This book actually turned out to be a collection of three romance novellas, all of which take place in Moonbright, Maine, a town that loves fall and Halloween, and have ties to a local beloved bakery. Each story had a different romance trope - love at first sight between two chefs, although one is only planning on being in town temporarily; a sort-of enemies-to-lovers, in which a woman has her sights set on one man but eventually sees that the man in front of her is a better match; and two people who knew each other in high school and now work together in local government, years later. I loved the small-town autumn vibe of each novella, and the stories are low drama with sweet romances and surprising steam at times. My issue with novellas is that the story often doesn't feel fleshed out enough or things are wrapped up too quickly, and those both definitely happened here, but overall, these are charming stories that are perfect for autumn reading. 4 stars
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price (2021)
A Pride & Prejudice retelling where the characters are caught up in a murder mystery. Lizzie Bennet wants to be a lawyer, and she gets a chance to prove herself to her father when she's brought on by Bingley to prove his innocence in his brother-in-law's murder. Darcy is the lawyer-in-training officially handling the Bingley case. I generally love P&P retellings, but this one missed the mark for me. I didn't really understand the author's need to keep the story in the original time period, when she had to take serious liberties both plot and character-wise. Just put this in a different time when it would have made more sense for a woman to train to become a lawyer. I also didn't understand why Lizzie had to be so young (17) - also totally unrealistic. Lizzie was supposed to be so smart, but her logic was flawed and very simplistic at times. That all being said, I did enjoy seeing where the author stayed true to the original text and where she made adaptations. The identity of the killer was also something I didn't guess, so that's always fun in a mystery. Overall, a good idea for a P&P retelling, but lacking in the execution. 2.5 stars
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I've never read a Pride and Prejudice retelling but I want to. I just won't be reading Pride and Premeditation, probably.
ReplyDeleteYeah, unfortunately it was a disappointment for me!
DeleteWell Pride and Premeditation certainly seems like a huge letdown. I was really hoping that would be worth reading!
ReplyDeleteI was, too!
DeleteAw that's a bummer about Pride & Premeditation. It's such a pretty book too- I saw it in the bookstore and was like wow that looks great. I do agree though it sounds like it would have made more sense to up the timeline a bit to make it more plausible?
ReplyDeleteI love the small town autumn vibe of Bakeshop though!
Yeah, if an author has to make such huge concessions, just change the setting!
DeleteThe vibe of Bakeshop was so perfect for the season!
Low drama + Sweet = perfect for me. That collection sounds great. Small towns always make me happy too.
ReplyDeleteIt was such a cute collection!
DeleteSorry to hear Pride and Premeditation didn't work for you. The Bakeshop book sounds delightful though.
ReplyDeleteDelightful is a good way to describe it!
DeleteNovellas can bit hit or miss for me, but sometimes short, sweet, and low-drama just hits the spot.
ReplyDeleteYes, sometimes it's just what you need!
DeleteBakeshop sounds great! What a bummer for Pride and Premeditation, though. It's always extra disappointing to me when a book with such a beautiful cover doesn't work out, haha.
ReplyDeleteHaha, I know! I had high hopes.
DeleteA cozy for fall sounds like a perfect read for the season!
ReplyDeleteA bit disappointing that the P&P retelling wasn't what you had hoped for. Those are always hit or miss for me. I hope that you enjoy your next read a bit more.
I do love a good P&P retelling - unfortunately they aren't all winners!
DeleteBakeshop has the cutest fall cover I have ever seen. I will have to remember that one for next fall!
ReplyDeleteRight?? I love this cover!
DeleteOh I do love the fall vibes of The Bakeshop of Pumpkin and Spice! Sorry the P&P retelling didn't work for you, hopefully the next one will be better.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lindsey!
DeleteReally want to read the P+P re-telling. Sad to hear it's not quite up to par though. That's always a bummer! Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Rissi!
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