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Courting Mr. Darcy
In this tale, Erin Butler has turned the classic story of Elizabeth and Darcy on its head. She begs to answer the question, 'What if Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth were good friends since childhood? How then would their love grow?'
The great Darcy family took Elizabeth in when she was but a child. Now that she is eighteen, she is an amiable companion for Mrs. Darcy, who has since become ill. Her physician has prescribed her some time in Bath and there, Mr. Darcy joins them. Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam are the best of friends. For Elizabeth, however, it is much more than that.
After not seeing Elizabeth for six months, Fitzwilliam finds her much altered. He is determined to see her comfortably married and escorts her about Bath in hopes she catches the eye of an eligible young suitor. This is too painful for Elizabeth, who has only sought the affection of one man.
When truths are laid bare, will Darcy be able to overcome his sisterly affection for her? Or is their love ruined before it even had a chance?
This Pride and Prejudice variation is suitable for all ages.
The great Darcy family took Elizabeth in when she was but a child. Now that she is eighteen, she is an amiable companion for Mrs. Darcy, who has since become ill. Her physician has prescribed her some time in Bath and there, Mr. Darcy joins them. Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam are the best of friends. For Elizabeth, however, it is much more than that.
After not seeing Elizabeth for six months, Fitzwilliam finds her much altered. He is determined to see her comfortably married and escorts her about Bath in hopes she catches the eye of an eligible young suitor. This is too painful for Elizabeth, who has only sought the affection of one man.
When truths are laid bare, will Darcy be able to overcome his sisterly affection for her? Or is their love ruined before it even had a chance?
This Pride and Prejudice variation is suitable for all ages.
- GenresHistorical
92 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 12, 2017
36 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 1, 2017
This is another book that ends early in the kindle edition @77%. We then read of other books.
I would have liked some background in this story. Elizabeth, 18 years old, has been living with the Darcys for many years. Why? Mr. Darcy, the father, is now dead but loved Elizabeth as his own. Mrs. Darcy remains but is in poor health so a trip to Bath is where we are at the beginning. Fitzwilliam has been away for 6 months and is expected to join them in Bath.
Years earlier Elizabeth, as a 10-year-old has expressed her love for Fitz. He had at that time and now again tells her that such cannot be. There are expectations for him. But he and his mother discuss and plan to see that Elizabeth has chances to meet other eligible bachelors, which she does during the first ball they attend.
This very short story has little angst - you know, you must know with whom Elizabeth ends up. But she does meet a man by the name of Bingley and his sister, a lady Elizabeth wonders about as eyes are cast at Darcy. AND Elizabeth also catches the eye of a perfectly fine and suitable Mr. Martin.
The question here is how much or not Mrs. Darcy is going to object and if Darcy will do his duty or follow his heart...which he has kept under strict regulations.
This was my "someone else pick it for me in April" selection...a short and sweet tale.
I would have liked some background in this story. Elizabeth, 18 years old, has been living with the Darcys for many years. Why? Mr. Darcy, the father, is now dead but loved Elizabeth as his own. Mrs. Darcy remains but is in poor health so a trip to Bath is where we are at the beginning. Fitzwilliam has been away for 6 months and is expected to join them in Bath.
Years earlier Elizabeth, as a 10-year-old has expressed her love for Fitz. He had at that time and now again tells her that such cannot be. There are expectations for him. But he and his mother discuss and plan to see that Elizabeth has chances to meet other eligible bachelors, which she does during the first ball they attend.
This very short story has little angst - you know, you must know with whom Elizabeth ends up. But she does meet a man by the name of Bingley and his sister, a lady Elizabeth wonders about as eyes are cast at Darcy. AND Elizabeth also catches the eye of a perfectly fine and suitable Mr. Martin.
The question here is how much or not Mrs. Darcy is going to object and if Darcy will do his duty or follow his heart...which he has kept under strict regulations.
This was my "someone else pick it for me in April" selection...a short and sweet tale.
May 4, 2017
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars
The basic premise here is that Darcy and Elizabeth have grown up together. She was 10 when she joined the Darcy household, though there's no clear explanation about how that happened except that Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennet were good friends. None of the Bennets (with the exception of Elizabeth) appear in the story. Mr. Darcy has passed away and Mrs. Darcy is still very much alive, though her health has been failing. Darcy has been away for 6 months and is just returning as the novella begins. Unlike canon, Elizabeth is very much in love with Darcy, but he told her years ago that he could never view her as anything other than a sister to him.
Elizabeth is at a point in her life where her future needs to be decided. She does not want to continue living with the Darcys, although they tell her she is welcome to do so; the idea of being in the same household with Darcy and whatever woman he ends up with as his wife is just too painful. She overhears Darcy and his mother agreeing that, in order to secure her future, she should marry, and they plan to introduce her to eligible gentlemen. However, Elizabeth can't picture herself with anyone other than Darcy, and she contemplates returning to her family in Hertfordshire.
The plot is so completely different from canon that it really doesn't feel like a Pride and Prejudice variation. Considering that Mr. Darcy's credo is "disguise of any sort is my abhorrence," his characterization doesn't match up well, either. The author has an unfortunate tendency to state the same thing using different phrasing multiple times in a row, so there's lots of unnecessary repetition.
Unfortunately, all the above leads to a less than satisfying reading experience.
The basic premise here is that Darcy and Elizabeth have grown up together. She was 10 when she joined the Darcy household, though there's no clear explanation about how that happened except that Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennet were good friends. None of the Bennets (with the exception of Elizabeth) appear in the story. Mr. Darcy has passed away and Mrs. Darcy is still very much alive, though her health has been failing. Darcy has been away for 6 months and is just returning as the novella begins. Unlike canon, Elizabeth is very much in love with Darcy, but he told her years ago that he could never view her as anything other than a sister to him.
Elizabeth is at a point in her life where her future needs to be decided. She does not want to continue living with the Darcys, although they tell her she is welcome to do so; the idea of being in the same household with Darcy and whatever woman he ends up with as his wife is just too painful. She overhears Darcy and his mother agreeing that, in order to secure her future, she should marry, and they plan to introduce her to eligible gentlemen. However, Elizabeth can't picture herself with anyone other than Darcy, and she contemplates returning to her family in Hertfordshire.
The plot is so completely different from canon that it really doesn't feel like a Pride and Prejudice variation. Considering that Mr. Darcy's credo is "disguise of any sort is my abhorrence," his characterization doesn't match up well, either. The author has an unfortunate tendency to state the same thing using different phrasing multiple times in a row, so there's lots of unnecessary repetition.
Unfortunately, all the above leads to a less than satisfying reading experience.
March 21, 2017
Good premise, Needs More backstory and execution
I am less than happy when I flip through a book and arrive at the end with 25% of the file left to go. "Courting Mr. Darcy" is another such work offered up by Ms Butler. She brings a relatively simple premise...Her father and old Mr. Darcy are old friends which allows Lizzy to move to Pemberley as an early adolescent. What is lacking is any reason why. Then there is no tension outside of the "will they or won't they?" No Wickham (and oh what he could have done for the plot). BTW, was Darcy on a grand tour? That would have put Lizzy and Darcy closer in age. Oh, there were also some unfortunate word/autocorrect problems. The author needs to focus on more complex development. 2.5 stars
I am less than happy when I flip through a book and arrive at the end with 25% of the file left to go. "Courting Mr. Darcy" is another such work offered up by Ms Butler. She brings a relatively simple premise...Her father and old Mr. Darcy are old friends which allows Lizzy to move to Pemberley as an early adolescent. What is lacking is any reason why. Then there is no tension outside of the "will they or won't they?" No Wickham (and oh what he could have done for the plot). BTW, was Darcy on a grand tour? That would have put Lizzy and Darcy closer in age. Oh, there were also some unfortunate word/autocorrect problems. The author needs to focus on more complex development. 2.5 stars
March 20, 2017
This variation is all about watching Elizabeth's heart breaking. The ending is sweet but very abrupt. In fact it left much to be desired. Also, it ends at about 78% on kindle so it's even shorter than i thought. Otherwise, it was a short interesting read.
March 20, 2017
This a clean torturous read. Torturous because we have to sit back and watch Elizabeth's heart broken. It first gets broken when Fitzwilliam is away for 6 months and barely a letter exchanged. She questions their friendship but what really troubles her is the depth of her feelings never being returned. Talk about pain their is a point where Darcy tells her he has never felt love for any woman. The night after the ball upon their ride home he spells it out for her in making it clear he feels nothing for her. God, I felt her pain as she fled from the carriage in tears. Her hand being forced by Darcy's mother, yes Mrs. Darcy is alive in this one, to wed. She annoyed me throughout the book with a lady Catherine vibe but does not disappoint. Their was a little too much freedom given between D/E, with him entering her bedroom alone at different times of the day and on one occasion sat next to her on the bed with his hand squeezing her thigh. He said he looked at her as a sister but this still was odd given the time period. As I stated it is a clean read so there is no more besides that and a chaste kiss. I did feel the ending felt rushed though. As long as we had to endure watching Lizzy's heart ripped in half we should have got to see more of them happy as well. On one last note I think FD should have asked his question in privacy with Elizabeth. You know what question he asked or do you? Enjoy!
March 28, 2017
Courting Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
So had to find out if ODC really got to be a couple, I could not stop reading until a proposal was made. Elizabeth was sent to live with Mr. and Mrs. Darcy when she was ten. At thirteen, Lizzy told Fitzwilliam that she loved him. Infatuation? Maybe, but at eighteen Lizzy's love for Fitz only continued to deepen. Story opens with a sickly Mrs. Darcy taking the waters at Bath. Lizzy and Georgiana are with her, but her spirits have been dulled by her husband's death. Fitz is returning from his travels with his new friends the Bingleys. Mrs. Darcy is suddenly worried about the expense of keeping Elizabeth with the family and shares with Fitzwilliam that she thinks Elizabeth should marry. Overhearing their conversation, Lizzy is shocked that he agrees that he should be looking for a good match for her. Not realizing that Elizabeth still loves him and it's likely her heart will never be touched by another. Witnessing Caroline Bingley's desire and design towards Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth is sickened to even think of him with another. When Mrs. Darcy sees Mr. Martin's attentions to Elizabeth, she begins pushing towards an understanding between them. She convinces her son to speak to Elizabeth about making a match. Trying to convince Elizabeth that her love will grow, and what does she know of love anyway, she confronts Darcy in tears. Well, that opens the dam's doors and between the tears and harsh words, Darcy finds out just how much she knows about love. This confrontation was cathartic, because Darcy's heart opens up and he admits that he loves Elizabeth. Darcy discussion with his mother is not what I expected given her subtle clues dropped about Elizabeth's future. A must read, but it made my wonder about Mrs. Darcy's motives to have Elizabeth married. Anyway, ODG and ODB become ODC and are on their way to living HEA. My other confusion was why Elizabeth was with the Darcy family to begin with. Only one brief comment made, but nothing conclusive unless I read her books out of order.
So had to find out if ODC really got to be a couple, I could not stop reading until a proposal was made. Elizabeth was sent to live with Mr. and Mrs. Darcy when she was ten. At thirteen, Lizzy told Fitzwilliam that she loved him. Infatuation? Maybe, but at eighteen Lizzy's love for Fitz only continued to deepen. Story opens with a sickly Mrs. Darcy taking the waters at Bath. Lizzy and Georgiana are with her, but her spirits have been dulled by her husband's death. Fitz is returning from his travels with his new friends the Bingleys. Mrs. Darcy is suddenly worried about the expense of keeping Elizabeth with the family and shares with Fitzwilliam that she thinks Elizabeth should marry. Overhearing their conversation, Lizzy is shocked that he agrees that he should be looking for a good match for her. Not realizing that Elizabeth still loves him and it's likely her heart will never be touched by another. Witnessing Caroline Bingley's desire and design towards Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth is sickened to even think of him with another. When Mrs. Darcy sees Mr. Martin's attentions to Elizabeth, she begins pushing towards an understanding between them. She convinces her son to speak to Elizabeth about making a match. Trying to convince Elizabeth that her love will grow, and what does she know of love anyway, she confronts Darcy in tears. Well, that opens the dam's doors and between the tears and harsh words, Darcy finds out just how much she knows about love. This confrontation was cathartic, because Darcy's heart opens up and he admits that he loves Elizabeth. Darcy discussion with his mother is not what I expected given her subtle clues dropped about Elizabeth's future. A must read, but it made my wonder about Mrs. Darcy's motives to have Elizabeth married. Anyway, ODG and ODB become ODC and are on their way to living HEA. My other confusion was why Elizabeth was with the Darcy family to begin with. Only one brief comment made, but nothing conclusive unless I read her books out of order.
April 7, 2017
In this Pride and Prejudice variation, Elizabeth has grown up at the Darcy's house. The elder Mr Darcy has passed but she acts as a companion to Mrs Darcy and Georgiana. Fitzwilliam joins the family in Bath after his grand tour to find Elizabeth quite grown up. They all agree that it is time that she starts to think of marriage but what that should look like varies. Fitzwilliam takes Elizabeth around town and makes introductions to find love and the plot thickens from there.
The book was short and sweet. I found Elizabeth to be overly dramatic. The teasing between he two was fun to start but then became to much or very out of character. It also ended very fast. The last scene was great but it was almost as if it was written separately and then just put on the end.
The book was short and sweet. I found Elizabeth to be overly dramatic. The teasing between he two was fun to start but then became to much or very out of character. It also ended very fast. The last scene was great but it was almost as if it was written separately and then just put on the end.
June 9, 2019
This P&P variation relies on the premise of Lizzy being raised at the Darcy's household, Lizzy admiring and befriending Darcy (a-la Mansfield Park), and Mrs. Darcy being alive, yet sickly (so Lizzy is her and Georgiana's companion).
The story has so many holes! Why is Lizzy away from Longbourn? What about her family there? Why is she a companion since her childhood? Also, her friendship with Darcy is not as believable unless the age difference is shortened (which is not), since because of that distance + schooling, they would not have had oportunity for any closeness no develop. Then, the Darcys decide Lizzy should marry some suitable suitor to unburden themselves from her, that is all *very* awkward and it does not magically go away when the main couple suddenly find a way to eachother at the end...
In my personal opinion, the idea was interesting & intrigueing, yet not well executed...
The story has so many holes! Why is Lizzy away from Longbourn? What about her family there? Why is she a companion since her childhood? Also, her friendship with Darcy is not as believable unless the age difference is shortened (which is not), since because of that distance + schooling, they would not have had oportunity for any closeness no develop. Then, the Darcys decide Lizzy should marry some suitable suitor to unburden themselves from her, that is all *very* awkward and it does not magically go away when the main couple suddenly find a way to eachother at the end...
In my personal opinion, the idea was interesting & intrigueing, yet not well executed...
June 14, 2020
Cute sweet
I enjoyed this short story. It was cute and sweet with a touch of sass. Mrs. Darcy is alive in this storyline. Recommended give a try
I enjoyed this short story. It was cute and sweet with a touch of sass. Mrs. Darcy is alive in this storyline. Recommended give a try
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews