Fall in Love with Some Silly Lil’ Rom Coms
It is a truth universally acknowledged that, like Shakespeare, love is probably dead. BUT, what better way to cope with the inadequacies of modern dating than by curling up with some fictional lovers!
This being LSC, and Shakespeare being my personal Roman Empire, my gift to you this Valentine’s Day is a list of cozy ‘lil rom coms with a Shakespeare flair! The following titles are for adult audiences, and goodreads links are provided!
First up: Beatrice and Benedick are at it again in this adorable retelling of Much Ado About Nothing in Chloe Liese’s Two Wrongs Make a Right. This story is the definition of a slow burn, and utterly swoon-worthy. In the same series is Better Hate Than Never, which is a delightfully modern update on Taming of the Shrew (which, let’s be honest, definitely cries out for a modern touch). Something I love about this particular author is that she has a philosophy that every story deserves to be told, with her main characters being either neurospicy (positive ADHD and Autism representations) or having disabilities that often go unnoticed and misunderstood (anxiety and migraines). Bonus: we’re getting a third installment! It’s due to be published later this year!
Even the tragedies deserve a happily ever after: enter Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson. Enemies to lovers is my absolute jam, and to see this story told in this way, with a beautiful representation of Mexican-American culture, food, and traditions is icing on the cake.
Not a retelling, but SO MUCH SHAKESPEARE: Welcome to Bard’s Rest, New Hampshire, where everyone is obsessed with Shakespeare and there’s a whole month long festival complete with themed dining and multiple productions of his plays to be had. Want to live there? Me too, my guy. Our female main character gets guilted into directing a production of Twelfth Night and sparks soon fly with the local veterinarian/set designer. *Swoons*
Also not a retelling, but the whole thing is about a production of Much Ado (I mean, it is Shakespeare’s greatest rom com…): Hooray for queer representation!! Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake is hands down one of the most adorable, swoon-worthy books I’ve read in a hot minute. It had me grinning like a total idiot the whole time, and it was refreshing to see actors portrayed as intelligent and empathetic (trust me, that’s not the norm). JUST READ IT ALREADY.
Honorable Mention: This series doesn’t have anything to do with Shakespeare, but chances are if you like Shakespeare, you also get a kick out of the Renaissance Faire. Enter, Well Met by Jen DeLuca. Not only is it a total romp, but as someone who worked as a professional cast member/stunt person at a ren faire, I can tell you the description of what it’s like to work at one is frighteningly accurate (spoiler: pirates are sexy, sorry.). There’s four books in the series, and they’re all a delight. Enjoy some Tudor-tastic escapism, my goodly gentles.
