A super easy and enjoyable rom-com. Perfect to escape with over a weekend the story of Helena and her new family finding their fit is a modern twist on the Shakespeare classic without feeling cliche.

3.5 🌟

My favorite Shakespeare play is "A Midsummer Night's Dream", so to see a modern retelling was a lot of fun. There are other plays that have been redone a lot more times than this one, so I appreciated the effort to regenerate the love for AMND. I did find this to be a little slow in places, but overall an easy, cute read that will modernize the play for the next generation.

What a wonderful modern re-telling of A Midsummer Night's Dream!

I absolutely adored all the characters, the multiple POVs, and the flow of the story. It was very well-paced where it didn't feel like it dragged, with good excitement throughout. As the story unfolded, the characters also became more vulnerable and the story itself became more open. While the ending was to be expected, I enjoyed every page that followed our character's growth through the pressure-test of a wedding.

Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC!

A short and sweet modern retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream, this book is perfect for a beach read or family vacation.

Told from the perspectives of four main characters attending a beach family wedding, this book captures the messy, loving drama of family and figuring out how to fit the people you love into your life. Helena's mother is getting married, and, feeling like an outside in her fiancee's perfect family, Helena begs her best friend Landon to come with her. Little does she know, her soon-to-be step-sister Amelia is Landon's ex-girlfriend and feeling still linger. But Amelia is engaged to Gage, the man Helena is drawn to. Switching back and forth between these four characters as they figure out who and what they want, and how they fit into the family group, is a delight.

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

Magee's writing is both witty and heartfelt, drawing readers in with her relatable characters and engaging storytelling. From quirky relatives to unexpected romances, the novel is filled with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

But what truly sets "It's All Relative" apart is its exploration of the power of family ties and the impact they have on our lives. Through Lily's journey, Magee reminds us that sometimes the greatest love can come from the most unexpected places.
Thank you for the ARC

Helena and Amelia are about to become stepsisters. Helena is happy for her mom, but insecure about her life compared to her seemingly perfect soon-to-be stepsister, Amelia. Amelia is successful and put together, but she feels like she has to be the one to hold everything together, and the pressure is mounting. We see these women come together for their parents' wedding, and all sorts of drama ensues.

I liked this book! It was a fun romantic comedy, and we got multiple POVs which included both love interests for Helena and Amelia. I liked the setting of their parents wedding, and the side characters added a good amount of comedy and heart to the story. There are deep moments surrounding self doubt, low self esteem, parental loss, regrets, and messy family relationships. I think the author did most of these things quite well.

The only downsides for me were that there were times when I thought the internal dialogue was dragging on for too long. I was also frustrated with Helena as a character. I know that's the whole point, but I do think she could've tried harder to do better with being on time for things and communicating with her mom. I also didn't really connect with Gage as a character. He was ok but not really exciting as a love interest. His and Helena's relationship felt a bit flat for me.

Overall this was a fun book!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a light hearted (but also emotionally weighty) classic romcom story that reminds me a lot of things like Father of the Bride in all the best ways. Adding to it that it's Shakespeare inspired just makes it better when you begin to recognize the references from A Midsummer Night's Dream. It's silly and funny with the greatest family of characters, but there's complex love and relationships explored as the two new sisters and the men in their lives grow in their identities.
For me, this book was a bit slow paced at first, but post-exposition when the characters were really engaged with each other, I began to grow really interested in their journeys. I loved how their different personalities were established, and how the author displayed the doubt creeping into their minds as their perspective on live and love began to shift. It really has everything: family, second chance romance, friendship, sailing, a missing cockatoo, and of course the Shakespearean references (the forest was probably one of my favorite scenes).
This seems like the perfect summer book, set on an island for a wedding, to laugh and smile to while leading. And the title is just so brilliant it makes me smile every time!

Rating: 3.5/5
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Cute summer read. Great beach book. Characters and storyline were both likable. Quick read. Perfect for a vacation!

I loved this book so much. It was a feel good story with the HEA I wanted. I want to be an adopted sister of Amelia, Helena, and Emory by the end, and I would not be sad if the author wrote another story about Helena to revisit these characters. I picked up this book whenever I had a chance and feel like starting it over immediately now that it’s done. Can’t wait to buy it on release day. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

It’s a rom com.. no news there. A page turner with the obvious ending. Easy to read and enjoy but from page one the reader knows what is going to unfold. Clever dialogue but too cutesy for my taste, a fun read but not literary or noteworthy.

5-star beach read! Finished this one in less than 48 hours on my beach vacation, which fit so perfectly with this book. Absolutely loved the story and the ending! Such a heartwarming story of love, loss, and being true to yourself.

From the start the book is a fun read. The friendship between characters is easy and fun to read and feel like you are a part of. Immediately I felt the similart feelings I have when I’m watching a classic romantic comedy!!

This books whole story and vibe, including the cover is perfect for the summer!!!! I will be suggesting this to all my friends for a fun summer beach read.

Unlike other romance books this is a romantic comedy with more than just two players. In this story we have so many complicated relationships and personalitites for everyone to relate to. We have crushes, past loves, complicated family dynamics and friendships. I loved every piece of it! I think this book has so many elements and layers to it that many people can appreciate and relate to which makes it a great story.

As someone who hasnt read a A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare in many years this was a fun take on the original story. I love a retelling and especially when there is some originality to it.

The only critique I would have is that because the book is so fast paced and almost moviesque there is less space for the depth that some writeres have. This was fun and fast paced moving from one action scene to the next. I really enjoyed it and think it was super fun to read. I would be curious to learn more indepth about these characters and their internal dialogue.

The cover is extremely enticing. The way the font and colors blend with the picture is very well done. I think the overall story would make a great Netflix movie!!!

Overall this was a really fun read I will be recommending to all my friends and all over my social media! I will also be discussing it on my podcast when I talk about book suggestions.

HELENA IS the only daughter of single mother Nora, Nora finds the love of her life and plans a destination wedding. the groom has children, so the two families have to blend. sweet story.

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

It's All Relative is a riff on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The book takes place over the course of the week a family has gotten together to celebrate a wedding. Helena is a bridesmaid in her mother's wedding to Stephen. Stephen's family is perfect in Helena's eyes and she isn't sure she will ever fit in with them or live up to their standards. She convinces her friend Landon to be her plus one for the festivities.
This book has a gorgeous setting, fun characters, great banter, and some family drama. It was a nice, quick read perfect for the beach or pool. The story had me hooked from the beginning and kept me turning pages. I'm hoping for a sequel so that we can see what happens to all the characters next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I was really looking forward to this book but it kind of was a let down. The characters didn’t stand out to me so I didn’t relate to any of them and they weren’t memorable. The book felt flat the whole time.

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.