Review: For the Love of the Bard by Jessica Martin

Thank you Berkley Publishing for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I was so ready for this Shakespearean Summer RomCom. It had a lot of elements I loved but it was executed as well as I hoped. However, if you’re looking for something easy and love Shakespeare in the Park, I think this will be a breezy summer read for a lot of people. It has a small town full of eclectic characters, a sweet love story, and a noble character journey.

Synopsis:

“To go for it or not to go for it? That is the question when two former high school flames return to their Shakespeare-obsessed hometown for a summer of theater and unexpected romance, in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author Jessica Martin.

Literary agent and writer Miranda Barnes rolls into her hometown of Bard’s Rest with one goal in mind: to spend the summer finally finishing her YA novel, the next installment in her bestselling fantasy series. Yet Miranda’s mother, deep in the planning stages for the centennial of the town’s beloved annual Shakespeare festival, has other ideas.

Before you can say “all’s fair in love and war,” Miranda is cornered into directing Twelfth Night—while simultaneously scrambling to finish her book, navigating a family health scare, and doing her best to avoid the guy who broke her heart on prom night.

When it comes to Adam, the veterinarian with a talent for set design and an infuriating knack for winning over Miranda’s dog, the lady doth protest too much. As any Shakespeare lovers knows, the course of true love never did run smooth, and soon Miranda realizes she’ll have to decide whether to trust Adam with her heart again.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

  1. The Concept—As an actor, I was so excited for a book that took on Shakespeare. Shakespeare in the Park is a staple all over the world during the summer and I was thrilled to see it brought to life in a fictional setting.

  2. The References—So many funny and clever Shakespeare references. I feel like it gave Stratford upon Avon a run for its money.

  3. The Setting—I’ve been digging small town Romance as of late and the setting was perfectly summery. It has some Well Met vibes where the entire town comes together for this summer event.

  4. Ian—IAN WAS MY FAVORITE CHARACTER. I need more of him!

What Didn’t Work:

  1. Too Much Going on—There were SO many different plot points happening that I didn’t really feel like we got to delve into them. Miranda’s acting career and history, her writing, the love story, reconciling with her sister’s, her mother’s health…I wish it had been narrowed down to 2 or 3.

  2. Dialogue Heavy—While I love dialogue, there was A LOT in this book that didn’t help move the plot forward. Any big conversations between characters felt like it dragged the story backwards instead of forwards.

Character Authenticity: 3/5 Steam Rating: 0/5 (closed door) Overall Rating: 3/5

Contenting Warnings:

cancer, sick parent

Book ReviewPhoebe Wrightbook review, summer reading, shakespeare, romcomComment