An Enchanting and Entertaining Assortment!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Gift from Publisher

I love Austen-Inspired anthologies and I think the end of the year is the perfect time to read them! With festive fun and holiday hustle and bustle to enjoy, reading time (and mental band-with) always seem in shorter supply. At least for me they do!  😜The six novellas in this anthology were previously published as stand alone novellas, but only in ebook format. I’m so glad that Quills and Quartos has assembled these six stories together in a charming paperback and ebook anthology.

There are six stories in this collection, each ranging between 44 and 98 pages in length. I hope you find this breakdown helpful.

A FINE JOKE – Amy D’Orazio

• Type of Story: Pride and Prejudice Variation

• The Premise: What happened after his disastrous proposal to Elizabeth Bennet is something of a blur to Mr. Darcy. And now he is met with a bewildering doctor who gave him a most unsettling diagnosis…

• My Thoughts: A very diverting twist to explore! I like how this propels Mr. Darcy into action, and I really admire Elizabeth’s cleverness and perceptiveness. Wickham and Mrs. Bennet were also delightful surprises! Readers will enjoy solving the mystery of who would attempt such a heinous hoax on poor Mr. Darcy and why!

BESWITCHED – KaraLynne Mackrory

• Type of Story: Pride and Prejudice Fantasy Variation

• The Premise: Frustrated by the obstinate headstrong couple he is commissioned to guide, Emrys, an Emissary sprite decides to indulge in some playful treachery with them. What will Darcy and Elizabeth do when they realize they have exchanged bodies…

• My Thoughts: What a conundrum! To find your soul displaced from your body in the middle of a ball!?! I loved poor Mr. Darcy’s embarrassment and Elizabeth’s puckish enjoyment of Mr. Darcy being obliged to stand up with Mr. Lucas and receive a proposal from Mr. Collins! Although, I enjoyed the interchanges between Emrys and his trainer, some of the narrative about sprites and their world felt extraneous and monotonous.

LOST AND FOUND – Julie Cooper

• Type of Story: Pride and Prejudice Fantasy Variation

• The Premise: Stepmothers, sisters, witches, and woods – Elizabeth tries to save Jane from an evil witch only to end up facing a dragon. Can she trust this cold and unfeeling dragon to keep his word…

• My Thoughts: I am enchanted by this imaginative Once Upon a Time adventure, and I loved spotting some subtle nods to well-known fairy tales like Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and Beauty and the Beast. I appreciated learning about Darcy’ss past and witnessing his journey to improve.

MR. DARCY: A MAN WITH A PLAN

• Type of Story: Pride and Prejudice Variation

• The Premise: Deeply disappointed by Elizabeth’s refusal, Mr. Darcy sets out to merely improve her perception of him. But discovers he can’t just stop there, he wants more…

• My Thoughts: I enjoyed seeing a persevering and patient Mr. Darcy. He was gentle and consistent in all his work to follow Elizabeth’s reproofs. However, he may have been the only decisive character in the story. Elizabeth, while trying to come to terms about her views/observations of marriage, remains undecided about her feelings for Mr. Darcy for a good long bit. Jane and Bingley also were a little undecided and wishy-washy.

ONE MINUTE MORE – Jan Ashton

• Type of Story: Pride and Prejudice Variation

• The Premise: A compromise scheme goes awry but brings about a most unexpected wedding at Netherfield. And one wedding easily brings on another, but maybe not if Mr. Darcy has his say…

• My Thoughts: I don’t know who deserves our pity more – the unsuspecting groom or the scheming bride who compromised the wrong man! Such a diverting and entertaining premise. I enjoyed these new interactions and developments between Darcy, the Bingleys, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and the Bennets. Although, I wouldn’t have minded a little more of just Darcy and Elizabeth.

WHEN HE COMES BACK – Anniina Sjöblom

• Type of Story: Pride and Prejudice Retelling set in the 1940s

• The Premise: Summertime friendships have the potential to become something more. Especially since Lieutenants Darcy and Bingley seem to have left their hearts behind in Meryton…

• My Thoughts: This tale was exquisite – full of deep feeing and the hardships of war. I adored the storytelling – the piecing together style of switching back and forth between present-day actions and significant past scene was very skillfully and effectively utilized here. I found this compelling tale of steadfast love, sacrifice, and vulnerability to be incredibly moving. It is my favorite of this collection.

CONCLUSION: Whether it be magic or manipulation or purposeful persistence, Elizabeth Bennet found her happily ever after with Mr. Darcy six times in this charming anthology. These six entertaining novellas will be sure to delight and satisfy readers who are looking for something light and amusing to enjoy!

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