Format: Hardback
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
Page Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley (June 2, 2020)
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mr. Darcy‘s Rating: “You have bewitched me, body and soul.”
A Chasing Mr. Darcy Review
When I originally picked up Jo and Laurie, it was really with the intent of round out my Little Women retellings for the month of May 2021. I didn’t have high expectations for the book because I’m not a Jo/Laurie shipper. I won’t say that I’ve been converted, but I will say that this version of the story works with Jo and Laurie ending up together.
Here’s a plot synopsis from Amazon: 1869, Concord, Massachusetts: After the publication of her first novel, Jo March is shocked to discover her book of scribbles has become a bestseller, and her publisher and fans demand a sequel. While pressured into coming up with a story, she goes to New York with her dear friend Laurie for a week of inspiration--museums, operas, and even a once-in-a-lifetime reading by Charles Dickens himself! But Laurie has romance on his mind, and despite her growing feelings, Jo's desire to remain independent leads her to turn down his heartfelt marriage proposal and sends the poor boy off to college heartbroken. When Laurie returns to Concord with a sophisticated new girlfriend, will Jo finally communicate her true heart's desire or lose the love of her life forever?
So, Jo and Laurie isn’t so much a retelling as a continuation. This story takes place between the first and second halves of Little Women when Jo is struggling to write the sequel. This book details all the things Jo changed about her family to make the story of Little Women work, things like extending Beth’s life, changing Meg’s character a bit, and the 180 she did on Amy’s true nature. Laurie is also completely different in this book than the original, but still just as lovable. Jo is also not quite as insufferable in this story as I usually find her. Bottom line, the characters are the characters we know and love, but they are different in this version. But it works.
I really liked the inner workings of the March family in this book. I liked Jo and how she seemed less infallible in this story than in the original; I liked that Amy showed a bit of a sensitive side, as did Jo. Meg is probably the least changed of everyone, but she is still different. I completely fell in love with the love story of Laurie and Jo in this version; Laurie works to make Jo fall in love with him, and in this book, they complement each other so well. They balance each other, and the story all but sings off the page in a ballad of true love. I rooted for them, cried for them, and my heart broke as I worried that it might be Amy the sisters lose in this book after already losing Beth. The family unit is the true star of the story at times, alternating between the love between Jo and Laurie and the love of a family.
I completely fell in love with this book, and I think any historical fiction lover will fall in love with it as well!
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