While staying true to the characters of Jane Austen’s much loved tale, this novel takes Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy on a much different journey than Austen did in Pride and Prejudice.Although family and society expect Fitzwilliam Darcy to ignore his heart and “marry well,” soon after entering Meryton, he falls in love with the woman of his dreams. The problem is, while she is perfect … is perfect for him in disposition, the lady is far below him in everything that matters to his peers and relations: wealth and connexions.
Past experiences have convinced Miss Elizabeth Bennet that marriage with a gentlemen of high social standing would be out of the question. However, against her better judgement, she cannot turn away from the man she loves, and enters into a friendship with him.
Fate, mystery, and intrigue bring them together again and again in Hertfordshire, Rosings Park, coastal Broadstairs, and London.
Will Elizabeth and Darcy listen to their consciences and continue on simply as friends? Or can they overcome the confines of duty, the malicious designs of others, and their own scruples, and allow the yearnings of their souls to guide them, instead?
A sweet Regency romance blended with mystery and adventure. No graphic love scenes.
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“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” John Lennon
I must admit, the opening was a bit hard to read with Darcy as a child, Georgiana a mere baby, and their mother dying. In her last moments of life, she tried to secure a vow or promise from her son, that he would ‘marry well.’ After Lady Anne’s death, Darcy’s father was incapacitated by grief. Finding the grieving boy, Lady Catherine attempted to answer his question regarding his mother’s request. She smiled knowingly and told the young Darcy that it was for him to unite the family fortunes by marrying his cousin Anne. We as the reader recognize Lady Catherine singing the same song but with a different tune. Will that woman never let up? How I dislike her machinations.
“Hope is a waking dream.” Aristotle
The next scene has an adult Darcy dreaming of a woman in his arms. This was a delightful, sensual scene and so beautiful. Your heart just melts by the descriptions of his encounter. Only one problem, Darcy wakes up and realizes that it was only a dream. However, for a fortnight, he keeps having the same dream, and everywhere he goes, he can’t help but look for her and hope for her reality.
“Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken – winged bird,
That cannot fly.” Langston Hughes
Netherfield… and that blasted Assembly that Bingley wanted Darcy to attend. Right away, Darcy acted badly and insulted Elizabeth quite by accident. Shortly after hearing the insult, she stood and walked past him to go and stand with Charlotte Lucas. Darcy realized, as soon as she made eye contact with him, that she was the woman of his dreams. It was at this point that we leave canon for a different first encounter all together. Darcy immediately sought an introduction so he could apologize and then he asked Miss Elizabeth Bennet to dance with him. So now we have the budding relationship springing from the ashes of their first encounter. Charlotte saw it and recognized immediately that the affections of the man from Derbyshire had been engaged by her friend Lizzy.
Caroline Bingley also saw it and was horrified that her Mr. Darcy had been taken in by the arts and allurements of a country chit nobody. She wondered how that could that have happened in so short a time? Darcy belonged to her and she was beside herself with disgust and disdain at the company they were being forced to endure. She was even more haughty and disagreeable than canon. Louisa was a surprise and I think I shall like her, eventually. She was not happy with the behavior and attitude of her younger sister. That was a good sign.
This was a big story with several threads of story-line and counter stories on top of that. There was also an undercurrent, that ran through the length of the story, that there was something going on and we were given minuscule tidbits to keep us interested in finding out what was going to happen next. OMG! I was never in the loop, I never figured out what was happening… I was simply behind in all the schemes and was always surprised at what the author did next. This was a cannot-put-it-down book that had me reading until 2:00 a.m. The next day, I was in my pjs until lunch… I had to stop and eat.
Man, this was a furious story of intrigue, debauchery, treasonous activities, betrayal, seduction, smugglers, theft, fraud, kidnapping, and murder. And that was all in one chapter. Actually, that was the second half of the book. Throughout the story, we had the crash and burn of D&E as they clawed, scraped, and chiseled out their HEA. I was exhausted by the time I got to the end. Whew! I loved all the characters.
EVIL Trifecta: Wow, I did not see this mash-up of evil thrown together. How very creative and it worked so well. OMG! The leader was evil personified and ordered Wickham around like the lackey he was, and had Collins groveling even more than he did in canon. They were disgustingly devious and very creative in their evil machinations.
I enjoyed the story, I loved our favorite characters, our dear Colonel Fitzwilliam [Oh, my], Jane and Bingley, Charlotte, Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, even Lord and Lady Matlock were fun to read about. I really enjoyed this story and, there was a most excellent epilogue.
Rating: PG->13, sensuous descriptions, nothing graphic. When you have Wickham in a scene, it will be sleazy. That is just who he is and no woman or girl is safe. His very language and looks/leers were suggestive in nature and description.