It's All Relative

Wow. What a great listen. I had a hard time putting this one down. Luckily I got the audiobook version so I could listen while doing things. Don’t skip this one.

I love a good Shakespearean retelling! The story itself is a genius mashup of Shakespearean charm and modern romance vibes with second chance love and witty banter. I was lucky to receive an audiobook arc and let me tell you, it's an absolute treat! I really enjoyed listening to it!

The narrator did a great job bringing the story to life. She brought each character to life with such flair and personality. And the romance? It's adorable without being cheesy, with enough tension and humor. It's fresh, it's funny, and it's got just the right amount of swoon-worthy moments to keep you hooked. If you're into romcoms or just looking for something that mixes Shakespearean flair with modern storytelling, the audiobook is a must-listen!

This is the first book I’ve read of Rachel Magee. I really enjoyed it. The narrator did a fantastic job and the book was engaging. I liked it a lot.

5-star beach read! Finished this one in less than 48 hours on my beach vacation, which fit so perfectly with this book. Absolutely loved the story and the ending! Such a heartwarming story of love, loss, and being true to yourself.

Wow. This book! I went a little blind, only knowing about the premise, but I’m so glad I did. Helena and Amelia were such a delight of characters, I found myself thinking they were real and I was part of their lives. They were both so different, yet so much I could pick from them and see in myself. I couple of times I found myself actually laughing out loud, and that doesnt happen too often when reading a book. The plot was unique and well paced, with what I call the Heart-Swoony characteristics, which immediately move the book up my ranks. I have a strong feeling this book is going to be everything anyone in the book community is going to be talking about.

I wholeheartedly will be recommending this book to my followers and even gifting it to friends.

Family wedding at a beach with week long events merging two families. Groom is Father of 3 (teenager to grown adults) who lost wife to cancer and bride is a single mom of grown daughter who brings a friend to be her plus one that just happens to be college sweetheart of her new step sister. Story of second chances and happiness. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced audiobook of this story. It’s a great summer read.

I absolutely adored this book. I loved getting to know the characters and watching their relationships change and develop throughout the novel. I related to Helena a lot as a type B teacher who tries to do everything as good as possible but inevitably just messes stuff up and is constantly hoping I can charm people into forgiving me. I also liked how we got to read from multiple different characters throughout the story and we didn't listen to the entire story through Helena's perspective. I highly recommend this one!

It’s All Relative is a sweet romance and women’s fiction story following two women and their love interests. The elements of family, and how we can shift and grow in what we view as family, were relatable and enjoyable.

This story is a great option for a summer read.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story that was read by a single narrator for the four POVs. I listened at 2x speed (1.75-2x speed is my normal audiobook listening speed).

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for this advanced audiobook copy.

Love love love this book!! Small island family drama and lovers finding themselves? Yes please! Finding out family is who you make is great!

I really enjoyed listening to the audio version of this book. The narrator did an excellent job portraying the different characters. The writing was witty, engaging, and heart felt. The author deals with real family issues and dynamics without feeling heavy or depressing. I give this book five stars!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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!!!

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.

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.

This modern retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream follows step-sisters Helena and Amelia as their parents plan to get married at Amelia's family's beach vacation home. While Helena is supportive and excited for the love her mom as found, she is less than fond of her future-sister Amelia. Oh, and she's also in love with Amelia's fiancé, Gage. To make the weekend less painful, Amelia brings her best friend Landon along, not knowing that Amelia is also Mia, Landon's ex he never fully got over. All to say, it turns out to be a bit of a complicated weekend.

Despite my limited knowledge of Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream (most of it comes from the Suite Life of Zack and Cody episode), I still thoroughly enjoyed this retelling and was hooked from the very beginning. This was a very character-driven story, featuring the POVs of four characters - Amelia, Gage, Landon and Helena - as they interacted and various relationships came together and apart. The novel explored relationships, family, and blended families. Ultimately, I would describe it as chaotic, but in the best way.

At times, especially for the first quarter of the book, it was difficult to keep track of all the characters. For example, I completely forgot who Peter was when his name came up again. While I enjoyed the narrator, I think I would have gotten less confused if I was reading the novel, instead of listening in an audio format.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Shakespeare retellings, family dynamics, dual-POVs, and character-driven storylines.

It’s All Relative by Rachel Magee
Helena is a high school teacher who considers it a good day if she arrives at school early enough to review her lesson plans for the day. Her best friend Landon is a history teacher and soccer coach at the same school. She wrangles him into tagging along as her plus-one on a wedding week celebration for her mom and her new step father. The ground work is laid for lots of comedy and some surprises.
The narrator makes this story zing! I really enjoyed listening to it. The plot twists, although not unexpected were fun. I loved how the characters developed over the course of the story. The epilogue answered many of my questions and gave the story closure.
Even though this was published by Thomas Nelson, the content was not explicitly Christian, but was very clean and enjoyable, even for teen readers. It was the kind of story that I was comfortable reading without having to filter any content.
I am grateful to Thomas Nelson for this very enjoyable audio book in return for this, my honest review.

I adored this book! It is the story of family and friendship and loss and life. There is so much to love in this book! The relationships between the characters and how they changed was fun to watch. They had me feeling all of the emotions as the two families became one at the wedding. An added thing that made the book even more special is my daughter's married name is the same as the wedding family. The narrators did a good job giving the characters a voice.

This one was a really fun twist on the second chance romance trope! I thought it was really fun and witty. And I actually teared up at the end during the wedding scene, mostly cause I have a good relationship with my mom too so that part got me. I love that it was told from all 4 POVs of the little love (square?) lol Tanya Eby did a good job voicing the different characters on her own. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for gifting me the audio of this book.

*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.