4.5 - I binged this one so hard!! LOVED both main characters and all the Shakespeare references (just enough and not over-done). Charming English village with a cast of great supporting characters. A bookshop, an adorable great dane, mistaken identity trope and HOT HOT chemistry with some steamy open door scenes. The book started off really strong for me with Evie feeling lost - her best friend is having a baby, she’s got passed over for a promotion at work and she was stood up after getting emotionally invested with an online dating match - so many things for young 30s women to relate to. The relationship with Rowan is a sweet friends to lovers buildup that was adorable. If you love books about books or bookshops set in quaint English setting this one can’t be beat. Definitely recommend this! A new to me author and I look forward to reading more of her work!

Unfortunately, this one fell pretty flat for me pretty much from the get-go. There were fatphobic comments within the first few pages that already set me on edge, and as the book progressed I just felt more and more that the characters were one-dimensional, and the plot pretty much nonexistent. It was a great concept, but poorly executed.

Recipe for success, a book that has a bookstore, smaller village, warm people.. and a lot of love. I’m in.

Such a fun rom com. The characters were well developed, the story sucked me in quickly, loved that a bookstore was a major part of the story, and the small English village a perfect setting for the romance. Have tissues nearby as you read this. Can’t wait to recommend this book.

Much Ado About You is basically what I would like happen to me if I were to ever have a mid-life crisis. Actually I take that back -- even without the mid-life crisis, this would be great! When thirty-three year old Evie Starling is passed over for a promotion at work after years of dedication, she quits on the spot. She knows she needs a change of pace so she books a holiday package that lets her temporarily run the bookstore, Much Ado about Books, while living in the apartment above it, in a quaint English village. (OK, is this real and if so, where do I find it?) As soon as she arrives, she becomes acquainted with small town life, the local drama of fellow, friendly villagers, and of course, she meets a sexy farmer named Roane Robson who immediately flirts with her on day one. (This girl is living the life.)


But because this trip is meant to be about self-reflection, she decides she's not going to indulge in a holiday romance. Naturally, these two can't stay away from each other and I was genuinely swept into their romance, despite how instant it was. I typically will complain a bit if a relationship moves too fast but this one truly worked for me. It helped that I connected with Evie and I was just as charmed by Roane as she was. He really was the hot farmer guy! From the start the chemistry between them leapt off the pages. So if you're the mood for romance, a ton of flirting, and steamy scenes, these two have it all in spades.


That said, what resonated with me the most wasn't even the romance, but Evie herself. She talks a lot about being single, particularly about being the sole single woman among her friends. How that made her feel and just random thoughts on societal expectation regarding love and marriage. I don't want to spoil these thoughts for you but as a single woman myself with friends who are mostly married -- I related deeply to her feelings and that meant a lot to me.


Do I recommend? Yes! As a romance novel, obviously some things will be predictable which is inevitable, but this book managed to surprise me!

4.5 stars - What's not to like with this book? 30ish Evie takes a working vacation at the bookstore in a quaint town in England & meets Roane and falls in love. Yes, you know what's going to happen, but it's the journey and the characters along the way that make this an enjoyable read. A well-written, well-paced journey of discovery that I could not put down.

**ARC provided by the the NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Evie Sterling need a change in her life. From her bad luck with men to abruptly quitting her job after being passed up for a promotion to booking a vacation in a quiet English village where she gets to run a bookshop for 4 weeks (that I frankly want to take as well!). We meet Roane shortly after her arrival and things slowly move from there. Evie is determined to not start anything despite her obvious attraction to him.
I thought that this was generally a fun book to read but definitely had some weak points throughout. I think Evie can be a little impulsive at times and rash in her decision making. While I liked her best friend, she seemed a little flat and merely there for plot device. Roane was great and I loved his dog so it's not surprise Evie is going to fall for him. It just seemed to take a long time to get there. The feud within the village was very dramatic and a bit predictable but still entertaining. I thought Evie and Roane had some good chemistry once they got together but things definitely moved too fast. The conflict, in my opinion, was not worth Evie's reaction and decision in the slightest. Honestly, Roane's secrets would benefit her in the long run! I just thought it was dumb for it to be the big thing that drives them apart, especially for the amount of time it did.
In the end, this is a cute and fun book that has its moments but is not the strongest.

This was a fun, engaging rom com. I really enjoyed it. A full review will be posted on my goodreads soon!

Samantha You g has hit another home run with Much Ado About You. This was in my top 3 reads for the year and I am praying that Samantha will write more in this world.

The idyllic setting of a small English town with quirky characters, home grown drama, and a quaint bookstore come alive in this book. The setting is fantastic and made me want to live within the pages. Equal parts fun and serious, sexy and swoony, I think this book has something for everyone.

Evie and Roane are fantastic together. Lots of chemistry and a budding friendship drive the story. Evie is a sweetheart and instantly is adopted by the town. She does meddle a bit but her heart is in the right place and she plays an important role is so many little side stories due to her desire to help. Roane is the sexy, quiet farmer with a heart of gold. Now both characters do some stupid things to drive the angst but overall the book has a beautiful ending without a bunch of angst.

Definitely a top read of the year and highly recommended!

Evie Sterling takes a much-needed break from her life when she decides to rent an apartment on top of a small bookstore in a quiet English village. Her friends' lives are moving along, but Evie feels stagnant. This calls for a change of scenery and time to reflect on what her next steps are to feel fulfilled. She quickly bonds with the small-time vibes of the village and its inhabitants.

Roane and his cuddly Great Dane are in danger of messing with Evie's "no more men" policy. But it's hard to deny her growing feelings for the smoking-hot farmer and her time is running out.

The one thing that didn't really work for me was that Evie put Roane off for so long. She really didn't have a good reason to deny her feelings and continually friend-zone Roane again and again. The conflict was a little too dramatic especially since she almost immediately returns to England after getting to okay from her best friend and estranged mom. I felt bad for Roane.

I gobbled up Much Ado About You in one day! This book had it all. A woman on vacation. A bookstore. A hot farmer. A quirky cast of friends. As a woman who was single well into her 30s this book was SO relatable. Particularly the opening scene with her online dating. I loved following Evie's journey of self-discovery and romance. The romance between Evie and Roane is a bit of slow burn but seriously so worth the wait!! And the bookstore! Who hasn't dreamed of running away from life and running a bookstore in a quaint town?? Loved this book so much!

It's very cute, I love small villages/towns with different personalities living there! I think the ending needed to be cleaned up a bit, the fight was far too short and dramatic for when it came.

Reading this story felt like being wrapped in a big warm hand knitted cardigan, it was warm and oh so comfortable. It gave me a big book hug and left me feeling happy and sufficiently snuggled.

Evie feels like something is missing from her life. After being unlucky in love once again and then being overlooked for a job promotion she is ready for a big change. Everyone around her seems to be moving on with their lives and she feels like she is stalling. This is why she finds herself surfing the net and applying for a holiday job in rural England.

Looking after a bookstore and living above it is like a dream come true and when she arrives in Alnster, Northumberland she is quickly embraced by this cute english village. The great thing about a small village is that everyone knows each other and all the goings on, she would soon realise that it can also be the downside too :)

Evie quickly makes friends and enjoys being away from her everyday life. She was not expecting to meet a man like Roane Robson, a local (single) farmer who has all that sexy gruffness going on. He is like a walking wet dream and seems to enjoy flirting with her every chance he can.

‘I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, Evie.’ That’s when I discovered that there was such a thing as a word-provoked heart flutter.’

Here’s the thing though, Roane doesn’t normally flirt like that. He is not a casual dater sort of guy but there is something about Evie that tempts him in every way. Evie is so tempted. Like, so badly it drives her crazy some days. However, she knows her time in England is a short term thing and crossing a line with Roane will only lead to heartbreak for both of them. She won’t do that to a man who does not deserve it or to herself. It’s going to be hard, so hard….

‘You’re not perfect, Evie, rationally I know that.’ He let out a long sigh. ‘But you’re perfect to me.’

Then what happens is a mountain of hormones have decided an invasion of her mind and body is now necessary, after that all bets are off. There is no stopping things now! Roane is a man who carefully guards his heart, he is an all in person and he truly feels like Evie is going to be worth breaking his rules for. And OMG, Roane is so freaking sweet, rugged, sexy, thoughtful, horny, romantic, hot and simply irresistible.

‘That disconcerting feeling of thrill mixed with contentment hit me with more force than usual as I drew toward him. Sometimes it feels like we were two magnets, my south seeking his north.’

It seems that Evie has found everything she wasn’t looking for. It’s like the village of Ansler seems to have found her. She has been weaved into the fabric of this small community, making friendships that she will never forget. Leaving will be difficult but she will do so with a very full heart.

I absolutely loved this story! There are fantastic secondary characters involved in other stories playing out in the background that Evie has her finger in, a bit of meddling and matchmaking just like the plot of the famous Shakespeare novel that she loves. Once again, fabulous writing from Samantha!

I haven't read a Samantha Young book since 2018's "Fight or Flight," which I loved, so I was pretty excited when "Much Ado About You" pop up as a new contemporary romance release. I'm not a follower of The Bard—I haven't read a single one of his works—so the only pull here was purely me hoping to find a story to love as much as "On Dublin Street."

Unfortunately, even though MAAY started out as a potential 5-star romance, it eventually fizzled out. The premise was definitely catnip. I mean, hello, can I live that life? And I enjoyed how the story developed for a good chunk of the plot. I enjoyed the small town vibes, and even the ridiculous conflicts and character interactions were entertaining. Unfortunately, the romance, the point of the book, didn't leave much of an impression other than it being a cute slow-burn, friends-to-lovers story.

I'd recommend it for anyone who enjoyed the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun."

This was just an okay read for me. It definitely felt much more like Women's Fiction than romance. The premise was good, but the story was slow, and I found it slightly irritating that this American woman just swoops into a small English town and starts fixing all their problems for them. The fact that she was the one keeping the male lead at arm's length and then got ragingly jealous when another woman approached him was really not cool. Not here for the woman-on-woman hatred for no reason.

A sweet rom-com with a lovely, cozy setting. I'm also a sucker for books with adorable dogs, so that was a bonus. This book feels like a great curl-up in the rain or snow book. It's a quick and easy read, and leaves you warm and smiling.

Such a cute book!! I enjoyed the characters and it was funny too. This is my first book by this author and I was impressed with her and will be looking for more books by her. The title is what got me hooked and I'm so glad I got a copy of this book. A good read!

While it was quick to know who the love interest would be, the conflict was not what I was expecting. I enjoyed this book and cannot wait for future works by Ms. Young.

I really really struggled through this one, which sucks because it sounded so good. I got annoyed pretty early on with a few of the american in england comments, but, whatever. Told myself to get over it. I did, but then I didn't particularly like the characters or the story, it fell so flat and felt so blah. I pushed through when I should have DNF'd.

DNF due to fatphobic dialogue. A character was called fat and the narrating character said fat phobic comments about themselves.