A Bevy of Suitors

by Jann Rowland, Lelia Eye

Reader
"This variation is so compelling. Everything is twisted around so that many roles are reversed or at least greatly altered. But in spite of that the writing seems true to the style of Jane Austen."
"Clean, fun, engaging, and generally well written (especially compared to a lot of JAFF)."
"I loved it, so good!"

*****

When a chance remark from Mr. Darcy causes Mr. Bingley to rethink which Bennet daughter he wishes to pursue, Elizabeth Bennet finds herself the focus of Mr. Bingley’s attentions. Though her dearest sister encourages her to allow herself to determine her feelings for the man, Elizabeth finds her eye caught by the more reserved Mr. Darcy.

But these are not the only suitors for Elizabeth’s hand, as Mr. Wickham and Mr. Collins also prove themselves determined to draw her attention.

Though Elizabeth would never have imagined that she would be the focus of such attention, she finds herself forced to choose from among a bevy of suitors . . . .

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance

410 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2015

About the author

Jann Rowland is a Canadian, born and bred. Other than a two-year span in which he lived in Japan, he has been a resident of the Great White North his entire life, though he professes to still hate the winters.

Though Jann did not start writing until his mid-twenties, writing has grown from a hobby to an all-consuming passion. His interests as a child were almost exclusively centered on the exotic fantasy worlds of Tolkien and Eddings, among a host of others. As an adult, his interests have grown to include historical fiction and romance, with a particular focus on the works of Jane Austen.

When Jann is not writing, he enjoys rooting for his favorite sports teams. He is also a master musician (in his own mind) who enjoys playing piano and singing as well as moonlighting as the choir director in his church’s congregation.

Jann lives in Alberta with his wife of more than twenty years, two grown sons, and one young daughter. He is convinced that whatever hair he has left will be entirely gone by the time his little girl hits her teenage years. Sadly, though he has told his daughter repeatedly that she is not allowed to grow up, she continues to ignore him.

Website: http://onegoodsonnet.com/
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Twitter: @OneGoodSonnet
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/bol2p9

Reviews

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have now read 12 of Mr. Rowland's books. This one contained an interesting premise. When first reading the title one can imagine a number of beaus showing up at the Bennet household. Afterall they do have five young ladies residing there...BUT this "bevy" is buzzing around Miss Elizabeth. I love long books but this one became just a little too drawn out for my satisfaction.

Oddly, a remark by Darcy that Bingley should attempt to look at women without blonde hair and of a different demeanor causes Bingley to ask Elizabeth for a dance set at the Meryton Assembly. Soon we find that her fine eyes, bright smile and lively conversations have caught the attention of not only Bingley but, of course, Darcy, Wickham and Mr. Collins. The author gives each suitor a more determined course than in canon: Mr. Wickham truly reforms, Mr. Collins can't take "no" for an answer even after months have passed AND Darcy's friendship with Charles Bingley just may be a thing of the past.

Mrs. Bennet is blind to see that any man can pursue Elizabeth when Jane is the "better choice" and is loud in her exclamations as you would expect. Laughingly, the "Hunsford"-type proposal is still to be read of BUT it is not set in Kent nor does Elizabeth have the exact same reaction.

Jane and Charlotte cheer Elizabeth on and even encourage her to get to know Mr. Bingley better rather than go with her first impressions that he does not stir deeper feelings in her soul. Caroline borders on Bedlam behavior and we have a crisis there. Then wonder-of-wonder, Lydia is not the worst behaved of the Bennet sisters.

This is a long book. However it does have some interesting twists never used in other stories that I have read. If you like a long and well developed JAFF tale, then this is for you.

[Sam H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this! Beautifully written, and a lovely story. Such a mix up from (most) of the characters. An interesting look into- what would have happened if...
E would probably not have spent so much time really getting to know Bingley if J hadn't encouraged her. It was nice to see a softer side of E due to being singled out to quickly as a beautiful and desirable catch!
D almost had a back seat through more than half of this story, but watch out when he is ready to make his move!

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really conflicted about this book. The concept is 5 star no questions asked. And the fact that the author kept the concept going for much of the 400+ pages is unique. But I started to find it really tedious.

The premise of this book is that suddenly Lizzy Bennet is the 'IT' girl of Meryton. First Mr. Bingley is drawn to her smile and wit; then Mr. Wickham is as well, while Darcy harbors more than a little affection and her cousin, Collins, truly finds her the companion of his future life... oh dear. These boys just pass by Jane Bennet like she is yesterday's bread. It must be like being friends with Taylor Swift or Sienna Miller. And the person most put out by this is Mrs. Bennet who endless professes that Lizzy is poaching Jane's Mr. Bingley to the point that is goes beyond embarrassing and crosses over to mentally unbalanced. Mr. Bennet keeps threatening her and I kept hoping for the carriage ride to Bedlam. She is utterly loathsome and insane.

There are many minor but impactful changes from canon. Mr. Wickham never afflicts Georgiana Darcy, so he is not the evilest man in Christendom. Neither Jane nor Lizzy fall ill at Netherfield, Lydia is a calmer more mature child while Kitty is the flirt of the family. Miss Lucas rejects Mr. Collins, and both Jane and Lizzy join the Gardiners in London. Mrs. Hurst is more open to making new acquaintances. Also Anne deBourgh has been deceased for several years so Lady Catherine gets a whole new way to be 'useful'.

This book also has one of my least favorite tropes -Crazy Caroline. And she is a wackadoodle. First she tries to drive Bingley away from the Bennets, then realizing that Darcy might like Lizzy she reverses course, then reverses again... until she can't keep up of which side she is on. When ODC finally reveal their true love she goes completely out of her gourd and becomes violent.

At the same time how can you blame her. I would be fairly pissed if every male in a 20 miles radius apparently only had eyes for Lizzy Bennet, dowry-less, unfashionable, unaccomplished, petticoats 6 inches deep in mud Lizzy Bennet. These men aren't put off by other suitors, by being rejected, by being ignored they just keep coming back and proposing and proposing like Energizer bunnies...

I know there are people who can't stand to have Jane end up with anyone but Bingley but in this case I think she should have been rewarded with an Earl or even a Duke... because for the whole book she doesn't get a single caller. And to get one of her sister's hand-me-downs is kinda insulting.

So I am giving it 4* because it is signicantly better than many books I have given 3* but it was tolerable.

[Teresita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining

I found this tale very interesting with very interesting developments. Even having so many suitors after her, Elizabeth does not get her head turned and stays true to herself always being level headed. I enjoyed the courtship and romance between her and Darcy.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

As always, some interesting ideas from Jann Rowland.One could take from the 'blurb' that this is a light-hearted romp,but actually it is anything but in many ways. I liked the idea of Elizabeth having an array of suitors and having to make choices. I LOVED the redemption of Wickham and the different attitude of Lady Catherine. It was well written with the few Americanisms not really making much impression: the English number the floors in their buildings Ground, One,Two etc rather than One, Two,Three and under NO circumstances would Lizzy use foul language (she doesn't in the book but there is a definite implication that she wants to and would have the vocabulary to do so). Unlike other reviewers, I don't find Lizzy particularly unconvincing. P&P doesn't really show her being decisive,it shows her making snap judgements which isn't really the same thing. There is no reason for her to find Bingley unattractive and every reason for her to weigh up the pros and cons of marriage to him. She shows no such wavering in the face of proposals from Wickham and Collins.

Having said that, there were several things in the book which left me feeling less than satisfied, and the greatest of these was the Bingley/Jane relationship. Firstly, Jane might be Mrs Bennets favourite daughter, but there is no way she would risk his getting away by keeping him away from one daughter when he has shown NO preference for any of the others, even Jane. Secondly, and more importantly, the treatment of Jane in this novel left me very disgruntled - she should, quite simply,have turned Bingley down flat.He shows zero interest in her until nearly the end of the book and the whole scenario is very forced. When Fitzwilliam makes a very fleeting appearance,I hoped he would be a potential partner for Jane; I hoped this even more when John Livingstone, a second friend of Darcys is introduced.However, he simply vanishes and is never heard from again. In the end,however, I would have preferred poor Jane was left without a partner rather than being shoe horned into an unlikely,undignified match with a Bingley who spends most of the book not knowing she exists to satisfy Mr Rowlands desire for a 'neat' conclusion.


The other sisters don't fare much better; Mary is more or less ignored (although that is quite common); strangely, Kitty and Lydia change places.Lydia is shown to be the more sensible and intelligent of the two with a HEA foreshadowed in the epilogue. Poor Kitty is simply thrown to the wolves, becoming cheap and tawdry beyond anything Austen would ever have dreamt of envisioning.I simply cannot see any reason for this within the story,it seems the authors just don't really know what to do with Kitty.

This is not Jann Rowlands best work. It is based on an excellent premise, the beginning is very good but the events at the end are just either over-the-top or plain unsatisfying.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This unusual storyline has so much potential, and for the most part it delivers.

Elizabeth sparkles here; she attracts potential mates effortlessly and unintentionally. If you've read the book description, you already know that Mr. Bingley starts off the procession and that Mr. Darcy, although drawn to her, stands aside since Mr. Bingley has the prior claim on her attention. Yes, Mr. Collins is one of them. But I found the most intriguing and creative twist is that Mr. Wickham is also sincerely smitten with Elizabeth and is thrown into the mix as a sincere bad boy trying to reform who doesn't know how to woo a woman now that he's rejected his rakish past. The charm he previously employed just to use women works against him with Elizabeth.

The plot has a lot of unanticipated turns that kept my interest. Considering the large number of JAFF stories where you can figure out well in advance what's going to go wrong (or right), this is enjoyable reading, indeed. It seems to be reasonably well edited; I don't recall any glaring errors to distract me from the story.

The characters are well drawn. In fact, that's the main criticism that I have. There's an awful lot of introspection. The author gets too much into the heads of too many characters and the story sometimes gets bogged down with what everyone was thinking, jumping from the thoughts of one character to another. Sometimes the thoughts seem self-contradictory. In the case of one character, I'm sure this is done intentionally to demonstrate mental instability, but in other cases it is just confusing. I appreciate the author's efforts to provide well-rounded characters rather than cardboard cut-outs, but I do wish the author had trusted the reader to infer more of the characters' motivations and thoughts based on their actions. It would have helped the pace of the book and shortened it considerably.

Despite that, I really did enjoy the creativity and the quality of the writing itself, so I believe it merits 4 stars.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so Mrs Bennet in this book is such a bitch. She actually has the gall to try to force Jane on Mr. Bingley even though he is showing a interest in courting Elizabeth. She goes out of her way to inform Mr. Collins that Lizzy is available as a suitable bride even though Bingley is courting her. I do like Mr.Wickham in this book. He is trying to fix his rakish ways and become a upstanding member of society. Of course he also falls in love with Lizzy and tries to court her. He does leave Meryton when he realizes that she'll never love him. Just because Anne is dead in this book that doesn't stop Lady Catherine from voicing her displeasure in Darcy's choice of choosing Elizabeth as his bride. But at the time he was just trying to court her under Bingley's nose. Bingley and Darcy almost come to blows over Lizzy which to her was stupid. Caroline is this book is just awful. She actually tries to compromise Darcy and then when it doesn't work tries to trample Darcy and Lizzy with her horse. But Wickham saves them from Caroline's shenanigan which causes her to hit her head on a rock. She ends up dying from it. But from personal experience busting your head open doesn't kill you. I know I've lived through it twice in my lifetime.

I enjoyed this book very much indeed. However the book was so long. You definitely get your monies worth. I would recommend this book to any JAFF fan.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5

[LowBrowReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of these JAFF-s where Elibeth is like



Absolutely any male who is unfortunate enough to get close enough, is pretty much immediately prostate at her feet.



I's very entertaining though, in an angsty romance movie kind of a way. With elements of comedy. Overwritten and uneven but still some self-indulgent fun.

[Madenna U · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be written well as far as the style, etc. However it seemed to go on and on with almost the same plot points over and over. Only Miss Bingley added to the excitement of the story line.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deserves five stars. Oh what an angsty yet wonderful ride! Loved it!

I found it intriguing to see Bingley as a suitor for Elizabeth Bennet. i can see the sense in this pairing, though I would always want Darcy paired with Elizabeth. I actually enjoyed Wickham's redemption and reform. It was refreshing to see Darcy and Wickham conversing rather than arguing or glaring daggers.

Wonderland book!

[Bethanne]

Good variation

This is a interesting variation of the classic story and it was somewhat painful to read in part. Bingley and Darcy come to Meryton and meet the Bennet family. Darcy's " tolerable " statement doesn't get said! BUT, incredibly Charles is interested in Elizabeth rather than Jane which sets Mrs Bennet off. Painfully she boasts about Jane and denigrates Elizabeth constantly, even though her husband tells her to stop. Add the greasy Mr Collins to the mix, when Mrs Bennet lies to him and puts him onto Elizabeth. My goodness. Now that's not enough, we find a changed Wickham falling for Elizabeth too! She's suddenly receiving the attention of 3 men ( 1 of whom she can't stand) and becoming friends with Darcy.
It's obvious to most people that Elizabeth isn't in love with Charles even though Jane keeps pushing her towards him. Seriously, the man doesn't like to read. Definitely NOT compatible with Elizabeth Bennet.
I did have some trouble with this in that Miss Elizabeth was often referred to as Miss Bennet, even when her older sister was in the room. It interrupted the flow of my reading because I had to translate which Bennet it actually was. It's enjoyable although sad at parts. Lady Catherine is calmer because Anne died several years before, and Wickham is an improved character. No gambling debts or high debts at the merchants or even getting involved with the towns females.

[RTD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the premise 4.5 Stars.

A Bevy of Suitors is one of my favorite books by Rowland. I've been looking for a storyline such as this because I believe Bingley falling for Elizabeth's liveliness doesn't seem like that much of a stretch. Of course, a Darcy and Elizabeth HEA is must.

Started off a bit slow, but still held my interest. The pace picked up once the characters went to London - Maybe that has more to do with Darcy and Elizabeth finally spending quality time together.

A few surprises, but no complaints.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

intriguing variation

This book is well written and different from many others. Here it is Elizabeth who has many suitors and not Jane. Mrs Bennett tries her best to throw them at Jane for she is the more beautiful daughter. Mr Binglry actually pursues Elizabeth, unlike all the blondes he usually falls for.they are truly not well suited. Mr.Darcy is very attracted to Elizabeth and meets her in London and begins his pursuit of her. All ends as expected and Darcy and Elizabeth marry.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would have. The idea that every man wants Elizabeth was just a little over the top for me. I loved Darcy throughout the whole book. Mrs. Bennet was even more irritating than usual, but I loved that Lizzie finally spoke up, even though it didn't help. I had a problem with Bingley in this version, he definitely didn't know his own mind at all and I felt that Jane had no self-esteem. I'll say again, LOVED Darcy.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this Pride and Prejudice variation words spoken by Mr. Darcy divert Bingley towards Elizabeth Bennet rather than the blonde looks of her sister Jane. But more suitors appear for Elizabeth and not just Collins and Wickham.
An enjoyable well-wriitten story, with thankfully Caroline Bingley in the mix to add a touch of tartness.
Probably more of 3.5 stars.

[Lynne Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, brilliant

Another wonderful read by these author's, Elizabeth not Jane is chased after by many shifters Mr Bingley , Mr Darcy, Mr Wickham and Mr Collins, this is to the disgust of Caroline Bingley who causes a lot of problems.

[Michelle David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely

An emotionally filled and action packed variation inspired by author Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice by Jann Rowland and Lelia Eye.

[Linda K Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suitors only for one.

To Mrs Bennett's surprise and disappointment, the suitors are for Elizabeth. This can't be! She tries to redirect but it just isn't working.
What happens when the prettiest isn't the one chased?

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great dialogue and less often used plotlines. Mrs Bennet is over-the-top oblivious and Caroline Bingley unhinged. Everyone falls for Elizabeth and Jane gets the shortest stick. Bingley is a year late and a pound short.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Darcy laughs at Bingleys ability to fall for every blond angel whenever he goes, Bingley determines to prove him wrong by pursing Elizabeth. Jane persuades Elizabeth to give Bingley a chance. Throughout it all Darcy starts to see Elizabeth as a woman worthy of his esteem and befriends her. Elizabeth is intrigued by him and a respect develops. Bingley and Darcy both develop feelings for Elizabeth. Jane slowly develops feelings for Bingley but represses them. Then add more suitors of Wickham and Collins into the mix which added to the ridiculous but I still enjoyed it. Lydia is much more restrained in this novel. Anne is not part of the story at all but I enjoyed Lady Catherine's character. I loved Charlottes happy ending as well as a side story. But Darcy's conversation, his character, his determination to win Elizabeth is what I loved best!

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this book was a quite a departure from the original text. Everybody wants Elizabeth, including Mr. Bingley. For the most part the story was decent and it was well written. But I am an Austen devotee and there was one thing that just drove me nuts every time I read it. At one point, during his courtship of Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy takes out a lease on Purvis Lodge (the estate which Mrs. Bennett laments about the attics in P & P). Except in this book, he repeatedly calls it Pulvis Lodge. I know this is a ridiculous, tiny detail, but it grated on me.

[Craftyhj · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75*

An unusual "what-if?" made for an enjoyable read.

The writing is generally very good with only a few grammar/editing blips. The book is too long however and would benefit from some pruning to sharpen the end product.