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ricky8's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
steffski's review against another edition
2.0
I'm a sucker for a modern retelling and this had a lot of potential but just fell kind a flat. Still a quick Christmas read but needed lots better character dialogue and plot delivery.
hollyxbear's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a fun book! I finished it in 3 hours and when it was done I just wanted to read more!!! The characters are so relatable and the situations they get into remind me a lot of myself. What a fun holiday read!
dphillips's review against another edition
2.0
Where to begin? First off, I hope the author gets some sort of a kick back for all the posh name dropping in this book. We get it; she's rich. Second, I received my copy from Goodreads First Reads and it was an advanced reader copy so, I'm sincerely hoping they fixed the serious timeline issues before this went to final print. Lastly, I hate when an author writes an educated and highly successful character who still speaks like they're still in high school. It's just irritating. On a high note, I did enjoy the part in which Darcy questions whom the gift giver in the 12 Days of Christmas song could be and why they'd ever think those were great gifts for their true love. I've got to admit, I'd never thought of that and it made me chuckle.
laurenpat's review against another edition
3.0
Cute little Christmas novella, but definitely more hallmark than pride-and-prejudice vibes
book_concierge's review against another edition
1.0
ZERO stars
A retelling of Pride and Prejudice (no surprise there, given the title), set in current day Pemberly, Ohio. Darcy Fitzwilliams is a self-made hedge-fund manager / partner returning home to her estranged family when her mother has a heart attack. Of course she runs into Luke Bennett, oldest brother of the Bennett clan, and sparks fly … along with regrets, misconceptions, arguments, etc. The other Austen characters are here as well (sort of). Bingley Charles is Darcy’s best friend, who meets and falls head-over-heels in love with Jim Bennett (Luke’s brother, a/k/a Jane). Charlotte Collins is a mishmash of Mr Collins, Charlotte Lucas, and Ann Lady Catherine’s deBourgh’s daughter.
Reading this was real torture. It seems the de la Cruz was just trying too hard to fit the classic situations into this modern story. Of course, I’ve seen a Hallmark Christmas Movie that is similar … but actually much better in terms of plot and character development (and that’s really saying something, since the HC movies are NOT known for character development or plot).
Oh, well, it satisfied several challenges, and it was a quick read.
A retelling of Pride and Prejudice (no surprise there, given the title), set in current day Pemberly, Ohio. Darcy Fitzwilliams is a self-made hedge-fund manager / partner returning home to her estranged family when her mother has a heart attack. Of course she runs into Luke Bennett, oldest brother of the Bennett clan, and sparks fly … along with regrets, misconceptions, arguments, etc. The other Austen characters are here as well (sort of). Bingley Charles is Darcy’s best friend, who meets and falls head-over-heels in love with Jim Bennett (Luke’s brother, a/k/a Jane). Charlotte Collins is a mishmash of Mr Collins, Charlotte Lucas, and Ann Lady Catherine’s deBourgh’s daughter.
Reading this was real torture. It seems the de la Cruz was just trying too hard to fit the classic situations into this modern story. Of course, I’ve seen a Hallmark Christmas Movie that is similar … but actually much better in terms of plot and character development (and that’s really saying something, since the HC movies are NOT known for character development or plot).
Oh, well, it satisfied several challenges, and it was a quick read.
kvreadsandrecs's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. I mean. It wasn't terrible but it also wasn't great?
kberry513's review against another edition
3.0
I think I liked this retelling better than Pride.... which I admit is slightly problematic as this one definitely could have used an editor. Half way through, her dad's name changed from John to Don, and there were several things that didn't make any sense, really. There was a lot of wishy washing on her end, and her relationship with her family/brothers wasn't consistent. The blurb claims that Luke is one of five slacker brothers, each one less ambitious than the last ... Except there are only four brothers, Luke owns his own carpentry business and Jim is an eighth grade teacher, and the younger two are twins in high school, so idk what about makes them unambitious slackers. She had the explanatory conversation where she makes up with her dad twice....but all that being said, this one was described as being essentially a Hallmark movie in book form and that's exactly what it is.
One thing I will say is that, at the end, when she gets all psycho about how he called her a selfish snob and then Bingley gets her to realize she isn't one, but just has extremely high self esteem....I disagree. She was definitely on the selfish snob spectrum. She didn't even know her assistance had been hand making her Christmas presents every year bc they "would get lost" amongst the hordes of other presents she received from clients, which means she either doesn't bother opening them or doesn't bother to read the cards; either way that is not the result of just having high self esteem. Part of the point of the original Pride and Prejudice is that both Lizzy and Darcy have flaws and grow as people, particularly when the other points it out for them before they end up together. The Darcy here has her flaw pointed out, sort of kind of addresses it, then gets mad he thought she was flawed bc it was really a positive self esteem thing, and then has her love interest back track and explain that he only said that bc his ex fiance made him... Ok.
Plus she absolute was being selfish and snobby when she briefly got engaged to the other guy and just threw money around while deciding on wedding plans. And was a huge snob about the Bennett family in general and the teenage brothers in particular.
Also in the "we saved up 8 years of Xmas for you that are both super thoughtful and expensive" scene, the fact that she hadn't even been sending her family Xmas presents from NYC is extremely self centered and selfish, but also had not bought them anything this year either is ridiculous. And she's shocked that they have any clue as to things she may like, clearly bc she hasn't ever bothered to think of what to buy them is more proof that she doesn't just have an abundance of self esteem.
I also don't love the ending. It's not totally clear, but Luke moved to NYC to be with her (what happened to the plot line where she was quitting?) and gave up being a carpenter to be a somehow successful personal chef (?) within two years. Plus they got engaged, married, and popped out a baby immediately, don't love since she wasn't totally into the idea. They could have had time to themselves first. And finally, they have to name their baby for her assistant bc Darcy had no female friends and apparently have never met any female people or heard of looking at a list. Seems dumb.
That being said, it was a quick and fun read and I enjoyed it.
One thing I will say is that, at the end, when she gets all psycho about how he called her a selfish snob and then Bingley gets her to realize she isn't one, but just has extremely high self esteem....I disagree. She was definitely on the selfish snob spectrum. She didn't even know her assistance had been hand making her Christmas presents every year bc they "would get lost" amongst the hordes of other presents she received from clients, which means she either doesn't bother opening them or doesn't bother to read the cards; either way that is not the result of just having high self esteem. Part of the point of the original Pride and Prejudice is that both Lizzy and Darcy have flaws and grow as people, particularly when the other points it out for them before they end up together. The Darcy here has her flaw pointed out, sort of kind of addresses it, then gets mad he thought she was flawed bc it was really a positive self esteem thing, and then has her love interest back track and explain that he only said that bc his ex fiance made him... Ok.
Plus she absolute was being selfish and snobby when she briefly got engaged to the other guy and just threw money around while deciding on wedding plans. And was a huge snob about the Bennett family in general and the teenage brothers in particular.
Also in the "we saved up 8 years of Xmas for you that are both super thoughtful and expensive" scene, the fact that she hadn't even been sending her family Xmas presents from NYC is extremely self centered and selfish, but also had not bought them anything this year either is ridiculous. And she's shocked that they have any clue as to things she may like, clearly bc she hasn't ever bothered to think of what to buy them is more proof that she doesn't just have an abundance of self esteem.
I also don't love the ending. It's not totally clear, but Luke moved to NYC to be with her (what happened to the plot line where she was quitting?) and gave up being a carpenter to be a somehow successful personal chef (?) within two years. Plus they got engaged, married, and popped out a baby immediately, don't love since she wasn't totally into the idea. They could have had time to themselves first. And finally, they have to name their baby for her assistant bc Darcy had no female friends and apparently have never met any female people or heard of looking at a list. Seems dumb.
That being said, it was a quick and fun read and I enjoyed it.
thepaige_turner's review against another edition
2.0
lmao I hated this. I'm also convinced this was ghost-written or was never edited.
I gave it two stars because it was so much fun and so easy to make fun of it.
This had so much potential to be so awesome and amazing but instead it was rushed, full of plot holes, and so many redemption arc's that I constantly felt like I was on a swinging ferris wheel that would never end.
This was more a story of privilege being constantly thrown in other people's faces and less about Jane Austen's original story being rehashed and retold. I LOVE Pride and Prejudice, and usually most adaptations are somewhat fun, but this crossed over from fun to disappointing to disgusting towards the end that I sped through it just to continue making fun of it with a friend.
Also there was zero mentions of a Mr. Collins and "excellent boiled potatoes" so 0/10 would not recommend.
I gave it two stars because it was so much fun and so easy to make fun of it.
This had so much potential to be so awesome and amazing but instead it was rushed, full of plot holes, and so many redemption arc's that I constantly felt like I was on a swinging ferris wheel that would never end.
This was more a story of privilege being constantly thrown in other people's faces and less about Jane Austen's original story being rehashed and retold. I LOVE Pride and Prejudice, and usually most adaptations are somewhat fun, but this crossed over from fun to disappointing to disgusting towards the end that I sped through it just to continue making fun of it with a friend.
Also there was zero mentions of a Mr. Collins and "excellent boiled potatoes" so 0/10 would not recommend.