How to Align the Stars

Dressler draws from a classic enemies to lovers tale in her sparkling debut, a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Bea Hayes, 37, is on the cusp of receiving tenure at Messiman, a small college in Washington State and her alma mater. Her career’s on track, but her romantic life is stalled; she’s still caught up in resentment about the perceived betrayal of her college friend Ben, who she once thought could have been something more to her. Meanwhile, Bea’s beloved cousin, 22-year-old Heron Hunter, is a starry-eyed undergraduate at the same college with a wealthy and seemingly devoted new fiancé, Charlie, and an unsure career path. When Heron and Charlie hatch a plan to get Bea and Ben together, the pair tentatively bury the hatchet. Things are looking up for both couples­—until a malicious actor plots to ruin their happiness. Dressler’s multilayered romance sensitively takes on a number of touchy topics, including misogyny and fat shaming, and easily draws in readers with its three-dimensional characters. This is a promising start. (June)