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The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy was a delightful story that kept me entertained throughout the entire read. This contemporary twist on Pride and Prejudice was quite enjoyable.

Elizabeth and her sister Jane were portrayed as smart professional women who were independent yet still yearned for romance and love. The relationship between the sisters was strong just as portrayed in Pride and Prejudice but there is an additional friend in Elizabeth’s life that added a nice depth. Lou, Elizabeth’s gay friend, was a terrific friendship for the story. Lou added a new dimension to the story with his advice and humor. He was a hoot.

As in Pride and Prejudice, it was not love at first sight for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy (who goes by Will or Judge Darcy). Their relationship starts off bumpy as wonderful dynamics spark between them. I loved this version of Mr.Darcy, dare I say, even more than the original. Let me not forget Elizabeth, I believe she endeared herself to me more so than the original version as well. Ha…do not let those statements fool you though, I still love Pride & Prejudice but I found that this contemporary version did do a fabulous job of continuing the intense and passionate personalities of Elizabeth and Darcy.

The environment that brought Elizabeth ad Darcy together was great. I really enjoyed the whole courtroom-lawyer premise as it added a great dimension. The combination of their professional and personal environments lent itself wonderfully to their interactions for which I greatly enjoyed. While the story followed the framework of Pride and Prejudice there was enough difference that gave The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy its own voice, its own story. There was freshness to the story so it did not feel like a re-read of Pride and Prejudice.

This contemporary take of Pride and Prejudice worked for my reading mind. The modernization of language (including foul words) and the shagging (as Will puts it) flowed well with the story. I enjoyed the change-ups and twists.

The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy was a delightful and enjoyable read with romance, humor, misunderstandings, passion and chemistry.


This book says on the cover it is a modern Pride & Prejudice. Since I have never read Pride & Prejudice through completely (I know, shame on me) I am not even going to try to draw any comparisons between the two works. But to enjoy this story, no comparisons need to be made.

Elizabeth Bennet is a lawyer who is working in the same jurisdiction as Judge Fitzwilliam Darcy and appears in his courtroom almost daily. Judge Darcy, though being one of the youngest judges in California, is also one of the most respected - known for being fair. He takes pains to conceal his age in the courtroom though, wearing glasses and slicking his hair down.

Darcy’s best friend from college, Charles Bingley, is a doctor at a nearby hospital. There he meets Jane Bennett, Elizabeth’s sister, also a doctor. The two hit it off and soon become a couple, neither one realizing the connection they have with Darcy and Elizabeth.

After Charles and Jane have been dating for awhile, they decide to go to London for a vacation. Jane invites Elizabeth along as she feels she needs to get away. Little does she know that they are going to be staying at Pemberly, which is Darcy’s home (away from home) and that he is also going to be vacationing there. Sparks fly - at first angry ones - and then romance blooms as they both agree that what happens in England stays in England. You see, it would be ethically wrong for them to date as any cases that went in Elizabeth’s favor they could claim was because of their relationship.

You and I both know that those things which are off limits are usually what you want the most. So upon returning from England, they are both irrational and cranky. What can they do to solve their problem?

As I said in the beginning - having not read Pride and Prejudice all the way through, all I can tell you is that the names are the same. (I really need to read Pride and Prejudice as this is the second book I have read in the last month based on Jane Austen’s original. . .) I really enjoyed this book. Her characters were very likable - even Darcy, though he tried to be standoffish and unsociable. Oh - and don’t let me forget Elizabeth’s best friend Lou, who is a hoot - and just happens to be gay. Read this one, I think you will enjoy it.

My Thoughts: This is a completely fun and sexy modern-day romp through the San Fransisco courtroom for Judge Fitzwilliam "Will" Darcy and Attorney Elizabeth Bennet, a trial lawyer whose cases often come before Judge Darcy. You will also get to see other memorable characters such as Jane, Bingley, Caroline and Mr. Gardiner (just to name a few), in a whole new light!

Very true to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Judge Darcy comes across having a lot of pride, and Elizabeth Bennett herself admits to being prejudice against him initially.

I LOVED the ending, and how the author resolved the conflict of interest. :) I also really enjoyed the gentle epilogue, with its very caring and loving feeling. What a sweet way to end the book.

Characters: Most seemed to be very close in personality to their Austen originals - the only one I found to be a bit of a stretch was Caroline, but she was so well-written, it made for a very interesting addition to the story.

Story-Line: Loved the modern day twists to the original characters. Sara was very creative and most likely had a lot of fun putting Elizabeth and Darcy into the legal system.

Readability: A fun and quick read that turned out to be very entertaining.

Overall: A very fun, modern day adaptation of the classic Pride and Prejudice characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the original story by Jane Austen, and subsequent sequels by other authors, but would caution those die-hard Austen fans who may not like the more modern take (very slight profanity, sexual situations) on the story.

"VERY Romantic and VERY Passionate"

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
*****
Fitzwilliam Darcy, a wealthy Englishman, is one of the youngest judges appointed in the county of Meryton, California. Yet four years into his term finds him overworked, restless, and dissatisfied. Elizabeth Bennet, the newest attorney to join Gardiner & Associates, is ready to make a name for herself in the legal world. After her first trial with Judge Darcy presiding, Elizabeth comes to the conclusion that with his supercilious, aloof, and formidable behavior Judge Darcy is the last man in the world she could be prevailed upon to work with! After spending some time with Elizabeth, Darcy finds he is tempted to pursue a romantic relationship with her, yet he knows it would be an ethical violation that would cost both of them their jobs.

Elizabeth decides to take a much-needed reprieve from work and join her sister, Jane, and her sister’s boyfriend, Charley, on their vacation to England. When Elizabeth discovers that their host and Charley’s best friend is none other than Judge Darcy, she learns that first impressions aren’t always accurate and that this vacation is one she will never forget...

This debut novel by Sara Angelini is a modern retelling of “Pride and Prejudice” with quite a few surprising twists: Jane and Charley Bingley are surgeons, Louisa Hurst appears in the form of Elizabeth’s gay best friend, Lou Hurst, and Darcy and Caroline are casually sleeping together! Ms. Angelini did a fantastic job of modernizing and adapting the characters of “Pride and Prejudice” to the 21st Century and the legal world. Darcy was a perfectly haughty and judicious judge, I could easily see Elizabeth Bennet as a persuasive and persevering defense attorney, and I laughed out loud at the hysterical hippie version of Mrs. Bennet! My only wish was that more time was focused on other minor characters like the other Bennet sisters or Lady Catherine de Bourgh; I would have enjoyed seeing them portrayed and cleverly modernized as well.

I loved reading this excellent modern interpretation by Sara Angelini. She established a creative and unique premise for our beloved “Pride and Prejudice” characters. In addition, Ms. Angelini, who is also an attorney, provides a well-research and accurate portrayal of the legal and judicial system. However, with all these twists in the novel, the reader will find that it does not follow the “Pride and Prejudice” plot sequence exclusively and that there are quite a few other differences. In addition, I would recommend this book for mature audiences because of the profanity and very steamy intimate scenes included.

“The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy” was a delightfully romantic and passionate journey of Darcy and Lizzy. I loved the sensuous and tender love they had for each other. In addition, I took pleasure in their moments of angst and tension as well as their moments of intimacy and affection. If you are open-minded and love to read modern “Pride and Prejudice” adaptions, than this is a book you should not miss. It is the perfect blend of romance, passion, and laughter!