An Olive Branch with Nasty Thorns

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Gift from Author

TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation

THE PREMISE: Elizabeth is coerced into accepting Mr. Collins’s marriage proposal because he overheard a very ruinous secret about one of Elizabeth’s sisters and threatens to spread this knowledge unless she weds him. Mr. Darcy is so stunned by the announcement of Elizabeth’s engagement to Mr. Collins that he doesn’t leave for London as planned and instead spends time figuring out the puzzle of Elizabeth and Mr. Collins. Something does not seem right. Can Mr. Darcy help Elizabeth escape this unwanted marriage or does she have no other choice…?

MY THOUGHTS:

Here is Mr. Collins at his most despicable! He is completely two-faced. To everyone else he is an unctuous, preening, fool of a man. But to Elizabeth he has revealed that he is manipulative, controlling, and has a violent temper. I enjoyed seeing this more shady and sinister version of Mr. Collins – his actions and motivations were all creditable twists that were very interesting and unique to explore. However, I did have some questions about the plausibility of the great secret he learned. That aspect of the story, at first, seemed a bit implausible for the characters involved, and I had to make a conscious decision to suspend my disbelief. But, in the end, Sarah Courtney returned to that secret and added some more plausibility and convincing support that helped me buy in to theses unique character deviations.

I immediately loved that The Olive Branch had such a unique conflict – Mr. Collins’ secretly extorting Elizabeth to marry him or else he will ruin the Bennets. And I loved seeing how these characters worked to extricate Elizabeth from this dilemma with the pressure of time running out (because Mr. Collins announced that they would wed in sixteen days). I loved observing Mr. Darcy’s actions and thoughts throughout all these days. How he has so much doubt and disbelief, and how he is restricted in what he can say or do because he is not in a close relationship with Elizabeth or the Bennets. But that soon changes, and Mr. Darcy does become Elizabeth’s friend and later confidant. I loved seeing their relationship evolve, I loved all the gentle ways Mr. Darcy showed concern and support.

I also enjoyed the mysterious elements surrounding this story – Why is Mr. Collins so desperate to marry Elizabeth? What was he looking for in Mr. Bennet’s library? And why does he seem nervous around and avoids Mr. Taylor, a solicitor who is visiting the area that seems to have a prior connection with Mr. Collins? These puzzles propelled my interest in the story, and I was so eager to see how they all fit together. In addition, I thought the answers to these questions were all satisfying, creative, and well done.

As much as I enjoyed the marriage conflict and intrigues with Mr. Collins, part of me wished for more page time spent with the various couples of this story and observing their relationship developments. I loved the friendship between Elizabeth and Darcy, but I would have loved to have seen more about when they discovered their feelings ran deeper (which at the time were impossible for them to act on) and their eventual voicing of those feelings to each other (it felt like it was understood without being spoken). I also wouldn’t have minded seeing more page time for two other couples that were unique to this story. A second arc about one of their relationships would have been very interesting to explore!

The Olive Branch is a wonderfully imaginative Pride and Prejudice that takes Mr. Collins to a whole new level of repulsiveness and vileness! Readers who love seeing Elizabeth as a devoted sister and Mr. Darcy as a trustworthy friend will delight in this unique tale where these admirable characters join forces to overthrow Mr. Collins! I highly recommend!

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