Aye! Ye Be Wanting t’ Read This One, Matey!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Source: Review Copy from Author
What if an extremely disheartened Darcy spent the months after his disastrous proposal to Elizabeth Bennet in a state of neglect, self-pity, and inebriation? What if Darcy’s unkept and unrecognizable appearance led to him being mistaken for a wanted pirate? What if Darcy agreed to impersonate this wanted pirate (even though disguise of every sort is his abhorrence) in order to help the authorities capture him?
In an attempt to move on and forget his pain, Darcy agrees to this duplicitous charade. He ends up spending a tolerably enjoyable week impersonating Lockerly – his natural ability to take command and his just treatment of his subordinates win him the loyalty and respect of his makeshift crew. But Darcy becomes much more embroiled in this masquerade when he is unexpectedly taken out to sea and finds his ship heading straight towards Lockerly’s alleged hideout…
What ensues next is a swashbuckling adventure filled with threatening storms, daring rescues, and crossing swords with real pirates!
Oh my!! A dashing and valiant pirate Darcy! I can easily say that my most favorite aspect of this novel was Kara Louise’s portrayal of Mr. Darcy (and the fact that he is masquerading as a pirate! SQUEEE!) His unwillingness to take part in this deception, his adorable pirate “talk,” his honorable and brave actions to protect everyone in his care, and his unwavering devotion for Elizabeth just liquefied my heart. Darcy is one sexy pirate!! While the idea of Mr. Darcy acting like a pirate may at first sound a little far-fetched, Kara Louise fashions together a well-constructed and believable premise that does not feel fantastical or forced. I appreciated how, even though he is impersonating a criminal and far away from the society and sphere he is accustomed to, Kara Louise’s Mr. Darcy, in essentials “is very much what he ever was.”
What else do I love about this novel? The fact that it is chock-full of exhilarating action – no calm or still waters for these characters! Between navigating through dangerous and unpredictable weather, repairing damages to a ship, and fending off real-live pirate attacks – this story was a succession of exciting escapades and obstacles. And the emotional journey that Darcy AND Elizabeth experience on this voyage is as turbulent as a stormy sea! Kara Louise does a brilliant job of taking our beloved couple through a myriad of emotions – fear, deception, admiration, trust, misapprehension, doubt, and hope. I simply loved witnessing the change and progression of Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship. Especially because Elizabeth is traveling with her father and an amiable cousin with whom she seems to share a mutual attraction.
Looking for an epic and grand adventure? With Pirates and Prejudice, Kara Louise delivers a sweeping tale that is thrilling, bold, and beautifully crafted! Brava, Kara! Thank you for bringing Darcy and Elizabeth into the world of pirates, buried treasure, bandanas, and billowy white shirts!
To borrow and alter a phrase from Captain Jack Sparrow: “Read on, me hearties, yo ho!”
18 out of 30 completed!
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GIVEAWAY!!!
Kara Louise has kindly offered to giveaway one new copy of her novel Pirates and Prejudice (paperback copy for US winner, ebook for international winner)in conjunction with my review and our fun interview post (which was posted on Wednesday).
To enter and win this here treasure all you have to do is comment below.
Psst! If you comment on Wednesday’s post, you will be entered twice!
- To save your inbox from unwanted spam, please leave your email address with an [at] instead of @.
- (You could also leave a Twitter handle or Facebook username instead).
- This giveaway is open worldwide! (paperback for US residents, ebook for international readers)
- This giveaway ends June 26th.
Wow! This sounds great–I think it just moved to the top of my “to-be-read” list. 🙂
araminta18 at gmail dot com
Good decision! 😉 I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Thanks for a swashbuckling 5-star review, Meredith! It’s great! And araminta18, I hope you get a chance to read it and will enjoy it!
My pleasure, Kara! Thank you for writing such an excellent novel!! I look forward to rereading it many times in the future!
All right, 5 out of 5 stars is pretty convincing. Plus, the phrase ‘Darcy is one sexy pirate!’ is also pretty convincing.
Yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!
Heather M.
hmoll(at)nycap(dot)rr(dot)com
LOL! That he is! Glad ye are joinin’ the crew!
An even sexy Darcy than the lake scene from the bbc adaption. I wonder what he would look like in Pirate get up. a girl can dream. Congratulations on the five star review Kara x
Yes! Sign me up for that! I want a sexy pirate Darcy in a white shirt climbing out of a pond. Or, the ocean, I guess, since he’s a pirate and all.
LOL now I’m picturing a big ol’ pirate ship anchored in a pond in front of some stately Pemberley-esque mansion.
Even though Darcy wasn’t too fond of the billowy white shirt, I quite fancied him in it (and I don’t think I am the only one!) 😉
So are we talking about Darcy as a sexy pirate like Errol Flynn – my all time favourite swashbuckler, if so then this will be a great read
meikleblog at gmail dot com
Yes! I think so! Confident, noble, brave, and quite good with a sword! I hope you get a chance to read it soon, Vesper!
You guys are too fun! I hope you’ll all find the book to your liking, and good luck in the giveaway!
Ah, I love the creativity in setting this in a world of pirates and at sea.
Enjoyed your thoughts on the story.
sophiarose1816 at gmail dot com
It is combining two favorite of mine pirates (love me some POTC) and Jane Austen! Thanks for stopping by, Sophia Rose!
Can’t wait to read this should be a fun tale….
Love a sexy pirate….think Darcy will make a good one…
I hope everyone thinks it is a fun tale! Good luck in the giveaway!
Super fun! Loved Darcy as a pirate! I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!
Rrrr, I be a wanting to read this book! Alright, enough with my poor attemt at pirate lingo. Looking forward to this one. Darcy as a swashbuckling pirate! Sign me up! Is there a sexy eyepatch involved? Or maybe an eye mask like the Dread Pirate Roberts, a la the hunky Cary Elwes? Soons like a great read, and thanks for the giveaway chance!
colleenday at hotmail dot com
Nice attempt at the lingo, Colleen. 🙂 As for the eyepatch, if you read my interview (or Darcy’s interview) with Meredith, you will see that Elizabeth hits him in the eye with a rock when she first sees him, thinking he is another pirate. After having to nurse his injury, she uses a ‘makeshift’ eyepatch by wrapping his red sash (from around his waist) around his head to cover his injured eye. And maybe… just maybe… we’ll see him with a real eyepatch – but you’ll have to read it to find out!
Love Cary Elwes as Wesley – another great pirate!! And that is funny you should ask about an eye patch… 🙂
At first I was like, “Waaa? Mr. Darcy a *Pirate*????* But now I am all kinds of on board (hehe)! So excited to read this one!
I am US.
justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Thanks for being open to a Darcy pirate, Chelsea! I appreciate that in her review, Meredith felt that I ‘fashioned a well-constructed and believable premise’ as that is what I had hoped to do. Good luck in the giveaway!
LOL! Loved the pun! Glad t’ have ye on board!
Would love to win a copy!! I have some signed books already and love them all!! I am in USA (met Kara at an Austin Tea) Lovely woman, great books!! Rhonda Menke
How lucky you are to have met Kara!! I be she is kind and wonderful as she seems! Thank you for stopping by!
Hi Rhonda! Glad to see you here! Thanks for the kind compliments!
Squee!!! Awesome review Meredith!! I loved both of Kara’s books and had been hoping for a new story! *crosses fingers for giveaway*
gracej.wang at gmail dot com
Thank you, Grace! Kara’s books are always wonderful! I love them all! Good luck in the giveaway!
I’m thrilled that you’re excited, Grace! Good luck in the giveaway!
This sounds like such a fun read! Darcy can appear in any guise and I will read about him. I’m hopeless….
elaine489(at)gmail(dot)com
I know, right? Darcy can do no wrong! 😉
I hope you’ll find it a fun read, Elaine! Thanks for stopping by and good luck!
This does sound like a fun summer read. Very unique premise! Thank you for the opportunity to enter the giveaway.
bledsoefamily4 (at) sbcglobal (dot) net
Thanks for stopping by, Amy! I hope you’ll enjoy it! Good luck in the giveaway!
There are never enough Kara Louise novels!
I’ve been so excited since I saw the release date, but I’m sadly waiting for my copy to arrive from overseas. I can’t wait for it to look pretty on my bookshelf next to her other novels!
Fingers crossed I can win the eBook version to keep me occupied before the books arrives!
kimberly(at)retrogression.org
Oh, thanks, Kimberly! I hope it arrives soon, and good luck in the giveaway! (How long does it usually take for a book to arrive?)
I’ll throw my feathered cap into the ring! What a great concept and so glad that Kara Louise has taken steps along the plank to bring this treasure to us!
Thanks for the opportunity to win this fantastical story!
oreannie at yahoo dot com
Thanks for climbing aboard, Kate! Glad you like the concept and I hope you love the book! Good luck in the giveaway!
I bought the book a few days ago and stayed up late into the night reading it. I definitely agree with you, Meredith – it was a brilliant P&P story, spiced up with the plausible-but-pleasurable pirate plotline. Also, I absolutely agree with the above commenter who said that there can never be enough Kara Louise novels. Indeed! I can’t think of any P&P author that I enjoy more. Please write another one soon!
P.S. Since I already have the book, I’ll leave others to profit from the giveaway opportunity 🙂
Thanks for your kind words, Sienna, and I’m soooo glad you enjoyed it! I’m truly humbled! Thanks for stopping by with your thoughts on the book!