I thoroughly enjoyed PAPAP and loved the journey both Audrey and Lucy embarked on to truly find themselves and in turn find the person they're meant to be and the person they're meant to be with.

This was a delightful read but at times it went too fast. Some parts needed a bit more attention than it got but overall I really liked it a lot.

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed **

Pros:
-dual POV!
-I thought the plot was really cool and I liked all of the potential suitors, all of whom are well-developed
-the romance was really cute
Cons:
-none!

This was a cute, light read for me. Just what I needed. The story grabbed your attention quickly and drew you in right away. At times I did feel like the story was dragging on a bit, but then something would happen and it would pick right up.I really loved the characters and the turn this story took for Audrey and Lucy! The ending was perfect.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC! This book comes out on August 29th, 2023, make sure to grab yourself a copy!

Story: B
Prose: B
Characters: B+
World: B+
Theme(s): B
Enjoyment: B+

The Good:
Easy to read prose. Lippincott's prose is conversational, contemporary, and easy to read.
Funny. Audrey, our modern character, has a quippy voice, and is quick with some great one liners.
Snappy pacing. PPP is an incredibly easy read with light, snappy pacing moving everything forward with good timing.
Skates over awkward parts. With time travel, it's easy to fall into awkward, clunky explanations–explanations that would mismatch the tone and pace of PPP. Lippincott breezes through these parts with ease and a touch of humour.
Audrey and Lucy. Audrey brings the great one-liners, her history with her crappy boyfriend is what makes her feel real and relatable. Charlie wasn't a caricature or a monster: he was your run-of-the-mill guy who valued his own opinion too much. He was always going to be the centre of his own world, and the unfortunate, and semi-codependent relationship Audrey formed with him has really hurt her psyche. Lucy was incredibly easy to root for and feel sympathy for: being a woman in 1812? Bad. Being a lesbian in 1812? Actual nightmare horror story shitshow to live through.

The Bad:
Some bloat. Usually during more internal parts. Paragraphs that add nothing or belabour a point already made.
Some prose issues. Ties into bloat: a bit long-winded once in a while. Not particularly graceful or precise.
Some rushed parts. A couple parts could have a bigger emotional impact, but are skimmed over and rushed a bit.
Subplot issues. I think my biggest struggle with PPP. Subplots are supposed to tie into the main plot, PPP's are too entwined. There's no distinct B Plot to trade off from the main A Plot. The girls are always hanging out–which is efficient as it advances both their romance and helps them find their own lost "sparks"–but it also means that a huge part of the book is JUST the girls hanging out, usually indoors, because women can't do anything in 1812.


YMMV:
If you're specifically looking for a sapphic Pride and Prejudice retelling, this isn't it. Although referenced in the title and throughout the story, it's more general regency vibes than a retelling. If you're looking for the specific dynamic from the original, but sapphic, you'll be disappointed.

Final thoughts:
Light, easy to read, and sweet with a touch of melancholy. I really enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh, and breezed through it. Absolutely GREAT if you want that regency romcom vibe. Lippincott's explanation of "how" the time travel worked is the perfect blend of providing enough information for it to function, but not enough to draw more questions or cause problems.

(Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an eARC in exchange for a review!)

I have always loved Rachel’s writing. I loved when she wrote a book with her wife and have continued on with both of their books to this day. She writes queer books with such a beauty and great storytelling.

This book follows our main character Audrey who lives with her parents and runs a small convenience store with them in a busy city. Audrey is struggling to figure out who she is after her breakup and getting waitlisted for her dream art school. And then her whole world gets turned upside down when she somehow ends up in 1812 on a girl named Lucy’s front yard. This story follows the lives of Audrey and Lucy feeling stuck and not sure who they are and how both girls help each other find what they love again.

It is a great story about rediscovering yourself and being true to who you are. Rachel does a great job telling the story with the dual perspective of the two characters so you can get both sides of the story and understand what both the characters are thinking and feeling.

It’s funny, sweet and has an amazing queer awakening and romance in it. If you have enjoyed Rachel’s other books in the past or enjoy queer characters and historical times. This book is for you. I highly recommend checking it out.

3.75 stars— thank you S&S Canada and NetGalley for the eArc of this book! I loved the concept for this story, essentially the reverse YA sapphic version of the movie Kate & Leopold (a movie which I really enjoyed). I thought the writing was funny (definitely romcom energy) and the characters were loveable and charming. The ending was perfect and overall, the book was easy to fly through, a cute read. It was fun to read about how different Lucy and Audrey were, and it was entertaining to see Audrey having to adapt to the 1812 lifestyle. I took off stars just for the slight miscommunication (although it made sense because the girls were figuring out who they were, it’s still a trope that I don’t love in books because I’m just so eager for them to be together! But the buildup to the big moment was worth it).

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Available August 29, 2023

The story of two girls from entirely different worlds coming together and helping each other grow. With the chapters going back and forth between the POV of Audrey and Lucy you truly get an insight into who they are, making both characters feel fleshed out and three dimensional.

Overall this was a very enjoyable read! It definitely had its moments where some things felt a bit rushed but the story was endearing and managed to flesh out more than just romance but learning to take risks and being yourself. If you like things along the lines of Pride and Prejudice or Kate and Leopold and want a Sapphic version there is a good chance you'll enjoy Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Audrey Cameron is feeling a little stuck. She's in her last few months of high school, trying to figure out what's next, when old Mr Montgomery walks into her parents' convenience store and sends her to 1812. Lucy isn't expecting to find this oddly-dressed girl in a field who swears she's from the future, but now that she has, they're trying to figure out what needs to be done to send her home.

I haven't read or watched Pride and Prejudice before, so I can't speak to any parallels in the retelling, but I really enjoyed this story. Audrey's personality shining through as she tried to adapt to the ways of 1812 was so fun, and I felt a lot of what Lucy was feeling. A cute love story that doesn't know it's a love story, some Sapphic rep, and a whole lot of realizing who you really are.

CW: mentions the death of a parent, controlling parental relationship

This was so incredibly adorable! Much like all the books by Rachael. There's just always something special about them. Deeper themes, but also strong characters!

Something that made me stop reading YA is how often characters are dumb, or act stupidly, or are super mean. And we blame it on them being young. And as much as teens can make mistakes, there's a limit to what I can take while also being attached to your character.

But in this book, and all her other books, the characters are strong, passionate, communicative, and have lived so much already, while still clearly being teenagers, so it doesn't make it adult. They're not dumb, but they do make mistakes, which is necessary for conflict.

These two MCs are quite endearing. I absolutely love the contrast between them and how they connect through what they teach/show each other. The pace is also perfect.

I also absolutely adore the guys in this book. Audrey has three potential suitors and they are all just so lovely. There's this one scene where they are so surprising for the 1800s, and it made my heart whole.

This was another OUTSTANDING Sapphic YA romance from Rachael Lippincott that sees Audrey, a recently dumped teen girl transported 200 years into the past of 1812 where she finds herself falling for betrothed Lucy.

I loved how relatable this book was despite the somewhat unorthodox premise. Audrey and Lucy both have to grapple with being queer in a world that doesn't accept such differences (something sadly too many teens today have to face). Fun, flirty and courageous and great on audio narrated by my fav Natalie Naudus and Shakira Shute.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review!!!! I am a forever fan of this author and cannot recommend this one enough!!

Read it! I have loved all Rachael’s books so far, and this one has definitely held up! I also love a pride and prejudice retelling, and this one was different than I expected. It was so different than the regular Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, with a cool twist of time travel.

As we lie at the end of July, it is time once again for Lies About Books, in which we present a wildly inaccurate review of a book I enjoyed in the past month. And this July, I read the book Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh by Rachael Lippincott, before it was even published.

Canadian Pride Brock and British Prejudice Barclay are like oil and water. When they first meet, they cannot imagine having anything in common, or ever being on even cordial terms with one another. War breaks out, though, and their two factions are allied, forcing Pride and Prejudice to work together in the same unit. Their teamwork, such as it is, is accomplished only through gritted teeth, subtle insults slung this way and that.

But when tall, handsome Pittsburgh Brown comes to town, both young women are irrepressibly drawn into his orbit, and nothing - neither their own rivalry, nor the fact that Pittsburgh, an American, is technically the enemy - can keep the three apart.

Soon, brought together by Pittsburgh, Pride and Prejudice are working together more closely than ever before, seeking a way to end or evade the war so that the three lovers can build a life together. Set against the stunning and highly-researched backdrop of the War of 1812, Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh tells a story of three souls who find each other against all odds.

I recommend Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh to all fans of polyamory, 1812, or time travel.

________________

Disclaimer: the book is real, but many of the details given here are not.

Hoping this one gets picked up as a Hallmark movie, because it was adorable. Quick, light, easy read.

My first Rachael Lippincott book! I saw this book around, and I just knew I wanted to read it. When I saw it was available on NetGalley, I was so excited. And I got lucky enough to be approved for it, so I got the chance to get my hands on this book a little early. I have to say, I’m glad I did, because it was exactly the kind of book I needed. It was sweet and heartfelt, and It was so enjoyable to see the two main characters grow toward each other.

We got a cute period setting, with time travel, and a cute romance. It’s the kind of books that leaves you with a soft smile, to have read the blossoming love between the two main characters; Lucy, a proper 18th century young woman who is expected to marry the ‘lovely’ older suitor to benefit her father, and Audrey, the modern young uninspired artist who is getting her heartbreak. It was nice to seen them slowly grow closer together, and grow with each other as they both learn from their differences.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. It was a sweet and cute romance, and it just left me smiling. Bonus point for the ending.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh releases August 29, 2023

Lippincott’s latest release is a dual pov, dual timeline, time travel romance inspired by, you guessed it, <I>Pride and Prejudice (2005)</I>.

Audrey currently works at Cameron’s Corner Shop — her family’s business. After recently being broken up with her first love and boyfriend, Charlie, who got rejected from their dream art school (RISD), Audrey decides to apply on a whim, and ends up getting wait-listed. The only problem is that she has lost all her artistic creativity and passion.

On the same day that Audrey turns to portraits from the Regency era for inspo, Mr. Montgomery, the local curmudgeon, tosses her a quarter that just so happens to transport her to Lucy’s estate in 1812, where she’ll spend the next 25 days.

This was funny, charming, and youthful. The dichotomy of the modern and historical worlds, but also the blend of the two was executed so well. With the differences in speech and mannerisms, it was easy to get transported back in time to 1812, while sprinkling in the familiarities and less structured ways of the 21st century.

A big theme or word I’d use to encapsulate this story is adventure. Going out of your comfort zone, finding joy, choosing yourself, and uncovering what might have been there all along within you.

The romantic spark between Audrey and Lucy might not have been obviously presented to the readers from the start, as they were both pursuing other avenues with male suitors, but I really liked the slow build up, and their eventual queer awakenings.

This story wrapped up so nicely, and I loved that little tidbit about Mr. Montgomery and Audrey’s parents!
So often in time travel stories you have to suspend some disbelief on the logistics of the magical aspects, but this had that perfect balance of giving just enough of a backstory for it to make sense without it getting too technical and overshadowing the resolution.

cw: throwing romance books into a fire

Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh was a simple and fun read! One thing i love in books is time travel, the mc Audrey was sent 200 years in the past! time travel in books has always been such an interesting concept for me. This was done well in my opinion, it was just fun! I loved the dancing scenes, where the love interest, Lucy, who was born in the 1800’s had no clue what Audrey was talking about at times. It made me laugh many times! I loved Lucy and Audrey, they both complimented each other so well. What I loved most about this book was the both characters discovering they can choose themselves and they are able to be free, that it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review! This might be my favourite NetGalley ARC that I’ve read so far!
*THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE*

Themes: Love, gender equality in the 1800s, being yourself
Representation: LGBTQ+, Bisexual, Lesbian
Content Warnings: Sexism, internalized homophobia/biphobia

Premise: After Audrey Cameron, a 2023 girl lost her spark, Mr. Montgomery decides to help her out by sending her to 1812 where she meets Lucy Sinclair. The two girls must work together in order to send Audrey home.

Characters

Overall, I loved both Audrey and Lucy. Both of them each bring something special to the table with their unique personalities and I feel like they compliment each other as characters, which is important, especially in a YA romance novel.

Let’s talk about Audrey first. For her character, I loved her humour the most. I mean, come on, if you yourself were randomly transported back to the 19th century, you got to crack a few jokes in order to survive, right? Her sense of humour also made the book that much better.

However, as a character, I appreciate how close to a real teen she feels. I appreciate how the author wrote her feelings as something valid and focused on problems that many real teens face (like post-secondary) rather than things that are only shown in the movies. Also, I enjoyed her character development. She grows as a person, especially how she regains her spark. If you compare her at the beginning and the end of the novel, she is a totally different person.

As for Lucy, I liked how her personality is completely different from Adurey’s and yet they still connect and balance each other out. To be fair, she is from the 19th century so you can expect her to act differently as a product of different societal expectations as compared to the 21st century.

However, even if she is from a different century, the author doesn’t negate the fact that she is a strong and developed character. She grows out of her shell and embraces herself and again, if you look at the beginning versus the end of the book, you can truly see how much she has changed.

Now, for their chemistry, I appreciated how much the two characters balance each other out and make each other better which is what a romantic relationship is supposed to be like. From their thoughts and actions, you can clearly see how much they care about each other and want to make each other better.

Now, let’s talk about the side character’s and antagonists. For the side characters, I feel like they do add something to the book. Now, I’m not going to spoil what that is but let’s just say that their presence helps the main characters realize things and become better people. As for the antagonist, I feel like he is the standard “bad guy character” but the author touches base with it in a way that makes sense to his characterization and the time period.

Overall, solid characters.

Rating: 4.8/5

Plot

Obviously, since this is a romance novel, the plot tends to be a bit formulaic, and the story tends to be a bit more character focused rather than plot focused (unless it’s one of those romance novels where romance is more of a side plot rather than the focus of the story). So, you know, this book follows that sort of romance pattern: exposition, characters meet, they realize they have feelings for each other, admit it, third-act conflict, dramatic scene where they apologize, montage of happily ever after. Or something like that. Now, the problem lies in how those scenes are played out, how they are written, and so forth, which is what makes a good novel great.

Anyways, enough ranting and let’s get into the plot review of this book. This book has a pretty solid exposition, albeit longer than average, that lays out the foundations of the book. Audrey’s dilemma is introduced (her getting dumped and waitlisted at her art school, which is in the blurb of the book by the way so this is NOT a spoiler). While Lucy talks about her father expecting her to marry a man that she doesn’t like.

From the exposition, you can gain a sense of the two settings and the differences between them as well as the problems that are benign faced by the two characters. It is also introduced in a natural way that is not stilted or forced.

The rising action starts when the two characters meet and I thought it was pretty decent. Most of the character’s interactions occur in the rising action and obviously, you can see both of them get closer and undergo character development. There are also some fun antics and humour interspersed throughout the rising action so it is pretty great.

Now, the so-called “dramatic scene” of the story is, well, dramatic. And honestly, I don’t have too much to say about it other than that it was done fairly well. But no, wait, after that dramatic admission of feelings you have the third-act conflict. My favourite part of that was that it was resolved fairly quickly and wasn’t unnecessarily dragged out. However, I thought that there were some parts of the third-act conflict that could be resolved differently for more character development.

Finally, the ending. I honestly think the ending of the story is perfect. It allows you to get a glimpse into the future of the characters and resolves any questions that the reader might have, which is the perfect ending for a YA historical romance novel.

Rating: 4.7/5

Style

Now, for style, diction, and themes, which is basically anything that doesn’t really fit into the “characters” or “style” part of the book review.

We’ll start with the stylistic choices of the book and the diction. This book was written in first-person present tense with alternating POVs. Although I am not the most picky on tense and point-of-view, I think the first-person present works for this book as it’s a YA book, so it allows the reader to get a deeper and more immediate impression into the character’s thoughts. As for the alternating POV, it’s something that I love in a romance novel as it allows the reader to gain insight on both characters, which allows for better chemistry as it makes it more obvious as to why the two characters care for one another.

In terms of other stylistic choices, I appreciate the humour and pop culture references in the book. The humour makes the book more comedic which makes it more entertaining to read. And the pop culture references allow the reader to feel more connected to the characters.

Now for the themes which are love, gender equality, and being yourself. I thought all of the themes were generally well-represented. I love how for the theme of love, the author makes it clear that loving someone is supposed to make you happy and a better person and I love how it is explored in a positive manner.

For gender equality, I appreciate how the author explores this theme in a way that isn’t purposefully hurtful and blatantly sexist (yes, a lot of authors tend to use a historical time period as an excuse to be racist, sexist, and homophobic). Yet, she still sticks to the nuances of the time period. Obviously, people back then were more sexist than they are now and expectations are different but that does not mean that strong women did not exist back then.

Finally, the theme of being yourself. This is seen throughout the book through the character development. And although there are conflicts, the characters are eventually able to fully be themselves. Thus, as it takes a journey to get there, this theme is well represented.

Finally, although I am not a history nerd, I thought that the historical context of the book was maintained and it was clear that the author did her research.

Rating: 5/5

Final Rating

Characters: 4.8/5
Plot: 4.7/5
Formatting: 5/5
Final Rating: 4.8/5 (round to 5 stars)
Personal Rating: 4.6/5

Date Read: June 14th, 2023
Date Reviewed: June 15th, 2023

Audrey is sick of her life. She is magically transported to 1812 by the local curmudgeon who offers to help her. She meets Lucy and they fall in love unexpectedly...

I like the time travel story plot a lot. Both women are very likable. It's a sweet romantic fantasy. Totally enjoy it. I like how unexpectedly funny it is too. :) Really enjoy it. Terrific ending that ties up everything neatly.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This book is so fun!

The two main characters are interesting and having both povs gives us many funny moments when one is faced with things out of her time.

Is the story a bit simple and predictable? Sure, but it doesn't make it any less compelling and fun.

I particularly liked the resolution and the ending, which did feel a tad obvious, but had elements I wasn't expecting and that kept it interesting and not too cliché.
Bonus points for the suitors' arc towards the end, which was really cool.


Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC.