My BFF [Paperback]

Ruth Phillips Oakland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 23, 2009

When Control Freaks Collide... Brilliant, handsome and born into a world of class and wealth, Fitzwilliam Darcy learned early that giving your heart came with a price even he could not afford to pay. Musical prodigy Elizabeth Bennet used the ghosts of her past to scare away all chances for love in her future. Sparks fly when they meet; but will Darcy and Elizabeth crash and burn, or can they overcome their fears through an unusual relationship and find a way to happily ever after? Inspired by the characters of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, My BFF is a romantic comedy filled with intrigue, surprises and erotic interludes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Meryton Press (June 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1936009013
• ISBN-13: 978-1936009015
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,025,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ruth Phillips Oakland was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania where she dreamed of far off places and romantic heros; however, it wasn't until her discovery of the wit and wisdom of Jane Austen that she was inspired to write. Ruth firmly believes that every woman has a romance novel within her, she was simply fortunate enough to put hers to keyboard and have it published. Inspired by the works of Jane Austen, she drew on her vivid imagination and love of comedic banter to create her first novel, 'My BFF'. Ms. Oakland resides in Eastern Massachusetts with her loving and supportive family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Diverting and Sexy Modern Adaption of "Pride and Prejudice", November 27, 2009

By 

Meredith "Austenesque Reviews" (Wilmington , NC USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: My BFF (Paperback)

In this updated version of "Pride and Prejudice" Fitzwilliam Darcy is the billionaire CEO of The Darcy Company, who many years ago made the mistake of giving his heart to the wrong person. Now seven years later, his mistake still haunts him and he lives his life unattached, taking part in meaningless sex with models (only to satisfy his baser needs), and vowing to never love again. His younger sister, Georgiana, is soon to be attending the prestigious Longbourn School for the Arts in New York City. Darcy and his cousin, Geoffrey Fitzwilliam, travel to the university, not only to help Georgiana settle in there, but to meet with a Professor Bennet and discuss the possibility of collaborating on a project that will expand music education opportunities for underprivileged children. When he meets Professor Elizabeth Bennet, Darcy finds he is immediately attracted to her, but unfortunately in typical Darcy fashion he has already insulted her.

Professor Elizabeth Bennet, was a child prodigy in the field of music and now has achieved outstanding accomplishments in several academic areas. Being a gifted and talented child has prevented her from having a normal childhood, and because she has been too busy with a performing career she does not have a lot of experience in the relationship department. Even though Elizabeth feels an intense attraction for Fitzwilliam Darcy, she's seen his picture in the tabloids with his arms draped around scantily-clad models to know that he is not the type of person she has been saving herself for.

Darcy and Elizabeth acknowledge their passionate attraction for each other but because of their past experiences and lack of trust for others, they decide that the best thing for them to do is to be friends with each other, nothing more... (This reminds me of the movie "When Harry Met Sally," Billy Crystal's character believes that men and women can't ever be friends "because the sex part always gets in the way"). Despite Billy Crystal's sage advice, Elizabeth and Darcy become the closest and most connected of friends. They are closer to each other than they are to their friends and family, the tabloids think they are engaged, and their friends are bewildered by their resistance of a more romantic relationship. How long will it be before one of them breaks down the walls around their heart and let the other in???

I was "excessively diverted" with this "Pride and Prejudice" adaption and read it with a perpetual smile upon my face. Ruth Phillips Oakland's tale of Elizabeth and Darcy finding friendship and fighting falling in love was filled with clever and entertaining twist. I laughed out-loud at the witty dialogue, ironic situations, and her use of tabloids' headlines at the beginning of each chapter. The supporting characters in this novel were delightfully and amusingly portrayed, I enjoyed seeing Charlotte Lucas as a clothing designer and characters like Lydia Bennet, Caroline Bingley, and Lady Catherine were very true to their personalities. In this novel, Ms. Oakland incorporated the names of characters from other Jane Austen works, such as: Mr. Harville was the name of one of Darcy's bodyguard, Dr. George Knightley was the name of one of Darcy's friends, and Lucy Steele was the name of a porn star mentioned. However, I would have loved this aspect of the book more if the author used more than just the characters' name, and made these characters more distinguished and developed.

My one small quibble, and the reason I am giving this book 4.5 stars and not 5, is the depiction of a morally bankrupt Mrs. Bennet. In this adaption, Frannie Bennet was Elizabeth's overtaxing and greedy stage manger, but because of a car accident a few years ago, she has lost the ability to tell right from wrong. Now she behaves immorally, unscrupulously, and wantonly; Elizabeth has not seen or spoken with her mother in over six years. I enjoyed the part with Mrs. Bennet being a pushy parent (that is very real in today's society), but sometimes she was a little too vulgar and obscene for my tastes.

I recommend "My BFF" to anyone who enjoys reading modern adaptions of "Pride and Prejudice," and doesn't mind alterations in the plots and characters of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." In addition, I would recommend this book for mature audiences only and for readers who don't mind reading a few love scenes. I greatly enjoyed this fun and new spin on "Pride and Prejudice" and I savored each minute I spent reading it.

Austenesque Reviews

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars implausible modern retelling of Austen's P&P, November 14, 2009

By 

audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My BFF (Paperback)

I love Jane Austen and enjoy retellings, updates and even satire of the characters I so enjoy. I thought aspects of this novel were quite clever, but all-in-all I'd say this failed both as a pastiche of Austen's masterwork and as a novel in and of itself.

This is the tale of the British billionaire Fitzwilliam Darcy and the woman he meets in Manhattan, his sister Georgiana's mentor, musical prodigy and professor Elizabeth Bennett. In general I enjoyed the updated personae of P&P characters (as well as several from other Austen novels, though these are just name-dropped, not fleshed out at all), but a few were rather bizarre; in particular Mrs. Bennett, who is not just an obnoxious busybody here, but a sociopath who offers her daughter up to her boyfriend to be raped! That, and South American drug dealers and kidnap plots send this novel out of the reach of rational readers, but it is the "normal" situations and writing that I found most objectionable, dear reader. The sex is fairly juvenile, adult in nature but awkward and implausible, as well as sometimes downright obnoxious. We are told several times that Darcy's trousers tighten uncomfortably when he sees Elizabeth, and there is a running joke about his needing to buy bigger containers of personal lubricant. Yuk. We're also treated to not one, not two, but even more masturbatory episodes by both principles, bodily fluids and all. Again, yuk. This type of material has been handled by more talented writers, and to greater effect.

Another reviewer mentioned the odd footnotes. Yes. What a strange choice, dozens of footnotes -- telling us what multiple sclerosis is, Casablanca, a district attorney, a taser, the dimensions of a fencing match area, the Twilight Zone, the Mile High Club -- the oddest assortment of definitions and info, as if it will be read by aliens. There are also a few text messages written out. It's a bit of a mess, with no clear image of the audience. Elizabeth calls Darcy "Baby", and she does it way too much. And the term "spunky" is actually used. ouch.

On the positive side, the friendship between Darcy and Elizabeth is nice, and the updates of most characters are clever and interesting. There seems to be a writer here, buried under awkward and juvenile devices, but where was the editor? At nearly 400 pages this was a tough slog and I cannot recommend it to those who love Austen. On its own merits, apart from being a P&P homage, it is more successful, but not really worth the effort.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Could be a good book, if..., March 19, 2010

By 

Rachel Anderson "Even editors read for pleasure" (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My BFF (Paperback)

This story has potential, but it really needs some help to get it to be a good read.

The author definitely has an imagination and I applaud her use of it, but there are some big no's for this one. The drug dealers and kindnapping really need a redo. I'm sorry but this whole part ruined the story for me. It just wasn't believeable. I felt I was reading a bad skit from Saturday Night Live rather than a Pride and Prejudice redo.

Also, the footnotes really need to go. If this were a technical manual, I would expect it. I read them and actually felt slightly offended. Does the author think we are so stupid we need explanations about things that most adults already know? Okay, so there were a few trivialities I didn't know, but I do know how to use Wikipedia. 99.9% of them were totally unnecessary.

The sex scenes in this story also need work. Too much information on things not needed and not enough on the things that are. I prefer sensual and not masterbation.

I could go on and on about the strange re-working of Mrs. Bennet, but I will just say the character is worked way over the top and not at all enjoyable.

There were a few very major grammar errors that stood out on the page and screamed. If anything, that got my goat the most. Typos I can handle, but not bad grammar.

If the errors are fixed, footnotes tossed, Mrs. Bennet re-written, the whole drug lord business tossed, the sex scenes made more sensual and less childish, then maybe it will work.

I hope Ms. Oakland does rework this story, because I think it can be truly a wonderful story; just not the way it is now.