Score: 5/5 Bookmarks

Steam Rating: 🍆🍆🍆/5

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my gifted copy of Much Ado About You by Samantha Young.

Take one disillusioned Chicagoan, stick her in a teeny tiny English village near the border of Scotland, then add an old bookstore, a handsome farmer and an adorable great dane named Shadow. What do you get? The absolute coziest and sweetest romance ever.

Evie Starling lives in Chicago, she’s 33, just got passed over for yet another promotion, stood up by a guy she's been chatting to online for weeks, and decides she really needs a break. She's always been a fan of the British classic authors and decides that England is the place. She finds a bookstore owner who will rent her upstairs apartment and let her work in the store, so off she goes, leaving her life behind. She didn't bank on meeting a super sexy farmer and his adorable dog though...

I loved all of the characters in the book (even the ones you are designed to hate). They were real, and nuanced, and everyone had their own baggage they were dragging around. The author also painted such a wonderful picture of Alnster, a little sea-side village that I really hope exists (or at least was based on a real place). It gave me major flash-backs to when my family lived in Salisbury. While not on the coast, my mum owned a second-hand bookstore on a little river, it definitely had small-town vibes, and I met some real characters while I was there.

Basically I loved everything about this book, it was super cozy, had the perfect balance of laugh-out-loud and tear-jerk moments, and just the right amount of steam (in my opinion). Definitely add this to your #FlirtyFebruary reading list!

And for those who have read it, who else is hoping we get a book about Viola and Lucas?! And hopefully one about Caro too!

Synopsis:

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.