Set in modern day San Francisco, in this retelling of Pride and Prejudice, Fitzwilliam "Will" Darcy is a judge, and Elizabeth Bennet is a lawyer who appears in his court. Darcy and Elizabeth get to the mutual attraction much quicker than they do in P&P, and instead of the class system keeping them apart, here they have to get past the obstacle that a lawyer-judge relationship is unethical and career ruining.

This is a fantasy-romance and not to be taken too seriously. There's lots of sex, and carousing, and the occasional F-bomb, but I think Angelini still kept Elizabeth and Darcy true to character--in a 21st century version. The author plays with elements from P&P in a fun way --for example, Elizabeth and her friend Charlotte Lucas work at the law firm Gardiner & Associates, and the brief appearance of Mr Collins is when Elizabeth defends him against a charge of soliciting a prostitute. This novel focuses on the two main characters, and Wickham, Lydia, Mr Bennet and others are barely mentioned. Jane And Bingley aren't as pathetic as they are in P&P, and Caroline Bingley and Mrs Bennet are somewhat different and rather more likeable.

I think the secret of reading these Pride and Prejudice-inspired books is to go in with really low expectations. If they're lousy, discard them without a thought. But just maybe they will be fun. Which is how I'd describe the Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy: lots of fun. I read the 338 page book in one sitting the other night in my hotel room in Seattle.

Recommended for: a vacation read, or a rainy day. You don't have to have read Pride and Prejudice to enjoy this, although it would add entertaining layers. Readers who self-identify as a Jane Austen "purist"should stay away. ( )

Gone are the days of petticoats and carriages. In the century of the business suit and BMW, romance is a whole different story…or is it? Sara Angelini gives us a hilarious retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but from a modern stand in THE TRIALS OF THE HONORABLE F. DARCY.

When I received this book, I thought it would be cute and I was sure it would be a good read. Something to keep me entertained on a rainy day. What I didn’t expect was how often I would laugh or how much I would really get into the story. I know the Pride and Prejudice story – it’s nothing new. Ms. Angelini, however, managed to make it a new and refreshing tale that really captured my attention.

The best way for me to describe THE TRIALS OF THE HONORABLE F. DARCY is a mix between Legally Blonde and of course, Pride and Prejudice. Lizzie was adorable and I immediately fell in love with her. Ms. Angelini also managed to make the modern Darcy just as annoying as the original and just as attractive at the same time. Even though it’s a well known story, I still had that feeling of anxiety as I read on to find out what would happen next in their struggling relationship.

If I had to pick one thing that made THE TRIALS OF THE HONORABLE F. DARCY a winner, it would be Ms. Angelini’s writing style. Some books have great stories, but if the pages are difficult to read, that story doesn’t really come through to the reader. This book was quite easy to read and had such a liquid flow that it felt like the story played out in front of you more than just say there waiting to be read. The sign of a great book, to me, is when you end up reading half the book in one sitting and don’t even realize it. Reading page after page with no sense for the passage of time in real life means the reader is completely engrossed in the book. That’s what happened to me here. I read this in three sittings only because I decided it would be a good idea to break for eating and sleeping. Otherwise, I could easily see someone curling up with this, a fuzzy blanket, and a mug of hot chocolate, ready to waste the day in a bubble of literary pleasure.

Some people don’t like classic retellings – I know that. Some feel that the story, even if told in a different way, will never live up to the original. Whether this lives up to the classic or not, I have to say that it was a great book and Ms. Angelini put enough of herself into it to make it a wonderful read despite a reader’s prior feelings on Pride and Prejudice.

In all, I highly recommend this. This was one of my favorites for 2009 and Ms. Angelini is an author I’m definitely going to have to keep my eye out for. Check out the guest post she did with us not too long ago. ( )

This novel is a modern twist of Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth is a busy Attorney who comes face to face with a bored, stuffy Judge Darcy. From then on sparks fly. I love how the author put the characters from Pride and Prejudice with almost the same characteristics into this story. My favorite lines from the story: Referring to his name plate Hon. F. Darcy, "what does the F.stand for?" she asked. "What do you think it stands for?" he countered. "Do you really have any doubt what I think it stands for?" she said, smirking. "Contrary to popular belief, my mother did not name me F**ker. It's Fitzwilliam." ( )

Judge Fitzwilliam Darcy is seriously contemplating packing up and leaving California to return to his estate in England when Elizabeth Bennet walks into his courtroom. Her quick wits (and of course her fine eyes) soon make an impression on Darcy - both professionally and personally - but the ethical problems of a relationship between the two of them cause plenty of difficulty.

There is so much to love in The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy - far from simply taking Pride and Prejudice and inserting the story into a modern setting, Angelini took the characters and wrote the love story they would have had as modern people. The scenes of them falling in love evoked all the sweet, breathless, silly things I remember so well.

I enjoyed that there was no Wickham, the way the first 'rejection' was pulled off. I loved how truly funny so many bits were (Jane going after Bingley, the entire karaoke business), and Angelini certainly didn't shy away from the bedroom! But it never seemed voyeuristic or unnecessary - and I never got the impression that this was just a physical thing or that their relationship would peter out as their desire was sated.

There was very little I didn't love about The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy. If I had to pinpoint something, I'd probably say that the entire Caroline/Lizzie jealousy thing. I'm tired of ploys to make people jealous - it never seems to turn out well for anyone. But that's really a minor quibble. I adored both Will and Lizzie. They were both smart, both occasionally did something stupid (as we are all wont to do), and both NICE people - people I was rooting for and wouldn't mind hanging out with.

So if you're looking for a modern P&P re-telling, look no further! This one was utterly fantastic (and I love the Legally Blonde look-alike cover).

FTC Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher. ( )

Surprising enjoyable. ( )