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A Man with Faults: A Pride & Prejudice Variation
Resentment or love, anger or passion, guilt or hope--which will win?
How does a man with faults and a resentful temper act when the woman he ardently loves fiercely rejects his marriage proposal and accepts no explanation from him? How does he react when she finds him again in London four months later, asks for his help, and places all her hopes in him?
And what does he do if she is in a position to help him in return?
Their lives--and those of the people around them--are changed in ways they could never imagine. Happiness and peace seem lost forever, but Fate has other plans and propels them on a journey--difficult and romantic, tender and painful--in pursuit of their happily ever after.
How does a man with faults and a resentful temper act when the woman he ardently loves fiercely rejects his marriage proposal and accepts no explanation from him? How does he react when she finds him again in London four months later, asks for his help, and places all her hopes in him?
And what does he do if she is in a position to help him in return?
Their lives--and those of the people around them--are changed in ways they could never imagine. Happiness and peace seem lost forever, but Fate has other plans and propels them on a journey--difficult and romantic, tender and painful--in pursuit of their happily ever after.
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2017
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April 21, 2017
Warning: Some may consider parts here as spoilers. I hope I did not really give away how ODC reached their HEA but desired to entice other to want to read this long story so hope that the details I shared are not give aways.
In this variation emotions run high. Darcy has returned to London from Rosings and spent several months secluding himself from society and from his sister, Georgiana, who is dealing with her own depression and guilt. Darcy is not only depressed about Wickham’s acts with Georgiana but also, as Darcy has learned, with Elizabeth. She spurned his proposal and throws his involvement with Jane's and Bingley's separation in his face along with his acts towards Mr. Wickham. And on top of all that she barely opens his letter the next day when she runs after him and tears it up and hurls it in his face. So she does not know of Wickham's heinous acts or treacherous lies.
While Darcy stews in his depression, anger, bitterness and regret, his sister is residing with Amelia, Countess of Hardwick, their great-aunt. Ironically, when Georgiana refuses to take strolls in Hyde Park, Lady Hardwick seeks out a smaller park away from the ton's attentions and...near Gracechurch Street. With her small dog, Didi, and the kitten, Mist, which Georgiana carries in a basket, they attract the attention of two young children with their older cousin who are also walking there. Day after day the two sides find each other and become friends, neither sharing their names other than “Miss Anna” and “Miss Lizzy” and “Lady Hardwick”.
The reasons for Elizabeth's visit in London instead of the promised trip to the Peaks have to do with a misfortune that strikes her aunt and E.'s offer to stay with the Gardiners and help care for the children as her aunt recovers.
Lady Hardwick and Georgiana do inform Darcy of their new friend and he questions if they know who she is and if they trust this stranger.
Darcy hears from the man he has following Wickham that W. has left his regiment and eloped with a young lady by the name of Bennet. Knowing of Elizabeth's opinions about the man and his attentions to her, Darcy's thoughts as to who the person might be are not illogical.
There are a number of mix-ups and misunderstandings in London. Darcy has come upon his sister in the park and accused Elizabeth of sordid reasons for her friendship with his sister. Then as Lady Hardwick has asked Elizabeth to correspond with them as plans are to leave London, her address has been shared with Elizabeth. That leads to Elizabeth knowing how to reach Darcy when her father and Colonel Forster come to London on the trail of W. and Lydia. Elizabeth begs for his help in locating the couple.
Georgiana's and Lady Hardwick's friendship with Elizabeth in this story are of paramount importance. Darcy's relationship with his sister is in dire need of repair. His relationship with Elizabeth is all in the past. But as Georgiana, Darcy and Lady H. visit in Meryton for a wedding Georgiana comes to rely upon and love Elizabeth and wants her to come to Pemberley and stay for a time. Darcy, despite misgivings about being in Elizabeth's presence daily, comes to accept his sister's need for this friend, the only friend who seems to get Georgiana to smile and laugh again.
The situation between our Darcy and Elizabeth is viewed with various interpretations by those close to the couple. Georgiana understands from her new friend that they have had some argument in the past. But as he avoids Elizabeth's company day after day Georgiana takes it to mean something different.
This is a long story. And there is much more which occurs. You read of both Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s thoughts. There is a MA scene near the end. It does have a bit of angst and at times I wanted to reach in and shake both. But know this: Darcy’s feelings are portrayed in much greater depth than canon and, as the title tells us, he takes upon himself the fault for much of what happens…in the past and present situations. Elizabeth comes to some correct opinions and realizations all on her own. But they do take a torturous amount of time to reach any new understanding.
I have read and enjoyed all of this author’s stories: 4 and 5 star reviews from me. So I can highly recommend this and her other books.
In this variation emotions run high. Darcy has returned to London from Rosings and spent several months secluding himself from society and from his sister, Georgiana, who is dealing with her own depression and guilt. Darcy is not only depressed about Wickham’s acts with Georgiana but also, as Darcy has learned, with Elizabeth. She spurned his proposal and throws his involvement with Jane's and Bingley's separation in his face along with his acts towards Mr. Wickham. And on top of all that she barely opens his letter the next day when she runs after him and tears it up and hurls it in his face. So she does not know of Wickham's heinous acts or treacherous lies.
While Darcy stews in his depression, anger, bitterness and regret, his sister is residing with Amelia, Countess of Hardwick, their great-aunt. Ironically, when Georgiana refuses to take strolls in Hyde Park, Lady Hardwick seeks out a smaller park away from the ton's attentions and...near Gracechurch Street. With her small dog, Didi, and the kitten, Mist, which Georgiana carries in a basket, they attract the attention of two young children with their older cousin who are also walking there. Day after day the two sides find each other and become friends, neither sharing their names other than “Miss Anna” and “Miss Lizzy” and “Lady Hardwick”.
The reasons for Elizabeth's visit in London instead of the promised trip to the Peaks have to do with a misfortune that strikes her aunt and E.'s offer to stay with the Gardiners and help care for the children as her aunt recovers.
Lady Hardwick and Georgiana do inform Darcy of their new friend and he questions if they know who she is and if they trust this stranger.
Darcy hears from the man he has following Wickham that W. has left his regiment and eloped with a young lady by the name of Bennet. Knowing of Elizabeth's opinions about the man and his attentions to her, Darcy's thoughts as to who the person might be are not illogical.
There are a number of mix-ups and misunderstandings in London. Darcy has come upon his sister in the park and accused Elizabeth of sordid reasons for her friendship with his sister. Then as Lady Hardwick has asked Elizabeth to correspond with them as plans are to leave London, her address has been shared with Elizabeth. That leads to Elizabeth knowing how to reach Darcy when her father and Colonel Forster come to London on the trail of W. and Lydia. Elizabeth begs for his help in locating the couple.
Georgiana's and Lady Hardwick's friendship with Elizabeth in this story are of paramount importance. Darcy's relationship with his sister is in dire need of repair. His relationship with Elizabeth is all in the past. But as Georgiana, Darcy and Lady H. visit in Meryton for a wedding Georgiana comes to rely upon and love Elizabeth and wants her to come to Pemberley and stay for a time. Darcy, despite misgivings about being in Elizabeth's presence daily, comes to accept his sister's need for this friend, the only friend who seems to get Georgiana to smile and laugh again.
The situation between our Darcy and Elizabeth is viewed with various interpretations by those close to the couple. Georgiana understands from her new friend that they have had some argument in the past. But as he avoids Elizabeth's company day after day Georgiana takes it to mean something different.
This is a long story. And there is much more which occurs. You read of both Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s thoughts. There is a MA scene near the end. It does have a bit of angst and at times I wanted to reach in and shake both. But know this: Darcy’s feelings are portrayed in much greater depth than canon and, as the title tells us, he takes upon himself the fault for much of what happens…in the past and present situations. Elizabeth comes to some correct opinions and realizations all on her own. But they do take a torturous amount of time to reach any new understanding.
I have read and enjoyed all of this author’s stories: 4 and 5 star reviews from me. So I can highly recommend this and her other books.
October 7, 2017
What if Darcy Held Onto His Resentment?
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Source: Review Copy from Author
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation
TIME FRAME: Begins 4 months after the Hunsford proposal in London
SYNOPSIS: Still heated after Mr. Darcy’s disastrous and offensive proposal, Elizabeth reads only the beginning lines of his haughty letter the next day and decides she cannot bear any more. In her anger, Elizabeth returns to Darcy and tears the letter to pieces before his very eyes. Four months later Elizabeth has often felt terribly ashamed of her cruel actions and temper. While she doesn’t regret refusing Mr. Darcy’s marriage proposal, she regrets destroying his letter and the manner of her refusal. Even more so now, because Elizabeth finds herself in need of Mr. Darcy’s help. Her family has no one else to turn to and she hopes that his good opinion isn’t totally lost forever…
WHAT I LOVED:
- Tormented and Bitter: What an inventive twist, what a painful and completely shattering situation. After such a heartrending and hurtful encounter, it is conceivable to understand that Mr. Darcy, like Captain Wentworth, is holding onto some resentment and bitterness. After all, his heart was just torn to pieces and he does admit one of his flaws is his resentful temper. It was interesting twist to see Darcy so angered and resentful towards Elizabeth. But before you go believing that he is monstrous ogre that isn’t recognizable, I will say that Ms. Lilian does a wonderful job of giving little glimpses of the man underneath all this resentment and anger. His mask cracks from time to time and we see his love, tenderness, and vulnerability.
- Relationship with Georgiana: I love when Elizabeth has a special relationship with Georgiana and how their closeness makes Darcy so happy. Although in this tale it was equal parts a cause of concern and a cause for happiness! Either way, Georgiana was adorable and I loved seeing her find comfort and friendship with Miss Lizzy!
- Relationship with Bennets: One of my favorite parts of the story was seeing how Darcy’s opinions changed about the Bennets and how many of the Bennets changed their opinions about Mr. Darcy. I especially loved what evolved between Mr. Bennet and Mr. Darcy – warmed my heart! And Mr. Darcy was adorable with how he handled Mrs. Bennet!
- Repressed and Restrained: With their tempestuous exchanges and private anguish both Darcy and Elizabeth believe that any sort of future between them is completely improbable and hopeless! But we, the reader, know that can’t be so…Lory Lilian would never do that to us!!! However, with both Darcy and Elizabeth hiding their true feelings and constantly avoiding each other it makes you wonder how anything will get any better between these two! I loved how Ms. Lilian took her time exploring the emotional development between these two characters and how she never gave anything away too early or too quickly! She made us wait for it!
- Learning His Character: Since Elizabeth didn’t read Darcy’s whole letter she lacks a bit of understanding about the man. But she is nearly always thinking of him and trying to figure him out. So many of his actions puzzle her. I enjoyed witnessing how Elizabeth grew to understand, appreciate, admire, and love Darcy bit by bit, layer by layer.
- Lady Hardwick, Didi, and Mist: I have always been a big fan of any original character created by Lory Lilian! I adored the new Lady Hardwick and her strong affection for her niece and nephew in this novel. I thought her penchant for asking seemingly innocent questions that truly aren’t so innocent was brilliant! And big applause for the way she handled Miss Bingley! In addition, I absolutely adored the two little furry friends in this story – I want my own Didi and Mist to cuddle and travel to the park with!
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
I really can’t think of anything! 😉
NOTE: Only one intimate scene in the last chapter (before epilogue).
CONCLUSION:
In her latest Pride and Prejudice variation, Lory Lilian offers a dramatic and daring premise that is wonderfully executed and will completely enthrall the reader. Written with heartrending poignancy and powerful yearning, A Man with Faults is another magnificent tale to treasure from Lory Lilian!
Austenesque Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Source: Review Copy from Author
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation
TIME FRAME: Begins 4 months after the Hunsford proposal in London
SYNOPSIS: Still heated after Mr. Darcy’s disastrous and offensive proposal, Elizabeth reads only the beginning lines of his haughty letter the next day and decides she cannot bear any more. In her anger, Elizabeth returns to Darcy and tears the letter to pieces before his very eyes. Four months later Elizabeth has often felt terribly ashamed of her cruel actions and temper. While she doesn’t regret refusing Mr. Darcy’s marriage proposal, she regrets destroying his letter and the manner of her refusal. Even more so now, because Elizabeth finds herself in need of Mr. Darcy’s help. Her family has no one else to turn to and she hopes that his good opinion isn’t totally lost forever…
WHAT I LOVED:
- Tormented and Bitter: What an inventive twist, what a painful and completely shattering situation. After such a heartrending and hurtful encounter, it is conceivable to understand that Mr. Darcy, like Captain Wentworth, is holding onto some resentment and bitterness. After all, his heart was just torn to pieces and he does admit one of his flaws is his resentful temper. It was interesting twist to see Darcy so angered and resentful towards Elizabeth. But before you go believing that he is monstrous ogre that isn’t recognizable, I will say that Ms. Lilian does a wonderful job of giving little glimpses of the man underneath all this resentment and anger. His mask cracks from time to time and we see his love, tenderness, and vulnerability.
- Relationship with Georgiana: I love when Elizabeth has a special relationship with Georgiana and how their closeness makes Darcy so happy. Although in this tale it was equal parts a cause of concern and a cause for happiness! Either way, Georgiana was adorable and I loved seeing her find comfort and friendship with Miss Lizzy!
- Relationship with Bennets: One of my favorite parts of the story was seeing how Darcy’s opinions changed about the Bennets and how many of the Bennets changed their opinions about Mr. Darcy. I especially loved what evolved between Mr. Bennet and Mr. Darcy – warmed my heart! And Mr. Darcy was adorable with how he handled Mrs. Bennet!
- Repressed and Restrained: With their tempestuous exchanges and private anguish both Darcy and Elizabeth believe that any sort of future between them is completely improbable and hopeless! But we, the reader, know that can’t be so…Lory Lilian would never do that to us!!! However, with both Darcy and Elizabeth hiding their true feelings and constantly avoiding each other it makes you wonder how anything will get any better between these two! I loved how Ms. Lilian took her time exploring the emotional development between these two characters and how she never gave anything away too early or too quickly! She made us wait for it!
- Learning His Character: Since Elizabeth didn’t read Darcy’s whole letter she lacks a bit of understanding about the man. But she is nearly always thinking of him and trying to figure him out. So many of his actions puzzle her. I enjoyed witnessing how Elizabeth grew to understand, appreciate, admire, and love Darcy bit by bit, layer by layer.
- Lady Hardwick, Didi, and Mist: I have always been a big fan of any original character created by Lory Lilian! I adored the new Lady Hardwick and her strong affection for her niece and nephew in this novel. I thought her penchant for asking seemingly innocent questions that truly aren’t so innocent was brilliant! And big applause for the way she handled Miss Bingley! In addition, I absolutely adored the two little furry friends in this story – I want my own Didi and Mist to cuddle and travel to the park with!
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
I really can’t think of anything! 😉
NOTE: Only one intimate scene in the last chapter (before epilogue).
CONCLUSION:
In her latest Pride and Prejudice variation, Lory Lilian offers a dramatic and daring premise that is wonderfully executed and will completely enthrall the reader. Written with heartrending poignancy and powerful yearning, A Man with Faults is another magnificent tale to treasure from Lory Lilian!
Austenesque Reviews
December 20, 2021
“It is the curse of the powerful to be blind to their own faults.” Robert Fanney
All I can say is gird up your loins and prepare for a bumpy ride throughout most of this story. We open with Darcy bitter, angry, brooding, and despondent over his failed proposal. Georgiana is also dealing with her own grief over disappointing her brother, the family name, and an accident that could have killed her. She thinks Darcy is upset with her, not realizing that he is too emotionally damaged himself to help her and… let’s just say… Darcy House is not a congenial place at the moment.
Across town near Gracechurch Street, Mrs. Gardiner is recovering from a disappointment and Elizabeth is helping with the children. This kept them in town and they did not go on their tour of the north. Elizabeth meets a young girl and her aunt in the park near Gracechurch Street and they become friends.
“I’m not conceited. Conceit is a fault and I have no faults.” David Lee Roth
When Darcy finds out where Georgiana has been spending her time and who her new friend is, he goes bat_ crazy and pitches a Fitzwilliam fit worthy of Lady Catherine. Man, this Darcy is a mess and he is unknowingly destroying Georgiana, because, as everyone knows, the world revolves around teenagers and she thinks that whatever is wrong with her brother must be her fault. Lawd, help us.
“We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers – but never blame yourself. It’s never your fault. But it’s always your fault, because if you wanted to change you’re the one who has got to change.” Katharine Hepburn
Mr. Bennet arrives in London with Colonel Forster hard on the heels of Lydia and Wickham. OMG!! Unknown to everyone, Darcy had already received word [from his agent in the field] that Wickham had eloped with a Bennet girl and Darcy assumed it was Elizabeth. When she arrived to ask for his help in finding Wickham, he [still angry from thinking she had overthrown him for his enemy and had now been abandoned] was cruel to her and spoke to her with the barest of civility. She, thinking she deserved his disdain and his manner toward her, was filled all over again with shame that he should see her and her family in this light. However, he did agree to help find the scoundrel. It was later that he learned it was Lydia and not Elizabeth that had fallen under the power of his enemy.
“Come t’e’ picciol fallo amaro morso! Dante. What grievous pain a little fault doth give thee!” Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
This was hard to read. My heart went out to Darcy and Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet as each examined their roles in the ‘failure to inform’ trope. They were all consumed with the ‘if I had done this, then this would not have happened’ scenario. Of course, we the reader know the reality of Lydia’s and Wickham’s proclivities and base nature.
“Teach me to feel another’s woe, to hide the fault I see, that mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me.” Alexander Pope
This story centers around Darcy and Elizabeth and their introspection as they work through their feelings and emotions. They each are at rock bottom as they deal with what they have done and what they now know. They each try to decipher what to do to save Georgiana and deal with the presence of the one person they thought to never see again.
Georgiana is the hub that this wheel spins around. She is the manipulator and catalyst all in one. Her wants and desires move the action. Everyone is in place due to what she needs to recover from her turmoil. We learn of a shocking ‘accident’ that has poor Georgiana’s emotions in a mess.
I thought our HEA would never arrive and I loved how it came about. Poor Darcy was pulled through the wringer on this one. He was a mess and Elizabeth was no better. These two could hardly have a conversation without misunderstanding each other or being harsh and cruel to each other. It began to get on my nerves.
I loved Lady Hardwick, another relation of Darcy’s. She was just what the story needed to keep everything grounded and offered comedic relief to lessen the tension. I was a bit concerned about Lord Mowbray [who was fascinated with Lizzy] and Lady Emmeline [a Caroline Bingley type on steroids] who wanted Darcy… of course. The author missed a lot of action by not following up on that thread. They were a train wreck waiting to happen.
Rating: PG-13 slight sensual comments here and there, until the very end PG->17, wedding night, bedroom scene that could easily be skipped over to the epilogue. I thought that was well played by the author.
Source: I won a copy from the author’s blog tour without any expectation of a review. This is an honest review.
All I can say is gird up your loins and prepare for a bumpy ride throughout most of this story. We open with Darcy bitter, angry, brooding, and despondent over his failed proposal. Georgiana is also dealing with her own grief over disappointing her brother, the family name, and an accident that could have killed her. She thinks Darcy is upset with her, not realizing that he is too emotionally damaged himself to help her and… let’s just say… Darcy House is not a congenial place at the moment.
Across town near Gracechurch Street, Mrs. Gardiner is recovering from a disappointment and Elizabeth is helping with the children. This kept them in town and they did not go on their tour of the north. Elizabeth meets a young girl and her aunt in the park near Gracechurch Street and they become friends.
“I’m not conceited. Conceit is a fault and I have no faults.” David Lee Roth
When Darcy finds out where Georgiana has been spending her time and who her new friend is, he goes bat_ crazy and pitches a Fitzwilliam fit worthy of Lady Catherine. Man, this Darcy is a mess and he is unknowingly destroying Georgiana, because, as everyone knows, the world revolves around teenagers and she thinks that whatever is wrong with her brother must be her fault. Lawd, help us.
“We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers – but never blame yourself. It’s never your fault. But it’s always your fault, because if you wanted to change you’re the one who has got to change.” Katharine Hepburn
Mr. Bennet arrives in London with Colonel Forster hard on the heels of Lydia and Wickham. OMG!! Unknown to everyone, Darcy had already received word [from his agent in the field] that Wickham had eloped with a Bennet girl and Darcy assumed it was Elizabeth. When she arrived to ask for his help in finding Wickham, he [still angry from thinking she had overthrown him for his enemy and had now been abandoned] was cruel to her and spoke to her with the barest of civility. She, thinking she deserved his disdain and his manner toward her, was filled all over again with shame that he should see her and her family in this light. However, he did agree to help find the scoundrel. It was later that he learned it was Lydia and not Elizabeth that had fallen under the power of his enemy.
“Come t’e’ picciol fallo amaro morso! Dante. What grievous pain a little fault doth give thee!” Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
This was hard to read. My heart went out to Darcy and Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet as each examined their roles in the ‘failure to inform’ trope. They were all consumed with the ‘if I had done this, then this would not have happened’ scenario. Of course, we the reader know the reality of Lydia’s and Wickham’s proclivities and base nature.
“Teach me to feel another’s woe, to hide the fault I see, that mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me.” Alexander Pope
This story centers around Darcy and Elizabeth and their introspection as they work through their feelings and emotions. They each are at rock bottom as they deal with what they have done and what they now know. They each try to decipher what to do to save Georgiana and deal with the presence of the one person they thought to never see again.
Georgiana is the hub that this wheel spins around. She is the manipulator and catalyst all in one. Her wants and desires move the action. Everyone is in place due to what she needs to recover from her turmoil. We learn of a shocking ‘accident’ that has poor Georgiana’s emotions in a mess.
I thought our HEA would never arrive and I loved how it came about. Poor Darcy was pulled through the wringer on this one. He was a mess and Elizabeth was no better. These two could hardly have a conversation without misunderstanding each other or being harsh and cruel to each other. It began to get on my nerves.
I loved Lady Hardwick, another relation of Darcy’s. She was just what the story needed to keep everything grounded and offered comedic relief to lessen the tension. I was a bit concerned about Lord Mowbray [who was fascinated with Lizzy] and Lady Emmeline [a Caroline Bingley type on steroids] who wanted Darcy… of course. The author missed a lot of action by not following up on that thread. They were a train wreck waiting to happen.
Rating: PG-13 slight sensual comments here and there, until the very end PG->17, wedding night, bedroom scene that could easily be skipped over to the epilogue. I thought that was well played by the author.
Source: I won a copy from the author’s blog tour without any expectation of a review. This is an honest review.
April 22, 2017
Straight up I have to admit that my opinion of this book was strongly influenced by the book I read immediately before it; Practical Engagements: A Fitzwilliam Darcy Story https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3.... which was also Dark.
I found this book to be full of angst and depressed Darcy. I don't like depressed Darcy. This book begins the summer after Hunsford with TWO big changes. First Lizzy not only didn't read Darcy's letter, she ripped it up in his face and let it scatter to the winds. Second because of a medical problem for Aunt Madeline Lizzy is in London because they canceled their trip to the Lakes and Lizzy is helping with the children. During this task she meets a young lady at the park in Cheapside. Miss 'Anna' is there with her aunt, this is a new character a great aunt of Darcy's, and Miss Anna has been staying with her since a personal set back in her post Wickham recovery.
Darcy is lurking about his house, in the dark, gloomy, with a bottle. [True story there was a line about Darcy living in the dark and Georgiana appearing unconscious and 'bloodless' and I was thinking this is a Vampire story - it isn't] Darcy has been brooding, pouting, ill tempered, short tempered and generally douchey. [Note I don't get the attraction to the Darcy who is so devastated by Lizzy's declining his less than lovely proposal that he ceases to function. Would you want to marry a man who falls apart like that? 100s of people depend upon him and he is sulking in the dark like a goth kid]
So when Lydia inevitably elopes with Wickham, Lizzy and the Gardiners are already in London. When they can't find her Lizzy thinks Darcy may have a clue and convinces her uncle to call upon him. In reality Darcy knows exactly where Wickham is because he is having him watched and Knows that he eloped with a Bennet and ASSUMES that the Bennet is Lizzy When her uncle can't get a visit Lizzy goes to Darcy personally and he initially assumes that Wickham sent her. [DO you hate this Darcy yet?] He really hates her and while he agrees to meet with her uncle he doesn't even listen to her say Lydia. Of course once it is revealed to be Lydia he does all the stuff he does in canon except now Mr. Bennet & Mr. Gardiner know about it.
Darcy is IN LOVE and IN HATE with Lizzy. So imagine his shock when he discovers that his sister has befriended Miss Lizzy in a park in Cheapside. Yeah he loses his mind and yells and screams and accuses Miss Lizzy of all sorts of evil then eventually comes around and says Georgie can write her a letter. Bi-Polar Darcy? Schizophrenic Darcy? Hey I don't know I just know he shouldn't have been poor Georgiana's guardian - he's that unstable. and then we will go through months of Darcy & Georgie in Hertfordshire being awkward with Lizzy, then Lizzy & Georgiana & Darcy at Pemberley being awkward with Georgiana and lots of tears and Georgie having low self esteem and thinking her brother lost all respect for her because why else would he be so gloomy. And Lizzy can't tell her it is because she rejected his proposal because Darcy won't agree to tell her. There is one dead clever bit where Darcy is talking to this 'new aunt' and she takes Lady Catherine's lines from canon when Lady C confronts Lizzy "I am your nearest relation"
By being together for weeks on end Lizzy and Darcy give up their Pride and Prejudice and find a HEA.
I found this book to be full of angst and depressed Darcy. I don't like depressed Darcy. This book begins the summer after Hunsford with TWO big changes. First Lizzy not only didn't read Darcy's letter, she ripped it up in his face and let it scatter to the winds. Second because of a medical problem for Aunt Madeline Lizzy is in London because they canceled their trip to the Lakes and Lizzy is helping with the children. During this task she meets a young lady at the park in Cheapside. Miss 'Anna' is there with her aunt, this is a new character a great aunt of Darcy's, and Miss Anna has been staying with her since a personal set back in her post Wickham recovery.
Darcy is lurking about his house, in the dark, gloomy, with a bottle. [True story there was a line about Darcy living in the dark and Georgiana appearing unconscious and 'bloodless' and I was thinking this is a Vampire story - it isn't] Darcy has been brooding, pouting, ill tempered, short tempered and generally douchey. [Note I don't get the attraction to the Darcy who is so devastated by Lizzy's declining his less than lovely proposal that he ceases to function. Would you want to marry a man who falls apart like that? 100s of people depend upon him and he is sulking in the dark like a goth kid]
So when Lydia inevitably elopes with Wickham, Lizzy and the Gardiners are already in London. When they can't find her Lizzy thinks Darcy may have a clue and convinces her uncle to call upon him. In reality Darcy knows exactly where Wickham is because he is having him watched and Knows that he eloped with a Bennet and ASSUMES that the Bennet is Lizzy When her uncle can't get a visit Lizzy goes to Darcy personally and he initially assumes that Wickham sent her. [DO you hate this Darcy yet?] He really hates her and while he agrees to meet with her uncle he doesn't even listen to her say Lydia. Of course once it is revealed to be Lydia he does all the stuff he does in canon except now Mr. Bennet & Mr. Gardiner know about it.
Darcy is IN LOVE and IN HATE with Lizzy. So imagine his shock when he discovers that his sister has befriended Miss Lizzy in a park in Cheapside. Yeah he loses his mind and yells and screams and accuses Miss Lizzy of all sorts of evil then eventually comes around and says Georgie can write her a letter. Bi-Polar Darcy? Schizophrenic Darcy? Hey I don't know I just know he shouldn't have been poor Georgiana's guardian - he's that unstable. and then we will go through months of Darcy & Georgie in Hertfordshire being awkward with Lizzy, then Lizzy & Georgiana & Darcy at Pemberley being awkward with Georgiana and lots of tears and Georgie having low self esteem and thinking her brother lost all respect for her because why else would he be so gloomy. And Lizzy can't tell her it is because she rejected his proposal because Darcy won't agree to tell her. There is one dead clever bit where Darcy is talking to this 'new aunt' and she takes Lady Catherine's lines from canon when Lady C confronts Lizzy "I am your nearest relation"
By being together for weeks on end Lizzy and Darcy give up their Pride and Prejudice and find a HEA.
May 21, 2017
Hold on to your bonnets! This variation of Pride & Prejudice will tie you up in knots before slowly, and I mean slowly, releasing the tension. The book opens with Darcy in a deep, dark angry well of emotion at Darcy House in London. He is a tortured soul reeling from Elizabeth Bennet's refusal at Hunsford. Blinded by his torment, he cannot see past his own selfish despair to realize the painful impact he is having on his sister, Georgiana. Fortunately, for her, she has her aunt, Lady Amelia Hardwick, who is an absolutely wonderful new character created by Ms. Lillian. Both Darcy and Georgiana are so fragile, that one wrong tap will shatter them.
"If only he could rip her out of his heart too, he would perhaps be peaceful and tranquil."
Elizabeth Bennet is helping her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner in Cheapside and has made new friends while in the small park by their home. Then the bottom falls out of their lives, when Lydia elopes with Wickham, as in canon. Swallowing her pride, Elizabeth asks Darcy for his help.
This is an intense tale that had me riveted from beginning to end. As much as Darcy tried to push Elizabeth from his heart and mind, others kept bringing them in constant contact. Many the time, Darcy put his boot in his mouth and many the time, they both misunderstood each other. Lady Hardwick was instrumental in making others 'see' what was truly important. I also enjoyed Mrs. Bennet in this tale. She has no filter when it comes to Mr. Darcy, and I was left chuckling at her comments. Mr. Bingley was not immune either!
For me, this book begs a sequel. Due to the high level of anxiety throughout most of this book, we only get a small glimpse into the HEA. There is so much more potential for this story to continue. We not only have the delightful Lady Hardwick, but Mr. Slade, Lord Mowbray, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Georgiana, Mary, Kitty and of course, Darcy and Elizabeth.
I highly recommend this torturous journey of learning from your mistakes and redeeming yourself in the eyes of the one you love. As the book description states, there are some mature scenes.
"If only he could rip her out of his heart too, he would perhaps be peaceful and tranquil."
Elizabeth Bennet is helping her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner in Cheapside and has made new friends while in the small park by their home. Then the bottom falls out of their lives, when Lydia elopes with Wickham, as in canon. Swallowing her pride, Elizabeth asks Darcy for his help.
This is an intense tale that had me riveted from beginning to end. As much as Darcy tried to push Elizabeth from his heart and mind, others kept bringing them in constant contact. Many the time, Darcy put his boot in his mouth and many the time, they both misunderstood each other. Lady Hardwick was instrumental in making others 'see' what was truly important. I also enjoyed Mrs. Bennet in this tale. She has no filter when it comes to Mr. Darcy, and I was left chuckling at her comments. Mr. Bingley was not immune either!
For me, this book begs a sequel. Due to the high level of anxiety throughout most of this book, we only get a small glimpse into the HEA. There is so much more potential for this story to continue. We not only have the delightful Lady Hardwick, but Mr. Slade, Lord Mowbray, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Georgiana, Mary, Kitty and of course, Darcy and Elizabeth.
I highly recommend this torturous journey of learning from your mistakes and redeeming yourself in the eyes of the one you love. As the book description states, there are some mature scenes.
April 24, 2017
This delicious story of longing, rebuffed admiration, and hopeless lovers made it almost impossible to close the book. There is a reason the Jane Austen fanfiction fandom call author Lory Lilian the Queen of Hot Mush.
March 25, 2022
Loved it!
Reviewed in Canada on December 17, 2018
Another nice read from this author. I really enjoyed the wisdom of Lady Hardwick, and the friendship formed with her, Georgiana and “Lizzy”. The tender moment after the ice rescue ended too quickly, but given the circumstances, I understand why. I found a previous reviewer’s reference to this version of Darcy as “a jerk” a bit harsh. I only mention it because that comment almost made me skip this one, and I’m glad I didn’t.
March 23-25, 2022 - Second Edition
This book came up in a JAFF group discussion recently and I realized it was the only Lory Lilian book I didn’t own. Looking at my early Amazon review, I see it is one of the first variations I read after discovering JAFF even existed. I enjoyed the second read even more and upgraded my rating from four to five stars. Happy to add the second edition to my library. I highly recommend this excellent book.
Reviewed in Canada on December 17, 2018
Another nice read from this author. I really enjoyed the wisdom of Lady Hardwick, and the friendship formed with her, Georgiana and “Lizzy”. The tender moment after the ice rescue ended too quickly, but given the circumstances, I understand why. I found a previous reviewer’s reference to this version of Darcy as “a jerk” a bit harsh. I only mention it because that comment almost made me skip this one, and I’m glad I didn’t.
March 23-25, 2022 - Second Edition
This book came up in a JAFF group discussion recently and I realized it was the only Lory Lilian book I didn’t own. Looking at my early Amazon review, I see it is one of the first variations I read after discovering JAFF even existed. I enjoyed the second read even more and upgraded my rating from four to five stars. Happy to add the second edition to my library. I highly recommend this excellent book.
May 2, 2017
This is a delightful home run which incorporates all the best qualities of satisfying JAFF.
As anyone knows who has read the book description and other reviews, Elizabeth is still so disgusted with Mr. Darcy's proposal that she only skims a few lines of his letter before rushing back to him and ripping it into shreds right in front of him. As time goes on and she cools down, she regrets her actions and wishes she had taken the time to read his defense. Back home in Hertfordshire, she also recognizes the inconsistencies in Mr. Wickham's behavior and, even without knowing the details, starts to understand that there must be more to the charming officer's history with Mr. Darcy than he has been telling everyone, and she stops believing him. Her instincts are confirmed when the news of Lydia's elopement breaks.
Darcy, meanwhile, is struggling with his own emotions. Considering Elizabeth's display of temper is even worse than in canon, he is driven crazy with the sense that he ought to hate her but can't overcome his basic love for her. At the same time, Georgiana is severely depressed over the whole Ramsgate incident and thinks Darcy's withdrawal is because of his disappointment with her. She's living with her great-aunt, Lady Amelia Hardwick, who is a warm, loving woman, but Georgiana feels that her brother doesn’t wish her to live with him anymore. Her sense of shame is so great that she imagines everyone she knows is aware of her mistake, so the countess accompanies her to a London park in a less “desirable” area of town in order to avoid meeting any of their social sphere. This happens to be a park near the Gardiners, where Lizzy is visiting, and so “Miss Anna” and her “Aunt Amelia” encounter Elizabeth and strike up a close friendship despite not exchanging their full names.
The way the above plays out, the plot is as much about Elizabeth’s relationship with Georgiana as it is about her relationship with Mr. Darcy. By the second half of the book, the three are spending a great deal of time together, with the angst/romance building nicely between Darcy and Elizabeth, who are friendly for Georgiana’s sake. As usual, it takes the two forever to be brave enough to admit their feelings to each other.
The writing is beautiful, the story is well-constructed, the characters are believable, and the romance is sweet. The end of the last chapter goes into the bedroom after Mr. and Mrs. Darcy are safely married. The Epilogue describes the first visit of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet with their remaining daughters to Pemberley and provides information about events during the interim. I enjoyed the whole book.
As anyone knows who has read the book description and other reviews, Elizabeth is still so disgusted with Mr. Darcy's proposal that she only skims a few lines of his letter before rushing back to him and ripping it into shreds right in front of him. As time goes on and she cools down, she regrets her actions and wishes she had taken the time to read his defense. Back home in Hertfordshire, she also recognizes the inconsistencies in Mr. Wickham's behavior and, even without knowing the details, starts to understand that there must be more to the charming officer's history with Mr. Darcy than he has been telling everyone, and she stops believing him. Her instincts are confirmed when the news of Lydia's elopement breaks.
Darcy, meanwhile, is struggling with his own emotions. Considering Elizabeth's display of temper is even worse than in canon, he is driven crazy with the sense that he ought to hate her but can't overcome his basic love for her. At the same time, Georgiana is severely depressed over the whole Ramsgate incident and thinks Darcy's withdrawal is because of his disappointment with her. She's living with her great-aunt, Lady Amelia Hardwick, who is a warm, loving woman, but Georgiana feels that her brother doesn’t wish her to live with him anymore. Her sense of shame is so great that she imagines everyone she knows is aware of her mistake, so the countess accompanies her to a London park in a less “desirable” area of town in order to avoid meeting any of their social sphere. This happens to be a park near the Gardiners, where Lizzy is visiting, and so “Miss Anna” and her “Aunt Amelia” encounter Elizabeth and strike up a close friendship despite not exchanging their full names.
The way the above plays out, the plot is as much about Elizabeth’s relationship with Georgiana as it is about her relationship with Mr. Darcy. By the second half of the book, the three are spending a great deal of time together, with the angst/romance building nicely between Darcy and Elizabeth, who are friendly for Georgiana’s sake. As usual, it takes the two forever to be brave enough to admit their feelings to each other.
The writing is beautiful, the story is well-constructed, the characters are believable, and the romance is sweet. The end of the last chapter goes into the bedroom after Mr. and Mrs. Darcy are safely married. The Epilogue describes the first visit of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet with their remaining daughters to Pemberley and provides information about events during the interim. I enjoyed the whole book.
May 1, 2017
If you love angst between D and E, this is the story for you. There were too many times i wanted to shake either of them to stop their willfulness or blatant assumptions about the other person. Just when you think they have turned a corner they continue to misunderstand and assume the worst of each other. Thus, I enjoyed the book but for me it was lacking the romance and pleasant interaction between Darcy and Elizabeth that I craved. But, maybe it was just my mood.
I was still gripped by the story and its excellent writing. I have read all of this author's works and while this is not my favorite, it is still very well done.
I was still gripped by the story and its excellent writing. I have read all of this author's works and while this is not my favorite, it is still very well done.
April 24, 2017
The story was intense and I really loved the characters.
October 5, 2017
I've read quite a few books by this author, and I found that this one satisfied my expectations and settled neatly into the middle range of my order of enjoyment. There were things that I loved about it, and a few things that I didn't, but overall I really enjoyed the story and would recommend it.
The secondary characters were done very well here, and that's something I've noticed in her other books--particularly my favorite, His Uncle's Favorite. I became very attached to Lady Hardwick (who is a very nice alternative participant to Lady Catherine), and my usual favorites were done very well. My only complaint in that area was not getting to see Colonel Fitzwilliam more, but that's a personal thing and not at all a complaint about the book itself. My biggest complaint about the book was that Darcy felt inconsistent at times. His spurts of anger and lapses in judgement felt very out of sync with his rational, nice-guy moments. I felt that his "bad" moments either needed to be a little less severe, or that the shadows of those bad moments needed to appear a little more in other areas.
I loved the slow-build romance and only wished that there had been more opportunity to see Darcy and Elizabeth together outside of a few teasing exchanges over dinner. It did make their transition into being a couple seem a bit more abrupt--but that's only a minor nitpick and didn't really detract from my enjoyment.
The secondary characters were done very well here, and that's something I've noticed in her other books--particularly my favorite, His Uncle's Favorite. I became very attached to Lady Hardwick (who is a very nice alternative participant to Lady Catherine), and my usual favorites were done very well. My only complaint in that area was not getting to see Colonel Fitzwilliam more, but that's a personal thing and not at all a complaint about the book itself. My biggest complaint about the book was that Darcy felt inconsistent at times. His spurts of anger and lapses in judgement felt very out of sync with his rational, nice-guy moments. I felt that his "bad" moments either needed to be a little less severe, or that the shadows of those bad moments needed to appear a little more in other areas.
I loved the slow-build romance and only wished that there had been more opportunity to see Darcy and Elizabeth together outside of a few teasing exchanges over dinner. It did make their transition into being a couple seem a bit more abrupt--but that's only a minor nitpick and didn't really detract from my enjoyment.
April 23, 2017
High angst story with HEA
The beginning of this book was very high angst and painful. Four months after Hunsford Darcy is grieving his loss, but the dominant feelings are anger and depression. He blames himself for his weakness in being unable to let go of his love. He tries to find Elizabeth unworthy and nurtures deep resentment against her. The implacable resentment in full bloom. He totally misses the impact his mental condition has on his sister and the household.
The most heartwarming part of the story was Georgiana and Elizabeth 's friendship. It was Lizzy at her best, compassionate and loyal to her last breath. I loved Georgiana 's interactions with all the Bennet girls, with its simple, everyday gestures, like brushing Georgiana 's wet hair by Jane.
Darcy learnt to appreciate the Bennets genuineness and warmth, his friendship with Mr. Bennet was especially deep.
The original characters were wonderful. Lady Hardwick, the great aunt of the Darcy siblings( or should I say a fairy godmother ) stole the show. The countess was wise and outspoken and she played a vital role in HEA.
Great read, highly recommended. But a reader needs a generous supply of tissues and chocolate to get through D&E misunderstandings and hurt that last until very late in the book.
The beginning of this book was very high angst and painful. Four months after Hunsford Darcy is grieving his loss, but the dominant feelings are anger and depression. He blames himself for his weakness in being unable to let go of his love. He tries to find Elizabeth unworthy and nurtures deep resentment against her. The implacable resentment in full bloom. He totally misses the impact his mental condition has on his sister and the household.
The most heartwarming part of the story was Georgiana and Elizabeth 's friendship. It was Lizzy at her best, compassionate and loyal to her last breath. I loved Georgiana 's interactions with all the Bennet girls, with its simple, everyday gestures, like brushing Georgiana 's wet hair by Jane.
Darcy learnt to appreciate the Bennets genuineness and warmth, his friendship with Mr. Bennet was especially deep.
The original characters were wonderful. Lady Hardwick, the great aunt of the Darcy siblings( or should I say a fairy godmother ) stole the show. The countess was wise and outspoken and she played a vital role in HEA.
Great read, highly recommended. But a reader needs a generous supply of tissues and chocolate to get through D&E misunderstandings and hurt that last until very late in the book.
July 17, 2022
I loved this version of Darcy. I felt he was more true to form. The interesting thing is that only a talented writer like Lory Lilian could pull this off. It is a fine line to get his arrogance and disdain for others not to be completely off-putting and his rejection of these traits also is incredibly difficult to pull off in a meaningful way. The portrait she has produced is nothing short of genius. It is always a pleasure to read her books but she is really coming into her own now. So glad that she is writing full-time. Thank you for another masterpiece!
Reread: I might have liked this even more on second reading.
Reread: Terrific still.
Reread: I might have liked this even more on second reading.
Reread: Terrific still.
March 9, 2024
Angry Darcy meets naive Lizzy
Arrogant prideful Darcy meets Lizzy not long after W tries to elope with Georgiana. Lonely Georgiana is immensely sad the person from her childhood she trusted, fooled her. She withdraws from everyone, even Darcy because he is so depressed and angry he hasn’t kept G safe.
So when Darcy insults Lizzy at the assembly he is not capable of trusting anyone. This is a romance which never really gets going.
Lots of strong emotions. Darcy has a way to go before the reader will like him. Georgiana is so fragile.
Really good read. How can a HEA happen for a damaged Darcy family.
Arrogant prideful Darcy meets Lizzy not long after W tries to elope with Georgiana. Lonely Georgiana is immensely sad the person from her childhood she trusted, fooled her. She withdraws from everyone, even Darcy because he is so depressed and angry he hasn’t kept G safe.
So when Darcy insults Lizzy at the assembly he is not capable of trusting anyone. This is a romance which never really gets going.
Lots of strong emotions. Darcy has a way to go before the reader will like him. Georgiana is so fragile.
Really good read. How can a HEA happen for a damaged Darcy family.
March 22, 2018
4.5⭐️ Enjoyed the plot and Georgiana and Elizabeth’s relationship as well as Darcy’s Aunt. She sure has a way with stirring the plot at times.
June 27, 2018
Lory Lilian has legions of admirers among fans of Austenesque fiction, and based on this novel, I can see why. She expands on the beloved characters without doing violence to their essential natures, and places them in emotionally charged situations.
A Man with Faults begins where so many Austenesque stories do, immediately after Elizabeth Bennet has rejected Mr. Darcy at Hunsford. This book should not be read by anyone who is not familiar with the story of Pride and Prejudice. Lilian twists the tale slightly by having Elizabeth tear up Darcy's letter in a rage instead of reading it, so she misses out on some crucial information (though this plot variation is not really exploited). Instead of going home to Longbourn and on to Derbyshire, she spends time with the Gardiners in London, where (through some implausible circumstances, but I don't mind because I love the upshot) she becomes friends with Georgiana Darcy without knowing her true identity. Naturally, this leads to all sorts of complications.
I liked the way the misunderstandings played out and how they were shaped by very minor tweaks to the original plot. I loved to see the character of Georgiana Darcy so realistically fleshed out, and absolutely adored the principal new character, Aunt Amelia.
This book hits all the notes that most readers of contemporary Austenesque romance appreciate: misunderstandings and self-created barriers to reconciliation, extended emotional angst, repressed sexual attraction. (Fans of clean romance take note: this story does enter the bedroom near the end.) Unfortunately, I swim against the mainstream of Austenesque fans in preferring stories that are more true to the spirit and style of the original, without those modern additions, so I was often made uncomfortable by the focus on emotional and physical desire and its primacy over considerations of character (in the moral sense) and conduct. To me, this is a profoundly non-Austen approach and it's always jarring to find it paired with Austen characters. I was also bounced out of the story quite often by lapses in period language (Nobody in the Regency ever ever ever said, "I'm fine"!) and by the woefully inadequate historical research. Nevertheless, I was swept along by the story and could set aside my objections enough to be satisfied by the outcome.
A Man with Faults begins where so many Austenesque stories do, immediately after Elizabeth Bennet has rejected Mr. Darcy at Hunsford. This book should not be read by anyone who is not familiar with the story of Pride and Prejudice. Lilian twists the tale slightly by having Elizabeth tear up Darcy's letter in a rage instead of reading it, so she misses out on some crucial information (though this plot variation is not really exploited). Instead of going home to Longbourn and on to Derbyshire, she spends time with the Gardiners in London, where (through some implausible circumstances, but I don't mind because I love the upshot) she becomes friends with Georgiana Darcy without knowing her true identity. Naturally, this leads to all sorts of complications.
I liked the way the misunderstandings played out and how they were shaped by very minor tweaks to the original plot. I loved to see the character of Georgiana Darcy so realistically fleshed out, and absolutely adored the principal new character, Aunt Amelia.
This book hits all the notes that most readers of contemporary Austenesque romance appreciate: misunderstandings and self-created barriers to reconciliation, extended emotional angst, repressed sexual attraction. (Fans of clean romance take note: this story does enter the bedroom near the end.) Unfortunately, I swim against the mainstream of Austenesque fans in preferring stories that are more true to the spirit and style of the original, without those modern additions, so I was often made uncomfortable by the focus on emotional and physical desire and its primacy over considerations of character (in the moral sense) and conduct. To me, this is a profoundly non-Austen approach and it's always jarring to find it paired with Austen characters. I was also bounced out of the story quite often by lapses in period language (Nobody in the Regency ever ever ever said, "I'm fine"!) and by the woefully inadequate historical research. Nevertheless, I was swept along by the story and could set aside my objections enough to be satisfied by the outcome.
February 27, 2024
2024: this book has become one of my favourites! It’s long but not boring thanks to the great character developments and reasonable plot twists. I love the passion/hate of Darcy for Lizzy. How Lizzy and Georgiana meet is a bit ridiculous but works well for the story.
2023: 2nd read: upgraded to 4.5 stars. I love how all the plot twist are plausible (or made plausible by the authors flowing writing) and ODC don’t act out of character.
- 1st read: 4 stars. Very good variation. I thought at the beginning that the characters were a bit too good at analysing their own behaviour and thoughts, but apart from that, there was a lot of passion, believable (and less believable, but well told) twists, and characters who acted coherently.
2023: 2nd read: upgraded to 4.5 stars. I love how all the plot twist are plausible (or made plausible by the authors flowing writing) and ODC don’t act out of character.
- 1st read: 4 stars. Very good variation. I thought at the beginning that the characters were a bit too good at analysing their own behaviour and thoughts, but apart from that, there was a lot of passion, believable (and less believable, but well told) twists, and characters who acted coherently.
April 24, 2018
In this Pride and Prejudice variation, Elizabeth, after the Hunsford proposal, while still angry at Darcy rips up his letter. In his presence. Though he leaves Rosings despair overwhelms him for many months. Meanwhile Miss Lizzy and Miss Ana have become friends. Then one day Elizabeth appears at his home in town asking for his help with finding Wickham. The long journey begins for both of them, a journey that must end with them admitting their feelings to each other.
An enjoyable and well-written story. More of a 3.5 rating
An enjoyable and well-written story. More of a 3.5 rating
April 23, 2017
Review coming soon on https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre... :)
May 8, 2022
In trying to decipher why this book was such a slow read, I realized it was the lack of conflict. It was not so bad that I had a hard time finishing it, but it seemed I was reading it forever without a real sense of wanting to turn the pages. Even so, I enjoyed it.
My review will not be a synopsis, it will be a technical evaluation. These aspects are often what reviewers miss yet what bother readers to the point of finding the book worth fewer stars.
The story arc was complete, with a few side stories that were realistically tied to the main story line. The intention of the plot was a good one, fresh and interesting, but where the story failed was in drama that comes from conflict. The only conflict came from introspection as the characters changed, and that was not enough. The initial narrative was engaging, but by the end, it was the same old thing over again. This boredom led to the sense of a slow pace, even though there was nothing technical to show for any delays in the story's rate of development. That is not to say it is a bad story line. It was just slow due to low angst.
Language was well done, keeping the reader engaged due to use of a good Regency tone. A few non-Regency words were used, but the number of them and even the selection was within the norm for a book of this length. They included bored, obsession, trousseau, chuckled, heading, normal, "wedding breakfast," reaction, mesmerised, intervention, and staff. In terms of British language, "write" was used where "write to" would have been appropriate, as well as "I will" and "we will" where the English would have said "I shall" and "we shall."
I noted a case of a filter word that could easily have been changed: "felt" to "was." There were additional filter words that could have helped the book become more of a deep read if corrected.
In terms of point of view, for the most part, the book was in third person, alternating, but there were cases of head-hopping when the author was clearly too deeply into the characters' points of view to be speaking on behalf of an omniscient narrator.
A canon error was having the Gardiner children be Elinor 7, and Edward 8, when Austen is clear that there are two older girls of 6 and 8 and two younger boys. We have a spelling issue with Elinor and Eleanor for the same character.
A Regency error is the concept of "compromising" which is a modern Regency romance concept. In the Regency, the word "compromise" meant "to settle a dispute by mutual concessions." In addition, the mention of "ten courses" and "five courses" was excessive for the Regency. Two courses was the norm for a lavish Regency meal, since a single course was already enough to stuff the most hungry eater. In addition, the author uses the word "courses" when she means "refreshments."
A modern phrase was used: "what have you done with my..." and this is quite off-putting.
Characterization is consistent, if unusual. Darcy is more brooding than we are accustomed to, in fact, his continual self-recrimination is a bit of a downer that isn't typical of Austen's Darcy. However, the author does a good job of showing his character development, so the change makes it worthwhile. New characters are well-drafted and fit the story well.
Lilian always includes some lovely scene-setting to perk up the senses in her books, and this one is no exception.
The cover is a good one, in that it's different enough to stand out when set against all those other JAFF covers that look the same. It tells the story of the book inside as well. The choice of silhouettes saves me criticizing the book for the blow-dried Darcy!
In sum, this is a long book with a lack of traditional conflict, so be prepared for the low-boil angst of introspection instead of heavy drama. It's a worthwhile read with a fresh story concept, though.
Disclaimer: I'm a JAFF author, and some might say that this review is a conflict of interest. However, I was a reader first, and my reviews are honest and impartial. I write them for the benefit of both the reader and the author.
My review will not be a synopsis, it will be a technical evaluation. These aspects are often what reviewers miss yet what bother readers to the point of finding the book worth fewer stars.
The story arc was complete, with a few side stories that were realistically tied to the main story line. The intention of the plot was a good one, fresh and interesting, but where the story failed was in drama that comes from conflict. The only conflict came from introspection as the characters changed, and that was not enough. The initial narrative was engaging, but by the end, it was the same old thing over again. This boredom led to the sense of a slow pace, even though there was nothing technical to show for any delays in the story's rate of development. That is not to say it is a bad story line. It was just slow due to low angst.
Language was well done, keeping the reader engaged due to use of a good Regency tone. A few non-Regency words were used, but the number of them and even the selection was within the norm for a book of this length. They included bored, obsession, trousseau, chuckled, heading, normal, "wedding breakfast," reaction, mesmerised, intervention, and staff. In terms of British language, "write" was used where "write to" would have been appropriate, as well as "I will" and "we will" where the English would have said "I shall" and "we shall."
I noted a case of a filter word that could easily have been changed: "felt" to "was." There were additional filter words that could have helped the book become more of a deep read if corrected.
In terms of point of view, for the most part, the book was in third person, alternating, but there were cases of head-hopping when the author was clearly too deeply into the characters' points of view to be speaking on behalf of an omniscient narrator.
A canon error was having the Gardiner children be Elinor 7, and Edward 8, when Austen is clear that there are two older girls of 6 and 8 and two younger boys. We have a spelling issue with Elinor and Eleanor for the same character.
A Regency error is the concept of "compromising" which is a modern Regency romance concept. In the Regency, the word "compromise" meant "to settle a dispute by mutual concessions." In addition, the mention of "ten courses" and "five courses" was excessive for the Regency. Two courses was the norm for a lavish Regency meal, since a single course was already enough to stuff the most hungry eater. In addition, the author uses the word "courses" when she means "refreshments."
A modern phrase was used: "what have you done with my..." and this is quite off-putting.
Characterization is consistent, if unusual. Darcy is more brooding than we are accustomed to, in fact, his continual self-recrimination is a bit of a downer that isn't typical of Austen's Darcy. However, the author does a good job of showing his character development, so the change makes it worthwhile. New characters are well-drafted and fit the story well.
Lilian always includes some lovely scene-setting to perk up the senses in her books, and this one is no exception.
The cover is a good one, in that it's different enough to stand out when set against all those other JAFF covers that look the same. It tells the story of the book inside as well. The choice of silhouettes saves me criticizing the book for the blow-dried Darcy!
In sum, this is a long book with a lack of traditional conflict, so be prepared for the low-boil angst of introspection instead of heavy drama. It's a worthwhile read with a fresh story concept, though.
Disclaimer: I'm a JAFF author, and some might say that this review is a conflict of interest. However, I was a reader first, and my reviews are honest and impartial. I write them for the benefit of both the reader and the author.
December 24, 2021
A Man With Faults: A Pride and Prejudice Variation.
Truly an excellent well written story! Every word weaved together to deepen the Plot. For awhile, you couldn't see how Elizabeth and Darcy would ever get past their animosity, and their troubled past. But, suddenly, as Lizzie's friendship with why Georgina deepened, she began to truly see Darcy for the good man he is, and his anger and resentment were lost to his love for her. A clever Darcy relative was introduced, Lady Hardwick, and she helped our clueless couple straighten out their priorities. Wonderful tale, a Great Read.
Truly an excellent well written story! Every word weaved together to deepen the Plot. For awhile, you couldn't see how Elizabeth and Darcy would ever get past their animosity, and their troubled past. But, suddenly, as Lizzie's friendship with why Georgina deepened, she began to truly see Darcy for the good man he is, and his anger and resentment were lost to his love for her. A clever Darcy relative was introduced, Lady Hardwick, and she helped our clueless couple straighten out their priorities. Wonderful tale, a Great Read.
April 23, 2017
Angsty, delightful book (slight spoiler)
This book gives a new definition to the word 'angst'. Goodness...angst runs amok as Elizabeth and Darcy walk the tumultuous road to happiness. Love the new character if Lady Harwick. And this version of Georgiana is wonderful, providing more depth to the character. Enjoyed it!
This book gives a new definition to the word 'angst'. Goodness...angst runs amok as Elizabeth and Darcy walk the tumultuous road to happiness. Love the new character if Lady Harwick. And this version of Georgiana is wonderful, providing more depth to the character. Enjoyed it!
April 26, 2017
Of course this is wonderful
Lory Lillian is considered one of the greats of Pride and Prejudice variations and for good reason. A thorough and complete story full of emotions and perfect pace is her specialty. Nothing can be as pleasing as feeling that every triumph is totally earned and nothing is forgotten or rushed.
Lory Lillian is considered one of the greats of Pride and Prejudice variations and for good reason. A thorough and complete story full of emotions and perfect pace is her specialty. Nothing can be as pleasing as feeling that every triumph is totally earned and nothing is forgotten or rushed.
June 29, 2021
I liked this one. The writing was good and enjoyable. For some reason I felt it was going to be heavier, but in the end it had a nice blend of sweet, witty and serious.
I really liked the added Aunt character, used both as support and to move all the motivations along.
A little different, but well done from LL.
I really liked the added Aunt character, used both as support and to move all the motivations along.
A little different, but well done from LL.
April 22, 2017
I've read hundreds of PNP variations and this one was very good. Both lead characters (D&E) were humanized by their feelings/emotions. I've enjoyed every Lory Lillian book but this one will be a favorite!
July 13, 2018
Harrowing and moving
How long can two people misunderstand each other? You can find out in this story. A unique way for our dear couple to find the truth and arrive at the right conclusion, with a lot of help from even a horse.
How long can two people misunderstand each other? You can find out in this story. A unique way for our dear couple to find the truth and arrive at the right conclusion, with a lot of help from even a horse.
September 7, 2021
This Darcy has faults in abundance indeed. Angry, resentful and brooding to the extent that he would make a terrifying husband once the honeymoon phase was over. Quite the opposite of how I want to feel when reading JAFF.
September 7, 2017
Bravo Lory! This was the perfect book to read on my holiday. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
November 25, 2018
Loved it
Nice read but I would have liked it better if the villains had died. Love all her books, glad not to have to deal with Mr collins.
Nice read but I would have liked it better if the villains had died. Love all her books, glad not to have to deal with Mr collins.
April 30, 2017
This enjoyable variation brings Georgiana and Elizabeth together a year after Darcy's failed Hunsford proposal.
Elizabeth is in London nursing her aunt Gardiner after a miscarriage and caring for the young Gardiner children.
Meeting in a park near Gracechurch St, the two women form a fast friendship. For her own reasons, Georgiana chooses to not reveal her true identity and they know each other merely as Anna and Lizzie.
Georgiana still struggles to recover from her near ruin as well as emotional estrangement from her brother. She believes this is due to his disappointment of her foolish actions. Little does she know the reality is he still silently suffers from Elizabeth's fierce rejection and her dismissal of his letter. After she opened the letter, the first few lines enraged her, compelling her to chasing him down, tear it to shreds and fling it in his face.
Darcy is depicted as severe and unhappy, with a stewing rage at Elizabeth for her rejection and condemnation of his character. When he hears from his detective, a man paid to keep tabs on Wickham, that a Miss Bennet has eloped with his enemy, he chooses to believe the worst...It helps justify his anger, proving to him that Elizabeth was ultimately unworthy of his love and not the lady he thought her to be. But this does not mean he has stopped loving her. He cannot do that though he often resolves to do so.
The stage is set for misunderstandings galore, redemption and finally happiness.
Elizabeth is in London nursing her aunt Gardiner after a miscarriage and caring for the young Gardiner children.
Meeting in a park near Gracechurch St, the two women form a fast friendship. For her own reasons, Georgiana chooses to not reveal her true identity and they know each other merely as Anna and Lizzie.
Georgiana still struggles to recover from her near ruin as well as emotional estrangement from her brother. She believes this is due to his disappointment of her foolish actions. Little does she know the reality is he still silently suffers from Elizabeth's fierce rejection and her dismissal of his letter. After she opened the letter, the first few lines enraged her, compelling her to chasing him down, tear it to shreds and fling it in his face.
Darcy is depicted as severe and unhappy, with a stewing rage at Elizabeth for her rejection and condemnation of his character. When he hears from his detective, a man paid to keep tabs on Wickham, that a Miss Bennet has eloped with his enemy, he chooses to believe the worst...It helps justify his anger, proving to him that Elizabeth was ultimately unworthy of his love and not the lady he thought her to be. But this does not mean he has stopped loving her. He cannot do that though he often resolves to do so.
The stage is set for misunderstandings galore, redemption and finally happiness.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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