In November of 1795, an earthquake struck Derby shire. Trapped in the basement of the mercantile in Lambton are Gerald Darcy, his son Fitzwilliam, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. What will happen in the wake of the earthquake?
I am a retired crime lab/crime scene technician, having worked for a local police department for 15 years. Since then, I have become disabled. Forgot to get the extended warranty on the body. In my spare time, I make jewelry, am a photographer, and a full time mom and grandma. My daughter by birth is Catie, and she is the dearest part of my life. Through her, I have 2 daughters by heart, Heather and Kristina. Through Heather and her awesome man, Stan, I have 4 amazing grandchildren, Purgi, Penne, Myles, and Persephene. Besides my human family, I have a canine son, who is my service dog, Darcy. I also have 4 feline daughters (Salem, Lizzy, Dagonet, and Freya ). I now have 5 grandpuppies, 2 grandkitties. Two days after I received my first ever royalty check, I adopted Darcy and Lizzy. Fitting names, I thought. And they resemble the characters. Lizzy is mischievous, yet loving, climbing up high as if she were in a tree. Darcy is extremely protective and loving. He has his shy side, which is clear when around some people, until he comes to know he can trust them.
This story is set about 4 yrs prior to the original P&P. What would happen if Mr Darcy (senior) was still alive? If Elizabeth met Mr Darcy (senior) and Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy while she was assisting her aunt Gardiner and her aunt's parents? What would happen if an earthquake struck Lambton and Pemberley? How will ODC couple deal with being forced to marry all the while having multiple burdens and heartache? These questions and many more are answered in this P&P variation.
What I loved was Elizabeth was still young enough not to have many prejudices set in, yet old enough to have been highly educated and willing to take on a challenge head on. She was still so fresh faced, but held many surprising qualities that Mr Darcy (senior) easily recognized, which is why he made his demand of his son.
I also loved how Fitzwilliam Darcy was also not so jaded, since his father was still alive he wasn't fending off the fortune hunters as much quite yet. I loved how, even though he didn't feel they needed to go through the drastic measures, he was soon resigned and grateful for his dad's insistence. I loved how ODC grew together and their bond was impenetrable.
I adored the Matlock clan!!!! Even though they were skeptical at first, they were quick to back the couple. I loved the Gardiners and Phillips, Mrs Phillips was not so featherbrained as in P&P. I can actually saw that I liked Mrs Bennet, she was not as crass as in P&P, though that may have had to do with the fact the she had a son. I also found it great that Mr Bingley (senior) was still alive and trying to become a landowner. Him being alive seemed to rally Mr Charles Bingley's resolve and he seemed to have more of a backbone, especially where Caroline is involved.
There was enough angst in here that was comfortable to me. Of course we have the usual offenders: Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Caroline (fit for nothing less then Bedlam), Mr Wickham, Mr Collins, and (a usual for JAFF variations) Mr Bennet. Lady Cat has an agenda which is interesting, though not too angsty. Caroline, what can I say but she is absolutely delusional. No matter what her father or Charles says, she does not hear them. Mr Wickham is a minor issue, but he aides and abets Mr Bennet's delusions in order to get revenge. Mr Collins is just such a sniveling nincompoop!!!!! Mr Bennet, I don't want to give too much away, but he reacts horribly when he finds out what happened in Derbyshire to Elizabeth and even worse when she 'defies' him. There is a reason that will be told, but the horror that he inflicts on the rest of the Bennets is unthinkable and I was shocked!!!!
This book was written well, there may have been some minor editing issues though nothing that stands out. I have adored most of Ms Schertz's early books, though took a break when lots of the newer ones seemed more violent. I will eventually get to those books, but Pemberley Quaking was one that I would highly recommend to other JAFFers. For those who are skittish about mature topics (sexual content) rest assured there is nothing here to worry about. I would rate this as PG-13 for the implied violence and death. I continue to look forward to Ms Schertz's stories.
SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***
>>Rating: Mature: Due to violence, death, and dementia. This is serious death, mayhem, and destruction on many levels. >>Angst Level: High >>Tissue Alert: Oh, my goodness. Have a box handy, seriously. >>Source: I own this copy: Purchased 11-12-21
I forgot I owned this and decided to read it. OMG! This was a high-stress death, mayhem, and destruction. Mr. Darcy and his son Fitzwilliam were in a Lambton store chatting with Miss Elizabeth. Suddenly, an earthquake hit the area, causing the floor to collapse beneath them. It sent them into the basement with a board pinning the senior Darcy. They were trapped for some time before being rescued. While they waited, Mr. Darcy talked with Miss Elizabeth and liked her. He knew she would be perfect for his son. She was a gentleman’s daughter, intelligent, and made his son smile.
Once they were returned to Pemberley, they called for the doctor and the priest/rector. Mr. Darcy insisted that his son and Miss Bennet marry immediately. Her reputation was ruined. She had been trapped with two men who were not her relatives. Also, he wanted to witness his son’s wedding. As they were pronounced man and wife, Mr. Darcy breathed his last knowing his son would have a helpmate to rebuild the area.
When Bennet received the express, he went off. He could not accept that his 16-year-old daughter was married. He refused to believe it and declared it illegal without his consent. He disowned his daughter, called her all manner of names, blamed Gardiner for allowing her to be a fallen woman, and forbade any of them to have any contact with the family. Goodness. What burr was under his saddle? This was a question throughout the book. What was wrong with Mr. Bennet? It would be some time before the reader would have answers.
The relationship between ODC was changed due to the lack of pride or prejudice to overcome. Fitzwilliam married with his father’s full consent and blessing. Yes, Elizabeth was young, but she was mature beyond her years. She was able to take charge and help her husband rebuild Lambton and the surrounding area. The tenants and servants adored her along with her husband. This was so cute.
However, things are not right at Longbourn. The situation soon went from bad to worst in short order. Not all would survive. Have a tissue ready as this was shocking even for a Schertz story. Other villains would also cause problems for ODC. No matter the conflict, ODC had each other for support.
A real earthquake took place in Derbyshire took on the date of the story earthquake
First third of the book is about a quake and how it changes the lives of well known P&P characters. That part of the book was fun and great.
Then things get weird. Mr. Bennet acts crazier and crazier. The rest of the book is about a deranged mr. Bennet and his impact on those characters. Thing get bloody and very sad.
I recommend this book
I don’t know why, but I like this book way more than it deserves.
This is one of this author's earlier books and it shows unfortunately. The body count is well into double figures and the plot is all over the place.
There are a number of grammatical errors as well as factual errors. There is some misunderstanding around the ending of the entail. This would not happen on the birth of a son but on the son reaching his majority.
This author has a tendency to make Elizabeth very young, unrealistically young, in her writing which she also does here. At the start of this book Elizabeth is 15 and Darcy is 20.
The final nail in the coffin for me was referring to the capital of Scotland as Edinberg!
Oh my goodness, what to say. I am happy that this author has been picked up by a publisher so that someone will start editing her books. She can't write very well but what she does do well is make up the most outlandish storylines. I mean they are the Sharknados of JAFF. At every turn, someone was dying in terrible ways. It was very entertaining. I would turn only to yell to my husband, "So-and-so is now dead." It was hilarious.
This book had me on the edge of my seat through most of it. However, parts were a bit to fantastical to be remotely real. Also, the characters were not given much time to grieve during the losses. That being said, it was entertaining and was a fairly quick read. If you are willing to put reality aside, you will enjoy this escape. As with many of her novels, this book has a bit more action and suspense than romance.
What was that? This book has many extremes. The pace of the story is quick long quick plus a very nice epilogue. There is unexpected violence, mental illness and revenge. This is not really a romance or romantic at all.
Be prepared for some very out of canon actions that can and will be shocking. In this story it takes place prior to canon as a 16 year old Elizabeth is staying in Lampton with her aunt to help care for family. A large earthquake hits the area and Elizabeth is trapped with Darcy and his father under the collapsed store. In this time, Mr. Darcy Sr realizes that Elizabeth is perfect for his son. He knows a compromise truly hasn't happened and admits privately that he will use that excuse to get them married as he believes he is dying. Enter a changed Mr Bennet and his fury will follow. Mr Bennet then disowned Elizabeth and forbid contact with her mother and siblings (her 4 sisters and a brother). Spoiler: be warned that murders happen at Longbourn. If this is something you are not comfortable with reading, then skip this story as it is a major plot point. It was hard and sad to read but worth the journey for the story. Yes, we will see Lady Catherine, Mr Collins and Wickham and be prepared for a few more shocks! Things I liked: Mr Bingley Sr was alive and set his daughter straight so we didn't have to deal with her much; the friendship between Elizabeth's uncles and Darcy's Fitzwilliam family; and I loved seeing Darcy and Elizabeth grow to love each other deeply.
Yes, there's some edits that could help in the story but it's things I can overlook to just explore the story. Will I read this again? Yes.
During an earthquake, 16 year old Elizabeth is trapped for hours in a basement beneath her Aunt's father's store with 20 year old Fitzwilliam Darcy and his injured father, Mr Darcy senior. Our dear couple retain their essential personalities, except young Darcy shoulders his responsibilities not alone, but with a strong, mature Elizabeth in his life, and that makes all of the difference.
A truly unique, yet heart wrenching story where love triumphs over every obstacle. Prepare to be shocked, again and again, not only by events but by the unity of so many characters in the face of disaster and tragedy. But don't worry! It isn't all sad, as I said, Love Triumphs and the love and friendship between Elizabeth and Darcy is particularly satisfying.
I feel like the book description and possibly the title for this book need to change. They’re very misleading. You think you’re going to read a book about the aftermath of an earthquake and how that brings Elizabeth and Darcy together. That’s maybe the first fifty pages. Then we skip forward in time a year, skipping over everything most readers probably wanted to read about. The majority of the book is about a brutal mass murder by a family annihilator. That’s a big spoiler, but honestly people deserve to know what they’re getting into. I thought it was interesting to see a much younger Elizabeth and Darcy get married and wanted that to be explored more. I wanted to see how Elizabeth helped Darcy grieve and restore Pemberley. Instead I got Regency True Crime. You have been warned!
I always anticipate the adventure awaiting within a Melanie Schertz book. Always. This one did not disappoint. The love story that ODC shared was swift and true in the making and having. Truer was the devastation wrought by Mr. Bennet, and was it difficult to keep a straight face during lunch in public. Yet, through it all, the love of family and enduring love of one's other half made this a powerful story of resilience and the strength found when faced with the worst possible situations. A beautifully written tale of love and loss, and the fact that life must go forward even when there is tragedy.
I'm sorry, but the chances of an earthquake happening in Derbyshire that is so strong that buildings are destroyed is so remote that I couldn't read past chapter three. The author would have been better off writing the story with different characters in a different country rather than trying to get on the Pemberley bandwagon. The fact that the Benets had a son did nothing to add to the story either in my opinion.
Well, the summary of this book is not wrong, but I think it's misleading. There are 3 entirely separate story arcs in this book and the one from the summary takes up less than a quarter of it. It does set up the rest of the story but, still. In any case, the actual story is sensational, and a bit gruesome, but entertaining nonetheless. I found that, while I couldn't exactly take the story seriously, I did enjoy reading it.
I have read many of Ms Schwartz's works; this one is my absolute favourite! I will not give way to any spoilers, suffice to say, not everything is as it appears in the first chapters. The editing and formatting is much better with this book than with others I have read of this author. I highly recommend. I borrowed this through KU. Since I enjoyed it so much, I have decided to purchase. I know I will read this story over and over.
I have read all the books by this author and had loved every one giving good reviews and recommendations to my friends. However, this particular book was not for me. It was well written, the story keeps your attention but the storyline was not to my liking. Do not let my opinion stop you from reading it as many would not and do not agree with me.
The plot is adorable although not at all realistic. Lizzie and Darcy are super sweet, and the book is entertaining. It could definitely do with some more editing. A lot of the sentences are short and choppy, and editing the book to make it flow better would make it even more enjoyable.
Overall I think I liked this book. There was so much tragedy and bloodshed though it was hard to tell. Seems as though things could have been moved along without it being quite so gruesome.
Great variation that portrays Elizabeth as so mature you forget her stated age. Loved Darcy too. Would have liked to have a happy future for Charlotte in the last chapter. Highly recommended as another excellent work by Melanie Schwartz.
A thoroughly enjoyable story, a very original one. I loved the early understanding between Darcy and Elizabeth and found the plot interesting. Lots of tragedies but also lots of love and family support. Highly recommended!
This variation is quite a read, though it departs rather significantly from canon. It is, by far, the most violent P&P variation I have ever read, which I did not like very much.
This story has a good amount of domestic violence. Spousal and child. If that's something that triggers you, I recommend skipping this one. If that's not something that bothers you, read on. It's a good story. It doesn't follow canon and is original!
NOTES ::: *insert that escalated quickly meme* This reminds me of a Mad Lib. You fill in the blanks and the story just gets more and more outlandish and fantastical. I enjoyed it, but you can't suspend reality enough, just ride the wave and enjoy the insanity.
I was very surprised by this variation from P&P. Before warned, it has instances of physical abuse and bloody murder. The karma stick is definitely involved. Yet, I enjoyed this story. It flows into its inevitable happy ever after.
The earthquake was the least of the problems in this novel. Most of the familiar characters were repeatedly knifed, stabbed or bludgeoned to death. Horrible book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Objectively, this book is worth only 2 stars, and 3 stars is generous. And not just because of all the SPAG mistakes and the stilted dialogue that needs to be constructed better.
But then, the same can be said of most soap operas, especially telenovelas and Bollywood soap operas, and they're still pretty entertaining to large swathes of audience. There's no shame in that. Fast food objectively doesn't have much if any nutritional value, but most people still love it and wouldn't want to give it up completely.
So...A case can be made that it deserves 4 stars in my subjective opinion. Because:
I heartily recommend this book to those who enjoy the literary equivalent of a bag of chips. And I so *do* enjoy junk food.
(Otherwise, don't waste your time. It's not for you.)