorporated real-life places in Northumberland that had me rushing to google to find out more.

But there was one tiny snipped of dialogue that is going to make this book nearly impossible to recommend. This isn't my quirky opinion but the prevailing sentiment during a time when it's incredibly important to get the language right. My hope is that, with plenty of time between this review date (September 28 2020) and publication date (March 2 2021) that this line can be changed.

The lines appear at location 2941 in my egalley, when a Black character explains that, instead of the predominantly white community being racist towards her family, "most people are fine. They don't see my dad's skin color or mine..."

It's the "not seeing" color part that makes me uncomfortable, and I anticipate those lines doing the same for many potential readers. Please, edit this while you can!