This sounded so promising! Maggie, a passionate writer is determined to get her precious manuscript published. It is a formidable ambition and she charges at it headlong. But as anyone who has ever submitted a manuscript knows, it is notoriously difficult. It can only have been even more so 150 odd years ago. Therefore, not unsurprisingly, her hopes are immediately dashed by the handsome publisher who awakens in her feelings the smelly-footed bachelors her aunt shoves at her never have.
What follows next is a melange of tropes that struggle to find purchase. And what makes them even harder to swallow is the rampant overwriting. There is no reprieve from the adjective-heavy prose.
The enemies-to-lovers trope feels disjointed, the gothic novel aspect seems forced, the mystery is awkward. It’s a melodrama fighting to be a regency love story and none are victorious. The villains are as one dimensional as the good guys.
The major, pivotal drama is slightly hard to follow chronologically - the incident happens and we are led to believe it’s addressed immediately and yet quite a bit of time has actually elapsed? For an incident that the book hinges around it is not well crafted.
Bridger is a wooden soldier come to life through florid description with three basic emotions (anger, self-recriminating dismay & lust) who is never fully formed. Incidents from his past dictate his actions but he never has a chance to evolve and become a real boy, as it were.
A more decisive editor could surely have wrangled this into a more successful book but I’m afraid it didn’t work for me. Ms. Roux is lucky that she has found an audience for her work. I gather she is incredibly popular but this is my first, and may be my last.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine - Dell for the book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Maggie Arden is a square peg in a round hole in her Regency times. She and her mother and sisters live on the charity of other disapproving family members. Maggie is far too opinionated to win anyone's approval. It is made very clear her duty is to marry and marry as well as she can so she can provide for her family. She has no interest in that and wants only to continue writing books, even though it's nearly impossible for a female author to get published.

But then she runs into publisher Bridger Dryden and flouts societal rules to plead with him about her manuscript. She catches him at a bad time since he is dealing with a dying, aloof, verbally abusive father and a wastrel brother.

They are thrown together at a family wedding and the chemistry is evident. They have to navigate a lot of family problems before they can be together. The plot is sometimes a bit haphazard but it's a decent romance with sympathetic characters. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

When aspiring author Maggie approaches new publisher, Bridger at a ball to pitch her book, it does NOT go well. Her aunts, who resent Maggie’s mother for marrying for love instead of money, want her married to a rich guy instead of foolish notions. Bridger also needs to marry a rich woman after his father and brother have squandered most of the family fortune.

I really liked that we had biracial characters with their experiences acknowledged. However, I think for a book which had a sprinkle of Much Ado About Nothing as inspiration, it was missing that dynamite Beatrice and Benedict banter and spark. As such, the romance didn’t really work for me, and parts of the book dragged on a bit to much.

Overall, a fun and frothy low-key Shakespeare vibes with a dash of mystery.

Thanks to Random House/Ballantine/Dell and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a cute romance-mystery book about Maggie, an aspiring writer, and Bridger, a former army man turned publisher. Both Maggie and Bridger face financial crises: Maggie because her father died leaving her and her two sisters at the mercy of her aunts who want them to make advantageous marriages, and Bridger because his brother's various reckless expenditures risks bankrupting their ailing father's estate. Bridger is pursuing publishing to stave off financial ruin, but he initially rejects Maggie's manuscript rather harshly.

Maggie is more determined than ever to prove Bridger wrong and get her writing published. The two are reunited, however, when Bridger's best friend, who happens to be Maggie's cousin, is getting married at his estate. The night of the wedding, Bridger's brother hatches an evil plot to ruin the married couple's marriage and reputation when the new wife is seemingly "caught" in the arms of another man. From there, Maggie and Bridger are determined to investigate who is involved in the scheme, why, and to capture Bridger's brother and save the new marriage.

I wasn't expecting this to be in the vein of an investigative mystery with Maggie and Bridger attempting to solve the mystery of who would try to ruin their friend's and cousin's marriage. To me, that left me a little disappointed in terms of developing the relationship between Maggie and Bridger. It was more mystery than romance, and that made the sudden romance aspect seem rushed and sudden. It seemed out of left field, and the blurb for the book didn't make it seem like that would be the book's direction.

Well, Bridger certainly makes an impression. He was rude and violent and I doubted a worthy path forward after the antagonistic beginning. But the story grew on me. The scenes bounce around a bit and it's a fast-paced romp, but Bridger's character growth and the romance with Margaret pull through.

The highlight for me was the ending: I loved reading a happily ever after that required some sacrifice and landed the couple in modest but contented circumstances. Refreshing.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Much ado about Margaret is set in Regency England and focuses on Margaret Arden, a female writer and Bridger Darrow, a book publisher who has everything to loose if he doesn’t find a talented writer. Margaret attempts to get her book published by Bridger but he never really gave it a chance at first which sets up an “enemies to lovers” trope. There is a mystery through out the book which was fun to read.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book but I started to loose interest half way through for some reason. I didn’t fell the chemistry between Margaret and Bridger honestly and a lot of the drama happens so quickly that made it feel rushed. Trying not to give away spoilers, The ending was a little weird, I feel like the forgiveness was handed out rather quickly but also I couldn’t blame the one at fault due to what was happening in their life.

I liked the relationships between the sisters a lot and I enjoyed the support they showed to Margaret. The aunts however were terrible and deserve to kicked repeatedly. Bridgers best friend (Lane) turned into a little weakling with no backbone at one part though.

Overall it was a pleasant read and I enjoyed the mystery but I wish the chemistry was a little more fizzling. Thank you NetGalley and Dell for giving me an advanced copy of this book for an honest review

I liked the idea of this book, but I felt like something was lacking in its execution. I think another writer could have found more moments of joy or hijinks, perhaps. The book therefore took longer to read than I’d anticipated.

This was a fun historical romance with a little bit of a mystery element. I loved Margaret who was a feisty author who always spoke her mind, even in a time when that was looked down upon for a woman. Bridger is a publisher who when he reads her book, wants to publish it. But when they have to solve a mystery together feelings also develop. I loved the family dynamic with margaret and her sisters, even though her aunts made me very angry.

Madeleine Roux’ “Much Ado About Margaret” follows Margaret, an aspiring author, loyal friend, lover of Shakespeare, and peak Eldest Daughter vibes. Feeling pressure from her aunts to make a good match this season, Margaret attempts to navigate the need to fulfill her duty to her family - marriage - and her duty to herself (and her late father): writing.

Naturally, she meets the brash and handsome publisher, Bridger Darrow - who promptly crushes her dreams but eventually recognizes her talent.

One might expect the story to focus more on Margaret’s journey to authorship or Bridger’s post-war trauma, but instead, it is - quite curiously, in my opinion - a side character scandal and party mystery that drives this narrative. This often meant the plot points and primary conflict seemed forced.

In this romance, you’ll get:
- Enemies to lovers
- Passion and duty
- Family drama and trauma
- Fierce female friendships
- House party scandal
- Love discovered on the road in pursuit of a mystery
- Mistaken identity
- Only one room

Ultimately, this book is a lower-spice historical fiction that I think many readers new to the genre will enjoy.

But for long-time historical and regency romance readers (like myself) this one fell a bit flat. While the writing was high-level and quite polished, it was a bit heavy-handed—particularly with the Shakespeare references (again, most readers drawn to this genre can be trusted to know their Shakespeare and recognize references without being told outright). I also thought the overall tone wasn’t styled in an authentically British way (take that with a grain of salt, as I’m an American reader - but it certainly lacked traditionally regency romance tone/wording and formality)- which took me out of the story often.

Perhaps more than that, the chemistry and depth between Margaret and Bridger was missing - especially when you consider the pacing of this novel, all of the primary action happens over the course of just a few days. I’ve still never found a reader who completely connects with insta-love, least of all me.

As ever, I am grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for an opportunity to read this galley and which you all the success with the release of this title and look forward to more regency romances from Dell.

Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux combines the clever wit of Jane Austen, Shakespearean plot elements, and a contemporary twist. In this charming Regency novel, following the success of The Proposition, Roux crafts a captivating story centered around a lively wedding weekend. Readers will be captivated by the ambitious and strong-willed Margaret, as well as the brooding yet tender Bridger. This novel is truly a gem that will delight fans of historical romance.

Step into the old world with oppressive customs, strong aspiring women, and plenty of scandal. I enjoyed the coming of age love story, the family challenges, and the storyline of this one. It felt a bit cliche at times but broke from the norm with some adult spice and a well developed plot with lovable characters.

A satisfying ending that pulled at my heart strings.

Tropes: enemies to lovers; MMC with a traumatic past; MFC wants to be a writer; wedding party; forced proximity; mistaken identity
Steam level: 2-3

3.5 stars ultimately bumped up. I have mixed thoughts. I enjoyed the writing style; it flows well and is polished. At times it ventures toward "purple prose", but overall descriptions and dialog are well written. I was attracted to the premise and the breezy execution of the first third of the book. I also liked how the touchy, more emotional topics were brought up. Ann's background in India and her and her family's struggles with acculturation were actually more interesting to me than the main conflict involving MFC Maggie wanting to become a published writer. I wished that this "fish out of water" subplot ran throughout more of the book. I also liked the way MMC Bridger and his struggles with PTSD were introduced. I'm a fan of the "wounded warrior" trope and was ready for this to be explored more in the second half.

However, as the book went on, it tended to rely more on unnecessary angst to create plot complications. For example, when fireworks go off at the wedding reception, Bridger blacks out. When he comes to, Maggie is questioning him. Her father was retired from the military and so she's familiar with shellshock. However, when he responds to one of her queries unsatisfactorily in his confusion, she takes it personally. Nearer the end of the book her cousin Lane, who has credited Bridger with saving his life, only had to decide that he is the head of the household and tell his harpy of a mother that his old friend will always be welcome at their table, but instead he inexplicably goes along with her snobbishness, which contributes another barrier to Bridger's HEA with Maggie. And all Bridger had to do earlier in the book was talk over things with his former bertrothed Regina and that nastiness would have been at least somewhat cleared up.

Then there are characters who are unpleasant mostly for the sake of being unpleasant: the aunts, Pimm (who, although the author does try to humanize him later, is really hard to like), and Bridger's monster of a dad who has been affected by dementia (the scene where Bridger yells at him not long before his death is more appalling than satisfying IMO). Even Ann's sister Ruby, who could have easily become a sympathetic character, is annoyingly self-centered.

Balancing out the angst, I did like Briger and Maggie's chemistry. I was a bit surprised they gave into passion when they did and the love scenes felt rather shoehorned in, but I get that it's hard to publish non-steamy HR's these days. There are literary/Shakepearean themes throughout, with a bit of a homage to "Much Ado About Nothing."

Bottom line: The author's writing style is strong, so if you are more "angsty" than I am when it comes to HR's this might be the book for you.

This is an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary, honest review. Thank you to the author, Random House Publishing/Dell and NetGalley for this opportunity.

Margaret Arden is an aspiring writer, a romantic soul in search of a publisher. Her family is more concerned with her marriageability, if only she’d get over these silly notions of being a writer. Enter Bridger Darrow of Dockarty & Co. publishing. He just may be the answer. But wait. Bridger has a lot of financial baggage, and none of it good. He needs a break too, and Maggie’s novel just may be the answer. But wait, when is romance ever that simple? Readers will just have to find out the rest on their own. This is a fun read, with lots of heart and drama. Enjoy.

Female writer wants to publish. Publisher tap dances across her dreams. Publisher then finds pages of a novel and is wowed. Publisher finds out female writer is behind the novel. Add sparks and a country estate and enjoy!

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Spicy Romance, Regency Romance, Books about Writers
Spice Level: Sex on page
Language: A little bit of swearing
Representation: Southeast Indian characters

MUCH ADO ABOUT MARGARET is a loose retelling of Much Ado About Nothing. The tie in with Shakespeare's famous play is a lot of fun.

Margaret is not ever demure, and I love her for that. Her passion is writing, and she wants to be a published author. She is brutally rejected by a handsome publisher, but then the world tips . . . he finds her book's pages scattered and can't stop reading.

But then there is the problem of who hates who, someone pretending to be another, mistaken identity, scoundrels, money-grabbers, and passion.

Whew! It was a fast ride.

I also love the touch on racial prejudice (and how wrong it is)—this brings more awareness to how colonialism affected countries and people, along with migration, and problems with prejudice.

My normal comment in Regency novels where the young woman willingly has sex with a potential suitor always rub me a little bit the wrong way because the only social currency these women had were their reputations. I'm not saying this didn't ever happen in real life, just that it isn't usually portrayed in a book with the potential serious consequences. I do feel like Roux touches on the loss of social currency in this book, which makes Margaret's decision have more weight. (Still not my favorite, but that's my more balanced view for you to know what's going to happen without being too spoilerish—I hope.)

I loved so much about this book! If you love spicy romance during the Regency era or have a love for Shakespeare's comedies, you'll love this book.

Happy reading!

Regency England is no place for a smart, literary, unmarried young lady. “Ladies” are demur, defer to men in all things, and definitely do not write novels. Margaret is all things she’s not supposed to be but, as the lovely oldest daughter of an impoverished family, she’s expected to snatched a wealthy man to marry and take the financial pressures off of her younger sisters. But, Margaret wants to marry for love, and to find a husband who loves reading, celebrates her writing. Enter Bridger Darrow…recently returned from fighting Napoleon, somewhat broken and finding his worthless, spendthrift brother and cold, mentally failing father driving the family estate into the ground. Bridger wants as little to do with them as possible and follow hid heart to run the publishing house of his former mentor. He’s working to keep the business going and build up his diminished wealth. He dismissed Margaret’s novel as trash without really reading it but, after his first meeting with her, found her lovely and intriguing. Will they overcome their personal animosity, her need for a wealthy husband and his reluctance to commit to a wife? It’s a charming story but a little overwrought, especially about the the story line around the marriage of Ann and Lane (secondary characters and storyline) and Ann’s family. Perhaps there was a previous book about Ann and Lane’s relationship? This book reads like there is.

Good at times. Okay at others. This had really nice dialogue, I like when the characters actually speak like they belong in said time period. Some really hate-able villains as well. 3.5 stars.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately, I was not able to connect with this writer’s work. It didn’t keep my attention.

This was a historical romance with a twist and a very fun read. A young woman who is an author and wants to get her book published comes up against a handsome publisher who shuns her work. Sparks fly and determination grows stronger in our lady author. She vows to get her book published. The young publisher is glad to get rid of her and figures that he will not see her again. But life has lots of twists and turns. There will be many surprises ahead!

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and author for a chance to read an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to Random House - Dell/NetGalley for a chance to read this ARC!

I really enjoyed this! It kept me hooked from the very beginning, and Maggie is a wonderful FMC.

By the end, I wasn't sure I was convinced these two were actually in love with each other, or if they just love what the other person can offer them at this stage in life; but hey, maybe that's good enough for them! (This is not to say they aren't really adorable together)

The mention of happiness for Ruby at the end actually made me ENRAAAAAGED but I'll get past it <3

I would happily read more books by this author (Violet & Winny books WHEN)