Much Ado About Everything (A Novel)

Beloved author of The Austen Affair, Madeline Bell returns with another twist on classic literature that celebrates chosen family, second chances, and sweet revenge.

Beatrice and Richard. Once-soulmates-turned-mortal-enemies.

In the ten years since their breakup, Beatrice and Richard have never called or texted each other, but they have composed rude poems, left behind mocking secret messages in mutual friends' apartments, and spent way too many hours dreaming up elaborate revenge fantasies. It's been a decade of zero communication (technically) and yet their feud is as fiery as ever.

But now, as the maid of honor and best man at the wedding of their closest friends, Beatrice and Richard need to put aside their pride, spite, and weirdly exhilarating hate-fest in order to celebrate a more functional couple's happy ending. The thing about a feud, though, is that when it’s the only thing tying you to the person who broke your heart, it’s really hard to let it go. And isn’t it better to fight with your mortal enemy (*cough* the love of your life) than to never speak at all?

Over the course of one weekend, six friends reconnect for an Italian wedding extravaganza—and a scheme is hatched to get the exes back together. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, this is an ensemble story about the friendships that evolve with us as we grow up, from barely-adults in college to fully-formed humans, warts and all. And of course, it’s a heart-pounding second-chance love story about two stubborn, prickly, hilarious exes with sizzling chemistry. Beatrice and Richard's hatred is so fiery it risks explosion. But maybe burning things down is the best way to start over.