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Perfect #2
Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet
**Note: This book is part of the "Perfect" series, but it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel.**
The course of true love doesn’t always run smooth -- not even for millionaire bachelors…
Everyone thought Beth Ann Bennet and Dr. Will Darcy had an unexpected romance in Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match (Perfect #1).
Now, Beth’s best friend, Jane Henderson, and Will’s first cousin, Bingley McNamara, begin their own unlikely love story in Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet (Perfect #2), which starts at the Bennet/Darcy wedding when the two of them find themselves in the roles of maid of honor and best man for the newlyweds.
Jane is an interning school psychologist and a woman who wears an angelic mask in public, but she’s not as sweet tempered as she’d like everyone to believe. Turns out, she may have just crossed paths with the one person who’ll unnerve her enough to get her to reveal her true self.
As for Bingley, he’s a wealthy, flirtatious, compulsively social guru of finance, who likes to wager on stocks and, let’s face it, on just about anything that strikes his fancy. But this dedicated ladies’ man may have finally met the woman who’ll challenge his bachelor ways!
Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet…where life’s biggest gamble is the game of love.
The course of true love doesn’t always run smooth -- not even for millionaire bachelors…
Everyone thought Beth Ann Bennet and Dr. Will Darcy had an unexpected romance in Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match (Perfect #1).
Now, Beth’s best friend, Jane Henderson, and Will’s first cousin, Bingley McNamara, begin their own unlikely love story in Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet (Perfect #2), which starts at the Bennet/Darcy wedding when the two of them find themselves in the roles of maid of honor and best man for the newlyweds.
Jane is an interning school psychologist and a woman who wears an angelic mask in public, but she’s not as sweet tempered as she’d like everyone to believe. Turns out, she may have just crossed paths with the one person who’ll unnerve her enough to get her to reveal her true self.
As for Bingley, he’s a wealthy, flirtatious, compulsively social guru of finance, who likes to wager on stocks and, let’s face it, on just about anything that strikes his fancy. But this dedicated ladies’ man may have finally met the woman who’ll challenge his bachelor ways!
Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet…where life’s biggest gamble is the game of love.
- GenresRomance
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 20, 2014
7 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Brant
35 books406 followersMarilyn Brant is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. Her debut novel won RWA's prestigious Golden Heart Award® in 2007 and she was named the 2013 Author of the Year by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English. She wrote ACCORDING TO JANE, the story of a modern woman who receives dating advice from the spirit of Jane Austen, FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE, and A SUMMER IN EUROPE, all women's fiction releases from Kensington Books.
She's also a #1 Kindle & #1 Nook Bestseller and has written a series of fun and flirty contemporary romantic comedies, such as ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAE and PRIDE, PREJUDICE AND THE PERFECT MATCH, along with a bestselling coming-of-age romantic mystery (THE ROAD TO YOU), a sweet holiday romance (THE KNIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS), and the 7-book "Mirabelle Harbor" contemporary romance series. Look for her latest releases, THE SECRET LIFE OF MAGGIE BLAKE, a modern romantic spy comedy inspired by the Scarlet Pimpernel (May 2022), and NOT ANOTHER ROMAN HOLIDAY, a rom-com novella set in Italy (November 2023)!
Marilyn lives in the northern Chicago suburbs with her family, analyzing novels for the storytelling website Save the Cat! and working on her own writing projects. When she isn't rereading Austen's books or enjoying the latest releases by her author friends, she's daydreaming plot ideas for her next novel, eating chocolate indiscriminately and hiding from the laundry.
She's also a #1 Kindle & #1 Nook Bestseller and has written a series of fun and flirty contemporary romantic comedies, such as ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAE and PRIDE, PREJUDICE AND THE PERFECT MATCH, along with a bestselling coming-of-age romantic mystery (THE ROAD TO YOU), a sweet holiday romance (THE KNIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS), and the 7-book "Mirabelle Harbor" contemporary romance series. Look for her latest releases, THE SECRET LIFE OF MAGGIE BLAKE, a modern romantic spy comedy inspired by the Scarlet Pimpernel (May 2022), and NOT ANOTHER ROMAN HOLIDAY, a rom-com novella set in Italy (November 2023)!
Marilyn lives in the northern Chicago suburbs with her family, analyzing novels for the storytelling website Save the Cat! and working on her own writing projects. When she isn't rereading Austen's books or enjoying the latest releases by her author friends, she's daydreaming plot ideas for her next novel, eating chocolate indiscriminately and hiding from the laundry.
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November 16, 2017
This review was first posted on Babblings of a Bookworm: http://babblingsofabookworm.blogspot....
Earlier this year I read the first book in this series, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match, where Beth Ann Bennet registers for Lady Catherine’s online dating agency under false pretences, and finds herself dating Dr Will Darcy, who has also registered with the agency for motives other than finding love. I really enjoyed that book, and you can see my review of it here. The main secondary characters in that book are Beth’s best friend Jane, and Will’s cousin Bingley McNamara. These two characters were both wonderful but pretty different.
I absolutely loved Jane in the first book. Aside from liking her in her own right, because she was funny and intelligent I also liked her because she was such an amazing friend. Since single mum Beth had no family living close to her she relied on her friend Jane, who helped out with babysitting, provided a shoulder to cry on for Beth when required, moral support, fashion advice and practical support in terms of helping out providing meals for Beth and her son Charlie when Beth was strapped for time or cash. She was the type of friend that anybody would count themselves as lucky to have.
Bingley was likeable but maybe not so entirely admirable as Jane. Rich boy Bingley was responsible for Will registering with the dating agency in the first place, having offered to fund a clinic for single mums in return for Will having 5 dates with a woman. Although it may have seemed to Will like Bingley was just having fun with him in fact Bingley was trying to get Will out there and opening his heart to someone. Bingley is a good man but nowhere near as nice as Charles Bingley of Pride & Prejudice – imagine more of a Charles Bingley/Colonel Fitzwilliam hybrid who is similar looking to Darcy – very pleasant thing to imagine isn’t it! With such wonderful secondary characters in the first book I was so pleased to see that there was going to be a second book, this time featuring on Bingley and Jane.
We start the story at Beth and Will’s wedding – something has gone awry between Jane and Bingley. She is angry and hurt, and extremely prickly towards him due to him having let her down, and he feels pretty much the same.
‘Jane had seemed so...nice, for want of a better word. Too sweet for him to want to tamper with or tease too much, although Beth hinted there was more to Jane than her pleasant veneer might suggest.
He hadn’t believed that at first but, oh, he believed it now, as she swivelled to face her friend, shooting another death stare in his direction’
Actually, Jane has done Bingley a disservice – he isn’t what she thinks. In fact, both of them mislead people into thinking they are different than they are under the surface. She thinks Bingley is an uncaring player, but although he’s played the field quite a bit and has a shedload of money and a propensity to gambling he is a decent man, and he’s a lot less thoughtless and selfish than Jane believes. Jane is very cautious with men because in her experience they don’t have genuine long term interest in her. Her last serious relationship left her very badly hurt which has left her unwilling to take the risk of trusting a man or letting him close to her. Her misunderstanding with Bingley just reinforces her belief that she needs to keep her defences up with him.
Jane also suffers from being labelled as ‘nice’. This is something that I think canon Pride & Prejudice Jane would definitely have suffered with. If you are too nice people feel they can ride roughshod all over you, put upon you and generally be selfish while you put up with it. Jane has been overlooked, taken advantage of and under-esteemed for far too long, and she’s only really beginning to realise this. Bingley is a nice guy, but he doesn’t let people take advantage of him or make him feel guilty for ensuring that he’s treated properly, and that’s something that Jane could definitely learn from him.
Forced to spend time together while spending time with Beth’s son Charlie, Bingley realises that he has misjudged Jane:
‘She was passionate and genuine with the people she loved... He didn’t know what she was hiding or why, but he knew he’d only gotten the briefest flashes of the real Jane so far.’
So he sets about improving their relationship, and he and Jane work on becoming friends. But can men and women ever be friends?
I so enjoyed this book. I loved the humour, both Bingley’s and Jane’s, and there were some really funny scenes, such as their surreptitious face pulling contest while having a trip out with Charlie, Bingley’s summary of the artistic movement of pointillism, and Jane’s feelings on Emo haikus. There are a few nods to ‘When Harry Met Sally’ aside from the ‘can men and women ever be friends?’ question, including references to a couple of my favourite scenes from the film. I also loved that fact that when Bingley’s selfish, spoiled cousin Caroline comes to stay that he calls her out on her behaviour – how I would have loved to have seen canon Bingley do that! I feel a little traitorous in admitting this, but I preferred Jane and Bingley’s story to Beth and Will’s! I would definitely recommend reading this book, but to get the most out of it, read Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match first.
Disclaimer – I received an e-arc of this book from the author for my honest review.
Earlier this year I read the first book in this series, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match, where Beth Ann Bennet registers for Lady Catherine’s online dating agency under false pretences, and finds herself dating Dr Will Darcy, who has also registered with the agency for motives other than finding love. I really enjoyed that book, and you can see my review of it here. The main secondary characters in that book are Beth’s best friend Jane, and Will’s cousin Bingley McNamara. These two characters were both wonderful but pretty different.
I absolutely loved Jane in the first book. Aside from liking her in her own right, because she was funny and intelligent I also liked her because she was such an amazing friend. Since single mum Beth had no family living close to her she relied on her friend Jane, who helped out with babysitting, provided a shoulder to cry on for Beth when required, moral support, fashion advice and practical support in terms of helping out providing meals for Beth and her son Charlie when Beth was strapped for time or cash. She was the type of friend that anybody would count themselves as lucky to have.
Bingley was likeable but maybe not so entirely admirable as Jane. Rich boy Bingley was responsible for Will registering with the dating agency in the first place, having offered to fund a clinic for single mums in return for Will having 5 dates with a woman. Although it may have seemed to Will like Bingley was just having fun with him in fact Bingley was trying to get Will out there and opening his heart to someone. Bingley is a good man but nowhere near as nice as Charles Bingley of Pride & Prejudice – imagine more of a Charles Bingley/Colonel Fitzwilliam hybrid who is similar looking to Darcy – very pleasant thing to imagine isn’t it! With such wonderful secondary characters in the first book I was so pleased to see that there was going to be a second book, this time featuring on Bingley and Jane.
We start the story at Beth and Will’s wedding – something has gone awry between Jane and Bingley. She is angry and hurt, and extremely prickly towards him due to him having let her down, and he feels pretty much the same.
‘Jane had seemed so...nice, for want of a better word. Too sweet for him to want to tamper with or tease too much, although Beth hinted there was more to Jane than her pleasant veneer might suggest.
He hadn’t believed that at first but, oh, he believed it now, as she swivelled to face her friend, shooting another death stare in his direction’
Actually, Jane has done Bingley a disservice – he isn’t what she thinks. In fact, both of them mislead people into thinking they are different than they are under the surface. She thinks Bingley is an uncaring player, but although he’s played the field quite a bit and has a shedload of money and a propensity to gambling he is a decent man, and he’s a lot less thoughtless and selfish than Jane believes. Jane is very cautious with men because in her experience they don’t have genuine long term interest in her. Her last serious relationship left her very badly hurt which has left her unwilling to take the risk of trusting a man or letting him close to her. Her misunderstanding with Bingley just reinforces her belief that she needs to keep her defences up with him.
Jane also suffers from being labelled as ‘nice’. This is something that I think canon Pride & Prejudice Jane would definitely have suffered with. If you are too nice people feel they can ride roughshod all over you, put upon you and generally be selfish while you put up with it. Jane has been overlooked, taken advantage of and under-esteemed for far too long, and she’s only really beginning to realise this. Bingley is a nice guy, but he doesn’t let people take advantage of him or make him feel guilty for ensuring that he’s treated properly, and that’s something that Jane could definitely learn from him.
Forced to spend time together while spending time with Beth’s son Charlie, Bingley realises that he has misjudged Jane:
‘She was passionate and genuine with the people she loved... He didn’t know what she was hiding or why, but he knew he’d only gotten the briefest flashes of the real Jane so far.’
So he sets about improving their relationship, and he and Jane work on becoming friends. But can men and women ever be friends?
I so enjoyed this book. I loved the humour, both Bingley’s and Jane’s, and there were some really funny scenes, such as their surreptitious face pulling contest while having a trip out with Charlie, Bingley’s summary of the artistic movement of pointillism, and Jane’s feelings on Emo haikus. There are a few nods to ‘When Harry Met Sally’ aside from the ‘can men and women ever be friends?’ question, including references to a couple of my favourite scenes from the film. I also loved that fact that when Bingley’s selfish, spoiled cousin Caroline comes to stay that he calls her out on her behaviour – how I would have loved to have seen canon Bingley do that! I feel a little traitorous in admitting this, but I preferred Jane and Bingley’s story to Beth and Will’s! I would definitely recommend reading this book, but to get the most out of it, read Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match first.
Disclaimer – I received an e-arc of this book from the author for my honest review.
December 19, 2017
I was waiting for this book to come out as I so enjoyed The Perfect Match.
This couple, Jane Henderson and Bingley McNamara, meets because their best friends, Beth Bennet and Will Darcy, are getting married and sparks immediately fly. A make-out session in a closet leave them only wanting more and he can’t forget the sexy lingerie at which he only got a brief peek. What is she wearing he wonders every time he sees her.
However, in over hearing her brother making a bet with Bingley as to who will "score" first, Jane turns a frigid shoulder to further overtures by Bingley. Bingley debates with himself as to whether Jane is worth the effort of further pursuit. After all, it is not as if he doesn't have everything going for him to catch any woman he wants: good looks, charm and money...plus there is that hot car. But he can’t get her out of his mind. Finally, he decides to consult with his best friend, Will, even though Will and Beth are on their honeymoon.
BUT, what if: Jane’s first love, the man who broke her heart while in college, Trey Willoughby, shows up quoting poetry - using her as his muse, sending huge bouquets of flowers and explaining that he only cheated because the depth of his love for her scared him, deeply frightened him and he needed time away to realize just what all that, just what she, meant to him.
Beth’s son, Charlie, plays a big part in making sure the couple cannot ignore each other. But then Bingley’s cousin, Caro, in counterpart acts the brat and diverts attention away from this couple’s time together.
This was so much fun to read. Jane’s job, Bingley’s cooking talents and knowledge about food, the interest both took in a young boy and their extended family’s part all added to the flavor.
This couple, Jane Henderson and Bingley McNamara, meets because their best friends, Beth Bennet and Will Darcy, are getting married and sparks immediately fly. A make-out session in a closet leave them only wanting more and he can’t forget the sexy lingerie at which he only got a brief peek. What is she wearing he wonders every time he sees her.
However, in over hearing her brother making a bet with Bingley as to who will "score" first, Jane turns a frigid shoulder to further overtures by Bingley. Bingley debates with himself as to whether Jane is worth the effort of further pursuit. After all, it is not as if he doesn't have everything going for him to catch any woman he wants: good looks, charm and money...plus there is that hot car. But he can’t get her out of his mind. Finally, he decides to consult with his best friend, Will, even though Will and Beth are on their honeymoon.
BUT, what if: Jane’s first love, the man who broke her heart while in college, Trey Willoughby, shows up quoting poetry - using her as his muse, sending huge bouquets of flowers and explaining that he only cheated because the depth of his love for her scared him, deeply frightened him and he needed time away to realize just what all that, just what she, meant to him.
Beth’s son, Charlie, plays a big part in making sure the couple cannot ignore each other. But then Bingley’s cousin, Caro, in counterpart acts the brat and diverts attention away from this couple’s time together.
This was so much fun to read. Jane’s job, Bingley’s cooking talents and knowledge about food, the interest both took in a young boy and their extended family’s part all added to the flavor.
August 28, 2014
Following her tender and sweet Pride and Prejudice inspired contemporary romance, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match, Marilyn Brant gifts us readers with the sequel we were eagerly hoping for! (We wanted us some more Bing-a-Ling!) After seeing Beth Bennet and Will Darcy come together through a most unlikely medium, readers can now see what happens between the two closest people in their lives – Jane Henderson and Bingley McNamara. While it isn’t imperative to read Pride, Prejudice, and the Perfect Match first before reading Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet, you may want to so you can see how Beth and Will fall in love and meet Jane and Bingley before they meet each other.
Both books in this series are entertaining and endearing reads, and while they do pay tribute to Jane Austen’s characters and novels, they don’t follow the personalities and events too closely. Beth and Will meet through an online dating site, Bingley is a ladies’ man with a proclivity for wagers, and Jane’s outward appearance of sweetness and serenity may just be a mask. Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match focused on Beth and Will and their tangled web of lies, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet centers on Bingley and Jane and their intense feelings towards each other – whether they be of dislike, irritation, confusion, attraction, or affection.
One thing I’ve always enjoyed about anything I’ve read by Marilyn Brant is her complex, well-drawn, and engaging characters. I greatly enjoyed spending more time with Bingley and Jane, and discovering all their hidden layers. I loved exploring each character’s past, learning their insecurities and relationship needs, and witnessing them overcome all their hang-ups. At times though, I felt Jane still seemed a little unsettled and unable to find her own identity. She was “lost in the crowd” of her big family, taken for granted, used by her ex-boyfriend, and tired of being packaged into a “box of warmth, kindness, and sweetness.”
“But she wasn’t sure she even knew who she was anymore. Or if she could trust herself if she did. Or if she’d ever feel comfortable sharing the deepest secrets of her soul with any man again.” – page 138
I loved this moment of clarity and soul-searching Jane had partway through the novel, but I kind of felt we never saw the answers to all her questions. I wanted to see more of the real Jane.
Another aspect I love about Marilyn Brant’s novels is that they are always so much fun! Whether we are touring Europe with her grandmother S&M club (ahem!…Sudoko and Mahjongg) or celebrating different holidays at a charming small-town inn, Marilyn always includes an abundance of details, descriptions and delicacies that add such a richness to her story! I greatly enjoyed seeing the “dates” Bingley and Jane had together, especially the meal he made her! And I thought the movie night where they watched Casablanca and When Harry Met Sally were superb choices. Loved the parallels – “men and4576_4 women can’t be friends” and when they both called Will and Beth at the same time! LOL! (I see what you did there, Marilyn!) In addition, I also loved the sweet scenes with Charlie (Beth’s son) and how he thought of Jane and Bingley as his friends. ;) Awww!
Of the two books in the Perfect series, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet is my favorite. Bingley was just too adorable…(I know, big surprise…I have a thing for Bingleys I guess!) Loved his sweet boyishness, easy-going charm, his latent protective and serious side, and his decisive, take-charge behavior. Reminded me of someone I know… ;)
Both books in this series are entertaining and endearing reads, and while they do pay tribute to Jane Austen’s characters and novels, they don’t follow the personalities and events too closely. Beth and Will meet through an online dating site, Bingley is a ladies’ man with a proclivity for wagers, and Jane’s outward appearance of sweetness and serenity may just be a mask. Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match focused on Beth and Will and their tangled web of lies, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet centers on Bingley and Jane and their intense feelings towards each other – whether they be of dislike, irritation, confusion, attraction, or affection.
One thing I’ve always enjoyed about anything I’ve read by Marilyn Brant is her complex, well-drawn, and engaging characters. I greatly enjoyed spending more time with Bingley and Jane, and discovering all their hidden layers. I loved exploring each character’s past, learning their insecurities and relationship needs, and witnessing them overcome all their hang-ups. At times though, I felt Jane still seemed a little unsettled and unable to find her own identity. She was “lost in the crowd” of her big family, taken for granted, used by her ex-boyfriend, and tired of being packaged into a “box of warmth, kindness, and sweetness.”
“But she wasn’t sure she even knew who she was anymore. Or if she could trust herself if she did. Or if she’d ever feel comfortable sharing the deepest secrets of her soul with any man again.” – page 138
I loved this moment of clarity and soul-searching Jane had partway through the novel, but I kind of felt we never saw the answers to all her questions. I wanted to see more of the real Jane.
Another aspect I love about Marilyn Brant’s novels is that they are always so much fun! Whether we are touring Europe with her grandmother S&M club (ahem!…Sudoko and Mahjongg) or celebrating different holidays at a charming small-town inn, Marilyn always includes an abundance of details, descriptions and delicacies that add such a richness to her story! I greatly enjoyed seeing the “dates” Bingley and Jane had together, especially the meal he made her! And I thought the movie night where they watched Casablanca and When Harry Met Sally were superb choices. Loved the parallels – “men and4576_4 women can’t be friends” and when they both called Will and Beth at the same time! LOL! (I see what you did there, Marilyn!) In addition, I also loved the sweet scenes with Charlie (Beth’s son) and how he thought of Jane and Bingley as his friends. ;) Awww!
Of the two books in the Perfect series, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet is my favorite. Bingley was just too adorable…(I know, big surprise…I have a thing for Bingleys I guess!) Loved his sweet boyishness, easy-going charm, his latent protective and serious side, and his decisive, take-charge behavior. Reminded me of someone I know… ;)
February 13, 2018
Another very enjoyable read.
This story was the perfect followup to Pride and Prejudice and the Perfect Match. I felt like I was very familiar with the characters, but their story was more like Lizzy and Darcy in Pride and Prejudice than was Beth and Dr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice and the Perfect Match. This was a lovely read and I highly recommend the two books to anyone looking for very entertaining reads.
This story was the perfect followup to Pride and Prejudice and the Perfect Match. I felt like I was very familiar with the characters, but their story was more like Lizzy and Darcy in Pride and Prejudice than was Beth and Dr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice and the Perfect Match. This was a lovely read and I highly recommend the two books to anyone looking for very entertaining reads.
May 6, 2020
Perfect
Marilyn Brant wove an exquisite tale. It's good to see Jane be the lead in this tale, and don't get me started on Trey! Just Jane and Bing.
Marilyn Brant wove an exquisite tale. It's good to see Jane be the lead in this tale, and don't get me started on Trey! Just Jane and Bing.
September 26, 2014
Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet is a super fun and cute story! This is a sequel to Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match (which I loved!), but it stands up quite nicely on its own! Although both books are a modern Pride and Prejudice variation of sorts, they don't follow the original storyline closely. In Pride, Prejudice & the Perfect Bet you will find Jane and Bingley’s story.
The story begins at the wedding of Beth Bennet and Will Darcy, were Jane is the Maid of Honor and Bingley is the Best Man. Unfortunately, at the moment they are not getting along so well. At the engagement party they were getting along just fine, in fact more than fine. Until Jane overhears a conversation Bingley is having, boasting of his conquests and how weddings are a perfect place to find action. He even makes a bet that he will score first! Well, Jane's not about to help him win that bet!
Bingley has no idea what turned Jane off, but when he finally figures it out, he works hard to correct her opinion of him. Soon Bingley, the confirmed bachelor, starts falling for Jane. My heart breaks for Bingley when Jane’s ex comes back into the picture.
I loved how Ms. Brant put fun names into this story! It was entertaining to recognize familiar names, including myself!! And how she mixed up Austen's characters a bit, like Jane’s ex is named Willoughby. I thought it was hilarious how Willoughby’s poetry drove Jane away. As Elizabeth Bennet said:
“But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination, I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it entirely away” ~ Pride & Prejudice
I always love Ms. Brant’s sense of humor and her writing style. She is one of my favorite authors!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet! It was a fun quick read and left me with warm fuzzy feels! I would highly recommend this story! I loved it, and I bet you will too!
FTC Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of the story from the author for my honest review.
The story begins at the wedding of Beth Bennet and Will Darcy, were Jane is the Maid of Honor and Bingley is the Best Man. Unfortunately, at the moment they are not getting along so well. At the engagement party they were getting along just fine, in fact more than fine. Until Jane overhears a conversation Bingley is having, boasting of his conquests and how weddings are a perfect place to find action. He even makes a bet that he will score first! Well, Jane's not about to help him win that bet!
Bingley has no idea what turned Jane off, but when he finally figures it out, he works hard to correct her opinion of him. Soon Bingley, the confirmed bachelor, starts falling for Jane. My heart breaks for Bingley when Jane’s ex comes back into the picture.
I loved how Ms. Brant put fun names into this story! It was entertaining to recognize familiar names, including myself!! And how she mixed up Austen's characters a bit, like Jane’s ex is named Willoughby. I thought it was hilarious how Willoughby’s poetry drove Jane away. As Elizabeth Bennet said:
“But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination, I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it entirely away” ~ Pride & Prejudice
I always love Ms. Brant’s sense of humor and her writing style. She is one of my favorite authors!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet! It was a fun quick read and left me with warm fuzzy feels! I would highly recommend this story! I loved it, and I bet you will too!
FTC Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of the story from the author for my honest review.
July 10, 2014
'but for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too short.'~Jane Austen
This is exactly how I feel about a Marilyn Brant book, I always want more!
Marilyn gives us a story of an unlikely friendship with the age old question, “Can men and women truly be friends?” In her remarkable style, Ms. Brant brings to life two characters we love in literature but know very little about. Jane & Bingley are are often overlooked because they are overshadowed by Lizzie and Darcy and they DO deserve their day in the sun! Retellings and adaptations of Jane Austen classics are my absolute favorite and this story featuring our favorite main secondary characters in P&P is Brilliant! She had me laughing and was pulling at my heart strings from beginning to end! Willoughby was hysterical and Bingley stole the show! This book will have you grabbing your tattered copy of Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility just to revisit old friends. Marilyn does it again; she breathes new life into beloved characters (which is not an easy thing to do) and does it with such fun and flare. I ADORED THIS BOOK!
This is exactly how I feel about a Marilyn Brant book, I always want more!
Marilyn gives us a story of an unlikely friendship with the age old question, “Can men and women truly be friends?” In her remarkable style, Ms. Brant brings to life two characters we love in literature but know very little about. Jane & Bingley are are often overlooked because they are overshadowed by Lizzie and Darcy and they DO deserve their day in the sun! Retellings and adaptations of Jane Austen classics are my absolute favorite and this story featuring our favorite main secondary characters in P&P is Brilliant! She had me laughing and was pulling at my heart strings from beginning to end! Willoughby was hysterical and Bingley stole the show! This book will have you grabbing your tattered copy of Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility just to revisit old friends. Marilyn does it again; she breathes new life into beloved characters (which is not an easy thing to do) and does it with such fun and flare. I ADORED THIS BOOK!
July 13, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed 'Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet' Marilyn has given us another winner!
The pace is lively and fun right from the get go! Wow this Bingley is like nothing I've ever read before! He exudes power, money, charisma, and he is very sexy. I love the spunk shown by Jane, she is definitely no shrinking wallflower. The characters worked brilliantly, they dealt with so many different emotions, which kept me riveted. I loved the humour which was seamlessly woven throughout, and I found myself laughing and smiling many times. I enjoyed the beautifully written romantic storyline also, there were lots of twists and turns, that kept me guessing and hooked until the very end. I love the music references and the 'pinched cheek' which I do to my relos all the time. Angie is a real card and Charlie is an Angel, great additions to the cast! Jane's ex is slap-worthy and 'creepy' to use Bingley's words. I was totally invested in Jane and Bingley's love story all the way through.
A wonderful stand alone novel, but also a fabulous sequel to the equally brilliant 'Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match'.
Looking forward to the next, Vee xx
August 11, 2014
After a quick and heated make out session it becomes painfully obvious that Bingley McNamara and Jane Henderson are more apt to face each other in a boxing ring than being lip-locked again. But for the sake of Jane’s best friend and Bingley’s cousin who’re madly in love and just married they know they’ll have to make nice and make amends. Begrudgingly thrown together to help care for the honeymooning couple’s young son has given them ample opportunities to banter and spar but has also shown them a kinder gentler side to each other and just like that the possibilities and the passion arise.
Brant’s delightful frienemies romance is funny, touching and intense. Her dialogue is an enjoyable mix of modern casual and Austenesque formal, and her visual narrative brings the people places and scenes to life. Her sarcastic/meanish banter between her stars had me wondering how she’d pull this romance off only to be pleasantly surprised when she did. Her characters run the gamut from quirky, funny to irritating and her little tyke co-star steals every scene.
Brant’s delightful frienemies romance is funny, touching and intense. Her dialogue is an enjoyable mix of modern casual and Austenesque formal, and her visual narrative brings the people places and scenes to life. Her sarcastic/meanish banter between her stars had me wondering how she’d pull this romance off only to be pleasantly surprised when she did. Her characters run the gamut from quirky, funny to irritating and her little tyke co-star steals every scene.
August 8, 2014
Part 2 in the series following Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet although an independant story that can be read on it's own. This novel focuses on Bingley and Jane as their characters start to interact with their best friends Darcy and Beth getting married. The characters are very different than our original P&P characters as Jane is perceived as sweet and calm but is really feisty, flirty, and a fiery disposition. Bingley is a rich womanizer who has never been Ina serious relationship whereas Jane has been burned and doesn't want to let anyone in. When Bingley falls for Jane he wills have to work hard to convince her that he is no longer a player just out to have a good time. Jane must deal with her insecurities that hold her back from falling with Bingley. Their paths cross practically daily as they interact with Beth's son while Beth and Darcy are on their honeymoon so this is not a story of Beth and Darcy. A happy end for Jane and Bingley of course!
December 28, 2016
An interesting modern take on Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth is a social worker with a young son who is talked into trying Lady Catherine's Love Match website. Meanwhile, physician William Darcy is also talked into trying the site by a fun-loving Charles Bingley who dangles funding for Darcy's proposed clinic as the carrot.
And thus the clash of two worlds begins, with much deception on both sides, many misunderstandings, and finally . . . acknowledgment that Lady Catherine's Love Match site had indeed set them up for their Perfect Match.
I like modern adaptations of Austen's works well enough, but the 19th century Brit Lit fangirl that I am usually prefers period variations. This was definitely one of the better modern takes; itwas definitely entertaining and amusing. Well done, Ms. Brant!!
And thus the clash of two worlds begins, with much deception on both sides, many misunderstandings, and finally . . . acknowledgment that Lady Catherine's Love Match site had indeed set them up for their Perfect Match.
I like modern adaptations of Austen's works well enough, but the 19th century Brit Lit fangirl that I am usually prefers period variations. This was definitely one of the better modern takes; itwas definitely entertaining and amusing. Well done, Ms. Brant!!
August 12, 2014
I really, really loved this one! I'm a huge fan of Marilyn's books, but this one hit me in a special place. (Hey, get your mind out of the gutter!) I'm talking about my heart, and I truly didn't want this story to end.
May 22, 2015
"Pride Prejudice and the Perfect Bet" by Marilyn Brant is my first read by this author, but definitely will not be my last. I'll need to go back and read the book prior because it was so good. You can read this book alone or as part of a series. Loved it.
August 28, 2014
This was a really enjoyable read. You just don't want to put the book.
May 30, 2024
My review for Austenprose.com:
http://austenprose.com/2014/08/18/pri...
http://austenprose.com/2014/08/18/pri...
January 17, 2018
My Recommendation: Pass. Unless you’re obsessed with Jane and Bingley from the original and are curious how they could be adapted this isn’t the book for you. I’m still not sure this is even how EITHER of them should have been modernized, but at least someone tried.
My Response: This is the second novel in the two book series, Perfect. The first, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet and this one are both just sort of okay. This picks up within six months of Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match and happens over three weeks.
I did really enjoy Brant’s characterizations of the Jane and Bingley characters from Pride and Prejudice , which is who this book focuses on. They’re the best friends of Beth Ann and William from the first book and the story revolves around their being best man and maid of honor at their wedding and the various shenanigans that ensue surrounding various bets they make with each other while trying not to kiss or kill each other.
Click here to continue reading on my blog The Oddness of Moving Things.
My Response: This is the second novel in the two book series, Perfect. The first, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet and this one are both just sort of okay. This picks up within six months of Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match and happens over three weeks.
I did really enjoy Brant’s characterizations of the Jane and Bingley characters from Pride and Prejudice , which is who this book focuses on. They’re the best friends of Beth Ann and William from the first book and the story revolves around their being best man and maid of honor at their wedding and the various shenanigans that ensue surrounding various bets they make with each other while trying not to kiss or kill each other.
Click here to continue reading on my blog The Oddness of Moving Things.
February 17, 2016
After reading book one ‘Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match’ I wondered how Ms. Brant would handle the romance of Bingley, cousin of Dr. Darcy, and Jane, Beth Bennet’s best friend. I was pleasantly surprised as I followed their “courtship”. I liked that even though they were physically attracted to each other, they didn’t jump each other’s bones right off the bat. Actually, it was refreshing and very natural and true to life that they misjudged each other. Being in each other’s company they finally begin to really “see” each other for who they really are.
Jane realizes that Bingley isn’t really bad boy, and he realizes that Jane is more that “Beth’s goody too shoes” friend.
Ms. Brant weaved a really believable, fun and intriguing romance. The characterization, plot and pace were all perfect, but the chemistry between these two was off the charts! Highly recommending!
Melanie for b2b
Complimentary copy provided by the author
Jane realizes that Bingley isn’t really bad boy, and he realizes that Jane is more that “Beth’s goody too shoes” friend.
Ms. Brant weaved a really believable, fun and intriguing romance. The characterization, plot and pace were all perfect, but the chemistry between these two was off the charts! Highly recommending!
Melanie for b2b
Complimentary copy provided by the author
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December 6, 2014I can't wait to share this sequel to Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match with you all! Jane & Bingley's modern romance -- Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Bet -- will be released soon (July 20, 2014), and I hope you'll enjoy it!!
June 22, 2015
corny. corny. corny.
June 14, 2016
This was my second read and it was better the second time. I love Bingley and Jane they were fun to read.
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