The Shakespeare theme comes out in interactions between secondary characters (Viola and Lucian have a Beatrice-and-Benedick meets Romeo-and-Juliet sort of relationship which I would have liked to see more of), in the fairly pervasive matchmaking, and in Evie’s passion for Shakespeare’s works. I went in anticipating Beatrice-and-Benedick style sparring between the hero and heroine, but instead we have two people who are drawn to each other from the start and only kept apart by Evie’s determination not to have a romantic relationship with anyone. I’ll start by saying that this was definitely not the book I was expecting from the title. It’s sweet, it’s so relaxed that there were times I would have welcomed some angst, and the story has completely sold me on moving to Northumberland and running a village bookshop. She quickly befriends most of the village, rescues an adorable dog, falls in love with his very handsome owner, and sets about matchmaking and solving the problems of everyone in the village while creating quirky and adorable book displays in the shop window. Evie, fresh off an online dating disappointment, ups sticks and moves from Chicago to the tiny village of Alnster in Northumberland, responding to an ad for a tenant who will stay there for a month and run the village bookshop. Much Ado About You is a contemporary romance in what I can only describe as the wish-fulfilment genre.

Archetype: Blue Collar, Writer/Author/LibrarianĬontent warning: Emotional and physical abuse of a child (off-page but discussed by protagonists), alcoholism and resulting neglect of another child (off-page, but discussed by protagonist), character orphaned by the Bali Tsunami

Bad hero samantha young