It’s All Relative by Rachel Magee is a delightful and charming rom-com that takes Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and gives it a modern twist, exploring love, family dynamics, and the chaos that often comes with blending them. The story follows Helena, a free-spirited 27-year-old, and Amelia, her uptight and meticulously planned stepsister-to-be, as they navigate the whirlwind of their parents' upcoming wedding.

Helena, who's dreading the wedding and the impending merger of their two very different worlds, is thrown into the mix with her perfect new family, including Amelia, who's been the picture of perfection. The tension is palpable, especially when the situation is complicated further by Helena's severe shellfish allergy, her brother's rebellious antics, and the unexpected reappearance of Amelia's ex, Landon, who just so happens to be Helena's emotional support date. As the wedding festivities unfold, both women are forced to confront their preconceived notions about family, love, and the role they each play in the chaos.

Magee brilliantly captures the essence of the modern family, filled with imperfections, surprises, and second chances. With witty dialogue, well-developed characters, and plenty of heart, It’s All Relative will have readers laughing, swooning, and reflecting on what truly makes a family. For fans of Jenny Proctor and Courtney Walsh, this lighthearted romantic comedy is a perfect escape into a world of love, mishaps, and the realization that sometimes, the best relationships are the ones we build ourselves.

A sweet, funny, and heartwarming read, It’s All Relative is the perfect romantic escape for anyone who loves a good family story filled with humor, love, and the promise of second chances.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook!

A cute fluffy story loosely based on a midsummer nights dream so some chaos and mishaps involved. Enjoyed the story on my commute.
Half star off because the same narrator for four characters meant I mixed up who's pov it was sometimes

The different perspectives got confusing because it was the same narrator and same tone the whole time.
The book really started to drag on with nothing happening. It was a DNF @25% for me.

A retelling of the classic MidSummers Night dream in a modern way. "It's All Relative" is a story of family at the heart of it all. Strong leading characters, comical sub characters and a family of chaos all around! Add in a wedding and it's a recipe for a great story! Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel + Thomas Nelson for the audiobook!

What to Expect:
⭐ Complicated family bonds
⭐ Power of friendship and love
⭐ Embracing Change
⭐ Self discovery
⭐ At the core a story of blending families

My Thoughts:
I truly loved this story! It was witty, had laugh out loud moments and the twist in the story had me laughing even more. I will say Helena (Main Character) at first does seem like she is living on the outside of her family life. With her mom moving on she seems like the bratty daughter who doesn't like any of the men her mom is dating. The one you want to shake and say get over it! There are moments at the start that do make you relate with her... I mean whole family matching outfits is a bit cringe. LOL

That said as she allows herself the time to connect with her mom and eventually the family she is becoming a part of it's a heartwarming story of family love, trust and honesty.

My favorite scenes were finding out Landon (Main Character) is Mias ex boyfriend when they arrive to the house is hysterical. You don't see it coming! With Peter bringing the comedic relief to situations like Helena being late all the time or just missing! The scene with the dresses! I loved the coming together and bonding the sisters finally get to. And yes there is romance tied in but it's a sub layer to the story. It's what you find in the middle as the story of the family unfolds. I enjoyed it wasn't the center of it all.

One final note I did see a lot of DNF reviews from readers. I actually had this as an audiobook. I truly enjoyed the telling of the story Tanay Eby (Narrator) does an incredible job of really putting you in the scenes. You feel the awkward, the sad, the discomfort, the rawness of a lot of the emotions. I had a fully different experience with this story via audiobook than I think I would have had as a text read. I was definitely crying in a few scenes!

Synopsis:
Helena Crosby is on her way to be a bridesmaid... in her mom's wedding.

Of course she's thrilled for her mom--the man she's marrying is great--but this family wedding is complicated. For starters, after twenty-eight years of it just being her and her mom, navigating family dynamics isn't exactly her strong suit, especially when she has nothing in common with said family. Take her soon-to-be stepsister, for example. They might be the same age, but Amelia is an always-put-together, successful architect whose hobby is organizing her pantry while Helena favors the messy bun and has decided meal prepping means scarfing down whatever she gets out of the vending machine while writing up lesson plans before class. And as if things weren't challenging enough, Helena managed to develop a monster crush on Amelia's fiancé. Now, on top of figuring out how to claim a spot in this family, she has to will herself to not be attracted to the most attractive man she's ever met. So, yeah. This week of wedding festivities at her new family's beach house should be super fun.

Amelia Maddox has everything under control.

Or at least she did until this whole wedding thing came up. She's happy her dad is dating again, but getting married? So soon? It's only been three years since her mom died, and Amelia has worked too hard to hold her family together to let it fall apart now. And then Helena shows up with him. What are the odds that the stepsister she barely knows happens to be best friends with her ex? But Landon is part of her past--which is absolutely behind her--and now she has to stay focused on the future. The bright, shiny, expertly planned future.

Of course, life has a habit of not going according to plan.

It's All Relative by Rachel Magee is a charming, chaotic modern retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Helena and Amelia's clashing personalities and romantic entanglements create a whirlwind of family drama and humour. With witty characters and a fun beach house setting, it’s a delightful rom-com about love, family, and second chances.

It’s All Relative by Rachel Magee is such a fun, modern take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I loved how it captured the chaos and hilarity of those families that seem so perfect on the outside but are a total mess behind the scenes. It’s funny, smart, and full of heart, with just enough nods to Shakespeare to make it feel clever without overdoing it.

The mix of miscommunication, family drama, and romance kept me hooked, and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. If you’re into rom-coms or family stories with a twist, this one’s definitely worth a read!
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the audiobook to listen to and review.

Rachel Magee's It's All Relative is a delightful modern retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, set against the backdrop of a family wedding at a beach house. The story follows Helena, who brings her best friend Landon as her plus-one to her mother's wedding, only to discover that her soon-to-be stepsister, Amelia, is Landon's college ex. As the week unfolds, romantic entanglements and family dynamics become increasingly complex, leading to humorous and heartwarming moments. Magee masterfully balances multiple perspectives, creating a charming rom-com that explores themes of love, family, and second chances.

It’s All Relative by Rachel Magee is a fun rom-com!

If you like books with family drama, lovable characters, and witty banter - this may be the book for you.

This story has great depth, but is still an easy, and quick read.

I’m a sucker for modern Shakespeare retellings, and this one hits the spot.

Helena is dreading her mom’s wedding. Not because she doesn’t approve of it or anything. It’s mainly because her soon-to-be step-sister, Amelia, is her exact opposite. While Helena is messy and late all the time, Amelia has all her ducks in a row and an amazingly gorgeous and dreamy fiance. Helena just feels inadequate around her, so that’s why she brings her friend, Landon, to help keep her on track to hopefully fit in with this new family. What no one realizes til it’s too late is that Landon is Amelia’s ex-boyfriend from college. Landon has never managed to get over Amelia, but she’s engaged now. Besides, Landon is only here to support Helena. Of course, not everything will go to plan.

This was a super fun read that I managed to fly through within a day. I’m a little rusty on A Midsummer’s Night Dream, but reading this helped me remember the original story and admire the way the author cleverly retold such a fantastical story in a modern setting. The antics the family got up to in the days leading up to the wedding were hilarious. There was no lull in the action here that made me even want to put the book down.

My only cons were that the characters forget their original goals basically immediately. Landon rarely spent time with Helena and Helena didn’t try to get her act together till nearly the end of the novel. I think a little more set up would have made the emotions much stronger down the road.

Overall, though, I definitely recommend this book to others. It’s a great specifically for the summer just because of its gorgeous setting, but is a good read for any time of the year.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced preview audio book. I just love getting advance copies! This one lives up to the hype!

This review is based on an audiobook edition obtained via NetGalley.

I don't know if the narrator or the author is to blame, but I didn't enjoy this one that much. I did persevere and finish it, but I can't tell you how many times I fell asleep while trying to do so.

I had two main issues with this audiobook. Firstly, the characters were basically indistinguishable from each other most of the time. The narrator did very little vocally to differentiate characters, apart from their gender. There were times where I had to rewind to the start of a chapter to check who's POV we were currently following, because I couldn't tell. As I've said many times before, I love a book that swaps between character POVs, but here it was a detriment for the majority of the runtime.

The second issue I had was just some blatant flubs in the narration. One hilarious one that I noted while listening was "She nippled her lip", which I think was supposed to be "nibbled". Either that and the narration is bad, or the author lost their mind.

I probably would have enjoyed the story a lot more if I was more familiar with "A Midsummer Night's Dream", which I'm only somewhat aware of, but that obviously shouldn't be a prerequisite.

"It's All Relative" tells the story of two families blending into one, but it's told from the perspective of the two eldest daughters from each side of the new family.

Helena is the bride's only child and practically her only family up until recently. And Helena struggles a bit with feeling replaced by the groom's side of the family, who all seem to have their lives together in ways Helena can only dream of.

Amelia is the groom's oldest daughter, and the one who held the family together after her mother's death. But she's been so afraid of things that don't go according to plan that Helena's whirlwind, devil-may-care attitude has Amelia tied up in knots.

It doesn't help that Helena's plus one to the wedding turns out to be Amelia's first love, the one who got away. Or that Helena's crushing on Amelia's fiancé, Gage.

As everyone tries to navigate their way through intense feelings and personality clashes during the lead-up to the wedding, it's anyone's guess as to how things will turn out.

I found Rachel Magee's retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream to be entertaining and enjoyable, if a little chaotic at times.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

*It's All Relative* by Rachel Magee is a delightful exploration of family dynamics and the complexities of relationships. With a sharp wit and relatable characters, Magee deftly navigates the tumultuous waters of love, loyalty, and the inevitable clash of personalities that can arise within families. The story is both humorous and heartfelt, capturing the essence of what it means to belong while also challenging the conventions of traditional family ties. Magee’s engaging writing style keeps readers invested, making it a captivating read that highlights the beautiful messiness of human connections. A perfect choice for anyone looking for a heartfelt story that balances laughter with poignant moments.

I wanted more family drama from It’s All Relative! This is the perfect set up for all the family drama.

That said, this is a Midsummer Nights Dream retelling - which is my favorite Shakespeare play and 100 percent why I picked this book up in the first place. You can feel the ode to Shakespeare in the four grown kids that the book focuses on - Helena, Amelia, Landon and Gage. There’s even a nod to Titania, Queen of the Fairies from the play in Aunt Robyn’s cockatoo.

However, this is marketed as contemporary women’s fiction and I found myself thinking this is more New-Adult fiction, as most of the characters are just starting out and it doesn’t have those hard hitting topics that I think of that would traditionally mark a book as “women’s fiction.”

Overall, this was a pleasurable read and I’m glad I listened to the audiobook; Tanya Eby did a great job with the different POVs.

I hope more authors take note and try more Midsummer Nights Dream retellings!

I haven’t read mid nights summer dream since high school so it was nice to read a retelling of it. It was a quick listen. And the narrators were really good!

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me a copy to review.

This was a solid 3 for me. I didn't love or hate it. I was a little bored in the middle so it took me a while to finish it.

Sorry, this one wasn't for me. It was a bit too silly from the start, so I didn't get very far into it.

Meh, this one was okay. It felt like the female main character had some self esteem issues that she really needed to work through on her own. The romance was cute but not enough for me to really get into the story like I wanted to.

Loved this book. Great setting. Great characters. Loved the story and the narrator was great. So relatable and easy to read.

This was such a cute book. You have the perfect family, the perfect best friend, and the perfect klutzy free spirit all brought together in a modern retelling of MidSummer’s Night Dream. Every single character was easy to like, even when being painted as the villain by whichever narrator was speaking. I listened to the audio version and the narration was excellent. If you’re looking for a fun, light romantic comedy, this book is for you!