4/5
Trigger warnings: alcoholism ; emotional abuse

Much Ado About You was a beautiful love story. A story about a young woman making time for herself, to find who she is, what she really wants in life. Evie has her entire life in Chicago. A job she has been giving everything for ten years now, a wonderful best friend, and a man she has been chatting with for weeks now, and that she hopes may end in a good relationship. But when she learns that her best friend is pregnant, that her well-deserved promotion has been given to someone else and that this man she thought having a connexion with ends up being an asshole... Evie feels really alone. So leaving for a month to England, in a little flat above a bookshop seems to be the perfect escape. One month in a beautiful village, surrounded by books, meeting really nice people and taking time to think of what she wants to do with her life. Then she will go back to her life, in Chicago. Or maybe she will discover that Chicago never was her real home.

Evie was an extraordinary woman. She has her flaws, just like anyone, and here I totally got her. This is rare for me to feel that close to a character. But here I understood Evie in every decision she made, in every word she said. I understood her pain, her reasons to be angry when people would say she shouldn't be.
Roane also was an incredible character, such as Caro, and Vi and Lucas, and all the others. I would absolutely LOVE to live in such a beautiful village where everyone knows each others, when you'll spend you nights in a pub, talking with everyone in a peaceful atmosphere, and with a hot sexy farmer living in town.

If I had one thing to reproach to this book, it would be that the beginning was a bit hasty. I loved how Roane and Evie met, but I think their friendship started a bit too fast. I would have love to see them become friends but sadly there are quite a few leaps in time that could be weeks-long sometimes. I definitely am sad because it would have meant more time with the two of them.
So yeah, it has been a wonderful read, and I cannot wait for Samantha Young's next book!

4.5 stars!!!
I went into this book without knowing much but I did look at some reviews and there were few low ratings I had seen so I didn’t have much expectations from it. However, I absolutely loved and adored the book. It’s so well-written - the characters, the place, just everything really!

Evie is 33 years and gets stood up by a guy she has been online dating and she also quits her job hence she decides to book herself a holiday and finds a perfect holiday spot in England - a bookstore with an apartment to live in (perfect, right?).

I love how Evie and Roane met, how they liked each other instantly but decided to be friends, how slowly their love built rather than it being based just on a physical relationship. Evie is definitely a character I love; loved how she is so unintentionally funny at times and her charm to connect people. And omg Roane!! He is just perfect - but not quite I guess because I didn’t like him calling Evie “angel” every time so except for that I will just believe he is perfect.

The village and its people have made me want to book a flight and just go there already (although the writing did make me feel like I was there to see it all). The characters are all so lovable especially Milly and Dex, Caro, Viola and Lucas and ofcourse the dog Shadow. I definitely think these characters Milly, Caro, Viola and Lucas deserve their own separate stories now and I would love to read them. There were part stories (not enough though) of Viola and Lucas and god did I not bawl.

The half star I have deducted in the rating only because of the pacing of the story. At times I felt like it wasn’t moving forward so perhaps the book could have been shortened IMO. But overall an interesting read, I couldn’t stop crying for the last 15% of the book and any book that makes me bawl is certainly a good read for me.

So, a story filled with bookshop, books, dog, small English village and great characters!! Sign me up pleaseeeee. Thankyou Samantha Young for writing such an adorable story. Thankyou Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group Uk for the e-arc.

If you love small town romance , then you are going to love this "small village romance" by Samantha Young. Much Ado About You has a chic lit feeling and it is about the personal journey of our heroine who finds love, her home and herself in a idyllic place in UK.
Evie is in her thirties and stuck. All her friends move on with their lives but she has no boyfriend, no job and she feels lonely. When she sees an ad for renting a bookstore in Northern England during vacation, she finds it as a sign for a change. When she goes there, she finds herself while the community embraces her. The fact that she is sworn off men when there is a sexy farmer tempting her it is just a small glitch on her plans.
I loved the vibe of this book and the setting. This story is sweet and dreamy. You travel to this small part of the world and not only you live the story but also the place. Evie and Roane are cute together. Evie is a cool girl with a little meddling personality. Roane is such a sweet man. He is caring, fun and protective.
The secondary characters are anything but that. They play a catalyst role and they help the flow of the book. It is like reading many stories at once.
The only complaint I have about this book is the way Evie takes decisions towards the end. She is reckless with Roane's feelings and she overreacts. I can understand that she has a rough upbringing but she does not give him a chance when what he does is a little silly.
Much Ado About You is a book that will make you want to travel to England and find yourself a bookstore to run and a family of friends to own!

Really loved this new book of Samantha Young’s, (hopefully the start of a new series?) set in the little seaside village of Alnster.

I was hooked from the beginning by the story of Evie and her decision to take a working holiday running a bookshop in England.

We get a great introduction to the village and it’s inhabitants, particularly to Roane and his dog Shadow. Evie is sworn off men, so determined to be friends only with Roane, which doesn’t quite go to plan as the book continues. As the book develops you also realise there’s a secret that’s being kept from Evie...

As the On Dublin Place series is one of my favourite series I always look forward to a new book by Sanantha Young and this one did not disappoint. Well worth a read.

ARC kindly provided by Netgalley

Evie needs to shake up her life, the first step is planning a holiday in an English village. The package she signs up for includes a job in the bookstore below her flat. This is perfect for a Shakespeare lover!

In the first instance she Evie is swept into village life and makes some amazing connections. One such, with Roane the sexy farmer, yet as Evie is going to be returning back to the U.S, is starting a romance a good idea?

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Really enjoyed this book, liked the storyline, liked the characters, basically liked everything. Worth a read.

This was a fun, relatable and sexy contemporary romance that took me to Scotland whilst we can’t go anywhere! I’d recommend this to anyone who wants a bit of escapism.

Received an ARC for an honest review via NetGalley.

Rating - 4 Stars!

This book was something that I didn't know I needed to read. Samantha Young's writing style has always hooked me in - and this one was no different!

The story follows Evie - who has recently quit her job for not getting a well-deserved promotion. Wanting a break from her life, she takes up an offer to live and work at a bookstore for a month, in a quaint village in England. (I need to know - is there really a bookstore like this? I would so love to live there!)

There, she finds the village adorable and falls in love with it. And then, she meets Roane - a ruggedly handsome farmer, and his furry best friend - Shadow. Although she feels the attraction, she has sworn off men. Her time at Alnster is meant to find herself and figure her life out, and hence, she friend-zones Roane.

The plot is more about Evie and her time at Alnster. She befriends most of the locals, helps them navigate their own life problems. I enjoyed getting to know the side characters - Caro (Roane's cousin), Viola, Milly - and it was fun reading about Evie meddling in their lives (with the best intentions, of course). I hope we get a book featuring the rest of the characters!

Talking about Roane, seriously, if I was Evie, I wouldn't have said no to Roane LOL. I loved him so much! He is supportive, caring, and understanding of Evie. He never rushes her and is quite patient with her. I loved their instant connection, but there's something about the slow-burning romance that turns up higher and higher till it bursts.

I loved the plot and the sub-plots that drove the story. As for why it's a 4-star read - some paragraphs got too descriptive about the setting that I wanted to skim through in the beginning. And the drama that happens at the end of the book - it felt out of the place.

Overall, Much Ado About You is an enjoyable read. If you love Slowburn Small Town Romance, definitely pick this up!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

To Evie, it seems that her life in Chicago hit a block in love and work. So she decides to book a vacation in a northern English village.

When she arrives, she’s soon befriending some lovely people, tries to meddle on their lives, innocently.

But that’s not all, she meets a very handsome farmer, again trying VERY VERY HARD to be just be friends.

It seems the relationships are tender and along with lots of great hidden back story to them, which just keeps you guessing.

Add to that mix, there’s lots of low small village drama to stop you getting bored.

There references to Shakespeare but not too much.

The locations were lovely for this story.

‘Much ado about you’ was a real comfort read, it’s the type of book that sneaks up on you slowly, steals away your time and then allows you to fall in love. It’s been some time since I’ve read a Samantha Young book and I’m glad that I took the time to read this authors work again - it’s clear to see why Young has managed to keep an audience over the years and this book is a clear example of her love for the written word. I adored the whimsical feel of the story telling and the setting of this story really steals the show. Overall I liked this book, I didn’t fall five star in love this time around but I’m glad that I spent my reading time with these characters. Easy to read, an original plot and a featured Great Dane that will win over any heart.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book by an author that I hadn’t heard of before. I found it lighthearted an easy book to read . A beautiful love story with many ups and downs. The author has a very clever way of inviting the reader to want to know what will develop from one page to another. I really didn’t want the story to end. I will definitely be reading many more books by this author.

This is the ultimate comfort read. It was so easy to read and it had all those elements that we all love in a good small town romance. It took me a while to warm to Evie and I am not quite sure why. Once I did I enjoyed their story and I knew Roane was hiding something but I didn't expect it to be what it was. That was a twist that I never saw coming. I truly loved the fact that it was set around a book store and I totally fell in love with Shadow the great dane. This is a story about forcing the past, new beginnings and finding yourself and I really enjoyed the escapism that in these times is quite hard to find.

This was a really well written story. The.characters in the novel were expertly written and a joy to read. The many subplots were concluded in a true to life manner and whilst it was happy endings all round the author made it an engrossing read and very uplifting in these horrible times. A definite author to look out for and a book I would recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book.

I enjoyed the story. I loved the idea of renting a bookshop to run. I the love element frustrating at times. I loved how Evie heped people. I knew Roane ha a secret but could not work it out. The book was set in a lovely part of England.

Headlines:
American meets Brit on north-east coast of England
Small village
Farmer Roane
Chem-is-try
Bookshop & books
Shakespearean side-plot line
No dramarama

Reading Much Ado About You was one of those easy delights that your mind sinks into and wishes it to last. The writing was witty, started with a hilarious car-crash dating experience and featured a 30-something heroine (Evie) who was pretty relatable.

Evie’s story was about taking stock of her life, her work situation, love life and coming to terms with single-dom. On a whim, she travelled and rented out a bookshop for a month’s holiday which is just about every bookworm’s dream. She quickly bumped into Roane’s dog, Shadow and was embraced into village life. The people around Evie and Roane, local farmer, were rich, colourful and had lots of character. Roane himself was genuine and that kind good guy that I like reading about.

"Becoming friends with an English farmer was definitely a new experience. Who cared if he could grace the front cover of “The World’s Hottest Farmers” calender?"

This book had a great, low drama story and I really appreciated the lack of predictability in that aspect and not being dragged through a roller coaster relationship; still, it wasn’t plain sailing.

The story was told over a number of months and for some that might seem quick for a relationship to develop, but this was a relationship based on a genuine friendship connection. The way the relationship was told made me truly believe in the time frame for more to develop. I loved these two together, I wanted them to work and I enjoyed the slow burn of their attachment.

I can see myself re-reading this and recommending it for a great easy romance that delivers on plot and characterisation. Go check it out!

Thank you to the author for the early review copy.

it greatly saddens me that my first DNF of the year is a book that features a bookstore and shakespeare. Despite my deep, deep love for Much Ado About Nothing, it could not keep me interested in the characters or the book because of the quality of writing. It felt incredibly juvenile. if the writing style appeals to you, i'd encourage going for this book! the premise is perfectly sweet and seems to work for other people <3

Much Ado About You, Samantha Young

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance

Samantha always delivers a well written romance. This doesn't have the punch of my favourite, the wonderful On Dublin Street, but its one I really enjoyed. Of course its got a host of characters to love who potentially all have their own stories to tell. I especially want the village's own Romeo and Juliet's story! Though hopefully it ends better ;-)

Evie is lovely, really taken a chance on life and come to the UK for a working holiday. The village is gorgeous, full of cute artisan shops, and wonderful people. The usual small town gossip abounds, mostly positive, but there's always folk who want to see the bad. That just makes the village feel more real, it's how real life is, a mix of good and bad.
Then Evie has some decisions to make, leave everything and take a chance on her heart? Or stay with friends and family?

Roane, wow, he was Mr Wonderful – gave Braden a run for the money! I fell in love with him very quickly. He knew what he wanted, and trod carefully to make it happen. And the gorgeous Shadow, who couldn't love a man devoted to his dog like that? I so wanted things to work out for him, he was incredibly patient, didn't push Evie but knew she really felt the same as him, he just waited for her to accept it.

The supporting characters all have very real parts to play, and fit well into the story. I enjoyed learning their stories and how they all fit into the village. Samantha does this in a way that feels natural, not like a list of “ this is Mrs xyz and she's the baker, this is Mr abc and he's the local vet...” but lets them roll out along with the story, so when Evie goes to the local pub she meets the couple that run it and their daughter. Of course she also meets some of the regulars, who just happen to have heard the tale of the incident with Shadow and Roane, and gradually I pieced together how everyone fitted in. That works for me. I dislike stories where the characters and situations become an info dump early on, and I have to keep checking back to see who fits where in the story.

I didn't understand at first when it all went wrong. I was confused by why Evie had what I felt was such an extreme reaction, I felt she was being OTT, really making something out of what was a very small issue in the scheme of things. As I continued reading about her past, and revelations from her family issues came out I understood. To be fair there were pointers early in the book, I just missed the significance.

Its a great story, as a drama lover I'd have liked a bit stronger heartbreak when it went wrong...but that's just me.

Stars: Four. If you like a sweet romance, with fabulous characters, and a story that feels very real this book is perfect. I'd say its a perfect beach read book, you know, the one you want to just relax and enjoy while lazing in the sand. But hey, its January here in UK and too damn cold, and of course we're in the grip of Covid. Beach? What beach? It is however a great read if like me you're finding these times strange, and every now and then you want a story that doesn't demand too much thinking, but just unfolds and takes you along for the ride.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

Much Ado About You started with a too fast almost abrupt pace with a lot happening in Evie’s life almost overnight. I barely got a chance to get to know the character before stuff started happening and I was left reeling. The romance also started off with a trope I dislike, so I had almost decided to dnf. But once Evie was in Notthumberland, settling down, the pace steadies and we get some much needed depth to the characters. The trope I disliked was also treated in a way that I enjoyed. Roane was such a cinnamon roll of a character too. The angst was brilliantly done, the small town vibe was captured perfectly and this book managed to rekindle in me, the impossible dream of going to some village, starting a bookshop and leading a quiet, idyllic life. Definitely recommend for fans of Samantha Young and friends to lovers trope.

I’d read a few of Samantha Young’s books years ago and loved them so was excited to see what this one was like.

Main character Evie needs to escape her life in Chicago and so heads to a small English coastal village to rent a bookshop for a month. The village is full of interesting and colourful characters, including the sexy farmer Roane and his dog Shadow.

Not only was the setting wonderful to escape to (as is much needed right now) but the characters were really well written and well rounded. I really felt like I got to know Evie and Roane both separately and when they were together. They were both characters I grew to love and I couldn’t get enough of them.

What I liked most about this book though is that it isn’t just a straight romance, although there is obviously that aspect too. The setting and secondary characters really made the book interesting on various levels and helped to build a view of the world I was reading about in my head.

I couldn’t put Much Ado About You Down!

Much Ado About You is a story which will make you smile, snort and definitely help escape the mundane. I absolutely enjoyed Evie's story in the darling little bookshop on the English coast.