Ben and Beatriz

by Katalina Gamarra

There’s nothing like falling for your worst enemy.

Beatriz Herrera is a fierce woman who will take you down with her quick wit and keen intellect. And after the results of the 2016 election worked hard to erase her identity as a queer biracial woman, she’d be right to. Especially if you come for her sweet BFF cousin, Hero. Beatriz would do anything for her, a loyalty that lands Beatriz precisely where she doesn’t want to be: spending a week at the ridiculous Cape Cod mansion of stupid-hot playboy Ben Montgomery. The same Ben Montgomery she definitely shouldn’t have hooked up with that one time… The things we do for family.

White and wealthy, Ben talks the talk and walks the walk of privilege, but deep down, he’s wrestling with the politics and expectations of a conservative family he can’t relate to. Though Beatriz’s caustic tongue drives him wild in the very best way, he's the last person she'd want, because she has zero interest in compromising her identity. But as her and Ben’s assumptions begin to unravel and their hookups turn into something real, they start wondering if it’s still possible to hold space for one another and the inescapable love that unites them. 

This retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is both razor-sharp and swoon-worthy: the perfect love story for our time.
 

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Retellings, LGBT, Fiction, Queer, Contemporary Romance

336 pages, Paperback

First published August 2, 2022

Reviews

[Lily Heron · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ben and Beatriz is a loosely inspired contemporary adaption of Much Ado About Nothing, set in the aftermath of Trump entering the White House. Beatriz and her cousin Hero go to stay with Ben and his roommate Claudio in his Cape Cod mansion, and Ben's menacing brother John is there to ruin everything, while Ben and Beatriz return to their enemies-to-lovers romance. Eschewing the playful enmity between Beatrice and Benedick from the original play, this novel is far darker and more caustic, which didn't work for me at all.

I have a lot of problems with this book.

1) Meg's subplot, and the lack of respect shown towards her character, and the lack of engagement with her multifaceted levels of trauma. John gets Meg hooked on heroin to punish Ben. His reasons for doing so are completely farcical (much like Don John in the original play, so fair), but my major issue is how this plotline was handled. Firstly, there should have been trigger warnings for this in a f*cking LGBTQ+ Romance! I don't come to Romance for heroin addiction via sadistic manipulation, jesus christ. Next, what is Ben doing?! Meg is supposedly like a little sister to him, so why is he aware of what John is doing, but he does nothing to remove her from the situation, or, I don't know, call the cops on John?! He spends so long agonising over how much of a Nice Guy he is, and how much he Cares About Meg, but he does nothing to help. Ben has money, power and privilege, so he could easily do something to stop John's schemes, and help Meg extricate herself from their abusive relationship, but he doesn't bother. He could try, at least. Instead, he goes off to have more sex with Beatriz, which ... why? Why would you write about an abusive partner forcing their girlfriend/sex toy to take heroin, and then swing from that over to 'and then I had sex'. It was just so, so tonally jarring, I honestly found this aspect of the book incredibly disturbing. Where was the awareness of what Meg would be suffering, both as the victim of an abusive relationship and as someone who is steadily becoming addicted to heroin by force?? Why was it felt that more sex between Beatriz and Ben was more important to the narrative than even slightly engaging with Meg's traumatic experiences?

2) For the life of me, I can't tell what Beatriz and Ben find attractive in one another, so the constant sex scenes became such a drag. When there's no chemistry between the characters I just don't care about reading them having sex. They're better off without each other, if they hate each other so badly, and I don't see why it's Beatriz's job to educate Ben on how to be a good ally.

3) Claudio is a real POS and doesn't deserve Hero. It's disturbing that she tells him she doesn't trust him, then it's heavily implied they immediately have sex (the very next line), and neither Beatriz nor Ben see any problem with listening to this happen through the door to their dorm, after Claudio has called Hero a whore and slept around with a whole bunch of other women to spite her. If this was Hero losing her virginity, I literally feel sick.

4) There are some weird queerphobic comments regarding 'devil's advocate' for how being bi makes you less queer, and an interpretation of pansexuality that felt derogatory towards other members of the queer community. I don't understand why a reference to the Harry Potter books was included in a queer novel.

cw: attempted suicide; heroin addition (forced, by an intimate partner, for manipulative purposes); rape (what John does to Meg is rape), filmed, for the purposes of revenge porn; hospitalisation; alcohol addition; abusive relationship; racism; slurs; fatphobic comments; bullying; parental abuse

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben and Beatriz is a smart, modern adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing featuring college-age characters and a story that tackles class, race, and politics in the United States.

Ben and Beatriz are classmates in their senior year at Harvard. But while Ben comes from a privileged white family that voted for Trump (he did not), Beatriz is a plus-size, pan-sexual Afro-Latina (who cannot BELIEVE she's into a cis white boy!). Freshman year they had a one-night hookup and now Beatriz wants nothing to do with Ben. But they end up together at his family home during spring break because his roommate and her cousin are dating.

The story follows most of the plot beats of the original (with some changes that I liked but won't spoil). So if you're a fan of Much Ado, you'll enjoy seeing how the author played with and updated the text. Ben is a playboy and not very likable at first, but we learn more about his messed up family dynamics and how he's been forced to change things about himself. Bea is open about being sex-positive and down for no-strings-attached fun, but she has walls a mile high and vulnerability scares her. I really enjoyed seeing them slowly move toward each other as the sex becomes something a lot more. Heads up that the direction this took with John and Margaret gets dark: tackling addiction, revenge, and toxic family dynamics.

I wasn't expecting this to have characters quite so young, though it makes sense for the plot choices. Just know that this feels very New Adult, like a mature YA reader could pick it up despite the sex and drugs. I did like the spin this author put on the story and look forward to more from her! I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Caitlyn DeRouin · Rating 1 out of 5]

shakespeare, bestie....i am so sorry

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I went into this book with a high expectation as a half-Panamanian woman seeing a Mola on the cover (and being so excited) about a Latinx retelling and when I tell you this was an absolute letdown. I was skeptical about how this story might go about two ivy league students from different backgrounds, but I wanted to keep an open mind. Ultimately this book is best described as shallow.

Much of this book relies on the tension between the two main characters stemming from the stark divisions of a post 2016 election reality. There is no real chemistry between Ben and Beatriz. Rather than real tension blossoming into an understanding and mutual respect for one another, this novel reads like two people who want to be with someone they consider forbidden. The relationships between the main characters felt immature and I did not believe in their chemistry, which for a romance book sucks.

Even between friends and family the dynamics felt surface level, stereotypical at best and toxic at worst. Hero and Beatriz have their moments, but more often than not I was not convinced these two were as close as they said they were. Ben and Meg are supposed to be best friends and are awful to one another (and the treatment of Meg was downright problematic.) The perceptions of friendship, love, and romance throughout this book reads very young. Also, the descriptions within the book are not great, unless you count absurd details about Harvard Book Store. For example, you don’t know basic details like the appearance of some characters until part of the way through and that is just a pet peeve of mine.

It feels like this book wanted to tackle a topic of how to bring two people from diametrically opposed positions in life to see and understand each other, but it does not deliver. These characters argue and dance around the tensions of their upbringing and beliefs, but it doesn’t feel like a resolution? Sure, Ben starts to ease up on his previous biases, but I’m not convinced it actually changed his perspective. For as angry as Beatriz was towards Ben and his past transgressions, it felt like she changed her tune quickly to defend him. Suddenly after years of dismissing the other person, they know that they love them and that they are the one? It isn’t believable, it just feels like equating sex to love. By the end of the book they aren’t yelling at one another, but they are still just kind of jerks to everyone else? I cannot root for any of these characters.

My biggest gripe with this book (there are many) is that for a book that is being marketed as a Latinx retelling, the Latinx details of this story really could be swapped out with another ethnic background and it wouldn’t mean much to the story. How we relate to and live our culture shifts so greatly from how we grew up and our position to cultural heritage, so I wanted to keep an open mind of how the author might discuss this. I was excited to see the possibility of a character who has connection to Panama, but the references were so irrelevant it could’ve been literally any other country in Latin America. Sure the character speaks Spanish, but that alone does not make it a Latinx story. It felt more like an attempt to have a diverse character for the sake of checking off a box. For how beautiful the mola on the cover is of this book, there is one passing reference to the textile in the book and that is it. Nothing about it or its significance to the reader. It truly feels like an attempt to get people to buy this book because you can say “I’m cultured.” As someone who went in excited about the possible representation from the premise, this was a disappointment. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

[Maja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh boy. OH BOY. Where do I even start with this one.

Before I build up too much steam, I guess I'll begin with the reasons I'm giving this two rather than one star (though, really, that rating's hanging on by a thread): first, the actual romantic elements of the relationship between Ben and Beatriz are pretty damn solid. Their attraction is real and good and tangible, and you can see them start to fall for one another the more they learn about each other, and the tenderness and understanding between them later on is genuinely heartwarming and good. They really see one another and truly care for each other and it's honestly kind of a bummer that it's wasted on the rest of the trash fire that is this book, ha. Second, I will say that in some ways it's a pretty decent Much Ado adaptation (even if in others it is TRULY not); the central conflict goes down just like it should, and the Hero/Claudio resolution is a lot more satisfying. And ... that's about all I have to say on this front, ha. Let's get into the good stuff!

Oh my GOD the tone of this book is so fucking obnoxious. It literally reads like a teenager fresh off of their first round of Tumblr social justice education; I genuinely cannot believe a grown woman wrote this. The tone is simply SO immature, simultaneously wildly didactic (we get it! Beatriz is a socially aware activist! she does not have to be wearing MULTIPLE items of clothing with blatant political messaging/value signaling in every single scene!) and incredibly defensive and angry; every single person in this book feels absolutely exhausting to be around because they are constantly on edge about every single potential perceived slight. Too many times to count there are dialogue interactions where someone says something entirely innocuous (or even, like, mildly obnoxious but not blatantly unforgivably so) and the other person will literally say "what's that supposed to mean," and every single time I've been like ?? wait, what WAS it supposed to mean??? because I cannot possibly imagine how someone could have read something offensive and hurtful into such a mild comment. Or someone snaps and reacts so obnoxiously to something with super minor provocation, if any, and it's like, how? do you people have the energy to exist?? when you are so angry and defensive all the fucking time??? and never take a single thing anyone says to you in good faith but are obligated to read it in the worst light possible and pick a huge fight about it??? Basically every page contains content about how things are SO easy for Ben or he's CLEARLY overlooked something because of his privilege, or how things are SO much harder for Beatriz or she faces SO MANY obstacles because of her marginalization -- and neither of those are incorrect, of course, and both could have been really interesting to look at with a hand that was, like, twenty times lighter, because it is basically the only thing the book talks about ever and it is WILDLY fucking exhausting.

(I will add that for all of the high-falutin' social justice language this book generally espouses, it also contains Beatriz describing pansexuality, as opposed to bisexuality, as "I hook up with people, not genders," which a. how in god's name do you hook up with a gender? No, seriously, this is a legitimate question that I would love Katalina Gamarra to answer for me. I'll wait! and b. I know is genuinely how some pan people demarcate their sexuality, but when it's a single throwaway line like that that goes unquestioned and unexamined, it! is really fucking gross! First of all, not all bis experience gender-dependent attraction and many would take umbrage at being described that way, but also EVERYONE WHO HOOKS UP DOES IT WITH PEOPLE, THIS IS NOT A SEXUALITY-SPECIFIC DEFINITION it is such a bizarre way of phrasing it!! And also at one point Hero apologizes for being white-passing and Beatriz accepts it, and it's like... okay???? Okay. That sure was a thing that happened! There's also a bit where Beatriz is so wildly judgey of all of the women Ben has previously slept with -- like, '90s not-like-other-girls judgey -- and also a bit where she thinks about Ben sleeping with Meg and says something like, she'd feel better about it if he were sleeping with white women but "erasing" her by sleeping with another woman of color is a bridge too far, like ... ?? ???? What?????? It's absolutely fucking wild that those things are included in here, in a book that otherwise reads like Internet Social Justice 101.) (Also, others have pointed this out, but it's SUCH a choice for a book so focused on social justice to have the main character's cultural identity not matter even a little bit. Beatriz and Hero were literally raised by a white man and the only indication that they're Latina is that they know Spanish! There is ZERO connection to their heritage otherwise, so -- as others have said -- they could be literally any other nonwhite race or ethnicity and the story would not change one iota, which is just. an INCREDIBLY weird decision, to pick cultures at random and use them as window dressing to introduce colorism and racism into your plot.)

Also the treatment of Meg throughout the story is just ... others have talked about it in more detail, but it's infuriating that there's so much stuff that Ben just lets slide. Like, we see him being mad about it and feeling hopeless that there's nothing he can do (for reasons of ???), but -- if he cared that much surely he would do SOMETHING and not just watch this clearly extremely vulnerable young woman continually be taken advantage of by a grown fucking man?? (It's also super gross, from a narrative perspective, that Meg is basically there just to be established as someone with problems that's taken advantage of for the main Much Ado plot. SO fucking gross.) (Also, the change to have John do this for revenge on Ben rather than Claudio/etc. is ???) Ben's relationship with his family, too, which is SO central to his character and his conflict, occurs largely off-screen and gets so little development, which honestly makes him seem wishy-washy and spineless. (WEIRD choice to have the book end literally right after he makes a big decision to stand up to them and absolutely no indication of what's going to happen next or how he's going to handle himself in the world now that he's on his own! SUPER weird!) And speaking of family, I loved the relationship between Beatriz and Leo, but the one between her and Hero -- which is meant to be the absolute center of the original -- simply did not feel as strong, especially when Hero's entire world got turned upside down and Beatriz just also happened to have had a breakup and then the story was suddenly revolving entirely around her?? Some weak narrative excuse about how Hero copes with her own heartbreak by taking care of Beatriz just felt SO flimsy; it was incredibly beyond selfish of Beatriz to just wallow in her own misery and make NO effort to help Hero out of hers and it soured the end of the book for me so immensely. (This woman should not be a therapist, oh my god.)

Also also, the constant POV shifts gave me whiplash and the writing style isn't great, but if the story had been there these would bother me way less. As is, though, I am taking any opportunity I can to criticize this book, ha. It's simply not good, sometimes to the point of being outright offensive, and no one should read it.

[Ayushi (bookwormbullet) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Oh boy. I have so many thoughts about this book because, y'all, this book is PACKED. From the political themes to the family themes to the romance themes, there's so much going on in this book that I don't even know how to concisely formulate how I felt.

First things first, I felt like I was reading a mix of the newest Gossip Girl remake with less rumor spreading and more political commentary. In the novel, Beatriz and Hero spend their spring break at the Montgomerys' house, with Claudio, Hero's boyfriend, Ben, the boy Beatriz loathes, John, the boy I loathe, Meg, the Montgomerys' housekeeper's daughter, and Peter, Meg's older brother. The high-stakes lifestyle that Ben's family and friends lead was really overwhelming for me to read at times, and I definitely want to give a major TW for addiction (graphic), drug abuse (graphic), alcohol abuse (graphic), and sexual harassment.

Second, going into Ben and Beatriz's relationship, I was really hesitant of their relationships at times, but I'll admit, the two of them grew on me. I usually can't stand books that feature one conservative MC and one liberal MC (because it usually feels really dehumanizing and white savior-y), but it's apparent at the beginning of the novel that Ben doesn't share the same conservative views as his family, and that he is more apolitical than anything. Another reason why I wasn't always the biggest fan of Ben and Beatriz together is the fact that both of them turn to new sexual partners after the third-act breakup. While they were not explicitly cheating on each other, as they had broken up at the time, I typically loathe romance books that feature the MC's getting with new partners :( At all of Ben's POVs, however, it's obvious how deeply and passionately he loves Beatriz and I think that's what redeemed them for me.

Moving onto the political commentary in this book, I feel like I really enjoyed some of the discussions included, but I also found some of the commentary to be a little outdated. For example, I admired the thoughtfulness of Beatriz and Hero's conflict about how "Latina" each of them feel/are and how the white folks around them react to their physical appearances, as well Meg's commentary of not wanting to feel like "an Asian stereotype." The timeline of this novel, however, felt a little out-of-touch. I'd be reading dialogue between Beatriz and another character, for example, and Beatriz would causally drop in "when Hillary lost" in her inner monologue. It would always throw me off and honestly felt a little jarring because, here's the thing, the struggles that Beatriz and other BIPOC face in the novel is applicable today, even with Biden as President. Like, racism, colorism, and classism didn't magically go away when Trump was elected out of office, and I feel like that's a little what these types of commentary implied.

Additionally, because this book is set in 2017, there are numerous references to 2017 pop culture. I generally hate when authors inject their books with so many pop culture references, but this book was next level. There's a part of the book where Ben notices that Hero is reading The Hate U Give, which he dismisses as a book that's been "taking over the internet." And yes, it's true that this book was really popular in 2017, but it's also a book that also been critiqued for being playing into trauma porn for Black folks. Also, Ben and Beatriz prides themselves on being educated as reader and literature lovers, but literally every single book they discuss and reference in the book is by a white author. And for someone who is apparently super liberal and critical of white supremacy, I found it incredibly hypocritical for Beatriz to be praising books like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. J.K. Rowling is a horrible person and I'm appalled that the series was referenced so many times. Percy Jackson also has several harmful stereotypes of POC in the series. This is what I mean when I say that some parts of the novel felt really outdated, and I think I would have enjoyed this story so much more if it were updated to be told in 2022 instead of 2017.

As for the aspect of this novel being a Much Ado About Nothing retelling, I really enjoyed it as a retelling. Much Ado About Nothing is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, and I love how Katalina Gamarra spun some of the original plot points on its head. I was so so happy that Hero didn't end up with Claudio in this book because I remember thinking how awful Claudio was to Hero when I read the play for the first time.

Overall, I think I'd give this book 4 stars for the reasons I mentioned above. It was highly entertaining, but I really wish the commentary had been updated to reflect the ideals and values we have in 2022 today.

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[molly]

"An #OwnVoices, Latinx retelling of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, set in the early days of the Trump presidency, in which a queer, biracial young woman must untangle her complicated relationship with the scion of a wealthy, white dynasty, in what becomes a complex and nuanced rumination on race, colorism, passing, class, wealth, sexuality, and privilege"

A queer retelling of Much Ado About Nothing featuring dismantling white cishet power structures, sign me right the fuck up.

[sana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really really wanted to like this but all this book gave me was brain damage. I don't know why I never learn. QUEER WOMEN DON'T HATE ON OTHER QUEER WOMEN OVER MEN. WTF WAS THAT. dnf at 60%

[Larry H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Ben and Beatriz is a modern-day YA retelling of Much Ado About Nothing .

Do you like Shakespeare? While I’ve not read or seen a ton of his plays, Much Ado About Nothing is definitely one of my two favorites. I’ve read and seen it, I love the 1990s film adaptation, and also enjoyed the 2012 updated adaptation, so when Graydon House Books invited me on the tour for this retelling, I was all over it.

Beatriz and Ben are both students at Harvard. Beatriz is fiercely intelligent and blunt, a queer, biracial woman in a world that doesn’t quite get her. Ben is handsome, the son of privilege, known for hooking up with nearly every girl who looks his way. Beatriz loathes Ben and what he represents; she gets under his skin but he hasn’t been able to get her out of his mind since they hooked up freshman year.

The last place Beatriz wants to spend spring break is at Ben’s family’s mansion on Cape Cod, but her cousin and best friend Hero is dating Ben’s best friend Claudio, and she’d do anything for Hero. And it’s not long into the trip before Ben and Beatriz are tearing into each other, fighting over every remark and false assumption they make about one another. But of course, they’re also intensely drawn to each other.

The more time they spend together, the more they discover how vulnerable the other is. Beatriz has nightmares from childhood trauma and is trying to find her place in a country that recently elected Trump president, and Ben is tired of the expectations of his conservative family and his abusive older brother, John. Can the two break through the walls they’ve built around them and find happiness?

I enjoyed this very much. It’s fascinating to experience the themes of the original play with modern twists. This is definitely darker and angstier than the play, but these characters are so beautifully complex. I love the creativity of retellings!

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

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[Kelleen (booms.books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

This book had so much potential but it really didn't follow through on any of it for me. It was so heavy with none of the levity and comedy of errors of the source text

Read if you like:
-Enemies to lovers with no real clarity on why they are enemies
-Much Ado About Nothing with none of the fun, silly meddling/matchmaking
-Jane Austen-loving heroes
-Cape Cod
-Pansexual, learning disabled heroines

In general, I really just didn't like these two together. Beatriz deserved so much better than Ben and this story. It was confusing to me that this book was fade to black when it seemed like the only thing that brought these two together was their sexual chemistry.

All in all, this one had good bones, it just really didn't work for me.

CW: Fat shaming, child neglect, alcohol misuse, colorism, heroine use, biphobia, panic attacks, unprotected sex

[Rumsha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Imagine someone having the grit and determination to attend Harvard only to be an aspiring tattoo artist. That’s about how much sense this book makes.

[Anna]

This was alright. I'm not the hugest fan but I also didn't actively dislike it. It's a college age retelling of much Ado about nothing which I have not ever read and so when I read retellings I'm just kind of going in blind. But basically we have Ben and Beatriz who pretty much hate each other. They hooked up their freshman year and Ben did some shitty things but he can't remember and Beatriz is just pretty much always mad at him. But their best friends are dating and so they are stuck in situations often including their spring break at Ben's very wealthy conservative home.

Beatriz is Puerto Rican and brown and queer and fat and she is pretty much the opposite of what Ben's family would think is an appropriate partner for Ben. But Ben is attracted to Beatriz nonetheless. They pretty much have like hate sex and then turned into friends with benefits that turns into more.

I think this book did a lot of really good things and brought up a lot of great conversations but my big two issues with it were regarding just the sheer amount of sex on page and a lack of the so-called intimate conversations that they had, and how a secondary character was treated in regards to abuse and addiction and manipulation.

I don't really want to get spoilery but there might be some spoilers in this paragraph below so just read if you have already read the book or don't mind spoilers.

I feel like Meg was really thrown under the bus in this book by not only Ben's terrible brother John, but also by Ben. He claims to be her best friend yet often just kind of forgets all about her in order to go have sex. He doesn't do anything within his power, which is a lot of power, to remove her from a situation where she is being forced drugs and manipulated into using heroin as well as engaging in super risky sexual behavior. Ben has loads of money and power and prestige and could have done something but instead he kind of just stole the drugs and ran away to have sex. I don't think that this was resolved properly near the end either with Meg in a treatment facility even then she was kind of brushed off.

I also got super annoyed with Beatriz having to constantly educate Ben on everything. Like I get it if you grow up privileged it is difficult to realize what you're doing wrong sometimes, but Ben is a full-grown adult at this point and after something has been brought up to you multiple times as being harmful maybe you should do some fucking googling.

My last issue was the way that bisexuality and pansexuality were kind of questioned in their awareness with not only some internalized biphobia with Beatriz that was not ever dealt with but also outwardly biphobia by one of the secondary characters who says that if a bi person is in a relationship with the opposite sex then they are less queer. At some point Beatriz questions this herself and wonders if she is less queer because she is with a man, and I was disappointed to see that that was never really challenged.

Bi and pan people are still just as queer regardless of the identity of their partner or the existence of a partner. Your queerness does not depend on your partner or lack thereof.

This book is saved by Beatriz herself and also her best friend / cousin Hero and her uncle. I love their relationship dynamics and their friendship and their familial element and the rest of the characters kind of just sucked.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A loose retelling of Much Ado About Nothing set just after the 2016 election. It's expressly written as a way for the author to process her grief and anger at that outcome and feels very personal because of it. I liked it, although it feels heavy-handed in parts. That being said, I'm a white cishet male who doesn't live in the US. If I was in the author's shoes I think I'd need to write something like this too.

[Nadja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a bit on the fence on how to rate this. There were a lot of things I liked but there is so much packed into this (love) story (alcoholism, drug abuse, biphobia, racism, (off-screen/past) child neglect, trauma, panic attacks, (off-screen) suicide attempt) and not all felt dealt with the proper care (Meg's addiction story and how Ben just leaves her there with John?).

[Andi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had been really, really excited to read this book. But man, this book is so damn messy and problematic that my eyes just keep going because I had no idea how this could get any worse.

Gonna put this all behind a spoiler cut because, you know, even though you read the play or are familiar, gonna be nice and try not to spoil:

So. The two stars, lets explain that first. I gave it two stars because I feel like a story could have existed with he characters given. You have Hero and her cousin, Beatriz, who are poc and are strong-minded girls who stick up for one another and support each other. Their characters felt the most fleshed out. Through the book Beatriz is one of our point of views.

And now, the reason why I ranked this book down: The Benedick character (our other point of view), his backstory, and the entire plot.

Our other point of view, Benedick, is a literal dick. Our author has decided to turn him into a son of a Trump supporter- yes, way - and he is a rich, privileged, white kid. His friend, Claudio, is dating Hero. For 9 days he takes them to his fabulous mansion / beach house where they will be staying over a vacation from college. Meanwhile, we know pretty early on that he hates Beatriz but gets really, really horny every time she talks down to him or puts him in his place for being a racist, pompous, idiot.

This is the problem. The original play, Beatrice and Benedick couldn't stand one another but they weren't... malicious or cruel. They put up with one another's presence but resorted to always constantly trying to one up each other and or belittle each other. Because that is how their characters are. ... How do we get a girl, who is a POC who scrumped and fought her way to be in Harvard ... to be paired with a guy who is also in Harvard but is a racist, clueless, boy who is born with privilege? Yeah. BIG leaps there. BUT, it could be done... well, but not in this story and not for a YA audience. Though Bendick is too much of a pussy or a whimp of a male to make me believe that he is go to / end game for Beatriz. He just seems created for the sake of creation without any sort of substance or character to him other to follow the beats of the original play. Their banter in the original play is almost teasing, playful, like a game. In this? Bendick would say something, Beatriz would get angry because it sounded racist and or ignorant (which it was), but then we get a thought from him on how horny he was and how much he wanted to fuck her.

And fuck her he did.... must have been about 10 times through the book. Constant fucking. As soon as they admitted their feelings for each other, which was pretty damn fast in my eyes (or it could have been from the horrid lead up to that point where it would happen in the play), the fucking begins. He and her get jealous of one another a lot. She gets jealous of him because of his looks and him attracting other ladies (which he says he turns down because he found them vapid) and he getting jealous of her may wanting to sleep with a girl (she has had bi partners in the past). ... Which also brings up the point of having a bi character in a story. The bi attraction Beatriz has isn't a big plot point, but, I guess we're going for rep points.

The last couple chapters is where it follows the original play, and seems to have some coherency, but we are treated to a girl named Meg (who is the sister to a guy named Peter) and John, they are the ones to cause the issue from the play with the mistaken identity. John is Bendick's brother who acts like Billy from Stranger Things. He is the 'bastard' from the play and the one who seduces Meg. Meg is an alcoholic, druggie, and a questionable character. At one point, the character explains to Beatriz that she is who she is because she wants to fulfill the 'Asian dream' experience for men because nobody would care about her otherwise, so that's why she has sex with them?

There is just a lot of messy narratives in this book that all have to do with Trump / identity / political agenda that I think that an adult narrative written by someone who has a better handling on this would be good, but I don't think what we got here is what we want or need.

[Phoebe (readandwright) Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for my copy. All thoughts are my own.

Me, reading another modern Shakespeare adaptation? Who’s surprised? When I saw Ben and Beatriz come through my inbox, I knew I needed to read it. Much Ado About Nothing is one of my favorite plays because of the banter between Benedick and Beatrice. But the story, like so many, is a little…problematic for women. Shocker, I know. So I love when authors take my favorite familiar stories and turn them of their head.

I’d say this book is entertaining, if not a little frustrating. But I really really appreciated the author’s note at the end of the novel. It’s got a mature YA vibe with the characters in college and it’s a quick read. Though be sure to check out trigger warnings!

Synopsis:
“Beatriz Herrera is a fierce woman who will take you down with her quick wit and keen intellect. And after the results of the 2016 election worked hard to erase her identity as a queer biracial woman, she’d be right to. Especially if you come for her sweet BFF cousin, Hero. Beatriz would do anything for her, a loyalty that lands Beatriz precisely where she doesn’t want to be: spending a week at the ridiculous Cape Cod mansion of stupid-hot playboy Ben Montgomery. The same Ben Montgomery she definitely shouldn’t have hooked up with that one time… The things we do for family.White and wealthy, Ben talks the talk and walks the walk of privilege, but deep down, he’s wrestling with the politics and expectations of a conservative family he can’t relate to. Though Beatriz’s caustic tongue drives him wild in the very best way, he's the last person she'd want, because she has zero interest in compromising her identity. But as her and Ben’s assumptions begin to unravel and their hookups turn into something real, they start wondering if it’s still possible to hold space for one another and the inescapable love that unites them.” —Goodreads

What I Liked:

The Concept—Here I am again to say: I love modern adaptations of Shakespeare. I love Shakespeare, okay? I love taking a story I know so well and turning it on it’s head with modern advances and influences.

The Ending—Hero gets a bad rep in the play for being boring so I was quite pleased with her ending. I was nervous how this storyline would play out since the ending can be a little…yikes in the play, but thought it was handled realistically and I was satisfied.

The Tone—It’s fun, youthful, relevant. It’s New Adult as the characters are in college (and there is explicit sexual content) but it’s still young and fun.

What Didn’t Work:

A Little Underdeveloped—I think the danger of taking a story we know so well and adapting it is that we know what’s coming to some degree. I felt things were a little underdeveloped and could have used a bit more explanation but i did like setting up Ben and Beatriz’s feud, since that’s only alluded to in the play!

Character Authenticity: 3.5/5

Steam Rating: 1/5

Overall Rating: 3/5

Content Warnings:

Racism, Colourism, Sexual harassment, Child abuse recounted, Alcoholism, Substance addiction, Attempted suicide, (off-page) ,Psychiatric hospitalisation, Revenge Porn, Classism

[Marline]

DNF...this book is misleading. It is not adult fiction, it is YA. The main characters are in their senior year of college. Also, the author disparaged Kenneth Branaugh's version of Much Ado About Nothing in her liner notes. Seeing as I have loved that movie for nearly 30 years I could not in good conscience continue reading this book.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this debut #ownvoices novel that has so many layers my review can't nearly to justice to all of them.

On the surface this Much ado about you retelling is a new adult, coming of age, interracial, opposites attract, second chance romance between two college students, Ben and Beatriz. After a disastrous one night stand that Ben doesn't remember and Beatriz remembers all too well, these two haven't seen each other for years only to get stuck together for a week at a Cape Cod mansion.

From a wealthy, conservative family, Ben seemingly lives a life of privilege and ease but struggles to fit in or accept his place, whereas Beatriz is a queer (pansexual), biracial woman from much humbler means dealing with life in America under Trump.

What I loved:
- the relationship between bestie cousins Beatriz and Hero
- the strong mental health rep (Beatriz had a past suicide attempt, and Ben suffers from anxiety)
- the value and importance placed on therapy
- that the two MCs bond over a shared love of Jane Austen
- the queer and dyslexia rep
- the steamy open door romance with open communication and consent
- the great author's note included at the end

While this book tackles heavy topics including racism, microaggressions, mental health, addiction, sexual harassment, suicide and childhood abuse/neglect, it is also at the core, a beautiful story about two very different people finding a deep bond over shared interests and empathy.

Great on audio narrated by James Fouhey and Aida Reluzco, this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year. Highly recommended for fans of Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola, Elle Kennedy or Kennedy Ryan. Much thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review and Librofm for my ALC!

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Racism
Colourism
Sexual harassment
Child abuse recounted
Alcoholism
Substance addiction
Attempted suicide, off-page
Psychiatric hospitalisation

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always had a thing for renditions and Shakespeare's plays are ones I have enjoyed reading or watching set in today's world. Ever since I first watched The Best Men - a 1994 movie based on Hamlet or 12-year-old me watching the movie 10 Things I Hate About You on the big screen and it becoming one of my all-time favorite movies. So, whenever I see a new book based on a classic etc. I always try and give it a go. Ben and Beatriz surprised me with how easy the story flowed and how much I enjoyed it as I wasn't expecting a lot as hadn't heard much about this story. I think why this book stood out more is that it is set in the year 2016/2017, a world where Trump has just made President over Hillary Clinton and declared his distaste against people of colour. A world before Covid, but a world where racism was becoming very clear-cut. Our male character Ben is white and belongs to the "rich upper-class" and tends to have everything handed to him on a platter. On the outside he looks just like every other white rich boy, but underneath his upbringing bravado, lies a nerd who loves Jane Austen and playing Magic the Gathering. Beatriz is Puerto Rican and has a real hang-up about being treated differently due to the colour of her skin. She has been judged by everyone since she was a baby. Beatriz and Ben have this love/hate relationship and a lot of angst and grief between them which we read as they overcome their back and forth playing with each other's feelings. Ben and Beatriz have something for everyone as we have John - Ben's older brother who is very privileged and acts it - he is also a druggie and possibly a closet gay, Peter - Meg's brother - who always hangs around John and his Asian and gay, Meg - an Asian who has a drinking problem and is bisexual, Claudio - Ben's best friend who is Italian, Hero - Beatriz's cousin who is Puerto Rican but tends to get passed as White as she has blonde hair and blue eyes - she is dating Claudio and is in a moment of discovering she may be asexual, Ben - who is a straight white male with a nerdy love of literature and then Beatriz who is Puerto Rican and pansexual. Each of the above characters plays an important part in this story as a whole. Ben and Beatriz are also based on the Shakespeare play "Much Ado About Nothing".

[Dawn Stahl]

A sharp and interesting modern adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing" that may appeal to adult fans of Ibi Zoboi's "Pride." There seems to be an expectation gap created by the early marketing and the association with Much Ado, however. Readers expecting a rollicking, bantering, enemies-to-lovers romance in the vein of Shakespeare's cleverly sniping Benedick and Beatrice may be unprepared for so much past and present trauma, drinking, drugs, and sex. There's sniping, and it's clever, but the tone here is dark and earnest, not playful. Please check the content warnings and read with care.

As for my personal reaction — I was expecting something a little more lighthearted and humorous and tried to adjust my expectations as quickly as possible. I appreciate what the author accomplished in creating complex and nuanced characters dealing with contemporary issues. Beatriz and Hero are both pretty badass. But parts of the story and the main romantic relationships don't work for me. This is a new adult book — with our characters in their senior year of college — and sex is very much at the forefront. I don't mind steamy romance, but I'm not wired to understand intense physical attraction between people who genuinely don't like or trust each other, so I don't get about 85% and Ben and Beatriz's dynamic. Ben's character growth seems lightning fast. Yes, he's a fantasy nerd at heart and a never-Trumper who loves Jane Austen and has one good friend who he genuinely (but ineffectively) cares about, but we see his smarmy, sexist, uncaring thoughts at the beginning and it's not pretty. He has a long way to go, and a single spring break of hookups and vague communication seems far more effective than it should be. Meg's storyline is horrifying (even more so when it feels like she's sacrificed to accelerate Ben's growth). John's storyline is also horrifying but is a haunting effective portrayal of the legacy of abuse. Hero's reunion/breakup sex with Claudio is intensely cringey and confusing. I'm delighted to think of them all benefiting from therapy, though, and loved to see the positive therapy rep and all the conversations and demonstrations of subtle racism, feeling unsafe in your own damn country (and in your own damn family), colorism, biphobia, safe sex, addiction, anxiety, trauma, and abuse.

Content notes:
Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Vomit
Bullying, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Rape, Xenophobia
Biphobia, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fatphobia
Revenge porn, nonconsensual filming of sex, revenge drug addiction, intentional drug abuse/addiction initiated by an older sexual partner, unprotected sex (followed up with getting testing), parental abuse and neglect, colorism

[Sharanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excuse me while I get up on my English lit nerd podium for a second: it is hard to f*** up a Much Ado retelling, but it is even harder to reinvent the story not just by modernizing it, but by weaving in new themes to converse with the existing ones. Character-wise, plot-wise, setting-wise, everything-wise, this author delivered what feels like the retelling of Much Ado I have always dreamed of — signed, sealed, & delivered in an almost pitch-perfect romance novel!

And let’s talk about this romance, because OH. MY. GOD. Benedick/Beatrice were always my favorite Shakespearean couple, but this book made me fall in love with them in a completely different way. The characterization of Ben & Beatriz, the way they wrestle with trauma, racism, toxic masculinity, queerphobia and misogyny throughout the slow burn from enemies to lovers to best friends who’re so completely in love with each other (the true arc of an enemies-to-lovers, lbr) was OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. GORGEOUS. Not to mention how wonderfully written their 🌶 scenes were — I just effing ADORE when a romance author shows us exactly how sexy communication & humor can be like 🥵🥵. More of this IN ALL NOVELS but especially NA novels, pls!!!

Anyway, should you read this book? Obviously. Especially if you’re a fan of: “bad” boys who’re actually complete cinnamon rolls, plus-sized pan girls who’re “horny for social justice” & cut you deeper with their tongue than any sword, & a satisfying AF slow burn 😍😍.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

there's unlikeable characters and then there's gross misogynistic racist arseholes like Ben, his friends and his family. Absolutely no redeeming qualities about any of them.

This is not a romance, it's basically just lacklustre sex after sex after sex, no chemistry whatsoever. Throughout the 300+ pages I've read, I could not tell you an ounce of why both Ben and Beatriz loved each other except for their sexual attraction to each other.

There were also some really gross queerphobic comments regarding how being bi makes you less queer. Absolutely not.

For those expecting a light-hearted read, you will be throughly disappointed and I would encourage you to look into trigger warnings because it tackles some extremely dark topics.

[Abby Diana Star · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7/5 Stars! (rounding up)

Oh wow I really liked this! There were a lot more sad topics discussed than I thought there would be. But I still loved the message of the importance of mental health.

There was A LOT of drama in this book which I kinda enjoyed but at times it felt like too much for me.
But the humor was great and the spice wasn’t super detailed but there were still plenty of steamy scenes that were very fun!

I think the ending was a little abrupt, I wish there was more or maybe a time jump epilogue! But overall, I really enjoyed this book it was fun, and talked about important topics!

[Jenn]

DNF. Not grabbing me.

[Lizardley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bruh.

[Desirae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katalina Gamarra’s Ben and Beatriz is one of those rare contemporary retellings that doesn’t just reinterpret Shakespeare—it revives him. As someone who counts Much Ado About Nothing among my all-time favorite Shakespeare plays, I approached this novel with a mix of excitement and trepidation. How could anyone possibly take the timeless fireworks between Benedick and Beatrice and translate them into something modern, relevant, and emotionally resonant? And yet Gamarra does exactly that—boldly, brilliantly, and with so much heart I found myself rereading passages just to savor them again. I’m obsessed. Truly.

From the moment Ben and Beatriz collide on the page, the sexual chemistry is electric—charged, witty, aching, and layered with all the messy contradictions that make adult desire compelling. Their dynamic is not simply lustful; it’s intellectual, ideological, and deeply emotional. They’re constantly circling each other, sparring in ways that reveal more truth than either intends. The heat between them is palpable, but what’s even more impressive is how Gamarra captures the kind of chemistry that isn’t just about wanting someone’s body, but wanting their mind, their grit, their vulnerability. Every exchange feels like an intimate duel—half-flirtation, half-challenge. I could not get enough.

But the novel’s brilliance does not end with chemistry. What elevates Ben and Beatriz is the tension created by their separate lives—the very real differences in privilege, trauma, expectations, and worldviews that neither of them can outrun, no matter how magnetic their attraction becomes. Beatriz’s sharpness, her defensive humor, her fight to protect herself from a world that has hurt her—these traits make her both relatable and deeply human. Ben, for all his wealth and apparent ease, is wrestling with his own fractures, his own legacy, his own blind spots. Their conflict is not contrived; it’s rooted in who they are as individuals trying to bridge the emotional, cultural, and socioeconomic realities that shape them.

This isn’t just a romance—it’s a negotiation. A constant, aching balancing act between desire and fear, longing and self-preservation. Because of that, every moment of closeness between Ben and Beatriz feels earned. Every spark feels like the product of two people fighting—and slowly learning—to meet in the messy, vulnerable middle.

Gamarra’s choice to set this story against the backdrop of contemporary America adds an additional layer of pressure and meaning. We live in a moment filled with anxiety and division, particularly in a political climate where people genuinely fear the future—especially with the realities and ramifications of a first, and now second, Trump presidency looming over so many lives. That tension—fear of instability, fear of repeating past harm, fear of what powerful men can do with institutions and narratives—echoes through the novel. It’s not didactic or heavy-handed, but it is there, humming in the background the way it hums in real life.

Beatriz, especially, is shaped by the pressures of this world. She knows too well how politics and privilege spill into private spaces: relationships, families, identities, bodies. Her guardedness is not melodrama—it’s survival. And Ben’s arc, likewise, reflects the journey of someone trying to disentangle who he genuinely is from the expectations and structures he was born into. Their romance becomes not just personal but symbolic: an attempt to navigate intimacy in a world that feels increasingly fractured.

What I love most about Ben and Beatriz is how utterly character-driven it is. Gamarra understands something essential about the original Shakespearean dynamic: Benedick and Beatrice weren’t compelling because they were perfect; they were compelling because they were alive. This novel honors that spirit. These characters are flawed, spiky, vulnerable, frustrating, magnetic, and impossible not to root for. Their dialogue crackles. Their insecurities feel real. Their growth is slow, painful, and believable.

The book’s emotional peaks are stunning, but even its quiet moments shimmer with intimacy and meaning. There’s such tenderness in the way these two broken, brilliant people keep choosing—hesitantly, fearfully, imperfectly—to reach toward each other. Gamarra captures something so deeply human: that love is not the absence of conflict, but the courage to confront conflict with honesty and hope.

In a literary landscape full of retellings, Ben and Beatriz stands out as something truly exceptional—a novel that respects its source material while fearlessly forging its own path. It’s sexy, smart, poignant, and politically aware in ways that feel organic rather than performative. I closed the book feeling full—of warmth, admiration, longing, and the intoxicating delight of watching two unforgettable characters fight their way toward a love that feels both timeless and fiercely contemporary.

I loved every second.

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookshop.org / Harlequin / B&N / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Powell’s

Beatriz knows better than to fall into bed AGAIN with the guy she hates, Ben. But when on a getaway with her cousin Hero, Hero's boyfriend Claudio, who's Ben's friend/roommate, close proximity and all that, things happen. Now she's happier than she's ever been. But, like I said, she knew better, and Ben turns out to be exactly who Beatriz knew he was - a rich, entitled white guy whose parents voted for Trump. Yep, he's one of THOSE guys. And she's decidedly NOT. She's everything Ben's not - queer, biracial, and with a sassy mouth and strong backbone. Perhaps this pair of opposites can really make things work, IF Ben can be the guy Beatriz has had glimpses of, and not the guy he seems to be.

OK, there's a lot going on here. A lot tropes and themes - queer representation, POC representation, politics, family, both the good and bad kind, and in some parts I was really entertained. I really like how well fleshed out Beatriz's character is, how smart and fiercely protective she is of her cousin Hero. I also really like Hero, also smart and fiercely protective of her cousin. And Uncle Leo is awesome!

Now the bad - the politics portion of this was kind of hard to get back into, as it was a time in this country I hated, gave me a lot of anxiety as a POC myself, and reminded me of just how much Trump fucked this country up, which I did not like being reminded of. And then there's Ben and Claudio. Ben is definitely the kind of guy, the kind of character, I dislike, with his rich background and entitlement, and his obsessive focus on sex and not of what's going on around him. I do think he got better near the end, so he isn't the worst part of this story. Claudio on the other hand, is the worst, well he and Ben's brother and parents. Claudio is a stock villain, not as fleshed out as Beatriz and Hero, and I really felt like his purpose was just as a way to give Beatriz and Ben the requisite breakup. He's highly unpleasant to read, and felt like just another white guy with no redeeming qualities. The bad is pretty bad here, and far worse than the good, so I guess 3 stars is all I can fairly rate this one.

ARC provided by HarperCollins for an honest review.

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[Preet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really have no idea where to start. I guess surface level is a good place. I was drawn to this book because of the synopsis and cover. I'd forgotten when I picked up the book it was a retelling of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. It really felt like Katalina Gamarra put their own spin to it and made it feel fresh and completely novel. I didn't realize it was a retelling until after I'd finished the book and read the acknowledgements.

Delving deeper, I think this is the first romance novel that's directly included the election of 2016 and in a romance. This isn't the typical politically left and right leaning people meet and fall in love while trying to reconcile their feelings and morals for the other and somehow finding a way. Ben is really apolitical and Beatriz is not.

I have to applaud Katalina Gamarra for how racism and colorism is discussed in Ben and Beatriz. There are so many micro and macro aggressions Beatriz experiences, both as an adult and a child. They're heartbreaking and infuriating because it's not always from strangers, but also those who are supposed to love and protect you. It really helped me understand how formative it all was for her, and why she's now so guarded with her heart and trust.

Ben too is a revelation. Outwardly he has everything one would think he would desire- money, prestige, wealth, looks, personality. However he too is a product of his upbringing and circumstances. It was fascinating to peel back his external persona and get to see the real him. I loved seeing him grow as a person, realizing what it was he needed and how to handle situations he wasn't comfortable handling before.

Beatriz and Ben really have this strong attraction to each other, and I loved the tension between them, one that had been building for years. While it's hot and steamy, I really loved how realistically their attraction to each other was coupled with human needs and behaviors. Also how they tried to reconcile their feelings with the challenges they knew they would face.

There's really so much to unpack in this retelling. I loved Beatriz and Hero's relationship, flaws and all. I love how every character is multi-faceted. No one is likable 100% of the time, and I even found myself empathizing with characters I loathed at moments. There are so many other very important themes discussed, like masculine toxicity, privilege, biphobia, bi-erasure, and colorism. Ben & Beatriz is powerful, and truly a romance of today. I loved it, and yet was left wanting more. The story ends in a decent place, but I really hope Katalina Gamrra doesn't stop here. There is so much more potential for Ben and Beatriz and as well for Hero. I wouldn't mind reading another book about any of them. I'm impressed with Katalina Gamarra and I think you will be too!

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on Just a Lil Lost

Beatriz would do anything for her cousin Hero, which is how she, a queer biracial woman, finds herself spending a week at the Cape Cod mansion of Ben Montgomery, a privileged playboy from a conservative family. To make matters even more uncomfortable, Ben is also the one she hooked up with that one time at a school party. While on the surface Ben looks to be the epitome of white privilege, he is wrestling with his family’s political views and expectations. Beatriz can’t deny the pull that exists between her and Ben but she does not want to compromise her identity and beliefs with someone who is supposed to be the enemy. However, the more time they spend with each other and realize their assumptions about each other were not necessarily accurate, they wonder if there’s a way that this could work.

Ben and Beatriz is a modern-day retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, and I have to admit that I’m not that familiar with all of the bard’s works to have picked up on that. While Much Ado is a comedy, I didn’t really find anything particularly funny about this book. I was initially very intrigued by the premise of this very relevant scenario where it seems people now have never been more divided down political lines and that aspect of it was definitely evident in the story.

I appreciated the diversity and conversations that the author infused into the story, although at times it felt a bit too heavy-handed and in-your-face about it. It was great to address the differences between people and perhaps use some situations as education moments for characters and readers alike, but because of Beatriz’ personality perhaps, her “education” moments came off very preachy and judgemental. Even when, for example, one character seemingly genuinely was trying to learn what biphobia was. I totally get that it isn’t Beatriz’s responsibility to have to educate others about that and in the context of the story sure but, I thought, if a reader also didn’t know what that meant, they’d feel chastised by that kind of harsh response and also not want to ask any other questions to educate themselves in the future.

While I found the first half very slow to get going, I did think the second half picked up a bit more in pacing. I felt some characters had a bit more depth to them than others, where it quite literally seemed like their only attribute was always being drunk or high and ODing. That being said, it was an interesting story that had obvious relevance to the modern day. I did like that it potentially intends to make the reader open their minds about others and consider what they may be wrestling with despite how they look or what their family’s political beliefs are. But this is definitely more of a heavy story than a “comedy” like the Shakespeare play that it’s supposed to be a retelling of. The potential of this story was there but, for me, the execution was a bit hit or miss.