Member Reviews
This was such a fun romance book inspired by Pride and Prejudice. I love Pride and Prejudice so I will read anything inspired by it. The main characters were so interesting to read about and I loved the plot.
I am such a sucker for any Pride and Prejudice reimagining. Vivian and Brodie's romance was just as charming as Austen's OG pairing.
Gynne has add a true gem to the pantheon of PnP works.
Thank you to Robyn Gynne and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.
I enjoyed reading The Worst Darcy.
Vivian is a single mom in the town of Austen trying to separate her identify from her ex and father of her child, Sam. They remain friend.
Brodie is the bad boy and his family's constant disappointment trying to prove to the town that he is changed from his rebellious teenage years.
I loved the idea of a Jane Austen festival retelling Price and Prejudice through town events. I think this was the most interesting aspect of the story. The enemies to lovers felt a bit forced. That and both of the main characters relationships with their families also didn't feel genuine.
Overall, I think the story started out strong and then lacked a little substance during the last 1/3 of the book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I would like to thank netgalley and the author for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Enjoyable, I really loved the idea of this book.
such a fun and such a good read. i will definitely be re reading this soon. i love me a hot tattooed man
Well paced and full of detail. Perfect end of summer read I felt like I was right inside of the book.
Thank you Netgalley for an awesome arc in exchange for my honest opinion
Let me start off first by saying that I'm not a big fan of dual first person POV's, but Gynne did an amazing job storytelling. I enjoyed this story immensely. Comedy, romance, steaminess, with a bit of drama added into the mix. I loved that there was no need for too much angst to move the story along. This was a lovely opposites attract contemporary romance.
Vivian is starting her new life away from her judgmental family with her son and trying to at least have some organization in her life as se tries to make a name for herself with the people in her town. Which is how she ends up as Lizzie Bennet in the Austen festival. The only problem is that her dream Mr. Darcy is being replaced by his metalhead of a brother, Brodie. And that's where the real fun begins.
Brodie has always been the town's bad boy and he's been okay with it. But there's something different about Vivian that makes him care about what she thinks. And so he does his best at playing Mr. Darcy. He means to play the crap out of Mr. Darcy. And doing it wonderfully to Vivian's shock. Despite butting heads at the beginning of the festivities, as the summer goes on and their wariness of each other blooms to friendship, something shifts and they end up falling for one another despite the reservations they have of this new relationship.
I'm a historical romance reader through and through, but I believe authors like Gynne make it worthwhile for readers like me to venture out to contemporary romance. I enjoyed this book very much and I cannot wait to see what Gynne has next in store. Will definitely be watching out for any new releases.
<i>I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>
3.5 stars
I will read any Austen adaptation. I love seeing the original work repurposed or with new life breathed into it. And this is a take I haven't seen before, which I very much appreciated!
Is it the best spin I've read? No. But it's miles above the worst spins I've read.
The characters are interesting and dynamic. The plot mirrors the source material in some spots and completely surprises you in others. Brodie is delightful. Keaton is adorable.
Vivian leaves a little something to be desired. Some of her storylines had me confused -- like did she occasionally forget how to be a functioning adult? She's so frustrated that no one in the town seems to know/remember her but she doesn't seem to have put much of an effort in. And she's so awkward with Renee at first, it's almost painful to read. If there had been some explanation for it, I'd be all in. But there wasn't so it ended up feeling stilted.
Kudos to Robyn for exploring a kink I've never seen before in all my romance reading. It kept me on my toes, wondering how things would play out.
Ultimately it's a fun, quick read and I'd probably recommend it if someone was looking for pure escapism.
BLURB:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Brodie Bishop is the worst.
Vivian Trent is desperate. Her family doesn't approve of her life as a single mom and the small town of Austen still won't accept her as one of their own four years later. Playing Elizabeth Bennet at the annual Jane Austen Festival is the perfect way to win over the locals and prove that she's thriving. But when Austen's favourite festival hero is replaced by his tattooed, metalhead brother, how is she supposed to achieve perfection with such a bad boy playing Mr. Darcy? He's never read the book. He's brash and unpolished. He's... blond?!
You must allow me to tell you how ardently I dislike you.
Brodie's used to being the town disappointment, so when Vivian turns her nose up at him, he's not surprised. Hot librarian or not, she's way too uptight. But once the festival gets underway, they see new sides of each other. When he finds out her dark secret, suddenly she’s much more endearing. She’s vulnerable, but strong. And the way she looks in that gown only blurs the lines between playing the part and falling for her for real.
But when her goal is within reach, can Vivian go off-book and choose Brodie, if it means risking everything she thought she wanted?
MY REVIEW:
This was a mixed bag for me, while there were some parts that I found enjoyable, overall, the book needs a bit more polish.
The FMC was so irritating! She was super indecisive, and after a while I simply stopped caring what happened to her. There was no connection there at all, nothing relatable. The chemistry between the FMC and the MMC was forced and contrived.
On the plus side, the Austen Festival sounds amazing!
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
A fab read, opposites attract. She just wants to be noticed in her new town as more than just her sons mother. The festival was supposed to help her, but will the worst Darcy be best for her? A great read, looking forward more books from this author.
This Pride and Prejudice modernization, which takes place in a small village that holds an annual Jane Austen celebration, was enjoyable to read. Notably, Vivian and Brodie, who had excellent chemistry and banter, the author created believable and likable characters. Vivian, a single mother who works as a librarian, adores Jane Austen's books, notably Pride and Prejudice. She wants to make a good impression on the community by portraying Elizabeth Bennet at the festival. Still, she is shocked to learn that her Mr. Darcy is none other than Brodie, the community's lousy kid and black sheep. Although Brodie is a tattooed metalhead who has never read any of Austen's writings, he accepts to take on the role to gain favor with his family and the community. As they practice, they realize they have more in common than they initially imagined, and they begin to feel attracted to one another.
The plot was well-paced and entertaining, with some amusing and touching parts. I enjoyed how the author inserted some Pride and Prejudice references, lines, and comparisons between the characters and events. I also enjoyed how Vivian and Brodie each had their issues and fears, which they helped each other through. The supporting characters were equally engaging and contributed to the story's complexity. Max, Vivian's son, was very endearing and intelligent to me.
I didn't give this book 5 stars since the conflict and ending felt rushed and predictable. I would have loved to see more development and tension in Vivian and Brodie's relationship and more difficulties and problems for them. I also thought that some of Vivian's family turmoil was settled too swiftly and conveniently. More intricacy and nuance would have helped the plot.
Overall, this was a fun and charming read for fans of contemporary romance and Jane Austen. The Worst Darcy is a delightful debut novel by Robyn Gynne.
I really enjoyed this book even though I’m not a fan of Pride and Prejudice.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and author for the book.
I have a confession: I have never read Pride and Prejudice. I know I’m missing out, especially with how often it’s referenced in other books. The Worst Darcy REALLY makes me want to read it. Even without reading Pride and Prejudice it’s clear that there are parallels between that and The Worst Darcy.
I like that both Vivian and Brodie are complex. They are human and make mistakes but are willing to be honest with themselves and grow. They both have similar ideas of what family is. But there are relationships they each have that I wished were resolved.
Overall good story that I’d rate 3.5 out of 5. I received a copy of The Worst Darcy via NetGalley for review.
I like retellings and stories set and inspired by my favorite classics. The Worst Darcy as it’s evident from the title, is inspired by Pride and Prejudice. I must admit that both the title and the cover caught my attention and I was fully convinced to read it when I read the synopsis.
Although to be honest, Brodie Bishop as seen on the cover (aka the worst Darcy) is the one who instantly caught my attention *wink*
I have to admit that I didn’t expect to like this book so much!, the truth is that I liked it a lot. I couldn’t stop reading it and it was a lot of fun. But I also didn’t expect it to be so spicy, it has several scenes like that, which I found too many for my personal taste.
I got to a point in the book where I was a little tired, instead, i wanted it to focus more on other aspects of the story or characters, like Brodie’s relationship with his family rather than on those scenes, which were very well executed but it’s something of personal taste.
I also would have liked to see some kind of closure or improvement in Brodie’s relationship with his mom at the end.
Despite being inspired by Pride and Prejudice, I liked the story a lot and I found it very original, the dynamic between Brodie and Vivianne is a highlight having very funny interactions between them.
I LOVED the chapter where at the Meryton ball, Brodie has to improvise and starts playing the violin, being this his instrument and plays Linkin Park’s Numb, Vivianne is fascinated watching him in his element. The library chapter was so good and I laughed a lot!
But I’m not going to lie, for me the biggest highlight of this book is Brodie Bishop, because as Vivianne I too was enraptured.
This book is perfect for Pride and Prejudice fans!
This was a fun and fast paced rom-com that adds the quirks of a small town to up the enjoyable elements of the story. Some of the banter between the characters felt a little forced, but the leads were well-rounded and felt like real people.
If you're a fan of small town romances and stories inspired by classic literature this is a great choice, and makes a great beach read.
Everything that comes with Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" book, I am totally in to check it out. An this one has a unique premise that has caught all my attention. And with no surprise, I can tell You all that this book totally worth the reading! First of all, I should make clear that this is not a retelling or something similar to that. it's just a fiction that is influenced by one of the most famous works of the English lady author, placed in nowadays set. The perfect strangers( that doesn't like each other) to lovers with a lot of humor, sensibility and an original conection with the story of Jane Austen. The characters reflect in a modern way, all the essence of Austen's message: Sometimes society makes Us prioritize what We see in the surface and appearance of people, but Humans are more than What it shows or financial gain. The romance progresses very well as the narrative goes on, and We can truly sense the chemistry between Vivian and Brodie. Really, the book is way compelling than I tought it would be. It has adult content, so it's important to know that this book is not indicated for young readers.
I love Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen so this was definitely for me. Vivian and Brodie was truly an opposites attract couple, but they really made it work. Vivian brought out the softer, more caring and definitely responsible side of Brodie to show the town who he really is. And Brodie encouraged Vivian to be more like herself. Also, their chemistry was swoonworthy. Their family situations were interesting, it was superb when Vivian stood up for Brodie. The festival setting was great as well. I genuinely recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the book.
I absolutely loved the characters and the focus around Darcy and the town having an event. I loved Pride and Prejudice and it was great to see a new take incorporating the story.
Where do I even start with The Wrong Darcy?!
This book had me CACKLING!!! Vivian is a librarian better known as Keaton's mom or Sam's ex, and Brodie is the black sheep of their town. Naturally, these two are Lizzie and Darcy in their town's month-long Jane Austen festival... and they hate each other.
Vivian & Brodie's story is so cute and insanely funny! It's a slowish burn where he falls first (there's hand flexing!), a good amount of spice, and (I will die on this hill) no third-act breakup.
"He's never read the book. He's brash and unpolished. He's... blond?!"
I love a good retelling of a classic, but mix that with the small-town and enemies-to-lovers tropes, and I am HERE for it.
At first, Viv and Brodie hate each other for various reasons (she takes things too seriously, and he calls her V), but eventually decide to help each other gain favor with the town (HE EVEN WATCHED THE KIERA KNIGHTLEY P&P WITH HER!!!)
The Worst Darcy is light, swoony, and just spicy enough to avoid detracting from the story.
Thank you, NetGalley and Robyn Gynne, for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC of "The Worst Darcx".
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was funny, heartwarming and just an overall really enjoyable story. The story focuses on wrong first impressions and getting to know each other better. I really loved the relationship forming between Brodie and Vivian.