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Untamed & Unabashed
Elizabeth Bennet told her story in Pride and Prejudice. Now Lydia Bennet tells her side of her whirlwind marriage to Lieutenant Wickham. As the youngest of five daughters with a pittance of a dowry and no hope for a good marriage, it appears her life is doomed from the start. But Lydia refuses to accept such a possibility. She learns how to set herself apart from her sisters and gain the attention of young men. She hones charm and flirtation to an art. Willing to take risks, she manages to acquire a substantial dowry and marries her beloved Wickham. Yet, her life remains on the brink until she gains the patronage of a wealthy Duke trapped in a loveless marriage.
“Lydia was Lydia still; untamed, unabashed, wild, noisy and fearless.”
—quote by Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
“Lydia was Lydia still; untamed, unabashed, wild, noisy and fearless.”
—quote by Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- GenresHistorical Fiction
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 11, 2015
3 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Liza O'Connor
58 books92 followersLiza lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small cessnas in NJ, hang glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer and dabbler in watercolors. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels. She loves to create interesting characters, set them loose, and scribe what happens.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 6, 2018
Very recently I was making a list of things I do not like in P&P what ifs
1] Most sequels
2] books about anyone but Darcy & Lizzy
3] books that are risque
This book has made me toss all of those notion right out the window.
Onto popular questions
Is in clean - NO
Is it chaste - NO
Is it hilarious and heartwarming - Abso - fing-lutely
This is a book about Lydia Bennet Wickham but not the Lydia we meet in most P&P what ifs. Not the ignorant, childish, moron but rather a calculating, charming and strategic planner. This Lydia is more a daughter of Fanny Hill than Fanny Bennet https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
We begin on her final night in Brighton where Lydia surrenders her charms and shows Wickham she has many redeeming qualities, she's an excellent thief and liar. Upon her arrival in London she immediately realizes that she is attractive to men and uses that knowledge to gain a sponsor of sorts. Then the regular stuff happens with Darcy and she is married and back at Mrs. Younge's boarding house. Mrs. Younge is truly vile, but Lydia outsmarts her and Wickham. When things get dicey she turns to Darcy for help and soon she and Wickham are intimate friends with a Duke and his wife - INTIMATE FRIENDS
I have to give the author props for not letting a steamy novel turn into a porno. Lydia just continues to rise, while Wickham just keeps being an idiot.
Darcy makes a few appearances, there is the couple visiting Longbourn but mostly this is a book about Lydia.
1] Most sequels
2] books about anyone but Darcy & Lizzy
3] books that are risque
This book has made me toss all of those notion right out the window.
Onto popular questions
Is in clean - NO
Is it chaste - NO
Is it hilarious and heartwarming - Abso - fing-lutely
This is a book about Lydia Bennet Wickham but not the Lydia we meet in most P&P what ifs. Not the ignorant, childish, moron but rather a calculating, charming and strategic planner. This Lydia is more a daughter of Fanny Hill than Fanny Bennet https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
We begin on her final night in Brighton where Lydia surrenders her charms and shows Wickham she has many redeeming qualities, she's an excellent thief and liar. Upon her arrival in London she immediately realizes that she is attractive to men and uses that knowledge to gain a sponsor of sorts. Then the regular stuff happens with Darcy and she is married and back at Mrs. Younge's boarding house. Mrs. Younge is truly vile, but Lydia outsmarts her and Wickham. When things get dicey she turns to Darcy for help and soon she and Wickham are intimate friends with a Duke and his wife - INTIMATE FRIENDS
I have to give the author props for not letting a steamy novel turn into a porno. Lydia just continues to rise, while Wickham just keeps being an idiot.
Darcy makes a few appearances, there is the couple visiting Longbourn but mostly this is a book about Lydia.
November 30, 2017
A rambunctious story
Lydia Bennet continues on the path she has already begun when she elopes with Lt. George Wickham. He is being pursued by creditors who threaten his well-being. Since he has no money, he makes a stop at Col. Forster's home to steal the supply money. Lydia obligingly picks the lock on the strongbox.
Instead of heading for Gretna Green, the couple travel to London where they lie low in a boarding house. Wickham has plans to use Lydia to make money. He just hasn't decided whether it would be more profitable to sell her into white slavery or to sell her services on a continuing basis.
31
Lydia Bennet continues on the path she has already begun when she elopes with Lt. George Wickham. He is being pursued by creditors who threaten his well-being. Since he has no money, he makes a stop at Col. Forster's home to steal the supply money. Lydia obligingly picks the lock on the strongbox.
Instead of heading for Gretna Green, the couple travel to London where they lie low in a boarding house. Wickham has plans to use Lydia to make money. He just hasn't decided whether it would be more profitable to sell her into white slavery or to sell her services on a continuing basis.
31
September 17, 2017
The book begins with a quote that explains the title, and that alone is clever perfection and the shortest summary one could ever write about the story.
(“Lydia was Lydia still; untamed, unabashed, wild, noisy and fearless.” - quote by Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
The title is a perfect description of Lydia in this book, for she is both untamable and unabashed. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to get it. She may be flighty and naïve, flashy and stubborn as well as spoiled, but beneath that outer shell lurks a clever – if not cunning – woman who knows how to use her wiles to have her way. All might not be rosy or easy, but she takes things in her stride and surprises everyone around her. Even the ever-grumpy, very sensible and helpful Mr. Darcy has to admit there’s more to her than meets the eye, more than beauty and a lack of propriety. At one point in the book, he describes her as “a married child in the body of a woman”, and that’s true as well. Even though she’s passionate to the point of wanton, sensual and very aware of her body, in many other ways, Lydia does strike me as a child rather than a woman. And it’s precisely that remnant of a child inside her that helps her navigate all the ups and downs of her ‘marriage’.
As for Wickham, I loved hating him. There’s not a good bone in that man’s body and I almost feel respect for Lydia for putting up with him. Alright, there might be a fleeting chance that he redeems himself, and it was entertaining to read things from his point of view sometimes, but I just wanted to strangle him. But oh, did I ever enjoy having Mr. Darcy reappear – because I’m a huge ‘Pride and Prejudice’ fan!
This book is unusual in many ways – but I’ve come to expect and appreciate that from every single book of the author that I’ve read so far. And Lydia as a character really comes alive with all her quirks and ambitions. There are quite a few steamy scenes, but none of them seem gratuitous, contrived or over the top because they seem natural to the heroine. And there are a few twists and surprises along the way, too!
(“Lydia was Lydia still; untamed, unabashed, wild, noisy and fearless.” - quote by Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
The title is a perfect description of Lydia in this book, for she is both untamable and unabashed. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to get it. She may be flighty and naïve, flashy and stubborn as well as spoiled, but beneath that outer shell lurks a clever – if not cunning – woman who knows how to use her wiles to have her way. All might not be rosy or easy, but she takes things in her stride and surprises everyone around her. Even the ever-grumpy, very sensible and helpful Mr. Darcy has to admit there’s more to her than meets the eye, more than beauty and a lack of propriety. At one point in the book, he describes her as “a married child in the body of a woman”, and that’s true as well. Even though she’s passionate to the point of wanton, sensual and very aware of her body, in many other ways, Lydia does strike me as a child rather than a woman. And it’s precisely that remnant of a child inside her that helps her navigate all the ups and downs of her ‘marriage’.
As for Wickham, I loved hating him. There’s not a good bone in that man’s body and I almost feel respect for Lydia for putting up with him. Alright, there might be a fleeting chance that he redeems himself, and it was entertaining to read things from his point of view sometimes, but I just wanted to strangle him. But oh, did I ever enjoy having Mr. Darcy reappear – because I’m a huge ‘Pride and Prejudice’ fan!
This book is unusual in many ways – but I’ve come to expect and appreciate that from every single book of the author that I’ve read so far. And Lydia as a character really comes alive with all her quirks and ambitions. There are quite a few steamy scenes, but none of them seem gratuitous, contrived or over the top because they seem natural to the heroine. And there are a few twists and surprises along the way, too!
September 20, 2017
If you’ve ever wondered what happened in those days in between Lydia going missing and turning up at Longbourn married to Wickham, then look no further.
This is a delightful tale of the darker side of regency London and how Lydia not only survived but triumphed, at least in her eyes.
Untamed and Unabashed has been on my TBR pile for a while and I wish I'd read it sooner. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait to catch up on Lydia’s next adventure.
This is a delightful tale of the darker side of regency London and how Lydia not only survived but triumphed, at least in her eyes.
Untamed and Unabashed has been on my TBR pile for a while and I wish I'd read it sooner. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait to catch up on Lydia’s next adventure.
June 23, 2021
In this story Lydia is shown to have a little more sense than we're accustomed to thinking, without losing her Lydia-ness. She and Wickham adventure and seduce together with cheerful amorality. Very enjoyable.
October 13, 2015
Lydia has always been ignored or lost in the household of Bennett women. But when she sets off an adventure with Mr. Wickham, she finds out just what an amazing woman she is.
Ms. Connor tells a much more interesting tale than the one told by Ms. Austin. Lydia is child-like but also very sensual. She's greedy and yet can hold on to her money. These dual natures are what provide the best insights into the character.
I really understood and could connect with Lydia. She only wanted to be happy and loved. In her search for it, she developed into a worldly woman with a practical nature. If only more women were like that then we wouldn't be so unhappy with our choices.
A must for fans of strong heroines!
Ms. Connor tells a much more interesting tale than the one told by Ms. Austin. Lydia is child-like but also very sensual. She's greedy and yet can hold on to her money. These dual natures are what provide the best insights into the character.
I really understood and could connect with Lydia. She only wanted to be happy and loved. In her search for it, she developed into a worldly woman with a practical nature. If only more women were like that then we wouldn't be so unhappy with our choices.
A must for fans of strong heroines!
April 19, 2017
I like Austenations that really branch out into absurdity; and I very much like Austenations which give Lydia, whom I've always been rather fond of, a happy ending. This book does both. It's a Regency sex romp with Austen characters and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews