The Darcy Brothers: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

by Abigail Reynolds

Theo Darcy is everything his disapproving elder brother, Fitzwilliam, is not—charming, easy-going, and full of fun. A tragic event as children severed their bond of friendship, but now they are together again. They are still at odds, though, this time over the love of Miss Elizabeth Bennet and the truth about George Wickham. Will Wickham manage to divide the brothers again? And more importantly, which Mr. Darcy will Elizabeth choose? Find out as the two brothers lock horns in this unique Pride & Prejudice variation collectively written by five respected authors. The Darcy Brothers was first conceived as an interactive group writing project and has developed into a full-length novel featuring the charismatic Theo Darcy. A sweet Regency romance for all lovers of Pride and Prejudice.

Look for more about Theo on Facebook (www.facebook.com/theophilusdarcy), Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/book/show/23084952-...), and on The Darcy Brothers website (www.thedarcybrothers.com).

Praise for Abigail Reynolds “If you are unfamiliar with these riveting and romantic variations, they are retellings of Pride and Prejudice that take our beloved hero and heroine down a slightly altered path. Abigail Reynolds, one of my favorite Austenesque authors, is a skilled-story teller, an ardent admirer of Jane Austen, and quite proficient at infusing a lot of emotion, tension, and passion into her stories!” Austenesque Reviews

“If romantics can overlook the subversion, they should enjoy witnessing Elizabeth as an industrious and caring wife, administering to Pemberley's tenants, learning how to be an equestrian and growing to love that perplexing Darcy.” Publishers Weekly

Praise for Cassandra Grafton “This book is a total delight for anyone who is a fan of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, Regency romance and... oh, just romance in general. Ms Grafton writes beautifully and has a descriptive style that can make small things into beautiful wonders.” Tess Quinn, Goodreads

“Through witty dialog and beautiful Regency language, this book is in the style of Jane Austen herself. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It ranks among the best of the Austenesque novels that I have read.” More Agreeably Engaged

Praise for Maria Grace “Grace has quickly become one of my favorite authors of Austen-inspired fiction. Her love of Austen’s characters and the Regency era shine through in all of her novels.” Diary of an Eccentric

“A great read for any Jane Austen fan-fiction lover. With great characters, witty writing, and a swoon-worthy romance, Maria Grace’s Given Good Principles series is a solid addition to your bookshelf.” Austenprose

Praise for Monica Fairview “This novel stands very well on its own as a Regency Romance, but for the Janeites among its readers it’s important to know how well Monica Fairview treats the beloved characters from Pride and Prejudice.” All About Romance

“Infused with humor … Fairview has proven again why she was my top choice of Austenesque debut authors of 2009.

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Regency, Historical Romance

399 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Abigail Reynolds may be a nationally bestselling author and a physician, but she can’t follow a straight line with a ruler. Originally from upstate New York, she studied Russian and theater at Bryn Mawr College and marine biology at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole. After a stint in performing arts administration, she decided to attend medical school, and took up writing as a way to retain her sanity during her years as a physician in private practice.

A life-long lover of Jane Austen’s novels, Abigail began writing variations on Pride & Prejudice in 2001, then expanded her repertoire to include a series of novels set on her beloved Cape Cod.Her most recent releases are A Matter of Honor, Mr. Darcy's Enchantment, and Conceit & Concealment. Her books have been translated into six languages. A lifetime member of JASNA, she lives on Cape Cod with her husband, her son and a menagerie of animals. Her hobbies do not include sleeping or cleaning her house.

Reviews

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars: I am only guessing at the date of the first read as I first read this as it was published chapter by chapter and offered the readers a chance to give their opinions as to what should happen next. 5-2-2020: rereading.

This is the only story (for me) in which the readers participated in directing the paths the story would take as each segment was posted on a blog. It was interesting to read the various opinions and reasons for each and the final outcome of the ballots.

As I read this for a second time I found this story to be a very heartwarming one. Emphasis on the relationship between the Darcy siblings led each to realize aspects of their characters which needed correcting...and aspects of their siblings' characters which they needed to paid heed to and also some which they should emulate and/or acknowledge.

Fitzwilliam Darcy has a younger brother, Theophilus aka Theo, as well as their sister, Georgiana. Another younger brother died due to an accident when the boys were young and the guilt/blame associated with that plays a part in the relationship between Fitzwilliam and Theo. This story begins as Theo and Fitzwilliam ("Prince William" to Theo) are on their way to Rosings. Theo is not usually the one who accompanies his brother, but the Colonel is unavailable. Theo finds his aunt's criticisms and corrections hard much to bear. Ramsgate has already happened and Theo admits he is partly to blame for Wickham's behavior there. You see, Wickham and Theo have been good friends until that point and now Theo has separated himself from that relationship as he realizes that man's intentions were not born out of love for Georgiana. Darcy has also spent time in Hertfordshire and met Elizabeth Bennet. They find Elizabeth visiting the Collinses at Hunsford.

As this tale develops Theo and others come to recognize Fitzwilliam's feelings for Elizabeth Bennet and they all have to "put their finger in the pie" so to speak. However, they soon come to realize that the lady is not of the same feelings as Fitzwilliam so they try to influence her opinion also.

Anne de Bourgh's recovery from her "illness" is based on the discovery that the "medication" the doctor has "prescribed" for her is based on opium and they help to secretly wean her from that. Having been in a drugged state for many years has not given Anne the chance to learn proper behavior among society and so we read of Anne's "improper" acts and speech and her rebellion against her mother's wishes for her life.

Theo has a career, in law, and that comes into play. Darcy finally observes him in action and realizes that Theo is talented in his profession. The story uses those legal talents to solve a family dispute late in the story.

Both Theo and Elizabeth suffer injuries in parts of this story. It was Theo's accident and his aunt medicating him with Anne's medicine that led to the knowledge of that medication's effects. Then when Elizabeth is also injured and a London doctor is called upon to treat her we find Lady C. interfering with his directions to Elizabeth's determent.

There are some new characters in this story. Theo has another friend, Monty, who becomes involved in the action. Wickham's dallying with women comes into play when he elopes and pressure is put upon him to marry Lydia.

I enjoyed this story and recommend it to other JAFF lovers.

[Ceri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was first published at Leatherbound Reviews: http://leatherboundreviews.blogspot.c...

Last year, on the Austen Variations website, a serial story was posted, with the authors taking turns in posting chapters. At the end of the chapter there was a poll which gave the readers a choice in the direction of the story. This must have been such a challenge for the authors involved, picking up the threads of the story where somebody else has left it, and having to follow the readers’ choice of direction rather than the writer’s own muse. I read most of the challenge as it was being posted and was therefore really interested to see this published version of ‘The Darcy Brothers’ by Monica Fairview, Maria Grace, Cassandra Grafton, Susan Mason-Milks and Abigail Reynolds.

This is a variation on ‘Pride & Prejudice’ where the variation is a change to Darcy’s family. Here, he has a brother two years younger than himself, Mr Theophilus Darcy. The Darcy brothers unfortunately do not have the closest of brotherly bonds, and Theo has become Darcy’s scapegoat for a number of events including Georgiana’s failed elopement with Wickham, as Theo accompanied her to Ramsgate and was very close to Wickham. Darcy is paying his annual visit to Lady Catherine and has decided to take his brother with him, to keep him out of trouble. Darcy and Theo have a very unhealthy relationship at the start of this story. Theo craves his brother’s approval, but also derives great enjoyment from needling and annoying him, and a perverse pleasure in proving all his brother’s worst suspicions correct. At the beginning of the book I really didn’t like the side in each other that the brothers provoked (because anybody with siblings will know that they can bring out the absolute worst in you!); Darcy was more humourless, intolerant and unpleasant than I am used to, and Theo, while being amenable to others, was quite childish in his provoking manner. I found his childishness towards Lady Catherine much more amusing though:

‘Dipping a quill in ink, he began a sketch of his aunt with fangs and bat wings, then neatly labelled it ‘The Old Bat’.’

Theo has very keen powers of observation and is quite sure that something is wrong with his brother, who has, unbeknown to Theo, travelled to Kent under the spectre of dread that Caroline Bingley has put into his head that Elizabeth may have married Mr Collins. Being a person with an enquiring mind, and having nothing else to do in the country, Theo has decided to try and puzzle out what is preying on his brother’s mind:

‘A plan began to take shape in his head. True, it would mean undertaking several of his least favourite things – awakening early in the morning, attempting to be polite to his aunt and avoiding annoying his brother – but sometimes sacrifices must be made.’

Once Theo is on the case, it doesn’t take long for him to come to some quite accurate conclusions regarding his brother’s feelings, but unfortunately Darcy isn’t blessed with the same level of success in determining people’s feelings and he isn’t sure if Theo also has feelings of admiration towards Elizabeth. Elizabeth has even less reason to think well of Darcy in this variation, as she sees him add mistreatment of his brother to his list of crimes, not realising that Theo is extremely provoking to his sibling. With so much pushing them apart, is there a way towards happiness for Darcy and Elizabeth? And can the Darcy brothers ever bridge the gap between them and be brothers in more than name?

I thought this was an interesting idea for a variation because on the face of it, Darcy having a brother shouldn’t make much difference to his relationship with Elizabeth unless he directly interferes, but of course, having a different family dynamic would make Darcy a different person, and he is a sorely-tried man with a brother like Theo. The root cause of this isn’t Theo’s fault, he has been blamed unfairly by Darcy for a number of events, but he has perversely exacerbated the problem as much as possible, because, like his brother, he is a proud man, and will not admit that he wants his brother’s respect and love so their relationship has evolved into a bit of a vicious circle.

While at Rosings we see a very different side to Anne de Bourgh. I really enjoyed Anne’s character, and have never seen one quite like it in my Austenesque reading. Having been so secluded from society, Anne hasn’t learned the boundaries required for polite society, and is extremely outspoken and headstrong (I wonder where she gets that from?!), which I found very entertaining. She also wants to ‘help’ Darcy’s courtship of Miss Bennet, for her own reasons. I also liked the new character of Theo’s good friend, the genial man-mountain Sir Montgomery Preston.

Through the trials and tribulations they face, we see the Darcy brothers draw closer together and overcome the obstacles to true brotherhood that they’ve placed between them; it’s lovely to see them becoming closer and as they do, you can see Darcy changing to become more like the character that we know and love, and as Darcy changed I enjoyed the story more and more. This is a less romantic variation than some as the focus is more on the brothers, particularly Theo, but it was entertaining and interesting. There was a really interesting section relating to how wounds were dealt with which was fascinating to compare to medicine today. I was also interested to see whether having this many authors would lead to changes in style throughout the book, but reading the published version I don’t think I’d have realised that there were so many authors involved in creating the story if I hadn’t have known the fact.

I don’t know whether it’s intended for this story to have a sequel but I think there is definite scope for it, and I’d love to read it if one is written. I would like to see what happens to Theo after the close of our tale! I’d recommend this to Austenesque readers, and I’d rate it as a 4½ star read.

*I was provided with a copy of this book to review for Leatherbound Reviews.

[J. W. Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

An heir and a spare, Darcy has a brother: 4.5 stars

Authors: Monica Fairview, Maria Grace, Cassandra Grafton, Susan Mason-Milks, Abigail Reynolds

We are introduced to another Darcy sibling, Theophilus [Theo] Darcy, younger brother to Fitzwilliam and older brother to Georgiana. Only someone who has siblings can relate to the Darcy family dynamics of older to younger siblings. For Georgiana, she now has to deal with two older brothers in addition to her cousin, our dear Colonel, who shares joint guardianship of her. Poor girl.

This story is fraught with drama machinations, intrigue, subterfuge, filial loyalty, misplaced guilt, anger, frustrations, distrust and any other feelings known to man.

Rosings Park, Kent: Lots happening here. I cannot believe Lady Catherine’s continued machinations regarding Darcy marrying Anne, her treatment of her own child [which will come back to haunt her], and her treatment or rather ill treatment of an injured Elizabeth was astounding to say the least.

The accident: Who fired the shot? Are we sure? That thread was sort of left hanging. I believe our authors missed an opportunity for our dear Colonel to examine the bullet and determine the kind, and the type of gun that was used to fire it. Just a thought. It could have been someone else completely. We know a certain political figure here, [who shall remain anonymous], that was pretty wild with his gun as they hunted quail, [to the detriment of his lawyer].

The de Bourgh Will: Sir Lewis de Bourgh’s Will has created a snafu that will be felt for years. Now we have, as one Darcy brother so eloquently put it, two harpies at each other’s throat. Help us all.

Fitzwilliam Darcy: as the older brother he has felt the greatest responsibility for his family. We learn there was another sibling that died young and his loss is still painful to each sibling. Fitzwilliam feels the guilt most profoundly as he was the oldest and should have prevented it. Even though he was a mere child himself at the time. Also, we are in his head a lot and…at times this was tedious and I felt for him as he journeyed through the process of learning to let go of his feelings and to trust his younger brother. Elizabeth helped him in his journey and he changed a lot under her influence. It was difficult to change ingrained habits and to become a man worthy of the love of a good woman.

Theo Darcy: what younger brother doesn’t feel the coolness when walking in the shade of an older brother. With the death of their parents and sibling, Fitzwilliam went from older brother/friend/playmate to father figure within a short period of time. Plus, Theo’s unfortunate friendship with, guidance and influence from none other than… Wickham, created a foundation for all the mistrust, frustrations and anger from said older brother. And then we have Theo’s propensity to fill the requirements of a pesky brother. He cannot help himself from pushing all those buttons that sends his taciturn brother into fits and his teeth on edge. That is what younger brothers do. They can’t help it. In this sense, Theo also suffers from the middle child syndrome, forever lost between two siblings who get all the attention.

Georgiana: being the younger sister has given her a different perspective. She had just regained her equilibrium, after recovering from her Ramsgate debacle, when she sees Wickham in town. And now, he is causing trouble for her brothers and Elizabeth’s family. Her maturity springs forth in so many ways and yet, she is frustrated as her brothers continue to treat her like as though she were still a child. That has always been the struggle of younger siblings.

Elizabeth Bennet: has arrived at Kent for a relaxing visit her good friend Charlotte Collins nee Lucas at the Huntsford Parsonage. Misunderstandings galore, accidents all around and confusion frustrates our dear girl to her limits. Every opportunity to importune her is taken by all the gentlemen involved in this fiasco of love triangles or quartet. A windblown bonnet, a skittish horse, a near blind games-keeper, drugged induced cousins, a chaos of confusion, confessions of love, and sneaky underhanded dealings, contribute to a very bad visit indeed. Lady Catherine’s control or lack thereof, doctors with opposing procedures, and a Darcy cousin’s mischievous actions, force our dear couple into a compromise of epic proportion.

Wickham: This guy is simply himself and looking for a way to extract money from the Darcy coffers. His feelings of entitlement are even more elevated than canon. When he hears of the recent nuptials of one Fitzwilliam Darcy with the lovely Elizabeth Bennet, he immediately attempts to ruin the reputation of one of the Bennet sisters. He hopes Darcy will fork over a living worthy of his position in life in order to squelch the scandal. He feels that he was raised to be a gentleman, received a gentleman’s education, but was not given the means to be one. Note: Theo pointed out to Wickham that he could have studied the law with him and been a barrister by then. However, Wickham couldn’t be bothered with studying and instead… spent his time gambling away his funds and seducing women.

Lydia: I have never seen her portrayed in this manner… or to this degree, as she was beyond reach, redemption or salvation. Her attitude and behavior was reprehensible to say the least. Nothing that was said to her made even the slightest dent in her resolve and determination to have Wickham as her husband. Her demeanor was absolutely disgusting and crossed every line of propriety, decorum and comportment. She was little better than a light-skirt in her flirting and coquettish looks. Disgusting. She had no concern for what her actions had done to her reputation, the shame inflicted on her family, the harm to the reputations of her remaining sisters, or the threat to the upcoming nuptials of Jane and Elizabeth. She didn’t care. She would have him.

The angst was real and difficult to read and took a long time to resolve. Once the problems were dealt with and the brothers reach a better understanding of each other, the action moved along at a faster clip. It was good to see when Darcy realized that he needed Theo, or when he saw Theo do something that was good and for no reward for himself. It was like he was surprised.

I loved the parts where Theo was in the courtroom. His interactions with his friends, especially Sir Monty, was a fun story. What happened with Monty? What about Anne and her quest for a new life? What happened to Georgiana? The Epilogue handled a few things, but many threads were left hanging. Is there another book? What happened with Wickham and Lydia? There has to be a follow up…doesn’t there?

[Sam H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the first Abigail Reynolds book I really liked. After the last books I read were duds (different authors), this was a more light-hearted non-canon variation.
Especially surprising was that it is all story driven. It wasn't one of her vehicles for (ahem) "loving", it has new characters, a touch of women's expecting to be accepted for their minds and Elizabeth actually was not the main, main thing of the story because there was other stuff going on.

[Anna]

Quick summary: The Darcy Brothers is a collaborative retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice by Monica Fairview, Maria Grace, Cassandra Grafton, Susan Mason-Milks, and Abigail Reynolds. Fitzwilliam and Theophilus Darcy barely tolerate one another but embark on a trip together to visit their Aunt Catherine at Rosings, at the same time that Elizabeth Bennet is visiting her friend, Mrs. Collins, at the parsonage. It’s not long before Theo meets Elizabeth and is entranced, and Elizabeth is surprised that Theo is much more charming and amiable than his older brother. But even as Elizabeth learns that William is not as proud and arrogant as she initially thought, she can’t help but notice the rift in the brothers’ relationship, and she wants nothing more but for them to reconcile.

Why I wanted to read it: I’ve enjoyed several books by Monica Fairview, Maria Grace, and Abigail Reynolds, so I couldn’t resist. Plus, I’ve heard Theo is a charmer, and I wanted to meet him.

What I liked: Giving Darcy a younger brother who is everything he is not and who immediately captivates Elizabeth puts a wrench in his plans to win her over. The authors’ portrayal of Anne de Bourgh is hilarious, from her outspokenness and her scheming to her ability to perfectly tie a cravat. Theo is a fantastic character, and his complicated relationship with Darcy ensures the novel is not just another romantic retelling of Pride and Prejudice. But what I loved the most is that the narrative is seamless and the voices are consistent, despite having multiple authors.

What I disliked: Nothing, except that I had to say goodbye to Theo before I was ready, and I wanted to know how things played out for Anne.

Final thoughts: The Darcy Brothers is a novel full of misunderstandings and schemes, with the right balance of humor and heaviness. It’s easy to fall in love with Theo, who has the easy charm of Mr. Wickham, the amiability of Mr. Bingley, the goodness and honor of the Darcys, and of course, a touch of mischief. I hope it’s not the last we see of him!

Review posted on Diary of an Eccentric

I received a free copy of this book for review.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so love Theo. We need another book with Theo in it. I love the idea of Darcy having a younger mischievous brother (or 2). I also love Anne in this one. Poor Anne who has been drugged by her mother her entire life and has no idea how to operate in the world once she comes out of that stupor.

The story - the dialogue in particular is outstanding. Elizabeth is witty, F. Darcy is broody, Georgie uses her voice.

[Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation

TIME FRAME: Just before Easter, Darcy’s arrival at Rosings.

MAIN CHARACTERS: Fitzwilliam Darcy, Theo Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, Anne de Bourgh, Georgiana Darcy, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Colonel Fitzwilliam, George Wickham

WHY I WANTED TO READ THIS NOVEL:

- It’s a multiple-author-collaboration! Last book I read like this was Pride and Prejudice: The Scenes Jane Austen Never Wrote, and I loved it!

- I was super interested in this premise: What if Mr. Darcy had a younger brother?

- As a big fan of the authors working together on this project…of course I wanted to read it!

WHAT I LOVED:

- THEO!: Oh yes! It should come as no surprise that Theo’s character is one of my favorite elements of this novel! A fun-loving, charming, and presumed ne’er-do-well, who excels at getting under his big brother’s skin! Perfect! He brought a lot of mischief and levity to this novel which was fun to witness. But at the same time he has a lot of depth and dimension. I greatly enjoyed learning more about his life as a barrister and seeing him in action in court, something you don’t often see in an Austenesque novel.

- Family History and Complex Relationships: With Theo comes a different Fitzwilliam Darcy. He is the older brother to more than one sibling and a family tragedy that occurred years ago greatly shapes these siblings and their relationship with each other. Darcy carries much more weight and responsibility, he is even more overly protective and controlling. He is often very harsh with Theo – always misunderstands him and assumes the worst of his carefree sibling. At the same time, Theo doesn’t see his brother’s concern for what it is, and believes Fitzwilliam doesn’t trust or have any faith in him. Theo feels the need to prove himself and painfully craves approval or a kind word from his older brother. Both brothers carry guilt from the past and their contrasting personalities make their relationship very complex and challenging. Wow! I most definitely enjoyed this look at sibling relationships and the emotional effects they can have on a person.

- Harmonious Writing: I really could not tell this book was written by five different authors! The characters were aligned and consistent, and the writing style and voice very much in accord throughout the whole story! What’s even more surprising is, even though I’ve read multiple works by these authors individually, I was often not able to decipher who wrote each chapter. Truly a harmonious and well-blended collaboration! And when you consider that this was written in serial format as a reader’s choice project, it is all the more an impressive and admirable feat!

- Original and Developed Characters: It is always interesting when new players enter the ring! Besides Theo, readers are introduced to Sir Montgomery Preston, Theo’s closest friend. (Would love to see a sequel about the exploits of Theo and Monty together! Full of scrapes and a mad-cap adventures. :)) In addition, the character of Anne de Bourgh receives a good amount of attention and development in this variation. The direction these authors took with Anne was very interesting to see, I could definitely understand her having a similar personality to her mother underneath that sickly constitution. :)

WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:

- Very Eventful: Introducing a new key-player was most effective in changing the course of Pride and Prejudice. But there were many additional elements and alterations that also took place in this variation, such as a shooting accident, a plan to entrap a couple in a compromising situation, and many hastily decided journeys and departures. Sometimes it felt a little too eventful or helter-skelter for my taste. I wouldn’t have minded more time with just Theo and Darcy. (Who wouldn’t, right?) ;)

CONCLUSION:

An inventive and enthralling tale of family, forgiveness, and reformation! Much applause and praise to this talented team of writers who collaborated together so splendidly on The Darcy Brothers! This is a definite must-read for readers who can never get enough Pride and Prejudice variations!

[Anji · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE DARCY BROTHERS - FALLING IN LOVE WITH THEO ALL OVER AGAIN!!

Like many people in the JAFF community, I first met and fell in love with Theophilus Darcy around two years ago. What is now this novel was being published in weekly instalments on the Austen Variations website. The different authors took a different chapter each week and sometimes even collaborated on the same chapter. If that wasn't enough of a challenge, there was a reader's poll at the end of each instalment to decide where the storyline went next, so the authors weren't even sure what was going to happen themselves. By the end, it was hard to remember that canon Darcy doesn't have a brother! I have to say that the authors did a fantastic job then, and also with the final published work. As it's been a couple of years since this was a WIP, it was lovely to read it all as a complete novel instead of waiting for the latest chapter to turn up in my Inbox once a week. I get the impression that the storyline has since been tightened up in places which is no bad thing.

So, what if Darcy had a younger brother? Their relationship isn't at all good at the start of the novel where Theo, not Colonel Fitzwilliam, is traveling to Rosings with his brother. There are tragedies in their family history for which Darcy has unjustly blamed Theo, including the incident at Ramsgate, thus explaining why their relationship is the way it is. The storyline diverges from canon pretty quickly after the start and at one point early on, it seems that Theo may even be a rival to Darcy for the affections of a certain Miss Elizabeth Bennet!

All of the usual suspects are present at Rosings and Hunsford. We get an interesting interpretation of why Anne de Bourgh is like she is and later in the story her change gives rise to some great comedic moments. The action eventually transfers to London and we also meet Theo's friend Monty. The best way I can think to describe Theo is that he's Wickham with all of the bad bits removed. Charming, gregarious and handsome; everything his older brother isn't (apart from the handsome bit, of course!). Wickham and Lydia eventually make their appearance with some tragic consequences.

Enough with the spoilers now though. I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading this and falling in love with Theo all over again and I really hope that there may be a sequel one day. Theo's friend Monty could also do with some more page time.

I cane recommend this for all audiences as there's nothing of an explicit sexual nature.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darcy arrives at Rosings not knowing if Elizabeth Bennet is the new Mrs. Collins. But it is his brother that Elizabeth first meets. Can their be two brothers so different. Who will have the happy ending if any with Elizabeth, and what about Theo Darcy's friend Wickham. Can he cause any problems. With Theo and the Colonel in the picture how anyone cannot pick either of then is beyond me, though I expect Elizabeth is too like them for it to work.
An enjoyable well-written variation

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very excited to get the opportunity to read this one in its entirety after reading it as a serial. It's rather a fun and unique undertaking in that the author's wrote it as part of a Reader's Choice weekly installment. Each segment would finish with a vote for readers to choose one of a few options and that would be the direction of the following week's story installment. Now doesn't that rouse your curiosity? It roused mine.

The story opens with Fitzwilliam Darcy regretting his impulse to drag his younger brother along to his annual spring visit to their aunt and cousin and work on estate matters. William finds Theo's playful, boisterous and sociable nature trying and he seethes over the trouble it has caused their family in the past. Theo was involved a family tragedy taking their youngest brother and most recently Theo was there when a former friend nearly seduced and eloped with their sister. William felt it like a betrayal because he had already tried to tell Theo that George Wickham couldn't be trusted. Now, he has his brother along hoping to repair some of the distance between them while they visit their family. Unfortunately, Theo seems bent on antagonizing him more than ever and William already has his recent meeting with a young woman he is attracted to, but needs to forget to leave him agitated without Theo prodding him.

Theo once looked up to his older brother and thought of them as friends even though William was always more serious and keen about things like duty, but ever since the death of Sebastian, William has pushed him away and treated him like an irresponsible child. Theo is an accomplished barrister, has a way with people and is well respected, but William sees none of this. It's a hardship to even be in his brother's stuffy presence, but particularly now. Prince William has something more than his ire with Theo making him broodier and pricklier than usual. Upon reaching their aunt's estate and visiting with the pretty, vivacious guest of his aunt's parson, Theo has an inkling what or rather who has his brother agitated. Can his stodgy older brother be pining after a woman beneath him in station who seemingly wants nothing to do with the wealthy, handsome Master of Pemberley? Theo still loves his brother in spite of their differences and finally sees a way to prove himself his brother's friend and make up for the things William blames him for. Theo puts his investigative powers to work and sets out to do some matchmaking with the aid of two of his cousins and his sister. Only as usual, things get mixed up and his brother is angrier than ever when he thinks Theo is setting himself up as rival for the lovely Elizabeth Bennet's affections or later, when he thinks Theo has ruined his chances with the lady. And in the shadows lurks Wickham who would love to get a spot of revenge and comeuppance against the Darcy brothers who he blames for thwarting his attempt to snag their sister's dowry.

This was a fun romp that was laced with humor, heartwarming moments, romance and a little dash of danger to make things interesting. This one has the flavor of Jane Austen's most popular novel though it goes off in new intriguing directions much of the time. The book read very quickly for all its pages and the pacing was nice. Action and dialogue were tight with the plot development not going deep, but lightly engaging.

Normally, I am all over the swoony romance of a story. However, in this case, while I liked the difficult romance between William and Elizabeth, it was the need for reconciliation and growth between the brothers that had the biggest attraction. In fact, I felt the romance took a backseat. The brothers are opposites and they really don't understand each other. They don't communicate well which leads to a lot of miscues and misunderstandings. They both want the same thing, but don't seem to know how to go about it and then they seem to do better with a few relapses when William got stormy and Theo got pouty.

There are a few story threads swirling around this family. As I said, the brothers' reconciliation was my favorite part, but the romance was there too. The romance, just like the relationship between brothers, was dependent on William's growth and attempt to open up and let others see what he is thinking and feeling. Seeing William amongst his friends and family leads Elizabeth to ponder the fact that she might have got this man wrong for the most part after the disastrous first impression he left with her although he still is maddeningly arrogant and set in his ways.

The romance wasn't told in isolation in that all William's relations seemed to have their hand in matchmaking. Some of it was pretty funny and got madcap at times especially when eccentric Cousin Anne took a hand. This leads me to point out that the secondary characters were colorful and engaging. I had a good time with Theo's friend, Sir Monty and the Fitzwilliam cousins, Anne and the Colonel.

The danger element with Wickham plotting against the family actually worked to unite the brothers even as before it had driven a wedge between them. Theo learns to respect William's judgment and protective instincts and William learns to trust in Theo's abilities to handle a crisis. I loved seeing them both in action and finally working together.

In summation, this was a lovely story of family reconciliation and sweet romance told with a lot of warmth and humor. I would recommend it for those who enjoy Austenesque stories and sweet Historical Romance.

My thanks to the authors for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Barbara K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review April 30, 2021

I first read this Pride and Prejudice variation in February of 2020, at a time when I was sick in bed with COVID-19.

This is an unusual novel in that it was written by five people! Collaboration in fiction writing is a mystery to me, and five people working on one novel-length story seems almost miraculous to someone who loves to work in solitude. So that alone impresses me. The authors are Monica Fairview, Maria Grace, Cassandra Grafton, Susan Mason-Milks, and Abigail Reynolds.

The story itself introduces a new character, Mr. Darcy's younger brother Theophilus, who is a young barrister, but who has a personality almost the direct opposite of his older brother, and is something of a prankster, which annoys his brother no end. They have some deeper issues between them, a complex relationship, with some resentment on the older brother's part of Theo's past friendship with George Wickham. This story turns out to be not only a romantic P&P variation, but also a sorting out of the relationship between the two brothers, Darcy coming to terms with his envy of his younger brother's ability to make friends and charm Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and an attempt to free Anne de Bourgh from her mother's stifling, even dangerous, control.

The story begins with a carriage ride to Rosings, during which Theo drives William to distraction. This scene is repeated in a varied form, later in the story, in a way that I love. Highly recommended.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A variation on Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this one sees Darcy with a younger brother, Theo. Various misunderstandings ensue, such as Darcy thinking Theo has fallen in love with Elizabeth Bennet, etc. Most of the main characters (Jane, Bingley, Wickham, Lydia) and some more peripheral ones (Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr & Mrs Gardiner, and Mrs & Mrs Collins) make an appearance. Anne de Bourgh is given a bigger role in this book, but I find it difficult to believe that even someone with as sheltered an upbringing as Anne would risk Elizabeth's reputation in such a cavalier way. Overall, the book was a pleasant diversion but I wouldn't reread it.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you need another fix of Mr.Darcy after reading pride and prejudice, this is your book. He's perfect, that is all.

[James S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story

A really great story. I could not tell when one author stopped and the next began.

Things I liked :

How flawed all the Darcys were and how Lizzie facilitated their reconciliation.
New character, Monty. A great friend to Theo.
How the death of a young Darcy brother impacted the family and explained a lot about Fitzwilliam.
Theo and Wickham were like brothers, growing up, and how hard it was for Theo to acknowledge how Wickham turned out.
Cousin Anne turning out to be a Will Ferrel type movie character.
Darcy trying to change for Lizzie, Georgiana and Theo and not changing instantly and totally but kept on trying.
All the characters being imperfect and didn’t morph into perfect people. They all tried to improve and kept trying.
Lady Catherine being evil, never admitting it and pulling the wool over everyone.

I wish the epilogue would have mentioned kids for Lizzie and Darcy and some info how theo’s life turned out.

I recommend this book highly.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasure! This collaboration of the Austen Authors from Austenvariations.com has had me in stitches! Theo's antics are hilarious. Not to mention his referring to the great Lady Catherine Dr Bourgh as "the old bat". Absolutely hysterical!

[Victoria Kincaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written. Moves along. Gives Darcy a younger brother who is a great addition -- very interesting character. True to Austen's original characters. Very enjoyable.

[Anne (In Search of Wonder) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was good
(I felt like the characters' patterns of speech were very authentic, which is often not the case in Regency novels), but I couldn't get past the auxiliary characters trying to moralize Darcy into a relationship with Lizzie. Jane Austen let Darcy and Lizzie find their own way, and the only meddler who assisted them wasn't even trying to. This version came across like a Victorian morality tale (a la Louisa May Alcott) rather than a sparkling Regency novel.

[Dasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 estrellas

Ha estado bien pero al final se me ha hecho un pelín largo.
La relación entre los hermanos es, a veces, desesperante. Creo que por eso se me ha hecho tan cuesta arriba la lectura. Por lo demás, es un libro entretenido y, si eres fan de este tipo de adaptaciones de "Orgullo y prejuicio", lo recomiendo.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This list of editing oversights in the Kindle version of The Darcy Brothers is addressed to all five authors:

Page 7, did not auger well for his brother / did not AUGUR well for his brother ; 10, takes several days, hey brother? / takes several days, HEY, brother? ; 13, Conscious Darcy had thrown him / Conscious THAT Darcy had thrown him ; 18, you will let me know of course / you will let me KNOW, of course ; 23, To the either side of the doorway / TO EITHER side of the doorway ; 49, is it Darcy? / is IT, Darcy? ;

Page 52, invited the Collins's and their guests / invited the COLLINSES and their guests (plural of Collins) ; 56, "Mr. Collins," he said. "You are to be congratulated --." / 'MR. Collins,' he said. 'YOU are to be congratulated --.' " (from "Mr." to "congratulated" should be in SINGLE quotes, as this is a quote within a speech) ; 62, would temper his ;wildness,' when in fact / would temper his 'WILDNESS,' when in fact (change semicolon to single quote) ;

Page 62, Theo had towed the line / Theo had TOED the line (toe the line: act as one needs to act) ; 67, well some of it / WELL, some of it ; 71, any number of un-pleasantries / any number of UNPLEASANTRIES ; 71, grievous situation in our family. / grievous situation in our FAMILY? (concludes a question) ; 71, to Theseus steps / to THESEUS'S steps (possessive) ; 73, no, no he could not allow / no, NO, he could not allow ;

Page 74, blamed himself for everything:. / blamed himself for EVERYTHING: (remove period after colon) ; 74, my esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh recommended / my esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de BOURGH, recommended ; 75, startled his horse causing his fall / startled his HORSE, causing his fall ; 77, with only they as company / with only THEM as company (preposition "with" requires object pronoun "them") ;

Page 77, from the leather chaise lounge / from the leather chaise LONGUE (French for "long chair") ; 84, I insist you travel with it." / I insist you travel with it.' " (Lady Catherine's words to Mr. Collins should be enclosed by single quotes) ; 84, He drew in deep breath / He drew in A deep breath ; 87, to try and hear his words / to try TO hear his words ; 104, relief sweep over her / relief SWEPT over her ;

Page 105, back at Theo who nodded / back at THEO, who nodded ; 112, as too stupid ..." / as too STUPID ...?" (concludes a question) ; 119, Her words on leaving me were "I confess I feel a little strange." / Her words on leaving me were 'I confess I feel a little strange.' " (Anne's words to Theo should be in single quotes) ; 120, Oh Richard! / OH, Richard! ; 121, This will not avail us of much / This will not avail US MUCH (omit "of") ;

Page 123, what are we to do in life but improve ourselves. / what are we to do in life but improve OURSELVES? (this is a question) ; 124, aspect of social commitment. / aspect of social COMMITMENT." (needs end quote) ; 124, a turn about the garden. / a turn about the GARDEN? (concludes a question) ; 126, at his prostate cousin / at his PROSTRATE cousin ; 129, all her presence here meant / all THAT her presence here meant ;

Page 132, go to it man and may you enjoy / go to IT, MAN, and may you enjoy ; 136, Oh do go on, Lizzy. / OH, do go on, Lizzy. ; 138, on the chaise lounge / on the chaise LONGUE (ibid. p. 77) ; 140, on that account I imagine? / on that ACCOUNT, I imagine? ; 140, Underfed my arse. / UNDERFED, my arse. ; 140, I on the other hand will not / I, ON the other HAND, will not ; 141, to Fitzwilliam who frowned / to FITZWILLIAM, who frowned ;

Page 144, his cousin's avowal Theo had / his cousin's avowal THAT Theo had ; 147, your presence is required this morning. / your presence is required this MORNING." (needs end quote) ; 147, to make good our escape! / to make good our ESCAPE!" (needs end quote) ; 149, Oh this will be / OH, this will be ; 158, it had chance to secure / it had A chance to secure ; 168, another letter in different hand / another letter in A different hand ;

Page 185, Darcy sprung to his feet / Darcy SPRANG to his feet ; 193, being censored by society / being CENSURED by society ; 200, Come on Georgiana. / Come ON, Georgiana. ; 212, No thank you / NO, thank you ; 213, Was it morning already?" / Was it morning ALREADY? (not a quote) ; 217, Georgiana was dosing quietly / Georgiana was DOZING quietly ; 221, Darcy's frowned / DARCY frowned ;

Page 221, she said, her voice was becoming almost a whisper / she said, her VOICE BECOMING almost a whisper (omit "was") ; 227, as Darcy lay Elizabeth carefully / as Darcy LAID Elizabeth carefully ; 228, before proceeding to the Gardiners / before proceeding to the GARDINERS' (possessive; the Gardiners' [house] is implicit) ; 234, from the spectator's gallery / from the SPECTATORS' gallery (plural possessive) ;

Page 238, Relieved his brother / Relieved THAT his brother ; 241, Not with a causal gaze / Not with a CASUAL gaze ; 244, Yes, well it was some time ago / Yes, WELL, it was some time ago ; 246, Darcy has been trying / Darcy HAD been trying ; 248, About what dearest? / About WHAT, dearest? ; 251, arrived at the Gardiner's / arrived at the GARDINERS' (possessive; the Gardiners' [house] is implicit) ;

Page 252, insist their betrothal became a bond then / insist their betrothal BECOME a bond then ; 255, Yes, yes quite so / Yes, YES, quite so ; 255, when he railed at Mr. Darcy. / when he railed at Mr. DARCY? (this is a question) ; 256, Oh heavens, no! / OH, heavens, no! ; 254, I have four sisters remember / I have four SISTERS, remember ; 262, Then, she then lay back / Then, SHE LAY back (omit second "then") ;

Page 263, by Lady Catherine' wholly inaccurate / by Lady CATHERINE'S wholly inaccurate ; 274, well perhaps not a pint / WELL, perhaps not a pint ; 277, another creature all together / another creature ALTOGETHER ; 281, at the small mantle clock / at the small MANTEL clock ; 294, transported, not hung / transported, not HANGED ; 298, to try and put things right / to try TO put things right ;

Page 301, my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam and my friend / my cousin, Colonel FITZWILLIAM, and my friend ; 306, But could he see that -- no. / But could he see THAT? NO. ; 308, I cannot image your meaning / I cannot IMAGINE your meaning ; 312, Oh Lord! / OH, Lord! ; 312, Oh very well. / OH, very well. ; 316, Oh la! / OH, la! ; 36, Oh it could be delightful! / OH, it could be delightful! ;

Page 317, both a Miss Lucas and a Miss Long? / both a Miss Lucas and a Miss LONG. (not a question) ; 318, Al-though the language / ALTHOUGH the language ; 323, She was an heiress after all. / She was an HEIRESS, after all. ; 327, said Lady Catherine at least sounding / said Lady CATHERINE, at least sounding ;327, over the years which is definitely / over the YEARS, which is definitely ;

Page 330, Oh I think he understands / OH, I think he understands ; 333, to finalize things. / to finalize THINGS." (needs end quote) ; 336, This is an unexpected visit? / This is an unexpected VISIT. (statement, not question) ; 341, "She was trembling, William," / "She was trembling, WILLIAM." (end sentence with period, not comma) ; 343, the reassurance she remained / the reassurance THAT she remained ;

Page 344, Lydia Bennet's spirits remained unimpaired / Lydia Bennet's spirits REMAIN unimpaired ; 352, being transported or hung / being transported or HANGED ; 360, "It has certain -- connotations. / "It has certain -- CONNOTATIONS." (needs end quote) ; 374, A moment of "levity" with your betrothed?" / A moment of 'LEVITY' with your betrothed?" (single quotes needed) ;

Page 377, cannot untie with your teeth. / cannot untie with your TEETH? (concludes a question) ; 378, has come as a result. / has come as a RESULT." (needs end quote) ; 379, has several sisters does he not? / has several SISTERS, does he not? ; 379, Do not forget, Fitzwilliam's sister / Do not FORGET FITZWILLIAM'S sister (omit comma) ; 380, Oh this was too rich! / OH, this was too rich! ;

Page 380, sour look he so desired, / sour look he so DESIRED? ( concludes a question) ; 384, al-though your plum pudding / ALTHOUGH your plum pudding ; 342, The Darcy Cousins on Georgiana Darcy / The Darcy Cousins FOCUSES on Georgiana Darcy .

The following inconsistencies should have been caught during editing: Pages 297 & 339, jail ; 331 (twice) & 342, jailor ; 307 & 348 (twice), gaol ; 350, gaoler .

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book since I have a tendency to love everything Pride and Prejudice and I recognized some of the authors. However, I felt this book didn't live up the hype and towards the end I just read it to finish it.

First, lets start with the things that I liked:
I loved the idea. Really, truly loved it. That was one reason I was so excited to pick it up. It would turn the whole Darcy family dynamic on it's head and I really thought it would make for a very interesting story.
Anne's subplot was very good too. Seeing that unfold was very clever and I liked seeing her come into her own. She was a bit wild but I thought it was believable given she spent nearly ten years in a drug induced state and once she was out of it she then had a lot of maturing to do.
Lastly, I liked Theo. I thought his liveliness was a good balance to Darcy's severity. He was a good main character and I did enjoy reading things through his perspective.

Okay, now for the things I didn't like:
Darcy. I'm sorry to say but I thought he came off as a grumpy brute. Yes, his character is proud and severe but I didn't think he changed much by the end rather than being more patient with his brother. He didn't seem more open or more gentlemanly by the end of the book. I just couldn't dig him like I do in other books where he really sees his own faults and does everything in his power to change.
I thought a lot of the minor character's were flat or just forgotten. Where was Mrs. Collins when Elizabeth got shot? Mr. Bennet never made an appearance anywhere in the book when Elizabeth was hurt or during Lydia's elopement. Also, Lydia came off too much of a twit. Yes, her main goal is to be married but she truly loved Wickham in the original and I believe Austen made reference that she was always faithful to him. Honestly it felt as if a lot of characters were flat which was such a disappointment.
Once last complaint, while there were a lot of authors working on this there really needed to be one, good editor. Darcy's siblings called him Fitz, Fitzwilliam, William and Will. All good and acceptable names but from my understanding it's better to have them all be consistent from chapter to chapter in what they call others. I could still follow along but it irritated me that they referred to him in so many different ways.

Over all I'd give it a 2.5 stars.

[Gail Frisby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

Glad things worked out and Darcy and Lizzy got their happy ending. Jane and Bingley ok, Theo and Richard lucky!

[Charity Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Yes, you read that right. There were FIVE authors that collaborated to write this book. I will say, from the beginning, if you are a Jane Austen aficionado and can't bare to see her books altered, this is NOT the story for you. However, if you enjoy a little imagination and fun, you may find this to be a delightful little tale!

What we have here is a story of Darcy and Darcy. Yep! Fitzwilliam (the one we all know and love - especially in Colin Firth form) and Theophilus , his younger brother. While the basic storyline of Pride and Prejudice remains in tact, overall it is quite changed. Of course, adding a character would do that to any story!

It's always fun to revisit Pride and Prejudice and you'll be delighted with the spin on each of these characters. At times, I felt it to be a little...choppy in its writing. I know that is because it is not one writer, but five. So, that is to be expected. It does not take away from the story at all. And, of course, I am of the opinion that you can never have enough Darcys!

You can visit these ladies, and all their fun stories, at: http://AustenVariations.com

If you would like to see my fun "face-off" with Maria Grace, just check it out at: www.aTransParentmom.wordpress.com

Find out about guilty pleasures, color wheel fashion choices, and much, much more!

Thanks to you all for this book. As always, this is my honest opinion. Looking forward to many more!

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this on Austenvariations.com before it is officially released in print and was in stitches the entire time! Book written by Abigail Reynolds, Monica Fairview, Cassandra Grafton and Susan Mason-Milks which flows so wonderfully that you cannot tell one author apart from another. I especially enjoyed the bonus chapters written in response to th critics who felt like things jumped too quickly in one chapter (and hence filled in the details and drew out Elizabeth's heart). Theo, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Anne and Elizabeth had me laughing constantly. Darcy has a younger brother Theo that was a close friend of Wickham until Ramsgate and thus they have a strained relationship, however, for Elizabeth's sake they will attempt to mend their relationship. Events start off in Hunsford where Darcy will be jealous of Theo's easy way with Elizabeth which causes him to become even more stiff and uncomfortable than he was in Hertfordshire...but when Theo decides Elizabeth is his best shot at getting his old brother back he will get Georgiana, Colonel Fitzwilliam and even Anne all conspiring to bring these two together even before Elizabeth gets to know the real Darcy. Comical read.

[Angela Clayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

As P&P knockoffs go, this was tolerable I suppose. (I would go 2.5 stars, but it's forcing me to go with whole stars). The fleshing out of the Anne storyline was a welcome addition, although I sorely hoped the author would cast Lady Catherine as a Munchausen Syndrome case. She came close, but not quite there. The addition of a brother shifted the focus to Darcy's immediate family which was interesting, but there were some gaps a good editor should have addressed. What kind of friend (Charlotte) disappears when her friend is shot, leaving her in the care of strangers? It just seemed as though she was forgotten in the mix. The end trip to Vauxhall was a nice addition and reminded me of the novels by Elizabeth Aston.

[Deborah]

I find it astounding that a book written by 5 authors, sometimes numerous authors for the same chapter, can be so cohesive. Add to that the authors didn't choose how the story went. Each author, when it was her turn had a few days to write a portion due to the fact that the readers chose how the story would go. and so, to those who says it doesn't follow canon, it was the fault of those who chose the direction of the story, myself included. It is a fun read with a newly added character, Darcy's younger brother, Theo. What a character he is.

[Teresita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darcy's brother is great

With quite different family dynamics, this story sheds light into how much Darcy was willing to change for Elizabeth. It also provides a new perspective into several characters, like Georgiana and Anne de Bourgh. Theo is delightful and the book is worth the money and the time.

[Andy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The character personalities are way too different and so many liberties taken that the book was barely recognizable. I didn't like the tone or the plot or the characters. Darcy was unappealing and they even managed to make Elizabeth annoying at times.

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took me nearly half the book to warm up to this P&P variation but once I did, I devoured the rest of the book quickly. It was unique having been written as an exercise by 5 writers.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned after reading this book that it was done by the collective set of authors each writing a chapter then having a set of 3 possibilities and readers voted on what happened. I think this is why certain parts of this story worked really well and others seemed like they fell flat. I did feel like the writers did a remarkably good job of having their voices sound harmonious. I didn't realize that it was written by so many different authors.

In the same interview where I read about how the book was written, there was also talk of doing a sequel to this book. Since it has been over 10 years, I'm not holding my breath for that to happen. I would definitely love to see the stories of these characters, like Anne, Theo, Georgiana, and the Colonel to continue.

This variation started just before the Easter trip to Kent, and adds a Darcy brother Theo coming along with Fitzwilliam to visit Lady Catherine.

Things that worked:
- Adding Theo as a mischievous, but heartfelt brother really helped to counter Darcy's stuffiness and add some levity. We also got to meet Theo's best friend Monty, and I could have seen them having fun adventures in a sequel!
- I always like a variation that gives Anne her due. I loved seeing her getting healthy and how after being sick for so long, she emerged with a mix of how she wasn't familiar with society's conventions as well as a little bit of her mother's stubbornness.
- Adding in the younger brother who tragically passed away as a child, and Darcy and Theo both having guilt and grief over that situation felt like something that could authentically cause the rift in their relationship, as well as to steer Darcy into his stern personality.
- I kind of liked the ending of Wickham living but being disfigured with an amputated arm. It felt like a better comeuppance for him and seemed like he would be less likely to swindle people.

Things that didn't work:
- Parts of the story felt overly dramatic, and I think that was a result of having readers vote on what would happen in the next chapter rather that mapping out a story arc.
- Elizabeth's shooting felt overly dramatic and unnecessary. They could have just had her have a normal injury if they wanted her to be in a situation where Darcy would nurse her.
- Having Anne lock Darcy & Elizabeth together in a room to force them to marry felt really anti-climatic. I felt like they were just starting to like each other, and I would have much rather seen how that played out than have this forced engagement thrust upon them.

[JenBsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read a P&P reimagining. And this was a READ, not a listen, borrowed from KindleUnlimited, text only. A "realistic" reimagining (nothing paranormal), set in the same time, same events (Darcy/Elizabeth's initial meeting). New twist is that Darcy and Georgie had two brothers, Theo and Sebastian. Sebastian died when he was very young in a tragic accident (years earlier).

This story starts at Rosings with Darcy (Fitzwilliam) and now Theo too, when Elizabeth is visiting Charlotte at the parsonage.

Looking at the other reviews, it looks like this was not only a collaborative effort between authors, but between audience as well? Written in portions, with the readers suggesting ways to go?

For me, it was just okay. Many of the familiar characters (Elizabeth and Darcy were fine) were a little over the top. Anne and Lydia especially. Many of the events too. The whole thing with Elizabeth getting shot, and Lady Catherine bringing in her own doctor ... and then no one noticing. Anne's "medicine" and her actions afterward. Everyone attempting to bring Darcy and Lizzy together. What happened to Wickham. Lydia's reactions - then that they DID get married still. It was just too much, couldn't get sucked in as I have with some of the other JAFF. I was glad when I was done.