She shows him the meaning of home.
He gives her the adventure of a lifetime.
Elizabeth Bennet longs for a break from the confines of Longbourn. Her morning rides with her best friend at Lucas Lodge are her only relief from the endless tedium of a lady’s never-changing routine.
Until she’s thrown from her horse and lands at the feet of a mysterious stranger… feet of a mysterious stranger…
Fitzwilliam Darcy has not set foot in Derbyshire in three years. His is a life of danger and deceit as he closes in on an evil agency who threatens the safety of England. Only after he fulfills his mission will he return to his home — to Pemberley.
That is the plan … until a fine-eyed maiden with a talent for getting into mischief upends his world.
If you like falling in love with Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth as they fall for each other, then you’ll love this sweet romance adventure based on Jane Austen’s timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice.
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I simply could not put this book down. I want to be this Elizabeth Bennet. Congrats Jennifer Joy.
Reviewed: June 13, 2020
“…nothing of significance ever happened around Longbourn.” (quote from the book)
If Mrs. Bennet only knew that one of her daughters did not need a sister to marry to throw her into the path of eligible men! Elizabeth Bennet did it all on her own with more than six inches of mud to boot! Elizabeth Bennet’s life is about to get a lot more interesting.
Mr. Darcy, in the meantime, just wants to return to Pemberley. He has not been home for three years since Colonel Fitzwilliam recruited him to work for the War Office. He is trying to find the proof they require to stop the villainy and treason taking place within England. Now he has another opportunity to bring this evil to an end…he just doesn’t expect to find more than he bargained for.
“Cunning and deceit he could handle, but he had never met a foe who used open manners so skillfully as Sir William.” (quote from the book)
Sir William a spy? There are many different twists and turns in this adventurous variation. Though Elizabeth still enjoys walking, it is her passion for riding that brings about her first meeting with Mr. Darcy. I found Elizabeth to be a mixture of cleverness and naivety. And Mr. Darcy fights his attraction…poor man never learns.
So saddle up and come along for a wild chase as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy each try to protect the other and thwart the villains.
“’Spy’ is such a short ugly word. I prefer ‘espionage.’ Those extra three syllables really say something.” –Howard Tayler, Emperor Pius Dei
Rating: clean: angst level: medium… it was more a mystery than angst, it made you think. There were a few scary moments due to several murder attempts. Trigger warning due to violence that might be a bit squeamish.
This was book 3 in the Mysteries & Matrimony series and it worked well as a standalone. I enjoyed this story as it portrayed Darcy in a different role other than the arrogant rich guy from Derbyshire… although, he was all that… he was also a bit more. I’ve read stories where Darcy’s cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, worked for the Crown in positions and conditions that would turn my hair white. Wait… my hair is white. In this variation, Richard had recruited Darcy after the death of his father in order to pull him out of his grief. He had been away from Pemberley and his sister for three years.
“He was a secret agent, and still alive thanks to his exact attention to the detail of his profession.” –Ian Fleming, Casino Royale
Currently, they were working on a case that involved the capture of a group called The Four Horsemen. Yeah, everyone had a nom de guerre [code name] and it was hilarious as Richard searched for a fitting name for Darcy. His new assignment… ‘should he chose to accept it’… [you have to know your TV history to appreciate that comment] was to discover their plans, secure their capture, and prosecution. There was one little problem… they had infiltrated the top circles and were ‘friends’ of the Regent. Darcy and Richard were fighting the clock trying to locate the ever-elusive group in time to prevent the completion of their plans. Nope… not gonna tell you.
Word came through channels that Darcy would find needed information in Hertfordshire in a little town called Meryton. Now… how would they get him there without raising suspicion? Never fear, our dear Colonel planted a bug in Bingley’s ear to least Netherfield Park so he could practice being a gentleman landowner before purchasing his own estate. Darcy would, of course, go to Netherfield to help his friend learn how to be an estate master. How cute.
“If quick, I survive.
If not quick, I am lost.
This is ‘death.’” –Sun Tzu
This was cloak and dagger all the way with Elizabeth being front and center for all the action. Note: Lizzy’s OOC behavior was disconcerting at first. I had to get to know this character as she was WAY off her stride from canon. For one, she was an expert horsewoman. What? In most stories, Elizabeth shied away from horses and preferred to walk. In this story, she was a whiz on a horse. She also appeared to be younger than canon in her inquisitive attitude and behavior. She was smart and quick as a whip in her reasoning skills. She would be murder in a game like Clue and other strategy games. Charlotte was right there with her supplying the voice of reason when Elizabeth went off track… or did she? Charlotte would learn all too soon to trust her friend’s intuition. I can’t say anything as it would be a spoiler and I don’t want to do that.
Other changes in the Bennet family made me sad and I tried to not be too harsh on M/M Bennet’s attitude. Man… that hurt. Mr. Bennet was certainly not himself but then I could see why. He was trying and attempting to make it up to his favorite daughter. He was certainly in for a surprise.
Our author reduced our canon list of characters so we didn’t have to deal with them. They were at home in the background [we knew they were there] but, thank goodness, we didn’t have to deal with them. It was a good choice as it would have muddied the water. However, they were replaced with a network of agents, guards, spies, and military men. Wow! Comic relief was in the form of a young man whose life changed dramatically in this story. I loved these guys. I sort of wanted a story for them. I hope our author uses them again.
The HEA at the end was amazing and there was a hint at another couple and I hope that came about. I borrowed this from KU [10-4-20] with no expectations of a review. The views and opinions expressed are my own. I highly recommend this for something completely different.
Mysteries & Matrimony Series: each book works as a standalone
Book 1: Accusing Elizabeth
Book 2: The Elizabeth Conspiracy
Book 3: Chasing Elizabeth