Fitzwilliam Darcy, Man of Fortune

Dimensions of Darcy #5

by Jennifer Joy

Fitzwilliam Darcy wants nothing more than to win Elizabeth Bennet's good opinion, so when her family's reputation is threatened with ruin, he plans to use his influence and fortune to save them. He carries out his plans perfectly … until he wakes up on a pirate ship.

Thrust into a dangerous world with no rules and fewer scruples, Darcy must make a deal with a knife-flinging pirate out for revenge against the man who scorned her—a man with a striking resemblance to Darcy.

When Elizabeth is kidnapped and brought aboard the ship, blades fly and swords clatter as Darcy protects the woman he loves. But Elizabeth's humor helps her make an unexpected friend who teaches her a strength she never knew she possessed—a strength that deepens Darcy's admiration and respect.

Together, Darcy and Elizabeth achieve what he could not accomplish alone, embarking on a thrilling adventure that unites our dear couple while they uncover a shocking secret that is certain to land the Darcy family in the center of an epic scandal.

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Man of Fortune is a Sweet Regency Romance for readers who crave a pulse-pounding adventure and a page-turning mystery to solve.

Genres: Romance, Mystery, Regency, Audiobook, Adventure, Historical, Historical Romance

478 pages, ebook

Published October 21, 2021

About the author

When Jennifer isn’t busy dreaming up new adventures for her favorite characters, she is reading, baking, or chasing her twins around the park.

She believes in happy endings, sweet romance, and plenty of intrigue. She writes what she most enjoys reading, so expect lighthearted stories with happy endings and a few laughs.

Born on the beautiful Oregon coast, she traveled all around the world until she finally settled in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador with her husband and two kids.

Reviews

[Carole (in Canada) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shiver me timbers! This was one swashbuckling adventure of a tale!

"His one path to redemption was right now, in this moment, and he would not let it slip." (quote from the book)

Fitzwilliam Darcy is determined to make right all that he did wrong in Elizabeth Bennet's eyes. He would save the reputation of the Bennet family by forcing Mr. Wickham to marry Lydia Bennet. All was in place...until he was kidnapped.

"Ye must think ye're mighty clever. Mighty proud. Well, I can cure a man of pride." (quote from the book)

Waking up on a pirate ship is not what he was expecting, nor was the captain of the ship...Le Femme Lafitte! But Alexandra Lafitte keeps calling him Nicholas...until Mr. Darcy is made to prove otherwise. Then he makes a bargain with her...a blood oath.

In the meantime, the Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam is trying to find Darcy and get Lydia married to Wickham. Contacting a former colleague at the Bow Street Runners, has him coming across a woman that sets all his bells ringing. When that contact finds him a man recently incarcerated at Newgate Prison, things get very complicated quickly. Things, however, get desperate when Elizabeth Bennet is kidnapped.

So grab your sword and your sash, for this is one rollicking adventure with many twists and turns. Bring along a dash of imagination as you sail forth on this adventure and be prepared for some romance on the high seas! I may be dating myself here, but I remember as a child watching those Errol Flynn movies and this book certainly has that vibe! Great fun!

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this book for a fair and honest review.

[Sam H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An action packed 28 year old mystery, with plenty of romance thrown in. 4.5*

The story begins with Darcy's assistance finding Wickham and arranging his marriage to Lydia. All he wants to do is show Elizabeth he can change. Then he disappears!

Richard takes on the responsibility of finding Darcy, but gets much more than he bargained for. A Darcy look-alike, a 28 year old crime and potential love of his own. Then- Elizabeth disappears!

Reuniting on a pirate ship, with the constant threat on their lives and not knowing when they might see home and family again, they finally get the opportunity to talk and get to know one another better.

This fast paced romance with a complex mystery to solve, entertains the whole way through. Joined with ODC are 2 more couples - Nick/Alex and Col. F/Emily, adding more opportunity for this author's signature gift for gab. Chasing down clues throughout England from the sea to land, they uncover a nefarious crime of greed and murder which has been going on for years.

We do not get to meet several of canon's characters, but many new characters provide colorful additions.

At some point I got the impression of repetition concerning Nick's thoughts. While it can make sense, his character has the most to resolve, but personally I found it a tad annoying.

All in all another JAFF-chicklit romp from Jennifer Joy! Highly recommend!!

I received an ARC of this book from the author for my honest review.

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As it is late but as I just finished reading this story I have to not only highly recommend this tale but also all the others this author has written, even those not-JAFF stories.

Darcy has found Wickham and "persuaded" him to marry Lydia. However, he doesn't show up for the wedding and his cousin, the Colonel, has to step in to make sure that event moves forward. Now...where is Darcy?

Darcy wakes up on a pirate ship. Lo and behold, the captain is a woman! Can't say who is more surprised, Alex when she realizes Darcy is not "Nick", the man who abandoned her and whom she is determined to get back...even if it means she has to learn how to be a "lady" to win him or Darcy as she calls him by another man's name. Subsequently, when Darcy makes comments and compliments about his own true love, we find just how impulsive Captain Alex(andra) is. Elizabeth is found, (kidnapped from her father's side) and brought to the ship, (the Fancy), so that Alex can have a first hand mentor in her lessons.

Quote from the book: "She huffed as if he had offended her. “I’m not inter‐ ested in yer money. I need lady lessons from a real lady so Nick’ll love me like ye love her."

Meanwhile Nick is redeemed from Newgate by Lord Matlock. Nick and Darcy look identical and we soon find out why. Yes, there is a mystery dating back almost 30 years and involving many "misplaced" or "lost" infants.

So this story has two threads. Darcy and Elizabeth want to "leave" the ship, with Alex determined to keep them, while the Fitzwilliam/Darcy family are searching for answers as to the trade in babies by whom and why.

Some new characters are introduced into this story but some take on more significant roles, i.e., Mrs. Annesley. Three couples find their HEA...not telling who the last couple is. And there is an epilogue.

Interestingly: we also have a prison riot...and Wickham does play a bigger part in this story than you might expect. Additionally, we have a man, Connell, who dogs Nick's steps hoping to collect a reward for capturing a "pirate".

I received an ARC of this story and am freely leaving a review, with my own thoughts and opinions.

[Jennifer Joy]

GOING LIVE AT MIDNIGHT!
Here's a little snippet:
“𝗜 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱,” he mumbled under his breath.
“𝘈𝘩, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯’ 𝘺𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦,” said Alex.
Darcy glared at her with open disdain.
She continued, looking entirely too satisfied with herself. “𝗬𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼. I may not know how to make Nick love me, but I know how a woman thinks. And 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙮𝙚 𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚.”



🎉2 DAYS TO RELEASE!!!🎉


𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗦𝗡𝗘𝗔𝗞 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞?
The first 4 chapters are up on my blog! (Which will show up on GR shortly...or is up right now at jenniferjoywrites.com)




Coming Soon!

[Ree · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Case of Mistaken Identity
Leaving Wickham’s company after finally getting him to agree to marry Lydia, Darcy is kidnapped by pirates. No eye roll necessary here, because this is a highly entertaining read. When Darcy doesn’t show up the next day for the wedding, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam takes over, and when his hired man sees Darcy being taken to Newgate Prison, he immediately alerts Richard, who makes an amazing discovery upon seeing him. He looks like Darcy, but it’s not Darcy. Lord Matlock arranges the release of this infamous pirate into his custody. The Fitzwilliams believe he is Darcy’s twin. Soon after, there’s a second kidnapping, but I won’t spoil it.

So begins an adventurous tale involving kidnapping, murder and, of course, finding the love of your life—for three couples. With three new excellently portrayed main characters, this page-turner holds your interest from the first to the last page. Elizabeth and Darcy are fabulous in this book. While the circumstances scream angst, the characters they encounter and befriend make it quite the opposite.

There is a mystery to solve with respect to how the Darcy brothers become separated at birth, which leads two carriage loads of Darcys, Fitzwilliams and Bennets on a merry search for clues to various towns and places. I had fun looking them up on Google Earth as I went along.

Jennifer Joy has written another thrilling and entertaining story. If you love pirates, this tale has one pirate that will quite surprise you. And—the swashbuckling! Darcy’s first scene involving this was hold-your-breath dramatic and daring. I do love me some swashbuckling! I consider this a sweet, fun read, which I highly recommend.

I received an ARC of this book from the author and am happy to provide my honest review.

Purchased published version for my Kindle library.

January 10, 2022 - Audiobook
I just love this book and Stevie Zimmerman’s performance is perfection.

June 23, 2024 - Second Listen
Still a favourite!

[James S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romp

SPOILERS





Hard to describe the story. It’s totally unlikely but totally charming. Darcy becomes a pirate, just like his twin brother no one knew existed. Yes, silly but wonderful. Lizzy becomes a pirate to teach a woman pirate how to be a proper lady. The prate leader has a heart of gold, of course, so to pay Lizzy for her time and expertise she teaches Lizzy self defense. Fair trade for everyone.

How could Darcy have a twin brother. The answer is one of the major plots. So what is Darcy’s rein like? Strangely similar in the way he thinks and his mannerisms. Nature versus nurture was fun to read about.

Just a great story. It was kind of like the movie ‘It’s a mad, mad , mad world’. Lots of unlikely serious scenes are taking place but it’s so entertaining it becomes light and funny.

[wosedwew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. ~ Helen Keller

Fitzwilliam Darcy, that man of fortune, meets the scoundrel, George Wickham, at a disreputable tavern near the Thames. His intention is to coerce Wickham to marry Miss Lydia Bennet and thereby save the reputations of the remaining Bennet sisters.

Leaving the tavern, he is attacked and kidnapped. Waking, he realizes he is at sea.

Quote from the book: He thought back, remembering his assault. There had been two men. They had rough accents — Devonshire men. Seafaring men, no doubt. Press gangers? No, Darcy thought as he recalled bits of their conversation. They had spoken like they knew him. But how could that be? He had few friends in Devonshire, and certainly nobody of their sort. Where had they brought him? And why did it look like the inside of a mantua maker’s shop? They had claimed he was dangerous, pretending to be a gentleman. Clearly, they had mistaken him for someone else, but for whom? … From the shadows, a woman appeared. “Ye always had a hard head.”

Thus does Darcy meet Alexandra Lafitte, a female pirate “so fierce, she was claimed to have ripped the hearts of her victims out of their chests while they yet breathed.”

The test of an adventure is that when you're in the middle of it, you say to yourself, "Oh, now I've got myself into an awful mess; I wish I were sitting quietly at home." And the sign that something's wrong with you is when you sit quietly at home wishing you were out having lots of adventure... ~ Thornton Wilder

Darcy soon learns that Alexandra Lafitte has a special reason for seeking his doppelganger: unrequited love! Until the man is found, Darcy is forced to join the pirate crew — at the lowest level of servitude.

Who is this “Nick” that the pirates seek?
Why does can he resemble Darcy so exactly?
And why, oh why, does Elizabeth arrive onboard the pirate ship?

It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves — in finding themselves. ~ André Gide

If you read much JAFF, you know that Elizabeth Bennet is a kidnapper’s magnet! That girl is accosted regularly but I have never before seen this motive for kidnapping. Alexandra Lafitte knows what she wants and uses everyone possible to meet her goal.

As the story develops, two plots run together:
1) How can Darcy and Elizabeth get off the pirate ship?
2) Who is the mysterious “Nick” and why does he look like Darcy?

We meet a villainous woman, a midwife, who does not always do her best for new parents and their infants. I am not going to spoil this part of the plot — you need to read it yourself and I recommend that you do. For me, it was a “could not put it down” kind of story.

...he retained to his last hour his taste for the adventurous, the singular, and the uncommon, and never was steady enough to pursue perseveringly the drudgery of life. ~ Michael Banim

I received an early copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Madenna U · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is full of adventure! Fitzwilliam Darcy is trying to rescue the Bennet family from Wickham and Lydia’s elopement. Before he can witness the wedding, he disappears. He wakes up on a pirate ship due to a case of mistaken identity. As his family tries to find him, more and more mysterious things are discovered and Elizabeth Bennet disappears too! The story features romance, mystery, and quite a bit of fun on the way to multiple happily ever afters.

I loved the new characters intermixed with cannon favorites. The emotion and occasional sarcastic comment made it a pleasure to read. I could not put it down.

The author gave me an ARC of this book with no promises of a review.

[Suzan Lauder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent novel that meanders between a romance and a mystery story like a busy river, yet with skilful control. Maybe more like multiple threads in a complex piece of embroidery. But exciting like the river.

My review will be a technical one, focusing on those elements that most reviewers skim by but that are important to most readers, and which can cause readers to drop a star. Though in this case, there's not much negative to say.

Even though this says it's #5 in a series, the book is stand-alone and has nothing to do with the other books in the series other than they are each different imaginings of what Darcy could be.

The plot is almost a two-fer in that the romantic tale is over when the mystery tale is just taking off after having simmered on the sidelines for some time. I'd say the mystery is the overarching plot, with the romance taking place within that story, even though it's not obvious until later in the novel. It's not like the author went off on a sideline, it's really well-meshed and like another bump in the road. The author did have a contrivance with regard to Wickham that annoyed me a little, but I forgave her soon enough when we went back to the main story. After all, the Wickham story was only there to appease those who wanted him in there for canon reasons.

The flow is pretty fast paced throughout due to the interesting subject matter and moderate angst level that is stead all along yet once in a while bursts into high angst. The angst is not unbearable, and more to do with the mystery or action than the romance.

Point of view is alternating third person deep point of view done well. The author uses some filter words that do harm the depth of the point of view and tell rather than show.

Language is reminiscent of the Regency, with only two words that are non-Regency Americanisms and one other non-Regency word. This is much lower than the average JAFF novel. Contractions were carefully used in the language and point of view of the lower-class characters per the era.

The author had some confusion over the use of "will" and "shall," mixing them up. For example, she said "the work shall" and "your men shall" as well as the American "I will" for a situation that was not a dire one.

The author also capitalized "His Lordship" and "Me Lord;" these are never capitalized.

A personal peeve was the quoting of Deborah Moggach's screenplay of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice. It's not wrong, per se, as many authors quote adaptations. I just find that specific adaptation's prose cloying.

Era errors included indicating that muslin is stiff and scratchy. That would be modern day muslin. Regency muslin was fine and almost sheer, much like superfine cotton, and it would not be scratchy. The language of flowers is post-Regency. I doubt if ladies would get away with trousers in some of the scenes where they were shown in the book. That situation was stretched too far.

The new characters were cleverly sketched and the originals well matched to canon with their personalities in essentials pulled out to work well with the plot at hand.

The romance developed at an appropriate rate, and was believable. It never made the reader doubt or hesitate over its reality. It worked within the context of the rest of the story line.

Some of the scenes were a little hard to figure out because they went by so fast. The author chose to avoid detail in the scenes that could have had violence in them, which was nice in an angst way, but it made for some confusion within the reading of the scene. The reader sort of went "That happened fast. How was it accomplished?"

That said, there was some cleverness in the scene-setting regarding the life on a pirate ship. I don't know if the author did extensive research or used extensive imagination or a bit of both, but it was excellent imagery and added well to the story line.

The cover is clever, showing the scenery that would give the readers a sense of the story within, even if it uses those rather tedious models that you see on so many JAFF books these days. It would certainly make me stop and have a second look at the book. In the "buy me" realm, that's a good coup. I think the title is a tad off the mark for the story line, but it suits the series.

My overall impression of this book is WOW! Jennifer Joy not only scored on a fantastic story line, but also on editing. This is one of the cleanest books I've read in JAFF in terms of need for editing. Bravo to her team. Besides that, the reader is rewarded with a pair of inter-meshed tales that provide a subtle mystery and a wholesome romance, all set within the Regency period and starring our favourite Darcy and Elizabeth. What more could a reader ask for? I strongly recommend reading this book.

Disclaimer: I'm a JAFF author, and some might say this review is a conflict of interest. However, I was a reader first, and my reviews are honest and impartial. They are aimed at both the author and the reader.

[Doris Studer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t neglect your dogs!!!
A keelhauled FD, ladies knowledgeable in martial arts and extraordinary adept at using knives - nice people who turn out to be bad or are really nice, bad people who turn out to be excellent people or prove to be very bad indeed - when you think something unpleasant will happen, there comes lightness, even fun, and when you think you can relax, something horrible occurs. Surprise after surprise and only my over-tired brain made me sleep and my FD-like sense of duty made me walk the dogs. So, five stars for my patient dogs and five stars for the author!

[Teresita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story will keep you awake reading impatient to see what comes next! A very original plot with lots of adventure and intrigue. It is so well written you can almost see the scenes in front of you. Really a must read!

[Rukshy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Fitzwilliam Darcy tries to patch together Lydia Bennet's marriage to Wickham, he is abducted by pirates in a case of mistaken identity. What follows is an adventure on the high seas, abductions and plot twists. There are some awesome new characters and some wonderful scenes (I loved the Bath Bun scene). This book is well written and extremely well plotted. It was one of the most interesting Pride and Prejudice alternate reality stories that I have read in a long time and is a must read for JAFF lovers.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer Joy is one of my favorite authors!!!

This was a thrilling read. I loved the adventure, the chivalry, the reunion stories… I loved Nick and Alex and Darcy and Lizzy. I will read this one again.

[Maria Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight. I've read all of Ms. Joy's JAFF and have always said my favorite is the cousins series. I loved it. This book rivals that series as my favorite. It was so fun. When midnight came and I still had two hours to go I was so sad to force myself to go to bed because I wanted to keep reading until all was resolved.
There were so many elements to this book. Just when one story thread gets resolved and you might think the story is at an end, you discover you are only half way through. There is still so much more to resolve. There is a mystery, actually multiple mysteries since people keep disappearing but also the main mystery that takes the entire book to resolve. But in addition to that you have romance. Not just Elizabeth and Darcy. Multiple romances. It is so much fun. Multiple mysteries, multiple romances and everyone working together to resolve it all.
I like fan fiction best when authors totally take the story in a different direction but stick to the personality types of Austen's characters so it really feels like it could have been a real part of their story. And this one did that. The story starts from when Darcy finds Wickham and Lydia and arranges their marriage and then veered off from canon but Elizabeth was truly Elizabeth and Darcy truly Darcy, though more like the Darcy in the last half of P&P instead of the beginning. He isn't nearly so proud as when he first met Elizabeth. And he is charming.
Again, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be delighted to read it again in the future.

Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: yes
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Gill M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darcy is tracking down George Wickham and Lydia Bennet through the stews of London. Just as he is successful in coercing Wickham to marry Lydia, he is struck on the head and knows no more.

When he wakes, he finds himself on a pirate ship, victim of a case of mistaken identity. Unfortunately, the pirates are not about to send him home with an apology!

So begins a breath-taking tale of piracy, kidnappings, betrayal, love and the solving of a 20+ year old mystery.

One of my favourite moments is Elizabeth Bennet learning smooth self-defence techniques, which she puts into action on George Wickham.

Darcy and Elizabeth are awesome and the new lead characters are engaging.
A rollicking adventure! I heartily recommend that you read this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. All views expressed are my own.

[JaneR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fitzwilliam Darcy trainee Pirate

Jennifer Joy never fails to deliver a brilliant story.

From start to finish this book will keep you captivated.

When Darcy is mistaken for someone else and ends up on a Pirate ship, he must work to save himself and his beloved Elizabeth, together they sail into a mystery surrounding stolen children.

Wonderfully written and with all the characters you love and some you might not, you wont be disappointed if you add this to your library.

[CEK · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating, rollicking, adventure

A very fast-moving plot sends our dear couple to several new and exciting places along with a Darcy double and other interesting non-canon characters. Plenty of romance, witty banter, evil villains, scurvy pirates, danger and friendship. Loved it!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaaaah! So much to unpack with this fun read. Kidnappings! A lady pirate! Missing babies! A long lost twin! Elizabeth learning new skills (gotta add to her accomplished woman list after all)Tricky Wicky trying not to lose a hand!

Loved it! I love these JAFF books where ODC experience an adventure together.

[Doni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent story!
Captivated me from the
very first page.
It's a heartfelt, moving
& suspenseful romance.
Great characters, old & new.
Join Darcy, on an intriguing
adventure. It has everything
& more that you will want
in a P & P variation story.
RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE!!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. This book had lots of adventure and excitement from start to finish. Kidnapping, pirates, baby snatching and a decades old mystery. Throw in a dash of romance and you’ve got all the makings for a great story. This book was exciting and kept my attention from page 1.

If I were rating this book on entertainment value alone, it would definitely be a solid five stars. There were multiple stories playing out and each piece eventually found it’s place in the puzzle as a whole as the story progresses. This was a creative and original premise for a P&P variation that finds Darcy as an unwilling guest on a pirate ship after he sets up the terms for the Wickham’s marriage. The wedding is put on hold while a search for the phantom Darcy begins headed up by Colonel Fitzwilliam. The search for Darcy turns up far more than his family ever imagined and the Darcy/Fitzwilliam families will never be the same again!

Elizabeth has finally become acquainted with her own feelings for Darcy just as she learns he has vanished and fears she will never have the chance to let him know her tender feelings. The opportunity ends up presenting itself sooner than she imagines and in a way she never would have dreamed! The development of D&E’s relationship was sweet and romantic.

Love was in the air, or maybe the sea water, as D&E aren’t the only couple developing romantic stirrings. I have to say that I really loved the storyline and developing romance of Colonel Fitzwilliam in this book! The good Colonel is one of very favorite supporting characters and I love it when he gets a little page time, especially when that page time includes him winning a deserving lady who is worthy of him and NOT Mary Bennet or Charlotte Lucas or is not him pining over Elizabeth when we all know how well that always works out for him in the end! The other couple, Nick and Alex, is more complex. I had mixed feelings about them. I really wanted to like Alex, but she never really grew on me like I think she was supposed to. She just seemed to cartoonish and silly for me to ever fully warm up to her or to be able to view her as someone who could function in society.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. As I mentioned before, the entertainment value is great. My only reservation is that while stories like this require you to suspend belief, there is a point where that line is pushed a bit too far and the story starts to feel a bit on the silly and ridiculous side. This story crept into that area a little more than I like to the point that it started detracting a bit from my enjoyment of the book which is why my overall rating is a solid 3.5. I recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting P&P adventure with a few pirates thrown into the mix!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my goodness! Adventures ahoy! I really enjoyed this book! I like this author a lot and I know that this is going to be one of my long-term favorites to re-read. It's hard to write about it without **spoilers**, so continue reading this your own risk.

So many things are happening in this story! There are several plot lines, all having mysteries. Multiple kidnappings, baby stealing, pirates and more! Lydia and Wickham have eloped and Darcy has finally found Wickham and convinced him to marry Lydia, with a promise of more money when the wedding is completed. Then Darcy is kidnapped and wakes on a pirate ship where everyone calls him Nick and insists that is who he is! Of course, they soon realize he is not this Nick person, but who is Nick and why does Darcy look just like him? The captain of the ship is the infamous Alexandra "La Femme" Lafitte, rumored to be a harsh mistress, and she is looking for Nick, her former lover who abandoned her. Darcy is stuck on the ship, so they make him work hard, peeling potatoes and onions, among other things. One night in his sleep he calls out for Elizabeth, and he is interrogated about her. Captain Alex is impressed with how deeply Darcy loves Elizabeth and wants Nick to love her that way. She knows that somehow Darcy is the key to getting Nick back, and Elizabeth will be the key to Darcy's cooperation and her teacher in how to be a lady.

Meanwhile, Darcy does not show up for the wedding! Wickham will not marry Lydia without the money, so that is a big fiasco. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are wonderful in this book, taking charge of Lydia and generally being calm and firm while others are not. Elizabeth goes with her father to London to help with Lydia. Then Elizabeth disappears! She has been kidnapped and taken to the pirate ship. Elizabeth bargains for self-defense lessons, including knife-throwing) in return for lessons on being a lady. Her humor, inner strength and composure impress Alex, and make Darcy love her even more.

Nick is in Newgate prison, and Colonel Fitzwilliam visits him and has his father, Lord Matlock, get him out of there. I loved the scene where Georgiana sees Nick and runs to him, giving him a big hug because she is so glad her brother has returned. Imagine her surprise when it is not her brother Darcy, but apparently her other brother Nick, an identical twin to Darcy. They were separated at birth by an evil midwife who was selling babies but then had no use for him, and he was left at a church in Devonshire near the seashore, where he grew up learning to be a fisherman, then a pirate when he was captured by pirates.

When Darcy and Elizabeth get back to England, he is stunned and elated to find he has a brother. Colonel Fitzwilliam has already done some investigating to find the midwife from Darcy's birth. This is a shocking part of the book, but of course all is resolved and HEA!

I really liked the way Darcy's attitudes changed with his understanding of the sailors on the ship, and how his discussions also changed the points of view of Alex and some of the sailors. His love for Elizabeth is swoon-worthy.

In spite of the multiple plot lines and things happening all over, I felt this was well-done, as I never had trouble figuring out where we were in the story. The mysteries and action are exciting, and sometimes fun, if rather unbelievable, but it doesn't take that much suspension of belief to follow the flow.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

And Now for Something Completely Different

I have been reading Jane Austen fan-fiction by this author and her mother (J. Dawn King) for years, and I almost always enjoy their usually unique spins on our favorite Regency couple. In fact, it's hard to believe they can continue to spin some very unique plots. This is one of those, for sure. The book starts as Darcy is trying to get Wickham to marry Lydia. But after that first meet-up with Wickham—where he manages to get him to agree to the marriage by forgiving debts, purchasing him a commission, and sweetening the deal with £1000—things go awry. Darcy is abducted, winding up on a ship, not knowing what's going on beyond the fact that he has been beaten up and is being guarded! Fairly soon, Elizabeth finds out what Darcy has done on the Bennets’ behalf, and that he's missing. Since Wickham reneged at the altar because Darcy wasn't at the wedding, Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth are off to London. I won't give any more details, but it was a sometimes wild but always fun ride. Even though the author put Darcy and Elizabeth in completely different circumstances than the original, she still kept the characters true to themselves. If you enjoy Jane Austen fan-fiction as I do, you will probably enjoy this book if you don't mind ones that are wildly different from canon.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Lynley Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darcy as a pirate, kidnapping, sword fights, what's not to love?

Jennifer delivers us a well written, action packed, romance rich, story. Darcy heads to the seedier end of town in a bid to find Wickham and unwittingly finds himself the victim of kidnapping. Elizabeth too is drawn into the plot and the stage is set for ODC to truly fall in love.

I particularly enjoyed the Colonel's story.

The story is filled with adventure, our favourite characters, some surprising and easy to love new characters, and a fresh take on the kidnapping trope.

As always, Jennifer Joy has written a story that is a pleasure to read (well edited).

I received an ARC from the author with no expectations of a review. The views expressed are my own.

[Buturot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This retelling had a lot of stories to tell. The story of Darcy, Nicholas, their love stories and their past.I typicaly like stories focusing mainly on Lizzy and Darcy but this story introduced interesting and witty characters, thus making this an enticing read. It also captured my interest with the mystery and I thought I had it figured out but the story didn't align with my thoughts.

Overall, this clean story holds romance, mystery, comedy, action and the subtle FD romanticism you find in the authors other books. Great for P & P fans.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review

[Susannah Lawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of kidnapping and piracy. From the streets of London to the High seas. The author takes you on an action packed adventure that will leave you breathlessly anticipating the next chapter.

Will ODC get the happy ending they deserve? Perhaps, but the journey will be full of twists and surprises. 

This story is like the waves on the ocean, dramatic highs and despairing lows, and yet an utterly wonderful force of nature.

Totally love the work of Jennifer Joy who can write Regency as if she channels Austen herself and mystery and intrigue as enthralling as Christie.

[Debby Sangiovanni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Jennifer Joy is one of my favorite authors, so of course when she releases a new book, I finish {quickly} the book I'm currently reading and dive into her latest offering. I am never disappointed.
This latest book is absolutely wonderful. If I may be so bold, finish {quickly} whatever book you are currently reading and dive into this new release.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a different retelling of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet's story, I was not putting this book down until I was finished. It brings so many romances together with some surprises thrown in. The story was well worth reading. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Iris Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and with original characters that I actually came to very much care for. I only wish there was more Darcy-and-Elizabeth interaction and that the concluding pursuit of the villain didn’t end so anticlimactically. Otherwise a good, if rather long read. Cover looks slightly steamy but content is actually very tame. Will check out other works by this author.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

Loved this book. What a writer. Can’t wait for the next book. This is one I’ll read over and over so don’t miss any details.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very far from Austen, but a great deal of fun.