[arc review]
Thank you to Harper Perennial for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Meet the Benedettos releases December 5, 2023

“The Kardashians meets Pride and Prejudice” which is an odd combination to begin with.
I thought I would enjoy this one a lot more than I did, but I found myself seeking more depth, and more of a solid conflict.
The romance was flimsy at best, and none of the characters were very compatible.

A decent airplane read I suppose, which let’s be honest, sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

cw: eating disorder, overdose, some OW drama

I knew from the beginning that Meet the Benedettos was a Pride & Prejudice retelling, otherwise, I don't think I would have realized it. As I read, it felt like an accurate but contemporary retelling. The main storyline didn't stray far from Jane Austen's story, but with aspects of life in 2023 peppered throughout to ensure it is up to date. The Benedetto sisters fit right into the personalities of the Bennet sisters that Austen created, including the annoying aspects of the younger sisters. If you decided you want to give this story a try, don't go in looking for depth but look for some frothy fun. I enjoyed it and was glad to read a fun retelling of P&P!

Meet the Benedettos is a contemporary take on Pride and Prejudice, if the Bennet family was the Kardashians. The Benedetto family once had a reality tv show and the mass appeal of the Kardashians, but like all things, the glow has started to fade. Now they’re living in a house that’s falling apart that they can no longer afford, living well beyond their means. With the five Benedetto sisters trying to hold onto the last gasps of their notoriety, and a mother who is just completely oblivious to reality, the family has become a bit of a joke in their LA neighborhood of Pemberley Grove. When mega-movie star Charlie Bingley moves in, along with his pal Will Darcy, the Benedetto clan sense an opportunity. Oldest sister June sees hearts in her eyes with Charlie. Lilly hits it off with Will, until he makes an unfortunate comment in her presence… then she just wants to off him. The pair continue to bicker with each other as June and Charlie spend time together, forcing them to spend time together, their dislike of each other overshadowed only by their attraction to one another. Both grappling with their demons, the road to happily ever after is rocky for the pair. If you enjoy Pride and Prejudice remakes, or enemies-to-lovers, this may be for you. If you loved Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld, you’ll either love or hate this one. Having read and loved Eligible, this fell a little flat for me.

This was a quick read for me. It centers mostly around the 5 Benedetto daughters, has-been former reality show tv stars and mostly on Lilly. Although spoiled and pampered, they love each other and have each other’s backs. The love story between Lilly and Will was fun to read. This kept my interest, wanting to see how it turned out. Definitely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

The way in which I loved this book is INSANE!

This book had no business playing on every single emotion I have, but it did! I adored the writing. Almost every page was laugh out loud, funny. There is a level of trauma and difficult situations that I wasn’t expecting. None of it felt superficial or performative, which can sometimes be the case.

This book made me long for sisters. I have none and the FOMO I had was ridiculous. The five Benedetto sisters live with their parents, still. It’s been a few years since the reality TV show they were on ended. It’s not just their fame that is dwindling… they are going broke, fast, but they have each other!

Charlie, an actor with a HUGE blockbuster film coming out moves in next door with his best friend, Will in tow, and they meet the sisters at a neighbor’s party. Charlie and eldest Benedetto sister, June immediately hit it off, while things go from spectacular to terrible for Will and Lilly, the second eldest sister.

Lilly can’t stand Will… Will can’t stand Lilly… but they keep running into each other. This was kind of a slow burn, but also not… the build up was still chef’s kiss good! They don’t like anything the other stands for, with their preconceived notions of one another fully clouding their judgement.

I had the absolute BEST time reading this book. I loved the characters! The sisters were wonderful, even through their not so great moments. I loved how heavy this book was. It packed an emotion wallop! I definitely need to read more from this author, as this is in my top 10 of the year!

Synopsis: This is a Kardashian-esq take on Pride and Prejudice, following one of five sisters and Will Darcy.
Pros/cons: I enjoyed this book, but felt it would make a better movie or show! It had a lot of characters to keep track of and a very abrupt ending, but the sisters were fun to follow and I was interested in the romance.
Very middle of the road for me, but I’m thankful for the advanced copy from Netgalley/Harper Perennial. Check it out when it’s released next month!

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that Lilly Benedetto drives the crappiest, most broken-down car in Southern California.” Here are reasons to read the contemporary book:

Famous for Famous - The Benedettos are a family that is famous for being, well, famous
5 Sisters - with 5 sisters this family definitely doesn’t have a dull moment
2 New guys - and when 2 new guys move in down the street, it definitely turns things on it’s head.

So I realize I haven’t given much about the plot of this book. It’s like a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice but the family is definitely in the vein of the Kardashians. And to be fair I picked this book up because I loved this author’s YA mystery book, Liar’s Beach, earlier this year. And while I loved this take on it, I felt like we never really feel grounded into their lives and invested. Each person has at least one viewpoint chapter, with the majority being for Lilly Benedetto and Will Darcy. If you are the type of person that loves a retelling, this book may be one for you to pick up. I will definitely pick up another YA Mystery from this author, but this one just didn’t quite do it for me.

The Kardashians meets Pride and Prejudice in one of the boldest takes on the classic I’ve seen yet! MEET THE BENEDETTOS is a funny and unique reimagining of the beloved story.

Meet the Benedettos, a wealthy family of seven who once lit up the screens with their antics, lifestyle, and charm on a reality show about their family. Now, patriarch Dominic’s pizza empire is franchised, and some unfortunate decisions (and his wife’s spending) has financially ruined him. The mansion they purchased when at their prime is set to be in foreclosure.

The five daughters are now in their twenties. They may be flush with all the free tummy tees and cronut vodka they could ask for, but they are flat broke. In alternating chapters, the sisters and other characters narrate the story. When famous actor Charlie Bingley moves into their neighborhood with his best friend Will Darcy, the Benedetto girls hope their fortunes may take a turn for the better.

While eldest sister June battles her own demons, she strikes up a relationship with Charlie. Meanwhile sensible second daughter Lilly is infuriated by the attractive and stoic Will Darcy. Following the same main plot points as Pride and Prejudice, the dynamic between the sisters, their love interests, and their family spin towards either a happily ever after or total ruin.

This is a rather audacious spin on the classic novel, but one that works overall. The structure of the alternating POVs keeps the reader engaged. As with the original, the spark between Lilly and Will is the best part of the story.

I appreciate what Katie Cotugno was able to accomplish here! I don’t know that the staunchest fans of the original will be into this glittering Hollywood-ified spin, but those with an open mind to a new take on the classic will find a lot of humor and fun in this book.

Meet the Benedettos
Katie Cotugno
Pub Date: December 5, 2023
Harper Perennial
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
An A-list movie star moves to Los Angeles—next door to a family of five eligible sisters—in this irresistible novel where The Kardashians meets Pride and Prejudice, from the NYT bestselling author of Birds of California.
I enjoyed this book but still felt it had some fleshing out to do and ended abruptly.
This is women's fiction/YA . Both genre's I don't read a lot of.
Good book!

A sharp, Kardashian-flavored update on Austen. I have enjoyed most of Katie Cotugno's YA and adult books but almost every time I'm left with the sense of wanting them to be more fleshed-out. The ending here was pretty abrupt. Also, the POV deviates from our main couple a few times and I'm not sure that worked for me. Enjoyed overall though.

I would classify myself as a Pride and Predjudice super-fan, and I love to read retellings. Meet the Benedettos was such a fun one! I loved the premise that the sisters were part of a Kardashian-esque Hollywood 'famous for being famous' family - what a clever idea that was super well-executed. I also thought the Bingley characters (Charlie and Caroline) were well-drawn and stayed true to the intention of the original, while being modern and fresh. My one quibble was with the Darcy character, and though this may be a case of 'it's not you it's me' since Darcy may be my favorite male lead of all time (woah), I just couldn't get behind his reinvention in this book. He didn't have the depth that I expect and made some downright cruel comments late in the story when we are supposed to be getting the more nuanced take on his character.

Overall, I would recommend this for any P&P lover - it's fun, fresh and kept me turning the pages. Oh! And perhaps my favorite character retold is Mary - so, so well-done. Early quote from Marianne included below:

"You should ring the doorbell regardless!" Cinta [the mom] exclaims. "Honestly, I can't believe none of you have invited him over already. He's going to think we're all a bunch of low-rent inconsequentials with no manners." "Oh," Marianne replies, "I'm sure we can all agree he probably thinks that already."

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the opportunity to read this book early!

A first for my by this author but definitely not my last! The synopsis blurb of The Kardashians X Pride & Prejudice really piqued my interest.

Bits
LA Culture
Former reality stars
Family drama
Crumbling beautiful homes
Movie stars
Modern obstacles

With great nods to a classic… Meet The Benedettos gives you the modern take on a much loved novel. Fun and quick to read. I really enjoyed how the story ended and miss the Benedettos after finishing.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced ecopy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher's for this Advanced Readers Copy of Meet the Benedettos by Katie Cotungno!

This was a cute retelling of Pride and Prejudice which really drew out the importance of the relationship of the sisters in the family, perhaps even better than Austen herself did. Austen fans will enjoy it!

With Meet the Benedettos, Katie Cotugno returns to the Hollywood landscape for her second adult contemporary, with a twist: a Pride and Prejudice retelling. I eat up any Pride and Prejudice retelling, always intrigued by how an author tackles the Austen dynamics of both the overarching classic love story and the social critique underneath. Here, Cotugno snappily updates the Bennets to a reality TV family living in a mansion they can longer afford, Darcy and Bingley to actors of stage and screen, respectively, and the stakes of social class and perception to the Hollywood A-list and down, tabloids, and gossip.

It’s a breezy, fun read that I read in just two sittings. Cotugno depicts the modern Bennets in their chaotic and complicated, frustrating and endearing glory as a family alternatively scrabbling to hold it together or blissfully ignoring that need. The sisters bond at the center was lovely and reinforced throughout. I also appreciated how Cotugno brought in their parents and their own roles in the story. The Hollywood/LA setting is fun and feels different than the typical Hollywood romance with its focus on sets and press situations, as instead this one talks more about daily life and the social scene.

It’s so breezy, though, that the ending feels sudden and rushed. While I respect the realistic nature of not tying up everyone’s stories with a bow, it still felt abrupt after spending time with each character’s issues and even their perspective. Lilly and Will’s conclusion was so quick that I actually said, “Wait, that’s it?” Not seeing June and Charlie reunite (or June’s ED being mentioned only in a sentence at the end), or Olivia and family really deal with the scandal, for instance, also takes away from the story and left me pretty unsatisfied. I wanted more time with them to work out those last beats of the story, and the book could have actually used several more chapters.

katie cotugno and an adult book?!?!?!? say no more! I am obsessed with this book it was such a fun read and i loved the pride and prejudice incorperation

Pride and Prejudice meets the Kardashian siblings in Katie Cotugno’s sophomore novel, Meet the Benedettos, and the end result is fun, fast-paced and snappy. Her humanistic, big-hearted portraits of sibling love compelled me to keep reading until I’d gobbled up the whole novel in one sitting.

The five Benedetto sisters – wannabe novelist Lilly, the eldest, June, who has an eating disorder and is obsessed with her image, middle sister Olivia, and influencer younger sisters Marianne – Mari – and Kit grew up in the glare of the spotlight. Their father, Dominic, became known as the Meatball King thanks to his chain of same-named Italian restaurants (Slogan: “You won’t believe the balls on us!”). The girls gained fame of their own through a reality show, Meet the Benedettos, and Lilly’s so-called friendship with heiress and socialite Isobel DesRoche. The girls trailed in this fame-laden wake as famous celebutantes for years. Mom Cinta is a momager who is concerned about appearances and would do anything to keep living in her children’s reflected glory.

Unfortunately, the gravy train is starting to roll to an stop for the family at large; Cinta’s father’s poor business acumen has squandered their cash in bad investments, the reality show cameras are long gone, and the world has begun to forget about them. Their eleven-year-old estate in Pemberly Hills is starting to fall apart, and the girls are forced to confront a future without means. And some of them – like Lilly, frustrated in her collegiate ambitions – wouldn’t mind living an entirely different life.

As the Benedettos struggle to figure out how to keep living large on the cash they have, a miracle tumbles into their lap. Enter two actors: Charlie Bingley, action movie star best known as Captain Fantastic, and his best friend, the celebrity unimpressed Will Darcy, a theatrical actor. Charlie and Will were best friends at Juilliard, and a more mutt-and-jeff, Robin Williams/Christopher Reeve combo they could not be. Charlie falls head over heels for Olivia, which puts the men firmly in the Benedetto’s orbits. While Cinta tries to manipulate the situation to land them big bucks and another turn in the spotlight, Lilly and Will immediately clash. Might love – and freedom from the celebrity machine – be around the corner for Lilly?

Everyone knows I’m picky about Pride and Prejudice retellings, and it takes a lot to impress me. Meet the Benedettos works because it manages to echo Austen without perfectly replicating her. And yes, this book will require you having some sympathy for the average celebutante. But Lilly is compelling, even when her siblings are not.

The book does have two major problems. One is that too many characters – Cinta, some of the sisters – are given PoV chapters when they’re really not necessary. The other is that Lily’s siblings are not distinct characters except for June. Mari and Kit are so indistinct from one another that I had a hard time telling them apart, and Olivia only distinguishes herself because she ends up with a version of Lydia’s story arc.

But the romance between Will and Lilly works. It has fire and spirit and personality. Will’s career needs are understandable, and Charlie is agreeably aimable. The relationships between June and Lilly, Lilly and her parents, and Lilly and her goals in life all ring true. There’s dignity and warmth here. Meet the Benedettos is about growing up, finding true love, and figuring out who you were born to be, not what the world tells you you ought to be.

From Harper Perennial Publishing: Every family is complicated, and the Benedettos are no exception. A few years after a reality TV show skyrocketed them to pop-culture fame, the five twentysomething sisters are living together in their parents’ crumbling McMansion, nearly broke and teetering towards rock-bottom. Lilly, the sensible second-eldest sister, is all too aware that her family is viewed as a spectacle, but she’s focused on holding herself and her family together, and unlike her siblings she tends not to care what the world thinks.
The Benedettos’ fortunes finally appear to be brightening when Charlie Bingley, the dashing star of Captain Fantastic, moves into their Los Angeles neighborhood with his friend Will Darcy in tow. It isn’t long before Charlie falls for the warm and lovely eldest sister, June. Lilly has no such luck: the arrogant and judgmental Will Darcy, a man plagued by his own private demons, seems ready to clash with her at every turn--yet the two can’t seem to stay away from each other. And while the Benedettos’ matriarch sets to work encouraging a potential match between Charlie and June, there are plenty of others in the community who are determined to steer these eligible young men away from a ridiculous family of reality show has-beens...
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My review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So entertaining! Yes, very Kardashian and reality tv but I enjoyed all the characters. The chapters are written from different points of view and that really helped me get in their heads and understand them. Although some only popped up once or twice, not sure why.

The sisters seem to be past their reality show heydays but are still trying. I went between laughter, sympathy, curiosity and hope. Lilly is strong and working to help her family. But she is not without fault. Characters should be complex and Katie Cotugno writes hers well.

I enjoyed the build up between Lilly and Will and couldn't wait to find out the real story between Will and Nick. The worry for the Benedetto's financial issues was always near the surface and kept the reader reminded that things aren't always what they seem with the "rich and famous".

Good story telling, interesting characters and a few turns I didn't expect.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️s for the above reasons and the "reality tv" drama, which I love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial Publishing for Ana sav be digital copy in exchange for my review.

This was a very quick, fun and cute book. I'll be 100% honest and say I've never read Pride & Prejudice - I know the basics but I'm certainly not an expert by any means. So I'm not going to be able to compare it or how well it gives it a modern twist. But I love Katie Cotugno and I was very intrigued by the description of the Kardashians meets P&P. I really enjoyed the whole cast of characters. Yes, there are a lot of chapters outside of the two main characters, but they are really short. It didn't bother me like it seemed to for a lot of other people. I breezed through the book and honestly, my biggest complaint is the ending seemed very rushed and a little too open ended. I would have rather seen a little more on that end. But overall I really enjoyed it!

I was immediately drawn into the world of this reality star family of sisters! The concept of a group of has-beens looking for redemption and love was a unique take on two topics I love (reality stars and classic novels). I loved diving into this world and couldn't put it down. I will be recommending to friends!