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Faceless: A Pride and Prejudice Forced Marriage Steamy Gothic Romance
Coming Soon
572 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 6, 2026
About the author
Alix James
63 books136 followersSatisfying romance with a happy ending
Alix James is a best-selling Jane Austen romance author. #janeaustenfan #janeaustenfans #janeaustenfanfiction #mrdarcy #austenadapations #austenvariations
Alix James is a best-selling Jane Austen romance author. #janeaustenfan #janeaustenfans #janeaustenfanfiction #mrdarcy #austenadapations #austenvariations
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
5+ stars
This book grabbed me by the throat from the first page and never let go until I'd finished it. It's a long gothic tale that offers many sources of angst. I love this premise!
The Prologue is chilling, with a terrified Elizabeth Bennet marrying George Carlisle, Baron of Auchengray - a man she has never met and cannot see - in a Scottish bedchamber devoid of any light. Whaaaaaaat??? (Cue creepy music.)
Then the book proper begins. Mr. Darcy is unsettled by a discrepancy he finds in financial records regarding one of his investments. He writes to his business partner about it, not realizing that this simple inquiry will put his freedom and his life at risk. It's the last correspondence he sends out before leaving London the next morning with Colonel Fitzwilliam to visit their aunt Catherine at Rosings.
Miss Elizabeth happens to be a guest at the parsonage, and things generally progress as in the original Pride and Prejudice. Before Darcy gets the opportunity to propose, however, an urgent message arrives that has him quitting Rosings secretly in the middle of the night. In London, he makes plans to appear to die but merely disappear while his investigator searches for the means to clear his name.
Elizabeth returns to Longbourn, but multiple disasters strike her own family shortly afterward. Mr. Bennet dies unexpectedly. Longbourn is swiftly claimed by Mr. Collins, who displays more grief over the death of Lady Catherine's nephew than he does over his cousin. After a battle of wills with Elizabeth over her father's beloved books, he evicts the family with very little notice. Mrs. Bennet and her daughters have no choice but to throw themselves on the mercy of the Gardiners.
But the Gardiners have suffered recent devastating financial losses and are about to lose their home on Gracechurch Street. The simple lodgings both families move to is not large enough for so many. It's imperative that Jane and Elizabeth marry, and quickly. Mr. Gardiner uses what resources he has and finds two men willing to marry handsome young gentlewomen with very little dowry. Their prospective grooms are horrifying, but the sisters have no choice but to agree. Settlement papers are drawn up and signed.
Lest you think I'm giving away too much, I assure you that this takes us merely 15% of the way into the book. To paraphrase the Carpenters, it's only just begun.
The romance between Elizabeth and Darcy evolves in the central portion of the book with frequent reminders of the danger lurking in the distance. Clever and often humorous dialogue establish the similarly in their intellects. And while Darcy recognizes Elizabeth's intelligence, her analytical mind often surprises him. Their chemistry slowly ignites and builds into an inferno. Steamy is an understatement for the detailed bedroom scenes, of which there are many.
Ms. James pours oodles of melodrama into the first and last parts of the story. Storylines certainly strain credibility, but the quality of her writing makes you want to go along for the ride. The final chapters will probably have you chewing your fingernails to the nubs.
Highly recommend!
Content is NOT at all clean.
I received a free copy of the book and am voluntarily leaving a review
This book grabbed me by the throat from the first page and never let go until I'd finished it. It's a long gothic tale that offers many sources of angst. I love this premise!
The Prologue is chilling, with a terrified Elizabeth Bennet marrying George Carlisle, Baron of Auchengray - a man she has never met and cannot see - in a Scottish bedchamber devoid of any light. Whaaaaaaat??? (Cue creepy music.)
Then the book proper begins. Mr. Darcy is unsettled by a discrepancy he finds in financial records regarding one of his investments. He writes to his business partner about it, not realizing that this simple inquiry will put his freedom and his life at risk. It's the last correspondence he sends out before leaving London the next morning with Colonel Fitzwilliam to visit their aunt Catherine at Rosings.
Miss Elizabeth happens to be a guest at the parsonage, and things generally progress as in the original Pride and Prejudice. Before Darcy gets the opportunity to propose, however, an urgent message arrives that has him quitting Rosings secretly in the middle of the night. In London, he makes plans to appear to die but merely disappear while his investigator searches for the means to clear his name.
Elizabeth returns to Longbourn, but multiple disasters strike her own family shortly afterward. Mr. Bennet dies unexpectedly. Longbourn is swiftly claimed by Mr. Collins, who displays more grief over the death of Lady Catherine's nephew than he does over his cousin. After a battle of wills with Elizabeth over her father's beloved books, he evicts the family with very little notice. Mrs. Bennet and her daughters have no choice but to throw themselves on the mercy of the Gardiners.
But the Gardiners have suffered recent devastating financial losses and are about to lose their home on Gracechurch Street. The simple lodgings both families move to is not large enough for so many. It's imperative that Jane and Elizabeth marry, and quickly. Mr. Gardiner uses what resources he has and finds two men willing to marry handsome young gentlewomen with very little dowry. Their prospective grooms are horrifying, but the sisters have no choice but to agree. Settlement papers are drawn up and signed.
Lest you think I'm giving away too much, I assure you that this takes us merely 15% of the way into the book. To paraphrase the Carpenters, it's only just begun.
The romance between Elizabeth and Darcy evolves in the central portion of the book with frequent reminders of the danger lurking in the distance. Clever and often humorous dialogue establish the similarly in their intellects. And while Darcy recognizes Elizabeth's intelligence, her analytical mind often surprises him. Their chemistry slowly ignites and builds into an inferno. Steamy is an understatement for the detailed bedroom scenes, of which there are many.
Ms. James pours oodles of melodrama into the first and last parts of the story. Storylines certainly strain credibility, but the quality of her writing makes you want to go along for the ride. The final chapters will probably have you chewing your fingernails to the nubs.
Highly recommend!
Content is NOT at all clean.
I received a free copy of the book and am voluntarily leaving a review
July 10, 2026
This book has wasted so much of my life, and I still have a third left!
2.5 stars, rounded down because of the hundreds of pages of filler.
Alix James wrote These Dreams, and it is one of my all-time favorites. How did she go from the top of her game to Faceless?
The declarative sentences which make up the bulk of the prose in Faceless reminded me of Hemingway, except Hemingway understood the economy of words. Ms James (as well as her proofreaders and editors) have no appreciation for the concise. Thus, the narration endlessly somersaults into repetition that Gertrude Stein would be proud of.
I list but a few examples of wasted words:
“There was too much in the air for speech, and what filled it was not quite silence but something denser — the kind of knowledge three people already held in common and had no need to speak aloud.”
“He looked older than he had in Cheapside in July, older than he had looked even in Kent in April, not by years but by attrition — by the visible wear of carrying something too long and never thinking to put it down because there was no one to whom it could be safely given.”
“The fire was built high, higher than he had seen it through this slit before, the kind of fire a person built after being cold a long time and finally deciding to remedy it.”
—
On the other hand, Ms James has an ear for dialogue; despite his many strengths as a writer, Hemingway could not write natural dialogue to save his life. Unfortunately, good dialogue has little opportunity to shine when carrying an albatross.
As it is, the plot merits a novella, but no more. Novellas are good. Novellas are fine. Hemingway won the Nobel for a novella.
I don’t know if I can finish this book. 300+ pages of the two in Scotland alone, including many sex scenes which aren’t extraordinary and don’t forward the plot, and I have a healthy dose of anger because I know how good this author can be.
2.5 stars, rounded down because of the hundreds of pages of filler.
Alix James wrote These Dreams, and it is one of my all-time favorites. How did she go from the top of her game to Faceless?
The declarative sentences which make up the bulk of the prose in Faceless reminded me of Hemingway, except Hemingway understood the economy of words. Ms James (as well as her proofreaders and editors) have no appreciation for the concise. Thus, the narration endlessly somersaults into repetition that Gertrude Stein would be proud of.
I list but a few examples of wasted words:
“There was too much in the air for speech, and what filled it was not quite silence but something denser — the kind of knowledge three people already held in common and had no need to speak aloud.”
“He looked older than he had in Cheapside in July, older than he had looked even in Kent in April, not by years but by attrition — by the visible wear of carrying something too long and never thinking to put it down because there was no one to whom it could be safely given.”
“The fire was built high, higher than he had seen it through this slit before, the kind of fire a person built after being cold a long time and finally deciding to remedy it.”
—
On the other hand, Ms James has an ear for dialogue; despite his many strengths as a writer, Hemingway could not write natural dialogue to save his life. Unfortunately, good dialogue has little opportunity to shine when carrying an albatross.
As it is, the plot merits a novella, but no more. Novellas are good. Novellas are fine. Hemingway won the Nobel for a novella.
I don’t know if I can finish this book. 300+ pages of the two in Scotland alone, including many sex scenes which aren’t extraordinary and don’t forward the plot, and I have a healthy dose of anger because I know how good this author can be.
July 8, 2026
He wanted to be unknown; unpossessed by others’ knowledge of him. That was freedom. — Ling Ma
“The candle went out before the door opened.”
The prologue sets the stage, with the backstory coming up to fill in the blanks. Elizabeth Bennet has agreed to a marriage of convenience with a man who will not show his face. All their meetings will be conducted in total darkness.
Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. — John Paul Stevens
In this case, the anonymity shields Fitzwilliam Darcy from the tyranny of only one – a trusted business partner who has betrayed him. Against an accusation of treason to King and country, Darcy must disappear.
Then he learns of the financial downfall of Elizabeth’s uncle, who will no longer be able to support his nieces. With the death of Mr. Bennet, the six Bennet women are forced to leave Longbourn.
Many of the bravest never are known, and get no praise. That does not lessen their beauty. — Louisa May Alcott
Isolated in Scotland, Elizabeth must discover the truth of this faceless stranger she has married. She must stand shoulder to shoulder to find justice for both.
Loved it!
This is an “open bedroom door” story with intimate scenes between a married couple.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. — Oscar Wilde
“The candle went out before the door opened.”
The prologue sets the stage, with the backstory coming up to fill in the blanks. Elizabeth Bennet has agreed to a marriage of convenience with a man who will not show his face. All their meetings will be conducted in total darkness.
Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. — John Paul Stevens
In this case, the anonymity shields Fitzwilliam Darcy from the tyranny of only one – a trusted business partner who has betrayed him. Against an accusation of treason to King and country, Darcy must disappear.
Then he learns of the financial downfall of Elizabeth’s uncle, who will no longer be able to support his nieces. With the death of Mr. Bennet, the six Bennet women are forced to leave Longbourn.
Many of the bravest never are known, and get no praise. That does not lessen their beauty. — Louisa May Alcott
Isolated in Scotland, Elizabeth must discover the truth of this faceless stranger she has married. She must stand shoulder to shoulder to find justice for both.
Loved it!
This is an “open bedroom door” story with intimate scenes between a married couple.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. — Oscar Wilde
July 18, 2026
When the Bennet family finds themselves in dire straits Elizabeth is confronted with a strange offering: She is to marry an unknown Scottish nobleman. In return she and her sister are spared an awful fate and her mother and sisters are cared for. Elizabeth sees no other alternative and accepts. The marriage proves to be even more strange than the offer: She will never see her husband, only dine with him in the dark and he will only ever answer in whispers. She is not to enter the upper floor. She soon begins to suspect that the name she is given is not his real one.
But he is also kind and, in her opinion, the most intelligent man she has ever spoken with. It is not her intention, but Elizabeth slowly begins to fall in love with him. And she also begins to suspect that she may have known him in the past.
Will Elizabeth discover her husband’s true identity? Why is he hiding under a false name in the Scottish countryside? And what about his feelings for Elizabeth?
The book was written by the author Alix James. I always enjoy her story very much, but this one was exceptional. I loved it so very much, it’s definitely one of my favorite books (if not the favorite) this year so far. The book is a really long story but it never felt overly long. The time is definitely needed to tell the progress in ODC’s relationship and later in everything related to why Darcy is hiding in Scotland (no spoiler, as it is a Pride and prejudice variation you surely have already guessed the secretive Scottish nobleman, who is married to Elizabeth under such strange terms, can only be Mr Darcy).
The story was very thrilling and had me at the edge of my seat, especially when Darcy’s location was discovered. But also before that, it was like I was always looking around myself to discover if someone is following, one expects that something is to happen at every part of the story. I sometimes found it rather angsty, but not in an unbearable sort, but in a sort that you are not able to put the book down because you desperately need to know what is to come next and, particularly so later in the book, when the dreadful situation ODC is in will be resolved.
The story also was an emotional rollercoaster. It had all sorts of emotions in it, from joy and fun to anger, grief and fear, sometimes they are also experienced in the same instant. In my opinion, that was exceptionally done by the author. I was always able to feel these feelings alongside ODC and also to feel them as deeply as Darcy and Elizabeth (and yes, I sometimes nearly weep with them).
I loved Elizabeth in this variation. When she does something, she does it with all her heart. When she has set her side there is nothing that can prevent her from reaching her destination. I love her cleverness in uncovering Darcy and later in helping him when he is discovered. I love her protectiveness of him, her deep love for him, her devotion, her braveness, her loyalty.
I also loved Darcy so very much in this variation. He needs to experience so much. I pitied him for the difficulties he experiences during his stay in Scotland and especially later when his hiding is uncovered. It was always an up and down between hope and despair, joy and fear. He endures so much. I was so glad that he was able to have Elizabeth at his side. I love how she has the measure of him and that he can’t say no to her, in every aspect of his life. But it is also her presence that gives him hope and joy and I think that it’s also thanks to her that he is not going mad or doing a foolish thing.
I love their relationship. It’s so deep, so complete, so intimate, so without alternative. I love that so very much. They are so well suited and I love how everything turned out for them in their marriage. And I also enjoyed their intimate relationship and intimacy very much. It was very tastefully written by the author and very important for the development of Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship and to melt away all prejudices Elizabeth once held.
Besides ODC I really loved the Matlock Family. They were all so supportive, especially Richard and the Earl. I love how they fight for Darcy and Elizabeth after things turn for the worse for them. I love how cleverly they fight and that they are willing to do everything to help and give ODC their future back.
There is one really mean person in this book who makes Darcy’s life very difficult. It takes lots of effort and time on Darcy’s part and on part of his relations to finally make the schemes of this person and their hold on Darcy’s life stop. You can not imagine how glad I was when they are finally held to account for their actions.
If you like to know how a marriage, started in the dark, turns to a love for the ages for Darcy and Elizabeth and how the threats to Darcy’s life are conquered, you should read this excellent variation.
I more than highly recommend it. This may well be my book of the year. It was outstanding.
The book contains scenes appropriate for a mature audience (intimacy between a married couple).
I read the book through KU and bought myself a copy afterwards.
But he is also kind and, in her opinion, the most intelligent man she has ever spoken with. It is not her intention, but Elizabeth slowly begins to fall in love with him. And she also begins to suspect that she may have known him in the past.
Will Elizabeth discover her husband’s true identity? Why is he hiding under a false name in the Scottish countryside? And what about his feelings for Elizabeth?
The book was written by the author Alix James. I always enjoy her story very much, but this one was exceptional. I loved it so very much, it’s definitely one of my favorite books (if not the favorite) this year so far. The book is a really long story but it never felt overly long. The time is definitely needed to tell the progress in ODC’s relationship and later in everything related to why Darcy is hiding in Scotland (no spoiler, as it is a Pride and prejudice variation you surely have already guessed the secretive Scottish nobleman, who is married to Elizabeth under such strange terms, can only be Mr Darcy).
The story was very thrilling and had me at the edge of my seat, especially when Darcy’s location was discovered. But also before that, it was like I was always looking around myself to discover if someone is following, one expects that something is to happen at every part of the story. I sometimes found it rather angsty, but not in an unbearable sort, but in a sort that you are not able to put the book down because you desperately need to know what is to come next and, particularly so later in the book, when the dreadful situation ODC is in will be resolved.
The story also was an emotional rollercoaster. It had all sorts of emotions in it, from joy and fun to anger, grief and fear, sometimes they are also experienced in the same instant. In my opinion, that was exceptionally done by the author. I was always able to feel these feelings alongside ODC and also to feel them as deeply as Darcy and Elizabeth (and yes, I sometimes nearly weep with them).
I loved Elizabeth in this variation. When she does something, she does it with all her heart. When she has set her side there is nothing that can prevent her from reaching her destination. I love her cleverness in uncovering Darcy and later in helping him when he is discovered. I love her protectiveness of him, her deep love for him, her devotion, her braveness, her loyalty.
I also loved Darcy so very much in this variation. He needs to experience so much. I pitied him for the difficulties he experiences during his stay in Scotland and especially later when his hiding is uncovered. It was always an up and down between hope and despair, joy and fear. He endures so much. I was so glad that he was able to have Elizabeth at his side. I love how she has the measure of him and that he can’t say no to her, in every aspect of his life. But it is also her presence that gives him hope and joy and I think that it’s also thanks to her that he is not going mad or doing a foolish thing.
I love their relationship. It’s so deep, so complete, so intimate, so without alternative. I love that so very much. They are so well suited and I love how everything turned out for them in their marriage. And I also enjoyed their intimate relationship and intimacy very much. It was very tastefully written by the author and very important for the development of Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship and to melt away all prejudices Elizabeth once held.
Besides ODC I really loved the Matlock Family. They were all so supportive, especially Richard and the Earl. I love how they fight for Darcy and Elizabeth after things turn for the worse for them. I love how cleverly they fight and that they are willing to do everything to help and give ODC their future back.
There is one really mean person in this book who makes Darcy’s life very difficult. It takes lots of effort and time on Darcy’s part and on part of his relations to finally make the schemes of this person and their hold on Darcy’s life stop. You can not imagine how glad I was when they are finally held to account for their actions.
If you like to know how a marriage, started in the dark, turns to a love for the ages for Darcy and Elizabeth and how the threats to Darcy’s life are conquered, you should read this excellent variation.
I more than highly recommend it. This may well be my book of the year. It was outstanding.
The book contains scenes appropriate for a mature audience (intimacy between a married couple).
I read the book through KU and bought myself a copy afterwards.
July 10, 2026
“She knew nothing at all about the man standing two feet away from her in the dark – and in four minutes she would be his wife, and Jane would be safe, and Lydia would be safe, and her mother would not die of nerves in a hedgerow, and that was the whole of what she knew.” (quote from the book)
This book was many things to me:
Gripping
Emotional
Heart wrenching
Intense
What makes this book so gripping was the Gothic vibe and the premise. My emotions were engaged at the outset and what transpires was heartbreaking. The tension builds like a screw slowly being tightened…one notch at a time. I was fully engaged and invested.
It was also:
Slow (in the middle)
More sex scenes than I really needed (decades ago, I read Beatrice Small’s ‘Skye O’Malley series, so I am not against them…just not wanting a lot of them anymore especially with Elizabeth and Darcy).
“My heart beats moment by moment for you. Whatever else is withheld – that is yours. Everything I can give you is yours.” (quote from the book)
It was when I hit the middle that things slowed. It started off intense and had some wonderful aspects to it. I loved Falstaff, the Scottish Deerhound. They are such wonderful dogs. The ‘unknowing’ for Elizabeth and the build up to their powerful coming together was well done. But then it just went on for too long. I wanted to get back to the overall arc of the story.
Like other reviewers, ‘These Dreams’ was everything I love in a book along with ‘Nefarious’…I wax eloquent in my reviews of them. For me, both were powerful in their rendering and how they made me feel. Nowhere did I feel the novels were missing anything nor lagging.
So how do I rate a book? I go mostly about how a book makes me ‘feel’. What emotions it pulls out of me. ‘Faceless’ did make me tear up, and it kept me in suspense so that is important. However, there were times when I was bored.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.
August 4, 2026
Excellent
This was a fabulous book overall. It was engrossing and original. I struggled somewhat with the style. The book was full of the newly inordinately popular sentence construction of he/she [verb] with the [descriptor] of a [insert flowery or overwrought description here] that I typically associate with AI writing or editing. However, I have been reading excellent books by Alix James for years so I don't believe this is AI written. However, that construction was frequent and annoying and did not add to the atmosphere of the book. I also have to admit I found the story to drag a bit in places.
Even so, this was a great read and I'm glad I read it.
This was a fabulous book overall. It was engrossing and original. I struggled somewhat with the style. The book was full of the newly inordinately popular sentence construction of he/she [verb] with the [descriptor] of a [insert flowery or overwrought description here] that I typically associate with AI writing or editing. However, I have been reading excellent books by Alix James for years so I don't believe this is AI written. However, that construction was frequent and annoying and did not add to the atmosphere of the book. I also have to admit I found the story to drag a bit in places.
Even so, this was a great read and I'm glad I read it.
July 14, 2026
Wow! I giggled. I cried more than once. I was completely wrapped up in the relationship between Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. The love grown from the littlest things and actually paying attention. Of being heard and respected. To be loved as they love each other was just amazing to read.
July 12, 2026
Status: Read July 8-11, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Edition Read:
Faceless
by Alix James
Kindle Edition, First Edition, 568 pages
Published July 6, 2026 by Winsome Wit Publishing (first published June 17, 2026)
ASIN: B0H1YHVPDT
[ kindle unlimited ]
I have been married four months. I have never seen my husband.
When an offer of marriage arrives from a Scottish baron Elizabeth Bennet has never heard of, with terms generous enough to save her family from ruin and protect her sister from a far worse fate, refusal is not within her power. She accepts.
The marriage takes place in full darkness in her marital bedroom. The vows are exchanged in a hush. Her husband does not show her his face — that night, or any night that follows. He comes to her at supper, in the dark. He speaks to her in a whisper that never rises. He keeps a separate chamber on a floor she is not permitted to enter, and a household so quietly arranged around his absence that even the servants seem to be guarding it.
He is courteous. He is kind. He is, by every evidence Elizabeth can gather across a darkened supper table, the most intelligent man she has ever spoken with — and he will not let her so much as hear his voice.
She did not expect to love him. She certainly did not expect to begin to suspect, by degrees, that her husband is a man she once thought she knew.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Edition Read:
Faceless
by Alix James
Kindle Edition, First Edition, 568 pages
Published July 6, 2026 by Winsome Wit Publishing (first published June 17, 2026)
ASIN: B0H1YHVPDT
[ kindle unlimited ]
I have been married four months. I have never seen my husband.
When an offer of marriage arrives from a Scottish baron Elizabeth Bennet has never heard of, with terms generous enough to save her family from ruin and protect her sister from a far worse fate, refusal is not within her power. She accepts.
The marriage takes place in full darkness in her marital bedroom. The vows are exchanged in a hush. Her husband does not show her his face — that night, or any night that follows. He comes to her at supper, in the dark. He speaks to her in a whisper that never rises. He keeps a separate chamber on a floor she is not permitted to enter, and a household so quietly arranged around his absence that even the servants seem to be guarding it.
He is courteous. He is kind. He is, by every evidence Elizabeth can gather across a darkened supper table, the most intelligent man she has ever spoken with — and he will not let her so much as hear his voice.
She did not expect to love him. She certainly did not expect to begin to suspect, by degrees, that her husband is a man she once thought she knew.
July 21, 2026
This took a lot out of me; very intense! Also too many marriage bed scenes; I don't mind one or two but this was a bit excessive (even with the warning).
July 19, 2026
5+++! Favoloso!
July 15, 2026
Lovely
Too good to not indulge in for steamy scenes that JUST MAKE SENSE.
8/10 for plot
10/10 for steamy scenes
10/10 for authenticity to the canon
Too good to not indulge in for steamy scenes that JUST MAKE SENSE.
8/10 for plot
10/10 for steamy scenes
10/10 for authenticity to the canon
July 9, 2026
This is actually a very intriguing reworking of an old legend, the tale Cupid and Psyche: the marriage in darkness with what she fears at first is a monstrous husband, she both falls in love and gets suspicious, and at the very moment that love is acknowledged, the forbidden candle is lit, the truth is revealed--and everything falls apart.
One issue that is sort of just dropped is the issue of the legality of the marriage, given that it was done under a false name. I hope, for the legitimacy of their child, that at some point they make it legal under English law.
Definitely enjoyed and will read again.
One issue that is sort of just dropped is the issue of the legality of the marriage, given that it was done under a false name. I hope, for the legitimacy of their child, that at some point they make it legal under English law.
Definitely enjoyed and will read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2026
loved it.
This one was one I didn’t want to put down. Of course we expect Elizabeth and Darcy to have their happily ever after, otherwise there might be torches and pitchforks, but for some of the JAFF the trip to happily ever after is a bit dull. Not so with this book. Along with some steamy love scenes it gave a very good story on the way to the happily ever after.
This one was one I didn’t want to put down. Of course we expect Elizabeth and Darcy to have their happily ever after, otherwise there might be torches and pitchforks, but for some of the JAFF the trip to happily ever after is a bit dull. Not so with this book. Along with some steamy love scenes it gave a very good story on the way to the happily ever after.
July 21, 2026
Long and Lovely
I hesitated over this book because of its length (so many books to read) but once I started, I couldn’t stop and at times thought it wasn’t long enough! Alix writes with a particular style and is consistent, even through the steamy scenes. 🥰 Just loved so many parts of the book and look forward to the next from Alix.
I hesitated over this book because of its length (so many books to read) but once I started, I couldn’t stop and at times thought it wasn’t long enough! Alix writes with a particular style and is consistent, even through the steamy scenes. 🥰 Just loved so many parts of the book and look forward to the next from Alix.
July 18, 2026
Wow. I couldn't put it down.
Not canon, but so well written and compelling who cares. Angst aplenty. Not the usual kind. This is almost entirely Darcy and Elizabeth. The sex is exceptionally well written. I can't wait to read the next one in the series: Homeless.
Not canon, but so well written and compelling who cares. Angst aplenty. Not the usual kind. This is almost entirely Darcy and Elizabeth. The sex is exceptionally well written. I can't wait to read the next one in the series: Homeless.
July 16, 2026
Wow this is an epic of a book. Treason, hidden marriage, suspense, tenderness. The story is wide in its scope and very well written. Devastating emotions! Wonderfully intricate and long. Hard to put it down.
July 10, 2026
Wow! Just wow!
This book is not for everybody. It is indeed steamy, but Darcy and Elizabeth are married. The steam is integral to and parallels their growing understanding of each other.
It is their growing understanding that is really the meat of the novel. They both reveal the best possible D &E that we have come to know and love in JAFF. She is incisive and impertinent and loving; he is caring and thoughtful and a fit partner. The circumstances they find themselves in are horrific and unfair and create ongoing moral dilemmas.
The conclusion is heartfelt and touching. The angst leading up to it is real, inexorable, and excruciating.
It is wonderful!
This book is not for everybody. It is indeed steamy, but Darcy and Elizabeth are married. The steam is integral to and parallels their growing understanding of each other.
It is their growing understanding that is really the meat of the novel. They both reveal the best possible D &E that we have come to know and love in JAFF. She is incisive and impertinent and loving; he is caring and thoughtful and a fit partner. The circumstances they find themselves in are horrific and unfair and create ongoing moral dilemmas.
The conclusion is heartfelt and touching. The angst leading up to it is real, inexorable, and excruciating.
It is wonderful!
July 10, 2026
oh the suspense!
It was so hard to put the story down! It had a little bit of all those things I love: lots of Darcy and Elizabeth, romantic suspense,
urgency to find a solution and a love that grew more as time went on. I really enjoyed the complexity of the story premise of treason. All the legal manoeuvring and approaches to get at the truth kept me reading on for more. Hearing Darcy’s thoughts at such a vulnerable moment was really touching. That and how Elizabeth mulled over and worked things out to find solutions was amazing. What can I say other than it was a great P&P variation to read.
It was so hard to put the story down! It had a little bit of all those things I love: lots of Darcy and Elizabeth, romantic suspense,
urgency to find a solution and a love that grew more as time went on. I really enjoyed the complexity of the story premise of treason. All the legal manoeuvring and approaches to get at the truth kept me reading on for more. Hearing Darcy’s thoughts at such a vulnerable moment was really touching. That and how Elizabeth mulled over and worked things out to find solutions was amazing. What can I say other than it was a great P&P variation to read.
July 15, 2026
Despite having some angst early on and through the various tribulations I could not put it down. HEAs are had all around. No vows are anticipated. The steamy parts are detailed, delicious, tastefully and beautifully described - Wonderfully done.
July 11, 2026
This book may have ruined me for any other P&PFF
What a story - written beautifully, in turns patiently and frenitically, much like the two main characters as portrayed throughout. Some of the best steamy scenes I've encountered in P&PFF - or anywhere, for that matter - and maybe the best Elizabeth and Darcy as well. My only complaint is that eventually, the story had to come to an end.
What a story - written beautifully, in turns patiently and frenitically, much like the two main characters as portrayed throughout. Some of the best steamy scenes I've encountered in P&PFF - or anywhere, for that matter - and maybe the best Elizabeth and Darcy as well. My only complaint is that eventually, the story had to come to an end.
July 10, 2026
An absolutely gripping tale- I couldn’t put it down! I read a lot of JAFF and this had so many refreshingly original elements while still feeling true to the essential characters - a very satisfying combination. Great work with supporting characters too. And what a ride! Wonderful dialogue, romance, and heartfelt moments between the characters- James is a talented writer and this may be my favorite of hers yet! Well done steamy scenes. Can’t wait to read her next book in this series.
July 8, 2026
Would give 10 stars if I could.
This book is open door but very tasteful in the way it was handled. I am happy to see a little steam but the story was so much more. I highly recommend this book
This book is open door but very tasteful in the way it was handled. I am happy to see a little steam but the story was so much more. I highly recommend this book
July 20, 2026
"Good grief... I wish I had written this one."
It is one of those rare novels that had me thinking—or rather, screaming—those words on almost every page. When I was not squealing or crying, that is.
Alix James, who has already given us some of my all-time favourite JAFFs (most notably These Dreams, originally published under the name Nicole Clarkson), has truly outdone herself with this story.
The premise alone is utterly captivating: Elizabeth enters into a marriage in Scotland with a man whose face she must never see and whose true voice she must never hear. But beyond the initial mystery—Who is he? Why did he marry me? (Elizabeth being Elizabeth, she immediately puts her formidable intelligence to work on answering both questions)—the story soon carries us into an entirely different level of angst.
From then on, you are on edge with every page. You cry with every page.
I will say no more, because this is a journey that simply cannot be summarized. You simply have to climb aboard and let it carry you.
Every single aspect of this novel is exceptional.
• The plot: intricate, rich, and beautifully constructed.
• The characterization: deeply faithful to Austen's canon while allowing the characters to evolve naturally through everything they endure. And it is not only Darcy and Elizabeth. The entire supporting cast—some drawn from Austen's canon, others wholly original—is superbly realised. Even characters with very little page time feel fully alive.
• The setting: it made me want to book a trip to Scotland in a way not even Outlander ever managed.
• The prose: at once lyrical and utterly compelling, restrained one moment and devastating the next. Every sentence lands exactly where it should.
And perhaps my favourite aspect of all: the banter between Darcy and Elizabeth. It is absolutely magnificent. Their conversations become exhilarating verbal tennis matches that do full justice to both their razor-sharp intellects and their wonderfully distinct personalities.
I lost count of the number of passages I highlighted on my Kindle.
My only reservation—and it is a very minor one—is that there may be slightly too many steamy scenes. They are beautiful, exquisitely written, and I genuinely loved them. The vast majority deepen Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship and move the story forward. But after a certain point, I began to feel a slight sense of repetition. Still, that is an incredibly minor quibble considering the extraordinary quality of the rest of the novel.
Bravo, Ms. James! You are officially my new Queen of Angst.
I cannot wait to read your next novels.
It is one of those rare novels that had me thinking—or rather, screaming—those words on almost every page. When I was not squealing or crying, that is.
Alix James, who has already given us some of my all-time favourite JAFFs (most notably These Dreams, originally published under the name Nicole Clarkson), has truly outdone herself with this story.
The premise alone is utterly captivating: Elizabeth enters into a marriage in Scotland with a man whose face she must never see and whose true voice she must never hear. But beyond the initial mystery—Who is he? Why did he marry me? (Elizabeth being Elizabeth, she immediately puts her formidable intelligence to work on answering both questions)—the story soon carries us into an entirely different level of angst.
From then on, you are on edge with every page. You cry with every page.
I will say no more, because this is a journey that simply cannot be summarized. You simply have to climb aboard and let it carry you.
Every single aspect of this novel is exceptional.
• The plot: intricate, rich, and beautifully constructed.
• The characterization: deeply faithful to Austen's canon while allowing the characters to evolve naturally through everything they endure. And it is not only Darcy and Elizabeth. The entire supporting cast—some drawn from Austen's canon, others wholly original—is superbly realised. Even characters with very little page time feel fully alive.
• The setting: it made me want to book a trip to Scotland in a way not even Outlander ever managed.
• The prose: at once lyrical and utterly compelling, restrained one moment and devastating the next. Every sentence lands exactly where it should.
And perhaps my favourite aspect of all: the banter between Darcy and Elizabeth. It is absolutely magnificent. Their conversations become exhilarating verbal tennis matches that do full justice to both their razor-sharp intellects and their wonderfully distinct personalities.
I lost count of the number of passages I highlighted on my Kindle.
My only reservation—and it is a very minor one—is that there may be slightly too many steamy scenes. They are beautiful, exquisitely written, and I genuinely loved them. The vast majority deepen Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship and move the story forward. But after a certain point, I began to feel a slight sense of repetition. Still, that is an incredibly minor quibble considering the extraordinary quality of the rest of the novel.
Bravo, Ms. James! You are officially my new Queen of Angst.
I cannot wait to read your next novels.
July 7, 2026
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars
This is a very well written Pride and Prejudice variation. The story really starts while Elizabeth and Darcy are at Kent. Darcy actually moves his trip to Rosing forward two weeks when finds out she at Hunford. He spends more time with her than in the original, though she still doesn’t realize his love for her. The day before his planned proposal, he has to leave Rosings in the middle of the night.
He has been betrayed by a business partner. who has imported forbidden goods from France and left paper trails incriminating Darcy.
Mr Bennet passes away unexpectedly and Mr Collins is being very petty, so Mrs Bennet and her daughters have to leave Longbourn immediately. The Gardiners are in a poor condition to help due some investors very sudden withdrawal of their funds. Thus Jane and Elizabeth feel that they must marry fast to rich men of very dubious morals. So when Elizabeth receives a very very generous offer, that will save Jane and herself plus provide funds for her mother and other sisters, she takes the offer.
So off she goes to Scotland to a mysterious Baron. They only see each for their evening meal eaten in the dark. Her husband only talking in whispers. Still he is kind and courteous and slowly she is drawn to him. Little by little she gets to know him and starts to puzzle out who he really is.
I really recommend this story, it draws you in and just when their marriage become very happy, the law catches up with them. So buckle up for a thrilling ride.
Note that this a really steamy read. When the ‘steam’ starts it is an important part of the story, as it a powerful way to communicate in the dark. Using body language to feelings that are difficult to articulate.
I received a free copy and I am voluntarily leaving a review
This is a very well written Pride and Prejudice variation. The story really starts while Elizabeth and Darcy are at Kent. Darcy actually moves his trip to Rosing forward two weeks when finds out she at Hunford. He spends more time with her than in the original, though she still doesn’t realize his love for her. The day before his planned proposal, he has to leave Rosings in the middle of the night.
He has been betrayed by a business partner. who has imported forbidden goods from France and left paper trails incriminating Darcy.
Mr Bennet passes away unexpectedly and Mr Collins is being very petty, so Mrs Bennet and her daughters have to leave Longbourn immediately. The Gardiners are in a poor condition to help due some investors very sudden withdrawal of their funds. Thus Jane and Elizabeth feel that they must marry fast to rich men of very dubious morals. So when Elizabeth receives a very very generous offer, that will save Jane and herself plus provide funds for her mother and other sisters, she takes the offer.
So off she goes to Scotland to a mysterious Baron. They only see each for their evening meal eaten in the dark. Her husband only talking in whispers. Still he is kind and courteous and slowly she is drawn to him. Little by little she gets to know him and starts to puzzle out who he really is.
I really recommend this story, it draws you in and just when their marriage become very happy, the law catches up with them. So buckle up for a thrilling ride.
Note that this a really steamy read. When the ‘steam’ starts it is an important part of the story, as it a powerful way to communicate in the dark. Using body language to feelings that are difficult to articulate.
I received a free copy and I am voluntarily leaving a review
Review of advance copy received from Author
This latest from Alix James was absolutely fantastic and I couldn’t put it down.
At the beginning the set up seemed quite dark (not surprising given the gothic romance title), but as the reasoning of the entire tangled web was shown I got more and more hooked!
Alix tends to focus on interpersonal relationships in her writing and has a real flair for it, and it’s shown to it’s best in this one.
Darcy’s longstanding relationship with Colonel Fitzwilliam was perfectly established in two lines which was honestly impressive, and while I don’t mind books where things are just slightly different for plot reasons, I have a personal love of stories where a unexpected change has a knock-on effect through the plot and this book has that.
It had the twists and turns of a thriller, excellent pacing and romance, and I would highly recommend.
I know that some people will be put off by the sex scenes, but honestly, I’ve never read a book where it was so plot relevant.
Rather than feeling gratuitous, it functioned more as a emotional barometer for the plot, and as spicy as some scenes were the focus remained on the emotional depth of the characters, and their changing relationship dynamics.
I generally don’t like to give any spoilers, but I will give a slight trigger warning for discussions of SA, near the beginning of the book, and not just in the premise of marrying someone you don’t know the identity of.
At the beginning the set up seemed quite dark (not surprising given the gothic romance title), but as the reasoning of the entire tangled web was shown I got more and more hooked!
Alix tends to focus on interpersonal relationships in her writing and has a real flair for it, and it’s shown to it’s best in this one.
Darcy’s longstanding relationship with Colonel Fitzwilliam was perfectly established in two lines which was honestly impressive, and while I don’t mind books where things are just slightly different for plot reasons, I have a personal love of stories where a unexpected change has a knock-on effect through the plot and this book has that.
It had the twists and turns of a thriller, excellent pacing and romance, and I would highly recommend.
I know that some people will be put off by the sex scenes, but honestly, I’ve never read a book where it was so plot relevant.
Rather than feeling gratuitous, it functioned more as a emotional barometer for the plot, and as spicy as some scenes were the focus remained on the emotional depth of the characters, and their changing relationship dynamics.
I generally don’t like to give any spoilers, but I will give a slight trigger warning for discussions of SA, near the beginning of the book, and not just in the premise of marrying someone you don’t know the identity of.
July 23, 2026
I enjoyed the characters in this one, and the premise was excellent. Because it's a P&P variation, I'm sure you can guess who Elizabeth married!
This one begins at Rosings, but is interrupted before the awful proposal. Darcy has to go into hiding. He saw trouble coming and had a plan in place, but if he saw trouble coming early enough to plan ... Why didn't he confide in Fitzwilliam earlier? He and the Earl might have helped prevent it from getting too bad. Maybe not though.
There are several open door bedroom scenes (if that's a pro or con for you), and I kind of feel like they got side-tracked once they broached that territory. It didn't take over the book, but it encroached more than I felt it needed to.
Uncle Gardener arranges marriages for Jane and Lizzy, but I feel like he didn't check their characters as much as I would have liked. Then again, his family was in trouble and he couldn't spend as much time and resources to find good husbands as he might have done otherwise, so maybe I should give him a break.
Another thing. Lizzy spends months in the tower, only talking with Darcy at meal times, otherwise spending the days alone. She becomes so starved for conversation that she spends her whole day looking forward to dinner. I wish she had wondered, and then answered herself, whether she really loved him for who he was, or because he was the only person there.
Anyway, a pretty good story overall.
This one begins at Rosings, but is interrupted before the awful proposal. Darcy has to go into hiding. He saw trouble coming and had a plan in place, but if he saw trouble coming early enough to plan ... Why didn't he confide in Fitzwilliam earlier? He and the Earl might have helped prevent it from getting too bad. Maybe not though.
There are several open door bedroom scenes (if that's a pro or con for you), and I kind of feel like they got side-tracked once they broached that territory. It didn't take over the book, but it encroached more than I felt it needed to.
Uncle Gardener arranges marriages for Jane and Lizzy, but I feel like he didn't check their characters as much as I would have liked. Then again, his family was in trouble and he couldn't spend as much time and resources to find good husbands as he might have done otherwise, so maybe I should give him a break.
Another thing. Lizzy spends months in the tower, only talking with Darcy at meal times, otherwise spending the days alone. She becomes so starved for conversation that she spends her whole day looking forward to dinner. I wish she had wondered, and then answered herself, whether she really loved him for who he was, or because he was the only person there.
Anyway, a pretty good story overall.
July 24, 2026
This is a book I would love to translate.
This is the first time the author has published a Pride and Prejudice variation with steamy scenes, and there is no doubt that it is very well written—without being overly descriptive or uncomfortable.
It’s one of those stories that really draws you in with its intensity and the way the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy unfolds. It’s a fairly long novel, and I didn’t want to finish it too quickly because the plot had me so hooked.
In a way, as a reader, you already know part of the mystery surrounding Darcy, and it’s worth seeing how Elizabeth gradually uncovers the truth about the marriage she agreed to with this stranger lurking in the shadows—a marriage she accepted in order to save her family following Mr. Bennet’s death and Mr. Collins’s cruelty.
The second half of the book is what keeps you on the edge of your seat, not wanting to put it down. It’s quite faithful to the canon, and it’s one of those times when you don’t need all the characters to build the story—you can still see the plot unfold in a fresh and innovative way.
This is the first time the author has published a Pride and Prejudice variation with steamy scenes, and there is no doubt that it is very well written—without being overly descriptive or uncomfortable.
It’s one of those stories that really draws you in with its intensity and the way the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy unfolds. It’s a fairly long novel, and I didn’t want to finish it too quickly because the plot had me so hooked.
In a way, as a reader, you already know part of the mystery surrounding Darcy, and it’s worth seeing how Elizabeth gradually uncovers the truth about the marriage she agreed to with this stranger lurking in the shadows—a marriage she accepted in order to save her family following Mr. Bennet’s death and Mr. Collins’s cruelty.
The second half of the book is what keeps you on the edge of your seat, not wanting to put it down. It’s quite faithful to the canon, and it’s one of those times when you don’t need all the characters to build the story—you can still see the plot unfold in a fresh and innovative way.
July 21, 2026
Very good
I may have found my new favourite.
I could not put this book down and nearly cost me a full night of sleep and by extension, my job.
Darcy runs out of Rosings just before delivering the worst proposal in the history of bad proposals. When he next “see” Elizabeth is to marry her under a false name, though she does not see him. But Elizabeth being Elizabeth, it didn’t take her long to figure out that the man she came to love in the dark was the same man she despised in the light.
This book is up there among the best P&P variations. Give it a go, you will not regret it.
I may have found my new favourite.
I could not put this book down and nearly cost me a full night of sleep and by extension, my job.
Darcy runs out of Rosings just before delivering the worst proposal in the history of bad proposals. When he next “see” Elizabeth is to marry her under a false name, though she does not see him. But Elizabeth being Elizabeth, it didn’t take her long to figure out that the man she came to love in the dark was the same man she despised in the light.
This book is up there among the best P&P variations. Give it a go, you will not regret it.
July 15, 2026
best story I’ve read in ages
Wow - this is no amateur writer. This would be an amazing story even without Darcy and Elizabeth as the characters in the P&P universe, which doesn’t often happen. This was incredibly unique. Incredibly page turning. Incredibly sensuous and romantic at times. So heartfelt. I didn’t want this story to end - and it was a very long book thank goodness!! Please keep writing and giving us more of your well written and totally original stories of our beloved characters.
Wow - this is no amateur writer. This would be an amazing story even without Darcy and Elizabeth as the characters in the P&P universe, which doesn’t often happen. This was incredibly unique. Incredibly page turning. Incredibly sensuous and romantic at times. So heartfelt. I didn’t want this story to end - and it was a very long book thank goodness!! Please keep writing and giving us more of your well written and totally original stories of our beloved characters.
August 5, 2026
Beautiful story!
As usual, Ms. James has written a marvelous tale, one full of rich detail, suspense and tenderness. I was moved to tears several times. My only dissatisfaction comes because this book should have included warnings of explicit sexuality. I learned quickly to skip those chapters, as my personal preference is for closed door romance.
Otherwise, this is a powerful and well written tale of love enduring through sore trials and injustices.
As usual, Ms. James has written a marvelous tale, one full of rich detail, suspense and tenderness. I was moved to tears several times. My only dissatisfaction comes because this book should have included warnings of explicit sexuality. I learned quickly to skip those chapters, as my personal preference is for closed door romance.
Otherwise, this is a powerful and well written tale of love enduring through sore trials and injustices.
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