Listen, I'm going to read pretty much any Pride and Prejudice retelling that I can get my little mitts on and this was such an excellent one! I loved the modernization of all the aspects of Pride and Prejudice (Wickham as a small-time drug dealer?! Perfection!) Georgie was such a lovable character that it was easy to look over some of her flaws until the were thrust into the spotlight by circumstances. You just want to root for her!

Finally, the idea of moving past the ideals of rugged individualism into the need for community is such an important thing for young people to learn! I was really glad to encounter that in this novel..

CW: under-aged drinking, drug dealing, forced kissing, grief, panic attacks

Pride and Prejudice retelling? Yes!

A Darcy sibling? Yes, please!

This was an adorable second chance story for Georgie, the black sheep of the Darcy family, and her journey rebuilding herself from the ground up.

Since entering high school Georgie has always had a shadow to hide in. Fitz, her golden boy brother, her freshman year. Wickham, an old neighbor from when they were younger, her sophomore year. Until he causes her world to come crashing down by using her and allowing her to take the fall for it all.

Barely escaping getting kicked out, she is back for her junior year unsure of what the year will bring until Wickham re-enters the picture and is determined to use her yet again. Teaming up with the only friend she has left, Avery, she is determined to prove to everyone (the school band, her fanfic writing community, Fitz, classmates, teachers and herself) that she is a true Darcy and prove her worth!

Will this be easy? No. Will there be up, downs, and doubt? Yes. Definitely go along on this sweet, second chance YA retelling. You won’t be able to help falling for these characters!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a review.

‘Accomplished’ is a deft, tangential, reimagining of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ told from Georgiana’s perspective. Though most of the names are obviously familiar, the modern-day story through this lens is a refreshing take on a beloved classic.

When Georgiana Darcy returns to Pemberley Academy after a devastating sophomore year, she is determined to distance herself from her old flame, Wickham Darcy, and prove that she can be the type of student and younger sister her older brother, Fitz, can be proud of. What happens when Wickham tries to weasel his way back into her life? When she realizes that the feelings she has for her friend, Avery, might be more than platonic? Well, things are about to become even more complicated.

In my opinion, works that are inspired by ‘Pride and Prejudice’ have a very fine needle to thread. Because the source material is so prolific, I often find myself dissatisfied with works that center Elizabeth and Darcy (or their equivalents) as the protagonists. Which is why I found this book to be so delightful.

Author Amanda Quain gives readers gives us a fully sketched Georgiana, and adds a beautiful layer to the sibling dynamic between Georgiana and her brother. The addition of Avery as best friend/potential love interest was also a fantastic inclusion. Quain also is aware of the fact that her protagonist is obscenely rich, and doesn’t shy away from conversations about privilege.

It’s a work that understands its source material but stands on its own insofar as narrative and plot are concerned. Fans of P&P and those unfamiliar with the story will both find things to love about ‘Accomplished.’

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for generously providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

A book loosely based off of Pride and Prejudice? Say less! I was super excited to get my hands on this as I am a huge fan of the original Austen read. I found this to be an entertaining YA romance, headed by Georgie, a naive 16 year old student who is forced with having to repair her image and reputation after being taken advantage of the infamous Wickham.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book, I definitely don't think you need to know the original story to enjoy it, but fans of the original will definitely love it!

I’m a sucker for Pride and Prejudice variants and boarding school stories, so needless to say, I was thrilled at the opportunity to read this book.

We don’t know much about canon Georgiana Darcy, other than she is a kindhearted lady who was almost—but not quite—taken advantage of by the devious Wickham. Accomplished reimagines her as a boarding school junior trying to pick up the pieces of her social life after she is seen by her peers as the reason behind Wickham’s expulsion for dealing drugs the previous spring.

Georgie’s goals are admirable, and she’s a nice enough kid, but there were some small details that threw me off. For example, she tries to make amends to her bandmates by treating them to a catered Mexican buffet… right before they’re scheduled to get on a bus to go to the big game. I love seeing fallible characters, but that incident just highlighted how out of touch she is with reality. Why on earth would she not wait to surprise everyone with a buffet when they got home?

Her brother Darcy has relocated from his elite university to SUNY Meryton, located close to Pemberley. He shows up periodically to glower disapprovingly, and his own romance with Lizzie Bennet is a secondary plot in this book.

I would recommend Accomplished. I think this book is going to primarily appeal to its target demographic, and that’s exactly what’s expected of a YA book. It’s cute and sweet and perfect for a summer read.




I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley

**Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the eARC copy in exchange for this review. This in no way changed my opinion**

As a general rule, if the book was released by Wednesday Books imprint, I tend to really like it. I find that as a whole, this publishing house tends to find very unique and interesting YA titles. The Grace Year is one of my favorite books of all time. Everything Erin Hahn writes is magical. If This Gets Out is amazing! Unfortunately, like all rules, there are exceptions. For every The Grace Year, there is a You've Reached Sam and this is one of them.

I got about 25% of the way through this. I can't explain to you why, but I went in thinking it was a YA Mystery. That was intriguing to me as a Pride & Prejudice retelling. It's not. It's standard YA Romance where the character names from Pride & Prejudice were taken. The plot has more in common with Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl as both main characters write fan fiction as a main plot point. This was just...not what I was expecting, which is why I DNF'd.

The story is essentially about Georgie trying to turn her life around and get acknowledgment from her brother, to find love along the way, and to get out from under the thumb of her abusive ex. However, the story is not Pride & Prejudice. It's not even a modern day P&P. It's literally just the names were taken and put over an otherwise standard YA Romance book. I'm sure there are people who will enjoy this, but it bothers me that so often now, books are being marketed by comparing them to other well-loved book and movie franchises when it's not really the case. Exploring the story from Georgiana's POV could have been interesting and I just found it bland. For that reason, it's unlikely I'll come back to this or try to finish. I just did not care enough about the main character to care what happens to her. I think you're better off reading another one of this imprint's titles.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

WOW! This was a novel that truly sucked me in from the beginning and left me satisfied, but still wanting more, at the end. Amanda did such a great job with character development, plot, and creating a story that you felt you could be apart of! I loved it!

So I’m in love with Accomplished featuring marching band romance, snarky banter, and apparently Charles Bingley as a frat boy, which is not something I knew I needed but apparently I did. It perfectly captured everything I imagined Georgie Darcy to be – PLUS I absolutely loved seeing Darcy as a tired older brother. Amazing work here!

(3.5 rounded up) Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

I am (obviously) going to read every YA Jane Austen retelling I find. So I was very excited for a retelling focused on the youngest Darcy. I did initially find it hard to get invested in Georgie’s story, but after the first several chapters it seemed like the author found her groove. Once we were settled into the story and Georgie’s “plan” was moving along though, I was hooked. The greatest strength of this book was Georgie and Avery’s friendship. I couldn’t put the book down by the time I got to Homecoming, just wanting to see how it played out. With that said the ending of the book fell a little flat for me, but overall it was still a fun and adorable read. Might even be worth reading just for the scenes of Bingley as a frat boy.

A fun YA retelling of Pride and Prejudice which made me wonder - at what age should one read the actual novel? Perhaps it's best appreciated by older readers and thus this fan fiction is a good intro- but I do hope those that read this admittedly well written and clever novel will eventually read Austen. I liked the characters and the setting and,. to Quain's credit. she's got the rhythm of Austen. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Entertaining read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Listen, 5 stars. No notes.

This is the perfect contemporary YA retelling (or reimagining?) of Pride and Prejudice from Georgie’s POV.

I actually cannot think of a single thing that could have been better - I am not usually a fan of YA realism (I prefer speculative fiction or thrillers), but I was really invested in this.

The narrative is also just well done. The pacing is perfect, the emotions feel real, and the characters’ actions and motivations make sense for teenagers. I was screaming “DON’T” the entire time, but I am an adult woman… so…

I am looking forward to more of Amanda Quain’s work!

This was a cute young adult story that tried to do too many things at once. I appreciated what the author was attempting to do, but it was too much.

Accomplished is a YA novel about a poor, little rich girl. Her dad has died, mother abandoned her and her only sibling is a brother who thinks he needs to be her father. Honestly I was annoyed at her attitude about life but I could empathize were her lack of confidence and wanting to have a friend. Doesn’t every teenage girl want that? The best part of this book is Avery. He is an awesome human. And some good life lessons are learned along the way.

3.5, rounded up. It was REALLY difficult to be sympathetic to Georgie for most of the book--the class issues are addressed but not totally dealt with, and she's stubborn and naive--but her anxiety and insecurities feel realistic and authentic to her teenage self. I also adored the side characters; Fitz and Lizzie's subplot is done well, and I wanted even more of Avery.

As an Austen retelling, this does a decent job of highlighting Georgiana, who didn't get much time in the original novel.

As an Austen fan, I was intrigued by the synopsis of Accomplished. Poor Georgiana Darcy is such a minor character in the original P&P -- I am THRILLED she gets a book of her own.

Quain's takes on "Fitz," Bingley, Lizzie, and even Wickham are fresh and modern. Setting the familiar story at a fictional boarding school called Pemberley is clever, and the additions of a popular (yet, completely made-up) BBC drama series, fan-fiction writing, and marching band mishaps are so much fun.

I only wish we were able to go deeper with Georgie. Her character is young-beyond-her-years and so naive, that the timeline of the book was unable to show much of her growth. I hope we get a sequel, after she's had some nurturing from Lizzie and Jane Bennet.

I have found my love of pride and prejudice variations over the course of quarantine and am happy to add this book to my list of faves. It was interesting reading from Georgina’s perspective and I will now be on the lookout for more books like this.

Georgiana Darcy should’ve been expelled after the incident from last year but wasn’t due to her family’s name. Now back for her junior year, she’s determined to prove to everyone that she can live up her name. She wants to prove to herself that she can handle anything that comes up, including Wickham, back with another scam and trying to drag her into it. But with the help of her single friend, Avery, Georgie has a plan. I absolutely love Georgie - she’s a fanfiction writer, witty, and smart (though she doesn’t apply herself all that great!). Her brother is at his wit end with her and most of their frustrations with one another is miscommunication and her brother overstepping boundaries. I loved this story and couldn’t put it down (read it in one setting)! Highly recommend this book!

Every time I read an Austen retelling, I feel like I have the benefit of not having read the original. To me, this was the story of young woman who was battling loneliness and fell for a boy’s pretty words. That boy ended up leaving her in a mess of trouble with a stained reputation, feeling like a burden to her older brother, and having failed to live up to the family name. Her plan was to win everyone over, rehab her image, and help her brother fall in love. With that said, I would say Accomplished was a success for me.

What I Liked

Georgie – My heart went out to Georgie. On the surface, she may come off in a certain way, but her outward persona was heavily influenced by the loss of her father, the abandonment of her mother, and trust issues that developed due to opportunist wanting a piece of her to exploit her family name. She carried a LOT of guilt about what happened with Wickham and paid for that mistake over and over again. The more I learned about Georgie, the easier it was to root for her. I won’t say Georgie’s plan was without flaws, and it did NOT go smoothly, but she grew tremendously from the experience and the end result was wonderful.

Siblings – Georgie and Fitz were once very close, but when Fitz assumed parental responsibilities for Georgie, it strained their relationship. Needless to say, it was complicated, but here is another example where I saw great growth. There were some very sweet moments shared between these two, and they were able to get to a good place in their relationship.

The Friendship – Just when I thought Georgie would have to face the world on her own, her former bestie extended an olive branch. Their friendship was something special, and I was happy to see them both making an effort to restore it to its greatness. Avery was not only a good friend to Georgie, but he was a source of support when she really had no one else. He encouraged her which was vital in her recovering her confidence and attempting to move past the drama of the previous year.

The Setting – I am a sucker for boarding school books, and I really enjoyed my time at Pemberley Academy. Quain did an amazing job transporting me to the bucolic campus. Not only was I treated to a visual tour, but I was immersed in many aspects of campus life. From homecoming to Friday night games, it was fantastic being part of the action.

Overall, I had a great time getting to know Georgie and watching her evolve and move forward. Lively banter, a sweet romance, and campus antics contributed to the entertainment value and my overall enjoyment of this book.

A cute spin on the classic Pride and Prejudice.

Have you ever wondered about Georgiana Darcy? I know I have, which is why I wanted to read this book! I thought it would be a fun retelling of the classic story with a different perspective. My expectations were met!

Georgiana reminds me of most teenagers—a little lost and needing some guidance. Of course, she falls in with Wickham and things go downhill. We know the story. However, it’s fun to see her come to life; she’s not just a side character, but the main character. Is she a little bratty at times? Sure. But she’s also been raised in a very privileged life—which she acknowledges. I love that the author threw in details about her just so we could get to know her, i.e. she writes fan fiction, enjoys music, etc. Personally, I thought the author’s interpretation of Georgie was great (and really all of the characters)! It gives a fun picture imagining Georgiana, Mr. Darcy, Charlie, Jane, and Lizzie as their modern-day counterparts. I like the modern-day interpretations of how they interact, meet up, etc.

I also adored Avery. He’s such a kind soul. I liked that the author took the liberty to add him into the story. He’s definitely great for filling in the blanks for where the original story was lacking as far as Georgie is concerned.

Also, I’m a band kid…so, obviously, I loved that! This book brought back all of the feels—the Friday night lights, the chilly weather, and having to change in the band room with everybody and having 0 space to do so. The author could’ve picked any extra curricular, but I’m glad she picked this one.

I think the only thing I would have loved to see was Georgie making friends with her roommate, Sydney. That’s not important at all to the story though, so it doesn’t detract from it.

Overall, I think that any Pride and Prejudice fans will love this book! You don’t have to read the book to read this one, although it’s fun to know a bit about the story beforehand. If you read this one, let me know.

Thank you Wednesday Books for an eARC of this book!

I’ll post my review to Barnes & Noble and Amazon on publication day. My review is already live on Goodreads.

In this modern retelling of Georgiana Darcy's story, Georgiana is a 16 year old student at Pemberley academy trying to repair the damage that Wickham Foster caused in her life last year. She is also trying to live up to the ever present shadow of her incredibly successful brother, Fitz. Due to the events of last year, she finds herself isolated from everyone, including her former best friend Avery who is also her bandmate. As she works to repair the damage, she proposes a plan that includes her becoming the perfect Darcy all while pushing Fitz and Lizzie Bennet together.

I love a good Pride and Prejudice inspired story and was really looking forward to a story focusing on Georgiana's experience. Ultimately what this is is a high school drama in which you can see the P&P inspiration (mostly). I did not find Georgiana to be a particularly likeable character which I think did affect my overall rating. She treats everyone in her life pretty terribly, even when she's trying to be "better". I was really hoping there would be more discussion about the emotional abuse that she clearly experienced from Wickham but we only ever got her internal dialogue about that, she never told anyone how he had made her feel and start to heal.

Ultimately this was not more than your typical drama filled YA. If that's your thing, check it out but I was glad when it was over.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Wendesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.