What If Mr. Bennet Prediction About About Mr. Bingley’s Preferences Proved True?

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Source: Gift from Publisher

TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation

THE PREMISE:  Mr. Bennet is finally concerned…his wife went to London to “assist an ailing friend,” but has been gone for so long and so infrequent with her communications that he fears she may have left him. He sends Elizabeth to London to find his elusive wife. And while Elizabeth struggles to find and get straight answers from her evasive mother, she frequently encounters none other than Mr. Darcy…who seems to be trying to track down his friend who is also displaying some puzzling and suspicious behaviors…

WHAT I LOVED:

• An Unthinkable and Unique Premise: Look at you, Jessie Lewis, pushing the envelope and exploring the unthinkable! This is a tryst I don’t think any of us ever thought of before! And I have to admit…it is still credible. While it might be cringy and shocking to think about, stranger things have happened. I love that Jessie Lewis brought some new and fresh drama with two characters we typically don’t see together and caused some different conflicts for Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.

• Frequent Encounters and Moments Together: I knew from the book description that this story would have Elizabeth and Darcy eventually working together. And their encounters and the evolution of their relationship was absolutely delightful to witness. I enjoyed seeing Mr. Darcy’s awareness of Elizabeth’s situation and his feelings of protectiveness, concern, and sympathy. And of course it was lovely to see Elizabeth’s opinion of Mr. Darcy soften and her esteem for him rise. I especially enjoyed how often they ran into each and the private and semi-private nature of their exchanges…

• Mrs. Bennet In a New Light: It is easy to take Mr. Bennet’s and Elizabeth’s side and roll our eyes at Mrs. Bennet’s vulgarities and mean understanding, and it is easy to forget that a lot of her antics come from fear. This premise explores Mrs. Bennet’s fear, her insecurities, and her loneliness. I appreciate how Ms. Lewis portrayed both Mrs. Bennet’s very serious wrong and her hidden pain.

• London Diversions and Gossip: New diversions, new acquaintances, and new encounters. It was so much fun to explore a new setting with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. It is his home turf – he knows a much wider acquaintance and is more in the public eye. I loved the new characters introduced to this story and how Elizabeth made friends with Lady Rothersea. In addition I also, loved the gossip that surrounded Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Seeing them react to it and eventually embrace it was very entertaining!

WHAT I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT:

• The Real Reasons: Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth spend so much time trying to track down and get answers from their evasive targets. And when they finally do, it felt a little underwhelming. I enjoyed the drama and uniqueness of this premise, and I’m not saying I preferred something more salacious…but I guess I wished something stronger developed at the end.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

🫢 Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy try to prevent scandal but end up causing their own sensational stir!

🤯 Jessie Lewis tries to shock the Austenesque world with a most unthinkable pairing!

📖 A wonderful choice for readers who love to see Elizabeth and Darcy work together and face some unexpected misadventures.

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***sorry friends, I won’t be able to get an Austenesque Novel Finds post out this much. There has been so much on my plate with work and travel and working around issues that there just wasn’t time this month. my apologies for any disappointment this causes.