Not at all what I was expecting when I picked this book up. A fantastically modern take on Shakespeare’s classic Much Ado about Nothing. I loved the creative liberties the author took while still maintaining classic connections to the story. This was a quick, beautifully written book with great character relationships, comedy and romance.

A well written modern take on Shakespeare’s Much ado about nothing . A small town no nonsense professor in astronomy Prof Bea Hayes returns to take up her position and is all set for tenure at the university where first she studied . Ben the University resident librarian for the faculty has always been her nemesis and who she had a major crush for when they first studied together in their youth.
Bea’s young cousin Heron is a student in her senior year and engaged to Charlie who she plans to marry at her family’s winery later in the year but Bea has her reservations about the couples relationship. An easy read some great and not so great characters full of life’s twists and turns a few real laugh out loud moments as well as well some heart felt moments in some very difficult situations when a scandal ensues.A lovely take about life’s quirks and family bonds shows that love will out in the end . Easy and most lighthearted read very enjoyable read . 4/5

I really enjoyed this book ! As a somewhat Shakespeare nerd, I was excited to read a book that was inspired by Much Ado About Nothing, and while the book isn’t an exact copy, I found myself enjoying the way in which the author made connections between the two, whilst still maintaining an original story. I typically tend to stay away from closed door romances, but I found that this was actually a nice aspect of the book so as to not over-saturate the plot with heaps of smut. The main character of Bea was very likeable and I found myself rooting for her character growth as much as her happily ever after. I would most definitely read more from this author!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book and think you will to.

"How to Align the Stars" is not just a romantic comedy; it's a celebration of female empowerment, family bonds, and the courage to embrace change. Dressler's modern twist on Shakespeare's classic play is both refreshing and brilliant, appealing to a new generation of readers. The novel's exploration of love, career, and the complexities of personal choices resonates deeply, making it a standout debut.

I truly loved this book and couldn't put it down. An adaptation of my favorite Shakespeare play could have gone very well or very badly, and fortunately this one nailed it.

I received this book as an ARC and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is a dual perspective romance novel that follows cousins, Bea and Heron. Bea is up for tenure and has put a lot of focus into her career forgoing potential relationships but finds herself playing with the idea of a relationship with an old crush. Her cousin Heron is in her senior year at the same university her cousin teaches at. She is a romantic and becomes engaged to her college boyfriend without much thought to her future outside of her relationship. This novel puts both of them into situations that test them and encourages growth as well as perspective changes.

I really enjoyed this debut novel, it was fun, cute and captivating.

How to Align the Stars is a beautifully written debut novel by Amy Dressler. With Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing as a springboard, this newly imagined modern day version is the story of college professor Dr. Beatrice Hayes, who is set for tenure, and her senior student cousin Heron Hunter. Sixteen years Heron’s elder, Beatrice has cared for the young woman first as a babysitter, then helped when her mother left, and now she keeps an eye on her at the college. The two cousins travel to Heron’s home outside of town for Sunday dinners and Bea feels close to her Uncle Len and his new wife, Toni.

Soon after Beatrice completed her PhD program in astronomy she was offered her position at her Alma mater, Merriman College. It wasn’t long until her college nemesis, Ben Addison, joined the faculty in the library running a specialized department. Since the totally humiliating experience Bea had in her senior year, she can barely tolerate being in the same room as Ben. However, her cousin Heron has stars in her eyes as a newly engaged lady and is sure that Bea protests too much. This leads to Heron and her fiancé Charlie playing matchmaker.

This is an impressive first novel with an intricate plot and well constructed characters. The story explores topics such as alienation, desertion, body image, self preservation, and new beginnings. I very much enjoyed this book and I am pleased to recommend it.

One of my favourite dynamics is Beatrice and Benedict from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. There’s something so compelling and downright fun to watch unresolved sexual tension played out in in witty, rapid-fire barbs between two people so clearly attracted to each other but rub each other up the wrong way.

How to Align the Stars is Amy Dressler’s debut, set in a Washington college town. Bea is an astronomy academic waiting for a tenure position. Fiercely independent and in her late 30s, she’s dismayed to discover Ben is also working at the uni as book restorer and special librarian. Bea is still holding a grudge from their uni days after plus size Bea was fat shamed by his fraternity. Bea is also dismayed to learn her younger cousin Heron is getting engaged to her uni boyfriend who is from a rich background. To get Bea off her back Heron schemes with their friends to matchmake Bea and Ben.

I devoured this book, from its strong plot and character development, to the banter (though once they got together it was sort of fell by the wayside a bit), I couldn’t put this book down. I think the biggest surprise for me was how much I enjoyed Heron’s growth. In the earlier part of the book I was less interested in Heron, but as the story developed I was cheering her on and loved where she ended up.

I can’t wait to read what Amy Dressler writers next!
 
Thanks to Egret Lake Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGally and Egret Lake books for the advanced copy of this title.
This is a debut novel for Amy Dressler and is based on the Shakespearean story of 'Much Ado About Nothing.'
Themes include: Plus Sized MFC, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, cat lady vibes, and closed door romance

This novel is told from a dual POV from two cousins with a wide age gap. Heron is a near graduate college student planning her future life with her fiance. Determined to prove to everyone they are meant to be, she becomes a doormat to his wants and needs.
Bea is a headstrong professor at the university that Heron is attending. Fiercely independent, she is content in the life she has built for herself and her cat.
Our MMC, Ben, is Bea's co-professor and past crush turned nemesis. The two of them go head to head with scathing remarks and witty banter. You can feel the sexual tension brewing through their disdain.

Both MFC's are challenged to escape the cages they have put themselves in. When the future they envisioned for themselves gets turned upside down, they start to realize their passions and their strengths. They start living for themselves and not the ideals of the world surrounding them. In a lot of ways they switch roles, Heron discovering she can headstrong and be on her own, while Bea realizes there is a different kind of strength in leaning on others.

The pacing of this book was a little slow and the ending felt anti-climatic.

Thank you NetGalley, Egret Lake Books and Amy Dressler for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️
Bea is a professor working towards tenure at the college she attended. Ben is a librarian at the college and former acquaintance/crush of Bea’s. Bea believes Ben did something hurtful when they were students together and has never forgiven him for it.

Heron is Bea’s cousin and attending the college she teaches at with her boyfriend, Charlie.

When Bea is too interested in Herons budding relationship, Heron finds a way to spark romance between Bea and Ben.

When scandal hits campus, Bea and Heron both face loss and heartbreak for different reasons.

The story was interesting. I’m not a Shakespeare buff so I cannot speak to the retelling of Much Ado About Nothing other than the quick Wikipedia research I did. I didn’t connect with the characters a lot, I wanted things to play out how they did in the end but didn’t feel passionate about them.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

This was so well-written for a debut - I fully enjoyed this Shakespeare retelling, though if that hadn't been advertised on the cover, I probably never would've realized! I found Bea to be a great romance character to follow - she's logical and a bit prickly, and also has very good reason to hold a grudge against our MMC, Ben. Heron on the other hand...was a bit frustrating, I think, at the start. We were seeing her through Bea's ideas, in fairness, and I fully understood her perspective of annoyance at everyone asking her if marriage was the right choice (and certainly am biased to agree that college was young for marriage.) Ultimately, Heron and I got off on the wrong foot from the start, when her internal POV monologue was about staying quiet and supportive of her boyfriend so that "he could see" that she would make for a great lawyer wife. Ugh. I think there were a lot of other internal monologue reasons that would've been more compelling for her to stay with her boyfriend, that would've also been more realistic. Ultimately, I do feel like both of our women came off relatively realistic and placed in the contemporary age, despite being plays on age-old Shakespeare characters - and the STEMinist romance that this book is marketed as felt true to its word. There was a decent amount of conversation around tenure and achieving tenure, in ways that felt realistic to an academia setting that was enjoyable.

How to Align the Stars by Amy Dressler is a refreshing twist on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, set against the backdrop of a quaint college town. Beatrice, an astronomy professor, is brilliantly juxtaposed with her whimsical cousin, Heron, weaving a tale of love, doubt, and self-discovery. Dressler’s writing is both smart and laugh-out-loud funny, particularly in the verbal sparring between Beatrice and Ben, the librarian she loves to hate. What I truly enjoyed about this book was its heart and humor; it’s a celebration of how opposites can indeed attract and the unexpected ways life can surprise us.

Ever wondered what happens when a star-gazing prof falls for the campus librarian she can’t stand? 🌟 Meet Beatrice – she’s all logic, no love. But her cousin’s wild heart and a cheeky wedding plan are about to shake up her universe! 'ow to Align the Stars turned my beach day into a binge-reading session. Amy Dressler packs a hilarious punch with dialogues that zing and a story that wraps you up like a warm summer night. If you’re looking for laughs, love, and a few lessons in astronomy, this book’s got your name on it. Seriously, grab this gem and thank me later! 😜📚💖

I think this book was going in too many directions for me to grasp what was happening. I didn't like the style of storytelling, but I love this cover and concept. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I liked the premise of HOW TO ALIGN THE STARS; however, when it came to reading it, I found myself having a hard time caring about the characters and was hoping for more depth and chemistry particularly between Bea and Ben.. It didn't feel as much as a romance as it did more of a coming-of-age story for one of the main characters, Heron. Even though it wasn't my cup of tea, I can see others (especially around college-age) enjoying this new adult story..

Thank you to Egret Lake Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun read-loosely based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. We follow the lives of cousins, Bea and Heron. Bea is a college professor, on track to get tenure and in her late thirties. She doesn't believe in love for herself and she especially doesn't believe in love with her old crush Ben, who happens to get a job as the librarian at the college she is teaching at. Heron is in her early twenties and is in her senior year of college. She is wholeheartedly in love with her boyfriend Charlie and does everything she can to make him feel supported, sometimes to the detriment of herself.

I love how this story addressed Heron’s struggle with anxiety and how she learned to be happy with her own company rather than relying on Charlie’s. Her journey was oh so satisfying!! Bea’s story was completely different. Bea learns how to open up her heart and share her life with another, not because she needs to but because she wants to. And dear sweet Ben was absolutely the guy to do that.

It seems like more of the storyline was devoted to Heron’s storyline but I was actually totally fine with that. I enjoyed the hell out of Heron and her journey of self worth. I would have loved more of Bea and Ben but, their ending? *Chef’s Kiss* I loved it!

Thank you to Egret Lake Books for practicing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

im usually a sucker for modern day retellings so i thought this book would be right up my street but unfortunately it just didn’t hit the mark for me.

i didn’t find myself caring about any of the characters so anything they did or the relationships they were building fell short for me and ultimately i just didn’t care about who ended up with who because there wasn’t a lot of chemistry on page.

the dialogue was very robotic and just didn’t flow naturally like an actual conversation should. the writing was disjointed at times and i think the book could have been cut down by 80/100 pages because it was just full of unnecessary backstory and lore about situations that didn’t really add to the plot of the story.

the only reason i didn’t dnf was because i hated charlie so much that i just wanted to see his downfall

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this arc