Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

Book:  Prada and Prejudice

Author:  Mandy Hubbard

Publisher:  Razorbill

Year:  2009

The reason I read it:  This book has been sitting on my TBR shelf for a year.  I had to read a fantasy novel for my class, so this one fit the bill.

My grade:  B

To impress the popular girls on a high school trip to London, klutzy Callie buys real Prada heels. But trying them on, she trips...conks her head...and wakes up in the year 1815!

There Callie meets Emily, who takes her in, mistaking her for a long-lost friend. As she spends time with Emily's family, Callie warms to them - particularly to Emily's cousin Alex, a hottie and a duke, if a tad arrogant.

But can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, and win Alex's heart, before her time in the past is up?

More Cabot than Ibbotson, Prada and Prejudice is a high-concept romantic comedy about finding friendship and love in the past in order to have happiness in the present.

My Review

Ok.  One of the reasons that I chose this book is because I figured that it would be a fast read that is also fun, cute and light-hearted.  And since I don’t have a lot of time with 25+ books to read, that’s exactly what I needed.

That’s exactly what I got!

I am a long time Jane Austen fan, so when I saw this title a year ago, I knew that I had to read it.  After all, haven’t we all dreamed of waking up in the middle of “Pride and Prejudice” to find our own Mr. Darcy?  Well, I know that I have……and he always looks like Colin Firth!

But, I digress.  This book was fun.  It was funny.  It was fluffy.  Don’t go into it expecting anything life-changing.  The protagonist has just finished her freshman year of high school.  She’s an honors student, but she is still very naïve and lacking in a lot of common knowledge.  For example, she doesn’t really understand exactly what it was like for women in Regency England.  I have seen some reviews that blast the book for that, but I teach freshman girls and I know that is not a stretch.  Many senior girls still don’t know that.

There is nothing deeply philosophical about this book.  Much of it is total wish fulfillment and silliness.  But sometimes, you just need a book like that.  I left me smiling and feeling pretty happy, and that’s what I like.  It was nice to see Callie learn to love herself, even if she had to travel to 1815 to learn how!

This is a great summer read.  If you want a book that will be quick and make you smile, pick up “Prada and Prejudice”.  Just be prepared to spend some time afterwards looking up pictures of Colin Firth on Google!

My grade for this book?  A solid B.  It’s not a book I will think about forever, but it was fun while it lasted!