A Certain Appeal

Starred review from July 12, 2021
King’s irresistible debut gives Pride and Prejudice a fresh look, transplanting the classic story to the sexy, sequined world of a contemporary burlesque club. Liz Bennet lands in New York after a professional betrayal crushes her interior design dreams in Los Angeles. She finds an unexpected home in Meryton, the upscale Manhattan burlesque club where her best friend and roommate (a sweet-natured, gender-swapped Jane) sings. Soon she’s balancing her day job as an executive assistant with her evening duties as “stage kitten.” When starchy wealth manager Will Darcy visits Meryton, he’s far from prepared for the saucy show—or confident Liz’s scantily clad flirtations. She’s equally taken aback to overhear his infamous “tolerable” verdict on her appeal, setting off a slow-building dance of attraction and antipathy as the pair continue to cross paths socially and professionally. King nails the building tension, but what stands out most is her obvious affection for the endearing supporting cast and the richness of their nocturnal world. Both are used to great effect when a twist leaves Meryton’s fate in jeopardy and all must band together to preserve their found home. Between the camaraderie and the costumes, this immersive look at the burlesque scene is sure to win many fans, Austenite or not.

August 1, 2021

DEBUT By day, Liz Bennet is an administrative assistant; by night, she's a "stage kitten" at Meryton, the Manhattan burlesque venue where her best friend Jane furnishes the musical talent. When Jane starts dating Charles (a prospective buyer of Meryton), Liz crosses paths with the suspicious, grumpy Will Darcy, and sparks fly. Darcy mistrusts the sexy veneer that he associates with burlesque, but he's drawn to Liz regardless. Liz, meanwhile, feels defensive of her Meryton family and of burlesque, which gave her confidence after a personal betrayal derailed her career. She's wary, having been burned before by men's assumptions about her passion for the art. Liz and Darcy clash, reconsider, and clash again, with help from a manipulative Wickham, until catastrophe strikes and Meryton's future is brought into question. In this debut, King describes the burlesque setting vividly and appealingly for readers and makes Liz's involvement in burlesque an integral part of her journey. The inevitable misunderstandings spring naturally from King's characters (as they typically do in the characters of Jane Austen); it feels unforced. VERDICT Readers who enjoy sexy contemporary romance will be charmed by King's light, irreverent retelling of Pride and Prejudice, set in the New York City burlesque scene.--Sierra Wilson, Chicago

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2021
Pride and Prejudice...if the heroine wore pasties. Elizabeth Bennet is a self-proclaimed woman of many names--Bennet to friends, Lizard to family, Liz at her day job, and Kitten when she moonlights. Bennet spends her weekdays as an executive assistant at a startup and her weekends "kittening" for a burlesque show at Meryton, a Tribeca club. Bennet's duties involve picking up discarded undies and other scanty regalia after the performances of her co-workers, including her BFF Jane Okogu, the aerialists Ginn and Tonic, and Renaissance woman Ming DyNasty. When handsome and aloof patron Will Darcy catches Bennet's eye, she foresees a more interesting end to her night than expected. That is, until she overhears him damningly describe her as "thoroughly tolerable." As it turns out, Darcy's friend Charles Bingley--Jane's new love interest--and Meryton manager Andrea are trying to buy the property, and Bennet must move past the trauma that ended her previous career as an interior designer and follow her dreams: "Now Andrea is buying the building. And renovating....A thrill dances up my spine at the prospect....Meryton has facilitated so much good in my life; the least I can do is contribute to this new chapter of its story." As Bennet works to overcome her insecurities, she must also contend with the arrival of the witty, if poorly dressed, George Wickham, whose questionable motives and troubled past with Darcy are slowly revealed. While King's attempts at Austen-ian repartee feel largely superfluous to her otherwise deft and fun storytelling, this is nonetheless an original take on the source material, filled with three-dimensional characters. A jaunty and sexy twist on a classic.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2021
King's debut novel is Pride and Prejudice set in the world of New York City burlesque. Elizabeth ""Ben"" Bennet left a derailed career in interior design to work as a stage kitten at Meryton, a burlesque club, cleaning up discarded costumes and selling trinkets between sets. The club is her family; there's her best friend, singer Jane, a gay man; frazzled manager Andrea, seamstress and performer Ming, and the ""twins,"" Ginn and Tonic. The future of Meryton is unclear, however, until potential buyer Charles Bingley falls hard for Jane. Less impressed is Charles' best friend, Will Darcy, who immediately butts heads with Ben--except they can't stop thinking about each other. King takes full advantage of the sensual art of burlesque to ramp up the sexual tension between Darcy and Ben while including cheeky nods to Austen's masterpiece. There's a George Wickham, and Darcy's family owns a performance hall called Pemberley. Readers will root for Ben and her ragtag family as she searches for her true path while trying to save the show. An utter delight.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.