Sweet Nothing (Choc Lit)

This is the second time I've read this and I enjoyed it just as much the second time! I am a great fan of Alison's Shakespeare themed books and, although I know less about Much Ado, I was still hooked from the start.
If you know the story of Much Ado About Nothing - then you (more or less) know the story of Sweet Nothing.

It is the story of two couples, Ben & Trix and Claudio & Henri. The background characters have a great deal of influence and indeed change the whole direction of the plot. I like Alison's version because she is so good with emotions. I felt I really got to know Ben & Trix - and Henri in shock was described perfectly!

An excellent read and I do hope we will get another Shakespearean treat from Alison!

A modern-retelling of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, with a geeky Benedict? Yes, please!

I loved Alison May’s retelling of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and was excited to see how she approached this other well-known Shakespeare comedy. Needless to say, she nailed it.

My favourite aspect of the original play was seeing how Benedict and Beatrice’s relationship played out. Alison May went the extra mile with these characters. With flashbacks we see the start of Ben and Trix’s relationship years before when they were at University, and how Ben’s choices then affected everything between them in the present day. Trix was a definite favourite character of mine. Her constant back-and-forth banter with Ben, and their mutual hate-turned-love was one of the most thrilling relationships to witness. I laughed out loud and cheered as they continued to be the same argumentative, passionate people I’d rooted for from the beginning, whilst they still grew as individuals and as a couple. With the addition of Ben’s abysmal social skills, their scenes together made my heart feel lighter as we see see just how imperfectly perfect they are together.

But it was the other couple of this story that surprised me with how they made my heart race! Claudio and Henrietta were the sweet, perfect couple who everyone thought were made for each other. Whilst this would normally be the relationship less focused on, Alison May brilliantly developed their story together, and I really connected to their struggle in a way that I didn’t in the original play. Seeing Henrietta’s thoughts, and witnessing her gradual mental decline was utterly heartbreaking and I teared up as I saw just how much she struggled, believing as she did with her mother’s death, that Claudio’s abandonment of her at the altar, must be her own fault. It was beautifully written, and I was swept away in the sheer emotion of Henrietta’s ordeal.

This was a wonderfully written retelling of the much-loved Shakespeare play, with a brilliant host of secondary characters that you will recognise from the original story, but grow to love in a very different, yet just as exciting way.

5 Stars!

*Review copy was kindly provided by the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*

if Sweet Nothings was a movie it would be a Richard Curtis comedy with Colin Firth in the lead, I can even see that reindeer jumper!

i don’t usually give more than a four star to romances. Why? Because it’s very difficult to produce a plot or churn out characters that haven’t been churned out before – the rehashing of popular historical works has been done to death. One only has to look at the beloved works of Jane Austin to see that (Zombies indeed!)

That said this does get the five stars from me.

There are shades of genius here reminiscent of David Nicholls One Day. This isn’t because of the backwards, forwards plotting that moves the story forward in bite sized chunks with flashbacks, this is thanks purely to the delicious character of the male lead, Ben Messina. Ben is socially awkward, you know the type – he only opens his mouth to change feet! Here is a character we all love to hate. He’ll stand us up because he forgets the time, he won’t buy us flowers (only post-coital knickers), there’s no question he’ll remember our anniversary, maths professor notwithstanding. However he’ll do his best – a male lead that will, no, can only do his best – Pure genius!

Great characters with an interesting twist at the end.

I enjoy retellings of classics, plays and fairy tales – what’s not to love about putting a modern day spin on a well known and well loved tale. Sweet Nothing a retelling of the Bard’s Much Ado About Nothing is no exception to that standard of mine. First of all, a geek hero? Why yes, thank you very much! I’ll enjoy a geeky hero any day of the week. Unfortunately Trix doesn’t seem to agree with me.

Trix and Ben had been in love, or so she had thought until she got her heart broken and swore never, ever again. To say that Trix is a tad bit angry at Ben, and perhaps life in general would be a major understatement. Also to admit that Ben even has a clue would also be an exaggeration of the facts.

When Ben’s brother begins to romance Trix’s best friend – well look out, because the fur is going to fly. We see why Trix and Ben ended up as they are today through flashbacks that reveal misunderstandings and the obvious fact that these two do belong together. It has been said that there is a thin line between love and hate – and do we ever love to hate the one who hurt us.

I adored these couples, even when I sorely wanted to slap some people upside the head – believe me, they would have deserved it. But in the end this is a sweet, funny, sad at times retelling of Shakespeare’s tale.

Love rarely runs smoothly, but when the bumps are smoothed out it is well worth the gamble. Pick this one up and indulge yourself with a charming retold love story that is as old as time. Modern day couples haven’t changed all that much over the years, we simply have more technology to add into the mix.

The earlier title in this series, Midsummer Dreams, was a delightful retelling of another Bard’s tale. If you enjoyed that story by Alison May, you will definitely have fun with this one… and if you haven’t read it, well now you know to look for it once you’ve devoured Sweet Nothing.

*I received an e-ARC of Sweet Nothing from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Fun Book!
This is a fun book by Alison May. This is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Trix Allen is an independent single woman. Ben Messina is the man who broke Trix’s heart. When Ben’s brother sets off to win Trix’s best friend, they ending up spending time together. They realize the attraction they use to feel is still very strong. If you are looking for a fun book that has a great funny romance then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

For those readers familiar with Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, the multiple voices and characters will be easy to follow and discern. It may take newer readers a bit to settle into the author's style and technique of multiple narrators. This book is a strong re-tooling of the story. Alison May takes a beloved story and makes it fresh - Well Done. As this is part of a series, I am interested to see what she tackles next.
*I received my copy through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

I’m coming from the perspective of someone who has NOT read the Shakespeare. 😉

I had been wary to begin this book because I had noticed some of the chapters include things like “Ten Years Earlier.” I don’t normally do well with books that jump around the timeline, but this book does it so seamlessly that I don’t get a bit lost.

Ben is my favorite character from the book, and I wonder if that’s normal. I’m a bit quirky, and I THINK the book is quirky, too, but maybe that’s just because my perspective is quirky. I love the smart bits about Zero and Infinity and their inherent sameness. I had read some of that aloud to my 12-year-old daughter, and she lays down flat on the floor, moaning in existential crisis.

I spent a LOT of time in the last part of the book thinking something Momma taught me: “If you keep sweeping things under the rug, you’ll only end up with a lumpy carpet.” Have you EVER TRIED to have an existential crisis on a lumpy carpet? It’s uncomfortable, to say the least. I am SO proud of Hen by the end of the Epilogue, that I am more than ready for her to make her very own decision about her two choices, and by the last sentence, I don’t need to know the answer. The ending is spectacular in its quirky nothingness. I LOVE IT!

I’ve already read Alison May’s second 21st Century Bard story. They are unrelated and can be read standalone. I’m gobsmacked that this piece of art is her debut novel. Gob. SMACKED. Knock me over with a feather. More people need to read this author. Right now.

I had been given a copy of this book from the publisher, Choc Lit, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Alison May, for sharing your talent around the world!