Much Ado About You

 

Much Ado About You- Samantha Young

Berkley Publishing

Release Date: February 2, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: At thirty-three-years old Evangeline Starling’s life in Chicago is missing that special something. And when she’s passed over for promotion at work, Evie realizes she needs to make a change. Some time away to regain perspective might be just the thing. In a burst of impulsivity, she plans a holiday in a quaint English village. The holiday package comes with a temporary position at Much Ado About Books, the bookstore located beneath her rental apartment. There’s no better dream vacation for the bookish Evie, a life-long Shakespeare lover.

Not only is Evie swept up in running the delightful store as soon as she arrives, she’s drawn into the lives, loves and drama of the friendly villagers. Including Roane Robson, the charismatic and sexy farmer who tempts Evie every day with his friendly flirtations. Evie is determined to keep him at bay because a holiday romance can only end in heartbreak, right? But Evie can’t deny their connection and longs to trust in her handsome farmer that their whirlwind romance could turn in to the forever kind of love.

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Evie's impulsive decision to vacation in a tiny village in England and run a bookstore might seem crazy, but from day one it seems like she's found her real home.  She fits in with the people, she loves the delightful little bookstore, and her instant chemistry with hot farmer Roane Robson is the sort of discovery no woman should pass up.  Evie is determined not to be impulsive about jumping into more than friendship with Roane and his Great Dane, Shadow, but they are the perfect fit, instantly comfortable with each other in conversation and quiet.  The more happy she is in England, the more she wonders if she's putting off thinking about her life- or if she's finally living it.  It was really interesting and thought-provoking for me every time Evie wonders this, because she's voicing what it takes some of us our whole lives to acknowledge- we aren't supposed to live by anyone else's timelines or milestones, we aren't supposed to worry about other people in place of our own happiness.  We should live the life that makes us perfectly happy. And if we can meet and fall in love with our perfect match in only a matter of weeks- should we spend years worrying about what could go wrong or take the leap and discover all the things that can go right.

Evie is impulsive, caring, thoughtful, and always puts others before herself. She's a delightful person to spend a book with and I enjoyed every moment of her.  Roane, her amazing farmer, is intelligent, caring, thoughtful, and doesn't think twice when he meets Evie. He and his dog Shadow know she's the right one- but I loved how Roane doesn't push to get what he wants exactly as he wants it right away.  He convinces Evie they should be friends and through him, Evie finds village life much more layered and complex than she guessed.  Secrets, Romeo-and-Juliet-style tragedies, and more abound in a village of caring people, and Evie is instantly right at home. Inevitably, Roane's long game works and Evie sees him as more than a friend, but they've gotten to know each other so well it doesn't feel crazy to follow up on their feelings. I liked how they decided not to put an end date on the relationship, not to go into it thinking it would only be for while she's in England, but to see what happens as it happens. I was rather dreading the inevitable, when one of them makes a mistake that will cause the other a crisis of faith (things can't happen TOO perfectly for our characters after all!) but, spoiler alert, we get a perfect happy ending. 

Much Ado About You is a delightful, feel-good romance that had me smiling with every page. A wonderful, comfortable, magical book, this is definitely going to be one that I reread regularly.  I definitely recommend curling up with Much Ado About You this winter with a blanket, hot drink, and fuzzy pet, and let Samantha Young, Evie, and Roane sweep you away!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review