What If Elizabeth and Darcy Encountered Each Other as Children?

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Review Copy from Author

TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation

SERIES: Defying Propriety Book One

THE PREMISE: Elizabeth first encountered Mr. Darcy when she was five on a visit to Lambton, and she met the Bingley sisters during the one term she and Jane went away at school. Now these long ago acquaintances are reunited when Mr. Bingley and his friends come to Netherfied Park… Do they remember each other? How has their formative years shaped their outlook on life?

MY THOUGHTS: This story begins with charming vignettes of these beloved characters as children and young adults. Scenes of young Fitzwilliam and George playing together, Elizabeth and Jane encountering a mean girl at school, and a sharp-eyed Mr. Bingley proving he can be a most valuable friend. I loved each of these scenes. And I loved how we could see some new dynamics and links to these characters’ relationships with each other. Unsurprisingly, Elizabeth is bold and unafraid to speak her mind and Fitzwilliam is rigidly disciplined yet uncomfortable meeting new people. But in this tale, Louisa Bingley is the more haughty, social-climbing elitist who berates and domineers her sister, and George Wickham is more self-aware and recognizes failings in himself and in others.

I was immediately engaged with these endearing younger portraits of these characters, and I was excited to see how their futures developed. When an older Darcy and Elizabeth encounter each other at the Meryton Assembly, it ends up being with less pride and less prejudice surprisingly. And their romance proceeds to develop swiftly and without much conflict. I will admit, I wouldn’t have minded more gradually developed feelings between these two characters or some internal growth/lessons learned before a dramatic declaration. But at the same time, I enjoyed the instant gratification of their easy romance. I especially enjoyed seeing how well Mr. Darcy got on with the Bennets and his burgeoning relationship with them.

Bronwen Chisholm has set up this series with some subtle and intriguing character alterations. And with this first installment, she created many new avenues to explore with these characters. Characters such as Caroline Bingley, George Wickham, Mary Bennet, Lydia Bennet, and even Charlotte Lucas now seem to possess more potential and opportunity. And while some of their evolutions and developments commenced a little swiftly, I’m hoping we will see them fleshed out some more in future books of the series. However, it looks like the next book in this series, Son of an Earl, will be about Colonel Fitzwilliam’s older brother, Ashton.

As A Proper Lady Would is a most pleasant diversion for readers who want a gentle tale that is high on charm and low on conflict. I look forward to seeing what other paths these characters traverse together next!

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