Imagine Falling in Love with Mr. Darcy While in Caroline Bingley’s Body…
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Source: JAFF Writer and Reader Get Together
TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Fantasy Variation
THE PREMISE:
Mr. Darcy has secured his heart’s desire – he is going to marry Elizabeth Bennet! And Miss Bingley has made a deal to secure her heart’s desire. Elizabeth does NOT have her heart’s desire – she instead has lost her body, her identity, and her future. How can she break this spell before Mr. Darcy marries the wrong woman?
WHAT I LOVED:
- The Body Swap Premise: This has to literally be Mr. Darcy’s worst nightmare! He is in love with Elizabeth and is about to secure her as his wife and live happily ever after at Pemberley, when all of a sudden she starts to act more and more like Caroline Bingley every day. Poor man.
- Wicked Caroline: Such imaginative and devious fun! I love seeing Caroline cause such mischief – her wickedness knows no bounds in this tale. And I actually enjoyed seeing her get the upper hand and revel in her own success for a bit.
- Elizabeth’s Quandary: Such a peculiar and complicated situation for our girl! The spell prohibits her speech – she cannot speak of it, write of it, or even overtly give leading hints. But our girl is determined. Even with Miss Bingley’s enviable circumstances of being unattached (Elizabeth’s father accepted Mr. Darcy’s proposal for her) and being wealthy (having such a dowery would give such freedom), Elizabeth wants her life and her body back! AND…if that isn’t enough for her to be dealing with, she is also making new discoveries about her supposed betrothed. She observes at close-hand his treatment of servants and tenants, hears tales about Mr. Wickham from a new source, and sees how he is a more considerate, honorable, and playful man than she first perceived him to be. And now…while trapped in Caroline Bingley’s body…she is falling for him.
- Mr. Darcy’s Confusion: All the subtle hints of the body swap – the choice of clothing, fragrances, morning habits, conversation topics, enjoyed hobbies – were being picked up by Mr. Darcy. He knows something is off with Elizabeth, but can also come up with rationalizations as to why. However, what perplexes him more is his shared moments with Miss Bingley – how she is not like her usual cloying and pandering self, how he has enjoyed several bantering exchanges/debates with her, how he has this urge to seek her out… I loved seeing their teasing exchanges together and Mr. Darcy’s confusion over his own feelings and perceptions. Can Mr. Darcy really know his betrothed anywhere after only a brief acquaintance of less than two months?
- A Pemberley Winter: Snow, sleigh rides, and skating – Pemberley has become a magical wintery wonderland. I loved seeing the fun and frolicking in the snow. The wintery excursions of sleigh riding and ice skating were some of the most diverting and memorable scenes of this story.
WHAT COULD’VE BEEN BETTER:
- Nothing! It was fantastic
FINAL THOUGHTS:
👩🏻🦰 Mr. Darcy is sure to find Miss Bingley’s disguise the most abhorrent he has ever experienced.
🧚🏼 A wonderfully clever and enthralling homage to The Goose Girl fairytale by the Brothers Grimm.
😍 Whether it be fantasy or fairytale, I love any story of Sarah Courtney’s where magic is involved!
I too thought this one of the best books I’ve read recently. Top quality, inventive in its story line, and the writing was tight. Better than a best book for most authors! It’s one of those “I can’t put it down” books for readers. Thanks, Sarah, for your continual good work in writing books like this. You set the bar high. Thanks, Meredith, for recognizing fine writers like Sarah.
Great review. I also read and reviewed this story – 5 stars from me also.
Sounds great! I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for your review.
This was a fun one for me, too.
I loved this story! Definitely a five star experience. It’s fun and creative and leaves you in agony wondering if Darcy can ever escape such a trap.