Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Helena's mom is getting married, which means Helena is joining a new family, a family she coins "The Perfects". When the wedding date nears, she invites her best friend Landon to join her on the trip to help keep her sane. When they arrive to the island, everyone is surprised to find that Landon actually knows Helena's soon to be stepsister, Amelia. We follow Helena and Amelia as they navigate the new family dynamics with the addition of friends and spouses. They each have their own struggles and try to out do each other, but when things get rocky, they are family, they do pull through. So many funny moments, loved this read!

What a fun read. A romantic comedy that tugs at your heart and makes you realize that family is really all that matters in life even if that family is a blended family. Helena's mother is getting married to the love of her life. No it is not her father whoever that may be. Nora raised Helena as a single mom and she never lacked for anything and always had tons of love. Steve, groom has a son Peter, and two daughters. Amelia is Helena's age and Emory is entering her teenage years. Helena always wanted siblings and is excited to meet them but also a tad bit jealous of all the time and planning Amelia and her mom have shared planning the wedding. Amelia is a control freak who makes lists upon lists and double checks everything with perfection as the goal. Langdon is Helena's best friend and he is coming as her plus one. They tried to have a relationship but it just wasn't in the cards because he still harbors feelings for and ex-girlfriend named Mia. Amelia is engages to Gage who is a hunk of a guy but she really doesn't have much chemistry with him. They are more like friends who are getting married. So that sets the stage for this great story about blending families. There is some drama, laughter, tears but most of all there is love. It is a great light read.
Thanks to #netgalley, #thomasnelsonfiction and @rachelmageeauthor for an ARC of this great read.

I LOVED 'Its All Relative'. It was such a fun read, I enjoyed every minute of it and couldn't set it down. I was obsessed. Its a retelling of A Midsommers Night Dream, and it was such a creative rendition of the classic story. I related so much with Amelia as an oldest child that it was making me physically uncomfortable, and I was crying while reading about Helena and Amelia all throughout it. Loved this story and can't recommend it enough.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction, NetGalley, and Rachel Magee for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I don't feel like this book was the right fit for me. I really wanted to love this modern day retelling of A Midsummer Nights Dream, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. The early introduction of all the characters left me feeling overwhelmed and confused, causing me to double back on myself. I didn't connect with most of the characters, although I did like Peter, and I found certain parts to be too cheesy. While I believe some readers may enjoy this summer read, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

★½ ROUNDED UP ⬆️⭐️
———————
I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Rachel Magee for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received the ebook and audio so I frequently “read along” with the audio which I enjoyed. I wish this had multiple narrators since the book was told in 4 characters perspectives and really only had 7 reoccurring characters throughout the book but I appreciate the narrator trying to differentiate the voices.

The book itself had some interesting aspects and storylines but I cannot get over the simplicity of the ending. I don’t want to spoil it but, in what reality would anyone just switch and carry on?!

I did enjoy the fact that both female characters had some personal reservations about their families merging and appreciated how they eventually addressed it maturely after avoiding it for the first 3/4 of the book.

Overall, it was enjoyable but obvious from the start what was going to happen and I feel like there could have been more conflict before the resolution.

It's relatively hard to enjoy a book when you don't like the characters... and it's such a shame, too.

Landon and Helena are best friends. Landon is also the ex-boyfriend of Mia. Mia is engaged to Gage (just realizing how weird that sounds 😅). Helena has a crush on Gage. Helena's mother is also marrying Mia's father. So yeah, the title really fits 💯😂
We get all 4 POVs of Helena, Mia, Landon, and Gage during a week-long stay on an island for the wedding of Mia's father and Helena's mother. So far so good, but with Helena ALWAYS being late, ALWAYS being clumsy, Mia ALWAYS making lists, not having fun, Gage not having a personality, I only liked Landon - a sad, cute coach always putting other people first. I also really liked Peter, he made me laugh in this anger provoking book.

The first half of the book was simply too much of the same stuff happening over and over again, and I just wanted to scream at them all, but mostly at Helena, because who honestly believes that other people are perfect? And why would you make a TikTok video when doing the dishes? Especially when you are apparently working hard to "fit" into the new family? Helena was acting like the 12-year-old in the story. The ending felt rushed and was actually the part that I came for and enjoyed, but too little too late.

Overall, this simply was not my story, with the focus on the wrong things with the wrong characters for my liking. A book full of Peter and Landon would have fit more into my jam.

I did really appreciate that Helena and Mia always seemed cool and collected in the POV's of the other's while they were freaking out on the inside in their own POV's. It just shows that the appearance of a person does not always resemble the truth. And other people might view you differently from the outside.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and Rachel Magee for the arc. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a modern retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and it does preserve that chaotic energy throughout. Helena’s mom is marrying Amelia’s dad, and the week leading up to the wedding becomes a battle of the wills between the two women. The drama is heightened when it’s revealed both women are in love with the wrong man.
The story takes place at Amelia’s family home on a South Carolina island. There’s classic wedding hijinks like torn dresses, and classic island issues like missing ferries. The supporting characters are goofy, and add a lot of comedic relief into an otherwise tense storyline. Additionally, I think Helena and Amelia are interesting main characters whose different personalities are clear in every interaction.
Unfortunately, the majority of the book just didn’t pack enough of a punch. Things were happening at a breakneck speed, but it felt like every plot point was just being thrown at me for no real reason. There’s a lot of background that’s skimmed over quickly but never fully addressed. Helena and Amelia are developed just enough to be memorable, while every other character is so flat and one-dimensional they seem to slip away. And the final few chapters, while closer to Shakespeare’s version, were so zany and out of place with the rest of the plot that it felt like a fever dream.
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

It's All Relative is a fun beach read about a family wedding full of drama, friendships, and romance (old and new). I found myself laughing out loud while reading. Helena’s mother has been a single mom and is getting married for the first time, Helena is afraid she is“losing” her mother to "The Perfects" a family with two adult children and one pre-teen. When it is time for wedding week, Helena talks her best friend Landon into going to the family’s beach home/wedding week with her as a support. They are both shocked to find out that Amelia, the oldest daughter, is Mia, Landon's old college love that he is never got over. To make matters even more crazy, Helena is falling for Amelia’s fiancé. Helena is afraid her new family will never accept her. One of the best books I have read in a long time, and actually reached out to Rachel to let her know! Looking forward to reading more of her stories in the future!
Thanks NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for letting me have a complementary copy of this book for an honest review. #ItsAllRelative #NetGalley

🧼 - Squeaky clean romance, hardly a smooch. This story line really didn't do it for me. It was way too predictable and cheesy. When the random aura reading Aunt and her bird entered the scene I almost couldn't do it.

This was a lot of fun!

As a fan of A Midsummer Nights Dream I was so so excited for this, and intrigued by the idea of a modern romance playing with this fairy-infused story. It definitely did not disappoint.

I loved it. The hi-jinx are more relatable and the characters are really likable. The four different points of view were handled so well, I loved their character arcs and I really, genuinely enjoyed them.

If you like an anything like a more fun Family Stone, or Shakespeare’s original but mixed into a romcom, you’ll love this! Check it out!

This could be great, and from the looks of many other Goodreads reviews, a lot of folks enjoyed it--which is awesome!

I just ... didn't, heh. I got bored after a bit and DNFed after 7 chapters/25%. The characters and plot didn't really draw me in, and the read became one of those I kynda dreaded picking up again just because, again, bored.

I'll also admit I wasn't one who enjoyed "10 Thing I Hate About You"--so it could be that new takes on this work of the Bard's just aren't my jam (or I'm not the right reader, more likely).

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Such a quick and enjoyable book that is set by the beach. It’s a story that moves through 4 POV. Amelia is your headstrong oldest sibling who has it all together. Then there’s the future step sister Helena who is free spirited and does not have it all together. They’re both wrestling with their own insecurities as they try to band together for their parents’ wedding.

I enjoyed the setting of the scene, the interactions, and some character development.

It was fast and light hearted read.

For moral support for her mother's wedding, Helen asked London, her coworker and best friend, to accompany her to the fancy villa that belonged to Helen's mother's partner, Steve Maddox. That's where London met the oldest daughter of Maddox, Amelia, with whom he was in love when they were in college but broke up because Amelia's ambition was to study in London and become a successful architect. Now Amelia is engaged to a big-shot hot guy, Gage, whom they met at one of the projects. They got acquainted and found some similarities in each other, but even though Amelia's relationship with Gage is good, she never forgot her first love, London, and meeting him awakened her long-held feelings. London, a history and PE teacher who is the epitome of sunshine, has a scar deep down that makes him unable to date, and that was Mia's GF breakup. Now, after years, when they meet, he understands that he will never forget Mia, even though he said that he did it to himself. Gage is the vice president of a big Spencer company. After meeting Amelia, though she was his other half, and adding their compatibility, he proposed to her and got engaged. He thought he was happy until he met Helen, his soon-to-be Amelia stepsister, a chaotic, funny, and lively girl. Amelia and Gage are both control freaks; they liked everything in order, but Helen's was different, the complete opposite of Amelia, and the more time Gage spends with her, the more he doubts that marrying Amelia is the right thing.

The main location of the book is Maddoxes traditional villa, where we have some traditional activities like sailing and... the book has a good image of the near-the-sea activities and all the vibe you need for a wedding. It's an added bonus that the book is 4 pov, and you can have each of the 4 main characters know about their own feelings. When you read about only two characters, you would assume, "Are they cheating?" And this kind of thing, but by 4 pov, you understand how important it is to not jump to conclusions, and it's a point in my opinion.

The book has some interesting events, the usage of professional sports antiques is good, and the showing of each character's point of view and others helps to understand the surroundings better. There is this paradox. For example, Helen, in her point of view, is stressed, sometimes worrying, and struggles to not mess things up, but in others, she mostly looks like a carefree and cheerful being. I liked this contrast, and I think it shows the skill of the author in portraying the events. I gave the book the rating of 3.5 and spice 2 because, to be honest, the plot seems more interesting to know what would happen to this 4 than the spice.

This book was light and fun! It’s All Relative made for the perfect pool read. Just enough conflict and just enough cheesiness!

Loved it. So glad I did not allow the word Shakespeare to keep me from reading and enjoying this story. Many heartwarming moments. A variety of romances and relationships. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

"It's All Relative" is such a delightful and engaging book set against the backdrop of Florida's coast. The story revolves around Helena, an English teacher known for her spontaneous approach to life. The narrative unfolds during her mother Nora's wedding weekend, where the merging of their families provides plenty of humor, adventure, and newfound understanding among the characters.

The introduction of a former boyfriend adds an intriguing twist, stirring up emotions and complicating relationships, which adds depth to the story. The book definitely strikes a balance between light-hearted moments and more heartfelt scenes where characters grow and evolve!

The setting of Florida's coast adds to the appeal, offering us a virtual escape to sunny beaches and scenic landscapes. It was the perfect beach read this summer! I loved the charming and enjoyable story, blending humor, romance, and family drama in a way that kept me rooting for the characters until the very end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the opportunity to read this advanced reader's e-copy in exchange for my honest opinions!

This was a cute story with rival coworkers that had a knack for bickering. It’s always nice to have a FMC who is in STEM and knows her worth. The fake dating thing pretty good, even if sometimes I got annoyed at how meta it all was. I also didn’t like that Sunny kept calling Bhanu “Bane” throughout the whole book.
Sunny was grumpy and dealing with some serious emotional wounds from a toxic relationship. He sucked at communicating, but did make an honest effort. Bhanu was mostly sunshiny, though not to the degree that she never got pissed off or stood up for herself. It was a cute book overall.

Spice: 1/5 - very little detail, mostly closed door

Triggers: toxic relationship, hospitalization of family member, panic attacks, brief depiction/description of injured animal, mention of racism, mentions of sexism

"It's All Relative" surprised me a lot with how funny, insightful and tender it was. I love stories with family connections and relationships in the middle and this one was exactly that. I worried, I smiled, I giggled.
Perfect summer romance and not only that! I see myself rereading it during winter because I almost want to get back to the island now, even though I'd finished the book only 3 days ago.
I loved the setting, I loved the family dynamics, I loved Emory. There are 4 different characters' POVs, but I loved all of them (well, maybe except Gage, he seemed like the least interesting character to me, but his chapters were still nice to read).

Big thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It’s difficult to enjoy a book when you don’t like the main character. We all have a friend who’s perpetually late or who is clumsy, maybe it’s even ourselves, but not to the extent that Helena is. I grew weary of her mess-ups. Also Amelia’s traits of perfection, punctuality, and list making also grew redundant. While I was excited to read this novel with comparisons to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I was disappointed with these characters and with little semblance to Shakespeare’s play except for a few names The beach setting is nice, but the island sounds more like it should be on Florida’s west coast, not its east coast.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this advanced copy for review.

This is the first book I’ve read of Rachel Magee. I really enjoyed it. She did a fantastic job and the book was engaging. I liked it a lot.