Reviews

Blinded by Prejudice by KaraLynne Mackrory

natleesaurusrex's review against another edition

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5.0

Truly enjoyed this variation. It was a fresh take and after 20 years of reading P&P variations that often seems impossible. I would have been interested in this being told as dual narration rather than only from Elizabeth's point of view, but I think only being in her head made understanding Darcy's new reality.

I'm not a super fan of the miscommunication trope, which there was a little of toward the last quarter of the book, but it was resolved without a third act breakup--and because (presumably) the reader has read the original work, you know exactly what the miscommunication is and it's more of a "UGH, FFS" than a truly angsty miscommunication. Full disclosure, I LOVE me some angst, so that was actually kind of a bummer.

frompemberleytomiltonblog's review against another edition

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5.0

Review Published at:
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpress.com/2021/09/23/blinded-by-prejudice-by-karalynne-mackrory-review-giveaway/

Blinded by Prejudice has one of the most powerful and gripping beginnings I’ve ever seen in a book. Written in the first person, this book immediately transports the reader into an unknown situation and, without even knowing who is narrating the story, all there is left for him is to feel everything the character is feeling. If a book was ever able to make a reader forget he is reading a story, and believe he is actually living it, Blinded by Prejudice is that book.

When Mr. Darcy, the Bingley’s, the Bennet sisters and Mr. Collins are visiting an old ruin site near Longbourn an earthquake strikes the grounds, and the consequences will change everyone’s lives forever.

The first part of the book will see Elizabeth Bennet forced to accept an engagement with Mr. Darcy, while Miss Bingley is also forced to accept Mr. Collins’s hand. However, these two engagements couldn’t be more different. Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship will take the center of the stage in the book, and we see them come closer to one another and discover the real person behind all the prejudices. Their romance is slow and angst free so the reader will witness many endearing moments between them, and after Mr. Darcy’s heroic actions, and his demonstration of strength and calm, he proves to be a patient and romantic man, which I am sure will captivate most readers.

Miss Bingley and Mr. Collins will take a minor part in the story, but their relationship will, as the reader may already have guessed, be a humorous one. Their actions will shock some characters in the book, but make the reader laugh out loud. The old Colonel will also be present in the story, and he will also bring some humor to it.

I cannot say I had a quibble with this book, but I did feel the first half of the book was much more engrossing than the last part and, because of that, it felt a little anticlimactic. Nevertheless, I do believe most readers will love this book. The first part has some angst to it, while the second part is full of romance as our characters get to spend more time together. Because of these two conditions, the book has enough diversity to appeal to a wide range of readers.

Blinded by Prejudice is one of those books the reader will hardly forget. The story is very interesting, and it slowly develops a relationship between the main characters that is endearing and passionate. Some secondary characters bring some humour to the story, which is a refreshing pause from the more serious tone we find in the main plot, and all these factors combined make it a remarkable book. I also enjoyed the writing style in Blinded by Prejudice and I highly recommend this book.

jmcrockett78's review against another edition

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5.0

oh my lawd

bibielle's review

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dark emotional relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

samhend101's review

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4.0

4/4.5*

Written all in first person, the reader has a front seat to all of Elizabeth's thoughts and feelings. I very much enjoyed the writing and feel the author did a nice job of capturing the conflict and confusion Elizabeth feels throughout almost the whole story.

We open with the direct result of a mudslide near a ruin, which Elizabeth and consequently Darcy (as he tried desperately to save her) are trapped under. Both are injured and in and out of consciousness for a day and a half. It is only later, after their rescue Darcy's injury is known and far later than that, the full consequences have to be faced.
ODC are not the only ones affected. There is another couple severely altered due to the accident. An interesting take on those characters!

We witness E process so many stages of feelings and experiences as she spends time with Darcy during his recuperation. All the while, still believing him a proud haughty man and not finding her 'tempting'. She meets Miss Darcy and Col. F, who is way too perceptive. Mr. B also has an oar - or should I say fishing rod- in to help muddy the waters between ODC.
Mrs. B and the youngest daughters were sent to London to assist (get her away) with E's healing and the militia only make an appearance in the story after the women's return to Longbourn. Mr. Wickham make's a brief appearance, but his is the catalyst that starts the beginning of the end (finally- in my personal opinion).

I would have given this 5 whole stars, but personally I felt there was something lacking when it came time to explain away the Darcy conundrum. The story is mainly based on Elizabeth's conflict of falling in love with a man she feels she can't trust.

His behavior while blind was softer and much warmer than before the incident. His apology and explanation were sincere, but considering we spent the whole of the book wondering when and how the clarity was going to be revealed, it fell short. As a reader who was swept up with E's experiences and emotions, I would have preferred it to have gone a little deeper.
I guess that is how well the book was written! ;)

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

hedwigsaardvark's review against another edition

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5.0

During a sight seeing trip to Bodden Chapel, a landslide threatens Elizabeth Bennet’s life. Fitzwilliam Darcy leaps to protect her and the pair are buried alive together in a tiny space under rubble and soil.
The description of this is intense and claustrophobia inducing!
Being buried with an injured, semi-conscious gentleman overnight is viewed as a compromise, so marriage is essential to repair reputation.
We follow Elizabeth’s thoughts as she comes to terms with impending marriage to a man she was determined to dislike.
In addition, she feels guilty that in saving her, Darcy received a head injury which resulted in blindness.

I adored this book. The initial drama was compelling, the slow thawing of Elizabeth’s feelings about Darcy, together with his efforts to draw her closer to him were absorbing and the angst of the misunderstanding made me cry!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. All views expressed are my own.

misskaysee7's review against another edition

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5.0

I loved this so much. I could not put it down. The idea of how much sight plays into the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy is brilliant.

karenreader's review

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emotional slow-paced

3.25

readundancies's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing medium-paced

4.0

This was not my favourite Mackrory read, but one still definitely worth reading.

It's a slow build kinda romance. The way the relationship is cultivated between Lizzy and Darcy is prime time Mackrory: emotional, angsty, and not without some bumps along the way. But I trust this author to get me where I want to go, even if I’m not 100% on the destination.

Lizzy was a bit clueless in this one. Granted, she eventually catches on about the compromising situation she found herself in, but only after she’d clearly been addled in the mind. 

I loved Richard and Georgiana in this one. And I loved a lot of the plot decisions too. Half the Bennets not present post-earthquake, a blind Darcy and a marriage of compromise make for an entertaining plot to say the least.

However, the Caroline Collins subplot was overdone I thought, and felt a bit like overkill.

But other than that, this kinda nursing-Darcy-back-to-health trope is done well for the most part, so if you're a fan of the trope, definitely check this one out. 
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