August 15, 2022
In this lighthearted rom-com riff on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing from Liese (the Bergman Brothers series), a disastrous first meeting between straightlaced Jamie Westenberg and “tattooed tornado of flying cocktails and unsolicited astrological commentary” Bea Wilmot leaves both entirely sure that they would never work as a couple—despite an instantaneous attraction that neither can shake. When their matchmaking mutual friends fool them into beginning an anonymous correspondence that ends in a blind date, they hatch a revenge plot: they’ll fake date to get their friends’ hopes up and then stage a breakup so dramatic that no one will ever dream of meddling in their dating lives again. The only thing harder than pulling off the ruse, however, is managing to keep from falling for each other for real. The banter is easy and the heat level is high, though the adversarial dynamic between Bea and Jamie will be more low-key than readers might expect given the source material; Liese serves dessert first as the pair iron out their purely aesthetic differences early on to reveal a remarkable compatibility. Fans of Rachel Van Dyken and Sarah Adams will find a lot to love. Agent: Samantha Fabien, Root Literary.
September 1, 2022
Bea Wilmot's sister and friends are constantly meddling in her love life. Their latest matchmaking attempt involves Jamie Westenberg, a straightlaced pediatrician. After a disastrous first meeting, Bea, a tattooed artist, writes him off as another failed setup. Then her sister convinces her to get to know one more person anonymously through text messages, which goes well--until Bea finds out she's been texting Jamie. Bea is determined to get revenge for the scheming and convinces Jamie to join in her plan to pretend that they hit it off and then break up spectacularly. As they begin to spend time together, however, real feelings develop. The way Liese introduces Bea's autism and Jamie's anxiety feels authentically part of their love story as they learn more about each other and have healthy discussions about communication, physical touch, and more, including Bea's emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend. VERDICT 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.--Courtney Pentland
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September 15, 2022
In this exceptionally smart and charming romance, Liese tells the story of two neurodivergent people who resist falling in love just because other people think they should. Bea is an artist creating erotic works for a card store, and James is a pediatrician with two cats. In spite of their having nothing discernible in common, Bea's twin sister and her fianc� decide that Bea and James would be perfect for each other, so they manipulate a meeting via anonymous texting. In retaliation, Bea and James design a scheme in which they will pretend to be in love and then break up dramatically and publicly to prove a point, namely to be free from others' matchmaking meddling. But of course, via the light, Much Ado about Nothing template Liese so cleverly uses, they do fall hard for each other and following the convoluted way they get to love is great fun. Liese's writing is crisp and funny, the characters are fully engaging, and the story is delightful.
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Starred review from September 15, 2022
When two polar opposites get paired up by their meddling friends, their plan to fake a relationship ends up fooling everyone--including themselves--in this riff on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Bea Wilmot isn't prioritizing the dating scene--especially not after she trips and falls drink-first into the stuffed shirt otherwise known as Jamie Westenberg at a party where his friend and her twin sister have just announced their engagement. From their first conversation, it seems that they couldn't have anything in common. She's a struggling artist covered in beautiful tattoos; he's the buttoned-up, glasses-wearing type who packs an extra set of clothes just in case. When their well-meaning friends plot to pair them off without their knowledge, it doesn't take long for Bea and Jamie to find out they've been set up, but rather than admit defeat and go back to surviving singledom, they decide to get back by getting even. The solution? Pretend they're desperately into one another in a fake-dating scheme to end all fake-dating schemes--but the longer it goes on, the harder Bea and Jamie begin to fall for each other for real. 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.
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