Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts by Mitzi Szereto
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Title: Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts*
Author: Mitzi Szereto
Series:N/A
Genre: Erotic Romance
Publisher: Cleis Press
Format: paperback & digital ebook
Date/Year: July 5, 2011
Reviewed by: ElaineReads
*This book was provided to the reviewer by the author for review
Summary from the publisher:
Imagine that Jane Austen had written the opening line of her satirical novel Pride and Prejudice this way: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a good romp and a good wife—although not necessarily from the same person or from the opposite sex.” In Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts, the entire cast of characters from Austen’s classic is here, caught with their breeches unbuttoned and their skirts raised high in this rewrite that goes all the way – and then some! Mr. Darcy has never been more devilish and the seemingly chaste Elizabeth never more turned on.
In this no-holds-barred account, men are not necessarily the only dominating sex. This time Mr. Bingley and his sister both have designs on Mr. Darcy’s manhood; Elizabeth’s bff Charlotte marries their family’s strange relation, discovering that her husband’s pious nature extends to worship of a different sort; and, in this telling, Lady Catherine de Bourgh takes the disciplining of those in the parish very seriously. As for the handsome Mr. Wickham, he’s wickeder than ever! And of course there’s plenty of good old-fashioned bodice ripping that shows no pride or prejudice and reveals hot hidden lusts in every scandalous page-turning chapter. This is the book Jane Austen would have written, if only she’d had the nerve!
My Musings:
The original Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a favorite of mine, so I was a little nervous about reading this book. However, I was very impressed that the author was able to maintain the “flavor” of Austen’s writing even though the content was quite obviously added. There was no delineation between the original book and the new content. It flowed beautifully.
The sex scenes were inserted naturally and very well done. Some of the dialogue was comical, but it was meant to be so. For example, Lady Caroline’s attempts to seduce Mr. Darcy and his attempts to ignore her seduction were hysterical. Should I mention Lady Caroline’s fascination with “birching?”
Lydia’s interest in sex in all its forms was wonderfully described. If it would hold still long enough for her to rub against it, she would. That includes pieces of furniture, men’s thighs, or other more interesting parts of the anatomy. Is it any wonder she ends up with the villain of the book?
Do I find the general acceptance of all this raunchy behavior believable for the time period? No, but I enjoyed it immensely anyhow. I think we all expect our predecessors to be a little more circumspect than they actually were. After all, we think we’re the modern ones.
Ratings:
Overall: 5 stars
Sensuality level: 5
Elaine Reads . . . constantly! 