There are times that I simply do not have the time to read a novel. When a book is really good I have this tendency (or obsession with the plot) to read all day and to keep reading into the wee hours of the morning. That is not always the best thing, especially when I have deadlines to meet. Therefore, an anthology of short stories is fantastic to have on hand. Abigail Reynolds’, A Pemberley Medley filled my desire to read about my favorite hero and heroine without spending the whole day and nig More...

Despite having been an Austen (and P&P) enthusiast for as long as I can remember, I approached the insidious world of sequels and retellings only recently.
My first forays into the genre were of the modern kind: Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star, which was positively sizzling, and Prom and Prejudice, which was cute. But I was then curious about some new version of the beloved story, set within the original setting. I'd been hearing good things about Abigail Reynolds' Pemberley Variations for a whi More...

I really love Pride and Prejudice so when I saw this book available for free I unfortunately leaped without looking too hard.

There are many things that make P&P great, but the characters are a large part of it. Elizabeth and Darcy have such depth and integrity to them. Lizzie is the bulwark of her family. She isn't another pretty face -- she's strong, smart, stubborn, sassy . . . and yet she also doesn't totally fly in the face of society's standards like Lydia. She is still a lady. She know More...

I positively melted into this book, drowning in Darcy. I didn't leave my computer for two hours as I read the whole thing from start to finish. If anybody had looked in on me they probably would have seen a silly little smile on my face while they failed to catch my attention.


Intermezzo
In this story, Darcy and Elizabeth have not reconciled in time for Bingley and Jane's wedding and Georgiana attempts to discover the woman who is making her brother miserable.


I have read this story three times and More...

*under construction*
"Intermezzo"
Bingley and Jane are getting married and Darcy and Lizzy find it hard to be near each other. Can they fall in love? That is the question in this short sweet story.

"Such Differing Reports"
Darcy is about to propose but does not and turn of events takes another road. What should she believe to be true? Charlotte a voice of reason :)

Reason's Rule
*fans herself* Oh Mr Darcy :=)he went all alpha at one point.
Anyway, they are engaged, Lydia runs away, drama. Can they mana More...

Originally published on The Librarian Next Door:

There is, perhaps, no other literary couple who has managed to capture readers’ hearts and minds the way Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy have. No matter how many new versions of the same story surface, readers everywhere are eager for more – more of Elizabeth’s witty teasing, more of Mr. Darcy’s stoic romanticism, more more more! Author Abigail Reynolds is one of the more prolific writers in the Austen “sequel” world. She has had several retellings More...

A Pemberley Medley is a collection of five short stories featuring Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in slightly different versions of the story told in Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. It is an enjoyable and romantic read but, as most P&P inspired novels, it tries to show the passionate relationship between Lizzie and Darcy and I have to admit that I always have a hard time imagining them in heated embraces.

Still, it is nice to revisit them and their world and think about the possibilities More...

Couldn't get through the first story. While I appreciate the skill with which Reynolds echos Austen's original story, there was just too much time spent seeing Darcy and Elizabeth kiss after realizing they just had to be together. I'm a plot girl, so it just was boring for me after about 20% in (I'm reading on my Kindle) nothing really had happened other than the two of them making up.

After reading the other Goodreads reviews, I'm glad I stopped when I did. But perhaps this will be a perfect ma More...

Intermezzo - 4.5 stars. Very, very good short story. I enjoyed this one!! In this short story Elizabeth never saw Mr. Darcy at Pemberley and Lydia never went to Brighton. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth don't see each other again until Jane and Bingley's wedding breakfast. Georgiana also plays a major hand in bringing them together again.

Such Differing Reports - 3 stars. Enjoyable, but to me not as good as the first story. This is a variation where Darcy and Elizabeth have more conversations at Rosing More...

Whenever I finish an Abigail Reynolds book, I never feel like I’m completely done with the story. What I mean by this is her writing always gets me totally engrossed in the stories making me wish they’d never end. I always feel satisfied with where they’ve gone plot wise, but she writes characters so well that I always end up wishing for more. Fortunately for us Reynolds fans, she published A Pemberley Medley, a collection of short stories that represent different “what if” scenarios for our bel More...

What does an author do when she has a handful of short stories that can't be fleshed out into full-length novels? Leave them to gather dust on her hard-drive? Heavens, no! She instead gathers these delightful stories together and publishes an anthology so all her diehard fans can devour them!

One aspect I loved about this collection of five short stories was how I felt completely fulfilled and satisfied after reading just one story. In the span of thirty minutes readers witness: conflict, misunde More...

I guess I am an Austen purist. Who knew? This book has several "What if?" stories in it. I liked the first couple and then the book took a turn. This book taught me 2 things. 1) Elizabeth Bennett smiles archly A LOT. 2) Elizabeth Bennett is a slut at heart. Seriously, it was disturbing. Mr. Darcy was no better, but I am more an Elizabeth fan.

Actually enjoyed this one quite a bit. As they were short stories rather than novel-length re-imaginings, you were given a brief look at a specific scene or two. Less chance for the repetitiveness that can sometimes mar the full-length novels. Fairly tightly written, and of course some were better than others. But the ones I enjoyed, I really enjoyed!

Great book, I love it! I like all the alternatives to P&P she proposed, and the author has the ability to recreate the sense and feelings, the scenarios of the original book and give the characters a real voice. I just bought another book from Abigail Reynolds cause I can't stop reading. It's so amusing.

I clearly did not pay close enough attention to the description of the book and thought it was a compilation of the author's already published novels rather than a collection of short stories. Enjoyed the easy read well enough but was rather disappointed by the lack of a full tale in each which soured me a little.

I'm a huge fan of Abigail Reynolds. She does a great job with her "what if" stories and this book of short compilations does not disappoint. The only downside is that I wish there was more to each story. I want to know what happens next!

This was about 4-5 shorter variations on how Pride and Prejudice could have ended differently. All took place after Darcy's initial proposal and Elizabeth's refusal. Most were very good, but a few were a little too far fetched. I don't think anything could really beat the original! But, it was a fun read overall.

An excellent set of stories featuring Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Abigail Reynolds details the intimacy of the couple in tales from before and after they were married. If you like Pride and Prejudice variations, you will love A Pemberley Medley.

This book is for those of us who just can't stop rereading Abigail Reynolds' other P& P variations. I can't wait for her next novel!

This was a great Saturday read. I enjoyed Intermezzo, Such Differing Reports, and A Succession of Rain the most, where I found Reason's Rule and The Most Natural Thing a little more out of character, but not all un-enjoyable! "Dark" Darcy in The Most Natural thing isn't really that dark at all, I was expecting worse! Then again, how could we like him as a character if he was truly dark.

I wish some of these were expanded into full novels!

5 short P&P variation stories with different and interesting takes on the original story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short stories from Abigail Reynolds. A must-read of fans of her other novels.

Short story variations of different scenes from Pride and Prejudice - pretty good!

I am a huge Abigail Reynolds fan and also a huge short story fan. This was fantastic

Some of the stories were truly delightful, while others were disappointing.

When you have to wait for a new book from Abigail Reynolds, the next best thing is some short stories by Abigail Reynolds!

2 of these were short stories that have been around for quite awhile, one was a short story more recently completed, and one was the alternate ending to Impulse & Initiative. (I'm drawing a blank at the moment on the fifth one - will come back when I can recall!)

I most especially enjoyed the alternative ending to I&I, probably because I had not read it before, but the More...

Really great for P&P fans.

apr 2011

The Most Natural Thing = 5 Stars!
Reason's Rule = 4 Stars
A Succession of Rain = 3 Stars
Such Differing Reports = 4 Stars
Intermezzo = 5 Stars!

I liked most of these short stories. The only one that I felt didn't honour the original Darcy & Elizabeth was The Most Natural Thing. But 4 out of 5 ain't bad! :)