What If Elizabeth Engaged Herself to Marry Mr. Collins?
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Source: Review Copy from Author
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation
TIME FRAME: Three months after Darcy and the Bingleys left Meryton
MAIN CHARACTERS: Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Bennet. Jane Bennet. Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine, Charles Bingley, and Caroline Bingley
WHY I WANTED TO READ THIS:
- Loved Pride and Proposals by this author, greatly enjoyed her style and wanted to read more!
- Elizabeth engaged to Mr. Collins? “Every feeling revolts!” Knowing how taboo it was to break an engagement, I was very curious to see how Elizabeth would get out of this situation.
- Mr. Darcy to the rescue?…umm yes please! I love of men of action saving their lady-loves!
WHAT I LOVED:
Desperate Times Call For…: What if Mr. Bennet knew his health was failing and told Lizzy she should marry Mr. Collins to save her sisters and mother from homeless destitution? I could see her making that sacrifice. I could see her being selfless and abandon her dreams of marrying for love. I’ve seen some scenarios where Mr. Bennet demands Lizzy marry Mr. Collins because of his selfishness and negligence with Longbourn, but I don’t think I’ve read a premise where he he wishes but dares not ask it of her. It places Lizzy in quite a quandary and was an interesting premise to explore.
Elizabeth + Mr. Collins: The happiest engaged couple in the world…not!! I think Victoria Kincaid wonderfully portrayed what an oblivious buffoon Mr. Collins would be around Elizabeth – with his ridiculous terms of endearment and mistaken presumptions of her thoughts and feelings. It’s cringe-worthy! And she also accurately illustrated Elizabeth’s private inner turmoil. Her feelings of mortification around her fiancé, secret sorrow about her father, and resolve to see this plan through and save her family.
A Determined Darcy: When Mr. Darcy learns of Elizabeth’s engagement he doesn’t sit at home and brood, he becomes a man of action. He realizes what he’s wanted all alone and he is prepared to do anything to get it – even if it means being forward, high-handed, and practicing a little deceit. A Darcy with such confidence and determination is very sexy in my opinion! I loved the irony of him, fearing and loathing the manipulations and machinations of others these past years, engaging and plotting his own set of plans. And seeing his reaction and remorse when they all fell down around his ears! It was touching to see how much he fervently wanted Lizzy and how desperate he was to win her heart. I especially loved when he started speak of his feelings in a more direct manner and flirt with obvious intent. He was adorable!
Mr. Darcy vs Mr. Collins: It was quite fun to see these two as rivals so to speak! Mr. Darcy is so honorable he doesn’t dare speak of his feelings while Elizabeth is engaged, but at the same time he has no issue with out-smarting Mr. Collins in order to spend some one-on-one time with Elizabeth alone. I enjoyed seeing Mr. Darcy interact and become infuriated with a person who wants to shower him with attention and adulation! Many laugh out loud moments!
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
A Timeline Quibble: It looks like Mr. Collins proposed several months after the Netherfield Ball, which was a little puzzling. I was left wondering why he waited so long, why Jane wasn’t in London still, and why Caroline Bingley kept an active correspondence with Jane if she wanted to drop the acquaintance. I don’t mind if an author chooses to alter the timeline of the story a little, but it may be helpful if that change was explained or mentioned in a Author’s Note in the beginning.
CONCLUSION:
Another enthralling and entertaining variation by Victoria Kincaid! I greatly enjoyed the thought-provoking premise, emotional exploration, and the chance to observe Mr. Darcy rivaled against Mr. Collins! Mr. Darcy to the Rescue is a wonderful choice if you are looking for a creative, romantic, low-angst, and fast-paced read!
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GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
In conjunction with my review, I have ONE copy (paperbook or ebook – winner’s choice!) of Victoria Kincaid’s newly released novel, Mr. Darcy to the Rescue, to give away to ONE lucky winner!
To enter this giveaway, leave a comment about my review!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Victoria!
- This giveaway ends November 20th!
Thank you for the review, Meredith! Who doesn’t love Darcy as a man of action? 🙂 I appreciate your honesty about the timeline quibble; hopefully an entertaining, well-told story can handle a quibble or two. I really liked the author’s Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth, so I’m looking for forward to reading this one. Thank you 🙂
Yep, this story is indeed entertaining and well-told! Darcy is great in action!
Hi Heather, I’m so glad you liked “Secrets”! Good luck with the giveaway!
Interesting review! I definitively need to stop working and dedicate myself to reading full time. I will work out how to pay the bills later…
LOL! I like your plan! Want to adopt it myself.
I would love to do so myself. Although I think I would missing writing. 🙂
I would also have to work out how to buy the books… mmmm
Nice review, Meredith! The book sounds very interesting. I do wonder though how Elizabeth will be able to break the engagement to Mr. Collins without ruining he reputation. I assume this is where Darcy comes to the rescue? :-). Sounds lovely!
Thank you, Pamela! Mr. Darcy does indeed! It is a bit of a sticky conundrum!
Hi Pamela, Thanks for your interest in the book. Hopefully you’ll win the giveaway and get an answer to your question. Good luck!
I like your assessment of the characters and since I haven’t read this one yet, look forward to Darcy pulling out all the stops. Thanks, Jen Red
LOL! That’s a great way to describe it, very fun to witness him like this. Thanks for checking out my review, Jennifer!
Hi Jennifer, Thanks for your interest! I hadn’t thought of Darcy that way when I wrote the book, but I guess he is– compared to more broody incarnations in other JAFF (including mine)! Good luck!
I love a Mr. Darcy to the rescue
Who wouldn’t! 😉
Yeah, sometimes I wish he’d come and take me to Pemberley! 🙂
I also read this one and found it very enjoyable. Good review as always, Meredith.
Thank you, Sheila! I’m glad you enjoyed this one!
Hi Sheila, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. And I agree, Meredith did a great job of summing up the book!
I have this ebook on my TBR and am looking forward to reading it. I loved Victoria Kincaid’s previous book. Another wonderful review, Meredith. I love it when my favorite leading character takes the bull by the horns. Can’t wait to laugh and be mortified.
Thank you, Deborah! LOL! Yes, you will chuckle and cringe! I loved Pride and Proposals too! 😉
Hi Deborah, I’m so happy you liked my other books! This one does have plenty of laughter for the readers and mortification (for the characters). Good luck!
I appreciate you pointing out that this is low-angst and fast read. It seems like lately many Austenesque books have been dark and heavy, with characters being decidedly evil or mean. I much prefer when characters keep their essence and the storyline is changed to create interesting scenarios, like this one.
I always enjoy your reviews, Meredith! They are interesting and even aesthetically appealing. I particularly love how you let me know the flavor of the book and the general premise without doing a book report style summary that retell the entire plot.
Thank you, Paige! You are so kind! I’m really glad you find the reviews informative but not spoilery! 😉
Hi Paige, I also like stories that stay close to the essence of the original characters while creating unique plots — so that’s what I try to do when I write. And I agree about Meredith’s reviews; it’s a great format for conveying useful information – without giving away too much. Good luck!
Her other book is on my TBR list and this one looks like a winner too. As always, great review!
Thank you, Ginger! 😉 Definitely both are winners in my book!
HI Ginger, Thank you for your interest! Good luck with the giveaway.
This is a great review, Meredith. Thank you for telling us what you love about Mr. Darcy to the Rescue. I like a driven and determined Mr Darcy after realising that Elizabeth could be lost forever to him if he didn’t act immediately.
<3 thank you, Sylvia! It is definitely inspiring to see Darcy driven by his love.
HI Sylvia, It was fun to write a Darcy who was faced by a rival he couldn’t respect. It made for some interesting and funny scenes. Thanks for your interest!
Thank you for your review! I appreciate that you mention the problem of the
letter writing to Jane and the timeline
of the proposal. I am sure that I will
enjoy this novel, though, and appreciate
the giveaway.
I’m sure you will enjoy this novel too! 🙂 Thanks for checking out my review, Susan!
Hi Susan, Thank you for your interest and good luck in the giveaway!
I cannot imagine their engagement! Yuck!
LOL! 😉 It is not a pretty picture!
HI Michelle, That’s pretty much Elizabeth’s reaction as well! Good luck with the giveaway.
LOVED her last book! As much as I enjoy loathing Mr. Collins, I am SO curious how this is pulled off…
Me too, Betsy! It is quite entertaining to see what Mr. Collins does in this one!
HI Betsy, I’m so happy to hear you liked my other book! It means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this one. Good luck with the giveaway.
I saw an excerpt from this one that had me putting it on the wish list. Yes, all that you mentioned does sound good. I think I would prefer this gentler reason of Mr. B’s for Lizzy to marry the stinker Collins.
Nice review!
It was believable for Mr. Bennet to confide in Elizabeth and for her to want to protect and care for her family. Thank you for reading my review, my friend!
Hi Sophia, I agree. I found that to be a more believable Mr. B. I can never quite see him as a mean character, maybe misguided…. Good luck with the giveaway!
I’m a very big fan of Victoria Kincaid, so I am very excited to read more from her.
Me too, Gabriela! 🙂 I can’t wait to see what she writes next!
Gabriela, Aw, thank you! It means a lot to me. Good luck with the giveaway!
Thank you Meredith for the review. I have added this to my TBR list. The premise sounds interesting and I love when Mr. Darcy takes action. As others have said I’m also curious to see how the engagement is broken and how our favorite couple get together. Thanks also to Victoria for the giveaway! Leslie
My pleasure Leslie! I loved how new this type of premise was for me. Very fun! good lucky in the giveaway!
Hi Leslie, Thanks for your interest. I had great fun writing this one. Mr. C is always good for a laugh. Good luck!
Thanks for another great review Meredith. Elizabeth and Mr Collins? No I just can’t bear thinking about that. But I love the idea of a devious Darcy rescuing her. I now want to read this to see how he does it and can only pray that I won’t have to read about Mr Collins kissing Elizabeth as I certainly don’t think I could stand that. Thanks for the giveaway.
Yes, he is a bit devious! And I didn’t mind it! 😉 LOL! It is painful to imagine it.
Hi Glynis, Yes, I had that reaction too when I first envisioned the plot — in fact, Elizabeth herself pretty much has that reaction! Good luck with the giveaway.
This story sounds great – love the idea of Mr. Darcy actively pursuing Elizabeth, especially to save her from Mr. Collins!
Hi Nicole, Thank you for your interest. It’s fascinating how having a rival spurs Darcy into action. Good luck with the giveaway!
I don’t think he could live with himself if he at least didn’t try to save her! Definitely a great twist to explore!
Please, Darcy! Hurry up! There could be nothing worse than a Mr. Collins-Elizabeth combination! Okay, Wickham may be worse, but Mr. Collins is just so cringeworthy!
I agree! Wickham would probably be worse, but Collins is funnier. Thank you for your interest and good luck.
LOL! Yes, I agree. Collins is the lesser of two evils, but that isn’t saying much! 😉
Elizabeth and Collins….and at the hands of mr Bennet ! Egads.
Hi Theresa, Yes, that’s pretty much Darcy’s reaction as well. 🙂 Good luck with the giveaway.
Poor Lizzy, right? Such a bleak fate!
Thank you for the great review! I thoroughly enjoyed Kincaid’s previous book and look forward to reading this new one. It is not difficult to imagine Elizabeth saving her family as you described, but I do wonder how the engagement can be broken. It is also not difficult to picture Darcy verbally outwitting Mr. Collins – not too hard to do! So, how do Elizabeth and Darcy get together? Thank you for the giveaway.
I’m so glad you enjoyed my last book! It was tricky to work out all the plot points, but also turned out to be rather humorous. 🙂 Good luck with the giveaway.
I’m glad you enjoyed the review, Eva! 🙂 I hope you get the chance to read Mr. Darcy to the Rescue and find all the answers to your questions! 🙂
Nothing of marrying Mr Collins, please! heheh
Elizabeth cannot be happy with Mr Collins! OMG! will I need my salts while reading it? 😀
I don’t think salts will be necessary. Hopefully you’ll be laughing. Good luck!
I enjoyed your review. I, too, found the book to be very enjoyable.
Thank you, Betty! I”m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed this book as well!
Great review! It makes me want to start reading a.s.a.p. I love that Darcy has to fight for Elizabeth and I very much wonder how the timeline thing works out for me. I don’t mind when authors change some things here and there but I need those changes to feel logical and believable, so I’m always interested to find out which changes are acceptable and which are unacceptable to me. I’m definitely giving this book a try, thanks for your review Meredith!
My pleasure, Debbie! Glad you enjoyed reading the review! I’m sure you will love this book. Hope you get the chance to read it soon!
Hi Debbie, Thank you for your interest. I’m always looking for new obstacles to place in Darcy’s path. 🙂
Hi Meredith, Thank you for your wonderful review. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I hadn’t thought of this Darcy as a “man of action,” but I guess he is–at least not as broody as in other other JAFF. I had great fun writing this book. Anything with a lot of Mr. Collins in it is bound to be cringe-worthy, but also funny!
Thank you, Victoria! I’m so thrilled to read another one of your works, I greatly enjoy your writing! Seeing the unique twist you put on our favorite characters was clever and very fun to explore! Greatly enjoyed the laughs!
Sounds interesting. Haven’t read any books by this author. “A determined Darcy” and “a man of action” sounds good and I’d like to see that.
Hi Michelle, Thank you for your interest and good luck with the giveaway!
You had me at Elizabeth engaged to Mr. Collins! I so love finding new-to-me authors.
LOL! Happy to share this lovely story with you!
Hi Sarah, Mr. Collins is always good for some entertainment value! Good luck with the giveaway.
Great review. Mr. Collins as a rival sounds entertaining!
Hi Dung, Thank you for your interest. Mr. Collins is always good for some laughs! Good luck!