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Promises: An Austen-Inspired Romance
Adapting characters from 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.
Through their fathers' friendship, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy meet as children. Over the years, their feelings for each other grow and they promise themselves to each other, but unfortunate circumstances and interfering family members seek to keep them apart.
Will misunderstandings and mistaken impressions divide Elizabeth and William forever?
Through their fathers' friendship, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy meet as children. Over the years, their feelings for each other grow and they promise themselves to each other, but unfortunate circumstances and interfering family members seek to keep them apart.
Will misunderstandings and mistaken impressions divide Elizabeth and William forever?
420 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 29, 2011
68 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Wendi Sotis
27 books137 followersWendi Sotis lives on Long Island, NY, with her husband and triplets. Years ago, while searching for Pride and Prejudice from Darcy’s point of view, she became thoroughly enamored with Jane Austen Fan Fiction or JAFF. In early 2010, she dreamed an idea for a story and hasn’t stopped writing since.
The Marriage Pact, and some of her works-in-progress, have branched away to Regency Romance and Contemporary Romantic Mysteries, but Wendi will also continue bringing Darcy and Lizzy together again and again in an unusual manner.
The Marriage Pact, and some of her works-in-progress, have branched away to Regency Romance and Contemporary Romantic Mysteries, but Wendi will also continue bringing Darcy and Lizzy together again and again in an unusual manner.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 2, 2015
Got Angst? If not for my respect for my Kindle this book would have hit the wall many times. The writing is perfect and very readable but the plot made me twitch.
It has such a promising beginning. I do not consider this a spoiler as it is the Amazon sample for Kindle so anyone can read it. Starting when a 8 or 9 year old Lizzy meets a young Fitzwilliam Darcy, just recovering from the loss of his mother, at her Uncle Gardiner's book store, where we quickly learn that Lizzy isn't simply intelligent for a Regency lady but utterly brilliant with an eidetic memory on steroids. He is enchanted [creepy] and surprised to learn that her father is the very good friend of his father. Another chance meeting occurs when Lizzy is 12 and Darcy is headed for Cambridge. This is when we are introduced to a fascinating character a Prussian Baron who is a neighbor of the Bennets. Unfortunately he is merely there to show more of Lizzy's amazing talents, she speaks 6 languages, etc.
The next time Lizzy and Darcy meet he has returned prematurely from his 'Tour' offended by his companions drunken, lascivious behavior. He encounters 16 yo Lizzy by accident and is injured, she resets his dislocated arm, bandages his head injury and builds a fire while suffering from an injured ankle (trope).
The remaining part of the book is filled with tragedy upon tragedy, misunderstandings, treachery, pride, prejudice, self loathing. Every time you think what else could go wrong, something goes from bad to worse. Everyone behaves stupidly at least once. And Mr. Bennet has an attack of nerves.
This is one of those books it was a relief to finish rather than a joy.
It has such a promising beginning. I do not consider this a spoiler as it is the Amazon sample for Kindle so anyone can read it. Starting when a 8 or 9 year old Lizzy meets a young Fitzwilliam Darcy, just recovering from the loss of his mother, at her Uncle Gardiner's book store, where we quickly learn that Lizzy isn't simply intelligent for a Regency lady but utterly brilliant with an eidetic memory on steroids. He is enchanted [creepy] and surprised to learn that her father is the very good friend of his father. Another chance meeting occurs when Lizzy is 12 and Darcy is headed for Cambridge. This is when we are introduced to a fascinating character a Prussian Baron who is a neighbor of the Bennets. Unfortunately he is merely there to show more of Lizzy's amazing talents, she speaks 6 languages, etc.
The next time Lizzy and Darcy meet he has returned prematurely from his 'Tour' offended by his companions drunken, lascivious behavior. He encounters 16 yo Lizzy by accident and is injured, she resets his dislocated arm, bandages his head injury and builds a fire while suffering from an injured ankle (trope).
The remaining part of the book is filled with tragedy upon tragedy, misunderstandings, treachery, pride, prejudice, self loathing. Every time you think what else could go wrong, something goes from bad to worse. Everyone behaves stupidly at least once. And Mr. Bennet has an attack of nerves.
This is one of those books it was a relief to finish rather than a joy.
May 7, 2016
April 1801, London: he’s 15 and she’s one month shy of 10 years old when first meeting in her uncle’s book store. She impresses him with her extensive reading habits, her knowledge of five languages and her thoughts on education. He learns she has an ability to remember events and pages she has read. She learns he has an ability to sketch. And they soon learn that their fathers are friends from Cambridge.
July 1804, Hertfordshire: he’s 18 and on his way to Cambridge, himself, when a carriage wheel breaks. She, 13, is playing at Dread Pirate Lizzy and her crew of neighborhood male friends are playing at mutiny. They meet as a shortcut is taken to seek lodging with the Darcys' old friends, the Bennets. While residing at Longbourn for a very short time, he meets her neighbor, Baron Leisenheimer, who has taught her German, and whose ideas on marrying for love are explained to William as they discuss the Baron’s history. Lizzy does tell William that she does not plan to “catch” any man so he is safe.
September 1, 1807, Pemberley, Derbyshire: She is only 16 and has 8 months until her next birthday while he is away on his Grand Tour, with fellow students when she and her father are invited to visit by Mr. George Darcy. Darcy has an hidden agenda for this; one which requires promises from Bennet. He is dying and wants Bennet and his steward, Mr. Wickham, to guide his son if/when he dies. He wants nothing to do with any of his relatives as they cannot be trusted. And he requires the same of William when he later tells him of his condition.
Fitzwilliam Darcy returns home a month earlier than expected as he is not comfortable with the debauchery he sees in the others with whom he is traveling. He finds his father and Mr. Bennet talking and learns that Lizzy is out walking. So he takes his stallion, Poseidon, to ride out, perhaps to locate her. Taking a dangerous bend in the path at a fast rate when at the same time Lizzy is descending from the tree, his horse reacts at being startled by her person and thus causes William to fall off. He suffers a head injury and a dislocated shoulder and blacks out. She trips over a tree root while rushing to aid him. When William comes to, they realize that neither are able to walk back to the manor so Poseidon is set free to go home, as William knows the horse’s return to the stables without his rider will alert the hands of his need.
Elizabeth, limping on a sprained ankle, uses knowledge learned in observing the apothecary at home, to put his shoulder back in place and bind it to his body with strips from her petticoat. She also uses such to dip in water and cleanse his head wound and bind that up. Then she gathers wood for a fire as darkness begins to set in. Shivering they both reach a decision to ignore propriety and use their joint body warmth to stave off the cold. William proposes and Lizzy tells him that she will not give him an answer as he is not in his right mind.
Having been rescued Fitzwilliam suffers through an illness in addition to his injuries. Elizabeth finally says, “Yes”. But while both fathers look on the match favorably, Mr. Bennet demands that Elizabeth have one season and wait until her 17th birthday, 8 months away. George Darcy agrees. He wants the marriage but understands his friend’s decision.
Now fate steps in…more than once and with a very heavy hand. And it is painful to read…heart wrenching at times. Not only does it seem that fate is against them but the Fitzwilliam family sets in place a plan of betrayal of the worst kind. Elizabeth and her father, Georgiana and her brother can only mark time and wonder why there is no communication. What has changed? Has someone or a parent changed his mind? But as her birthday approaches William and Elizabeth are holding on to the promise of that being the day he will be allowed to claim her.
3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 2 days later….
I will not spoil the story here for you. But do know that there is much angst, and bewilderment to go through until we see our HEA on the horizon.
I do believe you will find much to admire as both parties draw upon their knowledge of each other and their trust in promises.
July 1804, Hertfordshire: he’s 18 and on his way to Cambridge, himself, when a carriage wheel breaks. She, 13, is playing at Dread Pirate Lizzy and her crew of neighborhood male friends are playing at mutiny. They meet as a shortcut is taken to seek lodging with the Darcys' old friends, the Bennets. While residing at Longbourn for a very short time, he meets her neighbor, Baron Leisenheimer, who has taught her German, and whose ideas on marrying for love are explained to William as they discuss the Baron’s history. Lizzy does tell William that she does not plan to “catch” any man so he is safe.
September 1, 1807, Pemberley, Derbyshire: She is only 16 and has 8 months until her next birthday while he is away on his Grand Tour, with fellow students when she and her father are invited to visit by Mr. George Darcy. Darcy has an hidden agenda for this; one which requires promises from Bennet. He is dying and wants Bennet and his steward, Mr. Wickham, to guide his son if/when he dies. He wants nothing to do with any of his relatives as they cannot be trusted. And he requires the same of William when he later tells him of his condition.
Fitzwilliam Darcy returns home a month earlier than expected as he is not comfortable with the debauchery he sees in the others with whom he is traveling. He finds his father and Mr. Bennet talking and learns that Lizzy is out walking. So he takes his stallion, Poseidon, to ride out, perhaps to locate her. Taking a dangerous bend in the path at a fast rate when at the same time Lizzy is descending from the tree, his horse reacts at being startled by her person and thus causes William to fall off. He suffers a head injury and a dislocated shoulder and blacks out. She trips over a tree root while rushing to aid him. When William comes to, they realize that neither are able to walk back to the manor so Poseidon is set free to go home, as William knows the horse’s return to the stables without his rider will alert the hands of his need.
Elizabeth, limping on a sprained ankle, uses knowledge learned in observing the apothecary at home, to put his shoulder back in place and bind it to his body with strips from her petticoat. She also uses such to dip in water and cleanse his head wound and bind that up. Then she gathers wood for a fire as darkness begins to set in. Shivering they both reach a decision to ignore propriety and use their joint body warmth to stave off the cold. William proposes and Lizzy tells him that she will not give him an answer as he is not in his right mind.
Having been rescued Fitzwilliam suffers through an illness in addition to his injuries. Elizabeth finally says, “Yes”. But while both fathers look on the match favorably, Mr. Bennet demands that Elizabeth have one season and wait until her 17th birthday, 8 months away. George Darcy agrees. He wants the marriage but understands his friend’s decision.
Now fate steps in…more than once and with a very heavy hand. And it is painful to read…heart wrenching at times. Not only does it seem that fate is against them but the Fitzwilliam family sets in place a plan of betrayal of the worst kind. Elizabeth and her father, Georgiana and her brother can only mark time and wonder why there is no communication. What has changed? Has someone or a parent changed his mind? But as her birthday approaches William and Elizabeth are holding on to the promise of that being the day he will be allowed to claim her.
3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 2 days later….
I will not spoil the story here for you. But do know that there is much angst, and bewilderment to go through until we see our HEA on the horizon.
I do believe you will find much to admire as both parties draw upon their knowledge of each other and their trust in promises.
July 24, 2017
I promise you I found the beginning to be fun and playful. Darcy and Lizzy were much younger and their fathers were friends. An instant bonding between the two begins and over the next several years we catch glimpses of their interactions. Elizabeth is now 16 years old and her and Darcy abruptly meet yet again. I won't give away too much but as the two realize there's more than friendship between them the parents decides Lizzy is too young and deserves a season. Promises were made and then fell through.
My promise here is that I found so much drama that to me it became irritating. I can promise it was 62% before the turning point was made. The story just got drug out too long leading to their wedding with an obstacle thrown in here and there but nothing that really mattered. I like drama, don't get me wrong, but it was coming from so many directions that I was tired of reading it. I found myself saying," now what?"
If you like constant plots and prideful misunderstandings read this and enjoy. It just was'nt my cup of tea.
My promise here is that I found so much drama that to me it became irritating. I can promise it was 62% before the turning point was made. The story just got drug out too long leading to their wedding with an obstacle thrown in here and there but nothing that really mattered. I like drama, don't get me wrong, but it was coming from so many directions that I was tired of reading it. I found myself saying," now what?"
If you like constant plots and prideful misunderstandings read this and enjoy. It just was'nt my cup of tea.
March 13, 2017
“Keep every promise you make and only make promises you can keep.” Anthony Hitt
I loved the beginning of this story. The young Elizabeth and Darcy at their first meeting were simply delightful. Several years later they met again and this was so much fun. I was intrigued at the way this feisty Lizzy spoke, her use of language and her reasoning skills. She was adorable and an absolute nightmare to her mother’s sensibilities. Again, years later, a much more mature Elizabeth was reacquainted with young Darcy on his return from his Grand Tour. The sparks flew and love was in the air.
“Promise keeping is a powerful means of grace in a time when people hardly depend on each other to remember and live by their word.” Lewis B. Smedes
Enter tragedy, death, deception, cruelty, theft, treachery, manipulation, feelings of abandonment, angst of the cruelest kind and you have the sufferings of our dear couple. This angst was horrible. We have our couple separated by the cruelest means and it was years before it was clarified.
Caroline was horrid and what she attempted was hilarious. Her every action against Elizabeth or Darcy backfired and in a big way.
The Earl of Matlock and Lacy Catherine were EVIL personified. They were horrid and not very nice at all. I was surprised they would go to the lengths and measures that they did to separate Darcy from the Bennets. It was horrible for him to realize his own family would betray him.
“A promise must never be broken.” Alexander Hamilton
The reviews have explained it far better than I can. I loved the story and the epilogue [both of them]. Yeah, Elizabeth was a bit much; however, this was a variation and the author has the license to stretch probability to its limits. I thought it was clean and very creative in the execution.
I loved the beginning of this story. The young Elizabeth and Darcy at their first meeting were simply delightful. Several years later they met again and this was so much fun. I was intrigued at the way this feisty Lizzy spoke, her use of language and her reasoning skills. She was adorable and an absolute nightmare to her mother’s sensibilities. Again, years later, a much more mature Elizabeth was reacquainted with young Darcy on his return from his Grand Tour. The sparks flew and love was in the air.
“Promise keeping is a powerful means of grace in a time when people hardly depend on each other to remember and live by their word.” Lewis B. Smedes
Enter tragedy, death, deception, cruelty, theft, treachery, manipulation, feelings of abandonment, angst of the cruelest kind and you have the sufferings of our dear couple. This angst was horrible. We have our couple separated by the cruelest means and it was years before it was clarified.
Caroline was horrid and what she attempted was hilarious. Her every action against Elizabeth or Darcy backfired and in a big way.
The Earl of Matlock and Lacy Catherine were EVIL personified. They were horrid and not very nice at all. I was surprised they would go to the lengths and measures that they did to separate Darcy from the Bennets. It was horrible for him to realize his own family would betray him.
“A promise must never be broken.” Alexander Hamilton
The reviews have explained it far better than I can. I loved the story and the epilogue [both of them]. Yeah, Elizabeth was a bit much; however, this was a variation and the author has the license to stretch probability to its limits. I thought it was clean and very creative in the execution.
April 27, 2012
This is a Pride and Prejudice variation tale. That 'what if' was that Darcy and Elizabeth met while they were young and that their fathers were dear friends. This earlier meeting does take away a few of those classic moments like when Darcy sticks his foot in his mouth both at the Meryton Assembly and Hunsford, but it by no means removes all miscommunication and disastrous assumptions from harming their story.
Darcy is fifteen and Elizabeth nine when he encounters her in a bookshop just after the death of his mother. They strike up a conversation that is the beginning of an unusual friendship. Elizabeth is no ordinary young girl in that she has perfect recall of anything she has read or any conversation she has participated in. This gift makes her an intellectual giant for her age and gives her maturity beyond her young years. She is also rather a tomboy. These traits do not repel the young Darcy, but only intrigue the painfully shy grieving young man.
Over the next few years, they meet a handful of times until the day Darcy comes home from his Grand Tour after finishing university. Elizabeth and Mr. Bennett are visiting Pemberley and it is shortly after that when Darcy encounters the grown sixteen year old Elizabeth. Elizabeth while out walking startles Darcy's horse and he takes a fall that causes him injury. In the process of tending to him, Elizabeth twists her ankle. With neither of them able to get back to the house, they must wait for rescue. It is during the hours of waiting that love is born and grows.
Unfortunately for the young pair of lovers, they are not given permission to become engaged, but are told they must wait the eight months until Lizzy's seventeenth birthday. Promises are made and they part. And that is when the plot thickens with many forces affecting their well-laid plans for happiness and I stop so that I do not spoil it for you.
The storyline was very engaging and I was very intrigued to find out how it could all possibly come together satisfactorily. The book is told from multiple points of view and even in journal format. I found the changes easy to follow. Pacing dragged a little at times for me, but I think that was because I was so impatient when Darcy and Lizzy were parted and I was so upset for both of them. In a way, that slower pace was how frustrated the characters must have felt through that time too.
The plot wove in and out of the original P&P plot line so there were familiar things and refreshing new ones. The romance was tender and passionate rather than steamy.
Speaking of characters, I liked the way they were written though they were different from the Austen characters to some extent. There is a sense where the characters are recognizable, but then they are Wendi Sotis' own creations. My big enjoyment was having the character of George Darcy, Darcy's father, through much of the book. I enjoyed seeing what the family was like before. I was also intrigued by the villains of the piece. They were so 'love to hate' types.
Nice enjoyable read for those who love sweet romance and Austen!
Darcy is fifteen and Elizabeth nine when he encounters her in a bookshop just after the death of his mother. They strike up a conversation that is the beginning of an unusual friendship. Elizabeth is no ordinary young girl in that she has perfect recall of anything she has read or any conversation she has participated in. This gift makes her an intellectual giant for her age and gives her maturity beyond her young years. She is also rather a tomboy. These traits do not repel the young Darcy, but only intrigue the painfully shy grieving young man.
Over the next few years, they meet a handful of times until the day Darcy comes home from his Grand Tour after finishing university. Elizabeth and Mr. Bennett are visiting Pemberley and it is shortly after that when Darcy encounters the grown sixteen year old Elizabeth. Elizabeth while out walking startles Darcy's horse and he takes a fall that causes him injury. In the process of tending to him, Elizabeth twists her ankle. With neither of them able to get back to the house, they must wait for rescue. It is during the hours of waiting that love is born and grows.
Unfortunately for the young pair of lovers, they are not given permission to become engaged, but are told they must wait the eight months until Lizzy's seventeenth birthday. Promises are made and they part. And that is when the plot thickens with many forces affecting their well-laid plans for happiness and I stop so that I do not spoil it for you.
The storyline was very engaging and I was very intrigued to find out how it could all possibly come together satisfactorily. The book is told from multiple points of view and even in journal format. I found the changes easy to follow. Pacing dragged a little at times for me, but I think that was because I was so impatient when Darcy and Lizzy were parted and I was so upset for both of them. In a way, that slower pace was how frustrated the characters must have felt through that time too.
The plot wove in and out of the original P&P plot line so there were familiar things and refreshing new ones. The romance was tender and passionate rather than steamy.
Speaking of characters, I liked the way they were written though they were different from the Austen characters to some extent. There is a sense where the characters are recognizable, but then they are Wendi Sotis' own creations. My big enjoyment was having the character of George Darcy, Darcy's father, through much of the book. I enjoyed seeing what the family was like before. I was also intrigued by the villains of the piece. They were so 'love to hate' types.
Nice enjoyable read for those who love sweet romance and Austen!
October 5, 2015
The only way to describe Promises is… exquisite torture. I absolutely loved the author’s depiction of the William and Elizabeth in the beginning and was in agony throughout their separation. I have not had such a strong reaction to the angst of their relationship since the first time I read Abigail Reynolds’s Mr. Darcy’s Obsession or The Last Man in the World, which are favorites. Loved, loved, loved this! I have just purchased a Kindle, due to the bowing of my two bookshelves with P&P related novels, but I will have to buy this in paperback too.
July 9, 2011
I have always been one of the few individuals I know who could not stand the television show "I Love Lucy". The reason: it always appeared to me there was a simple solution to most of Lucy's problems. If she would just be honest, if she would tell someone about the problem and not hide it, if she would just unplug the machine, etc. In "Promises" I felt a similar feeling over and over again. If just someone would send a messenger to find the truth. If someone would just tell the others why they were upset or angry. If someone would just stop being stupid and solve the problem, rather than compounding it. If someone would just say what they were thinking. That is the basis for this alternate version of Pride and Prejudice. Just stop it and do the right thing and all issues would be resolved. But, no one does the right thing, and there are miscommunications and misunderstandings over and over again. I felt the same frustration reading this book as when watching the Lucy show. Maybe others will enjoy this book, because millions loved the Lucy show. But, not me. I just found it torturous. The redeeming value was that I really did like the Elizabeth and Darcy characters and their relationship. So, I did finish the book because I wanted to see their happy ending. I just thought it could have come a couple of hundred pages sooner.
December 22, 2022
At the second read, now years later, I gave another star but oh the pining- page after page.
August 1, 2011
http://lynettestwocents.blogspot.com/
WARNING – MY FILTER IS OFF. I APOLOGIZE FOR MY RANT IN ADVANCE.
PROMISES lead me into a false sense of security. I really enjoyed the beginning. It reminded me of contest entries I read of unpublished romance novels. The first fifty pages or so are really great because they’ve been read and re-read forever by judges and industry professionals, but when you get the rest of the book, you’re like WTF, what was this person thinking.
This is how PROMISES read to me, like the author never had someone critique her whole work just bits and pieces, because it didn’t fit together as a cohesive novel. So when I got it (and brought it with my own money) I was furious. The only upside is that I think PROMISES has cured me of my fascination with Pride and Prejudice Sequels. To be honest, I’m tired of wasting the little money I have on fan fic from any Tom, Dick, and Harry who wants to write a Pride and Prejudice variation and hasn’t really worked on the craft of storytelling.
I haven’t been this annoyed since I attempted to read Sharon Latham’s fan fic attempt. Yes, I know that she is a very popular author of P&P fan fic, but no many times that I have tried I have been unable to read past the first fifty pages of her first novel. Because nothing happens except sex, and I love you so much. Plus, it’s obvious that Ms. Lathan didn’t even read Pride and Prejudice when she wrote that story, just went by that crappy Keira Knightly movie.
NOTE TO SELF: LYNETTE TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND GET A GRIP.
PROMISES has a very interesting and intriguing premise. Mr. George Darcy and Mr. Thomas Bennet are old school friends who meet up again by chance in Mr. Gardiner’s bookshop. Fitzwilliam Darcy who is grieving the recent loss of his mother meets the nine year old Elizabeth Bennet and becomes enchanted with her wit and intelligence. Elizabeth has a photographic memory and is something of a child prodigy. So she and Fitzwilliam hit it off right away. Over the years they have encounters and when Fitzwilliam comes back from his Grand Tour and sees how the now sixteen year old Elizabeth has blossomed, the sibling love and affection he’s always had for her has blossomed into love. He proposes but Mr. Bennet states that they cannot marry until Elizabeth turns seventeen so that she can benefit from a season to meet other men and to make sure that marriage to Fitzwilliam Darcy is what she really wants.
Well, you’re asking, what’s wrong with that? Nothing at all, because this is the part of the novel that was very compelling and justified me spending my hard earned money on PROMIES, but what happened next went right into WTF territory and made me wonder what book I suddenly picked up and started reading because it wasn’t the same book that I had just started.
After Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet leave Pemberly there is a serious of WTF events which involve missing letters and misunderstandings. These missing letters occur year after year through asinine circumstances that a two year old could have figured out how to overcome. I mean really, I’m not a history buff or anything, but even I know that it was no big deal for Mr. Darcy to send a letter by express or personal message to get to Longbourne, especially considering the circumstances he was in.
So what happens when Fitzwilliam Darcy meets Elizabeth and Thomas Bennet again? Years later, to what I presume is when Elizabeth is twenty years old like in Pride and Prejudice when Darcy arrives at Netherfield . . .. Do they talk about the situation and figure out what was going on? Do they ask the most basic questions a two-year old would want to know? No they do not and the comedy of errors continues. And if PROMISES wasn’t on my Kindle and if I hadn’t had my Kindle replaced at least three times so far, I would have thrown it across the room.
Enough was enough. I stopped reading. My time is too short.
BTW. I am desperate for an awesome read (non Pride and Prejudice related please) to get the bad taste of this out of my mouth. I need to get out of my reading slump. So please in the comments below mention the most awesome book that you have ever read.
I need recommendations desperately to get out of this reading slump.
WARNING – MY FILTER IS OFF. I APOLOGIZE FOR MY RANT IN ADVANCE.
PROMISES lead me into a false sense of security. I really enjoyed the beginning. It reminded me of contest entries I read of unpublished romance novels. The first fifty pages or so are really great because they’ve been read and re-read forever by judges and industry professionals, but when you get the rest of the book, you’re like WTF, what was this person thinking.
This is how PROMISES read to me, like the author never had someone critique her whole work just bits and pieces, because it didn’t fit together as a cohesive novel. So when I got it (and brought it with my own money) I was furious. The only upside is that I think PROMISES has cured me of my fascination with Pride and Prejudice Sequels. To be honest, I’m tired of wasting the little money I have on fan fic from any Tom, Dick, and Harry who wants to write a Pride and Prejudice variation and hasn’t really worked on the craft of storytelling.
I haven’t been this annoyed since I attempted to read Sharon Latham’s fan fic attempt. Yes, I know that she is a very popular author of P&P fan fic, but no many times that I have tried I have been unable to read past the first fifty pages of her first novel. Because nothing happens except sex, and I love you so much. Plus, it’s obvious that Ms. Lathan didn’t even read Pride and Prejudice when she wrote that story, just went by that crappy Keira Knightly movie.
NOTE TO SELF: LYNETTE TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND GET A GRIP.
PROMISES has a very interesting and intriguing premise. Mr. George Darcy and Mr. Thomas Bennet are old school friends who meet up again by chance in Mr. Gardiner’s bookshop. Fitzwilliam Darcy who is grieving the recent loss of his mother meets the nine year old Elizabeth Bennet and becomes enchanted with her wit and intelligence. Elizabeth has a photographic memory and is something of a child prodigy. So she and Fitzwilliam hit it off right away. Over the years they have encounters and when Fitzwilliam comes back from his Grand Tour and sees how the now sixteen year old Elizabeth has blossomed, the sibling love and affection he’s always had for her has blossomed into love. He proposes but Mr. Bennet states that they cannot marry until Elizabeth turns seventeen so that she can benefit from a season to meet other men and to make sure that marriage to Fitzwilliam Darcy is what she really wants.
Well, you’re asking, what’s wrong with that? Nothing at all, because this is the part of the novel that was very compelling and justified me spending my hard earned money on PROMIES, but what happened next went right into WTF territory and made me wonder what book I suddenly picked up and started reading because it wasn’t the same book that I had just started.
After Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet leave Pemberly there is a serious of WTF events which involve missing letters and misunderstandings. These missing letters occur year after year through asinine circumstances that a two year old could have figured out how to overcome. I mean really, I’m not a history buff or anything, but even I know that it was no big deal for Mr. Darcy to send a letter by express or personal message to get to Longbourne, especially considering the circumstances he was in.
So what happens when Fitzwilliam Darcy meets Elizabeth and Thomas Bennet again? Years later, to what I presume is when Elizabeth is twenty years old like in Pride and Prejudice when Darcy arrives at Netherfield . . .. Do they talk about the situation and figure out what was going on? Do they ask the most basic questions a two-year old would want to know? No they do not and the comedy of errors continues. And if PROMISES wasn’t on my Kindle and if I hadn’t had my Kindle replaced at least three times so far, I would have thrown it across the room.
Enough was enough. I stopped reading. My time is too short.
BTW. I am desperate for an awesome read (non Pride and Prejudice related please) to get the bad taste of this out of my mouth. I need to get out of my reading slump. So please in the comments below mention the most awesome book that you have ever read.
I need recommendations desperately to get out of this reading slump.
April 9, 2012
Promises is a Pride and Prejudice variation and one that I would rank up there in my favorites!
Elizabeth and Darcy meet in London at a bookstore, she is nine and he is fifteen. It turns out their fathers went to school together and were very good friends. The years go by before they meet again when Darcy and his father stop for a brief visit to Longbourn. When Elizabeth is 16, she and Mr. Bennet go to Pemberley for a visit. It is during this time that Darcy and Elizabeth fall in love. They want to become engaged but Mr. Bennet wants them to wait until Lizzy turns seventeen. They promise to wait and Elizabeth and her father return to Longbourn. Soon after they leave, the older Mr. Darcy dies in a carriage accident. Darcy’s extended family, who dislike the Bennets, try to keep them apart. They are a devious group and want control of Pemberley. Will Elizabeth and Darcy be able to overcome the misunderstandings and obstacles before them, to keep the promises they made to each other?
I wasn’t sure how I would like this story, the idea of Elizabeth and Darcy knowing each other as children didn’t really appeal to me. I mean, where’s the mystery of discovery, of the chase, the mutual dislike? However, since they don’t see each other much, they are more like acquaintances, not playmates. The friction at the beginning of the relationship is not there, but with all the misunderstandings there is still plenty later in the story!I did enjoy see Elizabeth as a little girl. She is so cute climbing trees and being curious about the world around her. Darcy was amused by her and a little surprised at times.I like Mrs. Bennet’s sense of loyalty in this story. She stands by Elizabeth, not wanting her to be hurt. She also starts seeing how silly her youngest daughters behave. Her turn around is wonderful to see! At the same time she retains her nerves and boisterous ways.
I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to anguish. The beginning of the book starts out nicely and moves right along. In the middle there is some anguish and I had to read through it quickly because I have a hard time with that. It ends lovely, just the way I like.
Five out of Five Stars
(review by guest reviewer Candy Morton)
Elizabeth and Darcy meet in London at a bookstore, she is nine and he is fifteen. It turns out their fathers went to school together and were very good friends. The years go by before they meet again when Darcy and his father stop for a brief visit to Longbourn. When Elizabeth is 16, she and Mr. Bennet go to Pemberley for a visit. It is during this time that Darcy and Elizabeth fall in love. They want to become engaged but Mr. Bennet wants them to wait until Lizzy turns seventeen. They promise to wait and Elizabeth and her father return to Longbourn. Soon after they leave, the older Mr. Darcy dies in a carriage accident. Darcy’s extended family, who dislike the Bennets, try to keep them apart. They are a devious group and want control of Pemberley. Will Elizabeth and Darcy be able to overcome the misunderstandings and obstacles before them, to keep the promises they made to each other?
I wasn’t sure how I would like this story, the idea of Elizabeth and Darcy knowing each other as children didn’t really appeal to me. I mean, where’s the mystery of discovery, of the chase, the mutual dislike? However, since they don’t see each other much, they are more like acquaintances, not playmates. The friction at the beginning of the relationship is not there, but with all the misunderstandings there is still plenty later in the story!I did enjoy see Elizabeth as a little girl. She is so cute climbing trees and being curious about the world around her. Darcy was amused by her and a little surprised at times.I like Mrs. Bennet’s sense of loyalty in this story. She stands by Elizabeth, not wanting her to be hurt. She also starts seeing how silly her youngest daughters behave. Her turn around is wonderful to see! At the same time she retains her nerves and boisterous ways.
I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to anguish. The beginning of the book starts out nicely and moves right along. In the middle there is some anguish and I had to read through it quickly because I have a hard time with that. It ends lovely, just the way I like.
Five out of Five Stars
(review by guest reviewer Candy Morton)
April 18, 2020
Good book
I like the story it was a great love story about time distance and misunderstanding. But the villains get their due and I loved me Darcy.!
I like the story it was a great love story about time distance and misunderstanding. But the villains get their due and I loved me Darcy.!
June 25, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2014
Verified Purchase
What a wonderful refreshing novel of love, dedication, promises kept, adventure, mystery and trials and tribulations to find happiness. Ms. Sotis' novel keeps you very interested in the story. It showed a different aspect of Darcy and Lizzy meeting at an early age in life and where it took them in the end.
Even Mrs. Bennet changed near the end of the story in controlling Lydia and Kitty. Amazing, huh? Mr. Bennet showed his love for Lizzy by standing by her through it all!
Colonel Richard, God Bless Him, for showing his dedication to his cousin Darcy and always had his back.
I truly enjoyed the difference in the direction Ms. Sotis took this novel. I can't express the gratitude enough how much I enjoyed her novel and hope you do as well. Congratulations on a novel well written.
Promises made and promises kept!!!! This is the first review in the year of 2014. I still feel this was an excellent novel to read and am glad I read it again. My first review was of the paperback novel and the second review was from the Kindle I used unlimited to refresh my mind of the novel!
Verified Purchase
What a wonderful refreshing novel of love, dedication, promises kept, adventure, mystery and trials and tribulations to find happiness. Ms. Sotis' novel keeps you very interested in the story. It showed a different aspect of Darcy and Lizzy meeting at an early age in life and where it took them in the end.
Even Mrs. Bennet changed near the end of the story in controlling Lydia and Kitty. Amazing, huh? Mr. Bennet showed his love for Lizzy by standing by her through it all!
Colonel Richard, God Bless Him, for showing his dedication to his cousin Darcy and always had his back.
I truly enjoyed the difference in the direction Ms. Sotis took this novel. I can't express the gratitude enough how much I enjoyed her novel and hope you do as well. Congratulations on a novel well written.
Promises made and promises kept!!!! This is the first review in the year of 2014. I still feel this was an excellent novel to read and am glad I read it again. My first review was of the paperback novel and the second review was from the Kindle I used unlimited to refresh my mind of the novel!
July 13, 2015
I quite liked this one!
I was hesitant at first. I had read another book that had a very similar premise - that Darcy and Elizabeth met as children and they end up agreeing to marry, and hit lots of bumps along the way. In fact, I kept passing over this book, but I thought it was the same one from the description. By the time I realized...this may be a different book, I still hesitated, because although I liked the other book...it wasn't my favorite.
I am glad I took a chance. This time they are not bound by contract in the end. After Anne Darcy dies, Elizabeth is one of the few that can get him to open up. It's sweet. And Elizabeth is an adorable child, as we might all expect. Then when she is sixteen they do see each other in another light. But lots of misunderstandings and roadblocks stand in their way of happiness. Poor Darcy! Poor Elizabeth! Poor Mr. Bennet! They all suffer.
The bad: Not really much. Mr. Bennet annoys me when he refuses to speak to Darcy at one point. It feels really childish, and that it was just the author trying to drag out the story a bit. And it did feel dragged a bit at the end.
The good: I just loved watching them fall for each other, even at such a young age, and I felt my heart breaking over and over again when something bad happened preventing them from being together.
I know that's not much to go on - which is probably why the description of the book doesn't vary too much, but honestly, it's a wonderful book, and I will read it again :)
I was hesitant at first. I had read another book that had a very similar premise - that Darcy and Elizabeth met as children and they end up agreeing to marry, and hit lots of bumps along the way. In fact, I kept passing over this book, but I thought it was the same one from the description. By the time I realized...this may be a different book, I still hesitated, because although I liked the other book...it wasn't my favorite.
I am glad I took a chance. This time they are not bound by contract in the end. After Anne Darcy dies, Elizabeth is one of the few that can get him to open up. It's sweet. And Elizabeth is an adorable child, as we might all expect. Then when she is sixteen they do see each other in another light. But lots of misunderstandings and roadblocks stand in their way of happiness. Poor Darcy! Poor Elizabeth! Poor Mr. Bennet! They all suffer.
The bad: Not really much. Mr. Bennet annoys me when he refuses to speak to Darcy at one point. It feels really childish, and that it was just the author trying to drag out the story a bit. And it did feel dragged a bit at the end.
The good: I just loved watching them fall for each other, even at such a young age, and I felt my heart breaking over and over again when something bad happened preventing them from being together.
I know that's not much to go on - which is probably why the description of the book doesn't vary too much, but honestly, it's a wonderful book, and I will read it again :)
February 7, 2013
What happens when you bring Shakespearian amounts of angst and misunderstandings to the world of Pride and Prejudice? Author Wendi Sotis answers this question in her romantic story, 'Promises.'
Fifteen year-old Fitzwilliam Darcy meets nine year-old Elizabeth Bennet in a book store where he becomes enamored of her charming sense of humor and her eidetic memory. The continue meeting through the years until Elizabeth, now sixteen, startles Darcy's horse at Pemberley, throwing him off and severely injuring him. As Elizabeth and Darcy wait for help, love soon blooms for the couple.
But alas, their love story goes horribly awry, thanks to the death of Darcy's father, and Darcy's scheming aunt and uncle.
Be prepared. The author puts the protagonists through a large amount of trials and tribulations, which are hard to read at times for those of us that are angst-phobic. Fortunately, she also gives the readers beautiful soliloquies of passion and love.
Sotis also does a great job fleshing out the backstories of minor characters. One of my favorite scenes was from the Netherfield Ball and a discussion between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet about their younger, 'silly' daughters.
Great job!
Fifteen year-old Fitzwilliam Darcy meets nine year-old Elizabeth Bennet in a book store where he becomes enamored of her charming sense of humor and her eidetic memory. The continue meeting through the years until Elizabeth, now sixteen, startles Darcy's horse at Pemberley, throwing him off and severely injuring him. As Elizabeth and Darcy wait for help, love soon blooms for the couple.
But alas, their love story goes horribly awry, thanks to the death of Darcy's father, and Darcy's scheming aunt and uncle.
Be prepared. The author puts the protagonists through a large amount of trials and tribulations, which are hard to read at times for those of us that are angst-phobic. Fortunately, she also gives the readers beautiful soliloquies of passion and love.
Sotis also does a great job fleshing out the backstories of minor characters. One of my favorite scenes was from the Netherfield Ball and a discussion between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet about their younger, 'silly' daughters.
Great job!
December 14, 2012
I really loved this version! Lizzy and Darcy have known each other since Lizzy was 9 and declare their love for each other when she is 16 but Mr Bennett insists of Lizzy having a London season and wait till she is 17. However, due to a sinister plot of others who will be unnamed in my review, their letters never reach each other and it will be years until they see each other again. Will each still love the other? What will they think of the others actions both wrongly assuming their letters were intentionally ignored. Many of the events that are in Pride and Prejudice are included in this novel also - Bingley leasing Netherfield, Meryton Assembly Ball, Jane catching ill at Netherfield and requiring the nursing duties of Lizzy, the Netherfield Ball but with the twist of Darcy and Lizzy knowing each other previously. Characters of Wickham and Lady Catherine are still very much in the picture! So many misunderstandings, so many hurt feelings, I rushed to read through 400 pages to see how it would all be resolved and loved it!
September 5, 2011
Promises starts out when Lizzy is 9, Fitzwilliam then 15 and just lost his mother,he is very melencoly. He is at book store which is owned by Mr gardiner and a chance encounter with with young Lizzy. He is very impressed with her and then they both realise that that their fathers are aquainted and went to university together. From there the book takes off. Though Darcy and Lizzy only meet 3 times in over 10 yrs there is a bond that starts to begin. There is a lot of twists and turns with lots of angst. The story is very gracefully done and the journey was wonderful, though a few times I did want to scream(at the characters) for they were quite evil but it did make the plot very interesting and I throughly enjoyed.
January 26, 2018
It's hard to rate this novel because the angst level was actually a bit to much for me. Would have liked to give it 3.5 stars.
Admit to leaf trough at least 20% of it because for the first time, the angst level was too high. The plot however is unique and thrilling. The author writes incredibly well, which draws you into the story.
The romantic parts are a bit to sugary for me. I have noticed that some of the authors with high skills in the angst writing department, often tend to sugar their romantic parts to much...
Elizabeth in this novel are super human with superior skills in almost every area. That differs from my perception of her.
Admit to leaf trough at least 20% of it because for the first time, the angst level was too high. The plot however is unique and thrilling. The author writes incredibly well, which draws you into the story.
The romantic parts are a bit to sugary for me. I have noticed that some of the authors with high skills in the angst writing department, often tend to sugar their romantic parts to much...
Elizabeth in this novel are super human with superior skills in almost every area. That differs from my perception of her.
July 10, 2013
I didn't enjoy this book. I read the whole thing, and I TRIED to like it. Maybe an experienced editor could help?
The impediments that arise to thwart our young couple are easily avoided. The author explains away at the end that the characters were so devastated that they just didn't think about it... but I don't buy it.
Maybe the influx of self-published books has made me a little harsher in my standards?
The impediments that arise to thwart our young couple are easily avoided. The author explains away at the end that the characters were so devastated that they just didn't think about it... but I don't buy it.
Maybe the influx of self-published books has made me a little harsher in my standards?
March 8, 2016
Wonderful story.
A lot of love, misunderstandings, angst, interfering... very enjoyable!
Don't miss this one!! But don't start reading if you have something else to do...
A lot of love, misunderstandings, angst, interfering... very enjoyable!
Don't miss this one!! But don't start reading if you have something else to do...
October 12, 2021
Promises made and kept
So many different emotions were experienced while reading this book. Each reader’s reactions will depend on several things: reading preferences, personal relationships, degree of happiness with a spouse or partner, level of happiness (anxiety, depression, etc) at the time the book is read. For myself, I was so angry 😡 at the result of the machinations of Lord M and Lady C that I skimmed several chapters and almost did not finish the book. I also became rather frustrated by Darcy’s attitude regarding his physical appearance. Then came Darcy’s arrival with Bingley in Meryton, and my attention was grabbed and did not diminish through the reminder of the story.
While I enjoyed the emphasis on the love shared by ODC, their constant pledges of love and devotion at times seemed to substitute for other conversation or actions about the important issues - the fires, the carriage accident, Elizabeth’s experiences during the years apart, the specific machinations of Lord M and Lady C, and many others. Yes, this book was a story of the emotions of the Bennets and Darcys, but it would have benefited from more background detail.
Yes I recommend the book, but keep plenty of tissues nearby to rend in frustration and to wipe your tears.
So many different emotions were experienced while reading this book. Each reader’s reactions will depend on several things: reading preferences, personal relationships, degree of happiness with a spouse or partner, level of happiness (anxiety, depression, etc) at the time the book is read. For myself, I was so angry 😡 at the result of the machinations of Lord M and Lady C that I skimmed several chapters and almost did not finish the book. I also became rather frustrated by Darcy’s attitude regarding his physical appearance. Then came Darcy’s arrival with Bingley in Meryton, and my attention was grabbed and did not diminish through the reminder of the story.
While I enjoyed the emphasis on the love shared by ODC, their constant pledges of love and devotion at times seemed to substitute for other conversation or actions about the important issues - the fires, the carriage accident, Elizabeth’s experiences during the years apart, the specific machinations of Lord M and Lady C, and many others. Yes, this book was a story of the emotions of the Bennets and Darcys, but it would have benefited from more background detail.
Yes I recommend the book, but keep plenty of tissues nearby to rend in frustration and to wipe your tears.
September 6, 2025
I loved it!
Warning: Meant for mature audiences. Contains scenes that would scandalize the ton. Readers of a delicate constitution are advised to keep their fans and vinaigrettes close at hand.
It was so enticing that I couldn’t put it down, this book grabbed my interest from the very first page. I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what happened next. The story is well written with a very good storyline. You will see the most beloved characters in a whole new way. This is a Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice variation. Adapting characters from 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.
Through their fathers' friendship, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy meet as children. Over the years, their feelings for each other grow and they promise themselves to each other, but unfortunate circumstances and interfering family members seek to keep them apart. Will misunderstandings and mistaken impressions divide Elizabeth and William forever? So with all that and more this story pulls you in and holds you tight. It’s a must read. I highly recommend to everyone.
Warning: Meant for mature audiences. Contains scenes that would scandalize the ton. Readers of a delicate constitution are advised to keep their fans and vinaigrettes close at hand.
It was so enticing that I couldn’t put it down, this book grabbed my interest from the very first page. I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what happened next. The story is well written with a very good storyline. You will see the most beloved characters in a whole new way. This is a Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice variation. Adapting characters from 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.
Through their fathers' friendship, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy meet as children. Over the years, their feelings for each other grow and they promise themselves to each other, but unfortunate circumstances and interfering family members seek to keep them apart. Will misunderstandings and mistaken impressions divide Elizabeth and William forever? So with all that and more this story pulls you in and holds you tight. It’s a must read. I highly recommend to everyone.
December 2, 2020
Not for me
This is probably a good book. I really enjoyed the first 6 chapters and all but the very end of Chapter 7. That is where everything that had been going so swimmingly well went oh so horribly wrong. I could not bear to be a witness to that, so I skipped to the end to be sure all turned out well and got the crux of the story from jumping around a bit back there!
This is probably a good book. I really enjoyed the first 6 chapters and all but the very end of Chapter 7. That is where everything that had been going so swimmingly well went oh so horribly wrong. I could not bear to be a witness to that, so I skipped to the end to be sure all turned out well and got the crux of the story from jumping around a bit back there!
February 13, 2024
Lizzy and Darcy meet early, fall in love and are thwarted at every turn. The reviews gave me so much angst that I skipped to the last quarter of the tale because I was not in a place to handle the bumble path to love, because in many variations, it does not ride smoothly. I do like this version of Lizzy and the Bennett family. I only read half the book, the first and last quarters...
April 26, 2018
It was hard to put this book down!
This book will hold your interest from Page 1! I have stayed up way too late, forgot about housework, gardening, TV and crocheting while reading this book. It is a clean romance with suspense throughout. Well written.
This book will hold your interest from Page 1! I have stayed up way too late, forgot about housework, gardening, TV and crocheting while reading this book. It is a clean romance with suspense throughout. Well written.
March 27, 2024
Different variation
This is a nice and different variation. It was nice to read something unique ando of the box. Our dear couple met when younger and their fathers were friends. Have the normal antagonists adding a few more. What a long road.
This is a nice and different variation. It was nice to read something unique ando of the box. Our dear couple met when younger and their fathers were friends. Have the normal antagonists adding a few more. What a long road.
October 24, 2023
Miscommunication is the main conflict
September 7, 2013
Great Read !
I enjoyed reading this P&P variation
Loved the fact that Darcy meets 9 year old Lizzy and they develop a friendship that eventually flurishes into love !! Also enjoyed George Darcy and Mr.Bennet relationship.
The journey of love that Lizzy and Darcy go through in this book is quite intense but worth the wait.....the couple develop a very strong love for each other that lasts through all the trouble and tribulations they must encounter.
I really enjoyed this authors version of Lizzy..it is not 100% true to Jane Austens character but the author does develop a great version of her own. This Lizzy is genius and has a photographic memory....she is still outspoken and genuine and still loves to walk and enjoy nature. Loved Darcy as is to be expected!! We see a softer side of him throgh the experiences that mark his life.
In this book the anti heros are Lord Matlock, Lady Cathrine and Whickham of course.....I enjoyed that whickham does
Some harm but does not become a center character...he does not manage to do as much as he does in the majority of the P&P variations...I found this refreshing.
Overall great book...worth reading!!
I enjoyed reading this P&P variation
Loved the fact that Darcy meets 9 year old Lizzy and they develop a friendship that eventually flurishes into love !! Also enjoyed George Darcy and Mr.Bennet relationship.
The journey of love that Lizzy and Darcy go through in this book is quite intense but worth the wait.....the couple develop a very strong love for each other that lasts through all the trouble and tribulations they must encounter.
I really enjoyed this authors version of Lizzy..it is not 100% true to Jane Austens character but the author does develop a great version of her own. This Lizzy is genius and has a photographic memory....she is still outspoken and genuine and still loves to walk and enjoy nature. Loved Darcy as is to be expected!! We see a softer side of him throgh the experiences that mark his life.
In this book the anti heros are Lord Matlock, Lady Cathrine and Whickham of course.....I enjoyed that whickham does
Some harm but does not become a center character...he does not manage to do as much as he does in the majority of the P&P variations...I found this refreshing.
Overall great book...worth reading!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2013
In this variation Elizabeth and Darcy meet as children and form a strong attachment as friends. By the time William is 18 Darcy and Elizabeth have something much deeper. After saving his life and nursing him back to health, Elizabeth and Darcy were in love. Darcy proposes, but her father forbids the engagement until she is 17. Torn apart by distance, their parents, and Darcy's unaccepting aunt and uncle, Elizabeth has to wait longer than she thinks.
This one dishes up a great deal of angst, my ultimate favorite... and the story and plot were entertaining and enjoyable. Lizzy at first seemed more than just the precocious child, and even a little annoying. Some parts repeated themselves and I found myself wanting to skim a bit to get to where more things were happening. However, overall I really liked it and loved the connection between the pair. It was fun to see Lizzy and Darcy as children and teenagers and desperately in love. The misunderstandings and drama will give pains to your heart... I love that. It makes the endings so much better. :)
This one dishes up a great deal of angst, my ultimate favorite... and the story and plot were entertaining and enjoyable. Lizzy at first seemed more than just the precocious child, and even a little annoying. Some parts repeated themselves and I found myself wanting to skim a bit to get to where more things were happening. However, overall I really liked it and loved the connection between the pair. It was fun to see Lizzy and Darcy as children and teenagers and desperately in love. The misunderstandings and drama will give pains to your heart... I love that. It makes the endings so much better. :)
September 15, 2016
Mildly entertaining, but good grief, Elizabeth talks WAY. TOO. MUCH. Every single time she opens her mouth, it's a soliloquy. I liked the premise - Elizabeth and Darcy meet when they're younger and fight through obstacles to be together, but after reading numerous 3-4 paragraph explanations from Elizabeth, some in which she's not even talking to anyone, I was losing patience. And what's up with the constant exclamation points? My feeling is that authors overuse exclamation marks when the dialogue isn't punchy enough to deliver impact.
Also, I liked that Elizabeth was obviously highly intelligent, but it strains credibility to make her be a savant.
Also, I liked that Elizabeth was obviously highly intelligent, but it strains credibility to make her be a savant.
May 1, 2016
This is one of the Darcy meets Elizabeth as a child stories. I usually am turned off by these because they kind of creep me out with the age difference. Ms Sotis did it justice though as Darcy found her delightful and unique but in a way that children do with each other without any sexual overtones. Mr Darcy, the father, is friends with Mr Bennet which is always nice. I read this before Mrs Bennet's Sentiments and remember thinking how much I liked it. But then MBS was read and all thoughts of other books went out of my head.
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