Last summer marked 200 years since Jane Austen died, and with the anniversary appeared many books celebrating this well-loved English author, of which I read five. Why not join in this summer? It’s a perfect time for picking up one of her originals, or trying out an Austen-inspired novel.

First Impressions is a fun look at Pride and Prejudice from the viewpoint of (nearly) modern-day Texas. When I started reading it, I hadn’t read much of the publisher’s publicity information, so when I came across references to a man appearing “on the Internet” (like that was unusual) or checking e-mails only from an office computer, I wondered when it was written. Turns out its release this spring was a re-release. Remember when e-mails were only available from a computer and not from a handheld, portable device?

These few dated references aside, I enjoyed this transplant from Georgian England to small-town Texas, with Eddi named as the plucky Elizabeth Bennet and Dave her Darcy. They are brought together through a local theatre production of Pride and Prejudice – they play the starring roles – which made for interesting layers of meaning. The author also weaves in the protagonists’ Christian faith, which mostly felt authentic (a few times, not). Although I knew what would happen, for the book follows the plot of the original, I didn’t want to put the story down.

The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay (Nelson, 2017) is another Austen novel published for the Christian market, but as I read it I wondered where the element of transforming faith would enter the story. It didn’t, but rather explores Mary’s experience of encountering changes in work, friendships, and her own sense of self. She and a friend head from the States to Bath for a themed holiday Jane Austen style, where the main action takes place. It’s a good read and I grew to like the main character, an orderly engineer, which is a nice change from many chick-lit books.

One I really enjoyed was Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge (WaterBrook, 2017). Only after reading it did I learn that it was loosely based on Sense and Sensibility. With that knowledge, I could see the themes in reverse, but as I read, I wasn’t distracted by an updating of the novel.

In it, two sisters run a tea shop in California, but when they lose their lease they are forced to find refuge in a cousin’s home in Austin, Texas. The bond of sisterly love is a prime theme, along with finding oneself in a new location and finding love. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Which of Jane’s novels is your favourite?

I've read a lot of Austen retellings and this one was not my favourite. Of course, I love the nods to the original, but this one was just a bit over the top. The aspect of the play moved things along and I did like Dave and Eddi but parts of this were very frustrating to read.

I have to admit something and I need you to promise not to panic. Or yell at me. Or string me up. Or declare me not a human. Or the opposite of a lady. *deep breath* I have never read Jane Austen. I've not read 'Pride and Prejudice' or 'Sense and Sensibility' or 'Emma'. Now I've probably doubled the depth of my lack of humanness for someone as I left off their favorite Jane book. I can't give just one good reason (or excuse depending on your viewpoint) why I haven't. I mean, while I appreciate this time period now, this isn't my go to time period. I'm not certain it's even a top five, maybe. It's one I can appreciate but I'll always reach for Civil War or even early 20th century before I go all historical England. I can't say why I've never read the books but there's my big reveal for the day. And, I've never watched the movie adaptations either. Though to be fair, I'm not a huge movie person outside a couple of favorites that I can quote. If you must chastise me, please, try to do so gently.

Earth shattering revelations aside, there's a few that are not so polarizing with this book. And one of the bears the brunt of why I'm only giving it four stars. This book is a re-print. Originally released in 2004 it was refreshed and updated in 2018. Technology (or at least the acquisition and creation thereof) plays a significant role in this novel. Having read reviews from before the re-release things like palm pilots and internet servers would have to be refreshed in order to stay relevant. However, in refreshing a few things fell flat and some loose ends didn't quite tie together seamlessly. There was some ambiguity regarding the cell phone thing and the home phone thing and even the computer and internet thing. This is the draw back of contemporary fiction, especially such that heavily include pop culture. Not that technology is pop culture but you know what I mean. Ten years from now what of our current life will be relevant? It was a valiant effort to bring this up to speed with this novel but it jangled awkwardly and didn't quite update seamlessly. Technology aside, I also got a little tired of everyone jumping to conclusions about everything. There might have almost been insta-love but I was saved with conclusion-jumping. Still gotta say insta-love is a bigger pet peeve so there's that.

The opposite side of this is that I really did enjoy this book. Yes, the characters were a bit all over the place. I'm still trying to figure out how Eddi managed to keep a law practice afloat and travel to visit her family so often and do the play and and and. The same for her sister traveling such a long distance on the regular just to do a play. The community felt disorganized and jumbled with their mixed up technology while using the home phone more than the cell phone. See what I mean? The flip side of that is they are endearing and they really do try to just do the next right thing, best as they can decipher what that might be. Dave, probably stepped over a line or twenty when it came to his cousin and Eddi's baby sister, but he was just doing the 'next right thing'. 'First Impressions' is really all about the dangers of conclusion jumping and doing the next right thing. I don't know much about 'Pride and Prejudice' but I do know that this book is a great settle in for a cozy weekend read. I'm intrigued enough to want to read the rest of the series, updated or not.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

I realized I have actually read this book when it first came out after I requested it. I love the updating to the cover and enjoyed the retelling of the beloved Jane Austen classic!

I always enjoy retellings of Pride and Prejudice. If you took the story and set in in the show Hart of Dixie - that would be this book. Very clean read for an adult book. I saw the novel is classified as Christian but it mostly just mentions going to church. I appreciated the character names started with the same letter as the original novel so I could quickly figure out who was who. Not my favorite retelling but still enjoyable.

I was not a huge fan of this book. Although I am a fan of Jane Austin I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this retelling. It was almost as if it was too forced and as a result the narrative left the reader feeling left out in the cold. You could not fully become invested in how the characters developed which left you almost not caring what happened next.

If you are a Jane Austen purist--read no further! You probably won't like what I have to say here! However, if you like Jane Austen in any manner or form, keep reading! You're in for a little treat!

I am a huge Jane Austen fan. Not a fan to the point of having passages memorized, but I have read all of her books, multiple times, and I've read some fictional and non-fictional accounts of her life as well. I wish that her genius had been more widely recognized during her time, so that we could have had more of her wit and wisdom to fill our bookshelves! But, we just have to be content with what we have now, and fill in where we can.

I have read a lot of Austen-inspired books. I've read some that were "continuations" of her stories (Pride and Prejudice seems to be the most popular), as well modern re-tellings of her classic plots. Some of these are more successful than others. It took me a while to figure out which category First Impressions was going to fall into. Let me explain why.

First Impressions is the story of modern-day Eddi Boswick. Eddi is an attorney in London, Texas, where she moved to escape her pressuring, nervous mother, and wild, lazy sister, Lynda. In an effort to become more acquainted with her neighbors, Eddi signed up for a local theater performance of "Pride and Prejudice." Against her wishes, she is assigned the part of Elizabeth Bennett. She'll be playing opposite Dave Davidson, the most aggravating, rude jerk she's ever met.

Dave is no more thrilled to be playing opposite Eddi. His first impression of her tells him she's a man-chasing, money-grubber, just like all the other women who've come after him since he moved to London. When Eddi learns who Dave really is, he's afraid she'll reveal his secret, and destroy the life he's come to love.

Just like it's Austen counterpart, First Impressions is full of misunderstandings, overheard conversations, witty remarks, inappropriate comments, and lots of money. Most of the major characters from the original are there. Eddi's sister Jenny falls for Dave's friend, Calvin, but doesn't really make it clear to him. Lynda gets involved with the unscrupulous Rick Wallace. And Eddi's friend Cheri even snags a Boswick cousin!

This book had things to love, and things to hate. Let me start with the bad. I am not a fan of the western romance. I don't love a man in flannel, worn jeans, work boots, and a Stetson. At first, that was a major turn-off for me. It annoyed me throughout the whole story, but it seemed to fall into the background after a while. Secondly, some of the dialogue was a bit cheesy. I know some of that was to make it fit in with the original story, but some of it was just too much. Eddi flipped her French braid over her shoulder so many times, I wanted to grab some scissors and chop it off! Thankfully, she finally did just that, and I thought that was the end. But no. She just kept thinking about how much she'd like to flip it. Finally, while I appreciated the close relationship between Jenny and Eddi, I thoguth it was kind of immature. I'm thirty-one and my sister is twenty-nine. I can't remember the last time we wresteld or threw pillows at each others heads. Just sayng.

Not, for the good. I'll admit, it took me a while to get into this story. But at about the halfway point it really hit its stride, and I started enjoying it. as a matter of fact, I spent all of yesterday afternoon finishing it outside while my boys played. I thought the author did a great job of re-telling a classic story without trying too hard to make every situation fit. There are certain parts of the story that just don't translate well to the modern-day, and I think Ms. Smith did a good job of working around and over those.

The characters weren't exact matches, and didn't all behave the same way. I thought it mostly worked, except in the case of Mrs. De Bloom, who was not a good counter for Mrs. De Bourgh. But I liked the twist on the relationship between Darcy and his sister, Georgianna, with Dave's brother, George. I thought it was a nice, modern touch. I also really appreciated that Kitty and Mary were left out of this story. Their characters are kind of superfluous even in the original--but don't tell Jane Austen I said so!

The story had a very satisfying, if predictable, conclusion. I was reading as fast as I could at the end, just so I could see how it all worked out. Overall, I thought this book was great. There really is a spiritual aspect, too, which makes it every more satisfying to read.

After reading this book I found out that this author has other books in the Jane Austen Series. They have cute names, too, like Amanda for Emma, and Central Park for Mansfield Park. I'm really excited now to read them all! I always have room for a bit more Austen in my life, and I'm glad I've found a new place to get some!



I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

First Impressions accomplishes what any good retelling does: a fresh take on the classic with its own unique elements and wonderful nods to the original text. In this case, the tropes are all present with a new setting, time period, and extra quirks to familiar typecast characters.

This story is likable overall, BUT, some situations and behaviors felt contrived because of the expected underlying storyline. I would have liked a little more emotional depth in a grab-your-heart and relate way. A large amount of the characters’ time is spent preparing and practicing for an actual play production of Pride and Prejudice. This made story-inception and personality parallels fun, but I feel like it dragged down the pace of the story.

It was refreshing how characters one might dislike/love from the classic are more fully fleshed out and challenging their own stereotypes with their behavior — especially “Aunt Maddy”. I loved her! And, I did enjoy seeing the personalities of “Elizabeth and Darcy” playing out in a modern day comedy.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for the review copy. This is my honest review.

The name of this book, "First Impressions," was (if I'm recalling history correctly) the original title that Jane Austen used for the book we now know as "Pride and Prejudice." I believe this history was the reason Debra White Smith chose the name for this book, her contemporary retelling of "Pride and Prejudice."

In "First Impressions," Lawyer Eddie Boswick, living in a funny small town called London in the middle of Texas, decides to audition for the town play of "Pride and Prejudice." She is cast as Lizzie herself, and that despicable Texas rancher (who happens to be rich and absurdly handsome) is cast as Mr. Darcy. Eddie can't stand his arrogance, but she would rather die than back out of the play because of him...

If you are at all familiar with "Pride and Prejudice," I'm guessing you can see where this romance is going. That is one of the things I love about retellings: I get to experience a favorite book all over again in a different way. I definitely enjoyed this book. It was especially funny because Eddie, who is Lizzie, actually plays Lizzie in the performance; even though she is acting out the exact same thing, she doesn't see the connections between hers and Lizzie's story! Also, both Eddie and our Darcy character quote lines from "Pride and Prejudice" at each other when they argue (I can't decide if that's a cop-out or extremely clever).

Altogether, I enjoyed this modern retelling of "Pride and Prejudice," and I recommend it to all the awesome Austen fans!

I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for sharing them.

My first impression of this book was excitement. Seeing the synopsis had me really looking forward to read this book, as it sounded right up my alley, even if I hadn’t read Pride and Prejudice yet.

My second impression was complete disappointment. This book should not be allowed to be called a contemporary retelling, as there is nothing contemporary about the thoughts, actions, and beliefs of these characters. Having money and marriage be the only important thing may have worked in the original time period, it doesn’t in 2018. The sexism and misogyny in this book is also completely unnecessary, and frankly, it’s disgusting. Throwing in cars, cellphones, and a woman being a lawyer isn’t enough to make this feel modern. It truly felt as if I was reading something Victorian. And not in a good way.

It was a struggle to get through. Every time I thought I might be starting to enjoy it, some lines were thrown my way that made me want to yell in frustration.

The only plus side of this book, was the relationship between Jenny and Calvin, and their individual characters. They were the only healthy and good thing about the whole story, everyone else was problematic and terrible. For them, I’d add half a star, but Goodreads doesn’t allow half stars, so we’re still stuck on 1 as this book doesn’t deserve a second one.

I also really loved the proposal at the end, but I’d wished we had gotten there in a different way. A modern way. A contemporary way.

I know there will be lots of people out there, however, who will love this book. I’m aware not everyone feels the same way, that not everyone is bothered as much by the issues I have with this book. The book is also perfect light reading, so if this is someone’s thing, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to them, though I’d warn them of the problematic content.

Such a shame. I really wanted to love this, but I just couldn’t.

My thoughts on this book are a little conflicted. On one hand, there were parts that I liked, and then there parts that I didn’t care for. I thought it was a little odd that there were only three Boswick sisters, and that Carissa (this story’s version of Caroline Bingley) and Conner Boswick (Mr. Collins) were such small parts of the story. I suppose some of this was done to keep the story moving at a faster pace. Mary Boswick was every bit as awful as Mrs. Bennet, maybe even worse. As for Eddi… I didn’t love her the way I love Elizabeth Bennet, but that is asking a lot from a character. There were times when she got on my nerves, but for the most she was a decent character. I don’t think Dave Davidson was as proud Mr. Darcy, but he was still a pompous character. He was an okay hero.

Overall, First Impressions was an okay book, but not particularly my cup of tea. I wouldn’t come to this book looking for a Pride and Prejudice retelling that stays true to the original plot, but I think diehard fans of contemporary romance will enjoy this book.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book is a super fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I mean who doesn't love a good love story?? Especially one as beloved as the one between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy! 

Eddi Boswick lives in a small Texas town and works as a lawyer. When she decides to try out for her little town's production of Pride and Prejudice, what she doesn't realize is that her town's most eligible bachelor, who also happens to be extremely arrogant, is cast as Mr. Darcy. She receives the role of Elizabeth, and what follows is a fun, easy read of love in unexpected places. (Although if you're familiar with P&P, it may not be all that unexpected...in the best way possible!) :)

I've read other Jane Austen retellings that take place in Texas, but this one was my first novel-length story. The verbal sparring that characterizes Pride and Prejudice translates well into modern times, and I mostly enjoyed Eddi and Dave's interactions. I admit that it grew tiresome after awhile, but the author does stick somewhat to the timeline of Austen's original, so we're carried through the whole drama to its romantic conclusion.

My least favorite character was Mary Boswick, the matriarch of the Boswick family. Whoa, she's annoying, but I suppose that that's true to character. Linda was a close second. Her scenes in the book were a bit racy for something that's supposed to be considered inspirational or Christian fiction. On the other hand, my most favorite character was Jeff. His scene with Dave totally made me cry. If you haven't read the book yet, you'll see what I mean!

There were a couple of issues with the story that really stood out to me. Eddie claims that her faith is very important to her, but other than regularly attending church, there's very little spirituality mentioned in her life. No prayers, no scripture study, etc. The other thing that bothered me was that throughout the entire book, the characters in the story are rehearsing for a theatrical production of Pride and Prejudice. There are some times that Eddi and Dave make the connection between the lines that they've memorized and their own lives, but their other friends and family don't even notice that they're pretty much living out Austen's book. Yes, I know that this is a work of fiction, but it felt just a little overdone. It's still a sweet, romantic story to read, though, and I'll probably read the rest of the series.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

While Pride & Prejudice is a beloved classic, it’s a bit outdated in some of its situations. So, it’s always interesting (and often fun) to read how authors modernize this story.

In the re-release of Debra White Smith’s First Impressions, Eddie (Smith’s version of Lizzie Bennett) and Dave (AKA Darcy) butt heads from the start.

The events in this story happen in a bit of skewed timeline from the original, but it works. And all the important (favorite) encounters are there. Dave’s friend and Eddie’s sister are attracted to each other, unwanted attention from Connor (Mr. Collins’s counterpart), the duplicitous man who reveals his true self by the end. It’s all there.

There are some silly parts. I loved Eddie and her older sister’s relationship. They are able to laugh at themselves which proves good humor in both of them. And the author allows more redemption to everyone at the end of the book.

I did find it odd that neither Eddie nor Dave draw any correlation between their own relationship and that of Lizzie and Darcy since they are playing said roles in a play. But overall, this is an excellent temporary version of one of my favorite classics. Next up for me from this author is Possibilities because Persuasion has always been my number one Austen read!

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Although Eddi, a bright young lawyer, thinks that Dave, a handsome cowboy, is arrogant and pleased with himself, she can't help feeling attracted. But after she overhears him describing her as 'too short and too prissy,' she is horrified to be cast as Elizabeth alongside his Darcy, when his aunt produces the play of Pride and Prejudice!

I really enjoyed this sassy American version of Pride and Prejudice. It moves along at a fast pace; the characters are well-rounded'; and it's interesting to see how it's been changed. The country setting was excellent. I also found the dialogue quite amusing at times. I liked this Mr Darcy having a secret. However, I didn't like this novel as much as Jasmine Field and Pride and Prejudice by Melissa Nathan, which was similar but set in New York.

I received this free ebook from Bethany House in return for an honest review.

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

From the moment I started reading this story, it felt very familiar. At first I put it down to it being a retelling, but it felt more familiar than that. It took about ½ of the book for me to realize that the reason that it felt so familiar was because I HAD read it before. Back in the mid 2000s when I was a teenager and all of my friends were obsessed with Jane Austen. Still, it's a fun enough retelling and rereading it was a pleasant enough experience, even if I skimmed a bit more than I probably would have otherwise.
Okay now onto the two parts of my review:
Librarian: I am sorely tempted to purchase this book for my library. It's one that I could easily see some of my students devouring, just like my friends and I did when we were their age. Unfortunately, I work at a non-religious school, so ordering Christian Fiction is a little inappropriate. However, I will be recommending it to friends who do work at Christian schools. If I were at a public library I would absolutely order it and talk it up to those who I think would enjoy it.
Reader: As I mentioned I read this book originally as a teenager, so there was a certain comfortable familiarity in it. As a reader, I found it a vaguely enjoyable retelling of a story that I know exceptionally well. I also enjoy the story within a story aspect of the characters putting on a play version of the original novel.
I didn't enjoy everything about this novel though. Some parts were a bit too on the nose for my taste and I've never been a fan of the "good ole American country boy" aesthetic. Still I'd recommend it to readers who are fans of that novel type or to readers who are utterly obsessed with all things Austen.

Lawyer Eddi Boswick lands the role of Elizabeth Bennet in her small town's production of Pride and Prejudice. Playing opposite of her as the famous Mr. Darcy, is none other than Dave Davidson, the most arrogant, rich (and handsome) man in town. As their initial disdain turns, to friendship and eventually love, they find their lives mirroring the characters in the play more than they bargained for. With many of the other characters in Jane Austen's story represented, you'll soon be drawing the conclusion that sometimes, life really does imitate art.

First Impressions is a bit more explicit in the moral failings of the characters than Austen's original book. Sometimes, the connections between the two stories was a bit too on the nose for my taste. In some cases the characters seemed to realize their real lives were following along with the play, such as the relationship between Eddi and Dave. Other times they were completely oblivious, like with Eddi's younger sister and the Mr. Wickham character, Rick Wallace. I didn't find myself having some of the same strong emotions towards the character's in Debra White Smith's book as I did in the original story. I think she did a pretty good job of modernizing the characters and situations, but it's always tricky when you're working with a classic.

It was an enjoyable book, but I would have preferred either they completely acknowledge the connection to the original tale, or not acknowledge it at all. That's just my personal opinion though. Also, the book is from a Christian publisher, but I personally thought the themes were so subtle that I'd classify it more as a clean read than a Christian fiction.

[Note:  This book was provided free of charge by Bethany House Press/Net Gallery.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

I'm a big fan of Pride & Prejudice, and it is obvious that the author is too [1].  Wisely, I think, the author chooses to make this a self-aware reinterpretation of Austen's classics, by including the original novel, or at least an adaptation of it, as part of the framework of the original story itself.  If one is going to create derivative works on classics, it is best to make that acknowledgement of debt openly dealt with.  While this is by no means a book as remotely deep or thought-provoking as the original, it is at least a competently written book that is enjoyable to read for someone who is already a fan of the original, and that is likely all it was intended to be.  This may not be the most ambitious of books, but it is one that has at least thought seriously about how to translate its material into the contemporary period in a reasonable way that makes its main characters generally appealing.

The novel itself takes place in that nearest equivalent to the overly hyped and deeply closed world of Austen's Regency England, and that is contemporary rural Texas.  Two strong-willed people with high degrees of personal worth as well as difficulties with relationships are thrown together as leads and naturally they misunderstand each other.  We have an intelligent lawyer who trusts in her own shrewness dealing with the complications that ensue from her chemistry with an arrogant bachelor trying to hide his identity and lay low while simultaneously being pursued by a relative (a third cousin) who is involved in running the family oil business that her father stepped away from.  Meanwhile, her older sister's relationship hopes are hindered by false rumors of her being engaged to a previous boyfriend, while her younger sister Linda gets knocked up by a ne'er-do-well policeman with ties to the book's Darcy.  While all of this drama is going on many of the characters are themselves involved in performing an adaptation of Pride & Prejudice for the locals and calling in their favors to get high-culture costumes and favorable press coverage in a town where not enough happens.  All of this takes up about two hundred pages in the online version I read but may be longer on paper.

This is a work that openly wears its inspiration from Austen on its sleeve and is the sort of book that could easily become some sort of made-for-television movie on a network aimed at women audiences.  Darcy is a hard character to modernize but the author does a good job at making it plausible why he would feel guilt-ridden and why he would struggle with women who only viewed him as a wealthy suitor and not as someone to get to know better and deeper.  As a reader, I happened to find the story somewhat claustrophobic.  Growing up as I did in the rural South, and having ambivalent feelings at best about Texan culture, this book was not entirely enjoyable to read in terms of its context of quarreling families, romantic drama among single professionals, and the tensions of remaining godly in our contemporary world.  The book is a Christian romance that does not shy away from the struggles of the contemporary world, as one of the characters is pressured towards an abortion and only saved by what amounts to a deus ex machina, albeit one that is appreciated by this reader at least.  If not as deep as Austen's material it does demonstrate Austen's continuing influence on moral romances.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013/01/28/today-in-history-on-january-28-1813-jane-austens-pride-prejudice-was-published/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/03/19/audiobook-review-pride-and-prejudice/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/12/10/on-drawing-intricate-characters/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/07/22/book-review-mr-darcys-daughters/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/02/23/it-is-a-truth-universally-acknowledged-that-a-bibliophile-must-be-in-want-of-more-books/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015/05/12/some-notes-for-a-defense-of-fitzwilliam-darcy/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014/09/20/a-plain-supper/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014/08/27/so-hard-to-resist-temptation/

*This is a review copy from the publisher. No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.*

This is a cute modern retelling of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Originally published in 2004, but has been re-released with a new cover. The cover is so unique, I love it. The story was original (taking place in the South), but predicable. But I loved it anyway. I am looking forward to read more of this series.

Mrs. DeBloom moved to London, TX 3 years ago with her nephew Dave Davidson, and she is determined to bring culture and appreciation of the arts to town, so they will be putting on the play Pride and Prejudice. Eddie Bowick is new to town and hopes that taking part in the play helps her meet more people in the community.



A full cast of characters in this contemporary retelling of Jane Austen's classic.



Calvin Bardclay is the town vet, and he is a good friend of Dave's, he is excited about being in the play, unlike Dave who is doing it to pacify his aunt. Calvin teases Dave about Eddi, but he says many unfavorable thing about her which Eddi happens to overhear.



Jenny is Eddi's sister, she's a coach at the community college and she comes with Eddi to practice, where she meets Calvin.



Meanwhile Eddi's mother is very motivated to marry off her daughters to rich men, so she is constantly involved in trying to arrange her daughter's love lives. Eddi's younger sister, Linda, bring home Rick Wallace who has disparaging things to say about the mysterious Dave.



Overall, it is pretty obvious that this is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, and any fan will immediately be able to figure out who is who and so on, in fact reading this review you've probably got a pretty decent idea. But I think it might have been so close to the original storyline in ways that it was a difficult transition to modern day culture, and there were parts with Linda and Rick that were more PG-13 and hard to read.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."