When we first meet Evie, she’s being stood up by a man she met online. At thirty-three, having dated for over half her life, she’s exhausted by it. Have you ever felt similarly to Evie about dating?
Evie leaves her job after a decade because she feels her career trajectory has halted there. She also feels she’s been passed over for a promotion because she isn’t male. Do you think she was right to walk away for these reasons, or do you think she should have fought harder for the position she wanted? Have you ever been passed over for a promotion because of gender discrimination? If so, how did you deal with it?
Greer’s pregnancy makes Evie feel as if she’s being left behind—everyone else’s lives are moving forward while hers stays still. Can you sympathize with Evie’s fear of being the last single friend or have you had a friend in that position?
Life in her thirties isn’t what Evie hoped it would be, and that’s why she decides to take a break from it by traveling to England to run Much Ado About Books. Have you ever considered or actually done something similar? What was it? Did you find it helpful?
Evie’s obsession with all things Shakespeare and Jane Austen led her to England. Have you ever been to the UK? Which part? What made you decide to choose that destination for your travels?
When Evie and Roane meet, there is an instant chemistry between them and a comfortable connection neither of them expected. Do you think Evie was right to friend-zone Roane because she was there to find herself, not love? Or do you think she should have engaged in a fun holiday romance? Have you ever had a holiday romance?
One of the deeper conversations Evie and Roane share is about Evie’s feelings regarding “singledom” in her thirties. She’s struggling to figure out if she’s unhappy being alone because society dictates that she should be in a romantic relationship to be happy, or if she’s genuinely lonely without a partner. Can you relate to Evie’s struggle?
One aspect of Evie’s personality is her inability to stay out of situations when people she cares about are involved. She gets involved in Caro’s life; the feud between the Taits and the Elliots; and Annie and Maggie’s conflict. Do you think Evie is running away from her own problems all the while trying to fix everyone else’s?
Alnster soon becomes much more than a vacation spot for Evie. What aspect of her time in Northumberland seduces Evie into staying? Or do you think it was a number of reasons?
Roane considers his lies to Evie “stupid omissions.” Do you agree? Or do you think Evie was right to feel betrayed by the lies and by the village’s group effort to keep the truth from her?
Evie’s trust issues with everyone, including Roane, stem from her mom. Is that something you can relate to? Do you think broken trust from a parent can affect your friendships and romantic relationships?
Do you think Evie overreacted leaving Roane and England? Or do you think she needed to go home to Greer and her mom to understand what she’d left behind in England?