The cozy comforts of an English village bookstore open up a world of new possibilities for Evie Starling in this charming new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young. 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 … 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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I loved this book so very much. It was simply fantastic and I want to live in this world that this author created. I definitely recommend it.
There are times when a book comes along that you end up having such a connection with it’s surreal, the fact that it comes from one of your favorite authors is a major bonus!
Much Ado About You had a lot of things in the story that hit very close to home with me and my family, which created a very close connection for me with this book. For those who have done online matchmaking, you totally feel for Evie and the constant disappointment she endured trying to find Mr. Right, along with being overlooked once again with her promotion, who could blame her for wanting to leave the states for a month in a far away village like Northhumberland. I loved the quaintness of that adorable village, and bookshop, it sucks you in immediately with the people and landscape, and let’s not forget one swoon worthy villager by the name of Roane and his dog Shadow, almost booked my trip right then and there! Loved Evie and Roane together, chemistry was off the charts, and what fun they were together. Loved Milly and Dex and their story, along with Viola and Lucas. There is lots of emotional baggage for Evie to get through which is why she has issues with not settling for a certain kind of guy, but Roane proves he’s the one, or does he? Caro’s situation just made you see red,, but justice was finally done, and seeing her blossom in her own right was fun to watch. Book is full of laughter, emotional situations, lies, heartache, and steamy love scenes, which has made this one of my favorite books this year so far.. I think the only thing I would have changed was how long Evie’s insecurity lasted with Roane. Very well worth the read.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book
The idea of this book was really cute.
I love small town romances, so I was pretty excited to read this book. The fact that a dog was included was even better. I really liked all the characters and was interested in their lives.
However this book lacked the usual depth and flow. It’s hard to describe but I wasn’t completely captivated. Evie‘s thoughts seemed weird especially the punctuation. I usually don’t pay attention to such things but all the exclamation points were weird and didn’t really fit. Also some sentences seemed like reading an English paper. I just doubt that people talk like that.
The story felt sometimes forced and not authentic. The plot was predictable but that wasn’t a problem for me. It’s just that everything went so smoothly. Running a bookstore doesn’t seem to be easy in real life because every little business has struggles especially if you have never done such a thing but in this book the protagonists seems to be an expert even though she has no experience in running a business. I like that Evie took control of her life though. It just seemed so easy. I am also not a fan of instant love, so this book made it hard for me to really like the relationship.
Well Much Ado About you is a sweet book with sympathetic characters, a small town and a cute dog. It’s a nice book, but Samantha offers better ones. So for me this was a three stars read. Nice for a weekend if you like romcom.
Much Ado About You is a highly readable, slow burn romance set in Northumberland, the most northerly county in England, bordering the South East Coast of Scotland.
Anyone who reads Samantha Young’s work will know the quality of the storylines she produces.
So what sets Much Ado About You apart? I love that we have a mix of cultures. Not only an American in the UK but a small village that loves, or hates, people who don’t fit the ‘village mould’.
A village that, when needed, rally round each other offering help, support and advice.
Not only are the main characters beautifully developed, but we are given histories of other village residents giving the reader a sense of familiarity, community and belonging even if it’s only for the length of time it takes to read Much Ado About You.
I’ll definitely be visiting the fictional village of Alnster again and again.
This new release by Samantha Young is not just a perfect romantic read with swooning moments, a time for happy and sad tears and just overall amazing … it is so much more. It takes you to a (book) world you just want to live in and be part off and never leave again.
She manages to make you not only root for the oh so adoring couple to finally get to each other, but for the whole village around them.
This book will make you simply happy because you’ve read it. That’s as simple as it is. Cant wait for everyone to enjoy it!!!
3.5/4 STARS
My first “feel good” read of the year!!
A sweet and sexy small town love story with a swoon worthy Roane, his adorable Shadow and Evie, who needs a break from her life in Chicago…
I enjoyed the pace and the characters, especially Roane, Evie may have annoyed me a little in a very specific moment of the story, but I can understand her reaction.
So, if you need a break from reality, grab this book, a big mug of hot chocolate (or vodka, I mean… I won’t judge, because 2020 really sucked and 2021 isn’t starting great either!!!) and enjoy this love story between a Chicago girl and her sexy farmer!
***ARC kindly provided by Berkley | Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review***
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A ray of sunshine
Samantha Young is a ‘one click’ author for me. I’ll buy anything she writes as I know I’ll love it, and Much Ado About You didn’t disappoint.
The timing of this book was perfect for me. It was a huge ray of sunshine in a bleak January during lockdown.
It tells the story of Evie, a straight talking American who takes a holiday to England to run a bookshop to escape and re-evaluate her life. During her stay she falls in love with the village, the people, the bookstore, and most of all a very charming farmer called Roane.
Evie and Roane and instantly attracted to each other, but as Evie is determined to take a break from men, their romance is pushed to a sizzling slow burn. I must confess to flicking forward a few chapters to see if they got together as I was rooting for them!
As always, Samantha’s scene and character development is perfect. The village sounds beautiful and is so well described that I could picture the scenes unfolding as I read them.
There were loads of interlinked sub plots going on and the supporting characters were as three-dimensional as Evie and Roane. I’d love to move to the village and join Evie’s group of new friends.
MAAY is a beautiful tale of finding friendship and love when you least expect it and it’s a perfect blend of humour, sweetness and sizzling chemistry. It’s a heartwarming story and a real comfort read. Definitely a book you want to curl up with a hot drink and a blanket and devour on a rainy day.
I received an ARC for an honest review.
Much Ado About You is a very endearing story. Evie is on an adventure to get away and find herself. What she finds is even more than she expected or could have hoped for.
I loved the village of Alnster. Samantha Young paints us such a vivid picture of this beautiful, quaint village and its wonderful people. I felt so at home! These characters will burrow into your heart and you will grow to love them all.
And Roane, what a character we have here. He is everything you could hope for in a companion. I loved the build of Roane and Evie’s friendship. Their interactions were so fun and heartfelt, you could feel the love seeping out of them. Watching their friendship blossom into more was beautiful.
Much Ado About You is a sweet, heartwarming story that will leave you with a smile on your face.
This is a perfect summer read that you can’t get enough of. A beautiful small town romance that gives you all the feels. Evie and Roane have the best chemistry and you just want to nudge them together quicker! I fell in love with them both, the seaside town along with all the side characters. I hope you love their story as much as I did.
Thank you netgalley for a copy.
Evangeline ‘Evie’ Starling has had it with her life in Chicago, she needs a change in scenery and she needs to recalibrate, and when the chance to run a book store in the North East of England is presented to her, she jumps at it. What she isn’t expecting is to fall in love with Northumberland, and in particular the beautiful village of Alnster and all its residents, including sexy farmer Roane Robson and his Great Dane, Shadow. Lots happening in this dreamy romance as Evie and Roane become firm friends. Roane makes it clear he’s up for more, but stubborn Evie is unwilling to risk heartache. Wonderful characters, so many personalities in this one village, all written with passion and heart. Fun, emotional and compelling. The fact that the story was based in Northumberland really worked for me. Northumberland is one of my favourite places, and I have so many fond memories from holidays there. It really is heaven on earth. A truly wonderful, entertaining romance. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads, so here is my review.
Evie is tired of her life, her job, and no real love life insight. She heads to a little town in Scotland to run a bookstore for a few weeks. Something she has always wanted to do. She meets a lot of friendly people and one sexy farmer. She isn’t looking for a man but I think it is what she needs.
This story is a really good one, and I think I might want to do this, just leave my life behind to live somewhere else but in a warmer place. Where you get to meet new people, experience the culture, the life of a different town. Sounds like an adventure to me.
Will Roane and Evie get together in the end? Will she go back home to Chicago? Is there a chance she stays on in this lovely little town?
I love this author and have been reading her stories for years. This one is sweet, funny, and a little heartbreaking but worth the time to read it.
**Wicked Reads Review Team**
Much Ado About You was a cute, lovely read. There was definitely a lot of heart in this story. Evie has had it rough in her life for many years and after one too many let downs, she decided to go abroad to find a bit of clarity. She ends up running a book shop and befriends many of the locals including Roane. Evie and Roane’s chemistry was sizzling and it was only a matter of time before these two couldn’t deny it anymore. They were just adorable together and I loved their banter. It was great to see their friendship grow. While seeing what happens with Evie and Roane was a major part of the storyline I also enjoyed the friendships among the locals. Evie truly became one of them and it was nice to see that demonstrated. There were so many connections among the characters and it was intriguing to see all the goings on with the background characters as well. Samantha did a wonderful job painting the town and the surrounding areas. I could vividly see it in my mind-I would love to visit there. Her writing and characters were fantastic as always. Overall, this was a sweet, feel-good, heartwarming story. I was completely engrossed from beginning to end with smiles throughout. Much Ado About You was a great way to start off 2021!
When Evie’s despair of a dating life becomes too much and she needs to get away, she rents a room above a bookshop in a quaint English village. Soon, the village begins to feel like home, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s caught the eye of a sexy farmer…
The first third of this book was aggressively fine–neither good nor bad, just kind of there. The undeniable chemistry between the two characters became too much and you’re like just KISS already–the reasons they “couldn’t” be together were BEYOND stupid. But at about 40% in, this book really picked up! There were subplots galore about other villagers, which really drew me in and kept me entertained. And once the main characters gave in and Evie put aside her idiotic reasoning, I was really rooting for them. I even like the ultimate “hurdle”/twist thrown in towards the end, which I normally find contrived–here I could see the groundwork over the course of the book and appreciated its originality. The last half of this book clawed my rating from a 4 star mediocre read to a 5 star great read (I may have got emotional near the end…).
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for my free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
5 stars – 8/10
ARC received for an honest review
Over the years, every now and again a story pops up on my Facebook feed about a little book shop in Scotland where you can hire out the accommodation and you get to run the book shop for the duration of your stay. And every time, I tell myself I want to do that!
Ms Young has given us an completely cute and adorable story of Evie, who does just that.
Add in a bit of Farmer Wants A Wife-ish action with the delectacble Roane, and I found myself loving this book completely.
From the meet cute, to the inhabitants of the town, I found myself enamoured with them all (well, maybe not one person, but we don’t like everyone we meet!!).
Evie does tend to stick her nose where it doesn’t belong a lot though, and at times I was thinking “just shut it woman!” but I couldn’t dislike her for it.
This book made me want a lot of things: made me want to get a dog again, made me want to hire that Scottish book store (when this ‘Rona crap is all over) and made me want to fall for a farmer (though I can tell you, I live in a farming community and they’re not like Roane!)
I hope we get more books like this from Ms Young in the future.
I enjoyed Much Ado About You at the beginning but it started to fall flat about half way through, and I kept waiting for the “punchline” to be delivered. Main character Evie promised to be a strong character but felt wishy-washy toward the end, and completely oblivious about what was really happening with her love interest, much hinted-at implied relationship deal-breakers which, in the end, didn’t make a bit of difference after all the drama.
Solid 3 stars for the setting, I think Much Ado About You will appeal to a lot of readers but contained some of my own personal book pet-peeves which might not bother other readers at all.