Emily Fritz | a&e editor

Local author Rachael Lippincott’s most recent solo novel, “Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh” finds its place in a perfect trifecta of sapphic romance, historical fiction and coming of age revelation.

The August 2023 publication follows an alternating perspective between Audrey, a girl from present day Pittsburgh who is struggling with the aftermath of her breakup and a rejection from her dream art school, and Lucy, a refined Regency era girl who is unhappily destined to wed a gross, stuck up middle-aged man.

The young women cross paths when Audrey is sent back in time to reignite her passion for her art. While they try to uncover how to transport her back to the present from 1812, Audrey and Lucy become a story of yearning and authenticity, with a “Bridgerton” adjacent setting.

For readers who are intimidated by historical fiction, this novel serves as a great intro — acknowledging the societal implication of being a woman without autonomy and some of the less glamorous amenities of the time (hello petticoats, goodbye air conditioning), without sacrificing the movement in the plot.

In other words, you don’t need to be a history buff to get by. In fact, the opposite effect seems to occur: the allure of modern-day romance saturates the old-timey context, quickly identifying the weaknesses in polite society without having to completely throw it away.

More importantly, the two main characters, who serve as love interests for one another, build off of a foundation of friendship.

They experience the sweet kind of love that occurs only when you’re fully seen by another person. Their shared girlhood — which transcends the two centuries between them — acts as a jumping off point for them to understand one another on a deeper level, while the oddness of the situation forces them to be more vulnerable than is typical for a pair of strangers.

They are both platonic and romantic soulmates, so the basis of their involvement doesn’t feel manufactured.

Lippincott’s writing style is easy to read and well-developed for a two-character perspective. Unlike her 2021 book “The Lucky List,” there isn’t as much naivety, and the narration is more reliable and observant.

Some of her more local plugs when Audrey is in present-day seem a little forced, but only because there are so many in a short interval. In actuality, it’s kind of cool to have Pittsburgh landmarks mentioned, especially because it highlights the foil between the 21st century American cityscape and the British countryside of the early 1800s.

Because we’re so rooted in a technical age, Lippincott is able to highlight the boredom of not having a million resources at the ready glow of our cell phone screens without discrediting the value of stepping away from hardship to gain new perspective.

Another strong point of the novel is its use of time. Every chapter comes with a perspective change as well as a timestamp.

Lippincott is able to command her text in a way that inspires readers to devour the book, even in its slowest moments. The story demands to be savored, but consumed nonetheless.

In a classic “us against the world” way, Audrey and Lucy find themselves surrounded by rural folks who are too caught up with their idea of how things should be, when really, the novel delivers the applied realization that queer people have existed a lot longer than some people today would like to acknowledge.

Although a little juvenile, and not necessarily ground breaking, the book is a thoroughly enjoyable read and may even jerk a few tears.

As Lippincott begins to tease her next novel, a Shakespeare-inspired romantasy called “What You Will,” this author is one to keep an eye on in the sapphic romance genre.