Elizabeth of East Hampton

Bellezza and Harding put a beachy spin on Pride and Prejudice in their breezy second For the Love of Austen romance (after Emma of 83rd Street). Avid surfer Lizzy Bennet, 25, puts her dream of being a foreign affairs correspondent on hold after her father has a health scare, devoting all of her time and energy to her chaotic but lovable working-class family and their struggling bakery. Lizzy loves her seaside home in East Hampton—but she loathes tourist season, when the rich and famous overrun the town. This year, that means the arrival of the haughty and insufferable Will Darcy. As Lizzy’s older sister, Jane, and Will’s best friend, Charlie, fall for each other, a misunderstanding on the Fourth of July pulls Lizzy and Will into their undercurrent. The authors add lots of fun flourishes to their otherwise fairly straight retelling, including a tropical storm and plenty of small-town gossip. The romance itself works well, but the real highlight is the interactions among Lizzy, her sisters, and the flighty and impulsive Mrs. Bennet. Austenites will be over the moon. Agent: Joëlle Delbourgo. Joëlle Delbourgo Assoc. (Aug.)