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A Most Determined Lady: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
Elizabeth Bennet has no intention of being useful to the wrong people.
Removed from Longbourn as a child and raised in a disciplined London household, Elizabeth is now mistress of Portman Square: wealthy, capable, and determined to govern her own life. Relations may press, suitors may calculate, and society may speculate — but Elizabeth has been trained to recognise a claim when it is dressed up as affection.
Then Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy enters her life by way of rain, danger, and one very troublesome little dog.
This Mr Darcy is not Pemberley’s secure master. He is a gentleman with a ruined name, a profession, a modest set of chambers, and a past he has learned not to expect anyone to believe. Yet he is steady where others are showy, honourable where others are smooth, and far too easy for Elizabeth to trust.
As business draws them together, affection follows — cautious, sharp-witted, and perilously real. But Mr Darcy’s disgrace was not accidental, and the people who profited from it have not finished with him. George Wickham knows how to turn old kindness into obligation, family pride into blindness, and rumour into a weapon.
Elizabeth Bennet was not raised to be helpless.
And if society insists on judging Mr Darcy by appearances, she is prepared to become a most determined lady indeed.
Removed from Longbourn as a child and raised in a disciplined London household, Elizabeth is now mistress of Portman Square: wealthy, capable, and determined to govern her own life. Relations may press, suitors may calculate, and society may speculate — but Elizabeth has been trained to recognise a claim when it is dressed up as affection.
Then Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy enters her life by way of rain, danger, and one very troublesome little dog.
This Mr Darcy is not Pemberley’s secure master. He is a gentleman with a ruined name, a profession, a modest set of chambers, and a past he has learned not to expect anyone to believe. Yet he is steady where others are showy, honourable where others are smooth, and far too easy for Elizabeth to trust.
As business draws them together, affection follows — cautious, sharp-witted, and perilously real. But Mr Darcy’s disgrace was not accidental, and the people who profited from it have not finished with him. George Wickham knows how to turn old kindness into obligation, family pride into blindness, and rumour into a weapon.
Elizabeth Bennet was not raised to be helpless.
And if society insists on judging Mr Darcy by appearances, she is prepared to become a most determined lady indeed.
1390 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 3, 2026
Good bones, but…
The story has good bones for a variation. I loved the characters, except perhaps Elizabeth in some respects. A strong and capable woman doesn’t have to be always right, always in control (although defeated by pregnancy), or always managing. I concede that was the model she grew up with. My favorite characters were Georgianna and Mrs Doddridge. I did not love the style. Conversation was reduced to far too many exchanges of tit for tat philosophical statements in oftentimes unnecessarily lengthy dialogue. Six pages on the non-attendance of a spoiled and well dressed dog for dinner at the home of a person previously unknown to Elizabeth? Seriously? A shorter but still too long conversation followed regarding his non-attendance at the opera; eye roll. The furniture, pianos, homes, chairs, diamonds, and most other inanimate objects have opinions, may be offended, exercise judgments, ad infinitum, according to the conversations about them. If this is the latest literary device, it is severely overused, an impediment to believable conversation. One recommendation for the book is that I actually did finish it in spite of contrivances, length, etc. I have no objections to a long story if well written. One of my favorites is very lengthy. This is not it.
The story has good bones for a variation. I loved the characters, except perhaps Elizabeth in some respects. A strong and capable woman doesn’t have to be always right, always in control (although defeated by pregnancy), or always managing. I concede that was the model she grew up with. My favorite characters were Georgianna and Mrs Doddridge. I did not love the style. Conversation was reduced to far too many exchanges of tit for tat philosophical statements in oftentimes unnecessarily lengthy dialogue. Six pages on the non-attendance of a spoiled and well dressed dog for dinner at the home of a person previously unknown to Elizabeth? Seriously? A shorter but still too long conversation followed regarding his non-attendance at the opera; eye roll. The furniture, pianos, homes, chairs, diamonds, and most other inanimate objects have opinions, may be offended, exercise judgments, ad infinitum, according to the conversations about them. If this is the latest literary device, it is severely overused, an impediment to believable conversation. One recommendation for the book is that I actually did finish it in spite of contrivances, length, etc. I have no objections to a long story if well written. One of my favorites is very lengthy. This is not it.
July 13, 2026
I liked the plot of this book not crazy about how it was written . The author is clever but maybe a little too clever. I liked the second half of the book better than the first.
July 24, 2026
This is one very long story for Austenesque/JAFF standards, regardless of the length, the story was generally well written, original and it kept my interest throughout. The style was historically accurate, and the borrowing of tropes was carried out in a manner that didn´t seem forced.
The writting style was perhaps TOO CLEVER, every dialogue was witty, every exchange between every character was like "inteligent" sparring, every comeback sprinkled with grandiose abstact nouns when a simple (material) noun could do.
The narrator´s prose had a repetitive tendency to list items as if situations needed constant laundry lists in case we forget previously mentioned details : if Longbourn is mentioned every Bennet daughter needs to be addressed in the same paragraph, if a scene takes place in a specific room, every item of furniture and decoration needs to be included too (the curtains, the carpet, chairs, tables, dressers, linnen presses! so many linnen presses!).
The sentence structure did run a bit heavy with deja-vu formats, such as "not this, not that, but that", or "as a woman/lady who + [insert verb] + [insert complementary sub sentence]"; reading through that gets tiresome, and worse since it´s an affliction suffered by many other recent JAFF releases... but the story was original enough to encourage one (me) to read on.
There was much repetition or rehashed summaries, again, to remind the reader something we just read, but puzzlingly there were some conspicuous glitches which should have been noticed in the editorial process (I will mention those below).
The story is a spin on the Wealthy Elizabeth Trope, in this case, Lizzy is fostered by an elderly aunt (great aunt) in London, and becomes her ward and heiress; to start, this is not carefree, easygoing Lizzy, raised in the country and walking miles in mud, this Lizzy is an isolated, self important, MANAGING young woman, who has financial independence and a host of trustees to act her will and materialize her plans out in the world. To me, this Elizabeth had very little of canon Elizabeth from P&P, but the character had her own depth, her own story (for better or worse), and it read as a very real, three dimensional person. Regardless, Lizzy was INSUFFERABLE, more so than Emma Woodhouse (as many readers criticize her for it), and her constant managing reminded me of The Grand Sophie a bit... anyway, it seemed more like a 30-something Girl Boss, than a 20-year-old girl in mourning.
Darcy starts out as a man in disgrace, empoverished and banned from his family home for a slanderous plot by the Wickhams years ago. Elizabeth meets him by chance, is intrigued by and attracted to this young solicitor, and starts a campaign to bring him into her affairs... She picks him, she has all the agency here, and Darcy remains a bit of a tragic hero pinning for her but refusing to act on his feelings because of his pride & principles.
The "slow burn" is done at exactly the halfway mark, and once they acknowledge their feelings, the way to marriage and some Happy Ever After is already paved and secured. Only Darcy´s issues with his family remain pending, so that´s what the second half is all about : Old Mr. Darcy, Georgiana, and Pemberley.
I found three types of "errors" here :
1) One type of "errors" are direct editorial glitches, such as writing that one character is going early in the morning from London to Longbourn, and she (Mrs. Doddridge) is mentioned to be with Georgiana (in London) during the day, and later that night she arrives from Longborn bringing Kitty with her.
2) the other type of "error" is more about the planning of the story in a larger timespan; there is mention of a Mr. Brentwood (who was the first solicitor who hired Darcy) with direct implication of him being dead and Darcy being thankful to someone who is gone... but later Darcy writes to him to invite him to his wedding, and this man makes a mircle comeback from the dead and even attends the wedding! Another example is how the Gardiners are not mentioned at all for a large portion of the book, to the extent that I assumed they didn´t exist at all on this story, because the uncle was not mentioned when the advice and opinion of a London bussinessman would be useful, or when the presence of an aunt as an older, married lady as a relation would be welcome... but suddenly, they do make an appearane later, and remain for many chapters, almost as if the author just decided to include them after all.
3) Broad logical mistakes relating to content or the soundness of the story : The Fitzwilliams keep defending family honor by giving credence to the Wickhams because they have a distant family connection, and go back to this argument several times, while ignoring the fact that Darcy is literally their nephew, born from the body of their sister Lady Anne, but that doesn´t seem to factor half as much for them as Mrs. Wickham loosely mentioning what Lady Anne would have wished/hoped/desired to her benefit... That was not realistic to me and it was not easy to swallow in any manner of suspended (dis)belief.
In the same vein, we are led to believe that the Wickhams were poisoning the father against young Darcy for many years, so that banishing him was something super normal that no one dared question or challenge at all for years and years, until Perfect Miss Bennet arrived on scene to set up everything in motion in order to singlehandedly "save" everyone (Darcy, Georgiana, Old Mr. Darcy, and even Pemberley!). Right...
Another aspect that made me uncomfortable, which I also dislike in other JAFF stories, is how this Lizzy acts so harshly against the Bennets, putting Mrs. Bennet "in her place" many times, humble lording her wealth over them by pointing out how she would not be made to support them (which she says she would do in case of need anyway), and disrespecting Mr. Bennet by ignoring him almost as a stranger, because of her own (rightful) sense of abandonment. Vindictive Lizzy is a thing, while we are also told how she is such a tender-hearted person who has a strong impulse to take care of people around her (the classic trope of a little girl taking care of wounded pets).
There is much wealth display, showing in purchases of family gifts, A LOT of detail about investments and trusts, and generally in the lavish competence of Elizabeth´s "austere" home in Portman Square. This Elizabeth doesn´t need Darcy at all for wealth, status, or a home, and how/why she falls in love with him seems to be based on her need to take care of him, plus her appreciation for his undeniable handsomeness, LOL.
The story is very long, which I enjoyed in the end >> while much of the writing could have been edited with a harsher standard, repetitions removed, endless summaries taken out, over poetic phrasing restricted to small quotas... I still wanted the book to keep going once I reached the end ! I can find no better compliment other than saying I reached the Epilogue and went right back to re-read solid portions of it all over again, and still remained for DAYS afterwards thinking of this story and wishing to read more of it.
I have A LOT of impressions and opinions to share about this story, so I might add some more later, but up to this point, I will stand by my rating saying this was a solid 4-star for me, based on how much I enjoyed the reading experience, how well it kept me entertained, and how much the story got a hold of my attention + interest.
Addition >> I got the feeling that the story was cromprised of rather well crafted mini-capsule worlds, each one well described, well rounded, and yet none of them fully explored or given any proper closure; they came across as a bit stitched up together, like patchwork…
1) Longbourn+Meryton was appropriately full of details, it was made alive with little nuggets (such as Charlotte being only an acquaintance to this Elizabeth, but then that world was closed and subsequent mentions were performative at best.
2) Same for Cotton Lane, the author went to painstaking details on that portion, so much so that we knew about every complaint by a widow with her leaky walls and merchants misusing yard storage space, it was painted as VERY important for a while, and then shut down & almost forgotten at the turn of a chapter (I actually missed reading a followup about Cotton Lane).
3) Pemberley was inserted rather abruptly by chaotic and painful circumstances, and even as we read many, many pages on/at Pemberley, I still got a sense of a forced closure there, since the Epilogue was set in London, the issue of Pemberley, while legally resolved, remained emotionally unresolved to me as a reader.
The writting style was perhaps TOO CLEVER, every dialogue was witty, every exchange between every character was like "inteligent" sparring, every comeback sprinkled with grandiose abstact nouns when a simple (material) noun could do.
The narrator´s prose had a repetitive tendency to list items as if situations needed constant laundry lists in case we forget previously mentioned details : if Longbourn is mentioned every Bennet daughter needs to be addressed in the same paragraph, if a scene takes place in a specific room, every item of furniture and decoration needs to be included too (the curtains, the carpet, chairs, tables, dressers, linnen presses! so many linnen presses!).
The sentence structure did run a bit heavy with deja-vu formats, such as "not this, not that, but that", or "as a woman/lady who + [insert verb] + [insert complementary sub sentence]"; reading through that gets tiresome, and worse since it´s an affliction suffered by many other recent JAFF releases... but the story was original enough to encourage one (me) to read on.
There was much repetition or rehashed summaries, again, to remind the reader something we just read, but puzzlingly there were some conspicuous glitches which should have been noticed in the editorial process (I will mention those below).
The story is a spin on the Wealthy Elizabeth Trope, in this case, Lizzy is fostered by an elderly aunt (great aunt) in London, and becomes her ward and heiress; to start, this is not carefree, easygoing Lizzy, raised in the country and walking miles in mud, this Lizzy is an isolated, self important, MANAGING young woman, who has financial independence and a host of trustees to act her will and materialize her plans out in the world. To me, this Elizabeth had very little of canon Elizabeth from P&P, but the character had her own depth, her own story (for better or worse), and it read as a very real, three dimensional person. Regardless, Lizzy was INSUFFERABLE, more so than Emma Woodhouse (as many readers criticize her for it), and her constant managing reminded me of The Grand Sophie a bit... anyway, it seemed more like a 30-something Girl Boss, than a 20-year-old girl in mourning.
Darcy starts out as a man in disgrace, empoverished and banned from his family home for a slanderous plot by the Wickhams years ago. Elizabeth meets him by chance, is intrigued by and attracted to this young solicitor, and starts a campaign to bring him into her affairs... She picks him, she has all the agency here, and Darcy remains a bit of a tragic hero pinning for her but refusing to act on his feelings because of his pride & principles.
The "slow burn" is done at exactly the halfway mark, and once they acknowledge their feelings, the way to marriage and some Happy Ever After is already paved and secured. Only Darcy´s issues with his family remain pending, so that´s what the second half is all about : Old Mr. Darcy, Georgiana, and Pemberley.
I found three types of "errors" here :
1) One type of "errors" are direct editorial glitches, such as writing that one character is going early in the morning from London to Longbourn, and she (Mrs. Doddridge) is mentioned to be with Georgiana (in London) during the day, and later that night she arrives from Longborn bringing Kitty with her.
2) the other type of "error" is more about the planning of the story in a larger timespan; there is mention of a Mr. Brentwood (who was the first solicitor who hired Darcy) with direct implication of him being dead and Darcy being thankful to someone who is gone... but later Darcy writes to him to invite him to his wedding, and this man makes a mircle comeback from the dead and even attends the wedding! Another example is how the Gardiners are not mentioned at all for a large portion of the book, to the extent that I assumed they didn´t exist at all on this story, because the uncle was not mentioned when the advice and opinion of a London bussinessman would be useful, or when the presence of an aunt as an older, married lady as a relation would be welcome... but suddenly, they do make an appearane later, and remain for many chapters, almost as if the author just decided to include them after all.
3) Broad logical mistakes relating to content or the soundness of the story : The Fitzwilliams keep defending family honor by giving credence to the Wickhams because they have a distant family connection, and go back to this argument several times, while ignoring the fact that Darcy is literally their nephew, born from the body of their sister Lady Anne, but that doesn´t seem to factor half as much for them as Mrs. Wickham loosely mentioning what Lady Anne would have wished/hoped/desired to her benefit... That was not realistic to me and it was not easy to swallow in any manner of suspended (dis)belief.
In the same vein, we are led to believe that the Wickhams were poisoning the father against young Darcy for many years, so that banishing him was something super normal that no one dared question or challenge at all for years and years, until Perfect Miss Bennet arrived on scene to set up everything in motion in order to singlehandedly "save" everyone (Darcy, Georgiana, Old Mr. Darcy, and even Pemberley!). Right...
Another aspect that made me uncomfortable, which I also dislike in other JAFF stories, is how this Lizzy acts so harshly against the Bennets, putting Mrs. Bennet "in her place" many times, humble lording her wealth over them by pointing out how she would not be made to support them (which she says she would do in case of need anyway), and disrespecting Mr. Bennet by ignoring him almost as a stranger, because of her own (rightful) sense of abandonment. Vindictive Lizzy is a thing, while we are also told how she is such a tender-hearted person who has a strong impulse to take care of people around her (the classic trope of a little girl taking care of wounded pets).
There is much wealth display, showing in purchases of family gifts, A LOT of detail about investments and trusts, and generally in the lavish competence of Elizabeth´s "austere" home in Portman Square. This Elizabeth doesn´t need Darcy at all for wealth, status, or a home, and how/why she falls in love with him seems to be based on her need to take care of him, plus her appreciation for his undeniable handsomeness, LOL.
The story is very long, which I enjoyed in the end >> while much of the writing could have been edited with a harsher standard, repetitions removed, endless summaries taken out, over poetic phrasing restricted to small quotas... I still wanted the book to keep going once I reached the end ! I can find no better compliment other than saying I reached the Epilogue and went right back to re-read solid portions of it all over again, and still remained for DAYS afterwards thinking of this story and wishing to read more of it.
I have A LOT of impressions and opinions to share about this story, so I might add some more later, but up to this point, I will stand by my rating saying this was a solid 4-star for me, based on how much I enjoyed the reading experience, how well it kept me entertained, and how much the story got a hold of my attention + interest.
Addition >> I got the feeling that the story was cromprised of rather well crafted mini-capsule worlds, each one well described, well rounded, and yet none of them fully explored or given any proper closure; they came across as a bit stitched up together, like patchwork…
1) Longbourn+Meryton was appropriately full of details, it was made alive with little nuggets (such as Charlotte being only an acquaintance to this Elizabeth, but then that world was closed and subsequent mentions were performative at best.
2) Same for Cotton Lane, the author went to painstaking details on that portion, so much so that we knew about every complaint by a widow with her leaky walls and merchants misusing yard storage space, it was painted as VERY important for a while, and then shut down & almost forgotten at the turn of a chapter (I actually missed reading a followup about Cotton Lane).
3) Pemberley was inserted rather abruptly by chaotic and painful circumstances, and even as we read many, many pages on/at Pemberley, I still got a sense of a forced closure there, since the Epilogue was set in London, the issue of Pemberley, while legally resolved, remained emotionally unresolved to me as a reader.
July 1, 2026
Clever writing, reversal of wealth, and Pom Pom
Enjoyable book with some of the most clever, witty writing in this genre. Many laugh out loud moments. Many sweet, sentimental moments. It is very long but I was never bored. Elizabeth is wealthy, Darcy has been banished from Pemberley and on his own, working as a solicitor in London.
Lay out the good biscuits for this one!
Enjoyable book with some of the most clever, witty writing in this genre. Many laugh out loud moments. Many sweet, sentimental moments. It is very long but I was never bored. Elizabeth is wealthy, Darcy has been banished from Pemberley and on his own, working as a solicitor in London.
Lay out the good biscuits for this one!
July 4, 2026
Can't believe it was written by a human being. This sort of style makes my mind turn off every half a page. Some sentences seem not to convey any actual meaning.
July 12, 2026
Amazing Character Work
I was a little hesitant to buy a new Pride and Prejudice variation from an unknown author. However, this is one of the few times I was blown away and I now have Ms. Fairbourne on my immediate download list.
I should add this book is not for everyone. I loved the slow pace, the slow burn and the exquisite character development. This is not a fast read, but since I majored in English Lit, I heartedly enjoyed reading this long and carefully crafted novel.
If you love lovely character development, a slow burn, witty dialogue between ODC and about 1000 pages to read, this book is for you.
If you want quick resolutions and modest descriptions, this book is not for you. YMMV!
But above all, I enjoyed each exquisite page.
I do want to note to the author, that it was difficult to read this book on my Kindle. Despite deleting and redownloading, the chapters would jump indiscriminately and after a chapter I would sometimes get the ‘Book Finished’ page. I hope the author can fix this issue for this book and any other books that she puts on Amazon.
I was a little hesitant to buy a new Pride and Prejudice variation from an unknown author. However, this is one of the few times I was blown away and I now have Ms. Fairbourne on my immediate download list.
I should add this book is not for everyone. I loved the slow pace, the slow burn and the exquisite character development. This is not a fast read, but since I majored in English Lit, I heartedly enjoyed reading this long and carefully crafted novel.
If you love lovely character development, a slow burn, witty dialogue between ODC and about 1000 pages to read, this book is for you.
If you want quick resolutions and modest descriptions, this book is not for you. YMMV!
But above all, I enjoyed each exquisite page.
I do want to note to the author, that it was difficult to read this book on my Kindle. Despite deleting and redownloading, the chapters would jump indiscriminately and after a chapter I would sometimes get the ‘Book Finished’ page. I hope the author can fix this issue for this book and any other books that she puts on Amazon.
July 25, 2026
Best new author of Pride and Prejudice variations in a long time.
I've just read the three books recently written by Marian Fairbourne ("The Artful Miss Bennet", "A Decidedly Bad Decision" and this one). It's been a while since I found an excellent new voice amongst authors of P&P Variations.
"A Most Determined Lady" is my favorite of the three. I consider it a "must-read" and won't go into any details. My only issue with this book is the fact that the elder Mr. Darcy (who is alive in this iteration) never apologizes to his son nor is its lack discussed between Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth.
Given how much is so carefully addressed and how the voices of the main characters are so precisely portrayed, I find this quite surprising.
Last thing, if you are looking for a book where Mrs. (and to a lesser extent) Mr. Bennet, are firmly put in their place, you will very much enjoy this book.
I've just read the three books recently written by Marian Fairbourne ("The Artful Miss Bennet", "A Decidedly Bad Decision" and this one). It's been a while since I found an excellent new voice amongst authors of P&P Variations.
"A Most Determined Lady" is my favorite of the three. I consider it a "must-read" and won't go into any details. My only issue with this book is the fact that the elder Mr. Darcy (who is alive in this iteration) never apologizes to his son nor is its lack discussed between Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth.
Given how much is so carefully addressed and how the voices of the main characters are so precisely portrayed, I find this quite surprising.
Last thing, if you are looking for a book where Mrs. (and to a lesser extent) Mr. Bennet, are firmly put in their place, you will very much enjoy this book.
August 9, 2026
A saga worth the time and effort
As others have pointed out, there are a few errors/contradictions in the course of this very long book. It can be hard to keep track of every detail over the course of 1300+ pages.
The writing style is indeed ornate, but appropriate to the period. A bit of judicious editing might have eliminated some of the excess length.
The story line is unique and incredibly complex, with layers upon layers of the unfairness and intrigue added as the tale progresses. The dialogue is sparkling and remarkable. The saga in the middle seems almost unending, but the end perhaps comes too soon.
This book is not for everyone. Some fans of JAFF novellas may not appreciate its length and complexity, but this variation is well worth the time and attention.
As others have pointed out, there are a few errors/contradictions in the course of this very long book. It can be hard to keep track of every detail over the course of 1300+ pages.
The writing style is indeed ornate, but appropriate to the period. A bit of judicious editing might have eliminated some of the excess length.
The story line is unique and incredibly complex, with layers upon layers of the unfairness and intrigue added as the tale progresses. The dialogue is sparkling and remarkable. The saga in the middle seems almost unending, but the end perhaps comes too soon.
This book is not for everyone. Some fans of JAFF novellas may not appreciate its length and complexity, but this variation is well worth the time and attention.
June 29, 2026
A long endeavor, but worth it!
I must say that initially, I was hesitant to start such a long book, but once I started, it was too good to just put down!
I enjoyed the twist of the feeling of a "not a bennet " story while still being a Bennet! Although long, I enjoyed the banter and quippy statements. Lord Pommington might be the up and coming character! The dynamics made me chuckle several times. All in all, I was very pleased with the whole boom!
I must say that initially, I was hesitant to start such a long book, but once I started, it was too good to just put down!
I enjoyed the twist of the feeling of a "not a bennet " story while still being a Bennet! Although long, I enjoyed the banter and quippy statements. Lord Pommington might be the up and coming character! The dynamics made me chuckle several times. All in all, I was very pleased with the whole boom!
June 30, 2026
Just terrific!
A marathon of fascinating characterizations, intricate plotting, witty and philosophical dialogue, and a growing, lovely romance. Elizabeth is raised outside the Bennet family home from an early age, resulting in a decidedly independent personality. Darcy has a murky past and has been dispossessed of everything but pride. Mysteries abound, Mrs Bennet wails, proposals are refused or avoided, romance blooms, and disorder is conquered. I could hardly put it down!
A marathon of fascinating characterizations, intricate plotting, witty and philosophical dialogue, and a growing, lovely romance. Elizabeth is raised outside the Bennet family home from an early age, resulting in a decidedly independent personality. Darcy has a murky past and has been dispossessed of everything but pride. Mysteries abound, Mrs Bennet wails, proposals are refused or avoided, romance blooms, and disorder is conquered. I could hardly put it down!
August 8, 2026
lovely
This book is a gem. I read over 100 variations a year, mostly quickly and enjoy the genre immensely. This book will stick with me. It is a slow moving, beautifully written story of love and care. The language is masterful and the characters delightful. Lizzy is at her absolute best in this book- commanding her world with kindness, maturity, vulnerability and wit. I truly loved it.
This book is a gem. I read over 100 variations a year, mostly quickly and enjoy the genre immensely. This book will stick with me. It is a slow moving, beautifully written story of love and care. The language is masterful and the characters delightful. Lizzy is at her absolute best in this book- commanding her world with kindness, maturity, vulnerability and wit. I truly loved it.
July 12, 2026
Wordy
It is hard to gauge how good or bad the book is due to the excessive length. While I believe the basic story could actually be enjoyed, the lengthy and generally unnecessary descriptions of rooms, the dog and and so much else gets in the way. Finishing the book seems more like endurance then actual enjoyment.
It is hard to gauge how good or bad the book is due to the excessive length. While I believe the basic story could actually be enjoyed, the lengthy and generally unnecessary descriptions of rooms, the dog and and so much else gets in the way. Finishing the book seems more like endurance then actual enjoyment.
July 20, 2026
I really like the plot idea. However. The story was extremely slow, and very long. The writing was also not my favorite, lots of repeated phrases and structures like "it wasn't this, it wasn't that, which almost made it worse."
Anyway, very promising, but the length made it a struggle to get through honestly.
Anyway, very promising, but the length made it a struggle to get through honestly.
July 22, 2026
Delightfully tediously period appropriate and thoroughly engaging!
The variations are thoroughly enhanced by this storyline! The plot, playful interplay of language and complex plot lines are masterful!
The variations are thoroughly enhanced by this storyline! The plot, playful interplay of language and complex plot lines are masterful!
August 2, 2026
great story
Only 3 stars because even if the story was great, it was too long. It also was stilted in its writing and seemed like AI generated. I am sure the author is responsible for the story line, but it lacked warmth and genuine feelings from the chary.
Only 3 stars because even if the story was great, it was too long. It also was stilted in its writing and seemed like AI generated. I am sure the author is responsible for the story line, but it lacked warmth and genuine feelings from the chary.
August 11, 2026
Can't put it down once you start
Granted this is a LONG book but it is truly captivating! I hesitated to read it but eh, in for a penny, in for a pound right? Well I was hooked from page 1! The flowing conversation was amazing. This book was top notch!
Granted this is a LONG book but it is truly captivating! I hesitated to read it but eh, in for a penny, in for a pound right? Well I was hooked from page 1! The flowing conversation was amazing. This book was top notch!
July 3, 2026
Interesting
An interesting premise in this lengthy variation inspired by Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice by Marian Fairbourne. I enjoyed it.
An interesting premise in this lengthy variation inspired by Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice by Marian Fairbourne. I enjoyed it.
July 17, 2026
Long but well developed
July 18, 2026
Wow
Very long, very captivating, and very satisfying. Elizabeth and Darcy very different and yet the same. I had a hard time putting it down in order to sleep.
Very long, very captivating, and very satisfying. Elizabeth and Darcy very different and yet the same. I had a hard time putting it down in order to sleep.
August 3, 2026
A well written story.
I love your prose. I really enjoyed the story and the way you displayed the characters personality. A well written story.
I love your prose. I really enjoyed the story and the way you displayed the characters personality. A well written story.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews