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In the Wilds of Derbyshire
Rejected by a sister who has allowed her new status as wife to Mr. Bingley to make her proud, Elizabeth Bennet goes to her uncle's estate in Derbyshire, ostensibly to assist her cousin in her introduction to society. In reality, Elizabeth feels there is nothing left for her in the neighborhood of her birth. Her uncle's estate is small, and Elizabeth must work while there, and though she finds her tasks easy to bear. She quickly becomes close to her young cousin and uncle, though her aunt is a hard, demanding woman, who seems to hold a grudge against Elizabeth. But she also meets many friends, including the daughter of an earl, and the handsome friend of her sister Jane's new husband, a Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. As Elizabeth is slowly pulled from her melancholy, new vistas open up to her, and she realizes that she can still have everything she has ever wished to have. But the jealousy of a woman who is no friend of her courtship with a wealthy man threatens her newfound happiness, and the coming of a sister who rejected her has the potential to once again disrupt Elizabeth's life and destroy her future.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 19, 2017
273 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
Jann Rowland
88 books192 followersJann Rowland is a Canadian, born and bred. Other than a two-year span in which he lived in Japan, he has been a resident of the Great White North his entire life, though he professes to still hate the winters.
Though Jann did not start writing until his mid-twenties, writing has grown from a hobby to an all-consuming passion. His interests as a child were almost exclusively centered on the exotic fantasy worlds of Tolkien and Eddings, among a host of others. As an adult, his interests have grown to include historical fiction and romance, with a particular focus on the works of Jane Austen.
When Jann is not writing, he enjoys rooting for his favorite sports teams. He is also a master musician (in his own mind) who enjoys playing piano and singing as well as moonlighting as the choir director in his church’s congregation.
Jann lives in Alberta with his wife of more than twenty years, two grown sons, and one young daughter. He is convinced that whatever hair he has left will be entirely gone by the time his little girl hits her teenage years. Sadly, though he has told his daughter repeatedly that she is not allowed to grow up, she continues to ignore him.
Website: http://onegoodsonnet.com/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/OneGoodSonnetPub...
Twitter: @OneGoodSonnet
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/bol2p9
Though Jann did not start writing until his mid-twenties, writing has grown from a hobby to an all-consuming passion. His interests as a child were almost exclusively centered on the exotic fantasy worlds of Tolkien and Eddings, among a host of others. As an adult, his interests have grown to include historical fiction and romance, with a particular focus on the works of Jane Austen.
When Jann is not writing, he enjoys rooting for his favorite sports teams. He is also a master musician (in his own mind) who enjoys playing piano and singing as well as moonlighting as the choir director in his church’s congregation.
Jann lives in Alberta with his wife of more than twenty years, two grown sons, and one young daughter. He is convinced that whatever hair he has left will be entirely gone by the time his little girl hits her teenage years. Sadly, though he has told his daughter repeatedly that she is not allowed to grow up, she continues to ignore him.
Website: http://onegoodsonnet.com/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/OneGoodSonnetPub...
Twitter: @OneGoodSonnet
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/bol2p9
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April 27, 2025
In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips. ~Author Unknown
If sisters are chocolate chips … what are sisters-in-law?
This is a story of animosity between two sets of sisters-in-law. We see parallels in the relationship of Caroline and Jane Bingley compared to Mrs. Maggie Bennet and Miss Claire Bennet (now Mrs. Drummond). In both cases, a sister feels her brother married too far beneath his station.
The backstory is different in that Darcy does not travel to Hertfordshire with the Bingleys. Caroline attempts to dissuade Bingley from his marriage with Jane but is not successful.
After the newly-married Bingleys return to Netherfield Park following a wedding trip and short stay in London, Jane is very changed. Jane, in fact, has become Caroline. She distances herself from her family and flaunts her disapproval.
Hurt by her sister’s behavior, Elizabeth seizes an opportunity to visit her Aunt and Uncle in Derbyshire. No, not the Gardiners – the Drummonds. Elizabeth immediately senses trouble in the family but does her best to befriend those who need her.
Sisters may share the same mother and father but appear to come from different families. ~Author Unknown
And that describes the sibling pair Charles and Caroline. Charles Bingley is the same affable man he has always been and he doesn’t understand the change in his angel. The evil shrew (uh, the lovely Caroline) controls her brother’s marriage and plots to capture Darcy (uh, Pemberley).
Darcy and Elizabeth have a very smooth love story – no willful misunderstandings; no improper pride. Their friendship develops quickly and progresses despite some opposition from outsiders.
I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones. ~Author unknown, attributed to a 4-year-old named Lauren
I especially liked Mrs. Bennet in this story. Yes, she becomes angry with Elizabeth for her refusal to marry Mr. Collins. But when Elizabeth leaves to spend several months with the Drummonds, Mother reconciles and is kind to her daughter. She even promises to keep Lydia from swiping all Elizabeth’s bonnets! I like an “evil Mama Bennet” story as much as anyone, but sometimes it’s good to see Mrs. Bennet as Jane Austen created her: silly, worried, sometimes thoughtless, but still always loving ALL her daughters.
Mr. Bennet also takes some positive steps with his daughters and improves the family dynamics. Good to see.
We have only a small nod to the usual suspects: Lady Catherine and Wickham.
Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply... ~Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814
If sisters are chocolate chips … what are sisters-in-law?
This is a story of animosity between two sets of sisters-in-law. We see parallels in the relationship of Caroline and Jane Bingley compared to Mrs. Maggie Bennet and Miss Claire Bennet (now Mrs. Drummond). In both cases, a sister feels her brother married too far beneath his station.
The backstory is different in that Darcy does not travel to Hertfordshire with the Bingleys. Caroline attempts to dissuade Bingley from his marriage with Jane but is not successful.
After the newly-married Bingleys return to Netherfield Park following a wedding trip and short stay in London, Jane is very changed. Jane, in fact, has become Caroline. She distances herself from her family and flaunts her disapproval.
Hurt by her sister’s behavior, Elizabeth seizes an opportunity to visit her Aunt and Uncle in Derbyshire. No, not the Gardiners – the Drummonds. Elizabeth immediately senses trouble in the family but does her best to befriend those who need her.
Sisters may share the same mother and father but appear to come from different families. ~Author Unknown
And that describes the sibling pair Charles and Caroline. Charles Bingley is the same affable man he has always been and he doesn’t understand the change in his angel. The evil shrew (uh, the lovely Caroline) controls her brother’s marriage and plots to capture Darcy (uh, Pemberley).
Darcy and Elizabeth have a very smooth love story – no willful misunderstandings; no improper pride. Their friendship develops quickly and progresses despite some opposition from outsiders.
I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones. ~Author unknown, attributed to a 4-year-old named Lauren
I especially liked Mrs. Bennet in this story. Yes, she becomes angry with Elizabeth for her refusal to marry Mr. Collins. But when Elizabeth leaves to spend several months with the Drummonds, Mother reconciles and is kind to her daughter. She even promises to keep Lydia from swiping all Elizabeth’s bonnets! I like an “evil Mama Bennet” story as much as anyone, but sometimes it’s good to see Mrs. Bennet as Jane Austen created her: silly, worried, sometimes thoughtless, but still always loving ALL her daughters.
Mr. Bennet also takes some positive steps with his daughters and improves the family dynamics. Good to see.
We have only a small nod to the usual suspects: Lady Catherine and Wickham.
Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply... ~Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814
April 8, 2018
There are some very interesting departures from canon in this Pride and Prejudice variation. Bingley and his family come to the Meryton assembly, where he meets and is smitten by Miss Jane Bennet. Mr. Darcy is not among the Netherfield party, as he is still tending to his sister in the aftermath of Ramsgate. Since Bingley doesn't have Darcy's negative counsel to sway him and he is able to withstand his sisters' objections, his pursuit of Jane goes unhindered. Early in the story, he marries her.
Elizabeth successfully diverts Mr. Collins' attention to her sister Mary, who is a much better match for the pompous parson. This leaves Elizabeth at Longbourn with only her silly mother and sillier younger sisters for company, and she starts feeling discontented. (There's more to it than that, which I'll get to.) When Mr. Bennet receives a request from Mr. Drummond, his sister's husband, asking that he send one of the Bennet girls to visit and provide a model of a gentlewoman's proper comportment for his oldest daughter, Elizabeth is quick to agree.
Thus, Elizabeth temporarily becomes a member of the Drummond household. Kingsdown is a small estate sharing a border with Pemberley that was mismanaged by Mr. Drummond's father, but it's slowly becoming more profitable. That's not quickly enough for Mrs. Drummond, who's a bitter, unpleasant woman with a terrible relationship with everyone, especially her brother (Mr. Bennet) and, by extension, with Elizabeth. There are a number of children, but the most significant to the tale is Olivia, with whom Elizabeth immediately bonds. Olivia is about to be out in society, and she learns a lot hanging out with her cousin Elizabeth.
The two young ladies make the acquaintance of Georgiana and Fitzwilliam Darcy at a Lambton dressmaker's shop. I do applaud the idea of putting Darcy and Elizabeth together for the first time in the area near his estate, where Darcy is at his most relaxed and open. There's no Caroline Bingley he has to tiptoe around. It makes for a less angst-ridden story overall, with no misunderstandings between the couple. However, there are some snarky young ladies in Derbyshire society who do their best to discomfort this new addition to the neighborhood. They resent how quickly she captures Darcy's interest when they've been trying unsuccessfully to do so for years.
Had the plot consisted only of the above, I think it could have been a much shorter and better book. Unfortunately, there are all kinds of additional storylines.
Jane's personality is altered after marriage when she and Charles return to Netherfield after spending a month in London with Caroline. She snubs her family, including Elizabeth. The reason is blatantly obvious to the reader the moment this behavior emerges, yet Elizabeth and everyone else (including Charles) can't figure out why until late in the book, when they've been married over 6 months. Not remotely credible, and it has nothing to do with the primary story.
Mrs. Drummond's past, which adversely influences her current displeasure with everyone and everything, is another unnecessary tangent.
So is (former Colonel) Fitzwilliam's pursuit of a relationship with a local lady, a storyline that emerges toward the end of the book.
Along with the unnecessary side plots, the book is lengthened by a lot of redundancy. For example, the reader learns the Fitzwilliam is suspicious that a lady in their midst has designs on Darcy and evil intentions toward Elizabeth. In a later chapter, this information is repeated at length. Then Fitzwilliam questions Darcy about the lady, confirming that Darcy is oblivious. There's a stretch of the book where every time Fitzwilliam appears, there's a similar description of these thoughts. Once would have sufficed. Better still, we only need the conversation with Darcy and then the actions Fitzwilliam takes when in the woman's company protecting his cousin to make the point. It's belabored to death. Elizabeth's feelings of rejection at Jane's aloof behavior are also described repeatedly.
We get too much character thoughts in general. Mr. Rowland has an unfortunate tendency to tell, not show, when it should be the other way around.
I also have to say that this Elizabeth gets on my nerves because she's just too, too perfect. By the end of the book, her sterling behavior has positively affected the Darcys and the entire Drummond household, and all of the local Derbyshire society loves her (except some Mean Girls that no one else likes anyway). She always knows just the right thing to say, always has the perfect set-down to Caroline Bingley and her ilk, is always witty, always self-effacing, always modest, etc., etc.
Although the book suffers from a need for a lot of pruning, the writing itself is excellent. There's some lovely witty banter between Elizabeth and Darcy, and the romance between them develops nicely. Grammar and spelling are all correct (with the exception of a "council" that should be "counsel"). As in all Mr. Rowland's books, the basic plot is creative and intriguing, but it gets bogged down and draggy. I would happily give his books 5 stars, including this one, if he could edit out all the excesses he's prone to.
Elizabeth successfully diverts Mr. Collins' attention to her sister Mary, who is a much better match for the pompous parson. This leaves Elizabeth at Longbourn with only her silly mother and sillier younger sisters for company, and she starts feeling discontented. (There's more to it than that, which I'll get to.) When Mr. Bennet receives a request from Mr. Drummond, his sister's husband, asking that he send one of the Bennet girls to visit and provide a model of a gentlewoman's proper comportment for his oldest daughter, Elizabeth is quick to agree.
Thus, Elizabeth temporarily becomes a member of the Drummond household. Kingsdown is a small estate sharing a border with Pemberley that was mismanaged by Mr. Drummond's father, but it's slowly becoming more profitable. That's not quickly enough for Mrs. Drummond, who's a bitter, unpleasant woman with a terrible relationship with everyone, especially her brother (Mr. Bennet) and, by extension, with Elizabeth. There are a number of children, but the most significant to the tale is Olivia, with whom Elizabeth immediately bonds. Olivia is about to be out in society, and she learns a lot hanging out with her cousin Elizabeth.
The two young ladies make the acquaintance of Georgiana and Fitzwilliam Darcy at a Lambton dressmaker's shop. I do applaud the idea of putting Darcy and Elizabeth together for the first time in the area near his estate, where Darcy is at his most relaxed and open. There's no Caroline Bingley he has to tiptoe around. It makes for a less angst-ridden story overall, with no misunderstandings between the couple. However, there are some snarky young ladies in Derbyshire society who do their best to discomfort this new addition to the neighborhood. They resent how quickly she captures Darcy's interest when they've been trying unsuccessfully to do so for years.
Had the plot consisted only of the above, I think it could have been a much shorter and better book. Unfortunately, there are all kinds of additional storylines.
Jane's personality is altered after marriage when she and Charles return to Netherfield after spending a month in London with Caroline. She snubs her family, including Elizabeth. The reason is blatantly obvious to the reader the moment this behavior emerges, yet Elizabeth and everyone else (including Charles) can't figure out why until late in the book, when they've been married over 6 months. Not remotely credible, and it has nothing to do with the primary story.
Mrs. Drummond's past, which adversely influences her current displeasure with everyone and everything, is another unnecessary tangent.
So is (former Colonel) Fitzwilliam's pursuit of a relationship with a local lady, a storyline that emerges toward the end of the book.
Along with the unnecessary side plots, the book is lengthened by a lot of redundancy. For example, the reader learns the Fitzwilliam is suspicious that a lady in their midst has designs on Darcy and evil intentions toward Elizabeth. In a later chapter, this information is repeated at length. Then Fitzwilliam questions Darcy about the lady, confirming that Darcy is oblivious. There's a stretch of the book where every time Fitzwilliam appears, there's a similar description of these thoughts. Once would have sufficed. Better still, we only need the conversation with Darcy and then the actions Fitzwilliam takes when in the woman's company protecting his cousin to make the point. It's belabored to death. Elizabeth's feelings of rejection at Jane's aloof behavior are also described repeatedly.
We get too much character thoughts in general. Mr. Rowland has an unfortunate tendency to tell, not show, when it should be the other way around.
I also have to say that this Elizabeth gets on my nerves because she's just too, too perfect. By the end of the book, her sterling behavior has positively affected the Darcys and the entire Drummond household, and all of the local Derbyshire society loves her (except some Mean Girls that no one else likes anyway). She always knows just the right thing to say, always has the perfect set-down to Caroline Bingley and her ilk, is always witty, always self-effacing, always modest, etc., etc.
Although the book suffers from a need for a lot of pruning, the writing itself is excellent. There's some lovely witty banter between Elizabeth and Darcy, and the romance between them develops nicely. Grammar and spelling are all correct (with the exception of a "council" that should be "counsel"). As in all Mr. Rowland's books, the basic plot is creative and intriguing, but it gets bogged down and draggy. I would happily give his books 5 stars, including this one, if he could edit out all the excesses he's prone to.
May 23, 2022
“Sometimes when you lose your way, you find YOURSELF.” Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass
This was a delightful clean story. It was full of mild angst [compared to some] and loaded with misunderstandings, secrets and blasted hopes. This was an off-canon variation where Darcy didn’t make it to Hertfordshire in order to help Bingley with his lease of Netherfield. In the course of time, Bingley married Jane and when they returned from their wedding tour and sojourn in London, Jane was a different person and virtually snubbed her family.
“Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.’ Jimmy Carter
After Lizzy refused Collins, he married another [but not who you think]. Her father received a request from their relations in the north, asking if Lizzy could come and mentor her younger cousin in preparation for her come-out in society. Their estate just happened to be located next to Pemberley and that is where she met Mr. Darcy. No assembly, no crowd, no insult… just meeting on neutral ground and the foundation was laid for their relationship.
This was a slow-paced story that was so refreshing after reading angst riddled stories. I loved the interaction of our dear couple. This was chaste and fun to watch them interact and fight their feelings. I thought it was a little slow getting there, but liked their banter. They were perfect together.
Caroline Bingley was a pistol fully loaded and ready to fire at will [or at Elizabeth]. She was unwilling to leave off when told to leave off. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. She dug a hole so deep even she couldn’t get out of it. Yeah, she was evil and whispered lies and poison into the ear of someone very close to our dear Lizzy. It was a showdown we have wanted for a long time. I was not disappointed.
Georgiana was delightful as was the younger cousin Olivia. Our dear Colonel played a big part in D&E getting together. Lizzy made many friends and… wouldn’t you know it… she still ran into those Caroline Bingley types even in Derbyshire. Dang… did they clone Caro or something? How many duplicates of her are there?
There were a few errors… fiancé instead of fiancée, a few confusing sentence structures, I had to backtrack and reread several times to clarify.
Note: fiancée was not in popular usage during the Regency period. Oops, my bad. Sorry, Jann.
This was a delightful clean story. It was full of mild angst [compared to some] and loaded with misunderstandings, secrets and blasted hopes. This was an off-canon variation where Darcy didn’t make it to Hertfordshire in order to help Bingley with his lease of Netherfield. In the course of time, Bingley married Jane and when they returned from their wedding tour and sojourn in London, Jane was a different person and virtually snubbed her family.
“Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.’ Jimmy Carter
After Lizzy refused Collins, he married another [but not who you think]. Her father received a request from their relations in the north, asking if Lizzy could come and mentor her younger cousin in preparation for her come-out in society. Their estate just happened to be located next to Pemberley and that is where she met Mr. Darcy. No assembly, no crowd, no insult… just meeting on neutral ground and the foundation was laid for their relationship.
This was a slow-paced story that was so refreshing after reading angst riddled stories. I loved the interaction of our dear couple. This was chaste and fun to watch them interact and fight their feelings. I thought it was a little slow getting there, but liked their banter. They were perfect together.
Caroline Bingley was a pistol fully loaded and ready to fire at will [or at Elizabeth]. She was unwilling to leave off when told to leave off. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. She dug a hole so deep even she couldn’t get out of it. Yeah, she was evil and whispered lies and poison into the ear of someone very close to our dear Lizzy. It was a showdown we have wanted for a long time. I was not disappointed.
Georgiana was delightful as was the younger cousin Olivia. Our dear Colonel played a big part in D&E getting together. Lizzy made many friends and… wouldn’t you know it… she still ran into those Caroline Bingley types even in Derbyshire. Dang… did they clone Caro or something? How many duplicates of her are there?
There were a few errors… fiancé instead of fiancée, a few confusing sentence structures, I had to backtrack and reread several times to clarify.
Note: fiancée was not in popular usage during the Regency period. Oops, my bad. Sorry, Jann.
July 23, 2017
4.85 Over all I really like this unique - and I know I use that word too often but this P& P Variation is REALLY REALLY Original.
In this book Darcy never accompanies Bingley to Hertfordshire. He doesn't meet any of the Bennets, insult Lizzy at the assembly, he doesn't inadvertently provoke Wickham, he doesn't tell Bingley Jane doesn't love him, he doesn't appear.
So Lizzy is left to fight with Caroline Bingley, watch Jane wed Bingley and Mary wed Mr. Collins only be threatened by Collins that he won't let her stay at Longbourn when he is master. When Jane returns from her wedding trip she is altered, gone is the sweet sister and in her place is a cold married stranger who disdains and distances her family. Lizzy is devastated by Jane's apparent defection to the land of the snobs.
Then there is yet another twist in the tale, we learn of Mr. Bennet's sister, Mrs. Drummond who lives in .... Derbyshire. Her husband is a landowner and gentleman of limited means and their eldest daughter needs a little polishing to be prepared for society so Lizzy will go there and share her knowledge of proper societal arts. However there won't be smooth sailing because her aunt is a bit of psycho nut job. She is angry at the world, she is cruel, bitter and nasty. She is nasty to her children, her husband, her neighbors. She is a benchmark for the earlier invention of 'mother's little helper'. She needs to take a chill pill. She makes Mrs. Bennet's antipathy toward Lizzy look like a minor kerfuffle. The author has her favor her eldest, disdain the others and scowl at everyone. She loathes her brother and his wife and isn't shy about it. And she has a secret .
So in parallel story lines we have a historic break between siblings and a current break between siblings.
Lizzy perseveres to help her cousin and avoid aggravating her aunt. And her aunt really is a scold. As she moves through Derbyshire society she quickly makes friends including Georgiana Darcy. When she meets Fitzwilliam Darcy he is immediately struck by her; she is more circumspect about her chances with the elusive Mr. Darcy. And as I read the book I found Lizzy to be a bit of a Mary Sue*, most people she meets love her and rush to defend her to people who don't. To Quote Lizzy herself in P&P '``I never saw such a woman, I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe, united.''' I know what the author was trying to do but it got a bit bizarre.
Of course not all the denizens of Derbyshire want Lizzy to succeed, there are several nasty ladies who are out of poison Georgiana's and Darcy's opinions of Miss Bennet. Among them are the daughter of an Earl. Luckily Mr. Fitzwilliam (the former Col.) is on hand to distract her. Darcy & Lizzy go a courting and we all know that he is head over heels. This is so cute and so sweet. It is lovely to see Darcy & Lizzy without Pride or Prejudice.
But into each life some rain must fall and in this case it is the Bingleys coming to Pemberley. Lizzy is apprehensive of how Jane will react to her, and decides that she and Darcy will not announce their engagement while the Bingleys are visiting.
If you love evil Caroline, and who doesn't, her appearance is a treat and 1/2. She is vicious, biting and cruel. There is no attempt to cloak her disdain for Lizzy they are Bette & Joan, Tanya & Nancy, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother & Mrs. Simpson. The claws and knives are out. However.... I can't fathom why Caroline hates Lizzy so much. After all, Darcy wasn't in Hertfordshire to admire Lizzy's fine eyes; when Caro disdained Lizzy to Louisa there was no one to stifle her tongue. Caro seems to consider Lizzy the embodiment of everything Bennet. She will allow her uncontrolled venom to lead to her ejection and banishment from Pemberley.
Eventually we learn why Aunt Drummond is so angry, she HATES Mrs. Bennet. she felt that her brother chose poorly by marrying Miss Maggie Gardiner, the daughter of a country solicitor, and ruined her, Claire's, chances for marrying well. And we also learn that Jane had been unduly influenced by Miss Bingley to avoid and disdain her family.
This is a clean book, with some angst that carries throughout but isn't really over the top.
It is a hybrid between a traditional what if and a sequel. There is a rather detailed and long viewing epilogue.
*Mary Sue is a negative term used in fanfiction and literary criticism to describe an original character that is often overly idealized http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/mary-sue
In this book Darcy never accompanies Bingley to Hertfordshire. He doesn't meet any of the Bennets, insult Lizzy at the assembly, he doesn't inadvertently provoke Wickham, he doesn't tell Bingley Jane doesn't love him, he doesn't appear.
So Lizzy is left to fight with Caroline Bingley, watch Jane wed Bingley and Mary wed Mr. Collins only be threatened by Collins that he won't let her stay at Longbourn when he is master. When Jane returns from her wedding trip she is altered, gone is the sweet sister and in her place is a cold married stranger who disdains and distances her family. Lizzy is devastated by Jane's apparent defection to the land of the snobs.
Then there is yet another twist in the tale, we learn of Mr. Bennet's sister, Mrs. Drummond who lives in .... Derbyshire. Her husband is a landowner and gentleman of limited means and their eldest daughter needs a little polishing to be prepared for society so Lizzy will go there and share her knowledge of proper societal arts. However there won't be smooth sailing because her aunt is a bit of psycho nut job. She is angry at the world, she is cruel, bitter and nasty. She is nasty to her children, her husband, her neighbors. She is a benchmark for the earlier invention of 'mother's little helper'. She needs to take a chill pill. She makes Mrs. Bennet's antipathy toward Lizzy look like a minor kerfuffle. The author has her favor her eldest, disdain the others and scowl at everyone. She loathes her brother and his wife and isn't shy about it. And she has a secret .
So in parallel story lines we have a historic break between siblings and a current break between siblings.
Lizzy perseveres to help her cousin and avoid aggravating her aunt. And her aunt really is a scold. As she moves through Derbyshire society she quickly makes friends including Georgiana Darcy. When she meets Fitzwilliam Darcy he is immediately struck by her; she is more circumspect about her chances with the elusive Mr. Darcy. And as I read the book I found Lizzy to be a bit of a Mary Sue*, most people she meets love her and rush to defend her to people who don't. To Quote Lizzy herself in P&P '``I never saw such a woman, I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe, united.''' I know what the author was trying to do but it got a bit bizarre.
Of course not all the denizens of Derbyshire want Lizzy to succeed, there are several nasty ladies who are out of poison Georgiana's and Darcy's opinions of Miss Bennet. Among them are the daughter of an Earl. Luckily Mr. Fitzwilliam (the former Col.) is on hand to distract her. Darcy & Lizzy go a courting and we all know that he is head over heels. This is so cute and so sweet. It is lovely to see Darcy & Lizzy without Pride or Prejudice.
But into each life some rain must fall and in this case it is the Bingleys coming to Pemberley. Lizzy is apprehensive of how Jane will react to her, and decides that she and Darcy will not announce their engagement while the Bingleys are visiting.
If you love evil Caroline, and who doesn't, her appearance is a treat and 1/2. She is vicious, biting and cruel. There is no attempt to cloak her disdain for Lizzy they are Bette & Joan, Tanya & Nancy, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother & Mrs. Simpson. The claws and knives are out. However.... I can't fathom why Caroline hates Lizzy so much. After all, Darcy wasn't in Hertfordshire to admire Lizzy's fine eyes; when Caro disdained Lizzy to Louisa there was no one to stifle her tongue. Caro seems to consider Lizzy the embodiment of everything Bennet. She will allow her uncontrolled venom to lead to her ejection and banishment from Pemberley.
Eventually we learn why Aunt Drummond is so angry, she HATES Mrs. Bennet. she felt that her brother chose poorly by marrying Miss Maggie Gardiner, the daughter of a country solicitor, and ruined her, Claire's, chances for marrying well. And we also learn that Jane had been unduly influenced by Miss Bingley to avoid and disdain her family.
This is a clean book, with some angst that carries throughout but isn't really over the top.
It is a hybrid between a traditional what if and a sequel. There is a rather detailed and long viewing epilogue.
*Mary Sue is a negative term used in fanfiction and literary criticism to describe an original character that is often overly idealized http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/mary-sue
July 30, 2017
This is a rather calm variation in that there is little angst. Even the path to love for Darcy and Elizabeth happens with few impediments.
Jane has married but in her return from her wedding trip the Bennets find a strange new Jane. Who are you and what did you do with our sweet loving Jane? Jane has little to say to them and little to do with them. Elizabeth is stunned and falls into melancholy.
Elizabeth accepts an invite from her mother's brother, a Mr. Drummond, to come and stay with his family on their estate, Kingsdown, in Derbyshire and "mentor" her cousin, Olivia, who is Kitty's age as Olivia is to come out. The family works their own farm, with few servants, as the property has been reduced in size when forebears sold off parts. So Elizabeth knows she will have to pitch in and help. What she finds she can't fathom is the reason for her aunt's disdain and withering remarks. Her father does not respond to written inquiries asking for reasons.
Pemberley borders Kingsdown and in this story Darcy is not only a good neighbor but also a friend, despite the Drummonds being below him in wealth and connections. The friendship warms up even further as Darcy and the retired colonel, Fitzwilliam, espy an unknown lady with the family's daughters while out riding the estate. Visits and dinner invitations lead to Georgiana, Olivia and Elizabeth becoming best of friends.
Problems occur when more than just Caroline Bingley take umbrage at Elizabeth's friendship with Mr. Darcy. Hints that she is beneath him and pushing oneself forward are not the only ways in which jealous ladies try to take Elizabeth out-of-action. In this story you will further warm to Fitzwilliam (the colonel) as he quickly sorts out that there is an attraction between Darcy and Elizabeth and acts to give them time and space to further their relationship.
The author doesn't rush events and we read much about the daily workings and neighborly interactions, including two assemblies. There are several dinners between families and some meetings in the town of Lambton.
I like Mr. Rowland's stories but in this one I missed reading about that chemistry between Elizabeth and Darcy. Oh, we do read of long conversations as they learn of each other's likes and education and we read how attracted each is to the other but I would have liked to read of the zap felt when bare hands meet or the hard to repress reaction when they are in each other's embrace during a necessary horseback ride. Write for me the difficulty breaking eye contact and the feeling up one's back when a loved one nears. Give me a little more romance and I would be perfectly happy.
This was well edited and I did enjoy the variation with Jane's and Elizabeth's path to new understandings about the values of family love and support...and acceptance without judgment.
Jane has married but in her return from her wedding trip the Bennets find a strange new Jane. Who are you and what did you do with our sweet loving Jane? Jane has little to say to them and little to do with them. Elizabeth is stunned and falls into melancholy.
Elizabeth accepts an invite from her mother's brother, a Mr. Drummond, to come and stay with his family on their estate, Kingsdown, in Derbyshire and "mentor" her cousin, Olivia, who is Kitty's age as Olivia is to come out. The family works their own farm, with few servants, as the property has been reduced in size when forebears sold off parts. So Elizabeth knows she will have to pitch in and help. What she finds she can't fathom is the reason for her aunt's disdain and withering remarks. Her father does not respond to written inquiries asking for reasons.
Pemberley borders Kingsdown and in this story Darcy is not only a good neighbor but also a friend, despite the Drummonds being below him in wealth and connections. The friendship warms up even further as Darcy and the retired colonel, Fitzwilliam, espy an unknown lady with the family's daughters while out riding the estate. Visits and dinner invitations lead to Georgiana, Olivia and Elizabeth becoming best of friends.
Problems occur when more than just Caroline Bingley take umbrage at Elizabeth's friendship with Mr. Darcy. Hints that she is beneath him and pushing oneself forward are not the only ways in which jealous ladies try to take Elizabeth out-of-action. In this story you will further warm to Fitzwilliam (the colonel) as he quickly sorts out that there is an attraction between Darcy and Elizabeth and acts to give them time and space to further their relationship.
The author doesn't rush events and we read much about the daily workings and neighborly interactions, including two assemblies. There are several dinners between families and some meetings in the town of Lambton.
I like Mr. Rowland's stories but in this one I missed reading about that chemistry between Elizabeth and Darcy. Oh, we do read of long conversations as they learn of each other's likes and education and we read how attracted each is to the other but I would have liked to read of the zap felt when bare hands meet or the hard to repress reaction when they are in each other's embrace during a necessary horseback ride. Write for me the difficulty breaking eye contact and the feeling up one's back when a loved one nears. Give me a little more romance and I would be perfectly happy.
This was well edited and I did enjoy the variation with Jane's and Elizabeth's path to new understandings about the values of family love and support...and acceptance without judgment.
November 15, 2024
This was my first introduction to JR, in Audiobook version - and I was hooked. I have since also read it as an ebook and would love to have the paperback version as well.
While some of JRs books are a miss for me, more often than not they are a big hit and this one is a HIT.
A lovely retelling of Elizabeth meeting Darcy on his territory, without the background of her embarrassment of her family and it flows from there. Enough tensions from new characters to showcase rounded out characters and scenes.
Loved this book.
Just as good as the first five times I have read it!
2022 - Third read through (paperback) Still a favorite. I love the slow growing romance between ODC in this story. There is enough minor angst to keep the book from being dull. However, D&E meet under completely different circumstances from canon and also have slightly altered characters. E is less cynical, D is not so high and mighty, especially being on his home turf.
While some of JRs books are a miss for me, more often than not they are a big hit and this one is a HIT.
A lovely retelling of Elizabeth meeting Darcy on his territory, without the background of her embarrassment of her family and it flows from there. Enough tensions from new characters to showcase rounded out characters and scenes.
Loved this book.
Just as good as the first five times I have read it!
2022 - Third read through (paperback) Still a favorite. I love the slow growing romance between ODC in this story. There is enough minor angst to keep the book from being dull. However, D&E meet under completely different circumstances from canon and also have slightly altered characters. E is less cynical, D is not so high and mighty, especially being on his home turf.
September 26, 2025
I 100% agree with debbie's review. Enjoyable story. but it drags at times. not much action, more in the style of a soap opera, but highly enjoyable.
June 21, 2019
People whose reviews I trust rated this book very highly. I feel like I read something totally different, since I found it terrible and had to force myself to finish it.
For the most part, this is bad because NOTHING HAPPENS. There is no story here. In the rare instance of conflict or drama I cringed because the characters were acting and talking in ways that the Austen originals would never have done, and behaving completely inappropriately for the time period.
Jane Bennet is not the sweet loyal sister who thinks well of everyone, but a gullible idiot who betrays her family and cannot think for herself.
She listens to an implausibly evil Caroline Bingley about the best way to behave at her new level of society so as not to embarrass her husband. This I did not understand. The Bennets are daughters of a gentleman who owns a moderate sized estate and Jane was the one who guided her younger siblings wherever possible on the correct way to behave in society, gently chastising and urging them.
Why then, would she suddenly be so dumb as to think she needed to throw off her relations to be considered 'quality'? She attracted her wealthy gentleman husband with her existing manners, so it was ludicrous. It was also ludicrous that he would witness it happening and allow her to fob him off without an actual real answer as to why.
Then we have Elizabeth. Ah, sweet, perfect Elizabeth. No. She is awful in this story. Smug, self satisfied and apparently everyone she meets (unless they are evil or have their own agendas) instantly loves and values her (for no reason at all) and tells us she is perfect. It is a case of being told rather than shown, because the author keeps telling me how perfect and lovely and ladylike she is and yet shows me her acting snide and superior and saying mean things about everyone, most especially Caroline Bingley - a character that we do not even properly meet until the end.
Most of these nasty jibes are made to people who have never even met the characters she's mocking. Nobody in Derbyshire knows Mr Collins but she tears his character to shreds. She is happy continually making reference to Caroline Bingley's terrible behaviour in trying to trap men, even though she's never seen her interact with Darcy in this story, so how would she know?
She even calls her (non-canon) aunt a bitter old woman.
Now let me get this straight... Elizabeth Bennet - the real, Jane Austen version - is witty and observant but she is a lady in every respect. At no point does she make nasty comments about people designed to make herself look better. That is a Caroline Bingley trick. And yet while the author makes Caroline Bingley into a ludicrously exaggerated version of this and tells us to despise her for it, he writes Elizabeth, Darcy, and even Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana doing the same thing and apparently we're supposed to enjoy it. They're all "Ho ho ho, we're so superior, let's laugh about how terrible everyone else is" and it's awful. I hate every one of them.
Oh and let's not forget how many times they all laugh about Caroline Bingley being the daughter of a tradesman. Excuse me?! Elizabeth has several uncles in trade. Her non-canon uncle in this book is a farmer. Why is she so superior and smug about Caroline 'only' being a tradesman's daughter?
Yes we understand that Caroline is a hypocrite playing the grand lady while conveniently forgetting her own roots, but Elizabeth and Darcy don't make observations on the irony of her comments, they just make snide comments about her trade background as though that is the objectionable part.
Caroline Bingley loathes Elizabeth, but why? In the original book she hates her because she is jealous and feels threatened by Darcy's attentions to her. But in this book she hasn't even seen Elizabeth and Darcy in company together, so it makes no sense for her to hate her so viciously.
And then there's her behaviour when she comes to Pemberley. Nobody in the upper class in 1800s England would have spoken or acted the way she did, it's utterly absurd. She'd have been completely shunned by society for her lack of manners. She's not subtle or sly like Austen's Caroline, she just opens her mouth and directly insults everyone for no reason.
Lady Emily is a new character who is apparently jealous of Elizabeth. With hitherto unsuspected psychic ability, Elizabeth senses she is acting friendly but has ulterior motives, despite there being nothing in Emily's actions or speech to make this evident.
Lady Emily behaves like a reasonable woman, and at one point I even hoped she had a tendre for Lizzy herself as that might be a cool direction for the story to go, but no, she was just as flat and two dimensional as every other character, until suddenly and completely randomly she explodes at Elizabeth and evicts her from her carriage to walk home, thus exposing herself to the censure of the world for endangering a gentlewoman. It made no sense. She didn't even love Mr Darcy, she just had hopes for a good marriage, so if her emotions weren't even engaged why would she flip out like a crazy person? Ugh.
Next we have the non-canon aunt, Mrs Drummond. For a while I thought there might actually be some plot here, too... How foolish of me.
She is awful to all of her children except her eldest and for a while I speculated that some titled gentleman had palmed off his illegitimate children on her and her husband to raise (for money), which would explain why she was so awful to them all and insisted they had no real hopes for a prosperous future or good marriages. It would have explained why she was only tolerant of her eldest son, which would presumably be the one child who was her own flesh and blood.
Buuuut, no. Turns out she is just bitter because she feels Mr Bennet marrying his wife lowered her own marriage prospects. That's it. That's not a story! That's barely even a reason! I was so frustrated at the complete lack of any real drama.
There were silly errors in this book too, that a good edit should have picked up. Darcy has never been to Netherfield, yet he suddenly talks about Mr Hurst's behaviour when he was at Netherfield. And of course he talks about Mr Hurst in a derogatory way, as everything Lizzy and Darcy say to each other is something mean about somebody else, so that they can enjoy a hearty laugh about how much better they are and how alike they are in their nasty judgemental - sorry I mean, superior and perfect - attitudes.
Darcy requests permission from Mr Drummond (the new non-canon uncle) to 'call on' Elizabeth to get to know her better and decide if he wants to marry her. This permission is granted and they meet tediously often and he still can't seem to make up his mind. Eventually he astonishes everyone by proposing rather than asking for a courtship... Um... So what on earth were they already doing if not a courtship? Meeting daily, getting to know each other for potential future marriage... What else happens in a courtship?
Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Bennet are both impressed with how speedily Darcy saw Lizzy's good qualities. Speedily?! In P&P he'd already fallen in love and proposed to her after being in her company half a dozen times and barely speaking to her because of his reserve. Here they meet and talk for an eternity before he thinks he might consider asking for a courtship. Since when is Mr Darcy so wishywashy?!
There are so many things I disliked about this book, but let's leave it with this last one: The conclusion. The end of the story becomes basically a list of every character, who they married, how many children they had, and how many years it was before they died. I mean, ffs.
Really, really avoid this one. I don't understand the high ratings. There is so much good JAFF out there and this is not it. Sorry.
For the most part, this is bad because NOTHING HAPPENS. There is no story here. In the rare instance of conflict or drama I cringed because the characters were acting and talking in ways that the Austen originals would never have done, and behaving completely inappropriately for the time period.
Jane Bennet is not the sweet loyal sister who thinks well of everyone, but a gullible idiot who betrays her family and cannot think for herself.
She listens to an implausibly evil Caroline Bingley about the best way to behave at her new level of society so as not to embarrass her husband. This I did not understand. The Bennets are daughters of a gentleman who owns a moderate sized estate and Jane was the one who guided her younger siblings wherever possible on the correct way to behave in society, gently chastising and urging them.
Why then, would she suddenly be so dumb as to think she needed to throw off her relations to be considered 'quality'? She attracted her wealthy gentleman husband with her existing manners, so it was ludicrous. It was also ludicrous that he would witness it happening and allow her to fob him off without an actual real answer as to why.
Then we have Elizabeth. Ah, sweet, perfect Elizabeth. No. She is awful in this story. Smug, self satisfied and apparently everyone she meets (unless they are evil or have their own agendas) instantly loves and values her (for no reason at all) and tells us she is perfect. It is a case of being told rather than shown, because the author keeps telling me how perfect and lovely and ladylike she is and yet shows me her acting snide and superior and saying mean things about everyone, most especially Caroline Bingley - a character that we do not even properly meet until the end.
Most of these nasty jibes are made to people who have never even met the characters she's mocking. Nobody in Derbyshire knows Mr Collins but she tears his character to shreds. She is happy continually making reference to Caroline Bingley's terrible behaviour in trying to trap men, even though she's never seen her interact with Darcy in this story, so how would she know?
She even calls her (non-canon) aunt a bitter old woman.
Now let me get this straight... Elizabeth Bennet - the real, Jane Austen version - is witty and observant but she is a lady in every respect. At no point does she make nasty comments about people designed to make herself look better. That is a Caroline Bingley trick. And yet while the author makes Caroline Bingley into a ludicrously exaggerated version of this and tells us to despise her for it, he writes Elizabeth, Darcy, and even Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana doing the same thing and apparently we're supposed to enjoy it. They're all "Ho ho ho, we're so superior, let's laugh about how terrible everyone else is" and it's awful. I hate every one of them.
Oh and let's not forget how many times they all laugh about Caroline Bingley being the daughter of a tradesman. Excuse me?! Elizabeth has several uncles in trade. Her non-canon uncle in this book is a farmer. Why is she so superior and smug about Caroline 'only' being a tradesman's daughter?
Yes we understand that Caroline is a hypocrite playing the grand lady while conveniently forgetting her own roots, but Elizabeth and Darcy don't make observations on the irony of her comments, they just make snide comments about her trade background as though that is the objectionable part.
Caroline Bingley loathes Elizabeth, but why? In the original book she hates her because she is jealous and feels threatened by Darcy's attentions to her. But in this book she hasn't even seen Elizabeth and Darcy in company together, so it makes no sense for her to hate her so viciously.
And then there's her behaviour when she comes to Pemberley. Nobody in the upper class in 1800s England would have spoken or acted the way she did, it's utterly absurd. She'd have been completely shunned by society for her lack of manners. She's not subtle or sly like Austen's Caroline, she just opens her mouth and directly insults everyone for no reason.
Lady Emily is a new character who is apparently jealous of Elizabeth. With hitherto unsuspected psychic ability, Elizabeth senses she is acting friendly but has ulterior motives, despite there being nothing in Emily's actions or speech to make this evident.
Lady Emily behaves like a reasonable woman, and at one point I even hoped she had a tendre for Lizzy herself as that might be a cool direction for the story to go, but no, she was just as flat and two dimensional as every other character, until suddenly and completely randomly she explodes at Elizabeth and evicts her from her carriage to walk home, thus exposing herself to the censure of the world for endangering a gentlewoman. It made no sense. She didn't even love Mr Darcy, she just had hopes for a good marriage, so if her emotions weren't even engaged why would she flip out like a crazy person? Ugh.
Next we have the non-canon aunt, Mrs Drummond. For a while I thought there might actually be some plot here, too... How foolish of me.
She is awful to all of her children except her eldest and for a while I speculated that some titled gentleman had palmed off his illegitimate children on her and her husband to raise (for money), which would explain why she was so awful to them all and insisted they had no real hopes for a prosperous future or good marriages. It would have explained why she was only tolerant of her eldest son, which would presumably be the one child who was her own flesh and blood.
Buuuut, no. Turns out she is just bitter because she feels Mr Bennet marrying his wife lowered her own marriage prospects. That's it. That's not a story! That's barely even a reason! I was so frustrated at the complete lack of any real drama.
There were silly errors in this book too, that a good edit should have picked up. Darcy has never been to Netherfield, yet he suddenly talks about Mr Hurst's behaviour when he was at Netherfield. And of course he talks about Mr Hurst in a derogatory way, as everything Lizzy and Darcy say to each other is something mean about somebody else, so that they can enjoy a hearty laugh about how much better they are and how alike they are in their nasty judgemental - sorry I mean, superior and perfect - attitudes.
Darcy requests permission from Mr Drummond (the new non-canon uncle) to 'call on' Elizabeth to get to know her better and decide if he wants to marry her. This permission is granted and they meet tediously often and he still can't seem to make up his mind. Eventually he astonishes everyone by proposing rather than asking for a courtship... Um... So what on earth were they already doing if not a courtship? Meeting daily, getting to know each other for potential future marriage... What else happens in a courtship?
Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Bennet are both impressed with how speedily Darcy saw Lizzy's good qualities. Speedily?! In P&P he'd already fallen in love and proposed to her after being in her company half a dozen times and barely speaking to her because of his reserve. Here they meet and talk for an eternity before he thinks he might consider asking for a courtship. Since when is Mr Darcy so wishywashy?!
There are so many things I disliked about this book, but let's leave it with this last one: The conclusion. The end of the story becomes basically a list of every character, who they married, how many children they had, and how many years it was before they died. I mean, ffs.
Really, really avoid this one. I don't understand the high ratings. There is so much good JAFF out there and this is not it. Sorry.
June 14, 2018
I enjoyed this unique P&P variation.
Although Lady Emily, Caroline, and Jane got off too easily in my opinion, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story.
Although Lady Emily, Caroline, and Jane got off too easily in my opinion, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story.
August 9, 2023
This is a book for Caroline Bingley fans. There are many versions of her rich and poor, old and young, titled and not and of course, the pure unadulterated and more villainous than original Caroline. The story was padded with so many unnecessary details, picnics, teas, dinners and whatnot which didn't do much for the story and thus slowing it down yo a crawl at places. This could've been a very crisp and shorter and more interesting novel.
March 20, 2022
This one was awesome. I really can't think of anything I didn't like and am now off to see the author's other books.
Reread just months later: Bought the print version because I loved it so much. Loved reading it again.
Reread again! Still loved it.
Reread: It is a terrific book!
Reread: Terrific comes to mind again!
Reread: So great!
Reread just months later: Bought the print version because I loved it so much. Loved reading it again.
Reread again! Still loved it.
Reread: It is a terrific book!
Reread: Terrific comes to mind again!
Reread: So great!
July 27, 2017
I really like the plot and think this story was really well written.
But I would complain about the characters, they are too perfect, and without passion. I don't even know how and when Darcy and Elizabeth felt in love. There's a lack of romance in the book. But we still can enjoy the story, since the plot is really new and interesting.
But I would complain about the characters, they are too perfect, and without passion. I don't even know how and when Darcy and Elizabeth felt in love. There's a lack of romance in the book. But we still can enjoy the story, since the plot is really new and interesting.
November 18, 2019
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was so delightful. It’s been awhile since I’ve read JAFF and I loved it!
This one was different because Lizzy spends a lot of time with Georgiana and Darcy in Derbyshire. I’ve always loved Georgiana and enjoyed seeing more of her and loved her friendship with Lizzy. It was sweet and special.
There were honorable men and a lot of Regency cat fights among the women.
Furthermore, the writer added all my favorite characters from P&P. The chemistry and romance was heartfelt. I longed for every part to be centered around Darcy and Lizzy. ♥️
This was so delightful. It’s been awhile since I’ve read JAFF and I loved it!
This one was different because Lizzy spends a lot of time with Georgiana and Darcy in Derbyshire. I’ve always loved Georgiana and enjoyed seeing more of her and loved her friendship with Lizzy. It was sweet and special.
There were honorable men and a lot of Regency cat fights among the women.
Furthermore, the writer added all my favorite characters from P&P. The chemistry and romance was heartfelt. I longed for every part to be centered around Darcy and Lizzy. ♥️
May 8, 2023
3,5 stars
Review Published at:
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...
In the Wilds of Derbyshire is a Pride & Prejudice regency variation that takes an interesting turn of events. In this story, Mr. Darcy does not accompany Mr. Bingley to Hertfordshire, and the Bingley sisters are not able to prevent Mr. Bingley’s marriage to the beautiful Jane Bennet. However, they are able to change the new Mrs. Bingley into someone her family hardly recognizes. Because of Jane’s coldness, Elizabeth decides to travel to Derbyshire where her father’s sister lives with her husband and children, and it is in the wilds of Derbyshire that she meets their charming neighbor Mr. Darcy.
I really liked the change of scenery in this book and the fact that the reader is presented with many new and original characters that play an important part in the story. These characters allow Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth to get acquainted with one another, but also to reveal to the reader how sensible, mature, patient and loving Elizabeth Bennet is. It is also because of these characters that we understand just how fair, honorable and polite Mr. Darcy is, so they were certainly an added value to the story in the sense that they allowed the main characters to shine.
There is a small mystery surrounding the behavior of one of the original characters that got me interested in the beginning of the story, and it is another entertaining detail the author created, however, when the reason behind her conduct is revealed, it felt somewhat anticlimactic, and it seemed as a missed opportunity.
The romance in this book is slowly built and there is little to no angst in the romantic relationship between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, which is an aspect many readers will enjoy. However, in my opinion the amount of scenes discussing if Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth should or should not enter into a courtship, and at a later stage if they were indeed in a courtship, blocked the intensity I was expecting to feel with regards to their romance. I would have preferred to have seen these characters interact more with one another, and see them falling in love instead of reading about all the pros and cons that a relationship would have for both of them. Because there is so much talk about a possible relationship between them, the reader doesn’t have an opportunity to see their love grow in a natural and spontaneous manner, which affected my enjoyment of the book.
Despite the quibble I had with the logical way the romance was explored, towards the end of the story, the pace picks up and some small obstacles come in the way of the romantic pair, so those last chapters recaptured my attention and increased my engagement. I also liked the developments concerning Col. Fitzwilliam, Lady Emily and Jane Bennet that were explored towards the end of the book, and only wish they had appeared a little bit sooner.
In the Wilds of Derbyshire is a low angst novel that explores Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s romance in a very pondered and calm manner. It is a slow paced book that allows the reader ample opportunity to know what the characters are thinking and feeling, and even though in my opinion it lacked feeling and intensity, I know this book will be enjoyed by readers who like more tamed novels.
Review Published at:
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...
In the Wilds of Derbyshire is a Pride & Prejudice regency variation that takes an interesting turn of events. In this story, Mr. Darcy does not accompany Mr. Bingley to Hertfordshire, and the Bingley sisters are not able to prevent Mr. Bingley’s marriage to the beautiful Jane Bennet. However, they are able to change the new Mrs. Bingley into someone her family hardly recognizes. Because of Jane’s coldness, Elizabeth decides to travel to Derbyshire where her father’s sister lives with her husband and children, and it is in the wilds of Derbyshire that she meets their charming neighbor Mr. Darcy.
I really liked the change of scenery in this book and the fact that the reader is presented with many new and original characters that play an important part in the story. These characters allow Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth to get acquainted with one another, but also to reveal to the reader how sensible, mature, patient and loving Elizabeth Bennet is. It is also because of these characters that we understand just how fair, honorable and polite Mr. Darcy is, so they were certainly an added value to the story in the sense that they allowed the main characters to shine.
There is a small mystery surrounding the behavior of one of the original characters that got me interested in the beginning of the story, and it is another entertaining detail the author created, however, when the reason behind her conduct is revealed, it felt somewhat anticlimactic, and it seemed as a missed opportunity.
The romance in this book is slowly built and there is little to no angst in the romantic relationship between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, which is an aspect many readers will enjoy. However, in my opinion the amount of scenes discussing if Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth should or should not enter into a courtship, and at a later stage if they were indeed in a courtship, blocked the intensity I was expecting to feel with regards to their romance. I would have preferred to have seen these characters interact more with one another, and see them falling in love instead of reading about all the pros and cons that a relationship would have for both of them. Because there is so much talk about a possible relationship between them, the reader doesn’t have an opportunity to see their love grow in a natural and spontaneous manner, which affected my enjoyment of the book.
Despite the quibble I had with the logical way the romance was explored, towards the end of the story, the pace picks up and some small obstacles come in the way of the romantic pair, so those last chapters recaptured my attention and increased my engagement. I also liked the developments concerning Col. Fitzwilliam, Lady Emily and Jane Bennet that were explored towards the end of the book, and only wish they had appeared a little bit sooner.
In the Wilds of Derbyshire is a low angst novel that explores Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s romance in a very pondered and calm manner. It is a slow paced book that allows the reader ample opportunity to know what the characters are thinking and feeling, and even though in my opinion it lacked feeling and intensity, I know this book will be enjoyed by readers who like more tamed novels.
August 2, 2017
I loved this new Jann Rowlands' variation, and I believe it to be one oh his best books. Elizabeth is a bit depressed at the beginning, but she is a fighter and she perseveres. The Drummond are a very interesting family: a bitter mother, delightful children, and a father who tries to hold his head high, despise of the family's reduced circumstances. Darcy and Georgiana are friendly and loyal, and help Lizzy overcome her melancholy.
I enjoyed the interactions among local society, the ladies who appreciated Lizzy's spirit and wit, as well as the jealous ones. Georgiana, Olivia and Elizabeth friendship was heartwarming. And Lady Emily with colonel Fitzwilliam were very colorful characters.
My favorite part of the story was the Bingleys and Caroline's visit. Miss Bingley's antics are always a great fun, here she is determined, snite and arrogant, the way I like her. I always believed, that Jane's life with Caroline in residence wouldn't be a pleasant one.
Highly recommended
I enjoyed the interactions among local society, the ladies who appreciated Lizzy's spirit and wit, as well as the jealous ones. Georgiana, Olivia and Elizabeth friendship was heartwarming. And Lady Emily with colonel Fitzwilliam were very colorful characters.
My favorite part of the story was the Bingleys and Caroline's visit. Miss Bingley's antics are always a great fun, here she is determined, snite and arrogant, the way I like her. I always believed, that Jane's life with Caroline in residence wouldn't be a pleasant one.
Highly recommended
July 24, 2017
Once again a great novel with an excellent plot without Lady Catherine and George Wickham. New people were added to this plot that did the novel a different twist and it was Mr. Bennet's sister, Claire Drummond that brought some displeasure to the novel.
Elizabeth travels with her father to spend time in Derbyshire to bring her cousin into society and helps forget the conflict between Jane and herself. Adventures of a new territory and friends bring Elizabeth happiness and eventually new found life long friends and romance leading to a marriage. Of course this did not happened without a few tears shed.
I loved the fact that the author made Darcy much more jovial and not so haughty and the fact that Elizabeth and Darcy got along so well right from the beginning with their comings and goings.
I also enjoyed reading the Colonel Fitzwilliam, now Mr. Fitzwilliam's part in the novel. Not only his teasing of Darcy but his observation of Elizabeth's rival for Darcy's attention.
I rather suspected that Caroline had some hand into separating Jane and Elizabeth but didn't know the reason until the almost end of the novel. It was handled well by Elizabeth, Darcy and mostly Bingley.
What a wonderful man Mr. Drummond, Elizabeth's uncle by marriage, was written into the novel and his children. I thought the way Claire Drummond, his wife and Mr. Bennet's sister , was written into the script brought depth to the novel. Family dynamics played a big part in this novel on all sides.
At the end of the novel the author tells of the growth of the families involved except the Drummond family. I would have liked to learn what happened to the Drummond children as they were a large part involved with Elizabeth going to Derbyshire.
In closing, I would say that I truly loved this story!!
Thank you Mr. Rowland for a great novel.
Elizabeth travels with her father to spend time in Derbyshire to bring her cousin into society and helps forget the conflict between Jane and herself. Adventures of a new territory and friends bring Elizabeth happiness and eventually new found life long friends and romance leading to a marriage. Of course this did not happened without a few tears shed.
I loved the fact that the author made Darcy much more jovial and not so haughty and the fact that Elizabeth and Darcy got along so well right from the beginning with their comings and goings.
I also enjoyed reading the Colonel Fitzwilliam, now Mr. Fitzwilliam's part in the novel. Not only his teasing of Darcy but his observation of Elizabeth's rival for Darcy's attention.
I rather suspected that Caroline had some hand into separating Jane and Elizabeth but didn't know the reason until the almost end of the novel. It was handled well by Elizabeth, Darcy and mostly Bingley.
What a wonderful man Mr. Drummond, Elizabeth's uncle by marriage, was written into the novel and his children. I thought the way Claire Drummond, his wife and Mr. Bennet's sister , was written into the script brought depth to the novel. Family dynamics played a big part in this novel on all sides.
At the end of the novel the author tells of the growth of the families involved except the Drummond family. I would have liked to learn what happened to the Drummond children as they were a large part involved with Elizabeth going to Derbyshire.
In closing, I would say that I truly loved this story!!
Thank you Mr. Rowland for a great novel.
July 24, 2017
In this Pride and Prejudice variation, Mr Darcy did not come to Netherfield with Mr Bingley. Jane and Bingley are married and Mr Collins attention was directed toward Mary. Upon returning from her honeymoon, Jane is distant from her family and as a result Elizabeth is at a complete loss. She takes a trip to Derbyshire to stay with her father's sister to help bring her oldest cousin out into local society. Her natural loveliness comes out and she becomes fiends with Georgiana Darcy and many other ladies in the area. All this activity puts her in the path of Mr Darcy who has to figure out what he wants in life. Great friends and a fantastic set down for a most hated character all all part of our dear couple's happily ever after.
While I found Elizabeth to be over the top at times, I really enjoyed this story. The extra characters and unique story line kept my attention and I could not put it down.
While I found Elizabeth to be over the top at times, I really enjoyed this story. The extra characters and unique story line kept my attention and I could not put it down.
January 26, 2018
Although low on angst the suspense and tension will be the page turner in this novel.
I could not put it down.
A lot of interaction between ODC and wandering far from Canon is other positives.
To gain the 5th star from me it needed more romance.
Jane's advantagous marriage has gone to her head and a downcast Elizabeth accept an invitation from relatives in Derbyshire. She is to mentor her cousins come out. She makes friends including the Darcys and an attraction is soon evident between ODC. The relationship develops in a lovely, slow and believable pace but jalousy is threatening their happiness from more than one lady. When the Bingleys come to visit Pemberley their problems are far from over. Jane is distant and aloof, Caroline is as vile as ever. I actually started begging for her comeuppance in the first couple of chapters and she gets it...
Heartily recommend this book!
I could not put it down.
A lot of interaction between ODC and wandering far from Canon is other positives.
To gain the 5th star from me it needed more romance.
Jane's advantagous marriage has gone to her head and a downcast Elizabeth accept an invitation from relatives in Derbyshire. She is to mentor her cousins come out. She makes friends including the Darcys and an attraction is soon evident between ODC. The relationship develops in a lovely, slow and believable pace but jalousy is threatening their happiness from more than one lady. When the Bingleys come to visit Pemberley their problems are far from over. Jane is distant and aloof, Caroline is as vile as ever. I actually started begging for her comeuppance in the first couple of chapters and she gets it...
Heartily recommend this book!
August 5, 2017
In the Wilds of Derbyshire
A very enjoyable story about Elizabeth's meeting with Fitzwilliam Darcy. Problems at Pemberley kept Darcy from coming to Netherfield, and surprisingly enough Caroline Bingley was not able to prevent Charles from proposing and marrying Jane Bennet. Unfortunately, Caroline used her evil forked tongue to poison Jane against her family especially Elizabeth. Heartbroken by Jane's changed demeanor Elizabeth is sent to her Uncle Drummond's estate, Kingsdown, in Derbyshire. Her uncle wanted her to come to help teach his oldest daughter Olivia what she needs to know to enter the limited society in Derbyshire. However, her aunt resents her being at her home and treats her worse than her own mother. Meeting Georgiana Darcy in Lambton, the girls become good friends which enables Darcy to get to know more about Elizabeth. As he becomes better acquainted with Elizabeth he realizes that she is the one woman that he wanted as his wife. Jealous obstacles caused minor problems, but running interference to their plans to disrupt the young couple is Colonel Fitzwilliam. When one jealous young lady, Lady Emily, dumps Elizabeth from her carriage ten miles from Lambton, and found by Darcy and returned to Kingsdown, Darcy confronts her father the Earl. Her father already angry at her foolish behaviour towards Elizabeth, allows Darcy to deliver his set down further chastising her actions. Even before the Bingleys arrive at Pemberley, there are several Caroline like creatures that inhabit Derbyshire that get their comeuppance from several sources. When the Bingleys finally arrive at Pemberley, Caroline's hold on Jane's behaviour is still present, but her facade begins to crack when she witnesses the opposite of what she's been told by Caroline. Confronted with Elizabeth's betrothal to Darcy, and set downs by Elizabeth, Darcy, Charles, Mr. Bennet, and finally Jane, Caroline is driven from Pemberley with no chance of ever returning to any of the homes of those people. Other that a disgruntled few, the residents of Derbyshire are happy to see Elizabeth forever settled in Derbyshire at Pemberley. ODC have their HEA when everyone stops interfering with their happiness. Loved this no nonsense, know what I want, go to it Darcy! Watching Georgiana's shyness disappearing the more that she's around Elizabeth and Olivia was a joy to see. Fitzwilliam's support of Darcy was a joy to behold also. He never wavered in his support of his cousin to see Darcy's happiness grow the longer he knew Elizabeth Bennet.
A very enjoyable story about Elizabeth's meeting with Fitzwilliam Darcy. Problems at Pemberley kept Darcy from coming to Netherfield, and surprisingly enough Caroline Bingley was not able to prevent Charles from proposing and marrying Jane Bennet. Unfortunately, Caroline used her evil forked tongue to poison Jane against her family especially Elizabeth. Heartbroken by Jane's changed demeanor Elizabeth is sent to her Uncle Drummond's estate, Kingsdown, in Derbyshire. Her uncle wanted her to come to help teach his oldest daughter Olivia what she needs to know to enter the limited society in Derbyshire. However, her aunt resents her being at her home and treats her worse than her own mother. Meeting Georgiana Darcy in Lambton, the girls become good friends which enables Darcy to get to know more about Elizabeth. As he becomes better acquainted with Elizabeth he realizes that she is the one woman that he wanted as his wife. Jealous obstacles caused minor problems, but running interference to their plans to disrupt the young couple is Colonel Fitzwilliam. When one jealous young lady, Lady Emily, dumps Elizabeth from her carriage ten miles from Lambton, and found by Darcy and returned to Kingsdown, Darcy confronts her father the Earl. Her father already angry at her foolish behaviour towards Elizabeth, allows Darcy to deliver his set down further chastising her actions. Even before the Bingleys arrive at Pemberley, there are several Caroline like creatures that inhabit Derbyshire that get their comeuppance from several sources. When the Bingleys finally arrive at Pemberley, Caroline's hold on Jane's behaviour is still present, but her facade begins to crack when she witnesses the opposite of what she's been told by Caroline. Confronted with Elizabeth's betrothal to Darcy, and set downs by Elizabeth, Darcy, Charles, Mr. Bennet, and finally Jane, Caroline is driven from Pemberley with no chance of ever returning to any of the homes of those people. Other that a disgruntled few, the residents of Derbyshire are happy to see Elizabeth forever settled in Derbyshire at Pemberley. ODC have their HEA when everyone stops interfering with their happiness. Loved this no nonsense, know what I want, go to it Darcy! Watching Georgiana's shyness disappearing the more that she's around Elizabeth and Olivia was a joy to see. Fitzwilliam's support of Darcy was a joy to behold also. He never wavered in his support of his cousin to see Darcy's happiness grow the longer he knew Elizabeth Bennet.
May 19, 2019
I do so enjoy variations from Mr. Rowland. He is one to step outside the box and provide some unique stories. At first I was concerned there was a touch too much telling than showing at the beginning, but once things started to fall into place, I was soon captured by the tale.
This is a story where 'what if' Mr. Darcy did not travel with Mr. Bingley to Netherfield and instead stayed at Pemberley to help Georgiana after the Ramsgate debacle therefore meeting Elizabeth on his own turf. It is also a 'what if' Mr. Bennet had a married younger sister living in Derbyshire but their relationship was greatly strained, but he and his brother-in-law, Mr. Drummond, were on good terms. So when Mr. Drummond requests one of his nieces to come and mentor his daughter, Olivia, as she comes out into society, Elizabeth is asked by her father if she would like to go. Considering that things between her and Jane are greatly changed, she accepts.
"At times, she wondered what her purpose could possibly be, or if it was her fate to live and die this way, unmoved by life, drifting along as a twig in a river, not caring where she went, at the mercy of the flowing water." (quote from the book)
I enjoyed this moderately low angst story where outside forces try to upset the progress of Mr. Darcy's interest in Elizabeth Bennet. The dynamics of the Drummond family were definitely interesting and rather dysfunctional, especially Mrs. Drummond. Jealousy rears its ugly head quite spectacularly on more than one front, and the estrangement with Jane hovers in the back of her mind. However, all is not hopeless, and Elizabeth's nature soon has her enjoying the company of not only her cousins, Olivia, Leah and Edward, but also the shy and reserved Miss Darcy and her handsome brother, Mr. Darcy.
August 15, 2017
I wanted to like this one, because at least it was a novel look at the universe, engineering a whole new way that Elizabeth could meet Darcy within the universe of Derbyshire and Pemberley, where he seems more "himself" and hence less prone to inculcating misunderstandings.
But I'm afraid that I felt more chemistry between Elizabeth and Georgiana than between Elizabeth and Darcy, in this one. And after the premise was established, I was not interested enough by the new characters (particularly Elizabeth's aunt, the cause of whose mysterious resentment was not hard enough to guess to draw it out for so long) to sustain their role in the story. I kept reading--sometimes books Stockholm syndrome me back into liking them--but reading while bored just irritated me, and as a result I felt convinced when I finished it that it was perhaps the worst JAFF I'd read this year. That may have been uncharitable, but the impression has stuck.
But I'm afraid that I felt more chemistry between Elizabeth and Georgiana than between Elizabeth and Darcy, in this one. And after the premise was established, I was not interested enough by the new characters (particularly Elizabeth's aunt, the cause of whose mysterious resentment was not hard enough to guess to draw it out for so long) to sustain their role in the story. I kept reading--sometimes books Stockholm syndrome me back into liking them--but reading while bored just irritated me, and as a result I felt convinced when I finished it that it was perhaps the worst JAFF I'd read this year. That may have been uncharitable, but the impression has stuck.
July 23, 2017
Another Creative Re-imagining - No Wickham - YAAAY!
I realize my title could be a spoiler, but it's rare and often, desirable, so there it is. This is a total departure with many original characters that augment the story. All new in situation and location with a few familial mysteries that carry much of the plot. Resolutions were wrapped up in an epilogue for the most part though the story proper was mainly complete. I missed the Colonel's interaction when his own storyline went off on a tangent I felt was improbable and lacking romance, played out in a few random inserted paragraphs. Over all, a bit more D&E romance could have earned this one the extra star.
I realize my title could be a spoiler, but it's rare and often, desirable, so there it is. This is a total departure with many original characters that augment the story. All new in situation and location with a few familial mysteries that carry much of the plot. Resolutions were wrapped up in an epilogue for the most part though the story proper was mainly complete. I missed the Colonel's interaction when his own storyline went off on a tangent I felt was improbable and lacking romance, played out in a few random inserted paragraphs. Over all, a bit more D&E romance could have earned this one the extra star.
August 1, 2017
So I generally enjoy Jann Rowland's variations. They are well written and usually unique. This book was no exception to that. It was definitely not a storyline I had encountered before. I feel pretty safe recommending it. My only real criticism of this book is that I think it was fare too long. This story could have been told to better effect if it was at least 100 pages shorter. There tended to be lulls in the story.
August 26, 2017
Loved this story!
Written in a very descriptive and entertaining way, this tale goes to show how Elizabeth Bennet presents herself seat from her family, how she reacts in different situations and how she attracts the attention of our dashing favorite gentleman.
A most entertaining story.
Written in a very descriptive and entertaining way, this tale goes to show how Elizabeth Bennet presents herself seat from her family, how she reacts in different situations and how she attracts the attention of our dashing favorite gentleman.
A most entertaining story.
December 8, 2025
Multiple Plots
A good story comprising multiple plots. As usual, Jann Rowland entertains with his imagination by writing his own non-canon story. In this one, there is the estrangement of Jane and her family, especially with Elizabeth (and who is behind it). There’s the plot surrounding the relationship between Mr. Bennet and his sister, who resides in Derbyshire with her husband—he has invited Elizabeth to come mentor his daughter’s entrance into society. Then, there is Lady Emily Teasdale and Caroline Bingley’s determination to become the Mistress of Pemberley. Throw in a little Colonel Fitzwilliam, who always delights, and round it all out with the sweet love story between Elizabeth and Darcy. Grateful there was no Lydia and Wickham in this one. Yay!
I enjoyed it all even though I found it a bit drawn out at times. I’m making it a goal to read all of this author’s books, as I have found all read so far to be enjoyable.
June 4-5, 2025 Audiobook
A good story comprising multiple plots. As usual, Jann Rowland entertains with his imagination by writing his own non-canon story. In this one, there is the estrangement of Jane and her family, especially with Elizabeth (and who is behind it). There’s the plot surrounding the relationship between Mr. Bennet and his sister, who resides in Derbyshire with her husband—he has invited Elizabeth to come mentor his daughter’s entrance into society. Then, there is Lady Emily Teasdale and Caroline Bingley’s determination to become the Mistress of Pemberley. Throw in a little Colonel Fitzwilliam, who always delights, and round it all out with the sweet love story between Elizabeth and Darcy. Grateful there was no Lydia and Wickham in this one. Yay!
I enjoyed it all even though I found it a bit drawn out at times. I’m making it a goal to read all of this author’s books, as I have found all read so far to be enjoyable.
June 4-5, 2025 Audiobook
October 21, 2017
I enjoyed this book, to a point, after I made up my mind that the characters had little to do with those of Pride and Prejudice. Neither of the main characters had the spark and fun of the originals, but as a pleasant read set in the times of Jane Austin, it was OK. The main fault I found was that there was just too much repetition in the book and that made the story lag because of repeated explanations. Repeated use of the same words in a paragraph was also jarring. A better edit would have made a stronger novel.
Read
October 17, 2023DNF due to narration. Attempted to listen on audible but narrator Mary Sarah was awful. It sounded like she had an North American accent though at times it veered into Eastern Europe, but it didn’t manage to reach England unfortunately - some of the word choices were truly bizarre. A shame because the story itself sounds very interesting.
I wish JAFF authors would simply choose people with actually English accents to portray English characters - a less posh but genuine English accent is actually much easier to listen to than a faux one!
I wish JAFF authors would simply choose people with actually English accents to portray English characters - a less posh but genuine English accent is actually much easier to listen to than a faux one!
August 17, 2017
Slow pace
It was an okay book, the pace was too slow for me. I usually can't wait to get home to continue reading and stay up way too late trying to finish, not so with this book. I had no issue putting it aside, though it wasn't a terrible story line it wasn't interesting either. And Jane's character really annoyed me. Just glad it was Kindle unlimited and didn't pay for it.
It was an okay book, the pace was too slow for me. I usually can't wait to get home to continue reading and stay up way too late trying to finish, not so with this book. I had no issue putting it aside, though it wasn't a terrible story line it wasn't interesting either. And Jane's character really annoyed me. Just glad it was Kindle unlimited and didn't pay for it.
December 17, 2019
This was a sweet love story between Lizzy & Darcy with little angst. The conflicts in the story are between all the ladies instead of ODC. It was a bit repetitive in parts, but I enjoyed it overall.
June 12, 2018
Loved it
I always knew Jane was a steamrolled person, just a shell did not like her in this book. Loved Darcy and the Colonel. Glad to meet one of Me Bennet siblings.
I always knew Jane was a steamrolled person, just a shell did not like her in this book. Loved Darcy and the Colonel. Glad to meet one of Me Bennet siblings.
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