What do you think?
Rate this book
On Equal Ground: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary
Well-read, observant, and spirited, a young Elizabeth Bennet draws the attention of a wealthy widower.
When she finally meets Mr. Darcy, she outranks him. Of course, that doesn’t stop him from insulting her. Married and wealthy, is she still beneath his notice?
Elizabeth’s high society connections create new opportunities for her sisters and, in turn, keep Darcy close to her family.
When tragedy strikes, will Darcy rise to the occasion? Or will his propensity to give offense show no respect for rank?
When she finally meets Mr. Darcy, she outranks him. Of course, that doesn’t stop him from insulting her. Married and wealthy, is she still beneath his notice?
Elizabeth’s high society connections create new opportunities for her sisters and, in turn, keep Darcy close to her family.
When tragedy strikes, will Darcy rise to the occasion? Or will his propensity to give offense show no respect for rank?
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2017
214 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Adams
27 books294 followersElizabeth Adams is a book-loving, tango-dancing, Austen enthusiast. She loves old houses and thinks birthdays should be celebrated with trips—as should most occasions. She can often be found by a sunny window with a cup of hot tea and a book in her hand.
She writes romantic comedy and comedic tragedy in both historic and modern settings.
You can find more information, short stories, and outtakes at eadamswrites.com
She writes romantic comedy and comedic tragedy in both historic and modern settings.
You can find more information, short stories, and outtakes at eadamswrites.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
September 21, 2017
Ah, sweet retribution! In the original novel and most of the variations Darcy has the luxury of knowing he has the upper hand. But what if he hasn’t? What if Elizabeth is his superior in everything – station in life, wealth, connections? What if he is forced to approach the relationship with humility, knowing that he is less powerful than her and the family she now belongs to? What if their circumstances are so wholly reversed that he, not Elizabeth, has nothing but his charm to recommend him? Dear oh dear. We know that on first impression Mr Darcy of Pemberley doesn’t ‘do’ charm, so our favourite gent really has his work cut out in this variation. I will not ruin your enjoyment with spoilers, so I will only say I loved the very gratifying premise, the twists and turns (and the embarrassing misunderstandings), the way Darcy was stripped of all his advantages and had to work hard for his ladylove’s good opinion. Elizabeth Adams portrays our favourite characters with great affection and sparkling good humour, makes you shed tears in all the right places (and then some!) and rewards you with the joys of the ‘happily ever after’. A novel and captivating story beautifully told.
September 15, 2017
4.5 rounded up to 5 stars
First, know that this book, as stated in the story description, has Elizabeth marrying and loving deeply another man before she ever meets William Darcy. The man has had two marriages both of which ended in not only the death of his spouse but also the deaths of children from both marriages. His relationship with both women was not a love relationship. He has over 20 years on Elizabeth and that might seem a little off putting but he in no way has a father/daughter relationship with Elizabeth. They are well matched intellectually and he has learned through the years how to pick his fights and how or when to give in. Plus they have a passionate and fulfilling love life. (No graphic details.)
Being very wealthy Robert Talbot (Earl of Asheland) does much to not only to provide generously for his wife but also sets Mr. Bennet the example of what a father should be doing by adding to the Bennet sisters' financial futures but then also seeking proper education and monitoring by governesses where needed.
Darcy is one of many haute ton acquaintances and/or friends and as he is in company with them over several years he observes (in his staring, stand-offish way) much about Elizabeth and also about the relationship she has with Robert. He wants a woman such as that and he wants that type of close, at times playful and passionate relationship. He wants a mother like she is for his own offspring.
In what is essentially a second volume/part II to this book, Elizabeth is a widow. Her husband has exhorted her to love again upon his death bed. She has no intention of doing so. And although he has guaranteed that her and her children's legal rights and wealth can never be touched or affected by any man she might marry, she shows no inclination towards another relationship, not even an affair.
Darcy makes all the same mistakes, even referring to her original background as a Bennet from Hertfordshire. Oh, he has now decided that since his original "perfect wife" is available why should he search for a copy. But he does have a lot of ground to make up and he decides that time and effort are well worth the prize in the end. He also has to prove that he will be a good "step-father" to her three children by Asheland.
This book does not contain much of canon. The author has many of the same people but their history and the relationships are all her own. I enjoyed this story and recommend it to others.
First, know that this book, as stated in the story description, has Elizabeth marrying and loving deeply another man before she ever meets William Darcy. The man has had two marriages both of which ended in not only the death of his spouse but also the deaths of children from both marriages. His relationship with both women was not a love relationship. He has over 20 years on Elizabeth and that might seem a little off putting but he in no way has a father/daughter relationship with Elizabeth. They are well matched intellectually and he has learned through the years how to pick his fights and how or when to give in. Plus they have a passionate and fulfilling love life. (No graphic details.)
Being very wealthy Robert Talbot (Earl of Asheland) does much to not only to provide generously for his wife but also sets Mr. Bennet the example of what a father should be doing by adding to the Bennet sisters' financial futures but then also seeking proper education and monitoring by governesses where needed.
Darcy is one of many haute ton acquaintances and/or friends and as he is in company with them over several years he observes (in his staring, stand-offish way) much about Elizabeth and also about the relationship she has with Robert. He wants a woman such as that and he wants that type of close, at times playful and passionate relationship. He wants a mother like she is for his own offspring.
In what is essentially a second volume/part II to this book, Elizabeth is a widow. Her husband has exhorted her to love again upon his death bed. She has no intention of doing so. And although he has guaranteed that her and her children's legal rights and wealth can never be touched or affected by any man she might marry, she shows no inclination towards another relationship, not even an affair.
Darcy makes all the same mistakes, even referring to her original background as a Bennet from Hertfordshire. Oh, he has now decided that since his original "perfect wife" is available why should he search for a copy. But he does have a lot of ground to make up and he decides that time and effort are well worth the prize in the end. He also has to prove that he will be a good "step-father" to her three children by Asheland.
This book does not contain much of canon. The author has many of the same people but their history and the relationships are all her own. I enjoyed this story and recommend it to others.
September 18, 2017
As others have commented, this story has two distinct parts. Elizabeth Adams is a gifted writer, and she does a wonderful job of squeezing all the emotion out of both sections.
Elizabeth Bennet just happens to be with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner when they make the acquaintance of Mr. Talbot, a widower twice over who has lost both his wives and his children due to tragic circumstances. While she is staying in Cheapside with her relatives, he often comes to visit and she views him in an avuncular kind of way, as he is two-and-forty and she hasn't even turned 18. Even at 17, though, Miss Bennet is charming, intelligent, and unusually mature, and Mr. Talbot finds himself smitten. As it happens, though, he isn't merely Mr. Talbot; he is Robert Talbot, the Earl of Asheland. When he proposes marriage, Elizabeth considers carefully before accepting and becoming the Countess of Asheland.
This puts a wonderful spin on the Meryton assembly about four years later. The four years of association with the Earl has had a positive effect on the entire Bennet family. Elizabeth goes to visit them, but Robert must go elsewhere on estate business, so she attends the assembly along with her two eldest sisters and mother. She begins her acquaintance with the Hursts, Bingleys and Mr. Darcy, therefore, on more than equal ground; she is actually above them in both rank and fortune, which changes the dynamics of the relationships significantly.
Circumstances continue to bring Darcy in contact with Lord and Lady Asheland. He observes that, in some ways, the Earl doesn't follow the rules of society to which Darcy has always adhered, and it has a distinct effect on his own attitude. Elizabeth doesn't think much of Darcy, who she finds too solemn and dull, though Robert recognizes his worth as an intelligent and honorable gentleman.
Part I relates how Elizabeth and Robert meet, court, and marry and then how their relationship with Darcy develops. Part II focuses primarily on Elizabeth and Darcy. I hesitate to say more beyond that for fear of spilling spoilers, but it is like two separate books, though they're obviously related. It borders on being a fictional biography of Elizabeth during two distinct phases of her life.
Sorry. It's the retired English teacher in me. Whenever I read either a short story or a novel, I'm looking for a buildup of dramatic tension centered around a specific conflict (man vs. man, man vs. himself, man vs. nature) with a specific major event that has the effect of resolving the conflict. I have a guess as to what that turning point is intended to be here, but I'm honestly not certain. If it's what I think, then the entire first part of the book should perhaps be considered a backstory to the second, which seems to be the primary focus of this saga.
There's such great emotion throughout, as I mentioned earlier, with plenty of romance and yearning and all that good stuff. The writing style itself is lovely, and I found all the characters believable, especially with the changes in their circumstances. It has a strong realistic quality, as it recounts the highs and lows of Elizabeth's life experiences that everyone can relate to. Most readers will thoroughly enjoy this and not find anything lacking.
Elizabeth Bennet just happens to be with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner when they make the acquaintance of Mr. Talbot, a widower twice over who has lost both his wives and his children due to tragic circumstances. While she is staying in Cheapside with her relatives, he often comes to visit and she views him in an avuncular kind of way, as he is two-and-forty and she hasn't even turned 18. Even at 17, though, Miss Bennet is charming, intelligent, and unusually mature, and Mr. Talbot finds himself smitten. As it happens, though, he isn't merely Mr. Talbot; he is Robert Talbot, the Earl of Asheland. When he proposes marriage, Elizabeth considers carefully before accepting and becoming the Countess of Asheland.
This puts a wonderful spin on the Meryton assembly about four years later. The four years of association with the Earl has had a positive effect on the entire Bennet family. Elizabeth goes to visit them, but Robert must go elsewhere on estate business, so she attends the assembly along with her two eldest sisters and mother. She begins her acquaintance with the Hursts, Bingleys and Mr. Darcy, therefore, on more than equal ground; she is actually above them in both rank and fortune, which changes the dynamics of the relationships significantly.
Circumstances continue to bring Darcy in contact with Lord and Lady Asheland. He observes that, in some ways, the Earl doesn't follow the rules of society to which Darcy has always adhered, and it has a distinct effect on his own attitude. Elizabeth doesn't think much of Darcy, who she finds too solemn and dull, though Robert recognizes his worth as an intelligent and honorable gentleman.
Part I relates how Elizabeth and Robert meet, court, and marry and then how their relationship with Darcy develops. Part II focuses primarily on Elizabeth and Darcy. I hesitate to say more beyond that for fear of spilling spoilers, but it is like two separate books, though they're obviously related. It borders on being a fictional biography of Elizabeth during two distinct phases of her life.
Sorry. It's the retired English teacher in me. Whenever I read either a short story or a novel, I'm looking for a buildup of dramatic tension centered around a specific conflict (man vs. man, man vs. himself, man vs. nature) with a specific major event that has the effect of resolving the conflict. I have a guess as to what that turning point is intended to be here, but I'm honestly not certain. If it's what I think, then the entire first part of the book should perhaps be considered a backstory to the second, which seems to be the primary focus of this saga.
There's such great emotion throughout, as I mentioned earlier, with plenty of romance and yearning and all that good stuff. The writing style itself is lovely, and I found all the characters believable, especially with the changes in their circumstances. It has a strong realistic quality, as it recounts the highs and lows of Elizabeth's life experiences that everyone can relate to. Most readers will thoroughly enjoy this and not find anything lacking.
April 5, 2021
A gem of a read
I love Elizabeth Adams as an author. I was lucky enough to read her book, 'The Houseguest', when I first started reading P&P variations. It is still a book I consider in my top 10 and read it once a year.
I consider this book every bit as good. I recommend it to everyone. I refuse to give a plot outline. There are others who review that do that much better than I can. I hope I can convince you to buy and read this book before you know much about it.
Read it slow, savor the writing, the plot, the characters. It's a little bit special.
After reading the book again, I’ve never cried so much as when I was reading the scene when the Earl, Robert, died. Incredibly moving.
I love Elizabeth Adams as an author. I was lucky enough to read her book, 'The Houseguest', when I first started reading P&P variations. It is still a book I consider in my top 10 and read it once a year.
I consider this book every bit as good. I recommend it to everyone. I refuse to give a plot outline. There are others who review that do that much better than I can. I hope I can convince you to buy and read this book before you know much about it.
Read it slow, savor the writing, the plot, the characters. It's a little bit special.
After reading the book again, I’ve never cried so much as when I was reading the scene when the Earl, Robert, died. Incredibly moving.
January 14, 2018
Dear Reader,
Providence shone on Robert Talbot and Lizzy Bennet on a wet,foggy,February morn, intersecting their paths and initiating a union of shared hearts,minds,loyalty,family values and love.
Being loved and loving in return is an extremely powerful tie,one which brought endless joy,confidence,happiness and maturity to these two strong,independent and loving individuals.
Alas,these halcyon days came to a cruelly unexpected end and with it a forced acceptance that while one must forge ahead,one can never expect to meet another to fill the gaping void left in one's life.
But one didn't factor in the determined efforts of a particular gent,one who,in parts, proved irritatingly insufferable,offensively overbearing yet also adorably committed and endearingly tunnel visioned in his unshakeable certainty that theirs would be a union of true minds,mirroring her former marriage but not a clone of such.
Could she risk all she holds dear and place her and her beloved children's future felicity in the hands of this Derbyshire gent?
Dear Reader,I absolutely adored this wonderful story and greatly admire how the various threads involving the Talbots, Bennets,Bingleys and Darcys were seamlessly embroidered into a satisfying and deeply compelling tale.
Ms Adams breathed life into her characters and lovingly portrayed them as realistic and three dimensional figures,supporting each other as they encountered the trials and tribulations of life.
My words cannot do justice to this book,nor to how truly happy I was to find myself transported to a different era and allowed to witness the unfolding of not just one love story but several.
Highly recommended to all lovers of JAFF and romance! Treat yourself to this one! You won't be disappointed!
Providence shone on Robert Talbot and Lizzy Bennet on a wet,foggy,February morn, intersecting their paths and initiating a union of shared hearts,minds,loyalty,family values and love.
Being loved and loving in return is an extremely powerful tie,one which brought endless joy,confidence,happiness and maturity to these two strong,independent and loving individuals.
Alas,these halcyon days came to a cruelly unexpected end and with it a forced acceptance that while one must forge ahead,one can never expect to meet another to fill the gaping void left in one's life.
But one didn't factor in the determined efforts of a particular gent,one who,in parts, proved irritatingly insufferable,offensively overbearing yet also adorably committed and endearingly tunnel visioned in his unshakeable certainty that theirs would be a union of true minds,mirroring her former marriage but not a clone of such.
Could she risk all she holds dear and place her and her beloved children's future felicity in the hands of this Derbyshire gent?
Dear Reader,I absolutely adored this wonderful story and greatly admire how the various threads involving the Talbots, Bennets,Bingleys and Darcys were seamlessly embroidered into a satisfying and deeply compelling tale.
Ms Adams breathed life into her characters and lovingly portrayed them as realistic and three dimensional figures,supporting each other as they encountered the trials and tribulations of life.
My words cannot do justice to this book,nor to how truly happy I was to find myself transported to a different era and allowed to witness the unfolding of not just one love story but several.
Highly recommended to all lovers of JAFF and romance! Treat yourself to this one! You won't be disappointed!
June 8, 2024
Even hundredfold grief is divisible by love. ~ Terri Guillemets
If you’re a JAFF reader who can’t abide either Darcy or Elizabeth married to anyone else take this book off your TBR list and stop reading this review now.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes JAFF – unless you can’t accept ODC married to someone else.
There are those who'll bet
love comes but once, and yet
I'm oh, so glad we met
the second time around
The Second Time Around Lyrics | MetroLyrics
If you’re a JAFF reader who can’t abide either Darcy or Elizabeth married to anyone else take this book off your TBR list and stop reading this review now.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes JAFF – unless you can’t accept ODC married to someone else.
There are those who'll bet
love comes but once, and yet
I'm oh, so glad we met
the second time around
The Second Time Around Lyrics | MetroLyrics
July 10, 2022
2022- Sigh. An amazing story, well performed as an audiobook!
2021/08 reread as an audiobook, narrated by Stevie Zimmerman!
This woman is an artist. She could read the telephone book in the manner of a P&P retelling and it would be awesome!
Amazing book! I did forget how long the Epilogue was. Not sure it needed that extra bit.
2020
Took me a while to get in to this story, but once I realized how different a variation it is, I kind of went along for the ride. It is descriptive at times, and can meander in to segways to explain secondary character side-stories. There is no evil drama to create tension in this book.
It tells the story of EB and all those she loves, from her being 17 yrs old there is one quite dramatic part to the story (which you kind of have to see coming) Once I got the rhythm of this author's story telling, and that it flowed without a big bad, I began to enjoy it.
Would definitely reread.
2021/08 reread as an audiobook, narrated by Stevie Zimmerman!
This woman is an artist. She could read the telephone book in the manner of a P&P retelling and it would be awesome!
Amazing book! I did forget how long the Epilogue was. Not sure it needed that extra bit.
2020
Took me a while to get in to this story, but once I realized how different a variation it is, I kind of went along for the ride. It is descriptive at times, and can meander in to segways to explain secondary character side-stories. There is no evil drama to create tension in this book.
It tells the story of EB and all those she loves, from her being 17 yrs old there is one quite dramatic part to the story (which you kind of have to see coming) Once I got the rhythm of this author's story telling, and that it flowed without a big bad, I began to enjoy it.
Would definitely reread.
August 24, 2020
Re-read: Just as wonderful as the first time I read this book!
This was the perfect book to read for Valentine's Day! It is a story that will wrap around your heart and pull at all your heartstrings. Not only do we have one love story, but we get two.
This is definitely a variation that changes up canon. I felt like a member of the family, as I became immersed in Elizabeth Bennet's life. You feel her indecision, her joy and her love...you also feel her pain.
On her way to London with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, they help a gentleman whose carriage has broken down. Elizabeth is not yet 18 but is a vivacious young woman. The gentleman, Mr. Robert Talbot, is forty-one and has buried two wives and three children. He has no intention of every marrying again.
"I have been a slave to duty these thirty years and now my life will finally be my own." (quote from the book)
Famous last words...for not long after meeting Elizabeth and the Gardiners, he is completely captivated. So, take a chance and see how Mr. Robert Talbot, the Earl of Asheland, is the making of Elizabeth Bennet and the guiding hand of the Bennet family. Take a chance and see how Mr. Darcy manages to insult her and become the man worthy of her regard...you wont be disappointed.
October 25, 2018
What If Elizabeth’s First Husband Was a Wealthy and Wonderful Earl?
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice variation
TIME FRAME: Begins 2 years before the events of Pride and Prejudice and takes a widely different course
SYNOPSIS: What if a twice-widowed earl (who is twice her age) found in Elizabeth a true companion that would bring him the marital happiness he has been searching for his whole life? What if at the time she first meets Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth has been the Countess of Asheland for two years, happily marred to her beloved husband and mother to two adorable children? Elizabeth Bennet is no longer “a young woman without family, connections, or fortune,” in fact, her connections and fortune far exceed Mr. Darcy’s! In her latest Pride and Prejudice variation, Elizabeth Adams explores what happens when Darcy and Elizabeth are on more equal ground… 😉
WHAT I LOVED:
- Turns the Tables: I do love it when authors implement a drastic twist to Pride and Prejudice! And this one is especially fun to explore as it reverses the dynamic between Elizabeth and Darcy. She is more worldly, more wealthy, and more connected than he is! Mr. Darcy can have none of his hang-ups about her inferiority, and yet…the relationship does not proceed smoothly for them. Mostly because, as you may have guessed, he still insults her! Ack, poor Mr. Darcy is always putting his foot in his mouth!
- Robert Talbot, Earl of Asheland: Oh, it feels like sacrilege to admit it, but I lost a little of my heart to Robert in this novel! In other variations, Elizabeth’s first husband has turned out to be deceitful, unfaithful or even tyrannical! But in this variation, he is completely kind and he absolutely adores Elizabeth. I love how Asheland followed his happiness, even if it broke with convention; and I love how he always did everything in his power to ensure Elizabeth’s happiness, even if it meant giving a strong nudge to her father. He truly is everything that is admirable, honorable, and swoon-worthy!
- Emotionally Invested: With the first half of this story illustrating the tender and budding romance between Elizabeth and Robert and their sweet felicitous union together, I found myself completely gut-wrenched when the inevitable happened. Like, seriously devastated. I can’t remember the last time I sobbed like that over a fictional character! And it is even more surprising because these tears were for Robert, a brand new character – how could I be so heartbrokenly wretched over him when I knew Darcy will soon come into the picture? That just goes to show you the power and poignancy of Elizabeth Adams’s writing. Big applause to Ms. Adams for creating a character that challenges readers’ devotion for Mr. Darcy and her exquisitely expressed and emotionally-charged prose!
- Admiring Elizabeth: There is so much to admire about Elizabeth in this story – how she met the challenges of being a countess head-on with courage, how she chose her own way with raising her children and always put their needs before her own, how she was a most devoted wife who cherished her husband with her whole heart. I loved admiring Elizabeth and I loved seeing Mr. Darcy admire her in new ways too.
- Patient Darcy: It is always amusing to see Mr. Darcy given some challenges! In this variation, one of his biggest obstacles to overcome is waiting. I loved witnessing how patient and understanding Darcy can be. He didn’t pressure Elizabeth or get frustrated at her hesitation, yet he made sure she was aware of his interest and devotion and that they would remain constant. I loved seeing Darcy’s reaction during those precious moments where Elizabeth would take a step closer to opening her heart and self to him. How he would light up like fireworks!
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
Slightly Overshadowed: Robert was a tough act to follow, and even though Darcy is as wonderful as he is, it was difficult to not compare him against Elizabeth’s beloved husband. I wouldn’t have minded seeing Darcy win over those who strayed (ahem...me!) just a little more in the second half of the book.
CONCLUSION:
On Equal Ground is a beautiful and heartrending journey that presents our dear Darcy and Elizabeth with a unique set of experiences and challenges. I was entranced by this daring premise, delighted by the beautifully developed relationships between characters, and completely enthralled by the emotions this compelling story evoked. I highly recommend!
Austenesque Reviews
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice variation
TIME FRAME: Begins 2 years before the events of Pride and Prejudice and takes a widely different course
SYNOPSIS: What if a twice-widowed earl (who is twice her age) found in Elizabeth a true companion that would bring him the marital happiness he has been searching for his whole life? What if at the time she first meets Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth has been the Countess of Asheland for two years, happily marred to her beloved husband and mother to two adorable children? Elizabeth Bennet is no longer “a young woman without family, connections, or fortune,” in fact, her connections and fortune far exceed Mr. Darcy’s! In her latest Pride and Prejudice variation, Elizabeth Adams explores what happens when Darcy and Elizabeth are on more equal ground… 😉
WHAT I LOVED:
- Turns the Tables: I do love it when authors implement a drastic twist to Pride and Prejudice! And this one is especially fun to explore as it reverses the dynamic between Elizabeth and Darcy. She is more worldly, more wealthy, and more connected than he is! Mr. Darcy can have none of his hang-ups about her inferiority, and yet…the relationship does not proceed smoothly for them. Mostly because, as you may have guessed, he still insults her! Ack, poor Mr. Darcy is always putting his foot in his mouth!
- Robert Talbot, Earl of Asheland: Oh, it feels like sacrilege to admit it, but I lost a little of my heart to Robert in this novel! In other variations, Elizabeth’s first husband has turned out to be deceitful, unfaithful or even tyrannical! But in this variation, he is completely kind and he absolutely adores Elizabeth. I love how Asheland followed his happiness, even if it broke with convention; and I love how he always did everything in his power to ensure Elizabeth’s happiness, even if it meant giving a strong nudge to her father. He truly is everything that is admirable, honorable, and swoon-worthy!
- Emotionally Invested: With the first half of this story illustrating the tender and budding romance between Elizabeth and Robert and their sweet felicitous union together, I found myself completely gut-wrenched when the inevitable happened. Like, seriously devastated. I can’t remember the last time I sobbed like that over a fictional character! And it is even more surprising because these tears were for Robert, a brand new character – how could I be so heartbrokenly wretched over him when I knew Darcy will soon come into the picture? That just goes to show you the power and poignancy of Elizabeth Adams’s writing. Big applause to Ms. Adams for creating a character that challenges readers’ devotion for Mr. Darcy and her exquisitely expressed and emotionally-charged prose!
- Admiring Elizabeth: There is so much to admire about Elizabeth in this story – how she met the challenges of being a countess head-on with courage, how she chose her own way with raising her children and always put their needs before her own, how she was a most devoted wife who cherished her husband with her whole heart. I loved admiring Elizabeth and I loved seeing Mr. Darcy admire her in new ways too.
- Patient Darcy: It is always amusing to see Mr. Darcy given some challenges! In this variation, one of his biggest obstacles to overcome is waiting. I loved witnessing how patient and understanding Darcy can be. He didn’t pressure Elizabeth or get frustrated at her hesitation, yet he made sure she was aware of his interest and devotion and that they would remain constant. I loved seeing Darcy’s reaction during those precious moments where Elizabeth would take a step closer to opening her heart and self to him. How he would light up like fireworks!
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
Slightly Overshadowed: Robert was a tough act to follow, and even though Darcy is as wonderful as he is, it was difficult to not compare him against Elizabeth’s beloved husband. I wouldn’t have minded seeing Darcy win over those who strayed (ahem...me!) just a little more in the second half of the book.
CONCLUSION:
On Equal Ground is a beautiful and heartrending journey that presents our dear Darcy and Elizabeth with a unique set of experiences and challenges. I was entranced by this daring premise, delighted by the beautifully developed relationships between characters, and completely enthralled by the emotions this compelling story evoked. I highly recommend!
Austenesque Reviews
October 26, 2018
Gosh, I have never been so torn between having a HEA for Darcy and Elizabeth and wanting her to stay married to someone else!! I truly loved her relationship with her first husband and didn’t want anything bad to happen to them.
Elizabeth Adam is a talented writer. You can feel the emotions coming off the pages. The other reviews are great with recapping the story.
I would recommend reading this for JAFF fans but also those who have lost a spouse. It gives you hope for a second opportunity in love. It was done respectfully and gave credit to the memory of a former spouse/parent.
Elizabeth Adam is a talented writer. You can feel the emotions coming off the pages. The other reviews are great with recapping the story.
I would recommend reading this for JAFF fans but also those who have lost a spouse. It gives you hope for a second opportunity in love. It was done respectfully and gave credit to the memory of a former spouse/parent.
July 19, 2025
Even though Elizabeth loves another...
I don't usually enjoy stories where Elizabeth or Darcy are married before they get together, but this one is an exception.
Lizzy's first marriage is a love match to a man quite different from Darcy as a young man, but as I expect he became after years of marriage. Her first husband is an Earl and Elizabeth becomes a fabulously wealthy and happy Countess. I enjoyed this portion of the book far more than I anticipated. This was a good life for Elizabeth and I was happy for her.
It cannot be a spoiler to indicate Elizabeth loses her first husband, as she could not be with Darcy if she didn't. The true variation from canon now occurs. Elizabeth has known love, is higher in society than Darcy, and she is far more wealthy. In addition she has children, mourns her husband, and sees no reason to marry again. Thus, Darcy is in a situation where he is humbled by Elizabeth and must work harder than ever to overcome her dislike of him and win her love. ODB is up for the challenge, however and we get to see how he accomplishes this monumental task.
I enjoyed the author's writing style and found all of the characters engaging. This lacks any major angst between Darcy and Elizabeth but we get to see their internal struggles. Recommended for those looking for low angst. Although a few tears may be shed.
Stevie Zimmerman once again shows why she is one of the best in the business. Although I own this audiobook, this time I listened for free on YouTube, thanks to the author.
I don't usually enjoy stories where Elizabeth or Darcy are married before they get together, but this one is an exception.
Lizzy's first marriage is a love match to a man quite different from Darcy as a young man, but as I expect he became after years of marriage. Her first husband is an Earl and Elizabeth becomes a fabulously wealthy and happy Countess. I enjoyed this portion of the book far more than I anticipated. This was a good life for Elizabeth and I was happy for her.
It cannot be a spoiler to indicate Elizabeth loses her first husband, as she could not be with Darcy if she didn't. The true variation from canon now occurs. Elizabeth has known love, is higher in society than Darcy, and she is far more wealthy. In addition she has children, mourns her husband, and sees no reason to marry again. Thus, Darcy is in a situation where he is humbled by Elizabeth and must work harder than ever to overcome her dislike of him and win her love. ODB is up for the challenge, however and we get to see how he accomplishes this monumental task.
I enjoyed the author's writing style and found all of the characters engaging. This lacks any major angst between Darcy and Elizabeth but we get to see their internal struggles. Recommended for those looking for low angst. Although a few tears may be shed.
Stevie Zimmerman once again shows why she is one of the best in the business. Although I own this audiobook, this time I listened for free on YouTube, thanks to the author.
September 2, 2024
Finally—No Wickham!
Reviewed in Canada on July 26, 2019
Pleased to find this didn’t have the usual Lydia and Wickham storyline. That gets old and variations without them are rare. Lydia is in this book, but she’s different. Wickham never appears, although at one point, I thought he had showed up pretending to be Darcy. Glad I was wrong!
The book is great. A very non-canon variation. It’s usually tough for me to enjoy a story that has Elizabeth love another than Darcy, but this story is so well written and draws you in from page one through the last. The non-canon characters were very good as well. Highly recommend.
June 21, 2021 - Audiobook
Five-star narration by Stevie Zimmerman. I still love this book!
Lordy, this review needs a rewrite. I was such a novice in 2019…🫣
I always forget until I start reading or listening to this book how much of a tearjerker it is. I need to add this to that trope list. So many moments really tug at the heartstrings. One that particularly moved me was Darcy’s conversation at Elizabeth’s late husbands’s grave.
Reviewed in Canada on July 26, 2019
Pleased to find this didn’t have the usual Lydia and Wickham storyline. That gets old and variations without them are rare. Lydia is in this book, but she’s different. Wickham never appears, although at one point, I thought he had showed up pretending to be Darcy. Glad I was wrong!
The book is great. A very non-canon variation. It’s usually tough for me to enjoy a story that has Elizabeth love another than Darcy, but this story is so well written and draws you in from page one through the last. The non-canon characters were very good as well. Highly recommend.
June 21, 2021 - Audiobook
Five-star narration by Stevie Zimmerman. I still love this book!
Lordy, this review needs a rewrite. I was such a novice in 2019…🫣
I always forget until I start reading or listening to this book how much of a tearjerker it is. I need to add this to that trope list. So many moments really tug at the heartstrings. One that particularly moved me was Darcy’s conversation at Elizabeth’s late husbands’s grave.
May 23, 2023
Elizabeth married someone else first, a wealthy earl who was older than her. They learned to love each other a lot, and when Darcy decides he wants to court her he has a formidable obstacle in her love and grief for her late husband. She told him she never wanted to marry again, but eventually she did not want to live without Darcy either. I loved this story because the first marriage was beautifully written, Robert was a good man, there was a supportive extended family, and her mourning appeared true to life. It was kind of a sad read, from the beginning, because you know Robert will have to die to make way for ODC to be together. She came to know Darcy through the Bingleys and didn't care for him at first but he proves himself by being a good friend.
Steam level: It's a thing to be enjoyed but largely closed door without anatomical detail.
Steam level: It's a thing to be enjoyed but largely closed door without anatomical detail.
May 11, 2018
I loved this book in kindle and adored it even more in audiobook! Great story telling and wonderful “Pride and Prejudice” reimaging! What if Elizabeth was monied and she was “On Equal Ground”with Darcy indeed! Loved.
December 17, 2017
I gave this 5 stars because it was well written but honestly, I will never read it again. E had the love of her life with another, in my opinion, and then there was Darcy. I kept thinking about the BBC program Spooks with Harry and Ruth's romance. That to me is the standard for a mature romance. I don't mean age-wise but mature life-experience-wise. I was very touched by E's relationship with R but not so much with D. I kept thinking that I wish R was Mr Darcy and that the Darcy character was Col Fitzwilliam or that this book was written without any reference to P & P. I wouldn't have read it then but maybe it would have worked better. This book's E & D relationship did not move me but E & R's did.
October 12, 2019
On Equal Ground: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary
Oh this is a marvelous story! But Trigger warning for P&P Purists if you can’t deal with Lizzy being married to anyone except Darcy you’ll want to give this a pass
This book begins before canon when Lizzy is 18 and meets and falls in love with Mr. Talbot and her love is returned and they marry and have a family but Not for long because then it wouldn’t be a P&P variation but instead a story about Lord & Lady Ashford (Talbot). Lizzy had met Darcy fairly early in her marriage and he had managed to insult her 8 ways to Sunday and she doesn’t like him and he keep bumbling along insulting her. Until you start to think maybe we aren’t going to get to HEA.
But eventually we do and there are no roadblocks and Darcy is a wonderful husband and step father, in a book that is clean.
So why the 4 stars instead of five?
The author has Lizzy reflect on what her life would have been like had she never met Robert and it is the plot of P&P. Well congratulation you read the source material. I cannot emphasize how much I detest this trick. If you are significantly changing P&P then let it go. Please.
The epilogues. This book could have ended after their wedding. It would have been a good place to stop. But the author couldn’t do it so she added an 1820 vignette about Lizzy giving birth, followed by an 1831 story about her oldest daughter marrying, followed by a later story about her eldest son deciding to woo someone. Come on! Write a freaking sequel
Oh this is a marvelous story! But Trigger warning for P&P Purists if you can’t deal with Lizzy being married to anyone except Darcy you’ll want to give this a pass
This book begins before canon when Lizzy is 18 and meets and falls in love with Mr. Talbot and her love is returned and they marry and have a family but Not for long because then it wouldn’t be a P&P variation but instead a story about Lord & Lady Ashford (Talbot). Lizzy had met Darcy fairly early in her marriage and he had managed to insult her 8 ways to Sunday and she doesn’t like him and he keep bumbling along insulting her. Until you start to think maybe we aren’t going to get to HEA.
But eventually we do and there are no roadblocks and Darcy is a wonderful husband and step father, in a book that is clean.
So why the 4 stars instead of five?
The author has Lizzy reflect on what her life would have been like had she never met Robert and it is the plot of P&P. Well congratulation you read the source material. I cannot emphasize how much I detest this trick. If you are significantly changing P&P then let it go. Please.
The epilogues. This book could have ended after their wedding. It would have been a good place to stop. But the author couldn’t do it so she added an 1820 vignette about Lizzy giving birth, followed by an 1831 story about her oldest daughter marrying, followed by a later story about her eldest son deciding to woo someone. Come on! Write a freaking sequel
January 23, 2018
Unputdownable!
I absolutely loved it!
Dreading the fact that Elizabeth was married to somebody else, I reluctantly bought it anyway and how happy I am that I did...
I like to be moved and if judging by the amount of laughing and crying I did through this book I would say it was perfect. Angst free but utterly captivating, romantic, passionate, thoughtful and deep.
This off canon story begins several years prior to the original.
Elizabeth is on a journey towards London with the Gardiner's when they come across a carriage with a broken wheel and the first love story of this book begins. I had never thought I would love a love story with Elizabeth married to somebody else but I did. It was beautifully written and Lord Asheland was a very admirable man with a very moving past.
ODC meet while Elizabeth is still married at the Meryton assembly and there is an insult. Darcy becomes a family friend as he is on better terms with Lord Asheland than his wife.
The scene where Lord Asheland dies was absolutely heart-wrenching but Darcy gets to show some of his mettle.
The road to HEA for ODC after that was of course a bit bumpy but lovely, moving and very romantic.
Jane is very present in this book and a confidant and supporter of Elizabeth. She gets her HEA with Mr Bingley who has a bit more backbone or rather lends some of Darcy and Lord Asheland...
The Bennet family changes at the influence of Asheland and the younger sisters are both educated and has larger doweries as a result.
Loved how Asheland dealt with the indolent Mr Bennet.
They all get their HEA's and Kitty's courtship has some influence on ODC's courtship.
Caroline has a small part but is more stupid than vile. Wickham and Lady Catherine are absent.
Ends with a delightful epilogue that was satisfyingly thorough on how their lives unfolded, especially with the children.
Heartily recommend this book!
I absolutely loved it!
Dreading the fact that Elizabeth was married to somebody else, I reluctantly bought it anyway and how happy I am that I did...
I like to be moved and if judging by the amount of laughing and crying I did through this book I would say it was perfect. Angst free but utterly captivating, romantic, passionate, thoughtful and deep.
This off canon story begins several years prior to the original.
Elizabeth is on a journey towards London with the Gardiner's when they come across a carriage with a broken wheel and the first love story of this book begins. I had never thought I would love a love story with Elizabeth married to somebody else but I did. It was beautifully written and Lord Asheland was a very admirable man with a very moving past.
ODC meet while Elizabeth is still married at the Meryton assembly and there is an insult. Darcy becomes a family friend as he is on better terms with Lord Asheland than his wife.
The scene where Lord Asheland dies was absolutely heart-wrenching but Darcy gets to show some of his mettle.
The road to HEA for ODC after that was of course a bit bumpy but lovely, moving and very romantic.
Jane is very present in this book and a confidant and supporter of Elizabeth. She gets her HEA with Mr Bingley who has a bit more backbone or rather lends some of Darcy and Lord Asheland...
The Bennet family changes at the influence of Asheland and the younger sisters are both educated and has larger doweries as a result.
Loved how Asheland dealt with the indolent Mr Bennet.
They all get their HEA's and Kitty's courtship has some influence on ODC's courtship.
Caroline has a small part but is more stupid than vile. Wickham and Lady Catherine are absent.
Ends with a delightful epilogue that was satisfyingly thorough on how their lives unfolded, especially with the children.
Heartily recommend this book!
November 20, 2025
An extremely lovely book. Whenever I read a book with a different spouse for Darcy or Elizabeth, I was always anticipating the meeting of ODC and the demise of the spouse (very morbid, I know!) But I loved Robert Talbot from the beginning and was quite anxious about his inevitable end. Of course, we always love Darcy and Elizabeth and their unorthodox courtship which is more in this book. And I really loved the big family dynamics in this story.
February 8, 2021
Boy I have a lot of thoughts on this...
I've had the highest regard for Ms Adams, she is a well established and respected JAFF author, but this was an utter disappointment.
It is written well in the technical and grammatical sense. It is however a silly story with a lot of filler and the second half in particular becomes a trial to finish reading.
Synopsis:
Meet Robert Talbot Earl of Asheland, he has fulfilled his duty
Now he just wants a quite life, no more marriages of convenience, he has been through it!
Fate has other plans, February 1809 his carriage breaks down and he meets the Gardiner's and Lizzy when they offer him transport to London.
Inevitably our dear Lizzy, 17 years of age, catches his eye
Oh, how clever Lizzy! Stretching so casually! I see you! I see the hustle!
Mr Talbot becomes a frequent caller and friend and develops a tendre;
By May, he has become a fixture at the Gardiner's and he soon declares himself.
Lizzy is not in love when she accepts him but she cares for him, and Lord Asheland being the perfect guy he is, has no trouble in soon inspiring a deep reciprocating love from Lizzy.
Lord Ashland sorts out the Bennet family
He properly shames Mr Bennet's indolence
When we get to the events from Canon where Bingley arrives, Lizzy already has two brats and is happily married, though she hates kiss asses so she doesn't let the arrivals know she is a countess, and goes by Mrs Talbot.
It is a fun switch as now we have Lizzy wondering if Mr Bingley is worthy of her sister;
There Mr Darcy is much more of a background character, sure he slights Lizzy and getting to know her over the years comes to admire her as the ideal wife he should look out for.
When Lord Ashland falls off his horse Lizzy is left with three children, a huge settlement and becomes the widow to watch for on the marriage mart.
The second half of the book is the less charming account of Mr Darcy courting her. Thoughts on that below.
What I Enjoyed:
-Lydia getting a horse as an outlet for her energy, she also becomes prudent about marriage and interest rates for her dowry to accumulate
-The prosperity of the Bennets
-Robert Talbot
-The fun of Lizzy lording her title over Miss Bingley and the overall domino affect of the change in circumstance with the canon plot, i.e Mr Collins.
What Displeased Me:
Let’s cut to the chase: I detested Mr Darcy.
I didn’t like his courtship of Lizzy, and not for his terrible ‘Hunsford’ reminiscent blunder, for that’s expected and forgiven.
Rather it was jarring to read our gentlemen Mr Darcy throwing sultry looks and scanning Lizzy’s body rakishly without shame for his entire pursuit of her. Made their relationship feel of a baser inclination.
I didn’t understand why Lizzy could trust him to have good intentions or extend friendship. She didn't witness enough evidence of his honourable dealings. It seemed Lizzy just had an itch she wanted to scratch, and found marriage a safer bet than the scandal a lover would make. This isn't just my baseless conjecture, she entertains these thoughts herself!
If there had been more dialogue to back the claim to chemistry and love, then I may have felt at peace with the rakish behavior of Darcy and their relationship less contrived.
It is said they had many friendly conversations but only very few short ones are included in text.
The author chose to feature details on all and sundry save ODC, thus left little to no room for Darcy to woo Lizzy, and by extension the reader.
I feel every JAFF author renders a different essence to their Darcy, and I expect to see the same version in all their works, but here I was quite puzzled, He seemed so changed. I wonder if it is because he had to wait for Lizzy two years longer ?
I can't credit it as no explanation was proffered, but it was disconcerting with this author.
Ironically I enjoyed the first part when Lizzy was married to an original character drastically more than the second when she was courted by Darcy!
That surely shouldn't be the case in JAFF when we are here for ODC!
If you write a secondary love interest make it feel he is that. You made Robert so outlandishly perfect that Darcy paled woefully in comparison; the icky successor and severed him from his usual merits and allures as a gentlemen, gave them to Robert, and corrupted Darcy into some rakish cardboard I didn't care to know.
If you develop and make us fall for Robert okay, but you are setting yourself up for the challenge of making Darcy that much more compelling, and that was not accomplished here.
The end dragged, it practically CRAWLED starting at 70%. I wasn’t excited to find out how ODC ended up together, the story could have been pried from my hands and I wouldn't have the slightest care- I’d likely be relieved. Some books I would throw a fit because you gots to know! But here I felt utterly indifferent. The last 10% felt markedly torturous to slug through.
I wish she had spent more time developing Darcy than on superfluous details. She focused so many tedious passages on all these new characters- none of which were charming, developed of remarkable- where they were going, in which carriage and what room and who they married-
Why? Why would the reader care? She even went into excruciating detail about a 6 year olds birthday festivities
I resorted to a practice I scarcely condone or practice: skimming!
I’m reading for ‘Pride and Prejudice’ Austen characters. It was boring and seemed a trick to take up space. This story shook my confidence in Ms Adams.
Verdict:
Ms Adams has been one of my favorite JAFF authors and I have enjoyed her other works, particularly The Houseguest: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary is one of my top favorites, I've read it twice, and she always makes such a romantic sweet Darcy especially in Unwilling: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary, loved that besotted simp! The 26th of November: A Pride and Prejudice Comedy of Farcical Proportions had me laughing my arse off!
This didn't make me laugh overmuch or swoon, although I did cry at the death of Robert and very nearly from boredom.
It came too close for comfort.
I measure the quality of a JAFF by three factors, as follows;
1. Did I feel the characters acted true to Austen's character framework (allowing for changed circumstance and scenario to offer some leeway)?Not for the most part, Darcy in particular was alien to me. Lizzy was mostly herself.
2. Was I engaged during the reading and not bored?Not always
3. Was the writing compelling/ intelligent and was there sufficient interaction/dialogue between the main characters? No
P.S. I thought the title ill fitting as it seemed to me that Lizzy was now way out of Darcy's league by a lot.
I've had the highest regard for Ms Adams, she is a well established and respected JAFF author, but this was an utter disappointment.
It is written well in the technical and grammatical sense. It is however a silly story with a lot of filler and the second half in particular becomes a trial to finish reading.
Synopsis:
Meet Robert Talbot Earl of Asheland, he has fulfilled his duty
“I have twice married ladies of considerable rank and fortune. I have had three heirs, and they have joined their mothers in the churchyard. No, I have no desire to do it all again.”
Now he just wants a quite life, no more marriages of convenience, he has been through it!
Fate has other plans, February 1809 his carriage breaks down and he meets the Gardiner's and Lizzy when they offer him transport to London.
Inevitably our dear Lizzy, 17 years of age, catches his eye
“Once at the inn, she’d stood stretching her back outside the carriage and he realized he’d made a grievous error. She was not a young girl…She was a lovely young lady, fresh-faced with a fully-formed figure.”
Oh, how clever Lizzy! Stretching so casually! I see you! I see the hustle!
Mr Talbot becomes a frequent caller and friend and develops a tendre;
“Suddenly, Robert Talbot, Sixth Earl of Asheland, thought he might be in a bit of trouble.”
By May, he has become a fixture at the Gardiner's and he soon declares himself.
Lizzy is not in love when she accepts him but she cares for him, and Lord Asheland being the perfect guy he is, has no trouble in soon inspiring a deep reciprocating love from Lizzy.
Lord Ashland sorts out the Bennet family
“Are you attempting to educate my children, Lord Asheland?”
“Someone should”
He properly shames Mr Bennet's indolence
“As I said, I do not like to see Elizabeth distressed. I’m surprised you do.”
When we get to the events from Canon where Bingley arrives, Lizzy already has two brats and is happily married, though she hates kiss asses so she doesn't let the arrivals know she is a countess, and goes by Mrs Talbot.
“Talbot… Is she connected to the Asheland Talbots?” asked Mr. Hurst, finally looking up from his plate.’
It is a fun switch as now we have Lizzy wondering if Mr Bingley is worthy of her sister;
“She seems to sincerely like Mr. Bingley, and he seems like a good sort of man, but those sisters! However is she going to manage them?”
There Mr Darcy is much more of a background character, sure he slights Lizzy and getting to know her over the years comes to admire her as the ideal wife he should look out for.
When Lord Ashland falls off his horse Lizzy is left with three children, a huge settlement and becomes the widow to watch for on the marriage mart.
The second half of the book is the less charming account of Mr Darcy courting her. Thoughts on that below.
What I Enjoyed:
-Lydia getting a horse as an outlet for her energy, she also becomes prudent about marriage and interest rates for her dowry to accumulate
-The prosperity of the Bennets
-Robert Talbot
-The fun of Lizzy lording her title over Miss Bingley and the overall domino affect of the change in circumstance with the canon plot, i.e Mr Collins.
What Displeased Me:
Let’s cut to the chase: I detested Mr Darcy.
I didn’t like his courtship of Lizzy, and not for his terrible ‘Hunsford’ reminiscent blunder, for that’s expected and forgiven.
‘His eyes lingered long on her bust and she began to worry over how much he had drunk.’
Rather it was jarring to read our gentlemen Mr Darcy throwing sultry looks and scanning Lizzy’s body rakishly without shame for his entire pursuit of her. Made their relationship feel of a baser inclination.
I didn’t understand why Lizzy could trust him to have good intentions or extend friendship. She didn't witness enough evidence of his honourable dealings. It seemed Lizzy just had an itch she wanted to scratch, and found marriage a safer bet than the scandal a lover would make. This isn't just my baseless conjecture, she entertains these thoughts herself!
If there had been more dialogue to back the claim to chemistry and love, then I may have felt at peace with the rakish behavior of Darcy and their relationship less contrived.
It is said they had many friendly conversations but only very few short ones are included in text.
The author chose to feature details on all and sundry save ODC, thus left little to no room for Darcy to woo Lizzy, and by extension the reader.
I feel every JAFF author renders a different essence to their Darcy, and I expect to see the same version in all their works, but here I was quite puzzled, He seemed so changed. I wonder if it is because he had to wait for Lizzy two years longer ?
I can't credit it as no explanation was proffered, but it was disconcerting with this author.
Ironically I enjoyed the first part when Lizzy was married to an original character drastically more than the second when she was courted by Darcy!
That surely shouldn't be the case in JAFF when we are here for ODC!
If you write a secondary love interest make it feel he is that. You made Robert so outlandishly perfect that Darcy paled woefully in comparison; the icky successor and severed him from his usual merits and allures as a gentlemen, gave them to Robert, and corrupted Darcy into some rakish cardboard I didn't care to know.
If you develop and make us fall for Robert okay, but you are setting yourself up for the challenge of making Darcy that much more compelling, and that was not accomplished here.
The end dragged, it practically CRAWLED starting at 70%. I wasn’t excited to find out how ODC ended up together, the story could have been pried from my hands and I wouldn't have the slightest care- I’d likely be relieved. Some books I would throw a fit because you gots to know! But here I felt utterly indifferent. The last 10% felt markedly torturous to slug through.
I wish she had spent more time developing Darcy than on superfluous details. She focused so many tedious passages on all these new characters- none of which were charming, developed of remarkable- where they were going, in which carriage and what room and who they married-
Why? Why would the reader care? She even went into excruciating detail about a 6 year olds birthday festivities
I resorted to a practice I scarcely condone or practice: skimming!
I’m reading for ‘Pride and Prejudice’ Austen characters. It was boring and seemed a trick to take up space. This story shook my confidence in Ms Adams.
Verdict:
Ms Adams has been one of my favorite JAFF authors and I have enjoyed her other works, particularly The Houseguest: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary is one of my top favorites, I've read it twice, and she always makes such a romantic sweet Darcy especially in Unwilling: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary, loved that besotted simp! The 26th of November: A Pride and Prejudice Comedy of Farcical Proportions had me laughing my arse off!
This didn't make me laugh overmuch or swoon, although I did cry at the death of Robert and very nearly from boredom.
It came too close for comfort.
I measure the quality of a JAFF by three factors, as follows;
1. Did I feel the characters acted true to Austen's character framework (allowing for changed circumstance and scenario to offer some leeway)?Not for the most part, Darcy in particular was alien to me. Lizzy was mostly herself.
2. Was I engaged during the reading and not bored?Not always
3. Was the writing compelling/ intelligent and was there sufficient interaction/dialogue between the main characters? No
P.S. I thought the title ill fitting as it seemed to me that Lizzy was now way out of Darcy's league by a lot.
October 22, 2023
Re-read 10/22/23
I grabbed this almost at random because I needed a book for an emergency trip, and this was absolutely perfect to pass the time with a long drive. I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. (I had actually intended to grab Ardently: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, but I was tired and couldn't remember the title. All I could remember was that Elizabeth had a higher standing, so in that way I did a good job choosing something similar. This is what happens when you've read a lot of these, ha! Turns out I have Ardently on kindle, not audible, which explains why I couldn't find it....)
*
I bought this book on a whim, because it was recommended through my audible app after I finished The Houseguest: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary for the third time. I didn't read the description beforehand, and started listening immediately. When I realized what was going on, I wasn't sure I would like it. I usually find it hard to see Elizabeth with others, and prefer for that to be off-screen if it's a story element. However, what I found here was that I actually LOVED her first husband, so by the time that portion of the story ended, I was strangely afraid that I might not like Darcy!
The transition was well done, though. I liked that they already knew one another, and thus the transition of their friendship to something more was gradual and realistic. This is one of the few stories with very little conflict and a high level of detail of various familial relationships and epilogue items that I actually really liked. These are not the same characters from the original, but I could see how they would get there, and that made them acceptable. It was sort of fun to see characters such as Lydia getting to grow without it being a sequel.
4.5 stars rounded up.
I grabbed this almost at random because I needed a book for an emergency trip, and this was absolutely perfect to pass the time with a long drive. I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. (I had actually intended to grab Ardently: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, but I was tired and couldn't remember the title. All I could remember was that Elizabeth had a higher standing, so in that way I did a good job choosing something similar. This is what happens when you've read a lot of these, ha! Turns out I have Ardently on kindle, not audible, which explains why I couldn't find it....)
*
I bought this book on a whim, because it was recommended through my audible app after I finished The Houseguest: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary for the third time. I didn't read the description beforehand, and started listening immediately. When I realized what was going on, I wasn't sure I would like it. I usually find it hard to see Elizabeth with others, and prefer for that to be off-screen if it's a story element. However, what I found here was that I actually LOVED her first husband, so by the time that portion of the story ended, I was strangely afraid that I might not like Darcy!
The transition was well done, though. I liked that they already knew one another, and thus the transition of their friendship to something more was gradual and realistic. This is one of the few stories with very little conflict and a high level of detail of various familial relationships and epilogue items that I actually really liked. These are not the same characters from the original, but I could see how they would get there, and that made them acceptable. It was sort of fun to see characters such as Lydia getting to grow without it being a sequel.
4.5 stars rounded up.
October 1, 2017
On Equal Ground: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary
This story was a delightful variation. Elizabeth is married to a very wealthy man a few years younger than her father when she turned eighteen. Married twice before in marriages of convenience, the Earl is utterly taken with the witty and vivacious Elizabeth Bennet. Before leaving for Longbourn to visit the Bennets, Lord Asheland - Robert Talbot, needs to deal with an estate problem at one of his lesser estates so Elizabeth travels with their two children to Longbourn. At the Meryton Assembly she meets the motley crew from Netherfield. The key characters raise her hackles just as they did in Jane Austen's original Pride and Prejudice. Of course, Caroline Bingley trips all over her tongue when she finds out who she is married to: connections you know are everything to Caroline. Darcy does become friends with her husband, and wishes for a similar marriage for himself. When Robert dies from a horrible accident, Elizabeth is left with his three young children and vows never to remarry. But at two and twenty this may be premature. For two years Darcy remains her friend and eventually decides he is in too deep to retreat. He has a hard road to travel to win her affections, but hangs in until she finally falls in love with him. Darcy raises the three Talbot children as well as the four children he has with Elizabeth. I loved the change in Darcy's behaviour as his mind moves from should I bother with trying to win Elizabeth to sheer determination that I will peruse Elizabeth and make her love me. A lot of ups and downs, but he stuck with his plan until she had no where to turn except to him. Overall a happy story.
This story was a delightful variation. Elizabeth is married to a very wealthy man a few years younger than her father when she turned eighteen. Married twice before in marriages of convenience, the Earl is utterly taken with the witty and vivacious Elizabeth Bennet. Before leaving for Longbourn to visit the Bennets, Lord Asheland - Robert Talbot, needs to deal with an estate problem at one of his lesser estates so Elizabeth travels with their two children to Longbourn. At the Meryton Assembly she meets the motley crew from Netherfield. The key characters raise her hackles just as they did in Jane Austen's original Pride and Prejudice. Of course, Caroline Bingley trips all over her tongue when she finds out who she is married to: connections you know are everything to Caroline. Darcy does become friends with her husband, and wishes for a similar marriage for himself. When Robert dies from a horrible accident, Elizabeth is left with his three young children and vows never to remarry. But at two and twenty this may be premature. For two years Darcy remains her friend and eventually decides he is in too deep to retreat. He has a hard road to travel to win her affections, but hangs in until she finally falls in love with him. Darcy raises the three Talbot children as well as the four children he has with Elizabeth. I loved the change in Darcy's behaviour as his mind moves from should I bother with trying to win Elizabeth to sheer determination that I will peruse Elizabeth and make her love me. A lot of ups and downs, but he stuck with his plan until she had no where to turn except to him. Overall a happy story.
September 13, 2017
Wow! What a lovely book.
This is an interesting take on Elizabeth Bennet and 2 loves in her life. This book is divided into 2 parts, both of them outstanding reading on their own. The first part is about a younger Elizabeth, who when traveling with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, meets a very charming, interesting older man. The older man becomes a friend of the Gardiners and turns out to be an earl. He is charmed by Elizabeth and courts and weds her. The story takes the time to show you the growth in Elizabeth, and in her love for the Earl. In this first part of the book Elizabeth does meet Bingley and Darcy in Hertfordshire and is not impressed with Darcy at all, though the Earl does become friends with him. Elizabeth has to deal with a terrible loss towards the end of Part 1 and has a hard time coming to terms with it. Part 2 is about how Elizabeth comes to terms with her life as it is now, and about how Darcy helps her. It continues with the efforts of Darcy to help Elizabeth see that he is there for her and what their life could be. The epilogue is wonderful and gives great insight into the futures of many of the characters.
I started this book and could not put it down until I was finished. I laughed, I cried and laughed again. What a great book and one I know I will be reading again and again.
This is an interesting take on Elizabeth Bennet and 2 loves in her life. This book is divided into 2 parts, both of them outstanding reading on their own. The first part is about a younger Elizabeth, who when traveling with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, meets a very charming, interesting older man. The older man becomes a friend of the Gardiners and turns out to be an earl. He is charmed by Elizabeth and courts and weds her. The story takes the time to show you the growth in Elizabeth, and in her love for the Earl. In this first part of the book Elizabeth does meet Bingley and Darcy in Hertfordshire and is not impressed with Darcy at all, though the Earl does become friends with him. Elizabeth has to deal with a terrible loss towards the end of Part 1 and has a hard time coming to terms with it. Part 2 is about how Elizabeth comes to terms with her life as it is now, and about how Darcy helps her. It continues with the efforts of Darcy to help Elizabeth see that he is there for her and what their life could be. The epilogue is wonderful and gives great insight into the futures of many of the characters.
I started this book and could not put it down until I was finished. I laughed, I cried and laughed again. What a great book and one I know I will be reading again and again.
April 3, 2024
Status: Read December 16-18, 2023
via audible edition
Rating: 3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐
My Library Notes:
On Equal Ground: A Pride & Prejudice Vagary
by Elizabeth Adams, Stevie Zimmerman (Narrator)
Audible Audio, Unabridged, 10 pages
Published November 16, 2017 (first published September 12, 2017)
ASIN: B077H3HJ4J
Well-read, observant, and spirited, a young Elizabeth Bennet draws the attention of a wealthy widower.
When she finally meets Mr. Darcy, she outranks him. Of course, that doesn't stop him from insulting her. Married and wealthy, is she still beneath his notice?
Elizabeth's high society connections create new opportunities for her sisters and, in turn, keep Darcy close to her family.
When tragedy strikes, will Darcy rise to the occasion? Or will his propensity to give offense show no respect for rank?
Listening Length: 9 hours and 37 minutes
via audible edition
Rating: 3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐
My Library Notes:
On Equal Ground: A Pride & Prejudice Vagary
by Elizabeth Adams, Stevie Zimmerman (Narrator)
Audible Audio, Unabridged, 10 pages
Published November 16, 2017 (first published September 12, 2017)
ASIN: B077H3HJ4J
Well-read, observant, and spirited, a young Elizabeth Bennet draws the attention of a wealthy widower.
When she finally meets Mr. Darcy, she outranks him. Of course, that doesn't stop him from insulting her. Married and wealthy, is she still beneath his notice?
Elizabeth's high society connections create new opportunities for her sisters and, in turn, keep Darcy close to her family.
When tragedy strikes, will Darcy rise to the occasion? Or will his propensity to give offense show no respect for rank?
Listening Length: 9 hours and 37 minutes
September 30, 2017
Conflicted 5-Star Rating (spoilers)
First of all, I truly did love the book. The romance between Darcy and Elizabeth was spot on. !y conflict lies with the fact Elizabeth was married to someone else, loved someone else deeply. My heart was so torn reading the first part. Angst had run ampk. Big time. I know there are other variations where D&E are sometimes involved with other people, but oh it"s hard to read. Anyways, had to express this. Wonderful book! Thank you Ms. Adams for an excellent book!
First of all, I truly did love the book. The romance between Darcy and Elizabeth was spot on. !y conflict lies with the fact Elizabeth was married to someone else, loved someone else deeply. My heart was so torn reading the first part. Angst had run ampk. Big time. I know there are other variations where D&E are sometimes involved with other people, but oh it"s hard to read. Anyways, had to express this. Wonderful book! Thank you Ms. Adams for an excellent book!
November 21, 2017
The setup for this was intriguing, and it has a promising beginning, but in the end I found it dull and somewhat saccharine. The author has removed all sources of conflict from the original book (no Wickham, no Lady Catherine, the most embarrassing Bennet family members are either reformed or mostly removed from the narrative) and there aren’t any new sources of conflict introduced to make up the difference. I enjoy wish fulfillment to a point, but you need something to balance the story out, and this doesn’t deliver.
July 14, 2024
strong 🤣
I laughed, I cried and became incredibly frustrated at times. This is such a wonderful story. Ms Adams has always had truly unique JAFF story twists and this one doesn't disappoint.
I laughed, I cried and became incredibly frustrated at times. This is such a wonderful story. Ms Adams has always had truly unique JAFF story twists and this one doesn't disappoint.
August 23, 2018
All the stars !! this was perfect.
Pending Review.
Pending Review.
October 26, 2024
A beautiful poignant and romantic book. The plot is well constructed and the characters are endearing and recognisable.
July 20, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up to four. Warning: this is half a non-D&E book, yet that part's so well done, the reader has nothing to complain about. It's the editing and an unromantic Darcy that's my issue. This must be an early novel for the author, with only a few betas and no proper editor to show so badly. Either that, or she just doesn't learn from her mistakes.
My review will not include a synopsis or much in the way of subjective analysis. Instead, I write a technical review to capture the items that niggle the poor reader throughout the book and cause them to drop stars, yet other reviewers never mention these items.
- The novel is in two parts to make up the full story arc. They are roughly before Darcy and with Darcy. Part one is the better half, and the story telling is this author's greatest gift. The second half had some redundant themes to get to HEA.
- The book had a decent pace in the first section, but dragged in the second.
- Point of view was all over the place. The novel started out in Omniscient Narrator, changed to third person multiple close point of view with head-hopping, then there were sections of ON within the 3rd multiple head-hopping later in the book. It was hard to follow, and one had to give their head a shake when it went to ON. The author has a POV character "seeing" their own blush in several cases. This author clearly needs to read up on point of view then learn to only change points of view with a section break as is the norm in genre fiction.
- Narrative was mostly telling with filter words, making the introspective sections slow down the story in the long run. In addition, passive voice slowed the book down in spots.
- Language is Regency with a greater than usual usage of non-Regency words: 17. That's about triple the average JAFF. A few typos and misused words also knocked the reader out of the mood. A large word, even though it was from Austen, had no business being there. When a reader has to look up a word, the author has lost the flow in their reading.
- Most authors have under ten contractions in their books, and Austen had eight in Pride and Prejudice. This author had 133+. These, each of them, are a huge distraction to reading. It sounds so much better to say "Do you not see?" instead of "Don't you see?" (a phrase from this book). Leaving contractions in a Regency novel is pure laziness.
- There was a misplaced modifier, use of "said" plus adverbs, use of redundant dialogue tags with italicized thoughts, use of big words as dialogue tags, all considered poor writing techniques seen usually in novice writers.
- Capital on "Town" and a missing comma were noted.
- Regency errors included Mr. Gardiner introducing his wife by her first name as well as Elizabeth--normally he'd introduce them more formally; the introduction of Bingley and Darcy to Asheland first rather than the other way around--Asheland has the precedence; and axles don't break easily, there has to be sabotage.
- A canon error was to say "all her nephews." She has no nephews; they are cousins.
- A continuity error was to say Asheland's son was three and then under two very close together in the book.
- Another questionable issue is why send for Mr. Bingley when Elizabeth is in labour?
- Scene setting was brief and only used when necessary. The author did not lean on visuals, etc. to paint a strong picture outside of critical scenes.
- Characterization was not as clear as it could have been, however, it was consistent to the individuals that the author selected, and that's important. Asheland was a good new character and well done with a sensitive hand. Too many new characters were included later in the book, and many were unnecessary, which made them hard to follow.
- The romance with Asheland was believable and developed at a pace that made the reader sympathetic to the non D&E pairing. This part of the book was the true romance in the novel. The second half was harder to swallow. Darcy's love for Elizabeth was not truly believable, and he wasn't even likeable. He kept trying to the point of excess (redundancy), yet it never felt authentic. Rather, it seemed as if he felt obligated to pursue Elizabeth.
- The cover is rather tame, not implying too much about the book and not showing itself off as something different enough from the other books out there in a way that would entice readers to grab it off the shelf and want it regardless of the blurb. It reminds me of a journal more than anything else.
I wanted to love this book, yet the 3.5-four stars I gave it were mostly due to the excellent story in the first half of the novel. The abominable editing and the marginal romance on Darcy's side are the reasons I cut off points. Every time I read a book by this author, I'm more disappointed than I should be. She has obvious talent, but as I continue to read, I find errors that pull me out of the moment and annoy me to the point where I wonder where is the good book in all this? Head-hopping, filter words, contractions, non-Regency words, and on and on in a lackadaisical flurry. Not all are the editor's fault. The author must take responsibility to learn some modern romance writing techniques.
Disclaimer: I'm a JAFF author, and some might suggest that this review is a conflict of interest. However, I was a reader first, and my reviews are honest and impartial. I write these reviews for the benefit of the reader and the author.
My review will not include a synopsis or much in the way of subjective analysis. Instead, I write a technical review to capture the items that niggle the poor reader throughout the book and cause them to drop stars, yet other reviewers never mention these items.
- The novel is in two parts to make up the full story arc. They are roughly before Darcy and with Darcy. Part one is the better half, and the story telling is this author's greatest gift. The second half had some redundant themes to get to HEA.
- The book had a decent pace in the first section, but dragged in the second.
- Point of view was all over the place. The novel started out in Omniscient Narrator, changed to third person multiple close point of view with head-hopping, then there were sections of ON within the 3rd multiple head-hopping later in the book. It was hard to follow, and one had to give their head a shake when it went to ON. The author has a POV character "seeing" their own blush in several cases. This author clearly needs to read up on point of view then learn to only change points of view with a section break as is the norm in genre fiction.
- Narrative was mostly telling with filter words, making the introspective sections slow down the story in the long run. In addition, passive voice slowed the book down in spots.
- Language is Regency with a greater than usual usage of non-Regency words: 17. That's about triple the average JAFF. A few typos and misused words also knocked the reader out of the mood. A large word, even though it was from Austen, had no business being there. When a reader has to look up a word, the author has lost the flow in their reading.
- Most authors have under ten contractions in their books, and Austen had eight in Pride and Prejudice. This author had 133+. These, each of them, are a huge distraction to reading. It sounds so much better to say "Do you not see?" instead of "Don't you see?" (a phrase from this book). Leaving contractions in a Regency novel is pure laziness.
- There was a misplaced modifier, use of "said" plus adverbs, use of redundant dialogue tags with italicized thoughts, use of big words as dialogue tags, all considered poor writing techniques seen usually in novice writers.
- Capital on "Town" and a missing comma were noted.
- Regency errors included Mr. Gardiner introducing his wife by her first name as well as Elizabeth--normally he'd introduce them more formally; the introduction of Bingley and Darcy to Asheland first rather than the other way around--Asheland has the precedence; and axles don't break easily, there has to be sabotage.
- A canon error was to say "all her nephews." She has no nephews; they are cousins.
- A continuity error was to say Asheland's son was three and then under two very close together in the book.
- Another questionable issue is why send for Mr. Bingley when Elizabeth is in labour?
- Scene setting was brief and only used when necessary. The author did not lean on visuals, etc. to paint a strong picture outside of critical scenes.
- Characterization was not as clear as it could have been, however, it was consistent to the individuals that the author selected, and that's important. Asheland was a good new character and well done with a sensitive hand. Too many new characters were included later in the book, and many were unnecessary, which made them hard to follow.
- The romance with Asheland was believable and developed at a pace that made the reader sympathetic to the non D&E pairing. This part of the book was the true romance in the novel. The second half was harder to swallow. Darcy's love for Elizabeth was not truly believable, and he wasn't even likeable. He kept trying to the point of excess (redundancy), yet it never felt authentic. Rather, it seemed as if he felt obligated to pursue Elizabeth.
- The cover is rather tame, not implying too much about the book and not showing itself off as something different enough from the other books out there in a way that would entice readers to grab it off the shelf and want it regardless of the blurb. It reminds me of a journal more than anything else.
I wanted to love this book, yet the 3.5-four stars I gave it were mostly due to the excellent story in the first half of the novel. The abominable editing and the marginal romance on Darcy's side are the reasons I cut off points. Every time I read a book by this author, I'm more disappointed than I should be. She has obvious talent, but as I continue to read, I find errors that pull me out of the moment and annoy me to the point where I wonder where is the good book in all this? Head-hopping, filter words, contractions, non-Regency words, and on and on in a lackadaisical flurry. Not all are the editor's fault. The author must take responsibility to learn some modern romance writing techniques.
Disclaimer: I'm a JAFF author, and some might suggest that this review is a conflict of interest. However, I was a reader first, and my reviews are honest and impartial. I write these reviews for the benefit of the reader and the author.
September 16, 2017
BE READY TO SOB AND SIGH!
I read this story probably about four times and, seriously, I bawled like a baby each time. I can count on one hand stories that I consider swoon-worthy; where the depth of feeling between the beloved couple is so beautifully described that the reader can only sigh and wish the story would never end. The genius of this story is not only do we wish this for ODC but for Elizabeth's first marriage as well! I so desperately wanted Robert to have his own HEA but I love Darcy too and there my friend was the dilemma for Elizabeth. I can never imagine a story that wasn't a HEA for ODC but oh how I wish bigamy was legal so Elizabeth could have both men! ; )
I read this story probably about four times and, seriously, I bawled like a baby each time. I can count on one hand stories that I consider swoon-worthy; where the depth of feeling between the beloved couple is so beautifully described that the reader can only sigh and wish the story would never end. The genius of this story is not only do we wish this for ODC but for Elizabeth's first marriage as well! I so desperately wanted Robert to have his own HEA but I love Darcy too and there my friend was the dilemma for Elizabeth. I can never imagine a story that wasn't a HEA for ODC but oh how I wish bigamy was legal so Elizabeth could have both men! ; )
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews