For me to want to read a retelling of a classic, it needs to bring something new to the table: a different setting, characters changed in some way, maybe a twist on whose perspective we follow. Pride and Preston Lin does exactly that, updating Pride and Prejudice for the modern world, setting the story in the San Francisco area, and highlighting Chinese American characters as our protagonists. There are some references to Crazy Rich Asians, but here it’s combined with the classic enemies-to-lovers arc that Jane Austen fans know so well.

Here, the bad blood all starts when Lissie Cheng, a waitress at her family’s restaurant, accidentally serves food to a table despite one among the party having an allergy to it. The whole ordeal becomes a bigger deal than it needed to be, and it sets Lissie and Preston Lin against each other. But Lissie’s sister Jenny starts dating Preston’s friend Charles, so they’ll be forced to see each other quite a bit over the following months. An added wrench thrown into everything is the swim team Lissie’s younger sister JoJo is on, currently captained by a certain Wayman Wang. Yes, he and Preston have history and differing versions of what actually happened.

Pride and Preston Lin is a contemporary romance, though despite being aimed for an adult audience, it does feel vaguely New Adult much of the time. The main characters are all in school, finishing up their Bachelor’s degrees (Lissie) or working towards a PhD (Preston). Their families play a big role in everything that’s going on, too.

One thing I enjoyed throughout the book is the frequent references to Pride and Prejudice. Lissie is writing a play partly inspired by Jane Austen’s classic novel. Lissie, Jenny, and their whole group of friends attend a dance that’s a movie-themed costume party, with the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice being one that’s highlighted. They dress up as the main characters, learn the beautiful dance from the movie, and really bring in that well-known charm. On the nose, sure, but it works perfectly here.

Another thing I appreciated in Pride and Preston Lin is the depiction of Chinese American culture. Preston’s mom is, to put it mildly, unimpressed that Lissie doesn’t speak fluent Mandarin. But as Lissie describes, there are many ways to be Chinese in America, and depending on when your family immigrated, it will impact the language you use and how your culture is expressed.

Pride and Preston Lin has all the right beats from Pride and Prejudice, with characters that feel like Lizzie and Darcy, similar conflicts with surrounding characters, and that juicy, tell-all letter. While I wasn’t as invested in everything (the swimming parts went over my head a bit), I enjoyed the way this story gave a unique and modern update on the classic enemies-to-lovers story.

Christina Hwang Dudley has taken a beloved classic and made it her own, still honoring all the ups and downs of the original while making each character sparkle in their own right. Pride and Preston Lin is a wonderful contemporary retelling that Pride and Prejudice fans are sure to love.

At the core, this book is a modern twist on Pride and Prejudice, but with a fresh pair of characters: Lissie and Preston, who are Chinese-American. It's a delightful, light-hearted romance that takes Austen's classic and gives it a fun new spin. It all starts with a shellfish allergy at Lissie’s Aunty’s restaurant, where she meets this tall, handsome picture-perfect Preston Lin. But when Lissie mistakenly serves shellfish to Preston’s friend, he does not let her off easily.

It features the classic enemies-to-lover trope, but what truly captivated me was the slow-burn romance. Despite, Preston being the GOLDEN BOY, Lissie takes her time falling for Preston. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that the essence of the story lies in unravelling each other's values and perspectives, blurring the lines between truth and perception.

I read this novel simultaneously with Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and one thing I can clearly say is, that Christina does not fail to capture the essence of the events from the original novel in her retelling. As this is not just a mere copy of the original but rather a retelling that uses a different time frame and cultural context to illustrate how, even after centuries, our pride and prejudice still create barriers between us.

Her witty writing style is top-notch, and I could not help but burst out laughing at Lissie’s smart remarks. But what I enjoyed the most was the bond between these sisters; the relationship between Jenny, Lissie and Jojo reminded me of Jenny Han’s “All The Boys I Have Loved Before”. It was an aspect of the story that I wish I could read more about, if there ever is a sequel, I need more of their sisterhood journey.

Overall, all I can say is that if you enjoy Pride and Prejudice, enemies to lovers, misunderstood young adults and just a fun romance in general. You need to pick this book up, cause last night I was up till 3 am reading this and I had a 9 am class today. So pick this up and make it your perfect spring read, you will not regret it!

i was really excited to learn about Third State Books bc I love the idea of a publishing company dedicated to seeking & publishing AAPI voices. i requested access to one of their inaugural novels and tl;dr found myself utterly disappointed. like heart dropping to the gutter that’s overflowing with sludge kind of disappointed. PRIDE AND PRESTON LIN is supposedly a humorous and fun retelling of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE but it falls short of not only the retelling aspect but also the lifting up AAPI voices aspect.

there is a scene that i cannot get out of my head. i’ma set it up for you and you’ll see why it weighs so heavily on my heart. female lead Lissie is a writer finishing up her degree at local Bay Area college. Preston, the love interest dude, is a grad student at Stanford. dude is also a renown swimmer in the swim bubble. Lissie & Preston are strolling around flirting when Preston physically lifts her up. two passing runners physically restrain Preston and ask Lissie if she is ok. trying to contain her laughter, Lissie explains they were just goofing off and she is ok. the runners are not convinced and ask her again before she dismisses them by holding Preston’s hand. After the runners leave, she tells Preston that she saved his ass.

I live in Northern California. I was here when we recalled Judge Persky for letting Brock Turner off with a mere slap on the wrist for assaulting Chanel Miller. I was here and it was a BFD. You know who also lives in NorCal? Christina Hwang Dudley.

here’s my tip for writing fun retellings:
DO NOT JOKE ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT. DO NOT MAKE LIGHT OF BYSTANDER INTERVENTION. AND DO NOT MINIMIZE CHANEL MILLER’S STORY.

if you made it this far: hard pass on PAPL. I’m not gonna wish anyone a happy pub day bc this book should have nvr gone to print. As for Third State Books: DO BETTER.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Christina Hwang Dudley for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Pride and Preston Lin coming out March 19, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I really wanted to love it. I love Jane Austen adaptations and I’ve read a lot of them. A Pride and Prejudice with Asian characters sounded like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me. I thought there was too much plot going on. There were a lot of characters and they experienced a lot, but it felt a little too empty for me. It was a lot more fluff than I was hoping for and I was overwhelmed by the chaos. I feel like Lissie and Preston didn’t have much worthwhile time together. I was hoping for something different. It didn’t feel like a Pride and Prejudice retelling for me. I’ll definitely check out other books by this author.

What a fun foray into a Pride and Prejudice retelling with a twist. The critical Austen purists really just have to go in to these stories with an open mind. That said I really enjoyed this particular modern version which gave all the proper nods to Pride and Prejudice without regurgitating word for word or going completely off the rails. I was rooting for the characters and felt satisfied at the end. I would have loved to hear more of their story as I was just getting to invest in them, but perhaps a sequel? I was also glad to read a clean version…none of that would have added to this unique version.

I originally came to know this author though her historical books. In both contemporary and historical I found she can create an engaging story. Her historicals are my preference though. However, it's a personal preference and not from lack of ability on the authors part. This title was a fun read.
My highlights of the story are:
*great opening and setting of the story at the beginning
*humor and wit from the characters internal dialogue and conversations
*fun read & captured a bit of the feel of crazy rich asians movie.
*good job on the P&P modern twist. The story was made her own by the author with a nice nod to the original
*great juicy drama, lol!
Content fyi: closed door (only kissing), no innuendo, three instances of strong language (as#h&*e), gay roommate (but wouldn't classify as lgbt read. It's mentioned & part of that minor character but that characters dating is not a subject of the book.)
Overall, I thought the story had a nice flow as well.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy of this book. Opinions are 100% my own.

Thank you NetGalley, Third State Books, and the author for the eARC to review.

I am a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice and of retellings so this book really spoke to me. A modern twist to the Jane Austen's classic, Dudley does an excellent job of crafting a book that feels more like a movie than perfectly executed words on a page. I can easily put this story alongside Crazy Rich Asians with its humor, wit, drama, and spot-on cultural references.

The main character, Lissie, is a brilliant FMC with whom I would definitely want to hang out if she were a real person.

Lastly, though this is a retelling with a twist, you don't have to be super familiar with Pride and Prejudice to enjoy the story.

4/5 stars

I enjoyed every minute of this Pride and Prejudice retelling!

Lissie and Preston were a delight both when fighting and flirting. This author did such a great job of giving the main characters complexity. They both assume many things about each other, and of course, they both realize they were wrong.

Lissie is a waitress in her aunt and uncle's restaurant. Preston is a Stanford student with a rich family. They meet at the restaurant when Lissie accidentally feeds shellfish to one of Preston's friends, which happens to be allergic. The friend is okay, but Preston wants Lissie punished, and this is the beginning of the animosity between them.

They start running into each other at various places, and even though they don't want to be, they are drawn to each other.

I loved the humor in this book so much. It felt very real, and I found myself smiling while reading.

The supporting cast were all extremely likable as well. I loved Lissie's roommates and sisters. Charles Bing was very well done. The Bingley vibes were on point.

I think Jane Austin would be thrilled with this book.

No spice in this one.

I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I feel like you can’t go wrong with a retelling of a classic story.

A modern take on Pride and Prejudice set in the Bay Area, Lessie Cheng meets Preston Lin and they are less than impressed with one another. I found this retelling to be more enjoyable than most. I love the Asian American representation (bonus points for the “Charlotte Lucas” character being Filipina!). This is just such a familiar story that I found myself sinking into like I did in the original. I loved the twist of the scandal, I thought it was cleverly done. And I was pleasantly surprised with Mel’s storyline.

Overall if Pride and Prejudice is a comfort read for you, this is a great read. Fun and modern in all the right ways with all the feelings of the original.

Thank you to Christina Hwang Dudley and Third State books for providing me the ARC in exchange for me honest review

English student Lissie Cheng works at her uncle and aunt’s restaurant, the Four Treasures. She owes them a lot as they stepped in when her parents died and are still bringing up her younger sister, JoJo, a keen competitive swimmer.
Normally her aunt will sit all the good-looking patrons in her older sister Jenny’s section but with Jenny working a banquet function, Lissie is left to serve a party of four – the charming Charles Bing, his stand-offish sister Hazel, his insufferable friend Preston Lin and his snobbish mother, Mrs Lin. All hell breaks loose when Lissie serves a dish that Hazel has an allergic reaction to.
And so this Chinese-American take on Pride and Prejudice gets underway. Willing to give most P&P retellings a go, I am usually left disappointed. BUT NOT THIS TIME! I really enjoyed how the author weaved in the Austen elements, without the storyline being too predictable. I eagerly awaited her take on Wickham, Mr Collins, and the Lydia situation – and it all worked a treat.

I don't want to put down a book by an Asian American author, but her scene/allusion to the Stanford sexual assault case (which doesn't add to the plot) and making light of the situation was both disappointing and disturbing. Not sure why this made it past editing.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pride and Preston Lin by Christina Hwang Dudley Is a Chinese-American retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Lissie is a San Jose drama major working in her aunt and uncle’s restaurant when Preston Lin, a microbiology PhD at Stanford, comes in. Everything is going well until Lissie accidentally forgets to mention that there is shrimp paste in one of the dishes and one of Preston’s friends has an allergic reaction. Their paths continue to cross as Lissie’s sister, Jenny, starts dating another of Preston’s friends, and Lissie’s younger sister joins swimming, which Preston has connections to.

What I really liked was how Lissie and Preston’s romance follows the original Pride and Prejudice while also a spin that’s their’s. The swim team aspect bringing them in contact was realistic without feeling contrived. I also liked how Preston’s sincerity came through several times.

We see a lot of how Lissie views the world around her and it helps us see how she came to the conclusions she did about Preston. Her care for her sisters and her aunt and uncle and cousin shine through on the page, but she isn’t without her faults. One of the best parts of the original Pride and Prejudice is that Elizabeth is unaware of her own faults until confronted with them and Lissie is as well.

I would recommend this to fans of Pride and Prejudice, readers looking for contemporary romances with East Asian-American leads, and readers who prefer single-POV romances.

2/5

I am a huge Pride and Prejudice fan so I've read MANY p&p adaptations/retellings and this one was...just okay. I felt that at times it was too literal and sometimes it felt forced in attempts to stay along the original storyline.

There were a lot of things I enjoyed though!! I was pleased with how the author did the Wickham/Wayman storyline. There were moments when I feared it would go in a different direction and felt relieved when it did not go that way. I loved Mel and Nelson and thought they really enhanced the storyline. The setting was also really fun.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but I wish it had not tried to stay as true to the original storyline in order to let the story breathe a little.

This retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice pays a lovely homage and references to the source material yet has a distinctive voice and stands on its own. It is set in modern-day San Francisco within the Bay Area's Chinese community and features an enemies-to-lovers rom-com energy. It is lighthearted in tone and features vividly described settings, family dynamics, and many cultural traditions.

Lissie possesses a determined, vibrant, and slightly sassy demeanor. Currently, she is working on her college senior thesis centered around Pride and Prejudice. Interestingly, I couldn't help but chuckle at how Lissie was well-versed in the story but unaware of how closely it paralleled her own life. Preston is undeniably swoon-worthy, and his character is seemingly crafted to resemble a modern-day Mr. Darcy. What I particularly enjoyed about the book was the author's clever use of easter eggs, including character names, plot points from the original depicted in unexpected ways or scenes, and other subtle details such as place names. However, readers don't need to be familiar with the original to enjoy this!

An asian-american Austen-ception. Lovely, fun and smart. A very good one to put on your Austenverse shelf!

Was this book fun and at times chaotic and a light, quick read? Yup! But I don’t know if it was the most successful Pride and Prejudice adaptation I’ve ever read.

The way the author adapted the Wickham plot thread was bonkers in the best way, but I thought the Jane and Bingley storyline was a bit underrepresented. It’s such an important part of the original! Without that conflict, is it really P&P or just a fun enemies to lovers novel?

Lizzie and Preston were a fun version of Lizzie and Darcy. You can’t help but root for them, but I think the chemistry could have been a little stronger. It felt a bit like being told they liked each other without really feeling it in the writing, particularly Lizzie. Still, overall a really fun book.

'The most wonderful girl I've ever met likes me back.'

I love this book. That's the take away. If you trust me to recommend your next read, read this one. I love Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice is so good. I also absolutely adore retellings. So, what could wrong?
Nothing. Nothing went wrong.

If you like P&P, swimming, Chinese good, books set in the AAPI community, letters, misunderstandings and all the lovely tension that makes Darcy and Elizabeth a couple for the ages, read this book. Seriously.

The first half of this book was very hard to read. It’s heavy on Asian community and culture which I don’t have ties to and cannot relate to. About halfway through, the author stops focusing so much on culture and dives into the actual story. Then it was ok; a decent Pride and Prejudice retelling but not something I’d recommend unless you specifically are drawn to books focused on Asian culture and enjoy retellings.

REVIEW
cw: mentions of death, illness, adultery
This modern interpretation of Pride and Prejudice is retold within the Bay Area’s Asian American community, with quick-witted college student Lissie Cheng having to navigate societal pressures and her growing attraction to the rich and enigmatic post-graduate Preston Lin.
This was such a fun retelling! I loved the contemporary setting within the Asian American community, which perfectly blended the themes of honour, reputation, and class. Lissie was fallible but deeply likable, and I loved how much she wanted to look after her youngest sister. The initial clash between her and Preston was well-written and he was perfectly cast as the misunderstood grump. Both characters worked well and their evolving understanding of each other was a pleasure to read. I don't want to spoil how any of the other characters were incorporated, but I think the author did a great job keeping them true to Austen's work while setting them firmly in a modern context. All of the supporting characters were perfectly cast, from Darren and Wayman to Lissie's friend Mel, and her sisters Jenny and Jojo. The swim club and restaurant settings were both perfect in that regard. I loved the slow-burn between Lissie and Preston, yet I found the overall pacing a little slow in the middle. Still, overall I really enjoyed this book. The final chapters were adorable, even if the ending was rather abrupt with a couple of unanswered plot threads (what happened with Lissie's PR job and her play?)
A fun retelling of a classic.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own*


Favourite Quotes:

"Be happy, Lissie! The Four Treasures is about to have its game elevated. When this show airs, Hazel Bing is gonna brag that she got poisoned there.”

"I do like your family, but I don’t deserve their gratitude . Because honestly, the only thing going through my mind that night… was how I could help you.”

"I just hoped you might want to be friends to start with. And then , maybe a few months or weeks or days or hours later, when your guard was down, I was totally going to spring my nefarious romantic intentions on you again.”

Completely charming modern, multicultural twist to Pride and Prejudice. I loved how to author weaved the original concept into plot, but in a fresh, creative way. Fabulously fun spin.
Thanks to #Third State Books and #NetGalley for the ARC.