This was a fun, heartfelt YA reimagining featuring Jane Austen's beloved Darcy siblings, Georgie and Fitzwilliam from Pride and prejudice. Told from Georgie's POV, we get to see her trying to redeem her damaged reputation at a posh boarding school and fix her strained relationship with her brother after a scandal involving drugs and former schoolmate/boyfriend Wickham.

I really loved Georgie and how she tried to help her brother by setting him up with Elizabeth Bennett with the hopes of getting him to relax his overprotective tendencies. Original and full of creative license, I really enjoyed this one. Great on audio too. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

What I did enjoy was the concept: how the familiar characters and places were revealed andthe nice backdrop that was built for a modern retelling. I’m sure there is a demographic of young readers that would enjoy this, but I just didn’t resonate with this book. I just don’t think YA romances is a genre I can enjoy, even if it’s a retelling of one of my favorites.

I loved Georgiana in P&P, but in ACCOMPLISHED she’s all consumed with navel gazing, self martyrdom, and low self esteem. She’s completely oblivious to her privilege, judgemental thoughts, and complete self absorption that she can’t even remember simple details about her “friends.” She blames all her problems on this situation with Wickham, rather than realizing that a huge part of the reason she’s a social outcast is her own behavior.

At the end I was left with a sense of whiplash since it’s not until the last few chapters when Georgiana finally has her character arc and begins the process of realizing and changing all the behaviors I previously mentioned. Her growth is at warp speed and appears to come overnight, which is always a frustrating thing for me as a reader.

I also couldn’t stand the depiction of Fitz in this either. I didn’t see any parallels between this modern sibling relationship with what I saw in P&P. The characters don’t match the personalities I have in mind of the original story. Overall, this story just didn’t do much for me and which is disappointing because I really wanted to like it.

***Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Wednesday Books for providing me with the audiobook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.

Georgiana Darcy is the most hated girl at Pemberly Academy when she avoided being expelled after being caught up in a drug scam last year with popular boy Wickham Foster. She now must prove to her older brother, Fitz that she can make him proud, without tarnishing the family name during her Junior year. She thinks it shouldn't be too hard, until Wickham tries to weasel his way back into her heart.

I was really disappointed in this one... I found it to be slow, and a bit boring through out the whole story. I never felt truly invested in Georgiana's story, and she rubbed me the wrong way for the majority of the book. She gave off poor, little rich girl vibes and it got annoying pretty quickly - she was called out by the end of the book which was nice. I do think she went through some character growth, but I think by that point I was too fed up with her to care about it.

⭐️ rating: 4 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 genre: YA, austen retelling
read if you like: Pride & Prejudice, Emma Lord, Pride & Premeditation

Okay, so I might be a little biased here because Darcy & Lizzie are one of my OTPs, so I like Pride & Prejudice a little more than your average person - but this book was a true delight! I really loved being able to see growing up as a Darcy from a different perspective.

Narration thoughts:
✨ The narrator did a great job portraying the sass & sadness of Georgiana. You could just feel her personality jumping off the page through her reading!
✨ The narrator also did an excellent job of changing her voice every so slightly for the different male characters & the few female ones. Enough where I could tell by listening who was speaking.

Other things I liked:
✨ Georgie & Avery's banter = 10/10
✨ I liked that I kind of had NO IDEA what was going to happen with Avery's character. Since he doesn't exist in the original tale, his storyline was full of mystery.
✨ Having been a band geek myself, I really liked seeing those cliques & dynamics play out on the page
✨ I liked how Quain both captured Georgie as a stuck-up teenager & as a lovable individual. You could really feel her age in her speech & overall demeanor.
✨ It was kind of awesome to see Darcy & Georgiana on the outs rather than the lovey-dovey siblings you see in the novel and the film. With him having taken over the father-figure role, you would have to guess that there would be a decent amount of friction there. And this novel showed that really well.

Things I didn't love:
✨ I know it's not about them, but I wanted more Darcy & Lizzie! I wish we could have seen more of their dynamics - even if it was just Georgie spying on them more. Because, come on now, she clearly was.
✨ Now, I did this as an audiobook & ebook combo, so maybe if I'd just read it it would have been more clear - but I wish there had been more indication of when Georgie was having a flashback and when she was in the present. Especially where Wickham is concerned.

Highly recommend!

Georgie screwed up last year. She got caught with her drug dealing boyfriend and her bother, Fitz, put her on lockdown. Without their parents, Fitz was more like her father than her brother.

Back at school her ex makes an appearance and Georgie can’t resist. Determined to change her ways to stay out of trouble Georgie puts herself in harder classes and hatches a plot to help her brother get a girlfriend. With the help of her friend Avery, Georgie manages to stay mostly out of trouble and make a few friends.

After Fitz finds a candid shot of Georgie with her ex the two finally hash out their feelings. Georgie goes back to school and attempts to finish the year with the few friends she has left.

I thought this book was pretty cute but also didn’t love Avery’s reaction towards the end. All is well that ends well, though.

A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice through Georgiana's eyes. The stress of retuning to school after a scandal, the pressure of her perfect older brother as they circle each other- the only family they have left, but unsure how to act around each other as they get older and become adults. In Accomplished, Georgiana has a plan to escape the shadows of her life. Become an excellent student, prove Wickham wrong, and show Fitz that she can be trusted. But she needs help, and an old friend is the only one who's willing to offer it.

It was a fun book, to be sure. The way Quain modernized the classic was well done, if not exactly creative. The characters are well done, and I loved that Georgie has such a strong voice. She makes poor choices, but they make sense, she has her reasons and her justification is valid. It was frustrating to see her continuously make poor choices, to think so little of herself, but it was also so clearly shown WHY she felt that way. You could SEE the miscommunication happen, and totally understand why it happened. If I were in that situation, I would have thought the same as Georgie.

I loved how Lizzie and Fitz's relationship was shown from the outside, ever a classic, it was actually refreshing to see the world around the two of them and into the other interactions that define their respective worlds. How we're never really given too much into the two of them because this isn't their story. So often retellings that suppose to focus on other characters end up spending all the attention of said character on the original leads. It was nice to have them set aside for a bit and explore other characters and also how those characters interacted with each other.

I did get a little annoyed that Georgie was expected to apologize to everyone for everything while implying she's the only one in the wrong when she was clearly under a lot of mental stress. She was being pushed from every angle and her reactions to that are justified. That they were being vilified is more than a little annoying because I feel like it teaches girls the wrong message. Not that apologizing is bad, but sometimes you're valid for being angry or for reacting certain ways. She never actually shares her concerns with the people who cause them- instead having a heart to heart with one character, before speaking with her brother and never actually talking to HIM about what her concerns were through the whole book. He deserved to know exactly how his actions made her feel, same with Avery. He was presented as a character that "understood" her but when it really came to a point where understadning her was paramount, he blew up at her and insulted her. I just didn't care for that.

This is a great example of a YA that would be best for a younger teen audience. Not only the relation to a classic, but also the writing style and plot. It's not too mature, while also dealing with very common issues for teens.

Okay. Some YA is universal and some is specifically appealing to a younger audience. This one is the latter, so I'm doing my best to look at it through that lens.

I knew high school girls who were devoted Jane Austen fans. I knew high school girls who were deeply enmeshed in marching band drama. For those specific categories of young adults, I think this book is perfectly dreamy.

As a grown woman named Darcy, my cringe meter is high with Austen retellings, and this one certainly had its fair share of eye rolls.

Fitz and Lizzy were well adapted. Since we have so little to go off for Georgiana's character in P&P, I like that the author chose to make her a little sister who was grasping to fall in line with her prideful brother.

The stakes with Wickam/Georgie/Lydia come off as pretty frivolous outside of regency England. Even with the books attempts to modernize the social stigmstaization, it rings a bit hollow.

The greatest success of this book is capturing what it looks like to be a "proud" person. I related to Georgie's struggles to open up, reveal weaknesses, and ask for help. The smallest gestures of humanity can feel so hard when you're buried under the aspirations of perfectionism... and immense family pressure.

Vocal performance and pacing were perfect. Such a breezy listen.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Pub Date: Yesterday! (July 26th)

A Pride and Prejudice retelling, but make it YA, mix in Gossip Girl, and focus on Mr. Darcy’s younger sister and you have Accomplished! This delightful read follows Georgiana Darcy, returning for her junior year at Pemberley Academy after almost getting expelled. Her disastrous relationship with Wickham Foster has left Georgie without any friends, zero trust from her older brother Fitz, and a terrible reputation on all fronts. All Georgie wants is to regain her place with the marching band, impress her brother (or at least distract him with Lizzie Bennet), and leave any trace of Wickham far in the past.

Expectations are everything with this one! It wasn’t earth shattering, but it was fun! Pride and Prejudice remains my favorite Austen novel, so I devoured every reference with love. Charlie Bingley is fraternity bro, Lydia Bennet just wants to have a good time, and Fitzwilliam Darcy is hiding every emotion possible behind wealth and reputation. I thought the book addressed privilege and its many facets well, if briefly, and I genuinely enjoyed Georgie’s character development!

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Rarely do I enjoy retellings of Austen’s work as much as I did with Accomplished by Amanda Quain. This modern retelling with Georgie Darcy as the main character was a read and listen, I could not put down. I felt it was well balanced between having enough Pride and Prejudice nods with a very fun, fresh, and modern take on changing plots, adding characters, and updating themes. (Seriously I have not read an Austen retelling like it to date.) While we do not know much about Georgianna Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, I find sometimes retellings with her almost try to take her and put her in a retelling with Georgianna in Elizabeth’s place. This was not the case. It was more a present-day story, with some background Pride and Prejudice plots as a backdrop. I think the other important part of this story is that the reader does not have to have a knowledge of Pride and Prejudice to enjoy, understand, or connect with this book.

The characters were likeable in the fact that they had flaws and felt like real people. I thought the relationship, tension, and reconciliation between Georgie and Avery was well done. I also loved that they were marching band members. Something very near and dear to my heart. I found the pacing of this book was spot on for what it needed to be. I never felt like the story dragged.

The narration by Deva Marie Gregory was exceptional. Her voices were distinct, and I always knew who was talking without having to hear Wickham said… She was well paced, clear, and easy to understand.

I cannot wait to read more by Amanda Quain and listen to more books narrated by Deva Marie Gregory. Both did exceptional with their respective roles. If you like enjoyable, good, and well-done fresh retellings of Austen’s stories, this book is for you. If you love marching band romances with a well-paced, interesting story (and could care less that this has anything to do with Jane Austen) this book is also for you. I think this story has the ability to draw in Austen fans and maybe get some new readers interested in reading Austen, as well as catering to those teens who just want a good weekend read. If I were in high school reading this, I would want to try reading Austen for the first time. I need to add a copy of this book to my Austen bookcase. (Yes, I said bookcase. I told you I have read a lot of Austen retellings.)

I received an eARC and audiobook review copy from St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

3 stars. This is probably one of the fullest explorations of Georgiana Darcy I’ve ever seen or read, and how emotional abuse can deeply hurt and break down a person. Set in the competitive world of prep school, this retelling sees Georgie Darcy dealing with the aftermath of her relationship and break down after Wickham uses her to deal drugs at school, and the events of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in the background.
The concept was well executed, and a unique take on a retelling. I liked Fitz as a character a ton, and I really enjoyed the Avery character as a love interest and the very true to life band geekiness. The fandom stuff was a bit jarring for me, but if you liked those parts I’d say, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, you’ll probably like this. And the ending with the discussion about race, privilege and how to move forward was superb. But where this fell down for me was in the sheer slog of the beginning and middle parts.

Honestly, this was a 2.5 star read until right at the end because there was a lot of repetition, way too many flashbacks, and WOW, the angst. It may have also been the audiobook narrator, who read everything VERY dramatically. I felt like I was sinking into a well of despair because of the narration.

And yet…I can’t say that this book didn’t work. It’s long, it reads a bit like fanfic itself, but it does hold together. Read if you like Austen retellings, broken characters looking to fight back, and band geekery. A library read for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Books/Wednesday Books for the eARC/audio ARC.

A very modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice from a very different point of view. This novel gives us insight into the "ruined" Georgianna Darcy. After a scandal involving drugs during her sophomore year at an elite prep school, Georgie returns as the pariah of the campus. Her older brother and guardian, Fitz, was a darling of the school and the "perfect" Darcy. Georgie's ex Wickham tries to lure her back into his shady world, and Georgie bets him that she can become the perfect Darcy to make him leave her alone, or she will help Wickham in his new illegal enterprise. Georgie tries to do things the way she thinks Fitz would and even help ease his worry for her by helping him find love of his own, with you guessed it Lizzie Bennett. Georgie soon realizes that she can't be the perfect Darcy, like he brother, she has to be her own version of a Darcy and that is okay.
Having seen and ready several different iterations of the Pride and Prejudice story, this is an interesting story. Georgie is trying so hard to solve an issue, so she can prove she is better than who everyone thinks she is. She learns that you have to accept your own faults and grown from the lessons of those faults. She also learned to check her privilege and meet those that you care about on a level that they are comfortable with.

This "Pride and Prejudice" remix focusses on Darcy's youngers sister Georgiana aka Georgie. In this modern rendition her brother is her guardian and she is in her junior year at Pemberley Academy. She is active in the band and plays trombone. She is friends with another trombone player Avery and the two of them work together to get her overzealous brother off her back by hooking him up with Lizzie Bennet. They get some matchmaking ideas from some interesting places and do what they can to see the couple together. Wickham is a bad bad into selling drugs with questionable morals. He is Georgie's ex and the reason Darcy is keeping a good eye on his sister.
For a younger audience this book is a more relatable twist on a classic story. The story moves along well and the audiobook is entertaining as well.

This is a Pride and Prejudice retelling from the view of Georgiana Darcy. She is entering her third year of Pemberley. Her second year ended in disaster when Wickham Foster gets her involved in a situation she knew nothing about. She is determined to be the perfect Darcy and rid Wickham of her life.

Audiobook: I enjoyed the narrator chosen for this audiobook. She fit Georgie's personality, how I would picture her, and brought her to life.

Story: I enjoyed this unique retelling of a classic story. The author merges the classic story with modern elements. through the characters and scenes throughout the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this story.

What a fun read! For fans of Pride and Prejudice, Georgiana is an underdeveloped character in the original script, leaving much to be desired. Quain introduces a whole new generation to the wonderfulness that is this strong young woman, and how her life could have played out. The academy was a fun setting and seemed well developed with world-building and visual imagery, The inclusion of characters, in particular Wickham, allowed Jane Austen fangirls, like me, to feel connected to the original story. The story felt very contemporary and while there were some nods to the classic, the text worked well for a modern audience.
Readers will enjoy Georgiana and will have fun rooting for her and hoping for a sequel!

Audiobook: Narration was fantastic! Easy to understand and pleasant to listen to with clear and distinct voices for each character. 5 out of 5 stars!

Georgie has the best intentions but it usually doesn’t work out for her. I love stories just like this. This was a must read in on sitting kind of book

Thanks NetGalley for a copy to review. I’m not a big Pride and Prejudice fan but I’ve read it and know enough about the characters to recognize. I did appreciate that this retelling was modernized. I also really liked getting another side of the story, told from Georgie’s perspective. I did feel the storyline dragged in some places.

I'm a sucker for an Austen adaptation (Clueless is one of my favorite movies of all time), so I requested this audiobook with high hopes. Unfortunately, it didn't quite meet my expectations. Georgie is hard to like, especially at the beginning. And while I tried to remind myself that she lived a very privileged and sheltered life, her naivete was grating. But, I could have gotten over that characterization. My biggest issue with this adaptation was the relationship between Georgie and Fitz, which was just too different from the original for my taste. I think by the end of the book, it got closer, but it's very important in my understanding of Fitzwilliam Darcy that he never blames Georgiana for what happens with Wickham. It's probably his most redeemable trait, but here we see a lot of blame being placed on Georgie and a distance between the two siblings that I didn't like.

The audiobook narrator does a good job of bringing Georgie's voice to life, although there were some questionable word pronunciations (Charlie Bingley's fraternity sounded like Alpha Chee, but I'm assuming it was Alpha Chi).

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite classic stories thus, it is no secret how I wanted to learn more about what Darcy's sister Georgiana was up to.

Georgiana has suffered a catastrophic popularity loss when a deal with Wickham went sour. The person to end the deal? Darcy. Now, Georgie is on a mission to change how her peers view her and wash herself of Wickham. Step one: get her best friend Avery back on her side. Step two: make every movement she can to show that she is not her brother's minion. Step three: be a matchmaker to Darcy and Lizzy Bennett. Will Georgie be able to accomplish all of this and stay standing at the end of the day? Or was she better off falling back into Wickham's scheming ploy?

I enjoyed listening to Amanda Quain's debut novel: Accomplished. Deva Marie Gregory's voice matches the tone and inflection of a teenage Georgiana. The cast of characters that make up the story were fun to listen to as Quain touched on different parts of the Austen classic. While there were parts that seemed far fetched or just outlandish, I appreciated the fresh voice towards one of my favorite tales.

I'm a sucker for anything Pride & Prejudice so I immediately hit request on Netgalley when I saw a YA book from the perspective of Georgiana Darcy. And then I hit request when it was available as an audiobook - even better! Unfortunately, I now have two versions of a book that I just wasn't crazy about.

Honestly, my favorite thing in this book was the relationship between Fitz (Mr. Darcy) and Elizabeth. It was minor subplot, but it was the same sweet relationship - hard, stoic guy starts melting for independent girl that challenges him. I'm glad that was in there.

However, I just didn't like Georgie. The entire book was kind of a pity party for Georgie. No one liked her because she got Wickham kicked out of school for drug dealing. She was a rich girl that apparently tried too hard and people didn't like that. I don't know.... if I was in the band and some rich girl decided to get tacos for everyone just because, I wouldn't hate her for it. I'd just be happy someone decided to spend their copious amounts of money on feeding me delicious tacos.

Also, I didn't like how this book took the Darcy-Georgiana relationship into the toxic zone. In the original, Darcy is more than happy to provide for his sister and there was never any hint of animosity between the two of them. In this book, Georgie thinks Fitz hates her for having to clean up her mess and Fitz becomes the overly protective brother who doesn't let Georgie try to have her own life. Part of what made Mr. Darcy so attractive was the unconditional love he had for his sister and how she made him seem carefree and happy when she was around. In this book, Fitz was anything but carefree and happy and it took away the charm of their sibling relationship.

It held my attention enough, but I just didn't care for it.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
I’m going to start with the narration. I loved it. The narrator captured the characters - their tones, voices, and likeness so well. But that’s about the only thing I enjoyed. I’m learning that I am just not a retelling fan, and I need to pay closer attention. I also wasn’t a fan of any of these characters. I didn’t understand why Wickham was every great. I also didn’t understand why Georgiana didn’t go to school elsewhere and start over. This book, while acknowledging privilege, also was so whiny. It’s not for me. I hope other readers love it.