A review by readundancies
Netherfield Prep by Elizabeth Stevens

Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.

Well then. 

Well. 

Then. 

I suppose there is probably an audience for this kinda book, but I am not it. 

I have outgrown these dramatics and now all I feel when I read them is my soul slightly inverting into itself in pain because this was exhausting to read. It was so dramatic and cringey. My body literally could not handle how uncomfortably annoying the character perspectives were as navigating between them made my gut recoil and it was like I had this primitive need to expel what my eyes were reading from my body and into the universe so that it could go and die and leave me out of it. Cringe is too vague of a word to explain how much I did not enjoy this rendition of Austen’s classic romantic tale. 

I hated how the dialogue was tinged in Regency speak but the plot could not be more modern. The juxtaposition made me feel physically ill while reading. 

Also, why was it so long? 

This version of the tale made me miss the bounds of propriety so much. Because this iteration of Darcy was just not charming without that societal lens in focus. 

What are stakes? I read the whole thing and there really didn’t appear to be any at all. 

And the plot? To what aim did it serve? What was it trying to accomplish? No idea, but it sure felt aimless, and that’s not a compliment. 

I could spend all day lambasting this story but instead I will leave you with the knowledge that I could not overcome my distaste for the writing style and leave it at that.