Pride & Papercuts REVIEW

You guys...this book is EVERYTHING!

I barely have the words to write a review, because there's no way to do it justice except to say: Go. Read. Swoon. Cry. Laugh. Love. Forevermore.

I'm both thrilled and broken hearted that the Bennet's saga has come to a close. Thrilled because this story is amazing. As always, I'm in awe of Ms. Hart's writing. The richness, the detail, the distinct flair - unforgettable. Broken hearted-because this journey has been so unbelievably wonderful. This book was JUST what I needed rights now in my own life - I used 2 colors to highlight on my Kindle - blue for everything that the characters thought, felt, reacted, and verbalized that resonated so very strongly with me, and pink for all the perfect...moments, dialogue, wit, emotion, descriptors, tension, family, loyalty, and love. All.The.Perfect.

From the very first page, and the very first "Mr. Darcy", I was all in on Laney's story. A fabulous addition to the entire tale is Laney's twin brother Jett's path to happiness and love intertwined with her own. Seamless and flawless. We also get plenty of time with the rest of the Bennet family, and Longbourne - it certainly does feel good to go home, doesn't it?

Laney and Liam have a volatile hate-to-love journey that begins with a clash of words and personalities and ends with a bang. I'm thrilled with this sassy, modern retelling of the quintessential romance. The loyalty that Laney and Liam have to their families, their values, and ultimately to each other was a sight to behold. Some of my favorite parts were the inner dialogue of Liam. He's too...EVERYTHING, but hiding behind that stiff upper lip is is a heart of molten gold. Pulling off a retelling of a story such as this is not for the faint of heart. Ms. Hart rose to the occasion, laughed in its face, and gave us all the pride, the nostalgia of an old favorite, the wordsmith magic of her writing, the chemistry of our fierce, funny, and intensely angsty couple. She has outdone herself yet again and saved the best for last with Pride and Papercuts. Talk about a love for the ages!

I want to give this book 100 stars. Sparkly gold ones. Please picture that at the top, instead of the measly 5 I'm allowed to give. If you didn't know you needed this story in your life...well, now you do. After I reread this one (doesn't everyone do that with the best books?), I'll be impatiently awaiting Ms. Hart's next endeavor. Her silky smooth writing style, the beautiful storylines, lush descriptions, and of course the deep, raw, amazingly flawed, true, and honest characters she develops are pure magic.

My general rating rationale:

3 – Perfectly fine story, perhaps some minor editorial errors. Entertaining. Typically with this rating I feel like there could have been MORE – be it believably/relatability, character development, internal dialogue, explanations or depth, richness to the overall storyline, etc. May lose a bit of engagement here and there but always finish reading.

4 – A very good book. Engaging, with well-developed characters, a great plot, relatable scenarios; keeps you invested to the last page. Would recommend to reader friends.

5 – Can’t say enough amazing things, loved the characters, fabulously detailed plot, a quick hook, intense investment in both story and characters (including supporting characters) throughout the book. Will tell anyone who will listen that they should read it.