P&P in Cinci

So thanks to all my fellow Cannonballers Eligible popped up on my radar. I hadn’t heard about the Austen Project, but if I’d had it isn’t really my thing. I’m a huge Austenite (minus Mansfield Park because… ugh), but I don’t do messing with her very well. I don’t do the “sequels” or the re-imaginings easily (except Clueless which is one of the most perfect movies ever made). I haven’t even seen the Joe Wright version of P&P, because it’s Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth or nothing. But y’all convinced me, and when it came up at the end of July on Kindle for three bucks I decided to dive in.

Spoilers ahead for a 200 year old story:

In modern day Cincinnati we have the Bennett family. There are five sisters, and they grew up in a nice, big house in the nice part of town. Lizzie and Jane moved away to New York City, but the rest still live at home. Lizzie and Jane come home after a health scare from their father, and stay to help out for a while. During this stay they meet the eligible bachelors of Chip Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy, MDs. Chip has the distinction from being on a Bachelor-like show a few seasons back, but in the end deciding to choose neither girl. Here in Cincinnati they meet our leading ladies. And the story progresses as it should.

I really enjoyed it! It was fun, silly, Mrs. Bennett was appropriately annoying, Mr. Bennett was appropriately ambivalent to it all. The younger sisters are as they should be (although cross-fit crazy instead of boy crazy), and Darcy and Lizzie are just about right. It was a fun, quick read that entertained me as it hit all the familiar beats. My main issue was the eligible plotline. The reality show part was just so ridiculous and out of nowhere that I just couldn’t get on board. It felt completely off the rails by the end, but that’s me preferring a simpler, quiet ending.

Anywho as my P&P update that I’ve ever read this one felt successful. It was silly, fluffy, and fun, but different enough that it left the sheer perfection of the original in tact.