This was my first Rachel Magee book and it will not be my last. From the first time we meet each character to the way each story line is wrapped up, I loved every moment.
We first meet Helena & her teacher best friend Landon as Helena prepares to spend her mother’s wedding weekend with ‘The Perfects’ on a remote Florida island. Helena ropes Landon into joining her for moral support but when they arrive to The Maddox home in Florida, Landon quickly finds out the biggest surprise of the weekend may be his own.
Enter Helena’s soon to be step-sister and Landon’s “one that got away”.
I went into this read somewhat blind which had been my favourite way to read Advanced Reader Copies as of late and it was one wonderful surprise after another.
This storyline has 4 points of view & each one adds value and perspective to the storyline of 4 individuals to who together and find the pieces of themselves that they once thought lost.
It’s a 10/10 and now I can’t wait to read more from Rachel.
Disclaimer: I received both the Advanced Reader and Listener copies from Netgalley. I both listened and real the book and found myself preferring to read the book and develop the sound of each character in my own mind.
All thoughts and expressions in this review are my own.
Thank you to Netgalley and TNZ Fiction for the opportunity.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio arc for this one! It is the modern retelling of Midsummer Night's Dream. It is a very predictable RomCom but in a good way. I enjoyed the characters -- except for Helena at times and the bird. I thought the narrator did a great job. This would make a great beach read. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys RomComs.

Many thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and the author, for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A modern Shakespearean comedy retelling!! The story starts with a wedding! does it though? maybe!

Anyways we have Helena whose mom Nora is getting married to the love of her life Steve who is widower with 3 kids (2 adults - Amelia and Peter and an almost teenager Emery) aka the perfects as dubbed by Helena. Amelia is engaged to Gage and has a picture perfect life with vice like control over everything, while Helena is exact opposite with everything messy and a little late. Helena begs Landon her best friend to go with her for the wedding as a buffer from the perfects, little did she know, Landon's Mia, his perfect ex to whose measure no one has reached is no one other than her almost step sister Amelia perfect. What ensues is as you can expect, drama that starts off as a spark and leads to an explosion to a happy ending.

The Shakespearean nuances of Midsummer's Night Dream was well played and the story flowed really well. The narrator's did a great job ensuring the same and adding their own flair to the story. It was a bit hard to get into with Helena being a little irritating (very understandably) in the beginning. But as the story progressed, it got better and better. The fund family, friendship and camaraderie was beautiful. The book left a sweet lingering taste in my mouth!

This was a fun summer, what one might call a "beach read." The characters are relatable, and there is a lot of drama as these families prepare for a wedding that will unite them. It's got a love rectangle rather than triangle, and there are a lot of funny moments and cutesy parts. It wasn't the most amazing writing ever, but it was definitely cute. A fun quick read that's very people-centered.

Audiobooks usually grab me right away and this one just really didn't grab me. It fell kind of flat. I should have given it more of a chance but it just wasn't for me.

Having a hard time rating this book because the concept was there and some of the characters were interesting and some I couldn't stand.

I thought the premise was really good and refreshing. I love the cover- super eye catching and I definitely would have picked it up in a store. I did however struggle with the audiobook as the narrator had a very dull voice that felt like AI. I think I would have had more success reading for myself but ended up DNF-ing the audiobook. I did like the idea, but just not so much the execution

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Audiobook Review

This book is a modern women’s fiction retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream. The book is full of family, love and second chances. This book is heartwarming, funny and swoony! The main characters were all likable and very diverse. The humor that followed Helena around was oh so entertaining. I did enjoy the multiple points of view in the story. It was interesting to see each persons unique perspective. I enjoyed the narrator Tanya Eby. She did a great job and really highlighted the multiple POV’s.

Spice: none and no profanity

Quote: “It was the right thing to do. And doing the right thing always trumps doing the easy thing."

What to enjoy:
🩵 Family and Friendship
⛵️ It’s not water under the bridge
🩵 Long lost love
🏖️ Multiple POV’s
🩵 Shakespeare retelling
☀️ Beach house

Thank you to the author Rachel Magee and Net Galley for the advanced listener copy of the audio book!

I didn't realize this was a modern-day version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and I guess I missed the connection. The characters were somewhat likable and I found it much more a family drama than a love story.
It's All Relative explores family dynamics and miscommunication. I enjoyed the beach/wedding setting and the ending was satisfying.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a retelling of Shakespeare's famous midsummer night's dream. I love all the characters, accept for Helena. I didn't understand her quite well, nor her problem with Maddox family. I loved Landon and Amelia. I Loved how we get to see everyone navigating through this complex morden day family issues and some parts were completely hilarious, like the dishes scenes 😂😂😂😂. Hearing the story from 4 different pov's was Fun, i didn't thought it will work but it was executed perfectly.

Overall it's a great sweet read if you like Shakespeare's retellings.


Thank you netgallery for providing me the audiobook copy of this book.

"It's All Relative" is such a delightful and engaging book set against the backdrop of Florida's coast. The story revolves around Helena, an English teacher known for her spontaneous approach to life. The narrative unfolds during her mother Nora's wedding weekend, where the merging of their families provides plenty of humor, adventure, and newfound understanding among the characters.

The introduction of a former boyfriend adds an intriguing twist, stirring up emotions and complicating relationships, which adds depth to the story. The book definitely strikes a balance between light-hearted moments and more heartfelt scenes where characters grow and evolve!

The setting of Florida's coast adds to the appeal, offering us a virtual escape to sunny beaches and scenic landscapes. It was the perfect beach read this summer! I loved the charming and enjoyable story, blending humor, romance, and family drama in a way that kept me rooting for the characters until the very end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the opportunity to read this advanced reader's e-copy in exchange for my honest opinions!

This was all the family/friend/ex drama I didn’t know I needed. I loved this book!! I gave it a 4.5 overall rating ONLY because the beginning felt so slow. Once you get the ball rolling.. oh my goodness it’s such a wild ride. I was fortunate to listen to this as audiobook while still being able to read along in eARC format.

I was happy, sad, annoyed, angry, anxious, and all the emotions reading this. Even though there was a lot of characters and conflicts and background stories to follow, this was easily very effortless to follow. I could read a whole series based on these chapters and this family. I can confidently say this would make a great movie or tv series as well! I need more.

I did have some least favorite characters and was rooting for some more than others. It’ll be interesting to see who everyone loves and hates in this book.

Very disappointed in myself for putting off reading this one but I am thankful to NetGalley and Harper Publishing| Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for the ALC.

I love that the premise of the story is inspired by William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, a play I have taught many times. We know we will love the story as it's a wedding story, and anything is bound to occur during such a momentous event. This wedding lives up to that with a few near disasters. The bride and groom are all good, and their wedding story is a small secondary plot point. It's the conflict and shakeup of the rest of the wedding party that causes pause as the main plot. By the story's end, we have swapped the partnerships of the four young people, just as Shakespeare did in his comedic play of his four young lovers. Also, cleared up by story's end are all issues concerning the closeness of the blended family. To top it off, I listened to the audio version, and Tanya Eby is one of my favorite narrators. A great summer read by the sea!! Enjoy!!

Thank you to the publisher/ author and Netgalley for the chance to read this copy early.

I loved the cover of this book!! The pool back ground made it feel like the perfect read for summer. However, this book just was not it for me. I was unable to connect with any of the characters and ended up DNFing it after a while of trying to get into it. The story line felt like it was a little bit unorganized. I would have liked to have seen some more character connections and development.

Such a cute little rom com read. I listened to the audio version and it was so easy to follow. The character development was thorough without being exhausted and you found yourself rooting for the whole ensemble. I could totally see this being a movie.

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.

This was a fun retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with all the chaos and confusion included. However, the characters all sounded the same so it was difficult to discern whose story we were hearing (Helena vs Mia and Landon vs Gage), particularly on the audiobook. I think that took a lot of the enjoyment away because I was perpetually confused despite being familiar with the original. I think if you know the play inside and out, this may not be a problem for you, but I was frustrated all the time. My favorite part was seeing the difference between how Helena and Mia were so anxious and stressed on the inside but perceived as cool and collected on the outside.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really loved this audiobook! Each chapter is from a different characters point of view which always makes the store more fun.

Helena and Amelia’s lives are brought together by the marriage of their parents. Amelia is engaged to Gage, Helena is BFFs with Landon. Helena has a crush on Gage. Amelia used to date Landon. It was really fun to see how this tangled messy love story plays out during their parents wedding weekend. This book just published on 8/6 so run and pick up a copy!!!

It’s All Relative by Rachel Magee is such a fun read! As a fan of Shakespearean plays, I ran to request this one, and I was not disappointed.

It’s All Relative is a contemporary retelling of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. However, instead of taking place in Athens (and a nearby forest), the book takes place on a small Floridian island (and a nearby wooded area?) leading up to a wedding!

The story follows soon-to-be stepsisters Helena Crosby (Helena) and Amelia "Mia" Maddox (Hermia) as they prepare the become a family; their mother and father, respectively, are getting married! But Helena and Amelia don't really get along. We're also introduced to our two leading men: Landon Blake (Lysander)—Amelia’s ex-boyfriend and Helena’s current BFF—and Gage Demetrius (Demetrius)—Amelia’s current fiancé. (Other names from the original comedy grace the pages as well--Peter and Titania, among them.)

Going into the book, I knew how the pairings would end up, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the story!

The audiobook well so well done! Big shout out to the narrator!

★★★★☆
4 Stars!!

I don't know much about Shakespeare, but I know I really enjoyed this book!! Helena is dreading her mom's wedding to Steve, head of the Maddox family Helena has coined "The Perfects". Amelia is the eldest of The Maddoxes and a bit of a perfectionist who sees Helena as a train wreck. Not to mention, Helena has a major crush on Amelia's fiancé, and her plus one happens to be Amelia's college sweetheart that ended with heartbreak for both and little closure. Throughout the wedding week, we see that first impressions may not be as they seem as our characters examine their choices, lives, jobs, and relationships. All the characters were well developed, so you will be able to find someone you relate to in this story. The multi POVs really helped to get the point of the story across. The setting of the beach mansion made the story really easy to digest, especially if you didn't know the plot of the Shakespeare play. This is a good beach read/listen if you want something that has a bit more substance than the typical fluffy beach reads, but still has the humor filled moments.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for allowing me to listen to this ALC.