What do you think?
Rate this book
Her Grace Revisited: A Pride & Prejudice Vagary
**
NOT a rewriting
of ‘Her Grace’. It is a new story with the characters in that book, but in different situations and perspectives.** It is a full length novel of 160,000 plus words. **Also For Kindle & KU only, a free copy of 'The Duke's Daughter' is included.*
This book looks at how everything would be different if the Duke of Hertfordshire was not a bad person, if he was in fact, a very good and honourable man.
When he is still the Marquess of Hertford, Lord Archibald Winston Chamberlain makes an ill-advised agreement with his father, Lord Winston Chamberlain, the current Duke of Hertfordshire. The latter is devastated over the death of his beloved Duchess, Lady Grace, and decides that he will not allow his son to experience the pain of losing a spouse he loves.
The Duke’s daughter, who is older than her brother has made a love match, so there is nothing he can do about that, and that makes him all the more determined to intercede with his son and save him from that fate.
When the Marquess is in his twenties, he is informed that his father will arrange a match for him. He appeals to the Duke and a compromise is reached. Lord Archy can find his own wife, but his father has veto power, which he will exercise if he does not agree the selected woman is appropriate for his son. However, if by the age of 30 the Marquess is unmarried, the Duke will select for him.
Lord Hertford reaches the milestone birthday and is still single. As much as he wanted a love match like his parents and sister, he gave his word of honour, and therefore marries the woman his father selects. Some months after the wedding, Lord Winston dies and Lord Archibald and his wife become the Duke and Duchess of Hertfordshire.
Meanwhile Thomas Bennet has inherited the estate, Longbourn, which he never wanted to own. He was much happier in the world of academia, working towards a professorship at Cambridge.
A year or two before Bennet takes over as master of Longbourn, Fanny Gardiner, already with child, elopes with an officer. Without a settlement, the man claims, and then proceeds to squander her dowry. Fanny delivers a girl, named Jane, and within a year of her birth, the husband is shot when caught with another man’s wife.
A practically penniless Fanny returns to Meryton where, thanks to her dishonourable behaviour and the effect on his beloved wife, her father wants nothing to do with her. Hattie and Frank Phillips take her in reluctantly, only because of their niece.
As distasteful as it is to him, Bennet knows he must marry and beget a son to make sure the Collins family do not inherit the estate after him. As she puts herself in his path with no effort of his own, Bennet proposes to, is accepted by, and marries Fanny. No matter how much she demands it, he refuses to adopt Jane and give her the Bennet name.
Fanny soon becomes pregnant, supremely confident she is carrying a son, but delivers a daughter. Bennet names her Elizabeth Rose after his late mother. Fanny hates the girl for refusing to be a son. As such, she will not hold or feed the newborn. Instead, she sends her out to a tenant who is still feeding her newest child. A little more than a year later Mary arrives, and like she did with Lizzy, Fanny rejects the girl. Bennet cannot bother himself to stand up for his daughters.
When Lizzy is 2 and Mary 7 months, Edward Gardiner and his new wife, Madeline, have Bennet transfer custody of the two girls to them and take them to London where they shower love and care on them.
This book looks at how everything would be different if the Duke of Hertfordshire was not a bad person, if he was in fact, a very good and honourable man.
When he is still the Marquess of Hertford, Lord Archibald Winston Chamberlain makes an ill-advised agreement with his father, Lord Winston Chamberlain, the current Duke of Hertfordshire. The latter is devastated over the death of his beloved Duchess, Lady Grace, and decides that he will not allow his son to experience the pain of losing a spouse he loves.
The Duke’s daughter, who is older than her brother has made a love match, so there is nothing he can do about that, and that makes him all the more determined to intercede with his son and save him from that fate.
When the Marquess is in his twenties, he is informed that his father will arrange a match for him. He appeals to the Duke and a compromise is reached. Lord Archy can find his own wife, but his father has veto power, which he will exercise if he does not agree the selected woman is appropriate for his son. However, if by the age of 30 the Marquess is unmarried, the Duke will select for him.
Lord Hertford reaches the milestone birthday and is still single. As much as he wanted a love match like his parents and sister, he gave his word of honour, and therefore marries the woman his father selects. Some months after the wedding, Lord Winston dies and Lord Archibald and his wife become the Duke and Duchess of Hertfordshire.
Meanwhile Thomas Bennet has inherited the estate, Longbourn, which he never wanted to own. He was much happier in the world of academia, working towards a professorship at Cambridge.
A year or two before Bennet takes over as master of Longbourn, Fanny Gardiner, already with child, elopes with an officer. Without a settlement, the man claims, and then proceeds to squander her dowry. Fanny delivers a girl, named Jane, and within a year of her birth, the husband is shot when caught with another man’s wife.
A practically penniless Fanny returns to Meryton where, thanks to her dishonourable behaviour and the effect on his beloved wife, her father wants nothing to do with her. Hattie and Frank Phillips take her in reluctantly, only because of their niece.
As distasteful as it is to him, Bennet knows he must marry and beget a son to make sure the Collins family do not inherit the estate after him. As she puts herself in his path with no effort of his own, Bennet proposes to, is accepted by, and marries Fanny. No matter how much she demands it, he refuses to adopt Jane and give her the Bennet name.
Fanny soon becomes pregnant, supremely confident she is carrying a son, but delivers a daughter. Bennet names her Elizabeth Rose after his late mother. Fanny hates the girl for refusing to be a son. As such, she will not hold or feed the newborn. Instead, she sends her out to a tenant who is still feeding her newest child. A little more than a year later Mary arrives, and like she did with Lizzy, Fanny rejects the girl. Bennet cannot bother himself to stand up for his daughters.
When Lizzy is 2 and Mary 7 months, Edward Gardiner and his new wife, Madeline, have Bennet transfer custody of the two girls to them and take them to London where they shower love and care on them.
569 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2025
About the author
Shana Granderson
70 books70 followersI have three children and after a disastrous first marriage I found my soul mate who I thought that was lost to me over 25 years ago. I recently married the love of my life. I live with my soul mate in Australasia and have three pets, two cats, Darcy and Bingley and a golden lab, Honey.
Like many high school students, Pride and Prejudice was assigned to me in an English literature class. It was not my favourite book, but I read it as I had to. I forgot about the book until in my 30’s when I saw and fell in love with the 1995 Pride and Prejudice version made for TV in England, and purchased a copy of the DVD that is now much played.
The tipping point was the 2005 big screen adaption of P&P. Not long after seeing it I found and read the complete works of Jane Austen on Amazon, starting with Pride and Prejudice. The latter book is by far my favourite. After I read it three of four times over, I wistfully said to myself: ‘it is a great pity that Miss Austen never wrote a sequel to her seminal novel.' One day I was searching Kindle books and for the fun of it I entered “Pride and Prejudice Sequel’ into the search not expecting any results.
The rest is history. I discovered the JAFF community and books. I became a veracious reader of JAFF books and once I had devoured all of the sequels and continuations that I could find, I read my first variation. I had been resisting variations wrongly thinking that I would not enjoy them as much as the sequels. Boy, was I ever wrong! Today I am the proud owner of well over 1,000 JAFF novels that I have purchased on Amazon. 'A Change of Fortunes' is my first book that I wrote. There are a number of others on the way.
Like many high school students, Pride and Prejudice was assigned to me in an English literature class. It was not my favourite book, but I read it as I had to. I forgot about the book until in my 30’s when I saw and fell in love with the 1995 Pride and Prejudice version made for TV in England, and purchased a copy of the DVD that is now much played.
The tipping point was the 2005 big screen adaption of P&P. Not long after seeing it I found and read the complete works of Jane Austen on Amazon, starting with Pride and Prejudice. The latter book is by far my favourite. After I read it three of four times over, I wistfully said to myself: ‘it is a great pity that Miss Austen never wrote a sequel to her seminal novel.' One day I was searching Kindle books and for the fun of it I entered “Pride and Prejudice Sequel’ into the search not expecting any results.
The rest is history. I discovered the JAFF community and books. I became a veracious reader of JAFF books and once I had devoured all of the sequels and continuations that I could find, I read my first variation. I had been resisting variations wrongly thinking that I would not enjoy them as much as the sequels. Boy, was I ever wrong! Today I am the proud owner of well over 1,000 JAFF novels that I have purchased on Amazon. 'A Change of Fortunes' is my first book that I wrote. There are a number of others on the way.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 28, 2025
A Pride and Prejudice variation where a kind and worthy man, the Duke of Hertfordshire becomes intrigued by a young and clever (sometimes just too much) Elizabeth. Who with Mary were unwanted by their parents and so were raised by the Gardiners. How will this affect the fortunes of all the Bennets, their relations and friends.
An entertaining story
An entertaining story
July 1, 2025
Make no mistake. I am a Shana Granderson fan. This story, however, did not make the grade for me. I can understand the impetus to revisit the characters in “Her Grace,” and maybe improve things for the characters. Maybe even Elizabeth demanded a better experience being a duchess. I hear that sometimes characters do that with their authors. What I found I could not approve of was the nearly 30 year age difference between Elizabeth and her husband, Duke Archibald Chamberlain.
I know the Lizzy in this story was written as being super intelligent and mature beyond her years, but seriously??? Thirty years??! And her husband originally meets her as a little girl. How creepy is that? And they are married when Lizzy is only 16 and having her first child one year later. She is still a child herself, no matter how intelligent. So I admit I skimmed through a big portion of this story. I just couldn’t stomach the intimate story of that relationship. The story only really began for me at chapter 46 when Darcy, already in love with Lizzy, and Lizzy beginning to have feelings for Darcy as she is mourning. That makes 3 chapters and an epilogue that was the main story for me.
If you aren’t put off by the situation above, this is otherwise classic Shana Granderson and you will enjoy it.
I know the Lizzy in this story was written as being super intelligent and mature beyond her years, but seriously??? Thirty years??! And her husband originally meets her as a little girl. How creepy is that? And they are married when Lizzy is only 16 and having her first child one year later. She is still a child herself, no matter how intelligent. So I admit I skimmed through a big portion of this story. I just couldn’t stomach the intimate story of that relationship. The story only really began for me at chapter 46 when Darcy, already in love with Lizzy, and Lizzy beginning to have feelings for Darcy as she is mourning. That makes 3 chapters and an epilogue that was the main story for me.
If you aren’t put off by the situation above, this is otherwise classic Shana Granderson and you will enjoy it.
June 30, 2025
I like this much better than the forced marriage in the original "Her Grace" by the same author.
The age gap between the Duke and Duchess did not disturb me and her age at marriage was appropriate for the time, but the repeat of how mature she was for her age was uncomfortable.
The age gap between the Duke and Duchess did not disturb me and her age at marriage was appropriate for the time, but the repeat of how mature she was for her age was uncomfortable.
July 7, 2025
I honestly struggled to finish this. I am generally a fan of Shana Granderson’s books and even use them to describe the kind of light, happy, it all works out style she writes when I’m in the mood for it. However, this one was a slog for me. Lizzy was just way too perfect. I also found it creepy that the duke met her when she was 6 and then when she was a teenager the development of their relationship and the constant repetition of how perfect and not like other 16 year olds Lizzy is was grating for me.
October 2, 2025
Two love stories for the ages
A most enchanting book with a wonderful tale in which the protagonist could come across as an exaggeration but somehow manages to be believable. I fell in love with her Duke and enjoyed her whole story.
A most enchanting book with a wonderful tale in which the protagonist could come across as an exaggeration but somehow manages to be believable. I fell in love with her Duke and enjoyed her whole story.
July 20, 2025
Wonderful
Elizabeth Bennett is the extremely precocious and super intelligent daughter of Thomas Bennett. He has a disastrous marriage with Fanny Gardiner, mother to Jane, and reluctant mother to Elizabeth and Mary. Since Fanny won't have anything to do with Elizabeth and Mary, those two are raised by Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, and given love and education. Elizabeth comes to the notice of the Duke of Hertfordshire, Archibald Chamberlain, who falls in love with her in spite of the large difference in their ages. They marry, and are happy until illness strikes the duke, but not before Elizabeth has several years of wedded bliss and several children. She meets Darcy along the way through friends and relations of the duke.
I like this author, and I like the spin that she put on this variation of "Her Grace." Although it's strange to have Elizabeth in love with someone else first, it's a sweet and romantic story, and very poignant. Keep your box of tissues handy! Elizabeth is kind of a superwoman, and the age difference issue was almost a bit weird, but it works. As is typical with this author, the characters are satisfyingly forthright, and villains get spectacular comeuppances.
The book is very well written and well edited. I recommend it highly.
Elizabeth Bennett is the extremely precocious and super intelligent daughter of Thomas Bennett. He has a disastrous marriage with Fanny Gardiner, mother to Jane, and reluctant mother to Elizabeth and Mary. Since Fanny won't have anything to do with Elizabeth and Mary, those two are raised by Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, and given love and education. Elizabeth comes to the notice of the Duke of Hertfordshire, Archibald Chamberlain, who falls in love with her in spite of the large difference in their ages. They marry, and are happy until illness strikes the duke, but not before Elizabeth has several years of wedded bliss and several children. She meets Darcy along the way through friends and relations of the duke.
I like this author, and I like the spin that she put on this variation of "Her Grace." Although it's strange to have Elizabeth in love with someone else first, it's a sweet and romantic story, and very poignant. Keep your box of tissues handy! Elizabeth is kind of a superwoman, and the age difference issue was almost a bit weird, but it works. As is typical with this author, the characters are satisfyingly forthright, and villains get spectacular comeuppances.
The book is very well written and well edited. I recommend it highly.
June 30, 2025
For Her Grace, Revisited
This was very much an Elizabeth story, in my opinion, though Granderson includes a great deal of full-family interaction and updates.
I enjoyed the development of relationships throughout the book, though I would have liked to have found out what happened to Mr. Bennet.
I don’t see this as a romance, but it is a love story as well as a story of growth of heart and mind. For those looking for the ODC pairing, you will find it, but not for a while.
This was very much an Elizabeth story, in my opinion, though Granderson includes a great deal of full-family interaction and updates.
I enjoyed the development of relationships throughout the book, though I would have liked to have found out what happened to Mr. Bennet.
I don’t see this as a romance, but it is a love story as well as a story of growth of heart and mind. For those looking for the ODC pairing, you will find it, but not for a while.
May 27, 2026
Entertaining but distracting, also religious propaganda and pedophilia:
The plot is interesting and the characters are developed - perhaps a bit too much so. I really wish the author could get an editor to prune and reorganize all the branches and shoots of details of plotlets that crop up to interrupt what is taking place in the story.
It is unnecessary to include things similar to "How is the soup?" asked Lady Babbleton, whose second eldest niece Jilianna Anxminster's third shortest brother Luis Axminster had employed a butler Mr Tiffel whose maternal grandmother Elise Marmoden had married Hůbert Flœffil, the second cousin five times removed of Tinobęrt Flœffil, the royal chef of the His Emminence Angrew Hartîckklu, King of Narnia and had shared the latter's famous recipes with Maria Smithe, the First Undermaid in charge of vegetables, who was being courted by Harold Yommin, the Head Footman in charge of serving dinner in the smallest Summer Dining Room on the southwest side of the gargantuan mansion in which the formerly mentioned Mesdames and company had assembled for a light repast. "Oh, quite delectable," exclaimed Lady Kleenexia, whose dear mother had tragically departed the mortal plane of existence and died, passing away to her eternal slumber only two years before at the age of 92, but who would have so dearly enjoyed the Narniastic comestibles due to having been bosom friends with Narcia DuBobbel, the secret love child of Madame Isle de Francoussin and Alfdrion DuBobbel, the Second Alderman to the Sultan of Zeldania and therefore having a passion for all things Narnia, which was ruled by the latter's brother the King of Narnia. "Oh, how nice," said Lady Babbleton. "Do you think it shall rain tomorrow?"
In addition, it's full of the author's favorite superlatives about intelligence, size, wealth, talents, and footmen.
But despite all the silly extraneous details, it's a fun story.
On the less-entertaining side: the book will be going along nicely when suddenly there's a commercial for religious nonsense stuck in. This is not marketed as proselytizing propaganda, it's supposed to be a variation on Pride and Prejudice.
Worse: since it is entirely fictional, with a capriciously revised timeline, there is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for the main character to be married at sixteen to a man almost three times her age. Disgusting and inappropriate, with feeble "justifications" about how "age is just a number" and "she's so perfect she's not like other children" and similar groomer/pedophile drivel. Do better.
The plot is interesting and the characters are developed - perhaps a bit too much so. I really wish the author could get an editor to prune and reorganize all the branches and shoots of details of plotlets that crop up to interrupt what is taking place in the story.
It is unnecessary to include things similar to "How is the soup?" asked Lady Babbleton, whose second eldest niece Jilianna Anxminster's third shortest brother Luis Axminster had employed a butler Mr Tiffel whose maternal grandmother Elise Marmoden had married Hůbert Flœffil, the second cousin five times removed of Tinobęrt Flœffil, the royal chef of the His Emminence Angrew Hartîckklu, King of Narnia and had shared the latter's famous recipes with Maria Smithe, the First Undermaid in charge of vegetables, who was being courted by Harold Yommin, the Head Footman in charge of serving dinner in the smallest Summer Dining Room on the southwest side of the gargantuan mansion in which the formerly mentioned Mesdames and company had assembled for a light repast. "Oh, quite delectable," exclaimed Lady Kleenexia, whose dear mother had tragically departed the mortal plane of existence and died, passing away to her eternal slumber only two years before at the age of 92, but who would have so dearly enjoyed the Narniastic comestibles due to having been bosom friends with Narcia DuBobbel, the secret love child of Madame Isle de Francoussin and Alfdrion DuBobbel, the Second Alderman to the Sultan of Zeldania and therefore having a passion for all things Narnia, which was ruled by the latter's brother the King of Narnia. "Oh, how nice," said Lady Babbleton. "Do you think it shall rain tomorrow?"
In addition, it's full of the author's favorite superlatives about intelligence, size, wealth, talents, and footmen.
But despite all the silly extraneous details, it's a fun story.
On the less-entertaining side: the book will be going along nicely when suddenly there's a commercial for religious nonsense stuck in. This is not marketed as proselytizing propaganda, it's supposed to be a variation on Pride and Prejudice.
Worse: since it is entirely fictional, with a capriciously revised timeline, there is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for the main character to be married at sixteen to a man almost three times her age. Disgusting and inappropriate, with feeble "justifications" about how "age is just a number" and "she's so perfect she's not like other children" and similar groomer/pedophile drivel. Do better.
September 17, 2025
Okay. I read the previous “Her Grace” and liked it a little more. This one had Lizzy falling in love with a man that is her father’s age at age 16 and getting married. Sure she’s apparently a genius, has photographic memory, is clearly fully accomplished in every aspect of her life. She’s a goddess among mere mortals. It felt a little over the top and I HATE a story where Lizzy falls in love with someone before Darcy. This book was more about Lizzy and the duke than about her and Darcy. The almost entire book is about her life with the duke and her kids and meeting new people and friends and family and then a footnote in the end about William helping her with the kids when the duke dies and suddenly she’s in love with him and it ends with her saying she wants to start a courtship with him and then prologue. I don’t know it just felt like, why did I read hundreds of pages about Lizzy and this duke guy who she loved to oblivion when I really want Darcy and Lizzy. I did not like this one at all. Like yuck. I read this so fast and skimmed most parts where she and the duke are together because I felt first, grossed out that this “mature” 16 year old would fall in love and marry a late 40’s old male. Sure it was a thing back then but most of those were arranged marriages. And to make it so she’s in love with him was even sadder because iconically she’s meant to be with Darcy. It was all just too weird for me.
September 24, 2025
This author likes to paint a "perfect" Lizzy who is always the smartest, most talented, advanced, multi-lingual, musical prodigy, chess expert who can do everything at the best possible level and everyone loves at first glance (except the villains, of course). This book is no exception to this but, fortunately, it became much less of the focus of the book after the first few chapters and so wasn't overly annoying.
Outside of the above, the author also has a wide cast of OC's that can be confusing to follow when most have 3 names (given name, family name, and title/location name). This is definitely a continuous focus throughout the book so if that's something that would bug you, this may not be the book for you.
All of that aside, I did enjoy this book. The writing is good and paces okay with mostly believable characters and good dialogue. The motives of all the characters felt realistic and I wanted to get to the end and see what happened. The author did offer an epilogue that tied everything up well which was very satisfying.
Outside of the above, the author also has a wide cast of OC's that can be confusing to follow when most have 3 names (given name, family name, and title/location name). This is definitely a continuous focus throughout the book so if that's something that would bug you, this may not be the book for you.
All of that aside, I did enjoy this book. The writing is good and paces okay with mostly believable characters and good dialogue. The motives of all the characters felt realistic and I wanted to get to the end and see what happened. The author did offer an epilogue that tied everything up well which was very satisfying.
Read
July 20, 2025Brilliant Book
What can I say I loved the characters in this book especially Duke Archy, how he helped to sort out Elizabeth 's family even Mr Collins is good in this book and his as more sense. There is no Mr Wickham as he had been gotten rid of at the beginning of the story. Mr Darcy parents are alive all the way through the story to give him good advice too bad well as the Duke😁. This is a really good read and had me laughing and crying in all the correct places especially when the Archy does and how his children react.
What can I say I loved the characters in this book especially Duke Archy, how he helped to sort out Elizabeth 's family even Mr Collins is good in this book and his as more sense. There is no Mr Wickham as he had been gotten rid of at the beginning of the story. Mr Darcy parents are alive all the way through the story to give him good advice too bad well as the Duke😁. This is a really good read and had me laughing and crying in all the correct places especially when the Archy does and how his children react.
July 6, 2025
why bother
I gave the 2nd Her Grace a try but I found it tedious so just jumped to each chapter . Sorry to be negative but rehashing the same story again despite some changes seems pointless to me
I gave the 2nd Her Grace a try but I found it tedious so just jumped to each chapter . Sorry to be negative but rehashing the same story again despite some changes seems pointless to me
July 18, 2025
Good story, needs shaved
This is a good story, kept me interested, but there was so much repetition of storylines and conversations. I skimmed quite a bit.
A good editor could cut the story down to a better paced tale
This is a good story, kept me interested, but there was so much repetition of storylines and conversations. I skimmed quite a bit.
A good editor could cut the story down to a better paced tale
August 27, 2025
Love this revised version!!!
The Duke surpassed DARCY! However, I still enjoyed how Granderson worked her pen to recreate a fabulous variation and keep with the P&P ending without cheating.
The Duke surpassed DARCY! However, I still enjoyed how Granderson worked her pen to recreate a fabulous variation and keep with the P&P ending without cheating.
April 14, 2026
so so good
It was such a beautiful vagary that has Elizabeth raised by the Gardners, allowing her to have a precious upbringing and interest from a Duke. Whom you fall in love with, later meeting Darcy, and it all comes to a beautiful ending, but in the middle, I did boo hoo like a baby.
It was such a beautiful vagary that has Elizabeth raised by the Gardners, allowing her to have a precious upbringing and interest from a Duke. Whom you fall in love with, later meeting Darcy, and it all comes to a beautiful ending, but in the middle, I did boo hoo like a baby.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews