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Mr. Darcy, the Heir of Pemberley

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When young Fitzwilliam Darcy, the heir to one of the grandest estates in Derbyshire, starts spending time in company with Elizabeth, all his objections to the inferiority of her connections fade away. She becomes his greatest temptation. The more he sees her, the more he wants her. Can Darcy persuade Elizabeth to overcome her first impression of him and eventually win her heart?

Miss Elizabeth Bennet has strong reservations against Mr. Darcy for a good reason. Upon first meeting Elizabeth, the proud man deemed her fairly tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt him. However, with her mind more agreeably engaged with thoughts of his handsome best friend, Elizabeth feels obliged to get along with the disagreeable man.

Alas, there is more than Elizabeth’s unfavorable opinion of the gentleman to keep them apart. His mother, Lady Anne Darcy, has her own opinion. Her plans for her son’s future are not to be threatened by a country upstart whom she deems so far beneath him in consequences as to be deemed laughable. Lady Anne will do whatever it takes to keep Elizabeth away from her son.

What are the chances for happiness between Darcy and Elizabeth with so many obstacles standing in their way?

Grab this impassioned romance novel today and recall the fervor of first love. Experience what it’s like to feel that youthful exuberance all over again as you read this enchanting page-turner.

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2022

40 people are currently reading
27 people want to read

About the author

P.O. Dixon

89 books170 followers
P. O. Dixon has authored several Jane Austen "Pride and Prejudice" adaptations, all written with one overriding purpose in mind—falling in love with Darcy and Elizabeth. Sometimes provocative, but always entertaining, her stories have been read, commented on, and thoroughly enjoyed by thousands of readers worldwide.

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5 stars
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48 (40%)
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27 (22%)
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Sam H..
1,228 reviews61 followers
April 17, 2025
I think this is my favorite Dixon book so far.

I haven't read all her books, as I am not a big fan of OOC premarital hanky panky, which I find her books tend to have. This story does not go that root.

Elizabeth in is London, visiting the Gardiners following Jane's marriage to Collins (gasp), but that is not really part of our story.
She spends time with her good friend and meets charming single men. One of whom is Darcy who takes a while to admit he is intrigued by Elizabeth.

Eventually, they both grow to have feelings for each other. It is slow, organic and Darcy as a 24 yo, not yet burdened with Pemberley, is a bit of a charmer and romantic when he puts his mind to it!

However - Lady Anne is a witch worse than Lady C.
Darcy's mother doesn't just raise her voice, flail her arms and thinks she knows all. This woman puts action where her money is.
First, she tries to bribe E and when that doesn't work, she then systematically burns down (pays someone to do it) Gardiners warehouses, one by one. WHAT?!?!
They lose everything, Gardiner moves to a boarding room. Mrs. Gardiner takes the children to Longbourn for the meantime.

Here is where my one big issue comes in. While it is clear wealthy and powerful people get away with a lot of crap (even to this day) there are NO repercussions. Not even a conversation between the family talking about fears, loss etc. Darcy "knows" but doesn't know what his mother has done, but it isn't addressed.
I guess that wasn't the reason for the story, but personally I'd have liked it to be a bit longer for some real human reaction to happen. Beyond that of Elizabeth preparing to return to Longbourn but being so easily convinced to stay in London with her friends.

Aside from that I loved the story, never expected the bridge scene (no spoilers) but it was well written.

Lady A does not get a comeuppance, but distances herself and goes softly into the night...
Profile Image for Sheila Majczan.
2,698 reviews206 followers
February 19, 2023
This story presents us with Mr. Bennet already dead and Jane married to Collins to "save her family". Elizabeth has been sent to live with the Gardiners in the hopes she will find a suitor. She is friends with a Isabella Madden as Isabella's mother and Elizabeth's aunt attended seminary together. Thus Elizabeth has entry into society events.

One of the first events is that she overhears "that insult" as she eavesdrops on two men while out on the balcony. Thus we have Elizabeth not at all receptive to overtures from Darcy; while he fights with himself over the fact that despite being now drawn to her she does not fit the mold of a lady who would be acceptable for marriage.

Enter the villainess - Darcy's mother. Yes, Lady Anne is still alive while her husband is disabled with apoplexy. She first offers a bribe to Elizabeth to walk away from her acquaintance with Darcy. When that doesn't work two of Uncle Gardiner's warehouses burn to the ground. SPOILER: He moves into a boarding house while his family moves into Longbourn temporarily. End of SPOILER

Things, however, move forward with Elizabeth. There is an initial period when she is drawn to Jonathan Hughes, Isabella's cousin and a friend of Darcy, Bingley and Zander. The last man being part of their group. Jonathan, however, is drawn to Lady Contessa, an independent lady who loves to travel and is not interested in settling down.

Yes, there is a HEA and several twists in the story. But you will have to read about those for yourself as I don't want to spoil the story.

I enjoyed this story. The romance between Darcy and Elizabeth was sweet. Lady Anne's part was a totally new type of variation for me.
Profile Image for Gill M.
375 reviews27 followers
August 14, 2022
When Elizabeth Bennet first meets Fitzwilliam Darcy, heir to Pemberley, she is not impressed.

He is dismissive and rather rude, while she is infatuated with his best friend Unfortunately, this friend has long been in love with a remarkable and unconventional High Society lady.

As Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam are thrown together at a house party and other gatherings, they start to appreciate each other. Darcy shows a romantic and charming side to his character.

Unfortunately, a singular object stands between the couple and happiness, Darcy’s mother!
Lady Anne Darcy is devious, arrogant, spiteful, controlling and dangerous.
She makes Lady Catherine de Bourgh look sweet and appealing, in comparison.

A rough road of angst, separation and heartbreak lies ahead, before the possibility of a happily ever after resolution.

I really enjoyed this. Lady Anne Darcy is rarely portrayed as anything other than a kind and loving mother. Here is a villain we can all despise!

I received a free copy of this book via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review. All views expressed are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for James S.
1,437 reviews
February 22, 2023
the power of the landholders of England

Darcy’s father and mother are still alive but his father appears to have suffered a stroke. When Darcy and Lizzie fall in love, Lady Anne is not happy. The story is about what power people like Lady Anne Darcy can bring against anyone not part of the aristocracy. It makes it clear why the French through off their aristocracy and tried to replace it.

There is a HEA by the end of the story but it’s not totally believable given what has come before.
139 reviews21 followers
April 5, 2023
Excellent book. I highly recommend it. I lost a night of sleep over it, but it was worth it.
Profile Image for Adriana.
122 reviews3 followers
August 22, 2022
After the death of her father, Jane becomes the new Mrs. Collins to save the family. Elizabeth Bennet then goes to London in search of her dream of marriage for love.
There, she meets her first crush, Mr. Jonathan Hughes, cousin of a friend of hers and one of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy's best friends, the reserved and proud heir of Pemberley.
Mr. Darcy falls in love with Elizabeth and is initially unrequited. He begins courting her in an attempt to make her fall in love with him.
They would have to face a huge obstacle: Lady Anne, who had well-defined ideas of what she considered ideal for the future of her son and her family and would spare no effort to prevent them from being together.
Of the many versions I've read, this was the worst Lady Anne, with even criminal actions and as happens in the real world, she wasn't properly punished. What the story has that really stuck with me is the intensity and beauty of some of the couple's interactions, even at their saddest moment.
Hard not to fall in love.
I received a free copy of this book via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Julia.
56 reviews5 followers
August 3, 2022
Silly and shallow

Lady Anne Darcy is alive and a cartoon villain. The story is Darcy and Elizabeth's ham-fisted attempts to conduct a romance in her wake. Darcy's behavior never makes much sense to me. If he already knows his mother's character is ruthless and she could pose a real danger to any love interest of his who she deems unsuitable, why would he go out of his way to secure Elizabeth's affections especially when he sees his mother has marked Elizabeth as a target for her wrath? Wouldn't he want to attempt to steel his own heart and alienate her at all costs to protect her *before* any attachment occurs? THAT would have made a great angle (and more sense) if fleshed out. But no, he doesn't come up with that genius move until AFTER he's courted Elizabeth, engaged her heart and seen the Gardiner's business literally burned down courtesy of Mommy Dearest. Then it just goes fully off the rails from there with one preposterous contrivance after another and no character development or internal insight to back it up. The whole plot with Darcy's parents and why Darcy and Elizabeth miscommunicate and stayed apart for so long is so convoluted and dumb that I was never able to make sense of it. Ultimately, Lady Anne, the great antagonist of the whole story, ends up being utterly toothless and simply fades away with an anticlimactic whimper and I'm left wondering why I wasted my time and money reading two hundred pages of ill-conceived soap opera with far too many of the same recycled phrases lifted from Jane Austen. Hate to say it but it reads like a lazy first draft or outline of an unfinished work. Expected more from this author.

P.S. If I read "her spirits rising to playfulness" ONE more time.. seriously it's a good turn of phrase but it's beyond redundant at this point.

58 reviews1 follower
August 9, 2022
This was a sweet and nice story. Elizabeth meets Darcy through some new friends in London while staying with the Gardiners, Mr. Bennet is dead so her circumstances are different than in P&P. Jane married Collins... Some would miss Elizabeth's family and Wickham. But over all I would say the story went nice along without these characters. I loved Elizabeth and Darcy, and the courtship they had before he had to go to Pemberly.

I also liked Elizabeth's new friends very much. Imagine a friend of Darcy sa a rival for Elizabeths hand! I would have liked to know more what happened to them later on. Maybe there will be a sequel?

What I really disliked was Lady Anne, and I would have wanted her to have some punishment/consequences. It is hard to believe she could get away with all her misbehavior. Mr Darcy Senior had a smale part and I would have liked to se more of him. He seemed more likeable than Lade A, and I felt sorry for him to have such a wife.
Profile Image for Madenna U.
2,149 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2023
This Pride and Prejudice variation skips the Bennet’s altogether and puts Elizabeth in London living with the Gardener family. Through friends she meets Fitzwilliam Darcy and their usual misunderstandings are worked through. Darcy’s parents are alive and his mother plays a unique role in our dear couple’s path to happiness.
462 reviews
April 19, 2023
a good read

Wow. A vindictive mother and an unsure son. Darcy’s parents are alive in this story. Elizabeth’s father has passed and Jane married Mr Collins. Now you have a story.
Read it!
Profile Image for Melanie.
206 reviews16 followers
May 14, 2023
"She is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me". These were the very first words of Mr. Darcy when he first laid eyes on Elizabeth Bennett. At second glance he is captivated by her beauty and her character. Although he has never been in love before he is sure that she is the woman he wants to share his life with.
Elizabeth on her part has heard his first insult and is determined not to spend more time with him. But Darcy is persistent and wants to show her that he really cares for her. With patience Elizabeth opinion of him begins to change and he himself falls in love with her more and more.
But than his mother, Lady Anne Darcy, learns from Darcy's affection for Elizabeth. She is determined to tear the two lovers apart my all means. Will she be successful or are the two young lovers able to find a way to escape Lady Anne's evil plans?

The author P. O. Dixon has written a very exciting story you can hardly set aside. With Lady Anne living and in the role of a villain there is a great change to the original story which increases the tension in the book. Darcy's aunt Lady Catherine is an evil woman but here Lady Anne is worse. I really began to hate her throughout the story. She is so determined to have her way in separating Darcy from Elizabeth that she not even shys away from harming Elizabeth and her relations.

I really like Darcy in this story (most of the time - there was incident I would have liked to hate him but when I got to know his reasons behind his doing it was understandable). He cares very much for Elizabeth and he shows it. First to capture her heart and, when Elizabeth wants to spent time with him on her own accord, to show his love for her. And I like the way he is finally able to get rid of his mother and her schemes and follows his heart.

Elizabeth for her part must be convinced of Darcy's love and affection but when she realises that she cares for Darcy, too, she is as we know her - her courage always rides with every attempt to intimate her. She stands up to face Lady Anne and is not willing to give up her chance of happiness with Darcy.

I also liked the relationship between Darcy and his close friends and between Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle or her friend Isabella. They all stand together for better for worse and they all try to help the two lovers as best as they can.

I really enjoyed this book. For me it was the first story with chanced family relations on Darcy part (his parents are both alive) but I liked it very much. It was a new, thrilling perspective on Darcy's family and his life.

I received a free copy of this book via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4,195 reviews22 followers
October 15, 2022
Pride and Prejudice variations are my weakness - I can never get enough of Elizaberh and Darcy. P.O. Dixon does a really nice job of creating stories with such authenticity and keeping with the P&P spirit. The characters are well-developed and interesting and I was immediately pulled into the story. Upon first meeting, Elizabeth and Darcy do not get off on the right foot. He is arrogant and dismissive and she is not at all impressed by him. But when they later meet at the same house party and other gatherings, they get to know each other better and Elizabeth sees a more charming side to him. Unfortunately, their newfound romance is not to be an easy one, as Darcy's mother Lady Anne becomes an obstacle. She will do everything in her power to keep Elizabeth away from her son. An interesting twist on the story, indeed, as I have always had the impression of Lady Anne being kind and compassionate. I was surprised, however, when she didn't really seem to face any consequences to all her horrible actions.
This was definitely an interesting twist to the tale with plenty of drama and intrigue to keep me engaged and entertained. I really enjoyed this latest variation!
I received a complimentary copy from StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Profile Image for Bethanne.
618 reviews10 followers
February 28, 2023
A different take on the classic

In this story both Mr Darcy and his wife Lady Anne are alive and at Pemberley. Mr Darcy has been ill and his wife has run the estate along with Darcy, who has more friends than just Charles. Lady Anne is more vicious and ruthless than we are used to seeing and does everything in her power to keep her son away from Elizabeth Bennet.
While I enjoyed reading this, the last chapter is extremely disappointing. Lady Anne just gives up the fight once Elizabeth married Darcy? The end is bland, lacking in the tying up of events. It appears as though the writer either got bored with this story or just decided to stop. I expect more from the last chapter in any story and am disappointed in this case
60 reviews1 follower
June 14, 2025
Non Canon story, Mr Bennett is already dead and Jane married Mr Collins to keep the family in Longbourn. Both Darcy's parents are alive so no Wickham shenanigans, no Lady Catherine but truly selfish Lady Anne Darcy who will stop at nothing to get her own way i.e Darcy must marry Anne de Bourgh and no country upstart will get in her way.

There is a HEA for Elizabeth and Darcy but ending seemed a bit rushed given the slow burn otherwise love story. Lady Anne doesn't really face any consequences for the damage she caused, apart from the fact that Darcy doesn't comply to her demands.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
112 reviews5 followers
August 12, 2022

I love Mr. Hughes and Isabella!

A first pleasure: no Mr. Collins.
A second pleasure: no Mr. Wickham.
A third pleasure for all who need the pleasure of a really vicious person: there is one!
The book contains quite a few emotional ups and downs, even two heartbreaks and only one is mended. Perhaps Mrs. Dixon will write a sequel to give the still broken-hearted also a HEA? And there could even be a second announcement? Don’t we all love romantic feelings??
Profile Image for Leslye B Harris.
42 reviews3 followers
May 26, 2023
Surprised!! Shocked!!

I was all ready to give this 5 stars, but the last chapter sucked so bad, I could not. There were several other points extremely perplexing, (so many unfinished scenarios!) but overall, this was a BIG disappointment! It could have been so much better, an easy 5 stars, but it felt like somebody was in a hurry to finish!
Profile Image for Teresita.
1,230 reviews12 followers
January 27, 2023
A change in scenery but some of the same hurdles to overcome. I liked the original characters and having Darcy's mother as a villain makes the story interesting. A very entertaining and engaging story.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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