I really wanted to like this, much like everyone else. The premise was there, and I waited AGES to get this arc. But …. But… but…ITS SO NOT GOOD. The plot needs help, the author needs a think tank full of adolescent boys on the spectrum, and two more rounds of heavy editing. This book reads like it was pushed through production prematurely to meet some sort of deadline and I am so so sad. I wanted to love it, i tried to like it, and it didn’t do anything for me.

I Could not finish this book. It was a bit to rambling and full of pontification. I think it needs some more editing. I'm all for unlikeable and outsider characters, but it kind of didn't quite land.

Caldo has no real social life, unless arguing about film online counts. Having seen so many films while struggling romantically, he has formed a theory that women pick romantic partners the way they pick which movie to watch. He’s definitely not a blockbuster, a rom com, or even a horror film, he’s more of an indie art film that is unfortunately funny. He worries he’ll never find the person who will accept and love him, the way that he accepts and loves his favorite obscure films.

That is until he meets Alexia at his grandmother's retirement home. Alexia was court-ordered to do volunteer work for her DUI but it's cool, Caldo has issues too, and it feels like they have a real connection. But there's also Valerie. The new girl at Caldo's awkwardly small school. She's a straight-A student who is attending on scholarship and is assigned the difficult task to mentor him in Shakespeare's plays. The two opposites have nothing in common except for being romantics who do nothing but fail at romance.

With first jobs that go very wrong, untimely food poisoning, and fake prom dates, Caldo unintentionally reenacts Shakespearian tropes in the heart of South Florida. Humor award-winning author Christoph Paul’s Shakespeare in South Florida is a quirky romantic comedy about being 17 and falling in love.
I really enjoyed this story. Cannot wait to read more from the author. Will recommend to others.

This book was a DNF for me at 25% finished due to the writing style.

I’m not entirely certain, but perhaps the style is a creative choice to appeal to young men. If it is, then I say leave it as is. If this book is looking for a larger reach, I would recommend an edit and overhaul to appeal to a wider audience.

The premise of this book is amazing and I definitely don’t hate the story.

I will not be leaving this review on Goodreads in hopes that this book is pulled from NetGalley before it is published.

I can't give a full review for this as I couldn't finish it. Despite its premise and great cover drawing me in, the writing makes it clear I'm not its intended audience
It felt like it was trying to be a mix of Holden Caulfield and a Bret Easton Ellis teenage protagonist but less well written or nuanced. It also felt misogynistic, and combined with a need to be much more tightly edited I had to put it down.

1.5* for the cover and potential based on the premise.

Thank you to Clash Book and Netgalley for a digital review copy of "Shakespeare In South Florida" in exchange for my voluntary review.

This sounded like such a great idea, but the voice of this narrator is so problematic and the voice is immature.
As somebody who has worked with 17 year-old children for the past decade, the voice is wrong.

I wanted this to be so much better but it needs some heavy overhauls.

I wanted to love this book, but it just wasn't it for me. Seemed very immature writing and from a teenager.

This was just not good

I thought the writing in general was not good and it was even at times misogynistic

I did not enjoy this book. The writing and the story both seemed like it came from the 17 year old male protagonist. Because it was all around average I would rate it 1.5 stars.