“Shakespeare’s stories are universal across cultures,” says Priscilla Oliveras, whose next novel, West Side Love Story (Montlake, June), draws on Romeo and Juliet and Leonard Bernstein’s musical homage. Countless books have taken inspiration from the Bard of Avon, including this trio of forthcoming romantic tales.
Ben and Beatriz
Katalina Gamarra. Graydon House, Aug.
In this take on Much Ado About Nothing set in the early days of the Trump presidency, queer, biracial Beatriz Herrera spars with Ben Washington, the politically conservative scion of a wealthy Boston Brahmin dynasty. “Gamarra uses their love story to explore race, colorism, sexuality, and privilege,” PW’s review said, “crafting a romance between two people who are all too aware of their differences but still find a safe space in each other.”
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Two Wrongs Make a Right
Chloe Liese. Berkley, Nov.
Bea Wilmot and Jamie Westenberg fake-date and break up to get revenge on their meddling friends who set them up against their will in this Much Ado reimagining. The book launches Liese’s Wilmot Sisters series; two more Shakespeare retellings follow.
West Side Love Story
Priscilla Oliveras. Montlake, June
Set in a rapidly gentrifying San Antonio neighborhood, this not-so-tragic romance casts Mariana Capuleta and Hugo Montero, of rival mariachi families, as the star-crossed lovers. “The focus on mariachi adds wonderful color,” PW’s review said, “and when the couple are allowed their chance in the spotlight, their chemistry is palpable."
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