Before I start this review, I should probably explain a few things. I’ve been a Shakespeare fan since the fourth grade. This one in particular calls to mind fanciful spirits outside making magic and mischief and culminating with a wedding. Many years later, I’m grown enough now to be married myself. Even though I met my husband in a truly unconventional way, our twenty year relationship is still (for want of a better word) magical.

Given that, I was extremely excited to read A midsummer nights dream retelling. I eagerly any how Shakespeare’s magic and fancy translated. Initially I was completely disappointed. These characters were unrelatable at best. (A regatta? Really?) Amelia was annoying, Helena was flighty, and the men seemed almost expendable. I had no investment in any of them. In fact, I couldn’t wait to finish the book. But then the magic struck.

During a scene where Helena and Amelia finally have it out, I realized this modern version needed to work differently. These two future stepsisters at last discovering common ground showed me the modern retelling needed to focus on their bond first in order for me to care where each of their stories ended.

The scene where Amelia and Landon finally have their own moment interacting as friends illustrates that friendship is the core of any solid romantic relationship. The fact that it literally involves light in the dark was could have been heavy handed but landed just right.

The biggest mistake here is not flushing out the character of Gage. He seems superfluous. We barely know him. His motivations are revealed in less than a page. Considering the weight giving to the other three characters, this doesn’t seem fair. It is the chief flaw in the book.

The part that feels the most Shakespearean is the epilogue. Helena’s breaking the fourth wall and explaining “the rest of the story” is just as effective as the chorus.

The last quarter was far too saccharine and rushed for my taste. At its heart this is a novel about family - one of my favorite subjects. Unfortunately though the retelling falls flat. Not even magic could make it above average.

This book was a sweet idea with some sweet characters, however I found Helena’s character to be somewhat redundant. There was a lot of whining and constantly being late and losing track of things. She was just a very immature character. I felt. I did feel it was a nice idea, but it just didn’t come together quite as I would’ve liked. It took me a long time to get through this book because I was not enjoying the character so much. There are four POV’s. I felt that all four were not very in-depth. There was definitely room for improvement.

Loved the book! I liked the multiple storylines and how everything tied together in the end. I think the Midsummer Night's Dream retelling was done well!

A Midsummer Night's Dream is my favorite Shakespeare and not as adapted as often as I'd like! Rachel Magee does a pretty good light handed rendition with It's All Relative. I think I don't connect with the characters very much and found them fairly frustrating. The POV switches before we really knew the characters also made the rhythm a bit difficult to fall into. However, the banter and dialogue between characters was often funny.

This book was a dnf for me, I apologise. I wanted to love it but I just couldn't gel with any characters or like them. I restarted it a handful of times and I just couldn't get into it.

Did I wait for the weekend that serves as the end of summer to read this delightful summer read? Yes. But my goodness, what a joy this one was.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, but it's so difficult to adapt for modern audiences. Not just because of the magic, though that plays a role, but because it involves crafting FOUR compelling characters. Two couples must have insane chemistry, and there should be a strong reason for the couples to be in separate pairs for most of the story. Most authors would fail at such a daunting task. But Magee's characters are all well-written, with their own personalities, motivations, and quirks. Helena and Amelia (the modern form of Hermia) are probably the best written, as they drive the story in their soon-to-be-familial squabbles. As much as you root for the romance, you root for Helena and Amelia to bond and recognize each others' strengths. And they DO!

Please note that this is a NO SPICE romance; the most that happens is a kiss. I love reading spice, but I didn't miss it. The plot speaks for itself. Easy five stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC I procrastinated on. Oops.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. i did not care for this one and i think it's because i can't stand retellings or Shakespeare in general. i hated it in high school and never gave it more consideration. the book was well written and flowed nicely.

This was a cute romance and, as a fan of Shakespeare, I found it fun. Anytime an old tale can be modernized I'm interested. At times I found the characters a bit difficult to relate to or cheer for and I did lose the plot a few times. Not a perfect book but an enjoyable one. I look forward to reading more by Magee.

Helena's mom is marrying into the "Perfects," a family that seems to have their lives together, while Helena, decidedly, does not. She's a high school English teacher who struggles with time management and deadlines, while her new stepsister-to-be, Amelia, is a schedule-driven architect who thrives on perfection. To make matters worse, Helena has a huge crush on Amelia's fiancé, Gage, but shows up to the wedding weekend with Amelia's ex-boyfriend, Landon. In the midst of all of the chaos, Helena and Amelia must learn to get along, or tear their families apart forever.

Helena was allegedly 27, but acted like she was 17 for most of the book. Gaining a whole new family at that age would be hard for anyone, but her disregard for others' schedules or feelings made it hard to feel anything but second-hand embarrassed for her. I wish we could have gotten more than a few chapters from Amelia's point of view, as her plot line was much more interesting, with the return of her college boyfriend and the major life changes she was going through. I did enjoy the rest of the side characters, and the story finally grew on me by the end, though the date-swapping was a bit strange and too convenient.

Such a cute book. I fully adore this book and look forward to recommending it to others. The characters were captivating and their story arch was fantastic. You rooted for the characters and you could tell they were written out of love from the author.

It’s a retelling of A Midsummers Night Dream following a blending of two families over a wedding week they’ll never forget! You can expect lots of love, lots of laughs, and lots of drama! Helena and Amelia are the two focal points as they help their parents get ready for their wedding. They truly could not be more opposite so not sure how they’ll supposed to “come together” as sisters! Oh and Helena brings her bestie Landon, who turns out to be the ex of Amelia and well let the games begin.

I loved following these characters and I really enjoy how easy it was to follow despite having so many different characters and POVs! At its core is a really sweet story and sometimes you just need one of those!!

(3.5 stars) When I read the synopsis that this was a modern retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream, I instantly knew I wanted to check it out. Although I haven’t read it since middle school, it was my favorite Shakespeare and I welcomed the opportunity to revisit it.

The story focuses on Helena in the lead up to her mother’s wedding to Amelia’s father. Helena and Amelia couldn’t be approaching the weekend any more differently. Helena is dreading the day her mother joins the perfect Maddox family and is flying by the seat of her pants in all aspects of her life including this wedding weekend. Amelia has a picture perfect life and puts the work in to make sure that the weekend goes off without a hitch. Not to mention she has a gorgeous fiancé, Gage, there to support her, while Helena has to bribe her best friend Landon to come along. But because “the course of true love never did run smooth,” Landon turns out to be Amelia’s first love who she hasn’t seen since they broke up.

Throughout the course of the weekend, both Helena and Amelia gain clarity on their families, relationships, and futures. Although I knew how this would end, it was a very charming romcom. McGee does a really nice job of updating this story for a modern audience while keeping true to the source material. You don’t need to have read A Midsummer Night's Dream to enjoy this one, but those who have will find extra enjoyment in it. Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rachel Magee's It's All Relative is a delightful modern spin on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, set against the backdrop of a beachside wedding that’s as unpredictable as it is heartwarming. Helena Crosby is thrust into the role of bridesmaid at her mother’s wedding, while her soon-to-be stepsister, Amelia Maddox, strives to keep everything under control—until wedding chaos ensues. The story is a perfect mix of humor, romance, and the challenges of blending families.

Magee brings Helena and Amelia to life with distinct personalities—Helena’s carefree approach contrasts sharply with Amelia’s need for perfection, leading to moments both funny and touching. The romantic subplots, especially Helena’s rekindling with Landon and Amelia’s surprising love interest, add just the right amount of tension and charm.

The multiple perspectives enrich the narrative, offering a deeper look into the characters’ lives and emotions. Despite initial doubts about the four POVs, they work together seamlessly, enhancing the story's depth and keeping the reader engaged.

For fans of Shakespearean retellings and beachside romance, It’s All Relative is a must-read. This book captures the complexities of love and family with wit and warmth, making it a truly enjoyable read. This was my first experience with Rachel Magee’s writing, and it certainly won’t be my last!

I loved the cover of this book so much that I requested it in ebook and audio book on NetGalley 🤷🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️. I guess it just makes me happy to look at it. The story is about two families (with grown children) coming together with the marriage of their parents. Although they are pleasant with each other, being with family (even your own) at times can get to be a bit much.

The two grown daughters, while both having redeeming qualities were a bit whiny for me. So much could be avoided if they just would act their age. Although the frame at times makes for a good story, I found myself shaking my head at them, questioning how they had made it this far in life. Especially Helena. Even with all of that I did still enjoy the book and would recommend it for a light easy read.

It’s All Relative by Rachel Magee
3 stars
NetGalley & Thomas Nelson Fiction
Publish date 8/6/24

The writing was lighthearted and fun and there were different characters and different points of view which added to the story. I found the main character (Helena) to be a bit annoying and wanted her to progress through her baggage faster. And I found Amelia’s character unrelatable and really stiff. I liked the guys better but the chapters alternated so frequently that I couldn’t get to know any of them well enough.

I always love stories that navigate complicated relationships and real topics like grief, so this story delivered on that front for me for sure. I just didn’t really love any of the characters so it was kind of “meh” for me.

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

This was a good beach read, and I think there was so much potential, but all of the characters were so unlikeable and not in a fun way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for sending me this book!

It's All Relative by Rachel Magee is quick, fun read. I liked that it was a modern retelling of A Midsummer's Night Dream and thought the book itself had so much potential! But unfortunately, I didn't really like the characters, except maybe Emory (though she was thrown under the bus at times for being young and making "bad" decisions that seemed entirely age appropriate to me). The characters did improve over the course of the story, but I felt the relationships were entirely unrealistic and the perspective of the parents marrying (Nora and Steve) were also not so great either. Parts of the book were cute (like the sailing race) and the ending was adorable, except again... entirely unrealistic.

I did like the author's writing so the book was not all bad--would definitely read this author again! I loved the setting of the island and imagining that gorgeous beach house.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

A modern retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream, this novel is a cute and sweet summer read. Overall, it's a feel-good story with a bit of humor here and there. Unfortunately, I didn't find it to have much depth, the characters irked me quite a bit and I can't imagine it will be memorable within a couple of weeks. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and the author for the gifted ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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

This book is loosely based on the plot of a Midsummer’s Night Dream, which really intrigued me because I have not seen many reimaginings of this Shakespeare play. While the plot was predictable, the author focuses more on the growth of the four main characters. They were all a little frustrating at first but I grew to like all of them. The story has a happy ending, that seemed a little too perfect and unrealistic, but overall I enjoyed the story!

Helena drags her friend Landon to a small island in FL to attend her mother's wedding. Nora is marrying into a family Helena dubs "The Perfects," as she feels she is always coming up short next to them. In this modern day retelling of A Midsummer's Night Dream, we see relationships evolve over the days leading up to the wedding. Funny, tender book about families.