What If Rescuing An Unknown and Unprotected Woman Strips Mr. Darcy of his Freedom?

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Source: Gift from Publisher

TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and  Prejudice Variation

THE PREMISE: Years ago, Darcy and Elizabeth foolishly and naively found themselves at a party with a scandalous purpose, and were forced into an engagement neither wants. Now with Elizabeth coming of age and Mr. Darcy desiring to pursue marriage to a woman of his choosing, they both work towards extracting themselves from an unwanted and insupportable forced future together…

WHAT I LOVED:

• Both Bound by Folly: Elizabeth is too curious for her own good, and Mr. Darcy unquestionably followed George Wickham’s lead. Mistakes and misunderstandings on both sides, and now there is a price to pay. And pay it they do – Elizabeth is forced to be a recluse in her hometown and Mr. Darcy’s freedom is taken away – unless he wants to be sued! What a remarkably unique premise! I love how both Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are both at fault. And that their mistakes cost them both in similar manners.

• Mutually Disinterested and Disinclined: Furious to be forced together and each resenting the other for their predicament, both Darcy and Elizabeth fully dislike each for a large portion of this story. They are at the polar opposite of where they need to be (well…where we want them to be). So much so that Mr. Darcy is interested in pursuing another woman…! And Elizabeth has abandoned her romantic notions and is only seeking a marriage of respectability. This felt like such an interesting twist. I was riveted to see how their relationship could develop with such a disastrous beginning.

• A Circuitous and Cockeyed Journey: Speaking of… Mr. Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s romantic journey together was one of my favorite elements in this story. It had such a unique progression – it even went backwards and in circles. I appreciated how and why Darcy and Elizabeth started to think better of each other and how esteem, then admiration, and eventually ardent love fully blossomed for each. Every phase of their relationship felt authentic and natural. I enjoyed their matchmaking/alliance phase, when they confided and took comfort together, and how Darcy grew protective and Elizabeth grew compassionate. And lastly, I loved how both belatedly became aware of their feelings and the unexpected encouragement they received from others.

• New Friends and New Suitors: A lovely host of new characters to meet in this tale – Elizabeth makes friends with some progressive and independent women, and Mr. Darcy calls upon some slighter acquaintances to see if they can help him with his predicament. All characters were dynamic, refreshing, and interesting, and they capably filled any voids readers might feel from some absent characters. I loved seeing their interactions and impact on the story line.

• Saye (and Florizel 🐾): Of course! This will always be on my list, Lord Saye’s part in any story will always be loved and appreciated. In addition to his usual irreverence, immodesty, and unfiltered remarks – we see Saye falling love! This was such an excellent secondary subplot for this story. His approach and antics with pursuing a bride are equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. I loved how he expressed his feelings and how he unknowingly imparted some insight to his cousin. And I absolutely adored seeing glimpses of his relationship with Florizel!

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

• A Skosh More: With the long, emotional, and circuitous journey that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy experienced, I wouldn’t have minded some more page time with them when they finally get ‘there.’ Maybe just a chapter or two more with some swoony bits

FINAL THOUGHTS:

🤭  A diverting folly that is sure to delight readers who enjoy unpredictable and unexpected twists, well-drawn characters with depth, and multi-layered and gradually-developed relationships.

🎩  What happens when Mr. Darcy tries his hand at matchmaking? Does he do it very ill? Does every feeling revolt?

💞 Beware, Lord Saye doesn’t just steal scenes in this variation, he also steals hearts!

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