Amanda Quain gives life to Georgiana Darcy in a modern spin on Pride and Prejudice that focuses on Georgiana and her time at Pemberley Academy. It's a fast read that fleshes out a character who had few scenes in Austen's novel, allowing readers a better understanding of her relationship with Fitz (Darcy) and the extent of Wickham's wickedness. Georgie also plays an anonymous matchmaker between Lizzie and Fitzwilliam Darcy, strategically giving P&P fans page time between the two.

Pride and Prejudice painted Georgie as highly susceptible to Wickham's influence, and Quain, in keeping with the source material, leads with this. Georgie is starting the new school year after Wickham has been expelled. She is still somewhat fragile and trying to heal from Wickham's manipulation. There is a fair amount of self-loathing in the first half of the book. Additionally, some moments made me cringe on her behalf. It was difficult to watch her blunders and have her shunned by the students at Pemberley, but she keeps earnestly trying.

As a fan of Pride and Prejudice, I knew the final outcome, but I wanted to read Georgie's journey in Quain's hands. For the most part, Quain does a wonderful job with this retelling. Georgie begins as a familiar character and successfully transitions into someone with more depth and not as vulnerable as the original book made her. I generally liked Georgie's voice and her personality. She might not believe she's deserving of being a Darcy, but she is one through and through. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free book.
I’m going to start with the narration. I loved it. The narrator captured the characters - their tones, voices, and likeness so well. But that’s about the only thing I enjoyed. I’m learning that I am just not a retelling fan, and I need to pay closer attention. I also wasn’t a fan of any of these characters. I didn’t understand why Wickham was every great. I also didn’t understand why Georgiana didn’t go to school elsewhere and start over. This book, while acknowledging privilege, also was so whiny. It’s not for me. I hope other readers love it.

Accomplished is a modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice from Georgiana Darcy's point of view. It picks up in the aftermath of her older brother and guardian discovering George Wickham selling drugs out of her dorm room and deals with Georgiana learning to cope on her own and accept help from others.The story is written in the first person, and there is lots of teenage angst, but overall it is a really good story. I'm always interested to see how author's handle the Wickham situation in modern retellings, and I think Amanda Quain chose well. Overall, if you don't mind a bit of teenage angst, I highly recommend this book.

*I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley

Accomplished by Amanda Quain is a cute, young adult romance that is also a Pride and Prejudice retelling. And I adored these characters and their story and enjoyed the P&P references throughout the book.

Georgiana Darcy is a student at the prestigious boarding high school, Pemberly. She lives in her brother’s shadow after he graduated a couple of years ago. Georgiana is now in her junior year, and she’s lucky she was able to come back after her disastrous sophomore year. It was only her last name Darcy that kept her from being expelled. If only she could live up to her brother’s perfect legacy and prove to him that she can manage herself without his help.

Her trouble last year started with her brother's friend Wickham, and she knows her brother hasn’t forgiven her. So she decides to save her reputation at school and with her older brother Fitz by 1. Rebuild her reputation with the high school band. 2. Forget all about her first crush, Wickham, and all his lies. 3. Distract Fitz by helping him to fall in love with his college study partner, Lizzie Bennet. She enlists the only friend she has left at Pemberly, Avery, to help her with her list.

I enjoyed this book very much. I liked that this P&P retelling is from Georgia’s point of view. I also felt like I knew these characters already, even in their modern personas, as they had similar characteristics to the characters from P&P. The romance was a very slow burn, but I enjoyed their friendship very much as they worked together to get Fitz and Lizzie together.

I liked the relationship between Fitz and Georgie, even the troubles between them. Fitz tries so hard to be the guardian of Georgie, but he has trouble communicating how much he cares for her. I also enjoyed Fitz as a younger cooler character than the Darcy of P&P. Especially his relationship with Charles Bingley, a fun-loving frat boy!

The only negative is Georgie was down on herself quite a bit for most of the book, and there was a lot of angst. But, I grew to enjoy her and when she finally came out of her funk, she was delightful.

I recommend Accomplished to anyone who enjoys Young Adult Romances. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love a good book in a boarding school setting! And an Austen reimagining! Marching band romance!!! My poor little marching brand heart Pride and Prejudice gets the contemporary boarding school treatment in Accomplished...

Georgiana Darcy is not leading the charmed life. Her father died a few years ago, her mother peaced out not long after, her brother Fitzwilliam was her best friend before he turned into her guardian, and she barely has any friends. After living in her brother's shadow for so long, when she's finally forced to make a name for herself at Pemberley Academy, she manages to fall in with a drug dealer - her next door neighbor and childhood crush Wickham - that just wants her for her single dorm room. She should have been expelled, but the Darcy name saved her academic career, but couldn't help her social life. Now that most of the school hates for her getting their favorite drug dealer expelled, not helped by the fact that she isolated herself the last year while under Wickham's thumb. Now she's feeling suffocated by Fitz's concern and disappointment, with no one on her side. So she concocts a multipoint plan to redeem herself - prove to her brother that she can handle herself. Step one: challenge herself academically with all AP courses. Step two: Work hard at marching band to show her value to the brass section. Step three: Steer clear of Wickham. Step four: Distract Fitz by secretly matchmaking him with Lizzie Bennett. She might be failing her classes, having a hard time Wickham from meddling in her life, and Fitz is still disappointed by her, but she starts making the smallest of inroads at marching band with the only friend she has left by her side - luckily she can still count on Avery, who's now the drum major, and the one person who sees her for she really is and accepts it without question.

This book is so much more than it seemed in the first few chapters. I thought we were going to see our main character Georgie Darcy as the stereotypical rich girl that got herself in trouble and expected it to just go away because of her money and her name. I was so far off, she really cares about her brother, has felt grief, pain, abandonment, and betrayal.

After the death of her father, her mother abandoning the family, having her slightly obsessive older brother Fitz taking control of her life and the person she thought she loved using her in more than one way, and being accused as either a partner in a drug scheme at worst or the person who got someone kicked out at best she's had so much to process it's no wonder she's a little high strung.

There are so many layers to the characters in this book, from Georgie to Fitz to Avery everyone is so much more than you think they are in the beginning and that makes this a rich, intriguing, thoughtful tale of life, love, mistakes and redemption.

It was almost a book within a book with the parallels between our story and the story going on in her favorite show Sage Hall, I found it fascinating that our Georgie Darcie is a writer of fan fiction, I really wish her actual blogs had been part of the book, that would have been so much fun to read.

At times this is fun and light hearted but there are also moments of sadness, loss, and an overwhelming theme of family between Georgie and FItz. Georgie spent most of the book trying to find people to like her when she really had all she needed if she'd just open her eyes and see it, between her brother and Avery she has a really great support system and people that truly care about her.

Now the things that kept this from being a five star for me, her constantly putting herself down (she made a mistake but everyone makes mistakes), talking about how everyone hates her (it's high school, ok a crazy exclusive private boarding school but still high school people will forget as soon as someone else does something), how they'll never forgive her (they will, it's just going to take time), how she tried so hard to make people like her again.... or in general (she does eventually learn that, it just takes her some time but it was nice to read) rather than just letting people get to know her.

Overall this is a great contemporary young adult retelling of Pride and Prejudice that was so much fun for me to read and honestly made me want to go read the original again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m familiar with Austen’s work in the sense that I read her works back in high school and have a vague understanding of the Pride & Prejudice plot. I’m pretty sure I e seen at least one version of the movie, but it’s been a while.

In Accomplished, the characters from the Austen story are brought into modern times with Georgiana Darcy at the center of this one. Fitz, Lizzie, Bingley, and Wickham are all present and bring their namesake’s core characteristics with them: Fitz and Lizzie banter-aka argue-about college classes; Fitz is obsessed with Google calendar; Bingley the opposite of Fitz with his easy going, frat boy character; and Wickham who is just as devious and manipulative in his ways.

Georgiana is trying desperately to live up to the Darcy name, but is having a hard time getting out of the shadow of Fitz and Wickham at Pemberley Academy. As Junior year begins, Georgie comes up with a plan to do so but it does not go smoothly at all. Her only friend, Avery, gets roped into her scheme. Georgie works hard to become a better person with Avery’s help and she realizes she only needs to be herself.

I felt so bad for Georgie right from the beginning! It was clear she was struggling and that feeling of aloneness was palatable. I was frustrated with Fitz and infuriated with Wickham throughout. I wanted Georgie to be one her best self and was rooting for her throughout.

While this is heavily influenced by Pride and Prejudice , I feel it was a sweet, heartwarming, coming-of-age novel with a dash of romance. The nods to modern times like Google calendar, a Downton Abby-esque show called Sage Hall, and references to Taylor Swift lyrics give the story line an anchor to today’s world. I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to those who don’t mind retellings or heavy influencing of the classics.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of "Accomplished" and here comes the honest review in exchange.
Though I've never considered myself a hardcore Jane Austin-ite, I've never been able to resist all the attempted reboots, reinventions and modernizations of the well known beloved characters. So I dove into this one, already knowing that it doesn't function as an actual "Pride And Prejudice" re-do, but rather plucks out the characters and plops them down into a tale of current day Prep School angst.
So here we have Georgie Darcy, kind of the primo legacy student at the posh Pemberly school, living under the shadow of her vast family wealth.......and also under the deep shadow of Fitz, her golden boy big brother and legal guardian
But like the boys in "Animal House", Georgie's in Big Bro's deep, double secret probation for falling under the spell of Fitz's one time boyhood friend, Wickham Foster. Wickham, charismatic rogue that he is, entranced Georgie while dealing drugs from her dorm room. Saved from expulsion by Fitz and power of their family name, Georgie's now ostracized and despised by the entire school.........and freshly blackmailed by Wickham to help her out in his next upcoming criminal scheme.
I found multiple concerns with this labored storyline. Wickham's hold on Georgie seems tenuous and flimsy at best and hardly justifies her launching into all of her poorly thought out, wrong=headed and reckless behavior that take up the bulk of the book. This includes signing up for AP classes beyond her study capacities and sneaking off the Fitz's college to play secret cupid to her brother and his classmate Lizzie Bennett.
Georgie, while attempting all these futile efforts to put herself back in everyone's good graces, comes across like a world class woe-is-me whiner and not someone you want to spend much time with. So I wouldn't blame any reader who runs out of patience with her and prefers to bail out early.
On the plus side, author Amanda Quain finally does provide, in the final chapters, an entertaining, satisfying series of truth-telling, epiphanies and heart-to-heart conversations that you'd be expecting and hoping for all along.
But it's a long, long tiresome trip to arrive at those chapters, and probably a trip best taken only by 'Pride And Prejudice' completists who'd never miss a single modern day Austin-ized romance. This one's not among the better such efforts.

Here we have a unique modern remix of Pride and Prejudice-rather than redoing the Lizzie/Darcy story, Quain focuses on Georgiana Darcy, the little sister of the Darcy siblings, and the fall-out from her time with Wickham. Georgie is back at her boarding school after nearly getting expelled because her former flame, Wickham, was a drug dealer at the school. Her older brother, Fitz, is way too overbearing because they have no parents left to take care of them, and all the burden has fallen on him. After a brief run-in with Wickham, Georgie sets out on a goal to be the best Darcy possible. A whole mess ensues (because of course!)

I really liked the twist on the Austen classic, and the fact that it wasn't the same ole retelling plot! This was fresh, while still getting to see a lot of the original P&P characters in the background. Georgie is kind of a mess, and at first it was almost frustrating, and then I remembered that being a teenager is hard and you don't always make excellent decisions. There is decent character growth both in Georgie and Fitz, which was good, but I always wish there was just a little more time tacked on at the end with it all.

Recommended if you like Austen retellings, YA boarding school settings, and old stories redone in modern times!

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday books for the e-ARC!

Accomplished is the story of Georgiana Darcy, also known as Fitz Darcy’s little sister. After her last school year at Pemberley Academy, she is now a social outcast and misunderstood by most of the student body. Wickham Foster was beloved at the academy and most people blame her for his absence. Fitz Darcy is clear that this is her last chance to prove that she has what it takes to be a member of the illustrious Darcy family. With the help of band leader Avery, can Georgie find a way to earn back all that she’s lost?

I will read any and all Pride & Prejudice retellings without question, but it’s a particular joy to find retellings that focus on seldom represented characters. Georgie goes on quite the adventure to work her way out of the precarious situation she finds herself in after the disaster that is Wickham. It is a truth universally acknowledged that I will always hate Wickham in any retelling! I enjoyed the inclusion of Bingley (hilarious that he was a frat bro), Jane Bennet, and Lizzie Bennet. However, my favorite character was probably Avery because he is a sweet cinnamon roll who can do no wrong.

Accomplished explores expectations, manipulation, and privilege. Along the way, Georgie and Fitz must face the grief they share over the death of their parents and the complicated emotions they have over Fitz stepping into a guardian role for Georgie. This is a story for anyone who has ever had the best of intentions and experienced terrible consequences. I would recommend it for fans of Samantha Markum and Pride & Prejudice. I really enjoyed Accomplished and look forward to seeing what Amanda Quain writes next!

Thank you to Amanda Quain, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, Wordpress blog, and Barnes & Noble etc

Accomplished is a YA novel inspired by Pride & Prejudice, and a modern retelling of Georgiana Darcy’s story via boarding school rom-com. This was the hook that sucked me in. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to expectations.

DNF at 12% when the third chapter ends with a complete nonsensical plot point that supposedly kicks off the post-scandal Georgie redemption project. I cannot believe this whole thing starts because of a deal/bet/blackmail set up with Wickham. Maybe I could see a very naive teenager agreeing to this deal (or buying into it as a reader), but what purpose does it serve Wickham? Does this scammy drug dealer really need this side project? Come on now. No. Pass. Won’t be reading more because there wasn’t a lot to keep me going before this ridiculous plot point. Not for me, and wouldn’t encourage my daughter to read it.

This is a heartfelt and insightful book. Georgie Darcy is the latest in a long line of Darcys to attend Pemberley Academy — including her brother Fitz, three years her senior, who was a star at the school. Her sophomore year started off strong, but went awry when there was “The Incident” with her boyfriend, Wickham — he was forced to leave the school but, because of her family, Georgie was allowed to remain.

At the start of Georgie’s junior year, it seems like everyone hates her — her brother, for being such a disappointment and forcing him to move back to the east coast for college to keep an eye on her; her fellow members of the marching band, for being the reason their star trumpet player, Wickham was expelled; and even her assigned roommate. So Georgie comes up with a way to get back into her friends good graces and get her brother off her back. But, like all things in her life, things don’t go exactly to plan — and along the way she must confront her family history, her own privilege, and her feelings for her best friend.

This was a sweet and funny story. The author offered a great new spin on Pride & Prejudice — applying the best parts of that story to a contemporary boarding school novel, and making something fresh and highly engaging.

Highly recommended!

Oh my goodness! Georgie Darcy cannot catch a break. This poor girl was used and cast aside and then STILL pressured by Wickham, and all of this at her high school? Agh! Wickham was awful in the original, and I can tell you that the modern look isn’t any better!! This guy is truly a villain and it was such an intense story to watch Georgie grow and become the young woman who didn’t need him!

And that’s really the theme here. She has a lot to live up to, but she grows in such a way that she isn’t so self focused, and gains some self awareness.

Next— Fitzwilliam and Lizzie!!! I loved seeing them through Georgie’s eyes, and in a modern setting. It was so sweet. 🥹 And I don’t know if I was ever a Bingley fangirl, but this version of him was totally swoon worthy. I would love to see more of him in another version of this. 🥰

And lastly, Avery! 🥰 He was such a good addition. He teaches Georgie her worth and is such a kind friend, so when it naturally takes the turn to romance, it’s so perfect.

Georgie Darcy ended last school year as the social outcast of Pemberley Academy and an epic Darcy failure because of her naivety and her privilege.

She put her trust into the charming Wickham Foster and he betrayed her by selling drugs out of her dormitory. This year, her brother Fitz Darcy is breathing down her neck while she’s trying to redeem herself to him, recover socially, and prove that she’s impressive without her brother or Wickham’s stamp of approval. Oh and Wickham is back and up to his old tricks.

While I enjoyed this read I have to say that I’ve never actually read Pride and Prejudice, so can I compare it to the inspiration, no. On it’s own Accomplished is a fun coming of age, where our 16-year-old MC spends a lot of time trying to fix her past while learning some hard lessons and seeing herself and her life through the eyes of the few she trusts.

At some times Georgie comes off as hard to relate to, but I think that’s on purpose. She’s realizing that her life is not the norm, and her being hard to relate to sort of reinforces that realization. I enjoyed her interactions with her brother and Lizzie most. The moments with Avery were great as well. The dichotomy between them as humans and their experiences were a great lesson to Georgie in the end.

Anyway. I think if you want a YA coming of age story, that’s set in an elite private school, then you will love Accomplished.

My review for this book comes from a non-Jane Austen reader who is in her later twenties, so keep that in mind. That being said, I have read several YA books that I have enjoyed. Okay, now on to the review. Without being educated on anything from Pride & Prejudice, I did enjoy this novel a lot. Its a young take on a privileged young girl at a high-end private school, which I was very intrigued by. Now, my biggest issue lies within our FMC herself. I know she is young but she felt YOUNG. Like younger than she was and it was insanely frustrating at time. I am all for younger coming-of-age stories filled with growth but oofta. I did really like how the story wrapped up but at times it felt a little too drawn out for my own liking. However, I know plenty of readers who will enjoy this.

Georgie Darcy has had a hard year. She's from the notorious Darcy family but half the time that isn't all it's cracked up to be, in fact, some people at her school hold it against her. Not to mention, the trouble she got in last year. But now, she is trying for a fresh start. She is willing to do anything to get back in the people's good graces while also trying not to stress out her older brother so much. But her peers aren't making it easy on her. It seems that everything she does is the wrong thing. At least her friend Avery seems to be on her side. She's torn between trying harder and just giving up. Can she really fix all these problems AND still get good grades? All her family's money sure won't help her here.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for early access!

Accomplished is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice—kind of. Lizzie and Darcy are side-characters (Lizzie more-so) since our main character is Georgiana (Georgie) Darcy. Georgie is 16 and Wickham, an old family friend, has set his sights on her—and her single dorm room so he can peddle pills out of it. The story starts after the aforementioned drug peddling and Georgie's reputation is in shambles. She concocts a plan to fix her reputation, get her friends back, and get her brother off her back (forcing him and a classmate to fall in love [Lizzie]). It was okay! Very, very standard YA. A decent amount of privilege-talk but I'm not sure any of the characters really learned anything? The story felt a lot younger than I expected, but there wasn't anything glaringly wrong with it.

Author Amanda Quain embraces a contemporary background in order to reimagine Georgiana’s story. Told from Georgie’s point-of-view, readers gain a different view of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Elizabeth Bennett, Charles Bingley (a frat boy) and Wickham. Their motives are all similar to source material, but told with a real behind-the-scenes point of view.

And, of course, the story’s main player is Georgie. And because there’s not a whole lot of background material on her, Quain gets to really make Georgie her own. In many ways, Quain sticks to the presumed — Georgie’s sheltered and naïve and much loved by her brother. She’s also a band geek — she loves playing the trombone — bright, but not exactly book smart, and defiant.

Georgie learns that she can’t depend on her brother to fix everything — she’s got to make up for her own mistakes.

Accomplished is a successful foray into Jane Austen’s world that can be read with or without reading the original. (Although knowing the story makes for some inside elements that just won’t be as fun without prior knowledge.)

Quain has created a unique narrative that remains true to the heart, wit and romance fans have come to know and love. While not my favorite retelling, Accomplished is still enjoyable and features a few “swoon worthy” moments.

This was a creative retelling of Pride and Prejudice turned into a contemporary YA, so I couldn't wait to pick it up.

The story centers on Georgiana Darcy, who has made a true mess of her school year. There was an incident surrounding Wickham Foster, who Georgiana was involved with, that would have gotten anyone else expelled ffrom Pemberley Academy. But due to Georgiana's family name, she was still there even though the other students ostracized her. Georgiana was determined to redeem herself in the eyes of her big brother Fitz and her former friends. She will become the perfect Darcy by following a plan to rebuild her reputation with the marching band, forget about Wickham and all his lies, and distract her brother Fitz by getting him to fall in love with his classmate, Lizzie. Nothing ever goes as planned and Georgiana is having difficulty with following through with being the perfect Darcy. She has to get a handle on this before she loses it all permanently, including the one guy who truly understands her and cares about who she really is.

This was a fun YA read. Teenage angst and blowing things out of proportion is par for the course of growing up but there are some real reasons for it in Georgiana's case. Her rebellion just makes things more difficult for her. She struggles with her choices and tries to do what's right, but sometimes gets side-tracked. I think all teens deal with this to some extent - it's part of growing up and finding out who you are. I had some trouble really liking Georgiana though, but in the end I did.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on July 26, 2022.

I love an adaptation. Even more, I love that it’s only the essence of the original characters that are used, and not a play-by-play remake. Wickham is literally the worst, Darcy is stoic, Lizzie is delightful, and Georgie lacks confidence and has a lot of growing up to do. And it’s all set at a super prestigious private boarding school - genius. Avery is definitely one of the best OCs introduced into a P&P adaptation, too. Just a great story.

This was such a neat idea, a YA spin on Pride and Prejudice. Rather than a retelling, it focuses on Georgie Darcy, Fitzwilliam Darcy's younger sister. In a contemporary boarding school setting, it picks up the year after The Incident with Wickham. All of the Lizzie and Darcy plot of the original book becomes a side plot while we focus on how Georgie fares.

Some of the set up required a large suspension of disbelief. I didn't understand why Georgie was blamed for The Incident or why Fitz felt the need to transfer schools, rather than having her transfer. That made it tough for me to get behind her quest for perfection, as it seemed rather unnecessary. Reading from her first person POV was difficult, as Georgie had such negative self-talk.

However, I really enjoyed some of the jokes, especially those that played on Pride and Prejudice. And I loved the descriptions of Bingley and Avery. The second half of the book opened up and started being more interesting to me.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up