Beth Pride really can’t stand William Darcy: he snubbed her at the Hartford College Children’s Benefit Auction; he has an infuriating propensity for pushing her buttons; his actions are frequently at odds with his words; and even his melting chocolate eyes and impressive physique don’t quite make up for his deficient personality.Beth’s plan to avoid William backfires when her roommate falls for … falls for his best friend. As the unlikely duo are thrown together time and again, Beth begins to second guess her earlier assumptions about William.
Will Pride’s prejudice keep her from a happy ending, or will Beth discover that first impressions aren’t always what they seem?
Based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
more
This book was such a fun read. I loved this modern take of Pride and Prejudiced. It has wonderfully steamy (but clean) moments that leave you breathless. Misty’s writing style is very descriptive but it does such an excellent job at getting you right into the scene. Every little movement or touch, every snarky little comment that the main characters exchanged with each other left me wanting more. I devoured the book in a matter of hours. What I loved the most was being able to get into William and Beth’s head and hear their inner turmoil. Oh, if only they both weren’t so stubborn. But that is what you love about them. Excellent, I loved it
Juvenile writing and a ridiculous plot. Disappointing P&P retelling
College is hell and dating is worst: 3.5-stars
The prologue to this story reminded me of the opening scene to the 2007 BBC Sense and Sensibility, and like that movie, it was a seduction scene. It was not graphic, nor explicit, not even sensual, just the hazy [drug or alcohol induced] thoughts of a victim not completely aware that they were in danger…and then the camera faded to black.
This story was of college aged P&P characters with some names similar and some different. Their actions were somewhat consistent with canon. However, it was disconcerting trying to figure out who was Collins and who was Wickham. I had trouble determining who, what, when, where and why. I wonder if it was worth it to try and mash up characters and names so thoroughly that you can’t even follow the story? Several characters were introduced and never mentioned again in the story. That made for confusion that I felt was unnecessary.
In reading of Elizabeth’s…dang, Beth’s behavior, actions, word choices, prejudice, snarky come-backs, retorts and snippy words…it was hard to see any relation to Austen’s work. I’m trying, I really am. Les was very similar to Charles. Kara and Lucy were the epitome of Caroline and Louise in action and deed. Jenna as Jane, was a beauty and full of goodness. William was an excellent Darcy, with a modern bent.
As I stated earlier, the girls were still in college and the guys were a bit older. But, I have to admit, Austen’s Regency ladies were the same age. The contrast was startling. Since I prefer Regency, this modern take was a shock to my sensibilities. The familiarity between the sexes was most apparent during a camping trip. Since it was raining, that meant there were four to a tent, Les and Jenna, along with William and Beth. That was a bit difficult to get used to. They were fully [or nearly] clothed and in sleeping bags, but it was still a shock after having read several Regency stories with their strict codes on propriety.
We are following a P&P time-line and the series of events are similar to canon, if in tone only. Beth and William argued, separated after their misunderstanding, a letter was sent to explain Gianna’s situation, and Kara [Caroline] nearly says Jaxon’s [Wickham’s] name in front of Gianna [Georgiana] in an attempt to embarrass Beth.
Then we have Lydia…Lindy, Beth’s younger sister…spoiled by her mother, ignored by her father, unashamed, unabashed, wild, flirty and pouty when she didn’t get her way. A combination that we know is a set up for disaster. A senior in high school, she’s on her college visit to the college where Beth’s a Junior. Lawd, that girl; her inappropriate behavior had Beth sending her back home, where her parents ignored her pleas for them to rein her in. This would come back to haunt them.
The relationship between Beth and William was stormy at best. In this modern version, the sparks between them were brighter, the comments and retorts were harsher, the accusations carried more vitriol, and the attitudes seemed more severe. I caught myself cringing with each retort and snippy remark. There were moments of humor; however, it still, at times, felt a bit abrasive.
The climax was severe and the resolution was rewarding. In a pre-epilogue, we have the most amazing word picture I’ve seen in JAFF before. It was breathtaking…I am still reeling from the emotional punch the author delivered. Well done!!! And, then we had an epilogue…wow! Amazing!!
This was a clean story, although topics were discussed that would require a PG13 disclaimer. Those topics include discussions of underage drinking, drugs, date rape, pre-marital sex and abstinence.