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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4.9 Stars
Evie and Roane.
Evie is 33 years old. She works as an editor in Chicago. Or did. She kind of just quit after not being promoted again.
And now, just days later, she’s running a book store in a little coastal town in England. For four weeks. That’s how long she booked the work holiday.
But she immediately fell in love with the town Alnster and its people and animals.
Especially farmer Roane and his dog Shadow. BUT she’s sworn off men, right?!
LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN …
Will we get our happily ever after??
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
That was soo cute!
Everything about it was just so adorable and sweet. The town, the people, the dog. And of course Evie and Roane.
Evie’s life in Chicago was just bubbling along. And now here in England, she immediately belongs. She loves it here. And the reader loves it there for Evie and for ourselves!
I just adored this story.
The scenery, the books, the sexy banter and sparkage between our darlings. Evie’s meddling all over town. The little mysteries about some things. Just perfect.
I want to be Evie and live and work and love in this town with these people!
I so need to see this on Netflix one day!!!
If I had to complain about a tiny thing. Maybe Evie meddled a bit too much in other people’s lives. I think we could’ve gotten books for at least 2 or 3 or 4 more people out of the material … that way more time in this book could’ve been used for book shop scenes and her relationship with Roane. But I also really loved all the meddling and the other people’s stories!
MUCH ADO ABOUT YOU was such a beautiful and adorable city-girl-meets-farm-boy-love-story! But it was also soo much more! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Roane & Shadow – these two are MINE!
Can we talk about how much I adored this book? I found myself tearing up multiple times simply because Much Ado About You made me so happy. You know what I’m talking about…when you squeal out loud because the story is giving you all the warm fuzzies and you can’t stop swooning. It’s just the best!
Much Ado About You was the vacation I desperately needed, from the picturesque setting that had me packing my bags to move to Alnster to the eccentric and completely lovable cast of characters. I was wrapped up in this story in every way. The delicious slow burn chemistry between Evie and Roane was just the icing on the cake. Samantha Young somehow managed to have the story feel lighthearted yet grounded in reality, touching on serious issues with care and depth. I know Much Ado About You will be a book I revisit for years to come.
4.5 STARS!
Much Ado About You by Samantha Young was absolutely precious! From the first few chapters I was captivated and loved everything about the little village town of Alnster.
Evie is stumbling to find herself when she gets lucky and takes the chance to rent and run a bookstore in Northumberland. I loved the rich history of the place and just the details about the weather, it almost felt like I was there and for a moment in time I could breath the salty sea air.
These characters were flawed and imperfect. I struggled to give this story a full 5 stars because I loved it so but I found the pivotal moment in the story caused some unnecessary drama that I feel could have been prevented.
This story is so in depth that it didn’t just center around a wonderful romance story of friends-to-lovers but it was so much more–self discovery, forgiveness reuniting loved ones whom have been separated because of differences, and amazing secondary characters that will leave you wanting so much more of this world. Like seriously, please Samantha give Caro a book, and Lucas, and Viola as well… ‘kay thanks .
Much Ado About You will sweep you off your feet with the swoony, bearded farmer, his dog Shadow, and the quaint sea village town. I really cannot recommend this book enough! It’s truly special and I’m left all warm inside!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*
I really wanted to love this book, it seemed to check off a lot of my wants; Literature loving main character (Evie), small town feels and vibes, plus DOG! I thought it would have been a match made in romance heaven for me, but sadly I just couldn’t get into it. There was just one main problem. Evie. I just couldn’t click with her.
At first I was sympathetic, she just got passed up for a promotion even though she probably deserved it (I hear you Evie!) She also gets stood up on a date, which is tough but is it enough to completely swear off men? No, especially when she has only been talking to the person and has never actually met them. Evie then makes a spontaneous trip to run a bookstore for a month in another country, yep we all need a change of scenery once in a while. This is understandable.
She then meets Roane when she saves his dog from being hit by a car. He’s sweet and funny and so very obviously into her but since she has sworn off guys…basically this is where I lost any connection with her. Any conflict that arose between her and Roane was of her own making, she was basically her own worse enemy. I was hoping for Evie to develop character grown but everything just felt so forced. At the end of the day this book just didn’t live up to what I hoped it would be.
Overall, not my cup of tea but it may be yours
This is the book I needed in this moment of my life that I didn’t know I needed. Evie’s life feels so close to my own in so many ways that it brought tears to my eyes when she told Greer she wasn’t going to stand still anymore. Roane is the man of everyone’s dreams and I just somehow knew *part* of the climax moment just before it hit. I was laughing, I cried, I could not put this book down. An absolute smash hit by Samantha.
4.5 stars
I was so excited to read this book. Samantha Young is a must read author for me. She always writes stories that pull you in and have you falling for the characters.
This book was unique and such a fun read. I alway know when I pick up a Samantha Young book I am going to get a well written story I can’t put down. Much Ado About You was such a great read and highly recommend it.
This book is so swoony and I loved every minute of it. Evie feels like she is going nowhere. She gets stood up, gets passed up for a promotion and her best friend announces she’s pregnant leaving Evie feeling more and more alone. She wants to figure out who she is and what she wants out of life so rents an apartment for a month on the coast of England that comes with a bookshop. This already sounds like perfection. Running a small village bookshop on the coast of England? Yep, I’m in! But then, she gets there and I fell in love with the entire village right along with Evie. The characters are fun and sweet and bring an amazing small-town feel to the book that I adored. I loved how they welcomed her and she becomes enmeshed in village life almost instantly. I really appreciated that there was more to the book than just Evie’s personal story.
And then there’s Roane. Evie meets him when she helps with his dog and Roane falls fast and hard. Unfortunately for him, Evie has sworn off men during her stay so she can focus more on herself. But he’s a farmer, and so handsome, and funny, and just the absolute sweetest that he becomes so hard to resist. I think I fell for him faster than Evie did. I just loved so much about him, his cousin, and the whole story. The things he would say to her….major swoon!
I can’t really say for sure whether it’s the setting itself, the characters, or the romance that grabbed me most in this book but I can definitely say that it was tough to put down and brought that escapism that I love when reading. This is one to bring you out of any reading slump. Highly recommend!
After reading a heavy, real, really heavy trilogy, MUCH ADO ABOUT YOU was the exact light hearted, sweet and fun romcom that I needed. When Evie is looked over for a promotion, she decides she needs a change. A big change. So she up and rents a bookstore for a month in England and swears off men. So when she saves a dog, she never expected to fall for its owner. I enjoyed their story. It was much needed to lighten my mood.
Fans of The Holiday will adore this book! Evie Starling wants an escape after another failed attempt at dating makes her re-evaluate where she’s at with her life plans. She offers to take over an english bookstore for a month, not knowing how it will change not only her life, but many others.
I was sold on this book the second she risked her life for an animal, but add in a delightfully charming farmer and I’m a goner. This story was like going on a vacation with your best friends, just wanting them all to find happiness and learning how to follow your own dreams as well. A feel-good romcom that will leave you with a smile for days!
Awesome book Awesome writer. Read well.
I’ve actually seen the ads to schedule a working vacation in an English bookstore! Great characters.
4 1/2 starts – thoroughly enjoyed this story. Looking forward to more – hopefully a book showing Caro in the future.
Everything about Evie and Roane’s book made my heart happy and gave me all the warm gooey feelings I could ask for…there wasn’t a part in the story that didn’t make me smile and I was ready to pack my bags and head to the quaint English village of Northumberland and get a part-time job at the same bookstore that Evie found herself at when she decided to put herself first and rediscover, not only her passion but her worth, allowing the time she needed to figure out exactly what her future would hold and who might be right next to her along the way.
Evie is a fantastic and relatable heroine. The things that she goes through and feels will resonate with readers and as she finds her footing, takes chances, and gives into the growing connection that she feels with a certain farmer, we cheer her on and hope that her journey of self discovery leads her to everything she wants and needs.
There is so much about Roane to love. He’s such an amazing man who is not a typical bachelor, which is beyond refreshing. The fact that he’s a one-woman man and wants what he wants despite the flack he gets from the female population of Northumberland. Evie’s arrival is a game-changer for both of them and watching things between them unfold illustrates that when it’s right; it’s right and there’s no fighting it.
Samantha Young is one of my unicorn authors and her latest release, Much Ado About You, is exactly the feel good and adorable story I needed in my life, and I can’t recommend it enough.
4.5 Poison Apples
For me, when I get a new Samantha Young book to read, it’s like Christmas morning. I loved Evie and all the townsfolk. Roan was how do I put it in words… swoony. I knew, like on all great books there was going to be a catch, but I loved him and him and Evie as a couple so much. I love the idea of renting a book store too. Sigh. Dreams.
This was cute, but a little forced. Evie’s character was aggressive and poked her nose waaayyy too far into other people’s business. It made the villagers seem like they couldn’t handle their own business. But, it was a very cute romance and I definitely connected with it (I am an American who is trying to run off and marry an Englishman! I doubt he’s a baron though, he sucks at keeping secrets).
Evie Starling needs a break–from her alcoholic mom, her happily paired and pregnant friends, and especially from online dating. When she’s downsized at work, she decides she needs to make a big change, maybe find herself and what she truly wants out of life. She stumbles on a working vacation as a bookseller in a tiny village in Northumberland, and the next thing she knows, she flying out of Chicago for an adventure she never saw coming.
She doesn’t see the Great Dane coming either until he nearly knocks her over as he races out into traffic. When she rescues the big goof, she winds up face-to-face with the most gorgeous man she’s ever seen. Too bad she’s sworn off men.
The residents of the pretty English village fall in love with Evie’s meddling ways and determine to do a bit of meddling themselves because Roane Robson, their favorite son, would like to be more than friends with the pretty American with an affinity for Great Danes, especially his. The trouble is, everyone is keeping a secret from Evie, one that could upend her world again–and break her heart if she lets it.
Samantha Young is one of my favorite authors, and with Much Ado About You, she delivers again. Funny and angsty, this book is all about finding forgiveness and your way back to yourself. A really great read.
I really enjoyed this story, it was sweet and a little bit predictable at times but that’s ok as I read this book at a time I needed a feel good pick me up kind of book to read, and this was just perfect for me..
I loved the setting of the story and the characters were likeable enough to care about what happens to them. The writing was engaging and really captured the mood and atmosphere of the story. Another wonderful book from this wonderful writer.
Much Ado About You by Samantha Young
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Much Ado About You is a story about Evangeline “Evie” Starling, an assistant editor, who has been “disappointed” by her life in Chicago and wants to “reset” and maybe “reinvent” her life after a few “big news” from work and a good friend. Some readers may think (and even perhaps Evie) that she is “running away” from the reality of life – being disappointed – but I saw it as empowering and brave move on Evie’s part.
This book is my first encounter/read with the author’s work. The story and writing style “wowed” me, even with the plot’s simplicity and each characters’ dilemma and complexities. The book, written from Evie’s POV – first-person, provides readers with a good depiction of her thoughts and impressions of Alnster and the people in the quaint town. With this writing style, there were many good internal thoughts from Evie that may initially sound like a child (i.e., giddy in just a bookstore). However, she still exuded maturity on outlook and honesty to the people around her.
I love Evie’s character and relates to her well. Typically, those “breaks” give a person a better perspective on how far or close they are to what they were trying to achieve or their goals. She was able to find her small joy/happiness within a small bookshop and the village people than she had ever had in Chicago.
The connection between Roane and Evie was magnetic and tensed! They seem to be acting like two teenagers trying their best to act “cool and calm” while their actions and words say otherwise. It was a cute scene after another. They have protected their feelings since this trip was a temporary one for Evie.
I thought I would get hung-up with Evie’s character having a “rough past” but was taken more with Roane’s past and how he turned out the way he did. It wasn’t a bad thing on his end and made him nobler than I expected. I liked how Evie conceded in believing Alnster is a temporary stop in her life and connected with some of the significant people to Roane. She later helped these people (i.e., Roane’s cousin) be brave and insight change in their lives for their betterment. FY – the ending was really because of Roane and took me by surprise on what it was. Readers – be prepared for “unexpected truths” coming out. As I think about it the next day – I wished Roane would have insisted and had been more honest.
Some readers may pull the thought with Much Ado a bit of “retelling” of the Shakespearian play, but other things in the book differentiate it from the latter. I can see the similarities like herd mentality, emotional abuse, lies, and manipulation. But unlike Shakespear’s story, this book has edited a few things like a slew of people providing support and empowerment to the female characters, not only to Evie. Plus, the truths and lies expressed were reversed – affected brave Evie the most, even readers know what she did was very wrong and too impulsive. I felt Evie was a trainwreck with her action, close-mindedness, and dismissive behavior. But really, what do we expect for a character who found the courage to get up and leave for a foreign land to “find herself” – a strong-willed one, that’s what!
The comedic banter is also there aside from the “soul-searching” theme in the book. I chuckled, snickered, and laughed out loud with the banter between townfolks Violet and Elliot, supporting characters that provided the story a more rounded feel and gave readers well-deserved relief to Evie’s “issues” back home.
In summary, Much Ado About You may seem simple based on the synopsis, but it is otherwise. It brings back the beauty of “slow-burning” and “slow-building” love from strangers to friends and then to more. It brings in the theme of courage, self-worth, and love. Although there will be times when I felt like hating the main character’s actions/decisions in the book, I understood where the author was leading readers – love, second (more than a few for Evie) chances, redemption, and forgiveness. An all-around good read for me!
Samantha young always delivers and this novel is no different from that.
This was a fun romance to dive into with just enough drama and insta love for me. IT felt very much like a hallmark/ Rom-com movie with an extra dose of drama thrown in. I loved the characters and the world itself was all the swoon.
Much Ado About You
By Samantha Young
An impromptu holiday
An English Village
A Bookstore
I needed this sweet holiday feel good romance by Samantha Young, that I devoured in a weekend of blissfulness reading. Evangeline may not be living the dream in Chicago being passed up for a promotion that she needed to get away from it all. What better place to make that escape than in a quaint English town in Northumberland with a package that comes with a temporary position working the bookstore underneath her rental apartment called, much Ado About Books. Can I sign up for this please I’d like to book one now. hahaha!
Just like any small town, a bookstore is the hub of the town news, gossips and all the much ado’s especially one sexy farmer Roane Robson in an uncanny meet-up involving a dog.
I just adored all the fun characters – the residents of this quaint town, the swoon worthy flirtations, and and most of all, Evie’s growth and finding more about herself, her future and her heart. I just loved this book!