Book Review: Cowboy Pride

First, a heads up, if you haven't yet read Cowboy Pride by Lacy Williams then skip this blog post because it's chock full of spoilers!

Ok, now for the rest of you. I adore alternate tellings of classic stories so when I heard about Cowboy Pride from my online Jane Austen group it peaked my interest. Unfortunately, this rendition falls flat. I mean it's almost the literary version of what Taylor Swift did to Earth, Wind, and Fire's September. It's just so limp and lifeless.

In Cowboy Pride, the Bennett family runs a leather goods store in the town of Calvin (where that is I couldn't tell you, Wyoming I think) which they apparently ran to several years prior after Janie was disgraced by the wagging tongue of a woman whose son tried to compromise her. For some reason, nobody jumps to Janie's defense, not even her father. This is something that is touched upon though not explained towards the end of the book.

Anyway, the shop is floundering and Liza Bennett can't figure out why. Her father is either oblivious or unconcerned and her mother is not just a silly chatterbox in this version but a gossip who is willing to spread wild rumors about her own daughters much to Janie and Liza's chagrin. Mary Bennett once again gets the short end of the stick by not actually existing in this version, Kitty herself is barely a character, and Lydia is still a bubblehead though not as conceited.

Nathan Bingley (I mean, come on, not Charlie or even Chuck? It's a Western, right?) is the illegitimate son of a wealthy man who knocked up his mother and then walked out, apparently not giving them a second thought until his death brings an inheritance and a surly, spoiled younger half sister, Mindy. Nathan worked on Rob Darcy's family ranch since his mother died when he was 16 and they've been fast friends ever since. Rob's sister, Danna, is a happily married, "masculine" woman and local deputy.

So, like in the original the Bingleys and Rob (again not Will or Billy because nothing says rugged cowboy like Rob) Darcy make their first appearance in town at a barn dance where they meet Janie and Liza. Janie and Nathan fall in love, Rob doesn't dance and insults Liza, wrong impressions are made yadda yadda yadda. Lather, rinse, repeat. Mindy sends an invitation to Janie and of course mom decides no, she can't take the wagon, she has to ride a horse.

Here's where it veers away from the original story and is one of my pet peeves. As Janie rides, a storm kicks up and the bridge she crosses gives way so they fall into the flash flood swelled river. Liza is on hand because she was worried about the fact that Janie can't actually ride very well and she, Nathan, and Rob are able to rescue the half drowned Janie who is brought to Nathan's house to recuperate from swallowing all that nasty river water.

Now, this is the first of at least four different rescues in this book. Like, I know it was the wild west but first Nathan rescues Janie, then Janie rescues Nathan when he boards the same train home already sick as a dog because goddamn if these people didn't like to travel. Then lightning strikes Nathan's barn so Liza risks her life to release the horses and tries but fails to save the barn. Finally, the train Janie and Liza are riding later on gets hijacked and Liza rolls her ankle getting off so Rob gets to show his compassionate side by bringing them back to his place which is conveniently closer than town. These have to be either the most unlucky or unfortunate people in the whole area. I mean, damn if I was an insurance adjuster I might start to get suspicious.

Cowboy Pride also manages to kill the more pivotal story arcs of Pride and Prejudice, which is a damn shame. The dreaded Mr. Collins arrives already married to a bubbly, heavily pregnant Charlotte and there's mild speculation about whether or not he'll offer to buy Mr. Bennett out of his store. Instead, Liza picks up some tips while managing Collins' store and uses them to increase business at her family's store later on.

George Wickham's appearance in the story is so brief you might miss it if you blink. I was actually hoping Liza would come to the realization that Wickham was one of the train robbers, which would totally justify even having the scene in the book and add more gravity to the situation when Liza receives a telegram about Lydia's elopement. Anyway, several weeks later Rob finds them in a hotel. Lydia is crushed that the love of her life isn't so charming or attentive and Rob lays a guilt trip on Wickham about how much he's disappointing the dead grandfather who took him in out of the goodness of his heart, believed in him blah blah blah blah

Rob Darcy doesn't have a rich overbearing aunt to sneer at Liza in this account. Instead, the part goes to the owner of a boarding house Liza stays in while helping the Collinses. The nasty old woman actually shrieks at Liza in the street towards the end of the book, calling her all kinds of names and accusing her of trying to trap Rob who's supposed to be marrying her daughter, Priscilla. The exchange is noisy and brief and completely beneath Elizabeth Bennett or Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Like I said, Cowboy Pride is an interesting take on Pride and Prejudice but the writing is awkward at times and the story falls flat in others. I've read worse but I've also definitely read better. I really wanted to like this book but was sorely disappointed. Two stars.

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