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Artifice and Attraction: A Darcy and Elizabeth Pride and Prejudice Variation
Mr. Darcy is in need of a wife. Business keeps him in London, but Georgiana must go to Pemberley for the sake of her health. He cannot trust her care to the servants. He knows his duty - he must seek a wife. A ball at Almack’s is the place to seek a wife of good breeding and wealth. So Mr. Darcy must force himself to attend. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is pleasing to look at. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is lively, playful and intelligent. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is wearing exquisite, costly gowns. Miss Elizabeth Bennet has a voucher to Almack’s, so she must be from a highly suitable family. Mr. Darcy knows his position in life is such that no lady will refuse his offer of marriage, even when he makes it clear that the arrangement does not include affection. Nothing can possibly go wrong. Artifice and Attraction is a sweet and clean Regency Romance novel of over 89,000 words
- GenresRomance
522 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 29, 2018
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars: this book was a loan from a friend.
Jane and Elizabeth have been sent to London to have a season and find husbands. Mr. Bennet is ill and his health forces the family to plan for the future. If Jane and/or Elizabeth marry well the hedgerows may fade as a worry. Darcy meets Elizabeth at Almack's.
There is not a lot of angst in this story but rather Darcy again questioning Elizabeth's suitability mainly due to her family. He has been driven to seek a wife as Georgiana has a mysterious debilitating illness which has left her vulnerable to others, such as her one maid. Thus Darcy wants a wife; one who can protect and befriend Georgiana. Elizabeth has proven herself in friendship to Georgiana and now Darcy wrestles with the question of why she didn't relate to him how truly awful her mother and younger sisters are...when he seeks out Mr. Bennet to ask for E.'s hand in marriage.
The main premise is whether a marriage of convenience can or will become anything more than that. Even when the marriage is consummated no words of affection pass between Elizabeth and Darcy. So will this arrangement last? Will love grow? The final test: Darcy is off to London on business and three separate parties show up at Pemberley unannounced. Can Elizabeth manage alone to fulfill this final test of her suitability as the mistress of Pemberley?
This was a pleasant read but I would have liked to have read more angst in the tale. There is an epilogue and there are no MA scenes.
Jane and Elizabeth have been sent to London to have a season and find husbands. Mr. Bennet is ill and his health forces the family to plan for the future. If Jane and/or Elizabeth marry well the hedgerows may fade as a worry. Darcy meets Elizabeth at Almack's.
There is not a lot of angst in this story but rather Darcy again questioning Elizabeth's suitability mainly due to her family. He has been driven to seek a wife as Georgiana has a mysterious debilitating illness which has left her vulnerable to others, such as her one maid. Thus Darcy wants a wife; one who can protect and befriend Georgiana. Elizabeth has proven herself in friendship to Georgiana and now Darcy wrestles with the question of why she didn't relate to him how truly awful her mother and younger sisters are...when he seeks out Mr. Bennet to ask for E.'s hand in marriage.
The main premise is whether a marriage of convenience can or will become anything more than that. Even when the marriage is consummated no words of affection pass between Elizabeth and Darcy. So will this arrangement last? Will love grow? The final test: Darcy is off to London on business and three separate parties show up at Pemberley unannounced. Can Elizabeth manage alone to fulfill this final test of her suitability as the mistress of Pemberley?
This was a pleasant read but I would have liked to have read more angst in the tale. There is an epilogue and there are no MA scenes.
June 14, 2022
Good writing, but left wanting
Reviewed in Canada on June 2, 2019
I did enjoy this book. The author shows a talent in writing, and while this book started out well, I felt something lacking in it. There wasn’t enough dialogue for me. I would have expected that once ODC married. The ending is abrupt and leaves the reader wondering if it’s a girl or a boy. I felt the author got tired of wring and just ended it.
Reviewed in Canada on June 2, 2019
I did enjoy this book. The author shows a talent in writing, and while this book started out well, I felt something lacking in it. There wasn’t enough dialogue for me. I would have expected that once ODC married. The ending is abrupt and leaves the reader wondering if it’s a girl or a boy. I felt the author got tired of wring and just ended it.
December 10, 2019
Marriage of convenience story
Seems there have been many marriage of convenience stories lately. The only great drama in the story is will Lizzy give a try at making the marriage more pleasant than she thinks it will be. She is stubborn but Aunt Gardiner tries to council Lizzy into giving the marriage a chance. No one but Jane and Georgiana seem to like the idea of the marriage so most of the angst is about who, including Lizzy, will become accepting of the new Mrs. Darcy.
Ok story but not very memorable.
Seems there have been many marriage of convenience stories lately. The only great drama in the story is will Lizzy give a try at making the marriage more pleasant than she thinks it will be. She is stubborn but Aunt Gardiner tries to council Lizzy into giving the marriage a chance. No one but Jane and Georgiana seem to like the idea of the marriage so most of the angst is about who, including Lizzy, will become accepting of the new Mrs. Darcy.
Ok story but not very memorable.
January 26, 2018
What and utterly delightful read, I absolutely loved it!
Quiet, in the sense that there are no angst but plenty of warmth, romance, suspense and excitement to captivate and enthrall you.
Especially appreciated that the story did not trail off track with uninteresting side stories, no it kept on the main track from start to finish which I found very refreshing.
Loved ODC in this story. Elizabeth with her wit and although Darcy was exceedingly sosialy awkward, he was adorable. Loved the character development and the way their relationship developed. It was a joy to read.
Mr Bennet is suffering from a lingering cough. Jane and Elizabeth are shipped off to the Gardiner's for the season in hope of attracting suitable husbands, in case their father does not recover.
Suitably outfitted, they enter the fray of the marriage mart at Almacks. Elizabeth is intrigued by the stoic Mr Darcy but he does not seem to want the same from a marriage that she wants. He on the other hand, is in search for a marriage of convenience to secure his ailing sister companionship and a mistress to his estate. Impressed by Elizabeth's wit, intelligence and compassion they enter into a courtship with hidden agendas and misconception. They seem to be their own worst enemy and their well developed ability to conceal their own emotions are not helping. There are no ridiculous misunderstandings or big disagreements though. It's more of a thoughtful and discerning approach that will dissolve their differences.
Absolutely beautifully written, I am bewitched...
Heartily recommend this book!!!
Quiet, in the sense that there are no angst but plenty of warmth, romance, suspense and excitement to captivate and enthrall you.
Especially appreciated that the story did not trail off track with uninteresting side stories, no it kept on the main track from start to finish which I found very refreshing.
Loved ODC in this story. Elizabeth with her wit and although Darcy was exceedingly sosialy awkward, he was adorable. Loved the character development and the way their relationship developed. It was a joy to read.
Mr Bennet is suffering from a lingering cough. Jane and Elizabeth are shipped off to the Gardiner's for the season in hope of attracting suitable husbands, in case their father does not recover.
Suitably outfitted, they enter the fray of the marriage mart at Almacks. Elizabeth is intrigued by the stoic Mr Darcy but he does not seem to want the same from a marriage that she wants. He on the other hand, is in search for a marriage of convenience to secure his ailing sister companionship and a mistress to his estate. Impressed by Elizabeth's wit, intelligence and compassion they enter into a courtship with hidden agendas and misconception. They seem to be their own worst enemy and their well developed ability to conceal their own emotions are not helping. There are no ridiculous misunderstandings or big disagreements though. It's more of a thoughtful and discerning approach that will dissolve their differences.
Absolutely beautifully written, I am bewitched...
Heartily recommend this book!!!
October 9, 2025
Very refreshing to read a book where E & D both are into each other from the beginning. Their fears, mistakes, misunderstandings etc seemed realistic. They both see the red flags in the other ( Darcy knows of Gardiners trade association, Elizabeth sees his pride) but both of them are unable to be logical and stay away from each other.
It was almost perfect until 80%, when Mrs. B, Jane, Lydia, kitty then Bingleys, Lady Catherine etc visit pemberley without invitation, when Darcy is away at London for business. Idk what the point of this is, as it did nothing to move the plot or anything. All characters behave in ways to embarrass Elizabeth, she manages to make her family leave, Darcy comes and throws Lady C from the household and that’s all. They don’t even properly discuss their misunderstandings in the proposal or anything, which made the plot unresolved.
We also get no reason for why Darcy proposed marriage like a marriage of convenience, as their relationship in both sides up to that point was because of mutual interest. Darcy seeks her out first because he is attracted to her, overhears her witty conversation with her dance partner etc and Elizabeth is also attracted to him, finds him intelligent, witty etc. and, then when proposing says only that she’ll be good sister to Georgiana, good mistress etc.. why??? This book never clarified that. There isn’t any pride or prejudice here, so it’s just a slow romance developing between them.
Now when I’m writing it, I’m beginning to feel like the ending doesn’t make sense at all to the beginning. None of the issues developed were handled at the end. Also, what’s with the Jane romance? There is hints of Col Fitzwilliam pairing, but suddenly that’s forgotten, and we are introduced to bingleys suddenly at the end and Jane gets engaged to him within days of meeting him.. was the ending written Lon after the beginning, middle was written?? Feel like author forgot some of the plot points.
4 stars even with all that for the unique E & D romance
It was almost perfect until 80%, when Mrs. B, Jane, Lydia, kitty then Bingleys, Lady Catherine etc visit pemberley without invitation, when Darcy is away at London for business. Idk what the point of this is, as it did nothing to move the plot or anything. All characters behave in ways to embarrass Elizabeth, she manages to make her family leave, Darcy comes and throws Lady C from the household and that’s all. They don’t even properly discuss their misunderstandings in the proposal or anything, which made the plot unresolved.
We also get no reason for why Darcy proposed marriage like a marriage of convenience, as their relationship in both sides up to that point was because of mutual interest. Darcy seeks her out first because he is attracted to her, overhears her witty conversation with her dance partner etc and Elizabeth is also attracted to him, finds him intelligent, witty etc. and, then when proposing says only that she’ll be good sister to Georgiana, good mistress etc.. why??? This book never clarified that. There isn’t any pride or prejudice here, so it’s just a slow romance developing between them.
Now when I’m writing it, I’m beginning to feel like the ending doesn’t make sense at all to the beginning. None of the issues developed were handled at the end. Also, what’s with the Jane romance? There is hints of Col Fitzwilliam pairing, but suddenly that’s forgotten, and we are introduced to bingleys suddenly at the end and Jane gets engaged to him within days of meeting him.. was the ending written Lon after the beginning, middle was written?? Feel like author forgot some of the plot points.
4 stars even with all that for the unique E & D romance
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2025
maybe this book deserves 2 stars and it's my pissy mood that makes me put 1.
There're two crimes this book committed against me: the plot is poorly structured - I felt like the book didn't know what exactly it wanted to do and didn't put the main plotpoints in the right places. And it's also boring and really nothing of a book.
Mr Bennet is sick, Mr Gardiner's business is flopping. Jane & Elizabeth must marry ASAP. Somehow through a friend of a friend who married very well, they got Almack entry and started going to balls in the upper echelons of society. Jane & Elizabeth dance away with plenty of partners (but there're no actual characters besides MP's Mr and Miss Crawford). Elizabeth catches the eye of Darcy, who wants to marry ASAP to get a companion for his sick sister and remove them to the countryside.
Darcy doesn't know about Elizabeth's social/financial situation, but he isn't thinking that hard about it before finding out, and when he does find out, it's not THAT big of a deal. The biggest problem arises when he gets himself in vicinity of her mother and sisters. He non-romantically courts Elizabeth (even though he is attracted to her, he never talks of his feelings), introduces her to Georgiana, proposes, she accepts, at around 70% he removes her to the country (and that's where I felt like the book really didn't know what it wanted to do), with the eventual HEA.
The drama is forced, the feelings Darcy and Elizabeth have for each other are barely described, there's no falling in love slowly and naturally, they do love each other by the end, though. The drama between them is forced.
And despite Elizabeth and Darcy meeting in London for the first time, nothing about this book felt new or original, which for me is the 2nd biggest crime when reading JAFF (the first biggest crime is rehashing same dialogues, esp when the characters in the dialogue are changed).
There're two crimes this book committed against me: the plot is poorly structured - I felt like the book didn't know what exactly it wanted to do and didn't put the main plotpoints in the right places. And it's also boring and really nothing of a book.
Mr Bennet is sick, Mr Gardiner's business is flopping. Jane & Elizabeth must marry ASAP. Somehow through a friend of a friend who married very well, they got Almack entry and started going to balls in the upper echelons of society. Jane & Elizabeth dance away with plenty of partners (but there're no actual characters besides MP's Mr and Miss Crawford). Elizabeth catches the eye of Darcy, who wants to marry ASAP to get a companion for his sick sister and remove them to the countryside.
Darcy doesn't know about Elizabeth's social/financial situation, but he isn't thinking that hard about it before finding out, and when he does find out, it's not THAT big of a deal. The biggest problem arises when he gets himself in vicinity of her mother and sisters. He non-romantically courts Elizabeth (even though he is attracted to her, he never talks of his feelings), introduces her to Georgiana, proposes, she accepts, at around 70% he removes her to the country (and that's where I felt like the book really didn't know what it wanted to do), with the eventual HEA.
The drama is forced, the feelings Darcy and Elizabeth have for each other are barely described, there's no falling in love slowly and naturally, they do love each other by the end, though. The drama between them is forced.
And despite Elizabeth and Darcy meeting in London for the first time, nothing about this book felt new or original, which for me is the 2nd biggest crime when reading JAFF (the first biggest crime is rehashing same dialogues, esp when the characters in the dialogue are changed).
December 9, 2022
2.5 Stars
What I liked:
-Darcy immediate attraction to Elizabeth. Although Darcy has his doubts about Elizabeth (family), he continues to pursue her.
-I liked Darcy's character.
-Darcy and Elizabeth had some good moments.
-No Wickham or Collins.
Why 2.5 stars:
-I had to skip the scenes with Mrs. Bennet, Kitty and Lydia- there's only so much silliness I can take (no fault to the author, I'm just burned out on those particular Bennets.)
-Story felt a bit flat. Started to fizzle out once they got to Pemberley.
-Elizabeth was too nice- allowing her guests to insult her in her own home...psh.
-Why would the Gardiner's, instead of the Bennets, fund Jane in Elizabeth in town? Especially with the Gardiner's financial problems.
-The ending was abrupt.
What I liked:
-Darcy immediate attraction to Elizabeth. Although Darcy has his doubts about Elizabeth (family), he continues to pursue her.
-I liked Darcy's character.
-Darcy and Elizabeth had some good moments.
-No Wickham or Collins.
Why 2.5 stars:
-I had to skip the scenes with Mrs. Bennet, Kitty and Lydia- there's only so much silliness I can take (no fault to the author, I'm just burned out on those particular Bennets.)
-Story felt a bit flat. Started to fizzle out once they got to Pemberley.
-Elizabeth was too nice- allowing her guests to insult her in her own home...psh.
-Why would the Gardiner's, instead of the Bennets, fund Jane in Elizabeth in town? Especially with the Gardiner's financial problems.
-The ending was abrupt.
February 2, 2020
I truly enjoyed reading this book. Elizabeth and Jane had a season in London with the Gardiner, but it's not what you think. Darcy is preoccupied with Georgiana's health and having time to find someone to help him take care of her. There is no Wickham or Mr Collin in this story,but there was enough villains though. Lady Catherine and Lord Matlock were horrible. The acts of Caroline Bingley and Mrs Hurst, I applaud the writer for these scenes, it took guts to write. Darcy and Elizabeth meet, go through a difficult courtship to which leads to marriage. Things happen during and after, but you will need to read. Highly recommended to read. Great Storyline.
December 3, 2017
Avid Reader
This was one of my favorite Darcy s.😊 Although he was somewhat harsh with Elizabeth after he proposed and met her mother and younger sisters, he didn't make hasty decisions. Lady Catherine was truly over the top until Darcy crashed her balloon. Mr. & Mrs. Gardiner were gems. In spite of their own financial struggles, they made sure that Jane and Elizabeth were turned out in style. I also enjoyed the reference to the Crawford's and Mansfield Park. Georgina developed spunk and took Caroline Bingley down several notches. An enjoyable read.
This was one of my favorite Darcy s.😊 Although he was somewhat harsh with Elizabeth after he proposed and met her mother and younger sisters, he didn't make hasty decisions. Lady Catherine was truly over the top until Darcy crashed her balloon. Mr. & Mrs. Gardiner were gems. In spite of their own financial struggles, they made sure that Jane and Elizabeth were turned out in style. I also enjoyed the reference to the Crawford's and Mansfield Park. Georgina developed spunk and took Caroline Bingley down several notches. An enjoyable read.
September 23, 2025
Artifice and Attraction
A very different P&P variation. I wanted Elizabeth to take her mother and two sisters to task and behave with more comportment. I wanted Elizabeth to tell Lady Catherine that it was not her sisters house anymore, it was her home. Alas, that didn't happen but a happily ever after did happen. Good read!
A very different P&P variation. I wanted Elizabeth to take her mother and two sisters to task and behave with more comportment. I wanted Elizabeth to tell Lady Catherine that it was not her sisters house anymore, it was her home. Alas, that didn't happen but a happily ever after did happen. Good read!
November 13, 2017
Ok
The book is well written. The story is cute and I like the different take on a beloved classic. But the story and plot loses what is so great about pride and prejudice. That Darcy loves Elizabeth so much he has to marry her no matter what.
The book is well written. The story is cute and I like the different take on a beloved classic. But the story and plot loses what is so great about pride and prejudice. That Darcy loves Elizabeth so much he has to marry her no matter what.
November 26, 2017
Pleasant read
Easy reading but not enough book to warrant the cost. The characters could have been expanded more to better become the characters loved in the original. Not worth the expense
Easy reading but not enough book to warrant the cost. The characters could have been expanded more to better become the characters loved in the original. Not worth the expense
November 13, 2017
Loved this variation
Great and wonderful read. Darcy truly can be one of the most frustrating, and romantic characters. Please write a continuance of this saga!!
Great and wonderful read. Darcy truly can be one of the most frustrating, and romantic characters. Please write a continuance of this saga!!
January 19, 2021
No Wickham
I enjoyed the storyline and found the book so much better with out one villain. There was another however he had a very minor role. Enjoy
I enjoyed the storyline and found the book so much better with out one villain. There was another however he had a very minor role. Enjoy
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January 21, 2022Bland dialogue, wooden characters, and a clutter of superfluous scenes. Dry; Boring. Couldn’t get further than 10 percent in.
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