by Mary Lydon Simonsen
Genre: Romance
Ages: 13 and up
This book made me smile. On the surface, the story is (mostly) the same as the original Pride and Prejudice, but in the background, everything has changed. Characters that were previously next to invisible come to the front and points of view are all switched around.
Miss Anne de Bourgh can see that her cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy, is hopelessly in love with the lovely Elizabeth Bennet. Rather than allow his clumsy attempted proposal to ruin his hopes for future happiness, Anne decides to take matters into her own hands. What if the coincidences that brought Lizzy and Darcy together in Pride and Prejudice were not actually coincidences? This story has Anne, with a little help from Georgiana Darcy, scheming and plotting away to bring together two people who were obviously perfect for each other. I loved the portrayals of Anne (who I have long believed to have more in her than previously seen), Georgiana (I would love to read her Gothic novel), Jane (who grows a bit of a backbone), and Mary Bennet (who may get a romance of her own!). This story made me laugh several times, especially near the end when all of the plans and manipulations begin to fall into place.
There are a few instances of profanity scattered throughout and Darcy calls Wickham a rude name at one point, so I rate it a 3.10.
There isn't any violence in this book.
There are several sexual references and some innuendo so I give it a 3.10.
Lieder Madchen
I have to say I dislike the retellings that go beyond the Austen mold, by including explicit sexual scenes. Not my cup of tea. I appreciate the review and knowing that this is one that stays within that comfort zone for me.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the Austen sub genre is splitting into two factions, the ones who stay close to Austen's world while bringing something original to the story and the ones who stretch way out side the Austen lines (I don't know where to put the mash-ups). I realize there is a market for both, so I am appreciative for blogs that explain the contents for readers.
Thanks Lieder, for this helpful review.
I like how Simonsen stayed close to the original and brought Anne and Georgiana to the forefront. Glad you enjoyed it, too.
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