Thank you Net Galley for giving me a copy of Meet the Benedettos by Katie Cotugno. This book was a fun Pride & Prejudice meets The Kardashians remake. I really enjoyed this lighter read…..the ending felt a little abrupt but nonetheless, I would recommend it for those who love Jane Austen, modern day reality tv and those in need of a lighter palette cleanser.

I *love* a Pride and Prejudice retelling and this one which reimagines the Bennetts as a Kardashianesque family and Will Darcy & Charlie Bingley as actors is *so much fun*. I loved that it’s a story about sisters, about women being underestimated but showing that they’re so much more, and I thought it had a fantastic ending. Highly recommend!

MEET THE BENEDETTOS takes the idea of today's version of celebrity and weaves it into the narrative of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Cotugno manages to give her characters different identities while still having the familiar qualities we have all come to love in Austen’s classic.

Bottom line...this was a fun book. It is a one-sitting read that centers around the Benedettos sisters. They are reality TV stars gone by the wayside. The personalities are a bit like caricatures, but that worked for the overall narrative. The one person who came through as the most real was Lilly. She made this book for me. I enjoyed the character more than the others because her actions and emotions were honest.

MEET THE BENEDETTOS is prime to hit the screen, big or small, and reads like that. I would have loved a little more depth to the sisters as they navigate the situations within the book. And yet, it was entertaining and a fresh take on a classic.

Meet The Benedettos follows the Benedetto sisters, reality TV show has-beens, after their TV show skyrocketed them to fame and left them flailing after.

When I first started reading this book I was slightly overwhelmed with the number of characters I had to remember, but it was so well-written that I got the hang of them all quickly and grew to love most of them.

Lilly and Will were my favourite characters bc I found them both relatable in their own ways, and felt that they were the most fleshed-out throughout the story. I also loved their little will-they won't-they relationship; I love me some good tension.

Overall, this was a speedy read (only took me a few hours), and is worth picking up if you're a fan of the BTS of reality TV stars, especially those who's fame is dwindling.

This book was just “meh” for me. I felt like I was reading it because I had to finish it instead of reading it because I wanted to finish it. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was.

Absolutely enjoyed the banter and drama this family goes through. It felt like every stage I was with them feeling it all.

An enjoyable read that gives you a look at what can happen after reality tv show cameras stop rolling and the effects it can have on the participants. I liked that the book focused on a lot of characters so you can "get in their heads," but some only got a single chapter and I would have loved if the author maybe focused on fewer characters to give a better character development instead of spreading it a little thin. I really enjoyed the book overall though!

This book was fantastic! Brava, Katie Cotugno! It had the exact vibe of "Pride & Prejudice meets the Kardashian family" and it was witty, it was current but not too much so, and it was a FUN and diverting read. I was honored to experience it and I devoured it almost fully in one sitting. A+!

Loved this super modern day celebrity take on one of my all time favorites! I really enjoyed it and even enjoyed a more intimate look on what Lilly and Will’s relationship was as opposed to what would’ve been allowed during the original. It was really strong and entertaining almost to the very end. The last 10% did actually detract from the story for me personally. The author deviated from the original in a way that I didn’t personally enjoy, making the ending feel rather abrupt! Overall, still very enjoyable and a fun retelling on such a classic story!

This was a fun and soapy read! Loosely based on the Kardashians (albeit, broker), the Benedettos are an LA family who got famous from an infamous reality show, complete with fashion, fights, and scandals. Now, years later, still hanging onto that thread of being famous, and in danger of going bankrupt, the 5 sisters face some changes. Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view-a sister, a parent, a new friend-but we mostly follow Lilly Benedetto as she tried to pick up the pieces of the death of her fiancé, start a new career so she's not "famous for being famous", and attempt to date a serious actor from New York, Will. I liked it-it was light and funny, with references to real people and places, though I wanted a little more with Lilly and Will. I can see more books about this family in the future!

While this Keeping up with the Kardashians meets Schitts Creek novel has its moments, it's not the followup to Birds of California I was hoping for. The ensemble cast gets confusing and I just didn't feel invested in the characters.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Perennial for the opportunity to read an eARC of Meet the Benedettos by Katie Cotugno.
What I liked:
Pride and Prejudice retelling modernized perfectly. The setting was right, the cast of characters was right and most of the changes made to the plot and characters were perfect.
Loved the immediate chemistry and tension between Lilly and Will
Thought the writing was light, clear and fun. Nothing ever felt clunky or corny, which would have been easy to do with the subject.

What I wished was different:
I wish there was a tiny bit more spice and a little less fighting between Lilly and Will. I feel like their dynamic was the most different from the original story. I think their chemistry is as spot on, but some of the things Will says are pretty offensive and we never see him redeem himself.
Also how does Will know where Lilly is when she visits Colin and Charlotte?
I wish it was longer. It was such a quick read.

It was a 4/5 star read for me. If you like pride and prejudice retellings I think you’ll like this. And if you like novels about the entertainment industry set in LA, then I highly recommend this fun, fast read!

I really truly loved this book! I am not sure how many people fall into my Venn diagram of loving Pride & Prejudice as well as pop culture a la the Kardashians, but if you're out there this book is meant for you! Cotugno's books have been very enjoyable and this one felt like her best, most elevated work yet!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Perennial and Katie Cotugno for a digital galley of Meet the Benedettos in exchange for an honest review.

I am a Katie Cotugno fan so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of this one!

The concept of this one is evident from a mile away. This story is a modern day play on Pride & Prejudice by way of a family of washed up reality-star sisters and a mega movie start who has recently moved into the neighborhood with his friend - who both end up entwined in the Benedetto family.

I love retellings and I love Pride & Prejudice. Unfortunately, this one was just so-so for me. It was a trashier version of Pride & Prejudice full of truly heinous characters who had no issues with shaming others and enacting egregious revenge schemes. Other topics that we normally associate with celebrities were present - eating disorders, suicide, assault.

I was glad this book was on the shorter end, otherwise, I may have DNF'd it. I have generously rated it at 3-Stars, but this was not one I felt compelled to share on my IG.

Katie Cotugno never misses. This was great, my only complaint is that it was too short! There were so many characters, I feel like this could have been a bit more fleshed out and could be longer. I loved the setting and the characters, as well as the multiple points of view. Will definitely recommend!

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @harperperennial for an early copy of Meet the Benedettos. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐/5
Release date: December 5th, 2023

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123239374-meet-the-benedettos?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=qNV1M7cLXM&rank=1

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

Meet the Benedettos has an interesting premise, though overall it wasn’t executed very well. While I enjoyed reading Pride and Prejudice during my teenage years, relating it to reality TV/a Kardashian-like story just didn’t work for me. There were lots of characters in the first chapter that made me really confused about who’s who, and these characters were very, very difficult to connect with. They exude immaturity are very whiny and are always complaining.

The story also felt rushed and underdeveloped, and overall was anti-climactic really. From the very beginning, it lacked the narration I was looking for.

(Actual: 3.5⭐) It's funny because - admittedly, and I've said this before, I haven't read too many Jane Austen novels..... and yet somehow I always end up reading retellings of her work? LOL. Anyway. This was a fast read filled with my favorite subject matter: rich people doing rich people things and engaging in shenanigans they probably shouldn't be. Was it anything new or groundbreaking? No, not particularly, but I still enjoyed myself while reading it. I'm not the biggest fan of reality TV or personalities such as the Kardashians and the like, so I think that may be part of the reason why I wasn't 100% invested, but I still liked it nonetheless and would recommend it out to others.

This was absolutely charming and such a fun read. An inventive retelling of Pride and Prejudice in a fun setting with sympathetic and believable characters.

This is the type of book I pretty much avoid like the plague - cutesy, predictable romance stuff. Not sure how I didn’t get figure it out from the description when requesting the galley.
Thanks to #netgalley and #harperpublishing for this #arc of #meetthebenedettos in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very fun and engaging, while also touching on quite a few serious and heavy topics.

This story is a combination of Pride and Prejudice and a Kardashian style family. Lilly is at the center of her family -- one of five daughters. They used to star in a reality tv show but are now struggling financially, as well as struggling to figure out what's next for each of them in life. Charming Will Darcy moves in close-by, he's in LA temporarily filming a movie before returning to his home in New York. Lilly and Will have several run-ins and shamelessly flirt while also not being able to stand each other.

All the characters in this book are incredibly flawed, but in an endearing way. A lot of the issues dealt with are ones that most rom-com books do not go near, and I appreciated the way they were dealt with.

The narrative is split among Lilly, Will, and many of the family members and friends. It's very fast paced and includes some hilarious moments, as well as very sweet and sincere ones too.

This is the second book I've read by Katie Cotugno -- I also read and loved Birds of California. I am excited to read whatever she puts out next!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!