Thank you to NetGalley and @EgretLakeBooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a fun read! The Best Advice is a modern retelling of As You Like It, but even if you’re not into Shakespeare, don’t worry you’ll still enjoy this one. It’s got all the charm and chaos of a good rom-com with a smart, slightly messy FMC right at the center.

Rosalind writes a popular advice column and has strong opinions (sometimes too strong), which gets her into trouble early on. After a very public fallout with her editor, she ends up starting over in a small coastal town, writing under a fake male pen name. What could go wrong, right?

Turns out, a lot. Especially when her advice ends up helping the charming (and very attractive) Andy Arden who has no idea she’s both his love interest and the guy texting him advice. The whole identity mix-up is handled in a fun, believable way, and their chemistry was great. Plus, Andy writes bad poetry, which honestly made me love him more.

What I really liked, though, is that this isn’t just about the romance. There’s a lot about grief, friendship, and learning when to stop hiding behind a persona (even one with great advice). Rosalind’s voice felt real, funny, sharp, but vulnerable underneath it all.

The pacing slowed a bit in the middle, but overall, this was smart, warm, and just really enjoyable. If you like rom-coms with a little emotional depth, fake identities, and some Shakespeare style twists, I definitely recommend picking this up.

4.45 Stars!

#NetGalley, #TheBestAdvice:ANovel, #AmyDressler, #RomCom, #ShakespeareRetelling

Rosalind writes a popular advice column for a magazine, when her career takes an unexpected turn. A disagreement with her editor over a controversial letter response, costs Rosalind her job and byline. Determined to keep writing, Rosalind reinvents herself as ‘Gavin’ and starts a new advice column for a small-town newspaper in Port Poulsen. What begins as a temporary escape quickly becomes more complicated when her alter ego's popularity soars and her meddling starts to affect her personal life, particularly her budding relationship with charming travel TV star, Andy Arden. To complicate matters, Andy doesn’t realise that his girlfriend and the guy giving him relationship advice are the same people.
Inspired by Shakespeare’s classic ‘As you like it’, Rosalind (Roz) has to navigate the complexities of relationships for her column whilst trying to keep her relationship with Any alive. Rosalind’s witty voice, the sharp banter, and the romantic entanglements make for a thoroughly entertaining and fast-paced read. While the multiple points of view were a bit overwhelming at first, once each character was introduced, it became easier to follow and added depth to the story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I appreciated its gentle mix of humor and heart, centering on friends dishing out tough love and tough choices. The relationship dynamics felt realistic and affectionate. However, the narrative didn’t dive deep enough for me; I wanted bolder stakes or sharper emotional growth. It’s a pleasant read—light, amiable, and comforting—but it’s more cozy than compelling. The charming group conversations and cozy setting hold appeal, but the story left me wishing for more meaningful arcs. Overall, a solid 3‑star read: enjoyable but ultimately mild.

First of all I love the cover! This was an enjoyable story about an advice columnist that maybe should take some of her own advice. It also hits close to home and the way it was written you feel as if you were really there living that life.

I had to dnf like 20 pages in sadly, I was struggling to retain what was happening. Maybe there was alot going on, or maybe I should have read more, but I'm just going to say that this is not for me.

I hate giving reviews like this, ones that don't say anything to help people understand why I gave one star, but I also don't understand why.

Thanks Netgalley and the author for the ARC🔆🐇🍋

As an advice columnist Roz believes she should solve everyone’s problems even if they want to do so on their own. When she is fired from her job she goes to a small town and newspaper. She encounters a one-night stand, Andy, and their relationship is rocky. I loved how Roz’s friends convinced her to stay away from meddling and just be a listener. There are several couples with relationships that present a healthy idea of how that looks. I loved the variety of characters and the community that supports them Great book with good lessons in life.

Damn it! I didn’t realise the archive date was April and it archived before I could download it :(

Second chances is a romance trope, any chance I could have a second chance to review this book please?

i really think these books should be told alongside Shakespeare in school. they allow so much more angles and thoughts and connection. its not stealing or poo pooing on the original texts because of course nothing could. but it allows even as a starter of getting to know the plot.
but it was also by far a brilliant book on its own without being compared. because it was sweet and funny and chaotic. it was shake worthy because i just wanted everything to be ok. not only for our female main character but also for her romantic life. and i just needed er to stop! and stop right now so the mess didnt become messier. and then all i could think of with trepidation was how this is all going to go to pot when Andy finds out. and her friends arent taking to her meddling and Rosalind herself needs to just press pause, or reboot, or heal or something. she was so real and she had my whole heart because she just needed a big ol'hug.
because of course what could possibly go wrong with an advice column that goes all kinds of wrong. and then texting a man relationship advice whilst being the person hes asking advice about! no no no lol. its too much emotional toil on a reader to keep flipping through to make sure its all going to be ok. but obviously in the best of ways because this book was brilliant.

A Clever, Modern Spin with Heart and Humor
The Best Advice is a charming, smart retelling of As You Like It that mixes mistaken identity, heartfelt drama, and a whole lot of witty advice-column chaos. Rosalind’s journey from confident columnist to small-town anonymous fixer was full of messy situations and real emotions, and I liked watching her slowly peel back the layers of her own grief and bad habits. The mix of modern romance and Shakespearean undertones really worked for me, especially the way it balanced humor with vulnerability. I stayed up way too late reading this because I just had to see how she’d untangle it all.

Dear Gavin: You had me fooled—and I LOVED it!
This book is like a rom-com had a fling with Shakespeare and gave birth to pure chaos. 💌🤣 I was totally obsessed with Rosalind’s double-life drama, the juicy texts, and Andy with his terrible poetry (hilariously terrible). I laughed, I cringed, I wanted to shake her and hug her. Honestly, the whole advice-column-gone-wrong thing was genius and had me rooting for Rosalind even when she was making a mess of everything. If you like witty banter, secret identities, and hot guys who hike, this book is for you. 📝💘🌲

Rosalind writes an advice column. She also meddles in her family and friends and complicates her romance with Andy by giving him advice via txt. Will she be able to control her tendency to meddle?

A new retelling of As You Like it. Cute and funny. Rosalind is charming and Andy is cute. I enjoyed this a lot.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.