Full of cozy potential, escapist romance, and book-lover catnip, Much Ado About You is a book that I wanted to love and disappear into for awhile, but it didn't quite work for me. I honestly kept forgetting I was reading it and almost unintentionally DNF'd twice. Yikes.

Thirty-something Evie has been burned by a mother struggling with grief and then addiction, by long-term relationships, by the dating scene in Chicago, and now by a promising online relationship that stood her up at the first planned meetup. She feels like she's being left behind by friends who are married, settled, and having children. And now, after putting in years as a capable, experienced editorial assistant, she's being passed over for a promotion to editor AGAIN. She needs a break. She follows her English-Lit loving heart and impulsively books a getaway to a charming Northumberland village where she'll be working at a bookstore part-time as part of the vacation rental agreement. There's a quintessential pub. Village drama to meddle in. A friendly Great Dane. A sexy farmer to absolutely not get involved with. Perfect.

Maybe it'll be the perfect romantic escape for you — books! seaside village! meet-cute involving a dog! a Beatrice-and-Benedick side plot! a cameo of the castle where Harry Potter was filmed! slow-burn romance that heats up into a steamy relationship with a kind, charismatic male lead! — but somehow it all felt a bit flat to me. Definitely too long. Maybe too linear. Perhaps relying too much on telling, especially in the main characterization. I didn't connect with Evie (though I definitely should have), didn't like the "meddling American fixes things" vibe, and didn't really buy the way Evie remained ignorant of what developed as the main conflict. Still. A book about a bookish Chicago girl maybe finding true love on a bookstore vacation at a seaside village in northern England? It was worth the effort.

Content notes: body image issues, strong language, steamy sex scenes, backstory death of parent, parent struggling with addiction, abusive and controlling guardianship, racism, heterosexism, family rejection

My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for a digital ARC.