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1560 reviews

Let it be said that I have read a not insignificant number of Pride and Prejudice variations, retellings, etc.

I feel that allots to me some level of qualification to discuss this novel.

There were a lot of character renditions that I wholeheartedly approved of (see: Mary, Kitty, Lydia). In the same vein, there were also characters that I felt could have had a little bit more work done (see: Mrs. Bennet, Jane, Charlie).

The first half of the novel was definitely the weaker half. It was hard to get my head to grasp how little of Mr. Bennet we were presented with which meant I never really understood him as a character. And I didn't exactly know where Mrs. Bennet lay in the land of the Bennet family outside of her role as a mother because in the original Pride and Prejudice, her mothering instincts were very pronounced, and they were not so in this novel. Mr. Bennet on the other hand was barely in the novel and considering that Elizabeth is supposed to be his favourite, it just didn’t really make a lot of sense to me because we never really were privy to their connection.

The conflict between Will and Lizzie in the first half was weak. Considering the second half was so much stronger than the beginning, it’s a bit of a disappointment that the hostility between them on Lizzie‘s part was not really rooted in very much at all. I think the modernization of the plot was done fairly well but again, there were weaker aspects in the backstory regarding Tristan, who was clearly supposed to be Mr. Wickham but he didn’t really fit the role that well outside of the obvious. I was a little upset at how Georgina was kind of not a thing, but in the same vein Mary’s plot twist in which she takes the role of Lydia albeit inadvertently worked really well for me.

I love how Lydia was portrayed as an influencer, I loved how Kitty was her own person and had so much initiative, which is not something that’s typically attributed to her character, and I loved how Mary’s sermonizing and preaching manifested in the form of environmentalism as opposed to religion. I wish Mrs. Bennet’s endeavours in MLM‘s was a bit more substantial than what was presented to us as readers and I wish Mr. Bennet was a fully-fledged character because clearly he has regrets, but we don’t really ever get to touch upon them in the way that is seemingly touched upon in the original.

My biggest gripe, however, is Jane and how lacklustre and under developed her character was. She supposed to be a really important driving force in the novel for a lot of Lizzie‘s actions and her lack of depth made her seem like way more of a side character than she should be and also didn’t really justify a lot of the turmoil that ensued because we never really get to know very much about her as a character.

I thought the renditions of Lizzie and Darcy were fine. I just found they were missing a lot of the emotional depth that I have attributed to the characters and that the original managed to to portray in a way that really connects you to them. I never really felt connected to this Lizzie and Darcy, which is a shame because that’s kind of a vital important part of a Pride and Prejudice variation. I think at the end of the day, I liked more of the changes that were made to characters that are not always portrayed with a lot of faith, but because the story is meant to be about Lizzy and Darcy and we get both of their perspectives, I was a little disappointed to not be able to connect to them in the way that I normally would.

Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon

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adventurous lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Just a genuinely great cozy fantasy smut kinda read.

Do Me a Favor by Cathy Yardley

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Quick, sweet and though there was quite a hefty dose of insta-lust/love, the two leads worked really well together such that I could set it aside and not fixate on it.

What I love about Cathy Yardley’s writing, at least the standalone romances that I've read by her, is that so much of the drama and fuckery that goes on in romances where the characters are young (see: in their 20s or teens) just doesn’t exist in the same old and tired methods in the stories she constructs. The characters are so rooted in their life experiences that some of the more absurd and sometimes trivial issues that typically arise in romance stories are just not significant enough to merit discussion or addressing.

It’s a breath of fresh air, and I think it’s executed so well in this story.

The plot itself is kinda weak and the pacing was faster than I would've preferred, but at the end of the day, this was easy read and I enjoyed my time with it.

From Below by Darcy Coates

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.

The structure of this story is not what I anticipated, and I am not in the mood for it.

That’s literally it.

A LOSS AT LONGBOURN: A PRIDE & PREJUDICE VARIATION by Catherine Bilson

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emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

All I Want is You by Falon Ballard

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

Easily the weakest story I’ve read by this author.

I wasn’t invested in the characters, the pace was uncomfortably fast such that the lack of character development and backstory really became pronounced, and I just didn’t believe in the romance or chemistry between the leads at all.

Genuinely a disappointment.

Perhaps Falon Ballard is simply not for me.

Mistletoe Ever After by Nana Malone

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lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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readundancies's reviews 1560 reviews

readundancies's reviews
1560 reviews