“But I Would Walk 500 Miles…”
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
Imagine a world where William Darcy is a rebellious and promiscuous paparazzi-magnet, and is required to marry by his thirtieth birthday in order to inherit the sizable Darcy family fortune.
Imagine an Elizabeth Bennet, fiercely independent and resolutely dedicated to her personal and professional goals, and only interested in holding men and relationships at arm’s length.
Darcy needs to escape Manhattan, he is being followed and harassed constantly since his thirtieth birthday is less than two months away. While searching for a place to hideout for a couple of weeks, Darcy runs into “Miss Nice Ass” Elizabeth Bennet, who not only offers him a place to hide for the day, but also an opportunity to spend six weeks evading the press and paparazzi. She is looking for a partner to help her trek 300+ miles of the Appalachian Trail, since her traveling companion/”boyfriend” just bailed. While Darcy wants to get out of town, he isn’t so sure about going somewhere without electricity, hot water, and modern luxuries…Will they be able make through the arduous and challenging journey with the trail ahead as rough as their relationship???
Wow! What a consuming and exhilarating read! This adaptation combines so many elements I love – Darcy and Elizabeth trapped in close quarters, an inventive and unexplored setting, high passions, and an emotionally turbulent journey! Yes, it has it all! I loved observing these two characters and their hang-ups about relationships and emotional scars challenge each other, learn from each other, and grow. It may surprise some readers to see a Darcy that has a proclivity for one-night stands and is not shy about his sexual urges and prowess. But I understood and felt sympathy for this less-than-gentlemanly and rebellious Darcy. He is not happy with his life, his parents’ tragic death, the unusual clause in their will, and the press’s intense focus on his life; and this is his way of coping with that unhappiness.
And then we have Lizzy, who is afraid of unhappy relationships and men wanting her to change her goals or priorities. She refuses to lose control and protects her heart by only having casual “friends-with-benefits” types of relationships, but she soon discovers that does not alwayas working out so well. I admired how strong and determined Lizzy is in this story, she truly is a “fearsome thing to behold.” But sometimes she came across a little hard and cold (especially in the beginning), but this might be because the readers aren’t inside her head. I loved that the story was from Darcy’s point-of-view, but I think I would have understood and empathized with Lizzy a little more if we saw what she was thinking sometimes.
The setting and premise of this story are brilliant! I’ve never done any type of overnight hiking and backpacking (don’t know if I have the mettle for that kind of thing!), but I loved reading about it! I enjoyed learning more about the sites along the Appalachian Trail, the challenges of backpacking, and various survival methods practiced while hiking. Another aspect I loved in this story was the inclusion of various Jane Austen characters from other novels. The relationship between Marianne Dashwood and Elizabeth is perfectly portrayed, loved it!
Boots and Backpacks is a poignant and powerful tale about two individuals who overcome their obstacles, accomplish their goals, and forge a path together for the future. A deeply satisfying journey full of trials, hardships, and big rewards! Fans of sexy modern-day Pride and Prejudice adaptations, like Lucky 13: Matchmakings and Misunderstandings and Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star, will adore this passionate and riveting debut novel by K. C. Kahler!
Warning: Recommended for Mature Audiences Only due to the intimate scenes and dialogue and the use of strong language.
This sounds really good. Although moderate versions of P & P are not my favourite type of book, I think this is one that I could read due to your fabulous review Meredith!
It’s definitely a well-written and unique modern retelling! 🙂
I read this book a while back and really loved it. I encourage anyone who likes to read the modern P&P variations to give it a go.
Glad to hear you loved it, Colleen!
Love your review! Its’s one of my favorite modern adaptations of P&P. I highly recommend it as well.
Thanks, Dung! 🙂 I was looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you! Thanks for stopping by!
I read this a while ago and really enjoyed it. The only thing that really bothered me was Darcy’s parents’ Will. Giving absolute orders and timelines seemed a bit over-the-top, so I can understand the rebellion. I could understand better if everything would be tied up until he did marry and had a family.
True, I did feel hat a little too. But I guess is served the premise well to have such a tight timetable.
Everyone seems to like this one so much, it’s high on my TBR. Now it has your imprimatur as well, it’s even higher!
Glad to hear this book is receiving lots of praise! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Yay! I’m so happy you loved this one, Meredith! 🙂 I own it and plan to read it very soon. It’s good to see that it got your approval! 😉 Plus, I always like it when we also get the chance to see Jane Austen characters from other novels together with Darcy and Elizabeth. They add something more to the story. 🙂
That’s great that you own this one, Maria! I’m sure it will bring you a lot of pleasure! I look forward to hearing your thoughts when you do read it!
I found it very exhilarating too just for the freshness it breathed into a familiar story. Nice review, Meredith!
Thank you, Sophia! It was so much fun to go for a virtual hike along the Appalachian Trail!
I really liked this story also but didn’t like Darcy’s over 500 “one-night-stands” – just over the edge for me. Other than that it is a winner. Even with medical testing…STDs are an issue with this type of lifestyle and what does it say about our culture? Other than that it is a winner.
Glad you enjoyed this tale, despite Darcy’s high number of one-night-stands! Lizzy’s an amazing woman to be able to get past that!
I haven’t been reading much modern JAFF lately but I do hope to get to this one soon! It looks really good and I’m happy you liked it! What a crazy thing to put in a Will these days! Is it like that for every generation of Darcys or just a way to get him to settle down? My parents would be more likely to leave me a fortune if I DIDNT marry! lol
I think the will might have been just for this generation. If I remember the movie The Bachelor starring Chris O’Donnell had a similar will and situation. I wonder if people do this in real life? LOL! Too funny!
Oh, yes, a challenging premise not only for the Appalachian Trail but for the new “face” of Darcy! It’ll be exciting to see a rebellious Darcy in this modern version. Reading your post, I couldn’t help thinking in Nancy Sinatra’s song: “These boots are made for walking” LOL, wouldn’t it be a cool soundtrack for this story? 🙂
It was a different Darcy, for sure! LOL! There is a lot of talk about their hiking boots – definitely a good song to be thinking of! Love it!
Thanks so much for the review, Meredith! And thanks to all of you for your lovely comments. I’m always tickled to hear that someone enjoyed B&B. This Darcy is a bit contoversial! 🙂
Thanks for reading my review, K. C.! I’m so happy to have read your book! <3 it! Hope you will publish more soon!
I loved this modern variation. I thought that Darcy started off by being a rather unsympathetic character and when the number 500 appeared, well, you could hear the thump as my jaw hit the floor!
Providing you don,t have an aversion to the mature content, then I can highly recommend this, too. An amazing debut novel.
Happy to hear you loved this one, Anji! Given his reputation and proclivities I was expecting a number like that…not your typical Darcy, but that’s what makes it unique and interesting. 🙂 Very true! What a great novel to debut with!
Wow, Meredith. You don’t give out 5 stars very often anymore! Sounds intriguing and a bit different.
Great review, Meredith.
I just finished this book and I LOVED it too. Wow! So cleverly plotted and emotionally charged at the same time. This is now one of my favorite modern “Pride & Prejudice” stories!
Awesome, Claudine! I am so happy to hear that you liked this one as much as I did! It sure made me wish I was I could do some hiking like this! 🙂