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The Seasons at Pemberley #1
The First Winter at Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Romance
They had the love story. Now they have to build the marriage.
Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy arrive at Pemberley six weeks after their wedding — the great house rising against a grey Derbyshire sky, the household staff assembled in the entrance hall, the role of mistress waiting. Elizabeth performs it with grace. Darcy performs the role of husband with the same careful correctness he once performed the role of gentleman. They are both trying very hard.
But Darcy equates love with if he orders everything correctly, she will want for nothing. And Elizabeth, overwhelmed by the weight of the life she has stepped into, begins quietly keeping herself back. Neither of them names what is happening. Neither says it aloud.
The First Winter at Pemberley is a quiet, intimate post-canon Pride & Prejudice continuation — an Austen-faithful story of two proud, perceptive people learning, over one Derbyshire winter, what it actually means to see each other. Great for Jane Austen fans and book clubs.
Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy arrive at Pemberley six weeks after their wedding — the great house rising against a grey Derbyshire sky, the household staff assembled in the entrance hall, the role of mistress waiting. Elizabeth performs it with grace. Darcy performs the role of husband with the same careful correctness he once performed the role of gentleman. They are both trying very hard.
But Darcy equates love with if he orders everything correctly, she will want for nothing. And Elizabeth, overwhelmed by the weight of the life she has stepped into, begins quietly keeping herself back. Neither of them names what is happening. Neither says it aloud.
The First Winter at Pemberley is a quiet, intimate post-canon Pride & Prejudice continuation — an Austen-faithful story of two proud, perceptive people learning, over one Derbyshire winter, what it actually means to see each other. Great for Jane Austen fans and book clubs.
127 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 20, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 25, 2026
I think that this is one of the few sequels that are canon compliant that I have read where it is quite obvious that ODC do not in fact know each other very well. This is told from a 3rd person alternating perspective (mostly ODC but occasionally Georgiana who is remarkably observant and helpful to ODC) and they are very introspective and at times have sprinklings of dry wit - not necessarily intentional, but to the reader appears so.
When I first started reading, I did groan a bit at the reflection that once again, it was Darcy who still had some changing to do (he did) but not Elizabeth. Fret not, she has an epiphany (but in my opinion) only a partial one. We shall see how they evolve as spring approaches.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When I first started reading, I did groan a bit at the reflection that once again, it was Darcy who still had some changing to do (he did) but not Elizabeth. Fret not, she has an epiphany (but in my opinion) only a partial one. We shall see how they evolve as spring approaches.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 28, 2026
Six weeks after their love marriage the Darcys are to arrive at Pemberley. They soon discover that marrying for love is the one thing but making a marriage work is the other. Elizabeth is overwhelmed by the grandeur of the house and does not find her place among the routines established for years.
Darcy on the other hand is of the opinion that if he manages everything for his wife without asking her, it is the greatest possible sign of care he can show her. It does not occur to him that this behaviour may hurt his wife.
Will Elizabeth address what is bordering her? Will Darcy even realize that there is a problem? Or will going home to Pemberley destroy their young love?
The book is written by the author Claire Westbrook. It is her first Pride and prejudice variation and also the first of the The seasons at Pemberley series. The book is a sequel and therefore takes place after the events of Pride and Prejudice. It is a rather short variation (only 127 p.) but, in my opinion, nothing regarding the story was missing.
The author described the problems between Darcy and Elizabeth (she is not able to find her place in her new home and he manages her life because he confuses this with showing her his love) in an understandable way. I sometimes glimpsed parts of my own life (yes, in my opinion men are not always capable of seeing the elephant in the room until they are thrown before his feet and poked by it) and could therefore very well understand what was going on at Pemberley. I had only hoped that they would do what every couple should do - talk to one another.
I really liked Georgiana in this story. She is not overly talkative but she is really good at listening and observing. She is the first to see and correctly name the problem between her brother and his wife and she finally acts to get things in motion. Due to her actions and encouragement Darcy and Elizabeth finally acknowledge to themselves the problems and their part in it and eventually they honestly speak with one another to change things in future.
As the story takes place at Pemberley shortly after the wedding and the variation is only about their stay in winter, the people involved are also only a handful. Besides the permanent residences at Perberley like Darcy, Elizabeth, Georgiana and the staff there are only a handful of Darcy’s neighbours and later the Gardiners who make an occurrence.
There are no villains in the story. ODC are already married therefore any action to prevent a marriage is already a lost course. Besides, ODC is very capable of creating problems without a villain, they certainly have enough trouble without the interference of others.
There were some things I did not thoroughly enjoy while reading and which prompted me to give only four out of five stars.
First of all, the author often lets Darcy or Elizabeth repeat certain resolutions/thoughts, sometimes word by word. I am sure the author did it on purpose as a means of her writing style, but I was rather vexed by it after half of the book because it was not my cup of tea and, in my opinion, it was also too often used.
Secondly, and that is maybe the most important defect for me, I was feeling no love between Darcy and Elizabeth. They do not seem like a couple only married for six weeks. Where is the love, where is their passion, where is their happiness of finally being married? To me they seemed like they were already married for decades and are now in a
period of their marriage where the passion is gone and they have rather become friends than lovers. In my opinion that could have been done better.
And I was dearly missing Elizabeth whose courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate her. Yes, later there is an explanation why she acts the way she did but, in my opinion, after her behaviour at Hunsford where she tells Darcy everything she dislikes about him, I had at least thought she was capable of addressing the things that bother her.
If you like to know if Darcy and Elizabeth are able to overcome their problems in their first weeks of marriage you should read this book.
I recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Darcy on the other hand is of the opinion that if he manages everything for his wife without asking her, it is the greatest possible sign of care he can show her. It does not occur to him that this behaviour may hurt his wife.
Will Elizabeth address what is bordering her? Will Darcy even realize that there is a problem? Or will going home to Pemberley destroy their young love?
The book is written by the author Claire Westbrook. It is her first Pride and prejudice variation and also the first of the The seasons at Pemberley series. The book is a sequel and therefore takes place after the events of Pride and Prejudice. It is a rather short variation (only 127 p.) but, in my opinion, nothing regarding the story was missing.
The author described the problems between Darcy and Elizabeth (she is not able to find her place in her new home and he manages her life because he confuses this with showing her his love) in an understandable way. I sometimes glimpsed parts of my own life (yes, in my opinion men are not always capable of seeing the elephant in the room until they are thrown before his feet and poked by it) and could therefore very well understand what was going on at Pemberley. I had only hoped that they would do what every couple should do - talk to one another.
I really liked Georgiana in this story. She is not overly talkative but she is really good at listening and observing. She is the first to see and correctly name the problem between her brother and his wife and she finally acts to get things in motion. Due to her actions and encouragement Darcy and Elizabeth finally acknowledge to themselves the problems and their part in it and eventually they honestly speak with one another to change things in future.
As the story takes place at Pemberley shortly after the wedding and the variation is only about their stay in winter, the people involved are also only a handful. Besides the permanent residences at Perberley like Darcy, Elizabeth, Georgiana and the staff there are only a handful of Darcy’s neighbours and later the Gardiners who make an occurrence.
There are no villains in the story. ODC are already married therefore any action to prevent a marriage is already a lost course. Besides, ODC is very capable of creating problems without a villain, they certainly have enough trouble without the interference of others.
There were some things I did not thoroughly enjoy while reading and which prompted me to give only four out of five stars.
First of all, the author often lets Darcy or Elizabeth repeat certain resolutions/thoughts, sometimes word by word. I am sure the author did it on purpose as a means of her writing style, but I was rather vexed by it after half of the book because it was not my cup of tea and, in my opinion, it was also too often used.
Secondly, and that is maybe the most important defect for me, I was feeling no love between Darcy and Elizabeth. They do not seem like a couple only married for six weeks. Where is the love, where is their passion, where is their happiness of finally being married? To me they seemed like they were already married for decades and are now in a
period of their marriage where the passion is gone and they have rather become friends than lovers. In my opinion that could have been done better.
And I was dearly missing Elizabeth whose courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate her. Yes, later there is an explanation why she acts the way she did but, in my opinion, after her behaviour at Hunsford where she tells Darcy everything she dislikes about him, I had at least thought she was capable of addressing the things that bother her.
If you like to know if Darcy and Elizabeth are able to overcome their problems in their first weeks of marriage you should read this book.
I recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 25, 2026
This book, which takes place at Pemberley, a few weeks after Elizabeth and Darcy's wedding, is highly atmospheric and full of evocative prose, but to the point that I found myself paying more attention to the literary qualities of the prose than to the story being told. Elizabeth didn't seem quite in character, spending considerable time and energy trying to figure out what she was thinking and feeling, and not wanting to say anything about it to anyone. That struck me as greatly at odds with the Elizabeth of Hunsford, and since both settings involved Elizabeth's views of Darcy's attitude and behavior, that seemed particularly puzzling. There were a few other puzzling aspects, such as why the Bingleys had a tenant living in one wing of Netherfield (something we learn about in a letter from Jane, and which adds nothing to the story but puzzlement), and why Darcy had had his own library at Netherfield, where he was of course just a guest. All that said, when the characters finally came to some realizations about themselves and each other, I found myself wanting to read the next book in the series to see how it plays out.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 25, 2026
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
This is an imagination of what happens after Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding in Pride and Prejudice,
They arrive there two weeks after their wedding. Darcy is being very Darcy, meaning he thinks, he knows best and makes a lot of decisions without consulting Elizabeth. Elizabeth on the other hand, I find is out of character. She is being too meek and without her usual self confidence and playfulness.
The story is well written, but they did not seem like a newly wed couple. The story is very much closed door, there is hardly any physical contact. They sleep separately, which I know is typical for that time period, but I always imagined, they would defy this rule. It doesn’t have to be very graphic, but seriously they had only been married to weeks. Plus they love each other ardently…
I received a free copy and I am voluntarily leaving a review
This is an imagination of what happens after Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding in Pride and Prejudice,
They arrive there two weeks after their wedding. Darcy is being very Darcy, meaning he thinks, he knows best and makes a lot of decisions without consulting Elizabeth. Elizabeth on the other hand, I find is out of character. She is being too meek and without her usual self confidence and playfulness.
The story is well written, but they did not seem like a newly wed couple. The story is very much closed door, there is hardly any physical contact. They sleep separately, which I know is typical for that time period, but I always imagined, they would defy this rule. It doesn’t have to be very graphic, but seriously they had only been married to weeks. Plus they love each other ardently…
I received a free copy and I am voluntarily leaving a review
Review of advance copy
This is a calm undergoing of a new couple learning to live with each other, but not tackling their feelings immediately. Actually learning to discover what their feelings are and why they are feeling this way. That is the extent of the angst.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you like a slow realization of a coming of minds, this one if for you.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you like a slow realization of a coming of minds, this one if for you.
Review of advance copy
Such a delightful story. Love this darcy and Lizzy. I love the wit and humour. Definitely in my reread list. The chemistry between them is perfect and the strength Elizabeth has is perfect. Definitely recommend.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 9, 2026
A good story mired in repetition
This is a lovely story about settling into a new marriage. I felt it was hurt by the frequent usage of the same words, phrases and ideas especially since they spanned three different POV characters’ inner monologues
This is a lovely story about settling into a new marriage. I felt it was hurt by the frequent usage of the same words, phrases and ideas especially since they spanned three different POV characters’ inner monologues
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews