ARC review, book review, young adult

Accomplished by Amanda Quain (ARC Review)

Title: Accomplished
Author: Amanda Quain
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Date published: July 26, 2022

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Georgiana Darcy should have been expelled after The Incident with Wickham Foster last year – at least if you ask any of her Pemberley Academy classmates. She may have escaped expulsion because of her family name, but she didn’t escape the disappointment of her big brother Fitz, the scorn of the entire school, or, it turns out, Wickham’s influence.

But she’s back for her junior year, and she needs to prove to everyone—Fitz, Wickham, her former friends, and maybe even herself—that she’s more than just an embarrassment to the family name. How hard can it be to become the Perfect Darcy? All she has to do is:

– Rebuild her reputation with the marching band (even if it kills her)
– Forget about Wickham and his lies (no matter how tempting they still are), and
– Distract Fitz Darcy—helicopter-sibling extraordinaire—by getting him to fall in love with his classmate, Lizzie Bennet (this one might be difficult…)

Sure, it’s a complicated plan, but so is being a Darcy. With the help of her fellow bandmate, Avery, matchmaking ideas lifted straight from her favorite fanfics, and a whole lot of pancakes, Georgie is going to see every one of her plans through. But when the weight of being the Perfect Darcy comes crashing down, Georgie will have to find her own way before she loses everything permanently—including the one guy who sees her for who she really is.

⤖ My Review ⬻

Accomplished by Amanda Quain is a young adult novel set in a boarding school and is a retelling of the classic novel Pride and Prejudice. As a fan of Pride and Prejudice retellings and books set in boarding schools, I was eager to read this novel because I anticipated the combination would be fun. I also liked that story also follows Georgiana, Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, instead of the usual Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy focus, which I was excited to experience. 

Unfortunately, now having read it, I’m sorry to share that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the novel. The writing either didn’t quite connect with me or I wasn’t in the mood for teen drama—or maybe a combination of both. I also wasn’t Georgiana’s biggest fan…and because I can’t quite put my finger on why, I feel like it must be her character as a whole that I didn’t click with.

A photograph by Flavia the Bibliophile of an ARC of Accomplished by Amanda Quain

That being said, I think other fans of young adult novels set in boarding schools and/or Pride and Prejudice retellings would still enjoy Amanda Quain’s Accomplished. The story is full of secrets and drama that will keep readers entertained. Some readers may also be intrigued by the idea of Georgiana taking the lead role in this story rather than Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.

Overall, Accomplished by Amanda Quain is a dramatic, fast-moving read with a unique twist on the classic Pride and Prejudice story…and despite this not being the book for me, I believe it’s still worth a read for those who enjoy some of the things I noted above!

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Amanda Quain is a writer, indie bookseller, and general life enthusiast. When she’s not shouting about her favorite new books, she loves theatre, baking, rock climbing, marching band, and the overall pursuit of adventure. If forced to choose, Amanda’s favorite Austen hero is Edward Ferrars, though she’ll always have a soft spot for Mr. Bingley. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and her cat. Accomplished is her first novel.

⤖ Places to Purchase the Book ⬻

⤖ Let's Chat ⬻

Thank you for reading my review! Have you read this book? What did you think? And if you haven’t read it yet, do you plan to? Let me know in the comments!

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