I have enjoyed other Chloe Liese books and this was no exception.
Neurodivergent Much Ado About Nothing retelling, enemies to lovers, fake dating and some steam? I’d have been stunned if I didn’t have a great time.

*3,5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley UK and Piatkus for sending me this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fun retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. I’m always unsure about retelling because I’m not particularly eager to follow a story that I know chapter by chapter; however, Chloe Liese made this story unique and diverse. Bea and Jamie are great characters, so real, and their personalities were amazing. I love their chemistry as well. They have a meet-disaster, which leads them to become enemies, but their chemistry sparks on the page when they become friends. Their banter was so good, and Jamie is 100% the ultimate cinnamon roll hero.
So, you must be thinking why I’m rating it as a 3-starts book. Despite having so much fun, after 70%, I started dragging the story a bit. After Bea and Jamie stayed together, I felt that there was not much hooking me to the story, but I was still having fun with their conversation. But the final nail to this 3-star rate was the third act breakup. Oh my God! So unnecessary, so “it-was-there-because-romance-books-have-this”. It felt such a bitter taste while reading it, I really disliked it. Because of that, I finished the book feeling a bit frustrated and underwhelmed.
Still, I recommend this book because, despite the 3rd act breakup, I still enjoyed my time with Bea and Jamie

Much Ado About Nothing is my absolute favorite Shakespeare play of all time, and I will devour any and all adaptations of it so I was beyond thrilled when Chloe Liese announced this book! I love the fake dating trope, and the weirder the reasoning behind JT the better in my opinion! Through and through this hit every point on the rom com agenda and was a fun and steamy read!

I was really really excited to read this one, Bea & Jamie were fun characters, I find both interesting and complex.They were relatable in all the ways and so likeable.It was nice reading about them.They started as a fake relationship and then turned into something strong.They slowly started knowing each other, I liked the connection they have through the story.

“I’m saying, you’re the best kind of chaos I’ve ever met. And while chaos used to terrify me, you make me crave it."

Overall it was a great read!

4.5⭑

Tropes;
Fake Dating
Friends to Lovers
Pansexual FMC
Autism Rep
Anxiety Rep
Dual POV

Chloe Liese does it again. THIS WAS SO GOOD.

I have been on a roll recently with reading excellent friends to lovers books and this makes the cut, once the two main characters for over their disastrous first introduction, the friends to lovers aspect of the book was sooo good.

The fake dating was top tier and all the forced hand holding and kisses was perfection. The mmc Jamie is the literal definition of golden retriever energy. He was so sweet and kind, and I need to read more books with this type of love interest.

The fmc Bea was so funny and I really liked her and her character development was fantastic. I loved the great relationship she had with her sisters, especially her twin!!

100% recommend🤭

This was perfect. I don't even know how to put it into words. The acknowledgements made me cry and for the first time in years, I felt less alone.

I can't wait for the next book, or anything this wonderful author writes in the future.

This book follows Bea and Jamie. Two somewhat socially inept individuals, who’ve been hurt by past relationships, and find themselves being set up by those close to them.

To get back at their friends for their meddling they devise a plan to fake date and have an explosive breakup. But in classical rom-com fashion, things do not go as planned. All the things they’d thought set them apart wind up bringing them together. Their opposite natures are a perfect compliment.
I loved this so much. I couldn't put it down!

it’s no secret chloe liese is my favourite author and it’s because her books never ever miss! though liese now ventured into a new series for both herself and the readers it didn’t change the beautiful way she writes her stories in a way which i think connects the reader and story every time and this one was no different! i loved the plot, the characters and the setting. so basically everything about the book i loved! <3

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I have read every book in her series about the Bergman Family and I love it! When I started reading this one it felt very unnatural, the characters were too quirky and awkward. When the manipulation started my interest died down. I started to skim (sorry) and eventually put it down. It didn't feel good because I really wanted to love this, also because I love the author.

I'll definitely read her next novel though!

What a beautiful story and what an amazing journey this book took me on! Beatrice and James have a special place in my heart! Their love story is something I will remember for a long time. It was so pure, so beautiful, so magical, ahhh!! James is so charming omg! Hands down my favourite book from this author I was lucky enough to receive the arc! I think about this book all the time!!

Two wrongs make a right was a book I couldn't finish, which is unusual for me. I found the writing style not for me but others have loved the book and enjoyed the story line. You can't please everyone.

5 stars!

Chloe Liese is one of my favourite ever romance writers and she never ever misses.

Her stories are always full of heart, angst, romance, and steam, and they always always make me happy - this one is no different.

In this reimagining of Much Ado About Nothing, Jamie Westenberg and Bea Wilmot (who are complete opposites) become allies to fool and get revenge their nosy matchmaking friends.

After being fooled into going on a date together by their friends, Bea and Jamie decide to fake date and pretend to be madly in love in order to fool their friends.

Chloe's ability to write love stories and to put very specific emotions on paper never fails to amaze me. We have a male mc who suffers from anxiety and a female mc who is on the spectrum and this kind of representation and happily every after is something I always long to see in romance novels.

Everyone deserves a love story as sweet and as fun as this one.

A delightful revenge-romance, with two headstrong and delightful characters who put their heads together to get revenge of their scheming friends. After a meet-cute that turned disaster, Bea and Jamie are forced together again and again, and then decide to sneakily pretend to be together only to upset their friends when they fake break-up.
But these two adversaries end up having more in common than not, and suddenly there's a whole different type of tension in the relationship. Full of flirty texting, delightful side-characters, and so much delightful banter, this was just a hoot. I was also impressed by the strength of the secondary plot, all of it fitting together so well! Will definitely pick up Liese's next book!

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. I loved the two main characters and the fake dating storyline. The only reason that this wasn’t a five star read was because I was slightly frustrated by the conflict that happened at 89%. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future and I think the next book in the series is going to be really good.

I love a good modern ‘inspired by..’ romance novel. When it’s Much Ado About Nothing as the inspiration, sign me up! Beatrice and Benedict are the true stars of the play, hence I am all for Chloe Liese’s take. Only in this universe we have Bea and Jamie. Their’s is a slow burn with a not-so-great first impression on their personalities (though clearly they were physically attracted to each other) due to each other’s mental health or Neurodivergence.

At times Bea was just too much for me having her head up her own stuff to recognise that Jamie, too, had his own anxieties and issues. I sometimes wanted to wring her neck that she was selfishly stuck in her own head. And yet, that was the point, which is a testimony to Liese’s handling of not just one, but two characters who have issues that may manifest in ways that clashes with the other. But as they - well mostly Bea - starts to relax a bit and let Each other in, the tenderness for which they held space for each other was gorgeous.

Overall this was a lovely spin on the play, though I should add it’s very loosely based with many liberties taken with the plot to fit this universe, so only read it knowing it’s the spirit not a remake.

Very good! I really enjoyed this one so much that I read it in one go! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for access to this book!

I steamed through this in less than two days.

Authentic autism rep, witty banter, top class steamy scenes AND enemies-to-lovers? This could be Chloe Liese's best concoction yet.

I was utterly obsessed with the two main characters, and found their chemistry incredibly compelling from the very first scene.

I always enjoy the books by Chloe Liese, but this one did was not completely what I was looking for. The main couple actually got it 'right' rather quickly but I did not like the way the heroine was so wrong near the end but the hero had to grovel. I wished there had been another 'conflict'.

Still 4 stars, as she does always deliver an unique story.

Insanely beautiful story with really cute main characters and swoon worthy dialogues that had me have a constant joker like smile throughout the entire reading time. I really enjoyed it. Going to start recommending it to every romance junkie!!

Great read, loved this book.
Jamie and Bea first meet when people around them are meddling with matchmaking. To teach their friends a lesson they start fake dating - will it back fire on them when they start to fall for real?