I will never say no to a queer Pride and Prejudice retelling. Especially one that includes a work place romance.

Liz and Daria were fully evolved characters and not hollow misrepresentations of Elizabeth and Darcy from the original tale. I appreciate an author who sticks to the basics but with their talent is able to elevate a tried and true story to the modern age.

The amount of LGBTQIA+ rep in this story is something not to be missed. So often it can feel shoehorned, but here its truly enveloping. I had wonderful time reading this book and you will too.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dial Press Trade Paperback, and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for a sincere review.

This might be my favourite Pride and Prejudice retelling I’ve ever read! This queer retelling is heartwarming and I can already tell that these characters will stick with me for years. I thought Daria especially was masterfully written- she initially reads as so cold and detached but as the story progresses we see proof of her affection for others and what a complex character she is.

One of my favourite things in this book was the portrayal of friendship and community. The dynamics of the friend group are so complicated that it seemed incredibly realistic. So many of the scenes between characters just absolutely warmed my heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this was a wonderful book, and loved all the characters. I ended up reading it all in the same day and it completely sucked me into the story. What I really liked about the characters was how realistic they were. These people made mistakes, just like regular people, and the characters were able to work through their issues in a normal, non-outrageous way.

I loved this book! It was funny, relatable, frustrating, happy, sad and it was amazing. There is alot of characters and stuff going on with everyone throughout this book so I was confused at some points and it was hard to keep track of all the time.

This was an adorable book, I love the queer retelling of pride and prejudice.

This is a great millennial book

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

4.0 stars
Taylor Swift song I'd assign to this book: Snow on the Beach (ft. Lana Del Ray)

An ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A sapphic Pride and Prejudice retelling featuring a hot butch love interest, a bit of gender confusion, and workplace romance(s).

I think this is the perfect millennial contemporary queer romance. I get that on some parts of the internet, this could be an insult but I don't mean it as one. I just mean that this book is perfect for this demographic because it is written about that experience. This book is for people who grew up on tumblr and took "Am I Gay?" Buzzfeed quizzes with your phone tilted away from anyone who could see. For people reading queer advice columns on a private browser because you were just so desperate for guidance and felt lost and confused about how to identify and how to present. For people who, despite every possible thing holding you back, were still able to carve out queer spaces for themselves and their friends. This book is for late-20, early-30-somethings who are just trying to figure it out and scared to try but scared to not-try.

Some people might not get this one and may scoff at the way the queer references are laid out but I think if you've experienced it, you'll know it and you'll get it.

Absolutely yes! I really enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were fun, it held my interest, and provided an escape from reality. I would definitely recommend!

This was so good! I’m always a little picky when it comes to romance, but this was clever and nuanced and still realistic without being a drag. I would definitely recommend it!

I LOVED this book. It's such a real and sweet read. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. It was the perfect combination of romance and life with a nice sprikle of spice. It felt relatable but fun.

I feel in love with Liz, Jane and Daria. Their lives, their heartbreak, their fights and difficult situations. Everything. Their stories felt so real and raw. They discussed the challenges LGBTQ+ face in real life sitations and brought life to this sweet romance read like so few other books have.

Liz was so relatable. Following her through her slump with work and relationships, questioning who she is hit hard. I wanted to know more about Daria and her life.

I need a follow up book to this. I want to know what the future holds for them. I want a full story on Jane and Bailey. I want to know what happens next with Katie.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level 🌶️🌶️/5

I started this book and couldn’t put it down. I read it all in one setting and let me just say I loved every minute of it!

We love a good enemies to lovers trope. This book was so well written. I’m obsessed and wished there was more.

I love that every character in this book is a representation of the 2SLGBTIA community. The found family and roommates made me fall in love the first few chapters.

I laughed, cried and quite literally cursed at this book in a good way.



Book description:

The only thing worse than hating your boss? Being attracted to her.

Liz Baker and her three roommates work at The Nether Fields, a queer magazine in New York that’s on the verge of shutting down—until it’s bought at the last minute by two wealthy lesbians. Even though Liz is eager to leave listicles behind for more meaningful writing, she knows that she’s lucky to still have a paycheck. But it’s hard to feel grateful with minority investor Daria Fitzgerald slashing budgets, cancelling bagel Fridays, and password protecting the color printer to prevent “frivolous use.” When Liz overhears Daria scoffing at her articles, she knows that it’s only a matter of her time before her impulsive mouth tells Daria off and gets herself fired.

But as Liz and Daria get thrown together more and more, Liz starts to see a softer side to Daria—she’s funny, surprisingly helpful, and actually seems to like that Liz’s gender presentation varies between butch and femme. Even as the evidence that Liz can’t trust Daria piles up, it starts getting harder and harder to keep hating Daria—and harder and harder to resist her. 

This page-turning, sexy, and delightfully funny rom-com celebrates queer culture, chosen family, coming of age, and falling in love against your better judgment.

Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone and can’t wait to read more from Camille Kellogg in the future.

★★★★☆ - 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴

at first, i was a little hesitant on how i would feel about this book. the start was a bit slow for my liking, but i really did end up enjoying this read! i actually finished a majority of it in one sitting. the story follows liz baker, a journalist for a queer magazine called the nether fields. i found her to be endearing but frustrating at times, but that's why o think i ended up liking her so much. she felt very realistic, and seeing her struggles with how to portray herself will really hit home with some readers. her relationship with her roommates is something that i love, especially the friendship between her and jane.

onto daria fitzgerald, i really wish that we got to dive more into her character. at first, i really overlooked her and her character. don't get me wrong, i am a huge fan of characters being more than meets the eye, but i found myself craving more and more from her. as a reader, we really did not get to see much of her true personality until the last quarter of the book, and i just wish that it was a bit more prominent! i would die to see things from her point of view.

the side characters really helped me enjoy the reading of this book as well. i adored jane so much as a character, but i found myself wanting a bit more from katie's character. i also do wish it would give us a bit more detail on their background. i did end up loving the relationship between jane and bailey, and the notes about queer women dating really did make me laugh, and i thought some of the comments made were pretty funny and accurate.

all in all, i loved just as you are and would recommend this to lovers of pride and prejudice, as well as someone looking for a sapphic romance that features "disaster gays" that will pull deeply at your heartstrings.

** thank you so much to netgalley and random house publishing group for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! :)

outlet review will be posted on: goodreads, instagram, amazon
date available: goodreads (10/31/22) - , instagram and amazon - (8/31/23)

I could not put this down! It was such a beautiful, sapphic romance that is inspired by Pride & Prejudice.

So, the main characters are Liz and Daria. Liz is a writer for The Nether Fields, a queer magazine that is run by a wonderful group of people. Her 3 roommates (Jane, Katie, and Lydia) also work for the magazine. Bad news? The magazine is about to shut down until two wealthy lesbians, Bailey and Daria, buy it and try to bring it back to life. Daria is an arrogant boss who believes Liz writes fluff pieces and doesn't think Bailey is doing the right thing by investing in the magazine. Liz hates her. Many things happen and it's just such a cute story. I really feel like Liz grew a ton as a character and there are so many wonderful lessons sprinkled throughout the book.

I loved the discussion on identity and the femme/masculine aspect. I learned a lot and I feel like this story can help so many people. It was really well done!

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Books!

I couldn’t put this one down! This story balanced being a romance, being about figuring it all out, and being about what happens when things fall apart so beautifully. I loved these characters and they way they grew as you learned more and more about them, even when that growth came with having to grow up and be accountable and say you’re sorry and that you’re wrong, like Liz. The story is so fresh but also feels deeply relateable- I loved this diverse cast of characters and how deep and unique each person feels. And the romance is totally butterfly-worthy. I can’t wait to share this book with others!

I never read the reviews before I start a book, and it took me until I was nearly 50% in before I smacked my forehead with the realization that this was a queer retelling of Pride and Prejudice. No, I don't know how I missed any of it - I'm not really that dense usually and I have read a LOT of Austin retellings. It's my own favorite micro-genre. But this is so much more than slapping new identities on old tropes. It was SO well done, and the details matter. Loved it. Top three LBGTQ fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really am thankful this holiday season to have read this hilarious, heartfelt, absolute banger of a novel. Camille Kellogg stole my heart with her queer retelling of Pride and Prejudice, and I just want her to write a million more inclusive, sexy tales.

I was getting Sex and the City vibes from these four roommates in Brooklyn and their fabulous-slash-realistic lives in the big city. Except these characters had some actual depth and diversity. Liz, Jane, Lydia, and Katie live together in a tiny NY apartment and work for a magazine for LGBTQ+ folks that is constantly on the verge of closing. The struggle is real for the characters as they work hard every day for a low salary and with little job security. Yet the reader cannot help but envy their exciting lives and close friendships as they support and love each other through it all.

Of all the Pride and Prejudice retellings I have read, this may be my favorite. Daria is perfectly aloof and mysterious, Liz is clever and funny, and Jane, Lydia, et al play their roles to perfection. This really worked, feeling both familiar and totally fresh at the same time. It's wonderful to read queer stories that are about hope and love and amazing possibilities, not just about the struggle. Liz is the "fluff" writer for their magazine, and she makes a passionate point in Just as You Are that people need fun, lightness, and escapism, that those can be as important to the queer community as anything else. This novel is a perfect example of that. I give it 10/10 stars and recommend it to anyone who loves enemies-to-lovers romance or uplifting friendships.

I am so in love with this queer adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. I loved how the family was turned into a group of close knit friends, how the core elements of Jane Austen were recreated and newer elements were tied seamlessly into the source material. I loved Daria and Liz and their enemies to lovers development. The way they grew to understand each other was heartwarming and adorable. Loved it!

Mein Leseerlebnis

Die heutige Rezension wird recht kurz ausfallen, denn viel habe ich nicht zu sagen.

Das Buch ließ sich ingesamt gut zu lesen und ich fand bestimmte Aspekte der Modernisierung Jane Austens Klassiker spannend, so z.B. dass der Schauplatz ein Magazin war, für den eine der Heldinnen gearbeitet hat und dass die andere aufgekauft hat. Dadurch gab es so manch interessante, spannungsreiche Situation.

Mit Blick auf die Liebesgeschichte muss ich leider sagen, dass diese mich nur teils packen konnte. Manche Szenen fand ich ganz nett, richtig tief berührt war ich beim Lesen aber nie.

Das lag vor allem daran, dass dem Liebesroman im Vergleich zum Original die Raffinesse in der Charakterentwicklung fehlte. Einige Darstellungen der Charaktere wirkten auf mich etwas plump und wenig faszinierend.

Nehme ich das alles zusammen, so lande ich bei einem ganz netten Buch, das einige interessante Aspekte enthielt. 🖤🖤🖤

Für wen?

Das Buch bietet eine moderne Version von “Pride & Prejudice”, wer so etwas mag, könnte auf seine Kosten kommen.

Schaut in die Leseprobe rein und achtet in dieser genau auf die Charaktere und wie sie auf euch wirken.

Such a cute, funny, achingly relatable story. Felt like hanging out with my own friends and also the messy group of queers I always wished I had. Equal parts, funny, heartwarming and steamy. Loved the big romantic gesture at the end. Wish we could have seen them as a couple more though.

4.5 stars, filled with so much great queer found family and work friends that made it super relatable.

Daria's BFF buys the magazine Liz works for and Daria becomes Liz's boss - these dynamics don't bother me, but heads up for readers that's an issue for. I enjoyed the animosity in the workplace and even the misunderstandings, because I essentially just liked the characters, which is key.

There is a lot of push and pull with Liz and Daria, and this could be potentially annoying to some, but for where Liz is at in her life it made sense to me. Liz has some growing up to do, but that's literally the whole point of her arc. I really liked her subplot if figuring her life out. But my favorite part of the book is all of the ways she expresses her gender feels. Sometimes she feels more masc, sometimes more femme, and the way this is shown throughout in the way she dresses, how comfortable or uncomfortable she is, and how she relates to people is the best way I've ever seen it expressed on page.

The friend group also felt really realistic to me, so many different dynamics within the relationships. I loved the secondary relationship that was featured as well.

Just so much about this book to love.

Liz Baker has a lot going on in her life. She has a steady job writing for Nether Fields, a magazine for queer women, nonbinary folks, and the trans community -- and she has a wonderful community of queer friends, including her roommates Jane, Katie, and Lydia. Unfortunately, the magazine is being sold, Liz wants to spend time writing a novel, and she struggles not only with a history of failed dates but the ongoing difficulty of finding a gender presentation that really fits her.

When Liz and her friends find out that the magazine is being taken over by new ownership, they hope for the best. What they get is bubbly Bailey Cox and her cold and condescending co-owner Daria Fitzgerald. Bailey gushes about how much she loves the magazine, especially Jane's feature writing, but Daria is looking to cut costs, not make friends, and her offhand comments rub Liz the wrong way.

If this sounds like a twist on Pride and Prejudice, you would be right, though it draws heavily from Bridget Jones' Diary as well, making it a retelling of a retelling. The major pairings (Liz and Daria, Jane and Bailey) are there, along with the conflict provided by a thoughtless Lydia and a charming but shady character named Weston. The four main characters are given more depth, opportunities to screw up, calls to accountability, and chances for redemption, but most of the other characters remain lightly drawn.

The strength of the book lies in its depiction of queer found family, the many facets of queer daily life, and the beautiful spectrum of gender expression, whether it's presented with great confidence or the uncertainty of someone still trying to learn who they are. You'll find love and support for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community throughout the book, even when they are messy and falling apart.

The weakness comes from an overemphasis on telling the reader many details instead of showing in subtle ways. While Black and POC characters are given space on the page, but only rarely do we see how that representation affects their lives. Jane, as a trans Black woman, is the only one who really points out how what she faces in life is vastly different from, say, Liz's lived experience. I would have liked to see more of that intersectionality with other characters, too. Another example of overtelling came from the naming of spaces within the magazine's offices (named, of course, for various queer icons) -- it felt a little heavy-handed when it could have been written more as little Easter eggs for the attentive reader to find.

Overall, not my personal favorite P&P adaptation but certainly one that celebrates queer life in a wonderful way -- 3.5 stars, rounded up.

Read this if you love: enemies to lovers, messy office dynamics and even messier friendships, queer found family, putting the PRIDE in Pride and Prejudice

Thank you, The Dial Press/Penguin Random House and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.