Meet the Benedettos

In this cute romp, Cotugno (Birds of California) pulls off an unlikely mash-up of Pride and Prejudice and Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The five 20-something Benedetto sisters—June, Lilly, Olivia, Marianne, and Kit—are famous for being famous, with a Kris Jenner–type “momager,” the mercurial Cinta, and a once popular, now cancelled reality show. Their father Dominic, the “Meatball King” of Los Angeles, is seeing his restaurants and wealth decline along with his five daughters’ popularity. All live in a decaying mansion that may soon slip out from under them in the fictional L.A. suburb of Pemberly Grove. Enter movie star Charlie Bingley, who moves in next door with his best friend, actor Will Darcy. Charlie quickly falls for the oldest sister, June, while Lilly and Will clash spectacularly—and with no small amount of heat behind their sparring. Will and Lilly’s unlikely romance neatly proves that opposites attract, and Cotugno’s bold take on the Bennet family works surprisingly well. Charming leads and roguish supporting characters alike leap off the page; even the deeply flawed Benedetto parents prove lovable. Janeites and reality TV fans alike will devour this lively retelling. (Dec.)