I want to preface my review by saying that I loved 'Emma of 83rd Street'. It was one of my favourite books of 2023, I had a great time reading it. I felt the setting of Emma Woodhouse's matchmaking trials on the Upper East Side was an excellent choice and that the authors found the right balance of honouring Austen whilst putting their own spin on a familiar tale. 'Elizabeth of East Hampton' continues the format, this time taking on Pride & Prejudice, though I feel it does it far less successfully than its predecessor. Because P&P is such a well known love story, the authors decision to use maybe 30-40% of the original novel to inform their retelling rather than sticking more closely to the original details hindered rather than supported their work.

But what works? The decision to set it in the Hamptons is a great one - it immediately establishes a divide between the Bennetts, who live there full-time, and the Darcy / Bingley contingent as the rich New Yorkers who flock during the summer. It makes that initial dislike between Lizzie and Darcy (styled as Will for this book) very satisfying to read about. I think the first half of the book is stronger than the second and I found the characters of Jane and Bingley particularly underused, but the most enjoyable to read about. We also get look-ins from Emma and Knightley, as well as suggestions that the next book in the series may be either Persuasion or Sense and Sensibility.

However. Where the authors fall upon their own sword is their inability to decide whether they want to present a retelling of P&P or fanfiction. Some characters - like the Bennetts and Darcy - get slightly modernised versions of their own names. Others, including Wickham, a character I'm assuming is the Charlotte, and all of Bingley's family, get radically different ones with no link to their originals. Georgiana and Mr Collins do not feature at all. Moreover, the authors make a decision that is quite key to the plot of the original novel and give it to a different character, thereby making the original character's role in the book completely pointless. I won't detail anymore because of spoilers, but I had to go back and re-read just to be sure I hadn't mis-heard the narrator when they said a different name to the one I was expecting.

Because it's a modern update, there's more sex, some moments of violence and more of an insight into Lizzie as a character - and I don't think it adds anything. If anything, Darcy's punch-up with not-Wickham and extended sex scenes with Lizzie turn him into a bog-standard rom-com male, rather than a very defined character. The conclusion felt incredibly rushed and there was no time for the characters to ruminate before we reach that wonderful point of connectivity - they were just suddenly desperately in love with each other. Lizzie also really got on my nerves and I put that entirely down to her presentation in this book.

Pride and Prejudice has been adapted, retold, and rewritten a dozen different ways - this is just the latest. I don't think it's one of the better ones, in fact I'd lean towards Sonali Dev's Austen series for a slightly more interesting take that's committed to just being influenced rather than trying to copy directly.

4.5/5 - Pride and Prejudice is my favorite novel and I cannot resist a retelling, pushing through regardless of quality. Happily, I thought this was an excellent one with smart updates to a contemporary setting (and I see you Ms Bellezza and Ms Harding - you're setting up Persuasion with Freddie Wentworth and you also might have S&S coming with the law firm mentioning Brandon. I'm here for it!)

Lizzy is an East Hampton native stuck helping her family run their bakery after her father has serious health problems. Will Darcy is a grouchy out of towner who has been talked into spending weekends in the Hamptons for the summer by his best friend. This is a cute modern take on Pride and Prejudice. I wasn't sure what to expect going in since P&P is obviously perfection but this was a really fun read that kept many of the overarching story elements while adjusting and modernizing to make things work for a present day story. The only thing that felt odd to me was the time between certain interactions or the reasoning behind certain interactions not happening for extended periods since we now live in such a digital age but that being said I really enjoyed the story for what it was. The surfing element was perfect and Lizzy and Will were the perfect idiots falling for each other, as expected.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery books for this eARC!

This was a modern and fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice and I thought it was cute. Not the best modernisation (Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld takes the cake for me) but it was a good one. Loved the perspectives from each character and the modern twist on the personalities of the sisters. Good fun!

Lizzy works at her family's bakery in the Hamptons, dreaming of a brighter future at Columbia Journalism School. She came home to help her father after his stroke, but that was months ago, and now she's stuck. Her four sisters all have their own lives and interests, leaving her feeling unmoored. When two rich men from the city, Charlie and Will, stop into the bakery, they kick off an entire summer of drama for Lizzy, complete with fireworks, jail time, and sour cherry muffins.

A new take on the classic "Pride and Prejudice," this takes place in the same universe as the authors' previous book, "Emma of 83rd Street." It took me a moment to really get into, but it quickly picked up about halfway through. I enjoyed the minor changes from the original story (sorry Mr. Collins), as it added some dimension to characters that was missing previously, as well as the incorporation of Emma and George Knightley. Lydia was much more likable and Mary actually has a purpose! I thought the setting of the Hamptons was perfect, with the dichotomy of the locals versus the rich tourists, even if Charlie's sisters didn't get as much screen time. At the end, we find out Freddie Wentworth just moved back to the East Coast, so I'm anxiously awaiting the authors' take on "Persuasion."

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

5! I absolutely love a good Jane Austen retelling, and Emma of 83rd Street is one of my favorite books of all time. When Will Darcy was introduced, I just knew his story would be next, and he did not disappoint in the slightest.
In this novel, Will Darcy and his best friend Charlie decide to spend the summer in the Hamptons, where they meet Elizabeth Bennet. Lizzy, born and raised in East Hampton, works at her family's bakery, though she dreams of becoming a traveling journalist. Will and Lizzy’s first interaction is less than ideal, leading to a rocky start. For the first third of the book, they don’t really get along. The transition from enemies to lovers is perfectly executed, making their journey from initial dislike to deep affection both believable and satisfying. They were never outright cruel to each other, which I dislike in some books with the enemies-to-lovers trope.
The pacing of this book was spot-on, ensuring that there was never a dull moment. I also appreciated the small secondary romance involving Elizabeth’s sister. It helped the book stay true to the key elements of Pride and Prejudice while incorporating the author’s twist.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and engaging read! Don’t forget to check out Emma of 83rd Street as well, since Emma and Knightley make a brief but rewarding appearance in this novel. I'm hoping the authors' next book will be a Persuasion retelling focusing on Wentworth, as I adore a good second-chance romance!

thank you god, Jane Austen, and Audrey and Emily (pls pls pls give me persuasion as soon as you can)

I was hooked after the first chapter by not only Lizzy, Will and Charlie’s ~sparkling~ personalities, but the never-ending mystery of the one and only Mayor Marv with a whole heap of work experience under his belt (landlord/Uber driver/Mayor and more