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The Wager
Never expecting to lose the race to his cousin, Viscount Ashton, Darcy must now accept the terms of their wager.
“Can we negotiate terms?”
“You agreed to dance, at minimum, three sets per evening. You are not required to dance the opening or final sets, but you must dance the supper set and escort your partner into dinner.”
With the end in sight, only three more balls to attend, he travels with his good friend Bingley to Hertfordshire where he meets again Lady Elizabeth Hamilton Bennet, a woman he egregiously insulted six months prior.
“She is tolerable I suppose, if one prefers ordinary garden flowers. However, she is not handsome enough to warrant an introduction.”
Fate truly has not smiled at him lately.
“Can we negotiate terms?”
“You agreed to dance, at minimum, three sets per evening. You are not required to dance the opening or final sets, but you must dance the supper set and escort your partner into dinner.”
With the end in sight, only three more balls to attend, he travels with his good friend Bingley to Hertfordshire where he meets again Lady Elizabeth Hamilton Bennet, a woman he egregiously insulted six months prior.
“She is tolerable I suppose, if one prefers ordinary garden flowers. However, she is not handsome enough to warrant an introduction.”
Fate truly has not smiled at him lately.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2024
108 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Sue Barr
19 books90 followers“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” ~ Jane Austen
I love all things Regency and sometimes a wee Highlander story. I also have a weakness for Alpha males and feisty heroines, who keep them on their toes.
I love all things Regency and sometimes a wee Highlander story. I also have a weakness for Alpha males and feisty heroines, who keep them on their toes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
May 26, 2024
I have read and enjoyed many of this author's stories.
The wager pertains to a bet between Darcy and his cousin, Viscount Ashton, with Darcy's prized horse on the line vs. Darcy having to dance three dances at 20 balls/assemblies before the end of the year. Darcy loses.
The beginning of this book does give us some family background for Jane and Elizabeth and the Bennets. Mrs. Bennet has been married before with Ladies Jane and Elizabeth Hamilton being offspring of that marriage...and they have an older brother, who is at university during most of this story. Mary, Kitty and Lydia are offspring of her marriage to Mr.Bennet. So Jane and Elizabeth have connections and even respectable dowries. They, however, do not use their titles most of the time.
Thus it is that both Darcy and the Bingley sisters do not know just who they are looking down upon. Ironically, Darcy is even a distant cousin to the two sisters.
So this story made for some humorous moments as Caroline and Louisa dig holes for themselves. Darcy has apologies to make and so ODC do come to an understanding earlier than in canon. Bingley's lack of a backbone plays out differently. And Wickham's lies are uncovered early on.
This story had little real angst. I enjoyed it.
The wager pertains to a bet between Darcy and his cousin, Viscount Ashton, with Darcy's prized horse on the line vs. Darcy having to dance three dances at 20 balls/assemblies before the end of the year. Darcy loses.
The beginning of this book does give us some family background for Jane and Elizabeth and the Bennets. Mrs. Bennet has been married before with Ladies Jane and Elizabeth Hamilton being offspring of that marriage...and they have an older brother, who is at university during most of this story. Mary, Kitty and Lydia are offspring of her marriage to Mr.Bennet. So Jane and Elizabeth have connections and even respectable dowries. They, however, do not use their titles most of the time.
Thus it is that both Darcy and the Bingley sisters do not know just who they are looking down upon. Ironically, Darcy is even a distant cousin to the two sisters.
So this story made for some humorous moments as Caroline and Louisa dig holes for themselves. Darcy has apologies to make and so ODC do come to an understanding earlier than in canon. Bingley's lack of a backbone plays out differently. And Wickham's lies are uncovered early on.
This story had little real angst. I enjoyed it.
December 8, 2025
The dialogue is sublime!
4.5* rounded up
Sweet not-a-Bennet trope, filled with dialogue that is so entertaining, I couldn’t get the smile off my face. The way Darcy, Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet’s humour is displayed in that dialogue is just sublime.
Lots of reviews have given a synopsis, and I’m a little late getting to read and review this new release, so I will skip that this time.
Investing in a proofreader would not go amiss. Regardless, the great dialogue made me love the book, but I did take away a 1/2 star for the misses.
I highly recommend it though, and definitely look forward to this author’s next book very much.
July 11, 2024 -Audiobook
This narrator, Bridget Thomas, is new to me. She’s very good, and for the most part I enjoyed her performance very much. If I have a critique, it is that I found her interpretations of some of the characters a little too soft-spoken, especially for primary male characters like Darcy and Mr. Bennet. I prefer a bolder voice for the gentlemen of Pride and Prejudice. Also, there were some incorrect words used—‘amendable’ for ‘amenable’, for example. I would listen to this narrator again. I gave four stars on Audible for the narration, but five stars overall for the story.
4.5* rounded up
Sweet not-a-Bennet trope, filled with dialogue that is so entertaining, I couldn’t get the smile off my face. The way Darcy, Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet’s humour is displayed in that dialogue is just sublime.
Lots of reviews have given a synopsis, and I’m a little late getting to read and review this new release, so I will skip that this time.
Investing in a proofreader would not go amiss. Regardless, the great dialogue made me love the book, but I did take away a 1/2 star for the misses.
I highly recommend it though, and definitely look forward to this author’s next book very much.
July 11, 2024 -Audiobook
This narrator, Bridget Thomas, is new to me. She’s very good, and for the most part I enjoyed her performance very much. If I have a critique, it is that I found her interpretations of some of the characters a little too soft-spoken, especially for primary male characters like Darcy and Mr. Bennet. I prefer a bolder voice for the gentlemen of Pride and Prejudice. Also, there were some incorrect words used—‘amendable’ for ‘amenable’, for example. I would listen to this narrator again. I gave four stars on Audible for the narration, but five stars overall for the story.
June 10, 2024
Never wager with a relative even on a sure thing.
SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***
>>Rating: most audiences
>>Angst Level: Minor
>>Source: ARC: I volunteered to leave a review. Prologue + 17 Chapters + Epilogue
>>Cover Art: Look at that cover. OMG! He is gorgeous. Fan points!
>>Fan Points: Speaking of Fan Points! Heavy sigh. Yeah, there were fan points in this story. After ODC made nice, they were delightful.
>>Trope: [1] Bennet / Gardiner: higher connections only known by a select few [2] also unknown: titled and wealthy. Oh, Caroline, if you only knew. [3] extremely weak Bingley. What a puppy.
>>Caveat: No puppies were injured in the writing of this book. However, one puppy was put in his place and not with a wadded-up newspaper.
Oh, this was delightful. I adored this story. Jane, Elizabeth, and her twin brother were from a first marriage, but not via Mr. Bennet. Miss Francine Gardiner married the vicar, Mr. Hamilton. Not many knew he was the third son of the Earl of Tiverton, of Norfolk. They had a happy marriage and three small children when disaster hit. Francine collapsed and hit her head at the news of the death of her husband and his brother. She and her nerves were never quite the same after that. This would explain her sensitivity to her emotions and nervous condition. After her mourning, she married Thomas Bennet and they had Mary, Catherine, and Lydia. The girls grew up with a governess and masters. Longbourn was a different place. Bennet was still much the same as in canon and had only fathered daughters. Mr. Collins was still the heir to Longbourn. However, Bennet was motivated, by his Gardiner relatives, to be more proactive and protective with his daughters, step-children, and wife. Collins was not aware of Mrs. Bennet’s connections.
Oh, Darcy, you have stepped on the wrong toes this time. His insult was just as bad as in canon. However, he did not know that Miss Elizabeth Bennet was, in fact, Lady Elizabeth ‘Hamilton’ Bennet a distant cousin on his Fitzwilliam side of the family. Oh, dear. DAMAGE CONTROL! I must reread this. I loved it.
SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***
>>Rating: most audiences
>>Angst Level: Minor
>>Source: ARC: I volunteered to leave a review. Prologue + 17 Chapters + Epilogue
>>Cover Art: Look at that cover. OMG! He is gorgeous. Fan points!
>>Fan Points: Speaking of Fan Points! Heavy sigh. Yeah, there were fan points in this story. After ODC made nice, they were delightful.
>>Trope: [1] Bennet / Gardiner: higher connections only known by a select few [2] also unknown: titled and wealthy. Oh, Caroline, if you only knew. [3] extremely weak Bingley. What a puppy.
>>Caveat: No puppies were injured in the writing of this book. However, one puppy was put in his place and not with a wadded-up newspaper.
Oh, this was delightful. I adored this story. Jane, Elizabeth, and her twin brother were from a first marriage, but not via Mr. Bennet. Miss Francine Gardiner married the vicar, Mr. Hamilton. Not many knew he was the third son of the Earl of Tiverton, of Norfolk. They had a happy marriage and three small children when disaster hit. Francine collapsed and hit her head at the news of the death of her husband and his brother. She and her nerves were never quite the same after that. This would explain her sensitivity to her emotions and nervous condition. After her mourning, she married Thomas Bennet and they had Mary, Catherine, and Lydia. The girls grew up with a governess and masters. Longbourn was a different place. Bennet was still much the same as in canon and had only fathered daughters. Mr. Collins was still the heir to Longbourn. However, Bennet was motivated, by his Gardiner relatives, to be more proactive and protective with his daughters, step-children, and wife. Collins was not aware of Mrs. Bennet’s connections.
Oh, Darcy, you have stepped on the wrong toes this time. His insult was just as bad as in canon. However, he did not know that Miss Elizabeth Bennet was, in fact, Lady Elizabeth ‘Hamilton’ Bennet a distant cousin on his Fitzwilliam side of the family. Oh, dear. DAMAGE CONTROL! I must reread this. I loved it.
May 20, 2024
A fun and entertaining read
I had so much fun reading this quick read.
Darcy steps in it, but crawls his way back out of the hole and keeps going until he is in love. And doesn't stop until Elizabeth loves him back.
The poor Bingleys never stood a chance. Especially with this Jane very firm backbone.
Darcy's sidekick in this story is the Viscount and not Richard.
There are many little changes that make for one different variation.
Enjoyable!
I had so much fun reading this quick read.
Darcy steps in it, but crawls his way back out of the hole and keeps going until he is in love. And doesn't stop until Elizabeth loves him back.
The poor Bingleys never stood a chance. Especially with this Jane very firm backbone.
Darcy's sidekick in this story is the Viscount and not Richard.
There are many little changes that make for one different variation.
Enjoyable!
June 2, 2024
As far as tropes go, we have the Elizabeth-Is-Not-a-Bennet, the Improved-Bennets, the Darcy-Insults-His-Own-Connection, the Darcy-Socializing-For-A-Wager, the Humiliating-The-Shrew, the Can-Jane-Do-Better-Than-Bingley... If you are a frequent JAFF reader, the plot is nothing you haven't seen before but I was royally entertained by this story. The story is low angst with fun dialogue. The editing leaves a little something to be desired, eg. the word amendable was used multiple times where I believe they meant amenable.
The set up is that Jane and Elizabeth are the daughters of Mrs. Bennet's first husband who was the second eldest surviving son of an earl, and due to unfortunate circumstances, outlived his elder brother for a day or so, making him the earl, very briefly, and his daughters are thus granted the honorific Lady as earl's daughters. His death greatly upset his wife whose brain was affected in the aftermath. She is a somewhat changed character but Mr. Bennet, her second husband takes good care of her. Somehow the residents of Meryton fail to understand that Elizabeth's twin brother inherited the earldom and assume that it went to some cousin they do not know.
This made little sense as the residents of Hertfordshire would be aware of how entailments along the male line work. As the nephew of the earl, Elizabeth's brother would have been the heir over a more distant cousin even if Elizabeth's father did not outlive his brother. And even failing to understand that, I am sure some news sources or gossip mongers would have written about the demise of an earl and who the next in line was. Failing that, Debretts was updated every few years and someone would have been reading it upon occasion. (Miss Bingley, ever heard of it? what with her namedropping and the distant connection she had via the Hursts, she seems like the type to have done her research and memorized the information) Some of the neighbours may have known and simply chosen not to say anything, respecting the bereaved family's privacy, but it only takes one name-dropper to spill the secret, eager to take the credit for knowing an earl's family. And it takes an entire village, an unusually dim village, to bury the information as deep as here.
So the secrecy regarding their titles requires a little suspension of disbelief but if you can look past that it makes for a good time when you need some fun fluff.
Miss Bingley's snide remarks got Elizabeth and Jane stringing her along in her ignorance for quite a while, and she set herself up for a major setdown. The girl just can't read the room. It would have been a bit cruel towards her but she deserved it.
Steam level: Safe for work.
The set up is that Jane and Elizabeth are the daughters of Mrs. Bennet's first husband who was the second eldest surviving son of an earl, and due to unfortunate circumstances, outlived his elder brother for a day or so, making him the earl, very briefly, and his daughters are thus granted the honorific Lady as earl's daughters. His death greatly upset his wife whose brain was affected in the aftermath. She is a somewhat changed character but Mr. Bennet, her second husband takes good care of her. Somehow the residents of Meryton fail to understand that Elizabeth's twin brother inherited the earldom and assume that it went to some cousin they do not know.
This made little sense as the residents of Hertfordshire would be aware of how entailments along the male line work. As the nephew of the earl, Elizabeth's brother would have been the heir over a more distant cousin even if Elizabeth's father did not outlive his brother. And even failing to understand that, I am sure some news sources or gossip mongers would have written about the demise of an earl and who the next in line was. Failing that, Debretts was updated every few years and someone would have been reading it upon occasion. (Miss Bingley, ever heard of it? what with her namedropping and the distant connection she had via the Hursts, she seems like the type to have done her research and memorized the information) Some of the neighbours may have known and simply chosen not to say anything, respecting the bereaved family's privacy, but it only takes one name-dropper to spill the secret, eager to take the credit for knowing an earl's family. And it takes an entire village, an unusually dim village, to bury the information as deep as here.
So the secrecy regarding their titles requires a little suspension of disbelief but if you can look past that it makes for a good time when you need some fun fluff.
Miss Bingley's snide remarks got Elizabeth and Jane stringing her along in her ignorance for quite a while, and she set herself up for a major setdown. The girl just can't read the room. It would have been a bit cruel towards her but she deserved it.
Steam level: Safe for work.
July 27, 2025
Marvelous
Because of very complicated circumstances explained in the first several pages, Jane, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth's twin, Trenton are the daughters and son of an earl who is dead, and their mother remarries to Mr Bennett and has three more daughters. Mr Bennett is a loving and responsible father, Mrs Bennett is flighty but not cartoonishly so, and the daughters and son are all well educated and proper. The noble connections of Mrs Bennett, Jane, Elizabeth, and Trenton are not discussed in Meryton, and no titles are used. When Elizabeth goes to London to stay with her aunt and uncle who are aristocracy, she attends a ball and has a wonderful "meet cute" with Darcy who, it is discovered, is a distant cousin of Elizabeth's through the Fitzwilliam line. Later, when Bingley takes Netherfield, his family don't realize the noble connections of some of the Bennetts.
The title of the book refers to a wager between Darcy and his cousin Viscount Ashton, the heir to the Earl of Matlock. Darcy lost the wager, and the terms of fulfillment are superb, especially since it's Darcy that must comply. The humorous banter between characters is , and the main characters are allowed to be more forthright and even irreverent than is usual in JAFF. The dialogue is clever and fun, with a swoon worthy Darcy and a smart and fun Elizabeth. Viscount Ashton is a likeable character, and adds a lot to the enjoyment.
The book is well written and well edited. I recommend it highly for a fun, funny, romantic, and sometimes serious story with a lot of heart. p.s. The man on the cover of this book is outstanding, the best Darcy image I've ever seen on a book! He's perfect!
Because of very complicated circumstances explained in the first several pages, Jane, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth's twin, Trenton are the daughters and son of an earl who is dead, and their mother remarries to Mr Bennett and has three more daughters. Mr Bennett is a loving and responsible father, Mrs Bennett is flighty but not cartoonishly so, and the daughters and son are all well educated and proper. The noble connections of Mrs Bennett, Jane, Elizabeth, and Trenton are not discussed in Meryton, and no titles are used. When Elizabeth goes to London to stay with her aunt and uncle who are aristocracy, she attends a ball and has a wonderful "meet cute" with Darcy who, it is discovered, is a distant cousin of Elizabeth's through the Fitzwilliam line. Later, when Bingley takes Netherfield, his family don't realize the noble connections of some of the Bennetts.
The title of the book refers to a wager between Darcy and his cousin Viscount Ashton, the heir to the Earl of Matlock. Darcy lost the wager, and the terms of fulfillment are superb, especially since it's Darcy that must comply. The humorous banter between characters is , and the main characters are allowed to be more forthright and even irreverent than is usual in JAFF. The dialogue is clever and fun, with a swoon worthy Darcy and a smart and fun Elizabeth. Viscount Ashton is a likeable character, and adds a lot to the enjoyment.
The book is well written and well edited. I recommend it highly for a fun, funny, romantic, and sometimes serious story with a lot of heart. p.s. The man on the cover of this book is outstanding, the best Darcy image I've ever seen on a book! He's perfect!
May 30, 2024
A great treat
4*+
There are more ties to the nobility than there are to tradespeople in the quick variation. I really enjoyed the dialogue, which abounds with metaphors between the characters. New characters add to the various families nicely. The Bingleys turn out to be birds of a feather, while Elizabeth's and Darcy's families favour flora. Some of my favourite tropes are part of this story, and I highly recommend it.
4*+
There are more ties to the nobility than there are to tradespeople in the quick variation. I really enjoyed the dialogue, which abounds with metaphors between the characters. New characters add to the various families nicely. The Bingleys turn out to be birds of a feather, while Elizabeth's and Darcy's families favour flora. Some of my favourite tropes are part of this story, and I highly recommend it.
May 24, 2024
Adorable
A great sweet read. I love Mrs. Bennett's nerves resulting from a head injury & how quickly Wickham was dispatched from the narrative. I also enjoyed not so nice Bingley & the giant gaping hole Caroline dug for herself.
A great sweet read. I love Mrs. Bennett's nerves resulting from a head injury & how quickly Wickham was dispatched from the narrative. I also enjoyed not so nice Bingley & the giant gaping hole Caroline dug for herself.
June 17, 2024
Not for me I guess
I've been reading P.P. variation for years now. This one isn't for me.
1. Jane and Elizabeth attitudes I found to be obnoxious. To go around purposefully having others look down upon you just for amusement isn't fun to me. To be honest, all the characters held a bit of pompous behaviors
2. Elizabeth being removed from the Bennets annoyed me. For it was Mr. Bennet's love and trust in she was NOT a silly girl gave her the backbone to be as decisive as she is known to be. You also removed the inside joke btwn the daughter and father, which is a binding part of the story.
3. I truly hate it when another character is introduced. I know it'd to give the story a different turn of events, but I don't like it. Also, Darcy and Elizabeth had no spark. There was plenty of pride and tons of prejudice but not for each other.
As I've stated, this one wasn't for me. I like my character to be who they originally were, but spun into different tales.
I've been reading P.P. variation for years now. This one isn't for me.
1. Jane and Elizabeth attitudes I found to be obnoxious. To go around purposefully having others look down upon you just for amusement isn't fun to me. To be honest, all the characters held a bit of pompous behaviors
2. Elizabeth being removed from the Bennets annoyed me. For it was Mr. Bennet's love and trust in she was NOT a silly girl gave her the backbone to be as decisive as she is known to be. You also removed the inside joke btwn the daughter and father, which is a binding part of the story.
3. I truly hate it when another character is introduced. I know it'd to give the story a different turn of events, but I don't like it. Also, Darcy and Elizabeth had no spark. There was plenty of pride and tons of prejudice but not for each other.
As I've stated, this one wasn't for me. I like my character to be who they originally were, but spun into different tales.
June 11, 2024
Character Abuse
It started out decent, but gradually worsened and then nosedived at the end. Bingley's character abruptly became rude and arrogant. Other characters were exaggerated; Caroline Bingley was obnoxious without any subtlety, stating explicitly "you are poor and unimportant" to the face of her victim(s).
The dialogue was mediocre at best. No scintillating wit, and too many awkward repetitions of P&P inside jokes.
The editing wasn't as bad as most JAFF, but there were still moments like mixing up "instance" and "instant." (To the author's credit, I didn't notice any "alright"s.)
A decent first try for JAFF, but not really worth my time.
It started out decent, but gradually worsened and then nosedived at the end. Bingley's character abruptly became rude and arrogant. Other characters were exaggerated; Caroline Bingley was obnoxious without any subtlety, stating explicitly "you are poor and unimportant" to the face of her victim(s).
The dialogue was mediocre at best. No scintillating wit, and too many awkward repetitions of P&P inside jokes.
The editing wasn't as bad as most JAFF, but there were still moments like mixing up "instance" and "instant." (To the author's credit, I didn't notice any "alright"s.)
A decent first try for JAFF, but not really worth my time.
May 20, 2024
A Bingley to dislike
It is so unusual to have a mean Mr Bingley and I enjoyed the change. The more I rad the variations the more I find Bingley is too weak to be palatable. Nobody tied him to his home stopping him from going to Jane.
But I digress. Very enjoyable and fun to see a more strong Jane.
It is so unusual to have a mean Mr Bingley and I enjoyed the change. The more I rad the variations the more I find Bingley is too weak to be palatable. Nobody tied him to his home stopping him from going to Jane.
But I digress. Very enjoyable and fun to see a more strong Jane.
May 20, 2024
As good as gets
Sue Barr is one of my favorite authors and as always she delivers a great story! Once I started this book it was hard to put down. I loved both Elizabeth and Darcy's characters in this book and the cover was how I thought Mr. Darcy would've looked. I will be reading this again. Thank you Sue Barr and keep on writing.
Sue Barr is one of my favorite authors and as always she delivers a great story! Once I started this book it was hard to put down. I loved both Elizabeth and Darcy's characters in this book and the cover was how I thought Mr. Darcy would've looked. I will be reading this again. Thank you Sue Barr and keep on writing.
August 3, 2024
Jane & Elizabeth are haughty.
Bingley is greedy and foolish.
Caroline is a liar.
Hurst is sober!
Mr. Darcy is so so bland.
The romances (Jane/Edmund, Elizabeth/Darcy) are so forced and bland and uninspired.
Bingley is greedy and foolish.
Caroline is a liar.
Hurst is sober!
Mr. Darcy is so so bland.
The romances (Jane/Edmund, Elizabeth/Darcy) are so forced and bland and uninspired.
May 22, 2024
Lovely and loving
Beginning with the idea that Jane and Elizabeth are not Bennets, but stepdaughters to Mr. Bennet and a previously-married Mamma, Darcy and Lizzy meet in London for an original insult and meet again when Darcy accompanies Bingley to Netherfield. Witty repartee, hidden titles, hidden motives, funny moments, and plenty of sweet romance. A great Jane, a feisty Elizabeth, a nasty and shortsighted Caroline, a very loving Bennet family and a Darcy who learns his lessons quickly! Very good!
Beginning with the idea that Jane and Elizabeth are not Bennets, but stepdaughters to Mr. Bennet and a previously-married Mamma, Darcy and Lizzy meet in London for an original insult and meet again when Darcy accompanies Bingley to Netherfield. Witty repartee, hidden titles, hidden motives, funny moments, and plenty of sweet romance. A great Jane, a feisty Elizabeth, a nasty and shortsighted Caroline, a very loving Bennet family and a Darcy who learns his lessons quickly! Very good!
October 4, 2024
At least he was not wearing boots
when he put his foot in his mouth. An amenable story with likeable new characters and with unexpected twists. Greatly enjoyable!
when he put his foot in his mouth. An amenable story with likeable new characters and with unexpected twists. Greatly enjoyable!
May 21, 2024
Entertaining
This was an easy, no-angst read.
- The majority of the story takes place in Meryton, 1811.
- The setting and circumstances are different, but Darcy still manages to insult Elizabeth. That was a doozy.
- Charles Bingley has a little bit of Collins in him.
- Darcy and Elizabeth were my favorite characters.
* Since this particular moment in the prologue stayed in the back of my mind, I decided to add it to the review.
I couldn't wrap my head around Mr. Bennet borrowing money from his step-kids uncle to purchase Netherfield for his step-daughter Jane. Mr. Bennet did pay the loan back in full ten years later. However, I can't help but think the money paid out for those ten years could have been set aside for his biological daughters' doweries. It is 1811, and Jane has Netherfield, a 60£ dowry, and connections through her titled biological family. On the other hand, Mr. Bennet only managed to save two thousand a piece for his biological daughters, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. It doesn't seem right. And who to say how things would play out in the future concerning his reason for gifting Jane Netherfield in the first place? Then again, Jane owning Netherfield was never revealed in the story, so I'm not sure why it was added.
This was an easy, no-angst read.
- The majority of the story takes place in Meryton, 1811.
- The setting and circumstances are different, but Darcy still manages to insult Elizabeth. That was a doozy.
- Charles Bingley has a little bit of Collins in him.
- Darcy and Elizabeth were my favorite characters.
* Since this particular moment in the prologue stayed in the back of my mind, I decided to add it to the review.
I couldn't wrap my head around Mr. Bennet borrowing money from his step-kids uncle to purchase Netherfield for his step-daughter Jane. Mr. Bennet did pay the loan back in full ten years later. However, I can't help but think the money paid out for those ten years could have been set aside for his biological daughters' doweries. It is 1811, and Jane has Netherfield, a 60£ dowry, and connections through her titled biological family. On the other hand, Mr. Bennet only managed to save two thousand a piece for his biological daughters, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. It doesn't seem right. And who to say how things would play out in the future concerning his reason for gifting Jane Netherfield in the first place? Then again, Jane owning Netherfield was never revealed in the story, so I'm not sure why it was added.
April 21, 2025
Every single Bennett was super duper perfect. Mr Bennett is kind and loving to a sweet Mrs Bennett. He loves his daughters from her previous marriage (Jane & Lizzy) as much as the daughters they had together. I wish the narrator wouldn’t have given a certain character a sniveling voice so we could discover how disappointing he is with the rest of the characters. In fact, the story would’ve been better if he hadn’t had a villainous heart.
The “let’s keep the wealth & social consequence of Jane & Elizabeth oh-so secret “ was a terrible addition to the plot. It served no purpose & was boring. I will call this the no-reason-for-not-a-Bennet trope.
I have enjoyed other books by Sue Barr, but this felt like a story mostly consisting of everyone sitting around picking their noses. So many boring facts & conversations. Very little forward momentum.
The “let’s keep the wealth & social consequence of Jane & Elizabeth oh-so secret “ was a terrible addition to the plot. It served no purpose & was boring. I will call this the no-reason-for-not-a-Bennet trope.
I have enjoyed other books by Sue Barr, but this felt like a story mostly consisting of everyone sitting around picking their noses. So many boring facts & conversations. Very little forward momentum.
November 30, 2025
3.5* - an easy and entertaining read
There is a lightness which runs through this book which makes for a very pleasant read. This is not high literature but it is a hoot nonetheless. Darcy displays a dry wit which is engaging and the Viscount adds a different "sidekick" which makes an interesting change for regular readers in the genre.
There are the inevitable set-downs for some characters but they are not unnecessarily gratuitous or aggressive as is often the case. I very much appreciated this.
There are modern language slips and a few grammatical misses.
I would rank this as the best yet from this author - well done.
There is a lightness which runs through this book which makes for a very pleasant read. This is not high literature but it is a hoot nonetheless. Darcy displays a dry wit which is engaging and the Viscount adds a different "sidekick" which makes an interesting change for regular readers in the genre.
There are the inevitable set-downs for some characters but they are not unnecessarily gratuitous or aggressive as is often the case. I very much appreciated this.
There are modern language slips and a few grammatical misses.
I would rank this as the best yet from this author - well done.
June 25, 2024
3,5 ⭐️
May 25, 2024
A horse, a dance for a horse!
Fitzwilliam Darcy races his cousin Viscount Ashton back to Pemberly from Lampton. He lost. What's at stake? His beloved horse, Arion, unless he dances 3 times a 20 different balls. In a fir of pique, he insults a young woman only to be informed she is not a scheming woman of little consequence but his cousin Lady Elizabeth Hamilton. He wishes to make an apology , learning from their mutual Aunt Lady Courtland, that she's residing in Hertfordshire, that is where he wishes to travel. Mr. Bingley is leasing an estate there, so that is where Darcy travels with Viscount Ashton . Insights and understanding bring two couples together and expose the true nature of the Bingley family. Enjoy!
Fitzwilliam Darcy races his cousin Viscount Ashton back to Pemberly from Lampton. He lost. What's at stake? His beloved horse, Arion, unless he dances 3 times a 20 different balls. In a fir of pique, he insults a young woman only to be informed she is not a scheming woman of little consequence but his cousin Lady Elizabeth Hamilton. He wishes to make an apology , learning from their mutual Aunt Lady Courtland, that she's residing in Hertfordshire, that is where he wishes to travel. Mr. Bingley is leasing an estate there, so that is where Darcy travels with Viscount Ashton . Insights and understanding bring two couples together and expose the true nature of the Bingley family. Enjoy!
May 26, 2024
Hilariously sweet
The cover oh my! However the story was unexpected, funny, sweet, and no heart ache except in past tense.
It was no the wager as much as the meeting between Darcy and Elizabeth that was the twist. Yes he insulted her but having his arrogant older cousin with him in place of Richard the younger honorable cousin made it more believable. Richard would not have tolerated the remark while his older brother … well you will see. I loved the portrayal of Mr & Mrs Bennett in this storyline. I wish Mrs. Bennett had not suffered.
This is a sweet, clean, and wonderful variation. I highly recommend reading this for all ages.
The cover oh my! However the story was unexpected, funny, sweet, and no heart ache except in past tense.
It was no the wager as much as the meeting between Darcy and Elizabeth that was the twist. Yes he insulted her but having his arrogant older cousin with him in place of Richard the younger honorable cousin made it more believable. Richard would not have tolerated the remark while his older brother … well you will see. I loved the portrayal of Mr & Mrs Bennett in this storyline. I wish Mrs. Bennett had not suffered.
This is a sweet, clean, and wonderful variation. I highly recommend reading this for all ages.
August 3, 2024
Fitzwilliam Darcy lost a wager with his cousin. He has to dance the first, supper and last dances at a set amount of balls or loose his prized horse. Starting with an accidental meeting with Lady Elizabeth Hamilton Bennet where he insults her, the story follows quite a bit of cannon in Meryton. There is lots of quoted dialogue but sometimes from a different character. The smart duo of Jane and Lizzy out smart the Bingley’s and other characters as they find their happiness.
November 16, 2025
How enjoyable was this tale written by the lovely Sue Barr! I have read with anticipation of this book all year, making it #100 in my Goodreads TBR challenge. It was all I had hoped and more, a thoroughly well-crafted story you will want to enjoy again!
May 22, 2024
Absolutely Delightful!!
I always love a witty, fast paced, angst free love story with our dear couple on the path to a happy ending from very early in the book. I also love it when Jane gets to be as smart and capable as she is beautiful and has a strong backbone that she is not afraid of displaying. I enjoyed this book very much.
I always love a witty, fast paced, angst free love story with our dear couple on the path to a happy ending from very early in the book. I also love it when Jane gets to be as smart and capable as she is beautiful and has a strong backbone that she is not afraid of displaying. I enjoyed this book very much.
May 9, 2025
A lovely story. Jane and Elizabeth are not daughters of Mr. Bennet, but daughters of an earl, albeit that their father was was a rector who was earl for less than a day before he died in an accident that killed his older brother. Jane and Elizabeth were very young, and the next earl is Elizabeth's twin brother. Mr. Bennet had been in love with their mother since before she married the rector. He married her when her mourning was up and they had three more girls. I liked Mr. Bennet very much in this story, his wit is wonderful, and he is very kind to Mrs. Bennet, who had a brain injury when she fainted on hearing of her husband's death, and is sometimes a bit confused. Both Elizabeth and Jane are wonderful, too, and I liked them both very much.
Mr. Darcy's insult occurred in London, when he first meets Lady Jane and Lady Elizabeth. Of course the insult happened before he was introduced, and as it turned out, they were distant cousins being hosted by their aunt who is a marchioness, and also second cousin to Mr. Darcy. Needless to say, the marchioness was NOT amused when she heard of the insult. He apologized, but Elizabeth was not quite over her anger yet.
Meanwhile, Darcy had lost a wager to his cousin viscount Ashton where the result is that he had to dance at least 3 dances at 20 balls before the end of the year. This of course excited much gossip amongst the ton that he was finally searching for a wife. Poor Darcy, he was such a grumpy dude after all the balls he had to go to. Just before The Insult, he was complaining to his cousin that the number of compromise attempts had gotten ridiculous, so when Elizabeth accidentally bumped into him, he assumed it was another attempt. Oops.
Later, when Darcy goes to Netherfield, he is (slightly) glad to be at a country assembly to fulfill another ball for his wager. Imagine his surprise at finding Jane and Elizabeth there and going by Miss Hamilton and Miss Elizabeth. So he plays along with this, and when Ashton shows up, he tells him to only call them "Miss" and not "Lady".
Miss Bingley is a horrible harridan, and continually complains about everything, not taking Darcy's clear hints that he does not hold her in esteem. Mr. Bingley is a bit of a wimp about dealing with her, among other things. Both he and Ashton are enamored of Jane, but later it turns out that Bingley has pride/arrogance to match Darcy. He only wants Jane because she is pretty and since Miss Bingley has claimed that they have only a pittance for dowry, he thinks she will jump at the chance to marry him. As if anyone would want to be related to Miss Bingley, never mind that Bingley is super shallow! I liked the way they are written in this story, and they get what they deserve, although they both should have had more of a set-down than they got, IMO.
Mr. Darcy has fallen in love with Elizabeth, and is wooing her. It was not quite as romantic as it could have been - she fell in love with him too easily - it was still nice.
I love a strong Jane! She is still super sweet and forgiving, but not naive, and has plenty of steel in her spine. When the Bingleys find out that Jane and Elizabeth are daughters and sisters to earls, they make complete fools of themselves - no surprise there. Bingley is like a petulant child and breaks off his friendship with Darcy, whose eyes have been opened to his deficiencies. My favorite quote is from earlier in the book where Ashton chastises Darcy for putting up with Miss Bingley and not taking Mr. Bingley to task for his sister's horrible behavior, then Darcy says it is because of his friendship with Bingley. Ashton says “Darcy, think of friendship like an overgrown rose bush. You must prune back the excess to achieve a healthier plant.”
It was sweet that Jane married the viscount when Elizabeth and Darcy married. I do wish there had been an epilogue, but it was still a good book.
Mr. Darcy's insult occurred in London, when he first meets Lady Jane and Lady Elizabeth. Of course the insult happened before he was introduced, and as it turned out, they were distant cousins being hosted by their aunt who is a marchioness, and also second cousin to Mr. Darcy. Needless to say, the marchioness was NOT amused when she heard of the insult. He apologized, but Elizabeth was not quite over her anger yet.
Meanwhile, Darcy had lost a wager to his cousin viscount Ashton where the result is that he had to dance at least 3 dances at 20 balls before the end of the year. This of course excited much gossip amongst the ton that he was finally searching for a wife. Poor Darcy, he was such a grumpy dude after all the balls he had to go to. Just before The Insult, he was complaining to his cousin that the number of compromise attempts had gotten ridiculous, so when Elizabeth accidentally bumped into him, he assumed it was another attempt. Oops.
Later, when Darcy goes to Netherfield, he is (slightly) glad to be at a country assembly to fulfill another ball for his wager. Imagine his surprise at finding Jane and Elizabeth there and going by Miss Hamilton and Miss Elizabeth. So he plays along with this, and when Ashton shows up, he tells him to only call them "Miss" and not "Lady".
Miss Bingley is a horrible harridan, and continually complains about everything, not taking Darcy's clear hints that he does not hold her in esteem. Mr. Bingley is a bit of a wimp about dealing with her, among other things. Both he and Ashton are enamored of Jane, but later it turns out that Bingley has pride/arrogance to match Darcy. He only wants Jane because she is pretty and since Miss Bingley has claimed that they have only a pittance for dowry, he thinks she will jump at the chance to marry him. As if anyone would want to be related to Miss Bingley, never mind that Bingley is super shallow! I liked the way they are written in this story, and they get what they deserve, although they both should have had more of a set-down than they got, IMO.
Mr. Darcy has fallen in love with Elizabeth, and is wooing her. It was not quite as romantic as it could have been - she fell in love with him too easily - it was still nice.
I love a strong Jane! She is still super sweet and forgiving, but not naive, and has plenty of steel in her spine. When the Bingleys find out that Jane and Elizabeth are daughters and sisters to earls, they make complete fools of themselves - no surprise there. Bingley is like a petulant child and breaks off his friendship with Darcy, whose eyes have been opened to his deficiencies. My favorite quote is from earlier in the book where Ashton chastises Darcy for putting up with Miss Bingley and not taking Mr. Bingley to task for his sister's horrible behavior, then Darcy says it is because of his friendship with Bingley. Ashton says “Darcy, think of friendship like an overgrown rose bush. You must prune back the excess to achieve a healthier plant.”
It was sweet that Jane married the viscount when Elizabeth and Darcy married. I do wish there had been an epilogue, but it was still a good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2024
Cute story.
I nearly smiled through the whole story, when I wasn’t cringing at what kept pouring out of Caroline’s mouth.
The canon insult happened even earlier in this book, at a ball in London. Darcy is again in a foul mood but for a different reason this time when Elizabeth (Lady Elizabeth Hamiliton in this story,) accidentally bumped into Darcy from behind and he interprets it as the usual attempt at compromise. Oooo he really puts his foot in it that time. A family connection of his and Elizabeth’s takes him to task about his behavior but he doubts he’ll ever see her again. The he goes to Hartfordshire to help Bingley.
Jane and Elizabeth are Mrs Bennet’s daughters from her first marriage. Their father was the rector in Meryton , 2nd son, and all. But became Earl shortly before his death. His son, Elizabeth’s twin brother then became the Earl, who is off to Cambridge for most of this story.
The story revolves around the fact that very few people know about Jane and Elizabeth’s status, and either protecting that secret if they are aware or are eventually being told about it, to varying degrees of delight or shock and embarrassment. And we thought Darcy put his foot in it. Caroline was off the charts dense here. There were so many clues, but she was selfishly blind and deaf.
Jane gets the man she deserves. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are sweet and the three youngest B sisters were not so silly.
I really recommend this one for a break in between those epic heart wrenching stories that leave you a little dazed at the end. Because I think this will make you smile too.
I nearly smiled through the whole story, when I wasn’t cringing at what kept pouring out of Caroline’s mouth.
The canon insult happened even earlier in this book, at a ball in London. Darcy is again in a foul mood but for a different reason this time when Elizabeth (Lady Elizabeth Hamiliton in this story,) accidentally bumped into Darcy from behind and he interprets it as the usual attempt at compromise. Oooo he really puts his foot in it that time. A family connection of his and Elizabeth’s takes him to task about his behavior but he doubts he’ll ever see her again. The he goes to Hartfordshire to help Bingley.
Jane and Elizabeth are Mrs Bennet’s daughters from her first marriage. Their father was the rector in Meryton , 2nd son, and all. But became Earl shortly before his death. His son, Elizabeth’s twin brother then became the Earl, who is off to Cambridge for most of this story.
The story revolves around the fact that very few people know about Jane and Elizabeth’s status, and either protecting that secret if they are aware or are eventually being told about it, to varying degrees of delight or shock and embarrassment. And we thought Darcy put his foot in it. Caroline was off the charts dense here. There were so many clues, but she was selfishly blind and deaf.
Jane gets the man she deserves. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are sweet and the three youngest B sisters were not so silly.
I really recommend this one for a break in between those epic heart wrenching stories that leave you a little dazed at the end. Because I think this will make you smile too.
July 14, 2024
Fun story to see Darcy lose a bet
The wager is a horse race between Darcy and his cousin. Darcy being the loser has to dance at 20 balls before the end of the year. No spoilers as you find this out immediately. This is a story of Elizabeth is not being a Bennet and has higher rank and wealth than canon. Mr. Bennet loves Mrs. Bennet, but missed out on marrying her first. She was blissfully married to a young rector and they had three children Jane, Elizabeth and her twin brother. Her husband and his brother died in an accident and Mr Bennet came to support and love her and her children after her mourning was completed. I really did enjoy Mr. Bennet’s love and care for his wife, especially after she had suffered a head injury and she struggled with memory and nerve issues. From their father’s side of the family the children had rank and wealth but it was a secret the community kept. Darcy meets Elizabeth at a ball in London and insults her but she along with her aunt and uncle took him to task. Darcy and his cousin travel with Bingley to Netherfield and keep the secret of the ladies family. Oh the Bingley family continues to stick their feet (not just foot) in their mouth repeatedly except for Mr. Hurst, who knows the truth and is laughing his butt off behind the scenes. Darcy is good at eating, humble pie and making himself agreeable to Elizabeth. Darcy and his cousin make good with Jane and Elizabeth and we get a beautiful happy ending.
The wager is a horse race between Darcy and his cousin. Darcy being the loser has to dance at 20 balls before the end of the year. No spoilers as you find this out immediately. This is a story of Elizabeth is not being a Bennet and has higher rank and wealth than canon. Mr. Bennet loves Mrs. Bennet, but missed out on marrying her first. She was blissfully married to a young rector and they had three children Jane, Elizabeth and her twin brother. Her husband and his brother died in an accident and Mr Bennet came to support and love her and her children after her mourning was completed. I really did enjoy Mr. Bennet’s love and care for his wife, especially after she had suffered a head injury and she struggled with memory and nerve issues. From their father’s side of the family the children had rank and wealth but it was a secret the community kept. Darcy meets Elizabeth at a ball in London and insults her but she along with her aunt and uncle took him to task. Darcy and his cousin travel with Bingley to Netherfield and keep the secret of the ladies family. Oh the Bingley family continues to stick their feet (not just foot) in their mouth repeatedly except for Mr. Hurst, who knows the truth and is laughing his butt off behind the scenes. Darcy is good at eating, humble pie and making himself agreeable to Elizabeth. Darcy and his cousin make good with Jane and Elizabeth and we get a beautiful happy ending.
October 26, 2024
Premise: An Elizabeth (and Jane) are Not Bennets story, with a side of bad!Bingleys and loads of snappy banter. Mrs Bennet was married before she wed Mr B--to Mr Hamilton, a rector, the third son of an Earl--and had Jane, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth's twin brother. Plot happens and her husband dies, after having inherited the Earldom for a few hours. Now they divide their time between their step-father's (Mr Bennet) estate and their titled relatives in Town. Mr Darcy insults Elizabeth and is immediately taken to task by her powerful connections (ha!). When they meet months later in Meryton, he's surprised to find she and Jane go by "miss" and downplay their connections, to much humor.
What I liked: The banter crackles and the angst is low. Several biting set-downs are delivered, and I always enjoy those.
Characterization: More involved and responsible Mr Bennet. Calmer Mrs Bennet. Crueler and more spiteful Caroline. Dissappointing Bingley.
Spice level: None. A chaste kiss or two.
Any non-canon parings: Yes.
Other notes or issues: Although I appreciated the brisk pace and shorter length, it did seem to end too abruptly.
What I liked: The banter crackles and the angst is low. Several biting set-downs are delivered, and I always enjoy those.
Characterization: More involved and responsible Mr Bennet. Calmer Mrs Bennet. Crueler and more spiteful Caroline. Dissappointing Bingley.
Spice level: None. A chaste kiss or two.
Any non-canon parings: Yes.
Other notes or issues: Although I appreciated the brisk pace and shorter length, it did seem to end too abruptly.
February 24, 2025
I think writing was OK, but wrong tagging grated on my nerves, as I was looking
for a variation of "Pride and Predujice", hence Regency period.
What I've got was blatant disregard for the time period - in speech and behavior.
If one is too lazy to do a proper search, one shouldn't tag "history" and "regency"and use Jane Austen's name to increase one's sales. One could've create one's own world, I would've been totally satisfited with a tag "fantasy".
I'd like to make a statement - when it comes to Jane Austen, I am NOT a purist. I've read a lot fanfictions and published variations over the years and enjoyed many of alternate universes' stories.
In my opinion the autour has a free rain to play in the time period as long as some ground stones and boundaries are respected - such as authentic language and behavior for selected class; in this case the gentry and the nobility.
It seems to me that, unfortunately, authours do not fully understand the responsibility they have to history and to readers. The latter acquire the mistaken concept that history is unimportant and can be ignored.
Well, it can not.
for a variation of "Pride and Predujice", hence Regency period.
What I've got was blatant disregard for the time period - in speech and behavior.
If one is too lazy to do a proper search, one shouldn't tag "history" and "regency"and use Jane Austen's name to increase one's sales. One could've create one's own world, I would've been totally satisfited with a tag "fantasy".
I'd like to make a statement - when it comes to Jane Austen, I am NOT a purist. I've read a lot fanfictions and published variations over the years and enjoyed many of alternate universes' stories.
In my opinion the autour has a free rain to play in the time period as long as some ground stones and boundaries are respected - such as authentic language and behavior for selected class; in this case the gentry and the nobility.
It seems to me that, unfortunately, authours do not fully understand the responsibility they have to history and to readers. The latter acquire the mistaken concept that history is unimportant and can be ignored.
Well, it can not.
June 10, 2024
Elizabeth and Jane are Mrs. Bennet's daughters from a previous marriage to an earl. Elizabeth has a twin brother away at Cambridge. The entire story sets Caroline Bingley up for a devastating, but well-deserved, set down. Her cutting remarks to the sisters were a little over-the-top. It was a bit of a stretch to believe that a woman who was taught proper manners in a seminary would display so much of her inner cattiness. But her nasty comments made the impending set down all the more delicious. When it happened, I hoped for a bit more of a reaction from Caroline. Wetting her pants in the ballroom, maybe? Still, she was finished in London, and all her social climbing dreams destroyed. That was enough.
I enjoyed the many little tweaks to the story in this one. It was fun having the Matlock heir as a featured character for a change. And who knew Darcy had such a sense of humor?
I enjoyed the many little tweaks to the story in this one. It was fun having the Matlock heir as a featured character for a change. And who knew Darcy had such a sense of humor?
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