The Story
Synopsis of Accomplished: A Georgie Darcy Novel from the Publisher
Georgiana Darcy gets the Pride & Prejudice retelling she deserves in Accomplished, a sparkling contemporary YA featuring a healthy dose of marching band romance, endless banter, and Charles Bingley as a ripped frat boy.
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 has possibilities. Potential.
The idea of the story is what drew me in. The book gives a side character, Georgiana Darcy, of the beloved Pride and Prejudice center stage. When the marketing team sent me an email about the book I thought Geekarella meets Pride and Prejudice.
I’m sold.
But, this book was a very different read for me.
Described as packed with all kinds of boarding school hijinks and a swoony, slow-burn romance, this was the book I was interested in.
And yes, there are these moments in the book that are swoony and funny, but I felt they were spread out and too far between. I found myself more engaged and attentive when Georgie and her fellow marching band friend Avery were working together to get Darcy and Lizzie together. Though of course Darcy and Lizzie aren’t the main story, I did find myself gravitating to these two more than Georgiana herself.
More Thoughts
Perhaps it’s the boarding school aspect that isn’t working for me or Georgiana the character. I came to realize it’s not just one aspect. I think it’s honestly a combination of too much going on. Georgie trying to distance herself from ‘The Incident.’ Rebranding herself as “accomplished,” while having this long laundry list of other tasks she’s trying to check off, but none of it’s coming into fruition like she’d planed.
It all slowly falls apart.
Plus, I wasn’t completely drawn to all of the characters. Most books I’m ready to root for the main character and be dazzled by the people they meet, but here the only person of real interest was Avery (Georgie’s love interest). He’s the only down-to-earth, realistic character out of the entire cast.
Even towards the end when Lizzie began to get more page time she didn’t feel like the Keira Knighltey Elizabeth Bennet that I adore.
As for the story, Quain keeps to the basics from Austen’s novel of Wickham breaking Georgiana’s heart. But I wasn’t too sold on ‘The Incident’ or the aftermath. It didn’t feel believable. At least not to me.
A Fe w more thoughts
Quain does add a bit of the period piece drama in her novel that readers will enjoy. She includes a TV show (think Downton Abbey) that Georgina writes fan fiction for and seems to be good at . Though, this aspect of the novel doesn’t get flushed out or executed very well like other contemporary fan fiction novels like Ashley Postons’ Geekarella.
Even though Accomplished wasn’t for me, readers who enjoy boarding school drama, a main character trying to redeem herself, and a contemporary take on Georgiana Darcy, then give this one a try.
Happy Reading ~ Cece
RATING: 
– Adequately Inked
Publication Details
| Pub Date | ISBN | Page Count | Publisher | Age Group | Source & Format | Review Posted Online |
| 26-Jul-22 | 978-1250817815 | 320 | Wednesday Books | YA | Digital, NetGalley | February 7, 2022 |
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Welcome Reader!
I’m Cecelia and I’m so glad you’re here! You’ll find honest reviews, book recommendations, along with other bookish essentials. So happy you stopped by!
– C
