It's hard to say what about this didn't work for me except that I was SO bored. It felt like the book took forever to get going -- even at 50%, not much had happened. It lacked the fun and comedy of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The characters were awful and I didn't like any of them. Hope you have better luck.

It's All Relative comes out next week on August 6, 2024, and you can purchase HERE.

"The course of true love never did run smooth."

Helena narrowed her eyes on him. "Are you quoting Shakespeare to me?"

Landon winked. "Is it helping?"

Since whatever romantic connection there might have been between them fizzled sometime on their first date, Landon's boyish charm was completely lost on her. "No. Besides, it's not even relevant. No one said anything about the L word.
I've known the man for about fifteen minutes."
"My mistake. 'The course of crushing never did run smooth.
Helena rolled her eyes.

Thank you netgalley! I would give this a solid 3.5 /5 stars!
This rom-com follows Helena and Landon (platonic best friends) as they travel to her mother's second wedding to the 'perfects', and interactions with Amelia and her fiance, Gage. Only problem: Amelia is, surprisingly, Landon's first major heartbreak and Helena has a crush on Gage. I really enjoyed the fact that this was multi-POV as it let you really get in these characters heads as they interact over a summer weekend at the beach.
This is meant to be a retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and while there are hints of that narrative throughout (I think Peter, the brother who'd rather do youtube than a 'real job', is meant to be Puck?), I'm not sure I would have picked up on the connection on my own. It sticks to the meaning of the storyline but very little else.
I think Magee did a good job making you believe that the current 'pairings' of the books weren't quite right for each other and the intended pairings were 'better' without making you dislike any of the characters: kind of a hard task to pull off. The setting is beautiful, the descriptions are lovely, the comedy is really well done. I also enjoyed that each character had their own unique voice: even without the chapter titles, I would have known who was 'narrating' each section.
All in all this was a fun, lighthearted, read. Very PG.

I absolutely adored this book. I loved getting to know the characters and watching their relationships change and develop throughout the novel. I related to Helena a lot as a type B teacher who tries to do everything as good as possible but inevitably just messes stuff up and is constantly hoping I can charm people into forgiving me. I also liked how we got to read from multiple different characters throughout the story and we didn't listen to the entire story through Helena's perspective. I highly recommend this one!

A unique plot, well developed characters and situations we can all relate to help to make this book an enjoyable read.

This was a solid read, but I've learned after a few "retellings" this year, that this genre just isn't my jam. I think that we are trying to force something that maybe isnt there?

I liked this, the story was cute, the characters were great, the cover is beautiful!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc!! This book was creative writing at its best! It was so funny, delightful, and heartwarming! I cried and laughed as the story of family unfolds. It was fun to read!! I was thoroughly entertained and I enjoyed the multiple POVs. I would recommend this book to others and look forward to reading other works by this author.

This is a great beach read full of many different characters who tell the story from their point of view! Helena’s single mother who raised her is getting married to a widower who has three children. Helena has spent time in the past with her soon to be new family members, and refers to them as “The Perfects” when talking with her best friend Landon. She calls them that because they seem to be the absolutely family. Especially her soon to be step sister Amelia.

Helena is a high school teacher and she decides to bring her very best friend (and fellow teacher) Landon to the wedding week. The wedding week is full of festivities that were planned by Amelia, taking place around the "Perfect's" summer beach house. Upon arriving at the beach house, Landon is faced with a surprise, and that is only the first day of the week leading up to the wedding. As the week continues, there are many twists and turns. This was a funny and entertaining story about two families coming together. If you are looking for a fun read, I highly recommend this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, the author, and the publisher. All opinions and comments are my own.

A lovely, heart-warming story! A really smart, modern twist on a Midsummer Night's Dream. Shakespeare retellings can either be too similar to the original or too outlandish to be considered a retelling, but not this one. I feel like we get all of the elements of Midsummer that we love while still seeing an original story. Each character was nicely fleshed out with a unique voice - I enjoyed the multiple POVs. As things were wrapping up, it was a bit heavier on the cliches, but enjoyable nonetheless. It was super fast-paced for me, so a great quick read! Definitely recommend to women's fic and romance readers!

I've not listened to many romcom books with multiple POVs that worked very well for me, but this one surely did. This was a lovely, heartwarming story that I could hardly put down. I enjoyed the characters and how they changed throughout the book. Be advised that this isn't just about one person's love story, or one couple's story, but about multiple stories, and it all works really well to tell a story about a family coming to understand each other better. The narrator has good voices for each character, and each POV feels unique.


Thank you to #Netgalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, Harper Collins Christian Publishing, and the author, Rachel McGee for this audio ARC of It's All Relative. This is my honest review.

The course of true love never did run smooth. Loosely based on Shakespeare’s 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream,' this story takes place off the coast of Florida, where a blended family gathers for the wedding of their parents, Nora and Steve.

Helena, Nora's daughter, and Amelia, Steve’s daughter, seem to have nothing in common except their connections to Landon—Helena’s best friend and Amelia’s college ex-boyfriend. Helena, harboring a crush on Amelia’s fiancé, brings Landon as her +1, and things get interesting.

Told from multiple perspectives, this book delves into complicated family bonds, friendships, and the challenges of embracing change. The characters are well-developed, the writing is witty, and I found it to be the perfect summer beach read.

I love modern Shakespeare retellings, and AMND is my favourite - I definitely see what was pulled from the play, and it was cute, funny, swoon worthy (at times), and a really good read- but it lacked a bit of whimsy for me.

I loved Helen's character the most, and the epilogue catch-up was just fantastic. I do feel it started off with too many integral characters too soon without time for interest in them to build, but overall, it was a good book.

A quick, fun, easy romance for anyone who likes the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher & Author. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I think this was a 3 star for me. I'm not a fan of love squares and it took a while for ne to get into the story/care about the characters. However, I did get emotional at certain points--especially when Helena was feeling on the outside of the family and even her mom and best friend kind of ganged up on her. But it of course has a happily ever after for everyone, so all's well that ends well

This was equal parts romance, laughter, family and good times along with all the drama that comes with planning and executing a wedding. Ultimately, it was a beautiful story that I wish we got to see more of. I really want to know what happens to two of the characters at the end of the story, whether one of them will make a move to be closer. The humor and the angst and doubt and heartache read so well to me, I was crying and laughing and moving along with the characters. I liked how the chapters moved smoothly, from character to character, and we got to see each character's POV. I liked Helena's energy and how she's able to make the best of tricky situations. Amelia is the same, though she plans for mistakes and for things going wrong more than Helena, and has the same kind of energy. They're both worried about change, though for different reasons and I really liked it when they made up at the end and got closer. I would like to see their relationship further, if the author releases a bonus epilogue!

Overall, I really liked this story and can't wait to buy a copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC!

Loved this! I liked the writing and the plot. I always like adaptations of A Midsummer's Night Dream and this one did not disappoint. The romance was fun and I loved the family interactions!! There were some parts that felt a little slow but I overall liked the pacing.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Helena's mom is getting married, which means Helena is joining a new family, a family she coins "The Perfects". When the wedding date nears, she invites her best friend Landon to join her on the trip to help keep her sane. When they arrive to the island, everyone is surprised to find that Landon actually knows Helena's soon to be stepsister, Amelia. We follow Helena and Amelia as they navigate the new family dynamics with the addition of friends and spouses. They each have their own struggles and try to out do each other, but when things get rocky, they are family, they do pull through. So many funny moments, loved this read!

What a fun read. A romantic comedy that tugs at your heart and makes you realize that family is really all that matters in life even if that family is a blended family. Helena's mother is getting married to the love of her life. No it is not her father whoever that may be. Nora raised Helena as a single mom and she never lacked for anything and always had tons of love. Steve, groom has a son Peter, and two daughters. Amelia is Helena's age and Emory is entering her teenage years. Helena always wanted siblings and is excited to meet them but also a tad bit jealous of all the time and planning Amelia and her mom have shared planning the wedding. Amelia is a control freak who makes lists upon lists and double checks everything with perfection as the goal. Langdon is Helena's best friend and he is coming as her plus one. They tried to have a relationship but it just wasn't in the cards because he still harbors feelings for and ex-girlfriend named Mia. Amelia is engages to Gage who is a hunk of a guy but she really doesn't have much chemistry with him. They are more like friends who are getting married. So that sets the stage for this great story about blending families. There is some drama, laughter, tears but most of all there is love. It is a great light read.
Thanks to #netgalley, #thomasnelsonfiction and @rachelmageeauthor for an ARC of this great read.

I LOVED 'Its All Relative'. It was such a fun read, I enjoyed every minute of it and couldn't set it down. I was obsessed. Its a retelling of A Midsommers Night Dream, and it was such a creative rendition of the classic story. I related so much with Amelia as an oldest child that it was making me physically uncomfortable, and I was crying while reading about Helena and Amelia all throughout it. Loved this story and can't recommend it enough.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction, NetGalley, and Rachel Magee for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I don't feel like this book was the right fit for me. I really wanted to love this modern day retelling of A Midsummer Nights Dream, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. The early introduction of all the characters left me feeling overwhelmed and confused, causing me to double back on myself. I didn't connect with most of the characters, although I did like Peter, and I found certain parts to be too cheesy. While I believe some readers may enjoy this summer read, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

★½ ROUNDED UP ⬆️⭐️
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I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Rachel Magee for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received the ebook and audio so I frequently “read along” with the audio which I enjoyed. I wish this had multiple narrators since the book was told in 4 characters perspectives and really only had 7 reoccurring characters throughout the book but I appreciate the narrator trying to differentiate the voices.

The book itself had some interesting aspects and storylines but I cannot get over the simplicity of the ending. I don’t want to spoil it but, in what reality would anyone just switch and carry on?!

I did enjoy the fact that both female characters had some personal reservations about their families merging and appreciated how they eventually addressed it maturely after avoiding it for the first 3/4 of the book.

Overall, it was enjoyable but obvious from the start what was going to happen and I feel like there could have been more conflict before the resolution.

It's relatively hard to enjoy a book when you don't like the characters... and it's such a shame, too.

Landon and Helena are best friends. Landon is also the ex-boyfriend of Mia. Mia is engaged to Gage (just realizing how weird that sounds 😅). Helena has a crush on Gage. Helena's mother is also marrying Mia's father. So yeah, the title really fits 💯😂
We get all 4 POVs of Helena, Mia, Landon, and Gage during a week-long stay on an island for the wedding of Mia's father and Helena's mother. So far so good, but with Helena ALWAYS being late, ALWAYS being clumsy, Mia ALWAYS making lists, not having fun, Gage not having a personality, I only liked Landon - a sad, cute coach always putting other people first. I also really liked Peter, he made me laugh in this anger provoking book.

The first half of the book was simply too much of the same stuff happening over and over again, and I just wanted to scream at them all, but mostly at Helena, because who honestly believes that other people are perfect? And why would you make a TikTok video when doing the dishes? Especially when you are apparently working hard to "fit" into the new family? Helena was acting like the 12-year-old in the story. The ending felt rushed and was actually the part that I came for and enjoyed, but too little too late.

Overall, this simply was not my story, with the focus on the wrong things with the wrong characters for my liking. A book full of Peter and Landon would have fit more into my jam.

I did really appreciate that Helena and Mia always seemed cool and collected in the POV's of the other's while they were freaking out on the inside in their own POV's. It just shows that the appearance of a person does not always resemble the truth. And other people might view you differently from the outside.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and Rachel Magee for the arc. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.