Book Review: Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz
I should be writing, yet I find myself reading! Actually, that's a great trick for writers who're maybe stuck in their own writing. Go read a book by someone you like. That almost always helps me!
Anyway, I started off my Christmas season a little early by buying Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz at Books-A-Million in the bargain section. Seriously, someone needs to stop me from going there. It's dangerous that I can buy brand new hardcovers for $5. I don't even have a bookshelf to put these books on yet since I moved. They just live in the basement in old milk crates my mom took from the elementary school she works at.
Eh. I don't think I'll stop checking BAM's bargain section ever. Even though they only seem to change it like twice a year, I still seem to find something there every single time I go. It's kind of crazy. But, anyway, back to the book!
Melissa de la Cruz has been writing for a long time, and I've had some varying experiences with her books. The first book or series I ever read by her was actually her Blue Bloods vampire series. I think I only got through maybe book 2 before giving up on the series. I just... I wasn't enjoying it. I didn't really care for it. And at the time, vampires were all the rage, and so I just moved on to reading other vampire stories I liked a little better. I don't honestly remember why I didn't like the Blue Bloods; I just remember that I used to call it the Hobo Vampire series. Can't remember why I called it that either.
So, I kind of shied away from her books after that.
But, then the Hamilton craze was happening, and she just so happened to write a book called Alex & Eliza, and it was a YA romance about Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler. I got the book at one of those library overstock sales for like $1 in brand new condition. I figured, if I still don't like Melissa's writing, I only spent a buck, no big deal.
Spoiler alert, I loved it.
So, when I saw Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe, I jumped on it like a crazy person. I've loved Pride and Prejudice since high school (where I read it of my own volition because that's the kind of nerd I am), and I like fun Christmas stories. This book sounded perfect to me.
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| You can't tell me this cover doesn't instantly make you want to start reading it. |
There are several fun parts about this book: it's a modern take, the genders are swapped, and Bingley is gay. The story follows our protagonist Darcy, who's a modern day career woman. She comes from a wealthy family in Pemberley, Ohio, but she left that all behind for New York City. She returns to Pemberley for a family emergency, and it happens to be Christmastime.
Once back, she reunites with her best friend Bingley, and has to deal with the advances of her on-again, off-again ex Carl (Caroline Bingley would be his counterpart in the original story). And, she also runs into a boy from high school, Luke Bennett (Lizzie!). I don't want to spoil too much, so I'll just kind of leave it at that.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I had trouble putting it down. It was such a different take on the classic story, and I found myself smiling and awwing as I read. The dialogue was great, the setting was always well done. The epilogue was to die for.
It's also a pretty quick read. I enjoyed that about the book because it made me feel like I could and would actually read it either every year around Christmas, or read it a few times during a Christmas season because it was just so cute.
I loved this book. If you like Pride and Prejudice, or that type of love story, check this book out. It's totally worth it! (Psst, it's also going to be a Hallmark movie that premieres in a few days!!!)
And as always, write on!
Amy
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