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Her Memories, Forged In Fire: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
Elizabeth was a very young child when she is discovered outside an inn which was burning, killing all inside. She is found by the Gardiners at an orphanage, where she has not spoken since the fire. The couple adopt her, bringing out the joyous nature we all know in our dear girl. The Gardiners moved to Lambton to aid Mrs Gardiner's father run his shop. Darcy meets her at the mercantile and falls in love. But there is another suitor for Elizabeth. One who does not appreciate her attention to Darcy. They learn more and more about Elizabeth's family and discover a horror which she had narrowly escaped. But the past doesn't want to stay in the past.
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200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 11, 2025
About the author
Melanie Schertz
47 books62 followersI am a retired crime lab/crime scene technician, having worked for a local police department for 15 years. Since then, I have become disabled. Forgot to get the extended warranty on the body. In my spare time, I make jewelry, am a photographer, and a full time mom and grandma.
My daughter by birth is Catie, and she is the dearest part of my life. Through her, I have 2 daughters by heart, Heather and Kristina. Through Heather and her awesome man, Stan, I have 4 amazing grandchildren, Purgi, Penne, Myles, and Persephene.
Besides my human family, I have a canine son, who is my service dog, Darcy. I also have 4 feline daughters (Salem, Lizzy, Dagonet, and Freya ). I now have 5 grandpuppies, 2 grandkitties.
Two days after I received my first ever royalty check, I adopted Darcy and Lizzy. Fitting names, I thought. And they resemble the characters. Lizzy is mischievous, yet loving, climbing up high as if she were in a tree. Darcy is extremely protective and loving. He has his shy side, which is clear when around some people, until he comes to know he can trust them.
My daughter by birth is Catie, and she is the dearest part of my life. Through her, I have 2 daughters by heart, Heather and Kristina. Through Heather and her awesome man, Stan, I have 4 amazing grandchildren, Purgi, Penne, Myles, and Persephene.
Besides my human family, I have a canine son, who is my service dog, Darcy. I also have 4 feline daughters (Salem, Lizzy, Dagonet, and Freya ). I now have 5 grandpuppies, 2 grandkitties.
Two days after I received my first ever royalty check, I adopted Darcy and Lizzy. Fitting names, I thought. And they resemble the characters. Lizzy is mischievous, yet loving, climbing up high as if she were in a tree. Darcy is extremely protective and loving. He has his shy side, which is clear when around some people, until he comes to know he can trust them.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 20, 2026
disappointed
This was one of the worse stories I’ve ever read by this author. It was done in a very piecemeal manner. She did not develop the storylines. Example Mrs Younge, Richard’s plan for following through re her antics. There were a lot of misspelled words and discrepancies about how Darcy met Bingley. For example, the author states that Darcy attended Oxford with Jackson character. However, later in the story, Darcy states he attended Harvard with Bingley. What a big error. I was very disappointed with this story. Not at all what I was used to from this author.
This was one of the worse stories I’ve ever read by this author. It was done in a very piecemeal manner. She did not develop the storylines. Example Mrs Younge, Richard’s plan for following through re her antics. There were a lot of misspelled words and discrepancies about how Darcy met Bingley. For example, the author states that Darcy attended Oxford with Jackson character. However, later in the story, Darcy states he attended Harvard with Bingley. What a big error. I was very disappointed with this story. Not at all what I was used to from this author.
December 15, 2025
Interesting
As an author with several books you would think to have your work edited. It throws off the flow. There are sentences with either the incorrect word or missing word. Also the wrong named was used for the child where the boy had climbed out the window.
I haven’t written a review on this issue before with the previous books purchased but by now I would expect improvement not the same issues.
As an author with several books you would think to have your work edited. It throws off the flow. There are sentences with either the incorrect word or missing word. Also the wrong named was used for the child where the boy had climbed out the window.
I haven’t written a review on this issue before with the previous books purchased but by now I would expect improvement not the same issues.
February 6, 2026
Interesting
A fanciful tale in which Elizabeth is the only survivor of a fire at an inn in Derbyshire when she's six years old. After her trauma she doesn't speak for two years, is an orphan, and is adopted when she's eight by the Gardiners. In Lambton to assist Mrs Gardiner's sick father, Darcy meets nineteen year old Elizabeth helping Mr Gardiner in a shop owned by his father-in-law. Darcy is instantly smitten, and before many weeks have passed Elizabeth accepts his proposal. Subsequent events and circumstances cause Elizabeth to regain her memories that have been suppressed since the fateful fire.
This is a light and fanciful story in which Elizabeth is everything wonderful, and Darcy just has to have her, even though she's working in a shop and her parents are tradespeople. This is, of course, completely OOC for our fastidious and cautious Darcy, but oh well. There are some pretty awful villains in the story, but they're also very peculiar. Mrs Younge, the sinister companion of Georgiana Darcy, makes some weird threats against Elizabeth, but that story thread is never resolved, it's just dropped. I like the premise, it's an original idea. However, the book could really use proofreading. There are a lot of glaring mistakes, such as saying more than once that Darcy graduated from Harvard University. There are many such errors, enough to interrupt the flow of the story. I recommend the book with reservations.
A fanciful tale in which Elizabeth is the only survivor of a fire at an inn in Derbyshire when she's six years old. After her trauma she doesn't speak for two years, is an orphan, and is adopted when she's eight by the Gardiners. In Lambton to assist Mrs Gardiner's sick father, Darcy meets nineteen year old Elizabeth helping Mr Gardiner in a shop owned by his father-in-law. Darcy is instantly smitten, and before many weeks have passed Elizabeth accepts his proposal. Subsequent events and circumstances cause Elizabeth to regain her memories that have been suppressed since the fateful fire.
This is a light and fanciful story in which Elizabeth is everything wonderful, and Darcy just has to have her, even though she's working in a shop and her parents are tradespeople. This is, of course, completely OOC for our fastidious and cautious Darcy, but oh well. There are some pretty awful villains in the story, but they're also very peculiar. Mrs Younge, the sinister companion of Georgiana Darcy, makes some weird threats against Elizabeth, but that story thread is never resolved, it's just dropped. I like the premise, it's an original idea. However, the book could really use proofreading. There are a lot of glaring mistakes, such as saying more than once that Darcy graduated from Harvard University. There are many such errors, enough to interrupt the flow of the story. I recommend the book with reservations.
December 29, 2025
Good story, but too many errors…..
If this is the revised version, I would hate to have seen the original.
The good: the basic plot, the interpretations of Darcy, Elizabeth, the Gardiners and Richard, and the non-appearance of the Bennets, Lady C, Mr. Collins and Wickham.
The not-so-good: repetition of quotations (such as “… polluting the shades of Pemberley”), the frequent statements of love and devotion for ODC and from Elizabeth to the Gardiners.
The ugly: the editing! There were incomplete sentences, misspelled words, incorrectly used words and other grammatical errors that significantly disrupted the story and reduced the reader’s enjoyment.
Worth reading if you can overlook the errors for the interesting plot. Suggest KU where possible.
If this is the revised version, I would hate to have seen the original.
The good: the basic plot, the interpretations of Darcy, Elizabeth, the Gardiners and Richard, and the non-appearance of the Bennets, Lady C, Mr. Collins and Wickham.
The not-so-good: repetition of quotations (such as “… polluting the shades of Pemberley”), the frequent statements of love and devotion for ODC and from Elizabeth to the Gardiners.
The ugly: the editing! There were incomplete sentences, misspelled words, incorrectly used words and other grammatical errors that significantly disrupted the story and reduced the reader’s enjoyment.
Worth reading if you can overlook the errors for the interesting plot. Suggest KU where possible.
January 13, 2026
I liked paets of this book others not so much.
It was hit and miss for me.
It was hit and miss for me.
July 10, 2026
Liked the premise, but needs better editor
I have enjoyed every one of this author‘s stories as she comes up with some fantastic ones to share with us. I am glad the story was available via KU.
The hard part is she could benefit from more beta readers and a diligent editor. I truly wanted to give this story a higher rating and would have except for the editing issues. Example of some of the issues were inconsistent details, repeated phrases, and a some grammatical issues. Many times I can overlook grammar issues as long as it doesn’t take me out of the story, unfortunately a couple of these did.
Now, for the actual story content, this is out of canon as Elizabeth is not a Bennet and her origin is in question until later in the story. She was found as a young six-year-old outside of a burning structure as she was the only survivor, no one knew who her family was. She was later adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and grew to be a loving, wonderful young lady. Darcy, upon meeting her quickly realizes she is the one for him. In this variation, we don’t have to deal with Lady Catherine, Mr. Collins, Wickham, or the Bennet family much. We do get a little more of Bingley & Caroline near the end.
Overall, as I said, I liked the premise of the story and enjoyed reading it except for the issues I mentioned. I’m glad I was able to borrow this via KU.
UPDATE: 7/9/26 AUDIOBOOK
The audiobook was well narrated by Benjamin Fife and made the book better & I believe that a few of the issues mentioned above were fixed.
I have enjoyed every one of this author‘s stories as she comes up with some fantastic ones to share with us. I am glad the story was available via KU.
The hard part is she could benefit from more beta readers and a diligent editor. I truly wanted to give this story a higher rating and would have except for the editing issues. Example of some of the issues were inconsistent details, repeated phrases, and a some grammatical issues. Many times I can overlook grammar issues as long as it doesn’t take me out of the story, unfortunately a couple of these did.
Now, for the actual story content, this is out of canon as Elizabeth is not a Bennet and her origin is in question until later in the story. She was found as a young six-year-old outside of a burning structure as she was the only survivor, no one knew who her family was. She was later adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and grew to be a loving, wonderful young lady. Darcy, upon meeting her quickly realizes she is the one for him. In this variation, we don’t have to deal with Lady Catherine, Mr. Collins, Wickham, or the Bennet family much. We do get a little more of Bingley & Caroline near the end.
Overall, as I said, I liked the premise of the story and enjoyed reading it except for the issues I mentioned. I’m glad I was able to borrow this via KU.
UPDATE: 7/9/26 AUDIOBOOK
The audiobook was well narrated by Benjamin Fife and made the book better & I believe that a few of the issues mentioned above were fixed.
May 7, 2026
Lovely story!
This is another “Lizzy is not a Bennet” story. However, Ms. Schertz has tied her (in a good way) to the Gardiners/Bennets as the Gardiners adopt Lizzy after she was placed in an orphanage after a devastating fire at an inn where her family was staying. She was the only survivor of the fire.
The Gardiners had moved to Lambton to assist Mrs. Gardiner’s father who suffered from a stroke (known as apoplexy in Regency times), and found Lizzy in the orphanage in a nearby town. They immediately adopted her and brought her back to Lambton.
There is not a whole lot of violence in the tale, and only Caroline Bingley shows up for a chapter to try to get her way. Needless to say it doesn’t work.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy stories on the lighter side.
This is another “Lizzy is not a Bennet” story. However, Ms. Schertz has tied her (in a good way) to the Gardiners/Bennets as the Gardiners adopt Lizzy after she was placed in an orphanage after a devastating fire at an inn where her family was staying. She was the only survivor of the fire.
The Gardiners had moved to Lambton to assist Mrs. Gardiner’s father who suffered from a stroke (known as apoplexy in Regency times), and found Lizzy in the orphanage in a nearby town. They immediately adopted her and brought her back to Lambton.
There is not a whole lot of violence in the tale, and only Caroline Bingley shows up for a chapter to try to get her way. Needless to say it doesn’t work.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy stories on the lighter side.
December 18, 2025
Enjoyed
I always have enjoyed reading the books by this author. The storyline is very good and Elizabeth and Darcy have their HEA. Lady Catherine and Wickham was just a mention in the book. But, there was another villain that had to be dealt with. There were some problems with editing but, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. Just keep writing these enjoyable stories and I will keep reading them!
I always have enjoyed reading the books by this author. The storyline is very good and Elizabeth and Darcy have their HEA. Lady Catherine and Wickham was just a mention in the book. But, there was another villain that had to be dealt with. There were some problems with editing but, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. Just keep writing these enjoyable stories and I will keep reading them!
April 10, 2026
I really enjoyed this book, although...
I really liked this book and would have. finished it in one sitting if sleep was not required! The only negatives were that I missed a scene or two with Aunt Catherine and the fact that there were so many miss types (almost one to a page!) that it became irritating to read. Otherwise, Good Job!
I really liked this book and would have. finished it in one sitting if sleep was not required! The only negatives were that I missed a scene or two with Aunt Catherine and the fact that there were so many miss types (almost one to a page!) that it became irritating to read. Otherwise, Good Job!
December 16, 2025
INTERESTING
This is a pretty sweet short story. Not as crazy as the author’s other stories. ODC get together early. Darcy is not arrogant. Most of the familiar villains are absent. There are several writing errors but I did find the story a nice read.
This is a pretty sweet short story. Not as crazy as the author’s other stories. ODC get together early. Darcy is not arrogant. Most of the familiar villains are absent. There are several writing errors but I did find the story a nice read.
April 23, 2026
interesting
This was an interesting story. Unfortunately, the editing was very poor. It is hard to read a story and have to fill in the words or make up your own sentences. Otherwise a different kind of story.
This was an interesting story. Unfortunately, the editing was very poor. It is hard to read a story and have to fill in the words or make up your own sentences. Otherwise a different kind of story.
December 30, 2025
Lovely
Another enjoyable and action packed variation inspired by Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice by Melanie Schertz. I liked it.
Another enjoyable and action packed variation inspired by Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice by Melanie Schertz. I liked it.
January 20, 2026
great story
Really no angst! No LcD, no Wickham, no bennets except Jane (at the end). Caroline only has a tiny part in which she’s her usual self, but Jane hits her!
Really no angst! No LcD, no Wickham, no bennets except Jane (at the end). Caroline only has a tiny part in which she’s her usual self, but Jane hits her!
March 3, 2026
Most Excellent Book
Quite a twist on the P&Ptrope but I truly really liked this one - danger, murder, love, fun, great stuff in this book .
Quite a twist on the P&Ptrope but I truly really liked this one - danger, murder, love, fun, great stuff in this book .
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews