Helena and her teacher bestie Landon are headed to her mom's wedding. Helena is gaining a new stepdad, two step-sisters, and a step-brother. She is nervous to be around the new family because they are what she calls "The Perfects," but she likes the marriage for her hard-working mom. The new family's perfection, especially the older sister Amelia, intimidates her and she has a lot of feelings about it. The wedding is held at their island home and there is the usual amounts of drama (don't want to give away too much!).

In true rom-com style, Rachel Magee has created a fun, quick read that will leave you feeling warm and toasty inside.


Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Shakespeare retelling? News to me. This was heavy on the rom, light on the com. It was mildly entertaining, kept my interest for the most part, and reminded me of a Hallmark movie (which isn't a bad thing). The characters seemed a little one-dimensional, and the outcomes seemed predestined, so there weren't a whole lot of surprises.

All in all, this was not a bad way to spend a summer weekend.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Helena has to go to a remote island off the coast of Florida to attend her mother's wedding. The man she is marrying has three children and Helena is her mother's only child. Helena feels threatened by Amelia, the fiancé's oldest, who has everything in hand and seems to be nearly perfect in every way. Helena enlists her best friend, Landon, to go with her to the wedding only to find out that Amelia is his "one that got away."
The book goes from one misadventure to the next and Helena lives up to her fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants reputation throughout the whole book. It seems to be a bone of contention with her mother and with Amelia.

Rachel Magee has written a book that has laughs and angst and will keep the reader engaged and enjoying every minute. The characters are a bit over the top and just a bit too much at times, but they learn from each other and find their true selves in the meantime. This is a book I would read again. There's everything from a capsized sailboat to Double Fudge with Chocolate Chunks ice cream and more twists and turns than a mountain highway. It's All Relative is unpredictability at its finest. Four Strong Stars

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I would probably rephrase the summary to be “loosely inspired by” instead of a “modern retelling” of A Midsummer night’s dream. Other than that, this book was great. The characters were well thought out and the story was fun to read. If you like this play, you’ll enjoy this book. Just don’t expect an entire retelling of the play.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you netgalley and the publisher.

Really cute rom-com set in a resort type of setting. I loved the humor in it. I wish we had a few less other POV chapters because Helena was my favorite and her interactions with Landon were great.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC.

This story was told through a multiple perspective model which I don't come across often. The author was able to give depth to each character, but due to the history outlined in the beginning of the book, some characters were less favorable to me. Amelia was set up to be the annoyingly perfect uptight sister AND the one that broke Landon's heart. Therefore, I felt like I was set up not to like her character and I never really warmed up to her. Gage's character seemed like he could have been really cool, but he didn't get much spotlight. I think I would have liked to focus more on Gage and Helena's point of views over Landon and Amelia's.

The story was complex but yet it didn't reach that level that had you feeling for the characters. Again, I think it lost focus with so many narrators. The premise was outlined, but it wasn't until the very end that we got to the climax. The slow burn or feeling of anticipation was lacking as the characters sorted out their personal dramas. It was a little problematic for me as it didn't keep my attention.

I did really like how Helena and Amelia sorted out their relationship and became friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for approving my request in exchange for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Helen has been dreading her mom's wedding for months. But not because she doesn't like the husband-to-be, Helen doesn't like the rest of the family. The Maddox clan is on time, organized and high achieving - everything Helen is not. To combat her feelings, she has forced her best friend Langdon to come along as her plus one. Who knew he would be Helen's new stepsister's ex?

Magee has a light touch but a gift of creating tension and vivid descriptions. It all comes together in a completely delightful story ensues - one that any Shakespeare lover or romantic will be absolutely enchanted to experience.
.#thomasnelsonfiction #thomasnelson #midsummmersnightdream #itsallrelative #rachelmagee

Not my favorite story of the summer, but I liked it for what it was. I skipped around when I was bored and then dove in when I was interested. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Three stars.

title: It's All Relative

author: Rachel Magee

publisher: Thomas Nelson

publication date: August 6, 2024

pages: 336

peppers: 1 (on this scale)

warnings: none

summary: Helena can't stand the idea of going to her mother's wedding to a great guy for two reasons. First, his family  is annoyingly perfect. Second, she has a crush on Gage, the fiancé of Polly Perfect (also known as Amelia, her soon-to-be sister-in-law). To help herself survive the week at the Perfects' island beach house, Helena asks her best friend Logan to be her plus one. Unfortunately, when they arrive, Logan discovers that Amelia is none other than Mia, his long lost true love. 

tropes:

stranded on an island
second-chance romance
meant-to-be
weddings are romantic
cute little sister
all families are weird in their own ways

what I liked: 

the relationship between the mother and daughter
the growing friendship between the almost-sisters
the wedding planning

what I didn’t like:

Helena is too much of a mess, too predictably messy
endings seem too easy for all four
breaking up a couple

overall rating: 3 (of 5 stars)

Did not finish this one, unfortunately. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

While I didn't really get the Shakespearean retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream, this is an easy summer read that would be a perfect book to throw in your bag to read at the beach.

The main character's mom is getting married and she is meeting her soon to be family at the wedding - not the most idyllic time or place.

Helena never seems to everything quite together and her soon to be step-sister, Amelia, always has a plan, is organized, and generally has it all going on - at least on the outside. The two of them meet and unbeknownst to Amelia, her ex-fiance is Helena's best friend.

The dynamics of blending families, organizing a wedding, and Helena and Landon's story all seem a bit too much - there was more emphasis on each character than moving the story along in my opinion. It did get there, but it wasn't something that compelled me to keep reading this in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

This was a fun story. I enjoyed Helena and Landon’s friendship. I didn't like Amelia and I believe the author was biased toward Helena as well so it was easy not to like her. I wish Helena would have been up front with her mother though as the end just felt wrapped up in a bow without doing any work.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It's All relative Is a hilarious novel that will have you anxiously reading each page to discover how the families that are to be united will survive the anticipated wedding activities so meticulously planned. I loved the antics both romantically and family oriented that make for a super read

ARC Review: 2.5 rounded up to 3. While the premise of the book sounded promising, the plot never really took off. The characters were lovable and each of their development seemed to be the highlight the entire time with the situation they were in simply being a background excuse. The dialogue was somewhat awkward at times and I understand all the characters meaning well in their actions and decisions but it was like every time someone was mean it was immediately followed up by “oh they’re going through a hard time.” Which just left us with a group always tiptoeing around each other even when they’re simply being a jerk. Rounding my rating up because it may be a personal writing preference to not have so much inner dialogue but others may enjoy!

This felt rushed and I felt no chemistry between anyone (original or final matches), but it was a decent beach read and I did enjoy the cast of characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think I missed the part where this was a Shakespeare retelling but I had a tough time relating to the characters. The plot was a bit scattered and lacked in cohesiveness for me.

I love a Shakespeare retelling but this is one just slightly missed the mark for me. I wish we had seen more from Amelia and her past with Landon. All we really know is that they were past lovers which made their instant connection and chemistry a little hard to believe. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the relatability of each character. If you are looking for a cute, fun, summer beach read then this book will be a great option for you. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A swoon-worthy romcom that is a nice and cute read for summertime.

This story is a retelling of a Shakespearean tale that I haven’t read, so I can’t compare. It’s the story of a blended family meeting for the wedding of their parents, Nora and Steve. Nora’s only child, Helena, is an eccentric teacher, bubbly and adventurous yet clumsy. On the other hand, Amelia is the eldest of the three siblings, a successful architect, responsible and borderline control freak. Landon is a colleague and best friend of Helena, while Cage is Amelia’s fiancé, both well-rounded men. The story is told from the perspective of four characters.

The themes explored include the strong and complicated bonds within a family, the power of friendship and love, and how embracing change can help you achieve a better life. The writing style is very fluid and light. The characters are funny, and their banter is a real pleasure. I had a great time reading it.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction, NetGalley, and Rachel Magee for a chance to read this book for free. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.

Especially when I travel I like to have a romance at hand because it entertains me without spoiling my mood.
"It's all relative" was enjoyable but it didn't draw me into the story as I would have liked.
At one point, towards the middle of the book, I had a moment of reader block because I wasn't interested in knowing what would happen to the characters. In general it seems to me that they have not been explored enough.
Furthermore, every now and then the plot seemed to go its own way, without cohesion. I don't know if it was because I was traveling or just because of a development problem (I didn't have the same feeling with other titles finished in the same period)

Unfortunately Helena is not a protagonist who resonates with me, her being chaotic and spontaneous sometimes leads too much into rudeness and self-centeredness: she always has an excuse for everything and almost never questions herself.
Amelia on the other hand is more fascinating because she is more well-rounded... yet I would have liked her to delve a little more into her story.
Gage is also a character that could have been developed more because he is very likable and has potential.

Overall I don't find it a bad book, but it's not one of my favorites either.


SPOILERS
The fact that she then goes and confesses her feelings for her ex in front of the boy she just broke up with... I found it a bit in bad taste even if they had broken up by mutual agreement.

Rachel Magee's "It's All Relative" tries to be a charming rom-com but has some issues. The main problem is the flat characters. Even though the story is told from four different points of view, each character feels shallow and lacks depth. This makes it hard to connect with them or care about their stories. The characters' actions are often predictable, leaving little room for surprise.

Instead of having a strong story, the book focuses on character development. There are lots of internal monologues and personal reflections, but without a compelling plot, the story feels aimless. This might appeal to readers who like character-driven stories, but for those looking for an engaging plot, it falls flat.

One of the book's strengths is its multiple perspectives (even if written in third person). This lets readers understand what's happening in the characters' heads. However, this is undermined by the short time frame in which events happen. Major life decisions and changes happen too quickly, making them feel rushed and unrealistic. Even if the book's premise is that everything is relative, these big moments need more time and thought than they get here.

Despite these issues, "It's All Relative" still offers a cute rom-com experience. The story is predictable, even without its ties to "A Midsummer Night's Dream," but this isn't necessarily bad. For readers looking for a light, quick read, the familiar plot can be comforting. The book doesn't break new ground, but it provides a cozy, feel-good narrative that many rom-com fans will enjoy.

"It's All Relative" by Rachel Magee is a mixed bag. The characters lack depth, and the plot is thin, focusing more on vibes and character introspection. However, its multiple perspectives and cute, predictable storyline make it a pleasant read for those seeking something light. While it might not leave a lasting impression, it's a nice way to spend a few hours. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, breezy read with a touch of romance.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction, NetGalley and the author for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.