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Pride and Preston Lin
Lissie Cheng is the middle of three sisters, orphaned and taken in by their aunt and uncle. Both her older sister, Jenny, and she work in the family restaurant while they pursue their education and career dreams. When Lissie accidentally serves a dish containing shellfish paste to an allergic customer, she runs afoul of the wealthy Lin family. Their golden boy, Preston, a star swimmer and Stanford Ph.D. student, is as handsome as he is self-righteous. Lissie hates him and everything he stands for, but circumstances keep bringing them together. Can she overcome her pride and her initial misgivings about Preston Lin and his condescending mother? Will love prevail, and will these enemies turn into lovers? Pride and Preston Lin by popular romance writer Christina Hwang Dudley is a hilarious and earnest contemporary riff on Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice . And readers will undoubtedly root for Lissie Cheng, a sassy new Elizabeth Bennet for our times, to find lasting love and happiness.
288 pages, Paperback
Published March 19, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
January 26, 2024
I liked this author’s regency romance series but this felt more like a new adult read than the romance I expected. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them and the ending was abrupt. Did she get the PR job? Did she finish her play and graduate? Did Jeremy move out? Did the restaurant recover? We see no hint of Preston and Lissie’s future together. Even the last chapter of P&P gives us a glimpse of the HEA.
To save you from my anxiety, I’ll just say the Wickham character doesn’t need a content warning. Breathe easy.
It was ridiculous that the Lissie’s thesis is about P&P when her own story parallels it—and she doesn’t see it! There was a weird reference to P&P of Lady Lucas being irritated Charlotte married first and her not having sons of her own—she’s actually thrilled and Charlotte has at least two brothers. It makes me wonder what else is wrong. Like ibuprofen easing a migraine, maybe.
If you want a cute YA/New Adult read, go for it, but I didn’t find much romance here YMMV.
I received arc from NetGalley
To save you from my anxiety, I’ll just say the Wickham character doesn’t need a content warning. Breathe easy.
It was ridiculous that the Lissie’s thesis is about P&P when her own story parallels it—and she doesn’t see it! There was a weird reference to P&P of Lady Lucas being irritated Charlotte married first and her not having sons of her own—she’s actually thrilled and Charlotte has at least two brothers. It makes me wonder what else is wrong. Like ibuprofen easing a migraine, maybe.
If you want a cute YA/New Adult read, go for it, but I didn’t find much romance here YMMV.
I received arc from NetGalley
May 6, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice set within the Asian community. Lissie and her two sisters, orphaned and taken in by their aunt and uncle who run a restaurant in the suburbs of San Francisco, lead modest lives. In addition to her job at a library and her literature studies, Lissie also pitches in at the restaurant as a waitress. It's here that she crosses paths with Preston, our modern-day "Darcy" and things take a tumultuous turn.
Lissie won me over with her wit, humor, and the comical situations she finds herself in despite her best efforts. Her banter with Preston is equally sharp and engaging. I found the book to be captivating, devouring it almost in one sitting.
A big thank you to NetGalley, Third State Books, and Christina Hwang Dudley for graciously providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Lissie won me over with her wit, humor, and the comical situations she finds herself in despite her best efforts. Her banter with Preston is equally sharp and engaging. I found the book to be captivating, devouring it almost in one sitting.
A big thank you to NetGalley, Third State Books, and Christina Hwang Dudley for graciously providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 28, 2024
Debuting her first contemporary, a modern New Adult retelling of Pride & Prejudice, author Christina Hwang Dudley delighted with clever, insightful characterizations and plotting. Pride and Preston Lin shows not only the universality of Jane Austen’s novel, but a creative choice to set the story in the San Francisco Bay Area Asian American community.
In a New Adult romance, I can appreciate that the characters have some maturing to do as they face life and gain some seasoning even the seemingly perfect Preston, a poised, talented athlete and scholar who is well respected. Lissie detests Preston and up until now has lived something of an ostrich life with her head full of her play writing and finishing her degree.
Much like Austen’s Elizabeth, Lissie is the primary narrator and we encounter the early introductions of characters and situations through her eyes. Lissie is young and has the strengths and weaknesses of a young woman learning life and coming into her own. Her first encounter with Preston Lin, his mother, and friends is disastrous and she is determined to see Preston as the agent of her destruction, so to speak. But, the loss of her job and the struggle her family undergoes sets her on a path of growth involving family, career, heritage, and romance.
Pride and Preston Lin revisits many familiar scenes from Austen’s original, but gives a modern and more diverse spin. I felt the retelling aspect of the story was organic and natural blended with the author’s own originality of story and I felt immersed in the story’s pacing and tone which had a light wryness even when dramatic feelings and doings were happening. Lissie and Preston’s romance was very slow burn because of the enemies to lovers misunderstandings and miscommunications and also on the sweet side which is refreshing in a modern New Adult romance.
Though New Adult is not a go-to romance genre for me, I appreciated Pride and Preston Lin so much I hope the author has plans to tackle more Asian American modernizations from the world of Jane Austen.
I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at The Quill Ink 3.20.24.
In a New Adult romance, I can appreciate that the characters have some maturing to do as they face life and gain some seasoning even the seemingly perfect Preston, a poised, talented athlete and scholar who is well respected. Lissie detests Preston and up until now has lived something of an ostrich life with her head full of her play writing and finishing her degree.
Much like Austen’s Elizabeth, Lissie is the primary narrator and we encounter the early introductions of characters and situations through her eyes. Lissie is young and has the strengths and weaknesses of a young woman learning life and coming into her own. Her first encounter with Preston Lin, his mother, and friends is disastrous and she is determined to see Preston as the agent of her destruction, so to speak. But, the loss of her job and the struggle her family undergoes sets her on a path of growth involving family, career, heritage, and romance.
Pride and Preston Lin revisits many familiar scenes from Austen’s original, but gives a modern and more diverse spin. I felt the retelling aspect of the story was organic and natural blended with the author’s own originality of story and I felt immersed in the story’s pacing and tone which had a light wryness even when dramatic feelings and doings were happening. Lissie and Preston’s romance was very slow burn because of the enemies to lovers misunderstandings and miscommunications and also on the sweet side which is refreshing in a modern New Adult romance.
Though New Adult is not a go-to romance genre for me, I appreciated Pride and Preston Lin so much I hope the author has plans to tackle more Asian American modernizations from the world of Jane Austen.
I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at The Quill Ink 3.20.24.
November 9, 2023
Given how they say that every story has been told before, one clever approach is to retell one of the classics but in a new setting. West Side Story recast Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet amid warring gangs in New York; Clueless resurrected Jane Austen's Emma in a Beverly Hills high school; and this year a Pulitzer went to Demon Copperhead, with its Appalachian twist on Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. Now, I was excited to get my hands on an Advance Review Copy of Christina Hwang Dudley's Pride & Preston Lin, forthcoming in 2024, a retelling of Pride & Prejudice set in the present day among Chinese-Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area.
This contemporary romance is smart, gripping, and a thorough delight. In the first chapter, when our waitress protagonist congratulates Preston on his immunology paper in Cell, he replies, "Are you a big fan of the journal?" — which is such a beautifully understated cut-down! Undaunted, the witty Lissie parries right back, and a couple hundred pages later, he still remembers her subsequent jokes about lychee pudding. The two get off on the wrong foot after their initial flirtation distracts her into making a consequential mistake. Fortunately, the bad blood, as well as their differences in personality and background, can eventually be overcome, thanks to the way that circumstances keep throwing them together. Her cooler-tempered premed older sister Jenny (because what Chinese-American circles don't have someone named Jenny? or a premed?) starts dating his best friend, winkingly named Charles Bing. Then, through chaperoning her younger sister, Lissie gets ever more deeply involved in the world of competitive youth swimming (this is where the author's research, or expertise, renders the scenes and jargon especially compelling), where former swim star Preston serves as a volunteer ambassador. Lissie's riff off the two meanings of "ambassador" makes for one example of how clever the dialogue is:
*
It is hard to maintain a shell of cool reserve while eating a sloppy breakfast sandwich. Her first bite pulled one of the bacon slices clear out of its English muffin and onto her chin. “Ugh,” said Lissie, dabbing at her face with a napkin.
"I’m glad it happened to you first,” Preston chuckled.
"Me too,” returned Lissie. “Bacon sloppiness would be most unbecoming for a Youth Ambassador.”
“You’re not going to leave that alone, are you?”
“Leave what alone? I’ll be the first to applaud if you bring about the long-awaited détente between swimming and the youth of today.”
At that he actually laughed, and Lissie felt pleased with herself.
(page 103)
*
How succinctly the author captures two key truths about intelligent girls: that we absolutely love being able to make our crush laugh ... AND using acute accents. Alongside these psychological accuracies, Hwang Dudley delights us with her twists on Austen — her version of Mr. Collins has some realistic layers to him, and meanwhile, we and Lissie are left constantly wondering whether her version of Mr. Wickham is sexually inappropriate or not. It gets quite fun when Lissie maybe has something going on with all three of these Chinese dudes at one point. Also fun is how current the book's cultural references are: at a get-together of Stanford grad students, a mention of AI elicits "an informed-sounding question about LLM," and I am told that Large Language Models only became big a few months ago.
I strongly recommend Pride & Preston Lin. Despite being a new mother who needs to get good sleep before her baby's next wake-up, I stayed up late reading this because I couldn't put it down.
Link to pre-order
This contemporary romance is smart, gripping, and a thorough delight. In the first chapter, when our waitress protagonist congratulates Preston on his immunology paper in Cell, he replies, "Are you a big fan of the journal?" — which is such a beautifully understated cut-down! Undaunted, the witty Lissie parries right back, and a couple hundred pages later, he still remembers her subsequent jokes about lychee pudding. The two get off on the wrong foot after their initial flirtation distracts her into making a consequential mistake. Fortunately, the bad blood, as well as their differences in personality and background, can eventually be overcome, thanks to the way that circumstances keep throwing them together. Her cooler-tempered premed older sister Jenny (because what Chinese-American circles don't have someone named Jenny? or a premed?) starts dating his best friend, winkingly named Charles Bing. Then, through chaperoning her younger sister, Lissie gets ever more deeply involved in the world of competitive youth swimming (this is where the author's research, or expertise, renders the scenes and jargon especially compelling), where former swim star Preston serves as a volunteer ambassador. Lissie's riff off the two meanings of "ambassador" makes for one example of how clever the dialogue is:
*
It is hard to maintain a shell of cool reserve while eating a sloppy breakfast sandwich. Her first bite pulled one of the bacon slices clear out of its English muffin and onto her chin. “Ugh,” said Lissie, dabbing at her face with a napkin.
"I’m glad it happened to you first,” Preston chuckled.
"Me too,” returned Lissie. “Bacon sloppiness would be most unbecoming for a Youth Ambassador.”
“You’re not going to leave that alone, are you?”
“Leave what alone? I’ll be the first to applaud if you bring about the long-awaited détente between swimming and the youth of today.”
At that he actually laughed, and Lissie felt pleased with herself.
(page 103)
*
How succinctly the author captures two key truths about intelligent girls: that we absolutely love being able to make our crush laugh ... AND using acute accents. Alongside these psychological accuracies, Hwang Dudley delights us with her twists on Austen — her version of Mr. Collins has some realistic layers to him, and meanwhile, we and Lissie are left constantly wondering whether her version of Mr. Wickham is sexually inappropriate or not. It gets quite fun when Lissie maybe has something going on with all three of these Chinese dudes at one point. Also fun is how current the book's cultural references are: at a get-together of Stanford grad students, a mention of AI elicits "an informed-sounding question about LLM," and I am told that Large Language Models only became big a few months ago.
I strongly recommend Pride & Preston Lin. Despite being a new mother who needs to get good sleep before her baby's next wake-up, I stayed up late reading this because I couldn't put it down.
Link to pre-order
February 21, 2024
3.5 stars for a quick enjoyable read that those who like Pride and Prejudice will likely enjoy.
Pride and Preston Lin is a YA version of Pride and Prejudice that feels like a blend of Crazy Rich Asians and a swim meet. Lissie is just trying to survive her final year of college while working at her aunt and uncle's restaurant when she accidentally gives a patron food that causes an allergic reaction. That sets off a series of bad interactions with Preston Lin. What starts as a hate relationship could edge into something more...but she's taking her younger sister to swim team, learning to be a US swimming official to satisfy volunteer hours and more. Add in roommates and an older sister who's in a relationship with Preston's best friend while trying to prepare for the MCATs and it felt like a trope. It was an enjoyable, quick read on a surface level.
There was a bit of language in this ABA novel, but the romance was sweet.
Pride and Preston Lin is a YA version of Pride and Prejudice that feels like a blend of Crazy Rich Asians and a swim meet. Lissie is just trying to survive her final year of college while working at her aunt and uncle's restaurant when she accidentally gives a patron food that causes an allergic reaction. That sets off a series of bad interactions with Preston Lin. What starts as a hate relationship could edge into something more...but she's taking her younger sister to swim team, learning to be a US swimming official to satisfy volunteer hours and more. Add in roommates and an older sister who's in a relationship with Preston's best friend while trying to prepare for the MCATs and it felt like a trope. It was an enjoyable, quick read on a surface level.
There was a bit of language in this ABA novel, but the romance was sweet.
December 11, 2023
Janeites who dig P & P variations will ardently love this one with wit, charm, and a lovely Asian twist. I couldn't put down the story of Lissie (Elizabeth) and Preston Lin (Darcy) in contemporary San Fran, who leap many hurdles on their slow burn to love.
December 3, 2023
4⭐️
First of all, thank you NetGalley for the ARC
“Pride and Preston Lin” is a modern-day retelling of “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen.
As someone who loves P&P, I downloaded this book as soon as I saw it on NetGalley, and I'm glad I did so.
This retelling was quick and unique, and I appreciated the author's adaptation of the story and characters.
Anyone who loves Pride and Prejudice should definitely read this book, and I sincerely hope that the author will continue writing books in the future.
First of all, thank you NetGalley for the ARC
“Pride and Preston Lin” is a modern-day retelling of “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen.
As someone who loves P&P, I downloaded this book as soon as I saw it on NetGalley, and I'm glad I did so.
This retelling was quick and unique, and I appreciated the author's adaptation of the story and characters.
Anyone who loves Pride and Prejudice should definitely read this book, and I sincerely hope that the author will continue writing books in the future.
March 21, 2024
A creative modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice! I’ve heard Pride and Preston Lin described as Crazy Rich Asians meets Jane Austen and I think that’s a pretty apt comparison. As a huge Jane Austen fan, I was delighted to find all the ways Christina Hwang Dudley stayed true to the spirit of P&P while adding an original, unique, Asian twist.
In her final year of college, Lissie Cheng works alongside her sister Jenny in their aunt’s & uncle’s Chinese restaurant while pursing her degree. When she makes the horrific mistake of serving shellfish to someone who’s allergic, she creates an instant enemy of the handsome man she was flirting with and his family.
Wealthy, gorgeous Ph.D student Preston Lin’s determined to make sure the same mistake doesn’t happen again and goes out of his way to make things difficult for the restaurant. His actions and smug, self-righteous attitude don’t win him any points with Lissie. Like Darcy, Preston has his reasons, but try explaining that to Lissie. When fate keeps bringing them together, Lissie has to decide if she’s willing to overcome her prejudice and give him a chance.
I thoroughly enjoyed the infusion of Asian culture and the family dynamics in this story. Lissie and her two sisters were delightful and I loved their close relationship. I also liked their cousin Jeremy and friend Mel. I appreciated all the nods to P&P while Lissie is essentially living out her own version of the story. I enjoyed her quick wit just like her P&P counterpart. It was fun recognizing all the familiar P&P characters including Wickham, Mr. Collins, and even Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the form of Preston’s mom. While this book follows the plot line of the original pretty closely, there’re fresh, new aspects like swim meets, pursuing higher education, and even YouTubing that make it unique and hard to put down.
Fans of Ms. Dudley’s historical romances might find this to be a little edgier than they’re used to. There’s quite a bit of strong language (mostly biblical swears), a minor gay character, mentions of an affair, and some mild innuendo. The romance is clean with kisses only. If you enjoy Pride and Prejudice adaptations, you might enjoy this creative, new take on the original. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher through AustenProse PR. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.
In her final year of college, Lissie Cheng works alongside her sister Jenny in their aunt’s & uncle’s Chinese restaurant while pursing her degree. When she makes the horrific mistake of serving shellfish to someone who’s allergic, she creates an instant enemy of the handsome man she was flirting with and his family.
Wealthy, gorgeous Ph.D student Preston Lin’s determined to make sure the same mistake doesn’t happen again and goes out of his way to make things difficult for the restaurant. His actions and smug, self-righteous attitude don’t win him any points with Lissie. Like Darcy, Preston has his reasons, but try explaining that to Lissie. When fate keeps bringing them together, Lissie has to decide if she’s willing to overcome her prejudice and give him a chance.
I thoroughly enjoyed the infusion of Asian culture and the family dynamics in this story. Lissie and her two sisters were delightful and I loved their close relationship. I also liked their cousin Jeremy and friend Mel. I appreciated all the nods to P&P while Lissie is essentially living out her own version of the story. I enjoyed her quick wit just like her P&P counterpart. It was fun recognizing all the familiar P&P characters including Wickham, Mr. Collins, and even Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the form of Preston’s mom. While this book follows the plot line of the original pretty closely, there’re fresh, new aspects like swim meets, pursuing higher education, and even YouTubing that make it unique and hard to put down.
Fans of Ms. Dudley’s historical romances might find this to be a little edgier than they’re used to. There’s quite a bit of strong language (mostly biblical swears), a minor gay character, mentions of an affair, and some mild innuendo. The romance is clean with kisses only. If you enjoy Pride and Prejudice adaptations, you might enjoy this creative, new take on the original. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher through AustenProse PR. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.
August 20, 2025
I had trouble getting into this story. The male love interest did not seem at all like Darcy to me. He seemed like a really rude, mean guy.
June 24, 2025
Mixed feelings. It’s enjoyable, but she had to work really hard to fit the story she wanted to tell into the P&P template. I’m not sure if it works through 90% of the book. The last 10% totally works. Then she ends it too abruptly so there’s very little payoff and no swoony epilogue. We get no resolution for Mel and Darren or Jenny and Charles. Though with Jenny entering medical school in another town there wasn’t much hope for that relationship anyway. We also have a token gay character so the publisher doesn’t get flamed by the under 30 crowd. Otherwise he adds nothing to the story. There is so much language in this book that went completely over my head. It’s like Boomers and Gen Y (or Z?) live on different planets, pre-social media language is so different from post-social media language. I read books written 200 years ago and I still understand the language. I read Shakespeare and understand the language. I read books translated from Russian, Japanese, French, etc, and have no trouble with the language. Here I was constantly confused. There are words and phrases in this book that my dictionary can’t explain. Personally, I can’t stand it when characters speak in acronyms like ICYMI, TBH, and BRB. Writing in text speak is one thing. Speaking it in conversation is lame. I’ve noticed a lot of modern writers do this now and I just hate it. I have young people in my life and they don’t speak like this, at least not to me. Maybe that’s how they speak to each other. I have read a few of Christina Dudley’s mainstream romances and really loved some of them. I’m just not sure she made this accessible to anyone over 30 who is not familiar with Chinese culture, gaming culture, or the nuances of life in the Bay Area. Or anyone who isn’t very familiar with Pride and Prejudice (if there are such people, such a sad thought.) I’ve read a few modern retellings of Austen novels. Not generally a fan. There are better ones. Even so, it’s funny, it’s interesting, and it’s clean. And it’s respectful of Christianity, which means a lot to me. The characters are fun and interesting, though the arcs are pretty shallow. I wish she’d spent more time on the dancing and fencing and less time on the swimming. Recommended, with caveats.
March 9, 2024
My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Third State Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
Genre: Romance, Pride and Prejudice Retelling, Contemporary Romance, Romcom, Asian Literature, Chinese Literature
Spice Level: Medium (no sex on page but affairs are mentioned)
Language: A few instances of swearing
Representation: In addition to people of color, there is one gay side character
I love to see how authors reinterpret P&P.
In PRIDE AND PRESTON LIN, we land in the Bay Area and especially in the family restaurant where Lessie works along with her sister and cousin. She's not the favorite of her aunt, probably because she's a smarty pants.
You're going to find the main characters represented and twisted a bit for this story. It's fun to see Collins in his role! Lessie has the modern sass and lots of pride to go head to head with Preston. I thought it the way the author worked in the ballroom scenes was ingenious. I was worried about the Whickham character! He really was a rat in the original, right? So I had every right to be.
This is a fun read, especially for P&P enthusiasts. But I think the story holds together on its own if you don't know Austen's story.
Happy reading and save a dance for me!
Genre: Romance, Pride and Prejudice Retelling, Contemporary Romance, Romcom, Asian Literature, Chinese Literature
Spice Level: Medium (no sex on page but affairs are mentioned)
Language: A few instances of swearing
Representation: In addition to people of color, there is one gay side character
I love to see how authors reinterpret P&P.
In PRIDE AND PRESTON LIN, we land in the Bay Area and especially in the family restaurant where Lessie works along with her sister and cousin. She's not the favorite of her aunt, probably because she's a smarty pants.
You're going to find the main characters represented and twisted a bit for this story. It's fun to see Collins in his role! Lessie has the modern sass and lots of pride to go head to head with Preston. I thought it the way the author worked in the ballroom scenes was ingenious. I was worried about the Whickham character! He really was a rat in the original, right? So I had every right to be.
This is a fun read, especially for P&P enthusiasts. But I think the story holds together on its own if you don't know Austen's story.
Happy reading and save a dance for me!
March 23, 2024
3.5/5
Overall I did really enjoy my time with this Asian American modern day take on Pride and Prejudice.
A few quibbles leave this one a cut short of a full 4 stars for me.
The book feels more like a story about Lissie and the various things happening in her life. There is very little romance in it at all. I personally really enjoyed reading about Lissie and all the various things happening in her life, but this isn't a book to pick up if you want to feel swoony. I thought there was a lot more in here about friend and family relationships than the romantic one.
I would like to have seen a little more of the development of the relationship between Lissie and Preston. It seems to change tone rather abruptly and they have zero chemistry. The ending feels very sudden and I didn't feel any romantic tension between them. The abruptness of the ending also left a lot of other plot threads unaddressed.
Lissie is more of a Lydia than an Elizabeth Bennet. The latter is intelligent, mature and quick witted. Lissie is self-centred and ditsy, and I found her very hard to like. I found myself on Preston's side throughout their whole debacle, and Lissie never seems to truly understand the seriousness of her initial error. Her and her friends poke fun at the character with food allergies, giving her a mean nickname, and act like Preston was a big meany for being upset about what happened, which is frankly ridiculous.
In the climax, Preston calls Lissie a "wonderful girl" which felt really weird because she's not wonderful at all and has done nothing to earn such a comment.
There are a few meta P&P elements which I personally didn't mind at all, although I see that other reviewers have found it a little self-conscious. I did think the whole "play" aspect felt unnecessary and without real purpose.
The only commentary on class here mostly consisted of Preston being obliviously rich, and Lissie being like "you're obliviously rich but also hot, so oh well". Girlfriend was getting an English degree while her aunt and uncle who had raised her seemed to be barely scraping by, which seems another of her myopic choices.
Despite all this, I did genuinely enjoy reading this book. I felt invested in the characters (just not particularly in the romance) and I enjoyed the time I spent with it overall. I would recommend it more as a contemporary tale of family and friendship.
Overall I did really enjoy my time with this Asian American modern day take on Pride and Prejudice.
A few quibbles leave this one a cut short of a full 4 stars for me.
The book feels more like a story about Lissie and the various things happening in her life. There is very little romance in it at all. I personally really enjoyed reading about Lissie and all the various things happening in her life, but this isn't a book to pick up if you want to feel swoony. I thought there was a lot more in here about friend and family relationships than the romantic one.
I would like to have seen a little more of the development of the relationship between Lissie and Preston. It seems to change tone rather abruptly and they have zero chemistry. The ending feels very sudden and I didn't feel any romantic tension between them. The abruptness of the ending also left a lot of other plot threads unaddressed.
Lissie is more of a Lydia than an Elizabeth Bennet. The latter is intelligent, mature and quick witted. Lissie is self-centred and ditsy, and I found her very hard to like. I found myself on Preston's side throughout their whole debacle, and Lissie never seems to truly understand the seriousness of her initial error. Her and her friends poke fun at the character with food allergies, giving her a mean nickname, and act like Preston was a big meany for being upset about what happened, which is frankly ridiculous.
In the climax, Preston calls Lissie a "wonderful girl" which felt really weird because she's not wonderful at all and has done nothing to earn such a comment.
There are a few meta P&P elements which I personally didn't mind at all, although I see that other reviewers have found it a little self-conscious. I did think the whole "play" aspect felt unnecessary and without real purpose.
The only commentary on class here mostly consisted of Preston being obliviously rich, and Lissie being like "you're obliviously rich but also hot, so oh well". Girlfriend was getting an English degree while her aunt and uncle who had raised her seemed to be barely scraping by, which seems another of her myopic choices.
Despite all this, I did genuinely enjoy reading this book. I felt invested in the characters (just not particularly in the romance) and I enjoyed the time I spent with it overall. I would recommend it more as a contemporary tale of family and friendship.
March 20, 2024
This is perhaps the first Pride and Prejudice retelling that I personally feel is a strong contender with the OG tale! I adored the way the author created a plot that closely aligned with Pride and Prejudice while also bringing an originality that was fun and refreshing. But perhaps the part that tickled me the most was that it was set in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is where I grew up and have lived most of my life. You so rarely get to see stories in this area that aren't entirely based in San Francisco, so to see less well known communities like Milpitas get some representation was really fun. And as a Peninsula girlie, I can say the book has a lot of accuracy for this area. If you want to read about a different side to our bustling area of the world, this is a great place to do that.
Lissie Cheng and Preston Lin were like oil and vinegar, exactly like Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. Their "meet-cute" was when she accidentally fed shellfish to a young woman who was highly allergic and also happened to be who Preston's mom wants him to eventually marry. Caroline Bingley, anyone? His best friend was a perfect modern-day Charles Bingley, and it was so cute to see this entire dynamic play out in the 21st century. It worked so well! Lissie's home situation was so relatable and genuine, and I was so engaged with every character in her life. I felt her anxiety as she worried about her aunt and uncle's restaurant, about how she was going to finish out college without going into a sixth year, and how she was going to ensure her little sister maintained a strong relationship with her. And then there was the added drama of our Wickham, who was her little sister's swimming coach and a walking red flag. Even without knowing the character he was meant to represent, I had bad vibes from the start. Preston, on the other hand, was just an emotionally constipated green flag. Mostly. It took him some time, and he did not communicate well at all...but what else do you expect from a Darcy figure? Once Lissie and Preston realized how meant they were for each other, I was swooning all the way to the last page. I didn't want it to end!
I sincerely hope this author plans more books with this same vibe! Maybe Sense and Sensibility next? Or Persuasion? I'll take it all.
**I received a free copy from the publisher and this is my honest review.**
Lissie Cheng and Preston Lin were like oil and vinegar, exactly like Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. Their "meet-cute" was when she accidentally fed shellfish to a young woman who was highly allergic and also happened to be who Preston's mom wants him to eventually marry. Caroline Bingley, anyone? His best friend was a perfect modern-day Charles Bingley, and it was so cute to see this entire dynamic play out in the 21st century. It worked so well! Lissie's home situation was so relatable and genuine, and I was so engaged with every character in her life. I felt her anxiety as she worried about her aunt and uncle's restaurant, about how she was going to finish out college without going into a sixth year, and how she was going to ensure her little sister maintained a strong relationship with her. And then there was the added drama of our Wickham, who was her little sister's swimming coach and a walking red flag. Even without knowing the character he was meant to represent, I had bad vibes from the start. Preston, on the other hand, was just an emotionally constipated green flag. Mostly. It took him some time, and he did not communicate well at all...but what else do you expect from a Darcy figure? Once Lissie and Preston realized how meant they were for each other, I was swooning all the way to the last page. I didn't want it to end!
I sincerely hope this author plans more books with this same vibe! Maybe Sense and Sensibility next? Or Persuasion? I'll take it all.
**I received a free copy from the publisher and this is my honest review.**
March 21, 2024
Pride and Preston Lin by Christina Hwang Dudley is a loose retelling of Pride and Prejudice featuring an Asian American family.
Lissie is the middle of two sisters. Lissie and her older sister work in the Cheng family restaurant while they pursue educational and career goals. Lissie accidentally serves food containing shellfish to an allergic customer and the wealthy Lin family threatens to sue. The Lin’s handsome son, Preston, is a star swimmer. Lissie’s younger sister is also a swimmer, allowing Preston’s and Lissie’s paths to cross occasionally. Lissie thinks Preston is arrogant and she hates him for the negative publicity he brought to the restaurant. In this story loosely inspired by Pride and Prejudice, the author entertains us with an enemies-to-lovers trope.
Enemies-to-lovers is always a fun romance trope with opportunities galore for great banter and entertaining situations. This romance is sweet and slow-burn. Personalities shine here!
In addition to the trope, I appreciate a look into a culture that is not my own. The Asian-American twist to this classic created an interesting read. Family dynamics and delicious cuisine enhance the story.
Although I prefer original stories, I enjoy an occasional modern reimagining of a classic. As with most retellings, this one stands fine on its own. Preston and Lissie provide a generous serving of witty and entertaining banter and a complicated set of circumstances brings them together in unexpected ways. We are even treated to a ballroom scene!
Content Consideration: some language, adultry
I can recommend Pride and Preston Lin for fans of retellings, (mostly) light-hearted stories, sweet romance, complicated family drama, and Asian American literature. Readers who enjoy the competitive sport of swimming will find lots to relate to in this fast-paced and multilayered story. Book clubs might enjoy the discussion possibilities.
Thanks #NetGalley @ThirdStateBooks (and @AustenProsePR) for a complimentary e ARC of #PrideAndPrestonLin upon my request. All opinions are my own.
For more reviews visit my blog www.ReadingLadies.com where this review was first published.
Lissie is the middle of two sisters. Lissie and her older sister work in the Cheng family restaurant while they pursue educational and career goals. Lissie accidentally serves food containing shellfish to an allergic customer and the wealthy Lin family threatens to sue. The Lin’s handsome son, Preston, is a star swimmer. Lissie’s younger sister is also a swimmer, allowing Preston’s and Lissie’s paths to cross occasionally. Lissie thinks Preston is arrogant and she hates him for the negative publicity he brought to the restaurant. In this story loosely inspired by Pride and Prejudice, the author entertains us with an enemies-to-lovers trope.
Enemies-to-lovers is always a fun romance trope with opportunities galore for great banter and entertaining situations. This romance is sweet and slow-burn. Personalities shine here!
In addition to the trope, I appreciate a look into a culture that is not my own. The Asian-American twist to this classic created an interesting read. Family dynamics and delicious cuisine enhance the story.
Although I prefer original stories, I enjoy an occasional modern reimagining of a classic. As with most retellings, this one stands fine on its own. Preston and Lissie provide a generous serving of witty and entertaining banter and a complicated set of circumstances brings them together in unexpected ways. We are even treated to a ballroom scene!
Content Consideration: some language, adultry
I can recommend Pride and Preston Lin for fans of retellings, (mostly) light-hearted stories, sweet romance, complicated family drama, and Asian American literature. Readers who enjoy the competitive sport of swimming will find lots to relate to in this fast-paced and multilayered story. Book clubs might enjoy the discussion possibilities.
Thanks #NetGalley @ThirdStateBooks (and @AustenProsePR) for a complimentary e ARC of #PrideAndPrestonLin upon my request. All opinions are my own.
For more reviews visit my blog www.ReadingLadies.com where this review was first published.
March 13, 2024
Pride and Preston Lin is a fast-paced, fun and full of heart retelling of Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice with a few twists. A contemporary retelling set in San Francisco following Lissie Cheng and Preston Lin as both Elizabeth and Darcy respectively that was an enjoyable read.
As a daughter of Chinese immigrants myself, I loved the various inclusions of Chinese culture and the portrayal of Lissie’s relationships to her family members, alongside the inevitable pressures of being stuck between two very different worlds linguistically.
While I thought that there were some particularly great moments that made me fully invested in the story as a retelling, such as Preston’s disastrous first attempt at asking Lissie on a date, there were other moments that I felt didn’t quite make the same impact. One of the biggest sections that fell flat to me was the reimagining of Wickham’s character in Couch Wang. It seemed to be rushed, and as other reviewers have pointed out, largely oversimplified, which resulted in an unsatisfying climax to both the story and the character.
All in all, the development of Preston and Lissie’s relationship a definite highlight and the overall story engaging and enjoyable read. I would recommend this to anyone who is in search of a light-hearted modern Austen retelling.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this eArc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.
As a daughter of Chinese immigrants myself, I loved the various inclusions of Chinese culture and the portrayal of Lissie’s relationships to her family members, alongside the inevitable pressures of being stuck between two very different worlds linguistically.
While I thought that there were some particularly great moments that made me fully invested in the story as a retelling, such as Preston’s disastrous first attempt at asking Lissie on a date, there were other moments that I felt didn’t quite make the same impact. One of the biggest sections that fell flat to me was the reimagining of Wickham’s character in Couch Wang. It seemed to be rushed, and as other reviewers have pointed out, largely oversimplified, which resulted in an unsatisfying climax to both the story and the character.
All in all, the development of Preston and Lissie’s relationship a definite highlight and the overall story engaging and enjoyable read. I would recommend this to anyone who is in search of a light-hearted modern Austen retelling.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this eArc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.
March 24, 2024
this was so cute, i was literally grinning and kicking my feet for the last chapter. 🥰
Book Review // Pride and Preston Lin by Christina Hwang Dudley
🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4/5)
As someone who doesn't usually read contemporary romance, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books so I was hesitant to read this retelling of it. However Pride and Preston Lin managed to capture the themes of Austen’s novel while also putting it in a modern-day setting.
Characters
- Lissie: her character perfectly captures the essence of Elizabeth Bennet's while also being unique in her own way. I also loved the relationships she had with her sisters and family.
- Preston: the first few chapters in I wasn't really sure what I thought of him, the author did a convincing job at making him seem overly prideful and stuck up, but after a few chapters I really began to like him as a character. Also, everything he does for Lissie and her family is so sweet and kind and shows how much he cares for her.
( the only thing is that Preston didn't seem to have Darcy's awkward social skills )
- other characters: I liked that side characters were also fleshed out and had page time. It added depth to the plot and main characters
Plot
- The plot was fast-paced and didn't seem to drag in any parts. It was fun seeing how the author integrated parts from Pride and Prejudice while also making the book her own. I thought it was done very cleverly.
Writing
- The writing reminded me a little of Ann Liang's. I found it engaging and it was difficult to stop reading once I'd started.
- One of the things that makes Pride and Prejudice so memorable are the themes: how Darcy and Elizabeth have to overcome their personal flaws (he's too proud and she's too prejudiced) before they can see each other for who they really are and get together. I thought that this was executed very well and loved that Lissie and Preston communicated and admitted both of their mistakes. It made their relationship a lot stronger.
Overall it was a fun and quick book to read. If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice or like Ann Liang’s books I definitely recommend it! I'll be keeping an eye out for the author's future books.
Thank you so much Third State Books for sending me an e-arc!!
Content:
14-15+
- there's two kissing scenes but they don't go into much detail
- you don't have to worry about any tw for the character who Wickham is based off
-
-
Book Review // Pride and Preston Lin by Christina Hwang Dudley
🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4/5)
As someone who doesn't usually read contemporary romance, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books so I was hesitant to read this retelling of it. However Pride and Preston Lin managed to capture the themes of Austen’s novel while also putting it in a modern-day setting.
Characters
- Lissie: her character perfectly captures the essence of Elizabeth Bennet's while also being unique in her own way. I also loved the relationships she had with her sisters and family.
- Preston: the first few chapters in I wasn't really sure what I thought of him, the author did a convincing job at making him seem overly prideful and stuck up, but after a few chapters I really began to like him as a character. Also, everything he does for Lissie and her family is so sweet and kind and shows how much he cares for her.
( the only thing is that Preston didn't seem to have Darcy's awkward social skills )
- other characters: I liked that side characters were also fleshed out and had page time. It added depth to the plot and main characters
Plot
- The plot was fast-paced and didn't seem to drag in any parts. It was fun seeing how the author integrated parts from Pride and Prejudice while also making the book her own. I thought it was done very cleverly.
Writing
- The writing reminded me a little of Ann Liang's. I found it engaging and it was difficult to stop reading once I'd started.
- One of the things that makes Pride and Prejudice so memorable are the themes: how Darcy and Elizabeth have to overcome their personal flaws (he's too proud and she's too prejudiced) before they can see each other for who they really are and get together. I thought that this was executed very well and loved that Lissie and Preston communicated and admitted both of their mistakes. It made their relationship a lot stronger.
Overall it was a fun and quick book to read. If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice or like Ann Liang’s books I definitely recommend it! I'll be keeping an eye out for the author's future books.
Thank you so much Third State Books for sending me an e-arc!!
Content:
14-15+
- there's two kissing scenes but they don't go into much detail
- you don't have to worry about any tw for the character who Wickham is based off
-
-
March 26, 2024
Pride and Preston Lin by Christina Hwang Dudley is an adaption of Pride and Prejudice set in San Francisco. Lissie is the middle of three sisters who were taken in by their aunt and uncle after their parents pass. The two older sisters help their aunt and uncle run their restaurant. Preston is a wealthy Stanford PhD. Student who is very confident in who he is and his opinions. Lissie accidentally serves a dish containing shellfish to someone who is allergic and Preston Lin happens to be at that table. Will they ever make it as friends?
I enjoyed this fabulous Austen adaption of Pride and Prejudice. The characters were interesting, thoughtful and the author did a great job adapting them to modern day. I found myself engrossed in the story and enjoyed seeing the connections to Pride and Prejudice. The story was from Lissie’s perspective, had interesting twists from the original story and took place in the Asian community of San Francisco. Truly a delightful read.
Pride and Preston Lin by Christian Hwang Dudley is a great Pride and Prejudice adaption. This thoughtfully written story will join my other favorite Austen adaptions on my bookshelves. I highly recommend this story!
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
I enjoyed this fabulous Austen adaption of Pride and Prejudice. The characters were interesting, thoughtful and the author did a great job adapting them to modern day. I found myself engrossed in the story and enjoyed seeing the connections to Pride and Prejudice. The story was from Lissie’s perspective, had interesting twists from the original story and took place in the Asian community of San Francisco. Truly a delightful read.
Pride and Preston Lin by Christian Hwang Dudley is a great Pride and Prejudice adaption. This thoughtfully written story will join my other favorite Austen adaptions on my bookshelves. I highly recommend this story!
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
November 28, 2024
Cute modernisation of Pride and Prejudice. Some things, like how many seem to constantly reading restaurant reviews, seemed like a stretch. But I really liked the way the author had adapted and changed part of the original story to make it work. For example the changes regarding Wickham (even though part of that did also feel a bit of a stretch), the cousin and the meeting at his mansion. I think I need to reread the original soon, and maybe watch the 2005 movie. Really liked this one, easy to keep reading and hard to put down. I think even though there were some changes in the story, this might be the one retelling/modernisation that have felt most true to the original story.
June 26, 2024
3.5 stars fun rom com, esp for Austen lovers.
July 23, 2024
Lissie, a 5th year senior Literature major at San Jose State (still working on her thesis), waits tables at her auntie and uncle's restaurant when she's not in class or working on her thesis. It is a truth universally acknowledged that Auntie Rhoda will place any seemingly eligible handsome, rich young man in Lissie's sister Jenny's section. When Jenny is busy with a banquet, the duty must fall to Lissie to serve a party of 4: Charles Bing, his sister Hazel, friend Preston Lin and Preston's mother. The snobby Lins seem to insult the very beer (in cans) the restaurant carries and Mrs. Lin intimidates Lissie by trying to order in Chinese which Lissie does not understand. Between Charles trying to translate and a busy restaurant, Lissie forgets the dish Hazel orders contains shrimp paste and Hazel specifically stated she has a seafood allergy. When Hazel has a non-life-threatening but serious allergic reaction to her food, Lissie feels awful. She apologizes and "gets fired" (a leave of absence for a few weeks or months until this blows over). Jenny tries to help Hazel feel better. That should be the end of the story but it's not. First, Charles asks for Jenny's number and invites her to a Stanford party. Jenny invites Lissie as chaperone but Lissie doesn't want to go. Jenny drags Lissie who wants to avoid the Bings and the Lins forever. Then she overhears Charles and Preston talking and discovers Preston wrote an article for the Stanford newspaper about food allergies naming the Four Treasures by name. Lissie is absolutely furious! That rich snob has no idea and not a care about the damage he's done to her family's restaurant. Auntie Rhoda and Uncle Mason are barely scraping by as it is! During her enforced absence from work Lissie drives her little sister JoJo to her swim meets and agrees to become an official. She wants to keep an eye on the too handsome for his own good coach and make sure nothing inappropriate happens. With great relief, Lissie realizes Coach Wayman seems more interested in hanging out with her than JoJo. When he reveals he knew Preston who once wronged him, Lissie is confirmed in her opinion about the insufferable Preston Lin. Jenny and Charles insist there must be two sides to the story but Lissie is determined to willfully loathe Preston. You know the rest!
What I liked: The Asian representation. It's very similar to Uzma Jalaluddin's Muslim romcoms. Asian Jane Austen is hot right now. I liked learning about this Chinese-American family and the community and all the people in it.
What I sort of liked:
I don't know much about California geography and I assume that's where this is set but I wasn't 100% sure at first. A little more specific in details about where this town is in relation to San Francisco and less about the random references to towns I've never heard of. I HAVE heard of Fremont thanks to figure skaters Kristi Yamaguchi and Karen Chen. Karen is Taiwanese like some of the characters in the book. That's pretty much all I know about Fremont and never heard of Milpitas and have no idea where that was until they mentioned Silicon Valley. OK THAT I know! The town is less distinctive than Uzma Jaladdin's Golden Crescent neighborhood of Toronto. I got into the Golden Crescent but not so much this California town.
Now for the nitty gritty:
This story does not work for me as Pride and Prejudice. Lissie, who is a Literature major, is writing a play she calls "A Doom of One's Own". This play is a modern Asian take on Pride and Prejudice. She jokes with her friend Mel it should be called "Crazy Middle Class Asians." She should know the story inside out and backwards but she seems to fangirl the 2005 movie instead. Her friend Mel is supposed to be her consultant and catch any errors YET Mel claims Lady Lucas doesn't have any sons which is untrue. The Lucases have a large family with two young sons. One even has a speaking line! Charlotte will become the burden of her eldest brother if she doesn't marry and find a home of her own. Charlotte and Maria are the two oldest girls still at home.
I fail to see how Lissie can be so invested in Pride and Prejudice and NOT see the parallels to her own life. The names are way too much of a coincidence to be believable. Jenny and Lissie, Charles Bing? Maybe on his own Wayman Wang's name wouldn't have pinged but a W name who was wronged by the snobby rich guy? DING DING! Come on Lissie! Wake up! The snobby, rude, overbearing mother should also have been a big clue. Hint: Lady Catherine anyone?!
This story also doesn't work for me as a romance. I wanted more. What little there is is sweet but the story ends too abruptly. I need to know what happens next for the characters. I also want more character backstory. This whole book is from Lissie's point-of-view and about Lissie. There's no "She a beauty? I'd as soon as call her mother a wit!" and no "very fine eyes". We need those scenes to show us the evolution of Preston's thinking. Otherwise the letter comes out of nowhere. Why didn't he mail the letter? He could have asked Jay to ask Darren for the address or better yet her email or her number or even sent it to the restaurant? He was so sure she'd throw it away that he had to hand deliver it to her at work? That doesn't make sense. One thing I expected was missing from this book. I thought, hoped, there might be some commentary on the types of marriages the Aunties are pushing the young adults into. They're hyper focused on rich, good-looking men who make billions in tech, medicine, science or engineering and lose sight of what makes a successful marriage! Jane Austen comments on this when Darcy asks for permission to marry Lizzie. Mr. Bennet tells Lizzie to always be a bit in awe of her husband. To a modern Lissie I would say Mr. Bennet means respect. He doesn't respect his wife and their marriage is miserable. We don't know much about Lissie's aunt and uncle's relationship. We never see them at home together because Lissie doesn't live with them. They seem to have a companionable marriage but they also are not rich. The characters with more money do not have happy, successful marriages. I want to know more about what happened back then and what happens next - character motivation! Maybe their relationships imploded not because of cultural societal expectations but because they are just different personalities and unsuited.
Lissie at 23 is more immature than Elizabeth Bennet at 20. That makes sense given the time period but Lissie lacks the insights Elizabeth has and unlike Elizabeth, Lissie doesn't recognize her own faults. Lissie has been through a lot of trauma and she's struggling to balance living her life with doing the right thing for the family. She can not juggle school, work, swimming and writing her thesis. I relate to her because I majored in Literature and then I went to grad school much later and went for 5 years and two degrees, none of which help my family or get me gainfully employed. Lissie tries to be snarky and sassy but a lot of times she comes across as mean. #Sorrynotsorry
She's sweet with the regular customers, Mr. and Mrs. Fong, who support her in whatever she does. Lissie is a devoted sister to Jenny, trying to help when Jenny needs her but overstressed and not supportive enough when Jenny is worrying about the MCATs.
Lissie is a great sister to JoJo though. 13-year-old JoJo was only 8 when their parents died one right after the other. She didn't have enough time with them and Auntie Rhoda and Uncle Mason try their best and are kind, they didn't imagine raising girls, especially after their own son was grown. Everyone spoils JoJo but she isn't obnoxious. She's conscious of the fact their family doesn't have much money and worries about how much they've spent on her swimming already and not asking for more, especially now when business is slow. She's a good kid but typical for her age. JoJo loves to swim! She has friends on her team and yes rivals too. Her times are improving now she's had a growth spurt and she's eager to get even better. Like other girls her age, praise from the good looking coach has her imagining things but she seems happy with praise and attention from any of the officials- at least the good looking males. She's very sweet and naïve about her crush though. JoJo's malapropisms are cute. They show she's trying to be grown up but not quite succeeding.
I admire how Lissie deals with the swim moms and how she throws herself into the swim culture to help JoJo. There's the typical mom Lissie rudely refers to as "Matron Mom" and the hot mom, at odds with who controls the tasks. I think I would have it out with hot mom if I were her, ESPECIALLY at the end. Neither is a well-rounded character but obviously Hot Mom thinks she's all that. Thankfully for JoJo, her daughter Emma is friendly and not as fast as JoJo! Matron Mom's daughter, Olivia, is on the outs with JoJo for beating her. Teenagers! There's hints that Emma's home life is not so great. I feel very sorry for her.
Lissie's dealings with the Bings and Lins are not so admirable. She was busy, stressed and distracted that night. Hazel should have confirmed and not relied on Lissie to remember who had the allergy. Most menus and packages these days have ingredients listed but I guess the Four Treasurers hasn't done that, probably relying on their customer base being familiar with the dishes. They don't get many newcomers. Charles is very nice, obviously. He's smart and friendly, open and kind - for the most part. He just sort of laughs off drama. Hazel isn't as awful as Caroline Bingley. She's a modern woman trying to get by and sucking up to Mrs. Lin will help her succeed in business. She may be snippy and rude to Lissie but I don't blame her too much for that. She needs more fleshing out to make her more of a Caroline and without Louisa to back her up, she's not as catty as Caroline.
Mrs. Lin is horrible. She's deliberately rude to Lissie to start with, making Lissie uncomfortable and rattled as she fires off orders in Mandarin expecting Lissie to understand and continuing even when she knows Lissie doesn't. She insults the restaurant and everything else under the son (misspelling intended). She's so critical! Was she always such a *itch or did the incident that shaped Preston's character also shape hers? She's a helicopter mother of a grown adult man and he lets her! Their relationship is not super close but he lets her in his life. She's toxic and if I had a mother like that, I'd run far away to college and never come back!
Now for Preston. He's a decent guy. He's a little lost, socially. He has some childhood trauma he hasn't fully dealt with and it's made him wary of strangers and of food allergies. His overreaction to Hazel's problem makes sense when he explains it but he should have explained it in a letter to Auntie Rhode and Uncle Mason and apologized. What he says in his article is TRUE and necessary to raise awareness, however, I am on Lissie's side when it comes to the Four Treasures. He already dealt with the issue yet he still has to name names not thinking about the people who own the restaurant, not realizing they sunk everything they have into it because he's SO CRAZY RICH! He certainly didn't think about the waitress who was fired. I would wonder if she was OK and whether she'd be able to get another job. He was the cause of her misfortune.
Unfortunately for me, Preston doesn't cut it as Darcy. I'm not a Darcy fan but the one thing I appreciate about Darcy is he changes for Elizabeth. He realizes what she says is true and he's a snob. No he doesn't have autism, no he's not shy. He comes right out and says he was a selfish being all his life. He was taught to think highly of himself but not others. Such he was from 8 to Eight and Twenty until he met Elizabeth. "I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately, an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing -- to care for none beyond my own family circle, to think meanly of all the rest of the world, to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight-and-twenty;" (Chapter 58) THAT is what makes Darcy a hero.
Preston is just an average kind of guy. He's nice enough. He makes mistakes and can be blind sometimes. Preston is a better friend to Charles than Darcy is to Bingley at least I assume so. Again that part of the story is missing! The section of Jane being in London is missing. The breakup was mutual based on timing and other issues. Preston is not selfish like Darcy and he's not so snobby. Lissie willfully misunderstands him until she lets him explain. His actions make sense when he explains. He's kind to her when she needs a friend and great with JoJo.
Preston's beef with Wayman is so one-sided. Sure Wayman is self-centered but Preston doesn't quite know how much. THANKFULLY Wayman is not as bad as Mr. Wickham and nowhere near what Lissie fears. I had to skip ahead to make sure of that before I carried on reading. Someone else is more to blame for what happens at the end of the book but more Wayman shares some of that blame. He relies on his charm to win friends and influence people. Some parents have concerns he's too good looking and there seemed to be a concern that his coaching methods were unorthodox but that doesn't come up again. He encourages the kids to do their best and improve and although he had an ulterior motive, he rewards JoJo when she deserves it. Too bad he's Mr. Wickham. I was kind of hoping he wasn't!
Lissie's friend and roommate Mel is also studying literature while boyfriend hunting. She's Catholic and has funny ideas about how to bargain with God to get a boyfriend. She's nice enough and supportive of Jenny and Lissie. Their other roommate, Nelson, doesn't have a direct parallel in the original novel. Maybe Lydia because he dates boys that are bad for him. He doesn't want to be alone, not even for one second. I have heard it's extra difficult to find a meaningful relationship for LGBTQ+ people. He doesn't seem like he's only interested in hook-ups, he wants someone to appreciate him. Nelson is kind of whiny and selfish. I found him annoying and he didn't add anything to the story. I did really like Darren, the Mr. Collins character. He's not icky like Mr. Collins. Darren is a good friend to the family even if he's hoping to score with Jenny at first. He's socially awkward at times but that comes from spending too much time in academia and with his parents. Darren's friend Jay is a random character, a Mr. Bingley type who moves the story forward. I found him refreshing and original. Cousin Jeremy seems like a loser. He certainly isn't fulfilling his parents' expectations or following their hopes and dreams. He barely cares about the restaurant and spends all his time in his room playing video games. UGH. I don't understand him but he's not a bad person. He needs to mature a lot more.
With less Pride and Prejudice and more character development this would have appealed to me a lot more. I hope the author writes a sequel so we can find out what happens next for the characters. I can see JoJo as Emma!
What I liked: The Asian representation. It's very similar to Uzma Jalaluddin's Muslim romcoms. Asian Jane Austen is hot right now. I liked learning about this Chinese-American family and the community and all the people in it.
What I sort of liked:
I don't know much about California geography and I assume that's where this is set but I wasn't 100% sure at first. A little more specific in details about where this town is in relation to San Francisco and less about the random references to towns I've never heard of. I HAVE heard of Fremont thanks to figure skaters Kristi Yamaguchi and Karen Chen. Karen is Taiwanese like some of the characters in the book. That's pretty much all I know about Fremont and never heard of Milpitas and have no idea where that was until they mentioned Silicon Valley. OK THAT I know! The town is less distinctive than Uzma Jaladdin's Golden Crescent neighborhood of Toronto. I got into the Golden Crescent but not so much this California town.
Now for the nitty gritty:
This story does not work for me as Pride and Prejudice. Lissie, who is a Literature major, is writing a play she calls "A Doom of One's Own". This play is a modern Asian take on Pride and Prejudice. She jokes with her friend Mel it should be called "Crazy Middle Class Asians." She should know the story inside out and backwards but she seems to fangirl the 2005 movie instead. Her friend Mel is supposed to be her consultant and catch any errors YET Mel claims Lady Lucas doesn't have any sons which is untrue. The Lucases have a large family with two young sons. One even has a speaking line! Charlotte will become the burden of her eldest brother if she doesn't marry and find a home of her own. Charlotte and Maria are the two oldest girls still at home.
I fail to see how Lissie can be so invested in Pride and Prejudice and NOT see the parallels to her own life. The names are way too much of a coincidence to be believable. Jenny and Lissie, Charles Bing? Maybe on his own Wayman Wang's name wouldn't have pinged but a W name who was wronged by the snobby rich guy? DING DING! Come on Lissie! Wake up! The snobby, rude, overbearing mother should also have been a big clue. Hint: Lady Catherine anyone?!
This story also doesn't work for me as a romance. I wanted more. What little there is is sweet but the story ends too abruptly. I need to know what happens next for the characters. I also want more character backstory. This whole book is from Lissie's point-of-view and about Lissie. There's no "She a beauty? I'd as soon as call her mother a wit!" and no "very fine eyes". We need those scenes to show us the evolution of Preston's thinking. Otherwise the letter comes out of nowhere. Why didn't he mail the letter? He could have asked Jay to ask Darren for the address or better yet her email or her number or even sent it to the restaurant? He was so sure she'd throw it away that he had to hand deliver it to her at work? That doesn't make sense. One thing I expected was missing from this book. I thought, hoped, there might be some commentary on the types of marriages the Aunties are pushing the young adults into. They're hyper focused on rich, good-looking men who make billions in tech, medicine, science or engineering and lose sight of what makes a successful marriage! Jane Austen comments on this when Darcy asks for permission to marry Lizzie. Mr. Bennet tells Lizzie to always be a bit in awe of her husband. To a modern Lissie I would say Mr. Bennet means respect. He doesn't respect his wife and their marriage is miserable. We don't know much about Lissie's aunt and uncle's relationship. We never see them at home together because Lissie doesn't live with them. They seem to have a companionable marriage but they also are not rich. The characters with more money do not have happy, successful marriages. I want to know more about what happened back then and what happens next - character motivation! Maybe their relationships imploded not because of cultural societal expectations but because they are just different personalities and unsuited.
Lissie at 23 is more immature than Elizabeth Bennet at 20. That makes sense given the time period but Lissie lacks the insights Elizabeth has and unlike Elizabeth, Lissie doesn't recognize her own faults. Lissie has been through a lot of trauma and she's struggling to balance living her life with doing the right thing for the family. She can not juggle school, work, swimming and writing her thesis. I relate to her because I majored in Literature and then I went to grad school much later and went for 5 years and two degrees, none of which help my family or get me gainfully employed. Lissie tries to be snarky and sassy but a lot of times she comes across as mean. #Sorrynotsorry
She's sweet with the regular customers, Mr. and Mrs. Fong, who support her in whatever she does. Lissie is a devoted sister to Jenny, trying to help when Jenny needs her but overstressed and not supportive enough when Jenny is worrying about the MCATs.
Lissie is a great sister to JoJo though. 13-year-old JoJo was only 8 when their parents died one right after the other. She didn't have enough time with them and Auntie Rhoda and Uncle Mason try their best and are kind, they didn't imagine raising girls, especially after their own son was grown. Everyone spoils JoJo but she isn't obnoxious. She's conscious of the fact their family doesn't have much money and worries about how much they've spent on her swimming already and not asking for more, especially now when business is slow. She's a good kid but typical for her age. JoJo loves to swim! She has friends on her team and yes rivals too. Her times are improving now she's had a growth spurt and she's eager to get even better. Like other girls her age, praise from the good looking coach has her imagining things but she seems happy with praise and attention from any of the officials- at least the good looking males. She's very sweet and naïve about her crush though. JoJo's malapropisms are cute. They show she's trying to be grown up but not quite succeeding.
I admire how Lissie deals with the swim moms and how she throws herself into the swim culture to help JoJo. There's the typical mom Lissie rudely refers to as "Matron Mom" and the hot mom, at odds with who controls the tasks. I think I would have it out with hot mom if I were her, ESPECIALLY at the end. Neither is a well-rounded character but obviously Hot Mom thinks she's all that. Thankfully for JoJo, her daughter Emma is friendly and not as fast as JoJo! Matron Mom's daughter, Olivia, is on the outs with JoJo for beating her. Teenagers! There's hints that Emma's home life is not so great. I feel very sorry for her.
Lissie's dealings with the Bings and Lins are not so admirable. She was busy, stressed and distracted that night. Hazel should have confirmed and not relied on Lissie to remember who had the allergy. Most menus and packages these days have ingredients listed but I guess the Four Treasurers hasn't done that, probably relying on their customer base being familiar with the dishes. They don't get many newcomers. Charles is very nice, obviously. He's smart and friendly, open and kind - for the most part. He just sort of laughs off drama. Hazel isn't as awful as Caroline Bingley. She's a modern woman trying to get by and sucking up to Mrs. Lin will help her succeed in business. She may be snippy and rude to Lissie but I don't blame her too much for that. She needs more fleshing out to make her more of a Caroline and without Louisa to back her up, she's not as catty as Caroline.
Mrs. Lin is horrible. She's deliberately rude to Lissie to start with, making Lissie uncomfortable and rattled as she fires off orders in Mandarin expecting Lissie to understand and continuing even when she knows Lissie doesn't. She insults the restaurant and everything else under the son (misspelling intended). She's so critical! Was she always such a *itch or did the incident that shaped Preston's character also shape hers? She's a helicopter mother of a grown adult man and he lets her! Their relationship is not super close but he lets her in his life. She's toxic and if I had a mother like that, I'd run far away to college and never come back!
Now for Preston. He's a decent guy. He's a little lost, socially. He has some childhood trauma he hasn't fully dealt with and it's made him wary of strangers and of food allergies. His overreaction to Hazel's problem makes sense when he explains it but he should have explained it in a letter to Auntie Rhode and Uncle Mason and apologized. What he says in his article is TRUE and necessary to raise awareness, however, I am on Lissie's side when it comes to the Four Treasures. He already dealt with the issue yet he still has to name names not thinking about the people who own the restaurant, not realizing they sunk everything they have into it because he's SO CRAZY RICH! He certainly didn't think about the waitress who was fired. I would wonder if she was OK and whether she'd be able to get another job. He was the cause of her misfortune.
Unfortunately for me, Preston doesn't cut it as Darcy. I'm not a Darcy fan but the one thing I appreciate about Darcy is he changes for Elizabeth. He realizes what she says is true and he's a snob. No he doesn't have autism, no he's not shy. He comes right out and says he was a selfish being all his life. He was taught to think highly of himself but not others. Such he was from 8 to Eight and Twenty until he met Elizabeth. "I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately, an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing -- to care for none beyond my own family circle, to think meanly of all the rest of the world, to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight-and-twenty;" (Chapter 58) THAT is what makes Darcy a hero.
Preston is just an average kind of guy. He's nice enough. He makes mistakes and can be blind sometimes. Preston is a better friend to Charles than Darcy is to Bingley at least I assume so. Again that part of the story is missing! The section of Jane being in London is missing. The breakup was mutual based on timing and other issues. Preston is not selfish like Darcy and he's not so snobby. Lissie willfully misunderstands him until she lets him explain. His actions make sense when he explains. He's kind to her when she needs a friend and great with JoJo.
Preston's beef with Wayman is so one-sided. Sure Wayman is self-centered but Preston doesn't quite know how much. THANKFULLY Wayman is not as bad as Mr. Wickham and nowhere near what Lissie fears. I had to skip ahead to make sure of that before I carried on reading. Someone else is more to blame for what happens at the end of the book but more Wayman shares some of that blame. He relies on his charm to win friends and influence people. Some parents have concerns he's too good looking and there seemed to be a concern that his coaching methods were unorthodox but that doesn't come up again. He encourages the kids to do their best and improve and although he had an ulterior motive, he rewards JoJo when she deserves it. Too bad he's Mr. Wickham. I was kind of hoping he wasn't!
Lissie's friend and roommate Mel is also studying literature while boyfriend hunting. She's Catholic and has funny ideas about how to bargain with God to get a boyfriend. She's nice enough and supportive of Jenny and Lissie. Their other roommate, Nelson, doesn't have a direct parallel in the original novel. Maybe Lydia because he dates boys that are bad for him. He doesn't want to be alone, not even for one second. I have heard it's extra difficult to find a meaningful relationship for LGBTQ+ people. He doesn't seem like he's only interested in hook-ups, he wants someone to appreciate him. Nelson is kind of whiny and selfish. I found him annoying and he didn't add anything to the story. I did really like Darren, the Mr. Collins character. He's not icky like Mr. Collins. Darren is a good friend to the family even if he's hoping to score with Jenny at first. He's socially awkward at times but that comes from spending too much time in academia and with his parents. Darren's friend Jay is a random character, a Mr. Bingley type who moves the story forward. I found him refreshing and original. Cousin Jeremy seems like a loser. He certainly isn't fulfilling his parents' expectations or following their hopes and dreams. He barely cares about the restaurant and spends all his time in his room playing video games. UGH. I don't understand him but he's not a bad person. He needs to mature a lot more.
With less Pride and Prejudice and more character development this would have appealed to me a lot more. I hope the author writes a sequel so we can find out what happens next for the characters. I can see JoJo as Emma!
February 6, 2024
Christina Hwang Dudley's "Pride and Preston Lin" is a refreshing take on Jane Austen's classic "Pride and Prejudice." It's always a tall order when an author seeks to retell such an iconic story, however, Dudley manages to do so brilliantly. I particularly enjoyed the setting and the layering in of the Chinese culture. I enjoyed Lissie independence and watching her character develop throughout the novel. The only area I wasn't so crazy about was the fact that P and P already existed in this universe, nevertheless, it does not take away from the story Dudley has crafted.
I would recommend this book to fans who enjoy P and P retellings and fans of contemporary Austen romance.
8/10 stars.
Thank you so much to Net Galley and Third State Books for allowing me to enjoy this book ahead of its release.
All reviews are my own opinion.
I would recommend this book to fans who enjoy P and P retellings and fans of contemporary Austen romance.
8/10 stars.
Thank you so much to Net Galley and Third State Books for allowing me to enjoy this book ahead of its release.
All reviews are my own opinion.
February 8, 2024
Lissie and Preston are Lizzie and Darcy.. but modernized. I read ALL the Jane Austen modernizations so when I saw this one I knew I had to have it. This one has an added twist with Asian culture and flair. When I read these variations I always try to see if I can pick out which characters are supposed to be which. I have to admit, I struggled with this one. I know there are a lot of characters in Pride and Prejudice, but the amount of characters in this book was a lot. I really had a hard time keeping track of all that was going on in it from the swimming, to the restuarant, to which school who attended and what major they had and which person was a friend of whose. It got a little overwhelming. I felt like the love story part, the growth of character part for Lissie and Preston was an afterthought.
It might have been the mood I was in, or the fact I just read another JA retelling, but this one fell a bit flat for me. I really did enjoy the story and how the author made it her own, I just felt like it was a little too distracting to try to keep up with all the side characters and names.
Thanks to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for an early copy.
It might have been the mood I was in, or the fact I just read another JA retelling, but this one fell a bit flat for me. I really did enjoy the story and how the author made it her own, I just felt like it was a little too distracting to try to keep up with all the side characters and names.
Thanks to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for an early copy.
January 7, 2024
Adorable Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice
Read this ARC via NetGalley
I love this modern update on one of my favorite stories. Although it’s a story I know inside and out, the author did a great job updating it so not everything was predictable. Once I got about 20% through the book I couldn’t put the book down (thankfully for children I finished in the last 3/4 of the book in a day).
I can’t wait for this book to come out and have a chance to reread again!
Highly recommend for all Pride & Prejudice fans that like a good modern update of the story.
Read this ARC via NetGalley
I love this modern update on one of my favorite stories. Although it’s a story I know inside and out, the author did a great job updating it so not everything was predictable. Once I got about 20% through the book I couldn’t put the book down (thankfully for children I finished in the last 3/4 of the book in a day).
I can’t wait for this book to come out and have a chance to reread again!
Highly recommend for all Pride & Prejudice fans that like a good modern update of the story.
July 22, 2024
'The most wonderful girl I've ever met likes me back.'
I love this book. That's the take away. If you trust me to recommend your next read, read this one. I love Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice is so good. I also absolutely adore retellings. So, what could wrong?
Nothing. Nothing went wrong.
If you like P&P, swimming, Chinese good, books set in the AAPI community, letters, misunderstandings and all the lovely tension that makes Darcy and Elizabeth a couple for the ages, read this book. Seriously.
I love this book. That's the take away. If you trust me to recommend your next read, read this one. I love Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice is so good. I also absolutely adore retellings. So, what could wrong?
Nothing. Nothing went wrong.
If you like P&P, swimming, Chinese good, books set in the AAPI community, letters, misunderstandings and all the lovely tension that makes Darcy and Elizabeth a couple for the ages, read this book. Seriously.
February 28, 2024
Pride and Preston Lin is basically little women x pride and prejeduce sprinkle a bit of Crazy Rich Asians on top and you'll have an allright modernised book. Personally It was fun to read, i might not be asian-american but I am poc so i definitely was able to relate to some things if they had happened to my life before.
The writing was standard YA material, the chemistry between them could've been so much better imo.
The writing was standard YA material, the chemistry between them could've been so much better imo.
March 20, 2024
At the core, this book is a modern twist on Pride and Prejudice, but with a fresh pair of characters: Lissie and Preston, who are Chinese-American. It's a delightful, light-hearted romance that takes Austen's classic and gives it a fun new spin. It all starts with a shellfish allergy at Lissie’s Aunty’s restaurant, where she meets this tall, handsome picture-perfect Preston Lin. But when Lissie mistakenly serves shellfish to Preston’s friend, he does not let her off easily.
It features the classic enemies-to-lover trope, but what truly captivated me was the slow-burn romance. Despite, Preston being the GOLDEN BOY, Lissie takes her time falling for Preston. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that the essence of the story lies in unravelling each other's values and perspectives, blurring the lines between truth and perception.
I read this novel simultaneously with Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and one thing I can clearly say is, that Christina does not fail to capture the essence of the events from the original novel in her retelling. As this is not just a mere copy of the original but rather a retelling that uses a different time frame and cultural context to illustrate how, even after centuries, our pride and prejudice still create barriers between us.
Her witty writing style is top-notch, and I could not help but burst out laughing at Lissie’s smart remarks. But what I enjoyed the most was the bond between these sisters; the relationship between Jenny, Lissie and Jojo reminded me of Jenny Han’s “All The Boys I Have Loved Before”. It was an aspect of the story that I wish I could read more about, if there ever is a sequel, I need more of their sisterhood journey.
Overall, all I can say is that if you enjoy Pride and Prejudice, enemies to lovers, misunderstood young adults and just a fun romance in general. You need to pick this book up, cause last night I was up till 3 am reading this and I had a 9 am class today. So pick this up and make it your perfect spring read, you will not regret it!
It features the classic enemies-to-lover trope, but what truly captivated me was the slow-burn romance. Despite, Preston being the GOLDEN BOY, Lissie takes her time falling for Preston. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that the essence of the story lies in unravelling each other's values and perspectives, blurring the lines between truth and perception.
I read this novel simultaneously with Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and one thing I can clearly say is, that Christina does not fail to capture the essence of the events from the original novel in her retelling. As this is not just a mere copy of the original but rather a retelling that uses a different time frame and cultural context to illustrate how, even after centuries, our pride and prejudice still create barriers between us.
Her witty writing style is top-notch, and I could not help but burst out laughing at Lissie’s smart remarks. But what I enjoyed the most was the bond between these sisters; the relationship between Jenny, Lissie and Jojo reminded me of Jenny Han’s “All The Boys I Have Loved Before”. It was an aspect of the story that I wish I could read more about, if there ever is a sequel, I need more of their sisterhood journey.
Overall, all I can say is that if you enjoy Pride and Prejudice, enemies to lovers, misunderstood young adults and just a fun romance in general. You need to pick this book up, cause last night I was up till 3 am reading this and I had a 9 am class today. So pick this up and make it your perfect spring read, you will not regret it!
March 8, 2024
Title: Pride & Preston Lin By Christina Hwang Dudley
Release date: March 19th, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.
In "Pride and Preston Lin" by Christina Hwang Dudley, readers are treated to a delightful romcom that offers a fresh take on Jane Austen's classic "Pride and Prejudice." Set in modern times with a Chinese cultural backdrop, this novel combines humor, romance, and cultural exploration into a sweet story.
Following Lissie Cheng, the middle sister of three, who accidentally serves a dish containing shellfish paste to an allergic customer from the wealthy Lin family.
This mishap leads to conflict between Lissie and Preston Lin, the golden boy of the Lin family.
Even though they started off like oil and water, fate kept nudging them closer, igniting an epic quest to conquer egos and biases.
As the story unfolds, readers are treated to a hilarious and earnest tale of love, misunderstandings, and self-discovery.
Dudley's characters are vibrant , each bringing their own quirks and complexities to the story. From Lissie's fiery personality to Preston's self-assured demeanor, readers will find themselves drawn into their slow burn dynamic relationship. Adding a sprinkle of Chinese culture to the mix brings a whole new layer to the characters' adventures, giving a fresh twist to familiar storylines.
With a dash of sass from its main character, "Pride and Preston Lin" serves up a delightful blend of humor and warmth, blending the essence of Austen's timeless tale with a contemporary flair that's sure to tickle the fancy of readers.
Whether you're a fan of "Pride and Prejudice" or simply looking for a sweet and entertaining read, "Pride and Preston Lin" is sure to leave you smiling.
Release date: March 19th, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.
In "Pride and Preston Lin" by Christina Hwang Dudley, readers are treated to a delightful romcom that offers a fresh take on Jane Austen's classic "Pride and Prejudice." Set in modern times with a Chinese cultural backdrop, this novel combines humor, romance, and cultural exploration into a sweet story.
Following Lissie Cheng, the middle sister of three, who accidentally serves a dish containing shellfish paste to an allergic customer from the wealthy Lin family.
This mishap leads to conflict between Lissie and Preston Lin, the golden boy of the Lin family.
Even though they started off like oil and water, fate kept nudging them closer, igniting an epic quest to conquer egos and biases.
As the story unfolds, readers are treated to a hilarious and earnest tale of love, misunderstandings, and self-discovery.
Dudley's characters are vibrant , each bringing their own quirks and complexities to the story. From Lissie's fiery personality to Preston's self-assured demeanor, readers will find themselves drawn into their slow burn dynamic relationship. Adding a sprinkle of Chinese culture to the mix brings a whole new layer to the characters' adventures, giving a fresh twist to familiar storylines.
With a dash of sass from its main character, "Pride and Preston Lin" serves up a delightful blend of humor and warmth, blending the essence of Austen's timeless tale with a contemporary flair that's sure to tickle the fancy of readers.
Whether you're a fan of "Pride and Prejudice" or simply looking for a sweet and entertaining read, "Pride and Preston Lin" is sure to leave you smiling.
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August 28, 20253.5/4 stars. This was an engaging read that was pretty well paced throughout. Enough changes were made from the original Pride and Prejudice to keep it fresh in a contemporary setting (not unlike Bridget Jones, but closer). I really enjoyed it, and thought it was uniquely done. The Bay Area setting was fun, as well as some of the geographical references. The Wentworth character was handled in an interesting way. I liked the Mr. Collins character, too. The Fall Ball was pretty cool, too. The writing was pretty creative.
There was a point where there was mention of Lady Lucas being irritated in the original Pride and Prejudice that her daughter was being married first that felt off, but I haven't read the original. The referencing that Lady Lucas may not have sons also felt off, because she had at least one. But, the writing was engaging and fast enough not to bother me as the whole mentioning of Pride and Prejudice in a Pride and Prejudice retelling just feels like fluffy silliness that is ridiculous, so it was already not really taken seriously. Though, it is slightly disappointing that the person giving a thesis project related to Pride and Prejudice would make factual errors about it, but at least it's not a woman solving a data set in a book hyped to be a good representation of women in STEM (I will let this go when I die).
Anyway, I enjoyed the narrative voice of the writing and when I added the audiobook from the library to accompany it, the actual narrated enhanced it. I enjoyed the family dynamics and the slow development between Lissie and her younger sister and cousin, as well as some of the other things happening. Not everything was tied up with a bow, but the author could easily revisit some of the characters and tell their stories with small nods and appearances to the other characters here.
There was a point where there was mention of Lady Lucas being irritated in the original Pride and Prejudice that her daughter was being married first that felt off, but I haven't read the original. The referencing that Lady Lucas may not have sons also felt off, because she had at least one. But, the writing was engaging and fast enough not to bother me as the whole mentioning of Pride and Prejudice in a Pride and Prejudice retelling just feels like fluffy silliness that is ridiculous, so it was already not really taken seriously. Though, it is slightly disappointing that the person giving a thesis project related to Pride and Prejudice would make factual errors about it, but at least it's not a woman solving a data set in a book hyped to be a good representation of women in STEM (I will let this go when I die).
Anyway, I enjoyed the narrative voice of the writing and when I added the audiobook from the library to accompany it, the actual narrated enhanced it. I enjoyed the family dynamics and the slow development between Lissie and her younger sister and cousin, as well as some of the other things happening. Not everything was tied up with a bow, but the author could easily revisit some of the characters and tell their stories with small nods and appearances to the other characters here.
March 19, 2024
As I dived into "Pride and Preston Lin," it whisked me back to cherished memories of summer beach reads that I couldn't put down, with the comfort of familiar references to my favorite foods and beloved local landmarks from growing up in the Bay Area.
The narrative unfolds along a familiar arc: boy meets girl, and initial animosity brews between them. Yet, fate continues to entwine their paths in unexpected ways. Over time, Lissie, the story's protagonist, discovers that appearances can be deceiving. Whether it's inadvertently triggering an allergic reaction in a family friend of Preston Lim's, stumbling upon him awkwardly at an open house, or being dragged to a party where he's present, Lissie grapples with her resolve to dislike Preston, resisting his charm, impressive credentials, and unwavering convictions.
Christina Hwang Dudley skillfully crafts this tale, offering poignant insights as the characters navigate beyond their individual bubbles, fostering empathy for situations and experiences often hidden surface appearances. The book has a humor, relatability, warmth and a well-paced narrative. Its perspective from an Asian American heroine, intertwined with cultural touchstones enriches the story's resonance without overshadowing its universal appeal.
As Lissie's perceptions gradually shift in response to Preston's growing self-awareness, readers find themselves eagerly rooting for a happy resolution, despite their rocky introduction.
Heartfelt gratitude to Christina Hwang Dudley for reimagining "Pride and Prejudice" through a lens that connects with the AAPI community. Such narratives are a testament to the rich diversity of stories enriching our literary options today.
The narrative unfolds along a familiar arc: boy meets girl, and initial animosity brews between them. Yet, fate continues to entwine their paths in unexpected ways. Over time, Lissie, the story's protagonist, discovers that appearances can be deceiving. Whether it's inadvertently triggering an allergic reaction in a family friend of Preston Lim's, stumbling upon him awkwardly at an open house, or being dragged to a party where he's present, Lissie grapples with her resolve to dislike Preston, resisting his charm, impressive credentials, and unwavering convictions.
Christina Hwang Dudley skillfully crafts this tale, offering poignant insights as the characters navigate beyond their individual bubbles, fostering empathy for situations and experiences often hidden surface appearances. The book has a humor, relatability, warmth and a well-paced narrative. Its perspective from an Asian American heroine, intertwined with cultural touchstones enriches the story's resonance without overshadowing its universal appeal.
As Lissie's perceptions gradually shift in response to Preston's growing self-awareness, readers find themselves eagerly rooting for a happy resolution, despite their rocky introduction.
Heartfelt gratitude to Christina Hwang Dudley for reimagining "Pride and Prejudice" through a lens that connects with the AAPI community. Such narratives are a testament to the rich diversity of stories enriching our literary options today.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 19, 2024i was really excited to learn about Third State Books bc I love the idea of a publishing company dedicated to seeking & publishing AAPI voices. i requested access to one of their inaugural novels and tl;dr found myself utterly disappointed. like heart dropping to the gutter that’s overflowing with sludge kind of disappointed. PRIDE AND PRESTON LIN is supposedly a humorous and fun retelling of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE but it falls short of not only the retelling aspect but also the lifting up AAPI voices aspect.
there is a scene that i cannot get out of my head. i’ma set it up for you and you’ll see why it weighs so heavily on my heart. female lead Lissie is a writer finishing up her degree at local Bay Area college. Preston, the love interest dude, is a grad student at Stanford. dude is also a renown swimmer in the swim bubble. Lissie & Preston are strolling around flirting when Preston physically lifts her up. two passing runners physically restrain Preston and ask Lissie if she is ok. trying to contain her laughter, Lissie explains they were just goofing off and she is ok. the runners are not convinced and ask her again before she dismisses them by holding Preston’s hand. After the runners leave, she tells Preston that she saved his ass.
I live in Northern California. I was here when we recalled Judge Persky for letting Brock Turner off with a mere slap on the wrist for assaulting Chanel Miller. I was here and it was a BFD. You know who also lives in NorCal? Christina Hwang Dudley.
here’s my tip for writing fun retellings:
DO NOT JOKE ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT. DO NOT MAKE LIGHT OF BYSTANDER INTERVENTION. AND DO NOT MINIMIZE CHANEL MILLER’S STORY.
if you made it this far: hard pass on PAPL. I’m not gonna wish anyone a happy pub day bc this book should have nvr gone to print. As for Third State Books: DO BETTER.
there is a scene that i cannot get out of my head. i’ma set it up for you and you’ll see why it weighs so heavily on my heart. female lead Lissie is a writer finishing up her degree at local Bay Area college. Preston, the love interest dude, is a grad student at Stanford. dude is also a renown swimmer in the swim bubble. Lissie & Preston are strolling around flirting when Preston physically lifts her up. two passing runners physically restrain Preston and ask Lissie if she is ok. trying to contain her laughter, Lissie explains they were just goofing off and she is ok. the runners are not convinced and ask her again before she dismisses them by holding Preston’s hand. After the runners leave, she tells Preston that she saved his ass.
I live in Northern California. I was here when we recalled Judge Persky for letting Brock Turner off with a mere slap on the wrist for assaulting Chanel Miller. I was here and it was a BFD. You know who also lives in NorCal? Christina Hwang Dudley.
here’s my tip for writing fun retellings:
DO NOT JOKE ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT. DO NOT MAKE LIGHT OF BYSTANDER INTERVENTION. AND DO NOT MINIMIZE CHANEL MILLER’S STORY.
if you made it this far: hard pass on PAPL. I’m not gonna wish anyone a happy pub day bc this book should have nvr gone to print. As for Third State Books: DO BETTER.
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