Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits

I've been a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice and was delighted to finally get to share the experience with my youngest daughter, who I can now proudly say is a fan also! So when I had the opportunity to review Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits, the first novel in the Jane Austen Takes the South Series from author Mary Jane Hathaway, I knew this sounded tempting. Taking the premise of a contemporary version of the classic, we meet a struggling college teacher Shelby Roswell who is hoping to gain at least thirty students in her Civil War History class while trying for tenure this year. What she doesn't expect to see is her rival, famous historian Ramson Fielding, who gave her a scathing review on the book she attempted to have published. His classes are so packed with students they have to rent out a lecture hall to accommodate the need.

When she peeks in on his lecture, she finds Mr. Fielding calling out one of his students for disregarding the no food policy in his classroom. He brings the student to the front of the class and insists that the entire class will wait until he has finished with his chips and sports drink. Unable to keep herself from getting involved, she realizes the car keys she needs have been conveniently located on the podium where Mr. Fielding is standing. Excusing herself she kindly apologizes for the intrusion and picks up her forgotten keys but not before she stops at the student with the chips and helps herself to a handful, claiming she is famished. Now that she has eaten the chips she feels parched and downs the sports drink in front of his whole class. While this was supposed to be a way to retaliate in a way to his behavior of the poor student, she didn't expect her boss and the department chair to also be sitting in on the lecture. Great, now the possibility of tenure is really on the line and once again, Ramsom Fielding is to blame.

The story is comedic, heartwarming and inspiring as the chapters open with classic dialogue from the classic novel of Pride and Prejudice from Jane Austen. You can't help but feel you have fallen right into the middle of something fantastic that will keep you glued to the novel until you see how it all plays out. It truly rates up there with some of the best romantic comedies I watched and read and can only hope that some movie company will pick this up and bring it to the big screen. The adventures continue as readers get a sneak peek at the next novel, Emma, Mr. Knightly and Chili Slaw Dogs at the conclusion to this one.

I received Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. There is so much to love about this novel and the way it teaches the reader not to jump to conclusions and not judging books by their cover. The best part is the sarcasm that comes whenever Shelby is provoked into a difference of opinion. When she should learn from all her disastrous arguments, she ends up putting her foot right in the middle of it once again. You will laugh, cry and add this to your personal favorites of all time. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to pick up Emma, Mr. Knightly and Chili Slaw Dogs, the second novel in the Jane Austen Takes the South series.

For more information about Pride Prejudice and Cheese Grits, Mary Jane Hathaway, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway

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To read more reviews on Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits, please visit Howard Book's website.