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Pride, Prejudice and Wicked Pleasure #1
Pride, Prejudice & Wicked Pleasure
Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. A match made in bondage.
When Lizzy Bennett arrives at Hunsford Parsonage, she’s unacquainted with the less civilized side of pleasure. But Lizzy isn’t someone who’s easily intimidated. At the encouragement of her new friend, she ventures into a decadent realm where proper etiquette succumbs to primal passions. Little does she know that the masked mentor responsible for her sexual awakening is the arrogant Mr. Darcy, the very scoundrel she blames for her sister’s unhappiness…
Mr. Darcy is relieved to train a new sexual partner. Despite her distaste toward him, he's unable to take his mind off the clever, captivating Ms. Bennett. He can’t help but think of her likeness in his new protege. When he finds out his student and his obsession are one in the same, Darcy is torn between fulfilling his own fantasies and risking everything for a distant chance at something more…
Pride, Prejudice & Wicked Pleasure is a steamy historical romance that dares to imagine the kinkier side of literature’s most famous couple. If you like sultry chemistry, Regency trappings, and new takes on classic characters, then you’ll love Em Brown’s erotic reimagining.
Buy Pride, Prejudice & Wicked Pleasure to shock the sensibilities of your inner Janeite today!
When Lizzy Bennett arrives at Hunsford Parsonage, she’s unacquainted with the less civilized side of pleasure. But Lizzy isn’t someone who’s easily intimidated. At the encouragement of her new friend, she ventures into a decadent realm where proper etiquette succumbs to primal passions. Little does she know that the masked mentor responsible for her sexual awakening is the arrogant Mr. Darcy, the very scoundrel she blames for her sister’s unhappiness…
Mr. Darcy is relieved to train a new sexual partner. Despite her distaste toward him, he's unable to take his mind off the clever, captivating Ms. Bennett. He can’t help but think of her likeness in his new protege. When he finds out his student and his obsession are one in the same, Darcy is torn between fulfilling his own fantasies and risking everything for a distant chance at something more…
Pride, Prejudice & Wicked Pleasure is a steamy historical romance that dares to imagine the kinkier side of literature’s most famous couple. If you like sultry chemistry, Regency trappings, and new takes on classic characters, then you’ll love Em Brown’s erotic reimagining.
Buy Pride, Prejudice & Wicked Pleasure to shock the sensibilities of your inner Janeite today!
431 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 12, 2017
489 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Em Brown
169 books544 followersAfter accidentally flashing the audience with her knickers, Em Brown decided that writing was a safer activity. She enjoys writing romance, particularly erotic historicals. For more about her works, visit www.EroticHistoricals.com.
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January 19, 2025
This has several scenes of explicit sexual content of the dominant-submissive variety. You can stop reading this review right now and avoid this book if that's objectionable to you. It is worth noting that is is far from hard-core BDSM, though it's certainly within the borders of BDSM.
It has a slight similarity to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in that you'll find virtually the entire text of Pride and Prejudice with an additional storyline added. The differences are that, in this case, the addition is really well integrated so it blends seamlessly into P&P, AND it's also very well written.
The book actually begins with Elizabeth in the chaise with Maria Lucas and Sir William Lucas on the way to Hunsford. The previous part of the original book is told in flashback fashion. Not long after arriving, Elizabeth makes the acquaintance of Mrs. Trenwith. Both Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine discourage the acquaintance, as Mrs. Trenwith is not considered a completely respectable woman. Her offenses, Elizabeth learns, are to actively campaign against slavery and to disagree with Her Ladyship to her face. (How shocking!!)
Mrs. Trenwith is actually guilty of far more scandalous opinions and activities than Lady Catherine is aware of. Elizabeth stumbles across provocative literature and artwork at her new friend's estate and finds her curiosity piqued. Her own sexual urgings make her worry she is sinfully wanton, and Mrs. Trenwith' belief that this is not abnormal intrigues her.
One thing leads to another, and Elizabeth hesitantly agrees to receive sensual instruction from a mentor recommended by Mrs. Trenwith. Elizabeth and her mentor are both masked to prevent each from learning the identity of the other. Even before the lessons begin, the reader learns Elizabeth's mentor is none other than Fitzwilliam Darcy, who has been unsuccessful in forgetting the enchanting Elizabeth Bennet from his time in Hertfordshire.
The passages lifted directly from canon have enough extra bits added to demonstrate that the influence from these sensual lessons and from Mrs. Trenwith influences the familiar storyline in places.
The mash-up of P&P with erotica is successful here because the author enhances the characterizations of Elizabeth and Darcy convincingly. Mrs. Trenwith is a lovely three-dimensional character who fits smoothly into the P&P universe. I have read other books by this author and have always been impressed with her ability to make sexual content flow naturally within the plot rather than seeming tawdry or prurient, and she does the same here. The writing itself meshes well with Jane Austen's, which alone is quite a feat.
This isn't for everyone, but that doesn't mean it isn't excellent JAFF (Jane Austen Fan Fiction).
It has a slight similarity to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in that you'll find virtually the entire text of Pride and Prejudice with an additional storyline added. The differences are that, in this case, the addition is really well integrated so it blends seamlessly into P&P, AND it's also very well written.
The book actually begins with Elizabeth in the chaise with Maria Lucas and Sir William Lucas on the way to Hunsford. The previous part of the original book is told in flashback fashion. Not long after arriving, Elizabeth makes the acquaintance of Mrs. Trenwith. Both Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine discourage the acquaintance, as Mrs. Trenwith is not considered a completely respectable woman. Her offenses, Elizabeth learns, are to actively campaign against slavery and to disagree with Her Ladyship to her face. (How shocking!!)
Mrs. Trenwith is actually guilty of far more scandalous opinions and activities than Lady Catherine is aware of. Elizabeth stumbles across provocative literature and artwork at her new friend's estate and finds her curiosity piqued. Her own sexual urgings make her worry she is sinfully wanton, and Mrs. Trenwith' belief that this is not abnormal intrigues her.
One thing leads to another, and Elizabeth hesitantly agrees to receive sensual instruction from a mentor recommended by Mrs. Trenwith. Elizabeth and her mentor are both masked to prevent each from learning the identity of the other. Even before the lessons begin, the reader learns Elizabeth's mentor is none other than Fitzwilliam Darcy, who has been unsuccessful in forgetting the enchanting Elizabeth Bennet from his time in Hertfordshire.
The passages lifted directly from canon have enough extra bits added to demonstrate that the influence from these sensual lessons and from Mrs. Trenwith influences the familiar storyline in places.
The mash-up of P&P with erotica is successful here because the author enhances the characterizations of Elizabeth and Darcy convincingly. Mrs. Trenwith is a lovely three-dimensional character who fits smoothly into the P&P universe. I have read other books by this author and have always been impressed with her ability to make sexual content flow naturally within the plot rather than seeming tawdry or prurient, and she does the same here. The writing itself meshes well with Jane Austen's, which alone is quite a feat.
This isn't for everyone, but that doesn't mean it isn't excellent JAFF (Jane Austen Fan Fiction).
Want to read
May 26, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/26/2023)! 🎁
November 5, 2025
This is the first half of a story and storyline is resolved in the second part, which I have not read.
Jane Austen is listed as the first author on the cover and there is a lot of text that is repeated straight from the canon novel, with the original additions mostly about Elizabeth's erotic adventures. It begins at the time that Elizabeth is going to Hunsford but there are flashbacks from earlier times at Hertfordshire and sometimes the transitions are a bit confusing because it is not always clearly indicated whether a chapter change brings us back to Hunsford or if we're still in the flashback. For those readers who don't know P&P by heart like I do it must be more difficult to get your bearings. Hint: if the Bingleys, Wickham or other Bennets besides Elizabeth are present it's not Hunsford.
So the thing is, if you approach this as an erotica reader there might be entirely too much Austen for you. You came here looking for steam and spankings but they drink tea and blather about governesses and the éclat of a proverb - uh oh. But if you approach this as a JAFF reader there might be too much OOC behaviour. I don't mind steamy in the right context but I was a little put off when we're told that Elizabeth has had unspecified passionate encounters with two previously unknown characters and allowed Wickham to touch her privates. Authors, if you wouldn't mind, I could do without sexual scenes with Wickham. She wanted to do it again but gets no chance because Jane is heartbroken about the departure of the Netherfield party, and it was not entirely clear to me what the connection with these two things was. I was expecting Mr. Darcy to teach her about sex and hadn't come prepared for these other dalliances which felt rather unnecessary. But fear not, she's also having dirty dreams about Mr. Darcy.
And even for an avid JAFF reader, there might be too much Austen... if I wanted to read about the Netherfield ball in the same words again I could just reread Pride and Prejudice. When variations have long quotes from overlearned material I tend to start skimming. No offense to Ms. Austen. I liked a lot of the original dialogue and thought the author could easily have paraphrased the necessary background info cleverly enough without resorting to copypaste.
There are also apparent quotes from books other than Austen, mainly erotic works.
Anyway, back to the original parts. While walking at Hunsford, Elizabeth meets Mrs. Abby Trenwith, who does not have Lady Catherine's approval. Abby is involved in some charitable or political endeavours but there is also a hidden side of her. Elizabeth sees her erotic art and scandalous books, and they get to discussing the nature of morality and desire. It turns out that her house is a place in which selected discreet individuals can safely explore their sexual desires, and Elizabeth expresses an interest in the submissive role. She is forced to stay at Abby's house due to rain and a cough which gives Abby an opportunity to make Darcy Elizabeth's instructor in carnal arts. We learn that he is obsessed with Elizabeth from his stay in Hertfordshire but still at the stage of trying to stop thinking about her. Formerly he had had a crush on a widowed duchess who was into these things and Abby had taught him about pain and pleasure although he's been abstinent for some years now. When Elizabeth meets with Darcy for her lessons they are both anonymous, masked and wear wigs so they do not recognize each other initially. They engage in some bondage and BDSM. Soon, Darcy begins to suspect her real identity but Elizabeth is slower to catch on, even after he mentions knowing Abby on one of their undisguised walks at Rosings Park. Another man employs an underhanded strategy that Darcy figures out in time to foil his scheme but it's still an eventful night for Elizabeth. However, their next unmasked encounter does not go well at all.
At this point we leave our hapless couple to await their fate. Will she be ruined? Will she be angry when she finds out who her instructor was? Could she become any angrier? You would have to read book 2 to find out.
Word I learned: Kalasiris is an Egyptian style dress.
TL;DR Erotica that gets a bit bogged down by verbatim Austen content. Pride and Prejudice is a great book but this book would be better if it quoted less from the canon.
Jane Austen is listed as the first author on the cover and there is a lot of text that is repeated straight from the canon novel, with the original additions mostly about Elizabeth's erotic adventures. It begins at the time that Elizabeth is going to Hunsford but there are flashbacks from earlier times at Hertfordshire and sometimes the transitions are a bit confusing because it is not always clearly indicated whether a chapter change brings us back to Hunsford or if we're still in the flashback. For those readers who don't know P&P by heart like I do it must be more difficult to get your bearings. Hint: if the Bingleys, Wickham or other Bennets besides Elizabeth are present it's not Hunsford.
So the thing is, if you approach this as an erotica reader there might be entirely too much Austen for you. You came here looking for steam and spankings but they drink tea and blather about governesses and the éclat of a proverb - uh oh. But if you approach this as a JAFF reader there might be too much OOC behaviour. I don't mind steamy in the right context but I was a little put off when we're told that Elizabeth has had unspecified passionate encounters with two previously unknown characters and allowed Wickham to touch her privates. Authors, if you wouldn't mind, I could do without sexual scenes with Wickham. She wanted to do it again but gets no chance because Jane is heartbroken about the departure of the Netherfield party, and it was not entirely clear to me what the connection with these two things was. I was expecting Mr. Darcy to teach her about sex and hadn't come prepared for these other dalliances which felt rather unnecessary. But fear not, she's also having dirty dreams about Mr. Darcy.
And even for an avid JAFF reader, there might be too much Austen... if I wanted to read about the Netherfield ball in the same words again I could just reread Pride and Prejudice. When variations have long quotes from overlearned material I tend to start skimming. No offense to Ms. Austen. I liked a lot of the original dialogue and thought the author could easily have paraphrased the necessary background info cleverly enough without resorting to copypaste.
There are also apparent quotes from books other than Austen, mainly erotic works.
Anyway, back to the original parts. While walking at Hunsford, Elizabeth meets Mrs. Abby Trenwith, who does not have Lady Catherine's approval. Abby is involved in some charitable or political endeavours but there is also a hidden side of her. Elizabeth sees her erotic art and scandalous books, and they get to discussing the nature of morality and desire. It turns out that her house is a place in which selected discreet individuals can safely explore their sexual desires, and Elizabeth expresses an interest in the submissive role. She is forced to stay at Abby's house due to rain and a cough which gives Abby an opportunity to make Darcy Elizabeth's instructor in carnal arts. We learn that he is obsessed with Elizabeth from his stay in Hertfordshire but still at the stage of trying to stop thinking about her. Formerly he had had a crush on a widowed duchess who was into these things and Abby had taught him about pain and pleasure although he's been abstinent for some years now. When Elizabeth meets with Darcy for her lessons they are both anonymous, masked and wear wigs so they do not recognize each other initially. They engage in some bondage and BDSM. Soon, Darcy begins to suspect her real identity but Elizabeth is slower to catch on, even after he mentions knowing Abby on one of their undisguised walks at Rosings Park. Another man employs an underhanded strategy that Darcy figures out in time to foil his scheme but it's still an eventful night for Elizabeth. However, their next unmasked encounter does not go well at all.
At this point we leave our hapless couple to await their fate. Will she be ruined? Will she be angry when she finds out who her instructor was? Could she become any angrier? You would have to read book 2 to find out.
Word I learned: Kalasiris is an Egyptian style dress.
TL;DR Erotica that gets a bit bogged down by verbatim Austen content. Pride and Prejudice is a great book but this book would be better if it quoted less from the canon.
April 12, 2022
This is divided into two parts - the first part starts with Lizzie visiting her friend Charlotte Collins. There is then a flashback to the initial meeing of Lizzie and Darcy, then continues in the present stream of the story to jump back in time again. If you haven't read Pride and Prejudice, these flashbacks may be helpful for you. The second part is a continual timeline. In between scenes there are some bits of "training" in sexual encounters. These include as punishment some bondage (hands tied) and mild flogging.
I found the interweaving of the original Pride and Prejudice storyline with the introduction of bold Lizzie to sensual practices was quite well done.
I found the interweaving of the original Pride and Prejudice storyline with the introduction of bold Lizzie to sensual practices was quite well done.
July 10, 2023
Too much Austen, not enough sex. Don't get me wrong, I like pride and prejudice - that's why this quirked my interest, but if I want to read Austen word for word I'd reread the original. Chances are anyone who's picked this up is likely to be familiar with the story already and doesn't need the in depth background. Then it stops halfway through the story. And yeah I get this is free to entice people to buy more from the author but giving away half a book is an awful thing to do.
April 2, 2023
Review also posted on my blog
https://myjaffobsession.blogspot.com/...
Elizabeth Bennet has a sensual awakening after reading Fanny Hill.
When she travels to Hunsford to visit her newly married friend, a minor accident throws her into the path of Mrs Abby Trenwith.
Abby is an independent and liberal thinking widow, with a secret passion for the sensual arts.
She offers to provide a trustworthy, male instructor to provide lessons in pleasure and pain.
During the lessons, both are masked and disguised, to maintain their anonymity. A good thing too, as Elizabeth would be angry and distressed if she knew who he was!
Erotic bits were well done. Fitted in well with the Hunsford narrative
However, way too much of the original story, almost word for word from Austen. I found myself skipping text to find any changes from the original.
I love JAFF but this wasn’t a variation or retelling, just Pride and prejudice with some fairly vanilla BDSM.
Not sure if I would recommend this to JAFF fans, but fans of erotica may enjoy it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
https://myjaffobsession.blogspot.com/...
Elizabeth Bennet has a sensual awakening after reading Fanny Hill.
When she travels to Hunsford to visit her newly married friend, a minor accident throws her into the path of Mrs Abby Trenwith.
Abby is an independent and liberal thinking widow, with a secret passion for the sensual arts.
She offers to provide a trustworthy, male instructor to provide lessons in pleasure and pain.
During the lessons, both are masked and disguised, to maintain their anonymity. A good thing too, as Elizabeth would be angry and distressed if she knew who he was!
Erotic bits were well done. Fitted in well with the Hunsford narrative
However, way too much of the original story, almost word for word from Austen. I found myself skipping text to find any changes from the original.
I love JAFF but this wasn’t a variation or retelling, just Pride and prejudice with some fairly vanilla BDSM.
Not sure if I would recommend this to JAFF fans, but fans of erotica may enjoy it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
probably-never
October 16, 2023This was a freebie I ‘bought’ without knowing anything about it. After reading my friend Katja’s review I may delete it from my kindle. Hey, I went through a Fifty Shades period about ten years later than everybody else because I am a bit of a snob about really popular books, movies and TV. I also didn’t get into Downton Abbey until way late. Anyhoo will not be reading.
August 1, 2024
It was free......and disappointing....
January 24, 2018
If you have as little patience with rehash as I have, this book contains a massive amount...
Additionally, it did not fit very well within these new circumstances. If however, you are not that familiar with the original Pride and Prejudice, this might not be a deterrent.
Contains a light variation of BDSM explicit sex.
Entering at the arrival at the Hunsford parsonage.
Elizabeth take a fall on one of her morning ramblings and are helped by a Mrs Trenwith. She introduces Elizabeth to art and books of carnal pleasure. Intrigued, Elizabeth accepts to be tutored by a mentor that Mrs Trenwith has selected.
Follows the timeline of canon, with passionate exchanges scattered throughout. Even the assembly and Netherfield ball was rehashed by reflection which I found unnecessary.
I did not find the story to be plausible but it could have been with some alterations.
***Spoiler alert***
I am not particularly fond of ODC anticipating their wedding vows. Elizabeth does not even know her mentor is Darcy at this point...
***Spoiler ended***
My main issue though, was the excessive amount of rehash which compelled me to speed read more than half the book.
All in all a good read but not fabulous.
Additionally, it did not fit very well within these new circumstances. If however, you are not that familiar with the original Pride and Prejudice, this might not be a deterrent.
Contains a light variation of BDSM explicit sex.
Entering at the arrival at the Hunsford parsonage.
Elizabeth take a fall on one of her morning ramblings and are helped by a Mrs Trenwith. She introduces Elizabeth to art and books of carnal pleasure. Intrigued, Elizabeth accepts to be tutored by a mentor that Mrs Trenwith has selected.
Follows the timeline of canon, with passionate exchanges scattered throughout. Even the assembly and Netherfield ball was rehashed by reflection which I found unnecessary.
I did not find the story to be plausible but it could have been with some alterations.
***Spoiler alert***
I am not particularly fond of ODC anticipating their wedding vows. Elizabeth does not even know her mentor is Darcy at this point...
***Spoiler ended***
My main issue though, was the excessive amount of rehash which compelled me to speed read more than half the book.
All in all a good read but not fabulous.
July 10, 2023
I didn't really care for this retelling.
Not necessarily because of the whole 50 Shades angle, but from the writing style.
Before I get into that, I will inform you that the story opens with Elizabeth staying with the Collinses and ends with Darcy's tell all letter about himself and Wickham. This is so you don't get confused about the timeline in regards to the rest of the review.
The writing felt like an odd mixture of nearly word-for-word retellings of the scenes that originally happened in the book in the form of Elizabeth recalling them (the Netherfield ball, the time Jane got sick, ect) and an attempt to mimic the style of Austen in the original scenes. The transition between Elizabeth in the current day and her in her memories was not the best. I would be reading about her being lustful and all of a sudden, we were back at Netherfield. It just felt really clunky.
The writing also felt a little overly stuffed, like it was going for the aforementioned style of Austen, wanting to be evocative and descriprive, and slightly missing the mark.
Granted, Pride and Prejudice is not my favorite Austen novel, so I may be biased in that regard.
I guess my main gripe with the story was that the characters really didn't do things that made sense. I understand this is a romance book and also one I got for free, but still.
The character of Abby Trenwith didn't make much sense.
The first time she and Lizzy meet is when Lizzy is walking around and rips her sleeve or something, so Abby offers to fix it with her sewing kit at home. She has a lot of art and stuff from various parts of Asia and it feels kinda icky the way her servants, whom are Indian and Chinese, are written in this. I mean, there's just something about the writing that makes it feel like it's exoticizing them and their cultures in general.
Mr. Collins is not happy when Lizzy tells him about the visit as apparently Abby is not good (and he is very vague about it) and doesn't go to church. She also doesn't believe in slavery.
The second time Lizzy visits her is to sort through old books to donate to a girls' asylum. So while she's sorting through the library, learning how Abby travelled to India and such and is so cool, Lizzy stumbles across Abby's horny book collection. Abby quotes the horny book and they bond over that. In the story, Lizzy herself reads spicy novels, but Abby wouldn't know that yet.
And despite barely knowing her, Abby shows her her erotic art collection and goes on about how society shames sex, ect.
Ma'am. Lizzy is practically a stranger to you. If there had been some writing to establish their relationship better (such as adding some more visits and time between Lizzy opening up about her horny book reading and Abby showing her the art collection or showing more about how these two women bonded), it would have felt more natural.
Cue more exoticizing of cultures that aren't English.
And like, Abby boasts that she's like a secret BDSM instructor and is very careful about who she lets in her secret club, ect, but like that whole second visit showing of the art and her pretty much immediately inviting Lizzy to join felt like a huge contradiction. She says she can sense Lizzy is kindred spirit, and there are definitely times in life two people immediately click, but I found it difficult to buy.
One last thing on Abby is that there was so clearly a sexual tension going on there. Like Lizzy wanted to be instructed by Abby and I legitimately thought that it would be resolved or something, but nope. We just get Lizzy wishing she could be taught by a woman, showing attraction to women in her spicy novels, and very clearly wants to explore that. It felt very queerbaity and I was disappointed.
There isn't much to say about Darcy in this book besides he is Lizzy's anonymous instructor during spicy times at Abby's house. He thinks the woman he's seeing might be Lizzy and actually does make the connection, but Lizzy is unaware and never finds out.
Also, later on in the story, when Lizzy is all messed up on aphrodisiacs, she and Darcy are like hidden in the Bastet's Garden (or something named very similar to that) trying to wait out the effects of the aphrodisiac that Abby's villian stepson slipped into her drink, it feels very ick. For one, Lizzy pretty much pressures Darcy into having sex and he gives in. It just felt ewwwww. And also, the whole hidden garden was chock full of mimics of Egyptian art and Lizzy was dressed up in a sexy version of a traditional Ancient Egyptian dress... Why? That was so unnecessary and culturally appropriative.
Speaking of Abby's stepson, he was set up as the villian of the story, but I feel like we never really got any scenes with him or really got to know the relationships between him and the other characters. Darcy doesn't like him, but we are not told why. I can't even remember his name. That is how little impact he left on the story aside from the aphrodisiac scene.
And we never get a resolution on that either. Maybe in the second book?
Anyway, this book ends on a cliffhanger and a promo for the second half of the story. So yeah. It ends almost immediately after Lizzy reads the Darcy letter.
So I know what you must be wondering. Was it spicy? Were the bedroom scenes fire?
No, not really. The mixture of old fashioned wording and trying to teach the reader about stuff like safewords and also how pain is erotic didn't really mesh well. Not to say that you cannot write a good Regency era BDSM scene, but that this one was just not that well written.
I felt hardly any spice at all. Nothing really titillated the senses or made me swoon.
And I'm aware this book was free, but I feel like that shouldn't really be a factor. I've read some amazing free books. I've read some trash paid books. I try to go into every novel I read with an open mind and judge it based on its contents and merits.
And sadly this one was a miss for me.
Not necessarily because of the whole 50 Shades angle, but from the writing style.
Before I get into that, I will inform you that the story opens with Elizabeth staying with the Collinses and ends with Darcy's tell all letter about himself and Wickham. This is so you don't get confused about the timeline in regards to the rest of the review.
The writing felt like an odd mixture of nearly word-for-word retellings of the scenes that originally happened in the book in the form of Elizabeth recalling them (the Netherfield ball, the time Jane got sick, ect) and an attempt to mimic the style of Austen in the original scenes. The transition between Elizabeth in the current day and her in her memories was not the best. I would be reading about her being lustful and all of a sudden, we were back at Netherfield. It just felt really clunky.
The writing also felt a little overly stuffed, like it was going for the aforementioned style of Austen, wanting to be evocative and descriprive, and slightly missing the mark.
Granted, Pride and Prejudice is not my favorite Austen novel, so I may be biased in that regard.
I guess my main gripe with the story was that the characters really didn't do things that made sense. I understand this is a romance book and also one I got for free, but still.
The character of Abby Trenwith didn't make much sense.
The first time she and Lizzy meet is when Lizzy is walking around and rips her sleeve or something, so Abby offers to fix it with her sewing kit at home. She has a lot of art and stuff from various parts of Asia and it feels kinda icky the way her servants, whom are Indian and Chinese, are written in this. I mean, there's just something about the writing that makes it feel like it's exoticizing them and their cultures in general.
Mr. Collins is not happy when Lizzy tells him about the visit as apparently Abby is not good (and he is very vague about it) and doesn't go to church. She also doesn't believe in slavery.
The second time Lizzy visits her is to sort through old books to donate to a girls' asylum. So while she's sorting through the library, learning how Abby travelled to India and such and is so cool, Lizzy stumbles across Abby's horny book collection. Abby quotes the horny book and they bond over that. In the story, Lizzy herself reads spicy novels, but Abby wouldn't know that yet.
And despite barely knowing her, Abby shows her her erotic art collection and goes on about how society shames sex, ect.
Ma'am. Lizzy is practically a stranger to you. If there had been some writing to establish their relationship better (such as adding some more visits and time between Lizzy opening up about her horny book reading and Abby showing her the art collection or showing more about how these two women bonded), it would have felt more natural.
Cue more exoticizing of cultures that aren't English.
And like, Abby boasts that she's like a secret BDSM instructor and is very careful about who she lets in her secret club, ect, but like that whole second visit showing of the art and her pretty much immediately inviting Lizzy to join felt like a huge contradiction. She says she can sense Lizzy is kindred spirit, and there are definitely times in life two people immediately click, but I found it difficult to buy.
One last thing on Abby is that there was so clearly a sexual tension going on there. Like Lizzy wanted to be instructed by Abby and I legitimately thought that it would be resolved or something, but nope. We just get Lizzy wishing she could be taught by a woman, showing attraction to women in her spicy novels, and very clearly wants to explore that. It felt very queerbaity and I was disappointed.
There isn't much to say about Darcy in this book besides he is Lizzy's anonymous instructor during spicy times at Abby's house. He thinks the woman he's seeing might be Lizzy and actually does make the connection, but Lizzy is unaware and never finds out.
Also, later on in the story, when Lizzy is all messed up on aphrodisiacs, she and Darcy are like hidden in the Bastet's Garden (or something named very similar to that) trying to wait out the effects of the aphrodisiac that Abby's villian stepson slipped into her drink, it feels very ick. For one, Lizzy pretty much pressures Darcy into having sex and he gives in. It just felt ewwwww. And also, the whole hidden garden was chock full of mimics of Egyptian art and Lizzy was dressed up in a sexy version of a traditional Ancient Egyptian dress... Why? That was so unnecessary and culturally appropriative.
Speaking of Abby's stepson, he was set up as the villian of the story, but I feel like we never really got any scenes with him or really got to know the relationships between him and the other characters. Darcy doesn't like him, but we are not told why. I can't even remember his name. That is how little impact he left on the story aside from the aphrodisiac scene.
And we never get a resolution on that either. Maybe in the second book?
Anyway, this book ends on a cliffhanger and a promo for the second half of the story. So yeah. It ends almost immediately after Lizzy reads the Darcy letter.
So I know what you must be wondering. Was it spicy? Were the bedroom scenes fire?
No, not really. The mixture of old fashioned wording and trying to teach the reader about stuff like safewords and also how pain is erotic didn't really mesh well. Not to say that you cannot write a good Regency era BDSM scene, but that this one was just not that well written.
I felt hardly any spice at all. Nothing really titillated the senses or made me swoon.
And I'm aware this book was free, but I feel like that shouldn't really be a factor. I've read some amazing free books. I've read some trash paid books. I try to go into every novel I read with an open mind and judge it based on its contents and merits.
And sadly this one was a miss for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2023
Sensual but Cliffhanger
My rating: 3
Tropes: Historical - Sensual - Hidden Identity
Heat: 8/10
Emotion 6/10
Story: 4/10
Characters: 6/10
Interest: 7/10
POV: Dual
No Cheating
Cliffhanger
I would have given the book 4 stars but i didn't see any mention of being a cliffhanger ending which annoyed me immensely.
I found the story good, interesting and extremely sensual, however too many detailed descriptions about everything (even the letter towards the end) made me lose interest.
The writing was too complex.
Still, i might try one more book (Standalone) from the author because the feelings were there.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
My rating: 3
Tropes: Historical - Sensual - Hidden Identity
Heat: 8/10
Emotion 6/10
Story: 4/10
Characters: 6/10
Interest: 7/10
POV: Dual
No Cheating
Cliffhanger
I would have given the book 4 stars but i didn't see any mention of being a cliffhanger ending which annoyed me immensely.
I found the story good, interesting and extremely sensual, however too many detailed descriptions about everything (even the letter towards the end) made me lose interest.
The writing was too complex.
Still, i might try one more book (Standalone) from the author because the feelings were there.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 25, 2018
My initial thought was that this was just another attempt to turn my absolute favorite story into pure smut. Not that I wouldn't be interested in what goes on behind Darcy and Elizabeth's door. I've read a few books from other authors who did just that but their story fell flat.
I absolutely loved this story. The author wonderfully merged her ideas with the original plot, which made for a delightful read. The idea that Darcy has a penchant for BDSM wasn't surprising. I loved reading his POV. I couldn't help but laugh out loud when he said, "Good God. He was jealous of his own person". Oh Mr. Darcy. Love, love, love.
I absolutely loved this story. The author wonderfully merged her ideas with the original plot, which made for a delightful read. The idea that Darcy has a penchant for BDSM wasn't surprising. I loved reading his POV. I couldn't help but laugh out loud when he said, "Good God. He was jealous of his own person". Oh Mr. Darcy. Love, love, love.
July 8, 2023
Part one was good. It had enough of an alternate storyline that prevented it from being a straight retelling. The Characters were not overly out of sync with the original- namely Lizzy and Darcy. The sex scenes, while supposed to introduce her to BDSM etc were a little tame although well written.
Book two was a real letdown as the story is just regurgitated Pride and Prejudice lifted straight from Austen and the passion part of it is barely even mentioned. Very disappointing.
Oh, and it had several spelling or grammatical errors in the text.
Book two was a real letdown as the story is just regurgitated Pride and Prejudice lifted straight from Austen and the passion part of it is barely even mentioned. Very disappointing.
Oh, and it had several spelling or grammatical errors in the text.
October 12, 2017
Ms. Austen’s fantastic story and Ms. Brown’s sensual additions have me daydreaming of Fitzwilliam Darcy, a name that brings many a woman the most pleasurable thoughts. The sensual additions to the story are very well done and in places that make sense. Lizzy and Darcy are brought to a new dimension in this story. Yes, I wanted more of their alone time…
I received a complimentary copy from the author.
I received a complimentary copy from the author.
March 22, 2018
A great addition to Jane Austen 's best novel
I enjoyed reading this; the addition s to Pride and Prejudice were seamless and are a welcome addition to this loved novel. Well Done!
I enjoyed reading this; the addition s to Pride and Prejudice were seamless and are a welcome addition to this loved novel. Well Done!
October 15, 2021
So far, the best of this author’s offering.
May 16, 2023
Deus de misericórdia, que teste de paciência.
E tão ruim, q não serve nem p dar sono
E tão ruim, q não serve nem p dar sono
January 22, 2024
While the style blended well with Austen’s, i don’t expect a lot of readers would pick this up if they were so unfamiliar with the original that entire CHAPTERS of excerpt from the original would be necessary. These were long and largely unaltered, so the addition of the smutty subplot was poorly integrated. There were only three smutty scenes (with a few references to masturbating), and they fell pretty short for me. Half this book was just rehashing scenes from P&P, it started in a weird place and ended in a weird place. Probably won’t be getting the second. Ultimately it was an interesting concept that mostly failed to execute.
October 5, 2024
Steamy Austen replica
This was Austen's exact story with 4 steamy scenes. If you're not into explicit sexual encounters skip this story as you will not enjoy it.
However if you're looking for well written hot scene, this might be the book for you. I hate that very few can make steamy a good read. Most of them can read so cheap and corny.
I gave it 3 stars only because it was exactly the original story. The author could have at least made it more of her own story. It's the very long Austen exerts which made for such a long story.
This was Austen's exact story with 4 steamy scenes. If you're not into explicit sexual encounters skip this story as you will not enjoy it.
However if you're looking for well written hot scene, this might be the book for you. I hate that very few can make steamy a good read. Most of them can read so cheap and corny.
I gave it 3 stars only because it was exactly the original story. The author could have at least made it more of her own story. It's the very long Austen exerts which made for such a long story.
June 8, 2025
Very good read
There was a lot of in between dialog and storytelling such, in turn, was essentially filler and build-up go making the story more cohesive, however, it was a lot and often threw the story off. You have to get through it though in order to get to the good parts. There's a lot of side characters and stories but overall the main ones are good and decent. It was slow going but worth the read. Hot and steamy, very well played parts of student & teacher.. Overall, Goodread.
There was a lot of in between dialog and storytelling such, in turn, was essentially filler and build-up go making the story more cohesive, however, it was a lot and often threw the story off. You have to get through it though in order to get to the good parts. There's a lot of side characters and stories but overall the main ones are good and decent. It was slow going but worth the read. Hot and steamy, very well played parts of student & teacher.. Overall, Goodread.
August 6, 2025
1.5 stars bc at least the author matched Austens writing style pretty well.
Okay first of all- Jane Austen smut. OBVIOUSLY I had to read it. For science.
It was… meh.
Complaints:
- literally just added some smut scenes into Austens writing. HUGE sections were just from the original book. Which leads me to my second point.
- THERES A SECOND FREAKING BOOK. WHY.
- it was all about like a dom/sub secret society where they wear masks and some VERY unsexy costumes (think Marie Antoinette)
I will not be reading the second book bc why
Okay first of all- Jane Austen smut. OBVIOUSLY I had to read it. For science.
It was… meh.
Complaints:
- literally just added some smut scenes into Austens writing. HUGE sections were just from the original book. Which leads me to my second point.
- THERES A SECOND FREAKING BOOK. WHY.
- it was all about like a dom/sub secret society where they wear masks and some VERY unsexy costumes (think Marie Antoinette)
I will not be reading the second book bc why
November 22, 2024
Much better!
I read the first version of this book, Pride and Prejudice and Pleasure, which was a borring almost verbatim retelling of the original P&P interspersed with Lizzy's disvoveries of pleasure.
I appreciate this improved version. The story is much more interesting. I can't wait to read part 2. Please attend to the grammatical errors and the story will be worthy of a 5⭐️
I read the first version of this book, Pride and Prejudice and Pleasure, which was a borring almost verbatim retelling of the original P&P interspersed with Lizzy's disvoveries of pleasure.
I appreciate this improved version. The story is much more interesting. I can't wait to read part 2. Please attend to the grammatical errors and the story will be worthy of a 5⭐️
February 24, 2024
very enjoyable
This was an interesting book, but probably needs some knowledge of the original to understand. There were a very few sentences which I felt would not have been written by the original author, but generally it was well written with only a couple of typos. The eroticism was beautifully expressed
This was an interesting book, but probably needs some knowledge of the original to understand. There were a very few sentences which I felt would not have been written by the original author, but generally it was well written with only a couple of typos. The eroticism was beautifully expressed
July 6, 2023
An intriguing variation of the story
An intriguing retelling of Austin’s story with the added sexuality of Elizabeth’s initiation to womanhood at the hands of a considerate mentor. When she discovers she has misjudged Darcy what will she do?
An intriguing retelling of Austin’s story with the added sexuality of Elizabeth’s initiation to womanhood at the hands of a considerate mentor. When she discovers she has misjudged Darcy what will she do?
September 17, 2023
enjoyed
A steamy twist on Pride and Prejudice. Lizzy is so headstrong against Darcy because she felt it was his fault that her sister, Jane, wasn’t pursued by Wickham. It’s a slow burn but a worthy read.
A steamy twist on Pride and Prejudice. Lizzy is so headstrong against Darcy because she felt it was his fault that her sister, Jane, wasn’t pursued by Wickham. It’s a slow burn but a worthy read.
April 17, 2024
A Pleasure Indeed!
I didn’t want to put it down! Although the offerings from Pride and Prejudice sometimes a bit tedious. Hang in there! You will immensely enjoy the book overall. Buying the next one now!
I didn’t want to put it down! Although the offerings from Pride and Prejudice sometimes a bit tedious. Hang in there! You will immensely enjoy the book overall. Buying the next one now!
Read
October 9, 2025If you are looking for a copy of Pride and Prejudice, with some pages added by another author, then this is great.
Spicy adds to a great romance, but not what I was expecting. I was looking for a re-telling not a copy and paste.
Spicy adds to a great romance, but not what I was expecting. I was looking for a re-telling not a copy and paste.
July 22, 2023
This is an interesting retelling of Jane Austins story, with some spiciness thrown in. It was a good read, and I will be looking out of Ems other work. I read this book as an ARC.
April 26, 2025
Absolute rubbish.
Not a retelling - literally chapters/pargrpahs lifted from the original with a few random spicy scenes thrown in? Skimmed most of it, it's not even a complete book. Avoid.
Not a retelling - literally chapters/pargrpahs lifted from the original with a few random spicy scenes thrown in? Skimmed most of it, it's not even a complete book. Avoid.
July 26, 2023
Steamy version of Pride and Prejudice
This version of Pride and Prejudice is quite enjoyable, The added story of mentor & student to have some steam is great!. However I found some parts too long. Remove some of the chapters regarding Whitham's saga. Didn't appreciate getting caught up in a free book to be a volume 1 to have to purchase volume 1 & 2 to find out Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy romance concludes. I would have preferred to have a wedding scene & there honeymoon scene. That way the couple could have one intimate scene, openly & proper. Instead of only behind sin & secrets.
This version of Pride and Prejudice is quite enjoyable, The added story of mentor & student to have some steam is great!. However I found some parts too long. Remove some of the chapters regarding Whitham's saga. Didn't appreciate getting caught up in a free book to be a volume 1 to have to purchase volume 1 & 2 to find out Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy romance concludes. I would have preferred to have a wedding scene & there honeymoon scene. That way the couple could have one intimate scene, openly & proper. Instead of only behind sin & secrets.
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