Fall For You : A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice (The Jane Austen Academy Series, #1)

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Fall For You : A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice (The Jane Austen Academy Series #1)

by Cecilia Gray (Goodreads Author)

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 · rating details · 158 ratings · 73 reviews

Jane Austen meets Pretty Little Liars in this fresh, new young-adult series!

To say Lizzie and Dante are polar opposites is the understatement of the century. He's a snooty Exeter transfer with more money than Google. She's a driven study-a-holic barely keeping up with tuition. It's obvious that Dante thinks he's way too good for Lizzie. And Lizzie knows Dante is a snob wit...more

ebook, 128 pages

Published February 10th 2012 by The Alpha Division, LLC

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Mar 01, 2012 EZRead eBookstore rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amelia-reviews

(watch the video review: http://vimeo.com/37763398)

Whether you’re a romantic or a Jane Austen fan, you can’t help falling for this book. And, stumbling into this series doesn’t hurt since it has a sweet landing with a familiar plot that acts as an old friend in new clothes.

Paying homage to Austen by using a school named after the renowned author, the characters are also being set up for stories similar to Austen’s classic couples. It’s almost as if these new characters of Cecilia Gray are livin...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Katy rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars - Not my favorite modernization of Pride and Prejudice but still not a bad book. It was cute and fun to read. However, I didn't like Lizzie as much as I loved Elizabeth Bennett. Elizabeth had made her fair share of prejudices and assumptions, but she was a charming character. In this book, Lizzie was kind of an annoying, sometimes mean, nosy "journalist." I say that in quotes because I hate it when authors write these stereotypical "investigative journalists" when that's not what it's...more

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May 23, 2013 Tifferz rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read the blurb and was so excited to read this modern day retelling of Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice! I went into this book with high expectations and they were all met! Lizzie makes a choice right off that bat that changes the course of her current year at school. She learns a lot about people and that her initial judgment could be off. I Loved spunky Lizzie the managing editor of the school paper who gets to the bottom of things and change happens. Dante is an amazing character and I liked...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Courtney rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, young-adult

Based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Fall For You is the first book in the Jane Austen Academy series. At the beginning of the book, we discover the Jane Austen Academy was an all-girls school, which has recently been sold and turned into a co-ed high school. Not all the students are thrilled about this change, including the main protagonist, Lizzie (aka Elizabeth Bennett). Lizzie is a journalist for the school newspaper and wants to find out more about the school's sale and new owners, w...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Inna rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book a while ago and I completely forgot about it. So I decided to re-read it. I really liked the fresh take on Pride and Prejudice. Lizzie was your typical journalist, attempting to find the story behind everything even when... well there isn't a story there. So of course well her beloved Jane Austen Academy for Girls ( well it used to be for girls, its no longer so) is in the risk of getting re-named Lizzie has to find out who's behind it. However her friend is abandoning her, her...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-summer-must-reads, atomr-book-tours, blog-tour-review, july-2012

Thank you to AToMR Tours for allowing me to be a part of this great tour. I have to say when I heard about this series I stalked the internet to see what I could find out. I love all of Jane Austen's books and I am excited to see where this series is going. The first book in the series is called Fall For You and I have to tell you I LOVED IT! I wanted more when it ended and I was yelling at my kindle.

In Fall For You Lizzie is coming back to school after having the summer off to a mess. The scho...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Amy (Amy's Book Den) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-contemporary

It’s a new year at the Jane Austen Academy and Lizzie is already creating trouble. Her newspaper piece is all about the changes occurring at the school, mainly the addition of male students. Lizzie she has Ellie—her best friend and roommate—support, has already planned out more articles of ‘protest’, and she’s sure those articles will get her a spot in Georgetown. But upon arrival at school, all her plans crumble. Suddenly her roommate isn’t Ellie, it’s Anna her nemesis, the Headmistress bribes...more It’s a new year at the Jane Austen Academy and Lizzie is already creating trouble. Her newspaper piece is all about the changes occurring at the school, mainly the addition of male students. Lizzie she has Ellie—her best friend and roommate—support, has already planned out more articles of ‘protest’, and she’s sure those articles will get her a spot in Georgetown. But upon arrival at school, all her plans crumble. Suddenly her roommate isn’t Ellie, it’s Anna her nemesis, the Headmistress bribes her into becoming editor of the school’s newspaper, and interviewing the newly arrived male students, and gorgeous, tall, serious, and icy-blue eyed Dante is her competition to get into Georgetown!

A light and quirky take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Cecilia Gray’s Fall For You is the perfect summer read.

I’m a big fan of Jane Austen’s work, so when I saw this was based on her work I knew I had to read it. This fun and short novelette kept my eyes glued to the page with Lizzie’s antics, and Dante’s sweet if abrupt kindnesses. Though this first book is about Pride and Prejudice, we also get to meet the other characters which are from the other Austen books, and it took me a while to get all the characters straight in my head. There’s a lot of them: Lizzie, Dante, Ellie, Edward, Georgina, Josh, Anne, Rick, and Emma. And I kept trying to figure out who was who and from what Austen book instead of just reading, but eventually I figured it out and dove right into the story.

The way Gray worked the themes of pride and prejudice into the story worked really well. Lizzie is fierce when it comes to journalism and she’s proud of her work, but her articles are quite mean sometimes. And she totally makes assumptions about Dante, before getting her facts right. Like in P&P their interest for each other is filled with little acts of kindness, and just plain sexy tension between them. Though I did like their romance, I just wish there had been more to it. Part of it, I think, its due to the shortness of the story.

On this same note, I must also applaud Gray’s idea of having all the Austen characters attending the same high school. The girls were just amazing, and fun, and I wanted to be their friends. One of my favorites scenes ever is the ‘tree scene.’ It’s even in the trailer, which you can check out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL36We.... If there’s one thing I know for sure is that I will be keeping an eye out for the other books in this series. I can’t wait to read So Into You, which is based on Sense & Sensibility!
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Jul 19, 2012 Marissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fall For You is the first book in the Jane Austen Academy Series, and I must say, that this first one was wonderful, and the rest of the series looks promising. I just love this whole concept, of having these inspired characters from Jane Austen's novels, in a more modern setting, a high school setting, and to have it set at a prestigious school that of course must be named, The Jane Austen Academy. This first book is based on the beloved Pride And Prejudice. I believe that Gray did a wonderful...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you love Jane Austen, especially Pride and Prejudice, this a great light contemporary retelling of the story. Although it's brief and the romance is light as well as the drama, it's a perfect read for a couple of hours of enjoyment. I could see all of my favorite characters (especially because the names were kept the same) but the relationships were different. The setting was a private boarding school in California instead of Regency England but the troubles were still the same. Dante aka Dar...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, received-to-review, young-adult

It's not a secret that "Pride and Prejudice" is one of my all time favorite books. I love it. Jane Austen was a master story teller.

I also enjoy the retellings. Anything that is in the spirit of Jane Austen and is written well will be a win for me.

Lizzie is the editor of her school paper. She happens to go to Jane Austen Academy. It was previously and all girls school. This year it is under new ownership and is now co-ed. While most young women would be thrilled with this development, Lizzie is...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Bri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, retelling, ya-romance

Fall for You was the most adorable contemporary romance short story I have come across in a while, and with the perfect dash of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice elements added, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Whether you happen to be a fan of the wonderful Jane Austen or not, there are so many things to appreciate about this Pride and Prejudice retelling. It was truly a fluffy, fun read, and Gray does a wonderful job incorporating a vast amount of emotions and drama in a 100 page story. I was captivat...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Kal-El rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wow finished in 45 min. New personal best:)

I'm a huge fan of retellings, especially ones of Jane Austen novels. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite story that gets retold and my favorite Jane Austen novel period. It's a great story and there are many ways it can be twisted to be made a modern story. Most of the Pride and Prejudice retellings that I've read have been amazing. This novel is no exception!However, it just didn't feel finished.It was really rushed. I know it's the first in a series, b...more Wow finished in 45 min. New personal best:)

I'm a huge fan of retellings, especially ones of Jane Austen novels. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite story that gets retold and my favorite Jane Austen novel period. It's a great story and there are many ways it can be twisted to be made a modern story. Most of the Pride and Prejudice retellings that I've read have been amazing. This novel is no exception!However, it just didn't feel finished.It was really rushed. I know it's the first in a series, but i've never finished a book this quickly.

The author writes so realistically. I could feel myself in Lizzie's shoes. She's a great teenage character. She makes mistakes, questions them and regrets them later. She's stubborn and goes after what she wants. Lizzie was really relatable. She reminded me of myself in a lot of ways. The characters are all as realistic as Lizzie is. You could understand their emotions and their relationships were typical teenage romances.Lizzie is a smart and ambitious junior at Jane Austen Academy ready to room with her best friend, Ellie. Lizzie is a great play on Elizabeth Bennett. Both smart, witty, and quick to jump to conclusions before she finds out all of the facts. When the room assignments are switched, I was surprised that Lizzie took another path. When I read this first part of the book, I kept wondering why Lizzie would walk away from her best friend. And as the book progressed, I wondered why Ellie and Emma became so close. (I am anxious to see if this explored in later sequels!) And I kept wanting to tell Lizzie that she brought the anger she felt upon herself.
I enjoyed the plot of this book...the new ownership of Jane Austen Academy and the renaming of their beloved, once all girl school. What I didn't quite get was why Lizzie was worried that Dante was going to take her one admittance to Georgetown University...isn't she a junior? Doesn't she have another year before she has to worry about that? I guess that just helped fuel her prejudice against Dante.

Will I read it again? I probably won't. It was a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will read the other books in the series, but I don't know that I will read this one again.(less)

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Mar 22, 2012 Caitlin Audet rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book in a day, I loved it so much. Ok I admit that I have never read Pride and Prejudice and have only seen the Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen(which was excellent). But with just seeing the movie, I could see clearly the parts from Pride and Prejudice in Fall For You and that was great. Not that the original Pride and Prejudice isn't good I just never got to reading it yet. Lizze attends an all girl school in California, the Jane Austen Academy(how cool does that sound) and th...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Ceri rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teens, JAFF readers, Romance readers who prefer no sex scenes

Shelves: austen-inspired, contemporary, young-adult

This is the first in a series for young adults, set in a boarding school called the Jane Austen Academy (Jasta for short), which has just been taken over by new owners. The school year has just started and for the first time it's not just a girls' school. Lizzie is dead set against any changes to her beloved school, and she sets about finding out who the mysterious new owners. She is not having the best time on other fronts either; her closest friend Ellie is rooming with somebody else who Lizzi...more This is the first in a series for young adults, set in a boarding school called the Jane Austen Academy (Jasta for short), which has just been taken over by new owners. The school year has just started and for the first time it's not just a girls' school. Lizzie is dead set against any changes to her beloved school, and she sets about finding out who the mysterious new owners. She is not having the best time on other fronts either; her closest friend Ellie is rooming with somebody else who Lizzie feels is trying to take over as Ellie's best friend and one of the new boys, Dante, seems to be annoying Lizzie at every turn.

As a book in itself I thought it was nicely written and entertaining, although too short, everything is resolved very quickly and there were various themes which I thought could have benefited from more development such as Dante and Lizzie's relationship, Lizzie and Anne's friendship, etc. If things had been expanded a bit more it would have been worth another star in my opinion.

As a Pride and Prejudice (P&P) retelling I thought it was less successful. Although there were bits which you could see were nods to P&P there were some things that I thought were too different - the chief of these was the character of Lizzy. For me, the P&P character I liked the best was definitely Lizzy and this Lizzie, while she has some admirable qualities such as independence and intelligence is not really all that likeable. She is quite jealous, bossy and has a massive chip on her shoulder about other people coming from better families than her. In P&P we know exactly what attracted Darcy to her but I am not sure what Dante found to attract him in Lizzie as we are just never told.

Also, because this is a series where Austen's works will be retold there were lots of characters from P&P who aren't in this at all, such as Bingley, Jane, the Gardiners, etc. The roles that they play are taken on by other characters, such as Edward (Sense and Sensibility Edward) here takes on the role of Bingley, to an extent, and also Col Fitzwilliam. I quite liked how this was done although was surprised that not much at all was done with Wickham, I wasn't sure what the point of having him was unless it was just to let the reader know that he couldn't be trusted with Georgiana.

Minor point: the cover picture doesn't correspond to the physical description of Dante, he is described as having blond hair in the book. Also, Rick (Captain Wentworth, Persuasion) is described as being hotter than Dante and I can't believe that could be true, surely Darcy should be the best?! :o)

I definitely intend to read more in the series and I would recommend this book to others as a quick read. One thing that is worth mentioning is that this is a very clean book, no sex scenes, and I think no swearing either that I noticed, you could give this to a young teen without worrying about the suitability of the content.(less)

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Jul 20, 2012 Sana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Fall For You is a quick read which offers just what it promises to the reader. The book opens in the middle of a crisis brewing. For Lizzie, that is. Everything she has known as home in Jasta (that would be her beloved Jane Austen Academy) is being wrenched away from her. But she might have a chance of saving Jasta from the indifference of the new owners and the cunningness of Headmistress Berg. And you can be sure she is going to take that chance.

Tired of her life in Chicago where her parents a...more Fall For You is a quick read which offers just what it promises to the reader. The book opens in the middle of a crisis brewing. For Lizzie, that is. Everything she has known as home in Jasta (that would be her beloved Jane Austen Academy) is being wrenched away from her. But she might have a chance of saving Jasta from the indifference of the new owners and the cunningness of Headmistress Berg. And you can be sure she is going to take that chance.

Tired of her life in Chicago where her parents are always busy and the non-existent friends, Lizzie is more than glad to be back at Jasta for her junior year. But things have taken a turn for the worse unbeknownst to Lizzie.

Lizzie takes up the position of Gazette's managing director and becomes Anne's (her nemesis) room mate in exchange for withdrawing her request for rooming with Ellie, her best friend. Lizzie actually wants to halt whatever improvements Headmistress Berg is preparing for. As if it wasn't enough to admit boys in Jasta and to give up the privacy of their single rooms.

Now all Lizzie has to do is help Anne throw a fabulous Welcome Back dance and find out who the new owners of Jasta are at the cost of her friendship with Ellie whose finding a new close friend in Emma. Then Dante literally falls into her unwilling lap because she has to feature the children of the parents in the Trust. Can she trust him or he's being helpful for his own selfish gain?

As Fall For You is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are reflected in Lizze and Dante. For Lizze, it is about being quick-witted and adept when it comes to news while for Dante, prejudices can often end up being well, not accurate.

The plot was a little unrelateable for my liking but Fall For You is fast-paced and the motivation of Lizzie in saving Jasta made me want to go on reading it to find out her next step. Fall For You is the first book in a six story series. I enjoyed reading it and it is definitely a new spin to the usual offered in stories set in high school. (less)

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Mar 26, 2013 Mackenzie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I decided to read this book for three reasons.

First reason: I like the occasional Austen retelling. It makes me feel connected to the characters but with a spin on the story. Post-read reaction: This story was a very loose adaption of Pride and Prejudice. I might have been disappointed by how much it strayed from Austen 's version but it was well done so I enjoyed the changes. Well, most of the changes. I found Lizzie a bit difficult to like. It took some effort. She was self-absorbed and judgem...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, kindle

I absolutely loved this book! It may be because I love all things Jane Austen and my absolutely favorite book of all times is Pride & Prejudice, but put those aside, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was so nice reading a book and relating it so much to Pride & Prejudice. I quickly fell in love with the characters. Lizzie obviously being the character like Lizzie Bennet, Dante quickly taking a place in my heart just like Darcy, Anne being the sweet and love-able character that J...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Preet rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been super excited to read this since I signed up for the tour. I didn’t realize Cecilia Gray was a local author until recently so that totally made me do a little happy dance. I’m always a bit hesitant about retellings, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Lizzie is a strong-headed character that has her life pretty mapped out. Though likable, she did irk me at times for being somewhat judgmental. However, I liked that she was a take charge character who didn’t take crap from people. She al...more I’ve been super excited to read this since I signed up for the tour. I didn’t realize Cecilia Gray was a local author until recently so that totally made me do a little happy dance. I’m always a bit hesitant about retellings, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Lizzie is a strong-headed character that has her life pretty mapped out. Though likable, she did irk me at times for being somewhat judgmental. However, I liked that she was a take charge character who didn’t take crap from people. She always seemed okay doing her own thing. I especially loved her friendship with Ellie even if we didn’t get to see a lot of it in this story. The other main character, Dante, is just as strong-willed as Lizzie but definitely has a soft spot to him at times. Lizzie and Dante definitely make a great pair, but I do wish there was a bit more banter to them. Dante was so silent most of the time, it was hard to get a good read on him. I liked him, but I can’t say I really fell for him or really any of the guys in the book.

My favorite female character was probably Anne. I feel like there’s a much deeper story to her than was given in this book and I can’t wait to get to it. I continuously yelled, “Give her a chance!” as I read. Though she seemed quiet in this book, I think she’s a much stronger character than she’s shown to be.

My only real issue with this book is that we weren’t introduced to some of the other characters in the series. After watching the trailer, I was waiting to be introduced to more of the girls but it never happened. Obviously, this isn’t anything that spoiled the book for me at all, it was just something I realized towards the end.

This is a quick read for anyone who enjoys Jane Austen stories. It has a great pace that kept me engaged to the very end. I honestly didn’t even realize it was over until I turned the page and there was no more story left. Though it does end somewhat abrupt, I know there are more books in the series so it isn’t something that bothered me a lot. I can’t wait to check out more in the Jane Austen Academy series and try to get my hands on the other Gray series called Gentlemen Next Door. I look forward seeing more Cecilia Gray books in my future.(less)

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Apr 02, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: r2r-complete, read-2012

(I was given this book for free on a read-to-review basis.)
16-year-old Lizzie is a student at the prestigious Jane Austen Academy (Jasta), a school which has been her home for several years. Things are changing this year though as the school has been sold, and it’s new owners want to make changes.

The first thing to change is the student number – with double the usual number of students attending, the second change is that the new students will be male, drastically changing the atmosphere at the...more (I was given this book for free on a read-to-review basis.)
16-year-old Lizzie is a student at the prestigious Jane Austen Academy (Jasta), a school which has been her home for several years. Things are changing this year though as the school has been sold, and it’s new owners want to make changes.

The first thing to change is the student number – with double the usual number of students attending, the second change is that the new students will be male, drastically changing the atmosphere at the previously all-girl school.

Lizzie however is determined to set things right, a goal that she started working on before term even started by writing an inflammatory piece for the student newspaper, basically dissing the new owners and new developments at the school.

When Lizzie does arrive to start the new school year, she finds that her room sharing request has not been honoured, and instead of sharing a room with her best friend Ellie, she is sharing a room with Anne, the former school owner’s daughter. Complaining to the headmistress about this problem, Lizzie relents and accepts the new living arrangements when the headmistress offers her the opportunity to be the managing editor of the student newspaper, a job that Lizzie has been lusting after.

Still more changes are happening at Jasta though, and now Lizzie is on a quest to find out who the new owners are and to talk to them, and to stop the proposed name change of the school. What she doesn’t realise is how this crusade of hers will affect her relationship with her best friend Ellie, and her feelings towards the gorgeous Dante, one of the new students at the school who seems to be hiding some secrets of his own.

This book is a modern retelling of ‘Pride and prejudice ‘. Unfortunately though I haven’t read pride and prejudice yet so I’m not sure how alike the two books are! Irregardless of this I enjoyed this book. The main character Lizzie was ridiculously headstrong at times, and made some poor decisions too, but a lot of this was in her quest to become a journalist, so I have to let her off on that one. If she hadn’t of made the decisions she did she probably wouldn’t have been much of a journalist.

The story was paced nicely and well written, and held my attention all the way through. The characters were genuine, and although the storyline did seem to be a bit predictable in places it didn’t spoil it for me. Both fortunately and unfortunately, although we got some answers at the end of this book, the story wasn’t really finished. Fortunately this means that there must be another book to come, but unfortunately it means that we have to wait to find out the rest of Lizzie’s story!
Overall – an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to the next one!
7.5 out of 10.
(Book length: 2156 Kindle Locations)
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Mar 26, 2012 Emily (Book Jems) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, released, romance, young-adult, from-author-for-review, all-time-favorites, contemporary, retellings, favorite-authors, obsessed, fun-to-read, angst, horrible-cover, mystery, review-on-blog

As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!

5/5 Stars!

I'd like to thank the lovely Cecilia Gray for giving me a copy of this novel to review!

This book? AMAZING. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down! Yes, it was THAT good. I couldn't believe it at first, how much I loved this book.

I'm a huge fan of retellings, especially ones of Jane Austen novels. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite story that gets retold and my favorite Jane Austen novel period. It's a great story and there are many ways i...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Eva rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ok, so a few weeks ago I went on a major Jane Austen binge because I was so stressed out and was reading several novels based off of Austen's works, and even watching movie interpretations until the very early hours of the morning (Yes, I was VERY stressed). Anyway, I happen to stumble across this little gem.

I loved Lizzie as a character. Even though I wanted to throttle her sometimes because she was acting so selfishly, I completely understood her motivations and I myself would have acted or t...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Tilly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 6th-7th-grade

Rating-4 Stars
*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*
I really liked this book, but I didn't love it. My two highest critiques were the relationships and the length. First of all, the characters were mostly believable but some of the character relationship were not. For example, Lizzie and Anne start off "hating" each other and then they become friends with no real transition. However, Lizzie and Ellie have more of an understandable best friend relationship.Secondly, I thought the book should be a little...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-contemporary

I love Jane Austen. Let's just get that out there. Mr. Darcy is my soul mate, Henry Tilney is my best friend, I'm going to marry Mr. Knightley, Captain Wentworth is my lover and Colonel Brandon is the man whose going to carry me all the way back home after I go walking in the fields and get caught in a downpour.*

When I got an email through Goodreads wanting people to sign up and review Fall For You, a novella by author Cecilia Gray, I just had to jump at the chance. Yes, give me Jane Austen in a...more I love Jane Austen. Let's just get that out there. Mr. Darcy is my soul mate, Henry Tilney is my best friend, I'm going to marry Mr. Knightley, Captain Wentworth is my lover and Colonel Brandon is the man whose going to carry me all the way back home after I go walking in the fields and get caught in a downpour.*

When I got an email through Goodreads wanting people to sign up and review Fall For You, a novella by author Cecilia Gray, I just had to jump at the chance. Yes, give me Jane Austen in any form, and I will read it, watch it or hear it.

The girls at Jane Austen Academy are in for a bit of a shock: boys are coming to the Academy. Like they'd need the distraction, especially when entry into Ivy league schools is on the line. For Lizzie, it means that everything has changed - including her friendship with her best friend. Then there's Dante, the rich guy who likes to push her buttons.

I absolutely devoured this novella. It was a quick and easy read, but it left you feeling all gooey inside like a good YA romance is supposed to. There's nothing quite like two people who hate each other but secretly like the other. For me, that's something that never gets old. My only qualm was that there needed to be more. With everything condensed into a certain amount of pages, sometimes it seems as though that there's less depth to the characters and the plot. While to me, in Fall For You it didn't matter, because I loved it anyway, a lot more story could have been told.

The characters were great - Lizzie was strong and independent, but at the same time she had so many flaws that you kind of just wanted to slap her across the head and tell her to wake up and smell the sunshine. But I love characters with flaws, because they seem more like humans that way. If they are too perfect, then you aren't going to relate to them at all. Dante, as any Mr. Darcy does, made me want to just throw Lizzie out the way and be all, "Here I am! Don't worry about her, it's me you want!" Further development of the minor characters would have been nice - I wanted more interaction between Georgie and Wickham - but I'm hoping that as the series goes on, we will see all the characters grow and their stories told.

Another thing I loved was that this was not just exclusively a Pride & Prejudice retake. Yes, it was the main background for the novella, but there were hints of other Austen novels in there too, like Persuasion. Which I love!

Overall, this was a gem of a read. A great, humorous read with lots of romance - a nice change from all the dark dystopian books I've been reading lately!
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Mar 30, 2012 Chrissy (The Every Free Chance Reader) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-on-blog

I enjoyed this book a lot. I read it every free chance I had. This book is a fresh take on the wonderful classic, Pride & Prejudice. It was a quick read that made me laugh, made me anxious to see what would happen next and see how things would work out.

I could definitely see the parallels between the two books and I can honestly say that I felt the anxious question throughout while reading this book as I did while reading Pride & Prejudice: Will Lizzie (Elizabeth Bennett) and Dante (Mr....more I enjoyed this book a lot. I read it every free chance I had. This book is a fresh take on the wonderful classic, Pride & Prejudice. It was a quick read that made me laugh, made me anxious to see what would happen next and see how things would work out.

I could definitely see the parallels between the two books and I can honestly say that I felt the anxious question throughout while reading this book as I did while reading Pride & Prejudice: Will Lizzie (Elizabeth Bennett) and Dante (Mr. Darcy) really end up together? Or will their pride and perceptions of each other get in the way?

Lizzie is a smart and ambitious junior at Jane Austen Academy ready to room with her best friend, Ellie. Lizzie is a great play on Elizabeth Bennett. Both smart, witty, and quick to jump to conclusions before she finds out all of the facts. When the room assignments are switched, I was surprised that Lizzie took another path. When I read this first part of the book, I kept wondering why Lizzie would walk away from her best friend. And as the book progressed, I wondered why Ellie and Emma became so close. (I am anxious to see if this explored in later sequels!) And I kept wanting to tell Lizzie that she brought the anger she felt upon herself.

I enjoyed the plot of this book...the new ownership of Jane Austen Academy and the renaming of their beloved, once all girl school. What I didn't quite get was why Lizzie was worried that Dante was going to take her one admittance to Georgetown University...isn't she a junior? Doesn't she have another year before she has to worry about that? I guess that just helped fuel her prejudice against Dante.

I will definitely be reading more books by Ms. Gray! (I can't wait to read the rest of this series!)

Would I recommend it: If you love young adult books and Jane Austen retellings, then you should definitely read this book!

Will I read it again: I probably won't. It was a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will read the other books in the series, but I don't know that I will read this one again.

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Jan 06, 2013 Suzan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Romance readers

I enjoyed this and had fun trying to guess who was from what book with some being easier to guess then others to start with! I knew Lizzie, Dante and Georgiana are representing Pride and Prejudice and have figured that Anne and Rick are from Persuasion, Emma from well Emma obviously! Ellie was the who I was most unsure off and Edward also, but due to the next book I can tell Ellie (and probably Edward) is from Sense and Sensibility. I like how all the leading Jane Austen Characters have been tak...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

My review:

First off I wish this book wasnt short because I personally loved it!
It was different to pick up a book that had nothing to do with the paranormal.
I loved how easy this book was to relate to.

Lizzie is my favourite shes so blunt!!

I love how she doesnt care and speaks her mind.

Dante sounds so yummy. I love when a guy plays hard to get and then hes a real softy towards the end of the book.

Honestly I hated that the book ended so soon! author told me the second book is from another characte...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Tabby - IMReviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-books-i-own, reviewed-for-imr-2012

Okay, two things caught my eye and made me sign up for the blog tour with this book.

1. I LOVE me some Jane Austin
2. The phrase - A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice

Well YES please! Really, who can turn those two things down? So naturally, I jumped at this with HIGH expectations of this book. While the story was freaking adorable and I totally saw where the author was coming from with some things, other things just felt.. off to me, making the book fall just a little bot short for me. I a...more Okay, two things caught my eye and made me sign up for the blog tour with this book.

1. I LOVE me some Jane Austin
2. The phrase - A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice

Well YES please! Really, who can turn those two things down? So naturally, I jumped at this with HIGH expectations of this book. While the story was freaking adorable and I totally saw where the author was coming from with some things, other things just felt.. off to me, making the book fall just a little bot short for me. I am pretty sure I can blame that more on myself, simply because I set myself up with those high standards with this book!

On one hand you have Lizzie. Headstrong, determined and out to get things accomplished. My kind of girl! She knows what she wants and she isn't afraid to go after it. Facing the new owners and the new lady running the school this year, NO PROBLEM! Despite the good things that come her way this year at school, she faced with more problems than she anticipated. Between the roommate situation, BOYS being allowed in a once ALL GIRL school, the distance looming between her and her best friend, Ellie, and trying to get proof of the new owners so they can be convinced that these changes are horrible, it's amazing this girl has time for anything at all!

On the other hand you have Dante. Here is a man of mystery if I have ever seen one and a hot and cold attitude to match. To say that him and Lizzie are opposites is an understatement. He goes through phases where he likes her, he seems to not be able to stand her, and then his entire being softens and he changes into a totally different person. I swear I would have whiplash if I were Lizzie! Alas, he is hiding something, a BIG something that will pretty much make or break and relationship that is in store for him and Lizzie.

Here is what threw me, the relationship itself. First they hate each other, then they are on speaking terms, then bad things happen and then BAM - they are together. It was like "oh wow, that just did NOT fit." Of course, I know other people who just LOVED this, so it may have just been me that it didn't work for lol. The only other issue I have with this story is that it was so short. I so wanted it to be longer. I felt that since it was short, that some parts of it were rushed. Things that should have been touched on more, weren't and everything was just kind of laid out in the last few chapters.

One thing I will say though, is that this doesn't stop be from reading the next book in this series, simply because I want to know more about Ellie. I will also say that I HOPE Cecilia writes a book about Anne! She intrigues me on so many levels, as does Dante's sister. Speaking of them, the side characters in this book are just as awesome as the main ones. They bring dimension to the story that gives you better insight to Lizzie and Dante.

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Aug 05, 2012 Rachel Naddeo rated it 5 of 5 stars

www.bookstoconsider.blogspot.com

I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, so for me Fall For You was a must-read when the author mentioned that it was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice (my favorite Austen novel ever!). I know that probably many of you are afraid of reading a retelling of such a beloved novel but I can assure you that this one is worth it!

The Plot: Well, if you have read Pride and Prejudice, I'm sure you know how the story is going to unfold. However Fall For You takes place in present times...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Jasprit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, arc-galley

Modern retellings tend to be the latest trend around these days. I’m always a little anxious about whether it will ruin my love for the original book. Pride and Prejudice is an all time favourite classic of mine. So when I saw Cecelia Gray was proposing an entire Jane Austen academy series re-telling my interest was piqued, I was a little worried too, what if I didn’t love it? What if it tarnished the feelings I associated with Jane Austen classic? I decided to risk it.

Lizzie has been attending...more Modern retellings tend to be the latest trend around these days. I’m always a little anxious about whether it will ruin my love for the original book. Pride and Prejudice is an all time favourite classic of mine. So when I saw Cecelia Gray was proposing an entire Jane Austen academy series re-telling my interest was piqued, I was a little worried too, what if I didn’t love it? What if it tarnished the feelings I associated with Jane Austen classic? I decided to risk it.

Lizzie has been attending the elite Jane Austen academy; it’s a school which has been owned by a family for generations and is renowned for its prestigiousness. It’s also Lizzie’s one way shot to Georgetown. But then new owners take over and place a obnoxious head mistress in charge who wants to ruin everything the Jane Austin academy represented and under the latest “new improvements” are for the first time allowing boys to enrol there. Lizzie is absolutely livid, first they’re allowing boys in, but obnoxious stuck up ones like Dante?

Fall for You was a fun easy read which I devoured in one sitting. Once I’d entered the Jane Austen academy I immediately formed a strong bond with the characters. I enjoyed how the constant crossed wires led to comical clashes between characters, how Lizzie continually tries to push for an us against them divide. I also enjoyed the banter between the groups, it really made The Jane Austen academy feel like a fun place to be around.

Lizzie Egmont just like Lizzie Bennett was brash, hot headed and even though she occasionally followed the rules, she would slightly manipulate them to her benefit. She was a hugely animated character, with all these big and beautiful ideas to save the school. But she was also hugely naive, she was quick to make assumptions about other characters and stick to them stubbornly. I guess in this way she reminded me of Lizzie Bennett, but in comparison she didn’t have a notch on her.

Dante was a whole new kettle of fish; I feel that we weren’t able to see much of his character as I’d hoped, but the side we did get to see of him I enjoyed. He was aloof, distant, brooding and secretive. I would have loved to be inside his head just to know what the heck he was thinking all the time. I liked his tender side we were able to see too, I think maybe because I hold Mr Darcy in such high respects that I thought Dante wouldn’t be able to compare to him. And I guess he didn’t. But I liked watching his character development through the story.

At times I completely forgot that I was reading a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice as the story did take on a completely different path, but I liked the twists and turns which were thrown our way.

Overall Fall for You was a funny sweet modern retelling of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. As I enjoyed this quite a lot, I’m quite tempted to try the rest of the series, to see Gray’s take on the rest of Austen’s books.

This review and more can be found on The Readers Den (less)

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Apr 21, 2012 Angieleigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, bc11-12

Fall For You reminds me of another book I read recently where the main character was self-absorbed and only cared about herself and how everything she did would get her into the college of choice. The only difference is, Lizzie learned to adapt and accept change. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Lizzie grow as the story progressed; too often it takes about a hundred pages or so until the main character finally opens his//her eyes and realize that they've been an idiot all along.

A Goodreads friend...more

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About Cecilia Gray

Cecilia Gray lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she reads, writes and breaks for food. She also pens her biographies in the third person. Like this. As if to trick you into thinking someone else wrote it because she is important. Alas, this is not the case.

Cecilia has been praised for “instilling a warmth and weight into her characters” (Romancing The Book Reviews) and her books have been p...more

More about Cecilia Gray...

Books by Cecilia Gray

A Delightful Arrangement (The Gentlemen Next Door #1)

So Into You : A Modern Retelling of Sense & Sensibility (The Jane Austen Academy Series, #2)

When I’m With You : A Modern Retelling of Northanger Abbey (The Jane Austen Academy Series, #3)

A Flirtatious Rendezvous (The Gentlemen Next Door #4)

An Illicit Engagement (The Gentlemen Next Door #2)

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“But it always came back to anger.” — 3 people liked it

“I just can't stop thinking about you. Don't get me wrong. It hasn't always been good thoughts. I mean, at first, you seemed like such a snob and then...everything changed. I was thinking maybe...we could...we could got out. Together. On a date. I mean...I want to go out with you. I'd like to go out with you.” — 2 people liked it

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Fall For You : A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice (The Jane Austen Academy Series #1)

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