From the publisher:
The Kardashians meets Pride and Prejudice in this charming comical follow-up to Birds of California, in which an A-list movie star moves to Los Angeles—and next door to a family of five eligible sisters.
Every family is complicated, and the Benedettos are no exception. A few years after a reality show skyrocketed them to pop culture fame, the five twenty-something sisters are living together in their parent’s crumbling McMansion, almost broke and teetering towards rock bottom. Their fortunes brighten when Charlie Bingley, the dashing star of Captain Fantastic, moves into the neighborhood with Will Darcy, his best friend from Julliard, in tow.
Charlie immediately falls for warm and lovely June, the oldest Benedetto sister. While the Benedetto’s flighty matriarch, Cinta, brashly encourages the potential match, there are plenty of others determined to steer Charlie away from this ridiculous family of reality show has-beens.
Lilly Benedetto, the sensible second oldest sister, is all too aware that her family is viewed as a spectacle. She usually doesn’t care what the world thinks because she faces deeper sorrows. And she most certainly does not have the patience for the likes of Will Darcy, a man plagued by his own private demons. Lilly finds Will to be stuck-up, arrogant, and judgmental. Will thinks Lilly is loud, brash, and defensive. And while the two clash at every turn, they can’t seem to stay away from each other . . .
Katie Cotugno brings a big, boisterous cast of characters to life in this deliciously sprawling Los Angeles story—a thoroughly fresh and modern tale about a family that’s “famous for being famous,” the ways that preconceived notions make fools of us all, and how unexpected romance can bloom despite the odds.
https://amzn.to/45eyWT8
Katie Cotugno (Birds of California) brings us the latest modern-day retelling of Pride & Prejudice. The Benedetto family is at the heart of the story; think of them as a failed Kardashian clan with five sisters. They had a reality show for a couple of years and are now struggling to further their careers while the bills pile up. June, the eldest, falls for their new neighbor, action film star Charlie Bingley, while the next oldest, Lilly, keeps squabbling with Charlie’s best friend, Will Darcy. Then Lilly meets Nick, and he tells her an awful story about Will. Will tries to warn Lilly about Nick but doesn’t give her any details, so it’s just a matter of time before Nick shows his true colors and everything comes to a head. If you are familiar with any of the iterations of the Austen masterpiece, all the players will be recognizable. It is also a commentary on reality television programming and the Hollywood lifestyle, all wrapped up in a lighthearted read with a rather abrupt ending.
Verdict: Jane Austen fans will enjoy this new spin on what has become a franchise; think Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld, Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev, or Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding.
©Library Journal, 2023
12/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
MEET THE BENEDETTOS by Katie Cotugno. Harper Perennial (December 5, 2023). ISBN: 978-0063324145. 256p.
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