This was... Infuriating. I spent the first half of the book acting the FMC and the second half hating the MMC. The power dynamic was problematic and unfair and OMFG the amount of identical adjectives about crystal blue eyes etc.

As a huge fan of "Much Ado About Nothing", the title "Much Ado About Hating You" really caught my eye. This book isn't a traditional retelling, but rather a fun twist with characters and their passion for Shakespeare. The audiobook narrators, Cindy Kay and J.F. Harding, brought the story to life beautifully. Overall, it was a good read.

3.5 ⭐️ —

This books synopsis and cover had me and then the actual execution of the plot and storyline lost me quicker than a 2 year old in a grocery store.

The spice was badly timed all throughout the book. And listen, I like spice. The spicier the BETTER! But everytime we got to spice in the book it felt soooo left field! The enemies portion was believable and ok, but the instant switch to lovers could’ve used some pacing.

The pacing of this book overall was poorly done, this book had SO much potential and just fell FLAT.

I would not recommend tbh. It wasn’t bad, but in no way was it truly captivating or worth publishing.

This was a quick listen for me. I love some smut this made me a litttle uncomfy. Too many pu$$ies. In my opinion.

This was an intense Enemies to Lovers rom com. If all of those tropes and premises entice you, then this book is for you!

There was some of the bickering and argument type of banter that had me clutch my pearls. But the author was good at balancing argument "wins" for both MCs. There were personally some times where I questioned if roles were reversed, would the female have the same audacity? And I am not sure.

Anyways the steam is so top tier that I was distracted by any personal frustrations I had! LOL!

Great read over all and I will be recommending it.
Great narrators.

If there was any Asian rep mentioned in the book, I missed it.

The banter between the speakers was unexpected and really kept things lively. It felt like listening to a genuine conversation rather than a typical ad, which made it easy to stay engaged. The humor and casual tone brought a refreshing energy that made the message much more enjoyable.

Instead of a standard sales pitch, the dialogue flowed naturally and added personality to the ad. This approach made the content relatable and memorable, especially during a busy workday when I needed a quick break.

Overall, the ad’s mix of fun and clear communication left a positive impression. It’s a great example of how a conversational style can make advertising feel less intrusive and more entertaining.

This is pure enemies to lovers territory. These people hate each other, which unfortunately makes the romantic aspects feel a little abrupt. The sex scenes are phenomenal, the Shakespeare fanfic parts were great as well, but I couldn’t find myself really rooting for these two.

The audiobook performance was great though.

What do you get when you mix a former-hockey-player/lit-professor with a university auditor? Some pretty great enemies to lovers vibes. What do you get when both of those characters are also lovers (and writers) of spicy romance and part of the same online community? Spice. And a good amount of it. ❤️‍🔥

I listened to the audiobook version of this and it was honestly a fast-paced, good time. I enjoyed both characters for the most part and loved the plot as a whole. It was well done.

The narrators were also great and did a great job bringing the story to life. It was easy to listen to and the intros and exists to the chapters were clear. I never felt lost while listening. 🙂

I was so excited for a nerdy lit lover 😍 and he writes smut? Like okay, ✨dream guy✨

Except… kinda not really. Aidan was fine, but his selfishness throughout the book turned me off. As a previous hockey player, I would’ve loved to see more of the juxtaposition between that world and his love for literature. Instead we got a weird, no/contact relationship between him and his dad and some Shakespearean “fanfic”.

Then we get Micah, who is just trying her best but also kind of a mess. She’s gone through some unfortunate things with her ex but, somehow, her parents and sister save her financially? Then comes Aidan who basically wants her to quit her job so he doesn’t lose his and when she doesn’t, throws a fit 🙄

Don’t even get me started on the secret online identities that somehow immediately slapped a big ol’ bandaid on their “enemies” situation as soon as it’s found out.

The cover had me so excited for the tension between the two, but I just felt like it went tension… tension… tension - SMUT. For like the rest of the book. Which I’m not usually one to complain about too much smut, but the plot then felt sprinkled in and at that point nothing was really making any sense.

I love, love, loved the concept in theory and it had so much potential, but in practice, it fell flat for me. Just a little more character development and editing out some unnecessary characters/scenes would’ve left room for more plot development.


The Basics:
Professor/Spicy Fanfic Author 📝//Financial Auditor 📊
1st Person Dual POV
Standalone
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
⭐️⭐️.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review 🤍🎧

Enemies to lovers with some fun twists and turns. I really loved the way this story unfolded. Both main characters were relatable and multilayered.

I loved how Micah and Aidan sparred with one another during the day, and connected so deeply when they were under the cloak of anonymity. Aidan was such a wonderful supporter for Micah and it was great to see how he encouraged her to chase her dreams. The audio version of this book is excellent and it really brought this story to life.

This is my first book by this author and curious to read more.

In the beginning I found the fighting between the two main characters kind of frustrating. If I am being completely honest it might be some of my own bias in there, I guess I am a little direct when I have a problem with someone. Thankfully I was already too invested in the plot and glad I did continue.

The “spice” was great and I really enjoyed the heartfelt moments

The story had its ups and downs, but let's be real—the steamy scenes are where this book truly shines. Micah and Aidan's chemistry explodes when things finally get physical, and the dirty talk is top-tier. The spice makes you double-take and rewind like, "Wait—did they just say that?!" Yes, they did. And yes, it was delicious.
Narration-wise, Cindy Kay and J. F. Harding crushed it. Did Kay capture Micah's snark and vulnerability and Harding's? That man could read a grocery list and make it sound sexy, but with Aidan's voice, he delivered all the tension and filth with just the right amount of smirk. Their performances made the heat sizzle and engaged me through clunkier plot points.
I recommend it for the storytelling. Not so much. But for a spicy escape with narrators who bring the heat and then some? It's worth the listen.
Let me know if you want a version that leans more into humour or sarcasm!

This one had potential, but it didn’t quite land for me.

Let’s start with the good:

The narrators were great. Solid voice acting, good pacing, and easy to follow.

Now for the rest...

Some plot points, like the “hockey player who doesn’t talk to his dad” subplot, felt pointless and made the book drag.
The rivalry between Aidan and Micah was forced, with Aidan’s hate coming on way too strong for someone just doing their job.

Also, girl, don’t say “we didn’t have sex” when you literally gave him a BJ and did some stuff. And when they do finally “have sex”, it happens abruptly with zero buildup just *boom*, sex. Speaking of spice… there’s a LOT of it. Honestly? More smut than plot. Not necessarily a bad thing, sometimes that’s exactly what I’m looking for, but today it just wasn’t hitting. It felt like 90% steam, 10% substance.

Character growth? Nonexistent. I couldn’t connect with Aidan, who felt petty and insecure, or Micah, whose “my life is so hard” vibe got old fast.

I really wanted to love this workplace rivals-to-lovers romance, but it was mostly spice with not enough depth to balance it out. Still, I didn’t hate it, it was fine.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the advance listener copy. I really liked the narrators but would have enjoyed it more if it had been duet narration. The story was good but not great. The tension/dislike between Micah and Aidan seemed a bit forced. I appreciated the communication between them when Micah found out who Aidan was online because I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope. Both were mature about it and were able to put their differences aside. The spice was well done. The end of the book felt rushed and all of their issues- both individual and as a couple- were resolved too quickly and simply.

This book was a 3.5 star read. It’s a steamy, enemies to lovers, workplace romance. It’s an easy read and fun. It’s not serious at all, but if you want a smutty summer read, this book is it.

Ok so this book was so much fun for me!! I’m a huge Shakespeare girlie at heart and anything that has anything to do with Shakespeare I’m completely sold!! This was such a fun enemies to lovers workplace romance book and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This follows an English professor Aidan and Micah a financial auditor assigned to assess the English department at his university and potentially aid in terminating jobs of some of the professors in the English department. Tension runs high between the two, but aside from the hatred they share during the audit, they find they have much more in common than they expected. This book has it all the tension, the banter, the spicy scenes and a little humor and fun theatrical relief. I love how this book incorporated slight references to the works of William Shakespeare especially the name which is one of Shakespeare greatest play in my opinion and definitely one of my favorites. If you are not a huge Shakespearean fan don’t worry this isn’t a Shakespeare play with the old English jargon not at all it’s just slight references to him. What made me enjoy this book the most me that it such a fun way to incorporate some great Shakespearean literature and combine it with a new age narrative and some fun theatrics which to me made this so unique. If you enjoy a good Workplace romance book with enemies to lovers trope, with closed proximity and some really spicy scenes and some fanfic you will really enjoy this book!

Thank you so much at NetGalley and Harlequin for the advance listeners copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Enemies to lovers ✅
Work Place Romance ✅
Forced Proximity ✅
Secret Identity ✅ ✅
Academia ✅
Lots of Spice ✅ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was such a fun listen. The spice was spicing right from the beginning and throughout the entire story I was smiling and connected to the characters. I loved the secret identity aspect of Aiden and Micah with the twist of a classic retelling through their alter egos.

Cindy Kay narrated with passion that kept my ears begging for more and J.F. Harding did not disappoint with his captivating voice.

Thank you to the author, Harlequin Audio & Netgalley for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this this much, but wow—what a fun, fast-paced read! I binged it in one sitting and had an absolute blast. The chemistry? Off the charts 😮‍💨 It might’ve gone from zero to 💯 real fast, but I was so here for it.

The enemies-to-lovers banter was top tier (I cackled), and the softer moments? Adorable. Aiden’s secret identity as a Shakespeare fanfic writer? Iconic. And his brother? I need his book next, please 👀

The writing could use a little polish—some telling over showing—but it never took away from the fun. The ending dragged just a bit, but overall this was a spicy, smart, bookish rom-com that totally hit the mark.

Okay I A. Forgot I had requested this book, and B. went into this book blind. I REALLY liked this book 4.5 ⭐. This book was so cute and fast paced. I loved the chemistry and banter between these two MCs. The enemies to lovers, forced proximity and workplace romance was just so well done. This was my first book by this Author, and it will not be my last.

The narration by both Cindy Kay and J. F. Harding was great. They did a wonderful job bring the characters to life and getting the chemistry from paper to audio.

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to love this, but it was a miss for me. The narrators were amazing and gave great performances, but the story was...not great. The dialogue between characters was natural sounding, and I appreciated the amount of tension between Aidan and Micah. Beyond that, it just felt like they clashed a bit too much, their connection was shallow at best, and I did not love Micah as a character.