Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

 

Summary from goodreads.com: 

To impress the popular girls on a high school trip to London, klutzy Callie buys real Prada heels. But trying them on, she trips…conks her head…and wakes up in the year 1815!

There Callie meets Emily, who takes her in, mistaking her for a long-lost friend. As she spends time with Emily’s family, Callie warms to them—particularly to Emily’s cousin Alex, a hottie and a duke, if a tad arrogant.

But can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, and win Alex’s heart, before her time in the past is up?

More Cabot than Ibbotson, Prada and Prejudice is a high-concept romantic comedy about finding friendship and love in the past in order to have happiness in the present.

Prada and Prejudice was everything that I expected it to be: a fast, fun romantic comedy. Callie is the typical outcast, a science whiz with no real friends since her best friend moved away and a longing to be in the "in crowd". When she overhears some popular girls talking about going clubbing later she decides that she's going to join them, and buys a pair of real prada pumps to prove her worth. Except she's a clutz, and on the way back to her hotel she trips and knocks herself out.

She wakes up in 1815 where we meet Emily, and nice girl in an unwanted engagement, and Alex, a duke. Callie is mistaken for an American friend of Emily's, Rebecca and is taken into the household. Callie finds incriminating letters addressed to the duke that make her dislike him immensely. She also takes it upon herself to break Emily's engagement, as well as do other meddlesome things that cause much hilarity.

I'd be lying if I said that this book wasn't predictable, but sometimes predictable is good right? Callie is relatable and I enjoyed her as a main character. Emily is so sweet and trusting, I wanted her to be my best friend. Alex is cold and distant, and does and says things that make Callie mad. I had some trouble with how believable some aspects of the story were. Callie shows up in jeans and a t-shirt with her Prada pumps on and all anyone remarks about is that she's wearing mens clothing. She wears her Prada pumps almost continuously throughout the book and no one bats an eyelash. I guess that I was just expecting more questions as to where she came from.

Overall, it was a cute and very fast read that wasn't more than it promised to be. I enjoyed it, but I might stick with the drama's for a while...

Characters: 8/10
Plot: 7/10
Originality: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
Ending: 8/10
Overall: 39/50 C+
Cover: 5/5 I think that it fits the story well, and I really like the teacup hanging off of the letters.