Product Description

Loosely based on the beloved Pride and Prejudice, Debra White Smith’s First Impressions weaves a spell–binding, modern–day tale on the challenges and rewards of love.

Eddi Boswick has just settled in Texas to establish her law practice. Joining a local theater group, she is thrilled when she is given the role of Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice.

William "Dave" Davidson III amassed a fortune in the computer industry but leads a quiet life on his ranch. On a dare he tries out for the play and lands the role of Darcy.

Sparks fly each time the lawyer meets the rancher. When Eddi uncovers Dave’s secret will her heart soften? Will Dave’s fear of "being tamed" keep him from discovering love?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #197650 in Books
• Published on: 2004-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 327 pages

Review
"I believe this will be a book and series that will be enjoyed by many a romance lover." -- Teens4Jesus.com

From the Back Cover
THE AUSTEN SERIES

If you're a Jane Austen fan, you’ll love the engaging characters, contemporary situations, issues of faith, and the intricacies of love in Debra White Smith’s updated retelling of Austen’s endearing stories.

When Eddi Boswick is cast as Elizabeth, the female lead in a local production of Pride and Prejudice, she hesitates. Dave, the handsome young rancher cast as Darcy, seems arrogant and unpredictable. Accepting the challenge of playing opposite him, Eddi soon realizes that he is difficult to work with on and off the set. But when a tornado springs out of nowhere, Dave protects Eddi…much to her chagrin. And he is shocked to discover an attraction for the feisty lawyer he can’t deny. Sparks fly when Eddi misinterprets his interest and discovers the truth he’s trying to hide.

Will Eddi’s passionate faith, fierce independence, and quick wit keep Dave from discovering the secret to love…and the key to her heart?

About the Author
Debra White Smith has more than 40 books to her credit and over 1 million books in print. The author of Romancing Your Husband (more than 100,000 copies sold) and the popular Jane Austen series, Debra’s award-winning writing, entertaining humor, and solid biblical knowledge have made her a reader favorite and a sought-after conference speaker. Debra holds an M.A. in English.

Customer Reviews

Modern Pride and Prejudice
This book was so hard for me to put down. I enjoyed it so much. It is my favorite Pride and Prejudice modern adaption, better than Vanity and Vexation and Bridge Jones's Diary. I will issue a copule of warnings for those of you, who might not enjoy this book to the extent I did. I could rant and rave about it all day, but I figured this might be more helpful!

1. Not in Jane Austen's style of writing
2. The story is very close to the book, but not exact
3. There are three Bennet sisters (Jane, Elizabeth and Lydia)
4. The names of the characters are different but similar to their originals (i.e. Elizabeth Bennet and Eddi Boswick)
5. A lot of religious undertones
6. The events that happen in the original P&P are slightly altered becuase the time periods are different. (i.e. Mr. Darcy uses email instead of writing letters and Lydia doesn't go to Brighton she goes to Hawaii)

Now if you can get past all that, you will enjoy the book and not be able to put it down. Eddi Boswick (Lizzy) is such a strong character, there is so much to love and admire about her. She is a laywer. The verbal sparing that goes on between her and Dave (Darcy) is so amusing. You will feel the heat, the passion, the hatred, and the attraction.

The Scenario: In a small town called London, TX lives a single lawyer(Eddi) who decides to particapte in a re-enactment of one of her favorite novels, Pride and Prejudice. She doesn't care to much for her co-star, yet she finds him so attractive. She spends half the time trying to figure him out and the other half insulting him, avoiding him, and despising him. Little does she know he is struggling too, he tries not to think about her yet he does. He misses her when she is gone, yet he enjoys prvoking her. Eddi's sister, Lydia gets into some trouble and you will be suprised by who got her in trouble and who will get her out of trouble.

Such exciting twists and turns!

This P&P is Painful & Pointless
I wanted to like this book, Honestly, I did. I have read enough books "loosely based" on Jane Austen's works to be able to judge each book on it's own merits and not expect them to be as good as the originals. In this case, I was hoping for an original story with aspects of P&P cleverly included. I was horribly disappointed. I do not dislike this book because it was a poor modernization of Pride and Prejudice. I dislike this book because the writing is terrible. The story meanders. For example:

The characters are putting together a community theater production of Pride and Prejudice...the casting is accomplished... rehearsals begin...TORNADO!!!... rehearsals continue (though in a different location).

The characterization is simply absurd. There is no depth to them at all. Some of the situations the characters are written into are so contrived they are simply forced and unbelieveable. The author, Ms. Smith, must realize that who her characters are based on is not easily recognizeable, as she includes a "cast list" at the beginning of the book naming each of the characters, and who from P&P they are supposed to be. It seems to me that the reader should be able to tell who each of the characters is supposed to be simply by reading the story. If a cast list is necessary, the author has not done a very good job fleshing out her characters. If you feel you must read this book, I would suggest checking it out from a library or borrowing it from a friend - purchasing it would be a waste of money.

An absolutely wonderful read
When Eddi and Dave first meet, it is instant dislike between the two. Both rub each other wrong and despite a minor attraction for the other, both will do their best to keep their distance. However, circumstances throw them together when Eddi and Dave volunteer for an reenactment of the play `Pride and Prejudice' their town is putting on. Because of their mutual stubbornness preventing either from withdrawing, they find themselves having to work together as Eddi is given the part Elizabeth and Dave the part of Mr. Darcy.

First Impressions, a modern retelling of Jane Austin's classic novel 'Pride and Prejudice', is the first book in The Austin Series by Debra White Smith. While I love them all so far, this one is absolute favorite. She captured exactly how I imagine the story would have gone if it truly had been written in this period of history instead.