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mosbookcorner's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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? Yes
4.0
A pretty good pride and prejudice retelling with a modern twist - I liked the exploration of more diverse themes, including being trans or black, but I sometimes felt overwhelmed by the amount of povs, some of which I thought were not necessary. Still enjoyed the overall story though and I'm happy to have read it!
gm_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
janagaton's review
5.0
All the diversity & social commentary throughout this book is absolutely phenomenal and makes it worth the read whether you're a fan of Pride & Prejudice or not. I adored almost all the characters and their spunky personalities, interactions with each other, and unique storylines. I was brought to tears at times, squealing by the end, and laughing out loud throughout the whole thing. Highly highly recommend!
rellimreads's review
4.0
9/8/2021 - Full Review:
This was a fun Pride & Prejudice modern reimagining. I’m not a purist on what makes something a “retelling” or “inspired by” or whatever delineations some folks like to make – for me it was if you’re familiar with Pride & Prejudice you’ll enjoy all the nods and references, but if you aren’t you won’t be thinking, “what on earth is this author doing”?
I loved the characters and just had a great time living this year with them. I specifically enjoyed that while EJ, Jamie, Dia, Tessa, Lee, etc. all had these distinct backgrounds and experiences, the tension & drama came more from launching into adult and post-college life than from any unnecessary spats between the characters. I appreciate that Appiah-Kubi acknowledges how trials/struggles have influenced who each person is without making the focus trauma. There’s an immense normality in their uniqueness and it was a great balance.
As with P & P, I felt the pacing lull in certain areas though I don’t know how much of that is just that I can’t connect as well with some aspects of the characters’ lives – being ((gasp)) two decades older. I imagine there’s probably a huge struggle with how to categorize this book: romance? women’s lit? LGBT fiction? NA? YA? etc. Which, I kind of think is awesome – because it really defies being singularly slotted. There is romance, but it’s no more important or detailed than the other major decisions EJ (and to a less extent others) is making in her life. Any sex scenes are closed door and in general sex isn’t the focus of the relationships. Jamie is transgender, but despite some understandable hesitancy regarding how others may initially respond to her, it’s mostly a non-issue. There’s some interesting dynamics around Lee & Will being famous.
Part of me would love another book that gives more on Jamie & Lee and some of the other characters – but I’m glad that they didn’t take over EJ’s story. There is an HEA and a path forward for EJ’s life that I enjoyed.
Note: This is solidly New Adult in terms of being set around graduating college for most of the characters. However, I think this would be a fantastic listen for high school age folks (I happen to have two!).
Narration:
L Morgan Lee was new to me and I really enjoyed her young, vibrant portrayal of the characters. She did a good job of differentiating male, female, young, old, etc. It really was just a fun listen.
9/7/2021 - Will write a better review next time I get on the computer.
This was a fun P&P retelling. I’m not a purist on what makes something a retelling or inspired by - it was like if you’re familiar with P&P you’ll enjoy all the nods, but if you aren’t you won’t be thinking, “what on earth is this author doing”?
I loved the characters and just had a great time living this year with them.
Narration was wonderful. L Morgan Lee was new to me and I really enjoyed her young, vibrant portrayal of the characters.
8/18/2021 - Pre-ordered the audio because audio. Plus it was only $1.99 since I grabbed the ebook for free as my Amazon Reads pick. Due out 9/1/2021
Coming to KU…looks interesting
This was a fun Pride & Prejudice modern reimagining. I’m not a purist on what makes something a “retelling” or “inspired by” or whatever delineations some folks like to make – for me it was if you’re familiar with Pride & Prejudice you’ll enjoy all the nods and references, but if you aren’t you won’t be thinking, “what on earth is this author doing”?
I loved the characters and just had a great time living this year with them. I specifically enjoyed that while EJ, Jamie, Dia, Tessa, Lee, etc. all had these distinct backgrounds and experiences, the tension & drama came more from launching into adult and post-college life than from any unnecessary spats between the characters. I appreciate that Appiah-Kubi acknowledges how trials/struggles have influenced who each person is without making the focus trauma. There’s an immense normality in their uniqueness and it was a great balance.
As with P & P, I felt the pacing lull in certain areas though I don’t know how much of that is just that I can’t connect as well with some aspects of the characters’ lives – being ((gasp)) two decades older. I imagine there’s probably a huge struggle with how to categorize this book: romance? women’s lit? LGBT fiction? NA? YA? etc. Which, I kind of think is awesome – because it really defies being singularly slotted. There is romance, but it’s no more important or detailed than the other major decisions EJ (and to a less extent others) is making in her life. Any sex scenes are closed door and in general sex isn’t the focus of the relationships. Jamie is transgender, but despite some understandable hesitancy regarding how others may initially respond to her, it’s mostly a non-issue. There’s some interesting dynamics around Lee & Will being famous.
Part of me would love another book that gives more on Jamie & Lee and some of the other characters – but I’m glad that they didn’t take over EJ’s story. There is an HEA and a path forward for EJ’s life that I enjoyed.
Note: This is solidly New Adult in terms of being set around graduating college for most of the characters. However, I think this would be a fantastic listen for high school age folks (I happen to have two!).
Narration:
L Morgan Lee was new to me and I really enjoyed her young, vibrant portrayal of the characters. She did a good job of differentiating male, female, young, old, etc. It really was just a fun listen.
9/7/2021 - Will write a better review next time I get on the computer.
This was a fun P&P retelling. I’m not a purist on what makes something a retelling or inspired by - it was like if you’re familiar with P&P you’ll enjoy all the nods, but if you aren’t you won’t be thinking, “what on earth is this author doing”?
I loved the characters and just had a great time living this year with them.
Narration was wonderful. L Morgan Lee was new to me and I really enjoyed her young, vibrant portrayal of the characters.
8/18/2021 - Pre-ordered the audio because audio. Plus it was only $1.99 since I grabbed the ebook for free as my Amazon Reads pick. Due out 9/1/2021
Coming to KU…looks interesting
questingnotcoasting's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I'm always interested in an new take on Austen and this had some elements I really enjoy: a university setting and alternating POVs. I couldn't help but try to predict where the Pride and Prejudice parallels would be, which did distract me from the actual story a little. This isn't a close retelling and doesn't have all the same characters and plot points but has enough resemblance to clearly see the inspiration. It was easy to get into but I thought the pacing was a little uneven in places and couldn't help but notice a few clunky expositional lines. I also don't think it's going to stick with me because I finished it a few weeks ago and can't remember all the details but overall it was a fun time and I'm glad I read it.
libdibs's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
That was fun, and the Pride and Prej retelling aspect was delicious, but for a contemporary romance novel there were wayyyy too many characters and themes involved
mmmmmm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
audio was not the way to go for this. my expectations for this book were way off, i wish we’d seen more of the other characters not just EJ
jemsilverheart's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5