The Flight Path Less Traveled: A Modern Pride and Prejudice Continuation

Pride in Flight #2

by Leigh Dreyer

In this modern Pride and Prejudice continuation and sequel to The Best Laid Flight Plans, 2nd Lieutenant Elizabeth Bennet and Captain William Darcy are facing trials after the events of Elizabeth’s last flight. Darcy’s proposal lingers between them as Elizabeth becomes almost single sighted to her rehabilitation and her return to pilot training. A secret is revealed to Elizabeth about Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s past that throws all she has known to be true into a tail spin. The romance between our hero and heroine begins to blossom through military separations, sisterly pranks, and miscommunications. Can Darcy and Elizabeth come together or will flying in the Air Force keep them apart?

Genres: Contemporary, Romance

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 14, 2019

Reviews

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My problem with this book is the fact that there was just too much time between reading the first in this series of 3 and the release of this second one. I read so many books that it was impossible for me to remember the details of the first one. And now I find that there will be a third one and I may have the same problem. I should have waited for all three to be released so I could immediately pick up the next book.

The romance part is a draw. This author choses not to have our couple falling into bed together before marriage. For one thing it would jeopardize both their careers in the Air Force as students and instructors are not allowed to fraternize. They are in love, they live in the same house, Netherfield, with Jane and Bingley and there are kisses and caresses. So practicing the discipline of keeping things rather cool while in that living arrangement allows them to be in control while in public.

But there is a larger element keeping this romance from progressing as we think most romances should. Elizabeth's only goal in life has been to be an Air Force pilot. With the injuries sustained (in the first book) she has a long way to go to be back in shape and even then it might not be the shape the Air Force requires of its pilots. Darcy seeks to support Elizabeth and does so by talking to those who know her best...BUT he knows that there is a possibility that she may not pass the board's certification to return her to duty. Elizabeth is in denial and she doesn't want to hear the other side of that coin from anyone.

And as hinted in the story description while all this is going on, therapy, doctor's appointments, studying for the course, she learns something from her parents that shakes her world's foundations. At the same time what she learns explains some things she never could quite understand about her parents' marriage.

While Elizabeth is looking at only one goal on her horizon Darcy hangs in there as he wants more. I like this Darcy. He doesn't think he knows it all or that his way is the right way. I like how he seeks advice and how he changes tactics or backs down when he sees something is not working.

I enjoyed this story. The author does include many footnotes to explain various aircraft spoken of and different practices or regulations.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to recommend. Pride and Prejudice-inspired modern set in US Air Force environment. Fantastic emerging author. Though this is book 2, I think it rather stands well on its own. Happily-ever-after! This would make a terrific Hallmark movie.

[Mirta Trupp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I applaud the author for tackling some hard issues in this modern-day J.A.F.F. I couldn't pass on this fascinating idea... Elizabeth and Darcy are in the Air Force! HUA! Not only must our beloved couple deal with their well known idiosyncrasies, there is the added angst of Elizabeth having to cope with physical and emotional trauma.

I also commend the author for addressing Post Partum Depression, a relatively sensitive subject that should to be discussed openly and without fear of recrimination.

God bless our troops and Aim High!

[Carole (in Canada) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She wanted to be a pilot...And come hell or high water, a pilot was exactly what she was going to become." (quote from the book)

My heart was back in my throat as I read the opening chapter. The end of 'The Best Laid Flight Plans' was emotionally gripping and Book 2 picks up shortly after. This book has us experience Elizabeth's emotional and physical journey through the trials and tribulations of rehabilitation and learning family secrets. But we all know how Elizabeth's pride always rises with every attempt to intimidate her but will her stubbornness be her undoing?

I loved this Elizabeth Bennet. She is tenacious, determined and has a single-minded focus, though sometimes not seeing what is right in front of her, when she wants to achieve something. Right now that focus is on healing. She also hates feeling vulnerable and weak which causes her to push away all those who are trying to help her. Ms. Dreyer has beautifully conveyed Elizabeth's frustrations and fears and has given us a rather realistic look into her mindset.

"I have been fighting too hard for too long to allow someone else to come in and make my life a little easier. Besides, I don't need anyone to rescue me." (quote from the book)

So you wonder, what about Darcy? How is he handling the difficulties Elizabeth is facing? I hate giving anything away, but I just loved Captain Darcy. He too has a journey. One where he has to realize, he can't control everything. What he does and how he does it will melt your heart.

Then there is Jane. Her growth in this story was a sight to behold. She was there for Elizabeth, but she also pushed back at her stubbornness. Jane was a force to be reckoned with.

One of my favourite couples, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, were given a small but very significant role in this series. There are some delightful surprises of other characters from Jane Austen's books as well.

So, as you can tell, I absolutely loved this book. But most of all, it is the emotional connection that impacted me. Though I have never experienced the difficulties nor the losses imparted, I could certainly empathize with them.

I look forward to reading the final book in this series of Pride in Flight. And I certainly hope that Ms. Dreyer has many more books for us in the future.

I was fortunate to win this book in a giveaway with no expectation of a review.

[Madenna U · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story as a continuation of the first. Elizabeth Bennet crashed her plane and is now in recovery - very slow recovery since she broke almost everything in her body. However, she is determined to catch up to her class in flight school. Everyone understands that this will not happen but her. She is bound and determined that she does not need help and will return to what she was doing.

Darcy loves her but has to learn just to support her and not try to fix everything/do everything for her. She must learn that she is not alone and that she has a solid support system.

[Teresita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional

An interesting concept well written about overcoming life's obstacles. The characters keep their traits but also are well adapted to the current times.
I can't hardly wait for the next book in this series!

[Patricia Edmisson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Loved it and encourage others to read this book. This is Book 2 and would highly suggest reading the first one, so story flows better. Great story and look forward to reading Book 3.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come on April 3rd.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars - This story starts just after the tragic incident in the first book of the series **spoiler for first book** that left Elizabeth unable to walk and her military career in question. Elizabeth was relentlessly focused on rehabilitating and being able to fly again, even though that seems like a long shot given the extent of her injuries. When the possibility of not flying in the military is brought up, she doesn't even really entertain it as a possibility.

Things I Liked:
- Seeing Elizabeth's determination to work to get back in shape and to be able to do what she loves.
- Darcy balancing supporting Elizabeth in her recovery while trying to get her to recognize that she might not ever get back to where she was before. He does this all while Elizabeth doesn't even really seem to be clear about whether she wants a relationship with him or where it might go with everything she is dealing with.
- There is a tension where Elizabeth and Darcy being together would not be considered appropriate within military since he is her teacher. Living with Bingley is one thing, since she is her sister's husband, but Darcy is a whole extra complication. It's not clear if Elizabeth is going to be able to continue being in the military though, so this seems like something that might resolve itself.
- There are also some Bennet family secrets that seem like they might cause some heartache.

Things I Didn't Like:
- There isn't really much in the line of romance in this story, since Elizabeth was so focused on her recovery and the future of her career.
- The characters from other Austen novels seemed like they might devolve into another storyline, but that didn't really happen and they were more just secondary characters. I felt a little let down of so little happening with what I felt was teased with the names of these characters.

This is the 2nd in a series of 3 books, all of which follow Elizabeth Bennet and William Darcy. There are references to a number of characters from other of Austen's books, but those served more to be secondary characters that you would already have an idea of their general backstory or disposition. If you want to see Elizabeth and Darcy's full story, you have to keep reading.

[Maria Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

My biggest problem I think with reading this is that I read the first one over 2 1/2 years ago and I while I remember the gist of it, I didn't remember vital things, like the plane crash. You'd think that would stick in my head, right? It didn't. It had been too long. So I was at a bit of a disadvantage going into this one. But I was in the mood for some JAFF so I went for it. The story is interesting but a couple things made it less enjoyable to me. First, there are too many JAFF references for me. I found it distracting to have characters from other Austen books. I mean on the one hand it is clever but it all sticks out to me and feels jarring. If you don't know Austen's books it won't make a difference to you. And the other thing that I didn't totally enjoy was a lot of the plot kind of felt like a soap opera to me. Some of it was hinted at in the first one but again, I didn't remember. I went back and reread the ending of the first to remind me that these things actually existed. So I guess the problem is that the plotline doesn't truly match my own tastes. Other things would be spoilers so I'll leave those alone. I was happy to get a little Darcy in my life today and that was what I wanted most.

While this book was probably just okay for me, it still interested me enough that I'd like to read the third one.

Sex: reference to but not on the page
Language: yes
Violence: no

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

That I found out right after finishing the frist part that there was a second part and that there will be a third part as well made very curious and so I dove back in straight away. As stated already I do like this one even a bit more than the first one. Yes, the reviews that I have read on here to reflect for sure some fair criticism and there are surely a flew flaws but I do like it that Dreyer started to work with a Lizzie Bennet who encounters a major challenge and has to overcome this in a rather less happy ending manner than I did expect when I started to read the books. I also like that Darcy gets his airtime as well. In a certain way I dare to describe this second one:'a crossover between 'Pride&Prejudice' and 'Sense&Sensibility'. Brewing a cocktail of Jane Austen Classics is surely not something that you easily can do but Leigh Dreyer managed to write a hihly enjoyable second book about two characters that also come along with their doubts, anxiety, stubborness and other sensations that we sometimes try to hide. I am looking forward to read part 3 that is told to be coming out in the folowing 12 months.

[Wendy Barney · Rating 5 out of 5]

**this review may contain spoilers**

This is book 2 of 3 in the series, starting where the previous left off with Elizabeth on the road to recovery from the crash. She is awaiting her review board to see if she will be considered fit for duty and return to training, or if she will in fact be medically retired. I really appreciate the way the author portrayed the struggles (both emotionally and physically) those injured feel. My husband is in the Navy and has had a few fellow shipmates injured pretty seriously. From what they have told us, the process is very similar and painful as the one in this book.

I liked learning more about Jane, Caroline and the twist about Elizabeth's family regarding Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. While others may not agree with me, I really appreciate the detail regarding what Mrs. Bennett went through after having Jane and the authors note at the end. I look forward to the 3rd book!

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable series

Darcy and Elizabeth as fighter pilots, what’s not to love. This is book two in a three book series. Book three was just released so I took the time to finish this book. This book continues where book two left off. This book dealt with a lot of issues for many characters and touched on some topics that need more light shed on them. My only real comment on this book is that some of the big reveals were glossed over or a little anti-climactic (Willoughby). Overall a very good read. Looking forward to reading book three

[Jennifer Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book picks up after Elizabeth's crash and Wickham's death. The majority of the book focuses on Elizabeth's recovery and the developing relationship between her and Darcy (they were not engaged at the end of the last book). There were some things in this one that seemed farfetched--like Darcy not really getting in trouble for living with Elizabeth while she was recovering. Also, Jane, who is a teacher, got to leave school a couple of times because she "already had done the professional development" or because the principal told her she could leave for the second half of the day....because that really happens in education (LOL). This one was interesting, but the courtship felt a little drawn-out.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author has impressive writing chops and there's a good basic story here. It's fun to spot the Jane Austen characters from her other famous novels who have their roles here. Unfortunately, I don't think the plot is executed as well as it could have been. The author takes on some major writing challenges with this story, and some are handled better than others.

The first is that it's the middle book of a trilogy, so it continues a story arc begun in Book 1 that won't be complete until Book 3, but it also needs to have its own plot with rising action and resolution. Mission accomplished! This picks up after Elizabeth Bennet's horrific accident, taking us through her experiences during recovery and climaxing with the military hearing that determines whether she will be permitted to return to active duty in the flight program. The verdict brings us the resolution of this book and eventually leads to a nice HEA (for the moment).

Essentially, this middle book is a character study of Elizabeth. In general, character studies are difficult books to write well. In this case, Elizabeth is frustrated at her helplessness and at her well-meaning caretakers, who all encourage her to accept the likelihood that she will not achieve her lifelong dream and instead suggest that she start thinking about a different career path. People who are hurting aren't exactly on their best behavior, and Elizabeth often lashes out at those who love her the most. While her emotional turmoil would certainly be understandable in real life, her antagonism, stubbornness, and sometimes irrational attitude don't make her a very likable heroine. One wonders how Darcy can still be in love with her, especially since this book focuses on her struggles rather than their romance.

Darcy and Elizabeth share a house so he can care for her, but since he's an instructor and she is, technically, still a student, a romantic relationship between them would get them both in trouble with the Air Force. This should be an opportunity to show them yearning for each other without being in a position to act on their feelings. We occasionally read that Darcy fights his attraction to her, but that's it. Virtually all of Elizabeth's thoughts are centered on getting back into flight school. Again, this is probably realistic, but it lacks the sensual chemistry between the two that most JAFF-lovers crave.

Like any book that's character-driven rather than event-driven, it's necessarily introspective. I think this one gets TOO introspective. Elizabeth's obsession with overcoming insurmountable odds makes sense for someone with her Type A personality, but that's explained over and over, which doesn't make for interesting reading. Multiple times we're told how she excels at everything she puts her mind to. Darcy has his own repetitive thoughts: He wants to make future plans, but he knows Elizabeth is emotionally fragile. How can he help her without being too pushy? Does she love him or not?

The military is shown to mishandle Elizabeth's situation. Her psych therapist (Mrs. Jennings) seems to have a different theory about how to handle her nightmares and her emotions every session, and the harder she pushes Elizabeth to prepare for a different future, the more Elizabeth digs in and resolves to prove everyone wrong. Captain Willoughby is a flight doctor who leads her to believe she has a good chance at reinstatement, while Darcy knows Willoughby is a player who's just toying with her. Elizabeth's case manager is useless. The lack of sensitivity by the officers holding her fate in their hands is appalling. Since this is a fictional story, it's hard to be sure how typical Elizabeth's experience is. I'm sure the actual process can be better depending upon the individuals assigned to a case, but the military's apparent policy preventing Elizabeth from being present or speaking at her own hearing is especially disturbing.

The book is filled with talking. Most of it is excellent, but some of the dialogue doesn't sound natural. For example: Would Jane, of all people, go through an overly detailed explanation of the role a flight doctor plays to DARCY, who would certainly know those facts better than her? There's another sequence that hits a hot button of mine: Darcy and Elizabeth discuss books and speculate regarding what a book about them would be like. It has nothing to do with the rest of the story and jerks the reader out of total immersion by reminding us that they ARE just characters in a book.

As for other characters: I love how Jane is shown to evolve; she's a strong character throughout. The Gardiners have a significant role here, too. A subplot involving Mrs. Bennet is a major misstep, both because it's unbelievable and because it's a tangent unconnected to the primary story. The Bennet family dynamics just aren't credible in light of her revelations. Nor is Elizabeth's fear that Darcy's feelings about her will be affected by this new information. However, Caroline Bingley's storyline is more relevant and entertaining.

Despite its many flaws, the book has a lot going for it. I look forward to reading Book 3.

I received an ARC from the author with no promise of a favorable review. Opinions are my own.

[Rachel Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of my review is in book one, just adding here that in book 2 this version of D really shines. The commitment of this version of D is delightful