I really wanted to like this book, but the truth is, there were several times I had to walk away and almost didn't come back to it because it annoyed me so much. I always love a good story where ODC is either stranded or held captive together and by circumstances out of their control, have to learn to work together or have opportunities to come to understand one another better. Since this book falls into the latter category and received great reviews, I was excited and had high expectations. Unfortunately, it was a big disappointment. I really disliked Elizabeth Bennet throughout most of this book. Any book that makes me almost despise my favorite literary character isn't going to get good marks from me. She was so OOC and nothing like the EB we all know and love. She got on my nerves so bad and was more like Lydia than Elizabeth. I cannot imagine Darcy ever falling in love with this woman. She was quite stupid in so many ways. She was ignorant, naive, unreasonably stubborn, selfish and did I say STUPID!
To begin with, she has so much tenderness and compassion for the ring leader of the highwaymen that abducted her, yet she cannot muster up one ounce of patience, tolerance or forgiveness for Darcy, the man who put himself in danger to try and protect her. In fact, instead of bonding with her fellow prisoner and trying to work together, especially one who was only taken because he was trying to save her, she was rude to him and continued to treat him with disdain. Not the actions of the intelligent woman she is supposed to be. I could have understood her kindness towards Morgan a little better had she shown even a fraction of that same kindness to her protector. It just doesn't sit well to see her time after time justify and stick up for a man that kidnapped her and held her prisoner, yet treat a good man whose worst offence against her was a few unkind words so poorly. Darcy had more than compensated for his offensive remarks when he placed himself in danger for her sake. . . and on top on that, HE NEVER KIDNAPPED HER OR PUT HER LIFE IN DANGER! So annoying and childish.
When they are finally rescued after spending several days and nights together in the same room, our intelligent heroine sees no reason why she would be expected to marry Darcy. Of course she would not. As time passes and she begins to feel the ramifications of the ensuing scandal not only to herself, but her beloved sister, she still digs her heels in her refusal to marry at the expense of her entire family and her innocent sisters. And why- because he doesn't love her. Boo-hoo, cry me a river. In those days marriage was rarely about love. Love was a luxury she could not afford in these desparate circumstances and canon EB would have recognized this from the moment she and Darcy were taken. Austen's EB would never be so selfish and hurt her sisters if a solution were in her power. In P&P, EB recognizes immediately after reading Jane's letters conveying Lydia's running away with Wickham that they must marry, even though it will be an absolutely miserable marriage, and understands the ruin that will come to her family if a marriage, no matter how undersirable, does not take place. Of course, that Elizabeth is nowhere to be found in this variation. She is replaced by a selfish simpleton that takes her name.
Even when she is back home, she continues to sing the highwayman's praises and justify how he's not such a bad person and it's all because of his unfortunate childhood, blah blah blah, and then when Darcy, understandably, mistakes her feelings for him as romantic attachment, she gets angry at HIM and goes and throws a tantrum. I just don't have words for how much I disliked this EB.
Of course, in the end things work out for the two of them, but at that point, I really felt like Darcy deserved so much better.
I realize that I am in the minority in my feelings for this book. Everyone is different and I guess this variation appeals to many, but it didn't work for me.