Product Description

Marine biologist Cassie Boulton likes her coffee with cream and her literature with happy endings. Her favorite book is Pride and Prejudice, but Cassie has no patience when a modern-day Mr. Darcy appears in her lab. Silent and aloof, Calder Westing III doesn't seem to offer anything but a famous family name.

But there is more to Calder than meets the eye, and he can't get enough of Cassie Boulton. Especially after one passionate night by the sea. But Cassie keeps her distance. Frustrated by Cassie's evasions, Calder tells her about his feelings the only way she'll let him-by rewriting her favorite book, with the two of them in the roles of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. But it's up to Cassie to supply the ending ...

What readers are saying:

"Darcy and Elizabeth move to the 21st century."
"Ms. Reynolds is a master."
"Delightful reading."
"A hot couple!"

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #94427 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 425 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781402213564
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
In this engaging love story, Austen enthusiast Reynolds (The Pemberley Variations) brings echoes of Elizabeth and Darcy to present-day New England. Marine biologist Cassie Boulton spends summers at an insular Cape Cod academic community, studying salt marshes. Sparks fly when Calder Westing, the heir of a famous political dynasty, enters her life, but Cassie knows better than to fall for a man who can have any woman he wants. Certain her low-profile career and inner-city Chicago background disqualify her from long-term consideration, she cuts ties with Calder after just one steamy night. Cassie doesn't know that Calder harbors genuine feelings for her. With some literary maneuvering, Calder finally wins Cassie's heart, but his powerful, ruthless father is determined to split them up. Beyond a surplus of cliché and throwaway characters, lush descriptions of Cape Cod are appropriately aphrodisiacal, the couple's wit and chemistry make them worth rooting for, and Cassie's well-rendered intellectual life not only gives her depth and independence, it gives readers a welcome break from that standard of modern heroine-ism, the plucky fashion and/or media lackey. (Oct.)
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From Booklist
Reynolds offers a modern variation on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, as she did in Impulse & Initiative, also reviewed in this issue, by focusing on Cassie Boulton, a successful marine biologist trying to outrun her past, and Calder Westing, the haughty, handsome son of a politician who wants nothing to do with the family profession. Cassie, who is in Cape Cod for a summer research project, finds Calder off-putting and entirely unappealing. Thrust together because of the romance between her friend Erin and his friend Scott, Cassie and Calder find themselves drawn to each other, resulting in a steamy encounter on the ocean. Certain Calder’s interest in her isn’t genuine, and haunted by her past, Cassie puts Calder off and flees back to the college where she teaches. Although some elements are a bit cheesy—Calder writes a modern Pride and Prejudice novel casting himself and Cassie as the star-crossed lovers—Reynolds convincingly updates Austen’s classic, and romance fans will be carried along by the smoldering heat between Cassie and Calder. --Kristine Huntley

About the Author
Abigail Reynolds (Madison, WI) is a lifelong Jane Austen enthusiast and a physician. She is the author of The Pemberley Variations, a series that explores the roads not taken in Pride and Prejudice. She lives with her husband and two teenage children in Madison, Wisconsin.

Customer Reviews

I do love this book
Fans of Jane Austen will recognize a story very much in the spirit of Pride and Prejudice in a modern setting, and written for a modern audience. Calder and Cassie make a believable Darcy and Elizabeth in the 21st century, and their initial relationship, built on misunderstanding and misinterpretation is just as frustrating and fascinating as in Austen's version. Darcy's infamous letter takes on a new form here, but is as out of the ordinary in modern times, as was Darcy's letter to a woman to whom he was not attached in the regency.

But you don't need to be familiar with Pride and Prejudice to enjoy this novel. It's a lovely romance, and the characters have just the right mix of fantasy and reality. Both have significant secrets that threaten their relationship, and both have frustrating faults, and great strengths. Are they people you meet everyday? Probably not, but they are people I'd like to know. The Cape Cod location adds to the story, and there are some really lovely, sensual scenes - one especially with a magical, cinematic quality. Finally, the author knows how to create a very satisfying ending, which is an underrated skill in and of itself.

In addition, Calder's father is a great character - the sort of person you love to hate.

The characters and the pacing of the book are all quite good, the story is original and keeps your interest, great setting and it's a very satisfying read. It's in my pile of things to reread again.

Darcy and Elizabeth move to the 21st century
I've never found an updated, modern version of P&P that I liked -- until now. Abigail Reynolds has brought the characters forward in time, made some interesting changes to the basic story line, and added some passionate love scenes to spice things up. The result is an enjoyable sexy, little romance that is worth the time it takes to read.

Am I reading the same book as the rest of you???
Being a fan of light-hearted Jane Austen spin-offs (Bridget Jones, Austenland, Vanity and Vexation, etc.) I couldn't resist purchasing this book after reading all the stellar reviews here. What a disappointment! While "Abigail Reynolds", whoever she is - I could find no biographical information - hits some poignant notes in her prose, the plot and characters seemed silly and unbelievable. And be warned, because I was caught totally off guard, there are frequent sexually explicit scenes in this book. The main characters pretty much have no significant interaction that doesn't end in some kind of thrusting and nuzzling of genitalia. Ok, we get it - they have sexual chemistry - enough already! Sorry, I found it more trashy than romantic. Not my cup of tea.