Scan barcode
alliehwilliams's review
3.0
I wanted to love this one so much, with its modern-day, creative Pride and Prejudice take. And I appreciated the research that obviously went into this, with all of the details on the behind the scenes of burlesque. I just could not connect with the characters, the romance was flat, it just didn't work for me on any level and I had to push to get through it. I know I am in the minority here--this book and I just were not compatible. Giving it three stars though for the obvious work that went into it.
braytonaubree's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
• a refreshing & sexy retelling of Pride & Prejudice
• I loved peeking behind the curtain into the world of Burlesque & I definitely learned something
• Darcy is dreamy ALWAYS, but this particular iteration of our favorite closed off bachelor really did it for me ;)
• the diversity was amazing all across the board & the complexity of the characters/relationships was so fun & real
• the author had me rooting for this FMC & the whole “found family” from the beginning
read if you like…
• Pride & Prejudice
• New York City aesthetic
• Burlesque
heloise_lifeinbooks's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Pride and Prejudice is my favorite romance, and retellings tend to be a hit or a miss, no middle ground. This one, I liked!
It’s both an absolutely fresh twist to the story, while remaining true to the original in all the ways that mattered.
I also loved that while Darcy and Bennet remained true to their original characters, they also had space for their own personalities, giving the story more depth and credibility.
Also loved the spic, since the original P&P was missing it haha.
Downsides were some clunky dialogue, specifically when trying to insert verbatim P&P lines (though I still enjoyed the reference), and also with the extended use of slang.
Overall I loved it just for falling on the right side of a P&P retelling 😊
It’s both an absolutely fresh twist to the story, while remaining true to the original in all the ways that mattered.
I also loved that while Darcy and Bennet remained true to their original characters, they also had space for their own personalities, giving the story more depth and credibility.
Also loved the spic, since the original P&P was missing it haha.
Downsides were some clunky dialogue, specifically when trying to insert verbatim P&P lines (though I still enjoyed the reference), and also with the extended use of slang.
Overall I loved it just for falling on the right side of a P&P retelling 😊
heroineinabook's review
4.0
Pride and Prejudice retellings are a crapshoot. They can either be really good or really terrible (hello Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) and you really don’t know until you get into the story.
But Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is ripe for retelling. The story of a couple who can’t stand each other, realise how terribly wrong they are about the other, and then have a HEA is a story of all times. It’s one of most popular tropes in the romance genre.
So, what make a story an exact Pride and Prejudice retelling? Honestly? It’s the use of names. The heroine is Elizabeth Bennet and the hero is Fitzwilliam Darcy. Somehow the four sisters are wrapped into it, as is Wickham, and Pemberly and Meryton become name of places or villages.
Enter A Certain Appeal which takes the Pride and Prejudice trope for a refreshing and sexy spin. Lizzy Bennet is a struggling interior designer currently working as a glorified admin assistant and works at Meryton, a burlesque club, at night. Will Darcy is in wealth management and whose family line stretches back far and wide and the owner of Pemberley, the New York possible hot spot event space. Jane is Bennet’s (as she preferred to be called) best friend who also happens to be gay. He falls in love with Charles Bingley, Darcy’s best friend and may one day happen to be an investor at Meryton.
While I’m not a fan of doing summaries in my book reviews, that’s what other reviews and summaries at the back of books are for, it’s important to understand that this is a super inventive, and very sexy, way of telling the timeless story. ED is a family friendly blog and it’s important that a head’s up about salacious sexy times is given.
There is a lot to recommend A Certain Appeal. It’s a fun and soapy read, the book has very nuanced touches of Pride and Prejudice including the meet cute at Pemberley the event space. Swapping in the sisters for burlesque dancers, having a gay best friend named Jane, their mother is the club mother, and there is even a sleazy Wickham. King really knows her story and it shows up on every page. There is a lot of dedication to this story and that is incredibly admirable.
The only thing that I hesitate from giving A Certain Appeal five stars is the language. King tries really, really hard to capture the language of 20-somethings and it shows that kid of desperation. Even authors who are in their 20s don’t drop slang that much. It was a distraction which was such a shame for how well developed and written the story is.
tl;dr: If you are tempted into a new sexy romance based on Pride and Prejudice in the world of burlesque, definitely give this a read.
But Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is ripe for retelling. The story of a couple who can’t stand each other, realise how terribly wrong they are about the other, and then have a HEA is a story of all times. It’s one of most popular tropes in the romance genre.
So, what make a story an exact Pride and Prejudice retelling? Honestly? It’s the use of names. The heroine is Elizabeth Bennet and the hero is Fitzwilliam Darcy. Somehow the four sisters are wrapped into it, as is Wickham, and Pemberly and Meryton become name of places or villages.
Enter A Certain Appeal which takes the Pride and Prejudice trope for a refreshing and sexy spin. Lizzy Bennet is a struggling interior designer currently working as a glorified admin assistant and works at Meryton, a burlesque club, at night. Will Darcy is in wealth management and whose family line stretches back far and wide and the owner of Pemberley, the New York possible hot spot event space. Jane is Bennet’s (as she preferred to be called) best friend who also happens to be gay. He falls in love with Charles Bingley, Darcy’s best friend and may one day happen to be an investor at Meryton.
While I’m not a fan of doing summaries in my book reviews, that’s what other reviews and summaries at the back of books are for, it’s important to understand that this is a super inventive, and very sexy, way of telling the timeless story. ED is a family friendly blog and it’s important that a head’s up about salacious sexy times is given.
There is a lot to recommend A Certain Appeal. It’s a fun and soapy read, the book has very nuanced touches of Pride and Prejudice including the meet cute at Pemberley the event space. Swapping in the sisters for burlesque dancers, having a gay best friend named Jane, their mother is the club mother, and there is even a sleazy Wickham. King really knows her story and it shows up on every page. There is a lot of dedication to this story and that is incredibly admirable.
The only thing that I hesitate from giving A Certain Appeal five stars is the language. King tries really, really hard to capture the language of 20-somethings and it shows that kid of desperation. Even authors who are in their 20s don’t drop slang that much. It was a distraction which was such a shame for how well developed and written the story is.
tl;dr: If you are tempted into a new sexy romance based on Pride and Prejudice in the world of burlesque, definitely give this a read.
pakousa's review
5.0
Pride and Prejudice retelling, she works in burlesque, beautifully written and the side characters? Chefs kiss. The focus isn't on the couple, but on Liz and her found family. Just amazing
maddiekinsp's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
netherfield's review
2.0
i hated how their first kiss went down, i was very turned off & also why did lizzie say like 13 times throughout the book that her watch "buzzed with a new message" like....
ce_gunning12's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
yonic_boom's review
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
ameserole's review
4.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A Certain Appeal was such a fun Pride & Prejudice retelling. I might be a little bias here because I absolutely love that book and the movies. So I didn't really hesitate to jump into this wonderful book one bit. It also didn't take long for me to fall in love with the characters either. Someone might call it insta-book-love, I guess?
Liz and Will were basically amazing (in my eyes). Their chemistry was very easy to devour and I couldn't help myself when it came to their bantering. I definitely had a huge smile on my face and I kept thinking to the bantering in the original book. Oh man - I feel like I need to reread that book now.
I totally get the whole enemies to lovers vibes these two were steaming my way. It also didn't take long for their own feelings or emotions to develop for one another. I mean.. it would be quite hard not to since their friends like one another and they are constantly hanging around.
Oh Charles and Jane were equally adorable too. These two definitely helped the romance blossom between Liz and Will. They deserve a drink or two for all the hard work that they basically didn't do but in some weird way they did.
In the end, I definitely devoured this book and I can't wait for the next pride and prejudice retelling to come my way.
A Certain Appeal was such a fun Pride & Prejudice retelling. I might be a little bias here because I absolutely love that book and the movies. So I didn't really hesitate to jump into this wonderful book one bit. It also didn't take long for me to fall in love with the characters either. Someone might call it insta-book-love, I guess?
Liz and Will were basically amazing (in my eyes). Their chemistry was very easy to devour and I couldn't help myself when it came to their bantering. I definitely had a huge smile on my face and I kept thinking to the bantering in the original book. Oh man - I feel like I need to reread that book now.
I totally get the whole enemies to lovers vibes these two were steaming my way. It also didn't take long for their own feelings or emotions to develop for one another. I mean.. it would be quite hard not to since their friends like one another and they are constantly hanging around.
Oh Charles and Jane were equally adorable too. These two definitely helped the romance blossom between Liz and Will. They deserve a drink or two for all the hard work that they basically didn't do but in some weird way they did.
In the end, I definitely devoured this book and I can't wait for the next pride and prejudice retelling to come my way.