Thanks to Netgalley and Robyn Gynne for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Worst Darcy is my first read by author, Robyn Gynne.

Respectfully, this started out a little too formulaic for my taste. Brody, the quintessential blonde bad boy complete with loud muscle car and pierced nipples. Vivian, a prudish seeming librarian, single mom raising her son Keaton with her ex-boyfriend and supportive coparent, Sam.

Vivian likens herself to being a nobody in the town and thinks that playing Lizzie Bennett in the town’s version of Pride and Prejudice during the annual AustinWorld festival will put her on the map and score her some friends.

Brodie also has mom issues, with the worst mom ever, who controls her family with scathing words and disapproval. Of course Brodie has to be the rebel black sheep of the family.

But something happened about midway through the story. Vivian stopped being so prudish and Brodie became less standoffish. Reading their journey became a spicy delight instead of a slow slog. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but if you want some spice with a Pride and Prejudice flair, this may be the book for you. Just hang in there.

I think it was just a little...boring? Viv is a librarian and people kept shitting on her for it for some reason? It seemed like so much hate for no reason. The same went for her being a single mom who still had a good relationship with her ex. She was getting a lot of criticism for it - so much so that it started to feel almost overplayed.

I will read any rewrite of Pride and Prejudice, so thank you #Netgally for my ARC of #TheWorstDarcy. Easy, cozy read that you can read during a flight and know that you'll be done and happy. I'll be interested to see what else this author writes and if it's inspired by Jane Austen, count me in!

This was such a fun indie romance enemies to lovers, small town debut P&P retelling. I loved the banter between the main characters, all the Jane Austen references and how relatable (and steamy) the romance was. A strong debut and I look forward to reading more from new Canadian author, Robyn Gynne. Many thanks to NetGalley and the author for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was a fine Pride and Prejudice retelling. It didn’t excite me in anyway but I didn’t hate it. It felt average in terms of a retelling of the story.

I love a good Austen retelling. This was an enjoyable and spicy, if a tad predictable, romcom. Overall, a fun experience and would try the author again.

This book was so cringey. I love a good Pride and Prejudice remake but this was not it. The FMC Was so unlikable and the MMC was boring. Advertised as a single mom but where was the baby most of the story?

I'm truly ambivalent about this book, it started out strong, the plot was, while closer to a fairytale, really enjoyable. The couple were cute together and I loved how they both thought of each other, throughout the first half all I was thinking was how smitten and gone for the other they were.

To be quite honest, the dynamic of Vivian and her baby daddy made me uncomfortable, the fact that he was her best friend, ex-boyfriend and baby daddy, also he came out as bisexual and had a fiancé, was just too much. Apart from it being against my beliefs and preference as a person, it was just too many cliches stitched together.

Returning to the main event, the romance, I really loved Brodie and Vivian together. The idea of them was so beautiful and their scenes until the first half were swoon worthy. I had a dumb smile on my face and a swarm of butterflies in my tummy.

Their perspectives and opinions about each other were refreshing to read. Finally, love interests whose attraction wasn’t solely physical. They definitely liked how the other looked, however, it wasn’t, “he is so hot,’ or “she is so sexy,” all the time. When one of them described the other as adorable, I fell in love. Nothing beats a love story where the couple aren’t afraid to be vulnerable or crazy in front of the person they love.

Reaching the middle point, I knew something was off when they had already started their relationship and pretty much acknowledged how deep their feelings were. I was like, there’s a whole half left, what else is going to happen? I was hoping desperately that it wouldn’t turn into a series of on-again-off-again and the whole miscommunication trope.

Instead, it was a chapter after chapter of s*x scenes. Now. I don’t have a thing against intimacy, but I have an issue with anything repetitive. Like, we got it, they can’t take their hands off each other, but seriously, chill out!! One is almost thirty and the other has a baby for God’s sake. And their personality took a 180 turn in the middle of all the spice. Consistency wise, their character changed, and I'm not talking another layer revealed, but actual core change. They were no longer the couple I loved.

The end had a little conflict, or a hiccup really. But there was a decent finale, and all got their happily ever after.

It's just sad that what started as an easy 5 star read, turned weaker and weaker. It might have been to reach a wider audience, or to sell better, but it wasn’t done cleverly to go seamlessly with the beginning.

I'll definitely read other books by the author, she has original ideas and a knack for good characters, I just wish different alpha and beta readers are involved the next time.

*I received an arc of this book through Netgalley and the publisher in exchange of an honest review*

Overall, The Worst Darcy was an enjoyable read that I couldn’t help but get lost in. And with this book, Gynne has become one of my new favorite authors, and I can’t wait to see what they writes next!

Fairly predictable rom com but it was still a good read that I enjoyed it. It was also a quick read.

I will always Stan a book that is a nod to a Jane Austen classic, especially when it is updated and given a little twist. This was way cute and very enjoyable.

Well.... that was interesting. I loved the acceptance and learning to love yourself instead of conforming into the molds people set for you.

That being said... the parallels between this and P&P were not really there for me except the obvious fact of them putting on reenactments of the book. I liked the attention to Matthew Mcfayden's fist clench in the film version and I feel terrible saying that some of the things were way outside of my comfort zone when its about being yourself and not letting anyone yuck your yum but ... y'all some was just too weird and happened so randomly through out the book.

I did love Sam and Viv and their dedication to their son and each other though. Overall, it was just ok for me but if you like the VERY niche market of tentacles and P&P, I've got just the book for you!

This was absolutely adorable! I adored the setting, and the characters were really great! The dynamic between the characters was so fun (very Lizzie-Darcy), and I loved the banter. The romance was very sweet, and the spice was super well-written (the tentacles were a fun touch). Overall, I would definitely recommend this! I'm excited for more from this author! :)

Lovely, lovely book, I love it super cute and cozy!
Highly recommended 💕
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the copy

This contemporary romance wraps you in a cozy blanket of heartfelt moments, steamy connections, and a lively Austen festival backdrop that's sure to enchant any romance lover.

Brodie Bishop, with his tattoos and metalhead vibe, initially seems like an unlikely Mr. Darcy, yet beneath his rough exterior lies a depth and sincerity that completely won me over. His chemistry with Vivian Trent, the determined librarian and single mom, evolves beautifully from contentious to passionate, making their love story all the more rewarding.

Vivian's quest for acceptance in the small town of Austen and Brodie's journey from town 'disappointment' to someone you root for, reflect a narrative rich with character development and romantic tension. The way Robyn Gynne has crafted these characters, especially the dynamic with Vivian's son Eaton, adds layers of warmth to the tale​​.

THE WORST DARCY by Robyn Gynne is a standalone contemporary romance. Single mom Vivian Trent opted to settle in the small town that her BFF (and father of her child) Sam lives in. She works at the local librarian, and everything is fine, but she still feels a bit like an outsider. Vivian sees playing the role of Elizabeth Bennet for the town’s interactive Jane Austen Festival as the perfect opportunity to stand out and be accepted by the townsfolk. What she didn’t count on was Brodie Bishop, and the rest is history.

When his brother, formerly the festival’s favorite choice for the role of Darcy, leaves town, Brodie reluctantly agrees to take on the responsibility. With his tattoos, shaggy hair, and rock star vibe, Brodie would not normally be obvious casting, but with Vivian’s help, he grows into it and makes the role his. This book is stuffed with parallels. Just as Vivian is struggling to find acceptance, that has been an issue for Brodie as well. Because of a somewhat wild youth, Brodie is still judge by some and he’s not seen as the successful and responsible adult that he has become. Vivian also feels judged by some for being a single mother. While their initial few encounters are rocky, these two eventually see each other for the complex and wonderful people they are. Much like Vivian, I was all set to dislike Brodie, but having part of the book told from his perspective, and seeing how he treats Vivian and everybody else, I fell for him in a big way. Robyn Gynne serves up a plethora of steamy scenes for romance fans to devour, but I think a big part of what makes the chemistry so explosive is the work this author put into building the characters and having the main characters grow to understand and like each other before things got hot and heavy.

THE WORST DARCY is a super sexy character-driven story with phenomenal storytelling. The supporting characters added depth and helped flesh out the main characters more. The relationship that evolves between Brodie and Vivian’s son Eaton is adorable. Brodie’s mother is a nightmare, and the author does a great job of having the other characters stand up to her. I like how Robyn Gynne tries to resolve some relationships, while also realizing that not every relationship can have a quick and saccharine fix. I can’t wait to read Robyn Gynne’s next book!

Thank you to Robyn Gynne and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. I really enjoyed this book. It was a super quick read and very sweet. The characters were well crafted and the story flowed really well. Who doesn't want to know more about a Austen festival and hear about acting out Pride and Prejudice? I really enjoyed this book and I think many others would too. 5 stars.

Brodie is not the worst. Brodie is my new book boyfriend, I love him, his angst, his tattoos, his piercings and his love for his heavy metal bandmates. I adore him. Seriously. Fell in love from the first word about him.

He is my type.

So is Vivian.

A librarian obsessed with Austin who wants to consider herself Lizzy? Yes please. Though the people pleasing? I’ve kind of gotten over that part.

This book was so good, I don’t even fully have the words to explain how much I loved it, and how glad I was to get an ARC of iit. I’ve been ruminating about it for weeks, re-reading some of my favourite parts and saving up to buy my very own copy. I’ve recommended it at the two libraries I belong to, and to a complete stranger in Chapters who was dawdling in front of a different book I was there to pick up in the romance section (sadly a present for someone else.)

I love Pride and Prejudice, it is one of the stories I consider to be almost perfect. (Nothing is ever completely perfect).

This book? Also almost perfect, absolutely just what I needed to read in the moment I read it, and I found myself hugging it to my chest.

This book has angst, romance, family, found family, just everything. This author is one who I will keep my eye on for future releases, and not just because she’s Canadian.

Enjoyed this modern story that blended the characters of P and P in this story. A single mother and the town's librarian, Vivian fell in love with the town's bad boy. For once, Mr D is the town's bad boy. Enjoyed the slow transformation of this enemies to lovers story. especially what Lizzy did/said to Lady Catherine at the end.
(NOTE: LGBTQIA and has mature contents)

I LOVED THIS!!! There was nothing I didn't like in this book. The Spice was on point and Vivian and Brodie are perfect. I was hooked from the first chapter. I couldn't put it down.
I just reviewed The Worst Darcy by Robyn Gynne. #TheWorstDarcy #NetGalley
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