A Midsummer Night's Fling by Eliza Walker Pages: 348
Published by Jack's House Publishing on June 20, 2016
Series: Much Ado About Love #1
Genres: adult, contemporary, Romance
Source: eARC from Publisher
“A magical, joyful, delightful, sexy contemporary romance by a new star in the making!” — New York Times bestselling author, Marie Force
The show must go on, but the price of admission could be her heart.
Sick of her vagabond life in a Broadway touring company, Nicola is ready to settle down. She wants nothing more than to park her suitcase in California, put out feelers for local auditions, and leave her past firmly behind her.Too bad her past comes knocking on her door her first day home. All six-foot-three, beautiful man of her past named Max. Stupid Max. The mistake Nicola just can’t seem to stop making.
Even before Nicola—fiery, quick-witted, beautiful Nicola—slams the door in his face, Max is in trouble. She will always be the one who got away. Three times. Which makes convincing her to play Titania to his Oberon a bit…awkward.
Though she has zero desire to re-re-rekindle an old flame, Nicola can’t turn down the chance Max is offering: a lead role with the West Coast’s premiere Shakespeare company. But when their first rehearsal kiss disintegrates into a passionate liplock, she’s questioning her sanity and tempted to jump ship—before Max can break her heart again.
Now it’s up to Max to convince her that the torch he’s been carrying is actually an eternal flame.
A Midsummer Night’s Fling is the first book in the contemporary romance Much Ado About Love series by Eliza Walker. I think this book will appeal to fans of both new adult and adult fiction, though technically I think it is cast as adult fiction. The characters are young enough that they can fall into either category. A fun fact about this book is that it is from a new publishing house from romance author powerhouse Marie Force. I enjoyed A Midsummer Night’s Fling, and I cannot wait to see what the next books from this publishing house will be.
A Midsummer Night’s Fling is told in dual narrative between Nicola and Max. Nicola and Max have some serious history, so I suppose you would categorize this book as second chance love, but really, it is like 5th chance love. They have had the kind of relationship that goes on for so long and goes through so many ups and ugly downs that it felt very, very realistic. I think everyone knows at least one couple like Nicola and Max. It left me happy on one hand that they were such real characters, but on the other hand, I was certainly left thinking at times that maybe they really shouldn’t be together.
I liked that for a while you don’t exactly know why they broke up. All the reader sees is a couple with insane chemistry. But as the book goes on, and the play gets closer and closer to going on, you learn more and more about why they broke up each time. And what I loved so much, and what made them so realistic, is that it was not just one of their faults. They each contributed to their demise in the past. I liked Nicola and Max a lot, and I loved trying to guess whether they were going to be fighting or making up next, but what I loved the most about A Midsummer Night’s Fling is the whole setup and cast of supporting characters. I am really hoping that some of the secondary characters are going to get their own stories (and I am almost positive that they will). I am sure that because they don’t have the super, super messy past that Nicola and Max did, that I will enjoy their stories even more. Eliza Walker is a great writer and she can write URST with the best of them. I can’t wait to see what she can do with a couple that isn’t quite as dysfunctional and already messed up. But there is something to say for how well Max and Nicola know each other. They have serious history. I did really enjoy their story. It felt like something I see in real life, but not something I have read about a bunch in books.
Bottom line: If you like your romances ultra realistic with a healthy side heaping of dysfunctional history, A Midsummer Night’s Fling is the perfect book for you. The writing is great, and the setup for the series is going to be a hit. I can’t wait to read more of the books. I enjoyed this one, but I met at least 3 or 4 secondary characters that I am already halfway in love with. I can’t wait to read their stories.
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