I really enjoyed this enemies-to-lovers historical romance. I liked that the main character stood up for herself and fought for what she wanted, and was also a good sister and friend. The romance was sweet, and the obstacles they had to overcome kept things interesting. Overall, this book just made me happy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

Overdramatic and silly are the best I can come up with after finishing. I didn't feel chemistry between the main characters at all and it felt completely spoon fed.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Premise was great, cover is cute, but this was a bit of a mess!

There were inconsistencies in the story and it was pretty much all over the place. I just got lost amongst the several characters and storylines. In fact, there are so many characters I thought for sure this book was one in a series and that perhaps I had missed previous books in a series.

Cute enemies to lovers in the vein of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Not my favorite but a quick read that fans of the genre will enjoy..

wonderful characters in this witty fast paced historical romance with a fun story. a must read. lots of twists and turns making this a real page turner.

This book was great but then fell flat for me. I couldn’t finish it. I read about 80 percent and was done trying.

Much Ado About Margaret is a historical romance that had nice bookish vibes and a whole lot of family issues and an enemies-to-lovers theme.. Margaret is a writer while Bridger is the publisher that is meant to publish her book. Bridger decides based on the first chapter not to publish but when he gets an unexpected second chance to read more changes his mind. I thought the enemies to friends to lovers was handled well, and the family issues added an interesting perspective to the story if a few too many bumps. Overall this is a good historical romance that readers of retellings and regency romance will probably like.

I would give this 3.5/⭐️ but I read this at the WORST time for me...directly after my Bridgerton binge. When I received the ARC I was thrilled but of course, I couldn't get Collin or the Viscount out of my head, so I tainted this lovely book. Upon another read, I do like it, especially with the back and forth with the publishing of Margaret's work and the vying for her words. Maybe it's the period of regency era pieces knocking it out of the park lately, but I feel like regency era books are falling flat. BUT as I always say, it was still a good read and I would recommend...just not after you finish Bridgerton. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved the Much Ado About Nothing of it all, and that it's set up as a parallel that then because actively acknowledged by the characters, so you're not left just re-creating the plot point for point. I enjoyed our female heroine and her sisters, and her friendships. The mechanism by which they're set up as enemies doesn't work for me if I get it any thought at all, because it's not developed/resolved enough (he ... hates women? Or did? Or at least went along with it in a way that's only redeemed because he says it is?), but I just ignored that part and enjoyed the rest as a regency romp. The second half had some plot and pacing challenges, but I still had a good time.

London - 1817

While Margaret (Maggie) Arden’s mother wants a wealthy husband for her, she just wants to be a known author. At the age of 22, she has written 3 novels. Her sisters, Violet and Winny, are supporting her to try and convince an editor, Mr. Bridger Darrow, to accept and publish her book. Maggie has already submitted it to him once but heard nothing back. Therefore, at a soiree she knows he will be attending, she secrets the book close to her hoping to approach him and ask him to read it. When she does, he remembers that he read a few pages and put it aside and slams her work.

Darrow’s home is Fletcher Estate and his father’s mental health is dissipating. Darrow’s brother, Pimm, drinks and gambles too much and is wasting the family money. Therefore, Darrow heads to his friend’s wedding as he knows Pimm will be there and try to talk some sense into him. As it turns out, Maggie and her sisters will also be there. Maggie has her book with her but an open window and a draft sends many of the pages flying out the window as people try to grab them out of trees and shrubs.

Oh my. I was really expecting a better story but at times, this book didn’t make sense. One thing that makes me roll my eyes are books that are peppered with Shakespeare quotes. It comes across as rather pretentious. Sorry. This book was just not for me.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Pride and Prejudice-esque enemies to lovers vibe had me rooting for Bridger and Maggie from the start. Yes, men were sexist in this time period and did not appreciate the talents and abilities of women. Even many women thought it was rogue and imposing for other women to be working and writing things that they might have no business knowing about. If it had been written differently, it just wouldn't have been accurate. Fortunately people change. The other characters and events begin to unfold and sometimes turns were taken that were kind of strange. I do think the love scenes were very "modern," which might be your thing as a reader, but not typical of good old-fashioned Austen-like regency romances if that's what you thought you were getting into. Just an observation.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dell Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

I've mixed feelings about this book. I liked the story in general and the writing was mostly good. A couple times there were phrases where I was not sure that they were era appropriate but they might have been. I don't know. But the usage took me out of the story even if they were. That was just a couple times.
The relationship between Maggie and Bridger seemed to turn on a dime. Their first kiss seemed to come out of the blue. I hadn't really thought the relationship had developed that much. So imagine my surprise when they were suddenly having sex. I didn't realize this book would have sex in it. I really have no desire to read about other people's sex lives and even detailed kissing scenes bore me quickly so I ended up skipping ahead during those parts. Therefore, I can't really say how detailed they were.
There were nine instances of language I believe, seven of which were Deity and one was an f-bomb that seemed to come out of nowhere.
I think my favorite relationships were between Maggie and her sisters, and Maggie and Ann. And I enjoyed Lane. I'm not sure I ever really grew to love Bridger all that much. He was difficult. But he ended up doing well by Maggie so I liked how that ended.

Potential trigger: abuse by parent
Sex: yes - 2 scenes
Language: yes - deity & F-bomb
Violence: yes - fist fights and gun shot

What a love story! So much emotion is present, and the characters are deeply developed. Flaws are exposed and eventually understood which only makes the story richer. The relationship between parents and children is a strong part of the story, as well as trials between siblings. There is so much depth of feeling in this story which made it an enjoyable read.

The sweetest regency-era romance that will give you all the Bridgerton/Pride & Prejudice vibes! Margaret is an aspiring writer in a time where women's ambitions were not taken seriously and her biggest responsibility is to get married. Mr. Darrow is a Mr. Darcy type character that seems to be a jerk at first but eventually you are rooting for their happily ever after. I loved the banter between Margaret & Mr. Darrow & the mystery elements of the book kept it interesting. 3.5 stars!

Loads of vibes and hijinks, not so much romance.

- Loosely inspired by Much Ado About Nothing.
- Female main character is an aspiring author whose money-conscious aunts pressure her to give up her dreams and marry rich, lest her mother and younger sisters be left penniless.
- Male main character is a publisher (and ex-soldier with PTSD) trying to balance his work and his obligations to his dying (and abusive) father and problematic brother.

There is a LOT going on in this story, tons of subplots and secondary characters, and I found it entertaining but at times confusing. Although both main characters have difficult histories, this is mostly glossed over, and even in the central plotline the tough moments are skipped past quickly. A light, fun read.

Margaret is a writer who is trying to help her family. Her aunt opposes her efforts and then the odious publisher, Bridger turns her down without really reading the manuscript. When he reconsiders, the story gets really going with the two of them dealing with their own families, issues and their distrusts. A fast paced story with fun moments and fully engaging. This author has such creativity and depth for her characters. Lovely read.

I'm such a sucker for historical romances and this one did not disappoint. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Much Ado About Margaret is a regency romance which follows writer Margaret Arden, whose fateful encounter with publishing partner Bridger Dryden changes the course of both their lives.

A thing that I think is remarkably difficult to execute well in a Regency romance is crafting a male lead who feels truthful to the conventions of the era but doesn't come off like the founding member of the He Man Woman Haters Club. Unfortunately, Bridger Dryden did not successfully hold this line for me. By the end, I didn't hate his guts, but it's hard to root for an enemies-to-lovers plot where the reason they're enemies is blatant misogyny.

Beyond that, the pacing of this novel just felt a bit unbalanced for me. The side characters didn't have quite the room to grow as much as I would have liked, and some of the plot points felt a bit hurried. That said, I do think the book overall was relatively easy to sink into, striking a solid balance of Regency era vibes without feeling overbearing or lethargic. I definitely did enjoy my time reading it! I would have just liked a bit more polish to the final story and our leading man.

Thank you to Random House-Ballantine for my advance electronic copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

Margaret--Maggie--is trapped between her love of writing and her need, as the oldest of a family of sisters in Regency England, to marry well to save her family from genteel poverty. Clueless about society's workings--sometimes willfully so--Maggie tries to pursue both while desperately trying to win the love of her unhappy aunts (on whom her family depends financially). It isn't until her cousin's country wedding event of the season that it all comes to a head: the brooding, mercurial editor who rejected her novel seems to be changing his tune about her work (and about her), a scandal erupts around her beloved cousin and his new bride, and violence ensues, making her finally choose between her duty and her dream.

In the true spirit of a Shakespearean comedy, there is joy and there is light and there is also darkness. I wouldn't call this a "retelling" so much as I would say it took inspiration for some key plot points from Much Ado about Nothing. It considers important themes of that era as well as some of today. It was hard to be a woman writer in Regency England (really, it's been hard to be a woman writer for most of history, I think). I like that a love of reading permeated the book and the characters, and that we see several ways in which strained familial relationships can be damaging to all those involved. Plus, there is the open-door romance! In the end, I appreciated that it's about being who you are and being loved for it, even within the realities of the day. I see the possibility of sequels in the works for the sisters and cousins, maybe?

Content warning: dementia, PTSD and mental health, physical and emotional abuse, death of a loved one, violence

Notes to publisher:
Some plot elements didn’t show up in the eARC that I assume will appear in the final version (e.g. a conversation between Lane and Ann about the passionate embrace, but no such conversation or even an opportunity for one took place, as he was refused admittance to her room. There was no way Ann could have known it even happened, as Lane, Maggie, and Bridger were the first ones there).
Also, Bridger Fanny seems to fess up to the mystery woman being her, but then that isn't actually true--maybe I read it wrong, but I was very confused for a while.

Happy pub Day to Much ado about Margaret by Madeleine Roux. This was a fun historical romp loosely based on (surprise!) Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. It wasn’t a straight retelling which kept me on my toes and left room for new characters and different plot lines.
I love a good enemies to lovers storyline! Margaret (Maggie), an aspiring writer, submits her novel for publishing to Dockarty & Co and it is swiftly rejected. (Did they even read it?!) Fast forward to a house party where Maggie realizes one Mr. Bridger Darrow of Dockarty & Co is in attendance. She boldly introduces herself with the hope of giving him her book again but he resoundingly shuts her down. Oof!
From there we dove into lots of shenanigans a la Shakespeare – a good-for-nothing brother, mistaken identity, feigned illness – all while Maggie and Bridger overcame their hatred for eachother and played Sherlock Holmes.
I really liked these main characters – Maggie was plucky, independent, and talented. She was between a rock and hard place – wanting to pursue a career as a novelist but also being expected to make a successful match as the oldest daughter from a poor, fatherless family. It took me a little longer to warm up to Bridger but by the end, I was all in. Lots of great side characters too which is super important to me – they added depth to the novel. Maggie’s sisters Violet and Winny were great comic relief. (I would gladly read ‘their’ books if this ends up being a series.)
Pacing-wise, it was a lovely slow burn. Things kicked into high gear though at two thirds and got steamy which in all honesty, given the pace up until that point, felt a little fast and forced? They went from misunderstanding each other at dinner to the vicar’s spare bedroom within 2 hours. But with that said, they had experienced a traumatic experience together which is often the catalyst for ‘reckless’ behavior <wink wink>. (I say ‘reckless’ because does no one think about how babies are made?!)
Evil Aunt Burton was really terrible. I felt for Maggie – I can only imagine how impossible it was to be a woman living in 1817 with the dream of independence (and little to no agency!) when you were living under the thumb of your horrid Aunt and feeling the responsibility of your sisters and mother.
I was frustrated in the third act but understand why it went that way. The reunion was perfect though – romantic and heartfelt, some groveling and a lovely grand gesture. (You know I love a grand gesture!). The actions Bridger took to prove his love and devotion to Maggie were swoony.
I especially loved the ending. Just two people making their way...
Four stars!