I loved this duo’s first Austen retelling project, so I was looking forward to reading this. This is a very contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice. In fact, I would say it takes inspiration from the novel as opposed to being a retelling of it. It reads as a regular romance novel set in the Hamptons. From that aspect, it’s a fun, easy beach-read.

No retelling will ever live up to the original, but this one didn’t quite work as well as I wanted it to. I’m not sure but it could have been the pacing. Lizzy and Will never disliked each other as strongly as in the classic, there isn’t that much yearning, and the points of disaster, ie Wickham’s actions, Lizzy’s family, Will’s words and behavior, weren’t as disastrous and didn’t cause as much tension as the original. There’s just a lot going on in terms of the subplots. Also, I couldn’t get over the fact that Darcy is blond here, but that’s just a me thing. I’m sure a blond, surfing Mr. Darcy in swim shorts is someone’s type, it’s just not mine. There are also 2 or 3 spicy scenes, so if you’re looking for a true Austen retelling, just be aware. 

I really enjoyed the reimagining of the Bennet sisters though, they were entertaining. And the writing is great. I enjoyed reading it, it’s a fun, modern take on Pride and Prejudice, it just wasn’t my favorite. I enjoyed their Emma retelling a lot more.