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A Hasty Decision: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
Devasted by Elizabeth’s refusal of his proposal, Mr. Darcy makes a hasty decision. After all, if he cannot have the lady he loves, it little matters whom he marries. Or so he thinks at the time. It is not long before he regrets his choice, but there is no turning back. As a miserable marriage threatens his own happiness and his sister’s, he finds comfort in friendships, including an unexpected one with Elizabeth. When the unthinkable happens, she remains a loyal and valued friend. But what will it take for them to have a second chance at happiness?
- GenresHistorical
249 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2019
25 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 14, 2019
A strange story
The story lives in a very strange place. People behave badly but with the very best manners. The good people also behave with impeccable manners. There is no violence, to speak of. The angst isn’t the kind where someone sobs uncontrollably or has a huge fit of bad temper.
The scenes at court progress from point A to point B without a hitch. People in the House of Lords do not scheme.
Darcy marries his cousin Anne after turns him down during the famous proposal. Anne will not compromise with Darcy and Darcy is polite to her and will not force her to do anything.
Will their be s HEA while Anne is alive? You will have to read to find out.
I read the book using Kindle Unlimited and I believe I got my money’s worth. 😜
4 stars for originality but not a must read.
The story lives in a very strange place. People behave badly but with the very best manners. The good people also behave with impeccable manners. There is no violence, to speak of. The angst isn’t the kind where someone sobs uncontrollably or has a huge fit of bad temper.
The scenes at court progress from point A to point B without a hitch. People in the House of Lords do not scheme.
Darcy marries his cousin Anne after turns him down during the famous proposal. Anne will not compromise with Darcy and Darcy is polite to her and will not force her to do anything.
Will their be s HEA while Anne is alive? You will have to read to find out.
I read the book using Kindle Unlimited and I believe I got my money’s worth. 😜
4 stars for originality but not a must read.
September 29, 2019
As one other review remarks...This is one story in which either Darcy or Elizabeth has married someone else and that first spouse is not disposed of by death. While some of those marriages were ones founded on love this marriage is not one of those.
The day after the Hunsford proposal Darcy, in a funk, mentally shrugs his shoulders and accepts another push from his Aunt, Lady Catherine, to finally go ahead with the "planned" marriage to his cousin, Anne.
Much of the story is dedicated to relating the relationship between spouses. Darcy does all in his power to make the best of the situation. However as time progresses Anne shows all that she is indeed her mother's daughter: she finds her voice and begins to dictate to all around her. She wants to dictate who are appropriate friends, who can be invited into their house in London, etc. and we find her becoming best friends with Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst. When Elizabeth comes to live across the street from Darcy, as Jane and Charles Bingley move there, a friendship develops between Elizabeth and Georgiana...and with Darcy.
Lady Catherine learns the true state of the marriage and again takes steps to make sure that the marriage has no grounds on which to be ended. There are details here which I cannot reveal as it would just spoil the story. But it is very interesting as to the turns the marriage takes and how some others learn about those. The Anne that Darcy has married is nowhere in the relationship in the end...this Anne is vile. Her behavior is "beyond the pale" as some say.
I enjoyed this story. Darcy acted stupidly but maintained his honor by attempting to go forward with what he had done. I recommend this story.
The day after the Hunsford proposal Darcy, in a funk, mentally shrugs his shoulders and accepts another push from his Aunt, Lady Catherine, to finally go ahead with the "planned" marriage to his cousin, Anne.
Much of the story is dedicated to relating the relationship between spouses. Darcy does all in his power to make the best of the situation. However as time progresses Anne shows all that she is indeed her mother's daughter: she finds her voice and begins to dictate to all around her. She wants to dictate who are appropriate friends, who can be invited into their house in London, etc. and we find her becoming best friends with Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst. When Elizabeth comes to live across the street from Darcy, as Jane and Charles Bingley move there, a friendship develops between Elizabeth and Georgiana...and with Darcy.
Lady Catherine learns the true state of the marriage and again takes steps to make sure that the marriage has no grounds on which to be ended. There are details here which I cannot reveal as it would just spoil the story. But it is very interesting as to the turns the marriage takes and how some others learn about those. The Anne that Darcy has married is nowhere in the relationship in the end...this Anne is vile. Her behavior is "beyond the pale" as some say.
I enjoyed this story. Darcy acted stupidly but maintained his honor by attempting to go forward with what he had done. I recommend this story.
September 19, 2019
This is an atypical P&P what if that imagines that Darcy jumps to another conclusion when Lizzy doesn’t appear after reading his letter and immediately acquiesces to Lady Catherine’s demand that he marry Anne. Trigger warning: If you simply cannot deal with this plot point you will hate this book.
He quickly realizes that he has made a dreadful mistake but time, tide and Lady C wait for no man and soon Mrs. Anne Darcy ver. 2.0 is installed in his London town home.
Darcy apparently doesn’t believe that misery loves company because he does reunite Bingley and Jane before accepting his fate. Don’t worry that the Darcys will have a good marriage, they don’t. Anne is her mother with victim hood issues. A total shrew. And she decides to be besties with Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst.
Meanwhile Georgiana becomes besties with Lizzy who is living with the Bingleys in London, across the street from Darcy. Through their interactions Lizzy realizes that she is in love with him, but buries it because he is married.
There are a lot of things the author does right, she shows more than tells, allows lots of stuff to happen off page, there were no obvious typos or grammar errors. [ there is one or two dropped words or letters one is at loc 3391 where an is should be His, the other I failed to note.] The story is very compelling and interesting. Nothing is melodramatic or salacious, it is clean excluding a reference to extramarital activities. None of the characters have OOC traits.
He quickly realizes that he has made a dreadful mistake but time, tide and Lady C wait for no man and soon Mrs. Anne Darcy ver. 2.0 is installed in his London town home.
Darcy apparently doesn’t believe that misery loves company because he does reunite Bingley and Jane before accepting his fate. Don’t worry that the Darcys will have a good marriage, they don’t. Anne is her mother with victim hood issues. A total shrew. And she decides to be besties with Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst.
Meanwhile Georgiana becomes besties with Lizzy who is living with the Bingleys in London, across the street from Darcy. Through their interactions Lizzy realizes that she is in love with him, but buries it because he is married.
There are a lot of things the author does right, she shows more than tells, allows lots of stuff to happen off page, there were no obvious typos or grammar errors. [ there is one or two dropped words or letters one is at loc 3391 where an is should be His, the other I failed to note.] The story is very compelling and interesting. Nothing is melodramatic or salacious, it is clean excluding a reference to extramarital activities. None of the characters have OOC traits.
September 20, 2019
Marry in Haste; Repent at Leisure ~ Samuel Johnson
And boy, howdy, does Darcy have plenty of leisure to repent!
After Elizabeth Bennet rejected his Disastrous Hunsford Proposal, Fitzwilliam Darcy makes a rash decision: since the only woman he will ever love will not have him, he may as well just marry his cousin, Anne, as his Aunt Catherine has always wanted.
Lady Catherine is a controlling shrew and apples fall directly under trees.
At the top of Anne’s list of intolerable things:
Darcy’s friends
Darcy’s estate
Darcy’s servants
And especially – the marriage bed
And thus, the marriage proceeds: Darcy makes concessions; Anne makes demands.
I enjoyed this story of marital disaster (if disaster can be enjoyed). Sexual situations are approached (not overly graphically) but stop short of completion. I also liked the resolution of the situation.
I recommend it to anyone who enjoys JAFF.
The devil takes a hand in what is done in haste. ~ Turkish Proverb
And boy, howdy, does Darcy have plenty of leisure to repent!
After Elizabeth Bennet rejected his Disastrous Hunsford Proposal, Fitzwilliam Darcy makes a rash decision: since the only woman he will ever love will not have him, he may as well just marry his cousin, Anne, as his Aunt Catherine has always wanted.
Lady Catherine is a controlling shrew and apples fall directly under trees.
At the top of Anne’s list of intolerable things:
Darcy’s friends
Darcy’s estate
Darcy’s servants
And especially – the marriage bed
And thus, the marriage proceeds: Darcy makes concessions; Anne makes demands.
I enjoyed this story of marital disaster (if disaster can be enjoyed). Sexual situations are approached (not overly graphically) but stop short of completion. I also liked the resolution of the situation.
I recommend it to anyone who enjoys JAFF.
The devil takes a hand in what is done in haste. ~ Turkish Proverb
November 16, 2019
The characters aren't full of passion, but the story is very compelling and entertaining.
September 22, 2019
Four Stars Raised to Five for Balance
I was captivated by this story. It's a 'fly-on-the-wall' narrative of a 'worst case' scenario. Darcy rebounds from rejection by taking the first, worst option to soothe his battered ego. BIG MISTAKE, almost immediately recognized but unchangeable due to that over established sense of pride.
This brave author takes us there. My instinct to balance a severely negative review is prompted by by my appreciation of the voyeurism we are gifted herein. Yes, it's voyeurism, but so is any foray into a bedroom scene in a romance novel, as is the explanation of any character's thought process, for that matter. And hence, we read books. I object to reviewers dictating how and what an author should expose within their story. The option to NOT READ is always, readily, available. JAFF is always an exploration of "the road not taken".
Bravo, Ms.Mabry, lead on!
I was captivated by this story. It's a 'fly-on-the-wall' narrative of a 'worst case' scenario. Darcy rebounds from rejection by taking the first, worst option to soothe his battered ego. BIG MISTAKE, almost immediately recognized but unchangeable due to that over established sense of pride.
This brave author takes us there. My instinct to balance a severely negative review is prompted by by my appreciation of the voyeurism we are gifted herein. Yes, it's voyeurism, but so is any foray into a bedroom scene in a romance novel, as is the explanation of any character's thought process, for that matter. And hence, we read books. I object to reviewers dictating how and what an author should expose within their story. The option to NOT READ is always, readily, available. JAFF is always an exploration of "the road not taken".
Bravo, Ms.Mabry, lead on!
September 17, 2019
Interesting read
This was actually very entertaining. This is the first time (or maybe the second) I've read a book where Darcy was married, and someone didn't have to die for him to get married to Elizabeth. Anne was a real character. I couldn't get over her screaming every time Darcy tried to take her to bed. Even Georgiana knew what was going on when she heard Anne screaming and Mrs. Jenkinson had a bed moved into Anne's room to protect her from Darcy. I really thought this was a pretty good and interesting read.
This was actually very entertaining. This is the first time (or maybe the second) I've read a book where Darcy was married, and someone didn't have to die for him to get married to Elizabeth. Anne was a real character. I couldn't get over her screaming every time Darcy tried to take her to bed. Even Georgiana knew what was going on when she heard Anne screaming and Mrs. Jenkinson had a bed moved into Anne's room to protect her from Darcy. I really thought this was a pretty good and interesting read.
December 18, 2019
In this Pride and Prejudice variation, Darcy is the main focus. He makes a hasty decision, as the title implies, to marry Anne just after being rejected by Elizabeth. The story provides Darcy and Elizabeth to actually get to know each other and become close friends while he deals with the shrew that is his wife. Careful consideration of all is taken as he determines his priorities and learns what real love and friendship is.
December 1, 2019
Warning, this review contains spoilers. I've hidden some, but there are thoughts I want to get across here that give things away and aren't hidden.
This is an interesting premise for a Pride and Prejudice variation. I want to say it's implausible, but then I remember that real people have done even stupider things than anyone does in this story. Still, I hate to think of Mr. Darcy being foolish enough, even in a state of combined heartbreak, outrage, and anger that he would go straight from Elizabeth Bennet's vehement refusal of his badly worded offer of marriage at Hunsford into an engagement with Anne de Bourgh. Not only that, he doesn't even ask Anne. He simply gives her overbearing mother Lady Catherine a vague agreement to a date for a wedding, and she manages the rest. Darcy! Geez Louise! I wanted to reach through the page and strangle him at about that point. I also at that point wasn't even sure I wanted to read the book. I almost didn't. I guess it was like driving by a car wreck and not being able to resist looking.
As the old saying goes, "marry in haste, repent at leisure," and boy does Darcy repent. I want to think that Anne's behavior is implausible, but again ... humans. She may be nutty, proud, and spoiled-to-the-point of nauseating, but she has Lady Catherine for a mother. Some individuals would have enough character to overcome such a mother. In this variation, Anne doesn't.
The writing is technically good, but I found the dialog sometimes annoying, especially where a petty argument just went on and on. The actual romance between Darcy and Elizabeth felt somewhat cold and lackluster. I know Darcy was supposed to be trying to keep their relationship that of friends and no more, through much of the story, but I needed more at least going on inside their minds, and I didn't feel it.
The last few chapters were vague, and the chronological order of things got confusing. I never did understand what happened in the end with Colonel Fitzwilliam and Rosings, as we are just given a hint. The eventual reunion and happy ending for Darcy and Elizabeth flies by too fast. The writing, while technically good, is not compelling. At times the story seems repetitive and goes into too much detail about things I care nothing about. But again the whole legal aspect regarding marriage is fascinating.
The one character I connected with besides Darcy is Georgiana, because she asks exactly the same questions I would. I kept cheering her on when she made a particular point about Darcy, Anne, or Elizabeth. She is the book's real hero, or at least a fresh voice of reason with all the curiosity, affection, and honesty of youth.
Recommended if you're interested in marriage laws of the period, which are presumably well researched, and if you don't mind a rather dry and yet outrageous yet not humorous romance.
I should warn here that other reviewers have complained the scenes where Darcy attempted to consummate his marriage were a little disturbing. They did feel awkward and intentionally so. The feminist in me could have felt more compassion for Anne if she weren't such a vile person altogether this story. But the setting was a different world from ours, where an upper-class woman was expected to provide her husband an heir, and many marriages were arranged, or were marriages of convenience, for money, property, connections, or position. This was definitely arranged and had been plotted since they were children. Romance in marriage was thought by their parents' generation to be for the poor and lower classes. Young upper-class women were frequently told nothing about what to expect regarding sex. It's possible a lot of marriages started out sexually awkward or weird, sometimes even violent. I thought in the circumstances and for a man of his time, Darcy was considerate and fair. In fact I felt that his sense of honor sometimes went to unreasonable extremes. But be warned, this isn't going to read like a contemporary romance when it comes to the marriage bed.
This is an interesting premise for a Pride and Prejudice variation. I want to say it's implausible, but then I remember that real people have done even stupider things than anyone does in this story. Still, I hate to think of Mr. Darcy being foolish enough, even in a state of combined heartbreak, outrage, and anger that he would go straight from Elizabeth Bennet's vehement refusal of his badly worded offer of marriage at Hunsford into an engagement with Anne de Bourgh. Not only that, he doesn't even ask Anne. He simply gives her overbearing mother Lady Catherine a vague agreement to a date for a wedding, and she manages the rest. Darcy! Geez Louise! I wanted to reach through the page and strangle him at about that point. I also at that point wasn't even sure I wanted to read the book. I almost didn't. I guess it was like driving by a car wreck and not being able to resist looking.
As the old saying goes, "marry in haste, repent at leisure," and boy does Darcy repent. I want to think that Anne's behavior is implausible, but again ... humans. She may be nutty, proud, and spoiled-to-the-point of nauseating, but she has Lady Catherine for a mother. Some individuals would have enough character to overcome such a mother. In this variation, Anne doesn't.
The writing is technically good, but I found the dialog sometimes annoying, especially where a petty argument just went on and on. The actual romance between Darcy and Elizabeth felt somewhat cold and lackluster. I know Darcy was supposed to be trying to keep their relationship that of friends and no more, through much of the story, but I needed more at least going on inside their minds, and I didn't feel it.
The last few chapters were vague, and the chronological order of things got confusing. I never did understand what happened in the end with Colonel Fitzwilliam and Rosings, as we are just given a hint. The eventual reunion and happy ending for Darcy and Elizabeth flies by too fast. The writing, while technically good, is not compelling. At times the story seems repetitive and goes into too much detail about things I care nothing about. But again the whole legal aspect regarding marriage is fascinating.
The one character I connected with besides Darcy is Georgiana, because she asks exactly the same questions I would. I kept cheering her on when she made a particular point about Darcy, Anne, or Elizabeth. She is the book's real hero, or at least a fresh voice of reason with all the curiosity, affection, and honesty of youth.
Recommended if you're interested in marriage laws of the period, which are presumably well researched, and if you don't mind a rather dry and yet outrageous yet not humorous romance.
I should warn here that other reviewers have complained the scenes where Darcy attempted to consummate his marriage were a little disturbing. They did feel awkward and intentionally so. The feminist in me could have felt more compassion for Anne if she weren't such a vile person altogether this story. But the setting was a different world from ours, where an upper-class woman was expected to provide her husband an heir, and many marriages were arranged, or were marriages of convenience, for money, property, connections, or position. This was definitely arranged and had been plotted since they were children. Romance in marriage was thought by their parents' generation to be for the poor and lower classes. Young upper-class women were frequently told nothing about what to expect regarding sex. It's possible a lot of marriages started out sexually awkward or weird, sometimes even violent. I thought in the circumstances and for a man of his time, Darcy was considerate and fair. In fact I felt that his sense of honor sometimes went to unreasonable extremes. But be warned, this isn't going to read like a contemporary romance when it comes to the marriage bed.
March 23, 2020
An angsty but interesting story. Even though I don't like Darcy being paired with anyone other than Elizabeth, this is engaging tale with a different ending.
May 27, 2023
SPOILERS IN REVIEW
If anyone wants to save themselves a few hours of grim reading I’m going to spoil this for you: Anne won’t have sex with Darcy but she WILL have it eventually with someone else.
This is basically a grim story of an unhappy, ill-advised marriage with a history lesson on how MEN could get a divorce in Regency England. A waste of time, imo.
Some editing issues including both Lizzie and Lizzy and the non word dissention. Frequent missing or extra quote marks and plural possessive mistakes.
If anyone wants to save themselves a few hours of grim reading I’m going to spoil this for you: Anne won’t have sex with Darcy but she WILL have it eventually with someone else.
This is basically a grim story of an unhappy, ill-advised marriage with a history lesson on how MEN could get a divorce in Regency England. A waste of time, imo.
Some editing issues including both Lizzie and Lizzy and the non word dissention. Frequent missing or extra quote marks and plural possessive mistakes.
December 7, 2020
DNF 15% :(
Lots of telling rather than showing with actions and conversations and describing emotions. Even when the characters talk, there is no description of the tone of their voice or any emotions felt. Are they happy? Angry? Hurt? incredulous? Its all just words without a description of emotion or feeling behind it. Therefore, couldn’t sympathize with the characters.
Lots of telling rather than showing with actions and conversations and describing emotions. Even when the characters talk, there is no description of the tone of their voice or any emotions felt. Are they happy? Angry? Hurt? incredulous? Its all just words without a description of emotion or feeling behind it. Therefore, couldn’t sympathize with the characters.
February 11, 2023
So. Many. Words
I liked the premise, but the moment by moment, almost day by day, telling of it grew exceptionally tedious. Since most of the story is intent in showing how awful Anne is and how accommodating Darcy is, the book as a whole is a very unhappy thing.
I liked the premise, but the moment by moment, almost day by day, telling of it grew exceptionally tedious. Since most of the story is intent in showing how awful Anne is and how accommodating Darcy is, the book as a whole is a very unhappy thing.
November 25, 2019
Good story
I enjoyed this story because it was unusual, very different from the usual variations. I probably wouldn't have bothered writing a review but felt compelled to because I was nearly put off buying it because of some negative reviews and now having read it I think they were unfair. I didn't think Darcy was at all 'rapey' as one reviewer put it, in fact for that period he was quite restrained and I don't think a man who sat on his wife's bed talking to her to put her at ease night after night can be considered 'rapey'. Another complaint was that it was depressing ... well it can hardly be all sweetness and light can it with a storyline about a hasty marriage that was deeply regretted and this was made clear in the 'blurb'. As another reviewer pointed out, it's NOT our story it's Ms Mabrey's story and nobody's forcing you to read it.
I thought it was well worth the read, different yes, but a good story and I have no qualms in recommending it.
I enjoyed this story because it was unusual, very different from the usual variations. I probably wouldn't have bothered writing a review but felt compelled to because I was nearly put off buying it because of some negative reviews and now having read it I think they were unfair. I didn't think Darcy was at all 'rapey' as one reviewer put it, in fact for that period he was quite restrained and I don't think a man who sat on his wife's bed talking to her to put her at ease night after night can be considered 'rapey'. Another complaint was that it was depressing ... well it can hardly be all sweetness and light can it with a storyline about a hasty marriage that was deeply regretted and this was made clear in the 'blurb'. As another reviewer pointed out, it's NOT our story it's Ms Mabrey's story and nobody's forcing you to read it.
I thought it was well worth the read, different yes, but a good story and I have no qualms in recommending it.
September 22, 2019
Interesting story
Oh this is an interesting take on what happened after the Hunsford proposal. Darcy married Anne and this mouse of a person suddenly became a mini Lady Catherine with her 2 new BFF (Louisa and Caroline Bingley ) and they are in their spiteful glory. Everything turns poorly - fighting constantly between Darcy and his wife and Anne and Georgiana! Anne refused to consummate the marriage and it's a mess! Threats, accusations, and even adultery are mixed into this story. Poor Darcy who values his privacy ends up on the gossip sheets and then the courthouse proceed! It's quite well written except that some items are glossed over - why Darcy keeps Rosings? Why he moved out of his townhouse? A few more pages of details and explanations would be helpful!
Oh this is an interesting take on what happened after the Hunsford proposal. Darcy married Anne and this mouse of a person suddenly became a mini Lady Catherine with her 2 new BFF (Louisa and Caroline Bingley ) and they are in their spiteful glory. Everything turns poorly - fighting constantly between Darcy and his wife and Anne and Georgiana! Anne refused to consummate the marriage and it's a mess! Threats, accusations, and even adultery are mixed into this story. Poor Darcy who values his privacy ends up on the gossip sheets and then the courthouse proceed! It's quite well written except that some items are glossed over - why Darcy keeps Rosings? Why he moved out of his townhouse? A few more pages of details and explanations would be helpful!
November 23, 2019
Much better than I thought it would be
I am one who LOVES a different Darcy/Elizabeth scenario and this was definitely different. Anne being shrewish was delightful, as she learned it from the best, her mother. Some parts moved slowly, and I didn't see the need for the Bingley sisters at all. Otherwise a very good read.
I am one who LOVES a different Darcy/Elizabeth scenario and this was definitely different. Anne being shrewish was delightful, as she learned it from the best, her mother. Some parts moved slowly, and I didn't see the need for the Bingley sisters at all. Otherwise a very good read.
December 12, 2019
Excellent!
I read several Pride and Prejudice variations every week and this one was wonderful! I admit the storyline took me out of my comfort zone, but it did so in a delicious manner! You will not be disappointed with this original story!
I read several Pride and Prejudice variations every week and this one was wonderful! I admit the storyline took me out of my comfort zone, but it did so in a delicious manner! You will not be disappointed with this original story!
October 19, 2019
Very, very entertaining!
Quite a different story to read. Impossible to believe that Darcy marries Anne and sets a whirlwind of problems in motion. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Quite a different story to read. Impossible to believe that Darcy marries Anne and sets a whirlwind of problems in motion. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews