How to align the stars kept me up past my bedtime and sent me off to sweet dreams. It’s a terrific story of people growing and learning about themselves as they navigate all sorts of friendships and relationships.

I didn’t know the plot of Much Ado so I looked it up afterward - the author used way more connections than I imagined! And I’m glad the storyline didn’t match exactly to the original - I found some of the character growth extremely satisfying.

Very fun, highly recommend.8 s Trevin Sandlin150

(review based on an ARC received in return for a fair review)

An absolutely beautiful debut novel with a fun premise.

I very much enjoyed this book. Shakespeare adaptations can be a mixed bag sometimes - falling into hackneyed cliche, over-reliance on the original plot and characters, slavish attempts to use dialogue from the plays in a novel (nothing will kill a Shakespeare based novel as much as iambic pentameter). Luckily, this one avoided most of those pitfalls to be something truly original while also lovingly referencing the original source material. This is a tricky thing, since "Once Ado About Nothing" is not only one Shakespeare's most beloved comedies - it is one of MINE ( the author, I unconditionally love the Branagh version from the 90s).

What I enjoyed most of all was that the author brought a modern sensibility to the plot - particularly the plot involving Heron/Charles. It is the weakest part of "Much Ado" and I loved how the author avoided the real problems with what happens to Hero/Heron, making it both similar and different. And yet, I was caught up enough in the story that I was actually worried for Heron - which says something for me.

Readers looking for a super spicy take on the story should look elsewhere. Sex is in the background, behind the closed door. Not a complaint - just something to be aware of.

I'm a tough grader and there were maybe a few parts in the first half of the novel that weren't for me, or mostly unnecessary in my reading. They didn't make it bad, but they knock off a star. But I said...I'm a tough grader. 4 star books are fantastic for me...you just have to really earn a 5 star. I can't wait to read more of what this author has to offer in the future!2 s Shayla DuganAuthor 1 book10

This was my first time reading a romance and, honestly, I'm not a big fan of Shakespeare so I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I really loved the main character, Bea, especially. I identified a lot with her as she sorted through her emotions. She was witty, determined, and strong, albeit sometimes coming across as a little terse. We get to go through some emotional stretches with her and learn and grow along the way.

Heron helped me to reminisce about that wide eyed, younger days of new love and remember what it was to dream about the possibilities of the road ahead.

I was also relieved that my idea of what a "romance" novel went from expecting Fabio to it being more a romcom movie. The prose was eloquent without the intimidation of being Shakespearean. I also was just mesmerized with the amount of research this author had to have done because the characters were so well versed in so many different areas of expertise. I mean you have a family vineyard, a seamstress/fashion expert, an astronomy PhD, a book expert. It was just a smart, sassy read and it made me feel maybe this is a genre that I could actually get into. 2 s2 comments Lisi Bee115

I received an ARC of this book as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer in exchange for my honest review. This was not the book for me, I got about 20% of the way in and just could not finish so be aware that this review only focuses on the first part of the book. I also refer to some spoilers, please proceed with caution.

Reasons I wanted to keep reading:
• To find out if Bea and Heron end up with their happily-ever-afters (or just whatever makes them happy, whether with someone else or not).
• To discover whatever the "campus scandal" is that was referenced in the book description.

Reasons I could not finish the story (some spoilers):
• Heron's personality was so bland, I didn't care too much what happened with her plot line.
• I Bea. I related to Bea. But Bea's storyline just made me mad. The gaslighting that had to happen for the match-making to occur and be successful was too aggravating to me and yanked me right out of enjoyment of the story.
• The amount of forgiveness everyone expected Bea to give to Ben didn't seem realistic. The fact that the expectation was coming from her friends, family, and colleagues made it feel they didn't truly care about her or what she wanted.
• The fact that everyone around Bea expected her to forget about the public fat-shaming she endured 15 years prior didn't feel it was meant to be healing. Rather, they wanted her to move on with her life and see Ben in a different light. That could and should have been handled in a much healthier way than the secret match-making they had planned.
• The matchmaking felt condescending and insulting to Bea, a grown woman who was objectively intelligent and stated (and showed) that she was fine being single. To step in and match-make meant they thought that her own opinions about her own life couldn't be trusted. Yikes.
• And finally, even if I could get past all of that, Ben wasn't able enough for me to ignore their past and suspend disbelief that they belonged together. In the part that I read, Bea bore the brunt of forgiveness and it was presented as if her inability to forgive was all that was holding them back from being together. But Ben also had a responsibility to be truthful with her and he wasn't. And my gosh, why on earth would the author have him ask her if she was dieting, given their history?

I think this is a fine book if you're a fan of Much Ado About Nothing, you're looking for a quick surface read, and you enjoy the misunderstanding/match-making tropes (and are able to overlook a *lot* in order for the main characters to get together). It just wasn't the book for me.2 s Prop Widow8 3

It would be difficult to do a review of this book without spoilers. On the other hand, it IS based on a pretty famous Shakespeare play, so is it possible to spoil it?

Bea is a 30-something who thinks she has it all together, but clearly has a lot of lessons to learn. Even by the end of the book, a LOT of lessons. Her younger cousin Heron also has many lessons to learn, but I was satisfied that she had learned them pretty well before the book ended. Hurray for Heron!

I did feel that we had to wait a very long time for the villain to show up. I a good complication, and it was pretty clear the way the story was going to go, even if you don't know "Much Ado". I was so relieved when Jason finally started making trouble! I mean, I detested him for stirring the pot, but we are supposed to dis him.

Another problem I had was with Charlie. He seemed a great guy. He went out of his way to be good to a woman he loved who had an anxiety disorder. When he risked the wrath of his mother to change the venue of the wedding, I started to wonder if I had misjudged the way the book was going to go. The only hint we had that he wasn't an all-around great guy was that Heron's family were all concerned that she was moving too quickly with the relationship. So when he did what he did at the couple's shower, it seemed completely out of character to me. I suppose that parallels Shakespeare's play, but I found it difficult.

Things I loved were the way Ms Dressler worked in so many of the modern problems women face today. Self-acceptance, abandonment and hypercritical parent issues, anxiety, the glass ceiling, and challenging the whole idea of the school tie brigade. There wasn't anything I didn't love about any of that.

I would certainly recommend this book as a beach or YA read. I had a good time with it.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewcozy-romance Cloud443 1 follower

This is such a fun read, definitely great for the summer! It focuses on two main characters, Beatrice, and her younger cousin Heron. It’s very interesting how much I can relate to Bea as the book progresses. She is older, has a cat, and some great enemies-to-lovers chemistry going on at the small college she teaches at. Heron is in a relationship with Charlie, and she is planning for her future after college, which really hit the young love vibe right on.

This is a great modern twist to Much Ado About Nothing from Shakespeare. There were some fun unexpected twists and just plain entertaining to see it in an up-to-date, local feeling, setting, and how all that plays out.

I felt the plot moved at a good pace. There were many nights I was pulling the “Oh, just one more page!” before realizing just how late it was. One thing I think the author really got right was the interpersonal relationships between all the characters in this book. Their interactions felt authentic to the moment, as well as who they were at their core. At no point was I upset that Bea did something that didn’t mesh with who she was. And watching Heron grow as a character was so rewarding as I was cheering for both the leading ladies the whole way through. There were even parts that I literally gasped and even got chills. (not to post a spoiler, but there was one instance earlier on in the book that I got some serious feelings about what was happening and how things were unfolding that made my eyebrows go all the way up)

Overall, I enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the author’s next book. I would recommend this for a great summer beach read, or even a cozy fall read as well! I could see myself picking this book back up again and rereading it, now knowing how things go, and seeing what new details I could find!
kindle own Jennifer12 2

**Rating is actually 3.5 stars but I couldn't figure out how to do the half on here**

Bea and Heron are two women bonded in blood on a journey set in what they felt was the path they were meant to be on. Bea is on her way to gaining the tenure she worked so hard for at her alma mater, Messiman College. Heron is in her final year of college with just a thesis away from her next steps in university life. Both women also have to deal with men in their lives that they never figured would be the cause of the difficulties they'd have to face on what should have been a straightforward path to success.

Having read this book, I did enjoy it. Bea is a plus sized woman having to deal with the stigmas of what the public perception of how women should be with their bodies since her days at university. And while she, herself, has come to accept herself for who she was, she never took the chance to try and see if anyone else out there would do the same. Heron, while a stellar student with a whole future ahead of her, is determined to have the perfect marriage life with Charlie.

Throughout the whole book, it seemed somewhat predictable a TV drama, but in a good way. It touched on a lot of other modern topics sexism and ethics, classism, and mental health so I felt it was fairly well rounded with the cast of characters.

Overall, this book wasn't so dynamic that nothing in it was to be expected. But I would recommend it to someone that would something light to read to have a bit of escape from their own day to day.
fiction romance Mands08111 1 follower

Thank you to NetGally and Egret Lake books for the advanced copy of this title.
This is a debut novel for Amy Dressler and is based on the Shakespearean story of 'Much Ado About Nothing.'

Themes include: Plus Sized MFC, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, cat lady vibes, and closed door romance

This novel is told from a dual POV from two cousins with a wide age gap. Heron is a near graduate college student planning her future life with her fiance. Determined to prove to everyone they are meant to be, she becomes a doormat to his wants and needs.
Bea is a headstrong professor at the university that Heron is attending. Fiercely independent, she is content in the life she has built for herself and her cat.
Our MMC, Ben, is Bea's co-professor and past crush turned nemesis. The two of them go head to head with scathing remarks and witty banter. You can feel the sexual tension brewing through their disdain.

Both MFC's are challenged to escape the cages they have put themselves in. When the future they envisioned for themselves gets turned upside down, they start to realize their passions and their strengths. They start living for themselves and not the ideals of the world surrounding them. In a lot of ways they switch roles, Heron discovering she can headstrong and be on her own, while Bea realizes there is a different kind of strength in leaning on others.

The pacing of this book was a little slow and the ending felt anti-climatic.arc-s netgalley Natalie402

One of my favourite dynamics is Beatrice and Benedict from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. There’s something so compelling and downright fun to watch unresolved sexual tension played out in in witty, rapid-fire barbs between two people so clearly attracted to each other but rub each other up the wrong way.

How to Align the Stars is Amy Dressler’s debut, set in a Washington college town. Bea is an astronomy academic waiting for a tenure position. Fiercely independent and in her late 30s, she’s dismayed to discover Ben is also working at the uni as book restorer and special librarian. Bea is still holding a grudge from their uni days after plus size Bea was fat shamed by his fraternity. Bea is also dismayed to learn her younger cousin Heron is getting engaged to her uni boyfriend who is from a rich background. To get Bea off her back Heron schemes with their friends to matchmake Bea and Ben.

I devoured this book, from its strong plot and character development, to the banter (though once they got together it was sort of fell by the wayside a bit), I couldn’t put this book down. I think the biggest surprise for me was how much I enjoyed Heron’s growth. In the earlier part of the book I was less interested in Heron, but as the story developed I was cheering her on and loved where she ended up.

I can’t wait to read what Amy Dressler writers next!
 
Thanks to Egret Lake Books and NetGalley for the ARC.2024-reads netgalley-arc Brittney16

This was a fun read-loosely based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. We follow the lives of cousins, Bea and Heron. Bea is a college professor, on track to get tenure and in her late thirties. She doesn't believe in love for herself and she especially doesn't believe in love with her old crush Ben, who happens to get a job as the librarian at the college she is teaching at. Heron is in her early twenties and is in her senior year of college. She is wholeheartedly in love with her boyfriend Charlie and does everything she can to make him feel supported, sometimes to the detriment of herself.

I love how this story addressed Heron’s struggle with anxiety and how she learned to be happy with her own company rather than relying on Charlie’s. Her journey was oh so satisfying!! Bea’s story was completely different. Bea learns how to open up her heart and share her life with another, not because she needs to but because she wants to. And dear sweet Ben was absolutely the guy to do that.

It seems more of the storyline was devoted to Heron’s storyline but I was actually totally fine with that. I enjoyed the hell out of Heron and her journey of self worth. I would have loved more of Bea and Ben but, their ending? *Chef’s Kiss* I loved it!

Thank you to Egret Lake Books for practicing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Ulli Zaiss176 2

The book follows cousins Bea and Heron over the course of about a year. It's Heron's last year at Messiman college where her cousin Bea is a professor for astronomy. While Heron has been in a relationship with her boyfriend Charlie for years and is hoping for a proposal Bea is a dedicated single woman. Over the course of the year both woman will face different problems, form new or alter old relationships and grow as persons.

The plot is a modern retelling of the Shakespeare play " Much Ado about Nothing" and I think it works very well. I d most of the characters and while you have a feeling how things might develop from early on I enjoyed how the story unfolded. The book is told alternately from a Bea's and Haron's point of view.

All in all a funny and entertaining book that I enjoyed very much - really a perfect summer beach read.

I received an ARC via booksirens.com and am voluntarily leaving a review. Rachael145 3


im usually a sucker for modern day retellings so i thought this book would be right up my street but unfortunately it just didn’t hit the mark for me.

i didn’t find myself caring about any of the characters so anything they did or the relationships they were building fell short for me and ultimately i just didn’t care about who ended up with who because there wasn’t a lot of chemistry on page.

the dialogue was very robotic and just didn’t flow naturally an actual conversation should. the writing was disjointed at times and i think the book could have been cut down by 80/100 pages because it was just full of unnecessary backstory and lore about situations that didn’t really add to the plot of the story.

the only reason i didn’t dnf was because i hated charlie so much that i just wanted to see his downfall

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this arc Lina38

I received a free advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book via Booksprout. This is my honest, voluntary written review.

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I am so happy I got to read another book (I want to say romance but it's not only that) with characters in it that are a bit more real-life-bodied, and not just all model-thin with their hair blown out of all proportions. Also, having two paralel stories in one book was interesting! Exploring self-esteem, confidence, acceptance issues felt simple and nice with Bea and Heron.

I didn't always feel 100% connected to main characters. Yet they are reasonably well developed, believable and compelling. The book has a good pace, the academic setting is fun, and the love, friendship, family topics make for a good, easy read - a sort of book to take when you go on vacation but still want to engage your brain a bit while reading and have some laughs along the way.arc e-books ML1 review

First, you don't have to or not Shakespear to enjoy this book. It's been a while since I read a romantic novel so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It all felt so real, the characters, their issues and how they dealt with them. The book can be read on so many levels, as an enjoyable beach read, but also something deeper. Something that makes us realize that we don't all want the same things and that we all deal with issues differently, but that's ok as long as it works for characters involved. It's ok to choose different lifestyles, we don't all have to be identical. Highly recommended and I am looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.
Amy126

An enjoyable mix of old and new! I love Much Ado About Nothing, so I was interested to see if I'd the story reimagined. In this case, I love it!
Set in the U.S., in current times, How to Align the Stars goes deeper with character development than a play can. It's a lighthearted, fun read--with depth. It's similar enough to the play that you know the general idea of what's coming, but different enough that there are some satisfying surprises. Challenges and growth make the characters feel real, and I wish we could continue following their lives, even though the ending was quite satisfying.
If you're looking for an enjoyable visit with lovely, multi-generational characters, this is a good bet. It's engaging, easy to follow, and fun! Space Station Mir37

Beatrice and Benedick are my favorite of all Shakespeare's lovers, but in this book, Heron actually became my favorite character. Her storyline gains a lot of depth, and I enjoyed the anxiety rep but also the courage with which Heron faces her fears and rewrites her own story. I loved watching Heron come into her own as a protagonist, surrounded by supportive cousin Beatrice, bff Maggie, and stepmother "Toni" (IYKYK).

I would recommend How to Align the Stars to fans of Shakespeare and contemporary romance, and I also think a lot of academics would get a chuckle out of it.

Received for review from LibraryThing; all opinions are my own.

Reda my full review here: https://mirisaspacestation.blogspot.c...academic anxiety contemporary ...more Melanie Houghton41 3

Romance, stress and family pressure! This is two love stories going on at the same time. When you’re younger it’s hard to stand up to all the different directions people push you from. Heron thinks she’s being the best girlfriend to Charlie while still dealing with her college life and helping Charlie with his studies. And trying to stand up to cousin Bea about not letting Charlie be put before Heron’s own needs and desires. At the same time Bea is dealing with a lifetime of weight issue that hinder relationships. Both stumbles and fall, get hurt and learn from it. Nice easy read to take you away from your own stress for awhile!3 s Bonnie47 5

I truly loved this book and couldn't put it down. An adaptation of my favorite Shakespeare play could have gone very well or very badly, and fortunately this one nailed it. The characters are so real and so witty in that way the most clever people you know are witty. All of the different types of narrative tension that come up in a story of different interwoven relationships were written masterfully, and I loved that all of those characters and relationships and tensions felt real and not tropes. Really a lovely and extremely re-readable book, one that's going high on my recommendations list.6 s Abigail L.1,048 60

How to Align the Stars by Amy Dressler is a refreshing twist on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, set against the backdrop of a quaint college town. Beatrice, an astronomy professor, is brilliantly juxtaposed with her whimsical cousin, Heron, weaving a tale of love, doubt, and self-discovery. Dressler’s writing is both smart and laugh-out-loud funny, particularly in the verbal sparring between Beatrice and Ben, the librarian she loves to hate. What I truly enjoyed about this book was its heart and humor; it’s a celebration of how opposites can indeed attract and the unexpected ways life can surprise us. Sue1,064 71

Ever wondered what happens when a star-gazing prof falls for the campus librarian she can’t stand?
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