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Without Further Ado
Can a modern woman take lessons in love from Shakespeare? Book Lovers meets 10 Things I Hate About You in this sparkling romantic comedy from beloved Aussie author Jessica Dettmann.'Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more. Men were deceivers ever ...'Since she was sixteen, Willa's curious touchstone in life and work has been the 1993 film Much Ado About Nothing . She's always looking for The Feeling, the stirring in her heart - and loins - that she gets when watching the opening scenes. Now she's navigating her mid-thirties, her career as a romance publisher in an unusual family business, and her determination to remain child-free, while quietly holding out for a love as big as Beatrice and Benedick's.But when relationships start to get complicated between Willa, her cousin Imogen and the four sons of the family she works for, and the events of her own life begin to mirror the plot of her beloved comedy, Willa must consider whether there is such a thing as too much ado.A delightfully Shakespearean romantic comedy about modern love, women's roles and how the films and stories we grow up with shape us.'An absolute delight! With its witty dialogue, relatable characters, and laugh-out-loud moments, this book is the perfect escape. Jessica Dettmann has outdone herself with this charming and hilarious story. Not to be missed! ' Sally Hepworth' Without Further Ado has genuine heart, proper out-loud laughs, and a perfect not-too-Hollywood ending . Dettmann has created a one-off in her protagonist, Willa. Smart as a whip, fiercely independent, hilarious, loyal, fearful and self-sabotaging, she's a romantic heroine for our times (whilst having one foot planted in the late 1500s!).' Tim Minchin'Glorious, full of laughs, love and realness . I loved it so much I want to live between the covers.' Sacha HorlerPraise for Jessica'Sharp and crisp and funny. I was dazzled' Mia Freedman'Heartwarming yet biting' Sunday Telegraph'A totally engaging and disarmingly charming writer' Kathy Lette'Sparkling and heartwarming reading' Ben Elton'Dettmann is such a clever writer - her imagery is fresh and hilarious and her take on life is so dry and funny' Cassie Hamer
368 pages, Paperback
Published March 8, 2023
32 people are currently reading
1029 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Dettmann
6 books141 followersJessica Dettmann is the author of two novels, a couple of short stories and many blog posts. She was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, and there she remains, disappointing her fourteen-year-old self who thought she would be living in the pensione in Florence from A Room With A View by now.
She is married and has two children and two cats. She does not enjoy walking on the beach with her dog because parking is very expensive at the beach and she does not have a dog.
Before she became a writer, she worked for a long time as a book editor. She is very lucky Instagram didn't exist back then or she would have been fired for timewasting. Now she is her own boss and she is on her last warning for timewasting on Instagram Stories.
She loves to hear from readers. Preferably readers of her books, but honestly she's not that fussy.
She is married and has two children and two cats. She does not enjoy walking on the beach with her dog because parking is very expensive at the beach and she does not have a dog.
Before she became a writer, she worked for a long time as a book editor. She is very lucky Instagram didn't exist back then or she would have been fired for timewasting. Now she is her own boss and she is on her last warning for timewasting on Instagram Stories.
She loves to hear from readers. Preferably readers of her books, but honestly she's not that fussy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
March 8, 2025
3.5 stars 🌟 rounded up ⬆️
This is another book I picked up on a whim read the prose & thought I would give this a go.
Set in Sydney N.S.W Willa is publishing romance novels by day, but finding love for herself is a lot harder after a couple of dates she went on was disastrous she wants to be happy like her sister Imogen who is happily married with twins 👯.
Willa lives with her best friend Kat & Willa’s dog 🐶called Billy Jowl who she adores but Willa finds it impossible to live together as they are polar opposites.
Did I like this one yes in some ways but didn’t in others Willa was an annoying character that got on my nerves always complaining about something but I loved Billy Jowl he stole the show as dogs 🐕 always do.
This was based on Willa’s favourite movie 🍿 Without Further Ado it had some funny parts but mostly about friendship & love.❤️
This is another book I picked up on a whim read the prose & thought I would give this a go.
Set in Sydney N.S.W Willa is publishing romance novels by day, but finding love for herself is a lot harder after a couple of dates she went on was disastrous she wants to be happy like her sister Imogen who is happily married with twins 👯.
Willa lives with her best friend Kat & Willa’s dog 🐶called Billy Jowl who she adores but Willa finds it impossible to live together as they are polar opposites.
Did I like this one yes in some ways but didn’t in others Willa was an annoying character that got on my nerves always complaining about something but I loved Billy Jowl he stole the show as dogs 🐕 always do.
This was based on Willa’s favourite movie 🍿 Without Further Ado it had some funny parts but mostly about friendship & love.❤️
March 7, 2023
I loved, LOVED, loved this! Jessica Dettmann might just be the funniest author I’ve ever read. She has such a knack for writing classy comedy, from punchy dialogue to the most hilarious introspection and observation. There was never a dull moment within this novel, and I enjoyed every second of it.
Along with the comedy, there were so many meaningful and heartfelt moments throughout between many of the different characters. This is a story about friendship, family, and love – how to find it, how to keep it, and how to treasure it – with Shakespearean themes lighting up in the background. Not so much of a retelling, but more of an inspired by, in the sense that Willa was living her life chasing a feeling that she had gotten from the film Much Ado About Nothing, to the point where perhaps it was beginning to hold her back more than see her through.
I don’t know what else to tell you. This is the perfect novel. You can stop looking now, I found it for you. Five stars!
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Along with the comedy, there were so many meaningful and heartfelt moments throughout between many of the different characters. This is a story about friendship, family, and love – how to find it, how to keep it, and how to treasure it – with Shakespearean themes lighting up in the background. Not so much of a retelling, but more of an inspired by, in the sense that Willa was living her life chasing a feeling that she had gotten from the film Much Ado About Nothing, to the point where perhaps it was beginning to hold her back more than see her through.
I don’t know what else to tell you. This is the perfect novel. You can stop looking now, I found it for you. Five stars!
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
April 14, 2023
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**3.5 stars**
Without Further Ado by Jessica Dettman. (2023).
**Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 8 March 2023**
Since she was 16, Willa's touchstone in life and work has been the 1993 film 'Much Ado About Nothing'. She's always looking for The Feeling, the stirring in her heart and loins that she gets from the movie. Now she's in her mid-thirties, publishing romance novels in an unusual family business, determined to remain child-free. But when relationships start to get complicated between Willa, her cousin Imogen and the four sons of the work family, and her life starts mirroring her beloved movie, Willa must consider whether there is such a thing as too much ado.
Okay so firstly I must admit I've never watched the 1993 movie ''Much Ado About Nothing' so I potentially missed out on some clever references in this book, but a quick Google/Wikipedia search gave me the gist of things. With loads of humour, this was a super easy read. Willa is determined to find love and isn't interested in marriage and babies, but she's having a hard time meeting a man who sets her heart fluttering like her favourite movie (obsession). Although in her mid-thirties, at times Willa seemed a bit immature to me as well as being quite insensitive to others around her; sometimes that was funny, other times I just kind of felt bad for the other character. In saying that, she definitely grows on you and readers will be hoping she meets her match.
Overall: happily recommend this light and easy contemporary romantic comedy for any fans of the genre.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**3.5 stars**
Without Further Ado by Jessica Dettman. (2023).
**Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 8 March 2023**
Since she was 16, Willa's touchstone in life and work has been the 1993 film 'Much Ado About Nothing'. She's always looking for The Feeling, the stirring in her heart and loins that she gets from the movie. Now she's in her mid-thirties, publishing romance novels in an unusual family business, determined to remain child-free. But when relationships start to get complicated between Willa, her cousin Imogen and the four sons of the work family, and her life starts mirroring her beloved movie, Willa must consider whether there is such a thing as too much ado.
Okay so firstly I must admit I've never watched the 1993 movie ''Much Ado About Nothing' so I potentially missed out on some clever references in this book, but a quick Google/Wikipedia search gave me the gist of things. With loads of humour, this was a super easy read. Willa is determined to find love and isn't interested in marriage and babies, but she's having a hard time meeting a man who sets her heart fluttering like her favourite movie (obsession). Although in her mid-thirties, at times Willa seemed a bit immature to me as well as being quite insensitive to others around her; sometimes that was funny, other times I just kind of felt bad for the other character. In saying that, she definitely grows on you and readers will be hoping she meets her match.
Overall: happily recommend this light and easy contemporary romantic comedy for any fans of the genre.
April 28, 2023
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
With three novels to her name and a children’s book, author Jessica Dettmann has become a firm fixture on the Australian writing scene thanks to the success of her books. Dettmann’s unique blend of romance, comedy, drama and sharp prose has won audiences over before and I’m sure they will flock to this latest release, which is inspired by one of my favourite plays from Shakespeare, Without Further Ado.
Meet Willa, a true romantic at heart, whose passion for the film Much Ado About Nothing has followed her since she was a teenager. Awaiting that one grand heart-stopping romance along the same lines as her favourite film, Willa has been unable to find someone who makes her heart ache like Much Ado About Nothing. Now this thirty-something has turned her hand to the publishing field, specialising in romance for a small family business. While waiting for her own Benedick to sweep her off her feet, Willa has always put her career first and children haven’t entered the picture as a result. But Willa’s life suddenly becomes very difficult thanks to a family member who becomes mixed up with her employers. Willa realises that her life is beginning to resemble Much Ado About Nothing. Will she embrace the drama or flee?
Jessica Dettmann first flew onto my reading radar in February 2019 when I reviewed this former book editor’s debut, How to Be Second Best. I noted at the time of Dettmann’s first release that she had a very fresh and nuanced writing style. This very unique writing approach has been carried across to Dettmann’s follow on releases. Without Further Ado is a slightly different contemporary fiction title for this Sydney based author. With echoes of the classic Shakespeare play Much Ado About Nothing, readers will be wrapped in this new Jessica Dettmann rom com.
It’s quite the balancing act to combine the right dose of humour with romance and women’s fiction. However, Jessica Dettmann is one author who seems to have this down pat. Without Further Ado is a story filled with heart, witty observations, some calamity, warm hearted relationships and romance. Take some natural and connective dialogue, plus an adorable lead, and it is clear that Dettmann has all the necessary ingredients to ensure that her third book is a sure-fire hit. For me, Dettmann’s plotline was the winner as it cleverly mirrored Much Ado About Nothing. I was lucky to study Much Ado About Nothing in high school and I adored the accompanying 1993 movie release. I can see why Willa, Dettmann’s sweet lead, is so taken by this play slash film. Dettmann is very clever in her approach to embedding Shakespeare’s well-known play into her storyline. The creativity and versatility Dettmann displays in Without Further Ado is to be commended, I loved this aspect of the novel. I also liked Willa’s career choice and Dettmann gives us a good insight into the world of smaller boutique publishing, with a focus on romance. A real plus in my eyes!
Without Further Ado takes us on a genuinely funny, tender and wholly splendid journey with lead character Willa and company. If you love a natural feel romantic comedy novel with Shakespeare undertones add Without Further Ado to your reading list today.
*Thanks extended to HarperCollins Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
With three novels to her name and a children’s book, author Jessica Dettmann has become a firm fixture on the Australian writing scene thanks to the success of her books. Dettmann’s unique blend of romance, comedy, drama and sharp prose has won audiences over before and I’m sure they will flock to this latest release, which is inspired by one of my favourite plays from Shakespeare, Without Further Ado.
Meet Willa, a true romantic at heart, whose passion for the film Much Ado About Nothing has followed her since she was a teenager. Awaiting that one grand heart-stopping romance along the same lines as her favourite film, Willa has been unable to find someone who makes her heart ache like Much Ado About Nothing. Now this thirty-something has turned her hand to the publishing field, specialising in romance for a small family business. While waiting for her own Benedick to sweep her off her feet, Willa has always put her career first and children haven’t entered the picture as a result. But Willa’s life suddenly becomes very difficult thanks to a family member who becomes mixed up with her employers. Willa realises that her life is beginning to resemble Much Ado About Nothing. Will she embrace the drama or flee?
Jessica Dettmann first flew onto my reading radar in February 2019 when I reviewed this former book editor’s debut, How to Be Second Best. I noted at the time of Dettmann’s first release that she had a very fresh and nuanced writing style. This very unique writing approach has been carried across to Dettmann’s follow on releases. Without Further Ado is a slightly different contemporary fiction title for this Sydney based author. With echoes of the classic Shakespeare play Much Ado About Nothing, readers will be wrapped in this new Jessica Dettmann rom com.
It’s quite the balancing act to combine the right dose of humour with romance and women’s fiction. However, Jessica Dettmann is one author who seems to have this down pat. Without Further Ado is a story filled with heart, witty observations, some calamity, warm hearted relationships and romance. Take some natural and connective dialogue, plus an adorable lead, and it is clear that Dettmann has all the necessary ingredients to ensure that her third book is a sure-fire hit. For me, Dettmann’s plotline was the winner as it cleverly mirrored Much Ado About Nothing. I was lucky to study Much Ado About Nothing in high school and I adored the accompanying 1993 movie release. I can see why Willa, Dettmann’s sweet lead, is so taken by this play slash film. Dettmann is very clever in her approach to embedding Shakespeare’s well-known play into her storyline. The creativity and versatility Dettmann displays in Without Further Ado is to be commended, I loved this aspect of the novel. I also liked Willa’s career choice and Dettmann gives us a good insight into the world of smaller boutique publishing, with a focus on romance. A real plus in my eyes!
Without Further Ado takes us on a genuinely funny, tender and wholly splendid journey with lead character Willa and company. If you love a natural feel romantic comedy novel with Shakespeare undertones add Without Further Ado to your reading list today.
*Thanks extended to HarperCollins Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
June 8, 2023
'Can a modern woman take lesson is love from Shakespeare?'
Jessica Dettman had me cracking up quite a few times in this book. Her sense of humour is on point! The FMC is quite frankly hilarious.
Not just a rom-com, there were some really heartfelt moments within this book. It touches on relationships between family, friends and lovers.
The beginning and end of this book had me sprinting through pages but I did find that I hit a bit of a slump mid-way through...
Willa's character development was superb. There was real growth and it was great to read!
I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
Jessica Dettman had me cracking up quite a few times in this book. Her sense of humour is on point! The FMC is quite frankly hilarious.
Not just a rom-com, there were some really heartfelt moments within this book. It touches on relationships between family, friends and lovers.
The beginning and end of this book had me sprinting through pages but I did find that I hit a bit of a slump mid-way through...
Willa's character development was superb. There was real growth and it was great to read!
I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
December 19, 2025
Without Further Ado is a story about Willa, a 36yr old woman living in Sydney, who publishes romance novels out of a family run company. She’s looking for love but not in the traditional sense through marriage and motherhood.
Looking at the cover and reading the description of this book, I thought it would be about a female book lover, with elements of a love triangle, some workplace drama, self exploration and funny laugh out loud moments. Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I kept waiting for the romance to begin and it never happened.
I found Willa to be a bit unlikeable, always negative and complaining. There was a whole heap of side characters and side plots, some I liked and some I feel didn’t add anything to the story. Some of the chapters were long and boring so I found myself skimming over whole paragraphs of drawn out explanations. The plot twists were confusing and hard to believe at times. Willa’s strong relationships with her friends were great. Even when she wasn’t being the greatest friend, they stuck by her.
The first and last chapters were probably my favourite. I will always wander what happened to the guy who saves time and water by washing his dishes in the shower.
This was my second read of Jessica Dettmann’s and while I didn’t connect with either of them I’m sure her books while connect with the right readers.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Looking at the cover and reading the description of this book, I thought it would be about a female book lover, with elements of a love triangle, some workplace drama, self exploration and funny laugh out loud moments. Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I kept waiting for the romance to begin and it never happened.
I found Willa to be a bit unlikeable, always negative and complaining. There was a whole heap of side characters and side plots, some I liked and some I feel didn’t add anything to the story. Some of the chapters were long and boring so I found myself skimming over whole paragraphs of drawn out explanations. The plot twists were confusing and hard to believe at times. Willa’s strong relationships with her friends were great. Even when she wasn’t being the greatest friend, they stuck by her.
The first and last chapters were probably my favourite. I will always wander what happened to the guy who saves time and water by washing his dishes in the shower.
This was my second read of Jessica Dettmann’s and while I didn’t connect with either of them I’m sure her books while connect with the right readers.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 27, 2023
2.5 ⭐️
I found Willa really unlikable and annoying and I didn’t see the chemistry between her and Ewan. It was as if it was up to the reader to fill in the blanks on that one.
I found the Smith family super toxic and I just couldn’t see there being a happy ending for Willa and Ewan given how she had to sever ties with all his family.
It just felt like the book was trying too hard. It intrigued me enough to want to finish and know what happened but there were parts I was skim reading.
I found Willa really unlikable and annoying and I didn’t see the chemistry between her and Ewan. It was as if it was up to the reader to fill in the blanks on that one.
I found the Smith family super toxic and I just couldn’t see there being a happy ending for Willa and Ewan given how she had to sever ties with all his family.
It just felt like the book was trying too hard. It intrigued me enough to want to finish and know what happened but there were parts I was skim reading.
March 23, 2023
4.5*
Without Further Ado was not what I expected but a whole lot more fun. With not so much Shakespeare but rather much more quirky, laugh out loud moments, Jessica has delivered an engaging read that I would definitely recommend.
‘For a moment Willa felt her heart race with excitement, and she put her hand to her chest. It was The Feeling: the Much Ado feeling. She let it wash over her, this wave of hope and elation and joy.’
Watching Willa’s realisation and growth throughout the story was a highlight. Her quick comebacks and one liners were hilarious! I was most definitely laughing out loud! Willa is surrounded by a cast of characters that likewise bring much to this tale of friends, life, family and futures.
‘You live too much up here - ’ Kat tapped the side of her friend’s head ‘ - and not enough in here - ’ she patted the left side of Willa’s chest.’
Don’t be mistaken - this is not all fun, romance and laughter. Sometimes subtle but more often right in your face, Jessica delivers her take on many contemporary issues surrounding life and relationships.
‘…regret’s not the end of the world. You’ll regret things you do, and things you don’t do. It’s part of the marvelous insanity called the human condition.’
This is a romantic comedy you will not want to miss. Light, quick and easy to read this is the epitome of perfect escapism but with an underlying message that many of us can relate to.
‘… you might learn to just live your life and stop thinking about where everything fits into your story. You don’t get to decide that. Life just goes where it goes. Always seeking some sort of ultimate happy ending can stop you from enjoying the life you’re living right now.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
Without Further Ado was not what I expected but a whole lot more fun. With not so much Shakespeare but rather much more quirky, laugh out loud moments, Jessica has delivered an engaging read that I would definitely recommend.
‘For a moment Willa felt her heart race with excitement, and she put her hand to her chest. It was The Feeling: the Much Ado feeling. She let it wash over her, this wave of hope and elation and joy.’
Watching Willa’s realisation and growth throughout the story was a highlight. Her quick comebacks and one liners were hilarious! I was most definitely laughing out loud! Willa is surrounded by a cast of characters that likewise bring much to this tale of friends, life, family and futures.
‘You live too much up here - ’ Kat tapped the side of her friend’s head ‘ - and not enough in here - ’ she patted the left side of Willa’s chest.’
Don’t be mistaken - this is not all fun, romance and laughter. Sometimes subtle but more often right in your face, Jessica delivers her take on many contemporary issues surrounding life and relationships.
‘…regret’s not the end of the world. You’ll regret things you do, and things you don’t do. It’s part of the marvelous insanity called the human condition.’
This is a romantic comedy you will not want to miss. Light, quick and easy to read this is the epitome of perfect escapism but with an underlying message that many of us can relate to.
‘… you might learn to just live your life and stop thinking about where everything fits into your story. You don’t get to decide that. Life just goes where it goes. Always seeking some sort of ultimate happy ending can stop you from enjoying the life you’re living right now.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
March 7, 2023
Thank you Jessica and Harper Collins for sending us a copy to read and review.
Jessica Dettmann is a wiz at entertaining her audience with a contemporary fiction story that will capture your heart and warm your soul.
Willa is a romantic novel publisher in a family business who spends her days wrapped up in affairs of the heart, to the point where it’s impacted her views in the real world.
She is also a frequent watcher of the 1993 Shakespeare romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing.
As soon as the opening lines and music is played it sends her heart into a spin.
In her 30’s she longs for the love the characters feel in the film.
But when Willa, her cousin Imogen and the four handsome sons of the family she works for get entangled with their relationships, it begins to resemble the famous movies plot.
I’m a big fan of Jessica’s work and meeting her last September made for a fangirling moment.
So when I received an early copy of this novel, you could hear me screaming across the border.
The very talented author pens a fresh, heartwarming and thoughtful tale all with her signature style of writing.
With a heavy dose of Much Ado About Nothing movie references, a scatter of humour and a plot that’s hooking, all these ingredients make for a splendid, funny, witty and wonderful reading experience.
There’s much to love here and it’s set to ravish and appeal to a wide variety of readers.
“I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest”, a quote from Much Ado About Nothing sums up my feelings for the book.
Jessica Dettmann is a wiz at entertaining her audience with a contemporary fiction story that will capture your heart and warm your soul.
Willa is a romantic novel publisher in a family business who spends her days wrapped up in affairs of the heart, to the point where it’s impacted her views in the real world.
She is also a frequent watcher of the 1993 Shakespeare romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing.
As soon as the opening lines and music is played it sends her heart into a spin.
In her 30’s she longs for the love the characters feel in the film.
But when Willa, her cousin Imogen and the four handsome sons of the family she works for get entangled with their relationships, it begins to resemble the famous movies plot.
I’m a big fan of Jessica’s work and meeting her last September made for a fangirling moment.
So when I received an early copy of this novel, you could hear me screaming across the border.
The very talented author pens a fresh, heartwarming and thoughtful tale all with her signature style of writing.
With a heavy dose of Much Ado About Nothing movie references, a scatter of humour and a plot that’s hooking, all these ingredients make for a splendid, funny, witty and wonderful reading experience.
There’s much to love here and it’s set to ravish and appeal to a wide variety of readers.
“I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest”, a quote from Much Ado About Nothing sums up my feelings for the book.
August 4, 2023
A witty and delightful rom-com. The story is heartfelt, its perception of realistic-adult-relationships is grounding and well-written.
Our protagonist works in publishing and loves to devour romance novels. It's always fun to read a book about the love of books. Bookception? :)
Our protagonist works in publishing and loves to devour romance novels. It's always fun to read a book about the love of books. Bookception? :)
April 20, 2023
This book was 1/3 a really good read and 2/3 absolutely ridiculous. I bought this at the airport and completely devoured a significant chunk. It quickly became more and more absurd as it went on. I should've thrown in the towel at the prolonged ranting about Much Ado About Nothing, the throbbing of her breasts and the random Imogen story arc that served nothing but to pad out the page count, but I had hope it would find its way back to reason. No such luck. Ended exactly like every other rom-com it pretended it wasn't. Not terrible but not great either.
February 18, 2023
This was one hell of a romantic comedy that I just could not put down. Willa, a romance novel publisher who’s view on love is heavily impacted by having ready one too many manuscripts but loving every minute of it navigates her way through friendship, work, love & loss.
This book has the drama, it has the laughter & it has the love. I found myself chuckling in my head by page 2 & out loud by page 4.
Jessica Dettmann really knows how to keep readers engaged & just straight out enjoying the story. I will say after reading the back and hearing this was a Shakespearean inspired story I was unsure. But aside from the few mentions and nods to Shakespeare, it was easily passed as a very modern romantic comedy that I truly loved.
A light quick & easy ready that has all the ups and downs and even little plot twists… one of which I actually didn’t see coming. Which for me, can be rare.
Thank you so much to Harper Collins Publisher & Jessica Dettmann for the ARC copy. Keep your eyes peeled for when this one releases March 2023 👀
This book has the drama, it has the laughter & it has the love. I found myself chuckling in my head by page 2 & out loud by page 4.
Jessica Dettmann really knows how to keep readers engaged & just straight out enjoying the story. I will say after reading the back and hearing this was a Shakespearean inspired story I was unsure. But aside from the few mentions and nods to Shakespeare, it was easily passed as a very modern romantic comedy that I truly loved.
A light quick & easy ready that has all the ups and downs and even little plot twists… one of which I actually didn’t see coming. Which for me, can be rare.
Thank you so much to Harper Collins Publisher & Jessica Dettmann for the ARC copy. Keep your eyes peeled for when this one releases March 2023 👀
March 6, 2023
I quite liked this romantic comedy and loved that it was fashioned after Much Ado About Nothing. Willa’s character development was on point, but I did find myself disengaging a few times because of her character. I think because I’m closer to Imogen’s age in the book, I couldn’t empathise or really care about Willa’s whining for the most part.
I wish there was more time spent on Willa’s potential relationship rather than her interactions with everyone as I would have liked to see that connection more before the ‘love’ reveal.
I wish there was more time spent on Willa’s potential relationship rather than her interactions with everyone as I would have liked to see that connection more before the ‘love’ reveal.
August 24, 2023
1.5 ⭐️
I LOOOOOOVE the film Much Ado About Nothing because of these three reasons:
#1 My favorite actor, Robert Sean Leonard plays a role in the film (not mentioned in the book BTW 😡😡😡)
#2 Kenneth Branagh’s adaptations of works by Shakespeare are always a must
#3 Shakespeare himself
I started reading this book because I thought I’ve found the perfect book for me.
However, I’ve got bored of the book quite soon. Willa’s refusal to being a mother and her ideas about romance books are so repetitive that I even thought they were fake.
I LOOOOOOVE the film Much Ado About Nothing because of these three reasons:
#1 My favorite actor, Robert Sean Leonard plays a role in the film (not mentioned in the book BTW 😡😡😡)
#2 Kenneth Branagh’s adaptations of works by Shakespeare are always a must
#3 Shakespeare himself
I started reading this book because I thought I’ve found the perfect book for me.
However, I’ve got bored of the book quite soon. Willa’s refusal to being a mother and her ideas about romance books are so repetitive that I even thought they were fake.
September 7, 2023
The dialogue is great, I found myself chuckling along with sections and literally gasping at others. However the main character Willa is a little insufferable and the whole story felt as though it could be at least 100-150 pages shorter. It didn’t really keep me engaged throughout the whole thing and I often found myself bored through large chunks of the novel and pushing myself to get through it.
March 7, 2023
This book was a lot of fun! It was witty and bingeable and I am obsessed with the character of Willa! I think the main success of WFA was how relatable and authentic it felt, like reading an extension of real life.
March 20, 2023
I just need to stop giving these cutesy books a chance. Not for me.
September 3, 2023
So funny and cute!
July 11, 2025
Fun to read but crap
August 27, 2023
3.5
this book didn’t really capture me until about halfway through.
i love flawed characters but willa was insufferable, sometimes for justified reasons and other times out of pure immaturity. this lessens in the second half for some really powerful evaluation on the meaning of life, and how people try to define it through relationships or certain moments. in that way it’s so very honest and eye-opening.
what worked for me best was the dynamic between kat, will and bec, and obviously ralph and george (WE LOVE GEORGE!). your friendships truly are the greatest loves of you life, portrayed so endearingly in this book. their whole dynamic was so heartwarming for me.
i didn’t really feel anything between willa and ewan. and after the whole smith family debacle, i can’t fathom how she could ever even think of aligning herself back to that horrific family. so i’m not too pleased with the ending, tbh.
this book didn’t really capture me until about halfway through.
i love flawed characters but willa was insufferable, sometimes for justified reasons and other times out of pure immaturity. this lessens in the second half for some really powerful evaluation on the meaning of life, and how people try to define it through relationships or certain moments. in that way it’s so very honest and eye-opening.
what worked for me best was the dynamic between kat, will and bec, and obviously ralph and george (WE LOVE GEORGE!). your friendships truly are the greatest loves of you life, portrayed so endearingly in this book. their whole dynamic was so heartwarming for me.
i didn’t really feel anything between willa and ewan. and after the whole smith family debacle, i can’t fathom how she could ever even think of aligning herself back to that horrific family. so i’m not too pleased with the ending, tbh.
September 23, 2024
“Can a modern woman take lesson in love from Shakespeare.”
Willa never lost the nostalgic cinematic idea of searching for the one, that feeling one gets in their stomach knowing you’ve found the love of your life. Navigating one’s thirties it’s always a dream, but Willa has the job of her dreams in romance publishing for a family business and is determined to remain child free.
When her relationship with her cousin becomes strained due to Imogen dating one of the family she works for son a trigger of events start the next chapter in her life. What could go wrong does and Willa navigates finding herself and her feet while living out her own modern love stories.
This has been on my TBR for longer than I am proud of but I’m so glad I picked it up when the mood hit. I loved the local land marks, the characters and the themes throughout the novel. Perfect little home grown romance.
Willa never lost the nostalgic cinematic idea of searching for the one, that feeling one gets in their stomach knowing you’ve found the love of your life. Navigating one’s thirties it’s always a dream, but Willa has the job of her dreams in romance publishing for a family business and is determined to remain child free.
When her relationship with her cousin becomes strained due to Imogen dating one of the family she works for son a trigger of events start the next chapter in her life. What could go wrong does and Willa navigates finding herself and her feet while living out her own modern love stories.
This has been on my TBR for longer than I am proud of but I’m so glad I picked it up when the mood hit. I loved the local land marks, the characters and the themes throughout the novel. Perfect little home grown romance.
March 23, 2023
Without Further Ado by Jessica Dettmann
A delightful and easy to read rom com. I absolutely love how relatable the characters were. Willa though was an absolute gem. She is witty, great sense of humour, hopeless romantic, romance publicist and all round great chick. I really loved the Shakespeare references and great descriptions of the 1993 movie 'Much Ado About Nothing'
Thanks @harpercollinsaustralia for this feel good rom com.
A delightful and easy to read rom com. I absolutely love how relatable the characters were. Willa though was an absolute gem. She is witty, great sense of humour, hopeless romantic, romance publicist and all round great chick. I really loved the Shakespeare references and great descriptions of the 1993 movie 'Much Ado About Nothing'
Thanks @harpercollinsaustralia for this feel good rom com.
April 15, 2023
Not your average rom-com. This was deeper than it seemed.
Thirty-something year old Willa is obsessed with a book-to-film adaptation that she rewatches periodically since her teenage years. She loves romantic books and romance, but she doesn't want kids.
This was way too close to my heart. Willa is an unlikeable character and at some point I think I ended up hating myself as well.
The pace might be a tiny bit slow, but the characters are original, well-developed and genuine. The dialogues are spot on, quick, fun and realistic, with truly laughable moments.
Thirty-something year old Willa is obsessed with a book-to-film adaptation that she rewatches periodically since her teenage years. She loves romantic books and romance, but she doesn't want kids.
This was way too close to my heart. Willa is an unlikeable character and at some point I think I ended up hating myself as well.
The pace might be a tiny bit slow, but the characters are original, well-developed and genuine. The dialogues are spot on, quick, fun and realistic, with truly laughable moments.
June 26, 2023
Really enjoyed this one, characters that are real and set in Sydney.
February 25, 2025
So it's like a millennial Australian version of much ado about nothing. But instead of reading it- you should just go read much ado about nothing, by Shakespeare. Let's just say 'ten things I hate about you' did this kind of adaptation better- the banter in this one wasn't really worth it to me. There were some good parts about navigating kids/marriage as a 35 year old, but that's obviously wasn't super relatable for me soooo.
April 6, 2023
Serious low point in my life reading a Much Ado adaption and still being shocked at the wedding scene.
June 5, 2023
4.8⭐️ had so many butterfly moments in almost every chapter. The characters were so uniquely quirky and charmingly humorous. At times Willa was so frustrating but I think it just added to the realness of this story. I loved the writing style and thoroughly enjoyed this read
December 22, 2023
Enjoyable and easy to read. Eclectic and amusing characters throughout the narrative kept me entertained.
I would recommend as a great book to take on holiday with you as it was one you could totally immerse yourself in, or to pick it up when you find yourself with a spare half hour to indulge.
The novel didn't have the feeling of being set in Australia and the often found myself thinking it was set in London. Perhaps it was the Shakespeare references making me think England??
I do really enjoy a book about booksellers, writers, publishers, bookshops etc. Dettmann is very good at capturing the quirkiness of people in the characters she writes about. I could totally relate to many of the situations described in the book.
I would recommend as a great book to take on holiday with you as it was one you could totally immerse yourself in, or to pick it up when you find yourself with a spare half hour to indulge.
The novel didn't have the feeling of being set in Australia and the often found myself thinking it was set in London. Perhaps it was the Shakespeare references making me think England??
I do really enjoy a book about booksellers, writers, publishers, bookshops etc. Dettmann is very good at capturing the quirkiness of people in the characters she writes about. I could totally relate to many of the situations described in the book.
March 3, 2023
“Without Further Ado” explores relationships in a way I found too dark to regard this as a straight romance. However, it’s definitely an easy read and most of the themes aren’t too heavy. I suspect it will appeal to those looking for a read that’s more entertaining than challenging, but not predictable.
Willa is grumpy. She doesn’t want marriage and kids, but she does want a great love. Something that sparks the same feelings in her as the first time she saw the film “Much Ado About Nothing”. Definitely not something that sparks the kinds of feelings produced by her latest date off the apps.
Her job might not be helping. Willa has a created a little niche for herself at a publishing firm that produces manuals. She alone created and runs a very successful little division that publishes romance novels. Willa can pick a successful romance and give it the polish that appeals to readers. It does, however, mean that she tends to regard relationships as a series of tropes.
Her job also presents other complications: a small family firm, Willa is working for Gladstone Smith and his four sons. Ewan has long been such a good friend that people keep asking her if there’s an attraction there. But it’s Dougal she idly eyes up. And if she ever was attracted to Ewan, well, it became moot when he married someone else.
I very much enjoyed Dettman’s debut, “How To Be Second Best”. “Without More Ado” shows the same acute awareness of the ways that people become entangled in webs of obligation, allowing others to take advantage of them. A secondary theme of this novel might well be that it’s not always a bad thing to put your own interests first.
She’s also got a good eye for mixed emotions: for example, for the way parenthood is wonderful and horrific at the same time. Her ability to portray the way people can hold more than one feeling about something is an important part of successfully exploring Willa’s search for a lasting romantic relationship.
Characterisation is one of Dettman’s strong points, and in particular the ways her characters interact. Willa and her two best friends, Kat and Bec, are all very believable. Their characterisation is enhanced by the excellent dialogue between them. Dettman has caught exactly the way old friends talk to each other, loving, supportive, understanding, caustic, larded with jokes and occasionally unkind. I really enjoyed all their interactions, and looked forward to the next time they came together.
One minor blip for me is that as the characters discuss “Much Ado About Nothing” and its ‘ plot, no-one ever notes that there’s a historical context that affected Shakespeare’s attitude to women and marriage. They all seem to expect that he should reflect today’s values.
However, I enjoyed this novel a great deal. It’s an enjoyable read with vivid characters, and a particularly believable plot and character arc.
You may also be interested in my review of “How To Be Second Best” by Jessica Dettman:
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If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
July 6, 2023
I’ll admit straight up that whilst I read and studied many Shakespeare plays in high school, Much Ado About Nothing wasn’t one of them. Nor have I seen the 1993 movie adaptation with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson that this book describes in great detail. To be honest, I saw rather enough adaptations starring Mr Branagh and have very little desire to see any more. So when I read this book, which was my online book club’s June pick, it was only with the vaguest of understandings about Much Ado’s plot. But if like me, you haven’t seen the movie either, don’t worry. The book describes it enough that it’ll feel like you have.
Willa lives and works in inner Sydney. She works for a family owned company comprising of the family patriarch, four strapping sons, her and also her cousin Imogen, whom Willa recruited as the receptionist. The company is a publishing one, producing mainly technical manuals but Willa herself has managed to branch out sideways into publishing romance novels. She handles all sides of the business – she chooses the novels to publish, deals with the authors, does the covers and sets the book and outsources some of the editing the freelancers. It’s actually doing very well and is probably the only part of the business that is truly profitable. The rest of it doesn’t need to be as such, as the family behind it are stinking rich.
I think people who know the Shakespeare play will be able to pick several of the key plot points during this novel. I didn’t obviously but I felt like the book gave enough of a clue for how one big moment was going to play out and so I wasn’t that shocked when it did. However, I also think that it dropped the ball a bit on the fallout. So much of the first half of the book revolved around the lead up to this event and then there’s the actual moment and then it kind of just……fizzles. The event and moment aren’t about the main character but she’s so intimately involved that to be honest, it seemed like there should’ve been much more. And this in essence, is why I feel like the eventual romance (which literally barely exists until the final chapter) would never work in reality. Because how would the main character ever really interact with anyone from this particular family ever again? How would their families ever interact? If they got married in the future, honestly, it feels like recipe for a disaster. That was just one of the ways in which this book didn’t work for me. I didn’t much like the eventual love interest, I don’t think he was even in a place in his life to be declaring stuff that he declared when he declared it either.
Willa is a tough character too. She is at times, a truly terrible friend. She’s childfree by choice and so is her best friend although they have another friend who has three children, a 9yo girl and twin toddlers and their life is depicted as being chaotic verging on the point of insanity. When something happens concerning Willa’s best friend, she makes a very thoughtless and hurtful comment. Look, to her credit she does apologise for it and seems genuinely remorseful for hurting her friend’s feelings but she never apologises for the way she treats her friend’s partner. She views him as this temporary inconvenience, ignoring all the signs that he and her friend are developing into quite a serious relationship and is casually dismissive of him as a person for the most unfair of reasons.
I didn’t mind the fact that Willa lived a lot of her life like she was in a romance novel, or waiting for the romance novel plot to happen to her. I thought it was interesting that she chose the novels she published based on if they gave her the same feeling that watching the adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing gave her. I think a lot of people who enjoy romance have a core movie or book that was their gateway into the genre and gives them a similar feeling to the one Willa experienced. I thought she showed initiative in developing her own imprint and choosing and publishing books that she enjoyed also. She seemed quite good at her job, coming at it from a different angle. I also didn’t judge her for not resigning immediately because look, when you got bills to pay you can’t always afford to take the high road. I also appreciated that she called out the patriarch (who was also her boss) on the misconceptions he seemed determined to have but the side moment with the eldest son was a bit bizarre and like I mentioned earlier, the romance, when it appeared, was not at all something I was on board with. I didn’t think they had any chemistry whatsoever, he was rebounding from a rebound and she seemed to only really decide what she wanted at the last possible moment and the idea of any future was really difficult for me to see clearly. I wanted so much more! I know it’s a mimic of the play but its not the 1500s anymore.
There was some humour and fun moments in this (I really enjoyed Willa’s family, particularly her grandmother) but a lot of the very important parts of the plot unfortunately were not enjoyable for me personally.
Willa lives and works in inner Sydney. She works for a family owned company comprising of the family patriarch, four strapping sons, her and also her cousin Imogen, whom Willa recruited as the receptionist. The company is a publishing one, producing mainly technical manuals but Willa herself has managed to branch out sideways into publishing romance novels. She handles all sides of the business – she chooses the novels to publish, deals with the authors, does the covers and sets the book and outsources some of the editing the freelancers. It’s actually doing very well and is probably the only part of the business that is truly profitable. The rest of it doesn’t need to be as such, as the family behind it are stinking rich.
I think people who know the Shakespeare play will be able to pick several of the key plot points during this novel. I didn’t obviously but I felt like the book gave enough of a clue for how one big moment was going to play out and so I wasn’t that shocked when it did. However, I also think that it dropped the ball a bit on the fallout. So much of the first half of the book revolved around the lead up to this event and then there’s the actual moment and then it kind of just……fizzles. The event and moment aren’t about the main character but she’s so intimately involved that to be honest, it seemed like there should’ve been much more. And this in essence, is why I feel like the eventual romance (which literally barely exists until the final chapter) would never work in reality. Because how would the main character ever really interact with anyone from this particular family ever again? How would their families ever interact? If they got married in the future, honestly, it feels like recipe for a disaster. That was just one of the ways in which this book didn’t work for me. I didn’t much like the eventual love interest, I don’t think he was even in a place in his life to be declaring stuff that he declared when he declared it either.
Willa is a tough character too. She is at times, a truly terrible friend. She’s childfree by choice and so is her best friend although they have another friend who has three children, a 9yo girl and twin toddlers and their life is depicted as being chaotic verging on the point of insanity. When something happens concerning Willa’s best friend, she makes a very thoughtless and hurtful comment. Look, to her credit she does apologise for it and seems genuinely remorseful for hurting her friend’s feelings but she never apologises for the way she treats her friend’s partner. She views him as this temporary inconvenience, ignoring all the signs that he and her friend are developing into quite a serious relationship and is casually dismissive of him as a person for the most unfair of reasons.
I didn’t mind the fact that Willa lived a lot of her life like she was in a romance novel, or waiting for the romance novel plot to happen to her. I thought it was interesting that she chose the novels she published based on if they gave her the same feeling that watching the adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing gave her. I think a lot of people who enjoy romance have a core movie or book that was their gateway into the genre and gives them a similar feeling to the one Willa experienced. I thought she showed initiative in developing her own imprint and choosing and publishing books that she enjoyed also. She seemed quite good at her job, coming at it from a different angle. I also didn’t judge her for not resigning immediately because look, when you got bills to pay you can’t always afford to take the high road. I also appreciated that she called out the patriarch (who was also her boss) on the misconceptions he seemed determined to have but the side moment with the eldest son was a bit bizarre and like I mentioned earlier, the romance, when it appeared, was not at all something I was on board with. I didn’t think they had any chemistry whatsoever, he was rebounding from a rebound and she seemed to only really decide what she wanted at the last possible moment and the idea of any future was really difficult for me to see clearly. I wanted so much more! I know it’s a mimic of the play but its not the 1500s anymore.
There was some humour and fun moments in this (I really enjoyed Willa’s family, particularly her grandmother) but a lot of the very important parts of the plot unfortunately were not enjoyable for me personally.
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