Mr. Darcy Seizes His Second Chance
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Source: Review Copy from Author
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation, Mature Audiences
TIME FRAME: Begins the day after the Netherfield Ball
SYNOPSIS: It’s the day after the Netherfield Ball and we all know what that means – Mr. Bingley has left Netherfield and Elizabeth is about to receive a very undesirable proposal from her cousin, Mr. Collins. Elizabeth is always quick to give Mr. Collins a firm ‘no’ to his proposal, but what is the one scenario where she would have to say ‘yes?’… After four years of an unhappy and emotionally abusive marriage, Elizabeth is set free by Mr. Collins’s thankfully early demise. And now that Elizabeth is once again free, there is a reserved and ardent suitor hoping to have his second chance. But the question is, does Elizabeth even want to be married again? Even if she falls in love?
WHAT I LOVED:
- A Daring and Realistic Premise: Not many authors like to write about Mr. Collins and Elizabeth (probably because not many readers want to read about such a union!), but in this variation Sophie Turner intrepidly decides to show readers the very real possibility (because in reality…Elizabeth is pretty lucky her parents didn’t force her to accept Mr. Collins’s proposal) of what Elizabeth’s marriage would be like with Mr. Collins. And I applaud Ms. Turner for bravely taking on such a premise! Her depiction of their marriage is realistic, and while it is unpleasant to witness, it is honest. Elizabeth is very different from her friend Charlotte, and since Mr. Collins is now an estate-owner, he is not so easy to manage. (If you really don’t like the idea of seeing Elizabeth married to Mr. Collins, don’t worry, it is mostly referenced in flashbacks.)
- The Evolution of Elizabeth: Sophie Turner looks closely at Elizabeth’s emotional well-being during and after her marriage to Mr. Collins. I felt Ms. Turner did a marvelous job illustrating Elizabeth’s strength and resiliency through all her bleak and traumatic experiences. She is still our Elizabeth who believes in the philosophy: “think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.” And I adored seeing Elizabeth as mistress of Longbourn, a role she fills with great aptitude and integrity.
- The Definition of Ardent: (Can you believe I got this far in my review without mentioning Mr. Darcy?!? Well, here is a whole paragraph dedicated to him!) After four years of regret and longing, Mr. Darcy has his chance to win Elizabeth’s heart. At first, their relationship is one of mentor/mentee as Elizabeth seeks his advice on estate management and tenants. And then it proceeds into friendship with daily phaeton rides and enjoyed companionship. But through it all, Darcy’s heart is determinedly engaged. And knowing that, makes these scenes all the more endearing and heart-melting. But when Elizabeth realizes that her own heart is engaged as well, it poses a conflict because she was intending to never marry again. But Darcy doesn’t want to accept a life without Elizabeth, and proves his fervent devotion by willing to agree to a marriage on any terms. In every scene, action, and speech Ms. Turner illustrates Darcy’s ungovernable admiration and ardent dedication to Elizabeth and her happiness. He is the definition of ‘ardent’ in this story. He personifies it. He is loyal, fervent, and impassioned… *sigh* I loved, loved, loved seeing Darcy portrayed this way. (Be prepared readers, his thoughtfulness, sensitivity, and understanding will touch your heart and make you swoon.)
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
Ahem…that we didn’t get to see more of Mr. Darcy’s additional nights! *blushes*
WARNING: I’d recommend this story for Mature Audiences due to several intimate and romantic scenes (which are very integral to the story and while a bit graphic, are tastefully written.)
CONCLUSION:
Thoughtfully composed and beautifully impassioned, Mistress is a splendidly unique and original Pride and Prejudice variation! I cannot help but praise and applaud Ms. Turner for her skillful and sensitive emotional development of these beloved characters and her daringly honest premise. Very well done!!
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GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Today Sophie brings 2 copies of her new release, Mistress: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, with Parts Not Suitable for Those Who Have Not Reached Their Majority for me to give away in conjunction with her visit and my review. (Paperback or ebook for North America or Europe. Ebook for all other countries.)
To enter this giveaway, leave a comment below!
- This giveaway is open worldwide (with some shipping restrictions). Thank you, Sophie!
- This giveaway ends April 26th!
~~ Want to double your chances? Check out Sophie’s wonderful Guest Post and leave a comment ~~
Great review Meredith. I won this book during the tours, so don’t count me in. I’m going to read it this weekend, so I’ll let you know what I Think about it. 🙂
Yay! Congrats on your win! Yes, please do tell me what your thoughts are!
Meredith,I couldn’t agree more with your review and your 5* rating for this book. I treated myself to this,read it and thought it a fantastic,deeply compelling abs heart wrenching tale, which I m unreservedly recommend to all adults and fans of ODC.
Please don’t count me in for the giveaway. I just dropped by to have my share of the conversation!
Hi Mary! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts! Your comment is so eloquent! I wish I said something like it in my review! 🙂
Great review, Meredith! I am looking forward to reading Mistress and I will do it next week. But please, don’t enter me on the giveaway because I already have my copy (won it on one of Sophie’s other giveaways!!! 🙂 ).
Thanks, Daniela! Congrats on your win! I hope you enjoy Mistress as much as I did!
I too was lucky enough to win this book and absolutely loved it! I agree with your review Meredith, what a wonderful Darcy. More please. I so enjoyed it and will definitely read it again. Please don’t enter me in the giveaway.
Hi Glynis! I appreciate all you lovely winners still reading and commenting on my review! I’m so glad you loved this one as much as I did!
I first stumbled on Sophie Turner’s story with the snippet called Temporary Mistress online and I was immediately pulled in by the premise and her characterization of Mr. Darcy. My patience has been rewarded; the interview with the author and your review reinforce the fact that this new book is one I must read!
Yes indeed, JoEllen! It is one you must read! that’s great that you read it online a bit!
A wonderful review and a book which interests me greatly.
Awesome, Anne! Best of luck in the giveaway!
Love your review, Meredith, and it makes me even keener to read the copy I won during the blog tour, so please don’t put my name in the hat. Your comment in the “What I wasn’t too fond of” section made me smile!
Thank you so much, Anji! LOL! I can’t believe I said that, but it was so true! Hope you get the chance to read it soon!
Lovely review, Meredith. I’m really looking forward to this one. I’d love to win. I really smiled when you got to the ‘The Definition of Ardent’ in your review…. 🙂 Such a cutie, you. I’m also glad the marriage to Collins–ewww–is short lived. Gives me goosebumps, the bad kind.
Thank you, Michelle! Aww, you are sweet! *sigh* Darcy is everything in this book.
I adored this one so much. I think I’ve read it 3 or 4 times already since its online debut. This Darcy is just magnificent and I love seeing Lizzy as the Mistress of Longbourn.
It’s not too late for Sophie to go back and add those other nights, right, Sophie? Right? *wink wink* Lol
It’s probably obvious but I already have a copy of this lovely tale so no need to put me into the giveaway. 🙂
Hahahaha, probably too late for this one. Actually, there were more adult scenes in earlier drafts before I posted it online, but they were making the flow of the story feel off, and I was already a bit concerned over how even this much adult content was going to be received.
But…I’m already considering writing some of the other forks in the road from the original premise (Mr. Bennet dies the morning after the Netherfield Ball), and it’s possible there might be some more “nights” if I do. 😉
Yay! I loved your variation, Sophie (as if you could really tell!) and would love to read more!
Yes, magnificent! LOL! So glad to hear you give this book some well-deserved praise!
Would never have believed a version of P&P where Lizzy marries Collins actually sounds like a story I’d want to read.
Amazing review and now it’s on my TBR list.
Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
I know…that isn’t a good beginning is it? But it gets so much better!
Hello Meredith,
I couldn’t agree more with your review and the 5 stars.
It is risky to choose to depict a Collin/Lizzy relation, yet it is remarquably well depicted. Four years are long in any Relationship and it can feel like years and years if someone Is That type of situation. It is interesting to ses how she Is going to overcome this hardship and start to believe in another man and have her own life. She will need time to heal.
It never crossed my mind before This book That Collin could be That type man (though he is creepy).
Darcy must be regretting so Much that they left Netherfield and that she suffered. It must be so hard on him
I am to be swoon again by Darcy. I am also entering the competition.
Thank You for the giveaway and making me discover a new book, I am so happy.
Hi Mariam, my sweet friend! I am so glad this book has caught your eye! 🙂 I hope you get the chance to read it soon. It was a very interesting premise and you can tell the author put a lot of thought into everyones’ emotions.
Bonjour Meredith, thank you for calling me “sweet friend” 🙂 It tocuhes me, I was afraid you might have forgotten me or thought I was not interested anymore by the blog. Actually, I am busy with my studies and it is a tough year so far.
I haven’t been able to read books for months and if I opened one, I couldn’t keep up even after one page. I am so happy because I found one that makes me curious and eager to read it
Thank you for the enticing review. I am so curious to see how this is written and resolved because you are right – a marriage of Elizabeth and Mr. Collins is cringe worthy. I am sure that Elizabeth would not want to give up her independence. Thank you for the giveaway.
Very true. But Elizabeth has a lot going against her with her marriage with Mr. Collins. It truly is a nightmare in every way.
I am always a fan of Sophie Turner’s books, and this one is no exception. I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to have an e-copy!!
Thank you for a wonderful review, Meredith!
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Yes, Sophie is a terrific author, isn’t she?!? I definitely hope she writes more variations like this one! Thanks so much for reading my review, Susanne!
I’m so glad to see you enjoyed the story, Meredith! This one was a bit of a risk for JAFF, and I’m very appreciative of how everyone has been willing to give it a chance. 🙂
Hi Sophie! I can’t tell you how much I loved this story! Thank you so much for writing it and sharing this daring and honest scenario with us all. I loved it and I’m so glad to hear others do as well!
Totally agree with your wonderful review, Meredith! I just finished it today and will write my review. You captured everything so perfectly! Thank you Sophie for such a wonderful story!
Yay! I’m so glad you loved it! I will look for your review! 🙂
Thanks for the review. I’m not a fan of variations of P&P when Elizabeth or Darcy marry others but this has my interest. Thanks for the giveaway. Leslie
I definitely wouldn’t want the story to end that way, but I’m okay with it in the beginning. 😉
Love the review this book is definitely going on my TBR list. Thank you for the giveaway!
Awesome! Hope you get the chance to read it soon, Kim!
Sounds wonderful!
I thought so. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your review of this book as well as another chance to win this book.
My pleasure! Thanks for checking out my review!
I’m so glad Darcy dossn’t accept a life without Lizzie 🙂 They belong together!
Great review as always Meredith you seem to have a gift for making me enthusiastic about every book you write about! Thanks to you both for the giveaway!