What will the master of Pemberley do when confronted with the mercurial whims of an all-powerful angel?Fitzwilliam Darcy’s well-ordered life is about to become a chaotic nightmare. A man of fortune, property, and social prominence, he has everything he could desire. Blissfully married to his wife, Elizabeth, they have a two-year-old son. With so much to live for, Darcy is shaken by a near-fatal … near-fatal riding accident. After a miraculous escape, he is visited by an otherworldly being: an angel of death named Graham. Threatening dire consequences, Graham compels Darcy to guide him on a sojourn in the world of mortals.
Darcy immediately questions the angel’s motives when he demands to be a guest at Pemberley. Can he trust Graham’s assurance that no harm will come to his wife and child? And why does Graham insist on spending time with Elizabeth? How can Darcy possibly protect his family from an angel with power over life and death?
In this romantic fantasy, the beloved couple from Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice must contend with both human and unearthly challenges. Are the fates against them? Or will their extraordinary love conquer all?
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At first, I wasn’t sure where this story was going, but I’ve read/listened to several books by this author, and she’s never let me down. This book was no exception.
The story depicts Elizabeth and Darcy’s lives some three years after they marry, and the couple is blissfully happy with a beautiful toddler son. Then things take a strange turn when Darcy has a close call and meets the angel of death. By the end of the book, I was in tears. The story was riveting and delightful. It is a wonderfully unique historical romantic fantasy that I highly recommend. Enjoy!
In this delightful Pride and Prejudice variation, Darcy is happily married to Elizabeth and father to two-year-old son, Bennett, when his horse is spooked by a snake on his ride home and threatens to throw him into a deadly ravine. Darcy opens his eyes and finds himself standing on the path beside his horse, miraculously alive, and an angel of death stands beside him. They strike a bargain (not that Darcy has much of a choice.) Graham (the angel) is to be allowed to accompany Darcy in his activities for the following week, and he will not take his life that very moment. But of course we learn later, there is always a catch…
In addition to the interesting supernatural twist of Darcy’s avoided death and Graham’s complicating the story by his presence in their household, Lady Catherine De Bourgh shows up, causing trouble. I’ve very much enjoyed several other of author Kelly Miller’s wonderful P&P variations and I always enjoy seeing which characters will be featured and what ways the story will be played with. In this one, I enjoyed the way she and her daughter Anne were brought to the forefront. Anne De Bourgh is not a character I can say I am usually fond of in the book, but some good gray areas were illustrated, along with some juicy drama to go with it, and I found myself eagerly flipping pages. (And oh, doesn’t Mr. Collins tire us all?) One thing I enjoy in all Miller’s P&P variations is the way secondary characters are fleshed out and given a second chance to shine. I rather loved the version of Anne we had here. Other favorite moments: Darcy’s trusty horse. All the cute moments with Bennett. All the puppies. (You can never have too many puppies.) Darcy and Elizabeth. They were absolutely in love in every scene here, especially the looks across the room in the musical scenes, and I ate it up!
Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley is a well crafted, sympathetically written Regency drama. I adore the fantasy twist, introducing Mr Graham – the Angel of Death – into the lives of Elizabeth and Darcy. The plot is intriguing and entertaining and never left me disappointed. It’s a definite page-turner.
The love between Elizabeth and Darcy is beautifully portrayed as are the characters themselves. Lady Catherine is a heinous, bitter character, and is brilliantly written, to the extent of making me, as the reader, actually hate her.
The story is wonderful, and I loved every minute of it. A truly delightful read, which I highly recommend.
Honestly I was uncertain what I was going to think of this book when I first picked it up. I’m actually not the biggest fan of Pride and Prejudice but the summary intrigued me and I wanted to support a fellow indie author and give it a try.
Wow – am I glad I did! This book was amazing! Miller does a wonderful job of crafting the Darcys world and drawing the reader into the Pemberley estate! Filling in the story with her own unique characters, including an angel of death who kept me on my toes at all times, Miller has crafted her own masterpiece here.
Filled with twists and turns, feel good moments and worrisome ones as well, coupled with an ending that I never saw coming, this was a great read that I think everyone can enjoy whether they are a fan of Austen or not.
**Won first prize for Romance 2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards**
Fitzwilliam Darcy has a happy life, filled with love for his wife Elizabeth and son Bennet. After a brush with death, Darcy’s happiness comes under scrutiny from none other than the Angel of Death. Determined to find out the core of Darcy’s pleasure in life, the Angel decides to investigate in person. “Mr. Graham” is introduced to Elizabeth as an old college buddy. How long can Darcy and “Graham” keep up the pretense?
When Lady Catherine (Fitzwilliam’s aunt) decides to visit for a fortnight, tensions rise and jealousy eats away at the happy couple’s foundation. Lady Catherine is determined to destroy Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam’s marriage, possibly at any cost.
An argument between the married couple opens Fitzwilliam’s eyes, and alerts him to his aunt’s not-so-cunning-plan. Rather than sending Lady Catherine packing, Elizabeth persuades Mr. Darcy to allow Lady Catherine to stay while Elizabeth tries to win her over. Will Elizabeth succeed? Will the family rift heal? Or will Lady Catherine continue her plan to separate the loving family?
As more company arrives for Elizabeth’s birthday celebration, Lady Catherine’s final attempt is about to be set in motion. Will the arrival of her daughter Anne destroy Lady Catherine’s chances to rid herself of an unworthy in-law?
There have been a few times in my life where I want to reach out and slap a character I am watching or reading about. Believe me when I say, Lady Catherine deserves it and more. She is the most vile villain I have loved to hate in a long time.
Kelly Miller’s use of prose and imagery completely immerses the reader in an 1815 English estate. I am looking forward to reading more about Elizabeth and Darcy.
I received this book for free for this review.
This book held my interest from the opening pages. The characterizations of Darcy and Elizabeth were spot on, and the angel, Graham, was a delightful addition. Tension builds in this story and tragedy seems unavoidable; I was surprised a number of times by this story! Highly recommended!
An angel of death is ready for a holiday and longs to be back amongst the humans. A doomed fall from a horse leaves Fitzwilliam Darcy with the ultimate ultimatum–entertain Death at his Pemberley estate for the next week, or else, curtains! Author Miller sweeps us back in time in this enchanting fantasy featuring some beloved Austen characters–Darcy; his wife, Elizabeth and toddler son, Bennet; Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the aunt who still holds a grudge against Elizabeth: and Lady Catherine’s daughter Anne, determined to get a new lease on life. New characters include the mysterious Lady Rebecca Seymour, who appears to have a dalliance on her mind; and Mr. Graham aka Death.
To Darcy’s surprise, Graham enchants everyone he meets, and is particularly fond of the ladies. He revels in his life experiences at Pemberley and through his interactions, he brings peace, clarity and needed comfort to many. Day by day we learn the story behind the story of the different characters as the details of their lives are made known. Will the presence of Graham influence those whose actions may bring hurt and harm, or is it too late to change the mindsets set on revenge or hurtful deeds?
I thoroughly enjoyed this enchanting tale. It’s an original twist on a classic that brings to life the characters and their personalities, giving us a closer look at the life choices that have defined them. A surprise twist keeps you guessing to the end. An inspiring read, highly recommended!