I sure do love a Shakespearean romance! And I adored several aspects of this book.
Aidan is a professor at a university that hired Micah to do an audit and make suggestions for cutting classes, staff, and curriculum. They immediately start things off on the wrong foot and are at each other’s throats. Little do they know, they’re actually recently online pen pals because Aidan writes sexy fanfic and it’s Micah’s favorite thing to read in her down time.

OK I LOVED HOW THIS ALL PANNED OUT. I think it was immaculate that as soon as Micah was suspicious that Aidan was the writer, she immediately checked and told him that she was his online pen pal. I think this aspect is usually super drawn out in books and causes so much tension and guilt, but this immediate addressing of it made me so happy.

I thought their story was very cute and I loved watching it develop. It was a cute romcom and I would definitely read more from Sarah Exchavarre Smith!!

Audiobook wise - the production was so good. Both narrators beautifully executed their roles and brought the story to life excellently. I really enjoyed it!!!

I received a copy of the audiobook from NetGalley and Harlequin Audio! Thank you so much for the ARC!! <3

“Much Ado About Hating You” is like ordering a spicy enemies-to-lovers with extra fanfic drizzle, only to find out the kitchen ran out of emotional depth and the story structure’s on break. This book wants to be your next favorite rom-com. It’s got the grumpy academic, the snarky interloper, the anonymous online flirtation — the ingredients are there. But instead of sizzling, it mostly simmers... and simmers... until the plot just quietly evaporates into thin air.

Micah Mila shows up to a college campus with one goal: gut the English department like it’s a budgetary crime scene. She’s a sharp corporate auditor who doesn’t have time for tenure whining or poetic egos. Enter Aidan Scott, the moody professor who reacts to budget cuts like someone keyed his car and insulted Virginia Woolf. Their first interaction is pure chaos, and it only escalates from there — petty insults, professional sabotage, and the kind of verbal sparring that feels one HR report away from disaster.

But of course, they’re also anonymously thirsting over each other on a fanfic app. Because why stop at one rom-com trope when you can speed-run the whole damn trope challenge? And honestly, the premise is gold — enemies at work, lovers online, no clue they’re the same person — but the execution? It’s giving discount "You’ve Got Mail."

Let’s talk about the spice, because that’s where this book cashes its checks. The scenes are steamy, detailed, and absolutely channel that fanfic energy. If you came for the heat, you’ll get your fix. But once the post-coital glow fades, you’re back to two people whose emotional connection is thinner than printer paper. I’m all for some good tension-fueled hooking up, but I also need to believe that these two people should be together — not just that they’re horny and conveniently located.

Micah’s twin sister shows up to drop a few pearls of wisdom — some of which hit, and one of which definitely should’ve been left on read. Aidan’s younger brother makes a brief appearance, but it’s more of a walk-on role than any real contribution. It’s a shame, really, because they’re the closest thing this book has to characters with boundaries — and even they are wobbly.

The relationship arc here is more like a series of vibes than an actual progression. One minute they’re fighting, the next they’re flirting, then they’re full-on hate-kissing in a conference room — rinse, repeat. I wanted character growth, emotional payoff, some actual evolution. What I got was two messy people making each other messier while pretending it’s romantic.

Narrated by Cindy Kay and J. F. Harding, the audiobook delivery was solid — both brought the characters to life with chemistry and clarity that the text itself sometimes fumbled. Big thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for early access to the audiobook, which honestly elevated the experience.

Final thoughts? It’s not a disaster. It’s just a beautiful mess that never quite lands. The concept deserved better, and so did Micah, honestly. I’m giving it 3 stars — one for the setup, one for the spice, and one for the emotional support twin who hopefully gets a therapist.

Very spicy! I liked the premise for the plot, but the execution left something to desire. I liked the fan-fic weaved into the story, I wish there was more of that actually! You couldn't feel the chemistry between the main characters. It was entertaining and OK, but I don't really think I'll be recommending this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of the audiobook!

For the bookworms and the hot nerds—this one's for you.

Think: Shakespeare, but make it sexy. This office romance delivers lust at first sight, enemies-to-lovers tension, and the perfect dose of witty banter. Our leads? Smut writers serious chemistry and even more serious unresolved tension.

It's flirty, filthy, and full of heart. If you love your romance with brains, banter, and spice, Much Ado About Hating You needs to be at the top of your TBR.

I was having a hard time eating this but I think I've decided there were too many red flags from both the FMC and MMC to recommend the book. It wasn't atrocious but it wasn't worth the time. Spice scenes were okay, I suppose.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title. I attest that I am writing this review voluntarily and honestly.

I was so intrigued by a Shakespearean themed enemies to lovers book but this just didn’t do it for me. Not even the inclusion of fanfic writings and dynamics could save it for me. The two lead characters were a walking HR violation and they were just so mean to each other! I found it really hard to root for them and eventually just gave up trying. I’m sure this is the perfect enemies to lovers dynamic for a different reader but it’s just not for me :(

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced audio copy of this. I really enjoyed this fast steamy listen! Good chemistry between the main characters and cute storyline. Would recommend on audio really liked the dual narration.

Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes, so I was excited to dive into this one. Unfortunately, the plot felt flat and the characters were more frustrating than fun. The narrators did a great job with the audiobook, but overall, the story didn’t live up to my expectations.

This was really interesting to listen to as Micah has to review each professor to see of it worth it to have the class or professor assign to it. her company trying to cut losses and Aiden is not happy about it. Many teacher fear of lossing their jobs. So Aiden goes to fhe Dean to see if they can fire her from her Job.
The story progress as a slowburn a d the conflict wasnt neccessary my opinion but like any book we need the drama.

narrated by Cindy Kay; J. F. Harding

Very cool concept with the two main characters having an enemy-to-lovers quarrel. Aidan and Micah were filled with a little too much hatred at the start of the book for me, but I stuck it out! I liked that Aidan and Micah both loved writing and were on the Scribblers writing website. If you like spice, this book is for you! A lot of spice in this story.

This was kind of a mixed bag for me. The premise of this book sounded right up my alley and I do think the beginning was quite strong. But then it kind of quickly unraveled to what the heck just happened, where did these feelings come from, wham bam love you okay bye. I think there was a lot of potential for this book to be great if some of the emotions were fleshed out a little more and the characters relationship developed a little more. It seemed very surface level.

This next part is probably just a personal preference, but other people may feel the same way. I love enemies/rivals to lovers, especially in an academic setting when it's based in the real world. A problem I have with it though sometimes is when the characters are cooking up schemes to get back at each other and the antics end up being very juvenile, verging on cringey. This was not the worst I have seen, but it was getting pretty close. It's especially annoying when the MMC says something so misogynistic with no regrets and it's just glossed over, forgotten about, or is resolved with a halfhearted sorry. Kind of ruins my view of them the rest of the way.

The spice was written very well and was kind of the star of the show. I did really enjoy how the fanfic writing was intertwined throughout the story and how Aidan and Micah used it as a means to communicate their feelings, thoughts, and desires. The ending was saved from being a complete disaster because of the fanfic. That was cute.

I listened to this as an audiobook and this was a quick, easy listen. I really like Cindy Kay as a narrator. Her voice is so distinct.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for a chance to listen to this ALC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was really excited for this story, it had all the ingredients I usually love: enemies-to-lovers, secret online identities, an academic setting, and romance. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t live up to the premise for me.
The biggest issue was the characters' immaturity, particularly for university professors. Their behavior often felt more like high school drama than anything you'd expect from professional adults. Micah, in particular, was frustrating and came off as vindictive rather than flawed-but-likable.
There were several moments where I nearly DNF'd, especially during scenes that felt over-the-top or inappropriate. One instance: Micah’s blouse is unbuttoned and gets angry at Aiden for pointing it out. Then later, she intentionally adds hot sauce to his food order as a petty form of revenge. Tampering with someone’s food, when you don’t know their allergies or sensitivities, is not just immature, it’s reckless.
The overall tone felt less like an adult romance and more like a teenager’s idea of how adults interact at work. I finished the audiobook because I rarely DNF, but I honestly wish I hadn’t been approved for this ALC.
That said, the narrators, Cindy Kay and J. F. Harding, were fantastic. They brought so much emotion and nuance to the performance that it really elevated the listening experience. You could truly hear the tension, humor, and vulnerability in their voices.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advance listening copy.

Classic enemies to lovers in the workplace meets “You’ve Got Mail”. Fun side stories that are spicy reimaginings of Shakespearean stories. Somewhat stereotypical, Hallmark storyline of a highly educated, serious woman with a less than fun job, who learns to let go and live her dream after falling in love. Although the story is somewhat predictable, it is very enjoyable.

Bonus takeaway: The MMC is one of the most realistic men I’ve ever found in a book. I despised him at first. He needs therapy. He’s a bit of a dick. He’s immature in a way. But there’s growth. And lord he needed it!

Dual narrators. Both were excellent.

A solid 3. This was definitely entertaining enough to hold my attention, but the spice was carrying most of the weight here.

I think the characters' personalities would have made more sense if they were in their early 20s... They felt extremely petty and childish for two adults with established careers interacting in a professional setting.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️
Narrator(s): ⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes, etc: Enemies to Lovers, Workplace Romance, Secret Identities, Online Penpals, Snowed In
POV: Dual, 1st Person
3rd Act Breakup?: Yes

Brief Summary: Micah is assigned to audit a college English department and immediately clashes with one of the professors. While they’re at each other’s throat during the workday, they’re unknowingly bonding online over erotic Shakespeare fanfiction.

Vibe Check: Immature, Porn with a Plot, Frustrating

FMC Is: Annoying, dickmatized
MMC Is: A dick, a hypocrite
Chemistry: 🧪

While Reading I: Rolled my eyes, checked to see if a 14-year-old me had somehow had my poorly written fanfiction published.

What Kept Me Hooked: Nothing. I only finished it because it was short.

📚Room For Improvement: The writing was not good. A lot of telling rather than showing, repetition, and stilted dialogue. The main characters both spoke like teenagers despite being in their 30s. There was also no real relationship development. They briefly discussed their respective traumas but otherwise didn’t seem to actually learn anything substantial about each other. They also both had crushes on their online personas despite their interactions being like “Super hot story. Helped me cope with my bad day at work.” and “thanks :) I also had a bad day at work.”

🎧Room For Improvement: The narrator for Aiden was fine. I didn’t care for Micah’s narrator. In one of Aiden’s fanfiction scenes (a mafia romance spin on Romeo and Juliet), the characters’ names appear to be Rome and Jia (though I can’t confirm the spelling of Jia as I don’t have a print copy, I’m operating on the assumption that it would be similar to Juliet and because Aiden’s narrator pronounced it like “Gia”). Micah’s narrator continuously pronounced this name as “Jaw” and it was very weird, especially since it’s said so many times in one section that she’s just saying Jaw over and over and over. The narrators should align with the author about pronunciation to ensure they’re both saying it correctly and the same way.

Final Thoughts: While the premise was interesting and had potential, this one just fell flat for me.

In Much Ado About Hating You, we follow Aiden a college English professor who writes erotic Shakespeare fanfiction on the side, and Micah, a job auditor who reads erotic Shakespeare fanfiction for fun. Micah is hired to audit the English department where Aiden works, and their first meeting does not go well. At all. The animosity and hate between the two runs deep, and it leads to some pranks that I almost felt were too mean to come back from. It also leads to some great sexual tension. Of course, at the same time, the two are anonymously connecting on the fanfiction app.

HOLY MOLY was this story STEAMY!!!! The author writes great spicy scenes, both between the characters and in the fanfiction world. I liked the relationship, and how it progressed from enemies to lovers felt believable to me. So did the third act conflict, which I normally don't love. But it felt necessary for their relationship to become an HEA.

The audiobook was also great! Both narrators really brought the characters to life and kept the story engaging!

I loved this audiobook more than I expected to! I’m not a huge fan fic girlie and I adored it. The writing and story was good. Similar to the original. I also really enjoyed the narration, the female is new to me but I love JF. Would highly recommend this one

This book had my all-time favorite trope, but I still couldn’t bring myself to love it. I listened to the audiobook, and honestly, the narrators were great, that’s what helped me get through it. The story itself just didn’t click with me. I didn’t feel any connection to the characters, and the writing style didn’t work for me. Everything also happened way too fast for my taste. If you’re planning to read this, I definitely recommend going for the audiobook, it’s the best part.

This was such a cute book! This enemies to lovers book was steamy and the main characters had great chemistry. I loved the spin on writing fanfic for Shakespeare. This book was a fun time and I recommend it!

3.5 Stars Much Ado About Hating You is a fun hate to love, office romance!

Micah Mila is used to not being liked. As an auditor, she's often the bearer of bad news and her latest assignment at a local university's English department is especially difficult due to Professor Aidan Scott. Despite Micah catching his eye, Aidan immediately dislikes Micah and what she's set out to do. He doesn't trust her and the two constantly butt heads. What neither one realizes is that Aidan writes the spicy fanfic that Micah loves to read and the two have become flirty online pen pals. But when secrets come out, Micah and Aidan may be seeing each other in a whole new light.

This was a fast paced read and I couldn't believe that I flew through it as fast as I did! Sarah Echavarre Smith does a great job building up the hate and tension between Micah and Aidan before everything bursts into flames. Their chemistry is undeniable and the spicy scenes are 🔥 Once Aidan and Micah started hooking up, they decided to keep it casual and definitely not make it a relationship, but that's pretty quickly abandoned and Aidan is quick with the "I love you." This part felt a bit rushed, though there was good build up for a potential relationship through their messaging on the fanfic app.

Thanks Sarah Echavarre Smith for the ARC!