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Belle: A Pride & Prejudice Variation
Pride & Prejudice with a peerage twist!
“She is the daughter of a nobody.”
“Her sharp eyes flashed across his mind. The graceful eyebrows rising in perfect arcs, issuing a challenge.”
Mr. Darcy is Lord Darcy. Elizabeth Bennet is the fair maiden who captures his heart. Unsuspectingly. And against his wishes! Yet each time they meet, Darcy is drawn to Elizabeth like a moth to a flame.
Until he asks her to marry him... and she turns him down.
How could she!? Does she not know who he is?
Thus, ensues a crisis of personal beliefs for our Lord Darcy! As does the beginning of a happy ending.
This unique variation of the classic story by Jane Austen is set in an alternate dimension Regency England, where our hero and heroine must battle pride and prejudices to find their way to each other. Told from the POV of Darcy.
Based on the theme: Find me a man who will change the world for you!
Books in the Flourished Prints series are paperback and hardback special editions with full-colour interior art and high quality paper. Perfect for collectors and lovers of Pride & Prejudice variations!
“She is the daughter of a nobody.”
“Her sharp eyes flashed across his mind. The graceful eyebrows rising in perfect arcs, issuing a challenge.”
Mr. Darcy is Lord Darcy. Elizabeth Bennet is the fair maiden who captures his heart. Unsuspectingly. And against his wishes! Yet each time they meet, Darcy is drawn to Elizabeth like a moth to a flame.
Until he asks her to marry him... and she turns him down.
How could she!? Does she not know who he is?
Thus, ensues a crisis of personal beliefs for our Lord Darcy! As does the beginning of a happy ending.
This unique variation of the classic story by Jane Austen is set in an alternate dimension Regency England, where our hero and heroine must battle pride and prejudices to find their way to each other. Told from the POV of Darcy.
Based on the theme: Find me a man who will change the world for you!
Books in the Flourished Prints series are paperback and hardback special editions with full-colour interior art and high quality paper. Perfect for collectors and lovers of Pride & Prejudice variations!
55 pages, Paperback
Published August 8, 2025
12 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Blake
2 books26 followersMorgan Blake writes regency romance novels and Austenesque variations of Pride & Prejudice that are sometimes steamy, sometimes not. Satire is the name of the game and happy ever afters the goal!
Morgan loves exploring themes of personal identity, inner strength, social discourse, and hope alongside enduring love in her stories.
She also believes that strong heroes and heroines are not enough to make a tale worth telling. They need a supporting cast of good and not-so-good characters that add more punch and vibrancy... and some dramatic ridiculousness!
Morgan is a cat friend, tropical girl who prefers winter clothes, perennial fantasy/scifi/historical fiction nerd, and a night owl.
Morgan loves exploring themes of personal identity, inner strength, social discourse, and hope alongside enduring love in her stories.
She also believes that strong heroes and heroines are not enough to make a tale worth telling. They need a supporting cast of good and not-so-good characters that add more punch and vibrancy... and some dramatic ridiculousness!
Morgan is a cat friend, tropical girl who prefers winter clothes, perennial fantasy/scifi/historical fiction nerd, and a night owl.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 18, 2025
It seems to be a gathering like any other but then Lord Darcy is captured: He asks her to dance and learns her name - Elizabeth Bennet, daughter of an insignificant country gentleman. She always seems to challenge him and after a few encounters Lord Darcy is sure that he wants to marry her despite her low connections. But when he asks her to become his wife Elizabeth refuses him.
Will Lord Darcy find the cause for her refusal and will he be able to overcome it?
The story was written by the author Morgan Blake, it is her first book. The story is short, only 49 pages long, and therefore perfectly fits in between other books when one has not much time for reading. I read the story in under an hour. Overall I enjoyed the style of writing, I only wished for the story to be a bit longer with more details.
Due to the shortness I was not able to really get a feeling for the characters, I can not say if I liked Lord Darcy and Elizabeth particularly or not. I think if the author enlarges this story a bit one would be more able to “grasp” them and get a feeling for them.
The story is nearly exclusively about Lord Darcy and Elizabeth, therefore there’s not much about other people in this story and there are certainly no villains around. Lord Darcy only needs to overcome the reasons why Elizabeth refused him.
And exactly these reasons left me puzzled and are the reason why I was only able to give four out of five stars. I do not know exactly why Elizabeth refused Darcy. The first time she tells him they do not know each other well and the next time she tells him that she is not willing to marry at all because of the overall situation of married women. And later she accepts Lord Darcy after he initiates changes in law for married women but, if I read correctly, until this occurs they have not seen each other often. Therefore she can not have come to know him better but seems to marry him because she now has more rights as a married woman. Maybe the author should have clarified Elizabeth's reasons for first refusing and then accepting Lord Darcy. I, for my part, am not exactly sure of them.
Don’t get me wrong, the story was not bad, I liked it, but with a bit more length and therefore for time to clarify things and write more details it certainly could have been better, maybe a five star book for me.
If you like to know Lord Darcy can convince Elizabeth to marry him despite her refusal you should read this variation.
I recommend it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Will Lord Darcy find the cause for her refusal and will he be able to overcome it?
The story was written by the author Morgan Blake, it is her first book. The story is short, only 49 pages long, and therefore perfectly fits in between other books when one has not much time for reading. I read the story in under an hour. Overall I enjoyed the style of writing, I only wished for the story to be a bit longer with more details.
Due to the shortness I was not able to really get a feeling for the characters, I can not say if I liked Lord Darcy and Elizabeth particularly or not. I think if the author enlarges this story a bit one would be more able to “grasp” them and get a feeling for them.
The story is nearly exclusively about Lord Darcy and Elizabeth, therefore there’s not much about other people in this story and there are certainly no villains around. Lord Darcy only needs to overcome the reasons why Elizabeth refused him.
And exactly these reasons left me puzzled and are the reason why I was only able to give four out of five stars. I do not know exactly why Elizabeth refused Darcy. The first time she tells him they do not know each other well and the next time she tells him that she is not willing to marry at all because of the overall situation of married women. And later she accepts Lord Darcy after he initiates changes in law for married women but, if I read correctly, until this occurs they have not seen each other often. Therefore she can not have come to know him better but seems to marry him because she now has more rights as a married woman. Maybe the author should have clarified Elizabeth's reasons for first refusing and then accepting Lord Darcy. I, for my part, am not exactly sure of them.
Don’t get me wrong, the story was not bad, I liked it, but with a bit more length and therefore for time to clarify things and write more details it certainly could have been better, maybe a five star book for me.
If you like to know Lord Darcy can convince Elizabeth to marry him despite her refusal you should read this variation.
I recommend it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 14, 2025
I got this as a freebie from the author's mailing list.
Darcy is some sort of a titled person, in some sort of a setting. In the foreword, the author says these things were left vague on purpose, and this was to be an alternative dimension with a mixture of Irish, Scandinavian and medieval European. I guess it's not that important but reading this I realised that I would usually prefer to be anchored down a bit more steadily. I didn't know what to expect, maybe some sort of a whimsical fantasy world? But it's not a paranormal, in the end we have gothic novels and the parliament passing acts and it could have been just a regular Regency.
Anyway, what we know is that he's someone pretty high up in the society. So he meets this girl, considers her of a lower status, falls in instalove anyway, asks her to marry him after a couple of brief conversations. She turns him down and he drowns his sorrows in alcohol until he has to gumption to reflect upon his failures. Eventually something he does manages to impress her.
It's a familiar story with a women's rights slant, told from his POV, a very quick no-angst read.
Steam level: Nope.
Darcy is some sort of a titled person, in some sort of a setting. In the foreword, the author says these things were left vague on purpose, and this was to be an alternative dimension with a mixture of Irish, Scandinavian and medieval European. I guess it's not that important but reading this I realised that I would usually prefer to be anchored down a bit more steadily. I didn't know what to expect, maybe some sort of a whimsical fantasy world? But it's not a paranormal, in the end we have gothic novels and the parliament passing acts and it could have been just a regular Regency.
Anyway, what we know is that he's someone pretty high up in the society. So he meets this girl, considers her of a lower status, falls in instalove anyway, asks her to marry him after a couple of brief conversations. She turns him down and he drowns his sorrows in alcohol until he has to gumption to reflect upon his failures. Eventually something he does manages to impress her.
It's a familiar story with a women's rights slant, told from his POV, a very quick no-angst read.
Steam level: Nope.
August 11, 2025
The only thing this reader can complain about this very brief variation is its length, or lack of it. It’s wonderfully and skillfully written that it leaves this reader wanting for more. Due to the brevity and economical simplicity of it, it may leave many a reader wanting for a full-length novel instead of a condensed outline. Wishing for more character development and explanations; more romance and love exchanges; just more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 22, 2025
A kind of mixed timeline for a short and sweet story. A very descriptive way of writing that leaves an enchanting and enjoyable sensation. Very nice!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 22, 2025
This is a short story where Elizabeth is living in Scotland and Darcy is a lord. Darcy very quickly falls for her, but can’t understand why she is reluctant to marry. Luckily he has a wise sister, that helps him to understand how he can improve himself and the life of all women!
I received a free copy and am voluntary leaving a review
I received a free copy and am voluntary leaving a review
August 31, 2025
Review also posted on my blog
https://myjaffobsession.blogspot.com/...
This Pride and Prejudice variation is set in alternate dimension Regency England, which has a definite Scottish flavour (bagpipes).
The cover picture is what drew me to this, a beautiful woman against a blue and gold background.
This is a novella and a short one. It is from the POV of Lord Darcy and features vignettes of his encounters with Elizabeth Bennet.
First, mysterious and fascinating.
Next, dismissed as the daughter of a nobody.
Then, object of infatuation, desire and an unexpected proposal.
After which he drinks excessively.
Of course, there is always a happy ever after.
I feel that the brevity lead to the story feeling rather superficial.
Disappointing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
https://myjaffobsession.blogspot.com/...
This Pride and Prejudice variation is set in alternate dimension Regency England, which has a definite Scottish flavour (bagpipes).
The cover picture is what drew me to this, a beautiful woman against a blue and gold background.
This is a novella and a short one. It is from the POV of Lord Darcy and features vignettes of his encounters with Elizabeth Bennet.
First, mysterious and fascinating.
Next, dismissed as the daughter of a nobody.
Then, object of infatuation, desire and an unexpected proposal.
After which he drinks excessively.
Of course, there is always a happy ever after.
I feel that the brevity lead to the story feeling rather superficial.
Disappointing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 30, 2025
This was a very quick read that I first read some via the author's website and then via newsletter. It is currently available only in paperback form & the cover is beautiful. I think I would have liked it even more if it showed how Elizabeth was dressed when Lord Darcy first met her including the knife.
I am trying to figure out how best to review this but Gill M's review brought up most of the bullet points. In the author's notes it states that this is a mix of several cultures/times in an alternate dimension and she has intentionally kept things, specifically the setting, ambiguous. Knowing this it will help not get to focused on the lack of setting details including the story (I forgot this a few times as I really wanted more details).
We do get Darcy's pride dealt with via help from his sister. Women's rights were explored and this helped Lord Darcy to win Elizabeth. I really would have loved just a bit more details and things explored as it left me wanting more.
I am trying to figure out how best to review this but Gill M's review brought up most of the bullet points. In the author's notes it states that this is a mix of several cultures/times in an alternate dimension and she has intentionally kept things, specifically the setting, ambiguous. Knowing this it will help not get to focused on the lack of setting details including the story (I forgot this a few times as I really wanted more details).
We do get Darcy's pride dealt with via help from his sister. Women's rights were explored and this helped Lord Darcy to win Elizabeth. I really would have loved just a bit more details and things explored as it left me wanting more.
January 18, 2026
This was a short and sweet read with my morning coffee, just what a snowy Saturday calls for.
At 38 pages (paperback), there’s little character development so understanding the characters depends upon your knowledge of Pride and Prejudice. Perfect for me then, because P&P is my jam.
Darcy meets Elizabeth at a dance and is immediately besotted. He obsesses over her and then broods (as Darcy does best!) over her rejection of his proposal.
Georgianna plays a bigger part here in bringing Darcy to his senses, prompting him to make some big societal changes to win Elizabeth‘s heart. I love how Morgan brought her fierce views on women’s rights to this! 👏
I recommend this if you also like Pride and Prejudice, and are looking for a quick, light-hearted read to put a grin on your face. HEA guaranteed!
✨I received a finished copy from Morgan as a gift with no expectation to review.
→ Connect with me on Instagram!
At 38 pages (paperback), there’s little character development so understanding the characters depends upon your knowledge of Pride and Prejudice. Perfect for me then, because P&P is my jam.
Darcy meets Elizabeth at a dance and is immediately besotted. He obsesses over her and then broods (as Darcy does best!) over her rejection of his proposal.
Georgianna plays a bigger part here in bringing Darcy to his senses, prompting him to make some big societal changes to win Elizabeth‘s heart. I love how Morgan brought her fierce views on women’s rights to this! 👏
I recommend this if you also like Pride and Prejudice, and are looking for a quick, light-hearted read to put a grin on your face. HEA guaranteed!
✨I received a finished copy from Morgan as a gift with no expectation to review.
→ Connect with me on Instagram!
August 25, 2025
Morgan Blake uses the Pride & Prejudice elements to make a retelling concept that I was wanting and was glad it took what was going on with what made Jane Austen great and create a unique tale in Morgan Blake's voice. The concept was everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed the environment and how it worked overall during the historical setting. I thought the characters had that spirit and charm that I was looking for and enjoyed from this world. I'm glad I was able to read this and enjoyed getting into this.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 14, 2025
Belle is a short and sweet variation of Pride & Prejudice. I enjoyed reading it and the fact that is was short is a great plus because I was looking for a short read for one sitting. It is very romantic and I loved the interaction between Darcy and Elizabeth. It was also very interesting to read a story told through Darcy's POV and see things through his eyes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 15, 2025
Arc review
A pretty novela based on Pride and Prejudice, only telling Mr Darcy ( Lord Darcy here) story, in the typical men ability to say with not so many words a pretty long story.
Is well written, in a slightly whimsical style, enjoyable, but way too short. pull have loved it if it were at least 200 pages!
All in all, I liked it, a pretty story.
A pretty novela based on Pride and Prejudice, only telling Mr Darcy ( Lord Darcy here) story, in the typical men ability to say with not so many words a pretty long story.
Is well written, in a slightly whimsical style, enjoyable, but way too short. pull have loved it if it were at least 200 pages!
All in all, I liked it, a pretty story.
August 25, 2025
I took about 40 minutes to read the story. I enjoyed it because the story and the style captivated me right away. It's a short sweet story that is completely centered around Darcy/Elizabeth. I especially liked that the theme of women's rights in marriage was also addressed.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 26, 2025
Sweet novella
I enjoyed this quick read. Seeing Darcy and Elizabeth in a slightly different setting and focussing more on their interactions was a pleasure.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I enjoyed this quick read. Seeing Darcy and Elizabeth in a slightly different setting and focussing more on their interactions was a pleasure.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
January 15, 2026
Very short story, but up to Blake's standards.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews