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The Sister She Always Wanted
When Elizabeth and the Gardiners visit Pemberley a year early, a bond of friendship and sisterly love forms between Elizabeth and Georgiana. The repercussions of this meeting change completely the way Elizabeth and Darcy interact once they finally meet.
- GenresHistorical
378 pages, ebook
First published August 19, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 10, 2018
First, we have to know that, according to the author, this story was written a long time ago and only posted in 2014. So, we are already looking at old posts and comments. I chose to not comment as I didn’t know if the author was currently reading comments.
Rating: clean: This is a long story at 39-chapters and an Epilogue. It could do with editing and pruning as there was a lot of repeating. Also, the author owns-up to the Regency Era errors and propriety flops. Yeah, there be errors… but just go with it; there is no need in my mentioning them. I did enjoy this.
“The bond of sisterly love is much tighter than the bond which binds men.” –Dixie Waters
I gathered from the title that this was as much Georgiana’s story [and her quest for a sister] as it was a D&E love story. The timeline for P&P is bumped up a bit with Aunt and Uncle Gardiner taking Elizabeth on the tour to the north much earlier than canon. Georgiana is at Pemberley [with her new companion, Mrs. Annesley] recovering from her near scandal at Ramsgate. She meets Elizabeth while they are on the house tour and is immediately taken with her and her gentle ways. Elizabeth has a prior connection to Mrs. Reynolds so that smoothed the way for them to meet with approval due to Elizabeth’s character.
OK… this is the trope where Elizabeth is a ‘people whisperer’ and can calm the temperament of a raging bull. Everyone is smitten with her; she sings like an angel, she soothes and calms the rough waters of angst and despair of any and all that she meets with grace and poise. OK, I can buy that although it became a bit saccharine after a while. The author spread it on a bit thick and, of course, Elizabeth couldn’t see her own charm/worth as it was just her way. Pretty early everyone believed that she would be perfect for Darcy… everyone except ODC, of course, who were fighting duty and social scrutiny. In spite of this, I did like her.
Jane: “My sister keeps me grounded.” –Amanda Seyfrie
We have Jane’s story that runs parallel with this one. She is true to canon and no surprises there. I liked her and I liked Bingley.
Bingley: “The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” –Thomas Paine
I liked this Bingley. He had to deal with a lot and he was trying desperately to become the man his father wanted and to be worthy of Jane Bennet. Limited presence of Louisa and Hurst, but she did support his decisions. He had to put on his big boy breeches and stand up for what he wanted and uphold his honor. I liked seeing that.
Caroline: “All life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish, and insensitive to the real values of life. The very striving and hard work that we so constantly try to avoid is the major building block in the person we are today.” –Pope Paul Vl
Well, she bit the hand that feeds her. I was stunned and shocked at even her audacity but was more shocked at Bingley’s reaction to her behavior. That was worth the read. Man… did not see that coming.
Darcy: “A wise man makes his own decisions; an ignorant man follows the public opinion.” –Grantland Rice
OMG, we travel the length and breath of this work with Darcy fighting his desires for Elizabeth and his worry and angst over what his family and the ton would think if he married so beneath him. One thing… ONE… changed his mind and it ticked me off to no end. I wanted to shake him silly. The story turned on a dime… right then and there.
Lydia: “My sister is a mess. I love her to death, but she is a mess.” –RJ Mitte
Lydia’s opinion on her sisters… “Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life.” –Charles M. Schulz
Yeah, that is our Lydia… even though she was rarely featured in this story… she still made her presence known in the famous elopement scandal with our favorite rake. Yeah… she was as she always was… wild and demanding attention from everyone. Hope you like your new life… you little snot. If it had been me… my mother would have snatched me up and… well… that was a different time. Needless-to-say… Mrs. Bennet’s favorite daughter got her wish… to be married first, before her sisters. Mrs. Bennet got her wish… that her favorite daughter married at just sixteen and to an officer. Lawd… help them.
Wickham: “A man’s worth is no greater than his ambitions.” –Marcus Aurelius
Let’s just say that Wickham received… perhaps not what he wanted… but more than he deserved. Suck on that you spawn of Satan.
Mr. Bennet: “A real man loves and respects his wife and is not only a good father but a man that his kids want to call ‘Daddy.’” –Frank Abagnale
There is nothing new in this quarter. He acts, reacts [or not] as he did in canon. We just see more of his daughters’ reflections on his behavior and character. That was a bit hard to read. They know him and yet they love him. That is the nature of the father daughter relationship. I had hopes that he would react differently... yet, he allowed Mrs. Bennet to run loose on the landscape and that influenced the behavior his younger daughters… Lydia especially. He refused to see the threat in letting her go to Brighton. His thinking that she not having a dowry would be a deterrent to seduction was just plain blind, dumb, stupid and excessively naïve. Like someone bent on seduction would care whether she had money or not.
Kent and all the secondary characters: M/M Collins at the parsonage. I loved our dear Colonel, as usual… oh and his parents L/L Matlock. Anne was a BIG surprise… loved her. Enjoyed watching Lady Catherine and all the machinations involved with her. Yeah, that was fun.
Epilogue of the century: And the award for the most shocking epilogue goes to… OMG!! I have NEVER seen this in any JAFF and it was so… WOW… I don’t even know what to say. As I looked back… I could see the foreshadowing that set up clues that made this work. You won’t recognize them until you are hit between the eyes with this reveal.
Rating: clean: This is a long story at 39-chapters and an Epilogue. It could do with editing and pruning as there was a lot of repeating. Also, the author owns-up to the Regency Era errors and propriety flops. Yeah, there be errors… but just go with it; there is no need in my mentioning them. I did enjoy this.
“The bond of sisterly love is much tighter than the bond which binds men.” –Dixie Waters
I gathered from the title that this was as much Georgiana’s story [and her quest for a sister] as it was a D&E love story. The timeline for P&P is bumped up a bit with Aunt and Uncle Gardiner taking Elizabeth on the tour to the north much earlier than canon. Georgiana is at Pemberley [with her new companion, Mrs. Annesley] recovering from her near scandal at Ramsgate. She meets Elizabeth while they are on the house tour and is immediately taken with her and her gentle ways. Elizabeth has a prior connection to Mrs. Reynolds so that smoothed the way for them to meet with approval due to Elizabeth’s character.
OK… this is the trope where Elizabeth is a ‘people whisperer’ and can calm the temperament of a raging bull. Everyone is smitten with her; she sings like an angel, she soothes and calms the rough waters of angst and despair of any and all that she meets with grace and poise. OK, I can buy that although it became a bit saccharine after a while. The author spread it on a bit thick and, of course, Elizabeth couldn’t see her own charm/worth as it was just her way. Pretty early everyone believed that she would be perfect for Darcy… everyone except ODC, of course, who were fighting duty and social scrutiny. In spite of this, I did like her.
Jane: “My sister keeps me grounded.” –Amanda Seyfrie
We have Jane’s story that runs parallel with this one. She is true to canon and no surprises there. I liked her and I liked Bingley.
Bingley: “The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” –Thomas Paine
I liked this Bingley. He had to deal with a lot and he was trying desperately to become the man his father wanted and to be worthy of Jane Bennet. Limited presence of Louisa and Hurst, but she did support his decisions. He had to put on his big boy breeches and stand up for what he wanted and uphold his honor. I liked seeing that.
Caroline: “All life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish, and insensitive to the real values of life. The very striving and hard work that we so constantly try to avoid is the major building block in the person we are today.” –Pope Paul Vl
Well, she bit the hand that feeds her. I was stunned and shocked at even her audacity but was more shocked at Bingley’s reaction to her behavior. That was worth the read. Man… did not see that coming.
Darcy: “A wise man makes his own decisions; an ignorant man follows the public opinion.” –Grantland Rice
OMG, we travel the length and breath of this work with Darcy fighting his desires for Elizabeth and his worry and angst over what his family and the ton would think if he married so beneath him. One thing… ONE… changed his mind and it ticked me off to no end. I wanted to shake him silly. The story turned on a dime… right then and there.
Lydia: “My sister is a mess. I love her to death, but she is a mess.” –RJ Mitte
Lydia’s opinion on her sisters… “Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life.” –Charles M. Schulz
Yeah, that is our Lydia… even though she was rarely featured in this story… she still made her presence known in the famous elopement scandal with our favorite rake. Yeah… she was as she always was… wild and demanding attention from everyone. Hope you like your new life… you little snot. If it had been me… my mother would have snatched me up and… well… that was a different time. Needless-to-say… Mrs. Bennet’s favorite daughter got her wish… to be married first, before her sisters. Mrs. Bennet got her wish… that her favorite daughter married at just sixteen and to an officer. Lawd… help them.
Wickham: “A man’s worth is no greater than his ambitions.” –Marcus Aurelius
Let’s just say that Wickham received… perhaps not what he wanted… but more than he deserved. Suck on that you spawn of Satan.
Mr. Bennet: “A real man loves and respects his wife and is not only a good father but a man that his kids want to call ‘Daddy.’” –Frank Abagnale
There is nothing new in this quarter. He acts, reacts [or not] as he did in canon. We just see more of his daughters’ reflections on his behavior and character. That was a bit hard to read. They know him and yet they love him. That is the nature of the father daughter relationship. I had hopes that he would react differently... yet, he allowed Mrs. Bennet to run loose on the landscape and that influenced the behavior his younger daughters… Lydia especially. He refused to see the threat in letting her go to Brighton. His thinking that she not having a dowry would be a deterrent to seduction was just plain blind, dumb, stupid and excessively naïve. Like someone bent on seduction would care whether she had money or not.
Kent and all the secondary characters: M/M Collins at the parsonage. I loved our dear Colonel, as usual… oh and his parents L/L Matlock. Anne was a BIG surprise… loved her. Enjoyed watching Lady Catherine and all the machinations involved with her. Yeah, that was fun.
Epilogue of the century: And the award for the most shocking epilogue goes to… OMG!! I have NEVER seen this in any JAFF and it was so… WOW… I don’t even know what to say. As I looked back… I could see the foreshadowing that set up clues that made this work. You won’t recognize them until you are hit between the eyes with this reveal.
April 12, 2018
Heavy on the sugar. Sweet and clean.
Plot:
ODC fall for each other early but repress their feelings as a sense of duty and the difference in their stations. Not my favourite trope and it will colour my review.
Impression:
Overly sweet and not very plausible. Portraits a flawless Elizabeth that everybody loves from the moment they lay eyes on her.
In one of Charlotte's reflections she feels that by marrying mr Collins, her greatest loss was not be Elizabeth's confidant any more. Excuse me but I hardly think that would be anyone's greatest loss while married to mr Collins...
Summary:
Elizabeth's trip to the north with the Gardiner's happens a year earlier than canon. With a familiar acquaintance with mrs Reynolds, they are given the grand tour of the house where they encounter Georgiana. She takes instantly to Elizabeth and they became fast friends. During their second meeting, Georgiana decides that Elizabeth would be a perfect sister and wife to her brother. A lot of matchmaking ensue but Darcy, although acknowledging his feelings, believes in marrying for wealth and connections which Elizabeth heartily agree with.
Chapter after bland chapter takes us eventually to Hunsford and a change in Darcy's beliefs. The reason that eventually changed his mind felt weak though.
There was two more pairings where Jane and Charles were no surprise, neither was the Colonel and Anne.
The Wickham/Lydia debacle followed and Darcy got to play hero. Liked the alpha-male attitude and the reward the wayward couple got for the trouble. Highly satisfying.
A blow your mind revelation in the epilogue enhanced those paragraphs of the book.
Conclusion:
This story could not hold my attention and it compelled me to speed read A lot... It still took me two days to skim through which makes this a really long read.
Plot:
ODC fall for each other early but repress their feelings as a sense of duty and the difference in their stations. Not my favourite trope and it will colour my review.
Impression:
Overly sweet and not very plausible. Portraits a flawless Elizabeth that everybody loves from the moment they lay eyes on her.
In one of Charlotte's reflections she feels that by marrying mr Collins, her greatest loss was not be Elizabeth's confidant any more. Excuse me but I hardly think that would be anyone's greatest loss while married to mr Collins...
Summary:
Elizabeth's trip to the north with the Gardiner's happens a year earlier than canon. With a familiar acquaintance with mrs Reynolds, they are given the grand tour of the house where they encounter Georgiana. She takes instantly to Elizabeth and they became fast friends. During their second meeting, Georgiana decides that Elizabeth would be a perfect sister and wife to her brother. A lot of matchmaking ensue but Darcy, although acknowledging his feelings, believes in marrying for wealth and connections which Elizabeth heartily agree with.
Chapter after bland chapter takes us eventually to Hunsford and a change in Darcy's beliefs. The reason that eventually changed his mind felt weak though.
There was two more pairings where Jane and Charles were no surprise, neither was the Colonel and Anne.
The Wickham/Lydia debacle followed and Darcy got to play hero. Liked the alpha-male attitude and the reward the wayward couple got for the trouble. Highly satisfying.
A blow your mind revelation in the epilogue enhanced those paragraphs of the book.
Conclusion:
This story could not hold my attention and it compelled me to speed read A lot... It still took me two days to skim through which makes this a really long read.
April 21, 2018
For some, this was too sweet. Too sweet was right for me!
September 21, 2023
3.5 stars. Interesting story but a bit longer than necessary, which makes it drag at places.
September 26, 2021
In this P&P variation Elizabeth Bennet and the Gardiners visit the North earlier than in canon. Here they meet a sad Georgiana Darcy trying to recover from the the events at Ramsgate. This will change the future interactions between the Darcys and the Bennets.
Elizabeth was too much of a Mary Sue character to be interesting.
Overall an enjoyable enough story
Elizabeth was too much of a Mary Sue character to be interesting.
Overall an enjoyable enough story
August 24, 2020
Very interesting and well written.
September 19, 2018
Kinda of ho-hum. There were things I liked (Really enjoyed a more confident and decisive Bingley) but hated how imagined problems were drawn out and really problems were quickly smoothed over. Mostly I think it was 10 chapters to long. She could have easily ended it soon without all the extra convolutions.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews