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Mr. Darcy's Twelve Days of Christmas: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

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Fitzwilliam Darcy never meant to fall in love—not here, and not with her.

Fitzwilliam Darcy is relieved to leave Hertfordshire behind. The temptations of a certain spirited miss have grown too strong to ignore, and if he remains at Netherfield, he knows he will propose—and make what he believes to be a most unsuitable match. Yet when his friend Charles Bingley cannot be persuaded to stay away from Jane Bennet, Darcy feels compelled to return to the countryside to prevent what he sees as a potential folly. When the chance for happiness presents itself, he seizes it in the only way he knows how—through quiet devotion, heartfelt gifts, and a love that speaks louder than words.

Elizabeth Bennet is delighted by Mr. Bingley’s return, especially as he resumes his courtship of Jane. But she is far less pleased to see the proud and aloof Mr. Darcy again. To her surprise, the gentleman appears changed—more thoughtful, more kind, and far more agreeable than she remembers. Then, as the Twelve Days of Christmas begin, a mysterious string of lavish and meaningful gifts starts to arrive at Longbourn. Elizabeth is intrigued—and increasingly convinced the sender is the only man who she could ever be prevailed upon to marry.

As each day passes, Mr. Darcy struggles to show the woman he loves that he has changed. For Elizabeth, the mystery deepens, and she finds her heart beginning to soften toward the man she once dismissed. In this heartwarming Regency romance full of mystery, charm, and Christmas magic, true love just might be the greatest gift of all.

Mr. Darcy's Twelve Days of Christmas is a light-hearted, low-angst Pride and Prejudice variation.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2025

91 people are currently reading
30 people want to read

About the author

M.J. Stratton

23 books46 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Ree.
1,338 reviews80 followers
January 15, 2026
Full disclosure: I had a hand in editing this book so won’t give it a full review. I will only say that for those who enjoy a seasonal read, I think you’ll very much enjoy this very charming variation.

January 15, 2026 - Audiobook
Arthur Rowan’s voice makes my knees weak. 😏
Profile Image for Elizabeth S.
775 reviews16 followers
November 28, 2025
After stubbornly resisting his sisters' efforts to dissuade him from courting Jane, Bingley returns to Netherfield without them. Darcy is unable to resist the temptation to go with him. He has decided to woo Elizabeth and will do it by anonymously sending her a gift on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas. He is very clever in his choices, accompanying each with a poem.

One thing seems strange to me. Elizabeth never wondered how the packages appeared on a table in her bedroom each morning. That should have been a huge mystery to her. And while she continued to speculate on the identity of the sender, it should have been rather obvious from the beginning. But you have to give fiction a little leeway sometimes.

The author's writing style is dense, with a lot of introspection from the main characters, especially Elizabeth, as she attempts to discover truth and motive. She doesn't take lightly the attention she's receiving from Darcy. Wickham is rarely "on screen", and is soon efficiently dealt with. Caroline Bingley is mercifully absent, and the angst level is low.

Nicely written. The tone is rather serious, with little humor, but it doesn't lack warmth.
Profile Image for Melanie.
206 reviews16 followers
January 19, 2026
Darcy has fled Netherfield to escape the enchanting Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Yet, when his friend Charles Bingley is not to be persuaded to stay in London but is about to return to his estate in Hertfordshire, Darcy is eager to accompany him. He has finally accepted that he can’t escape Elizabeth but has left a poor impression on his last visit. Now he is determined to woo her properly in the way he knows best.
Elizabeth is at first not best pleased when she sees that the taciturn gentleman from Derbyshire has accompanied his friend. She fears his renewed interference in Jane’s courtship. But soon she sees changes in Mr Darcy and begins to value his company more and more. When the twelve days of Christmas begin she receives mysterious gifts. First she can’t imagine who this mysterious admirer may be but soon she begins to hope that it may be Darcy.
Will her hopes be fulfilled? Will Darcy reveal his hidden identity to her in the end? And will he be able to win her heart on the twelfth day of Christmas?

This sweet, Christmas themed variation was very well written by the author MJ Stratton. I always enjoy her variations very much and this one was no expectation. It left me in quite a Christmas spirit.

I really enjoyed Darcy’s idea to give Elizabeth presents in the spirit of the Twelve days of Christmas. It’s a beautiful way to woo her. I also liked his selection of his presents and that they are all fitting to Elizabeth and her personality. He takes much effort to give her tokes she really appreciates. With his thoughtfulness he is able to gradually change her opinion of him and let her see the real, kind, thoughtful, considerate and loving Darcy.
I also appreciated that he begins to comprehend on his own that his behaviour was lacking as he last stayed at Netherfield and that he is willing to change because he does not like the person he has become.

Because, at the beginning, Elizabeth has no clue who this secret admirer is and Darcy is not sure how she will respond to his attentions, we get to know many thoughts and observations of both of them. I liked this very much because therefore we, the readers, know at every point what Darcy and Elizabeth think about each other. But at the same time we do not know if Darcy’s next present will soften Elizabeth’s opinion. This gives the story a bit of a thrill and you are not able to put it aside.
I really enjoyed reading it when Elizabeth receives a new, secret parcel and learns of its content. I like her joy in discovering it and her thoughts about the sender and his intention. I like that she receives the gifts in the spirit intended.

There are many feelings between Darcy and Elizabeth. His are deepening with each passing day and hers begin to grow with each considerate gift. I like that, with each meeting, they are drawn together more readily and that one can, at some point, see the sparks flying between them.

I really like that not only Elizabeth finds her happiness in this story but that there is also a happily ever after for Jane and Mary. Mary's match in particular is unexpected but well deserved. I liked that, due to her blossoming love Mary becomes more approachable and finds her place among her sisters. She deserves this happiness and the softening of her sharp edges.

The story is only about Darcy’s wooing of Elizabeth and the change of her opinion, therefore there are no villains in this story. As this is a Christmas variation I found this fitting and enjoyed their coming together through a sort of courtship and by getting to know each other better very much.

If you like to know how the Twelve days of Christmas will change Elizabeth’s opinion of Darcy you should definitely read this excellent book.

I highly recommend it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
146 reviews
November 11, 2025
Too much Wickham. Also do not like the "Elizabeth's exaggerated prejudice makes her blindly stupid" trope.
2,556 reviews46 followers
January 12, 2026
This is one that I had to suspend believe just a little. It didn't ruin the story for me. It made it an even more peaceful story. But I had a hard time with Elizabeth accepting gifts from an unknown male. I would have thought it to be highly inappropriate to accept them in that time period from someone who was not your betrothed. I could be wrong but that is what it seems like to me. So I decided to ignore that. It was also unlikely to me that the family wouldn't notice a bunch of new items. With how often Lizzy played with the chain of the necklace it would have drawn attention to it if nothing else. But again, I decided not to worry about that one either. Instead, I suspended belief and enjoyed the story.

I enjoyed the low angst level, the sweetness of Darcy trying to improve himself, Lizzy questioning Wickham's motives even before his faults were pointed out to her. I loved that Bingley had the strength to stand up to his sister's wishes and the fact that the sisters weren't in much of the story. Not too much of Wickham either. I loved that it was mostly peaceful to read even though there was still conflict to resolve. I loved that Darcy's poetry was imperfect and that his gifts were thoughtful. I think I would have enjoyed them being of less monetary value though. There was much to enjoy in this story.

I'll end by summing up Darcy in the words of a little boy I babysit. I think he was maybe 5 at the time? Could have been younger. Anyway, we listened to The Twelve Days of Christmas one day and when the song was over he looked at me and said, "That's a lot of gifts. He must have loved her very much."
Ahhh, Darcy.....
Profile Image for PH.
125 reviews3 followers
October 14, 2025
Tis the season for celebrations!

After Bingley’s determination to go back to Hertfordshire and court Miss Bennet, Darcy was quick to come to the decision that he should pursue his own happiness as well by changing Elizabeth’s opinion of him. Thus, the two couples embarked on a different journey and found each other in the season of celebration.

I could not like the idea that Darcy could put gifts whenever he desired in Elizabeth‘s bedchamber, which sounded to me quite wrong even though surprising or romantic. In addition, although the purpose was to show the careful consideration of Darcy while preparing the gifts, there was still this sense of pure wealth and money that did not really convince me of the regards between the two not swayed by fortune.

How Darcy dealt with Wickham was another that did not abide by my sentiment. I did not think that Wickham could be sent packing so easily given their history. Yet I suspected that the author was trying to make this story a merry project.
Profile Image for Gill M.
375 reviews27 followers
November 26, 2025
Review also posted on my blog

https://myjaffobsession.blogspot.com/...

In this variation, Mr Bingley returns to Meryton soon after the Netherfield Ball, determined to court Jane Bennet. Despite his reservations over the suitability of the match, Mr Darcy accompanies Bingley.

Darcy is infatuated with Elizabeth Bennet, but distanced himself due to her unsuitable family.

When Darcy decides he does want to marry Elizabeth, he realises that she doesn't like him, because of his previous haughty behaviour.

He makes a serious effort to be amiable and show Elizabeth the worthy man he really is.

Over the twelve days of Christmas, Elizabeth receives gifts from a mystery admirer. The gift are beautiful but thoughtful, showing insight into her tastes.

Who is her admirer? By Twelfth Night, she knows who she wants it to be!

A really charming Christmas variation, with a swoon worthy Darcy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
194 reviews
November 15, 2025
This is the most delightful story of hope, friendship and love. Darcy returns to Meryton determined to improve Elizabeth’s poor opinion of him. Over the Twelve Days of Christmas Darcy communicates his devotion and admiration through thoughtful, personalised gifts which are secretly delivered to Elizabeth every night.
As Bingley courts Jane, both men visit Longbourn daily. The best thing about this story is the playful conversations between Darcy and Elizabeth. Darcy can only hope that the meaning of his precious gifts are being understood and that they might inspire a spark of affection from Elizabeth.
The suspense builds on every page as Elizabeth comes to enjoy Darcy’s company as much as she anticipates these gifts from her Secret Admirer. Meanwhile, Darcy looks for evidence that Elizabeth is pleased by the gifts while he hopes, every day, that she will somehow discover that the sentiments are from HIM and not someone else.
This story is a wonderful Christmas tale. It is beautifully and sensitively written as we feel everything the characters are feeling. I read it in a day because I couldn’t put it down and I couldn’t stop smiling.
78 reviews1 follower
November 10, 2025
Sweet Christmas Story

This is a lovely story. Darcy comes around quickly and is at his romantic best. Lizzie takes some time to fully fall in love, but she is not ridiculously stubborn either. There is no angst and everyone shines. I did think Elizabeth took too long to figure it out, but I also get protecting your heart from disappointment. Some continuity issues. Darcy already knew Caroline wrote a letter that implied Bingley was pursuing Georgiana, but they talk about it at the end of the book as if he wasn’t aware. I would definitely recommend this sweet gem of a story that is just in time for the holidays.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Tiffany.
24 reviews3 followers
November 15, 2025
Amazing!

A charming Christmas story where “The Twelve Days of Christmas” becomes Elizabeth’s path to transformation. Mysterious gifts begin appearing, each one paired with a meaningful message from a secret admirer. As the days unfold, these surprises spark conversations, reflections, and small but powerful changes in how Elizabeth sees love, friendship, and herself. With every gift, she grows braver, softer, and more open-hearted. By the final day, Elizabeth discovers that the real magic of Christmas isn’t found in the presents.
2,161 reviews14 followers
November 16, 2025
In Mr. Darcy’s Twelve Days of Christmas, M.J. Stratton delivers all the holiday warmth you want from a Darcy and Elizabeth romance. As the twelve festive days unfold, Darcy reveals a more thoughtful, sincere side, while Elizabeth, unsure of who’s sending the gifts, secretly hopes he’s the one behind them. Their slow-building connection shines against a backdrop of Regency elegance and cozy Christmas atmosphere. Charming, heartfelt, and full of holiday magic, this story is a delightful escape for anyone who loves Austen-inspired romance.
Profile Image for Nina.
283 reviews7 followers
November 18, 2025
This is a charming Christmas story that follows 'Twelwe days of Christmas'
Bingley and Mr Darcy returns to Netherfield before Christmas and charms their lady. Bingley overt and able to propose to Jane. Mr Darcy turns to the verse twelwe days of Christmas.
Elizabeth only know she has an admire, who uses the above verse to give her gifts.
At first she doesn't think it could be Mr Darcy, but as he begins better her opinion of him, she begins to hope...

I received a free copy and I am voluntarily leaving af review
22 reviews
November 14, 2025
This book was amazing! I loved that each gift was a part of Darcy's heart. You see a more vulnerable side of him. One that isn't quite so sure but perseveres regardless. In the book, he truly wears his heart on his sleeve.

Another bonus, there was very little Caroline Bingley and Wickham. Wickham was dealt with fairly quickly. Lady Catherine and Mr Collins are barely mentioned.
523 reviews2 followers
November 16, 2025
Very, very, very sweet romance

Darcy plays secret admirer for Lizzy, creating wonderful gifts and sweet poetry for the Twelve Days of Christmas. This gives her time to fall in love with him and realize how much he has changed since the Netherfield ball. Almost achingly romantic, low angst, and happy ever after.
Profile Image for Denise.
Author 1 book8 followers
December 18, 2025
Delightful Christmas Tale

This full-length novel is everything I love about P&P Christmas stories. So many sweet moments, earnest confessions, and just enough short-lived angst to keep things interesting. After all, there's nothing better than a motivated Darcy in love... except a motivated Darcy in love at Christmas. I wish I could give it ten stars!
Profile Image for Jen B.
593 reviews7 followers
January 17, 2026
4.25*
This hit the spot as a sweet variation. I do appreciate stories that show us Darcy's epiphany and growth - this, as all of MJ Stratton's stories was well done, written and executed. She never disappoints.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
659 reviews
November 15, 2025
Darcy, a romantic & Elizabeth's heart softens

A sweet and charming Christmas story. It's one of those tales that, after finishing, makes me feel as if I go outside, the sun should be shining bright.

4.5 Stars
Profile Image for Laurie.
124 reviews1 follower
November 16, 2025
Delightful and heartwarming

A most charming story of hearts learning to truly see each other. Sweet and well-written, with an engaging storyline and believable characters, this is a marvelous addition to Ms. Stratton’s bibliography. Well worth reading each holiday season!
123 reviews3 followers
November 29, 2025
Christmas fairy tale

Slow moving, yet packed with emotion. My only quibble is the total impropriety of the gifts - no gentleman would give jewelry to a gentlewoman to whom he was not betrothed, nor would he give items of clothing.
7 reviews
December 12, 2025
Gifts Galore

I thoroughly enjoyed this light hearted but sincere take on a twelve days of Christmas and shall keep it to reread again to remind me of Darcy’s considerable creativity and love.
3 reviews
December 21, 2025
Great Holiday Pride & Prejudice Variation

Creative plot variation with holiday flair. Low angst reimagining of the time after the Netherfield Ball. Really enjoyed the book, highly recommend as an enjoyable variation.
1 review
November 19, 2025
fantastically written

Impressed with the writing style, the character development and the story line. I definitely recommend this as an alternate version to Pride and Prejudice.
Profile Image for Jeanie.
16 reviews11 followers
December 1, 2025
wonderful holiday treat

This was so sweet and very well written. Thanks so much for sharing your talents with us. Your books are quite enjoyable.❤️
Profile Image for Ashton Butler.
1,087 reviews
December 7, 2025
hidden tokens

I absolutely adored this variation of Pride and Prejudice. The careful love and adoration shown by the couples made the story sing songs in my heart.
Profile Image for Kasia Burlakoff.
177 reviews16 followers
December 9, 2025
Great holiday story. I loved the characters and the plot, the atmosphere was wonderful. Elizabeth and Darcy were great, Mary’s character got a nice touch.
7 reviews
December 10, 2025
Feel good Christmas magic

A lovely, heart warming Christmas read. Very focused on Elizabeth and Darcy, but without forgetting our cast of villains. Also a happy ending for Mary!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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