Spellbound at Pemberley

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mage #1

by Abigail Reynolds

Fitzwilliam Darcy is a powerful mage and master of illusions. His abilities make him the perfect man for a dangerous mission to end the devastating war with Napoleon – a mission that would leave him little chance of returning alive. When he meets the enchanting Elizabeth Bennet, whose magical Talents are as deep as they are inexplicable, he knows he needs her help. And there’s only one way to get that – marriage. Immediately.

Elizabeth wants nothing to do with his plan. Marrying Darcy would mean breaking her strong and beloved magical bond to Longbourn and giving up the use of her Talent forever. Then dragons enter the war in Europe, and England's survival hangs in the balance. And Elizabeth must make the ultimate sacrifice.

In this first book of the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mage trilogy, dragons are already watching their newlywed journey to Pemberley, and a shocking discovery will force them to question everything they believe. Can they learn to trust each other and work together to save their country--and their lives?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Dragons, Regency, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Romance

340 pages, Paperback

First published December 5, 2023

About the author

Abigail Reynolds may be a nationally bestselling author and a physician, but she can’t follow a straight line with a ruler. Originally from upstate New York, she studied Russian and theater at Bryn Mawr College and marine biology at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole. After a stint in performing arts administration, she decided to attend medical school, and took up writing as a way to retain her sanity during her years as a physician in private practice.

A life-long lover of Jane Austen’s novels, Abigail began writing variations on Pride & Prejudice in 2001, then expanded her repertoire to include a series of novels set on her beloved Cape Cod.Her most recent releases are A Matter of Honor, Mr. Darcy's Enchantment, and Conceit & Concealment. Her books have been translated into six languages. A lifetime member of JASNA, she lives on Cape Cod with her husband, her son and a menagerie of animals. Her hobbies do not include sleeping or cleaning her house.

Reviews

[J. W. Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When you start to notice the mystical, the mystical will start to notice you.” –Dacha Avelin

SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***

>>Rating: mature teen: there were discussions of death during wartime and injuries sustained. Nothing was sexually graphic, although, it was sensual.
>>Angst Level: medium as tensions began rising toward the cliffhanger. There were many OMG moments as secrets began to be revealed. I kept thinking, what else is to be discovered?
>>Source: Own: I grabbed the pre-order: This is book 1 of a trilogy.
>>Fan Points: The love story of ODC was so sweet once they got their act together. There was just enough pushback to make D&E work for it.
>>Trope: [1] AU: Alternate Universe: there’s magic in the land [2] mystical creatures and powers

“Magick happens when you step into who you truly are and embrace that which fulfills your soul.” –Dacha Avelin

I read chapter excerpts of this on the Austen Variations website and had… HAD to have it. I grabbed the pre-order as soon as it was posted. I read until I crashed and burned in the wee hours of the morning. I finished it the next day in my pajamas. Grief! I’m so glad it was a soft cliffhanger and not one where you’re pulling out your hair. I can hardly wait until book 2 is launched. This was fabulous, amazing, highly intense, and a daring Darcy and Elizabeth once they were entwined. Heavy sigh. I can’t say enough about Spellbound other than, there are not enough stars to appropriately label this book. Run, don’t walk, and grab this amazing story.

“Magic is based on the tapestry of interconnectivity between you and the natural world.” –Sasha Graham

[Sam H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The joys of mages, dragons and Talent

A wonderfully entertaining mash up of our beloved Pride and Prejudice characters and sci-fantasy.

The author creates an alternate universe of magic and fea. gentlefolk are linked to their land by Talent. Dragons and other creatures are fea folk, but I have a feeling we haven't scratched the surface of that part of the magical story.

The drama comes from a secret mission to assassinate Napoleon. When Darcy meets Elizabeth, parts of the plan may have greater success if they wed, and she becomes pregnant.

There are plenty of new characters and extended Bennet family living in Wales, including Granny- Elizabeth's great grandmother! And Darcy's mother is alive with her own secrets and backstory.

There was a lot of lust and instant physical, passionate attraction. ( Although not too detailed). I am never a fan of lust and sex taking the place of actual story or building a relationship by words and deeds. Thank goodness there is plenty of story to be center stage.

An exciting read, it was almost impossible to put down.

As the series is a trilogy, the end of this book is no where near to reaching the end of the story. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for the next book.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars!

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What could be more enchanting than Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen? That would be having P&P dropped into an alternate historical fantasy world full of intrigue, mysteries, and two people bound together in purpose that is not love. Though yes, love, like magic, finds a way.

Spellbound at Pemberley introduces Mr. Darcy, a well-trained mage with an upcoming secret mission that has the hopes of England riding on it. Unfortunately, his illusion spell is giving him a devilish amount of trouble until a country miss entwines her magic with his own and wonderful, impossible things happen.
Elizabeth learns that revealing her Talent ability to the arrogant visitor from Pemberley has profound consequences that upend her world all at once. A forced match of convenience to assist Mr. Darcy in his important mission and the shocking revelation of long-hidden family secrets is only the tip of the iceberg. Darcy and Elizabeth have to work together and figure things out fast because the stakes are higher and hotter than dragon flame.

Spellbound at Pemberley had a start that I was confident I knew what was coming, but no, what delight, there was oh so much more than I expected (and I was already expecting quite a bit). The complexity of Abigail Reynolds’ fantasy world with nearly everyone holding a secret and nothing being straight forward once the romance pair were together was sheer delight with some new revelation with every chapter it seemed. The way she uses magic with the Land Talent ties and more traditional mage magic that acts on the English social and cultural rules was neat. Naturally, one of the big turns in the story was Darcy and Elizabeth learning that their magical world is not quite what they thought.

But, all is not just intrigue and thrills. I did love the couple coming together in a forced marriage and making much of it. I enjoyed the introduction of a wide cast of characters that included Elizabeth’s falcon friend and Darcy’s Lynx familiar. How fascinating that Lady Anne, Darcy’s mother is a political power and a complex character. The Bennets and their extended relations are fascinating, too.

Spellbound at Pemberley is the first segment of a three-part story and finishes with hints that matters are about to get more interesting. However, I liked how there was some closure on the first act so the reader isn’t left hanging on a limb.

For those who like the magic and intrigue set in Regency England, but hesitate because it’s mingled with a popular Jane Austen story, don’t worry. Fans and newcomers alike can appreciate this story equally well. If you enjoy Gaslamp fantasy, don’t miss this one.

I rec'd an eARC from the author to read in exchange for an honest review.

My full review will post at The Reading Frenzy 3.4.24.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellbound at Pemberley is a Pride and Prejudice variation by Abigail Reynolds. I like to call it JAFF (Jane Austen fan fiction). And if you’ve never read any this is the perfect book to start with. This was a delightful pride and prejudice romance with magic. The world building was excellent and the clean romance was heartfelt. I loved Darcy and Elizabeth. The growing relationship held me captive and I just couldn’t get enough. This was a promising start to a wonderful series.
If you love dragons and magic I highly recommend it.
Thanks White Soup Press via NetGalley.

[Ree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding Narration
It’s such a joy to hear Elizabeth Klett narrating another Abigail Reynolds book, and pairing her with Harry Frost in a dual narration makes it absolutely outstanding. I’m not an expert on fantasy stories, but this one certainly kept me ‘spellbound’. Now to wait patiently for the next audiobook in the series.

[Carole (in Canada) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Magical!

I was held spellbound by this first book in what has now flowed into four! I wanted to wait for all the books to come out before entering another fantastical world that Ms. Reynolds has created. Book four should be out by October 2026, but I have books two and three stacked on my end table.

“Mr. Darcy, you amaze me! First you declare me only tolerable, and now that I do not repel you! You should be careful when you bestow such fine compliments upon a lady. She might get the wrong idea about you – but she would be unlikely to mistake you for a gentleman!” (quote from the book)

The push and pull between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy was, for me, believable. They each had their doubts and misunderstandings, but in the end their journey, though fraught with trials, was rewarding.

“I kept these from you, lest they tempt you to experiment with magery, he said ruefully. Now that you have discovered it on your own, you may as well have them. Especially as there is no time for me to teach you what I know.” (quote from the book)

Many secrets lie within this first book: Political. Family. Magical. As the story progresses, they all unfold. I found it fascinating, surprising and engrossing. Trying to convey the depth and breadth of this first book is beyond my powers. Just know you are stepping into a magical universe of Pride & Prejudice that sweeps you away to a world of intrigue, magic and dragons!

Highly recommend!

[Anna Fitzwilliam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not fond of Darcy in this book. The plot was interesting, but the end dragged on a bit too much.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled between giving this book 3 or 4 stars. This was an interesting but flawed book. Although it claims to be a variation on Pride and Prejudice, I would call that a pretty big stretch. However, if you look at it as its own book, there was a lot to like, although there were some other issues as well.

Let's first discuss the idea that it's a "variation." I really do love it when authors take Jane Austen's concepts and ideas and take them and make them their own. However, there is a point (not a clear one!) when you've run so far that you don't really share anything in common with P&P anymore other than some character names. This book was definitely treading that line and, in the latter half, had pretty clearly crossed it. Gone are Wickham and Mr. Collins (and the entailment!), any slice of life/cheeky commentary on local English personalities. Other characters received a brief mention (Lady Catherine, Col. Fitzwilliam, the Bingley sisters) or a short, mysterious cameo (Georgiana). The entire theme of women in this time period facing precarity because they must marry or face the horrors of being a spinster was even absent, as it's clear in this alternate version women do have power and more social standing than in this reality. There's a slew of new characters introduced, including Mr. Darcy's mother, who is very much alive, and a grandmother on Elizabeth's side. While the book does feature a love story between Elizabeth and Darcy, it's a pretty different one than in P&P - there is a little bit of misunderstanding in the very beginning, they quickly move past it and instead tension is brought from Darcy's mission in thwarting Napoleon. The problem with all of this is that when you call yourself a variation on P&P, it creates expectations, so when you don't meet many of those expectations, it feels like a let down. Normally I feel like authors who do this are just trading on Jane Austen's work to bring in more readers, which is definitely annoying. But I noticed this author has written a lot of Jane adaptations, so I wonder if instead it's just become a crutch. A lot of this could be solved by the author just creating whole new characters and calling it a Regency fantasy.

The book is not completely absent of any of P&P's traits - she does a fairly good job with the personalities of Darcy and Elizabeth, and I actually liked how she teased out Mr. Bennett's character a bit. But even Mrs. Bennet and the sisters are given short shrift and are barely there (although I suspect we'll see more of them in future books).

Despite all of this, I did think the book was pretty good as a general Regency fantasy - the world building was interesting, several of the new characters were well developed and had good agency (although I wasn't in love with Mr. Roderick - he felt too much like he was there purely as an info dump as needed). I was interested in the whole idea of Land Talent and how the privilege of being able to own land over generations gave a new benefit of having a magical bond with it as well - although I would have liked to see some of the social consequences of that explored (maybe later books will?) It did start to feel like there was almost too much magic going on, though - magic with the land, general magic of mages, faeries, dragons, familiars, on and on. I think the world building needed some editing.

Plot wise, the book never felt like a drag - there was always something going on. It was of course enjoyable to see Darcy and Elizabeth fall in love, and then the general plot of how will Darcy defeat Napolean was intriguing as well.

However, that brings us to my other main problem with this book - it was missing a main plot that actually developed through the whole book and then resolved. There were smaller plots that resolved over short sections, like Elizabeth coming to accept marrying Mr. Darcy. But those all resolved well before the end of the book. And many of the bigger plots the book built up toward are left unaddressed, I'm assuming for later books. This became especially problematic in the final third of the book, when several new plot points were introduced but never went beyond a "well how will they handle this?" The final third really felt like an intro for the second book, which made for an underwhelming end. So while the book never dragged, I still felt a bit let down.

I'd say this is a better fit for fantasy fans than P&P fans, except the book oddly starts when Elizabeth visits Netherfield because Jane fell ill and definitely expects readers to have some familiarity with P&P. I think if P&P fans can accept this is really a "variation" in name only, then they could enjoy it too, although obviously having an interest in fantasy will help.

[Rita Deodato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review published at:
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...

Spellbound at Pemberley is the first book in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Mage series, so even though it is an enjoyable read with a sense of closure at the end, the story continues in volume two which will be released this year. It is a Pride & Prejudice variation that creates an alternate universe of magic where the heirs of an estate possess a Talent that allows them to bond with their land. But it also explores other types of magic and fantasy creatures that appear throughout the book, and of course, focuses on the romance between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.

The story starts in Hertfordshire where Mr. Darcy has travelled to with Mr. Bingley to practice illusion magic for a very important mission he is on. While he is practicing, he discovers that Elizabeth’s magical powers blend in perfectly with his own, a fact that is a game changer for his mission. Due to the relevance of his secret operation, and this new and very unexpected discovery, they have no alternative but to get married because that may be the key to save the country.

This book is therefore a forced marriage scenario in which Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth spend a lot of time together getting to know one another, and in which their love evolves slowly and progressively. Their romance, along with both of their personalities and personal struggles were the two main aspects I loved the most in this book.

The romance between Darcy and Elizabeth is slow but intense. There are many different situations in which both need to rise up to rescue the other and it is in those situations, and the actions they undertake when the other needs help, that we can see how much they love each other. I believe the reader understands these characters love one another even before they have realized it themselves. I loved the fact that these characters spent a lot of time together, and with time were able to confide in one another. l also loved the depth of their conversations, and especially to be shown how they were falling in love instead of being told about it. The book is very fluid and everything seems to come very easily into place. I think it is interesting for them to have a magical link, but that was not the most important factor for me because I like them to have a strong love that binds them, and not being bonded by a magical unseen force.

Both Darcy and Elizabeth are a little less proud and prejudiced in this book and revealed a maturity I truly appreciate. They both face very dire situations and Abigail Reynolds was able to transmit their personal struggles in an exciting manner, especially Elizabeht’s. I loved her resilience, strength and eagerness to learn to save Darcy. I like the fact that she appears to be special, but I hope that in book two we won’t see her as an all-mighty person who can save the entire country with her abilities as I much prefer to see her as a normal person who works well with others, instead of someone with inane abilities.

There are some mysteries in this book, and I like the fact that they are slowly unraveled. I am curious to see what Georgiana’s story is, why Mr. Bennet is so powerful, and what happened to Lady Anne while she was away. This first book certainly opened a lot of avenues that can still be explored, especially because new characters were added to the narrative and we are not confined to the regular Pride and Prejudice family members. This opened the story for more diverse storylines, and I am particularly interested in Lady Frederica’s love match which I hope to see developed in the future.

Spellbound at Pemberley is an enthralling book and Abigail Reynolds is a skilled writer who is easily able to create new worlds and explore new pathways in a simple yet enticing manner. I have enjoyed the possibilities that have arisen in this book, and I hope it doesn’t get too complicated with too many magical elements in book two so I can continue enjoying it.

Summing up, Spellbound at Pemberley is an superb fantasy novel in which the writer skillfully conjured up a new and captivating world rife with romance and mystery. It is well written, romantic and exciting. I highly recommend it and I am looking forward to the next book in the series because I believe it will take not only the story, but also the romance into a whole new level :).

[Cherokee Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not terrible but I wish there was more swooney, tropey, cheesy romance. Definitely more plot driven.

Skimmed the last 30%. 2.5 rounded up!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantasy Pride and Prejudice variation where Darcy is a Maga, and capable of illusions, perfect to be sent on a mission to kill Napoleon. Then he meets Elizabeth with her Land Talent. But Napoleon is using dragons and sea serpents against the British forces is there any chance that Darcy will survive.
An entertaining and well-written variation. The story continues in the next part of the trilogy.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the latest fantasy variation on Pride and Prejudice by Abigail Reynolds. It's the first in a series, of which the second isn't due out until October 2024, and I would regret having to wait that long, except that it will give me an excuse to read this one again before I read the second.

In an alternate magical Regency world, Mr. Darcy is a Mage, and has come to Netherfield to be away from the magical bond he has with his land in Derbyshire while he practices his skills in making illusions. He has a dangerous mission for the War Office coming up, which he won't likely survive, in which he's to stop the threat posed by Napoleon. He's practicing a particular illusion, that of a stampeding herd of cattle, out in a field when somehow someone manages to alter the illusion, something he didn't know was possible. He learns to his shock that it was done by Elizabeth Bennet.

So begins a brilliant story, based on Pride and Prejudice, but with a complex magical system that involves Land Talent, Mages, animal familiars, Sea Serpents, and Dragons. All the interconnections, characters, and surprises in this story kept me turning pages and delighting in every new revelation. Highly recommended.

[Teresita · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing beginning

It got my undivided attention from the first page. I love magical Pride and Prejudice variations and Abigail Reynolds is a master of the genre.

All the characters are well written, respecting their traits and personalities, with magic imbued in them.

A lot of unexpected developments and an excellent plot that leaves everything prepared for the next book without leaving the reader hanging.

[Stephanie Gillis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Rounded up. Okay so if you're thinking this is a P&P retelling with magic, Imma stop you right there. This does not at all follow the plot of P&P, just uses Darcy and Lizzie as the main characters but the entirety of P&P is pretty much thrown out from the get go. We start midway through P&P when Jane is sick at Netherfield and that's the last time you'll see anything reminiscent of the original source. Whether that's a bad thing is up to the reader but it definitely threw me for a loop. There were SIGNIFICANT changes to even the original cast ie: No Wickham, Darcy had a brother, Darcy's mum is alive, Darcy was married to Anne de Bourgh but she is long dead now.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, the story itself is interesting with how it handles regency magic involving magic tied to the land titles and the difference of what a mage is. We are significantly more involved in the war against Napoleon and Lizzie is forced into marriage with Darcy because of their magics compatibility. This makes the dynamic of the couple shift a lot and while they are still butting heads and still have that slow burn, it didn't quite hit as hard as the original story does for me. I did like the diverse additions to the cast and the fact that Lizzie's best language other than English is Arabic given her associations growing up. I loved the plot involving dragons especially but the story feels like it ends before we got to the meat of things. Granted, this is book one so I'm invested enough that I want to see what happens.

[Amarante · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spellbound is an intriguing novel about a young lady during Regency England that adds a flair of magic to the mix to empower our female main character in the strong patriarchal setting. Her magical ties to her papa's land, her connection to a specific male's magical abilities and friendly animal familiars that somehow keep on choosing her is par for the course that show Abigail's creativity.
The many things happening in this magical world are fast-paced, while the Regency setting slows things down, which creates a clever balance as you read through the novel. For me, personally, the specific Pride & Prejudice setting adds little to the novel except for what to expect from specific characters so they don't need much depth to understand their motivations, though they didn't feel completely true to their referenced originals either.
For those who aren't ardent Jane Austen fans, or can go in with less expectations, Spellbound might be just what they need with an entire magical trilogy waiting for them and enchant their days with.

[MichelleH H · Rating 5 out of 5]

And. Now I’m in book withdrawal.

I’m going to leave the serous book reviews to the more talented reviewers. Let’s leave this for now to say I Loved It. And I’m really loving forward to the next book. It’s a fantastic story and I highly recommend it. Five + stars.

[Neil Plakcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way Reynolds has expanded the Austen universe by bringing in magical elements. The books are a quick, easy read, full of era-appropriate description and conversation. Perfect for Janeites who want a little magic in their reading.

[T.A. Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars rounded down to 4

Note that this is the first in a trilogy. Next installment planned for July 2023

The story is in a world, where the oldest child of landed gentry bonds with the land and can greatly help the land to prosper. Though Jane’s bond is very weak due to her early birth in London and Mrs Bennet lacking knowledge of the bond.

Darcy is a mage, which is rare. Currently all mages comes from three old families. He is training for a mission in France for the British office at Netherfield park, when he meets Elizabeth. They have are rare affinity for each other, which can help Darcy on his mission. So they are ordered to marry within a week and set off Pemberley.

Both of them have familiars, which will play a significant part in the story. Darcy has a Lynx (a large feline) and Elizabeth a kestrel (a bird of prey). Darcy family is bigger, he had a yonger brother that was lost in the war with France and his mother is still alive. The Bennets has a mysterious branch of their family in Wales.

So the story unfortunately ends with a cliffhanger… So the wait for next summer will be long. On the other hand there are two more books to look forward to.
Fortunately Abigail has started a group on Facebook to discuss the book in the meantime
https://www.facebook.com/groups/28091...

[lori huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful

Darcy comes to Netherfield as per usual, but he is a mage there to practice his illusions for his role in helping defeat Napoleon. Bingley is an assistant of sorts who has no magic. While Elizabeth is at Netherfield nursing her sister Jane, Darcy accidentally discovers that Elizabeth has strong Talent that can interact with his, and that she doesn't repel him, as does most everyone who has Talent. Since he's already attracted to Elizabeth, he immediately decides to marry her and get her with child, as this would greatly enhance his power when he goes on his government mission to France. Of course Elizabeth, at this point, has no very good opinion of Darcy's arrogance, and she also has a strong bond to the land of Longbourn, where her Talent has helped the estate to thrive. Therefore, she vehemently objects to the marriage. However, because it's a government mandate, Elizabeth is forced to agree.

These JAFF variations with magic always involve much explanation and establishment of the rules for their particular scenario. This author does that admirably. There's a lot to learn. There are "familiars" or "companions". Darcy's mother is alive, and she's important, as is Mr Bennett and Elizabeth's great grandmother. Several new and interesting characters are introduced that are wonderful.

Thankfully, in spite of the circumstances of their marriage, the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy is lovely, although Darcy is portrayed as someone who is extremely sceptical about any new concept, surprising in a world of magical abilities. And for being such a supposedly powerful mage, he's portrayed as rather inept at his abilities while training for his mission.

I deducted a star for a couple of reasons. One is the tendency in these magical JAFF variations to keep on adding rather ludicrous magical abilities at random when any dilemma arises. The other reason is the creation of a series with no next installment in sight. I hope the next book comes out before this one is forgotten. I guess I should have waited for them all to be published before beginning. However, this author is an automatic purchase for me. The book is well written and well edited. I recommend it highly.

[Michelle Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish it hadn’t brought in so many original characters and also sort of fell into the trope of chosen one/main characters are so unique and special. Enjoyed the first quarter most which was along the narrative of the original novel.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

World building is very rich, concept is very unique. This would have been so much better if it had NOT been Elizabeth and Darcy. Some other world, some other characters, this tale did not need them at all.

[Cheyanne Hanson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was probably a 2.5 star read for me. The first half was clunky and awkward. The entire book took me 3 days to get through which is not common for me at all. The second half was a little better with more plot and story, but I still found the writing difficult to connect to, and over all, the characters lacked depth. I would most likely not continue with this series.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pride and Prejudice with magic? Absolutely had to give this a read and I'm so happy I did! The story was so much fun and my only complaint is having to wait for book 2 to continue with their story.

Elizabeth is able to interact with Darcy's Illusions, which is unheard of, and her power doesn't repulse him. Both of these things immediately make him want to marry her, to help aid his secret mission for England.

[Talia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Abigail Reynolds when she combines P & P with magic! I can't wait for more but it looks like it will be awhile. Preorder made.

[Cas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed thoughts about this one.

First, the good: the prose is easy to read and clear,, and the relationships between the characters are enjoyable. The two tiered magic system is a very interesting one and I particularly liked the introduction of the repulsion as an element. I particularly liked Elizabeth’s dragon companion.

The not so good: it was just trying to do too much in too few pages. There’s the whole Pride & Prejudice plot which honestly? I could have done without. It feels sillly to say that given the whole reason I picked this up was because of the P&P aspect but truly, it diverges from the plot so much that I would have rather just renamed everything and had it be its own original world. The book starts off throwing you in the deep end and continues to randomly drop totally new elements with big info dumps throughout, which breaks up the flow and enjoyment of the story. So many elements, characters, and conflicts are introduced for a story where plot wise, very little happens. I feel like the pacing was quite inconsistent and a near death experience is treated about the same as a rumor that Lizzy is cheating on her husband.

Very fun concept, lots of great elements, but not quite there for me on the execution.

[Mariska · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm Spellbound by Spellbound!!!

A 100% novel concept about magic, dragons, and ODC, add in a few new and wonderful characters while eliminating Miss Bingley, Lady Catherine, and Mr Collins, add in a compelling story that just keeps getting better by the moment, and you will be as hooked on this book as I am.

[Adelle Stavis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully Crafted

Engaging fantasy/historical romance crossover. Very well written with emotionally true and consistent characterizations. Dialogue is well phrased with distinct voices. More is 'shown, not told.' Plot is well paced with only small areas reiterative exposition or internal monologue. AND - free of the grammar and copy editing issues often found

[Michelle David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magical

An absolutely action packed, emotionally charged and vibrantly magical variation inspired by Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice by the talented Abigail Reynolds. I absolutely loved it and am eagerly awaiting the sequel.