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His Secret Betrothal: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy is ill-equipped for the undertaking ahead of him. He is to woo Miss Elizabeth Bennet while disguising his purpose—for they are secretly betrothed!
The marriage contract, signed fifteen years ago, was conceived during the Bennets’ summer interlude at Pemberley. William and Lizzy became fast friends, and their shenanigans delighted the household. At summer’s end, the pair parted, an annual letter exchange the only communication between their families.
With only three months until they must wed, Darcy enlists his family and friends to win Elizabeth’s heart and favour. Hilarity and endearing moments abound as Darcy draws upon his remembrances of Lizzy, the child, to woo Elizabeth, the woman of his dreams.
Through reading their fathers’ letters, Darcy learns of Lizzy’s path to womanhood and his misapplication of pride. Even with this insight, he struggles to court his impertinent betrothed and reform his conceit. Just as Darcy is ready to reveal all, those who desire a different match for the master of Pemberley willfully cause madcap misunderstandings, threatening Elizabeth’s hard-won regard.
The marriage contract, signed fifteen years ago, was conceived during the Bennets’ summer interlude at Pemberley. William and Lizzy became fast friends, and their shenanigans delighted the household. At summer’s end, the pair parted, an annual letter exchange the only communication between their families.
With only three months until they must wed, Darcy enlists his family and friends to win Elizabeth’s heart and favour. Hilarity and endearing moments abound as Darcy draws upon his remembrances of Lizzy, the child, to woo Elizabeth, the woman of his dreams.
Through reading their fathers’ letters, Darcy learns of Lizzy’s path to womanhood and his misapplication of pride. Even with this insight, he struggles to court his impertinent betrothed and reform his conceit. Just as Darcy is ready to reveal all, those who desire a different match for the master of Pemberley willfully cause madcap misunderstandings, threatening Elizabeth’s hard-won regard.
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Published April 4, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
December 8, 2025
Excellent Arranged Marriage Trope
At the suggestion of Darcy’s Uncle Alexander, old Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennet enter a contract of marriage for William and Lizzy after they see her lift Darcy’s spirits when they spend a summer together at Pemberley following Mrs. Darcy’s death. Lizzy is 5, Darcy 13.
The arranged betrothal remains a secret to the couple until Darcy turns 28 and Elizabeth reaches her 20th birthday. Darcy, initially shocked at learning of his betrothal by his solicitor goes to Longbourn to meet with Mr. Bennet and be reintroduced to Elizabeth. Fearing she will be unhappy at the prospect of losing her right of choice in marriage, Bennet convinces Darcy to wait in telling her of the betrothal in hopes that with some effort on Darcy’s part, he can make her fall in love with him naturally.
It is made up partly of the exchange of annual letters—which I loved—between old Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennet, and after Mr. Darcy dies, Uncle Alexander Darcy takes over his part. They are all written around their respective child’s birthday and apprises the other of each child’s learning and accomplishments over the years. The letters also include their faults and foibles as well. The rest is Darcy’s efforts at improving those faults and wooing Elizabeth with letters, gifts and reminiscences of their childhood antics during their summer together.
Georgiana plays a very helpful role in Darcy’s wooing endeavours, and Colonel Fitzwilliam comes in handy at thwarting others who would vie for Darcy’s attentions. There’s even a crazy Caroline to add a teeny tiny touch of angst along the way.
Authored by Renee McKenzie, who also wrote a very good debut novel with Mr. Darcy’s Labours of Love, this book doesn’t disappoint. I found it to be a well-written novel with a refreshing premise. I do love the arranged marriage trope. I’ve now tremendously enjoyed both of Ms. McKenzie’s books and can’t wait until the next. Well done. I read it as a borrow from Kindle Unlimited, but am purchasing now for my library and adding it to my favourites stack.
Highly recommend.
Clean content, kisses only.
April 13, 2023 - Audiobook
Great story, great narration. Stevie Zimmerman is just so very good in every respect. Highly recommend the audiobook too.
May 9, 2024 - Audiobook - 2nd listen and still love it.
I added ‘titled’ to the tropes for this book, but it only happens with a brief mention in the epilogue and doesn’t influence the story.
At the suggestion of Darcy’s Uncle Alexander, old Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennet enter a contract of marriage for William and Lizzy after they see her lift Darcy’s spirits when they spend a summer together at Pemberley following Mrs. Darcy’s death. Lizzy is 5, Darcy 13.
The arranged betrothal remains a secret to the couple until Darcy turns 28 and Elizabeth reaches her 20th birthday. Darcy, initially shocked at learning of his betrothal by his solicitor goes to Longbourn to meet with Mr. Bennet and be reintroduced to Elizabeth. Fearing she will be unhappy at the prospect of losing her right of choice in marriage, Bennet convinces Darcy to wait in telling her of the betrothal in hopes that with some effort on Darcy’s part, he can make her fall in love with him naturally.
It is made up partly of the exchange of annual letters—which I loved—between old Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennet, and after Mr. Darcy dies, Uncle Alexander Darcy takes over his part. They are all written around their respective child’s birthday and apprises the other of each child’s learning and accomplishments over the years. The letters also include their faults and foibles as well. The rest is Darcy’s efforts at improving those faults and wooing Elizabeth with letters, gifts and reminiscences of their childhood antics during their summer together.
Georgiana plays a very helpful role in Darcy’s wooing endeavours, and Colonel Fitzwilliam comes in handy at thwarting others who would vie for Darcy’s attentions. There’s even a crazy Caroline to add a teeny tiny touch of angst along the way.
Authored by Renee McKenzie, who also wrote a very good debut novel with Mr. Darcy’s Labours of Love, this book doesn’t disappoint. I found it to be a well-written novel with a refreshing premise. I do love the arranged marriage trope. I’ve now tremendously enjoyed both of Ms. McKenzie’s books and can’t wait until the next. Well done. I read it as a borrow from Kindle Unlimited, but am purchasing now for my library and adding it to my favourites stack.
Highly recommend.
Clean content, kisses only.
April 13, 2023 - Audiobook
Great story, great narration. Stevie Zimmerman is just so very good in every respect. Highly recommend the audiobook too.
May 9, 2024 - Audiobook - 2nd listen and still love it.
I added ‘titled’ to the tropes for this book, but it only happens with a brief mention in the epilogue and doesn’t influence the story.
April 18, 2023
Fitzwilliam Darcy is called to is solicitor's office on his 28th birthday. There is he told that the conditions are met and therefore he is legally betrothed! Even more the shock, his father arranged it and it has been a secret since his 13th birthday. How he deals with this information, how it is communicated or not, and how he convinces his fiancé (no surprise that it is Elizabeth Bennet) that they belong together is the plot of this book.
There are a few plot holes, but the plot that does work was so much fun! My favorite was the annual letters that the two fathers wrote as an update to the other as their children grew up. This is followed closely by the help that Fitzwilliam requests and gets from his sister in wooing Elizabeth. There are a few kisses but in general clean story that kept me smiling.
There are a few plot holes, but the plot that does work was so much fun! My favorite was the annual letters that the two fathers wrote as an update to the other as their children grew up. This is followed closely by the help that Fitzwilliam requests and gets from his sister in wooing Elizabeth. There are a few kisses but in general clean story that kept me smiling.
August 31, 2024
A very sweet story. Darcy and Elizabeth meet as children soon after the death of his mother. Seeing the joy she brought his sombre son, George Darcy makes a secret betrothal agreement with Mr. Bennet enforceable after Darcy's 28th birthday if he remains unattached. Though thr circumstances of the betrothal doesn't feel very convincing, the consequences are thoroughly enjoyable. Darcy's wooing of Elizabeth and the friendship they had, the attraction they feel were very sweet. Though there are villains, their hassles are minor and so I would term the story low in angst and high in fun.
May 14, 2023
"Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead" - Benjamin Franklin
Too long in the middle. I started skimming at 65% and decided to just DNF this one.
Too long in the middle. I started skimming at 65% and decided to just DNF this one.
gave-up
May 14, 2023Its not you it's me
This seems like a sweet story where a practically perfect Lizzy and a practically perfect Darcy are secretly betrothed(its a secret to both of them)
And I am sure lots of charming stuff happens
We have prose and letters and I just don't care
I guess I need more angst and drama
This seems like a sweet story where a practically perfect Lizzy and a practically perfect Darcy are secretly betrothed(its a secret to both of them)
And I am sure lots of charming stuff happens
We have prose and letters and I just don't care
I guess I need more angst and drama
March 27, 2023
If I could give this more stars I would! It was funny and charming and I enjoyed the entire thing.
December 3, 2025
I won this audio in a JAFF challenge/giveaway and have listen twice now.
It's a wonderful story. Love the way it builds from Darcy finding out about the betrothal, to wooing an unsuspecting Elizabeth. (They had originally met as children).
The machinations of the older generation are a hoot!
It's a wonderful story. Love the way it builds from Darcy finding out about the betrothal, to wooing an unsuspecting Elizabeth. (They had originally met as children).
The machinations of the older generation are a hoot!
June 23, 2023
2.5 rounded to 3.
March 30, 2023
Almost unputdownable. I had to put it down from time to time, but I was always eager to come back to it.
After meeting 15yrs ago at the ages of 5 and 13, Elizabeth and Darcy's fathers contract (at the suggestion of D's uncle) their children to be married should neither be attached elsewhere by the time they are 20 and 28 respectively. Only, D&E are not made aware of the arrangement. D learns of it first on his 28th birthday. He is, understandably, upset at first but is then given a stack of letters written by Mr Bennet to the late Mr Darcy, and Darcy's uncle after his father's death, describing E as she grows from a child into a remarkable young woman.
Upon reading these letters, D is convinced she is the perfect woman for him and is accepting of the engagement. Only, now he must tell his betrothed...
Once he's met the lady he's fallen in love with through letters, D determines he does not want her to accept him out of obligation to the contract and goes on a campaign to woo her, hoping she will learn to love him in return.
A good deal of this story was dedicated to the letters written by the fathers about their children. I was afraid this would grow tedious but it never did. It was really enjoyable. The letters were written once a year and not every letter was canvassed in the story.
This D was absolutely swoon-worthy. Georgiana was so sweet and adorable. I loved Col Fitzwilliam for the most part...there was one part where I wondered why on earth he was just standing by laughing while D was being assaulted...that seemed very ooc.
The romance was on key, but I did feel it a little too convenient that D fell for E so readily. Before he even met her he was ready to marry her. And I felt that E accepted him/came to terms with everything a little too quickly once she learned the truth. Also, Georgiana came out of her melancholy a little too easily for me. One moment she's playing mournful tunes on the pianoforte and can hardly look at D; the next, at the barest mention of D's engagement, all sadness is forgot and she's an eager beaver to help her brother, never to mention her disappointment again. Thus, the 4* rating. Oh, and Caroline Bingley was over-the-top crazy. Like, absolutely bonkers!
However, I thoroughly enjoyed this and if I hadn't been committed to getting more sleep at night, I would have stayed up until I finished it. As it was, I picked it up again this morning and pretty much didn't put it down again until the end. Highly recommend.
After meeting 15yrs ago at the ages of 5 and 13, Elizabeth and Darcy's fathers contract (at the suggestion of D's uncle) their children to be married should neither be attached elsewhere by the time they are 20 and 28 respectively. Only, D&E are not made aware of the arrangement. D learns of it first on his 28th birthday. He is, understandably, upset at first but is then given a stack of letters written by Mr Bennet to the late Mr Darcy, and Darcy's uncle after his father's death, describing E as she grows from a child into a remarkable young woman.
Upon reading these letters, D is convinced she is the perfect woman for him and is accepting of the engagement. Only, now he must tell his betrothed...
Once he's met the lady he's fallen in love with through letters, D determines he does not want her to accept him out of obligation to the contract and goes on a campaign to woo her, hoping she will learn to love him in return.
A good deal of this story was dedicated to the letters written by the fathers about their children. I was afraid this would grow tedious but it never did. It was really enjoyable. The letters were written once a year and not every letter was canvassed in the story.
This D was absolutely swoon-worthy. Georgiana was so sweet and adorable. I loved Col Fitzwilliam for the most part...there was one part where I wondered why on earth he was just standing by laughing while D was being assaulted...that seemed very ooc.
The romance was on key, but I did feel it a little too convenient that D fell for E so readily. Before he even met her he was ready to marry her. And I felt that E accepted him/came to terms with everything a little too quickly once she learned the truth. Also, Georgiana came out of her melancholy a little too easily for me. One moment she's playing mournful tunes on the pianoforte and can hardly look at D; the next, at the barest mention of D's engagement, all sadness is forgot and she's an eager beaver to help her brother, never to mention her disappointment again. Thus, the 4* rating. Oh, and Caroline Bingley was over-the-top crazy. Like, absolutely bonkers!
However, I thoroughly enjoyed this and if I hadn't been committed to getting more sleep at night, I would have stayed up until I finished it. As it was, I picked it up again this morning and pretty much didn't put it down again until the end. Highly recommend.
April 18, 2023
Just okay. An editor is credited but did not do a thorough job. Commensurate is used when the author meant commiserate: this happens three times so someone dropped the ball.
The author says Darcy and Elizabeth will be ‘a couple for the ages’. Ugh.
They didn’t use parchment in the Regency era. There was too long spent on build up. There would be a letter we read then we are told about it again. Every day was several chapters.
Modern language awe used in modern sense. Modern phrases: shock and awe, call it like it is and my personal bete noire take it under advisement. Really? Do people think that phrase has been around since 1811?
I know authors can’t avoid modern language completely but for Pete’s sake ‘take it under advisement’? Really?
The author says Darcy and Elizabeth will be ‘a couple for the ages’. Ugh.
They didn’t use parchment in the Regency era. There was too long spent on build up. There would be a letter we read then we are told about it again. Every day was several chapters.
Modern language awe used in modern sense. Modern phrases: shock and awe, call it like it is and my personal bete noire take it under advisement. Really? Do people think that phrase has been around since 1811?
I know authors can’t avoid modern language completely but for Pete’s sake ‘take it under advisement’? Really?
April 10, 2023
Definitely a different story
This story is different in the fact that Mr Bennet had made a marriage contract with Mr Darcy Sr when William was 12 and Elizabeth only 5 years old! If they were still single when she was 20 and he was 28 they were to marry. Every year the fathers exchanged letters discussing what their child was doing. Neither child was informed about the betrothal.... Only Darcy's uncle who is a Judge, the Matlocks, and then the Gardiners were aware... Not even Mrs Bennet knew.
The only glaring error I caught was Darcy's writing a quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes but he's writing it in 1811 when Mr Holmes is 2 years old. His birthdate is 1809! This should have been caught before publishing the story.
This story is different in the fact that Mr Bennet had made a marriage contract with Mr Darcy Sr when William was 12 and Elizabeth only 5 years old! If they were still single when she was 20 and he was 28 they were to marry. Every year the fathers exchanged letters discussing what their child was doing. Neither child was informed about the betrothal.... Only Darcy's uncle who is a Judge, the Matlocks, and then the Gardiners were aware... Not even Mrs Bennet knew.
The only glaring error I caught was Darcy's writing a quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes but he's writing it in 1811 when Mr Holmes is 2 years old. His birthdate is 1809! This should have been caught before publishing the story.
April 3, 2023
DNF. The five-year old girl with a thirteen-year old boy BFF made me uncomfortable enough to stop reading..
March 2, 2024
What an imagination!
Marvelously original concept! This is a great adventure that involves the reader from the beginning. Thou different from canon it maintains the characters' personalities and traits and presents a very romantic Darcy and an unforgettable Elizabeth. A must read!
Marvelously original concept! This is a great adventure that involves the reader from the beginning. Thou different from canon it maintains the characters' personalities and traits and presents a very romantic Darcy and an unforgettable Elizabeth. A must read!
April 2, 2023
I found the story charming.
October 10, 2023
This was fine. 3.5/5
March 29, 2023
There was a lot I loved about this story but I am conflicted because in my book the villains got away with it, and nobody even seems to realize there were any villains. Darcy and Elizabeth have a really cute and funny romance. But there are ugly undertones regarding consent and autonomy, and lack thereof, that get totally swept under the rug. Not talking about sex, the steam level is very tame here, I'm just mad at Mr. Bennet and some fundamental freedoms he did not think necessary for all of his kids.
Darcy and Elizabeth knew each other briefly as children, when he was 13 and she was 5. Their fathers decided to make a secret betrothal contract that would come into effect if they were both still unattached 15 years later. When Darcy finds out that it's legally binding he travels to Hertfordshire to meet her and Mr. Bennet tells him that Lizzy would probably take the news better if he courted her first. (Likely Mr. Bennet was being a chicken, knowing that Lizzy would be angry and avoiding confrontation.) So, Darcy knows they are betrothed and she doesn't. Luckily they take to each other pretty well. But Miss Bingley is out of control and Lady Catherine is rude.
I enjoyed the story in a general way and I had a hard time putting it down. The writing style is polished and the dialogues flow well. Some of the letters are very amusing. And the Darzabeth interactions are sweet for the most part although they get into their sulks briefly. I liked how it was resolved, playfully.
The beginning feels a bit slow as Darcy takes forever to read some letters their fathers, and later his uncle had sent, describing their secretly betrothed children growing up. He reads like, one or two letters per day because there was no time to read more. But there were not so many letters and they were not so very long. He says it was thirty sheets so he could have finished the entire bunch in a single evening, unless he is a very slow reader. Then he goes on to meet Elizabeth and leaves for Pemberley immediately. He does attempt to court her via Georgiana and some correspondence. (Elizabeth does not even wonder why her father allows her to correspond with him.) After some misunderstandings everything falls together very nicely.
In the canon, Darcy likes very much to get his way, but this Darcy accepts his fate pretty calmly, and he hardly has any hard feelings having his choice of bride taken away from him and finding out that he was manipulated by nearly all elder adults in his life. (Lady Catherine comes out smelling like roses here because at least she was always frank about what she wanted. The others treat him like a puppet on a string but in a sneaky way, so he doesn't realize that he's a puppet.) And the entire time I was expecting Elizabeth to freak out when she finds out. But it doesn't really work out that way as she's faced with a worse option so finding out that she's secretly betrothed to Darcy comes as a relief for her.
But still, I thought she was owed some sort of confrontation with her father and explanation from both Mr. Bennet and Darcy and even Darcy's uncles and aunt as to why Mr. Bennet chose to take her choice of husband away from her, and why neither Darcy nor Bennet told her when it came to effect when even Georgiana, Bingley and Richard were told, why a bunch of people who hardly knew anything about her were complicit in the scheme to steal her freedom. And it seems even the Gardiners were in on it! You can always trust the Gardiners, except when you can't.
I was angry on her behalf and was never satisfied. The machinations of the manipulators continue afterwards and it's presented as a happy outcome. Maybe it worked out well in the end for the people concerned... but it's the principle of the thing. At least the rest of the people who were manipulated had some sort of choice, to propose or not to propose, to accept or not to accept, regardless of the manipulation as the trigger. Lizzy was betrothed entirely without her consent and without her knowledge when she was five. He was thirteen and it wasn't much better but at least he was given more time to find a bride on his own. Apparently there was no escape hatch in the contract for either of them, even in case the other person grew up to be a criminal, or a great bore, or a drunkard, or something. Just because they liked each other as children is no guarantee that they would fall in love. And Darcy's father liked Wickham so his judgment was always questionable, anyhow. They could not know it would work out and took a terrible gamble at the cost of their children's lives.
Her mother's opinions of all this are rather downplayed (silly old Mrs. Bennet, who cares what she thinks) but I think she had a legitimate right to be furious as well, as it seems like her husband arranged a secret betrothal for one of her very young daughters without telling her. And what about Lizzy's sisters? What's their opinion that their father arranged a great dowry and rich hubby for one of their sisters and appears to give very little mind to any of his other daughters?
I dunno, I just think it's all kinds of heinous for a father to do that and Bennet and Darcy's elder relatives needed to get slapped for it, even if they happened to get lucky and Darcy and Elizabeth fell in love in the end. The elder Darcys and Bennet could have kept up the acquaintance and get them to fall in love in a regular manner. But no, they had to play some God and dress it up as a fated love.
At one point Elizabeth says,
"I want William to listen to me. To admit that what I think, what I say, matters.” She looked up at Jane with glassy eyes. “Papa never listens to Mother and often does not even listen to me.”
This is my problem with the plotline in a nutshell, because Papa never intended to take her opinion into account whatsoever, not since she was five, arranging her life as he pleased. And while some of her opinions might have mattered to Darcy, he chose to court her under false pretenses and did not ask her if that's what she wanted. The eventual proposal was really sweet but even there, he did not initially ask her if she loved him and wanted to marry him, he started out by informing her that they were in love and wanted to get married. Elizabeth is just a pawn here. Darcy could have married someone else earlier or decided to break the betrothal and pay up, and he'd have been fine, but what were Elizabeth's options, in case she didn't like Darcy?
I thought Mr. Bennet owed his daughter a huge apology and a giant grovel but Elizabeth never even had a proper conversation with him about any of this. They have been manipulated and lied to for almost their entire lives by adults they should have been able to trust and they just don't think it's an issue. Just like, oh okay, all's well that ends well, and I think this person my father chose for me grew up to be pretty hot, so the ending justifies the means, or whatever, and Mr. Bennet GETS AWAY WITH IT ALL without ever having to say a word in his defense. What the hell was he thinking about? How was he so sure that Lizzy and Darcy would get along as adults? If he was so sure, then why not just reintroduce them and let them fall in love and get engaged on their own? Why did he disrespect his favorite daughter the worst of all, depriving her of the right to choose a husband for herself? (Or not to choose one, if that was her preference.) Nope, her opinions don't matter to her father the least bit, as Daddy Bennet put her completely in the power of a boy he had known for five minutes when he was thirteen. She's not even of age by the time that her deadline to choose someone else runs out. She wasn't told that she had a deadline. She was never considered to be a person in her own right who deserved to make her own choices, she's just a chess piece on chess board, checkmated by her own father since she was five years old.
And it seems like the Matlocks' machinations served to feed some of Darcy's worst haughty and antisocial character traits, as they were trying to make sure he wouldn't find anyone worthy of marrying anywhere else. Why? What was their dog in this race? I understand Bennet wanted a rich husband for Lizzy but why would Darcy's relations be invested in any of this? Based on the letters they exchanged over the years, Mr. Bennet knew that Darcy was growing up to be a frightful snob. Did he ever, for once in his life, think this might have been a dreadful mistake?
This would have been a five star book for me if they skipped the epilogue about who married whom and how they were manipulated to get there, (especially if they're characters who were never mentioned before the epilogue) and instead put in a scene in which Darcy and Elizabeth got some answers from the older relatives. Just because the outcome was good by dumb luck doesn't mean they weren't due some reckoning.
Even if nobody ever apologized or regretted anything, I thought that Elizabeth needed to recognize that she had her power stolen, and say it out loud. Her father essentially sold her to a stranger and she needed to know that it was wrong. Even if Darcy turned out to be a good guy. But she was never angry about it, or even curious, she just went along with it without asserting herself in any way, and I wanted more for her. Darcy needs to see it was wrong too - he's about to have his own children some day soon and needs to do better for them. But he THANKED his aunt for running interference and saving him for Elizabeth... Beeeep! Wrong answer!
TL;DR I enjoyed reading the story but I have questions... I don't find betrothing small children to be heartwarming, regardless of the outcome and I think somebody oughta have told the senior instigators off for it. Mr. Bennet owed his daughter a lot of humble pie but he was never even asked to explain. I loved the story a lot while I was still expecting Elizabeth to have her say eventually but felt a little let down by how easily she took it. I was gearing for a fight for the entire duration, and I never got it. This would have been a five star story if Elizabeth got a chance to bitchslap Mr. Bennet. But she just rolls over and never holds him accountable.
Darcy and Elizabeth knew each other briefly as children, when he was 13 and she was 5. Their fathers decided to make a secret betrothal contract that would come into effect if they were both still unattached 15 years later. When Darcy finds out that it's legally binding he travels to Hertfordshire to meet her and Mr. Bennet tells him that Lizzy would probably take the news better if he courted her first. (Likely Mr. Bennet was being a chicken, knowing that Lizzy would be angry and avoiding confrontation.) So, Darcy knows they are betrothed and she doesn't. Luckily they take to each other pretty well. But Miss Bingley is out of control and Lady Catherine is rude.
I enjoyed the story in a general way and I had a hard time putting it down. The writing style is polished and the dialogues flow well. Some of the letters are very amusing. And the Darzabeth interactions are sweet for the most part although they get into their sulks briefly. I liked how it was resolved, playfully.
The beginning feels a bit slow as Darcy takes forever to read some letters their fathers, and later his uncle had sent, describing their secretly betrothed children growing up. He reads like, one or two letters per day because there was no time to read more. But there were not so many letters and they were not so very long. He says it was thirty sheets so he could have finished the entire bunch in a single evening, unless he is a very slow reader. Then he goes on to meet Elizabeth and leaves for Pemberley immediately. He does attempt to court her via Georgiana and some correspondence. (Elizabeth does not even wonder why her father allows her to correspond with him.) After some misunderstandings everything falls together very nicely.
In the canon, Darcy likes very much to get his way, but this Darcy accepts his fate pretty calmly, and he hardly has any hard feelings having his choice of bride taken away from him and finding out that he was manipulated by nearly all elder adults in his life. (Lady Catherine comes out smelling like roses here because at least she was always frank about what she wanted. The others treat him like a puppet on a string but in a sneaky way, so he doesn't realize that he's a puppet.) And the entire time I was expecting Elizabeth to freak out when she finds out. But it doesn't really work out that way as she's faced with a worse option so finding out that she's secretly betrothed to Darcy comes as a relief for her.
But still, I thought she was owed some sort of confrontation with her father and explanation from both Mr. Bennet and Darcy and even Darcy's uncles and aunt as to why Mr. Bennet chose to take her choice of husband away from her, and why neither Darcy nor Bennet told her when it came to effect when even Georgiana, Bingley and Richard were told, why a bunch of people who hardly knew anything about her were complicit in the scheme to steal her freedom. And it seems even the Gardiners were in on it! You can always trust the Gardiners, except when you can't.
I was angry on her behalf and was never satisfied. The machinations of the manipulators continue afterwards and it's presented as a happy outcome. Maybe it worked out well in the end for the people concerned... but it's the principle of the thing. At least the rest of the people who were manipulated had some sort of choice, to propose or not to propose, to accept or not to accept, regardless of the manipulation as the trigger. Lizzy was betrothed entirely without her consent and without her knowledge when she was five. He was thirteen and it wasn't much better but at least he was given more time to find a bride on his own. Apparently there was no escape hatch in the contract for either of them, even in case the other person grew up to be a criminal, or a great bore, or a drunkard, or something. Just because they liked each other as children is no guarantee that they would fall in love. And Darcy's father liked Wickham so his judgment was always questionable, anyhow. They could not know it would work out and took a terrible gamble at the cost of their children's lives.
Her mother's opinions of all this are rather downplayed (silly old Mrs. Bennet, who cares what she thinks) but I think she had a legitimate right to be furious as well, as it seems like her husband arranged a secret betrothal for one of her very young daughters without telling her. And what about Lizzy's sisters? What's their opinion that their father arranged a great dowry and rich hubby for one of their sisters and appears to give very little mind to any of his other daughters?
I dunno, I just think it's all kinds of heinous for a father to do that and Bennet and Darcy's elder relatives needed to get slapped for it, even if they happened to get lucky and Darcy and Elizabeth fell in love in the end. The elder Darcys and Bennet could have kept up the acquaintance and get them to fall in love in a regular manner. But no, they had to play some God and dress it up as a fated love.
At one point Elizabeth says,
"I want William to listen to me. To admit that what I think, what I say, matters.” She looked up at Jane with glassy eyes. “Papa never listens to Mother and often does not even listen to me.”
This is my problem with the plotline in a nutshell, because Papa never intended to take her opinion into account whatsoever, not since she was five, arranging her life as he pleased. And while some of her opinions might have mattered to Darcy, he chose to court her under false pretenses and did not ask her if that's what she wanted. The eventual proposal was really sweet but even there, he did not initially ask her if she loved him and wanted to marry him, he started out by informing her that they were in love and wanted to get married. Elizabeth is just a pawn here. Darcy could have married someone else earlier or decided to break the betrothal and pay up, and he'd have been fine, but what were Elizabeth's options, in case she didn't like Darcy?
I thought Mr. Bennet owed his daughter a huge apology and a giant grovel but Elizabeth never even had a proper conversation with him about any of this. They have been manipulated and lied to for almost their entire lives by adults they should have been able to trust and they just don't think it's an issue. Just like, oh okay, all's well that ends well, and I think this person my father chose for me grew up to be pretty hot, so the ending justifies the means, or whatever, and Mr. Bennet GETS AWAY WITH IT ALL without ever having to say a word in his defense. What the hell was he thinking about? How was he so sure that Lizzy and Darcy would get along as adults? If he was so sure, then why not just reintroduce them and let them fall in love and get engaged on their own? Why did he disrespect his favorite daughter the worst of all, depriving her of the right to choose a husband for herself? (Or not to choose one, if that was her preference.) Nope, her opinions don't matter to her father the least bit, as Daddy Bennet put her completely in the power of a boy he had known for five minutes when he was thirteen. She's not even of age by the time that her deadline to choose someone else runs out. She wasn't told that she had a deadline. She was never considered to be a person in her own right who deserved to make her own choices, she's just a chess piece on chess board, checkmated by her own father since she was five years old.
And it seems like the Matlocks' machinations served to feed some of Darcy's worst haughty and antisocial character traits, as they were trying to make sure he wouldn't find anyone worthy of marrying anywhere else. Why? What was their dog in this race? I understand Bennet wanted a rich husband for Lizzy but why would Darcy's relations be invested in any of this? Based on the letters they exchanged over the years, Mr. Bennet knew that Darcy was growing up to be a frightful snob. Did he ever, for once in his life, think this might have been a dreadful mistake?
This would have been a five star book for me if they skipped the epilogue about who married whom and how they were manipulated to get there, (especially if they're characters who were never mentioned before the epilogue) and instead put in a scene in which Darcy and Elizabeth got some answers from the older relatives. Just because the outcome was good by dumb luck doesn't mean they weren't due some reckoning.
Even if nobody ever apologized or regretted anything, I thought that Elizabeth needed to recognize that she had her power stolen, and say it out loud. Her father essentially sold her to a stranger and she needed to know that it was wrong. Even if Darcy turned out to be a good guy. But she was never angry about it, or even curious, she just went along with it without asserting herself in any way, and I wanted more for her. Darcy needs to see it was wrong too - he's about to have his own children some day soon and needs to do better for them. But he THANKED his aunt for running interference and saving him for Elizabeth... Beeeep! Wrong answer!
TL;DR I enjoyed reading the story but I have questions... I don't find betrothing small children to be heartwarming, regardless of the outcome and I think somebody oughta have told the senior instigators off for it. Mr. Bennet owed his daughter a lot of humble pie but he was never even asked to explain. I loved the story a lot while I was still expecting Elizabeth to have her say eventually but felt a little let down by how easily she took it. I was gearing for a fight for the entire duration, and I never got it. This would have been a five star story if Elizabeth got a chance to bitchslap Mr. Bennet. But she just rolls over and never holds him accountable.
March 31, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars, 377 pages on my Kindle.
The title does not fully indicate that with "He" having a secret betrothal that there must also be a "She". Neither knows of this as the contract between their fathers is written so that it will only be revealed when "He" turns eight and twenty in order to allow both the freedom to interact and even marry with someone else if that is where fate leads. If not they are to marry at this point.
Yes, he is Darcy and when he learns of the contract between his father and his father's friend, Mr. Thomas Bennet he asks for time to woo her so that there is a chance they might develop warm feelings, respect and trust before entering a marriage neither desired. So much of this story is Darcy deliberately interacting with Elizabeth and becoming friends...and more. Georgiana is part of the story and, of course, there is Bingley, having leased Netherfield.
It seems that 15 years ago while Mr. Bennet, Jane and Elizabeth visited at Pemberley for a relative’s wedding and stayed the summer. 13 year-old Fitzwilliam Darcy and 5 year-old Elizabeth Bennet spent time together and found amusement in their interaction. Their memories were good ones.
As time goes on, once a year the fathers exchanged letters summarizing their child's life for that year and when George Darcy dies Alexander Darcy (who was in on the original idea of a marriage contract) takes over writing the yearly letters.
So Darcy is allowed to read of Elizabeth's life, her traits, her accomplishments, etc. through the years as he has access to those letters. Darcy later also reads what is written about him through the years.
There comes a point in the story when deception works its way into the relationship. Caroline Bingley and Lady Catherine are involved (separately) and Elizabeth is devastated.
There is an epilogue. I enjoyed this story which had a premise I have not read elsewhere. At 377 pages obviously I have not touched on much of the story. I did enjoy how Darcy and Elizabeth remembered their younger days together and the teasing that Elizabeth brought to their friendship. Yes, there are misunderstandings and a little bit of an insult which are worked out.
The title does not fully indicate that with "He" having a secret betrothal that there must also be a "She". Neither knows of this as the contract between their fathers is written so that it will only be revealed when "He" turns eight and twenty in order to allow both the freedom to interact and even marry with someone else if that is where fate leads. If not they are to marry at this point.
Yes, he is Darcy and when he learns of the contract between his father and his father's friend, Mr. Thomas Bennet he asks for time to woo her so that there is a chance they might develop warm feelings, respect and trust before entering a marriage neither desired. So much of this story is Darcy deliberately interacting with Elizabeth and becoming friends...and more. Georgiana is part of the story and, of course, there is Bingley, having leased Netherfield.
It seems that 15 years ago while Mr. Bennet, Jane and Elizabeth visited at Pemberley for a relative’s wedding and stayed the summer. 13 year-old Fitzwilliam Darcy and 5 year-old Elizabeth Bennet spent time together and found amusement in their interaction. Their memories were good ones.
As time goes on, once a year the fathers exchanged letters summarizing their child's life for that year and when George Darcy dies Alexander Darcy (who was in on the original idea of a marriage contract) takes over writing the yearly letters.
So Darcy is allowed to read of Elizabeth's life, her traits, her accomplishments, etc. through the years as he has access to those letters. Darcy later also reads what is written about him through the years.
There comes a point in the story when deception works its way into the relationship. Caroline Bingley and Lady Catherine are involved (separately) and Elizabeth is devastated.
There is an epilogue. I enjoyed this story which had a premise I have not read elsewhere. At 377 pages obviously I have not touched on much of the story. I did enjoy how Darcy and Elizabeth remembered their younger days together and the teasing that Elizabeth brought to their friendship. Yes, there are misunderstandings and a little bit of an insult which are worked out.
August 26, 2023
His Secret Betrothal
Delightful story. At eight and twenty, Fitzwilliam Darcy learns that he has been betrothed to Elizabeth Bennet since he was thirteen. This is when he first meets Lizzy when she is five years old. His mother has just died, and Lizzy was able to bring back joy in his life. His father, Mr. George Darcy recognized this while Mr. Bennet and his two eldest daughters spent time at Pemberley that summer. Before leaving for Longbourn, he and Bennet wrote the marriage contract that would take place on Elizabeth’s twentieth birthday. He remembers Elizabeth being happy and uplifting, and begins to think it would not be a bad idea to be married to her. He fondly remembers her summer at Pemberley and their adventures. He starts off his wooing of Elizabeth with the help of Georgiana. Everything goes well until Caroline Bingley rears her ugly self. As rumors fly about her episodic breakdowns and scathing remarks about Meryton and its inhabitants, Elizabeth and Darcy have their first real disagreement with a bit of anger. When Caroline attacks Darcy, Bingley lets slip about his secret betrothal. Her parting snide comment to Elizabeth about his secret betrothal hurts Elizabeth. But when Lady Catherine confronts her with his betrothal to her daughter, Anne, Elizabeth is crushed. Darcy sets things straight about their secret betrothal and their HEA is set. Love this story because Caroline Bingley was not in it long, there was no George Wickham or William Collins mentioned except in passing. An almost perfect story would be none of the four characters: Caroline, Wickham, Collins, Lady Catherine. This was close.
Delightful story. At eight and twenty, Fitzwilliam Darcy learns that he has been betrothed to Elizabeth Bennet since he was thirteen. This is when he first meets Lizzy when she is five years old. His mother has just died, and Lizzy was able to bring back joy in his life. His father, Mr. George Darcy recognized this while Mr. Bennet and his two eldest daughters spent time at Pemberley that summer. Before leaving for Longbourn, he and Bennet wrote the marriage contract that would take place on Elizabeth’s twentieth birthday. He remembers Elizabeth being happy and uplifting, and begins to think it would not be a bad idea to be married to her. He fondly remembers her summer at Pemberley and their adventures. He starts off his wooing of Elizabeth with the help of Georgiana. Everything goes well until Caroline Bingley rears her ugly self. As rumors fly about her episodic breakdowns and scathing remarks about Meryton and its inhabitants, Elizabeth and Darcy have their first real disagreement with a bit of anger. When Caroline attacks Darcy, Bingley lets slip about his secret betrothal. Her parting snide comment to Elizabeth about his secret betrothal hurts Elizabeth. But when Lady Catherine confronts her with his betrothal to her daughter, Anne, Elizabeth is crushed. Darcy sets things straight about their secret betrothal and their HEA is set. Love this story because Caroline Bingley was not in it long, there was no George Wickham or William Collins mentioned except in passing. An almost perfect story would be none of the four characters: Caroline, Wickham, Collins, Lady Catherine. This was close.
April 17, 2023
happy story
This is a cute, almost no-angst story. Darcy allows his cousin and sister to help him woo Elizabeth in 4 weeks. The great misunderstanding doesn’t happen until after the 80% point, and it’s resolved in mere pages. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Darcy call in reinforcements and do his best to be interesting and romantic. I would have enjoyed it much more had I not read the synopsis and expected misunderstanding around every corner. A better synopsis would be something like, “Darcy has one month to win Lizzy’s heart before the revelation of their forced betrothal turns her away forever. Can he woo her in time?”
Also, it feels like this author reads a lot of fan fiction, but doesn’t do her own research. Modern language aside, there is a big difference between a jig and a gig. If this were the only instance of head-scratchy word choice, I would have thought it an autocorrect that wasn’t caught. Sadly, they are sprinkled throughout. I encourage the author to keep writing, but please immerse yourself in the history of the time period as you do. Your books and your readers will both benefit.
This is a cute, almost no-angst story. Darcy allows his cousin and sister to help him woo Elizabeth in 4 weeks. The great misunderstanding doesn’t happen until after the 80% point, and it’s resolved in mere pages. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Darcy call in reinforcements and do his best to be interesting and romantic. I would have enjoyed it much more had I not read the synopsis and expected misunderstanding around every corner. A better synopsis would be something like, “Darcy has one month to win Lizzy’s heart before the revelation of their forced betrothal turns her away forever. Can he woo her in time?”
Also, it feels like this author reads a lot of fan fiction, but doesn’t do her own research. Modern language aside, there is a big difference between a jig and a gig. If this were the only instance of head-scratchy word choice, I would have thought it an autocorrect that wasn’t caught. Sadly, they are sprinkled throughout. I encourage the author to keep writing, but please immerse yourself in the history of the time period as you do. Your books and your readers will both benefit.
April 8, 2023
4.5*
Really enjoyed this one! Ok yes, some bits did stretch the imagination a bit, a betrothal decided after a 5 year old and 13 year old have spent some time together is a bit hasty when they would have absolutely no idea what kind of adults they would become, though I suppose they did have to wait until Lizzy was 20 before the terms were met. They were very familiar with each other quickly when they hadn’t met for years and years and she was only 5 at the time so really wouldn’t remember much.
However! I ignored all that as I enjoyed the background meddling of the family and how Darcy got to know her and fell in love with her anyway and how she got to fall in love with him naturally without knowing about the betrothal. I liked that we knew the secret and that he was courting her and asking his relatives to help. It was fun and funny and I liked watching it all unfold.
I would read again.
Really enjoyed this one! Ok yes, some bits did stretch the imagination a bit, a betrothal decided after a 5 year old and 13 year old have spent some time together is a bit hasty when they would have absolutely no idea what kind of adults they would become, though I suppose they did have to wait until Lizzy was 20 before the terms were met. They were very familiar with each other quickly when they hadn’t met for years and years and she was only 5 at the time so really wouldn’t remember much.
However! I ignored all that as I enjoyed the background meddling of the family and how Darcy got to know her and fell in love with her anyway and how she got to fall in love with him naturally without knowing about the betrothal. I liked that we knew the secret and that he was courting her and asking his relatives to help. It was fun and funny and I liked watching it all unfold.
I would read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2024
Sweet story with lots of flirting and low stakes I enjoyed well enough as an audiobook.
However, the story could've used considerably more editing work to eradicate the repetitions ( e.g. "Elizabeth found her eyes drooping as the effects of the comforting food and wine took effect"), purple prose as well as Americanisms (public schools in England are not the same as public schools in the US). The flirting between Darcy and Elizabeth was often endearing, but just as often it suffered from a lack of witty subtlety the author told us it was characterised by. Their at times underwhelming intelligence was just one departure of canon characterisation that didn't quite work for me. Another was the almost comical exaggeration of the bad traits of Mrs Bennet, Lydia, and Miss Bingley that only served to make Elizabeth the "wronged heroine" but other than that no actual plot point or conflict as the climax would've worked with a canon Miss Bingley much the same (or even better, since the way it was written actually created a continuity mistake).
My qualms aside, I found this an enjoyable story to listen to whilst doing housework. I can imagine I'd have been a bit stricter in my judgement had I given it my full attention. Either way, the use of period-typical language was decent, and the Elizabeth and Darcy dynamic delightful. All in all, enjoyable.
2.7 ✨
However, the story could've used considerably more editing work to eradicate the repetitions ( e.g. "Elizabeth found her eyes drooping as the effects of the comforting food and wine took effect"), purple prose as well as Americanisms (public schools in England are not the same as public schools in the US). The flirting between Darcy and Elizabeth was often endearing, but just as often it suffered from a lack of witty subtlety the author told us it was characterised by. Their at times underwhelming intelligence was just one departure of canon characterisation that didn't quite work for me. Another was the almost comical exaggeration of the bad traits of Mrs Bennet, Lydia, and Miss Bingley that only served to make Elizabeth the "wronged heroine" but other than that no actual plot point or conflict as the climax would've worked with a canon Miss Bingley much the same (or even better, since the way it was written actually created a continuity mistake).
My qualms aside, I found this an enjoyable story to listen to whilst doing housework. I can imagine I'd have been a bit stricter in my judgement had I given it my full attention. Either way, the use of period-typical language was decent, and the Elizabeth and Darcy dynamic delightful. All in all, enjoyable.
2.7 ✨
April 1, 2023
⇢ 4.5/5 stars
I liked it very much! Very well written and faithful to JA's work.
My only complaint was that for a great part of the story Darcy and Elizabeth were apart: him traveling to Pemberley and her remaining in Longbourn. They communicated through letters and these intercourses and gifts while being sweet were kinda tedious for me, having also read Georgiana's and both George Darcy's and Mr. Bennet's correspondence throughout 15 years of betrothal. I'd have preferred more plot and witnessing ODC falling in love.
Having spent much like this, there was little room when they finally reunited and started courting in person. The resolution was too quick for my taste and their engagement and wedding just took a few pages.
But I enjoyed it and will be reading more of this author's works in the future!
I liked it very much! Very well written and faithful to JA's work.
My only complaint was that for a great part of the story Darcy and Elizabeth were apart: him traveling to Pemberley and her remaining in Longbourn. They communicated through letters and these intercourses and gifts while being sweet were kinda tedious for me, having also read Georgiana's and both George Darcy's and Mr. Bennet's correspondence throughout 15 years of betrothal. I'd have preferred more plot and witnessing ODC falling in love.
Having spent much like this, there was little room when they finally reunited and started courting in person. The resolution was too quick for my taste and their engagement and wedding just took a few pages.
But I enjoyed it and will be reading more of this author's works in the future!
April 3, 2023
Uneven
I’m generally not a fan of epistolary novels, so it surprised me that I enjoyed the first half of this book, which is comprised mostly of letters between various characters. Well-written, humorous, and romantic, and blessedly free of Wickham, Lydia, and Mrs. Bennet. The second half of the book goes off the rails with a ridiculous Caroline subplot, as well as numerous grammatical errors and misuse of words/homonyms, that had me questioning if the second half had been edited or written by another author. It was jarring and pervasive and pulled me completely out of the story, that had been a pleasurable read up to that point.
I’m generally not a fan of epistolary novels, so it surprised me that I enjoyed the first half of this book, which is comprised mostly of letters between various characters. Well-written, humorous, and romantic, and blessedly free of Wickham, Lydia, and Mrs. Bennet. The second half of the book goes off the rails with a ridiculous Caroline subplot, as well as numerous grammatical errors and misuse of words/homonyms, that had me questioning if the second half had been edited or written by another author. It was jarring and pervasive and pulled me completely out of the story, that had been a pleasurable read up to that point.
April 3, 2023
Delightful
Light, sweet, and fun.
- Darcy woos Elizabeth with the help others.
- Darcy and Elizabeth are adorable together.
- Darcy was my favorite character. He had a purpose and was willing to put in the work.
- Great supporting cast.
- No Wickham or Collins. Small doses of Caroline, Lady Catherine, and the other Bennets.
Sidenote: I can be impatient when it comes to a plethora of letters in a story- preferring in-person interactions. The letters in this story are cute, informative, and helpful to the story, but it does take up a good portion of the first half, at least.
Light, sweet, and fun.
- Darcy woos Elizabeth with the help others.
- Darcy and Elizabeth are adorable together.
- Darcy was my favorite character. He had a purpose and was willing to put in the work.
- Great supporting cast.
- No Wickham or Collins. Small doses of Caroline, Lady Catherine, and the other Bennets.
Sidenote: I can be impatient when it comes to a plethora of letters in a story- preferring in-person interactions. The letters in this story are cute, informative, and helpful to the story, but it does take up a good portion of the first half, at least.
April 9, 2023
Engrossing…but
McKenzie takes (most of) the characters from the Canon, but the plot has only the most tenuous links to the original. It is a charming romance, the characters are well drawn and the dialogue is good. I would have given it five ⭐️ but for the egregious misuse of some words, use of anachronistic language, and some editing that didn’t pick up missing words and typos. I recommend a thesaurus and a good proofreader. One cannot rely on a spell checker to pick up homonyms and autocorrect sometimes offers no favours. The novel is well plotted and keeps the reader engrossed as we wait for the final “Reveal”.
McKenzie takes (most of) the characters from the Canon, but the plot has only the most tenuous links to the original. It is a charming romance, the characters are well drawn and the dialogue is good. I would have given it five ⭐️ but for the egregious misuse of some words, use of anachronistic language, and some editing that didn’t pick up missing words and typos. I recommend a thesaurus and a good proofreader. One cannot rely on a spell checker to pick up homonyms and autocorrect sometimes offers no favours. The novel is well plotted and keeps the reader engrossed as we wait for the final “Reveal”.
abandoned
November 15, 2025DNF at 35%
The premise makes this so different from P&P. Bennets situation is very different. And, darcy is already betrothed to Elizabeth who he knew as kid and liked. When they meet as adults, after darcy learns of the betrothal, there is insta attraction on both sides, and darcy tries to court her and make her fall in love with him.
At this point, i don't see any similarity between this and canon darcy. The writing is also not to my taste. I didn't like the dialogues between Elizabeth and Darcy also, not the content, just the way it's written.
Feel like maybe this authors writing is not for me
The premise makes this so different from P&P. Bennets situation is very different. And, darcy is already betrothed to Elizabeth who he knew as kid and liked. When they meet as adults, after darcy learns of the betrothal, there is insta attraction on both sides, and darcy tries to court her and make her fall in love with him.
At this point, i don't see any similarity between this and canon darcy. The writing is also not to my taste. I didn't like the dialogues between Elizabeth and Darcy also, not the content, just the way it's written.
Feel like maybe this authors writing is not for me
March 28, 2023
Incredible, funny, Emotional, loving
What an incredibly well written story that was filled with emotional aspect, friendship and family, and humor to mention a few. This was different in so many different ways. I loved how the family and friends came together to help our dear couple come together. I loved the idea of the letters back and forth. Incredibly thoughtful, well written, and extremely clean. The only one against Darcy and Elizabeth was Lady Catherine, but i enjoyed reading how she was stopped. Highly recommended for all to read
What an incredibly well written story that was filled with emotional aspect, friendship and family, and humor to mention a few. This was different in so many different ways. I loved how the family and friends came together to help our dear couple come together. I loved the idea of the letters back and forth. Incredibly thoughtful, well written, and extremely clean. The only one against Darcy and Elizabeth was Lady Catherine, but i enjoyed reading how she was stopped. Highly recommended for all to read
April 15, 2023
This is in my top 10 List
Had this book on my wish list for awhile and finally got a chance to read it….seriously wish I read it sooner. Loved the plot, book was so well written and enjoyable. The letters were my favorite and really gave depth to their relationship while weaving in well known PP lines. Having met as children gave Elizabeth and Darcy that happy familiarity and ease to speak as friends from the start which to me was the best part. I could go on and on but we’ll done!
Had this book on my wish list for awhile and finally got a chance to read it….seriously wish I read it sooner. Loved the plot, book was so well written and enjoyable. The letters were my favorite and really gave depth to their relationship while weaving in well known PP lines. Having met as children gave Elizabeth and Darcy that happy familiarity and ease to speak as friends from the start which to me was the best part. I could go on and on but we’ll done!
January 4, 2024
One of the best fan fiction books I’ve read, with one exception… the author tends to use big words that do not mean what she thinks they mean. I recommend a good dictionary, a thesaurus, and a good proofreader/editor to revamp the book and make it the absolute best P&P variation I’ve read in a very long time. At that time I will gladly give it 5 stars! The storyline is a gem. The author is brilliant in her depiction of Caroline. Definitely a good read and will be even better if the author makes the corrections that are needed to her wording.
February 4, 2024
This one slipped threw the cracks of buying a few at a time and not always remembering to get to them all. I was checking at midnight if I had any that I hadn't read that sounded appealing, and this was a freaking delight. I am kicking myself for it was down a bit in the library, but I loved this story. The letters were charming, Darcy's attempts to woo Lizzy sweet, and the help from his family heartning. I just can not recommend this version enough. I went straight to buying the other book this author has written.
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