Hi readers, I’m excited to share another of my Austenesque Top Ten lists with you today!
As you might have guessed, I’m a big fan of modern-day retellings! I love seeing Darcy and Lizzy in our contemporary world – it’s always fun to see what professions or interests authors like to give these characters. Plus, it’s often a hoot to see modern-day representations of Mr. Collins, Lydia Bennet, and Caroline Bingley! So much fun!
Overall, I’ve read 54 Austenesque Modern Adaptations, and 33 of them are modern Pride and Prejudice adaptations!
That’s quite a lot! And many of them were fantastic 4.5 or 5 star reads. It was not easy to pick only 10 top favorites…but I did, and here they are! 😀
* These lists are based only on the novels I have read and reviewed on this blog and are my top ten favorites.
**These lists are subject to change.
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(in alphabetical order)
Boots and Backpacks
Author: K. C. Kahler
Type of Novel: Modern Adaptation, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“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…A deeply satisfying journey full of trials, hardships, and big rewards!”
Denial of Conscience
Author: Cat Gardiner
Type of Novel: Modern Adaptation, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“Darcy as a badass assassin who drives a Harley? (C’mon…can he BE any hotter?!?)…I’m a big fan of creativity and I feel that Ms. Gardiner’s works just ooze with buckets of creativity! Sure, at times it is a bit of a departure from the Jane Austen and her world, but what a thrilling ride!”
Fitzwilliam Darcy Rock Star
Author: Heather Lynn Rigaud
Type of Novel: Modern Adaptation, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“A combination of Jane Austen and the world of rock-and-roll, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star is a high-voltage and unplugged retelling of Pride and Prejudice that is absorbing and dynamic…One of my favorite aspects of this novel is that there were three important story-lines. This story is not just about Darcy and Elizabeth.”
Lucky 13
Author: Cat Gardiner
Type of Novel: Modern Adaptation, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“Blind Dates, Christmas, and Hot Firemen Calendars…While the formula is basically there and the characters have the same personalities, this story has its own original storyline, which made it full of surprises and not at all predictable! I greatly enjoyed being surrounded by familiar friends, but having no clue where things were heading.”
Must’ve Done Something Good
Author: Cheryl Cory
Type of Novel: Modern Adaptation
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“Sylvie O’ Rourke is a simple, romantic heroine that desires to be cherished and loved unconditionally. She admires the romance between Maria and Captain von Trapp from The Sound of Music, and the great love-story of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.”
My BFF
Author: Ruth Philips Oakland
Type of Novel: Modern Adaptation, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“Ruth Phillips Oakland’s tale of Elizabeth and Darcy finding friendship and fighting falling in love was filled with clever and entertaining twist. I laughed out-loud at the witty dialogue, ironic situations, and her use of tabloids’ headlines at the beginning of each chapter.”
Pride and Popularity
Author: Jenni James
Type of Novel: Modern Adaptation, Young Adult
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“Having read several other Young Adult retellings of Pride and Prejudice – I must admit that Pride and Popularity by Jenni James is my top choice and receives my highest recommendation! In my opinion, it is the most plausible, accessible, and well-crafted YA version of Pride and Prejudice I have read!”
The Man Who Loved Pride and Prejudice
Author: Abigail Reynolds
Type of Novel: Modern Adaptation, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“The Man Who Loved Pride and Prejudice is a wonderfully entertaining and sensual modern adaption of Pride and Prejudice. I enjoyed looking for the parallels between this book and Pride and Prejudice, I wish there were more of them! Furthermore, “Darcy’s Letter” was uniquely and satisfyingly depicted and one of my favorite parts of the book.”
The Trials of the Honorable Fitzwilliam Darcy
Author: Sara Angelini
Type of Novel: Modern Adaptation, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“Ms. Angelini did a fantastic job of modernizing and adapting the characters of Pride and Prejudice to the 21st Century and the legal world. Darcy was a perfectly haughty and judicious judge, I could easily see Elizabeth Bennet as a persuasive and persevering defense attorney, and I laughed out loud at the hysterical hippie version of Mrs. Bennet!”
Villa Fortuna
Author: Cat Gardiner
Type of Novel: Modern Adaptation, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“Villa Fortuna is an amazing heart-warming romance of about finding yourself, finding home, and finding happiness! Filled with nods to Pride and Prejudice, personality, and passion this is an all-consuming reading experience you should not miss, whether you are Italian-American or not! I highly recommend!”*
*I know, 3 books by one author on this list! Some may say that is a little biased or unfair, but what can I say, Ms. Gardiner writes masterful contemporary Pride and Prejudice stories that are beyond memorable!
**Special shout-out to 2 books that almost made this list – The Muse by Jessica Evans and Compulsively Mr. Darcy by Nina Benneton.
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What are some of your favorite Modern Pride and Prejudice Adaptations?
This is my tenth Austenesque Top Ten list. You can find my other Top Ten lists HERE.
Some of my favorites too. Have read all but any by Cat Gardiner. They are on the stack to be read though. Thanks for the recommendation. I also loved “The Muse”
I am thinking over coffee and depending on classification of modern I’d add to my own list Karen Cox “1932” and “Undeceived”; Beau North’s “Longbourn’s Songbird.” Also must add Kara Louise’s “Drive & Determination”. I think making lists is difficult I can’t even pick my favorite Jane Austen novel!
Oh you must read something by Cat Gardiner, Christina! I know you will love it! 🙂
I have 1932, Undeceived, and Longbourn’s Songbird classified as retellings. They are more modern than Regency era books, but I think of modern-day adaptations as taking place in the time period the author wrote them.
There will definitely be a Top Ten for Retellings in the future! 😉
Oh, Christina, you must, really you must read Cat Gardiner’s books. Every one was a 5 star book for me. I loved Undeceived and Longbourn’s Songbird also and 1932. Gee, I would really have a problem narrowing my list down to 10.
I just finished Denial of Conscience and loved it, too! The Man Who Loved Pride and Prejudice is another good one. I have Villa Fortuna and Lucky 13 on my to-read list by the end of the year, and you’ve given me several others to consider. Great list!
Thank you, Anna! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed some of these! I hope you love Villa Fortuna and Lucky 13!! They both take place around Christmas so they are excellent choices to read around this time of year!!
great picks!
denise
Thanks, Denise! I appreciate you checking out my list!
I encourage folks to have a go with The Muse by Jessica Evans. Especially if you like your variation set in the ballet universe. I have read and reread to great enjoyment.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Colleen! I’m glad to hear The Muse is such a favorite with you!
What an amazing top ten – I bet you had a really tough time picking them. I’ve read six of them (all of Cat’s, Heather’s, Abigail’s and KC’s) and they’re all very different in outlook but wonderful reads. Sara Angelini’s book is on my Kindle TBR list but I’ve not come across the other three before.
Can I also give a shout out for Cat’s most recent book, Undercover (Austen noir), Jessica Evans’ The Muse and Abigail’s second Wood’s Hole book Morning Light?
Thank you, Anji! It was VERY difficult! I had so many great ones to choose from! Yes, very true about how many different directions modern-day stories can go. I think that is another reason I like them so much, it is fun to see the diversity!
Great choices on shout-outs! I do have Undercover categorized as a retelling and not modern-day since takes place in a different era. Oh and love Morning Light, but I guess I though it had a little more of a Persuasion vibe than P&P.
Hope you are doing well!
Great list Meredith. I’ve read Boots & Backpackers, FD Rock star, Trials of FD and all of Cat’s books. I also plan to get a couple of others you mentioned. I agree about 1932 Undeceived and Longourn’s Songbird. I would also recommend Undercover by Cat Gardiner, Green Card by Elizabeth Adams and Perfect Fit by Linda Wells if you haven’t read those. All well worthy of 5*plus!!! Thanks for sharing
Thank you, Glynis! 🙂 I’m so glad you share so many of my favorites! 🙂 I haven’t read Green Card, I was under the impression it wasn’t Austenesque! Thanks for the rec.
Well it isn’t true P&P but the characters are based on them and it is really good. I wasn’t going to buy it until I listened to a chat between Elizabeth and I think it was Beau North which made me give it a try and I’m so glad I did. And of course Perfect Fit ❤❤ is perfect!
Glynis, I have also read Perfect Fit by Linda Wells, top notch writing. Sad she seems to have left the P&P variation universe for now, I haven’t seen anything new lately.
I believe that Linda Wells has been posting a WWII P&P story over on A Happy Assembly (and perhaps elsewhere, I’m not sure). There are a lot of chapters, over 150. I am guessing that she will be intending to publish it.
Linda definitely hasn’t left but as you have read her books you know the quality and length of them (imperative is my favourite!) So as someone has mentioned she is writing Keeping Calm about World War 2 which she reckons will probably be about 6 or 7 volumes (bliss!) She is also writing another period story I think called Perception. So that is another to look forward to. Both will definitely be worth waiting for although it is very hard.
What a wonderful list, Meredith! Quite a few on there that I haven’t read yet. I would love to know what would make your list of modern Austenesques that are not based on P&P, too, I hope you make that list one day!
Thank you, Ceri! I do plan to make one for non P&P moderns. I’ve read around 20, will probably want to read a few more before making a list of my faves! 🙂 I appreciate you checking out my list!
I am truly honored to have my three mods listed with such wonderful authors/books. FDRS and My BFF are my all-time favorites and to be listed with them makes me so proud! I’m excited to add the others to my own TBR list. Thank you, Meredith!!
It would be impossible for me to have this list and not include them, Cat! Your stories are brilliant and I love them to pieces! I’m so glad to hear FDRS and My BFF are such favorites of yours too! 🙂
Love the list, they are definitely some of my favorite modern P&P. I’ve read all but two and have both of those yet read on my TBR list!
Thank you, Dung! I appreciate you saying that! That’s awesome that you’ve read so many of my favorites!
There are a couple on here I haven’t read, will have to check out!! I would have to put Perfect Fit by Linda Wells in my top 10, though, too 🙂
Thanks so much for checking out my list! Hope you enjoy any new ones you try!
Aimee Avery’s Swayed Impressions is short and sweet, I also like Reflections by Linda Gonschior. For real angst in a modern setting, try Honour and Hope by Regina Jeffers. Finally, one I re-read all the time, Compulsively Mr Darcy by Nina Benneton, Darcy with OCD! Your list is great, Boots and Backpacks is a fave as is Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star….sigh
Thank you, Debra! It was hard to narrow it down to 10! I really was tempted to make it 12. 😉 I have not read Swayed Impressions, will have to check it out! Thanks!
Some amazing books on that list, Meredith 🙂 I’ve read most of them. Darcy and Elizabeth time-travel very well, don’t they?
Thank you so much for checking out my list, Karen! 🙂 Yes, they do! But so do Anne and Wentworth! 😉 *sigh*
I have not read My BFF nor Must Have Done Something Good. In fact no one has brought them to my attention either. Oh, The Muse and The Perfect Fit are good ones also. And both of Abigail’s modern Woods Hole books are great.
Those 2 were published in 2009 I think, so they aren’t as current with everyone right now. But they are very memorable and special to me. My BFF has Darcy and Elizabeth trying to be friends like “When Harry Met Sally” and Must’ve Done Something Good has a bit of a “The Sound of Music” vibe! I hope if you do try reading one of those that you will love them just as much as I do
I read ‘My BFF’ on A Happy Assembly, I keep meaning to get the published version too. Glad it made your list Meredith, as there are so many good new books that it’s easy to forget older ones.
I don’t know how you were able to limit yourself to ten based on how many you’ve read. That’s a feat in itself. LOL
I’ve read seven of your ten and both your honorable mentions. I agree these should be on there.
Do you count Sarah Price’s Amish Classics as Modern? I’d put her P&P on my list if you do.
Here are a few of mine: Fall for You by Cecilia Gray. Linda Well’s A Perfect Fit. And it’s not JAFF but I loved Hope Ramsay’s The Last Chance Book Club as well as Pursuing the Times by Lauren Baratz-Logsted and Heather Vogel Frederick’s Pies & Prejudice. There are others that were okay ones and several fantastic ones that aren’t straight adaptions (split with past stories or have time slip elements, etc).
It was not easy, Sophia! I’m glad I decided to make this list just P&P related. It would have been impossible for me to pick 10 favorite moderns alone. I love so many!
Good question. I had Sense and Sensibility in that series labeled as a retelling, but it is technically set in present-day so I guess it is a modern! I have only read that one of the series and liked it well! It was my first Amish romance. You gave me some great recommendations I don’t think I’ve heard of the Last Chance Book Club or Pursuing the Times! Will have to check them out. Thanks!
Really helpful reviews, as always Meredith. I sort of had to (mentally) be dragged kicking and screaming to try another modern JAFF after my first and really awful (to me) modern telling of P&P. Um–no names there. Besides it was me not the writing or the story. I finally gave it another try though after you had Jack Caldwell as one of your guest authors, and his talking about the Crescent City trilogy he wrote. I just loved his other books so I really paid attention to his chat on your blog regarding the C.C. trilogy. I loved them. I hope you are able to read them sometime.
I also loved Robin Helm’s Forever Yours trilogy and I REALLY had to push past my comfort zone for those as they involve a timeline switch. She pulls that off wonderfully.
I haven’t read any of the ones on your list (shame-face 🙁 ) but I trust your opinion and I will give them a try. Can you tell I still don’t quite trust the modern take on JAFF? I know, I know….don’t hate me ladies…what can I say? I’m ancient. :/
Thank you, Michelle! I appreciate you saying so! I’m so glad you found Jack’s series to your liking, that’s fantastic!
Contemporary Austenesque isn’t for everyone and it’s great that there are so many books out there that readers can choose to stay with the type of stories that are truly a good fit for them. 🙂 It isn’t bad that you have a certain type of story you don’t fancy. If you like Robin’s and Jack’s books sounds like you might tend to enjoy modern-day stories that have a different and unique element woven in. Like a body swap or historical content. I hope you find others that you like just as much!
Great list! I see a few I need to try out!
Awesome! Thank you so much for checking out my list!
Meredith I did check out both and bought one on Amazon and put the other on my Wish List…until I read some of what I have already from KU. But again thinks for the list.
Awesome!! Happy reading! 🙂
Linda Wells has NOT left the JAFF universe – she is posting an extremely long WWII P&P take off with now 167 chapters and it ain’t over yet. It began before the war, Darcy is a pilot and Elizabeth drove lorries. Pearl Harbor has now happened and the USA has entered the fight. I am guessing she wants to take us through the war and home again. ODC did meet and fall in love. I read up to when they marry and have been saving the chapters for a long space of time when I can read without other books calling to me – as if that is going to happen. I guess I will have to shut myself in a room. I have read all her other books.
http://meryton.com/aha/index.php?showtopic=13470
Started by booknut, Dec 30, 2012 05:35 AM
What a great list. Love Cat Gardiner’s books and Abigail Reynolds and rock star Darcy!
Thank you, Serena! I completely agree with you! 😀
What a very fun list! Thank you so much for including my book! I love Jane Austen and I’m excited to be in the middle of such fun Austen lovers too. 🙂
Thank you, Jenni! Your book definitely belongs on this list! I absolutely adore it!
Do you have a link to Perception by Linda Wells? I would like to read that also.