Two Wrongs Make a Right

Jamie Westenberg and Bea Wilmot work together at a theater company in New England. After Jamie pranks Bea in retaliation for what he believes was her attempt to sabotage him, they discover they were both set up by their siblings who want them to date. The two decide to fake a romance to get revenge on their matchmaking family members. As they spend time crafting their deception, Jamie and Bea must navigate their growing attraction while maintaining the pretense of their scheme. Both leads bring complex histories to their relationship - Jamie manages social anxiety and Bea works to overcome past relationship trauma. Their theatrical backgrounds and shared love of Shakespeare infuse their interactions as they balance truth and performance. This reimagining of Much Ado About Nothing explores themes of trust, authenticity, and the ways people present themselves to the world. The story considers how pranks and pretense can sometimes reveal deeper truths than straightforward approaches to connection.

Readers appreciated the Shakespeare-inspired rom-com plot, with many noting the engaging enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Jamie and Bea. The neurodivergent and anxiety representation resonated with readers who saw themselves in the characters. Multiple reviews highlighted the witty banter and consent-focused romance scenes. Common criticisms included a slow start, predictable plot progression, and some found the Shakespeare connection too loose. Several readers mentioned the story took too long to bring the main characters together. Review scores: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (48,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (2,400+ ratings) StoryGraph: 3.75/5 Sample reader comments: "The anxiety rep was spot on" - Goodreads reviewer "Took until 40% in for the plot to pick up" - Amazon reviewer "Perfect balance of steam and sweet moments" - StoryGraph review "The Much Ado About Nothing connection felt forced" - Goodreads reviewer "Jamie and Bea's chemistry made the wait worth it" - Amazon reviewer

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🎭 The story's plot is a modern reimagining of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," featuring enemies-to-lovers romance between a stage manager and an actor. 🎨 The main character, Jamie, has dyscalculia (a math learning disability), which the author Chloe Liese also has. She incorporated this representation to help raise awareness about neurodiversity. 💝 The book is part of the growing "rom-com renaissance" in publishing, which has seen a surge in popularity since 2020, particularly in contemporary adaptations of classic literature. 🖋️ Author Chloe Liese is known for writing neurodiverse characters across her works, including characters with autism and anxiety, drawing from her own experiences as a neurodivergent person. 🎬 The theatrical setting of the book was inspired by the author's background in theater and performing arts, which she studied before becoming a writer.