Review: Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz

Posted July 15, 2020 by Lillian in Reviews / 5 Comments

I received this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Review: Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la CruzPride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz
Published by St. Martin's Press on 2017-10-17
Length: 225 pages
Reviewing eARC from Netgalley
Rating:

Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe, from New York Times bestselling author, Melissa de la Cruz, is a sweet, sexy and hilarious gender-swapping, genre-satisfying re-telling, set in contemporary America and featuring one snooty Miss Darcy.

Darcy Fitzwilliam is 29, beautiful, successful, and brilliant. She dates hedge funders and basketball stars and is never without her three cellphones—one for work, one for play, and one to throw at her assistant (just kidding). Darcy’s never fallen in love, never has time for anyone else’s drama, and never goes home for Christmas if she can help it. But when her mother falls ill, she comes home to Pemberley, Ohio, to spend the season with her family.

Her parents throw their annual Christmas bash, where she meets one Luke Bennet, the smart, sardonic slacker son of their neighbor. Luke is 32-years-old and has never left home. He’s a carpenter and makes beautiful furniture, and is content with his simple life. He comes from a family of five brothers, each one less ambitious than the other. When Darcy and Luke fall into bed after too many eggnogs, Darcy thinks it’s just another one night stand. But why can’t she stop thinking of Luke? What is it about him? And can she fall in love, or will her pride and his prejudice against big-city girls stand in their way?

I am an Austen girl through and through. I love the originals, and I love reading new adaptations as every author puts a different and unique spin on the classic tales. This one is no different. When I first came across Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe, I was so excited. A Christmas-themed, gender-swapped Pride and Prejudice? Yes please! Melissa de la Cruz delivers a smart, fun, holiday romance in her twist of the classic. 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that any beautiful, brillant, single woman who is rich as hell will be in want of a husband.

Darcy Fitwilliam is a highly successful, 29 year old who left home as soon as she could to escape the pressure her family put on her. Darcy has never quite measured up to what her father’s ideals. As a result, she’s made her own way. She’s held onto her on-again, off-again boyfriend for far too long with no intent of ever marrying him. When her mother has a heart attack, Darcy drops everything to return home and care for her. This brings her home just in time for the holidays, and her mother may have ulterior motives for keeping her there. 

Enter Luke Bennet. Luke is slightly older than Darcy, never left home, and is a successful carpenter in their small town. Having made her life hell during high school, Darcy wants nothing to do with him. But after one too many eggnogs, sparks ignite. Now the two can’t seem to stop running into one another in town. While their families may have other plans for them, Luke and Darcy slowly seem to be falling for one another. 

I’ll be honest. Starting out, I really didn’t like Darcy. Just like Mr. Darcy, she comes off as arrogant and prideful, prejudice against those that she doesn’t really know. However I love how the author shows us her character’s progression. As the walls that Darcy has built around herself crumble, I fell in love with her. She has stayed away so long, but finds that the longer she’s home the less likely she is to leave. And Luke….it took awhile for him to grow on me. He was just as judgy of Darcy as everyone else, and I felt like he used her more than once. I had a hard time getting behind their relationship. 

Overall, I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe. While not a straight-up retelling of the classic, the story is clearly inspired by the original. I love the small details and the hometown setting. I even enjoyed the opposite-attracts trope. If you are looking for a sweet, slightly steamy, holiday romance, I highly recommend it.

About Melissa de la Cruz

Author Melissa de la Cruz

Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times, #1 Publishers Weekly and #1 IndieBound bestselling author of Isle of the Lost and Return to the Isle of the Lost as well as many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for readers of all ages. Her books have also topped the USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists and have been published in more than twenty countries.

A former fashion and beauty editor, Melissa has written for the New York Times, Marie Claire,Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, the San Francisco Chronicle,McSweeney's, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and Fox News.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from the Convent of the Sacred Heart. At Columbia University, she majored in art history and English. Today she lives in Los Angeles and Palm Springs with her husband and daughter.

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5 responses to “Review: Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz

  1. Calvin

    I haven’t read a whole lot of them, but I can see the appeal, definitely cozy to read occasionally!!

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