Pride & Prejudice & Potions

Series Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Pride & Prejudice & Potions: Prequel Story

By Laura M. Drake, Michelle Cowart, J. Ann Curtis, & Rebecca J. Yockey

Back of Book:

The guests won’t say a word. The plants won’t stop talking.

Hosting her family’s annual All Hallow’s Eve masquerade ball is Georgiana’s responsibility, but attending is her chance to unmask her secret admirer. But when a guest is murdered, the evening turns from a magical night into a high-society whodunit. To make matters worse, the prime suspect is none other than George Wickham—the man she’s loved for years. He’s charming, infuriating, and swears he’s innocent.

With reputations on the line and secrets hidden behind every mask, Georgiana steps into the role of amateur sleuth, determined to uncover the truth. Fortunately, she has a secret her fae ability to communicate with plants. And her most talkative witness? A hopelessly romantic potted rose who might have seen everything.

Can Georgiana solve the mystery, clear Wickham’s name, and finally get him to see her as more than his best friend’s little sister, or will she discover that love—and murder—are rarely what they seem?

Pride and Prejudice and Potions is a collection of modern standalone cozy mysteries that retells the greatest love story of all time while revealing the secrets lurking beneath. Across twelve enchanting tales of entangled hearts, discover the stories that were never told and get to know these beloved characters like never before. Even Jane Austen couldn't have predicted this season of scandal and sorcery.

Book Number: 0.5 (Prequel)

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

This prequel story introduces a brand new series that reimagines "Pride and Prejudice" with a mysterious and magical twist!

Georgiana is about to throw the masquerade ball of a lifetime. With her brother Darcy out of town, the responsibility falls on her to host the annual All Hallow's Eve ball in his place. When one of her guests is found murdered, Georgiana takes it upon herself to discover who the killer is before any of her other guests turn up dead.

This is a fun intro that brings a very intriguing concept to the table. In this series, the characters of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" are reimagined as witches, fae, vampires, and other magical beings that inhabit the town of Austen Heights. This short novelette introduces us to Georgiana and Wickham, who are obviously integral parts in the original "P&P." Watching Georgiana make short work of this case has me intrigued about what the rest of this series will entail.

The magical system in this world has me very curious. Georgiana has the ability to commune with plants, so I presume the other characters will also have unique abilities. And it turns out, creatures such as werewolves and vampires are illegal, so I'm pretty sure that's going to blow up in someone's face at some point.

One of the minor mysteries in this one involves who Georgiana's secret admirer is. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly Georgiana's role is in the original, so I am looking forward to reading Georgiana's book down the road and discovering how she'll get her happily ever after in the end.

Overall, "Pride & Prejudice & Potions: Prequel Story" has me greatly intrigued about the rest of this series. The masquerade ball element was quite fun and added an air of mystery, even if this story wasn't terribly long or full of depth. Georgiana was a fun character to follow, and I look forward to seeing how the authors decide to portray each character. Also, the magic system and politics of this world has me asking a ton of questions already that I want answered ASAP. It's no surprise that I'll be diving into "Lizzy's Story" next now that I've finished the prequel.

Pride & Prejudice & Potions: Lizzy's Story

By Laura M. Drake

Back of Book:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Austen Heights is a sleepy little town—until a murder wakes it up.

Elizabeth Bennet’s life is exactly what you’d expect for a half-witch, half-fae in a small town. She shares a cozy apartment with roommates, writes about social events for the local newspaper, and helps out in her family’s bakery—famous for its love potions, gossip, and her mother’s poor nerves. But when her mom becomes a suspect in a murder case, the predictable headlines of Lizzy’s life take a chilling turn.

Determined to clear her mother’s name, Lizzy throws herself into the investigation. While chasing a lead, a spell goes awry, tangling her fate—quite literally—with her number one suspect: the arrogant, brooding Darcy. The only thing worse than searching for clues with the intolerable fae by her side? Her growing attraction to him.

Can Lizzy crack the case and get her scoop before the killer strikes again? Or will her prejudice and his pride be the death of them both?

Book Number: One

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Elizabeth and Darcy's classic love story reimagined with witches and a dose of murder!

Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennet lives a simple life in the cozy town of Austen Heights. It can be hard to chase a story as a journalist when nothing too exciting happens, but Lizzy is trying her hardest. When two rich fae come to town and someone turns up dead, Lizzy is desperate to find out who the killer is and get the story she deserves. After an unfortunate run in with the brooding Mr. Darcy, Lizzy finds herself stuck with the insufferable man. It's an unfortunate turn of events, but they won't stop her from getting the scoop she desires.

The prequel to this one was fun, but "Lizzy's Story" marks the start of the official plot of Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," which was super entertaining to experience. This book features Lizzy and Darcy meeting as well as the scene in which Jane gets sick and Lizzy has to stay with Charles and Darcy. The story is original, but I must admit, it's pretty fun to see the parallels to the original book.

This was a fun, quick to read cozy murder mystery. I don't typically read cozy murder stories, but pair it with magic and "Pride and Prejudice" and I'm sold! Seeing Lizzy crack the case about Easton's murder was quite fun, but obviously all the romantic tension was the best part of this book.

Speaking of the romantic tension, Lizzy is super prejudiced against Darcy because she views the fae as snobby know-it-alls that look down upon half-fae like herself. Not only that, but Darcy starts out this book as Lizzy's number one suspect, which leads to these two starting out on the wrong foot. Once these two get magically stuck together, I got a very strong urge to squeal aloud, but I restrained myself. Seriously, these two getting magical enchanted so that they couldn't leave one's side was such a fun way to force Lizzy and Darcy into spending some quality time with one another when they were less than willing to.

Like the original "Pride and Prejudice," the relationship between the Bennet sisters is one of the main highlights. Jane is the sweet and outgoing one. Lizzy is the strongheaded, prideful sister. Mary is the bookish and shy one. Kitty is the frivolous and sociable one. To round out the bunch, we have Lydia, the flirty, reckless sister. It is so fun seeing the five of them interact with one another. Their personalities are all so strong; I look forward to reading all of their books in turn.

The mystery itself wasn't the hardest to unravel, but I felt it was perfect for a cozy mystery/romantasy novella. I look forward to seeing how all the mysteries compare to one another as I advance through the books in this series.

Overall, "Lizzy's Story" was a fun read that takes a fresh take on Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." "P&P" retellings have been all the rage as of late, but that didn't make this one any less enjoyable. The romantic tension between Lizzy and Darcy was absolutely peak and I look forward to seeing them in future installments. The cozy town of Austen Heights seems like a great setting, and I look forward to getting to know all the residents. This was such a fun start to this series; I'm looking forward to diving into all of them!

Pride & Prejudice & Potions: Caroline's Story

By Michelle Cowart

Back of Book:

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery—unless it gets you killed.

Reeling from a painful breakup and the loss of her inheritance, Caroline Bingley moves to the magical community of Austen Heights. It’s charming, but not exactly bustling with opportunity—or the fae society she’s used to. Determined to rebuild her reputation and her bank account, she decides to host a party at Netherfield. But her plans go up in smoke when a body is discovered at the event.

Even worse, the victim was glamoured to look exactly like Caroline, leading her to believe she was the intended target. Caroline hires Jack, a handsome bodyguard, and together they attempt to unravel the clues and find the killer.

As the mystery unfolds, so does her resolve—but she can’t afford to risk her heart again. Can she unmask the murderer and untangle her feelings for Jack before it’s too late?

Book Number: Two

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A cozy bodyguard romance featuring Caroline Bingley as she works to solve a murder that occurred in her household.

Caroline Bingley was recently disowned from her family's wealth and is now looking for interior design work in Austen Heights to build up her bank account. To showcase her skills, she hosts a party at her brother Charles' manor. Unfortunately, things take a dark turn when someone is found dead. And to make matters worse, the murder victim was glamoured to look just like Caroline. Things have gotten too personal for Caroline to stand down, so she decides to get to the bottom of this case herself. Luckily, she doesn't have to go it alone when she hires a strong and handsome bodyguard by the name of Jack to protect her as she sleuths. As the two work together, the case thickens as do their feelings for one another.

This one was just as fun as the first! I honestly don't remember much about Caroline from the original "Pride and Prejudice," but I'm going to assume she wasn't the most likeable character ever. I had my hesitations about her at first. After all, she seems to be very surface level; caring most about the clothes she wears and the people that she impresses. However, one is soon shown her selfless side which had me appreciating her as a person before long. And besides, sometimes it is fun to follow a drama queen with a love for fancy things.

The case in this wasn't nearly as intense or exciting as the first, but it was also less predictable, in my opinion. I really enjoyed seeing how Caroline went about investigating, as she is pretty headstrong and unflappable, much like Lizzy from book one. I must say, I didn't exactly expect who the murderer was, but I probably should of, because there were really no other options of who else it could have been.

A fun thing about this one is that I know very little about Caroline's character, so her romance with Jack was completely new to me. Their relationship is really wholesome. Jack will protect her no matter what, but he isn't possessive or controlling of Caroline in any way. Caroline knows that she shouldn't date her bodyguard, but that doesn't stop her from catching feelings for Jack. Watching these two shamelessly flirt with one another was quite a joy, and I enjoyed the fact that it took these two most of the book to become a couple.

Overall, "Caroline's Story" was a great addition to this cozy reimagining of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." Caroline and Jack were really fun main characters to follow and their romance was also very sweet. The mystery may not have been the most engaging, but it wasn't the most predictable either. I really enjoyed returning to Austen Heights, and I look forward to diving back into this world again very soon!

Pride & Prejudice & Potions: Mary's Story

By J. Ann Curtis

Back of Book:

A spectral cat, a murder, and feelings for a werewolf? Mary Bennet’s life is about to get complicated.

Mary Bennet, always the bookish sister, has built a cozy life for herself in Austen Heights with books as her companions. To avoid her mother’s incessant lectures on marriage at the family bakery, Mary hides in the basement of the local church studying ancient religious texts. As a half-fae, half-witch, Mary has long accepted her fae heritage, but she shuns witchcraft at all costs. That is, until a snarky ghost forces Mary to face her powers and solve the ghost’s murder.

Back of Book:

Darcy is chasing the truth… and the one woman who doesn’t want to be caught.

Book Number: Twelve (Last Book)

Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

Review: ?

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