I received this ARC for an honest review. I have to admit I was a little nervous about reading this book. I was like “another Jane Austin ripoff”, but I was wrong. It surprised me. I enjoyed how the authors gave a nod to Jane Austin, but the story was their own. This story is about Hara Isari and Derek Darcy. Hara is a sports writer for a small paper and she won a national contest to interview the elusive basketball player Charles Butler. She got an exclusive one on one at a private party. On her way to meet with Charles, Hara over hears Derek on the phone and was caught eavesdropping by Derek and he was rude. Unbeknownst to Hara, Derek and Charles are best friends. When they both show up for the interview, Hara was surprised. I’m not going to say much more because I suggest that you read this book. I enjoyed it.

This is a winning novel that will appeal to everyone. It has wit, sassiness and a captivating plot.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am weak for a Pride & Prejudice retelling. My best friend pointed out that I never enjoy them, despite the fact that I will read almost any that come my way.

One of the reasons I so often don’t enjoy them is because I don’t know what I want in a retelling. When do I begrudge the changes made to put the story in a new context? What elements are necessary to retain the spirit of the story I love? Do I need to see Wickham preying on underage Georgiana (must she be underage?) and then hooking up with underage Lydia? Why do updates so often leave out my beloved Aunt and Uncle Gardiner??

These questions were never far from my mind as I sank into Evelyn Lozada’s The Wrong Mr. Darcy. Lozada takes some wild liberties with the story, and ultimately lands in a space that is officially too far from Austen’s original for my personal taste. My affection for the original could not extend cover to this version.

Hara Isari is a sportswriter in her small Oregon hometown. She’s stuck trying to live down her father’s reputation as a bookie known for fixing basketball games. She gets an opportunity to interview Boston Fishers star Charles Butler and leaps at the chance. Her interview brings her into the orbit of the entire Fishers organization, including Charles’s prickly friend Derek Darcy and the very officious Miss Bingley. Once Hara gets her foot in the door, she uncovers more drama than she ever expected. Lozada packs a lot into Hara’s three days in Boston. Side chicks! Bribery scandals! Workplace jealousy! A night at the club! A flood!

The writing isn’t great. For example, I spent way too much time trying to figure out who the Fishers were, assuming they were the team owners. No, it’s actually the name of the basketball team Butler and Darcy play for. While the story is being marketed as a comedy, there weren't any funny scenes. Hara stumbles into a B plot that is mostly confusing and then takes a dark turn that feels wildly out of place.

Aside from the impression that this needs another round of development editing, there’s also too much drama packed into too little time. I want to say it felt unrealistic, but I understand Ms. Lozada is a Real Housewife. Perhaps that life comes at you a bit faster.

It’s hard to get a good handle on Hara, Derek, and Hara and Derek. Hara is a unicorn African American-Japanese woman with blue eyes and good hair. (Honestly, the blue eyed thing was very distracting. I kept trying to figure out how those genetics work. Black folks do carry recessive genes for blue eyes--you know why--but do Japanese folks?) I didn’t get the sense that she had any interest in Derek at all. Derek himself never comes around to that redeeming moment where you can almost forgive him for being a prat earlier in the story. He’s justified in taking offense at her in their first encounter.

My biggest problem with The Wrong Mr. Darcy is that it doesn’t feel inspired by Pride & Prejudice at all, other than lifting a couple of names. A couple of very key characters appear to be wildly inconsistent mash-ups. To wit, Charles Butler is George Wickham and Charles Bingley in one. If you’re wondering how that works, it doesn’t.

This one was a swing and a miss for me. The primary reason I requested it was because I love P&P, but there’s not enough of the original here to suggest the authors feel the same.

Content warning: attempted suicide and pregnancy trauma

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley in order to facilitate this review.

The wrong mr Darcy review

This was a cute romance with a mysterious twist! It was fun to read, and had an interesting concept. I’d never read much about basketball or the world around it so I enjoyed learning more. It did feel like however there was more focus on the whole “wives ant girlfriends” crew than actual basketball sometimes.

The main character Hara is a budding sports reporter with some freaking amazing sass. She is a woman working in a male dominated field and she handles the sexism like a boss. After winning a contest, she gets an exclusive interview with the hottest basketball star around, Charles Butler. She is flown out to Boston, attends a fancy party, and then interviews Charles Butler. Quickly her reporter instincts kick in and she realizes there is more going on behind this contest. She meets another teammate, Derek Darcy, and he’s got something to prove to the team and zero people skills or manners. As Hara begins to uncover what is happening behind the scenes, she makes new friends, finds herself in some WAGS drama, and in serious danger!

Sometimes I felt like parts of the characters didn’t add up. They were not consistent throughout the book and it didn’t make sense. I did feel like the book struggled to be cohesive. There was enough content for a whole series in one short book, and it made it very chaotic and quickly unrealistic. There was so much happening from the contest, the games, the WAGS, the storm, Naomi... it was just too much. I also struggled to follow the story partly because my ARC didn’t have paragraph breaks when they changed character voices, and partly because it was just so chaotic. The end came very abruptly and was not as satisfying either. I could’ve used a few more nights in bed with Derek though!

Super steamy, a bit mysterious, and full of some good ole drama. Didn’t seem much like Pride and Prejudice. I did like the concept of the story and overall plot so I enjoyed it and gave it 3 stars.

My six word review:
Basketball stars and their closeted drama

I found The Wrong Mr Darcey to be a cheesy read. And, I have to say, I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I’m sure others may enjoy this book and I do recommend you read it.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest review.

There is so much to like about this book - drama, sports, danger, mystery. The only thing it was missing for me was romance. Don't get me wrong - there is romance in the story - but it is definitely on the sidelines of the rest of the story. And, in a way, it should be. The real story is about both Hara and Derek finding their way professionally and finding their way to trust people again.

There are a few things in the story that need a trigger warning <spoiler>the story includes a miscarriage and a parent in jail, </spoiler> The book also pretty honestly takes a look into the world of the private lives of sports stars.

The book clearly riffs off of Pride and Prejudice, but isn't a retelling in any way. Hara talks about it as her favorite book and there are quotes at the start of every chapter. With that - I was actually suprirsed Hara didn't mention how weird it was that everyone had names so similar to those in Pride and Prejudice ;)

I loved Hara and her dedication to her career. Her determination and professionalism will take her a long way. I didn't like her snap judgments about people - and appreciated that several characters really called her out on it. Derek is definitely serious book boyfriend material. He had a lot of depth to his character - like his namesake character. He is always trying to do the right thing - even when it is hard. His personal moral compass was extremely strong in a sea of really crappy examples.

Overall - this was a great story. I do almost think it should have been a duet. I kept thinking as I hit the 80% mark that there was no way they could deal with everything with so little of the book left. With that in mind - the ending felt a little forced and rushed.

I'd give the book a serious 3.5 stars.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

Now - when can we get Naomi's story? or Kitty? soon please ladies.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Hara's relationship with her father is fascinating and I loved when these two were interacting. The dialogue with other characters (her mom) was just off and stilted. I found myself more invested with her relationship with her dad than the hero. And maybe that's where the story should have focused. I loved having reading about diverse characters. Will I read these authors again probably because I did enjoy the book.

I loved this rom com! Sweet funny and light on the heart. I loved all the characters and their multidimensional personalities. Hara is a reporter who meets an NBA basketball player and boy does her world go upside down! I won’t reveal any spoilers but if you’re a Jane Austen and a Mr Darcy fan then this book is a must. The book sometimes is a slow burn but worth it. Now, i will speak about some certain aspects I didn’t like about the story. I thought that there was an issue bringing the chemistry between the two main protagonists into a tangible thing for the reader. All in all however, the positive outweighs any shortcomings and overall I’m happy I read the book

An interesting look at the world of professional sports that has a little twist of personal attached to it. Having never read this author before I was very impressed.

It was an interesting read. My first from these authors. I recommend it and look forward to reading more from these authors.

Pride and Prejudice brought to modern times.A lovely sweet fun read.As a groupie really enjoyed this take on her writing .A pleasure to read,#netgalley #St.martinsbooks.

Received an ARC from netgalley for an honest opinion and review. Hara is a reporter from a small town in Oregon who wins a writing competition and as her prize gets to interview a big time NBA basketball player. What she doesn't know is that her world will be turned upside down and there is always more to the story than you think. Great book and highly suggest reading!

As an Austen lover through and through I love this different, modern take on the classic story. The characters are so loveable and it makes you want to keep reading even after the story is over!

Pride & Prejudice in the modern world of basketball! I expected this to be a fun and quick read, and I wasn't disappointed -- an interesting take on the classic and modernized addressing themes such as bi-cultural lineage, small-town girl, bribery in sports, prisoners, and of course the classic female strength.

Give me a Pride and Prejudice retelling anyday and I'm a happy girl. In this version, which was full of representation and a culture as different to me a regency era England, we find Hara a budding sports writer trying to catch her big break.

It is always weird to me when P&P retellings have the characters mention the book, in this case it was doubly weird to have Hara able to quote from Austen's work, but didn't seem to recognize the names from the book in the people she was meeting. Bingley and Darcy are pretty rare, and at no point did Hara notice or comment. It was strange to me that Hara, who is a self proclaimed professional at juding poeple on first impressions, seems to miss the biggest and most obvious message in the original work.

Overall, most of the differences made the story brighter for a modern age while others left me feeling heart broken. The shocking moments held no purpose for the main characters development and seemed there only to shock the readers.

The reality tv lifestyle most of the women portrayed in this book live is shallow, and I don't think it really represents the breadth of women who make up the WAGS groups. After learning one of the writers is famous for sports-related reality TV it seemed to make a little more sense as characters were probably caricatures of real life women.

An interesting modern, sports twist on the classic Pride and Prejudice. I’ve always loved basketball so it was nice to see a novel well done about the sport though I would have liked to see more about the game itself instead of all the peripheral details.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had mixed feelings about this book that I can't entirely sort through.
The Story: This is a take off of Pride and Prejudice. Sort of. The Elizabeth character, Hara, is a sportswriter visiting Boston for a story. Darcy is a pro basketball player and best friend to Hara's interview subject. Lots of drama, both interpersonal and dangerous ensues.
The good: I liked the setting a lot. Hara goes to games and behind the scenes in locker rooms, nightclubs and owner's boxes. It was interesting to see that world, and clear the the author had firsthand knowledge of the setting. Hara's character was half black and half Japanese and her father was in prison. These are character traits that are less common in romance novels, so that was welcome, although they could have explored even more

The bad: Wow, there was a lot of drama! There was much more plot than one book required.
The characters really lacked depth and the connection to P&P was really strained. There was a lot of exposition to explain Hara and Darcy's thoughts and try to connect to P&P, but it didn't feel natural or authentic

The weird: There were a lot of very specific details that sat awkwardly. The owner has some very creepy and overly explained sex fetishes. The Boston details were SO specific, it felt like someone took a research trip and jotted down every cool place they saw (as a Bostonian, the relative geography bugged because nothing was in the right place in relation to each other. No big deal except as compared to the excruciating detail about the IRL bakery/coffee shop and cool hotel)

All in all it was a book with a lot of ideas that needed paring and deepening

Thanks to St. Martins' Press and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
I've never read a Jane Austen novel, only seen some film adaptations. Don't know if this makes a difference about what I think of this story and these characters or not. But I was intrigued about the plot.
The biggest issue for me with this story is that there isn't a clear divide between the different POV's. The POV's can change almost in the same sentence and I find this really annoying.
There's a lot going on in a short amount of time. Mr. Darcy is a little too "hot and cold" but all in all, I liked the plot but the story could've been better executed

Had I not read the author bio I would have sworn to you that the person who wrote this has never attended a professional sporting event, met a journalist, or had parents. I'm really only about 85% they even read Pride & Prejudice.

I am not a sports fan so that whole angle in the book held no interest. I did like the book tho. Her life isn't perfect and she is hard on herself. But she has a chance for a big break in her career as a sports writer. She stumbles into a much bigger story than the one she was asked to write. She finds herself involved with a couple of the players. Interesting cast of characters doing unexpected things. A pretty good story.