Berry Fields spends her free time working for her father's PI firm and has snapped enough photos of cheating guys to not trust the whole lot of them--especially not the infuriatingly gorgeous new guy in school, Tanner. When Berry suddenly discovers that her mother's death might have actually been murder, she's determined to uncover the truth, even if Tanner keeps distracting her from her goal. I was expecting "Spies and Prejudice" to be a fluffy spy adventure, but was pleasantly surprised to find it witty, intelligent and well-written--Berry's friend Jason's one-liners are particularly great. Fans of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girl series and, of course, "Pride and Prejudice" will love this novel. ( )

Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
This is a light, frothy read that would pair well with Aly Carter's Gallagher Girls series or Michelle Jaffe's Bad Kitty series, and it'll appeal to readers who want a little spy action (but not too much) mixed in with all the boy-crushing that goes on, sort of like a sprinkle of nuts on a sundae. It starts off as a sort of Veronica Mars-lite story and I was digging it until the halfway mark, when the plot goes absolutely bananas and the characters lose all credibility, particularly Berry, who is clever and witty enough during the opening that I didn't expect her to be so obviously led around by the nose later. While it was too improbable and swooney-romancey for my tastes, it has its moments. I don't really see the connection to Pride & Prejudice, but maybe it's just been too long for me. ( )

Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
This is a light, frothy read that would pair well with Aly Carter's Gallagher Girls series or Michelle Jaffe's Bad Kitty series, and it'll appeal to readers who want a little spy action (but not too much) mixed in with all the boy-crushing that goes on, sort of like a sprinkle of nuts on a sundae. It starts off as a sort of Veronica Mars-lite story and I was digging it until the halfway mark, when the plot goes absolutely bananas and the characters lose all credibility, particularly Berry, who is clever and witty enough during the opening that I didn't expect her to be so obviously led around by the nose later. While it was too improbable and swooney-romancey for my tastes, it has its moments. I don't really see the connection to Pride & Prejudice, but maybe it's just been too long for me. ( )

Spies and Prejudice is a quick and light read. For those who are tired of the typical Dystopian and Paranormal novels, but are looking for something outside of the ordinary contemporary story, this teen spy novel is for you. For those of you who want a bit more depth and relationship development in your novels, you may want to skip this one. While I enjoyed this book, it definitely did not stand out. The spy content made it a bit different from the regular contemporaries, but at the end of the day, this is just another YA romance with the usual insta-love.

Berry is a strong and straight-forward heroine, both qualities that are rarely done right in YA literature, but Vance nails it. Berry never comes across as bratty or overly dramatic, and I really liked that about her. She does seem real, though, because she misses her mom. She acts like a teenager without acting like an annoying teenager. She should have stood out more to me, really, but for some reason I never fully connected to her. I can't figure out why, though. Tanner and Drew, the two love interests, form the typical and over-done YA love triangle. It's clear from the start who Berry likes, and of course, Berry makes up her mind instantly, though she doesn't act on it right away. One is good, one is bad, the roles reverse, nothing special here. I'm not going to completely spoil it and tell you which is which (there are plenty of times throughout the novel when it's not exactly clear), though. I also was a bit annoyed at the hokey naming of the characters. "Strawberry Fields" and "Mary Chris Moss," really? Some people may find the names cute, unique, and even chuckle-worthy, but I found them annoying. It looked as if the author was trying too hard to be clever, and it just fell short.

The plot itself is reminiscent of the Heist Society books, except Vance didn't do as good of a job making it believable that teenagers would be this involved in spy work. For some reason, I just didn't buy that these characters would have access to, and actually care about, all of this confidential information. The romance, as stated previously, was lacking development, in my opinion, though Vance does throw in quite a few twists and turns with the characters (and romance). I saw them all coming, but at least things weren't exactly straight-forward. The pacing is pretty spot-on, and I didn't feel like anything was rushed or that anything dragged on endlessly. The ending ties things up nicely, but leaves room for a sequel if the author so chooses.

Overall, I'd recommend this novel to people who enjoy spy books and to those who are looking for a light read with (sometimes cheesy) humor. This is one of those novels that will appeal to certain personality types and completely annoy others. I fell more to the annoyed side of the spectrum, but I could see what the author was trying to do. While her particular brand of humor didn't appeal to me, I can see it appealing to others. ( )

A fun, though a tiny bit forced take on Pride and Prejudice.

The frustrating thing about books that use Austen's storyline is...well, you know what's going to happen, who's going to betray whom, and which character will blurt out an awkward "I love you" at a poorly-timed moment.

That said, Vance did a great job on the chemistry between her Lizzie and Darcy, here Berry and Tanner. While Berry's bluster was a little stilted, their close scenes were steamy, and I couldn't help but wish this one was a "New Adult"! :D

Though this one relies a little too much on Veronica Mars elements (blond, spunky daughter of a PI who is responsible for photographing/videoing philandering spouses and is obsessed with investigating her mother), it was a fun diversion from reality. ( )