Mr. Darcy's Bet

by Regina Jeffers

“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” – Act 1, Sc. 4, William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure

FITZWILLIAM DARCY has done everything within his power to prove his devotion to ELIZABETH BENNET. He believes they are so close to knowing happiness; howbeit, when his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, accosts Elizabeth with predictions of Elizabeth never being able to fit in with his social connections, everything changes. Although the lady sent his aunt packing with words to the contrary, a bit of doubt has slipped under Elizabeth’s shield of confidence, and she again refuses his hand in marriage: This time to protect him from the gossiping 'beau monde.'

Therefore, Darcy must take a leap of faith; he proposes to her before the congregation gathered for the marriage of Jane Bennet and his friend Charles Bingley—a public proposal from which Darcy cannot legally or morally withdraw, one only Elizabeth Bennet can refuse. He bets, this time, he can win not only her heart, but also her consent. With the assistance of his family and hers, a plan is put into motion to prove to all comers that Elizabeth Bennet is not only worthy of his attentions, but also the only one Darcy should consider marrying.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Fiction

161 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 23, 2019

About the author

Regina Jeffers, an award-winning author of historical cozy mysteries, Austenesque sequels and retellings, as well as Regency era romances, has worn many hats over her lifetime: daughter, student, military brat, wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, tax preparer, journalist, choreographer, Broadway dancer, theatre director, history buff, grant writer, media literacy consultant, and author. Living outside of Charlotte, NC, Jeffers writes novels that take the ordinary and adds a bit of mayhem, while mastering tension in her own life with a bit of gardening and the exuberance of her “grand joys.”

Reviews

[J. W. Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’m not the betting kind.” –Terry Gross

Rating clean: Warning *** this review may contain spoilers*** [3.5 round to 4-stars]

I did not enjoy this story. I’m sorry. This was one of those stories where Darcy did all in his power to demonstrate his love for Elizabeth. This was also one of those stories where she dumped him for his own good, then cried her eyes out because of it. He finally convinced her everything would be all right and they got back together again. She then panicked at the smallest little bump in the road and dumped him again. Cried her eyes out because she loved him but didn’t want her family, relations in trade, and Lydia and Wickham to embarrass him. Once again, he showed her that he loved her. Even his family and the House of Matlock tried to welcome her. Then she started feeling unworthy, ran off and cried her eyes out because she loved him. La! What was her problem?

This was a merry-go-round and I wanted desperately to GET OFF!! I seriously wanted to shake her until her teeth fell out. I’m serious. I’m team Darcy in this story. He should have kicked her to the curb and rejoiced that he had escaped her craziness. I did not like her behavior ONE bit. Team Darcy!! I don’t like it when Darcy is mistreated. Sorry. Good story but for her craziness.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute Pride and Prejudice quasi-sequel, but I don't think the plot is of Ms. Jeffers' usual high quality. I had trouble suspending my disbelief with the original premise, and another element of the story also don't ring true for me.

The novella begins with the wedding day of Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley. Elizabeth continues to refuse to marry Mr. Darcy. The two are standing up with her sister and his friend and, when they take their places by the altar, Darcy loudly begins to push his suit with Elizabeth, disrupting the beginning of the ceremony. I know it's written as a humorous scene and leads to the book's title, but I found it distinctly uncomfortable and completely out of character for the usually reticent Mr. Darcy. If I were Elizabeth, it would absolutely harden me to this man who upstages my beloved sister during her wedding.

The reason for Elizabeth's refusal is reasonable. She does love Darcy, but Lady Catherine's assertion that marrying her would adversely affect his social standing has shaken Elizabeth despite her bravado during their confrontation. She recognizes that, just like her father and mother, there is a large disparity between her social status and Darcy's, and she fears that disparity would eventually destroy their feelings for each other. She also worries that becoming Mrs. Darcy would negatively impact Georgiana's marriage prospects. This is a plot point I could get on board with.

Darcy continues his pursuit of Elizabeth throughout the book, enlisting aid from Georgiana, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Lady Matlock. This develops nicely and helps to ease Elizabeth's fears. Her stance against Darcy starts to soften, and he agrees to undertake a series of challenges she will set for him. When he completes them successfully and answers a difficult question she poses, she will marry him. None of the challenges are unreasonable, and it's a sweet plot device.

What I couldn't understand is that, by this time, Elizabeth clearly intends to accept him. Why does she keep stringing him along? There's no clear explanation for it. And the question she expects him to find the answer to is completely unfair. Just as I don't like a man who would make a scene during someone's wedding ceremony, I don't like a woman who plays head games with a man who loves her, particularly if she loves him too.

The writing itself is excellent, as Ms. Jeffers' books always are. It's a relatively angst-free, fluffy read. It's not bad, but I was disappointed with the strange behavior of Darcy and Elizabeth.

[James S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darcy in love

A well written story. It was one I didn’t enjoy very much though. The version of Lizzy in the story is one who is very much more stubborn, she is also very much more likely to take offense AND misunderstand people, especially Darcy. She is more passionate about things loves more, hates more, etc.

Spoilers


So Darcy falls in love with her even though she is always very mad at him. She is also a screaming hypocrite. She can flare up in anger and say anything she is thinking and does so often. Yet if someone takes offense and says something back she gets angry, yells and walks away stomping almost.

There were many times in the story I would have turned away from her and just walked away forever. For most of the book Darcy seemed pathetic in his loving someone who treated him like dirt. I found the HEA hard to believe.

Well written but with a Darcy and Elizabeth I couldn’t like.

[Ree · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Annoyingly Stubborn Lizzy
Reviewed in Canada on September 23, 2019
This had to be one of the most annoyingly stubborn portrayals of Elizabeth I have ever read. If I were Darcy I would have walked away... but that’s Darcy—so devoted and why we love him so much.

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars.
A public proposal of marriage does not always get accepted. Darcy attempts to prove to Elizabeth he loves her and wants to marry her. He is 100% in wooing force. Elizabeth wants love but really does not know what love is. Darcy is turned down too many times. Too many times that it took my focus away from the story. I was ready to give up. I wanted Darcy to woo someone else because I lost faith in Elizabeth. In the end it was a happy ever after but, it almost lost me.

[Talia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Darcy's ever. E made me uncomfortable at the end of the book for being so unreasonable to D. Why? Because I have been that unreasonable. Thank goodness, I aged!

Reread: Love this book. I am surprised it doesn't have higher ratings.

[ana darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

She loves him but society...

Short and nice story
Elizabeth is basically shown as a heroine because of some deeds.
She is making Darcy's life very hard as she keeps "refusing" him.
I like Jane Bingley a lot :)

[Barbara K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only got a quarter of the way through this one and had to stop. It didn't work for me. Lizzy loves Darcy but refuses to marry him, she says in order to save him from being looked down on by society (since when does Elizabeth Bennet care that much what the ton thinks?), but she's angry with Darcy about the situation. I don't get it. Then the story moves to London, where Colonel Fitzwilliam's mother seems to take over. I still don't get it. So I put it down, and won't finish.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the plot. Darcy knew what he wanted and he went after it. He made a disaster of going after Lizzy several times, but in the end, he got what he went after. I sort of liked the fact that he was so forward to win her affection and fight for it.
Great writing, great plot and both Darcy and Lizzy had their own doubts but it worked out for the better.
It was a surprise as to who won the bet in the end. You have to watch out for the quiet ones. That is all I have to say about the bet. You will have to read the novel to find out all about the bet!
Well written Regina!!!!!

[lori huff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm..

I don't know quite what to say about this book. This author typically does very good storytelling, and is a talented wordsmith. This story opens with a ridiculous scene that truly confounded me. Then the plot travels in a wobbly and confusing manner from there. The story begins after Lady Catherine 's upsetting visit to Elizabeth at Longbourn, where she threatens Elizabeth with the disdain of all of Darcy's relations if she continues to pursue him. Elizabeth has rebuffed this attack, as she did in the original P&P, but then for some reason she turns into an addle-brained shrinking violet after Lady Catherine leaves. She takes Lady Catherine 's threats to heart, and decides to give up and give in, destroying Darcy's heart and his hopes that her response to his aunt means that she has affection for him.

The story goes on with Darcy's campaign to overcome Elizabeth's reservations and convince her that they should be together. I really did not like Elizabeth in this version, how she strings him along, gives him some hope, and then cuts him down. In the opening of the story, at Jane and Bingley 's wedding breakfast, Darcy storms off from Elizabeth's harsh behavior towards him, and I'm glad of it. The story is filled with examples of Elizabeth's kindness and charity towards others, and how Darcy admires her for these traits, yet she treats him with none of that same kindness, and continues to break his heart. This is one story where I hoped it would be Elizabeth getting a comeuppance, instead of the usual villains.

Elizabeth's fears about not getting acceptance in society are given a little too much melodrama. It became annoying, the extent of her obtuseness and obstinacy. All of the characters around her, her family and Darcy's family combined, can see she is being stupid. Why can't she? Why would any man put up with so much resistance? I know the answer to that question. ODC must be together.

The story is well written and well edited. I regret that I was disappointed in the content.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would say this is more 2.5 stars. I enjoyed reading about Darcy courting Elizabeth and not giving up. However, I did not like or agree with how fickle Elizabeth came across. She had some reasons for refusing but it played out poorly. It seemed once Elizabeth's concerns were addressed, she just denied again out of anger or upset (which the reason was never clearly addressed, only mentioned as fear). The closeness between Darcy and Elizabeth should have enough trust that she could have talked to him about it, but she shut him out and shut him down instead.

[Tina McCall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone might enjoy this nook

While I found this work from Ms. Jeffers to be contrived and unbelievable to the point I could not enjoy it, someone might find pleasure in it.
If you like an unrecognizable Elizabeth, you may like this book. She lacked confidence and her actions were ludicrous. The final bit of angst was soap opera-like, which is not my preference.
I took a chance on it through KU, as I had remembered liking another work from this author.

[Teresita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting bet

An enchanting and entertaining story. Darcy as you have never seen him before. A very interesting bet with an improbable winner. A most worthy read.

[Marina Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book in the "Pride and Prejudice" genre. And I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It is a quick read, I loved the author's take on the bet.

[Gail Frisby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great love story

I loved this Darcy and Lizzy, loved how he changed and how Lizzy changed and gained a new outlook on her life and her abilities.!

[Kimbelle Pease · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially, as I was reading this book I wondered how it was possible, with such an amusing beginning, that this book did not have many more five-star ratings. I confess up front that I do not read reviews of other readers as I hope to give the author every opportunity to bring me along in the story with their characters. In this one, however, I was worn down by the constant expressing of anger by Elizabeth and her constant dismissals of Darcy despite his constant kindness and professions of love. I would also have been more pleased to not have already seen the ending from 30 pages previous as there was, no doubt, going to be yet another dismissal of him, and another winning back once she realized that it would have been one more too far, though had the book not been ending it would have happened a few more times. There were cute spots however, and a scene about then with Mary which was unique and perfectly written so that I was caught up in the hope that the author would close the story with it included and she did, most perfectly. I am glad I read it, and it was unique enough to have had three stars anyway, but the Mary line added a fourth!

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darcy gets carried away and makes somewhat out-of-character public pronouncements at the Bingley-Bennet wedding. Elizabeth agrees to let him court her.

This book has its sweet moments but there is one instance in which Elizabeth is unspeakably cruel to Darcy with no apparent provocation. At that point she has given him as well as other people numerous reasons to think that she means to marry him eventually but somehow she dumps him in a fit of pique that was not motivated enough for me to understand why.

I was about halfway through the book until I realized that I have read this before.

[Jean Stillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written, cute story. I liked it very much, but felt that the whole bet thing got off the track. It started out well! I loved the library scene until just before they left. The wedding scene with Jane and Charles was very funny, but Elizabeth and Darcy, who are usually a sensible characters, lost all control. Lizzy comes off as spoiled and selfish half of the time, but heroic the half. Still, I always enjoy the works of Ms Jeffers, and this was no exception.

[Lisa E]

It's ok

Eventual happy ending, I guess. I didn't like Lizzy. Why was she so adamant? At first ok, makes sense, she is protecting Darcy. But after his aunt's approval, when she is feeling happy with him, then she should have proposed to him. The way it went off, how could he ever trust her? But the writing is decent and there's astronomy involved: nice!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read

But I was irritated with Lizzy. Sometimes her stubbornness is excessive and I found her bordering on that in this instance..

[Mariarti Sugiarto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clean and slightly humous regency era love story. What if Elizabeth turned down Darcy because the class differences that Lady Catherine raised? What if Darcy knew this and was determined to win her over? This book follows this premise with a stubborn Elizabeth and a stubborn Darcy. Even though I don’t think the proper Darcy would have made a scene at bingleys wedding which resulted in a bet, although it was amusing.. or that Elizabeth would have allowed her fears to hold her back from real love for so long! I loved how involved Georgiana and the Gardiners are with the story. I loved helpless, candid Darcy as well. Enjoyable read!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love this author's stories but this one was not what I expected it to be. It wasn't quite as good as expected, but still better than most p&p sequels I've read recently. Elizabeth seemed very out of character and I had a hard time believing this would happen with her character.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m only giving 3 stars because I’ve finished this book.
Thought the beginning is quite interesting- Elizabeth refuses Darcy again out of fear to ruin his society standing, the idea is poorly developed. Elizabeth is shown as one who’s reckless with Darcy’s heart and plain stupid.

[Anita Belanger · Rating 5 out of 5]

3trials

I enjoyed this expansion of the courtship of Darcy and Elizabeth. Even if this version of Elizabeth was too guarded, Darcy proved ever constant. A pleasure to read.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Good Bet

Another well written and entertaining read from Regina Jeffers! Stayed up quite late to make sure D&E had their HEA. Did not disappoint.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Story!

4.5 Stars

Any of the books from Regina Jeffers is going to be a pleasurable read, filled with laughs and sweet expressions of love.