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Trigger warning: There was love bombing.

I enjoyed the concept of an English professor and an auditor; however, I didn’t resonate with the characters very well so everything fell a bit flat. The chemistry was forced because they never overcame anything to strengthen their relationship. They were constantly at odds and not in a solid enemies to lovers way. Both of the characters were a bit immature. For character development, the FMC realizes she hates her job and the MMC makes up with his dad. Both easy plot lines and lacking nuance. It was like if everyone just thought about their problems for two seconds they immediately fixed themselves.

I thought the fan fic writer trope could have been good but then it was Shakespeare fan fiction… which for some reason isn’t my cup of tea. At that point if you change the character names and the setting, it’s an original work and no longer fan fiction.

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Fans of fanfic will love this especially if you like spicy!! Aiden Scott is a professor, and Micah Mila was hired to audit his department. This could mean Aiden will lose his job. And of course that means things are tense between them. Luckily, they each have a release after work - Aiden writes steamy fan fiction and Micah unknowingly loves to read it. They DM each other as writers, and Aiden encourages Micah to write her own fanfic. When Micah finds out Aiden (her work enemy) is behind all her favorite fanfic, things get steamier. But what will happen when Micah gives her audit report? Will Aiden be fired? Will they continue their affair? Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for early access to this book.

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I can always depend on Sarah to give me something sexy and sweet, and this was definitely more on the sexy side!

I wish we could’ve seen more of the enemy side of things — it would’ve been fun to see a harmless prank war amongst them in the office. I also wish we could’ve seen her have one other ally in the office. The rest of the cast seemed a little immature for my taste. You understand what’s at stake for them in the book, but at the same time you hope people their age act with a little more grace (this doesn’t it extend to the FMC and MMC, I like my enemies to lovers in romance a little immature lol).

Another thing I would’ve liked to see was more of the relationship between Aidan and his dad. I felt like it played such a huge part in his character and we barely saw any resolution. The ending also felt a little rushed, and everything happened to nearly for it to be believable but that might just be a personal issue to me.

Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun and that’s all that matters to me!

Thank you Harlequin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review :)

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I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

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Fan fiction, enemies to lovers, and workplace romance? Sign me up!

After reading the synopsis of the story, I was hooked and excited to dive in. And I was not disappointed--both characters were lovable, their pranks hilarious, and the growth that was demonstrated was admirable. This story made me want to read more virtual meet cutes!

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So glad to have requested this read from the title alone. While I loved the idea behind this book the execution was a bit lackluster in certain parts for me. I'm all about the enemies or academic rivals trope and when there are Shakespearan elements I REALLY anticipate seeing goofy divine interactions, but often I found myself questioning trajectories. Micah and Aidan appear to be polar opposites on paper but end up having secrets that do draw them together, but the risks of what would happen if their identities are to be revealed often felt to be on the wayside for a lot of the plot.

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Steamy romance novel about an auditor and a professor who moonlights as an erotica writer, this book really delivered what was promised.

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This book had all the components of a romance that I should enjoy: an academic setting, fan fiction, my favorite sport mentioned, my favorite Shakespeare play as a nod in the title. However, I just thought this was fine, okay, and alright honestly a bit repetitive. I think that in the hands of another author this might have been better executed. It was a bit self-aggrandizing at times where the characters are praising each other's fics after we the reader read the fic, knowing that obviously the author wrote it. Overall, the story felt very surface level, maybe should have stayed on ao3.

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***Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin/Afterglow Books for sending me an e-arc of Much Ado About Hating You by Sarah Echavarre Smith! All thoughts are my own!***

First thing I need to preface with this book is WOW IT’S SPICY!!!!

This book is definitely bingeable. I finished it in around 24 hours, which I haven't done in the longest time.

Between Aidan being a hot, nerdy professor and Micah being the auditor who is supposed to figure out where cuts need to be made in Aidan's college's English department, this an enemies to lovers story made in heaven. Then you have the added aspect that Micah is a reader of Aidan's Shakespearean erotic fanfic, the story has a great premise.

There's some revenge plots in this book that makes the enemy part of this book work. But there are more spicy scenes in this book than them being enemies. The first time they confront each other, they basically start the fall from there. From the fanfic and then their own spicy times, it's definitely very smut based. Honestly if you want a book that is just gonna be a good time, this is it, that's what you will get from this book.

Much Ado About You by Sarah Echavarre Smith is out now! Thanks again to Netgalley and Harlequin/Afterglow Booka for an e-arc!

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I was so on board for the premise of "Much Ado About Hating You" - staid professor by day, male erotic fanfiction author by night clashing with a financial auditor who is actually one of his most avid readers? Yes, please. But the execution just wasn't there. I didn't feel a ton of chemistry between Aidan and Micah, and I could never quite figure out where in their dynamic either of them started actually liking the other - attracted yes, but liking each other? They were each really crappy to the other and then suddenly Micah is saying how much she likes him? Not so much. I also thought Micah's whole "no sex" rule (which is really just no PIV, since they did many other things) was overblown, especially for how quickly she lets it go. I also didn't like the ending - it felt self-sacrificial and a complete 180 from basically everything Micah had been saying about money., her family dynamic, values, etc. in a way that seemed super inauthentic. The audit aspect was also incredibly unrealistic. The idea of it resolving the way it did in the book was borderline laughable. There are some cuter moments, but this was overall a miss for me.

1.5 stars, rounded to 2. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

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I’ve read a bunch of this author’s books and some hit and some miss, but this one was right in the middle.

The good parts:
- It was short and an easy read at 280-ish pages
- I loved the enemies in real life and flirty pen pals online unbeknownst to them dynamic
- Very steamy!

The primary struggle was that I just wasn’t very invested in their relationship. There’s very little on page time spent together building the relationship that’s not screaming matches or sex, so it made the third act conflict and resolution feel surface level to me.

Thanks to the publisher for the early copy. All opinions are my own!

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Is it spicy in here, or is it just me? 🔥Much Ado About Hating You was my first book by Sarah Echavarre I’m a sucker for mutual annoyance, slow-burn tension, banter...and this delivered all of that in a fast-paced, super enjoyable read. Very cutesy.

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Much Ado About Hating You offers a clever, fandom-fueled spin on the enemies-to-lovers trope, combining academic tension with steamy anonymous fanfic flirtation. The setup—an auditor and a Shakespeare professor who clash by day and connect through spicy fanfiction by night—is undeniably fun and full of potential.

Micah is a sharp, relatable heroine with a love of fanfic that feels authentic, and Aidan brings the broody professor energy with just the right amount of charm. Their chemistry builds nicely, and once the tension boils over, the spice absolutely delivers. Those scenes are well-written, hot, and satisfyingly emotional.

That said, the pacing lags a bit in the middle, and the transition from enemies to lovers feels somewhat rushed. The stakes around their professional conflict could have been developed more deeply, and some plot points resolve a little too conveniently.

Still, this is a solid, entertaining read with great fanfic energy and plenty of heat. If you're in the mood for a light, spicy romance with a bookish flair, this one is worth a try—even if it doesn't quite reach five-star territory.

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Much Ado About Hating You by Sarah Echavarre Smith is an enjoyable rom com that gives readers all of the feels! The cover alone gets your attention and makes you love it!!

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Much Ado About Hating You is a witty, slow-burn romcom that brings the classic enemies-to-lovers trope into the modern world of spicy fanfic and academic tension. The chemistry between financial auditor Micah and brooding lit professor Aidan crackles from the very first page. Their verbal sparring is equal parts sharp and flirtatious, and the twist—that they’re unknowingly each other’s online fanfic alter egos—is both hilarious and heart-melting.

The novel cleverly balances humor and heat, with Shakespearean references sprinkled throughout that fans of classic lit will appreciate without it ever feeling too heavy-handed. Micah is a strong, relatable lead with just the right mix of confidence and vulnerability, while Aidan is equal parts charming and infuriating.

It’s a fun, flirty, and fanfic-fueled romance with just enough angst to keep you turning the pages. If you love stories where fandom meets real life, and tension turns into sizzling chemistry, this one’s for you.

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2.5 rounded up to 3/5- I was so excited for this book based on the premise- a fanfic writing professor who starts to live out this Shakespearean fanfic IRL?! Sign me up! Unfortunately, this didn't quite hit for me the way I'd hoped. It started out fast and furious, but that also led to the chemistry feeling a little unrealistic and rushed. One second they're irrationally angry at each other at first sight, and the next they're banging it out in the conference room.....it just didn't quite work. While the spicy scenes were very spicy, and the premise was a fun idea, the execution didn't quite pan out the way I'd hoped. This is definitely a book that does more telling than showing. But if you're looking for something super spicy and reminiscent of fanfiction, than give this a try!

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Much Ado About Hating You starts off rocky; Aiden, the buttoned-up English professor with a secret penchant for steamy Shakespeare fanfic, and Micah, the sharp, take-no-prisoners auditor, clash hard and often. Their banter teeters on childish and grating at times; I found myself internally yelling at them to grow up already. That said, the spice? Absolutely scorching. If you’ve got a partner nearby, they just might reap the rewards of you diving into this one. Proceed with caution (and maybe a fan).

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This opening of this book really grabbed my attention. This was a great story especially with the characters being writers. I love stories like that. this book was the first of its kind that ive ever read and it was great.!!! definitely giving it a try.

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I tried reading this one but I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood or maybe the book didn’t capture me. I just know that I couldn’t continue.

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Give me a workplace romance and every time I eat it up! Now give me a spicy, rivals to lovers , with Shakespearean vibes. I devoured this!!! Needy and dirty ….and I was obsessed.

I will be recommending this to any customers looking for a good spicy time. Can’t wait to stock this in my shop.

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