A Certain Appeal
Ratings3
Average rating4.3
15
Ratings3
Average rating4.3
A sparkling contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in the tantalizing world of New York City burlesque, perfect for fans of The Kiss Quotient and The Roommate. After a betrayal derailed her interior design career, Liz Bennet found a fresh start in New York. Now an executive assistant by day and stage kitten by night, she’s discovered a second home with the performers at Meryton, Manhattan’s top-tier burlesque venue. Love’s the last thing on her mind when she locks eyes with Will Darcy across the crowded club, yet the spark between them is undeniable—that is, until she overhears the uptight wealth manager call her merely “tolerable.” Bennet is determined to write Darcy off, but once their besties fall head-over-heels, they’re thrown into each other’s orbit again and again. Each encounter begins to feel more heated than the last, but is their chemistry enough to topple that terrible first impression? What’s more, when a charming newcomer arrives on the scene with accusations against Darcy, and a sudden development leaves Meryton’s fate in jeopardy, Bennet will have to decide who to trust in time to salvage her design dreams, her heart, and the stage she shares with her found family…
Reviews with the most likes.
A Certain Appeal is fun and unique retelling of Pride & Prejudice!
One of my favorite things about this retelling is that the characters feel familiar, but I didn't know what would happen. Sometimes retellings stick too close to the inspiration and are a bit too predictable. A Certain Appeal didn't fall into that category!
I didn't know I needed a burlesque!Pride&Prejudice until I had it, and I'm delighted it exists. I definitely recommend it and will be rereading it!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Yet another Pride and Prejudice retelling (that's not shade, I can just think of at least three others I've read in the past few years, so it's a popular mini-genre at the moment). This is a modern era retelling, set in and around the NYC burlesque scene, and it dispenses with Mr. Collins/Charlotte/the Bingley sisters altogether. I liked the setting and of course, the story is a classic. The plot/timeline changed a little as well, specifically Lizzie and Darcy have hooked up and are basically together when the whole Wickham thing happens, at which point the story shifts to saving the burlesque company and doesn't have the whole aspect of family disgrace that was so powerful in the original P&P, which kind of shifts the stakes of the story in a way I didn't love. (Also I just realized there's no equivalent of Lady Catherine in this book either, which is a legit bummer.) All in all, this was fun, but as far as retellings go, I would recommend [b:Ayesha at Last 43124133 Ayesha at Last Uzma Jalaluddin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544037862l/43124133.SX50.jpg 57683370] or [b:Unmarriageable 39926661 Unmarriageable Soniah Kamal https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524485741l/39926661.SY75.jpg 61800121]. Probably 3.5 stars overall, rounding up. (2022 Summer Romance Bingo: dance. Would also work for property inheritance, loosely for architect.)
