I give this a 3 star... Micah started out the gate annoyed and stubborn. Annoyed because she's has to defend her job and the reason she's at that university to the people that work there and with Adain who she hasn't met yet but over heard him making fun of her name on the elevator. Stubborn because she can't get over what her ex did to her and vows to not date even though Adain isn't her ex and showed her that. There were parts that had me kicking my feet giggling but there were also parts were the story flet drawn out. I hasn't read Shakespeare's much ado about nothing so I'm not sure if the plot is similar.... But Adain being a Shakespeare fanfic writer was a nice touch.

Thanks to NetGalley/the publisher for the audiobook of this. All thoughts are my own.

I started this book super excited about the plot but it just kind of fell flat for me. If you know me you know how much I enjoy fanfics so the fact that the male MC writes it had me so excited.

Both of the narrators did a great job with it so I have no complaints about that. But I just didn’t feel attached to either of the main characters. And the relationship felt odd to me. It genuinely felt like they hated each other at moments.

The twin sister I thought was hilarious tho. And the use of Douche Canoe 😂😂 one of my favorite insults.

The food tampering part I know it was supposed to be a funny thing but can’t that get you fired if not in trouble with the law in real life? Kind of felt off reading that in an office setting.

I’d recommend this to anyone who wants something fast paced and easy to read. For me it was a solid 3 ⭐️ but I personally don’t think I’d read it again.

The first half of this book was a bit hard for me. The MCs are well into adulthood, but they were soooo extremely juvenile. I like tension and enemies/rivals to lovers, but woooooo 😮‍💨 this stuff was next level petty and immature. When the characters were separate, I was okay… but as soon as they were interacting I was cringing. Finally around 56% things started getting more tolerable, but that’s probably because it was mainly just physical intimacy scenes— which I think were pretty well written and hot. By the end I did enjoy the interactions between the MCs, and that helped gain some redemption in my eyes.

The spice and the ending paired with great dual narration audiobook performances kind of saved the rating. J. F. Harding always gives an engaging performance, and this time wasn’t an exception. I enjoyed Cindy Kay’s narration and want to check out more from her.

Just finished this book and it was so cute!

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. The narrators were great and the story was so fun to listen to.

Aidan and Micah hate each other from the start. Micah is a financial auditor tasked with finding ways to cut costs in the local university’s English department where Aidan is a lit professor. What Micah doesn’t know is that Aidan, the guy who’s making her day job miserable, is also her favorite fanfic writer.

Aidan and Micah’s attraction is palpable from the start. Really liked the evolution of their relationship.

If you’re looking for a steamy, fun romance with lots of Shakespeare references and fanfic, this might just be the book for you!

Thank you Harlequin and Sarah Echavarre Smith for the advance audiobook copy!

This is a true enemies to lovers. The characters really fight and really strongly oppose the other, we’re not messing around here. Enemies with plenty of reasons not to be together. This is what the people want. And the narrators really bring the characters to life.

Much Ado About Hating You was a fun retelling of one of my favorite Shakespeare classics. I love the characters and how their story unraveled. I thoroughly enjoyed the banter, the relationship was a typical intra-hate, enemies to lovers. I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a fluffy, light-hearted, HEA story.

Much Ado About Hating You by Sarah Echavarre Smith**

This book is a swoony, spicy delight from start to finish—equal parts cozy fandom escapism and slow-burn academic chaos. *Much Ado About Hating You* nails that rare blend of heartfelt and hilarious, with just the right dash of steam to keep the pages flying.

Micah and Aidan are textbook enemies-to-lovers, with a Shakespearean twist that feels fresh and nerdily addictive. By day, they’re throwing barbed quips across the university office halls. By night, they’re unknowingly each other’s favorite fanfic creator and reader. The reveal? Chef’s kiss. It’s romcom gold.

Micah is a lovable, competent “good girl” with a hidden spicy side, and Aidan? A hot, emotionally constipated lit professor with dirty thoughts and a black cat. Their chemistry is off the charts, and the tension builds in the best possible way—through shared projects, mutual stubbornness, and electric banter that always teeters on the edge of something much hotter.

It’s a love letter to fandom, to Shakespeare, and to the idea that our nerdiest selves deserve big love, too. If you’re into praise kink, secret identities, and the ultimate “I hate you but I love f&\*\$ing you” vibe, this book is your next favorite escape.

Warm, witty, and wickedly sexy—*Much Ado About Hating You* is fanfic fantasy come true, wrapped in a cozy sweater of enemies-to-lovers goodness.

As a Shakespeare girlie, I was so so pumped about this one!!!

A classic enemies to lovers with a Shakespearean twist! FMC was strong, independent and absolutely knew what she wanted from life and a partner. It was cool to see the MMC being a smutty fanfic writer! I loved the banter and the growth from the MMC.

Just a personal thing, I didn’t *love* the FMC giving up her career because she felt guilty for doing her job well.

I genuinely liked this book, not loved but liked.
I expected to really love this book but was let down. I really loved every thing up until 76%
WHICH IS STILL REALLY HIGH Y'ALL.
A good enough read and I'll probably recommend it to some people i know.

"Much Ado About Hating You combines my love for books about books with a delightfully spicy rom-com. The meet-cute is classic and charming — Micah, an often-loathed auditor, meets Professor Aidan Scott, a literature professor who's not shy about mocking the auditing process. The sparks fly immediately, fueled by a fiery exchange in the elevator and a mutual dislike that quickly turns to something more heated.
What makes this story intriguing is the layer of Shakespearean smutty fan fiction Micah devours—written by none other than Aidan himself—adding a playful and risqué twist to their banter. The dialogue crackles with witty back-and-forth, and the chemistry is definitely on display.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio, I had the chance to listen to the audiobook ahead of its release on May 27th. It's a rapid, engaging listen, perfect for relaxing at the pool or beach. The dual narration adds depth, even if I didn't feel especially invested in the characters, partly due to the instant hate-then-lust dynamic that felt a bit abrupt. Some repetitive tropes, like the 'staring at boobs' moments, felt a little tedious, but overall, it’s a fun and spicy read with plenty of banter and a clever literary twist.
If you're looking for a quick, entertaining escape with books about books and a good dose of heat, this might just be your next go-to—just keep your headphones ready for those steamy scenes!"

Holy insta-lust, Batman! Talk about using words for good...Aiden and Micah are so hot together, especially once the enemies-to-lovers vibe results in some inter-office naughtiness! Though, I will say that at some points I just wanted to SHAKE Aiden and tell him to be less of a douche canoe. It felt like it shouldn't have taken their secret identity revelations for him to finally apologize to her sincerely. Even then, Micah really seemed to take the fall for continuing to do her job, as if SHE was the one that started the investigations as opposed to the college. It just felt like no one was truly on her side through that, even if it was bc they thought she should be a writer instead. Again, they were great together at most points once the animosity was gone, I just felt pretty strongly about that issue I guess haha. Don't let my personal bias throw you off the book! I still really enjoyed it and wanted to read Aiden and Micah's fan fics myself! 4.25 out of 5 stars for me

I went in looking for a fun, steamy romance, and I found exactly that. I enjoyed the tension of the "enemies to lovers" situation, which was written in a way that made it very understandable that the two would get off on the wrong foot and find it hard to trust each other. At the same time, the author also delivered a satisfactory ending that did not just brush off or ignore all the real impediments to this relationship, but still allowed for the always-hoped for "happy ending." The audiobook readers did a great job and I always love the dual-POV and getting to see what is going on in each of the characters' heads.

I want to give a warning/tip to those who are unsure of the "heat" of this book going in: it is for sure of the steamiest/spiciest reads that I have seen from a mainstream publisher. No "closed doors" or fade-to-black here. It was well-written and without any overarching problematic or unhealthy behaviors, and it was a fun read, but not one that I would listen to without headphones or leave a paper copy of where any young reading-age children could find it.

3.5 stars
Thank you so much to Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for an advanced audio!

The premise of this book was so much fun! An enemies-to-lovers story of English professor who secretly writes spicy Shakespeare fanfic and the woman in charge of auditing his department (and thus threatening his job) who happens to read his fanfic. Aidan and Micah get off on the wrong foot and stay unbalanced on that foot for a bit. I will admit, the pranking felt a bit odd, especially in a workplace setting. And the fact that they were enemies, the pranks were more mean-spirited than funny.

Overall I liked the story, and I especially enjoyed how they got closer through their writing. The pacing, at times, felt a bit off, especially when it came to the big shift from enemies to lovers. Nevertheless, it was a fun a steamy story, and it has me wanting to see what kind of Shakespeare fanfic is out there in the world.

I think the audio enhanced the storytelling. This was my first time listening to Cindy Kay, and I think she did a good job. I love J.F. Harding's work, and his deep growls and whispers are so good.

This ALC read was equal parts slow burn and 0 to 60. Enemies to lovers with an office rom twist. If you ever wanted to follow on the behind scenes of fanfic author byline, and love several 'omg this can't be real' events, come this way.

I found myself loving the dichotomy, but unsure about the conviction. Overall, we love a go for your dreams story with risky moments slipped inbetween. Most of all we love a HEA. I could see being invested in this world as a shared universe so we can only hope for that from Sarah in the future.

Thanks to Harper Audio and Afterglow Books for the Advanced Listening Copy!

The premise, tropes, and cover for this book had me super excited to read this! I love Shakespeare, fanfic, and hate-to-love. It definitely felt like it could’ve been an instant hit for me, but unfortunately it fell flat. The characters were 32 years old, but their messages and interactions felt very immature. The writing was repetitive and did a lot of telling instead of showing. When it did show, it then recapped by telling you what happened at the start of the next chapter. Lots of repeating the same scenes through reminiscing, even if the scene happened only a few pages beforehand. I also am unfortunately not a fan of Cindy Kay’s narration, as she always sounds like she’s whispering the male voices. JF Harding did a wondering job with Aiden’s chapters though!

I did love the message that romance and explicit books are not any less worthy than so called ‘highbrow’ books. I am very passionate about that message and loved that it was included here, even if this particular book didn’t work for me. 🩷

Thank you for this ALC! I had a fabulous time listening along to it. I adored that the MCs both lobes fanfics - writing it and reading it. The narrators were incredible. It was an enjoyable, quick listen.

I was drawn in by this adorable spicy cover, but it was thoroughly deceiving. I haven't read a book I have been this disappointed with in a long time! Even though I loved the idea of the book; the enemies to lovers, the Shakespearean spin, and the hot-for-teacher vibes, it all fell short. If you are looking for a book that is less than 300 pages, and would like characters that are as interesting as a wet blanket, with insults and pranks that my 5 year old niece would think up, than this is the book for you!

Can we discuss the audiobook? The main female character is supposed to be Filipena, and I just don't feel like Cindy Kay helped this book out. I have loved past work that Kay has done, but this one just didn't flow for me. J.F. Harding did an adequate job, but I have heard other books Harding has done, and I know this was not his best work. At times you couldn't tell who was supposed to be speaking (which, I guess is better than a horrible falsetto fake female voice...) but it was tough to understand who was saying what sometimes. The two narrators also didn't mesh well together, and that was tough for me.

The enemies to lovers plot was weak at best. The fighting was dull, and the tension wasn't there. When they threw insults at each other, I didn't feel any passion behind it, and it felt immature at best, and cringe-y at worst. It was difficult to listen to the first 1/3rd of the book, which was ridiculously repetitive. Micah Mila (The fmc) would complain about something, and then we would hear a long rant from Professor Aiden Scott about the same thing, but from his view, and then we would hear it a third time, written as a modern-day Shakespeare rewrite of the situation. And OMG, once was MORE THAN ENOUGH.

Then the pranks. My goodness, the pranks. Ok, mostly just two pranks, one from each of them. Sometimes I read books and I think, "Wow, that was super creative! I wish I was creative like that, that character really punished that other character in a sneaky but also funny way!" (I.e. Sarah Hogle's You Deserve Each Other or The Hating Game by Sally Thorne) and other times, like in this book, I read the pranks an think "really? That is how you want to treat a co worker?" It wasn't funny, it wasn't creative and dark, it was really just childish and dumb.

Ok, let's move on to "the worst day of [her] life", where she states she lost her job, her life savings, her place to live, and her boyfriend.

Ooooook.

Deep breaths.

First of all, she did not lose her life savings on that day. She explains what happened with her money, and yeah, she was kind of dumb, but it didn't happen that day, she was being dramatic (no spoilers). She lost her boyfriend because he was a dummy and sleeping around, and I'm sure she could have made a claim on the house depending on how much was invested and how long she had lived there and what state they were in.

But this is just fiction, so let's just gloss over all of that, and just say she was being super dramatic and it really wasn't that bad. She just rolled over and took it without a fight. And then went crying home to her parents. And then complained some more when she had credit card debt after a couple months of being on her own. Suck it up, buttercup, that's life! Rework your budget, get some roommates, and GROW UP! Holy heck...

(This might be spoiler-y)
I am not even going to go into how ridiculous it was that it basically came down to either her job or his job, and neither one could get their heads out of their bums long enough to come up with a better solution. There is no way at all that the college would just "drop" the audit and come back to it later. There is a reason they did an audit. They paid a company for an audit, and just because she left, doesn't mean the audit won't be completed! Jobs are still on the line! If she had stayed (like a reasonable adult!!) and helped the college work out some solutions, maybe there would have been a way to cut costs without staffing changes!

UGH.

Ok, last thing, we're almost done.

They have one big fight, and then she ends up on her knees in front of him at school? What the what?? There was no chemistry to this, this was not hot. It was like, they are enemies, and then there is some sucky sucky, and then they are enemies until she decides she can like him because he writes mediocre fan fic and they get snowed in together? I hated this. All of it. The lazy contrived way the author put them together, still no chemistry... And then they just hooked up for a third of the book...

IDK, the entire thing just didn't work for me. For a hundred reasons. I am usually not this upset at books, I can't even remember the last time I disliked a book this much!

I do have to say, the book premise had potential, but everything about it needed life support.

ALC Review: Much Ado About Hating You by Sarah Echavarre Smith
Pub Date: May 27th
Narrators: Cindy Kay and J. F. Harding

I started listening to this book when I was looking for a pretty spicy read, and this truly delivered! The chemistry between Micah and Aidan throughout the book was top tier and I loved the fanfic element! I mean fanfic for Shakespearean plays?? Sounds like something I might need to check out...

I do often find enemies to lovers books to be a little bit overexaggerated in contemporary romances - I just often find it hard to believe that real adults would act the way that some of these characters do. Unfortunately this remained an issue in this book for me but once they gained a better understanding of each other and got together, I liked the book much more.

I really liked the dual narration between Cindy Kay and J.F. Harding and they definitely added to my enjoyment!

Thank you to Harlequin Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

🎭 Much Ado About Hating You by Sarah Echavarre Smith – ★★★☆☆

This was a fun, flirty enemies-to-lovers romance that delivered exactly what I expected, a solid, easy read with a charming premise and a good dose of banter. It’s the kind of book that works perfectly as a palate cleanser between heavier or more emotional reads.

The romance was enjoyable, and while nothing particularly stood out as amazing, it was consistently entertaining. The conflict felt a bit surface-level at times, but that also made it feel low-stakes in a way that was comforting when you're just looking for something light. The audiobook was well done and kept the pace moving smoothly.

Overall, this is a great pick if you're in the mood for something simple, satisfying, and full of enemies-to-lovers tension without too much drama.

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 Audio for early access to this audiobook. The 2 narrators were amazing!