Mrs Bennet's Surprising Connections: Prequel to ‘Don’t flatter yourself’

by Sydney Salier

A Pride and Prejudice Variation spin-off.In ‘Don’t flatter yourself’ the second Mrs Bennet kept quiet about her aristocratic background. This book follows the lives of Lady Francine and Thomas Bennet. Her early life, their initial meeting, their disastrous first marriages and the life they built together. This is the story of Mrs Bennet's family, both the aristocratic one and the genteel one she married into. And it fills in some of the blanks about the personalities described in ‘Don’t flatter yourself’.

Genres: Fiction

156 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 8, 2019

Reviews

[wosedwew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happiness always comes from feeling that you've been blessed. ~ Robert Brault

How could a Duke’s daughter spend her life married to such a small landowner as Mr. Bennet of Meryton in Hertfordshire? Wouldn’t the Duke have wanted her to have a husband from the highest circles of society?

Yes, the Duke removed his daughter from all contact with Mr. Bennet and pushed her toward an Earl. “Mrs. Bennet’s Surprising Connections” is the story of that disaster of a marriage. The positive result of the marriage: Elizabeth Bennet.

And why did Mr. Bennet choose to marry Miss Gardiner? A positive result from that marriage: Jane Bennet.

This story is a prequel to the author’s first book and fleshes out background events that move two unhappy people together. The story is clean but be warned that Mrs. Bennet’s first husband was cruel physically and sexually.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~ Dalai Lama

[J. W. Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***

>>Rating: MATURE: Listen carefully: This was hardcore. Contained scenes of violence, murder, an assault [rape not graphically described, with consequences], spousal abuse, referenced S/M and deviant proclivities, murder[s], and death of major and minor characters.
>>Angst Level: Pretty serious stressors
>>Source: Borrowed from KU 4-16-24: I volunteered to leave a review. 24 chapters
>>Trope: [1] A Bennet dies [2] 2nd Bennet wife: thus yours, mine, and our children [3] Connections that include wealth and titles [4] Elizabeth is not a Bennet [5] Different pairing for Jane [6] Different Bennet family dynamics [those we often wish to see]

The Denton Connection Series [4-books: not all are standalone]
Book 1: Mrs. Bennet’s Surprising Connections: Prequel to Don’t flatter yourself
Book 2: Don’t flatter yourself
Book 3: It’s a Duke’s Life: Sequel to ‘Don’t flatter yourself
Book 4: Lady Alexandra’s Hunt: [can be read as a standalone]

It is recommended that this book be read first before any of the other books. It is a prequel to book two and answers a LOT of questions, fills in plot holes, and concludes threads left dangling in book two. I read it first and was glad. When I read book 2, I immediately saw where that background information was crucial to a smooth flow in the storyline. Do not pass up this book even with the caveat that it is mature. Some scenes can be skipped over.

Francine Bennet: two women with the same name, similar in appearance, but below the surface, they were as different as night and day.

Lady Francine Flinter was in love with Thomas Bennet, an Oxford scholar. He was intelligent and enjoyed rousing conversations with her and appreciated her lively mind. The problem was he was the second son of a minor gentleman in the country. Her father, the Duke of Denton, had higher aspirations for her. An incident forced their hands and soon, Lady Francine found herself married to Lord James, Earl Fellmar. She would be his third wife. His previous wives died in unusual circumstances but nothing that caused suspicion. Not long after her wedding, she discovered all too quickly the true nature of his depravity.

Francine Gardiner: Thomas Bennet, an Oxford scholar, was still grieving the loss of his first love. While on a home visit, he attended the local Meryton Assembly and met the lively and beautiful, Francine Gardiner. He enjoyed her company and she listened intently to every word he uttered. He found her fascinating. Soon they were married. Once in Oxford, Bennet quickly discovered all the attributes of his wife were on the surface. She was vapid, clueless, and possessed a mean understanding. She had no clue how to economize and spent her pin money with abandon.

It was not long before the new Mrs. Bennet was with child. A black-edged express arrived in Oxford to inform Bennet his father and elder brother had been killed when a tree had fallen on their carriage. Francine Bennet née Gardiner was thrilled she would now be Mistress of Longbourn. Only one problem, she didn’t have a clue on how to be mistress of an estate. Nor did Thomas Bennet have a clue on how to be a master. His elder brother was to inherit. They would both have a lot to learn. Thank goodness his mother was still alive to help them.

Francine Bennet née Gardiner was horrified when she delivered a girl instead of the expected boy needed to break the entail. She refused the child and pushed it away. A few days after childbirth, she developed a fever and never recovered.

This prequel established how the love story, between the widower Thomas Bennet and the widow Lady Fellmar, came full circle. It filled in all the gaps present in the other books. I was glad I read it first.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the prequel to a P&P variation telling the history of the Bennet parents and their extended family, Mrs. Bennet's Surprising Connections gives a moving story that was sad and then triumphant in Sydney Salier's heartwarming low angst way of writing.

The book lists as the second entry in the Denton Connection series, but is a prequel so I tossed around whether to read it first or read Don't Flatter Yourself (first book listed for the series) first. I ended up going with the chronological order of the story so picked this one up first. I've read both now and I'm glad I read this one first. I liked knowing Thomas, Francine and their extended family story before adding in the additional lead characters of the next generation when Jane, Elizabeth, their sisters and cousins are grown up and beginning to do their own courting.

So, Mrs. Bennet's Surprising Connections begins with Francine's mother and her story before years pass and expand to Francine meeting young Thomas Bennet for the first time. They are each other's first love before the duke parts them because he wants a better match for his daughter than a second son of a minor gentleman. His choice leads to tragedy as does Thomas Bennet's own choice in marriage.
But, there is hope and second chances.

An interesting backstory for the second Mrs. Bennet and it changes everything for the Longbourn family and the surrounding community the five Bennet girls grow up in.

There is a mix of tragedy in triumph in this one making me like it even better than the 'Don't Flatter Yourself' tale featuring Darcy and Lizzy and these endearing older generations who shaped Lizzy. But, I did love that one, too. While I toss words around like tragedy and triumph, this never felt strongly dramatic. A satisfying comfy chair read.

[Gail Frisby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Nice story I am glad I went back and found that there was a book 1 I have read book 2 but now will read it again

[MichelleH H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Sydney Salier story has much more serious elements to it than those I've read so far, the very serious beginning is over quickly though. I enjoyed it very much. For new readers of this author know going in that there will be lots of anachronisms, modern language, and lots of humor and fun. Usually an out of place phrase or modern idea pulls me out of the story but I don't like to stop reading a story to look up the information, yet does it really matter? With Salier's works I just happily go along for the ride. The following contains spoilers.

Lady Francine Fellmar meets Thomas Bennet when he is still attending Oxford, they fall in love but Lady Francine's father the Duke of Denton refuses to give the idea consideration. Although Francine and her mother rarely see the duke, as he and the duchess have no close relationship he still has all the power over his family. He parades Francine in front of a long list of approved suitors. One of the worst of these forces himself on Francine claiming ruination and states she marries him or he will tell the world she threw herself at him branding her a ____. Who do you think society would believe. She accepts, tells her mother and thus starts a miserable year plus of his torture. The duchess tells the duke and he apologizes, and she tells him to find a 'distraction' for the slime. Fortunately he dies before witnessing his first born who is a girl, Elizabeth.

Thomas Bennet inherits Longbourn, struggles to learn estate management and marries a lively local beauty, Francine Gardiner. All her charm disappears the moment they are wed and she goes to live at Longbourn expecting to be treated like a queen. The dowager Mrs. Bennet suffers the new Mrs. Bennet in few requests as they are financially unrealistic. The dowager was a saint considering she just lost her husband, but she stays for Thomas's sake which he really needs. The new Mrs. B. has no concept of pleasure in the marriage bed and refuses all contact after she becomes pregnant. Mrs. B. refuses the babe once it's known it's a girl and her hysterics turn into fever and she dies.

Netherfield is in the duchess's gift to give her daughter but held back when Lady Francine married believing the property would be gone in no time because The Slime. But after L. Francine's daughter is born she requests establishing herself permanently at Netherfield, too many bad memories back at Denton, and not liking town society. Eventually Thomas Bennet and Lady Francine meet again, and grow to love each other's daughter. It takes a long time for them to find more than friendship due to L. Francine's horrible treatment from her first husband. I loved Thomas Bennet in this book so much. He's a true hero. Once they do wed, they talk about leasing out Netherfield with Edward Gardiner being their representative. Their lives move along similarly to canon, five daughters, the Gardiners, etc. But because of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's changed characters and circumstances, the daughters all turn out differently yet following their general personalities. They are just all brought up in love and patience and appropriate education and training.

The story closes at the Meryton assembly just as Darcy makes his rude comment, but with a very different response from Elizabeth.

Recommend. I can't wait to read the next one in series order, Don't Flatter Yourself: (The Denton Connection book 1.)

[Lady Jl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs Bennet has connections and is honorable

Halving always wanted to show Mr. Darcy that the Bennet family is honorable and does have those connected he associates with finding a wife, this story makes all my wishes come true. This is the perfect story of how misleading first impressions and prejudices can lead to rethinking everything you thought about someone or something.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book.

[Chetana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️

This was a great prequel novella about how Thomas Bennet met Fanny and then Francine. I liked seeing the set up where Mr. Bennet married the original Mrs. Bennet who was so unsuitable for him and later the lady who suited him and how that changed the course for not just him but his daughters. This is another take on the Elizabeth is not a Bennet trope I have seen in variations.

[L Syl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome twist about Mrs Bennet

Awesome twist about the second Mrs Bennet. This story is a prequel to "Don't Flatter Yourself" and is worth your time to read. I recommend you read this story first and follow it with the second.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

That book was an unpleasant surprise. It was not bad just disappointing. I've read another book of the series and I was joyfully anticipating reading about Lady Francine and Mr. Bennet's love story since it was only mentioned in the second book. I was expecting the same light mood and simple, uncomplicated read. I shouldn't have. The book was literally full of deaths, half of the characters were gone until the end. Still, I should have been able to enjoy it since the story was about the whole Bennet, Danton, and even Fitzwilliam families. It was sad, but those deaths were somehow necessary for the storyline. So, nothing in common with the cheerful and light second book. But, as I said it was still acceptable. What was NOT acceptable was Lady Francine's first marriage and the circumstances around it.

Sometimes I enjoy dark reads, but with everything happening in the world lately, I was not looking for that. If the story was set up like that from the beginning I would have skipped the book, but it was impossible to expect such a terrible turn of events because it was in the middle of the book. Lady Francine's father was against her relationship with Mr. Bennet, which was natural since he was not even the heir of Longbourn when they met. It is still natural for a father to want an advantageous match for his daughter, he was a Duke after all. Literally each and every kind of old, disagreeable, negligent, stupid or annoying husband would have been enough for the purpose of the story. We get it, she was in love with Thomas, she hated the ton and she would have never been happy with the typical aristocratic husband. Even a mentally abusive husband or one that beat his wife in a drunken stupor would have been disgusting, but still somehow acceptable. What is NOT acceptable in Jane Austen's genteel, sheltered world, variation or not, was a sadist. And I am not talking Christian Grey here no, a real sadistic sociopathic monster who killed his two previous wives and we were even given details about those deaths and his cruel methods. The two chapters concerning Lady Francine's fate during this period of four months were odious to read. Not the roller coaster of emotions kind of odious, this a novella after all and there is no place to develop such kind of complex and deep events properly. We are just given the facts. Eighteen-year-old Francine was raped in her father's estate under his dubious protection and bullied to marry the rapist, knowing well enough that he enjoyed inflicting pain. After the wedding, he actually tortured her for an entire month even if he knew that she was pregnant. The marriage continued for four months and the worst consequence of all that useless drama was that Elizabeth Bennet, Austen's most appreciated female character was born out of abuse and rape. Seriously, if I wanted that kind of story I would have found one. Even worse, once again this a novella, dark books are all about rising above the pain and the long and difficult period of healing and reconstruction. Since it happened in one short chapter we were unable to follow Francine's recovery and witness how she overcame the fear of abuse with every touch and was able to marry again. We are just told that she made it. In a well developed dark story, the bittersweet phase of a new relationship with an incredible partner would have been carefully explored. Since the abuse was also sexual, a scene with that new partner would have been shown to compensate for all those terrible events and to prove to the reader that it was possible. But hey, this was a CLEAN romance after all since we saw zero sex scenes, we were just told about them. It is not that a wanted any particular details about those four months, but writing about abuse without depth is painful and ridiculous to read. All that nonsense spoiled any further enjoyment I could have from the book. It is a pity since I like the series in general and was glad to have some light afternoon reads. I will probably continue the series because I am curious about Charlotte's story, but I really hope to forger this book very soon.

[lori huff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tying up loose ends

This book nicely explains the back story of Lady Francine Bennett and Lady Elizabeth Fellmar, both of whom figure prominently in the book Don't Flatter Yourself. The difficult and heartbreaking story of the first marriages of Mr and Mrs Bennett sets the stage for their family dynamic. Unlike the Bennetts of the original P&P, this Bennett family is happy and decorous, and they have ties to nobility.

This book is not for the faint of heart. Although it doesn't get too explicit, Lady Francine's first marriage to Earl Fellmar is an extremely abusive one, so be warned that it can be disturbing. Also, some disturbing attitudes of the nouveau riche towards their servants is exposed, but is quickly handled in the right way. This author seems to like throwing in shocking or repulsive content, just to stir things up, and maybe to expose a darker side of the prim and proper Regency era behavior.

Thankfully, the two main characters, Thomas Bennett and Lady Francine, find their way to each other after their individual trials. The book is well written, but lacks the romantic power that we look for in JAFF. The punctuation is atrocious, with commas appearing all over the place where they don't belong. There are several important editing errors that need attention. This is not great literature, but is a pleasant way to pass a few hours.

[Allison Ripley-Duggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

It was so enticing that I couldn’t put it down, this book grabbed my interest from the very first page. I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what happened next. The story is well written with a very good storyline. This is a Pride and Prejudice variation. You will see the most beloved characters in a whole new way. This is The Denton Collection Book One. This is a Pride and Prejudice Variation spin-off. In this story, the second Mrs Bennet kept quiet about her aristocratic background. This story follows the lives of Lady Francine and Thomas Bennet, her early life, their initial meeting, their disastrous first marriages and the life they built together. This is the story of Mrs Bennet's family, both the aristocratic one and the genteel one she married into. It also fills in some of the blanks about the personalities that you will see described in book two. So with all that and more this story pulls you in and holds you tight. It’s a must read. I highly recommend to everyone.

[William Hovey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting introduction

This is an interesting introduction to a variation that will depart significantly from canon. The names of the Bennetts, the Gardiners, and the Phillips characters plus a few characteristics of Jane, Lizzy, Thomas Bennett, Edward Gardiner, and Charles Bingley are similar to P&P, so the reader must become acquainted with all the different characters and storylines.
There were only a couple minor editing errors that did not detract from a well-written prequel.
I now look forward to reading the book to see how the various characters evolve. There are hints of other persons from P&P, but I leave it to the reader to recognize them as part of the charm of this story. I am looking forward to the next steps in the lives of the Bennett sisters, the Bingley, and the just introduced Darcy.

[Rachel Fuente · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose to read The Denton Connection in chronological order, so started with the prequel. It definitely needs to come with a trigger warning. While I'm fortunate enough to not be bothered by too terribly much, there are mentions — granted, nothing explicit — of physical and sexual assault, rape, suicide, psychological abuse, and child neglect. While, ultimately, there is a happily ever after, Mrs. Bennet's Surprising Connections (MBSC) isn't all the upbeat story the synopsis makes it out to be. While I imagine I'll be happy I read MBSC for the context it provides for the later books, I don't know that I'd ever want to read it again.

[Wendy DeWachter · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning there was a storyline that disturbed me. For the most part I skipped it. After that part of the story ended I was completely absorbed and read every page. I do wish there was more of Caroline's acid tongue though, I do so love seeing her set down, and, so far anyway, this book contained the best of set downs yet. I loved it!

[Eddie and Joanne Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done prequel

I did enjoy this prequel. As the story developed, there were some elements that were predictable and other that were not. But this is expected when reading a P&P variation. I am always curious to see how we are going to get to our HEA. As this is a prequel, we will have to see.

[CharlotteReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Salier is a delightful author-- with a light touch and an amusing approach even when dealing with hard subjects. I was concerned reading this novella that a couple acts of violence toward women would be triggering. The worst was vaguely described, with very little detail -- so it was not angst producing or triggering. I read this last. I now think it would have made more sense to read it first.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this first!

Very well-written prequel. I highly recommend this if you are reading "Don't Flatter Yourself". This prequel gives good insight into how the relationships came about.

[Michele Packard-milam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Great Start

I enjoyed this generation prior to P&P very much. The characters are true to canon, but the new characters are interesting and a long way from Jane Austen’s normal cast. I am looking forward to the next books in this series.

[Lisa E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Could use a little editing but it is an interesting story. I think Lady Francine was very fortunate to heal from such emotional injuries so quickly. I am happy the 5 girls in the Bennet household have such loving familial relationships.

[Nikki Rushing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

This book was awesome I enjoyed it tremendously
I recommend it to anyone
I’m sure they will enjoy it tremendously

[Katie Nuzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very different

I enjoyed this book. I wish it were a little longer to get know the characters better. It does have some dark events but characters handle them well.

[Daisy Roe]

So Good

This author is quickly becoming s favorite. I hope she comes up with more from this world. I wish that Earl had harsher reprimand s

[Lynne Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Could not put it down read it from page to page in about four hours, love lady Francine and all her family.

[CEK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sets the stage for P & P

We get the background stories of the Bennet family as it is constituted in "Don't Flatter Yourself" and it segues right in to the next book as Bingley leases Netherfield and Darcy is ride at the assembly. Nice plot variation with loving spouses and pleasant family life, due to second marriages.