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yayas_shelf's review
4.0
A super cute read with a few caveats:
1. The romance isn't really the focus of the plot. It's barely there until the last quarter of the book when it really picks up.
2. The male romantic interest isn't super fleshed out. I didn't have an opinion on him until the epilogue.
3. A lot of the characters who are in their late-twenties/early-thirties have not let go of who they were in high school and the mistakes they made over a decade ago.
4. The word "Bard" is definitely overused.
Despite these points, I still really enjoyed reading this book. It was charming and I love a good themed setting.
1. The romance isn't really the focus of the plot. It's barely there until the last quarter of the book when it really picks up.
2. The male romantic interest isn't super fleshed out. I didn't have an opinion on him until the epilogue.
3. A lot of the characters who are in their late-twenties/early-thirties have not let go of who they were in high school and the mistakes they made over a decade ago.
4. The word "Bard" is definitely overused.
Despite these points, I still really enjoyed reading this book. It was charming and I love a good themed setting.
audie_reads's review against another edition
3.0
“If I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s to never leave unsaid who you are and what you want.”
bookeateryum's review
2.0
i'm still not entirely convinced that bard's rest isn't a shakespeare-worshiping cult because in no other situation would saying "oh my bard" instead of "oh my god" be plausible
also i think bard’s rest might be on a different planet because no person on earth would speak how these bard worshipers do
also i think bard’s rest might be on a different planet because no person on earth would speak how these bard worshipers do
taryn_a's review
5.0
Corny and over the top and this Shakespeare and theater lover enjoyed every minute. I need someone to make this into a movie.
bookedwithallie's review
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Okay, I am desperate to visit the town featured in this series - Bard’s Rest! This Shakespeare-obsessed small town has it all - loveable characters and charming traditions! This story explored the complexities of family relationships and dealing with a parent who is diagnosed with cancer. In addition to this being a family drama, our main character, Miranda also finds herself in the midst of a second-chance romance with the town’s obnoxiously charming vet.
This was such a nostalgic story for me, bringing me back to my days in college when I practically lived and breathed Shakespeare. I love that I could immerse myself in this town’s love for the Bard and celebrate alongside them at their biggest event of the year! The banter in this story was top-notch! Miranda’s inner monologue was also so witty and relatable.
I can’t wait to read the next book as it centers on Miranda’s all-business sister, Portia, who had a bit of a redemption arc at the end!
Thank you to Jessica Martin who sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I am so sorry it took me so long to invest myself in this world!
Okay, I am desperate to visit the town featured in this series - Bard’s Rest! This Shakespeare-obsessed small town has it all - loveable characters and charming traditions! This story explored the complexities of family relationships and dealing with a parent who is diagnosed with cancer. In addition to this being a family drama, our main character, Miranda also finds herself in the midst of a second-chance romance with the town’s obnoxiously charming vet.
This was such a nostalgic story for me, bringing me back to my days in college when I practically lived and breathed Shakespeare. I love that I could immerse myself in this town’s love for the Bard and celebrate alongside them at their biggest event of the year! The banter in this story was top-notch! Miranda’s inner monologue was also so witty and relatable.
I can’t wait to read the next book as it centers on Miranda’s all-business sister, Portia, who had a bit of a redemption arc at the end!
Thank you to Jessica Martin who sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I am so sorry it took me so long to invest myself in this world!
vixen_519's review against another edition
3.0
This book was the blandest read for me. I am so disappointed since I was so excited about it when first came out
1943tre's review
3.0
The first half gets a 2, the second half gets a 4, so we average about a 3.
I had a lot of mixed feelings while reading this and most of them smoothed out by the latter 25%. The first 50% or so doesn't feel like a romance at all. It feels like women's fiction, which is fine, but since this is clearly advertised as a romance, when I don't get much Miranda-Adam interaction until past 50% I get frustrated. Around 60%, we get more, but even then I didn't understand why Adam was the right fit for her. He seemed nice and cute and funny, but I sort of want to know why they are like destined to be together, ESPECIALLY in a second chance book. This became slightly more clear...but honestly not until almost 90% was I convinced that they were a pair worth rooting for.
I felt the book got more elegant plot-wise as it went on too, when all the strands started weaving together. At the beginning, I was overwhelmed with Shakespeare references (most of which I didn't understand though I have probably a higher-than-average Shakespeare exposure than the average reader) and it was a bit too much. The writing was good and the author is clearly very smart, but each sentence was almost TOO jam-packed with references, specifics, dialogue. I felt like I needed more breathing room.
Plot-wise, I ended up enjoying the romance and also the family story and her internal arc as being this writer hiding under a pseudonym. I cared much less for the small-town dynamics of this Shakespeare centennial thing they were putting on. There were SO many characters with unusual names and none of them really stood out to me. Steam-wise, I felt like the amount was appropriate to the book, but I obviously wanted more. There was one open-door scene and two kiss scenes.
If you like romances that teeter more into women's fiction and if you love Shakespeare, I would highly recommend this to you. But if both of those things give you pause, I imagine this might not be your fave.
I had a lot of mixed feelings while reading this and most of them smoothed out by the latter 25%. The first 50% or so doesn't feel like a romance at all. It feels like women's fiction, which is fine, but since this is clearly advertised as a romance, when I don't get much Miranda-Adam interaction until past 50% I get frustrated. Around 60%, we get more, but even then I didn't understand why Adam was the right fit for her. He seemed nice and cute and funny, but I sort of want to know why they are like destined to be together, ESPECIALLY in a second chance book. This became slightly more clear...but honestly not until almost 90% was I convinced that they were a pair worth rooting for.
I felt the book got more elegant plot-wise as it went on too, when all the strands started weaving together. At the beginning, I was overwhelmed with Shakespeare references (most of which I didn't understand though I have probably a higher-than-average Shakespeare exposure than the average reader) and it was a bit too much. The writing was good and the author is clearly very smart, but each sentence was almost TOO jam-packed with references, specifics, dialogue. I felt like I needed more breathing room.
Plot-wise, I ended up enjoying the romance and also the family story and her internal arc as being this writer hiding under a pseudonym. I cared much less for the small-town dynamics of this Shakespeare centennial thing they were putting on. There were SO many characters with unusual names and none of them really stood out to me. Steam-wise, I felt like the amount was appropriate to the book, but I obviously wanted more. There was one open-door scene and two kiss scenes.
If you like romances that teeter more into women's fiction and if you love Shakespeare, I would highly recommend this to you. But if both of those things give you pause, I imagine this might not be your fave.
kaitlynp57's review
4.0
i’d like to thank netgalley, berkley publishing, and jessica martin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! i really enjoyed this book and the setting drew me in instantly. i’m a big fan of shakespeare and it was nice to see all of the references throughout!
this book follows miranda as she returns home to bard’s rest to help with their shakespeare festival. however, when she arrives, she takes on much more work than anticipated, reconnects with an old flame, strengthens her relationship with her sisters, and deals with her mom’s recent health issues (while writing a book). i really loved seeing how she connected with her hometown after she’s been out of it for so long.
i really enjoyed the romance in this one as well as the friendships! i thought the romance was a satisfying slow burn with a complicated history. her mother’s health issues were a little too serious for my taste in romance books, but it was done really well and truly showed the importance of family.
my favorite part of this novel was seeing miranda start to accept herself more. i loved the ending and thought that it tied up things perfectly. overall, i recommend this one to romance and shakespeare fans! it’s a super fun read.
this book follows miranda as she returns home to bard’s rest to help with their shakespeare festival. however, when she arrives, she takes on much more work than anticipated, reconnects with an old flame, strengthens her relationship with her sisters, and deals with her mom’s recent health issues (while writing a book). i really loved seeing how she connected with her hometown after she’s been out of it for so long.
i really enjoyed the romance in this one as well as the friendships! i thought the romance was a satisfying slow burn with a complicated history. her mother’s health issues were a little too serious for my taste in romance books, but it was done really well and truly showed the importance of family.
my favorite part of this novel was seeing miranda start to accept herself more. i loved the ending and thought that it tied up things perfectly. overall, i recommend this one to romance and shakespeare fans! it’s a super fun read.