What If Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Met Before?

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Source: Gift from Publisher

TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation

THE PREMISE: The timeline is changed – it is the year 1810, Mr. Collins has married Charlotte and Elizabeth is visiting them in Kent. Without the interference of the Bennets, Netherfield and Wickham, Mr. Darcy meets Elizabeth Bennet and a beautiful love begins to blossom. But their romance came to a swift and heartbreaking end. Three years later, Mr. Darcy is about to stand up with Mr. Bingley at his wedding and encounter the woman he rejected yet still regrets…

WHAT I LOVED:

• They’ve Met Before: In Pride and Prejudice the first meeting between Darcy and Elizabeth is so disastrous, frustrating, and cringey, and I really love the idea of them experiencing something different. This premise explores a different timeline, different circumstances, and different paths. And what’s really interesting about it is the fact that Darcy and Elizabeth met, then were separated, and now are meeting again.

• Past & Present: Yes, yes, yes! I was absolutely elated when I realized that Abigail Sheffield would tell all that took place in the two timelines. And that she would do so with semi-alternating chapters. I love this style of story-telling. The present day interactions are all fraught with resentment, discomfort, and tension. But in between those scenes, the past is revealed slowly with their first encounter, through their growing regard, and then the eventual rupture. Puzzle pieces eventually fall in place, and there is emotional balance between the painful and challenging present-day scenes and the flashbacks to the playful and sweet scenes where they are falling in love.

• Elizabeth’s POV: I really appreciated Elizabeth’s mental state and actions throughout everything in both these timelines. She is witty, sociable, and forthright as always in both timelines. In 1810, she perhaps has a little bit more unfettered exuberance, but by 1813, she becomes more rational and resolved. Elizabeth’s emotions and the evolution of her mindset felt authentic and understandable. I loved feeling all her emotional upheaval and confusion with Mr. Darcy’s return into her life. And because our girl keeps to her own council, the reader witnesses all her introspection, suffering, and reasoning.

• Resentment & Regret: Does this failed romance remind you of another couple? One that yielded to persuasion to break things off? Instead this time it is the heroine who carries the resentment and the hero who lives with regret. In addition, there is a bit of a love triangle as the heroine contemplates the suit of another. I loved seeing some familiar themes and shared sympathies between these characters. I also love that there was a “none but you” letter. Way to include one more clever allusion!

• Perseverance & Risk: After their simultaneous, silent periods of suffering and their forced reacquaintance, Darcy and Elizabeth are faced with some hard challenges. Did Mr. Darcy learn the importance of not abandoning his heart’s desire? Is he prepared to fight to prove his love’s endurance? Can Elizabeth open herself up to the vulnerability of believing in love again? Can she remove the barriers around her heart? Abigail Sheffield skillfully illustrates that relationships are complex and the path to happiness is not always the most easy.

WHAT COULD’VE BEEN BETTER:

• I would change nothing.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

🤔  Can a shared history with a painful scars ever lead to a second chance at love?

💔  Elizabeth is half agony and Mr. Darcy is half hope when reunited three years after their disastrous romance.

😍  In a stunning debut, Abigail Sheffield shares a tale full of emotion, poignancy, and profound love. Austenesque readers will love it!

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