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The Happily Ever Collection #2
Mr. Darcy and the Lost Slipper: a Pride and Prejudice variation
Elizabeth Bennet’s father died when she was very young, and her mother remarried a few years later to a man named Bingley. Though her mother has sent her and her older sister Jane away to stay with relatives for significant periods of time in their lives, Elizabeth has spent enough time in the presence of her stepsisters Caroline and Louisa to grow accustomed to their cutting remarks and their treating her like a servant, even as they tolerate Jane. But her stepbrother, Charles, often away at school, is practically a stranger. Still, Elizabeth finds it a bit awkward to discover a romance is brewing between Jane and Charles Bingley, and she’s not keen on the idea of helping her sister sneak around with her new paramour by pretending to be Jane at a series of masquerade balls. Elizabeth harbors a dream to be a published novelist, and she would rather stay at home and scribble away at her book than dance at a ball. Especially not if she has to endure the company of Mr. Darcy. He is Mr. Bingley’s awful friend. Sometimes silent, sometimes smug, always loathsomely arrogant. No, she fears that if she spends too much time anywhere near man, she will be unable to keep herself from telling him exactly what she thinks of him. And that can only go badly. The Happily Ever Collection is a series of books that retell the story of our dear couple mixed with various fairy tales. This is a combination of Cinderella and Pride and Prejudice. Set in Regency England, there are no magical or paranormal elements. Though this is the second book in the collection, it stands alone and can be read separately from the others in the series.
199 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 29, 2020
71 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 5, 2020
I'm sorry but I got to 18% and put this book down. I cannot recommend it. Sloppy and rambles on and has Elizabeth writing a novel among worries about Jane being pursued by their stepbrother, Charles Bingley. Darcy has had very little page-time as of yet.
This is something I just about never do but I felt it was not getting any better and it certainly didn't hold my attention.
This is something I just about never do but I felt it was not getting any better and it certainly didn't hold my attention.
May 29, 2020
3.5 Stars rounded up
September 3, 2021
Oh, my nerves, my nerves! I need my salts!
Rating: MA or at least PG-17: due to violence against a woman, adult themes discussed and described. Angst Level: low-to-medium: mostly due to reader frustration and angst. I should start a tooth grinding level. I nearly broke a tooth. GRRR! Source KU 8-17-21: Trope: Fairy-Tale-Inspired: Book 2/3 in the series. [3.5-stars rounds to 4-stars] I wish Amazon and Goodreads did half-stars.
SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** spoilers ***
First: this sounded like a cute idea; however, it did not work for me. I did not like this story one bit. This was that character portrayal of Elizabeth that drives me crazy. She was a Vindication activist/priestess on steroids. All the I-messages got on my last nerve. “I vant to be alone.” “I don’t need a man.” “I don’t want to marry.” “I refuse to surrender to a man.” “If I were a man… I could do such and so.” Is that what you call penis envy or what? She didn’t come across as a strong woman advocating for her rights, but a petulant whiny child who was demanding her own way. I grew so tired of listening to her railing against being a female and the treatment and restrictions Regency society placed on women. OMG! This version of Elizabeth absolutely got on my last nerve. I do not like it when Elizabeth is portrayed in this manner. GRRR!
Mrs. Bennet also raked over my frayed nerves. When Mr. Bennet died, Collins and Charlotte moved into Longbourn. She then married Mr. Bingley senior for security. He then up and died leaving her with Charles and his pernicious sisters. She tried to placate them by treated her own daughters like servants… especially Elizabeth. Charles had spent most of his time at school had little dealings with the family. Later, after his father died, he was involved with taking care of the family businesses. He eventually moved back home as head of the family. Jane was Jane and when they met, she and Charles made eyes at each other. We find him with more backbone in this story than we usually see. He actually took Darcy to task several times and tried to run interference with his younger sister, Caroline. She didn’t hear a word he said, of course.
Darcy was a poor socially inept mess. He couldn’t string three words together when in a crowd or in the presence of a woman. His social anxieties were crippling. Caroline tried to run interference for him and thought she was ingratiating herself with him. She was not. She was a nightmare and tried to drag Darcy around like a puppy on a leash. She was horrid and attempted the unthinkable. I can’t decide if the author was kind in her epilogue or not. Caroline still reached higher than I thought she should, IMHO [in my honest opinion.
I don’t know… this story just felt wrong. I did not enjoy it and it felt dark and I don’t like it when Darcy is shown to be dependent or co-dependent or… less. That’s it. Darcy was less. He lost a lot of oomph in this story. And the way Elizabeth treated him was horrid. Nope, I did not like this story.
The Happily Ever Collection: Note from the author: ‘Though each story in the collection takes its cue from a fairy tale, there are neither magic nor otherworldly elements in the stories.”
Book 1: Mr. Darcy, the Beast
Book 2: Mr. Darcy and the Lost Slipper
Book 3: In the Tower with Mr. Darcy
Rating: MA or at least PG-17: due to violence against a woman, adult themes discussed and described. Angst Level: low-to-medium: mostly due to reader frustration and angst. I should start a tooth grinding level. I nearly broke a tooth. GRRR! Source KU 8-17-21: Trope: Fairy-Tale-Inspired: Book 2/3 in the series. [3.5-stars rounds to 4-stars] I wish Amazon and Goodreads did half-stars.
SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** spoilers ***
First: this sounded like a cute idea; however, it did not work for me. I did not like this story one bit. This was that character portrayal of Elizabeth that drives me crazy. She was a Vindication activist/priestess on steroids. All the I-messages got on my last nerve. “I vant to be alone.” “I don’t need a man.” “I don’t want to marry.” “I refuse to surrender to a man.” “If I were a man… I could do such and so.” Is that what you call penis envy or what? She didn’t come across as a strong woman advocating for her rights, but a petulant whiny child who was demanding her own way. I grew so tired of listening to her railing against being a female and the treatment and restrictions Regency society placed on women. OMG! This version of Elizabeth absolutely got on my last nerve. I do not like it when Elizabeth is portrayed in this manner. GRRR!
Mrs. Bennet also raked over my frayed nerves. When Mr. Bennet died, Collins and Charlotte moved into Longbourn. She then married Mr. Bingley senior for security. He then up and died leaving her with Charles and his pernicious sisters. She tried to placate them by treated her own daughters like servants… especially Elizabeth. Charles had spent most of his time at school had little dealings with the family. Later, after his father died, he was involved with taking care of the family businesses. He eventually moved back home as head of the family. Jane was Jane and when they met, she and Charles made eyes at each other. We find him with more backbone in this story than we usually see. He actually took Darcy to task several times and tried to run interference with his younger sister, Caroline. She didn’t hear a word he said, of course.
Darcy was a poor socially inept mess. He couldn’t string three words together when in a crowd or in the presence of a woman. His social anxieties were crippling. Caroline tried to run interference for him and thought she was ingratiating herself with him. She was not. She was a nightmare and tried to drag Darcy around like a puppy on a leash. She was horrid and attempted the unthinkable. I can’t decide if the author was kind in her epilogue or not. Caroline still reached higher than I thought she should, IMHO [in my honest opinion.
I don’t know… this story just felt wrong. I did not enjoy it and it felt dark and I don’t like it when Darcy is shown to be dependent or co-dependent or… less. That’s it. Darcy was less. He lost a lot of oomph in this story. And the way Elizabeth treated him was horrid. Nope, I did not like this story.
The Happily Ever Collection: Note from the author: ‘Though each story in the collection takes its cue from a fairy tale, there are neither magic nor otherworldly elements in the stories.”
Book 1: Mr. Darcy, the Beast
Book 2: Mr. Darcy and the Lost Slipper
Book 3: In the Tower with Mr. Darcy
August 21, 2020
This Pride and Prejudice inspired book centers around a misunderstood or unappreciated Elizabeth. In true Cinderella style she is treated as a servant and at one point lives in the servant quarters, but the family situation is more like Sense and Sensibility. The mother and daughters live in the family home but it is awkward. As Elizabeth gets passed around to relatives and tries to find her place, the only person who seems to really see her is Mr Darcy, but she doesn't like her - does he?
Everyone finds their place and I enjoyed it but the characterizations were extreme to match the fairy tale story.
Everyone finds their place and I enjoyed it but the characterizations were extreme to match the fairy tale story.
May 2, 2020
Interesting tale.....ending a little lacking
I like this author but I just don’t know how I felt about the ending on this one. It kind of felt like a let down. A feminist Elizabeth was a good concept but I felt like Darcy was sacrificed in order for that to be realized.
Elizabeth writing her own version of P&P was hilarious! The weirdest bit was Caroline. For the first time she felt more human than any of the other variation versions of her I’ve read. I actually had some sympathy for her which was odd but I was moved to give this a 4 star review because it takes a lot to make me feel anything for a character who I have firmly fixed as a villain in my mind.
All in all I didn’t expect this story to go the way it did. I was thoroughly surprised. I liked it but it’s like when you taste your mashed potatoes to check if there’s a need for more salt. I could have used a bit more salt. I’ll still be eating the mashed potatoes though. Lol! And I shall come back for more from this author because I do like her writing style.
I like this author but I just don’t know how I felt about the ending on this one. It kind of felt like a let down. A feminist Elizabeth was a good concept but I felt like Darcy was sacrificed in order for that to be realized.
Elizabeth writing her own version of P&P was hilarious! The weirdest bit was Caroline. For the first time she felt more human than any of the other variation versions of her I’ve read. I actually had some sympathy for her which was odd but I was moved to give this a 4 star review because it takes a lot to make me feel anything for a character who I have firmly fixed as a villain in my mind.
All in all I didn’t expect this story to go the way it did. I was thoroughly surprised. I liked it but it’s like when you taste your mashed potatoes to check if there’s a need for more salt. I could have used a bit more salt. I’ll still be eating the mashed potatoes though. Lol! And I shall come back for more from this author because I do like her writing style.
May 30, 2020
Only because I couldn't give it less than that.
Let's take everything Jane Austen wrote, write the complete opposite and call it a variation. If you want to lower your IQ read this book. If you've always thought Darcy should be a weak-minded socially inept, bumbling idiot then this book is for you.
Let's take everything Jane Austen wrote, write the complete opposite and call it a variation. If you want to lower your IQ read this book. If you've always thought Darcy should be a weak-minded socially inept, bumbling idiot then this book is for you.
February 22, 2024
Interesting twist on Cinderella. Everyone is different in this. Jane and Elizabeth are the only Bennet daughters though the other three make appearances differently, Lydia being a big surprise. Darcy and Elizabeth's equation is very different as well as Bingley and Jane's. This Darcy is not taciturn but he literally doesn't know how to speak to the fairer sex. I enjoyed the story.
March 30, 2020
Thinking of Cinderella. NOT
This story has aspects of Cindrella, however it is more modern a tale of self reliance and understanding. A good read.
This story has aspects of Cindrella, however it is more modern a tale of self reliance and understanding. A good read.
January 4, 2025
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. You will see the most beloved characters in a whole new way. This is a Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice variation. The Happily Ever Collection is a 3 book series that embodies our beloved characters but takes the cues from a fairy tale, there are neither magic nor otherworldly elements in the stories. This is book 2 and the fairy tale is Cinderella. Elizabeth Bennet’s father died when she was very young, and her mother remarried a few years later to a man named Bingley. Though her mother has sent her and her older sister Jane away to stay with relatives for significant periods of time in their lives, Elizabeth has spent enough time in the presence of her stepsisters Caroline and Louisa to grow accustomed to their cutting remarks and their treating her like a servant, even as they tolerate Jane, but her stepbrother, Charles, often away at school, is practically a stranger. Still, Elizabeth finds it a bit awkward to discover a romance is brewing between Jane and Charles Bingley, and she’s not keen on the idea of helping her sister sneak around with her new paramour by pretending to be Jane at a series of masquerade balls. Elizabeth harbors a dream to be a published novelist, and she would rather stay at home and scribble away at her book than dance at a ball. Especially not if she has to endure the company of Mr. Darcy, he is Mr. Bingley’s awful friend, who is sometimes silent, sometimes smug, and always loathsomely arrogant. No, she fears that if she spends too much time anywhere near the man, she will be unable to keep herself from telling him exactly what she thinks of him, and that can only go badly. 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.
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. You will see the most beloved characters in a whole new way. This is a Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice variation. The Happily Ever Collection is a 3 book series that embodies our beloved characters but takes the cues from a fairy tale, there are neither magic nor otherworldly elements in the stories. This is book 2 and the fairy tale is Cinderella. Elizabeth Bennet’s father died when she was very young, and her mother remarried a few years later to a man named Bingley. Though her mother has sent her and her older sister Jane away to stay with relatives for significant periods of time in their lives, Elizabeth has spent enough time in the presence of her stepsisters Caroline and Louisa to grow accustomed to their cutting remarks and their treating her like a servant, even as they tolerate Jane, but her stepbrother, Charles, often away at school, is practically a stranger. Still, Elizabeth finds it a bit awkward to discover a romance is brewing between Jane and Charles Bingley, and she’s not keen on the idea of helping her sister sneak around with her new paramour by pretending to be Jane at a series of masquerade balls. Elizabeth harbors a dream to be a published novelist, and she would rather stay at home and scribble away at her book than dance at a ball. Especially not if she has to endure the company of Mr. Darcy, he is Mr. Bingley’s awful friend, who is sometimes silent, sometimes smug, and always loathsomely arrogant. No, she fears that if she spends too much time anywhere near the man, she will be unable to keep herself from telling him exactly what she thinks of him, and that can only go badly. 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.
October 17, 2021
This was my second P&P variation to read, and I think I might have been spoiled by my first. This one had its “twist of fate” early on in the story, before the last three Bennet sisters were born, and though the characters of Jane and Elizabeth were still quite natural, because their fate had been so drastically altered so early on in their lives, the characters represented that change as such.
What I couldn’t quite put my finger on was why Darcy was so inept with women. His natural character is a bit stumbling, but because of pride and arrogance, whereas this book represented him as someone on the spectrum; truly unable to grasp moods or subtle conversation twists, and that was the cause of his seeming arrogance. I did not like this twist. I desire my Darcy to be witty and clever, not inept and confused hiding under a guise of pride.
The feminist bend to this book was a new one, though not unwelcome. It seemed to fit the same sort of mood as the most recent Little Women film; a writer writing about her life but giving it happy endings that are acceptable to the general population though the author herself, whether it be Louisa May Alcott or Jane Austen did not actually marry.
Overall it was a interesting read, and probably one of the better P&P variations out there for fans of the genre.
What I couldn’t quite put my finger on was why Darcy was so inept with women. His natural character is a bit stumbling, but because of pride and arrogance, whereas this book represented him as someone on the spectrum; truly unable to grasp moods or subtle conversation twists, and that was the cause of his seeming arrogance. I did not like this twist. I desire my Darcy to be witty and clever, not inept and confused hiding under a guise of pride.
The feminist bend to this book was a new one, though not unwelcome. It seemed to fit the same sort of mood as the most recent Little Women film; a writer writing about her life but giving it happy endings that are acceptable to the general population though the author herself, whether it be Louisa May Alcott or Jane Austen did not actually marry.
Overall it was a interesting read, and probably one of the better P&P variations out there for fans of the genre.
September 23, 2024
Just a hint or nod to Cinderella
Just a hint or nod to Cinderella.
Independence and the evil, or at least condescending step sisters. Stir in some love, balls and a Wickham...
Ahh, Lydia is not a Bennet, and neither is Kitty or Mary. And 2 Collins... one still a parson but slightly different.
Just a hint or nod to Cinderella.
Independence and the evil, or at least condescending step sisters. Stir in some love, balls and a Wickham...
Ahh, Lydia is not a Bennet, and neither is Kitty or Mary. And 2 Collins... one still a parson but slightly different.
July 31, 2020
Although I usually like this writer, I must say that this was one of the most disappointing characterizations of Darcy that I have ever read. He is pathetic. I liked the premise of a Cinderella story, but this one was not that.
August 2, 2023
Interesting variation
Entertaining read. I found Darcy rather weak and Elizabeth rather strange. Mixing up the order of things and relationships gave a different perspective to the classic story.
Entertaining read. I found Darcy rather weak and Elizabeth rather strange. Mixing up the order of things and relationships gave a different perspective to the classic story.
June 30, 2020
Disappointing
I like this author, this book was not awful, it was just ok. The idea was a good one, I’ve read similar before. This one didn’t grab me, but it was a light read.
I like this author, this book was not awful, it was just ok. The idea was a good one, I’ve read similar before. This one didn’t grab me, but it was a light read.
January 28, 2021
I enjoyed this take on Cinderella. Mrs. Bennet was true to character and was cast as the unpleasant stepmother (although she was an unpleasant mother in this case).
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