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Melanie is Currently Reading

Melanie is currently reading

Most Truly the Gentleman: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Austenesque Vagaries)

by Frances Reynolds

bookshelves: 201-300-p, arc, altered-canon-personalities, altered-reality-dream, changed-familiy, civil-proposal, courtship-flirting-darcy, friends-to-lovers, only-kisses, other-main-character, read-2026, injury-illness, no-lb-gw-elopement, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in September 2026

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Melanie said: " Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam was wounded in battle and therefore, when his cousin Fitzwilliam Darcy is to stay with Bingley at Netherfield, Colonel Fitzwilliam accompanies his cousin. The Colonel, after staying in bed for far too long, is determined t Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam was wounded in battle and therefore, when his cousin Fitzwilliam Darcy is to stay with Bingley at Netherfield, Colonel Fitzwilliam accompanies his cousin. The Colonel, after staying in bed for far too long, is determined to get to know the neighbourhood and enjoy himself as much as possible. And no brooding cousin of his will destroy his intentions.
But the Colonel is not the only one to soften Darcy’s mood. Darcy is often in a foul mood because he is sensitive to the noise in ballrooms. When Elizabeth recognizes this because her father has the same affliction, Darcy and Elizabeth soon form a friendship. But Darcy is not sure if he wants the friendship to become more.
With a little scheming the Colonel changes many situations for the better and eases Darcy’s way into Hertfordshire's society. But there is one thing that even the Colonel is not capable of doing for his cousin - winning the heart of his love interest.
Will Darcy even admit his feelings for Elizabeth? Will he try to win her heart or will he hide behind his duties? And does Elizabeth return his feelings?

The story was very well written by the author Frances Reynolds. I have read many of her books and enjoyed them very much. This one was no exception. I enjoyed her style of writing very much.

Colonel Fitzwilliam is one of the main characters in this story and I enjoyed his presence in Meryton so very much. His presence alone causes so many minor changes and improvements. Due to his being at the Meryton Assembly, too, Darcy is much more agreeable and does not insult Elizabeth - giving them a better start for their relationship. The Colonel is also very perceptive. He does not only recognize his cousin’s interest in Elizabeth, he also recognizes some things before they can become disagreeable. He is also able to deal with Wickham before the latter has the opportunity to spread lies about Darcy. Don’t get me wrong, the Colonel is not a superhero, but a bit of a voice of reason and a means to let Darcy feel more at ease. And I like that the Colonel’s presence alone makes things so much easier for Darcy.
A bonus for me was that the Colonel also finds his happiness in Hertfordshire. I will not tell more to not spoil the story but I like the development of his life after his injury.

Due to the Colonel’s presence Darcy does not act too foolishly at the Meryton Assembly and he and Elizabeth have a lovely start for their relationship. I like that they can both secretly admit their attraction to the other. They do not instantly have a relationship but they become friends, their acquaintances can develop and they can get to know each other better. I like this natural progression and that time can work its magic on them without them being prejudiced.

Another development I really liked was that Mr Bennet was firm with his youngest daughter. He finally checked her and her flirting. This prevented her from ruining the family and, nearly more importantly, gave the other girls the opportunity to show themselves to advantage. I especially liked the way Kitty developed after separating her from Lydia. She became such a lovely girl and I loved her friendship with Georgiana. I can imagine that they both can learn from each other and improve themselves by doing so.

There are some villains in the book, but all do not have much time to shine or cause harm. They are all dealt with swiftly and the only thing that now stands in Darcy and Elizabeth’s way is Darcy’s indecisiveness. He first needs to find out what he wants in life and if he wants to have Elizabeth as a part of it.

If you like to know how Colonel Fitzwilliam’s being part of the Netherfield party can change Darcy's perception of Hertfordshire and its inhabitants you should read this excellent variation.

I highly recommend it ...more "

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(page 150 of 262)
— 19 hours, 56 min ago

19 hours, 56 min ago · see review