An Artist and An Attorney

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Source: Review Copy from Author

TYPE OF NOVEL: Contemporary Pride and Prejudice, Mature Audiences

THE PREMISE: In an attempt to money-grab, the local government is trying to push out long-term residents of the historic and eclectic Dune Shack artist colony in Cape Cod. But artist Elizabeth Bennet, who grew up living in her family’s dune shack won’t let them do so without a fight. However, when she overhears some disparaging remarks about it being a “hopeless” case from the pro-bono lawyers she hired, Elizabeth completely loses faith that they could ever be her allies in this battle…

WHAT I LOVED: 

• First of All, It’s Cat Andrews: If you know, you know. There is just something special about Cat Andrew’s writing. Having read all her published works, I’ve noticed some classic trademarks that I can always look forward to seeing in a Cat Andrews novel – a compelling and passionate romance, strong character development where characters face real, relatable, and emotionally challenging situations, and a significance placed on creating a vibrant and detailed setting that helps shape the story.

• Different Objections & Different Obstacles: Elizabeth’s battle to save her home, Will’s struggle to not cross lines with a client, Elizabeth’s independent detachment when in comes to relationships. I just loved how different these challenges all were. It is fresh and reinvigorating to read about these characters dealing with other issues besides prejudiced opinions, misunderstandings, and social class.

• Bohemian, Artist, Surfer Girl: Looooooved this reincarnation of Elizabeth. But maybe that is in large part because I feel some kinship with her and her fiercely independent, maintenance/feral living ways. And her favorite movie is The Princess Bride? c’mon! But in reality, I don’t think I am anywhere near as cool as this Elizabeth is though. I loved her life – I loved how she loved her life. It was easy to connect with this Elizabeth – I understood her emotions and felt the same passion for the shacks that she did.

• Artists Colony: This was so amazing! What a brilliant way to include something so special and historic in Massachusetts. And it was all new to me – I never heard for these dune shacks before. I love the history that we learned not only about this area of Cape Cod and the Dune Shacks of Provincetown, but also about Boston. On my next Massachusetts trip I definitely want to see some of these sights – especially the pocket parks and historic shacks.

• Family Dynamics: Loved that the Bennet family had some issues. This added another interesting layer to each of their relationships and Elizabeth’s overall character development. I appreciated seeing these characters have the hard conversations they needed to and begin to repair their relationships. Dealing with painful and broken relationships can be really hard and I felt the author’s portrayal of characters in these situations felt very authentic.

• The Romantic Developments: On top of all this other wonderfulness are plenty of romantic, swoony bits. I lived for each of Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s interactions together – how they would banter and tease, how each eventually opened up about their personal struggles, how they derived so much comfort from each other. In addition, I loved seeing their dates together – attending a the Portuguese Festival together, the quiet dinner date, the birthday dinner… 😙🤌🏼

WHAT COULD’VE BEEN BETTER:

• No cause to repine here!

NOTE: This story contains uses of profanity and several romantic interludes and intimate scenes. Recommended for Mature Audiences.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

🏖️  Readers can enjoy the five S’s with this tale – sun, sand, surf, seafood, and a skillfully-constructed contemporary Pride and Prejudice romance.

🫶🏼 Let the record show that Cat Andrews’ stories are spectacular and soulful. I will love them forever.

👩🏻‍⚖️  An exquisite romance, a vibrant setting, culture, history, emotional development, and personal growth – what more could you ask for? I rest my case.

Add to Cart   I   Add to Shelf