Thursday, January 28, 2021

Isn't It Romantic?

Much Ado About You

Samantha Young
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
The cozy comforts of an English village bookstore open up a world of new possibilities for Evie Starling in this charming new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young.

At thirty-three-years old Evangeline Starling's life in Chicago is missing that special something. And when she's passed over for promotion at work, Evie realizes she needs to make a change. Some time away to regain perspective might be just the thing. In a burst of impulsivity, she plans a holiday in a quaint English village. The holiday package comes with a temporary position at Much Ado About Books, the bookstore located beneath her rental apartment. There's no better dream vacation for the bookish Evie, a life-long Shakespeare lover.

Not only is Evie swept up in running the delightful store as soon as she arrives, she's drawn into the lives, loves and drama of the friendly villagers. Including Roane Robson, the charismatic and sexy farmer who tempts Evie every day with his friendly flirtations. Evie is determined to keep him at bay because a holiday romance can only end in heartbreak, right? But Evie can't deny their connection and longs to trust in her handsome farmer that their whirlwind romance could turn in to the forever kind of love.
After a few major setbacks, Evie needed some distance between her and the wreckage that was her life. When she stumbled upon a vacation package involving a quaint English village and a bookstore, she knew it would be the perfect place for her escape. There, she would shun men, focus on regrouping and figuring out her next-steps. However, a dog and a sexy farmer had her reconsidering her plans. 

I had such a good time reading Evie's story! It was amusing, while also being emotional. I did see "the conflict" coming, and I have to admit, I never seem to be a fan of conflicts in romances, but I was a fan of the resolution and a bunch of other things in this book. 

I found it easy to throw my support behind this pairing. I have no idea how Evie thought she could ever resist Roane. From his physical description to his affable personality, I was pretty much sold immediately on this man. But what really had me hooked, was the things he would say. He was soft and gentle, and he could bring the swoon. He was the opposite of all those men, who had let Evie down in the past, and because of that, I was rooting for these two. 

Another thing, how could I resist getting to spend time in a bookstore with a book lover. I always fall for a bookstore setting, and though we don't spend an inordinate amount of time in said store, I enjoyed all the time I did spend there. I watched Evie brainstorm on improvements for the shop, read some books, and create some displays. It was all fun and tickled my literary fancy. 

I greatly enjoyed these things, but my heart was stolen by the village and its inhabitants. THIS is where I would love to go should I have a personal crisis. I was enchanted by the descriptions of the village and utterly charmed by all the people and their shenanigans. A walk on the beach, a few pints at the Anchor -- I felt quite an attachment to this place and these people and was a bit jealous that Evie was lucky enough to be welcomed into the fold. 

I found myself totally swept away by this story. It wasn't just an escape for Evie, it was a get-away for me as well. The story was packed with wonderful characters, a fabulous setting, and lots of humor and heart. This one hit the snicker-smile-swoon trifecta for me and left me with a much welcomed case of the warm-fuzzies at the end. 


Make Up Break Up

Lily Menon
Age/Genre: Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Love, romance, second chances, fairy-tale endings…these are the things Annika Dev believes in. Her app, Make Up, has been called the “Google Translate for failing relationships.”

High efficiency break-ups, flashy start-ups, penthouses, fast cars…these are the things Hudson Craft believes in. His app, Break Up, is known as the “Uber for break-ups.” It’s wildly successful—and anathema to Annika’s life philosophy.

Which wouldn’t be a problem if they’d gone their separate ways after that summer fling in Las Vegas, never to see each other again. Unfortunately for Annika, Hudson’s moving not just into her office building, but into the office right next to hers. And he’ll be competing at the prestigious EPIC investment pitch contest: A contest Annika needs to win if she wants to keep Make Up afloat. As if it’s not bad enough seeing his irritatingly perfect face on magazine covers when her own business is failing. As if knowing he stole her idea and twisted it into something vile—and monumentally more successful—didn’t already make her stomach churn.

As the two rival app developers clash again and again—and again—Annika finds herself drawn into Hudson Craft’s fast-paced, high velocity, utterly shallow world. Only, from up close, he doesn’t seem all that shallow. Could it be that everything she thought about Hudson is completely wrong? Could the creator of Break Up teach her what true love’s really about?
They say, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," but Annika found out sometimes it doesn't. They met at a week-long convention last year, and Annika thought she would never see Hudson again. That was until he became her new neighbor. Now, Annika, who was in the business of helping couples make up, must fight her attraction to this man, who helps couples break up. 

Though I found the ending quite abrupt and wish I had been able to spend more time with these two as a couple, I did enjoy this book. I will admit, I did not feel that the romance took center stage most of the time, but there were many rom-com moments, which were lots of fun, as well as some steamy and intense ones too. 

I think some people may find Annika a bit intense, but I sort of admired her drive and ambition. She had worked so hard to create Make Up and was so close to having it ready. Due to delays, cashflow was becoming an issue, and she was on the verge of losing it all. I totally understood the importance of her winning the investment contest as it was a make it or break it moment for her. 

This was a hate-to-love romance, which are hit or miss for me, but I was happy with the execution in this book. Sometimes the pranks are too mean or the hate goes on for too long. Here, the pranks here were fun and the pace of Annika's feelings towards Hudson morphing was just right. Hudson's layers were revealed bit by bit, and you could see Annika slowly collecting those pieces and reconstructing her idea of him until she saw the man underneath the slick Break Up veneer. 

I love Menon's work, and this book had a lot of the charm, warmth, and wit I adore in her YA books. I did want more from the ending, but overall, I still enjoyed getting to see these two get their HEA.

**ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

Would you vacation in a bookstore?
Let us know in the comments!

30 comments:

  1. Much Ado About You is just filled with adorableness, from the bookstore to the romance and the village. What a lovely read to get lost in!

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    1. For me, it was all about the town. I just loved being there.

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  2. I'm finishing up my reading of Much Ado About You right now and am loving the story so much! I agree with you about Evie and Roane, and I'm absolutely loving the little town and all of its residents, especially Caro. And yes, I love the idea of vacationing in a bookstore. As I've been reading, I just keep thinking how much I'd love a little bookshop of my own because it seems like such a labor of love.

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  3. I am greatly intrigued by the Samantha Young one, which I might just read. I have enjoyed her work in the past. And curious to see about that one, so many unique fun elements.

    Great reviews here.

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    1. It really was fun! I hope you get a chance to check it ou

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  4. I'm always so jealous of characters who work in bookstores - I'd love to be surrounded by books all day! I haven't had luck with the one Menon book I've read, but I'd be interested to see if her adult book would work better for me.

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    1. I had been seeing a lot of negative reviews for Menon's book, and maybe it's about expectations? I feel like when they call something a romance, and the book seems to not focus more on other things, people grow frustrated. Make Up Break Up focused a LOT on Annika, but I still enjoyed it (though, you may have noticed I didn't label it a romance)

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  5. SO happy you enjoyed Much Ado About You! Just from the synopsis, it's an easy must read for me. I put a bit of a doubt in this book before because I heard someone say the romance is dry (?). I don't know about that but this sounds like a really wonderful read.

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    1. I liked the romance. Roane had to really work hard to get Evie to consider him, and I thought he was swoony.

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  6. Aw yay! Much Ado About You sounds so adorable! And I love when I fall for or sigh over the things the guys say in books. Especially when they have his type of personality. I'm so glad you enjoyed this story so much!
    Jen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog

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    1. I had a great time reading it. I smiled so much, and entertainment and feels is what I'm here for.

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  7. You liked Menon's book more than a lot of people I have been hearing from. I don't know much about it, but I have been seeing it around a lot. It sounds like it would be cute. Great review!

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    1. I went in not calling it a romance (and I still am not). Taking it as a work of women's fiction, I thought it was good. I really think this one is being hammered for the romance not being the central focus. I thought it was more about Annika and her fighting for her company and her dream, and there was this romantic sub-plot that was mostly resisting for the better part of the book. It was amusing and had some real deep parts too.

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  8. I just got Much Ado About You in my mail today, compliment of the Publisher AND I also got The Ex Talk!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited!

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    1. I cannot wait to hear what you think! I loved them both.

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  9. I would always change my plans for a dog and a sexy farmer! These both sound like fun but too bad about the abrupt ending of Make Up Break Up.

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    1. YES! Me and endings. They really are the end all, be all for me, and I needed that story to go a bit further. I did enjoy what was there though

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  10. Wow! Much Ado About You sounds incredible! So excited to read it now!

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    1. It was fun, sweet, cute, and swoony too. I really liked it.

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  11. I have Much Ado About You as well so I'm happy to hear it was a hit!

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    1. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Can't wait to see what you think

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  12. Glad to hear you enjoyed both of these, despite some little hiccups here and there. I'm curious about Much Ado About You. I really love a bookish heroine.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. That's just me and romantic conflicts. They tend to make me roll my eyes, but honestly, I loved the book

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  13. I just finished Much Ado about You last night and it was just SWOON!

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    1. Right? Wasn't Roane fabulous! He would make the sweetest comments, so quietly and they would wallop me in the feels. Adored him! Glad you enjoyed it.

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  14. I'm very curious about Menon's new book and I am glad to read a positive review for it! I think that I might give it a try as well. Keeping in mind that it is not technically a romance novel might change my expectations. ;)

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    1. It's not a bad book. There have been a few books marketed as romance, which leaned more women's fiction that got hammered by readers. People get frustrated when their expectations are not met. I found the story enjoyable, and the bit of romance I did get, was satisfying.

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