Monday 25 January 2016

Book Review - What Would Lizzy Bennet Do? by Katie Oliver

Amazon UK
Title: What Would Lizzy Bennet Do?
Author: Katie Oliver
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Carina
Publication Date: 15th January 2016
Rating: 4 Stars


When your name is Lizzy Bennet and Mr Darcy lives next door, romance is anything but simple…

Especially since a film crew has just arrived to shoot Pride and Prejudice at the Darcy estate! And when Hugh Darcy, the one who got away, arrives home after 8 years absence, Lizzy can’t help but think it’s fate. Until, that is, he introduces her to Holly – his fiancée…

What can Lizzy do but try not to feel too prejudiced against Hugh’s new woman – a city girl who knows nothing about country life, and seems more concerned with her film star ex than her current fiancé?

There’s no denying that there’s something suspicious about Holly’s interest in Hugh…and when he begins to have doubts about his high-maintenance fiancée, it seems a break up is on the cards. But is it too late for Lizzy to swallow her pride and get her Austen ending after all?

What Katie Oliver has achieved with this book is very impressive. What Would Lizzy Bennet Do? is a contemporary take on Pride and Prejudice, but the majority of the dialogue is Austen-esque (for lack of a better word). It's like reading a brand new story but with the obvious parallels to the book that inspired this.  

It's hard to explain but although I was unsure as I was reading it, by the end I was far more interested in the story, than bothered that the turn of phrase, wasn't quite what I would be expecting it to be. Having just finished reading the book, I am though already curious as to what will happen in the other two in the series, as I have become very attached to the Bennet sisters, and also the Darcy family. 

I loved seeing Holly James, from Katie Oliver's previous books back, as well as one of the more despicable bad boys too, who is the actor starring a remake of Pride and Prejudice, playing Wickham, and behaves like him in real life too. Needless to say he was interested in pursuing the youngest of the Bennet sisters, who has barely come of age. 

The location of this book is beautiful, on the English Riviera. Bathed in bright sunshine, a summer that is truly unforgettable, as we take in the annual regatta, the ball, horse riding, and various scandals. 

I really enjoyed reading What Would Lizzie Bennet Do? and thought it to be clever version of a much loved story. However due to not having read Pride and Prejudice for probably 15 years, I can't truly compare, or say how close to the story it is. There were characters in Katie Oliver's book that reminded me of ones that I believe were in Austen's book, but I'm not the right person to comment on them. 

Thank you to Carina and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much, Rachel. I appreciate your taking time to read and review my book (especially knowing you're not really an Austen fan, lol!). xx

    ReplyDelete

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