Cowboy Pride

Wild Wyoming Hearts #3

by Lacy Williams

"Everyone knows a rancher in possession of a large spread needs a wife."

Lacy Williams is a USA Today bestselling author of the acclaimed Wyoming Legacy and Cowboy Fairytales series.

About Cowboy Pride:

First impressions count.

Liza Bennett has two missions in life: keep the family’s shop afloat, and ensure her shy sister finds love. Sparks fly when she meets rancher Rob Darcy at a town dance, but when she overhears him insult her, she vows to put the man out of her mind. Rob Darcy is instantly attracted to the vivacious Liza but a lack of social graces and the promise he’s keeping ruin his chances of winning her.

Once jilted, Janie Bennett is appropriately gun-shy of falling in love again. But she doesn't seem to be able to help herself when she meets charming Nathan Bingley. Bingley desperately wants a wife and family of his own. Can he trust that Janie returns his feelings?

When Janie is injured in a spring storm, she and Liza are sequestered on Nathan’s ranch. Hearts and emotions get tangled, but will first impressions prove true, or false?

Cowboy Pride is a Wild West version of Pride and Prejudice with dual love stories.

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Westerns, Fiction, Historical Romance, Historical, Retellings

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 23, 2017

About the author

Lacy Williams wishes her writing career was more like what you see on Hallmark movies: dreamy brainstorming from a French chateau or a few minutes at the computer in a million-dollar New York City penthouse. In reality, she’s up before the sun, putting words on the page before her kids wake up for the day. Those early-morning and late-night writing sessions add up, and Lacy has published fifty books in almost a decade, first with a big five publisher and then as an indie author. When she needs to refill the well, you can find Lacy birdwatching, gardening, biking with the kiddos, or walking the dog. Find tons of bonus scenes and reader extras by becoming a VIP reader at www.lacywilliams.net/vip .

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this because it's the Big Library Read and I like participating in those. I regret doing it this time. This was supposed to be a western retelling of Pride and Prejudice. And it was. Though lots of things were removed (no Mary, Collins is already married) and the naming is weird. Darcy is Rob. Rob Darcy.

He was Fitzwilliam Darcy. Doesn't it make sense that he would be William or Bill rather than Rob?

But beyond that, the writing is simplistic and inane, there is no evidence of spellchecking, much less copy editing, and all personality of the characters is from the actual P&P that the reader then projects onto these cardboard marionettes.

Really disappointed in this one.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little re-telling of Pride and Prejudice as a western. The nice thing about this story was that it was told from four different perspectives, those of the Elizabeth, Jane, Bingley, and Darcy characters. I enjoyed reading from all of their perspectives, getting a sense of the budding romance from all sides. It was quite amusing and definitely added to Williams' own definitive take on Austen's work.

I will say, I did come across a plentiful amount of typos, which was a bit jarring, but I won't let that count for too much, as this is definitely on the lighter side of reading, meant more to be enjoyed for its plot than for it's skilled writing style. Williams also had a way of over-using specific adjectives in describing some of her characters, almost to the point they seemed like epithets. Darcy is described as "highhanded" so many, many times it almost becomes comical. But, again, I let this pass because this is a romance - if the romance is good, I'll let it slide.

And the romance was good - though it did seem at times a bit contrived. Almost any P&P retelling I read/watch comes across like this, however, because you know what's going to happen and, like with this book, you can map it out down to the chapter. While this was a bit off-putting, Williams puts in enough changes of her own (aside from just changing the scenery and time-period) to make it okay. I did like the little pieces she added to make it her own and I definitely could tell that this story was lovingly written.

All that aside, it's a decent book and a good summer read, quick, light, and an easy romance to fall in to. I enjoyed it, as it only took me two days to finish, I just swept through it. I would definitely recommend to Austen lovers.

[steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

*****I read this book because it was chosen for Big Library Read and as such, I was able to download it and read instantaneously. (Big Library Read (BLR), facilitated by OverDrive, is a reading program through your library that connects readers around the world with the same eBook at the same time without any wait lists or holds). If your library uses Overdrive for their e-books, you can read this title between now and July 23, 2018.****

This book is a cute, Cowboy/Western adaptation on Pride and Prejudice. The author took some liberties with the characters (Mary, oh poor Mary doesn't exist in this) and plot lines but all in all, it's not a bad read. I do like the backstory the author gave Janie on why she's shy around Bingley (she had a bad experience in a prior relationship) but I also felt the Wickham storyline just popped up out of nowhere (he is literally in like one scene before he runs off with Lydia 80 pages later so that plot line doesn't feel as important/urgent as it does in the original). This book is okay, but not GREAT as far as P&P adaptations go.

That said, it was an enjoyable lunch break read this week. I will probably not read it again but it entertained me on my lunches this week so I'm happy I read it.

[Annamariah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually participate in the Big Library Read even though so far most of the books have been somewhat disppointing. I also can't seem to pass any Austen adaptation, so when I saw that the latest BLR was a cowboy version of Pride and Prejudice, I had to read it. Unfortunately, Cowboy Pride does not possess any of the magic that makes Austen's novel such an enduring classic.

We all know the story, though there are some notable changes. Liza and Janie Bennet are daughters of a leather goods store owner. Nathan Bingley has just bought a ranch near the town, and his friend Rob Darcy (who owns an even bigger ranch in another town) is visiting him and his (half) sister. Janie and Mr. Bingley fall in love almost immediately, but cause each other heartache because of their uncertainties and inability to talk about their feelings. Meanwhile Liza and Mr. Darcy also feel an immediate attraction towards each other, but have a much rockier start, mostly because of his tactlessness.

On the whole, this book is an altered and abridged version Pride and Prejudice. Lydia has been rendered to a mere plot device, Kitty only gets a passing mention and Mary has been omitted from the story altogether. Mr. Darcy's sister Danna is a female marshal (whose story has apparently been told in the first book of Lacy Williams's series) and nothing like Austen's Georgiana. Lady Katherine de Bourgh has been completely replaced with another character whose interference feels rather far-fetched. The only thing Mr. Collins shares with the original character is his name and the fact that he is married to Charlotte (who in this version was married from the start and had no previous relationship with Liza).

I don't really mind changing things in adaptations as long as the changes make the plot work better in the new setting and don't make the heart of the original story disappear. Unfortunately, this adaptation just doesn't feel compelling. It does not have enough of the original's spirit to make it feel like another Pride and Prejudice, but the plot is similar enough to make it entirely predictable, and the writing is simply not good enough to weave a magic of its own (it seems that the proofreading was either skipped entirely or at least done in a hurry). It's not by any means the worst book I've read or even the worst adaptation, but it is rather bland.

[Sandee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was interesting. A western/cowboy take on Pride and Prejudice. I liked the idea but now have a hard time rating this. The editing is horrible. If you are going to copy Jane Austen please, at least make an effort. However, I did like all the different viewpoints depicted in this book. From the Jane character, the Elizabeth character, Bingley and Darcy. Of course the names are changed. I also like most of the changes the author made to fit the story into a western. Unfortunately, the character relationships fall a bit flat and there is little emotional engagement.

[Natalya · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a Big Library Read, a national program through the library app overdrive. You would think that they’d pick a very good book. This is a Pride and Prejudice retelling, and those can be excellent when done correctly (so far the web series Lizzie Bennet Diaries is queen over them all). Sadly, this was not even close to good. It’s as if Steven Moffat wrote the book. It starts off well but then quickly you realize all the interesting stuff is happening offscreen and the boring stuff is the focus. Which is a shame because it had potential.

[Andrea Brokaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally Westerns aren't really my thing, and I really disliked the last two Big Library Reads I tried to get through, but I'm glad I read the description of this one and realized it was a Pride and Prejudice retelling. And I'm even more glad I read it. It was quick; I spent less than a day on it, but it was also adorable and entertaining. My library doesn't have the other books in the series, but I've requested them because I'm really curious about the side characters the earlier books follow.

[Dee/ bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very pride and prejudice. in some ways it was better than Austen. There was no Mary, which is good. Plots were similar but different.

[Veronica Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting, I mean come on it is a quivk 252 pages, but it was also good. Imagine Jane Austin's characters on a ranch in the American West and yoy get the picture. The book honors some of the best moments while making some changes that are good and help the story along. Rob Darcy and Liza Bennett struggle with feelings for each other while trying but failing initially to bring happiness to Janie and Nate. I liked the story, a good retelling.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute and quick read.

A bit of a jumble, not going to lie, but I do appreciate the Williams' take on a western retelling of Pride and Prejudice. She kept the spirit of the main characters and story fairly intact and interwoven between both her and Austen were moments that felt were from the 2005 film of the same name directed by Joe Wright.

Williams definitely did some changes to better fit the western world and took liberty with some characters, which I will admit that I appreciated her take on Mr. Collins and his arc but it also streamlined and shortened the story.

While listed as #3 in the series, this could be read alone which is what I did as this part of the ongoing Big Library Read.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a moderately charming retelling of Pride and Prejudice in olden-times Wyoming. All of the charm comes from the original story, of course, but that is enough to carry through. There is also a gratuitous moment of Rob Darcy pouring water on himself and having a clingy shirt, which made me laugh. So definitely gets an extra star for that.

Not exactly sure why this merits being a Big Library Read (who even decides that?) but it was pleasant enough.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simplistic yet serviceable retelling of “Pride & Prejudice” as a Western. The author relies heavily on the reader’s knowledge of the plot and personalities of the characters from the original book. And I didn’t love some of her changes (no Mary and Charlotte isn’t Elizabeth’s friend) but it’s a fun and quick beach read.

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this for the Big Library Read.
this book is a cowboy/western adaptation of jane austen's pride and prejudice. i didn't like it.

first of all, any adaptation or retelling of p&p has a really tough job. it's very, very difficult to create an adaptation of a work that is already so good! any attempt will be compared with the source material, and inevitably won't live up. dont get me wrong, there *are* good adaptations of p&p but this book is not one of them.
the biggest blunder in this adaptation, in my opinion, is the inclusion of chapters from darcy and bingley's pov. reading from bingley's and particularly darcy's perspective takes away from the reader's journey with liza--we, as the reader, know from the get-go that darcy has good intentions because we were there to experience it. in the original, we follow elizabeth's journey from believing darcy proud, arrogant, and disagreeable, to realising her own prejudice and discovering darcy's true character. plus, in the original, we still get to experience darcy's character arc, without needing chapters upon chapters explaining his pov. imo, chapters from darcy's pov weaken the narrative while adding nothing substantial to his character.
also there's no Lady Catherine de Bourgh, so. why even bother.

ok so it's a bad adaptation, but what if we just read it as a typical romance?
it's still bad.
-the narration is repetitive and boring
-the characters are either flat or obnoxious. either way, not fun to read about, and i don't particularly care about where any of them end up.
-the dialogue is??? kinda weird?? another review mentioned it seemed the dialogue was half american drawl, half posh english. there were a few places i realised i was defaulting the movie set in my head back to regency england, even though we're on another continent and a few decades later.
-plot elements are all over the place and shoved in haphazardly. whickham appears for like a scene and a half before he runs of with lydia, jane's backstory is.... well, it's there, i guess. it seemed unnecessary to me

anyway. i did not like it.

[Lilian Deforest · Rating 1 out of 5]

Does it count as writing a book if you rewrite one- only in a different sort of language? Well it definitely doesn’t if the writing is terrible. I got 5 pages in and it was cheesy and pretentious all at once. Sorry, I’ll stick with Jane Austen herself. No “chocolate brown eyes” and “goose-pimples crawling up arms” or “shaken and trembling but trying to cover it” for me.

[Tandie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This was a mediocre retelling of Pride & Prejudice with cowboys. Lots of repetitive words and phrases and quite a few typos. I feel bad saying this, but it's the truth. Cowboy Pride was boring. I had to force myself to finish & see how things turned out for Janie, Liza, and beaux. Meh.

[Becca Curtis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was just pure fan fiction. It was poorly written and very contrived. It didn't flow well, and the backstory for Jane was ridiculous, and distracting. Not worth the read.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a “big library read” last time I got on Overdrive. You’d think they would pick a book with literary merit, right? Nope. Nobody could ever compete with the great Jane Austen, but this book never left romance novel territory. I had the idea that it would be like a book group choice, but I think more likely is my husband’s theory (when I described it to him because no man would ever read this) that this book wasn’t seeing any action so the author agreed in order to get publicity.

What’s wrong with it?

1) the characters are weak. Literally. Like, not only are they poorly drawn, but in typical romance novel fashion they spend a lot of time dwelling on past traumas and present disappointments but not really doing anything about them. I’m not talking about Jane Bennet’s quiet courage. It’s just a lot of failure-to-move-on and inability-to-deal-with-trials-in-a-healthy-way. I also disliked all of the changes she made to their personalities. Clever, witty Elizabeth becomes sullen, petulant Liza. Quiet, decorous, angelic Jane becomes emotionally stunted Janie. Silly, dim-witted Mrs. Bennet becomes sly, scheming Mrs. Bennett. Mr. Bennet, possibly the most complicated character of all in the original, hardly appears here. Mr. Darcy’s arrogance, clumsy and then sweet courtship, and ultimate heroic rescue lose most of their charm when we are constantly taken into his head. It’s way more fun to get to know him gradually, just as Eliza does. And what the author does to Georgiana Darcy, Charlotte Lucas, Mr. Collins, and Mr. and Miss Bingley—just sigh. And I miss poor left-out Mary Bennet!
2) the author can’t decide if she wants the dialogue to be Wyoming drawl or English gentry.
3) her choices of what to keep from the original story and what to change made no sense to me.
4) it seemed like this must be part of a series, and a lot of the characters must have appeared in previous books, because she kept referring to complicated back-stories that she never tells. Frustrating.
5) I alluded to this earlier, but I loathe entirely the romance novel habit of switching back and forth between the POV of the heroine and the hero. And here, she goes back and forth between all four. In my opinion, it’s lazy.

This isn’t everything, but it’s all the time I want to spend on this. Add this to all the other failed Austen adaptations. I will be very careful before doing one of the “big library reads” again!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm nostalgic about stories with a western setting and I love everything Jane Austen, so I jumped at the chance to read this Pride and Prejudice /Old West mashup. Doesn't Darcy as a cowboy sound fun?!

Given that it's a retelling, there were not a lot of surprises in the plot of the story. The characters, however, sometimes veered wildly away from Austen's originals—and not necessarily in a good way. For example, Georgiana Darcy is a very masculine character who wears breeches and is a marshal. Mr. Collins enters the story already married and is actually something of a good guy. I didn't understand the need to change Mr. Bingley's first name, especially considering the author isn't opposed to the name Charles, as you could see with side characters named Charlie and Chas.

I found some aspects of the story were overdone, such as an elaborate backstory for the Bennet family which was used too much as a plot device. Other aspects, like George Wickham's story, were underdone to the point that if I hadn't been intimately familiar with Austen's original I wouldn't have known the significance of it.

I would recommend this book for those who enjoy Pride and Prejudice and western stories. It's a light read, and if differences from the original don't bother you, you may like to see how the author crafted the story to fit the setting. The original is always better, but sometimes a different look can be fun too.

This review originated at http://reviewsbyerin.dreamwidth.org

[Tara A · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book improved as it went on, and I appreciated a truly new retelling of Pride & Prejudice that hasn’t been done a dozen times. I actually became quite invested in the book’s two main romances at times. But it also had that issue of instead of building up chemistry between characters, they would just feel “something” pass through them the second they laid eyes on each other—a love at first sight kind of thing. I just find this frustrating. It takes work to make characters have chemistry and make the reader invested in the relationship, but when I’m just told that they have a mesmerizing attraction to each other without any actual interaction... meh.

I felt a bit frustrated with the MANY typos and incorrect words (“likes” instead of “lies,” for example), sometimes even mixing up character names (me for a second: “Wait, so Eliza, Darcy, AND Janie are all on Darcy’s horse?!”). Not enough to ruin the book, but doesn’t make a great impression.

[Lis Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, set in the American West during the pioneer days.

Williams doesn't make the mistake of trying to make it too exact a match. The American West isn't Regency England. There are wealthy ranchers and social-climbing mamas, but there isn't nobility, and a female marshal is certainly an outlier, but not an impossibility.

And Mr. Bennett as a leather goods shop owner is respectably middle class, not beneath notice as merely being "in trade."

Among my favorite changes to the characters and story are William and Charlotte Collins. In Austen's work, Mr. Collins is contemptible and only to be sniggered at, while Charlotte's decision to marry him is cast as pragmatically understandable, but really a clue to a serious character flaw. Those aren't the Collinses we meet here.

Both Liza and Janie have somewhat more complicated personal histories than in Austen's work, and I like it.

Overall, of course, the book doesn't rise to Austen's level, but it's both a fine homage, and enjoyable in its own right.

Recommended.

I borrowed this book from the local public library.

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huh. I had no idea this was part of a series. It was featured on my library's Overdrive home page for some reason and advertised as being a Western version of P&P. Since I LOVE P&P, I had to try it out.

I couldn't figure out how Williams decided what to keep from the original story and what to rewrite. I mean, she kept Kitty's name, but made it Rob Darcy!? I can understand writing out the Mr. Collins pseudo-romance from a length perspective, but I'm not sure why Darcy's sister had to be older and a marshal, and having a totally unrelated woman travel across the state to confront Liza re: Darcy was rather improbable.

All in all, the story was just okay. It definitely didn't live up to Austen's brilliant writing, but it wasn't horrible either.

[kaotickitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book of Lacy Williams, I have read. It won’t be my last. I found this thanks to overdrive’s Big Library Read. So far I have like everything from that.

This was a western retelling of a Jane Austin book. I can’t compare the two since I haven’t read the classic.

I will say while I knew where the story was heading, I still enjoyed the ride.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for pride and prejudice retellings.
Even if there were quite a few typos.

[Gwen (The Gwendolyn Reading Method) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this as part of a read-along for my library. Certainly no Jane Austen, but I'm always a sucker for a Jane Austen retelling so I enjoyed myself on this one.

[Elizabeth Luck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sappy sweet, but good mindless read.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not good, but sometimes fun

[Doris Leland · Rating 4 out of 5]

double romance

2 sisters meet and marry 2 friends. But I don’t think the end of the story should be that they got married. To me the marriage is just the beginning.

[Jdawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast read. Cute play on Pride & Prejudice. Quite a few typos in the ebook version. Almost had to get out the virtual red edit pen!

[Sara Shupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for all things Pride and Prejudice and this western version was a fun way to re-read it!

[Elizabeth Owens · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whyyyy am I a sucker for retellings of Pride and Prejudice. Do not recommend. Uneven and unbelievable.