Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh

July 1, 2023
Audrey Cameron has hit a roadblock. Literally. Audrey doesn't know how to move on: Charlie, her boyfriend, dumped her; she got wait-listed at her first-choice art school; and then she accidentally rode her bicycle headfirst into Charlie's car. Luckily, elderly Mr. Montgomery, a regular customer at her family's store in Pittsburgh, tosses her a quarter that magically transports Audrey through time and space back to 1812 England, where she meets prim and proper Lucy Sinclair. Most of the story takes place in the English countryside at Radcliffe, Lucy's father's estate, where the two girls become fast friends despite their cultural and temporal differences. Written in alternating first-person points of view, the book presents the two main characters' voices, but they are sometimes not so easy to tell apart. Nevertheless, readers will find it immensely satisfying to observe past and present cultures through each narrator's lens. While the time-travel element could have been better fleshed out, the details of Regency-era fashions and ways of life more than carry this sweet, queer romance. The villains are delightfully satisfying, and the supporting cast members are swoonworthy and invite empathy. It's a delicious will-they, won't-they romance across time and space. Main characters read white; Lucy has a cousin who is Black. Perfect for fans of Outlander and Bridgerton. (Historical romance. 14-18)

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Starred review from July 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Though art has always been her dream, Audrey hasn't drawn in months, since her ex-boyfriend, Charlie, encouraged her to change styles to appeal to colleges and then broke up with her. Audrey still has a chance, though: RISD asked her to submit more pieces in order to take her off the waitlist, but she can't find any inspiration in art or in love--until the grumpy regular at her parents' corner store, Mr. Montgomery, flips a quarter that sends her back in time two hundred years to 1812 England. Lucy Sinclair didn't know what to expect from life, being promised in marriage by her cruel father to an equally distasteful Mr. Caldwell, but it wasn't to find Audrey appearing out of nowhere on her property. Despite their differences, the two devise a plan to send Audrey home: they'll find her an inspirational romance from among a selection of suitors in Lucy's social circles, but as they work, they find themselves more drawn to each other. The relationship between Lucy and Audrey could not be sweeter, as Audrey brings out a fearlessness in cautious, practical Lucy, while ever-the-muse Lucy inspires Audrey to take the emotional risks she's subconsciously been avoiding, both in her art and love life. The cast of colorful supporting characters is so much fun, especially master matchmaker Mr. Montgomery. A gem of a book.

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December 15, 2023

Gr 9 Up-Audrey lives in modern-day Pittsburgh, where she loves her family but feels burnt out and stuck in a rut, desperate to attend her dream art college but unable to find her creative spark to finish her portfolio. Lucy lives in 1812 England, where she's doing her best to live up to her autocratic father's expectation that she marry a man she doesn't love and fit into a traditional wifely role. When Audrey is abruptly transported to Lucy's time and place, both girls have to make big adjustments while becoming fast friends and navigating differing social expectations. Their friendship soon blossoms into more, but how will they make this romance a reality if they are from different times? This sweet LGBTQIA+ love story with a twist is told from the two main characters' perspectives in alternating chapters. Both girls are white, and initially confused by the feelings they develop for one another. Lucy especially, as an aristocratic lady, must cope with society and her father's expectations, which definitely do not include being gay. Readers will relate to Audrey's modern-day challenges, but will also learn from Lucy and gain a new appreciation for the limitations she experienced as a woman in the 19th century. Character growth is steady, and while the plot moves a bit slowly, anyone who reads period classics will appreciate the attention to time-appropriate details such as ladies' complicated clothing, social etiquette, dancing at balls, and how aristocrats ran their households. VERDICT Purchase for libraries where historical romances and the classics are popular.-Christine Case

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