A review by kleedc73
Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

4.0

This is a light, fun young adult twist on Pride and Prejudice. In it, Callie is a 15-year-old sophomore on a class trip to England during summer vacation. Callie is not enjoying her trip as much as she hoped, as the "A-list" girls are ignoring her and she is left pretty much to herself. A known klutz, Callie falls and bumps her head outside of a Prada shoe store, where she has just purchased a pair of 3-inch heels (hoping to impress the A-listers). When Callie regains her senses, she somehow has been transported to 1815 Regency England. After a fortuitous mistake causes her to be mixed up with an American guest in a duke's home, Callie takes residence and struggles to integrate into 1815 English customs. The restrictions and expectations of women during that time period are particularly hard for Callie to swallow and Callie becomes embroiled in an effort to save a young woman she befriends from an unwanted engagement. During this time, Callie also gets to know the young duke, Alex. At first, Callie thinks he is an arrogant, controlling jerk. Over time, she realizes that first impressions cannot always be trusted, and the duke may be much more than he at first appears to be.

Overall, this is an enjoyable and credible modern twist on the classic. It has creative plot parallels to the original book. In addition, Callie's character development is interesting and relatable. Anyone who likes Jane Austen should like this version of the story, although readers expecting something deep or intellectual will be disappointed.