Waiting on Wednesday: Speak Easy, Speak Love

I am so excited to feature another book by one of our local authors today on Waiting on Wednesday. Debut author McKelle George’s witty novel Speak Easy, Speak Love is a retelling of Shakespeare’s classic Much Ado About Nothing. If you love classics mixed with quirky YA Historical Fiction Retellings than this is the read for you!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. Be sure to check out their blog and share the upcoming books your excited about with us each Wednesday!

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Speak Easy, Speak Love by McKelle George

Six teenagers’ lives intertwine during one thrilling summer full of romantic misunderstandings and dangerous deals in this sparkling retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

After she gets kicked out of boarding school, seventeen-year-old Beatrice goes to her uncle’s estate on Long Island. But Hey Nonny Nonny is more than just a rundown old mansion. Beatrice’s cousin, Hero, runs a struggling speakeasy out of the basement—one that might not survive the summer. Along with Prince, a poor young man determined to prove his worth; his brother John, a dark and dangerous agent of the local mob; Benedick, a handsome trust-fund kid trying to become a writer; and Maggie, a beautiful and talented singer; Beatrice and Hero throw all their efforts into planning a massive party to save the speakeasy. Despite all their worries, the summer is beautiful, love is in the air, and Beatrice and Benedick are caught up in a romantic battle of wits that their friends might be quietly orchestrating in the background.

Hilariously clever and utterly charming, McKelle George’s debut novel is full of intrigue and 1920s charm. For fans of Jenny Han, Stephanie Perkins, and Anna Godbersen.

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The Details

Title: Speak Easy, Speak Love

Author: McKelle George

Release Date: September 19, 2017

Publication: Greenwillow Books

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About McKelle George

From her  website

Official Bio

McKelle George is a reader, editor, perpetual doodler, and associate librarian at the best library in the world. She mentors with Salt Lake Teen Writes and plays judge for the Poetry Out Loud teen competitions (but has no poetic talent herself). Her debut young adult novel Speak Easy, Speak Love comes out from Greenwillow/HarperCollins in 2017, and she currently lives in Salt Lake City with an enormous white german shepherd and way, way too many books.

More About McKelle

The only thing worse than not having many publications or accolades to tout in a biography is having to talk about “the author’s” two cats in third person. (I don’t have any cats.) So a little about me and my writing: I got my A.A. in Art on a scholarship and then took an 18 months hiatus for volunteer church service in Hungary. When I got back, I switched my major to English (I still liked drawing cartoons, but I wanted to be a writer, actual talent be damned) and now have a B.S. in English/Creative Writing from Brigham Young University. I’ve had articles published with The Friend magazine and Fight the New Drug. I live in downtown Salt Lake City with an enormous white German Shepherd. I believe most people are ultimately good, I think a good book can change a life, and I believe in ghosts, naps, and proper grammar in texts. I love cold weather, and I could never be a vegetarian.  Among other jobs, I work at Salt Lake City Public Library (the greatest library in the world!) as a reference librarian, and am also a mentor to teens with Salt Lake Teens Write. People are usually extremely patient or annoyed with me as I try to remember which thing I’m supposed to be concentrating on in the current moment.

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Speak Easy, Speak Love Pre-Order Swag

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Have you read Much Ado About Nothing? What other YA Historical Fictions or Retellings have you read? Do you love book swag?