This was simply delightful. I’ve always wished for Lydia Bennet and Mary Crawford to run away together and be pirate queens. This is not that book – but it’s the next best thing. Told from Lydia’s point of view, the book posits that Lydia is a witch and that her sister, Kitty, is in fact a cat and Lydia’s familiar. In a world of secret magic where every spell has a cost, Lydia must figure … Continue reading The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub →
Happy Wednesday, y’all! Also, happy Pride! As a bi/pan woman, giving support and hugs (if you want them) to all my fellow queer folk this month especially. It’s been a rough 2022 for LGBTQ+ people and I hope this Pride can be as restorative and healing as it can be celebratory. Please know that you are valued, loved, and treasured. It also wouldn’t be a Links post if I didn’t complain about the New England … Continue reading Links: Upcoming Romance, Darcy, & More →
Tara: This book is so freaking cute, it should be illegal. And luckily, Aarya agrees with me, so we’re talking about it together! Written in the Stars is an opposites attract, fake relationship romance between Darcy Lowell, an actuary, and Elle Jones, an astrologer. Elle is working with Darcy’s brother, Brendon, on a project and he insists on setting them up on a blind date because they’re both single (also, as the founder of the … Continue reading Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur →
I always felt a little sorry for Mary Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. It seemed to me that Mary was isolated in a way her other sisters were not; Lizzie and Jane had each other as confidants, and Lydia and Kitty were partners in crime. Mary’s biggest flaw seemed to be a lack of self-awareness that led to awkward social situations, which lacked the malice or selfishness of other character’s actions, especially Lydia’s. In The … Continue reading The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow →
Steampunk Darcy is a lot of fun and also kind of a mess. It never fully resolves the conflict between the two main characters. It has a weird ethical problem in terms of an automaton. It ends on a cliffhanger with no planned sequel. But it also has a poignant story about familial loss and responsibility, great sexual tension, clever use of Pride and Prejudice motifs, plausible conflicts, cool world building, and lots and lots … Continue reading Steampunk Darcy by Monica Fairview →
Now THIS is how it’s done! Ayesha At Last is a lovely loose retelling of Pride and Prejudice, with a perfect mix of humor, heartbreak, misunderstandings, and humor. It’s a contemporary set in Canada and the characters are described with empathy and with plenty of surprises. Upon somber reflection it has some flaws, but the reason the flaws are so glaring is that most of the book is so perfect. The Darcy of the book is … Continue reading Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin →
Those familiar with author Sonali Dev know that her books involve a lot of food, complicated family issues, and angst. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors has all of these qualities, but the angst overwhelmed the romance to the point where I didn’t believe in the happy ending. I did, however, want to eat ALL the food. Trisha is a neurosurgeon in San Francisco. Her wealthy parents immigrated to America from India. They demand excellence and … Continue reading Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev →
It frustrates me that I didn’t like Pride more than I did, because the concept is awesome. In this modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, teenager Zuri Benitez, who is Afro-Latino, lives in Bushwick, New York, with her family. They live next door to a run-down mansion that is purchased and remodeled by a Black family from Manhattan. Zuri can’t stand her new neighbors, especially Darius Darcy. With his rich ways, he doesn’t fit in … Continue reading Pride by Ibi Zoboi →
I have been spending this year giving presentations on, and writing about, Mary Shelley, and when I haven’t been doing that I’ve been giving presentations about Jane Austen. Thus I was thrilled that the book Pride and Prometheus was coming out. I didn’t even read the book description. I just looked at the cover and thought: “This will fix everything.” Frankenstein, the novel by Mary Shelley, does not end well. The estimated body count comes … Continue reading Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel →
Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe is a modern day, gender-flipped tribute to Pride and Prejudice. In this version, Darcy is a woman who has made it big in hedge funds and lives in New York. When her mom has a (non-fatal) heart attack, Darcy returns to her hometown of Pemberley, Ohio, for the first time in eight years, where she reconnects with her adoring mom, judgmental dad, gay best friend Bingley, and childhood crush Luke, … Continue reading Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz →
NB: We have another lesbian romance review from Reader Tara Scott! If you want to read her previous guest reviews (and we highly recommend that you do), you can see them all here. Tara reads a lot of lesbian romances. You can catch her regularly reviewing at The Lesbian Review and Curve Magazine and hear her talk about lesbian fiction (including romance) on her podcast Les Do Books. You can also hit her up for … Continue reading Guest Review: Just Like That by Karin Kallmaker →
