This was a cute and quick romance set in a small village in England. Evie Starling has just decided to get back out there on the dating scene and after a few weeks of flirting, is finally ready to meet up with a guy she's been chatting on a dating app. Unfortunately, he doesn't show, and this sends her personal life into a tailspin just as getting passed over for a promotion at work sends her professional life into a tailspin. Ready for a change, she finds an interesting vacation package that involves running a bookstore in a small village in England and living in the flat above it. Soon after her arrival, she meets Roane, a hot local farmer, and things progress as expected (if you've read many contemporary romances, at least). I think the particular strength of this book is in character development and relationships. There's also a bit of a fun Shakespeare theme throughout (the title, of course, and the bookstore is called Much Ado about Books, and there's a very clear Romeo and Juliet, feuding families situation). Definitely an enjoyable read with good characters and an idyllic setting.

There's always joy to be found in reading a Samantha Young book so this was an automatic request for me without even giving the premise a second thought. This is one of those instances I'm glad I didn't pay attention to it because the story unfolding in the first two chapters was all I needed to be swept up in Evie's journey.

Evie is an editor in her early thirties who's angling for a promotion at the magazine she works for and also venturing out into the world of online dating. The opening chapters see her hitting her rock bottom - her date the night before was a no-show, then next day she's passed up for a promotion that she has rightly earned. After being passed over so many times she abruptly quits. Since she's feeling spontaneous, she books a trip to Northumberland in the north of England to live above a bookstore and manage it for a month. This is the perfect soothing balm for her Shakespeare-loving soul. All this sounded like a dream and I was so ecstatic for Evie to live it. That's why we read, right? To live vicariously through these characters.

Evie assimilates to life in the small village of Alnster surprisingly fast. She's welcomed immediately by the locals and but for the few phone calls with her best friend back home, it seems like her life back in Chicago is firmly in the rear view mirror, even if it's supposedly temporary. It gets slightly complicated when she meets an attractive farmer, Roan who's just as quickly taken with her. She's committed to not dating or getting romantically involved so her attraction to him has to be bottled in. The longer she stays in Alnster, the more she falls in love with the village and becomes attached to her new friends.

It was amazing how easily I was able to picture this cute little village in my mind. I felt so at home there. And okay, while I did love the story but there was a tiny bit of something that troubled me. I did get a bit uneasy when I felt Evie got a bit too involved in other people's business. She's living her best life and she's happy so I suppose she wants that for everyone as well. In a way, she's like a modern day Emma in those instances. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work for me and anytime she started meddling I thought it was presumptive on her part. I fully recognize that this is simply my discomfort of Evie's behavior. The good news is that this didn't take away my love of this story because Evie has so many redeeming qualities, and hey, she's freaking badass for dropping everything to find her bliss!

I would recommend Much Ado About You in a heartbeat to anyone who's seeking adventure, self-discovery and a dream romance.

~ Bel

Samantha Young's latest romance will appeal to those of us (myself included) who dream of running off to a small town, owning a bookshop and living happily ever after! At 33, Evie Starling has had many disappointments. Romantic relationships have let her down and all of her friends, including her bestie, have partnered off leaving Evie feeling excluded from the life she'd like to be living. Being passed over for a promotion at work is the final straw. On an impulse, Evie responds to an ad to run a village bookshop while on holiday in England, intending to use the time to decide what she wants from her life. Despite being an American and an outsider, Evie is embraced by the villagers who respond to her kind and open personality. One of Evie's admirers is a handsome local farmer, Roane Robson, Yet, despite the spark of attraction between them, Evie is determined to keep their relationship as friends-only while she figures out what she wants for her future. 
Readers will be drawn in by Young's endearing portrayal of life in the Northumbrian village and the ways in which Evie gently interferes in the lives of her new friends to try and bring them the happiness that seems to elude her. In the end, everyone will be rooting for Evie as she makes some difficult decisions on her path to fulfillment.

Much Ado About You by Samantha Young is a contemporary romance. 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.

Much Ado About You is a romance with a great deal of world and character building, in the very best ways. Evie is in the midst of figuring out where she want to be in her life. Her vacation getaway might not seem ideal to many- having to work at a book store on vacation- but I have actually seen the adds for this type of thing (like the author) and frankly wold love this. I loved the detail put into building the small town community, and the relationships and families with all their connections that make it up. I also loved watching Evie become more comfortable in her own skin, and in the community. The town and side stories had me just as enthralled as the relationship between Evie and Roane- although I feel like I could have told you what the conflict between them would be fairly early on in the book. There were a lot of things going on in the story, and I thought it was all really well done. There were a couple moment that did not work for me- either because of a turn of phrase or something minor like that. However, I really enjoyed the read and plan and reading more from the author. 

Much Ado About You is and engaging and entertaining read with plenty of feels.

4.5 stars!

After getting ghosted by a date and screwed over by her job, thirty-three-year-old Evie makes an impulsive decision: to take a trip to England running a small bookstore. While there, Evie falls in love with the small-town English life and makes quick friends. She also meets Roane, the incredibly handsome farmer. But Evie isn’t looking for romance and declares a friendship only relationship with Roane.

God I loved this book. Samantha Young has yet to fail me, and that’s why she’s on my forever author list. It’s been so long since I read a romance that had me staying up to the early hours of the morning because I didn’t want to go to sleep without finishing this book! Despite being low angst (you know I love my stomach turning angst), this was a really wonderful romance novel. And on top of that, it was an amazing story of a woman who had given up on so many things, just to finally find them when she least expected it.

It sucks being an author's fan and then disliking their more recent work. I think Samantha Young's romances are sadly not for me anymore. It's unremarkable when I compare it to earlier books. DNF.

A romance in an English Village with a handsome sexy farmer.... yes!! Add a bookstore and some great side characters, and you have a quirky, cute and funny rom com that is unforgettable!!!

Much Ado About You is one of my highly anticipated books of 2021 and I really wanted to like it. Overall, I enjoyed Evie and Roane's relationship and I really loved their meet-cute - also dog - in a form of a Great Dane was just an adorable touch to the story.

This book really had a small-town feel - it IS set in a small town after all, but I was a bit annoyed by the residents of Alnwick. I'm sure this is a me issue.

I love the concept of booking a vacation to a small town and also actually working at the bookstore Much Ado About Books there! This felt refreshing to me.

I'm not a fan of slow-burn romance and yes, this book is one, which is probably why I didn't enjoy it as much as I did.

Evie is fed up with online dating and finds out that she's not getting the promotion she was expecting. Realizing that her life isn't going the way she'd planned, she decides to get away for a while and finds an adorable bookstore/apartment available for rent in a small English village. As soon as she arrives, she saves a dog from being run over and immediately becomes part of the community. She swore off dating for awhile but that becomes more complicated when the dog's owner is absolutely gorgeous and really nice too. 

This is a cute story, with a twist, of course, and I really liked the small town feel. If you've ever dreamed of escaping and starting over, this is the book for you.

Evie Starling, 33, is done looking for love after a string of bad relationships, culminating with being stood up by a guy she’d been texting with for a month. When she’s passed over a 4th time for an editor position at her misogynistic company in favor of a younger man, she chucks it all for a month’s vacation in northern England, running a bookstore. Shortly after arriving, she meets a handsome, kind farmer after saving his dog. Despite her best intention to focus on herself and discover if her loneliness means she wants to be in a relationship or she’s just missing the companionship of friends who are coupling up and having kids, she can’t resist the friendship Roane offers. As the sexual tension between the two grows and the villagers accept her as one of their own, she begins to believe the fantasy that there might be someone who’s just perfect for her. Can this independent feminist trust that her feelings for this unicorn of a man are real and reciprocated or will she return to her unfulfilling, lonely life in Chicago?

There’s so much to love in this delightful, heartwarming romance. Although Evie’s an American outsider, she welcomes the embrace of the villagers, and reciprocates by lovingly interfering with their lives. Whether it’s freeing a young woman from an abusive relationship, bringing together star-crossed lovers, reuniting an estranged mother and daughter, or encouraging a widow to move past her grief, she has a profound, positive effect on the lives of those around her. 

This lovely romance, inspired by the real rental bookstore holiday in Wigtown, Scotland, is quite a departure from Young’s best-selling, steamy On Dublin Street series. She deftly balances the various relationships without taking attention away from the central couple, giving readers a bountiful bouquet of love and heartbreak in all its forms. Topics like abuse, addiction, racism & homophobia are handled delicately and are not gratuitous, but rather integral to the story. Recommend this to fans of Susan Wiggs, Jenny Colgan, and Christina Lauren.

 
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

4 Stranger In Not So Strange Land Stars
* * * * 
This was a delight in the way it captured the feel of two people finally coming together. Much Ado About You by Samantha Young takes a woman needing to make a change and she heeds those feelings. Off she goes on vacation as a bookstore employee in a very small village. 

Little does she know, it will change her life and open her heart.

Thank you Berkley for the e-arc! This was my first read of February and it was the perfect start to a month of reading romances!

Author Samantha Young wrote in her author's note that she had the "...desire to create the ultimate romantic comfort read…" and she absolutely achieved that with this book! This is one I'll need to have a hard copy of because I can see myself rereading it in the future when I need to escape into a wonderful story of love and friendship.

Evie is our sweet protagonist and basically my new BFF. She visits a small English village on a whim, deciding she needs a change of scenery after things don't go the way she had hoped in her personal and professional life in Chicago. Her rental in England is above a bookstore, which she also gets to run on her own schedule. (Can you say dream vacay?!)

Expecting to get some peace and quiet while she explores, Evie quickly makes friends with the locals and gets immersed in their fun, crazy, complex lives. This book had a large cast of characters that made the village come alive and made me sink into the story.

This book is absolutely a romance, (and it certainly has some steamy parts!) but it's also a story of family - the one we're born into and the family we choose for ourselves. I loved Evie's relationships with her friends and the ways that she supported and helped the people she loved. 

I thought a few plotlines would be left open, leaving room for a sequel, but everything was tied up nicely. There are a few side characters I'd love to read more about though!! 

Samantha Young is a new-to-me author and I'm so sad I haven't read her other books! I'll definitely be reading her backlist after this incredible novel. 

Give this lovely romance a try! I hope you get swept away by the story of Evie, Roane, and the village as much as I did.

I love a good friends to lovers romance. Add in a bookstore and set in in the English countryside? Sold! Much Ado About You was a gem! Evie was floundering but, took charge, made a change in her life and grew from it. Roane was swoony, as well as loyal and dependable. Did I sense the twist and resulting drama? Yes. Did that hamper my love of this book? Not at all! 

Perfect for Anglophiles, fans of friends to lovers, great chemistry, a good dose of 🔥🔥, and an excellent cast of supporting characters. 

Now, can we get another book with Caro’s story?

Much Ado About You by Samantha Young was such a great read! At 33, Evie feels like life is just passing her by. When she gets passed over for a promotion, she decides that she needs a change of scenery to figure out what she really wants out of life. So she decides to take a trip to a little village in England. Part of renting the apartment in this little village is working part time at the Much Ado About Books. Soon Evie is spending time with the villagers. One person in particular that Evie is growing close to is the local farmer Roane. Given that this is just a one month trip, Evie doesn't believe falling for Roane is a good idea. But there is no denying that the connection is there. What will Evie decide to do?

 Samantha did an amazing job creating a cozy story. Evie was a great heroine. She was both strong and vulnerable. Roane was just so sweet and caring. Not just with Evie but with his cousin Caro and all of the people in the village. I would not mind a little novella following Caro or Viola. 

If you like cozy small town romances, then you definitely need to pick up Much Ado About You!

Arc provided in exchange for honest review

Overall: Unfortunately, the romance fell just as fast as the characters did for me in this one.


Pros:
Setting. Listen, this was a book about a bookshop in a small town. I am easy sell for a setting like this.

Cons:
The Characters. They just felt one dimensional like why should I care about their relationship and it felt like the big issue at the end was supposed to fix this.
Insta-Love. Unfortunately, as result of not caring for the characters, I did not care for their romance which result in it feeling a bit forced.

This is the sweetest English romcom I’ve read in awhile. Evie abruptly leaves her Chicago life behind for a 4 week stay in England. During her time there she discovers a quaint village filled with a cast of characters she is drawn to including the flirty farmer, Roane. Will she stay in this dreamy village to give love a try or flee back to the States? Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for am advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Samantha Young's books. This one was on the hearteye, all-the-swoons, I-loved-it-so-much side.

If you are looking for the best book boyfriend, the one that your mom would love for you to date prepare for Roane. He was AWESOME. There isn't a sweeter, more devoted hero from the get-go, so obviously in love with the heroine that you can already hear the wedding bells. He wants Evie and he's not afraid to show it. He wears his heart on his sleeve and, while being the most eligible bachelor of a quaint village in Northumberland, he values real connections and honest relationships. The way he was so very gentle with his cousin who'd been abused, gah. Just gah.

Evie Starling travels to the village in England to try to find herself. Relationship after relationship became dumpster fires and she needs a change of scenery. On her journey to self discovery no men are invited. At least not romantically. So when she meets her dream man the friend zone is the best place to put him. But Roane is just an all around amazing person so he gets under her skin pretty quickly. Yet, this is a rather slow burn romance with a delicious constant sizzle between the main characters. Of course there is a secret and if you pay attention it'll soon become almost too obvious what Roane is hiding.
"I love you. I wanted to tell you that I love you so much..."
He let out a shaky breath, something desperate in his gaze.
So much, Evie, I'm terrified you'll disappear. I didn’t know this much happiness went hand in hand with fear.”

One thing that I had a small issue with is Evie's reaction after finding out Roane's secret. While I did understand that she didn't give her trust easily and Roane lied to her by omission (which I actually understood), she overreacted in a BIG way.
The other thing that really annoyed me was Evie's best friend. Instead of being happy for Evie she was irritated with her best friend. I thought that was incredibly petty and awful for a friend.
“You’re not perfect, Evie, rationally I know that.” He let out a long sigh. “But you’re perfect to me.”

Overall I enjoyed my time in this charming English village, that had a character of its own. Samantha Young has crafted a beautiful, sweet and delightful rom-com about self discovery and healing. If the whole village is representative of Northumberland I'm gonna pack my bags and go. There were so many amazing side characters I wouldn't mind getting a story about. They even have their own Romeo and Juliet couple, of course, when a book title is based on a Shakespeare comedy. Viola and Lucas are so well fleshed out that I'd love to read their story. And Roane's cousin, Caro, she deserves someone to take care of her. I really hope Samantha Young listens to our pleadings to write more stories in this small community who doesn't accept outsiders easily but welcomed Evie with open arms. This story was the perfect escape from the craziness we live in at the moment.
“I don’t want you, or anyone, to wake up in ten, twenty years’ time, and wonder what could have been. Such benign little words – ‘what if’. But at some point in life, those two words become the scariest two words in the English language.”

This was a cute love story perfect for book lovers. A young woman quits her job in Chicago after being passed over by a less qualified and younger man. She finds a listing for a vacation rental that includes running a local bookshop in England. There she finds the community of people she was missing in the city. A handsome man starts as a friend and feelings build. There are references to Shakespeare plays though I was annoyed at the lack of accurate representation of the book's title's inspiration, Much Ado About Nothing. It is also a pet peeve of mine when bookshops or readers only mention classics like books haven't been written since Jane Eyre (but maybe that was for copyright reasons. The end was predictable and the romance was nice enough. It was a cute story but nothing that wowed or impressed me. Good if you're looking to play out any fantasies of running away to England and falling in love with a local and running a bookshop (we've all had those dreams, right?). But unfortunately, if that specific fantasy isn't your thing there's not much more substance to this one, and enough overly watered down literary references to annoy more serious book lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley & Samantha Young for my coy of Much Ado About You, for an honest review. Evie, is at a crossroad is life. Her dating life is terrible and she answers an add to live at & run a book shop, in Alnster Northumberland.. Such a huge leap of faith, Evie feels will give her the best chance for a change in her life. The bookstore is perfect but the town itself is as interesting as can be. The people are not openly friendly and they are suspicious of new people. To navigate this new life Evie gives it her all and good the go one her way. I loved the characters, there were some twists and turns. Overall it was an easy read, that was just what I was looking for. I also love a boom, where the town, plays a huge part of the story. I would read more books by Samantha Young. I have featured this on my Instagram page and shared my thoughts on Barnes &! Noble. This was a four star read for me, I hope you enjoy it too.

Woza! Do you like mystery? Do you like paranormal elements? Do you like romance? Do you like to start a book and immediately get sucked in and end up ignoring everything you were supposed to do that day and read the entire thing in one sitting because you simply HAD to know what was going to happen next? Then LAYLA is the book for you!

I loved everything about this book from the characters, to the setting, to the mystery surrounding out hero and heroine. It’s hard to describe this book because it really has so many elements to it but they all add up to one heluva story I KNOW you will love.

Thank you, Colleen, for a FAB read!