What If Mr. Darcy’s Assignment Was To Protect Mr. Bennet and His Family?

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Review Copy from Author

TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation

THE PREMISE: Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam are agents for the crown and their latest mission sends them to protect an important code decipher and his family. Mr. Bennet is in danger, but from who or why is unknown And despite his precautions and pretenses, Mr. Darcy may be in some danger of a different sort…

WHAT I LOVED:

• Ciphers, Caped-Spies and a Cat: Prepare yourself for a Pride and Prejudice variation that is without much pride, prejudice, and P&P’s typical plot points. This tale is completely original with many altered character situations and storylines. Darcy and Elizabeth meet by way of a cat chase instead of an insult, Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam purposely seek out the Bennet’s company, and Mr. Collins, Lady C, and Mr. Wickham do not appear on page! It was exciting to explore these different developments with these characters.

• Bennets in London: This is something of a rarity. Hardly ever are all the Bennets in London at the same time. Let alone actually residing there long-term! Prompted by Mr. Bennet’s work and the extra income he earns, the Bennets are able to afford their own house in town and routinely spend the season there. This change alters the family in many ways – Mr. Bennet is less negligent, Mrs. Bennet isn’t as anxious, the younger sisters have a governess, and everyone has a little bit more “town polish.”

• Spy Family: Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy are spies for the same agency and we learn later that Mr. Darcy’s dad also served as a master spy. As always, I love seeing Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam share a close connection and work with each other. Their jabs and teases in this story are entertaining to witness. I also appreciate seeing Mr. Darcy feel connection and loyalty to his father through his spy work. It is touching how it helps keep his memory alive.

• Man of Action: Dressed in all black, climbing through windows, scaling rooftops – yes please. I love seeing Mr. Darcy doing all these things! In addition to high mental acuity, spy work requires some demanding physical feats. I especially enjoyed the scene where Darcy bounds across Hyde Park and climbs a tree. Like Elizabeth, I find a lot to admire in Mr. Darcy’s decisive action and physical abilities. 😍

• Sir Nicodemus and Empurrer Clawed: Two new characters with a lot of personality that bring quite a bit of excitement to this tale. I enjoyed seeing the two sides of Sir Nick – his sharp mind and astute understanding in his dealings with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennet and his soft and loving heart during his interactions with the Bennet daughters. Claude, on the other hand is a mastermind of mischief. And I adored all his antics.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

• More: High action, high danger, high suspense – so much going on at a fast pace. Which is great, but sometimes I wished for some more details, backstory, or development. Like with Mr. Bennet and his secret work, the changed dynamics of the Bennets living in London, Mr. Darcy’s struggle to not fall in love, and the antagonist’s decision and motivation.

• Elizabeth’s Impulsivity: I love when Elizabeth is fearless and selfless, and I applaud most of her actions in this book where she acts to help those she loves. But in some instances, especially the last one, she acts with more recklessness than sense and I found that a bit of a stretch. Especially when her aim was to covertly keep an eye on Darcy and the scheme she employs places her as an extremely prominent focal point.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

📕  Jennifer Joy once again displays her wonderful talent for creating exhilarating and suspenseful romantic adventures for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.

💗 In between all the deceptions, disguises, and danger is a beautiful and touching message about cherishing those you love and doing better.

🎩  Move over Mr.  Bond, Mr. Darcy does espionage very well…

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