Series: For the Love of Austen, Book 2
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 6, 2024
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
It’s a truth universally acknowledged—well, by Elizabeth Bennet anyway—that there’s nothing worse than summer in the Hamptons. She should know: she’s lived out there her whole life. Every June, her hometown on the edge of Long Island is inundated with rich Manhattanites who party until dawn and then disappear by September. And after twenty-five years, Lizzy wants to leave, too.
But after putting her own dreams on hold to help save her family’s failing bakery, she’s still surfing the same beach every morning and waiting for something, anything, to change. She’s not holding her breath though, not even when her sister starts flirting with the hot new bachelor in town, Charlie Pierce, and he introduces Lizzy to his even hotter friend.
Will Darcy is everything Lizzy Bennet is not. Aloof, arrogant…and rich. Of course, he’s never cared about money. In fact, it’s number one on his long list of things that irk him. Number two? His friend Charlie’s insistence on setting him up with his new girlfriend’s sharp-tongued sister. Lizzy Bennet is all wrong for him, from her money-hungry family to her uncanny ability to speak to him as bluntly as he does everyone else. But then maybe that’s why he can’t stop thinking about her.
Lizzy is sure Will hates everybody. He thinks she willfully misunderstands them. Yet, just as they strike an uneasy truce, mistakes threaten Charlie and Jane’s romance, with Will and Lizzy caught in the undertow. Between a hurricane and a hypocritical aunt, a drunken voicemail and a deceptive party promoter, the two must sift through the gossip and lies to protect the happiness of everyone they love—even if it means sacrificing their own. But when the truth also forces them to see each other in an entirely new light, they must swallow their pride to learn that love is a lot like surfing: sometimes the only way to survive is to let yourself fall.
I love a good Pride and Prejudice adaptation and Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding are truly wonderful at taking Austen’s classics and putting their own spin on them. Elizabeth of East Hampton is a fresh and fun take on Elizabeth and Darcy’s story.
Lizzy Bennet is at a crossroads in her life. She put her plan for a master’s at Columbia on hold after her father’s stroke and spends her days surfing then running the family bakery. She also tries to manage the many strong personalities in her household. Then Manhattanite Charlie Pierce shows up and dazzles Lizzy’s sister, Jane. Unfortunately, Charlie also brings his stuck-up friend, Will Darcy, with him. Will is snobby, rude, and someone she could never get along with…or is he?
If you’re familiar with Pride and Prejudice then you’ll know the rhythm coming as Lizzy and readers come to see the real Darcy who is so much different than what Lizzy first thinks of him. Will is an utterly endearing hero; he’s kind, protective, and a bit vulnerable. He’s a fantastic update of a timeless, dreamy hero. Lizzy I had a harder time connecting to than I do with her Austen counterpart and I can’t quite put my finger on why, only that I felt something was slightly missing from her. Because of this, the first half of Elizabeth of East Hampton was a bit slow for me and I didn’t truly start connecting with the story until Lizzy started letting her walls down. Once she did, I was all in.
One of the strengths of Bellezza and Harding’s storytelling is they follow the spirit and plot points of Austen’s classics but make them fully their own, changing details that make the story unique while never losing the essence of the characters. I loved what they did with the supporting cast in particular, how they changed and evolved characters like Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. It added a richness to the story I didn’t expect but absolutely loved. And if you enjoyed the first For the Love of Austen novel, you’ll surely delight in seeing George and Emma again. Their relationship with Will is not just a treat for fans but also works in the larger story, filling in the gaps of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana at times. But even if you haven’t read Emma of 83rd Street or the original Pride and Prejudice you can still enjoy this book on its own.
Elizabeth of East Hampton had its ups and downs for me in the beginning of the story but by the end I was completely enthralled. I love Bellezza and Harding’s writing and the way they retell Austen’s classics absolutely thrills me. I hope they have been persuaded to continue this series, especially since they’ve introduced a Freddie Wentworth who’s practically begging for an Anne Elliot.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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