An Unforgiving Temper

by Gail Head

In "Pride and Prejudice," by Jane Austen, what if Elizabeth never went to Pemberley? What if Fitzwilliam Darcy was not the only one with an unforgiving temper? What if the events in Ramsgate ended in an explosive conflict that set their course in another direction filled with implacable resentment and a rapacious thirst for revenge? "An Unforgiving Temper," by Gail Head, is the captivating story of what Darcy and Elizabeth's journey might have been.

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction

502 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2011

Reviews

[wosedwew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anger is one letter short of danger. ~ Author Unknown

Have you had your fill of TEW (Truly Evil Wickham) yet?

If not, you may want to try this one.

The story begins with Darcy giving TEW a well-deserved beating when he discovers his plot against Georgiana. TEW had hated Darcy since childhood. Now he vows revenge.

Also wanting revenge – this time against Elizabeth – is CLC (Crazy Lady Catherine) who has knowledge of the DHP (Disastrous Hunsford Proposal); although she may not know the proposal was refused.

A plot is hatched involving OFS (Our Favorite Slut) – Elizabeth’s youngest sister who has been writing passionate letters to TEW. He blackmails Elizabeth into agreeing to employment as companion to a young girl who is the ward of another man who hates Darcy for reasons he thinks are unrelated to TEW.

Elizabeth’s Father is the only one who knows how to reach her and the only one who knows how to retrieve her letters. Soon after Elizabeth leaves, Mr. Bennet suffers apoplexy.

A few plot points happen which don’t really make a lot of sense if you look squarely at them but the story was so intriguing, I didn’t really care.

There is a violent attempted rape scene. The story is not sensual but would rate "Mature".

Amazon shows this book available only as a paperback edition. However, at this time, the story is still online at:
https://www.dwiggie.com/derby/old_200...

Anger ventilated often hurries toward forgiveness; and concealed often hardens into revenge. ~ Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this story but be warned it begins with angst and doesn't let down for much of the story.

As in many other variations Lady Catherine hires Wickham to foil any possibility that Darcy may be able to further pursue and win Elizabeth Bennet after the Hunsford proposal. However in this story they also bring into their broad net of evil a man from Darcy's past who is only adding his part to keep Darcy from his love because he sees it as revenge for what he believes Darcy did to him in the past.

As another review commented then events occurring to keep Elizabeth and Darcy just don't let up: one after another and even such as to endanger their physical well being.

The overall plan not only separates ODC but also isolates Elizabeth from her family and her community and has set in place gossip which will further leave Elizabeth estranged from love and support. If they cannot keep the couple in separate locations they will sink reputations so as to make any union totally impossible.

I found this tale very difficult to put down. So be warned that it is such. It is still available at this link.

http://www.dwiggie.com/derby/old_2009...

[James S · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old book I found in ebook format on iTunes. It’s from 2011.

A very dark story. Not much happiness or sunshine here. The story’s premise is that the power held by the aristocracy in Regency England was absolute. They could get away with incredible crimes and there was absolutely no way to stop them. There were no local or national police and they all looked after each other so the laws that existed could be ignored. Also there was no independent media source to shine the light of truth on them.

In this environment the Bennets, and to some extent the Darcys find themselves ensnared in a web of lies that ends in a near sexual event upon Lizzie. The scene of this near rape is described in such away that is shocking and frightening. What is really chilling is the thought of how many women working in an rich mans home, manor, etc. might have gone through the same kind of defilement

The story is of Darcy and Lizzy trying to find their way back to a civilized existence and dare we hope for...an HEA.

But really this a story about how people with power and money can do anything they want to do the 99.5% of us and how extremely difficult is to fight them.

I recommend this book highly.

[Elin Eriksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unputdownable!

Rated: M for sexual assault and violence.

Excruciatingly angsty, very little page time with ODC and a lot of misunderstandings aside... I have to give a story 5* when it holds my attention in an iron grip from start to finish.

By the time Bingley and Darcy re-entered Netherfield, Elizabeth was gone. Blackmailed by a vicious Wickham, in the lead with an old adversary of Mr Darcy. Darcy jumped to the wrong conclusion about her disappearance which he did on several other occasions in this story.
Mr Bennet, the only one who could get in touch with Elizabeth, had an apoplexy and it was sometime before the alarm bells went off.
In the meantime, Elizabeth had no real idea of the danger she was in, nor that her father was ill.
A nailbitingly thrilling hunt for the lost Bennet daughter ensued while Meryton went rampant with rumours of an illicit nature. My hands trembled and my heart pounded but I could not put it down...
When Darcy finally tracked her down, matters got worse with duels, murder attempts, accidents and sexual assault. Oh my heavens! When you think it is finally over, something new happened and my nerves was in tatters by the end of this story.

Recommend for those who dare...

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This P&P alternative starts with us seeing the conformtation between Darcy and Wickham at Ramsgate. Then the story goes to Darcy in London right after the failed proposal. In this story the characters are well done and true to there characters. But unlike Darcy's unforgiving manner we see several characters who have the same fault. The results are really that the Bennets, Elizabeth and Darcy in particular are affected. The road to true love is very hard and long. That is my only critism of this story. Darcy and Elizabeth have to go through too many obstacles. There is definitely a lot of angst and after a while it was like enough already. But I did enjoy the story very much and would recomend this read to JA fans

[Ree · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.dwiggie.com/derby/old_2009...

This was quite a dark read that contains a violent physical assault and very evil villains. I could barely put it down. If you can handle a dark story, it’s a unique JAFF storyline to some degree and worthy of your time.

[Sarah Ingerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

JAFF comes in many shapes and sizes. Some is silly. Some is soapy. Some is nonsensical. Some is dramatic. And some is just plain dark. This one is definitely dark.

It is one of the few JAFF stories I have read that really leans into the villainy. Many P&P variations pull in your friendly neighborhood smarmy Wickham but few descend into overt depravity. This is one that does. Gail Head pushes our beloved characters to the brink and it makes for some very interesting character arcs. At times, Elizabeth is a bit too insecure and Darcy a bit too fatalistic for my tastes but their actions make sense within the circumstances of their story. You may not always like their choices, but they are understandable and that is all I can ask of an author. Characters grounded in believability.

Although I found the plot and characters (both new and old) intriguing, I am giving this book four stars (instead of five) largely because of the writing style itself. I am drawn to JAFF with lyrical prose, and this book is simpler. That is not to say the writing is bad. After all, few people would call Hemingway's sparse writing style bad. It is just not what I prefer. There is the odd deviation in the narrative voice here and there, but the writing style is largely without flaw. It is only a matter of preference.

Overall, Gail Head's book is a JAFF worth reading if you can manage to get your hands on it.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

So to start off with I knew nothing about this book until Kobo recommended it to me. I’m very glad that I purchased it though. This book starts off with Wickham blackmailing Lizzy into becoming a lady’s companion. The idea is to separate Lizzy and Darcy so that they wouldn’t get together. This is all on Lady Catherine’s orders by the way. Lizzy ends up becoming a companion and the girl’s guardian actually becomes interested in Lizzy. Elizabeth ends up convincing Lord Grissholm to help her get the letters that Lydia wrote to Wickham back while Darcy and Bingley are desperately searching for her because her father is extremely ill after suffering two heart attacks and there are rumors being spread that Lizzy is with child (which is totally false by the way). Anyways a lot of stuff happens, the villains get what’s coming to them and Lizzy and Darcy get their HEA.
I really enjoyed this book. I wish that I could have found this book along time ago as it’s really quite good. It’s very long but it’s really good. The only thing that bothers me is that you can’t find the ebook copy on amazon only kobo. Though amazon does sell paperback copies of it. I wish the author would have updated the versions of the book you can them get over all the popular book buying sites. Oh well.

Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in its early stages when it was published on a private fanfic site. I loved the way the author kept us on the edge of our seats, especially once Darcy and Elizabeth reunited. Wickham seems to be at the heart of everyone's misery. He lied about Darcy and caused him problems with a man who tried to take Elizabeth from him. Once Darcy located the man's "lost love," he was ashamed of the way that he treated Elizabeth and did not want the love of his life to find out what rake he had become. Not only was the man unforgiving, he was also bitter.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most P&P sequels have the common problem of being too sweet, too happy. This novel is a stark contrast to those stories. There are very few blissful moments in this story. It is very dramatic, almost unbearably so. I devoured this book, because I had to see if there would finally be happiness for the characters.

I think many readers of this genre will love it, I have not rated it higher than three stars not because it was undeserving of more, but that's all I could say I enjoyed it for. I was not in a state to be happy with dramatic and heart-wrenching plot.

It was certainly refreshing and I am very glad I read it!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. i enjoyed the plot but many times was shaking my head at the arrogance and stubbornness of the characters. I thought some things were obvious and definitely too crazy, but I wanted to know what would happen next. I think it could use a bit of trimming but really enjoyed this gem of a story. The plot was unlike anything I had ever read before.

I hated this Bingley and he never redeemed himself in my eyes. He continued to act like a child and never reigned in Miss Bingley which I found frustrating. Darcy and Elizabeth also kept making presumptions about each other that started to drive me crazy at the end.

Highly enjoyable off-cannon read. I literally stopped reading another book to finish this one I was so hooked!

[Warmisunqu Austen · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Mucho carácter e intensidad en sus escenas

An Unforgiving Temper de Gail Head

Este libro es una de esas historias que te atrapan desde sus primeras páginas porque la autora sabe incorporarle los ingredientes de intriga ahondando entre las entrelíneas del original. Como por ejemplo, de dónde surge la amistad de Wickham con las señora Younge, los pensamientos más ruines de Wickham en cuanto a su protección y si hay algo más en ese profundo cariño que mostró el padre de Darcy por él.
El ritmo de lectura es trepidante, con una trama cautivadora, atando bien todos los detalles para darle mucha verosimilitud a la variación que en un punto de la historia toma una ruta alternativa, porque no se lleva a cabo la visita a Pemberley.
Los personajes nuevos incluidos en esta variación son muy bien construidos, la autora le impregna profundidad a sus personalidades y con ello la historia toma rudeza con un alto nivel de acción, tiene escenas fuertes de agresión física que hay que tener estómago para no dejarse intimidar. Me pareció innecesario llegar a ese punto, pero también era el carácter del personaje, no podía suavizar en los momentos más vertiginosos de la historia. Si no fuera por esos momentos esta obra podría ser para todo tipo de público pero por esa crudeza está orientado solo para el público adulto. No hay escenas de sexo explícitas, solo esos puntos concretos de violencia.
En esta variación también se ve la desprotección total que existía para los menos desfavorecidos ante los hombres ricos, con el poder de hacer y deshacer a su voluntad, como arruinar la virtud de una mujer y encima tener que aceptar casarse con su agresor, semejante injusticia que se cometían con las mujeres de esa época era lo habitual.
La historia es como un verdadero rompecabezas que Darcy fue armando para encontrar a Elizabeth, y en cada pista va descubriendo sentimientos intensos que tiene que enfrentar, fue una experiencia de constante suplicio. Había una especie de suspense maquiavélico. Los diálogos son muy entretenidos y muy bien desarrollados, cautivando la atención del lector de principio a fin. Había especial atención en la profundización de los nuevos personajes, como de algunos ya creados, que ante las adversidades sacaban todo de sí mismos para enfrentar las diversas situaciones.
El argumento es con sentido y tiene una buena trama, los momentos de angustia están bien resueltos, con alta dosis de suspense, intriga y alguna que otra violencia.
El final es autoconclusivo. Las sensaciones que nos deja el libro son abrumadoras, para algunos pueden ser disentidas, pero la balanza se inclina a que merece la pena su lectura, no nos dejará impasibles.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am at a lose of whether this deserves 4 stars or 5 but since there is no 4.5 I shall give this a 5 star. The reason for my debate is because I feel that there were parts of this novel that didn't fit with what we think we know of our beloved characters in P&P - Jane surprised me for one and even Lizzy for agreeing to this "venture" I shall call and the plan she arranged with her father.. then I wonder whether Wickham would ever be that bad or Lady Catherine that desperate.. and thats why I struggle on deciding the proper rating. If I remove the "prejudices" I have of these characters, how I think they would have acted based on what we read in P&P and just concentrate on this book novel I gave it 5 stars because it kept me engrossed and there was a sense of mystery about it (not predictable), I couldn't put it down and loved the struggle that Darcy and Elizabeth go through to find each other and just when we think all will be well, sometime happens again! Which makes me understand why some would be frustrated with the story LOL but I enjoyed it so much that despite it length I read it straight in less than 2 full days LOL. I started off reading the novel thinking that the one with an unforgiving temper is Darcy but I was surprised who I think the novel is really named after. If you want a P&P with some mystery, with constant battles to their love, this is it!

[Debbie Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun take on Pride and Prejudice. It has a more modern feel and structure than the original - starting in the thick of action rather than slow character building, scenes with more intense action, etc. - which might even make it more enjoyable for the reluctant reader. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any P&P fan looking for a more dramatic version of Elizabeth and Darcy's story. You will still wonder if they will end up together!

[Suze JA · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of angst in this story but it goes quick near the end it is a little exasperating but still an enjoyable storie. Leaves an opening for a second book for one of the other characters.