Reviewing an ARC of Accomplished from NetGalley (thank you!)
Note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted in whole or in part without explicit consent from the author (also thank you).

This book is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, with the main characters inverted—instead of being focused on Elizabeth and Darcy’s story, it’s told from the perspective of Georgiana Darcy, a fairly minor character in Austen’s book.

I loved the opening paragraphs and felt like the book had potential, but Georgie, the main character, was quite unlikable, and that became clear within the first several chapters. She’s secretive and self-centered and bases all her decisions around being liked and popular without actually investing in real relationships with her peers and family. I’m not drawn to books where characters intentionally push other people away; It’s one thing if a character doesn’t realize that their emotional baggage is causing them to damage their relationships, because characters can be redeemed from that and grow out of that behavior, but if the character knows exactly what they’re doing and actively chooses not to seek help or act kindly, as Georgie did, I have a hard time rooting for them.

I tend to find Jane Austen retellings to be either delightful or terrible. Usually, if they're terrible it's due to a lack of dedication to the essence of the original story and characters.

In the original, Georgiana is sweet but naive and I think that comes through here but she's also frustratingly giving "pick me" vibes and doesn't follow through on anything she says she's going to do. Willoughby is still a scoundrel. Darcy is still protective but uptight. However, parts of the story simply didn't make sense. Why wouldn't Darcy move her to a different school if she was being treated so terribly? Perhaps to a school near CalTech so Darcy didn't have to give up his university degree?

Overall, this didn't quite live up to my hopes, but I don't think taking the P&P retelling element out of the equation would fully solve the issue for me.


Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Expected Publication: July 26th 2022

The pacing felt a bit slow at first, but I generally liked the characters and how this story is completely separate from Pride and Prejudice retellings. I've seen spin-offs that focus on one of the other Bennett sisters, but never Georgiana Darcy, and it was refreshing even if I felt her characterization was somewhat different from the original. It was a fun book, and one I'd recommend to anyone who loves Jane Austen

This is a very modern take on the story of Georgiana Darcy, with many other favorite characters from Pride and Prejudice appearing. There are also original characters added in that really make the story shine. I love the setting and the storyline! I absolutely believe that if Georgiana Darcy lived in modern day that she would be a band geek. There were many times when I laughed out loud reading about Fitz and Georgie living in a modern world (trips to Target, sliding into DMs, etc). A fresh and definitely modern take on a character that deserves her own starring role! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

Accomplished is a modern retelling of Georgiana Darcy set in a New York boarding school. After The Incident, Georgie decides that she must become the perfect Darcy. She makes changes to her class schedule to be in harder courses and attempts to win back her friends all while trying to help set her older brother, Fitz Darcy, up with Lizzie Bennet. Favourite Pride & Prejudice characters make an appearance, references to the source material are made left and right. (albeit, rather weak! Mr Collins makes an appearance as one of Fitz Darcy's college Math (!?!) TAs).

When Wickham re-enters her life, she ends up wanting to prove to him that she doesn't need him anymore and that she can be worthy of the Darcy name. Wickham agrees but states that if she fails, she has to join in on his newest scam. This plot point was really odd. It didn't make sense why Georgie wouldn't just tell Fitz that Wickham has been contacting her or why she would even want to agree..

The story took place in a rather short period of time and Georgie never really experienced any sort of character growth. It made it hard to root for her at all during her endeavours to fix her mistakes. The other characters were flat and one note.

The craziest thing was Georgie being able to guess Fitzwilliam Darcy's email password because it was Georgie's date of birth. There is no way you can read Pride and Prejudice and come out of that with thinking that a modern Mr. Darcy would use a birthdate as a password.

I really wanted to like this as I enjoy Austen retellings but Accomplished was no bueno.

If you think you’ve read every version of a pride and prejudice retelling possible, think again. This is a contemporary retelling from Georgiana Darcy’s point of view. Really great and clever idea, and well executed.

I've become very wary of Austen cash-ins, though I'm still sympathetic to the idea of novels in conversation with famous novels that still work after generations. Not sure why I grabbed this one--I read it months ago, when we were hibernating from the latest plague swarm, and now I've got to catch up on all that reading.

I swallowed this book right down. I loved the way Quain riffed off of P&P with recognizable names, places, and plot points, but took things in her own direction without remaining in an arid lockstep with Austen's novel--or distorting P&P beyond recognition.

Georgie Darcy is our main character, and she starts out in deep trouble. (A lot like Georgiana Darcy, though Austen skims lightly over what was nearly a scandal that would have ruined a girl in her mid teens for life.) In this novel, Wickham is hot, and daring, and morally despicable. Georgie's older brother Fitz is sour and dour and doesn't deal well with the world, though his new girlfriend Elizabeth (lightly and intriguingly introduced, rather the way Austen introduced Georgiana, in fact) is helping him become a bit more socially adept.

Georgie spends most of the book dealing with her ambivalent feeling about Wickham who had gaslighted her with his charisma. Like her namesake, she came close to forsaking her friends, family and her academic standing for him and for what she thought was love.

The novel is all about her working her way back to ground zero from the pits, painfully, slowly, and earning each new insight, while trying to rescue her academic standing in junior year of high school--which would be where our original Georgiana would have been, had there been high schools in the early nineteenth C.

It was a real pleasure seeing Quain come to grips with the emotional fallout and subsequent growth of a girl in her teens who has to learn the difference between love and lust. And trust. I really enjoyed it.

Accomplished follows Georgie Darcy, younger sister and legal ward of the can-do-no-wrong Fitz Darcy, as she struggles to fit in at her elite boarding school after a scandal with one Wickham the year prior. Georgie didn't deal the drugs; but that doesn't matter when everyone thinks she did and acts accordingly. And Georgie can't fully keep herself away from Wickham, the one person who made her feel wanted, no matter the true motivations behind that want. Fitz has transferred universities to move back to keep an eye on her, and Georgie feels suffocated by everything they used to be and can't be anymore. The solution? Get Fitz a girlfriend so he'll be both happy and distracted from Georgie.

My favorite part of this book was far and away the relationship between Georgie and Fitz. It was complicated, messy, and tangled up in obligation and the things they can't say to each other. Fitz feels he needs to be a parental figure to Georgie in order to fulfill his obligations and make sure Georgie turns out all right; Georgie just wants her brother back but doesn't know how to get through to Fitz. They're both so clearly struggling and so clearly unable to articulate the things they both need, and it really hit.

I also loved the nods to other Pride and Prejudice characters, like Lizzie and her sisters and Bingley (especially Bingley; such a fitting modern interpretation). Wickham's character and how he exploited Georgie's emotions was also well-written and heartbreaking, and I liked the aspect at the end of him switching his attentions to Lydia and Lizzie taking him down. I also admired Georgie's growth and how she got herself away from Wickham! Her friendship and successive romance with Avery was easy to get behind, and as an alum of a high school competitive marching band I always appreciate band plots.

Georgie was far from perfect herself. She pushed people - potential friends - away and blamed them for it, and she didn't think through her actions and how they would come across besides her intentions, and she was convinced her money could solve all the problems. While I do wish there would have been more discussion of Georgie's privilege and how that plays a role, I did appreciate there was at least some discussion as well as a bit of tangible proof by the end that Georgie was trying to be better and more cognizant about it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book both for the interpretations it took of Pride and Prejudice and also for its own plots and characters!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'll just say that you will love this book whether you're a fan of Jane Austen or not.

This is Georgiana Darcy's story and just because of her big brother, she should be better but not. Needing to prove herself.

Well, let's just say, the book name " Accomplished".

First time reading from this author Amanda Quain, and yes, I really enjoyed it. Definitely recommend.

Great retelling of pride and prejudice. I love how it was the point of view from a Darcy and not a Bennet like it originally is. Fresh and different is what I think of when reading this book.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early review copy of this book!

I love pride and prejudice. Well specifically I love the story, I actually struggle a bit getting through the book but the story is 10/10, so when I saw a modern retelling about Georgina Darcy it was a heck to the yes from me. And I did really enjoy this book. It was touching and funny and had some good moments about how love can kinda lead you to turn a blind eye to things and how there can be consequences to that. In this case, your entire reputation. The thing I didn’t really love about this book was Georgina herself. While I understand the impact as a teenager having your whole reputation shattered can have, I felt that even when it was obvious certain people didn’t think lowly of her, her self esteem was so low she was constantly second guessing everything and it got a little old. Aside from that though, this book was cute and I really did enjoy it!

'Accomplished' was a very fun and interesting read. I liked the modern setting, the point of view being from Georgiana, and the journey she went on to overcome herself and other obstacles. That being said, Georgiana Darcy is VERY insecure in this book and it took a good majority of the book for her to get out of it (somewhat). As a woman in her mid-twenties I found it a bit tedious, because I just wanted to tell her to "Get out of your own way, there's youthful shenanigan's to be had!" But, I do understand that as a teenager everything feels like the end of the world and it can be hard to see that. Overall, I found it to be a great reimagining of "Pride and Prejudice" but I wish the protagonist had more confident moments throughout (just a personal preference.).

Accomplished has possibilities. Potential.

The idea of the story is what drew me in. The book gives a side character, Georgiana Darcy, of the beloved Pride and Prejudice center stage. When the marketing team sent me an email about the book I thought Geekarella meets Pride and Prejudice.

I’m sold.

But, this book was a very different read for me.

Described as packed with all kinds of boarding school hijinks and a swoony, slow-burn romance, this was the book I was interested in.

And yes, there are these moments in the book that are swoony and funny, but I felt they were spread out and too far between. I found myself more engaged and attentive when Georgie and her fellow marching band friend Avery were working together to get Darcy and Lizzie together. Though of course Darcy and Lizzie aren’t the main story, I did find myself gravitating to these two more than Georgiana herself.

Perhaps it’s the boarding school aspect that isn’t working for me or Georgiana the character. I came to realize it’s not just one aspect. I think it’s honestly a combination of too much going on. Georgie trying to distance herself from ‘The Incident.’ Rebranding herself as “accomplished,” while having this long laundry list of other tasks she’s trying to check off, but none of it’s coming into fruition like she’d planed.

It all slowly falls apart.

Plus, I wasn’t completely drawn to all of the characters. Most books I’m ready to root for the main character and be dazzled by the people they meet, but here the only person of real interest was Avery (Georgie’s love interest). He’s the only down-to-earth, realistic character out of the entire cast.

Even towards the end when Lizzie began to get more page time she didn’t feel like the Keira Knighltey Elizabeth Bennet that I adore.

As for the story, Quain keeps to the basics from Austen’s novel of Wickham breaking Georgiana’s heart. But I wasn’t too sold on ‘The Incident’ or the aftermath. It didn’t feel believable. At least not to me.

Quain does add a bit of the period piece drama in her novel that readers will enjoy. She includes a TV show (think Downton Abbey) that Georgina writes fan fiction for and seems to be good at . Though, this aspect of the novel doesn’t get flushed out or executed very well like other contemporary fan fiction novels like Ashley Postons’ Geekarella.

Even though Accomplished wasn’t for me, readers who enjoy boarding school drama, a main character trying to redeem herself, and a contemporary take on Georgiana Darcy, then give this one a try.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

As a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, I expected more from this, but it fell far short of enjoyable for me.
Georgie was very unrelatable and far too naive, even for the spoiled rich girl. The story felt clunky and far reaching in it's character growth.

So, as anyone who knows me can tell you, Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite novels of all time. My dog's middle name is Bingley, even. So having a chance to read anything related it to was a fun experience for me. This novel certainly did not disappoint!

I really enjoyed Georgie's character! She felt like a real teen with real teen struggles (and trust me, I hear about the real teen struggles from my students on the daily). It was also fun to see things from her perspective. Her quest to become a "Perfect Darcy" was fun to read. I also really enjoyed her relationship with Avery. The one thing that seemed a bit off was her relationship with Fitz, as it seemed to have a bit more friction in it than I would have thought from the original novel. However, I didn't mind this in the context of this story, as that extra tension is needed to help with the plot. Overall, it was a good read!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The views and opinions above are entirely my own.

I'm a sucker for a Jane Austen retelling, and thoroughly enjoyed this one. The retelling aspects, from boarding school and college links to the reimagining of Wickham, were fun to see play out in modern day, teen ways. Setting it from Georgiana's view and centered on her story was an interesting and fresh take that makes me intrigued by the other ways the character could be handled in retellings, while also simply making it amusing to see only brief glimpses of Darcy and Lizzie. Instead, I enjoyed seeing how Darcy's personality might manifest with his sister, and vice versa.

The author did a good job of portraying Georgie's narrow mindset, tunnel vision, and a very teenage view of how to fix things, even as that makes her come across as annoying some of the time. I was also surprised but pleased to see how much the book focused on examining the privilege of the Darcys and making Georgie deal with it, instead of it being a passive fact about them. The ending - especially Georgie's growth and her resolution with her brother - feels a bit rushed, but I was still glad for Georgie. Overall, a charming, funny take on Pride & Prejudice that feels properly rethought for YA.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Amanda Quain's "Accomplished" is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice with Georgiana Darcy as the main character. Austen fans will recognize the updated story, but you do not need to have read or be familiar with the original to enjoy this book. This has marching band, brooding boys, humor and some darker themes to it too. Fun, solid retelling,

I love the modern day version of "Pride and Prejudice," all the major parts of the story are told in a very contemporary way and Georgie (Georgiana) has a life other then practicing on a pianoforte. The only thing is that the modern world that Georgiana is living in has given her a little rough ride so far. I like that Wickham is just as awful in this rendition as the original but this one include social media and term papers and double crossing Georgiana, which twists the relationship with Fitz and makes their relationship stressful, not bubbly like Pride.

Over all the main characters that I like in the original are in the story, and their characteristics have been updated so that they could be people you know. I also like the addition of Avery and Emily they made the story more realistic, in terms of a high school life. It was great to see how Georgie accomplished what she set out to do, and stood up for what she believes. plus she found a love interest that like her for who she is and was kind of turn off from all the opulent that Georgie lived in. It makes the relationship kind of cute and romantic.

I want to thank St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this great take on "Pride and Prejudice."

ARC provided via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for honest review.

A modern Pride & Prejudice through the lens of Georgiana “Georgie” Darcy.

*No spoilers but specific scenes are mentioned*

Set in present day New York State at the illustrious Pemberley Academy, Georgie Darcy is trying to move on from the mistakes she made the previous year involving one notorious bad boy Wickham. She had reluctantly been given a second chance by the administration by way of overbearing brother Fitzwilliam Darcy. He is everything she knows she will never be, so why try to live up to his exceedingly high expectations? Because it’s all she has left.

Georgie must prove to her brother, and herself that she can make a life for herself and prove she is worthy of friendships, good grades, and maybe even love.

There is rarely an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that doesn’t in some way hit the same marks as the original. It’s the feeling of approval that one seeks from Mr. Darcy and the feigned interest he portrays until he reveals his true feelings. In this version it’s different. We don’t see him falling for a girl through the eyes of the girl, we see the side that is rarely seen, his relationship with his sister and how much she means to him. Fitz Darcy is still the major player in this book but it is Georgie that is calling all the punches. He still has his usual dry humour charm and yes Lizzie Bennett is still highly featured in this book but the focus is entirely on Georgie and how she wants to be in control of her own life.

Georgie is headstrong and she is determined. One thing she is not is afraid. She is not afraid to ask for help from the right people at the right time. It may make sense for the right person to be her older brother, but in finding herself and her voice she realizes that she has other people in her life that she can depend on, ask for help.

Overall this book is a quick read. The action isn’t too intense but it built up in a way that is interesting. We get to see almost all of the key players from the original along with some plot lines similar in structure to the original plot. There are definite leaps taken with this adaptation but it feels close in nature to the essence of the original. In an AU where it’s modern times and Georgie plays trombone in a private high school’s marching band.

But we need to talk about one in particular. Charles Bingley. Or shall we say Charlie Bingley. I’m every adaptation he is a standout character. Since the release of “The Lizzie Bennett Diaries” he has ingrained himself as a fun loving goofball of a character and that is exactly how he is written in this book. His bubbly personality is contagious. Like in this quote between Georgie and Avery talking about meeting him at a frat party:
“I don’t have to be him when I grow up, do I? I don’t think I could handle the pressure.” “No one else could.” I shook my head. “That was a once in a lifetime person right there, my friend.”
He truly is a once in a lifetime character…

My other favourite scene in the book takes place when Georgie calls Fitz for help super late at night. He offers to pick her up and these glorious lines of dialogue happen:
“Would it make you feel better if you dressed in all-black and I didn’t fully stop the car to pick you up?” I laughed. “Yes, please.” Tears welled up in my eyes, though I couldn’t have said why. “Thanks. Just call me when I should come outside.” “You got it, Beanpole.”

Then they go to Target and wonder why a store like that exists… Rich people sometimes…

As an avid Janeite and a high school teacher, I was really excited to see how this book would work with Georgiana Darcy's story in a modern teen setting. I have to admit that it fell short of my expectations. I found the writing to be very clunky (some more grammar checks are definitely necessary), but beyond that there was far too little description in some places and far more than was needed in others. The way that Quain described characters' races in the first third of the book made me feel downright uncomfortable. The plot also felt unbalanced: there was way too much setup at the beginning and it wrapped up a bit too quickly at the end. I'm also unsure as to what the ultimate message is that Georgie learns. I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable, and the ones who I could have grown to love weren't given nearly as much development or 'screen time' as I would have liked. I think the premise of this book is excellent, but I think its execution was clumsy.