Reviews

Under a Dancing Star by Laura Wood

ihatefantasy_carebear's review against another edition

4.0

This book is powerful. It was so well thought-out, at the start a naive girl, who knew what she didn't want to be but not what she wanted to be. The last 100 pages made the book make sense, the girl had formed opinions. Outstanding, it takes the whole book for it to make sense which I get it the beauty of this book. It gets really deep towards the end. It starts off light and then all of a sudden just goes so deep, this I presume symbolises Beatrice's journey.

emily_may's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

alannar2422's review against another edition

5.0

I absolutely adored this book! It was such a delight to read and I felt transported to Italy right with Ben, Ursula and Klaus. The writing and imagery was magical and I took my time reading every line, anticipating the next page. I was laughing so much throughout the book with a huge grin on my face. I loved all of the characters and of course Bea and Ben were my favorite! I loved how this drew from Shakespeare's Much ado about nothing because I also admire that story very much. I took some time ordering this book because I wanted to read it at just the right time and now couldn't have been a better moment.I do feel like the ending was so abrupt or maybe that is because I loved it so much! I was hoping for a more length reunion i guess solidified? Whether or not Bea and Ben were going to pick up where they left off and catch up a bit since their departure was a bit upsetting. I do so wish for another book because this one was simply to good. I am changing my whole vocabulary to speak like a true english person because the way they used to speak or maybe still do is absolutely enchanting.

totallynotanerd's review against another edition

4.5

Excuse me I have to go read Much Ado About Nothing now 

saltydogreads's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.25

srsasaki12's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

zoebasson's review against another edition

5.0

rating: 5/5
reading challenge: 53/75

this reread did not disappoint! i loved this book the first time i read it, and was so excited to experience it again. it has the perfect artsy summery vibes, and i do love a historical romance, ESPECIALLY ONES INSPIRED BY SHAKESPEARE <3

ellajoliet's review against another edition

4.0

Such a cute Italian story! Bea, despite being an outdoorsy adventurous type, is sent to her uncle's house in Italy (1933) to become a "proper lady." What she finds, though, is that her uncle's manor is filled with interesting people and does not follow the same proper rules as her parents did in England. The house is filled with artists and playwrights and she finds comradery with those at work. She runs into Ben, an artist who would rather not interact with her at all, and strikes up a deal. She is determined to study the "practice" of romance, and he is determined to prove his swoon-worthiness by making her fall for him. Both are stubborn and the banter is fantastic. I loved it!

ngreader's review against another edition

3.0

Okay, the ending bumped this rating up a star because WOW did not see that coming and it was so clever and well done!! Internal squeal at the ending and endings are the hardest thing for me.
Buuut. I did not like the characterization of Bea. Like, yes give me a girl who loves science. But I have never heard a person in real life refer to animals by their scientific name to the extent that Bea does. It's really annoying and totally out of character for her. She seemed out of her element the whole time, the outsider who becomes part of the group rather than at home and witty and lively like the original play.
IDK, Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite Shakespearean play and I have a high bar for retellings?
*contains swearing, kissing, fade-to-black scenes*

iesje_eg's review against another edition

5.0

Okay so I read this book for the third time and it’s still amazing.
This is my favorite book for a reason!
Everything about this book is amazing the atmosphere, the characters, the romance just everything.

I would love a second book because of the ending. So please Laura Wood give us a sequel!!!

Yeah an amazing book 5/5 stars