Modern Persuasion and Phi Alpha Pi by Sara Marks (Reviews)

Phi Alpha Pi

(21st Century Austen #2)
By Sara Marks
Adult, New Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 214 Pages
May 28th 2018

Summary

Phi Alpha Pi is the oldest and largest sorority on campus and new president Lizbeth has a busy senior year ahead of her. She’s determined to keep her sorority in good standing on campus after a year on academic probation. She’s trying to manage the new sorority house manager, Mrs. C, who has her own ideas about how to support the sorority sisters. All while trying to find balance with her own academic goals to complete an honors thesis, graduate, and decide her future plans.

The last thing Lizbeth expects is her anger when Wil, a new member of the Alpha Pi fraternity, pushes every one of her buttons. Lizbeth finds Wil, a new transfer to the university with his best friend, to be rude, snobby, and judgmental. Even though she tries to avoid him, he seems to be everywhere, scowling with displeasure when he sees her. That is, until his Thanksgiving proclamation of love. That causes Lizbeth to reconsider how she sees the world.

(Affiliate links included - I receive a small kickback if you make a purchase using my links.)

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My Review

PHI ALPHA PI is a modern retelling of Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE set in the sorority and fraternity world on a college campus. For general romance readers who don't mind the content, this is an interesting twist on the classic.

I'm a big Austen fan, including enjoying several versions and twists based off the original stories. There were parts of the story that worked for me and there were parts that didn't work at all.

Likes:
- I liked the characters, specifically Lizbeth and Wil as well as some of the side characters.
- I liked some of the twists on the original story that made it not too closely resembling the original.
- I liked the interactions between Wil and Lizbeth in the second half and towards the end of the story.
- The ending was sweet and fit the characters.

Dislikes:
- A lot of the characters' behaviors seemed rather over the top dramatic or unrealistic.
- I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between Wil and Lizbeth, nor did I find a lot of their interactions, particularly in the beginning, to work for me. I felt like the author tried to force the language and exact situations into this modern setting and it just didn't work.
- Wil's dialogue was severely stilted. He didn't even sound like a real character.
- I didn't get how involved Lizbeth and others were in Lydia's life. It just felt far-fetched.
- Some parts of the story were too close to the original - I wanted the author to make this much more her own story and that fell flat for me.
- A lot of the partying and behaviors just bothered me.

In the end, was it what I wished for? I had high hopes for this as a huge P&P fan, but it just feel flat. Those who don't mind the content or aren't as familiar with P&P may enjoy this one.

Content: Innuendo, some vulgarity, partying, closed-door love scenes, and swearing.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the tour host, which did not require a positive review nor affect it in any way.

Modern Persuasion

(21st Century Austen #1)

By Sara Marks

Adult, New Adult Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 220 Pages

May 29th 2017

Summary

Which would you pick: the person you love or your own dreams?

What would you do if given a second chance at that decision?

Eight years ago Emma Shaw picked her career and family over the man she loved, Fredrick Wentworth. Since then she has built a career in publishing and spends her free time making sure her father and sisters are taken care of. Fredrick has spent the same years building his career as a screenwriter under increasing public scrutiny as a celebrity. When the editor of Fredrick’s first book is injured, Emma is forced to travel with Fredrick on his book tour.

Tension builds for the two former lovers over the course of the tour. Emma and Fredrick must face their emotional baggage and their misunderstanding about how their break-up impacted the other. Will they be able to find their way back together for a second chance at love?

(Affiliate links included - I receive a small kickback if you make a purchase using my links.)

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo

My Review

MODERN PERSUASION is a modern retelling of Austen's PERSUASION set in modern-day USA, mostly in New York. The characters' professions are perfect for book lovers, as she is an editor and he is an author. It's an interesting twist on the classic.

I've always loved Austen's PERSUASION. I also love second-chance love stories, so this one sounded like it would be an enjoyable read for me. I enjoyed parts of the story, but others just didn't work for me.

Likes:

- I really liked this strong, independent, smart version of a heroine in Emma.

- I loved that Emma worked for a publisher as an editor and getting to go along to a book conference with her at the beginning. It was fun to see how she managed the book tour as well.

- I really liked some of Fredrick's friends. They were really fun and I enjoyed how they become friends with Emma.

Dislikes:

- I did not feel any chemistry between Emma and Fredrick. He either ignored her or was rude to her almost the entire time. In the original story, it worked because of the setting and because he actually did do some subtle nice things. In this story, there seemed to not be a very good connection and I wouldn't have felt any past romance involved or known except for being told of the situation in the story.
- I couldn't stand quite a few of the side characters and didn't know how Emma could be so blind or forgiving.
- I also didn't like the excessive drinking and smoking weed that was so casually referenced and seemed to have no influence on the characters.
- I didn't enjoy reading Fredrick's version of almost the entire story for the second part of the book. It seemed unnecessary when a simple letter or poem or story or something would have worked.

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was another story that I had high hopes for, but just didn't work for me.

Content: Innuendo, some vulgarity, partying, closed-door love scenes, and swearing.

Source: I received a complimentary copy from the tour host, which did not require a positive review nor affect it in any way.

Check out an excerpt from Phi Alpha Pi and enter the tour giveaways here.