Things We Do For Love by Miranda Dickinson is a delightful, contemporary novel that will warm your heart and leave you smiling.
The novel is set over a summer in Stratford Upon Avon and celebrates all things Shakespeare. We follow the Garden Players as they bring the works of the bard to life.
We see how hard it is to break into acting. As well as sheer hard work, a little bit of luck is needed.
Shakespeare brings out the passion in his followers. To have his works performed in his home town is the icing on the cake for them.
We witness the uglier side of theatre as a jealous director has the power to thwart a talented career.
There is a thin line between what is real and what is acting. Misunderstandings occur when the truth comes to light, mirroring a scene from the bard himself.
All the characters are well drawn and likable. There are some wonderful sparring scenes as well as witty retorts.
I absolutely loved Things We Do For Love. It was charming and it was fun. It was a wonderful way to spend a few hours escaping to Stratford from the confines of my sofa.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

I am sorry but I have not finished this book, for some reason I just could not get into it.

For me it was very heavy on the Shakespear references and I a. Not a Shakespear kind of gal.

I am sure others will love it for the very reaso. I didn't and the fact that is is set in Shakespear country.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

Having enjoyed many trips to Stratford upon Avon, I was happy when I discovered this book was set there, it creates a great atmosphere and knowing the place really adds something when reading.
Lucie is a great leading lady, in every way possible, I like her style, her personality and her relationships with others. She doesn’t take any nonsense in her own way – even if that does sometimes become a problem in terms of her being a little stubborn.
Theo’s character was different, I didn’t think I’d like him initially, but he grew on me and I liked seeing how his character developed throughout the story.
Of course, we were going to see a romance blossom between the two, but it seemed natural and not too forced or rushed. It definitely ticks the boxes of the enemies to lover’s trope.
We have a great cast of characters; those to love, those to “boo” and of course those that are quirky and special. I enjoy when unlikeable characters get a chance to redeem themselves, it does happen in this story (although not for everyone, some people are beyond help!!)
Drama, comedy and romance – themes from the great Baard himself – all make this latest book another hit from Miranda Dickinson.

It’s no secret that I am a fan of Miranda Dickinson’s writing, both her romantic contemporary fiction and her crime fiction as M J White. In recent years her releases have been firm five star reads but have never toppled my favourite from the top of the list, until now. Things We Do For Love has taken the crown big time.

Dare I say it, I’m not really a Shakespeare fan. Or rather, I wasn’t until now. You don’t have to be to enjoy this book and in fact you might end up like me by the end, researching other fictional titles that feature the great writer himself (or…herself…but that’s another book entirely ahem Jodi Picoult).

This book has chemistry and those main characters absolutely exude romance from the pages. Enemies to lovers has had a massive upgrade to this ‘on another level’ romantic contemporary novel. Whilst it has the tropes we know and love, throwing a Shakespearean twist into the mix is incredibly unique. Add in the challenges of being in the acting world, directors, romance, quotes and more, it has everything. I urge you to meet Lucy and Theo, pronto. You won’t regret it.

I’ve enjoyed a few of the author’s previous novels and as I’ve enjoyed trips to Stratford on Avon I was looking forward to reading Things We Do for Love.
Lucie and Theo meet when performing at one of the Shakespeare houses in Stratford. Lucie is an actress struggling to make ends meet , while Theo has had Hollywood success.
I enjoyed the Stratford setting but I did find the Shakespeare references overdone and this prevented me from fully immersing myself in the characters and the plot. I understand from the afterword that the author wanted to write a homage to Stratford on Avon and I think she’s done this beautifully and I’m sure others will love the Shakespeare references. I didn’t quite believe in the relationship between Lucie and Theo and found the romantic storyline too predictable.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

A good story interjecting historical fiction with real life. It is well written, being sympathetic to the historic element as well as the more modern day.

A gentle story which builds and catches you out with its intrigue and untruths. I really enjoyed reading the book as it flowed well and kept me involved in the story. Thanks for the opportunity to review it.

What a gem of a book! It is a fantastic read and had me hooked from the very first page. Thank you Miranda for this great read.

I really enjoyed this light hearted summer read. I took to the characters straight away, and got really invested in them. Right from the start the book is from the female perspective and the male perspective which was such a good way to get the reader interested. One chapter on Lucie and the next on Theo, loved it. I definitely recommend this one! Thank you #netgalley

Lucie lives in Stratford and is an aspiring actor. She works 4 jobs to make ends meet. She performs with a Shakespeare Group and is annoyed when Theo a disgraced actor crashes her Taming the of the Shrew monologue.
They have to put their feelings aside to make things work for their careers.
I loved this story and the Shakespeare quotes and descriptions of Stratford.
I Have read this author before and enjoyed the last book as well.
The characters and also some of the side characters like Ced and Cass and Lucie's flatmate were all likeable.
Well done Miranda a winner for me.
Thanks Netgallery.

I have read several of Miranda Dickinson’s books and this one was not only enjoyable, but educational.

I learnt lots about the acting industry and Shakespeare, whilst following the connection between Lucie and Theo.

This was written in a well thought out manner and I really enjoyed the Shakespeare theme throughout the love story.

Thanks for the opportunity.

Set in the beautiful town of Stratford on Avon, this is a lovely story of a group of actors and their relationships and workload. A great easy to read tale, definitely recommend

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I really enjoyed this book.

The story is about Lucie and Theo. Theo is well known, whereas Lucie has yet to get her big break.

Together they put on shows acting out scenes from different plays by Shakespeare for the public. But, with the twists and turns throughout, you are turning the pages, wanting to find out how or if they both would get a happy ending.

I loved the setting, Stratford upon Avon, which was perfect for this story.

I highly recommend this book.

Another Miranda Dickinson that I couldn't put down. I work in Stratford and it was lovely to read a book which was set there. I loved the characters and how the story unfolded. A read I most definitely recommend.

I think this is probably the nicest book I have read this year! Nearly all the characters are Shakespearean actors whose careers have never taken off.. Theo was a well known actor, about to sign a huge film contract in Hollywood when he had a falling out with a director, and punched him … seems like his career is over, but his agent has managed to find him the leading role in Hamlet with the Royal Shakespeare Company to try and resurrect his career. Lilia, Theo’s landlady, had been well known, but has long since retired. It is a light-hearted story, although the two main characters, Theo and Lucie have an uncomfortable relationship, even though they are deeply attracted to each other, they distrust each other in equal measure.

All the characters have a way of talking that is almost poetic, it encourages the reader to keep turning the pages! Duncan is a thoroughly unpleasant character, but he is written almost as one of Shakespeare’s bad guys, you wait for his downfall knowing it will be appropriate … and it is! Everything works out well in the end.

An excellent read!

Things We Do for Love is set in Stratford Upon Avon and revolves around fellow Shakespearean actors, Theo and Lucie. They meet when Theo gatecrashes Lucie’s performance at one of the Shakespeare Garden performances in Stratford, where struggling actor, Lucie plays throughout summer every year with her fellow friend and actor Ced, whilst also holding down several other jobs to make money, to continue her acting ambition. It also introduces Lucie’s friends, who have been involved with Shakespeare in their past – they bring another layer to the story with their support and love for Lucie.

This really is a beautiful and unusual story of two struggling actors coming together and ultimately falling in love. This book is not just a love story but also goes through the struggles of being an actor, specially when work has dried up for various reasons. It goes into the past experiences of Theo and Lucie and how they have struggled to break into regular acting roles due to past events. It shows how producers and directors can stand in the way of a successful acting career and how they get in the way of Theo & Lucie’s love story.

I’m not a Shakespearean fan – and I guess this book has opened the door of curiosity to maybe read some of his works in the future and I would love to one day visit and watch a garden performance. They sound such fun, without having to watch a whole production, which I might not enjoy.

I have really enjoyed books by Miranda Dickinson and this one doesn’t disappoint, a fabulous read.

A wonderful book for which I thank NetGalley and HQ/HarperCollins UK and Miranda Dickinson for the ARC in return of an honest, unbiased review.

A romance story based around some actors set in Shakespeare land of Stratford upon Avon. Fun characters with the odd baddies thrown in. For me the storyline could have been shorter but an enjoyable read. Thanks to Miranda and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley

A gentle romance novel with a romp through Shakespeare’s plays and set in magnificent Stratford . Follow the will they : won’t they romance of a struggling actress and a fallen from grace actor . A collection of well portrayed characters journey with them some aiding while others try to hinder both ambition and love

Adored this enemies to lovers novel and was so invested in Lucy and Theo's relationship. From the moment they met at the outdoors theatre you could feel their sizzling chemistry.
The world building was pitch perfect and Stratford on Avon sprang to life within the pages of the book.
The exciting narrative has a few surprises and twists and I totally adored the Shakespeare theme.

Really enjoyed this book (like I have other Miranda Dickinson ones). Stratford upon Avon is a wonderful place and the perfect setting for this acting world story. I loved the characters and longed to be a part of their lives (even if I'm not an actor at all!). The to-and-fro between Lucie and Theo meant you never knew where the story was going - there were so many twists and turns but you always got the feeling there could / should be a happy ending. However, there were many times I was not at all sure it would get there.....

Highly recommended as a lovely, easy to read book, which I became really engrossed in.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review, which is what I have given.