This was so well done! Beatrice and Benedick frustrated me to no end but in the best possible way! I would have loved to be a part of a group of friends like this (

Spoiler

aside from the getting shot at and breaking the law

).

Personally, I've always been interested in the prohibition era, mostly because I'm from Windsor, Ontario and Windsor had a significant role with regards to rum-running, so it's always been a part of local history I grew up with. I remember being a little kid and seeing the picture of a car driving across the Detroit River smuggling alcohol. This book appealed to the history nerd in me! (One of my professors wrote this book! [b:The Rumrunners: A Prohibition Scrapbook|16566397|The Rumrunners A Prohibition Scrapbook|Marty Gervais|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|13406792]) I don't know much about the mafia in the 20s, and I haven't read Much Ado About Nothing in a very long time. After reading the author's note and looking up some of the music she mentions, I love how close she stuck to history and the play. Speak Easy, Speak Love makes me want to reread Shakespeare and brush up on my history, local or otherwise!

Honestly, Beatrice and Ben bickering, trying to outsmart one another, and how fast they could whip out insults reminded me a lot of some of my favourite Dramione fanfics. Anything that reminds me of those is good in my books (all of the puns intended).

I had high expectations going into this book and all of them were met. I'll definitely be rereading this one day!