Without further ado by Jessica Dettman

Willa loves the Branagh (1993) film interpretation of Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado about Nothing’; the feelings the opening scenes of the movie stir up in her become the touchstone in her job as publishing editor of romance novels, and also in her relationships with men. A romance novel is not going to make it if it doesn’t inspire that excited response for her, and neither will a relationship.

This is not so much a modern adaptation of Much Ado about Nothing, though there is a similar shared plot-line, but is more a reflection of the values and relationships within the play. Willa herself recognises the overlap of stories, and wonders if she can realistically reach the same happy outcome. But she doesn’t know who her partner is. And she is very wary because she rebels against the usual expectations of marriage and babies. She just wants the true passion, The Feeling.

Dettmann’s novel moves along at a sparkling pace and is full of witty and very funny dialogue, especially coming from Willa. She is somebody who can always make people laugh, and people love her for it. But it becomes increasingly apparent that her jokes can sometimes be a barrier to better understanding and can even turn hurtful when she reacts too quickly without reflection.

‘Without further ado’ is a humorous reworking of Shakespeare’s play – it could be a rewarding exercise to read the two works alongside each other. But even without knowing too much about the play, there is a lot of fun to be had in reading this delightful rom-com, one that explores issues of love, marriage, parenting, morals, trust and self-assertion.

Themes: Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing, Romance, Women’s roles, Humour.

Helen Eddy