Elegant Female: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

by Cassandra B. Leigh

Fitzwilliam Darcy is forced into doing what he hates the most, talking to strangers. Before he knew what was happening, he was dancing with one of them at the Meryton assembly. Will the indignities never cease?

When Elizabeth Bennet overhears Darcy’s cutting remarks at the assembly, she exacts her revenge by encouraging her chatty friends to welcome the newcomer to the neighbourhood. If he thought his insults would go unchallenged, he would soon learn his mistake. Let it go? Not Elizabeth.

Darcy and Elizabeth deny their attraction while engaging in a battle of wills. Will their rivalry and misunderstandings lead to disaster?

A sweet Regency romance.

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2023

Reviews

[Aspen 111 · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF. I was surprised to loathe a book by Cassandra Leigh. Stupid jealousy games caused 90% of the conflict. Not for me.

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth overheard Darcy's insult and decides to pay him back by siccing all the garrulous partygoers to speak with him. Then there are some misunderstandings as she's trying to make a point about his manners by praising Bingley's, and he thinks she has set her cap for good ole Bing. Elizabeth gets told that Darcy is engaged to his cousin and misinterprets his advances as less than honourable.
It's low angst and some of the dialogue was quite amusing. Lydia's letters were very Lydia.

Steam level: Kissing.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so irritating I almost gave up but I wanted to see how the author finished it. I should have bailed at 48% when I considered it.

The author used bullet points like you would in a business presentation, more than once.

Elizabeth was stupid and petty and kept pretending to be interested in Mr Bingley. Mr Darcy was stupid and fell in love while Elizabeth was being stupid. Ugh.

I gave it three stars because I finished it.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seriously did not like this Elizabeth, and Darcy was not much better. Nor did I enjoy the part where Elizabeth and Darcy were at cross-purposes, and her behavior was especially obnoxious and stupid. Once the Lydia issue was dealt with, the book was better, but I don't think I will be rereading this.