Risk and Reputation

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Source: Review Copy from Author

TYPE OF NOVEL: Modern-Day Pride and Prejudice Adaptation

THE PREMISE: In the beach town of Derby, being a Bennet comes with some notoriety. The past generation had their share of salacious behavior and scandalous drama. Yet that doesn’t seem to deter the new owner of the beautiful Victorian beach house, Netherfield, who seems to be falling fast for Elizabeth’s sister, Jane. But will it deter Will Darcy when he finally admits the effervescent and sharp-witted Elizabeth Bennet has captured his interest like no other woman has…

WHAT I LOVED:

• Clever, Fresh, and Reinterpreted: Such a fun and entertaining modern romance! Full of summer fun and festivities, family drama, and flirtations. The Bennet clan is small – just three sisters and Mrs. Bennet. But their situation and reputation are far below that of the illustrious, silver-spoon Darcys. The Bennets are low-income, absentee fathers, and assumed promiscuity. The Darcys are yacht clubs, palatial homes on the waterfront, and charity fundraisers. This was such an interesting dynamic to explore, and one that translated really well to modern times.

• Elizabeth: She is prickly, but she has reason to be. She is striving to improve her life, trying to protect and improve her family, and has had her fair share of men disappointing and hurting her in her life. She hates when people make assumptions about her based on her family and is very wary of anyone’s intentions actually being honorable. But seeing Elizabeth work so hard to change her life, fight against the gossip, and rise above the past just made her all the more admirable to me. I loved that she is a music teacher! And I love that she made her own past mistakes and has learned from them.

• Kooks vs. Pogues: It’s the “haves” vs. “have nots,” the East Egg vs. Valley of Ashes – and it worked really well in this setting. The Bennets being more low class and their past behaviors added some interesting new texture to the story, not to mention their past drama with members of the Darcy family! Talk about scandal! I enjoyed seeing Darcy and Elizabeth deal with this bigger chasm and different set of obstacles. As one might expect, it takes a lot for them to get on the same page, and the journey felt very natural and authentic.

• Derby: Beyond the interesting economic dynamics and friendly denizens – I loved all the sites and scenery mentioned in this story – I want to see the lighthouse near Netherfield, wander through the gardens and find that cozy bench built into a wall at Pemberely, and ride Elizabeth’s vespa all over! Elizabeth Famous did a marvelous job of bringing the setting to life in this story.

• Not Perfect Sex: I appreciated what the author did here. This felt real. There are many times when sex scenes are portrayed in the most perfect way possible, and I like how this story did the opposite, and portrayed times it isn’t perfect. There are emotional and mental components involved that impact the experience. This again made the story more authentic.

WHAT COULD’VE BEEN BETTER:

• Some Quibbles: With some characters, it felt like their personality was cranked up to the extreme – Collins was nonsensically ridiculous, Darcy was very stiff with almost Regency-like formality. Some of the characters’ repetitive baser thoughts felt a little jarring and deflated the romance sometimes. And while I enjoyed a lot of the Wickham storyline and the new differences with his relationship with the Darcys, I did find it a little far-fetched when the plot-lines still included marriage or elopement schemes.

NOTE: Withe the use if strong language, adult situations, and a few intimate scenes, I’d recommend this novel for Mature Audiences.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

👙  Summer sun and flirty fun – this is the ultimate Austenesque beach read!

😎  Not too light and bright – this story displays the struggles and rewards of overcoming the past, discovering your worth, and opening yourself to others.

🤞🏼  As a girl who loves her some contemporary Austenesuqe, I sincerely hope we see some more from Elizabeth Famous!

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