Read by Charlotte North & Stephen Dexter
The Wilmot Sisters, Book 1
From the publisher:
One of Amazon’s Best Romances of 2022!
Opposites become allies to fool their matchmaking friends in this swoony reimagining of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, Much Ado About Nothing.
Jamie Westenberg and Bea Wilmot have nothing in common except a meet-disaster and the mutual understanding that they couldn’t be more wrong for each other. But when the people closest to them play Cupid and trick them into going on a date, Jamie and Bea realize they have something else in common after all—an undeniable need for revenge.
Soon their plan is in place: Fake date obnoxiously and convince the meddlers they’re madly in love. Then, break up spectacularly and dash everyone’s hopes, putting an end to the matchmaking madness once and for all.
To convince everyone that they’ve fallen for each other, Jamie and Bea will have to nail the performance of their lives. But as their final act nears and playing lovers becomes easier than not, they begin to wonder: What if Cupid’s arrow wasn’t so off the mark? And what if two wrongs do make a right?
“From a meet-cute that crackles with wit and humor to pages upon pages of scorching tension, Liese has crafted a warm, delightful novel that emphasizes acceptance, communication, and the self-worth we can discover by both daring to love and letting ourselves be loved…An effervescent reimagining of the Bard packaged in an opposites-attract romance.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“In this lighthearted rom-com riff on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing from Liese… the banter is easy and the heat level is high.”—Publishers Weekly
“In this exceptionally smart and charming romance… Liese’s writing is crisp and funny, the characters are fully engaging, and the story is delightful.”—Booklist
“Liese (Everything for You) nods to Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing here, and readers will enjoy the snarky banter and other similarities to the play, along with the enemies-to-lovers plot, solid character development, and a little heat. Perfect for fans of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.”—Library Journal
I actually read the third book in this series, Once Smitten, Twice Shy, and loved it, so I hunted down the first book, and I’m very glad I did. This is a contemporary retelling of “Much Ado About Nothing,” with inclusiveness, which I loved. The female main character, Bea, is neurodivergent, and the male main character, Ben, has anxiety issues. We get the enemies-to-lovers and fake dating, the witty banter, and the happy ending – not to mention a super fun read! The narrators were wonderful and really helped draw me into the story.
The premise is that Bea’s sister and her boyfriend set up Bea and Ben without telling them. Their first meeting is a disaster; it’s hate at first sight. Their second meeting is a disaster; more hate. But once they figure out they are being set up, they decide the best way to handle it is to get revenge by fake dating and then breaking up. If you’ve ever read a romance, or Shakespeare, you know that they fall in love while fake dating and live happily ever after.
The fake dating did seem forced at times, but not in a good way. They were obviously attracted to one another and understood each other’s social anxiety, which was heartwarming. I reached the point where I wanted to shout at them, enough already. Just admit you have feelings and move on. But it took many, many pages until that finally happened. Luckily, that witty banter helped move the story along anyway.
This was a fun, sexy read with a lot of humor. I’m hunting down book two next.
3/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT by Chloe Liese. Narrators: Charlotte North & Stephen Dexter. Penguin Audio; November 22, 2022. Listening Length: 11 hours and 30 minutes
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