Review: Pride and Pemberley: A Novel Inspired by Jane Austen

Pride and Pemberley: A Novel Inspired by Jane Austen by Dee Garretson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars 

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review 

Did I want this? 

Pride and Pemberley was a story inspired by Jane Austen's characters where American Libby Darcy inherits her grandmother's bed and breakfast estate in England. Libby's recently out of a relationship where her ex still acts as if they'll get back together and trying to find her herself as her law career never got it's footing after she failed the bar exam and she constantly is fighting negative thoughts about herself that are fueled by her mother's emotionally abusive comments to her. Libby dreams of revitalizing the bed and breakfast and with a wedding with a high profile couple, she might just be able to make her dream come true. 

With a lost contact childhood friend, Davin de Bourgh showing up to be the landscape architect, we have our mild and not too focused on romance with misunderstandings, pride, and prejudice. Libby's sisters also make some sideline showings along with with some Bingley's playing a little villain role and a ghost Lady searching for a pig. This was really about Libby trying to decide what she was going to do in life with problems and obstacles popping up in regards to fixing up the estate in time for the wedding, with some relationship navigating. A lot of the middle of the story got lost in house issues minutiae for me with it picking up a bit towards the end as Davin and Libby's romance entered the story more. It was more of “hey, I misunderstood this about you and now we can be together because we like each other” quick, mild interaction but for the tone of the overall story, it fit. If you enjoyed the original characters and want another glimpse of them and looking for a mild trip into fixing up an estate and growing into yourself, this could be a pick in the Austen world.

View all my reviews