Excerpt + Giveaway with Author Grace Gibson!!!

September 17, 2025 • Author Features, Giveaways • 74 Comments

Hi friends! Happy Wednesday

I’m so happy to welcome back author Grace Gibson to Austenesque Reviews today! 🙌🏼

As you may already know Grace Gibson has given us so many fantastic Pride and Prejudice variations – Silver Buckles, Old Boots, The Last House in Lambton, Reckless, Headstrong Girl,  The Zephyr – it is hard to choose a favorite right? 😄

Well, it is about to get even harder, because Grace just added another P&P variation to the mix!  📘

Grace is here to share an excerpt from her newly published release – The Winter of Our Discontent.

We hope you enjoy! 🤗

~ Book Description ~

I signed my maiden name first before memorialising my new name. Elizabeth Madeline Darcy. Elizabeth Bennet lay dead on the altar of matrimony.

HAVING SIGNED THE REGISTER as Elizabeth Darcy, the former Miss Elizabeth Bennet must somehow survive a crushing scandal as a stranger to herself. Her unwilling husband is so outraged to find himself tied to a person he thinks no better than a fortune hunter that she is forbidden to speak of the circumstances behind their union. Indeed, Mr Darcy seems to loathe even the sound of her voice, and often Elizabeth’s only recourse is to be silent.

WHEN THE COUPLE ARRIVES at Pemberley, Elizabeth—Mrs Darcy—is forced to draw upon stores of courage and resourcefulness she did not know she possessed in order to build, if not a happy life, a purposeful one. Facing obstacles and detractors, she carefully cultivates a friendship with Georgiana Darcy.

TRAPPED INTO AN UNWANTED MARRIAGE, Darcy must walk the long road of bitter resentment which forces him into increasing isolation during a very long winter. Increasingly confused by his new wife’s poise and determination to be useful, Darcy’s struggles multiply until a moment of reckoning shocks him out of his rage and into the strong light of truth: that even in the harshest of winters, the roots of tender feelings can quietly grow deep.

THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT is a variation of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice with a happily ever after guaranteed for our dear couple. It is a forced engagement/forced marriage scenario and the content is closed-door.

~ An Excerpt from The Winter of Our Discontent ~

A footman pulled out my chair as Mr Darcy did not choose to do so. We sat in a stately silence punctuated only by the sounds of silver, china, crystal, and footsteps. I never liked awkward silences, but as I had no wish to hear the sound of my own voice, I did not feel particularly averse to holding my tongue. Mr Darcy cleared his throat, and though I looked up to hear what he might say, he looked away and went back to his meal. When the soup was cleared away, I realised that for the sake of the servants alone, I should make an attempt at civil discourse. I meant to be as good at being Mrs Darcy as possible, regardless of the insurmountable odds, and part of being a good mistress was to ensure that my husband and his new wife did not feature in gossip below stairs.

A sip of wine lubricated my throat, then I spoke. “Do you anticipate more rain for our journey tomorrow?”

After half a second of hesitation, he replied. “We should expect wet roads all the way to Pemberley. My steward writes the harvest has been hampered by days of unrelenting rain.”

“I am sorry to hear it.”

He did not reply, and instead, covertly glanced over at me as I ate. Who could blame a man for wishing to satisfy himself that his wife could chew with her mouth closed and manage her cutlery? I also peeked at Mr Darcy and determined his table manners were, much like his house, rather too elegant to be congenial.

“What are the fields yielding at the estate this year?” I asked, determined to revive some semblance of dinner conversation.

He spoke five entire sentences then. With half my mind committing to memory that Pemberley grew barley and rye rotated with peas, I reflected dazedly that this was the third time I had ever seen Mr Darcy. He finished his explanation, and I felt my duty to conversation fulfilled.

Dismissing the footmen after the cheeseboard was laid, Mr Darcy stood and said, “I have several things I wish to say to you, and I would as soon say them now. Then, I suggest we retire early, as the journey north is long and tiring.”

“Very well, sir.”

“I am bitterly disappointed by the manner in which I have married. The resentment I feel is, for the time being, unconquerable. The possibility exists that these feelings will soften over time, though I am far from optimistic. In spite of all this, I intend to uphold my end of this covenant with civil behaviour, provided that you, madam, are respectable and civil in return.”

“I see.”

“I wish for you to succeed as Mistress of Pemberley because I do not want to be subjected to the ridicule of my friends, neighbours, tenants, or servants. There may be preferences, explanations, requests, and history that must be divulged to you if you are to have the smallest hope of success. I would prefer these communications to be written between us.”

“Written, sir?” I strove not to sound as appalled as I felt at this frigid directive.

“I believe words can be more carefully chosen this way. In speaking directly to you, a person I cannot look upon…impartially, I risk speaking heatedly and being overheard.”

I kept my eyes lowered as I listened, and managed—barely—to reply without betraying my severe misgivings. “Very well,” I said gravely.

“After tonight, we will never speak of the travesty of this union. I never want mentioned the circumstances. For the sake of explanation, we met while I was visiting Mr Bingley at Netherfield. You are a gentleman’s daughter from Hertfordshire. We married by inclination alone, as your connexions and dowry were not a consideration.”

“Very well, sir.”

Ooh, the description of this scene – the silences, the emotions, the heightened tension, and the coldness – I. Am. Hooked. 🪝

I cannot wait to read more and find out how this marriage of discontent came to be and how it will survive! 😧

Congrats on your release of The Winter of Our Discontent, Grace. 👏🏼

~~~

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

In conjunction with Grace’s lovely visit, Quills & Quartos is giving away 3️⃣ copies of The Winter of Our Discontent to 3️⃣ lucky readers of this blog. 

 To enter this giveaway leave a comment, a question, or some love for Grace below!

  • This giveaway is open worldwide.  Thank you, Quills and Quartos!
  • This giveaway end September 30th.

~~~

Disclaimer: The Amazon links used in this post are affiliate links. 

74 comments

  3. Did someone claim a compromise between Elizabeth and Darcy? I can surely believe that Caroline Bingley would attempt her own compromise of Mr. Darcy, but Elizabeth surely isn’t at fault here. Looking forward to this book!

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  4. Ms. Gibson has set the bar high. This was an amazing novel full of tension and emotions. In a word…Brilliant!
    Please do not enter me in giveaway, I was fortunate to receive a ARC but will be buying the paperback to join her others on my bookshelf!

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    1. Carole, your good opinion means the world to me! Thank you so much for your review and comments. Lovely to hear from you as always.

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    1. Yes, Sam, and as you suspected in your review I have written often between the lines about how powerless women were at that time. Great to hear from you, and thanks for stopping by.

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  7. Cet extrait donne très envie de découvrir le livre !! Félicitations pour la sortie de ce nouveau roman et une belle idée ce mariage forcé

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    2. That is just wonderful to hear, Diane. This one is a little different but I hope you enjoy it too. Thanks for stopping by! Hope you win!

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  10. I read this book via KU and can state unequivocally that it is worth 5+ stars; well written, highly emotional, perfect pacing, interesting story. Congratulations Ms Gibson and Quills and Quartos for another phenomenal tale.

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  11. Yes, we all love a forced marriage! I am intrigued by what seems to be a high angst book from Grace Gibson. Thank you for the except and giveaway. Congrats and best wishes on the new release!

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    1. This was such a great book. I have thoroughly loved all of Grace Gibson’s previous books and was eager to read this on KU. I had read some reviews first and knew it was going to have a bit more angst than her other novels; this was quite emotional! While not as lighthearted as her other books, there was still dazzling and witty banter and Elizabeth’s mindset was so uplifting and positive that we as the reader don’t get completely dragged down even though it’s a tough situation. I definitely recommend reading this. I read it in a day and a half because I really needed to get through the angst and get to happier territory sooner! I would have read it all in one day but alas, life got in the way.

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      1. I appreciate every word, Kandi, and especially your understanding of Elizabeth’s character in this story. Thank you for sharing and good luck on the drawing!

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  12. We all love the forced marriage trope! I am intrigued to read what appears to be a really angsty novel from Grace Gibson. Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway. Congrats and best wishes on the new release!

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  13. This sounds amazing! I love Grace Gibson’s books, especially The Last House in Lambton which is one of my top 10 JAFF books ever. I am quite partial to a forced marriage scenario too so this sounds right up my street.

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    1. Hi Kate! I really appreciate the shout out for Last House. I had so much fun writing that. I hope you enjoy this one as well. Good luck on the drawing!

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  15. My very favorite scenario. I hope Darcy isn’t too awful to her as she assumes her new re and makes the decision to lead a meaningful (if not quite happy) life. I always love it when the light bulb flicks on above his head, and he comes to the realization that perhaps it’s he that doesn’t deserve her! Can’t wait!!

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    1. Brace yourself, Any Z! Darcy is furious and as Jane Austen described him, he has a resentful nature. But for all that, I promise a happy ending! Thanks for stopping by to comment and good luck!

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  23. Forced marriage between Elizabeth and Darcy is a favorite genre of mine. I cannot wait to read this book. What happened? Communicating o ly by writing is even a new low for Darcy.

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    1. Brace yourself, Eva. Darcy is livid! His sister was nearly ruined by a fortune hunter after all, and now he has been trapped into marriage by one! But of course, in the end, they are — as always — meant to be together. Good luck on the giveaway!

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  25. I got this book last week, paperback, this is such a great variation! I laughed, I cried, and yes I raged at a few characters, I enjoyed the journey that Ms. Grace took ODC on. Thank you, I will probably read it again, and hoping to see an audiobook too!! Congratulations!

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    1. Hi Char! Thank you for the amazing review! I hope Mr Johnson is one of those people you raged at – I know I did! And yes, I believe Quills and Quartos is planning on an audiobook.

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  26. I loved this book. I read it as soon as it came out and immediately bought it for my kindle as I know I will re-read it multiple times. (No need to consider me for the giveaway. I just wanted the author to know how much I enjoyed Winter of Our Discontent).

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  30. Looks awesome! I can hardly wait to read it. (The conundrum is that as soon as I have read it, I will be sad that I have finished.)

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    1. Hi Ginna! Thank goodness there are so many wonderful P&P Variations coming out every week, you will be on to the next one. That said, good luck on the drawing and I hope you enjoy this story.

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  31. This had to be difficult to write, Grace, and I’m sure it will be difficult at times to read. But I would love an eBook because who has enough Elizabeth and Darcy? We can never get enough of them!

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  34. This is my favorite genre of P&P FF – the forced marriage scenario, with all of its angst and recriminations. I hope Darcy is not too tough on Lizzie as he comes to appreciate her worth and starts to (hopefully) understand that it may be HE who does not deserve HER. Can’t wait to read this one!

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    1. Hi Amy! You will perhaps need to be patient with this Darcy. As Jane Austen described, he has a resentful nature. But in the end, love wins—I promise! Thank you for stopping by and good luck on the giveaway!

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    1. Hi Liz, I’m so glad to hear you can spare a little consideration for Darcy’s feelings. I hope you enjoy his journey and Elizabeth’s too. Good luck on the giveaway!

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  37. Read The Winter of Our Discontent on the day of ebook publication (and will read it again and again) – emotional and brilliant book. Started reading Grace Gibson’s books this year, have read them all and loved all of them, Old Boots being a firm favourite together with this latest one. Thank you Grace Gibson x

    Reply

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