Thirteen Christmases with Will and Elizabeth

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Source: Review Copy from Author

TYPE OF NOVEL: Modern Pride and Prejudice Novella

THE PREMISE: Despite Will making a terrible first impression at a frat party in 1981, he and Elizabeth Bennet begin a story together that will span more than two decades. Their story has many chapters as their relationship goes through many different phases – some happy, some magical, and some sad…

Seeing how the events unfold in this story is such a wonderful surprise, I loved going in not knowing what to expect. So I thought I should be a little more vague in my review. Instead of gushing heavily about all novel, here is a list of things I loved. My apologies if I still end up gushing a bit. It can’t be helped. ☺️

10 THINGS I LOVED ABOUT AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE:

🎄  Unique Time Line/Structure:  Each chapter only shows a day during the Christmas season for that specific year and then the next chapter jumps ahead. I loved the creativity of this structure.

❄️  The Setting: 1980’s, New England. I love it because it is a different time period and specific place. And like she does in all her writing, Cat Andrews’s settings are so vivid with detail and description that you feel like you are really there.

🎄  Musician Darcy: Yes, please! I love this journey for him. I especially love how modest and low-key he is about it – no arrogance whatsoever. While I greatly enjoyed connecting with Will Darcy because of his pursuit of a musical career, I also appreciated the various conflicts and challenges this career path produced.

❄️  Emotionally Invested: I could not help but feel consumed by these characters and their story. I felt swoony and blissful, I felt agony and heartache. I cried…multiple times. I love when I feel this strong connection with characters.

🎄  Nerdy Elizabeth: I love that Elizabeth was a math nerd and that being a self-sufficient, woman of independence was important to her. She cared about having a career and having her own life.

❄️  Real Feelings: The experiences these characters have felt so authentic and relatable. The euphoric joy of love, the struggles to balance and give/be all you need to, the pain of making a hard decision, the delicate and gradual phases of healing, the gut-wrenching despair when something doesn’t last forever – all can be easily understood by the reader because they too have felt/experienced similar in their life.

🎄  The Bennets: They were charming! What can I do to be invited to their home for Christmas? Elizabeth is very fond of all her family and especially close to them. I loved the tiny glimpses of their times together and the updates about each sisters’ lives.

❄️  Woodstock, Vermont: I loved that this place was such a prominent setting in the book. It is themost idyllic New England village. And I would know, because I went there! (Thanks to Rita) You can be sure on my next visit I will be looking for homes with barns everywhere I go or imagining Will and Lizzy together on the Village Green.

🎄  Feels Complete: Even with it being a novella of around 120 pages with long jumps in time between each chapter, it feels like we got the whole story. Nothing is lacking, nothing is rushed, nothing is under developed. I’m so impressed. That takes some skill and finesse to pull off.

❄️  Christmas: My heart warmed at all the Christmas elements in this story – the variety of Christmas decorations, the different gatherings, the traditions new and old. I really loved the angel tree-topper. 

NOTE: With some use of strong language and a few romantic interludes, I’d recommend this work for Mature Audiences

CONCLUSION: 

Poignant, stirring, and sincere – An Old Acquaintance is an exceptional holiday novella where soul-piercing love is hard won.

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