REVIEW: The Dane of My Existence by Jessica Martin

The Dane of My Existence by Jessica Martin: Portia Barnes is so ready to head up her law firms new branch in Boston but first she is taking a small sabbatical to rest and recharge, which is how she finds herself back home in the small town of Brad’s Rest, New Hampshire. It doesn’t take the big town lawyer in her to sniff out something fishy going on with the towns annual Shakespeare festival, namely the new to town hotshot commercial developer Benjamin Dane. There is absolutely no chance that Portia is going to allow some out of towner to come in and try to bulldoze her towns beloved outdoor theatre. Portia is ready to go toe to toe with anything the smooth talking Benjamin throws her way, however she could not have foreseen Ben’s lack of alpha arrogance or for him to be so open and forthcoming. But with these new feelings being to form for Ben, Portia is stuck in a difficult position who does she chose Ben or Brad’s Rest?

The Dane Of My Existence was a total treat to read, this book combines two of my favourite tropes; enemies to lovers and small town romance both of which were done to perfection. I loved the added little bonus that this small town was Shakespeare obsessed, totally my kind of town really. Even thought this book is a part of a series it was easy to read as a standalone novel without getting lost, though I will say after meeting the Barnes siblings it is going to be hard not to want to read all of their books.

Portia was a great leading lady, I loved that she was such a strong woman and that she was so career focused. She really rocked the boss girl energy. She was a bit more guarded when it came to allowing people into her heart and allowing others to see her emotions. I really enjoyed getting to see her interact with her family and seeing their relationship dynamics, if anything being back at home was just the thing that she need to see that there is more to life than work. As for our hero Ben well he was not what I had expected, this said he was much nicer than I had expected. There was a lot more to Ben than meets the eye and I really enjoyed getting to know him better as he began to open up to Portia.

I just loved these two main characters, I loved that both of them were such workaholics and so focused on finding loopholes in order to best meet their bottom line. Portia and Ben could not have been better suited for each other. They really played into he enemies to lovers trope down to a tee, these two had such great banter and chemistry, that it made it impossible not to want more of them. I really liked that even thought they were so different, they were actually a lot alike in many ways. The only thing that I was not a huge fan of was how long it took Portia and Ben to get their acts together, their journey was one super slow burn romance.

If you are looking for a cute quirky town with some silly cute supporting characters, lots of Shakespeare references and two career driven characters slowly falling in love than The Dane Of My Existence is the book for you.

Book Info:

Publication: July 4, 2023 | Berkley | A Bard’s Rest Romance #2

Portia Barnes is the youngest Mergers & Acquisitions partner in her law firm’s history, and she and her stilettos are poised to step into the role of her dreams–managing the firm’s new Boston office. But first she’s taking a summer sabbatical in her hometown of Bard’s Rest, New Hampshire, where she discovers something’s rotten in the midst of the town’s annual Shakespeare festival.

Hotshot commercial developer Benjamin Dane is sniffing around Bard’s, and while Portia isn’t necessarily a Shakespeare fanatic like the rest of her family, she’s not about to let him bulldoze the town’s beloved outdoor theater. Yet to Portia’s dismay, Ben proves as skilled as she is when it comes to outworking, outmaneuvering, and one-upping the competition. While she’s never hesitated to wage war against hyper-successful alpha males, Portia is caught off guard by Ben’s openness and lack of arrogance. As her own long-constructed walls start to come down, Portia begins to wonder if he might be more than an archnemesis.

With her heart on the line and the future of the town hanging in the balance, Portia faces an impossible decision–Ben or Bard’s?–unless she finds a way to broker the merger of her life, and ensures the curtain falls on a happy ending for everyone.