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A review by beate251
Things We Do For Love by Miranda Dickinson
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for this ARC.
Lucie Hart is a struggling actress living in Stratford -upon-Avon, working three jobs, one of which is doing al fresco monologues from famous Shakespeare plays for a very small theatre company.
Theo Larkin is a disgraced Hollywood actor who has been given a last chance with an RSC production of Hamlet in Stratford. One day, he gatecrashes Lucie's monologue and speaks Petruchio to her Katharina. It's such a success that the Garden Players manager hires him for the rest of the summer, casting the two of them in dialogues of some of the most famous Shakespearean couples.
The story is told in alternating dual POV, showing their growing chemistry on and off stage, as witnessed by friends and managers.
Then my most hated trope of miscommunication and misunderstandings hits when Lucie's horrible ex Duncan throws stones into the love story, not unlike in a Shakespeare play.
I very much liked Lucie and Theo, but I have to admit that I didn't understand enough of the Shakespeare characters to truly appreciate the story. The constant rehearsals in the middle left me a bit bored but the ending made up for it.
This is well-written and the acting world in Stratford-upon-Avon is portrayed beautifully, but maybe you get more out of it if you know your way around more Shakespeare plays than I do. Though I did surmise that Theo's rivalry with Gabriel Marley should remind us of Shakespeare's rivalry with Christopher Marlowe.
It is funny, romantic and light-hearted but also quite predictable. I loved feisty Lilia and her Boys!
Lucie Hart is a struggling actress living in Stratford -upon-Avon, working three jobs, one of which is doing al fresco monologues from famous Shakespeare plays for a very small theatre company.
Theo Larkin is a disgraced Hollywood actor who has been given a last chance with an RSC production of Hamlet in Stratford. One day, he gatecrashes Lucie's monologue and speaks Petruchio to her Katharina. It's such a success that the Garden Players manager hires him for the rest of the summer, casting the two of them in dialogues of some of the most famous Shakespearean couples.
The story is told in alternating dual POV, showing their growing chemistry on and off stage, as witnessed by friends and managers.
Then my most hated trope of miscommunication and misunderstandings hits when Lucie's horrible ex Duncan throws stones into the love story, not unlike in a Shakespeare play.
I very much liked Lucie and Theo, but I have to admit that I didn't understand enough of the Shakespeare characters to truly appreciate the story. The constant rehearsals in the middle left me a bit bored but the ending made up for it.
This is well-written and the acting world in Stratford-upon-Avon is portrayed beautifully, but maybe you get more out of it if you know your way around more Shakespeare plays than I do. Though I did surmise that Theo's rivalry with Gabriel Marley should remind us of Shakespeare's rivalry with Christopher Marlowe.
It is funny, romantic and light-hearted but also quite predictable. I loved feisty Lilia and her Boys!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse