Review: Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding

What a joy Elizabeth of East Hampton turned out to be! Technically a spin off or a sequel to Emma of 83rd Street, and a part of the For the Love of Austen series this time around the authors turn their focus to a modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice. It is tourist season once again and Elizabeth 'Lizzy' Bennett is helping out in the family bakery. She secretly aspires to study journalism, but those dreams seem awfully unrealistic at the moment. Her beloved father is recovering from a stroke and neither her outlandish mother (who is always working on a get rich quick scheme,) or her four sisters are capable of running the bakery. Jane already has a job as a teacher, Mary is busy protesting climate change, Kitty has a business degree and cannot bake, and Lydia is more focused on finding a rich husband. And if that wasn't enough to contend with, Lizzy soon finds herself falling foul of Will Darcy, a wealthy tourist who is here with his friend Charlie ... who just happens to have fallen for Jane. The happy couple are desperate to set Lizzy and Will up, and neither of them are having it.

This was a very entertaining read, and a very well done reimagining of a beloved Jane Austen novel. I like that the authors do not stick faithfully to the plot of the original and allow for innovations and plot twists that feel more fitting of a contemporary romance novel. More than once I found myself reading a chapter or two more than I intended. This version of Will and Lizzy were pleasing, enjoyable characters and I liked the nod to Emma of 83rd Street. I'm now looking forward to the next book in the series, Anne of Avenue A an updated version of Persuasion.    

Highly recommended. 

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