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Wickham's Second Attempt
Two weeks after receiving Elizabeth Bennet’s indignant refusal to his proposal of marriage, Fitzwilliam Darcy is dealt another tragedy when his beloved sister is presumed dead after a carriage accident. As her brother sinks into the depths of despair, Georgiana, amnesic but very much alive, finds her way to Longbourn and becomes Elizabeth Bennet’s particular friend. When her memory shows no sign of returning, there appears to be little hope that either she or Elizabeth will be reunited with Mr. Darcy, until Georgiana’s former, dishonorable suitor George Wickham arrives on the scene and sees in her affliction the perfect opportunity to finish what he started at Ramsgate.
394 pages, Paperback
Published October 24, 2020
32 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Monika Barbara Potocki
2 books4 followersFrom her earliest years, Monika Barbara Potocki was blessed with a vivid imagination and love of reading. One day, the idea occurred to her to merge the two pastimes and begin writing. When not creating her next masterpiece, Monika Barbara studies, watches old movies, spends time with her family, or catches up with friends.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 12, 2020
Loved This Book
This excellent variation takes place after the events at Hunsford. Georgiana is in a carriage accident and circumstances lead to Darcy believing she has died—washed away in a raging river, her body never found. Miraculously, Mr. Bennet and his driver find her unconscious body in a field and take her to Longbourn.
Elizabeth, having never met Georgiana before, like everyone else has no idea who this girl is. After a few days, Georgiana wakes, but has no memory. Wickham takes full advantage of the situation. No major spoilers, I will only say that Elizabeth finally realizes all is not as it seems and takes action.
I thought this was an engaging, angst-filled (but not the totally stomach-clenching kind), un-put-downable read. The despair Darcy feels at losing Elizabeth, then Georgiana, will tear at your heartstrings and his darkened world will make you cry. Mrs. Bennet is an ugly stepmother-type until she isn’t, and Mr. Bennet is his typical satire-filled, indolent self, until he isn’t.
The title, Wickham’s Second Attempt, may repel non-Wickham fans like me who tire of the usual Lydia-Wickham piece often found in variations, but this book is far removed from that, and the P&P love story is never lost. It is very well written (minimal proofreading misses). I highly recommend this book, and look forward to more P&P from this author.
This excellent variation takes place after the events at Hunsford. Georgiana is in a carriage accident and circumstances lead to Darcy believing she has died—washed away in a raging river, her body never found. Miraculously, Mr. Bennet and his driver find her unconscious body in a field and take her to Longbourn.
Elizabeth, having never met Georgiana before, like everyone else has no idea who this girl is. After a few days, Georgiana wakes, but has no memory. Wickham takes full advantage of the situation. No major spoilers, I will only say that Elizabeth finally realizes all is not as it seems and takes action.
I thought this was an engaging, angst-filled (but not the totally stomach-clenching kind), un-put-downable read. The despair Darcy feels at losing Elizabeth, then Georgiana, will tear at your heartstrings and his darkened world will make you cry. Mrs. Bennet is an ugly stepmother-type until she isn’t, and Mr. Bennet is his typical satire-filled, indolent self, until he isn’t.
The title, Wickham’s Second Attempt, may repel non-Wickham fans like me who tire of the usual Lydia-Wickham piece often found in variations, but this book is far removed from that, and the P&P love story is never lost. It is very well written (minimal proofreading misses). I highly recommend this book, and look forward to more P&P from this author.
July 10, 2025
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. — Thomas H. Palmer
George Wickham takes this advice and when he comes upon another opportunity to gain Georgiana Darcy’s hand (uh, her 30,000 pounds) he grabs it.
But, you ask, how can Wickham deceive Georgiana again?
Did she learn nothing the first time?
"Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before." — Steven Wright
Yes, this is another Amnesia story.
This time it is Georgiana who has the unfortunate injury and loses her memory. She is fortunate enough that Mr. Bennet finds her as he returns home from a journey and takes her to Longbourn to recover. She is adopted into the family as one of their own.
When Wickham discovers his enemy’s sister, he turns on the charm.
Somehow, Darcy must be alerted to her danger. But how can that happen when no one knows their houseguest is related to someone they know?
Amnesia occurs much more often in fiction than in actuality for just one reason: amnesia stories work. I enjoyed this very much.
George Wickham takes this advice and when he comes upon another opportunity to gain Georgiana Darcy’s hand (uh, her 30,000 pounds) he grabs it.
But, you ask, how can Wickham deceive Georgiana again?
Did she learn nothing the first time?
"Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before." — Steven Wright
Yes, this is another Amnesia story.
This time it is Georgiana who has the unfortunate injury and loses her memory. She is fortunate enough that Mr. Bennet finds her as he returns home from a journey and takes her to Longbourn to recover. She is adopted into the family as one of their own.
When Wickham discovers his enemy’s sister, he turns on the charm.
Somehow, Darcy must be alerted to her danger. But how can that happen when no one knows their houseguest is related to someone they know?
Amnesia occurs much more often in fiction than in actuality for just one reason: amnesia stories work. I enjoyed this very much.
April 2, 2021
I have a confession- I had to sneak peak forward to see when it would be figured out that she was Georgianna and still alive. I couldn't take poor Darcy being in so much pain!
Aside from that, this is a great story. Very different, as it doesn't revolve completely around ODC. Great cast of characters, each one balancing out the other to weave a story that flows till the HEA.
Aside from that, this is a great story. Very different, as it doesn't revolve completely around ODC. Great cast of characters, each one balancing out the other to weave a story that flows till the HEA.
June 29, 2022
Oh my goodness. I was unprepared for how much I’d enjoy this book. At 20% in I knew I needed to put it down or I’d not sleep that night. Picked it up early evening a day or so later and ended up staying up all night to finish it. Half a day later on only 4 hours of sleep I can’t stop thinking about.
A fairly believable story that I think kept fairly true to all the characters while weaving a emotional story that didn’t feel overly angsty either.
It’s been a while since I’ve been quite so drawn into a JAFF and I loved every minute.
A fairly believable story that I think kept fairly true to all the characters while weaving a emotional story that didn’t feel overly angsty either.
It’s been a while since I’ve been quite so drawn into a JAFF and I loved every minute.
January 4, 2021
Amnesia...some more
Georgiana has amnesia. There are a lot amnesia stories lately. The ultimate story might be if everyone has amnesia. What would the story be like, how could everyone have amnesia?
ZOMBIES. Everyone could be a zombie but when zombie Darcy meets the love of his old life, Lizzy while he is shambling down the London road and she is shambling up the London road, they both remember their past lives. They decide to work together find a cure for zombie disease. After much angst they find an ancient book in the Pemberley library. It’s a book of magic and the success releases the old ancient magic back on earth.
Science no longer works but magic does. The last scene is they and their children flying to London on their dragons to take part in the season of spring.
Oh, I enjoyed this book.
Georgiana has amnesia. There are a lot amnesia stories lately. The ultimate story might be if everyone has amnesia. What would the story be like, how could everyone have amnesia?
ZOMBIES. Everyone could be a zombie but when zombie Darcy meets the love of his old life, Lizzy while he is shambling down the London road and she is shambling up the London road, they both remember their past lives. They decide to work together find a cure for zombie disease. After much angst they find an ancient book in the Pemberley library. It’s a book of magic and the success releases the old ancient magic back on earth.
Science no longer works but magic does. The last scene is they and their children flying to London on their dragons to take part in the season of spring.
Oh, I enjoyed this book.
December 1, 2020
This is a great Pride and Prejudice spin-off novel that begins about two weeks after Mr. Darcy's failed Hunsford Proposal. It is beautifully written with language similar to Jane Austen's. The novel describes scenes and characters so vividly that it is easy to imagine them, and it is full of plot twists and surprises. I really hope that someone makes a movie out of it!
June 26, 2021
Wow, this book was wonderful! Really a delightful read.
I will admit that I didn't pick it up at first. The cover did not look professional, and I am not a huge fan of amnesia plots. It had such good reviews, though, that I decided to give it a try, and I am so glad I did!
I don't think I've ever read an amnesia plot so clever or unusual. We almost always see Darcy or Elizabeth as the amnesiac, but having it be Georgiana, a young woman whom Elizabeth had never met (and thus would not recognize), and then having Wickham find out and attempt to court her, was a brilliant setup.
The story itself didn't disappoint. It seemed justified how Georgiana could have ended up at the Bennets, and the secondary characters--especially Mr. Bennet--were really intriguing. In fact, Mr. Bennet was one of the characters with the most growth in the book, and it was fantastic to watch. Georgiana, too, really came into her own.
We don't get Elizabeth and Darcy togetherness time earlier in the story, but it still worked as a story. They both thought about each other a good bit. Then once they were reunited, we got plenty of Darcy and Elizabeth bonding time and even some angst.
The book seemed professionally-edited, or at least I did not notice any mistakes or modern words to pull me out of the story. One minor quibble I had was with propriety when Elizabeth rode in carriages (twice) in situations that didn't seem appropriate. The distance between Longbourn and Pemberley also seemed too short. I don't want to say more and give too many spoilers. However, these minor issues were important parts of the story, so they didn't detract too much from the story for me.
I think one of my favorite parts of this story was just how original it was. We see a lot of variations that give the author's own twist on some particular trope (a compromise, a forced marriage, locked in a cabin alone, accepted the marriage offer due to an ailing Mr. Bennet, etc.). Those are really fun, too, and I do love seeing what each new author has to bring to the idea. But I LOVE it when somebody comes up with a truly unique idea, and this was one of them. Will definitely read again and would highly recommend.
I will admit that I didn't pick it up at first. The cover did not look professional, and I am not a huge fan of amnesia plots. It had such good reviews, though, that I decided to give it a try, and I am so glad I did!
I don't think I've ever read an amnesia plot so clever or unusual. We almost always see Darcy or Elizabeth as the amnesiac, but having it be Georgiana, a young woman whom Elizabeth had never met (and thus would not recognize), and then having Wickham find out and attempt to court her, was a brilliant setup.
The story itself didn't disappoint. It seemed justified how Georgiana could have ended up at the Bennets, and the secondary characters--especially Mr. Bennet--were really intriguing. In fact, Mr. Bennet was one of the characters with the most growth in the book, and it was fantastic to watch. Georgiana, too, really came into her own.
We don't get Elizabeth and Darcy togetherness time earlier in the story, but it still worked as a story. They both thought about each other a good bit. Then once they were reunited, we got plenty of Darcy and Elizabeth bonding time and even some angst.
The book seemed professionally-edited, or at least I did not notice any mistakes or modern words to pull me out of the story. One minor quibble I had was with propriety when Elizabeth rode in carriages (twice) in situations that didn't seem appropriate. The distance between Longbourn and Pemberley also seemed too short. I don't want to say more and give too many spoilers. However, these minor issues were important parts of the story, so they didn't detract too much from the story for me.
I think one of my favorite parts of this story was just how original it was. We see a lot of variations that give the author's own twist on some particular trope (a compromise, a forced marriage, locked in a cabin alone, accepted the marriage offer due to an ailing Mr. Bennet, etc.). Those are really fun, too, and I do love seeing what each new author has to bring to the idea. But I LOVE it when somebody comes up with a truly unique idea, and this was one of them. Will definitely read again and would highly recommend.
February 2, 2023
Great Story
I liked this new Georgiana and liked this intrepid Lizzy. Darcys was a good brother and I liked the way he changed but his love was constant. Glad the villain was disposed of and our couple had a happy ending! Good book
I liked this new Georgiana and liked this intrepid Lizzy. Darcys was a good brother and I liked the way he changed but his love was constant. Glad the villain was disposed of and our couple had a happy ending! Good book
August 8, 2022
I'm not sure what draws me to pastiches of P&P. I guess it's just that I love the source material so much that I want to read more, but rarely can anyone replicate the spirit of the original. This one was...okay, hence the rating - I definitely wanted to read it to the end. But there were other issues...
This particular book tries to rewrite the second half of P&P. After Darcy's disastrous marriage proposal, his sister Georgiana is involved in a carriage accident and Mr Bennet finds her in an amnesic state while on his way back from London.
Now, this is of course a massive coincidence, but that can be forgiven in an inciting incident. But the details of the accident - the carriage falling into a ravine with a raging river below - had me going, a raging river? In Hertfordshire? Honestly I'm not super up on Hertfordshire geography but googling for rivers in the area reveal extremely placid waters. The only inherently dangerous river I can find in England is the famous Strid near Bolton (look it up, it's fascinating - basically a deep river turned on its side).
Anyway, Elizabeth Bennet starts to nurse Georgiana back to health, but of course no one knows who she is, so she is rechristened Anne Edwards. Their interactions are...well, sweet, but the dialogue doesn't always ring very true. And, Elizabeth and Anne become closer than Jane and Elizabeth (there is hardly any dialogue between the latter pair, which I found odd in the extreme. In the background, Mrs Bennet and Lydia seethe at the newcomer, which I also found very odd - I think they would have been thrilled at the romance of it and the chance to parade the newcomer at all the parties. (This all turns up to be set-up for some psychological development on the pair's part, which, again, does not ring true.)
The real action comes when George Wickham spots "Anne" and decides that this is his second chance at revenge on Darcy. Elizabeth is called away and is unable to prevent her friend from being wooed and cajoled into marriage once again by Wickham. She interviews Wickham but can find no reason why he should throw his affections on a penniless girl and reckons that he must have mended his ways out of genuine love. I won't say much more about the plot because frankly, the only reason I read it to the end was to see how Wickham would be foiled, but I do have a note about the very end of the story.
The ending was...
This particular book tries to rewrite the second half of P&P. After Darcy's disastrous marriage proposal, his sister Georgiana is involved in a carriage accident and Mr Bennet finds her in an amnesic state while on his way back from London.
Now, this is of course a massive coincidence, but that can be forgiven in an inciting incident. But the details of the accident - the carriage falling into a ravine with a raging river below - had me going, a raging river? In Hertfordshire? Honestly I'm not super up on Hertfordshire geography but googling for rivers in the area reveal extremely placid waters. The only inherently dangerous river I can find in England is the famous Strid near Bolton (look it up, it's fascinating - basically a deep river turned on its side).
Anyway, Elizabeth Bennet starts to nurse Georgiana back to health, but of course no one knows who she is, so she is rechristened Anne Edwards. Their interactions are...well, sweet, but the dialogue doesn't always ring very true. And, Elizabeth and Anne become closer than Jane and Elizabeth (there is hardly any dialogue between the latter pair, which I found odd in the extreme. In the background, Mrs Bennet and Lydia seethe at the newcomer, which I also found very odd - I think they would have been thrilled at the romance of it and the chance to parade the newcomer at all the parties. (This all turns up to be set-up for some psychological development on the pair's part, which, again, does not ring true.)
The real action comes when George Wickham spots "Anne" and decides that this is his second chance at revenge on Darcy. Elizabeth is called away and is unable to prevent her friend from being wooed and cajoled into marriage once again by Wickham. She interviews Wickham but can find no reason why he should throw his affections on a penniless girl and reckons that he must have mended his ways out of genuine love. I won't say much more about the plot because frankly, the only reason I read it to the end was to see how Wickham would be foiled, but I do have a note about the very end of the story.
The ending was...
January 16, 2021
Wonderful
My first time reading a work from this author. Several months after the disastrous proposal at Hunsford parsonage, and after Elizabeth receives the letter from Darcy, Georgiana Darcy is involved in a carriage accident, strikes her head, and wakes up at Longbourn with amnesia. Mr Bennett has found her unconscious by the road when he was returning from a trip to London, and brings her home, not knowing who she is. None of the residents of Longbourn has ever met her, so no one is able to identify her, she stays at Longbourn to recover from injuries, and eventually becomes a member of the family. Meanwhile, Darcy is suffering from extreme depression, thinking that not only did Elizabeth reject him, but now his sister is presumed dead, so he has nothing further to live for.
Of course we know from the title that this situation is ripe for the devious and evil George Wickham to take advantage of the Bennett's newest addition, since he knows very well who she is, but pretends otherwise. He woos and flatters "Anne Edwards," and once again gets her to agree to become betrothed. Because Elizabeth is now informed about Wickham's past offenses, she becomes suspicious and protective of "Anne."
The book definitely kept my interest, even though many of the scenes and situations were somewhat ludicrous. This story has it all: suspense, evil villains, heart wrenching and heartwarming situations, lovely romance, excitement, danger, lots of miscommunication, and eventual understanding. It's such an exciting story at times that I decided that I just have to suspend belief and hang on for a good, bumpy tale. I could go into some of the more bizarre actions that are taken by some characters, but my advice is to just go with it.
I deducted a star because I became a little annoyed with the flowery and stilted language used by the author. Her prose is extremely formal and over-the-top in trying to sound Regency era. She kept referring to "maidens" and "alabaster hands," and things like that. A little too frou-frou for me.
However, the book is well written and well edited. I recommend it highly.
My first time reading a work from this author. Several months after the disastrous proposal at Hunsford parsonage, and after Elizabeth receives the letter from Darcy, Georgiana Darcy is involved in a carriage accident, strikes her head, and wakes up at Longbourn with amnesia. Mr Bennett has found her unconscious by the road when he was returning from a trip to London, and brings her home, not knowing who she is. None of the residents of Longbourn has ever met her, so no one is able to identify her, she stays at Longbourn to recover from injuries, and eventually becomes a member of the family. Meanwhile, Darcy is suffering from extreme depression, thinking that not only did Elizabeth reject him, but now his sister is presumed dead, so he has nothing further to live for.
Of course we know from the title that this situation is ripe for the devious and evil George Wickham to take advantage of the Bennett's newest addition, since he knows very well who she is, but pretends otherwise. He woos and flatters "Anne Edwards," and once again gets her to agree to become betrothed. Because Elizabeth is now informed about Wickham's past offenses, she becomes suspicious and protective of "Anne."
The book definitely kept my interest, even though many of the scenes and situations were somewhat ludicrous. This story has it all: suspense, evil villains, heart wrenching and heartwarming situations, lovely romance, excitement, danger, lots of miscommunication, and eventual understanding. It's such an exciting story at times that I decided that I just have to suspend belief and hang on for a good, bumpy tale. I could go into some of the more bizarre actions that are taken by some characters, but my advice is to just go with it.
I deducted a star because I became a little annoyed with the flowery and stilted language used by the author. Her prose is extremely formal and over-the-top in trying to sound Regency era. She kept referring to "maidens" and "alabaster hands," and things like that. A little too frou-frou for me.
However, the book is well written and well edited. I recommend it highly.
January 3, 2021
Avid Reader
I love this new author and look forward to her next book, which had an excerpt at the end of this one.Wickham's second attempt to marry Georgina thanks to amnesia should be made into a movie! It would definitely surpass Hallmark 's attempts at modern day versions. Don't get me wrong; I love Hallmark,but not when they try to do P&P! Thanks to his rescuing of Georgina, Mr. Bennet becomes a better father and doesn't allow Lydia to go to Brighton. Mrs. Bennet 's mean behavior towards Georgina further convinces Mr. Bennet that there are dangerous things that can happen to unfortunate gentlewomen who have no protectors. Elizabeth helps Georgina to find her voice, and Darcy 's reaction to the loss of Georgina allows Elizabeth to understand that he is a man of deep feelings. Darcy 's ability to understand young Tommy 's grief concerning the death of his mother shows Elizabeth that she and her family as well as all of Meryton had failed Tommy. Instead of telling Tommy that things would get better, Darcy talked Tommy through the memories of his mother and that her presence would always be with him. Miss Potocki's writing kept me engaged from the first word to the last!
I love this new author and look forward to her next book, which had an excerpt at the end of this one.Wickham's second attempt to marry Georgina thanks to amnesia should be made into a movie! It would definitely surpass Hallmark 's attempts at modern day versions. Don't get me wrong; I love Hallmark,but not when they try to do P&P! Thanks to his rescuing of Georgina, Mr. Bennet becomes a better father and doesn't allow Lydia to go to Brighton. Mrs. Bennet 's mean behavior towards Georgina further convinces Mr. Bennet that there are dangerous things that can happen to unfortunate gentlewomen who have no protectors. Elizabeth helps Georgina to find her voice, and Darcy 's reaction to the loss of Georgina allows Elizabeth to understand that he is a man of deep feelings. Darcy 's ability to understand young Tommy 's grief concerning the death of his mother shows Elizabeth that she and her family as well as all of Meryton had failed Tommy. Instead of telling Tommy that things would get better, Darcy talked Tommy through the memories of his mother and that her presence would always be with him. Miss Potocki's writing kept me engaged from the first word to the last!
April 21, 2021
A fascinating tale of redemption
A very effective story of grief, change, sorrow, friendships, villains, and redemption. The story leaves canon after the Hunsford proposal, and a Georgiana with amnesia is found by the Bennets. Plenty of plot twists and plotting from Wickham and a well -written characterization of Lizzy. An excellent description of grief and hopelessness in Darcy. Plenty of romance.
A very effective story of grief, change, sorrow, friendships, villains, and redemption. The story leaves canon after the Hunsford proposal, and a Georgiana with amnesia is found by the Bennets. Plenty of plot twists and plotting from Wickham and a well -written characterization of Lizzy. An excellent description of grief and hopelessness in Darcy. Plenty of romance.
January 18, 2021
Wow!!!
Just wow! This was very well written. I felt Darcy' s crushing grief when he thought his sister dead. I cried. Even knowing she was fine. I was anxious when Wickham was wooing 'Anne'. I loved all the tender moments.
This was such a rewarding read. I loved it.
Just wow! This was very well written. I felt Darcy' s crushing grief when he thought his sister dead. I cried. Even knowing she was fine. I was anxious when Wickham was wooing 'Anne'. I loved all the tender moments.
This was such a rewarding read. I loved it.
February 6, 2021
A Very Good Variation
I enjoyed this book immensely. The premise is original, and while the characters true to canon, the plot is intriguing and fresh. It actually manages to give excellent suspense, while staying very close to the origin story.
I enjoyed this book immensely. The premise is original, and while the characters true to canon, the plot is intriguing and fresh. It actually manages to give excellent suspense, while staying very close to the origin story.
August 4, 2021
Lost memories
The story line was unique and held my interest from the opening chapter until the end. The description of Darcy's suffering the loss of his sister was heart wrenching.
The story line was unique and held my interest from the opening chapter until the end. The description of Darcy's suffering the loss of his sister was heart wrenching.
January 12, 2021
Very interesting
This was original story never read one about Georgianna being in sort of the centre not going to tell the story read the book but I liked it a lot.
This was original story never read one about Georgianna being in sort of the centre not going to tell the story read the book but I liked it a lot.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews