Much Ado About You

“I do love nothing in the world so well as you.” – William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing

Evangeline (Evie) Starling decides she needs some clarity in her life. Overlooked for a promotion and with no dating prospects in sight, she finds a holiday booking online and takes a chance. The holiday entails working at a bookstore, Much Ado about Books, over her rented apartment in an idyllic English town.

Evie instantly loves the quaint town, the residents and the bookstore. This is the perfect place for her to get some perspective. Among her new friends is Roane Robson, a local farmer who is sexy, strong, and loved by those in his community. Evie is drawn to his charm, but she has strict dating rules and keeps him at arm’s length even though she is drawn to his personality, charm and good looks.

We all know where this is heading, but it is the journey, people. It all comes down to the journey! It also comes down to the cast of characters in this book. Most are quirky, likeable, and fun while a few are aggravating and stuck in their ways. We get to know their stories and watch as they interact with others. This is a small village where everyone knows your name (like Cheers), you are related to them, or have a past with them. The good, the bad, the messy, everyone knows your business, but they also have your back and look out for you. The setting in Northumberland is wonderful and I could not help but think that this is the type of place I would like to visit.

In addition to the lovely characters and the beautiful setting, the story itself is engaging and drew me in. Again, it is about the journey here. Evie as well as other characters are on journeys, to grow, to get perspective, to get independence, to get acceptance, and to find love. I loved the banter and back and forth between many of the characters. Evie and Roane stole the show of course (as did Shadow). They kept me turning the pages to see how things would turn out. The pacing was perfect, and nothing felt drawn out or rushed in this book. This was a delight and I look forward to reading more of Samantha Young’s books. Plus, it turns out there really is a bookshop holiday in the lowlands of Scotland. Samantha Young found the listing for it, while searching vacation listings online. This listing ignited her imagination and thus, Much Ado about You.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.