ARC Review: For the Love of the Bard by Jessica Martin

For the Love of the Bard
Author: Jessica Martin
Publication: Berkley (June 28, 2022)

Description: 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.

My Thoughts: This story was a great romance from a debut author. Miranda Barnes is an author of a very popular YA fantasy series who is having trouble writing the next book. She goes home for the summer to Bard's Rest - a town obsessed with Shakespeare - to try to recapture her writing mojo. 

However, there are many distractions. Her mother who is directing the annual festival has discovered a lump on her breast and seems more interested in the fate of the festival than her own health which greatly disturbs her husband and three daughters. When Miranda offers to help lighten her mother's load, she finds herself directing a production of Twelfth Night and trying to stay away from the handsome veterinarian/set designer who broke her heart when she was in high school. 

Adam Winters is back in town running his father's veterinary clinic while his father recovers from a heart attack and surgery. He very much wants to have another chance with Miranda if she can be convinced that he is a changed man who can be trusted with her heart. 

The story has great dialog and a fascinating setting. I loved the family relationships and the rekindled romance between Miranda and Adam. There are even great pets since Miranda has a rescue dog named Puck who is an "indiscriminate eater", and Adam has a rescue pig named Lucille. 

I can't wait for more from this fresh new voice.

Favorite Quote:

"Everything okay at home?"

I shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Cordy's definition of an emergency runs the gamut from 'there's a fluctuation in responsibly sourced cacao prices' to 'I burned down the bakery for the insurance money.'"

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.