Can Bea and Ben Turn Rivalry Into Romance?
Beatrice Zook knows God wants her to learn patience toward others. When assisting a family overwhelmed by triplets proves surprisingly successful, her confidence in dealing with others, both young and old, grows.
One person she'll never be able to find peace with though is Ben Rupp. They've known each other forever, and Ben understands precisely how to antagonize her. What neither she nor Ben will admit is that beneath all their bickering, attraction awaits. When friends decide to try and bring the couple together, will the pair be able to find true love? Or will they damage their relationship beyond repair?
I absolutely love Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. I also love modern retellings of classic literature ... even though the retellings often leave something to be desired. Leslie Gould is no novice at these reimaginings, as Becoming Bea is the fourth novel in her Courtships of Lancaster County series, each of which is based on one of Shakespeare's plays. I've read two of the previous novels in the series, and while I greatly enjoyed Courting Cate, I didn't particularly care for Minding Molly. I knew I wanted to read Becoming Bea simply because I love the source material, but I wasn't sure if I'd truly enjoy it. Fortunately, Becoming Bea exceeded my expectations.
Becoming Bea is a completely endearing novel. I love the way Gould took the basic plot of Much Ado and adapted it to fit her story. Bea and Ben are obviously Beatrice and Benedick, but they also bear some resemblance to Hero and Claudio. And while many of Much Ado's events occurred in one form or another, they didn't always involve the characters I expected them to. This kept me on my toes and made the novel far less predictable than I anticipated. (I'd wondered how on earth Gould was going to work in a "Kill Claudio" scene, and it turned out that she didn't have to.)
Those familiar with Much Ado will enjoy the parts that reference it, and those who aren't will simply enjoy a great story. And now I'm off to watch my copy of the Kenneth Branagh version of the play! 4 stars.
See what others are saying.
Buy the book.
Read my reviews of Courting Cate and Minding Molly.
Fun fact: Apparently, my cousin was one of Gould's early readers, and she's mentioned in the acknowledgements. Small world.
Find Leslie online: website, Facebook, Twitter
Leslie Gould is back with the latest book, Becoming Bea, in her Shakespeare-inspired series, The Courtships of Lancaster County. Don't miss the other books in the series, Courting Cate (retelling of The Taming of the Shrew), Adoring Addie (inspired by Romeo and Juliet), and Minding Molly (inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream).
Leslie is celebrating the series with a Kindle giveaway and a Facebook party on November 11th.
One grand prize winner will receive:
- A Kindle Fire
- One copy each of the entire The Courtships of Lancaster County series: Courting Cate, Adoring Addie, Minding Molly, and Becoming Bea.
RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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