MY PRIDE, HIS PREJUDICE
by Jenni James
Excerpt
The handsome man knelt down on one knee in front of her on her entranceway tile and reached into his chest pocket. "I was saying--"
"No!" She put her fingers over his to prevent him from pulling out the inevitable ring. A warm, solid hand met hers, and Eliza quickly pulled away. "I...er...I just meant that maybe you shouldn't get too excited. I really don't think we'd work out as a couple."
Will Darcy, Salt Lake City's hottest and wealthiest bachelor, gave her a strange look. "What do you mean, we wouldn't work out?"
There was no way he was serious. She wanted to roll her eyes, but didn't. "I'm assuming you haven't had very many women turn you down for anything, have you?"
He cleared his throat and slowly made his way back to a standing position. "So...are you turning me down?"
Now that they were both standing, she couldn't help but notice just how very tall he was, or how broad his shoulders actually were. Good grief--no wonder so many women fell for his charm. The man was like a cover-model-movie-god. Ugh. She hated his type. Eliza took a deep breath. "Yes, I am. But I'd like to thank you for the...er...amazing honor this is."
"Wait." He tilted his head. "Are you saying you had no idea I felt this way?"
She nearly choked. "About me? That you wanted to marry me? Uh--no." Like that would've ever entered her mind. They could barely stand to be around each other, let alone snuggle next to each other at night. Oh. My. Word. She shuddered. That was the closest she would ever get to that image again. Yeesh.
He put his hands in his pockets and nodded. "Nice. I start to propose, and not only do you reject me, but you shudder as you do it."
Her jaw dropped slightly. What is going on? "What am I supposed to do? I thought you despised me. But more importantly than that--why? Why me? Why now?" Elizabeth looked around and raised her hands, palms up. There had to be a camera somewhere, right? "Is--is this a joke?"
"No, Eliza, it isn't a joke. He rubbed his face and stared off into the distance. She could see his emotional wall going up between them like an iron wedge.
He couldn't be serious. "Wait! Just answer me."
"No!" She put her fingers over his to prevent him from pulling out the inevitable ring. A warm, solid hand met hers, and Eliza quickly pulled away. "I...er...I just meant that maybe you shouldn't get too excited. I really don't think we'd work out as a couple."
Will Darcy, Salt Lake City's hottest and wealthiest bachelor, gave her a strange look. "What do you mean, we wouldn't work out?"
There was no way he was serious. She wanted to roll her eyes, but didn't. "I'm assuming you haven't had very many women turn you down for anything, have you?"
He cleared his throat and slowly made his way back to a standing position. "So...are you turning me down?"
Now that they were both standing, she couldn't help but notice just how very tall he was, or how broad his shoulders actually were. Good grief--no wonder so many women fell for his charm. The man was like a cover-model-movie-god. Ugh. She hated his type. Eliza took a deep breath. "Yes, I am. But I'd like to thank you for the...er...amazing honor this is."
"Wait." He tilted his head. "Are you saying you had no idea I felt this way?"
She nearly choked. "About me? That you wanted to marry me? Uh--no." Like that would've ever entered her mind. They could barely stand to be around each other, let alone snuggle next to each other at night. Oh. My. Word. She shuddered. That was the closest she would ever get to that image again. Yeesh.
He put his hands in his pockets and nodded. "Nice. I start to propose, and not only do you reject me, but you shudder as you do it."
Her jaw dropped slightly. What is going on? "What am I supposed to do? I thought you despised me. But more importantly than that--why? Why me? Why now?" Elizabeth looked around and raised her hands, palms up. There had to be a camera somewhere, right? "Is--is this a joke?"
"No, Eliza, it isn't a joke. He rubbed his face and stared off into the distance. She could see his emotional wall going up between them like an iron wedge.
He couldn't be serious. "Wait! Just answer me."
My Review
I LOVE JENNI JAMES' BOOKS! Everything she writes is FANTASTIC!
This is a DARLING story! A PERFECT twist on the Jane Austen book!
My favorite quote:
This is a DARLING story! A PERFECT twist on the Jane Austen book!
While you still get the story of a family with unwed daughters and you read of Jane and Elizabeth and of course there is Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy...This story is set in modern times.
But love is love no matter what and sometimes people do marry for greed of someone else's money.
And sometimes girls and boys (and men and women) just don't understand what is really going on in the other person's mind...And that makes for GREAT READING!
My favorite quote:
"So this is what love was. This unbelievable urge to help when needed, to car for, and uplift, and worry over, and tease, and argue, and miss. It'd only been four or five hours, but she missed him."
This story will leave you smiling for a long time!
SO. SO. SO. LOVED. IT!
About the Author
Then low and behold, the summer I was sixteen I had completely exhausted EVERY book I owned and almost all of my siblings' books, as well. (There were 5 siblings--not an easy feat I tell you!) With a desperate case of boredom and hair-pulling-cabin-fever anxiety, I finally, grudgingly brought down the book. I went ahead and started with Pride and Prejudice, just to prove to myself it wasn't worth the time.
One and a half days later, I finished. Sleep deprived, hungry and exhausted, but I finished! It was officially the first book I couldn't put down! It was SO amazing! Afterwards, I devoured every one of Jane Austen's novels, and I haven't stopped since.
Now, as my own daughter gets closer to this wonderfully draining attempt at teenhood, I wanted to share the same stories with her, but in a way she can relate to. I began to rewrite (More like channel) Pride & Popularity in the middle of March and was finished in just 6 weeks! All 25 chapters. It was such an amazing experience. Before I had even begun the long editing process new characters started to talk to me and hound me into writing their stories too.
I have 7 rambunctious kiddos and when I'm not chasing my kids around the house, I'm dreaming of new amazing stories to write!
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