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Netherfield Park Quarantined
A Pride and Prejudice what if story. Elizabeth Bennet meets Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy when he comes to visit his friend at Netherfield Park. There, they come to know each other, learning about one another much sooner than expected. A sudden outbreak of scarlet fever comes to the neighborhood, and Netherfield is turned into a makeshift hospital. Who will survive the epidemic and who will have their lives changed forever?
- GenresRomanceHistorical
379 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2014
31 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Schertz
47 books59 followersI am a retired crime lab/crime scene technician, having worked for a local police department for 15 years. Since then, I have become disabled. Forgot to get the extended warranty on the body. In my spare time, I make jewelry, am a photographer, and a full time mom and grandma.
My daughter by birth is Catie, and she is the dearest part of my life. Through her, I have 2 daughters by heart, Heather and Kristina. Through Heather and her awesome man, Stan, I have 4 amazing grandchildren, Purgi, Penne, Myles, and Persephene.
Besides my human family, I have a canine son, who is my service dog, Darcy. I also have 4 feline daughters (Salem, Lizzy, Dagonet, and Freya ). I now have 5 grandpuppies, 2 grandkitties.
Two days after I received my first ever royalty check, I adopted Darcy and Lizzy. Fitting names, I thought. And they resemble the characters. Lizzy is mischievous, yet loving, climbing up high as if she were in a tree. Darcy is extremely protective and loving. He has his shy side, which is clear when around some people, until he comes to know he can trust them.
My daughter by birth is Catie, and she is the dearest part of my life. Through her, I have 2 daughters by heart, Heather and Kristina. Through Heather and her awesome man, Stan, I have 4 amazing grandchildren, Purgi, Penne, Myles, and Persephene.
Besides my human family, I have a canine son, who is my service dog, Darcy. I also have 4 feline daughters (Salem, Lizzy, Dagonet, and Freya ). I now have 5 grandpuppies, 2 grandkitties.
Two days after I received my first ever royalty check, I adopted Darcy and Lizzy. Fitting names, I thought. And they resemble the characters. Lizzy is mischievous, yet loving, climbing up high as if she were in a tree. Darcy is extremely protective and loving. He has his shy side, which is clear when around some people, until he comes to know he can trust them.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 27, 2022
Loved it
This is a great book. Love it when the villains get their just rewards. Mr Collins was his worst, Lady Catherine positively evil,and Wickham unbelievably menacing. Great for a second read.
This is a great book. Love it when the villains get their just rewards. Mr Collins was his worst, Lady Catherine positively evil,and Wickham unbelievably menacing. Great for a second read.
April 12, 2024
An epidemic hits Hertfordshire
SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***
>>Rating: Mature: Listen carefully, M.A.T.U.R.E: Insanity, mayhem, death, and destruction: a Schertz MO, just saying: Smarmy thoughts and comments from more than one villain
>>Angst Level: Heavy at times. ICNPID
>>Source: Borrowed from KU [4-5-24]: I volunteered to leave a review of my thoughts and opinions. I love reading a Schertz story. They are so crazy and sometimes I just want something different.
>>Timeline: During Jane’s illness at Netherfield.
>>Trope: [1] epidemic (Scarlet Fever) [2] Insanity [3] Death of major and minor characters [] kidnapping of characters
When you pick up a Schertz book, you should expect her usual MO [Modus Operandi]: Insanity, death, destruction, and mayhem. It was amazing how creative this author can be as she takes the P&P characters and casts them into a new and different storyline. Half the time the story seemed improbable but I just went with the flow. If you read enough of her stories, you get used to it.
When Jane arrived at Netherfield soaking wet, they sent for the apothecary. He declared there was illness in the surrounding village. It was soon discovered to be scarlet fever. Jane only had a cold but was confined to her room. A maid was sick upstairs as was her family who were tenants. After Caroline, Louisa, and Hurst moved to the Dowager House, Netherfield was turned into a field hospital to house and treat the sick. Many would not survive. The death toll would be massive and many major and minor characters would be included on the list.
Right in the middle of a maelstrom was an abiding love blossoming between ODC [our dear couple]. They were so sweet until the villains attempted to come between. There were the usual suspects and they were a nasty bunch with no qualms about the safety and well-being of their victims. I was up into the wee hours as ICNPID [I could not put it down].
SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***
>>Rating: Mature: Listen carefully, M.A.T.U.R.E: Insanity, mayhem, death, and destruction: a Schertz MO, just saying: Smarmy thoughts and comments from more than one villain
>>Angst Level: Heavy at times. ICNPID
>>Source: Borrowed from KU [4-5-24]: I volunteered to leave a review of my thoughts and opinions. I love reading a Schertz story. They are so crazy and sometimes I just want something different.
>>Timeline: During Jane’s illness at Netherfield.
>>Trope: [1] epidemic (Scarlet Fever) [2] Insanity [3] Death of major and minor characters [] kidnapping of characters
When you pick up a Schertz book, you should expect her usual MO [Modus Operandi]: Insanity, death, destruction, and mayhem. It was amazing how creative this author can be as she takes the P&P characters and casts them into a new and different storyline. Half the time the story seemed improbable but I just went with the flow. If you read enough of her stories, you get used to it.
When Jane arrived at Netherfield soaking wet, they sent for the apothecary. He declared there was illness in the surrounding village. It was soon discovered to be scarlet fever. Jane only had a cold but was confined to her room. A maid was sick upstairs as was her family who were tenants. After Caroline, Louisa, and Hurst moved to the Dowager House, Netherfield was turned into a field hospital to house and treat the sick. Many would not survive. The death toll would be massive and many major and minor characters would be included on the list.
Right in the middle of a maelstrom was an abiding love blossoming between ODC [our dear couple]. They were so sweet until the villains attempted to come between. There were the usual suspects and they were a nasty bunch with no qualms about the safety and well-being of their victims. I was up into the wee hours as ICNPID [I could not put it down].
October 30, 2016
I read this with Ashes of Longborn by the same author. These books are a kind of a guilty pleasure. They are crazy from start to finish with poorly done, over-the-top characters. If you ever watched and liked the soap opera, Passions (Timmy!), you will probably like these.
Re-read this one and loved it. I raised my rating from 3 to 4 stars. Now that I am more familiar with the lack of polish expected from this author, I can be more forgiving because her storylines are so much fun to read. She has become one of my favorites. Not many JAFF authors are willing to kill half or more of our beloved characters. This author has no qualms doing it and I am thankful.
Re-read again on a disaster at Netherfield themed book day. I raised it to 5 stars now! It gets better and better with each reading. Too much fun!
Re-read this one and loved it. I raised my rating from 3 to 4 stars. Now that I am more familiar with the lack of polish expected from this author, I can be more forgiving because her storylines are so much fun to read. She has become one of my favorites. Not many JAFF authors are willing to kill half or more of our beloved characters. This author has no qualms doing it and I am thankful.
Re-read again on a disaster at Netherfield themed book day. I raised it to 5 stars now! It gets better and better with each reading. Too much fun!
July 24, 2019
Definitely not boring like some JAFF can be! This author spins a tale well, although she changes gears several times and throws everything but the kitchen sink into one book. The title story is sweet and ends at 40%. The angst starts after that, with several new story arcs introduced.
The reader will have to put up with a little suspension of disbelief, which apparently is a signature style issue for this author. In this book, it's not a strong detraction from a rip-roaring tale. Interestingly enough, there's another very popular author who has the same tendency. I'm not keen on it, and can just barely tolerate a barely believable situation or poorly supported trope if the balance of the writing is good. And overall, Melanie Schertz is a good writer.
The difference with the "other very popular author" is the polish by using professionals to tidy up the book. In this particular book, there were a few Regency mistakes as well as word usage mistakes. The biggest annoyance was the formatting. Section changes were virtually on top of each other, as were chapter changes. Frequently dialogue changes were in the same paragraph, leaving the reader confused as to who said that and causing a re-read. The author would do well by adding about 100 line breaks in this book, never mind the formatting most independent author-publishers take on! A cleaned-up second edition would probably be in order for higher star ratings.
Disclaimer: I am a JAFF writer and this review may be perceived to be a conflict of interest, though it is written honestly with a mind to help both reader and author.
The reader will have to put up with a little suspension of disbelief, which apparently is a signature style issue for this author. In this book, it's not a strong detraction from a rip-roaring tale. Interestingly enough, there's another very popular author who has the same tendency. I'm not keen on it, and can just barely tolerate a barely believable situation or poorly supported trope if the balance of the writing is good. And overall, Melanie Schertz is a good writer.
The difference with the "other very popular author" is the polish by using professionals to tidy up the book. In this particular book, there were a few Regency mistakes as well as word usage mistakes. The biggest annoyance was the formatting. Section changes were virtually on top of each other, as were chapter changes. Frequently dialogue changes were in the same paragraph, leaving the reader confused as to who said that and causing a re-read. The author would do well by adding about 100 line breaks in this book, never mind the formatting most independent author-publishers take on! A cleaned-up second edition would probably be in order for higher star ratings.
Disclaimer: I am a JAFF writer and this review may be perceived to be a conflict of interest, though it is written honestly with a mind to help both reader and author.
March 25, 2014
What a ridiculous notion that Darcy would want to marry Elizabeth after one meeting without any scruples about her inferiority in society or pride in himself. Even more ridiculous is Darcy marrying Elizabeth while quarantined in Netherfield at the insistence of Mr Bennet over fear that Mrs Bennet would force Elizabeth to marry Collins if he passed away. Events moved too quickly to be realistic and suddenly there is death, kidnapping, murder with the aim to annul their marriage. All seemed ridiculous. Could have had some potential if the events weren't rushed and some events not as exaggerated.
May 10, 2020
Mr Bingely volunteers Netherfield Park to house the townspeople who have caught scarlet fever are brought and quarantined. As someone who is always helping the local apothecary, Elizabeth is coordinating the care for the sick. Fitzwilliam Darcy has fallen in love with her and reveals this on accident in front of her father, who has been arrived with the sickness. A marriage ceremony and settlement happens within a short period to keep her safe from her mother, who plans to pair her with her cousin.
The marriage itself and the people fighting it are the bulk of the story. There are powerful people who wish the Darcy's marriage to be invalid. This brings tragedy and the Bennet family closer together.
The marriage itself and the people fighting it are the bulk of the story. There are powerful people who wish the Darcy's marriage to be invalid. This brings tragedy and the Bennet family closer together.
September 29, 2022
A Pride and Prejudice variation whereby Elizabeth and Darcy come to an understanding very quickly and then while at Netherfield an epidemic of scarlet fever breaks out. Lives are changed because of this. Lost interest when Mary died.
July 14, 2017
Un what'if original... Dans cette version, Lizzy et Darcy résolvent rapidement leur malentendu et tombent amoureux... Ils se marient à la hâte à la demande de Mr Bennet qui craint de mourir et redoute que sa femme ne marie Lizzy avec Mr Collins.
Effectivement, Mrs Bennet est folle de rage ( là on se demande pourquoi quand on connait les revenus de Darcy). Quand à Mr Collins, il est fou de rage et se sent spoilé. Il s'allie avec Lady Catherine pour faire annuler le mariage Darcy. Bon, il apparait très vite qu'à l'instar de Caroline (qui finit par être envoyée dans un sanatorium) Collins et Catherine ont un léger problème mental... Enlèvement, meurtre, recours à Wickham, rien ne les arrête ! Ce n'est pas spécialement fidèle à l'original , mais l'auteure ne commet pas l'erreur de se vautrer dans le sexe à tout va et les aventures sont trépidantes ! J'aime beaucoup le fait que l'auteure n'ait pas hésiter à tuer Mary et à rendre Lydia aveugle...
Ce que j'aime : beaucoup d'aventures pour nos héros et j'apprécie le libidineux Mr Collins
Ce que j'aime moins : le niveau d'écriture est loin de celui de Jane Austen et les personnages sont parfois très éloignés des originaux, par exemple j'ai eu du mal avec la "haine" que semble vouer Mrs Bennet à Elizabeth
En bref : Un what'if divertissant qui entraine nos héros dans des aventures étonnantes !
Ma note
5,5/10
Effectivement, Mrs Bennet est folle de rage ( là on se demande pourquoi quand on connait les revenus de Darcy). Quand à Mr Collins, il est fou de rage et se sent spoilé. Il s'allie avec Lady Catherine pour faire annuler le mariage Darcy. Bon, il apparait très vite qu'à l'instar de Caroline (qui finit par être envoyée dans un sanatorium) Collins et Catherine ont un léger problème mental... Enlèvement, meurtre, recours à Wickham, rien ne les arrête ! Ce n'est pas spécialement fidèle à l'original , mais l'auteure ne commet pas l'erreur de se vautrer dans le sexe à tout va et les aventures sont trépidantes ! J'aime beaucoup le fait que l'auteure n'ait pas hésiter à tuer Mary et à rendre Lydia aveugle...
Ce que j'aime : beaucoup d'aventures pour nos héros et j'apprécie le libidineux Mr Collins
Ce que j'aime moins : le niveau d'écriture est loin de celui de Jane Austen et les personnages sont parfois très éloignés des originaux, par exemple j'ai eu du mal avec la "haine" que semble vouer Mrs Bennet à Elizabeth
En bref : Un what'if divertissant qui entraine nos héros dans des aventures étonnantes !
Ma note
5,5/10
July 20, 2021
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, with the different way ODC got together. Several characters were just a bit more than the way they were portrayed in P&P — a bit nicer or a bit more villainous. Those “enhancements” were interesting and fun. Mr. Collins was a surprise as was Lady C.
My only complaint, if you could call it that, is the sheer number of bad acts perpetrated against ODC within a single book. One or two fewer would have allowed the reader to process one before the next occurred. The book is recommended nonetheless.
I really enjoyed this book, with the different way ODC got together. Several characters were just a bit more than the way they were portrayed in P&P — a bit nicer or a bit more villainous. Those “enhancements” were interesting and fun. Mr. Collins was a surprise as was Lady C.
My only complaint, if you could call it that, is the sheer number of bad acts perpetrated against ODC within a single book. One or two fewer would have allowed the reader to process one before the next occurred. The book is recommended nonetheless.
January 13, 2020
Love conquers all
I would recommend this if your looking for a romance in which will involve with dealings of many people. This was a story that included little twist in the plot. Loved it
I would recommend this if your looking for a romance in which will involve with dealings of many people. This was a story that included little twist in the plot. Loved it
June 19, 2023
Felt like there was a lot of repetition and unneeded dialogue that made the story drag. Like when Collins is in the carriage going somewhere and there’s a little recap of things that just happened a few chapters before.
January 13, 2015
Sweet
I have read many of Ms Schertz's books and I do find the idea behind this story very interesting, but I wouldn't say it was my favorite. I was having trouble with Lord Matlock's character, he seemed spineless to me and more than willing to follow anyone else's beliefs about Darcy. I did like how there was little impediment to E&D actually marrying, though a little much with how many people were attempting to dissolve the marriage. But I'm not a professional critic, or have a degree in literature, I read and review at face value for my own pure entertainment, so that is why I gave this a 4/5 star. I think any JAFFer will enjoy this if you just read it for entertainment.
I have read many of Ms Schertz's books and I do find the idea behind this story very interesting, but I wouldn't say it was my favorite. I was having trouble with Lord Matlock's character, he seemed spineless to me and more than willing to follow anyone else's beliefs about Darcy. I did like how there was little impediment to E&D actually marrying, though a little much with how many people were attempting to dissolve the marriage. But I'm not a professional critic, or have a degree in literature, I read and review at face value for my own pure entertainment, so that is why I gave this a 4/5 star. I think any JAFFer will enjoy this if you just read it for entertainment.
March 5, 2014
I am actually stuck between a 3 and a 4. I did love the premise of this book. It was different. I agree with other reviews I've read that people get killed off here and there. It is a bit shocking. I was terribly sad about how a couple people died and they were characters I liked too. It did move rather rapidly and there was a lot of action. I enjoyed the relationship between Darcy and elizabeth. It was a bit unlikely but aw well. I like when married couples endeavor to get thru rough times and make the most of challenging situations. I felt it here. Could have been more about the quarantine. That part didn't last long but I guess a title has to come from some event.
July 3, 2015
Misleading title
The title is rather misleading as the quarantine is really only the first quarter (if that) of the book. A cute story but not terribly engaging so I'm glad it was a quick read - even then i had to push to finish the book about halfway through. Formatting in the ebook could be better since some of the paragraphs seem to be mashed together and the chapters all blend together without distinct breaks.
The title is rather misleading as the quarantine is really only the first quarter (if that) of the book. A cute story but not terribly engaging so I'm glad it was a quick read - even then i had to push to finish the book about halfway through. Formatting in the ebook could be better since some of the paragraphs seem to be mashed together and the chapters all blend together without distinct breaks.
March 18, 2014
Yuck. Characters were not true to p and p. ridiculous plot line , almost couldn't finish it.
April 9, 2016
One of my favorites by Melanie Schertz. Early marriage but out of love and protection, not forced by compromise. Also, Wickham, Collins and Lady C even more evil! Quite a bit of action.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews