Title: Sweet Nothing
Series: 21st Century Bard
Author: Alison May
Genre: Retelling, Contemporary Romance
Published: August 7, 2015
Publisher: Choc Lit
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
Would you risk everything for love?
Independent, straight-talking Trix Allen wouldn’t. She’s been in love once before and ended up with nothing. Now safely single, Trix is as far away from the saccharine-sweet world of hearts and flowers as it’s possible to be.
Ben Messina is the man who broke Trix’s heart. Now he’s successful the only thing rational Ben and free-spirited Trix see eye-to-eye on is the fact that falling in love isn’t part of the plan. But when Ben’s brother sets out to win the heart of Trix’s best friend, romance is very much in the air. Will Trix gamble everything on love and risk ending up with zero once again?
Read on for my thoughts on Sweet Nothing. No true spoilers, promise.
I enjoy retellings of classics, plays and fairy tales – what’s not to love about putting a modern day spin on a well known and well loved tale. Sweet Nothing a retelling of the Bard’s Much Ado About Nothing is no exception to that standard of mine. First of all, a geek hero? Why yes, thank you very much! I’ll enjoy a geeky hero any day of the week. Unfortunately Trix doesn’t seem to agree with me.
Trix and Ben had been in love, or so she had thought until she got her heart broken and swore never, ever again. To say that Trix is a tad bit angry at Ben, and perhaps life in general would be a major understatement. Also to admit that Ben even has a clue would also be an exaggeration of the facts.
When Ben’s brother begins to romance Trix’s best friend – well look out, because the fur is going to fly. We see why Trix and Ben ended up as they are today through flashbacks that reveal misunderstandings and the obvious fact that these two do belong together. It has been said that there is a thin line between love and hate – and do we ever love to hate the one who hurt us.
I adored these couples, even when I sorely wanted to slap some people upside the head – believe me, they would have deserved it. But in the end this is a sweet, funny, sad at times retelling of Shakespeare’s tale.
Love rarely runs smoothly, but when the bumps are smoothed out it is well worth the gamble. Pick this one up and indulge yourself with a charming retold love story that is as old as time. Modern day couples haven’t changed all that much over the years, we simply have more technology to add into the mix.
The earlier title in this series, Midsummer Dreams, was a delightful retelling of another Bard’s tale. If you enjoyed that story by Alison May, you will definitely have fun with this one… and if you haven’t read it, well now you know to look for it once you’ve devoured Sweet Nothing.
*I received an e-ARC of Sweet Nothing from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*
Available in paperback, on Audible, and for the Kindle
