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Netherfield Returns #1

Mr. Darcy's Return

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Mr. Bingley leaves Hertfordshire after his ball, throwing the Bennet family into turmoil and Jane Bennet into despair. Sensing an opportunity, Mr. Collins capitalizes on this event to stoke Mrs. Bennet’s fears in his attempt to force Elizabeth Bennet’s hand and provoke her to accept him, but Elizabeth remains firm in her convictions.Into this strained situation, gossip reveals that Netherfield Park is to be opened again, but instead of the expected Mr. Bingley, the resident at the estate is soon revealed to be none other than Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth does not appreciate Mr. Darcy, for his slight of her and the stories from Mr. Wickham have left her in a state of festering disapproval and disdain for the gentleman from the north.The gentleman proposes to her, leading to Elizabeth’s acrimonious refusal, but she soon realizes her opinion of Mr. Darcy is amiss when he explains certain facts of Mr. Wickham’s history and acts to bring Mr. Bingley back to Hertfordshire. Though Elizabeth is uncertain of the wisdom of allowing him any hope, she allows Mr. Darcy to call on her, determined to learn more about the enigmatic gentleman.Yet Mr. Collins has not abandoned his hope. A man so ineffectual as he is no temptation for Elizabeth, and he just may yet be of some use to her, for there is no comparison between a silly parson and a gentleman such as Mr. Darcy . . .

182 pages, Paperback

Published April 18, 2024

145 people are currently reading
40 people want to read

About the author

Jann Rowland

88 books192 followers
Jann Rowland is a Canadian, born and bred. Other than a two-year span in which he lived in Japan, he has been a resident of the Great White North his entire life, though he professes to still hate the winters.

Though Jann did not start writing until his mid-twenties, writing has grown from a hobby to an all-consuming passion. His interests as a child were almost exclusively centered on the exotic fantasy worlds of Tolkien and Eddings, among a host of others. As an adult, his interests have grown to include historical fiction and romance, with a particular focus on the works of Jane Austen.

When Jann is not writing, he enjoys rooting for his favorite sports teams. He is also a master musician (in his own mind) who enjoys playing piano and singing as well as moonlighting as the choir director in his church’s congregation.

Jann lives in Alberta with his wife of more than twenty years, two grown sons, and one young daughter. He is convinced that whatever hair he has left will be entirely gone by the time his little girl hits her teenage years. Sadly, though he has told his daughter repeatedly that she is not allowed to grow up, she continues to ignore him.

Website: http://onegoodsonnet.com/
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Twitter: @OneGoodSonnet
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/bol2p9

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Community Reviews

5 stars
162 (33%)
4 stars
204 (41%)
3 stars
94 (19%)
2 stars
22 (4%)
1 star
5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Sheila Majczan.
2,705 reviews206 followers
April 23, 2024
As we are told in the author's blurb, this variation has Darcy (with Georgiana) returning to stay at Netherfield, after he and the Bingley party had left. We soon find Darcy proposing similar to canon's awful Hunsford proposal and, of course, with Elizabeth's same reaction. Georgiana does try her hand at matchmaking while Caroline is, as usual, constantly finding fault with all the Bennets.

One big difference in this version is Mr. Collins' behavior. He just will NOT take "No" for an answer to his proposal and has Lady Catherine showing up in Hertfordshire to express her opinion and to try to change matters. Collins is so negative that on his second uninvited visit at Longbourn Jane sleeps in Elizabeth's room to add protection to her sister!

Wickham is no a presence in this story although he has already filled Elizabeth's ear with his lies about Darcy before he is sent to serve with the Regulars. And although the younger Bennet sisters are mad about men in red uniforms there is not an elopement.

I have read many of this author's stories and enjoy them. This one did not really have any angst for me. It seemed just to twist when and how the usual events occurred.
Profile Image for Sam H..
1,229 reviews62 followers
April 23, 2024
An entertaining read

Starts great and at a good pace.
About half way through we end up back in this author's usual pattern of speech. And some of the story got predictable.
Lady Catherine was a nice change up though.

A quick read, with Georgiana stealing some of the show.
Profile Image for Jen B.
600 reviews7 followers
August 22, 2024
It has been a while since I have read anything by Jann Rowland and this had a much easier and more natural flow to the narrative and dialogue than I remember his other works (or perhaps it's just because they were early works.. my memory fails me).
In this telling we see a much more resolute and determined Darcy than in canon (with the help of matchmaker Georgiana ... or maybe more correctly a Regency Dear Abbey?) Our DHP comes much sooner but Elizabeth shows a *tad* bit more restraint than in canon - she only steps on him like he's a bug rather than crushing him like a bug.
It still irks me when Lizzy is painted as a saint with little or no reform nor wisdom needed, but then again, P&P is generally told from her perspective so ....
Profile Image for Gratia.
231 reviews6 followers
May 24, 2024
Rational creatures

4+* I enjoyed this low-angst variation very much. As much as I liked how Mr Rowland wrote the first terrible proposal (without quoting JA's text verbatim like many others have), I wish he had also written and articulated the second, accepted one. I also liked the less indolent Mr Bennet, more resolved Bingley, more reasonable Lady Catherine, and less accepting Jane. Thanks to the author for another enjoyable story.
Profile Image for James S.
1,437 reviews
May 8, 2024
Darcy returns to Meryton to woo Lizzy

Lizzy very nearly hates Darcy. After Darcy left Netherfield a few weeks later he decides he loves Lizzy and proposes. Lizzy reacts to the propose much like the Pride and Prejudice proposal. So Lizzy never gets a letter from Darcy and Darcy have 4 months to change himself in private.

The rest of the story is all about Lizzy pointing out how awful Darcy is and him changing whatever she whines about. At the very end a couple of pages of Lizzy changing her mind finally and giving in. There is absolutely no tenderness or love written in a way that a HEA can be believed.
Profile Image for Teresita.
1,237 reviews12 followers
June 26, 2024
Different

An interesting approach to a lovely ending. Apart from wanting to wring Collins' and Caroline's neck, the whole plot is sweet and angst free. Entertaining tale!
67 reviews1 follower
May 21, 2024
Extreme Mr Collins and equally extreme Caroline Bingley who both carry on despite numerous set downs and orders to desist. For some reason this always ruins a book for me and unfortunately this one was no exception.
91 reviews2 followers
April 29, 2024
OK Story

The author has written some excellent storie, but this is not one of them, in my opinion. It was tedious and meandering. It didn't seem to have a focus. I skimmed towards the end. Extended discussion of Lady Catherine's involvement in the wedding plans didn't fascinate me. It was tedious
Profile Image for Michelle David.
2,566 reviews13 followers
May 2, 2024
low angst and lovely

An absolutely lovely and low angst variation inspired by Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice by Jann Rowland. I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Carolina.
119 reviews5 followers
November 17, 2025
did not finish - boring

Good effort but i felt no chemistry between odc
. Hard to read but skipped through. Not the authors best work
Profile Image for Allison Ripley-Duggan.
1,836 reviews14 followers
June 22, 2024
I loved it!

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. Mr. Bingley leaves Hertfordshire after his ball, throwing the Bennet family into turmoil and Jane Bennet into despair. Sensing an opportunity, Mr. Collins capitalizes on this event to stoke Mrs. Bennet’s fears in his attempt to force Elizabeth Bennet’s hand and provoke her to accept him, but Elizabeth remains firm in her convictions. Into this strained situation, gossip reveals that Netherfield Park is to be opened again, but instead of the expected Mr. Bingley, the resident at the estate is soon revealed to be none other than Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth does not appreciate Mr. Darcy, for his slight of her and the stories from Mr. Wickham have left her in a state of festering disapproval and disdain for the gentleman from the north. The gentleman proposes to her, leading to Elizabeth’s acrimonious refusal, but she soon realizes her opinion of Mr. Darcy is amiss when he explains certain facts of Mr. Wickham’s history and acts to bring Mr. Bingley back to Hertfordshire. Though Elizabeth is uncertain of the wisdom of allowing him any hope, she allows Mr. Darcy to call on her, determined to learn more about the enigmatic gentleman. Yet Mr. Collins has not abandoned his hope. A man so ineffectual as he is no temptation for Elizabeth, and he just may yet be of some use to her, for there is no comparison between a silly parson and a gentleman such as Mr. Darcy. So with all that and more this story pulls you in and holds you tight. I deducted one star because I thought the ending was a bit rushed. Even with that, I highly recommend to everyone.
1,216 reviews32 followers
May 21, 2024
Wonderful writer

After the Bingleys, Hursts, and Darcy abandon Netherfield after the ball, Darcy can't forget Elizabeth and decides he must have her for his wife. He returns to Netherfield after a few weeks away, accompanied by Georgiana, and visits Longbourn. Elizabeth has no very good opinion of Darcy at this point, and Georgiana can tell. She tries to warn her brother, but he doesn't listen and proposes to Elizabeth. She, of course, refuses him, but in a somewhat less acrimonious way than in the original P&P. Darcy returns to Netherfield, and Georgiana helps him to see that he's going to have to improve Elizabeth's opinion of him before he can succeed with her. What follows is Darcy bending over backwards to court Elizabeth.

I like this author. He's an automatic purchase for me. If you like stories where Elizabeth definitely has the upper hand, then this is for you. This is a swoon worthy Darcy, but Elizabeth takes a long time to warm up to him in spite of all the groveling that he does. I like Georgiana's bigger role in this version, and she's given some backbone. The major villains are Mr Collins and Caroline Bingley. They both get pretty spectacular comeuppances.

The book is very well written and well edited. The romance is lovely, and the outcome is satisfying. I recommend it highly.
114 reviews
May 21, 2024
Mi spiace dirlo, ma si vede che dietro c' è la mano di un uomo... Ho letto moltissime variazioni di Orgoglio e Pregiudizio. Alcune abbastanza attinenti al romanzo, altre strampalate, ma nessuna cosí noiosa!
In questa variazione viene introdotta la seconda parte del romanzo, dopo che Bingley e Darcy se ne sono tornati a Londra. Nel romanzo originale succedono varie cose. In questo non succede assolutamente niente!!! Solo chiacchiere banali, ripetitive e noiosissime.
Elizabeth é noiosa e con la puzza sotto il naso, Darcy sembra un cagnolino smidollato che si snatura per correre dietro a Lizzy, Lady Catherine non sembra neppure lei, Miss Bingley tenta di essere una vipera, ma dice solo qualche frase innocua.
Non ci siamo proprio.
Non si sentiva il bisogno di questa variazione perché non aggiunge nessun elemento nuovo o differente, elimina dei personaggi ( ma quando mai il cugino si chiama Antony e non Richard??) , ne snatura altri senza apparente senso. La trama é banale e si riassume in questo:
Darcy : " ti prego sposami, saprò farti felice"
Elizabhet : " aspetta ti lascio un po' sulle spine, ti tedio con chiacchiere inutili e poi ti dico di si"

Veramente non vale la pena leggerlo.
Il signor Darcy ci fa una figuraccia.... :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
3,492 reviews42 followers
April 27, 2024
When the Bingleys leave Netherfield, Darcy returns with Georgiana, intent upon proposing to Elizabeth, and once she has refused, on courting her and changing her mind. Miss Bingley is bitter but ineffectual. Collins gets into a somewhat violent altercation with Elizabeth. Darcy is present when Lady Catherine descends upon Longbourn.

This was a decent, mostly low-angst story written in the author's usual competent style. The romantic resolution is a bit of a blink and you'll miss it as near the end she is still not sure she's in love with him and then the engagement is settled with a sentence or two declaring she changed her mind soon enough. I could have wished for a bit more swoon.

Steam level: Glove kissing.
280 reviews
May 8, 2024
Wow, what a wonderful story. I enjoyed it very much. There were a few unexpected moments.

Fitzwilliam Darcy , along with his sister Georgiana, traveled to Hertfordshire specifically to see Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Little does Elizabeth suspect why. Having repeatedly refused several proposals from Mr. Collins, she's in no mood for another, especially one delivered with a small admission of affection but a largely similar degree of arrogance. The most interesting was the advice and assistance the gentleman receives . Coming from his sister and Elizabeth 's family , including her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner , and of all people, his Aunt lady Catherine. Sit back and enjoy.
332 reviews1 follower
May 19, 2024
Wonderful as Usual

Each and every variation I've read by this author has been exceptional. Not only is the writing imaginative, but the editing is always perfect.

This one has Mr Darcy returning to propose to an Elizabeth who feels just as she did in canon! And her reaction was very similar, too! But he has enacted some very smart ideas beforehand: removing Wickham from the neighborhood, bringing sweet Georgiana along with him, and as soon as he realizes his error, informing Bingley of said error about Jane's true feelings.

Now all he has to do is get Elizabeth to love him as he does her, keep Miss Bingley and Mr Collins from fulfilling their desires, and hopefully attain a happily ever after. Nicely done!
390 reviews
May 27, 2024
Jann Rowland succeeds again

This is another variation on pride and prejudice written by Jann Rowland. He is one of the best writers in this genre. His characters are always true to the original story, but there are always variations.

In this book, Mr. Darcy, proposes to Elizabeth confident in his success. Though she refuses his proposal, he asks her to explain why. She does and he endeavors to alter the things she sees as unacceptable. He is of course successful. Some little twists that surprise.

Enjoyable book

Profile Image for Pet.
3,789 reviews9 followers
July 23, 2024
I really enjoyed this book, Darcy was perfectly himself and I enjoyed the role Georgiana played in his journey to redemption, Elizabeth was exactly how I always pictured her, strong, impertinent and very intelligent. Loved that Darcy was the one to put Caroline in her place, (that bit was my favourite) and I loved how even the silliest, meanest characters are given a more rounded and human character, I always thought Elizabeth and Jane could not have turned out as they did without at least some redeeming qualities in her Family.
74 reviews
May 29, 2024
Kudos 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

Dear Jann Rowland.

I've often criticised your books for not being poorly edited, but this is the second in a row that I've read recently and which is very well written.

Thank you for improving on that score. Coupled with your great story telling quality that I've always praized, now I'm sure to enjoy your books a lot more.

Now it will be ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ all the way!
Profile Image for Alena (Ally) Scott .
494 reviews4 followers
May 30, 2024
Interesting variation

Written in his sometimes wordy style, the story focused on Elizabeth and Darcy's courtship and the various people trying to stop it. There is definitely some funny spots. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Tonia Thornburgh.
37 reviews
June 8, 2024
Patience Required

I have loved every book by Mr. Rowland, this one is no exception. However it took me some time to truly become invested, not unlike our beloved Elizabeth :) This story felt Bridgerton-ish with the style of storytelling...
Profile Image for Terri Conley.
1,044 reviews7 followers
April 28, 2024
A worthy addition to Mr Rowland's ever increasing body of work.
An orginal plot well written and very entertaining.

I await his next with anticipation.
3 reviews
May 3, 2024
Quick read. Low angst.

I always enjoy this author's work so I didn't read the summary or reviews before reading this book. I was pleasantly surprised by a light and sweet story.
Profile Image for Kim Power.
Author 5 books12 followers
May 7, 2024
A delightful low angst read

Rowland plays artfully with the plot of the canon to gift us with a zesty romance. It is beautifully written and well edited.
533 reviews4 followers
January 19, 2026
Really Enjoyed This Story

Thoroughly enjoyed this premise. Was quite taken by how the story unfolded. Look forward to the rest of this,series and will read more of Jann Rowland.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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