Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Pride & Papercuts by Staci Hart

The Austen series is coming to an end. The final book in the series is LIVE! I'm so excited to read Pride & Papercuts, a modern love story inspired by Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice! Have you grabbed your copy yet?

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Hate is a strong word.

Depending on the company, loathe is a good substitute. Abhor might be a little fancy, but it gets the job done. But the word that really sums up how I feel about Liam Darcy is, without question, hate.

He doesn’t seem to think much of me either. The second he lays his fault-seeking eyes on me, he sets out to oppose me. Everything about him is imposing, as if he consumes the nearby air to power the rise and fall of his broad chest, and it’s clear he resents my presence on his advertising team. Every idea I have is shot down. Every olive branch I offer is set on fire by nothing more than the blistering coals he calls eyes.

In return, I light him up with my words.

It’s not as if he can dismiss me, since I work for his client, Wasted Words. Instead, he’s forced to tolerate me, which seems the closest we’ll ever be to friends. Fine by me.

I can be civil and still hate Liam Darcy.

But if there’s more to him than his exterior shows, I won’t be able to hate him at all. I might stumble over that line between love and hate and fall right into his arms.

Review
5 Stars
The Austens has quickly become my favorite series, these retellings are so perfect and accurate. Pride and Papercuts is, quite obviously, a Pride and Prejudice retelling that is the perfect friends-to-lovers romance. Featuring stuffy board rooms, the most perfect bookstore, and two stubborn individuals who can't see that the hatred burning bright between them has a whole lot more to it. 

The Bennet family is known for their flower shop and some of the huge drama that's come with it, but Laney and Jett Bennet have chosen to not be a part of the family business. They're right around the corner, there when needed, but both are making their own way at a book shop and bar known as Wasted Words. Long time Staci fans will recognize that name. Laney is part of the team that will be expanding Wasted Words into new cities, heading up the local marketing campaign. She knows Liam Darcy might be a pain as he heads up the overall campaign, but their first meeting is only the start of their crashing. They butt heads at every turn, their drive and spirit are so similar they don't even recognize it in one another, and they've both made a choice to ignore the lust threatening to boil over. 

"So the moment would pass, and we would settle back into our space-mine dark, hers light-forever in opposition."

I love love love the time we've spent at the flower shop, the Bennets home is so warm and I can quite literally smell it when Staci Hart describes it, but stepping into the bookshop with Laney is like a coming home feeling. She seeks success, independence, and without realizing it, love, too. I think I might relate to her more than any other character Staci has given us, from our careers to our families to our stubbornness, Laney is a lot like me. She's a bit...obstinate. ;) Liam Darcy, on the other hand, is broody, demanding, a bit of an emotional mess, and its in the getting to know him that readers will fall for him alongside Laney.

Family, friendship, love, loyalty, Pride and Papercuts touches on it all. From arguments and life lessons to stolen kisses and profound discoveries, Laney and Liam have the kind of enemies-to-lovers romance that is my favorite kind. It's so dang passionate. On top of that, the world building in this one is just amazing, the secondary characters bring it all together, especially Jett and Georgie. Siblings are a must have! It's a modern day retelling that has the right amount of characters that, if you're a big P&P fan, you can fulfill every character with that from the book (or movie). If you need a read with that yearning, slow burn romance, look no further. 

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. When she's not writing, she's reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

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