Book 828: Bennet, Pride Before the Fall (Love, Austen #3) – Anyta Sunday

Of course, the second I received the email for this one from Gay Romance Reviews I filled out the form for a review copy 😀 No questions asked. And this was on top of already having some hesitations with Darcy being the dad of Henry from the Northanger Abbey retelling Cameron Wants to be a Hero.

As the Love, Austen series moves along I feel like Sunday is getting further and further away from the source material. This is not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to an Austen retelling, but I’ve definitely noted people being less enthusiastic in their reviews.

I don’t mind that Sunday is moving away from the material, you could tell she was going to have to eventually with tying all the books into a series with the main characters popping into all the other novels when that wasn’t the case in the OG.

If you only ever judge someone by their first impression, if you don’t sometimes let a relationship grow . . . you may miss out on what you’re looking for. (Chapter 7)

Even though she’s moved away from the source, she’s done a decent job of hitting some of the main plot points of each novel. In this case she did really good with Darcy and Bennet, but I felt missed a lot of the subplot action from the original Jane and Lydia. I kept waiting for the Lydia drama to happen, but it just didn’t and there was no Jane because it was just Bennet and one brother (orphaned when Bennet was in his teens).

I think she may have done a bit of lip service to the movie (2005) versus the novel in some of the scenes (like these two below), but I know they are taken from the source, but it’s one of those how many times can you remove it from the source, and it still be connected?

You can only kiss me with the help of social lubrication. You complain you shouldn’t be doing this while your tongue is half in my mouth. You have no pride in your sexuality and seem satisfied with that. And even if you were out and proud, my brother loathes you. He is everything to me. (Chapter 11)

It came on gradually. Then one day, I looked at your picture and I just knew, with clarity, I was in the middle of something that might break my heart. (Chapter 19)

The relationship between Bennet and Darcy doesn’t have as much tension or passion as I felt the OG does, but it works. And having Darcy suppressing his sexual desires and sexuality did feed into the drama and tension of the book, but it pales in comparison to Austen’s. Caroline Bingley was a complete after thought and honestly could’ve been left out completely, but you needed her for some of the drama and crises of the novel so meh.

Shockingly, the best adapted part in my opinion was Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins. They’re gender roles are reversed and instead of marriage, it’s Charlie wanting to start a family and the Collins character (drawing a blank on her name) also wanting to start one. They come to an agreement to co-parent and have a child/children together. It’s thoroughly modern and just well written. The tension between Charlie and Bennet also works b/c they’re platonic BFFs (second quote below in additional quotes) and it serves the same purpose of getting Bennet to this version of Pemberley which was great!

I’m excited that the next book in the series is Mansfield Park and can’t wait to see where Sunday takes it but I’m also a little hesitant. I think this book acted like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie did for me in that it helped me remove myself and say you know what this isn’t the original, it’s not going to be as good in the same way and I have to let it go. So maybe it’s better my favorite is the fourth adaptation and I’m already removing the dependence and expectations from the equation.

Recommendation: It’s a good read. It’s not great but it’s worth checking out especially if you’ve read the first two. I’d most definitely recommend reading them all in order because characters overlap and make appearances providing backstory and more flavor for the later novels. Sunday is moving further from the source material and is being forced to in order to tie the books together into a series. If you read these as nods to Austen and not adaptations of Austen you’ll have a better go at it.

*I received a copy of Bennet, Pride before the Fall via Gay Romance Reviews in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.

Opening Line: “It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a single, openly gay man must lust after every male in his vicinity.”

Closing Line: “Bennet pulled Darcy on top of him. ‘I love you, too.'” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)

Additional Quotes from Bennet, Pride before the Fall
“He envisioned Finley Price, beautiful, laughing against a backdrop of glass and wild grapes. They’d been each other’s first crush; and then later, confidants via email. When his writing career took off, Bennet had become his editor.” (Chapter 2)

“The offer was hesitant, as if he was unsure Bennet would accept. A lump formed in Bennet’s throat. Charlie might not be the one romantically. But he sure was the one, platonically. They talked every day. Mindless nonsense, some of it. Most of it, meaningful dialogue. he offered perspectives that Bennet had never considered. He was the most thoughtful friend.” (Chapter 8)

“‘Oh. No. Probably not a good idea. We’re running out of small talk as it is.’
‘Someone as opinionated as you? We could disagree for months and not be finished.'” (Chapter 8)

“Bennet cracked The Prince’s Choice open and the crisp scent of new paper filled his nose. He eyed the book’s pristine condition and undamaged spine. One after the other, he pulled out the rest and stacked them on the nearest crate. The others looked equally sharp-edged, covers brilliant, no signs of fading. ‘These are in extremely good condition.’
‘I take care of my books.’
Finally, Bennet pulled out Death Coms to Pemberley still wrapped in thin plastic. ‘Very good care, Darcy.'” (Chapter 13)