The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy - Sara Angelini

**** 1/2 - One of the best contemporary Austen re-tellings I've read. This really gets across the depth of emotion between Darcy and Lizzie without tying its story too closely to the original work.

Thanks to Sourcebooks for sending this my way!

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. Darcy is always tough to pull off, but I thought Angelini's Darcy was wonderful. He really comes alive when he's around Elizabeth, and I found the scenes where he realizes the depth of his feelings for her while they're at his estate breath-taking. 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 - instead it was part of the characters growing to know and love each other, part of the reason they couldn't stay apart. That's important - it was only a part. I never got the impression that this was just a physical thing or that their relationship would peter out as their desire was sated. Angelini really managed to convey the characters' emotional involvement.

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).

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