Will her brother’s opinion keep her from finding true love? The Bennet ladies are all eager anticipation. Netherfield has been let at last! And joy of all joys, it’s been leased to a single young gentleman of good fortune! To Elizabeth’s delight, the new neighbor has not come alone but has brought with him a handsome friend. With any luck, if this gentleman proves to be more than just handsome, … proves to be more than just handsome, it will not only be Jane who finds a husband.
Fitzwilliam Darcy has heard many times over the past weeks about the fabled beauties of Longbourn from his friend who is leasing the estate next door. However, he is not prepared for just how unexaggerated those claims are when he meets two of the ladies from Longbourn and their brother while on a ride.
While Darcy and Elizabeth would like to get to know more about each other, Elizabeth’s brother is not as favourably inclined to the match. He knows a secret, and, unless he can learn to trust that anyone could ever be worthy of his beloved sister, his censure may just be the thing that keeps them apart forever.
Assessing Mr. Darcy is the first novel-length addition to Leenie Brown’s Dash of Darcy and Companions Collection of Pride and Prejudice inspired stories. If you like well-written sweet romance featuring strong family ties and unbending devotion, then you will enjoy this story about love persevering through pain and triumphing over familial prejudice.
So, put the kettle on, grab your copy of Assessing Mr. Darcy, and slip into a world of sweet and endearing romantic indulgence today.
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Enjoyed the characters and the situations they encountered. A great read for this Darcy and Jane fan.
I won a copy of this book from the author contained in A Dash of Darcy and Companions Cottage Collection 2: 5 Pride and Prejudice Novellas and 1 Novel.
I loved this variation and how Leenie Brown wrote William Bennet in this variation. The relationship between him and Elizabeth was really fun and I enjoyed reading about them teasing one another and the sibling relationship they had developed. I also really liked the Mr. Bingley in this variation and how he stood up to Darcy and wasn’t as reluctant as he is in other variations to tell Darcy when he thought he knew better. All the characters were so well written and the story was so fun. I would love to read more of this story and about what happens next and would have liked more of an epilogue about what happens next for all the characters. I look forward to reading more of Leenie Browns wonderful variations in the future.
Unique take on Pride and Prejudice where Mr Collins has been brought up as the Bennet sisters brother. Loved the relationship between William and Elizabeth, bickering like brother and sister, indeed… Made me snicker and grin.
Another enjoyable relationship was that between Darcy and Bingley. Bingley was not a push over in this story and he was not afraid of making fun to the expense of the stoic Mr Darcy either.
In fact, I really liked how all the characters in this story was portrayed. Not faultless but their faults was mostly endearing.
The Netherfield party arrived and tender feelings evolved almost instantly. William Bennet (nee Collins), was sceptical of Mr Darcy, and by association his friend, due to some rumours he had heard. He was giving him the benefit of the doubt until Mr Darcy was rude to Elizabeth which made his resolve against him into an immovable dislike.
In the end, the question that remained was if you should abide to your family’s rules even when they are proven utterly wrong or follow your own inclination.
Elizabeth was never in doubt, Darcy however saw it from another angle.
William redeemed himself nicely in the end, though my good opinion once lost…
I have a much older brother in real life, he is thankfully not the meddling kind, (God bless him) and he will not be substituted with “Mr Collins” anytime soon… Although Williams protectiveness was adorable.
It was fun and interesting to see what could have happened if the Bennet sisters had a brother.
Ends a little abruptly, no epilogue although Caroline managed to throw in a surprise twist (love surprises) and there is a hint of a romance to come… As this is “A dash of Darcy ” story, I expect a companion story, who will answer any questions, will follow.
I got an ARC of this book with no expectations.
Recommend!
“What strange creatures brothers are!” –Jane Austen
Book 16 in the Dash of Darcy and Companions Collection: Rating: clean, quick read at 16 chapters. Ends at 91% with an excerpt from ‘Confounding Caroline’ and several pages of author information. I read this in one sitting.
“My brother has been, and will always be, my closest friend.” –GRiZ
Elizabeth Bennet has a brother, William Collins Bennet. Mr. Bennet’s cousin, the elder Mr. Collins, died and his 10-year-old son, who was the heir, was sent to live at Longbourn. After six months, William requested to take the Bennet name. He grew up accepting Mr. and Mrs. Bennet as his parents and their five daughters as his sisters. The relationship between little Lizzy and William was especially close.
Fast forward, and Netherfield has been let at last. How would our P&P story differ if the Bennet girls had a brother? A brother who believed Wickham’s lies and tales of woe. This was an amazing story. I loved the brother-sister relationship between William and Lizzy. They were so close and were such good friends. I had to really concentrate because I had a hard time wrapping my thoughts around this being the former toad… em… Mr. Collins.
There were lots of changes in the dynamics of the Bennet family. Due to the influence of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, William turned out to be a completely different person. They accepted him gladly into their family and he grew up under their influence and love. Mr. Bennet now had help on the estate, the girls had the protection of an elder brother with opinions on their safety, and Mrs. Bennet didn’t fret as much. Not to be outdone, she still worried about the hedgerows should something happen to William before she could get the girls married.
Since the story moved at a fast pace, things were resolved fairly quickly, including our love story. Some things happened off the page and we learned about them through the telling of the incident. Lots of people were mentioned but, again, it happened off the page or only appeared on the last few pages. There wasn’t an epilogue so I don’t know what happened to certain people. There was minimal angst for those who don’t like a lot of angst. It got a bit tough when I thought thing were going to get bad. It was a creative bent to the storyline. I’m wondering if there will be another story to follow this one. It wasn’t a cliffhanger, it just ended. There is potential for a story with ‘brother William’ and his HEA and that of the sisters still at home.
I volunteered to read an ARC [advanced reader copy] with no expectations of a review. The views expressed are my own. I loved it.