Vanessa King's debut romance, A Certain Appeal, is as sparkly and sassy as the burlesque scene it features. King bases her hate-to-love romance on Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, with obvious nods in plot beats and character names, but the setting and cast are delightfully modern and original.
A Certain Appeal is told entirely from the point of view of Elizabeth Bennett (Bennett to her friends), an executive assistant by day, burlesque "kitten" on the weekends, and interior designer in her dreams. Reserved, starchy Will Darcy accompanies an investor to the Meryton burlesque venue one night and, after some intense flirting, Bennett wants nothing more than to undo some of Darcy's buttons. That is, until she overhears him dismissing her as "tolerable" to his friend. King uses this initial attraction and repulsion to set up the classic Pride & Prejudice animosity and ensuing tension, but her creative updates of the various subplots make for a compelling retelling that stands on its own.
While the main characters are white and straight, King's well-developed diverse secondary cast is reflective of New York City's vibrant human mélange. Bennett's Black gay roommate, Jane, frequently steals the show, for example, and readers will be cheering on his relationship with Charles even as the dastardly Wickham character threatens everything the Meryton performers hold dear.
A Certain Appeal is a sexy blend of Pride & Prejudice and modern burlesque, but it's also a thoughtful, consent-driven romance with a big heart and just the right number of sequins. --Suzanne Krohn, librarian and freelance reviewer