Book Review: “Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe” by Melissa de la Cruz

“Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe” by Melissa de la Cruz (2017)

Genre: Holiday, Fiction, Retelling, Romance, Comtemporary

Page Length: 225 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

Darcy Fitzwilliam is 29, beautiful, successful, and brilliant. She dates hedge funders and basketball stars and is never without her three cellphones—one for work, one for play, and one to throw at her assistant (just kidding). Darcy’s never fallen in love, never has time for anyone else’s drama, and never goes home for Christmas if she can help it. But when her mother falls ill, she comes home to Pemberley, Ohio, to spend the season with her dad and little brother.

Her parents throw their annual Christmas bash, where she meets one Luke Bennet, the smart, sardonic slacker son of their neighbor. Luke is 32 and has never left home. He’s a carpenter and makes beautiful furniture, and is content with his simple life. He comes from a family of five brothers, each one less ambitious than the other. When Darcy and Luke fall into bed after too many eggnogs, Darcy thinks it’s just another one night stand. But why can’t she stop thinking of Luke? What is it about him? And can she fall in love, or will her pride and his prejudice against big-city girls stand in their way? (description from Goodreads)

Review:

I don’t care too much for the original Pride and Prejudice, but I found I enjoy retellings of the story. When browsing for some holiday reads I saw this and it caught my eye. Melissa is one of my go-to authors and I didn’t want to miss out on this book! I normally don’t get a chance to read holiday books because this time of year is so busy for me, luckily this is a short, fast-paced, and fun Christmas read.

I found Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe is engaging and light-hearted, plus I enjoyed the romance aspects. In this version things are switched around a bit. Darcy, the main character, is a successful businesswoman who travels back home for the holidays. In doing so she ends up confronting her past and connects with friends and family she hasn’t seen in ages.She feels conflicted about the life she wants to live versus what others expect from her. I found the story to be relatable as both Darcy and Luke are conquering the obstacles of life. They are both trying to figure out themselves and what they want in life. They are both stuck in relationships were they were unhappy and are trying to move on from their setbacks.

This book was very festive from the holiday decorations to the snowy scenes. I also loved the colorful and simplistic cover art. Though the story is predictable and feels very rushed (reads more like a novella) I would still recommend this book if you’re looking for a holiday book that is light and fluffy.

Final Verdict: