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The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
In this Pride and Prejudice variation, a despondent Darcy travels to Paris in the hopes of forgetting the disastrous proposal at Hunsford. Paris is teeming with English visitors during a brief moment of peace in the Napoleonic Wars, but Darcy’s spirits don’t lift until he attends a ball and unexpectedly encounters…Elizabeth Bennet! Darcy seizes the opportunity to correct misunderstandings and initiate a courtship.
Their moment of peace is interrupted by the news that England has again declared war on France, and hundreds of English travelers must flee Paris immediately. Circumstances force Darcy and Elizabeth to escape on their own, despite the risk to her reputation. Even as they face dangers from street gangs and French soldiers, romantic feelings blossom during their flight to the coast. But then Elizabeth falls ill, and the French are arresting all the English men they can find….
When Elizabeth and Darcy finally return to England, their relationship has changed, and they face new crises. However, they have secrets they must conceal—even from their own families.
Their moment of peace is interrupted by the news that England has again declared war on France, and hundreds of English travelers must flee Paris immediately. Circumstances force Darcy and Elizabeth to escape on their own, despite the risk to her reputation. Even as they face dangers from street gangs and French soldiers, romantic feelings blossom during their flight to the coast. But then Elizabeth falls ill, and the French are arresting all the English men they can find….
When Elizabeth and Darcy finally return to England, their relationship has changed, and they face new crises. However, they have secrets they must conceal—even from their own families.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2014
70 people are currently reading
464 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Kincaid
20 books204 followersVictoria has a Ph.D. in English literature and has taught composition to unwilling college students. Today she teaches business writing to willing office professionals and tries to give voice to the demanding cast of characters in her head.
She lives in Virginia with an overly affectionate cat, two children who are learning how much fun Austen’s characters can be, and a husband who fortunately is not jealous of Mr. Darcy. A lifelong Austen fan, Victoria has read more Jane Austen variations and sequels than she can count – and confesses to an extreme partiality for the Colin Firth miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice.
Visit her at www. victoriakincaid. com
She lives in Virginia with an overly affectionate cat, two children who are learning how much fun Austen’s characters can be, and a husband who fortunately is not jealous of Mr. Darcy. A lifelong Austen fan, Victoria has read more Jane Austen variations and sequels than she can count – and confesses to an extreme partiality for the Colin Firth miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice.
Visit her at www. victoriakincaid. com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
December 9, 2018
11-29-18: I am listening to this book now on Audible read by Stevie Zimmerman as I walk 1/2 hour daily. I do love how her voice changes with each character and in such a smooth manner. 12-8-18: I just finished listening to this story again on Audible - loved it all over again.
7-15-14: This book was loaned to me by a friend. I found it to be a page-turner which kept me up later than I would have desired. It never fails to amaze me that author after author finds a new way of presenting a twist or twists to the P&P story. And this one had more than one twist.
Although errors with the historical time line were pointed out several times, I don't read a historical romance or JAFF and expect complete historical accuracy. Just don't make any error too blaring. I'm in it for the romance. Give me angst, sexual tension, some misunderstanding, longing looks and a few sigh-worthy moments and I am happy. We had that here.
I was not (*spoiler*) expecting Elizabeth to also show up in Paris with the Gardiners during Darcy's trip there at Col. Fitzwilliam's insistence to help forget his "troubles". But what an adventure that trip turned out to be. Meeting at a ball and both wishing to make apologies started things off on a different foot. Then the time ODC spent exploring, Darcy's rival in Lord Lennox, the failure of the truce between England and France, the frantic need for all English citizens to leave the country, the lack of a chaperone and Lizzie's near death experience give us one thrill after another.
I did find Col. Fitzwilliam's abandoning Darcy as he left Paris a little out of character but understanding that he was a military figure with war having been again a reality put that in a better understanding. The couple's facing down irate Frenchmen out to "hang" any Englishman they might come across and Lizzie's rescuing of Darcy there gave us some suspence. Darcy's bedside vigil despite his friend's tsk-tsk-ing about the improprieties was truly heartwarming. Then when they did finally decide to get married in France I was not expecting so many problems with that fact upon their return to Britain.
Boy, did I forget just who their families and/or acquaintances subsisted of: Lydia, Wickham, Aunt and Uncle Gardner, Mr. Bennet and family, Lord Matlock and his wife, their older son, Aunt Catherine, and Georgiana. Two family scandals!!! Everyone had their finger in the pie asking questions, making suggestions, forcing actions, and somehow making it impossible for ODC to just say, "Hey, we're married. Be happy for us."
Wickham and Aunt Catherine came up with the most diabolical of all the scheming but even they did not have the real score. I was very happy to learn of how they were handled in this story. Totally satisfying Epilogue. Good story. Enjoy.
7-15-14: This book was loaned to me by a friend. I found it to be a page-turner which kept me up later than I would have desired. It never fails to amaze me that author after author finds a new way of presenting a twist or twists to the P&P story. And this one had more than one twist.
Although errors with the historical time line were pointed out several times, I don't read a historical romance or JAFF and expect complete historical accuracy. Just don't make any error too blaring. I'm in it for the romance. Give me angst, sexual tension, some misunderstanding, longing looks and a few sigh-worthy moments and I am happy. We had that here.
I was not (*spoiler*) expecting Elizabeth to also show up in Paris with the Gardiners during Darcy's trip there at Col. Fitzwilliam's insistence to help forget his "troubles". But what an adventure that trip turned out to be. Meeting at a ball and both wishing to make apologies started things off on a different foot. Then the time ODC spent exploring, Darcy's rival in Lord Lennox, the failure of the truce between England and France, the frantic need for all English citizens to leave the country, the lack of a chaperone and Lizzie's near death experience give us one thrill after another.
I did find Col. Fitzwilliam's abandoning Darcy as he left Paris a little out of character but understanding that he was a military figure with war having been again a reality put that in a better understanding. The couple's facing down irate Frenchmen out to "hang" any Englishman they might come across and Lizzie's rescuing of Darcy there gave us some suspence. Darcy's bedside vigil despite his friend's tsk-tsk-ing about the improprieties was truly heartwarming. Then when they did finally decide to get married in France I was not expecting so many problems with that fact upon their return to Britain.
Boy, did I forget just who their families and/or acquaintances subsisted of: Lydia, Wickham, Aunt and Uncle Gardner, Mr. Bennet and family, Lord Matlock and his wife, their older son, Aunt Catherine, and Georgiana. Two family scandals!!! Everyone had their finger in the pie asking questions, making suggestions, forcing actions, and somehow making it impossible for ODC to just say, "Hey, we're married. Be happy for us."
Wickham and Aunt Catherine came up with the most diabolical of all the scheming but even they did not have the real score. I was very happy to learn of how they were handled in this story. Totally satisfying Epilogue. Good story. Enjoy.
August 2, 2015
What can I say about this book other than to urge you to read and savour it. I loved this book- the angst at the beginning when Darcy had been rejected, his wish to try to forget her, his disbelief when he sees her again in Paris and his joy when he realises that she is giving him a second chance to get to know her better. I loved the scenes in Paris- they were beautifully written, full of angst - with the appearance of a potential rival and how Lizzy realises that she has perhaps always loved Darcy, but that her head just didn't realise how her heart felt. The scenes in which she is seriously ill, his steadfast refusal to remove himself from her room.... Just read them for yourself and you'll understand. I recommend this book to all Austen lovers.
April 20, 2014
Well this book was a lot of fun! This was another very far fetched variation, but I have found those are the ones I enjoy the most, and it was the same with this story. It was a very fast paced, adventure filled story and I really rather enjoyed it! I wish there was an option for half stars as I want to rate this 4.5!
We join the story at a familiar place, when Elizabeth runs into Darcy, accidentally, many months after she has read that ever so important letter - the only difference is that this doesn't happen in the garden's at Pemberley, but at a ball... in France! And here the similarity plot wise ends - although the outcome as a result of this accidental meeting is the same, there is an extremely different route to get to that outcome in this variation!
Right, first things first, let's start with the writing style. On the whole, I thought it was very well written. The dialogue was great and the author was very good at description - particularly describing the inner feelings of both Darcy and Elizabeth throughout the story.
Lets get my small negative out the way; the little problem I had was with the americanisms I noticed (when I see a "couch" or a mention of the "fall" it does slightly irritate me - but not for long!) and there were a few editing issues and mistakes, but I know how hard it can be to catch them all, and as I got more and more drawn into the action filled story I found these little mistakes and typos didn't distract from the story at all! And that is my only criticism!
The writing flowed well and I was easily wrapped up in the story. I enjoyed the fast pace to the book as it was never dull and never dragged! We had everything from near death experiences to almost imprisonment, from kidnappings to elopements (and that's not just Lydia I am talking about here!)
So, onto the most important characters, Elizabeth and Darcy. As I mentioned above, the inner thoughts and feelings of these two were very well described throughout the story, and boy do these two go through a lot together! After meeting in France, things seem to be improving between the two, as we know it does, but then, most inconveniently, the Napoleonic War starts up again! (A little aside here - the bits of historical detail about the war I found very intriguing to read about.)
Things don't go smoothly for these two as they try to escape France, english visitors no longer being welcome! I found it really interesting to see how these to react to each other in the face of danger and in such unusual circumstances! As you can imagine, rules of property and proper manners all have to go out the window as the only thing which matters is escaping France, alive. The relationship between them really builds through this time and you really see a different side to Darcy as he is doing all he can to protect Elizabeth and get her safely back to England.
During their trouble filled escape attempt Elizabeth falls terribly ill and so doctor Darcy jumps into action! He was such a sweetheart while she was poorly, caring for her and doing all he possibly could for he. You really had to feel sorry for him as you could really tell how stricken with worry he was. Things had started to look better between him and Elizabeth and he had been given a second chance, but now it seems she to be taken from him forever! *pause for dramatic effect*
Ok *(slight) SPOILER ALERT* I never like to give away any spoilers but for what I want to say, I need to carry on past this point as it happens relatively early on in the plot! (And finding out will not ruin the story for you in my opinion - I think it would make you want to read it even more!) Anyway, you have been warned!
I don't think it would come as a surprise to know that although it gets rather close, of course Elizabeth pulls it back - well she couldn't die now could she! After this near death experience, Elizabeth sees her life in a new perspective and for various reasons of both a romantic and practical nature (of which I shall let you read for yourself!) Darcy and Elizabeth end up marrying before they leave France - how you wonder? A quick explanation... the house Darcy takes the ailing Elizabeth to is of an old school friend who moved to France and who just happens to be a clergyman! (You can't deny that marrying in France without anyone knowing has its advantages - no Mrs Bennet or Lady Catherine to contend with!)
Eventually the now married couple escape from France, and this is where the matter of their marriage becomes rather interesting to the story and events which take place, but also difficult at times and often amusing at others! As I said, this is a very fast moving story which is full of drama and many problems! What was really different and nice to see was that because they had married in France, all the problems they face upon returning home - Lydia's elopement, family problems for Darcy etc - they face together, as a married couple. It is a real test for their relationship and marriage, but it also shows the strength of attachment between the two of them. It was lovely to see them being so much more open with each other during all these problems - well, they were married after all.
More and more problems arise which result in more and more delays before they can announce their marriage. Now aside from physical problems to test their marriage thanks to their 'friends' and relations, they also face emotional struggles; they are a newly married couple, passionately in love, after all, who had a very unusual courtship where none of the usual restraints between men and woman applied, and now they have to revert back to acting as mere acquaintances when really they know each other much more intimately! I really felt for them, trying to steal private moments together when no one was looking! Or they thought no one was looking; a few people had to be let in on their secret if they weren't to accuse Darcy of some rather scandalous and ungentlemanly behaviour towards Elizabeth! Of course, a happy ending is eventually reached and the secret can be revealed, meaning they can finally live and act as the married couple that they are, and have been for many months!
Darcy and Elizabeth really go through a lot, and the moments of intimacy and romance between the two are very sweet and highly romantic (while the story remains clean.) I enjoyed these parts of the book and it was nice for them to reach an understanding and marry so much earlier in the book, as it meant that rather than the ups and downs and problems in the story keeping them from marrying (as is the case in many variations), the problems merely kept them from announcing their marriage. It was an interesting and enjoyable change.
I mustn't forget all the other characters, but this review will never end if I talk of them all so I shall pick my favourites!
We get to see more of Colonel Fitzwilliam (who is just as teasing, but caring, of Darcy as we would expect!) which I always love and we also get to know Georgiana more which is always nice, especially when we see her relationship with her new sister Elizabeth grow, even though she doesn't know she's got a new sister!
I felt sorry for Mr Bennet who had a lot to deal with through this story, and it was interesting to see his feelings more and the pain caused by Lydia's elopement. Hearing of his favourite daughters very dangerous - and unchaperoned - escape from France with Darcy doesn't help matters for the poor man either!
Lord and Lady Matlock come into the story which was nice as it is always interesting to see more of Darcy's family - although due to certain circumstances they add to the delay and continued concealment of the marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth. As does Lady Catherine, surprise surprise. The famous confrontation between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth was fun to read as Darcy is also present when it takes place in this story! Lady Catherine goes to extraordinary lengths to cause the couple problems - I think you would be surprised at how far! You see a different and determined side to Lady Catherine - but I shall say no more on this matter!
Fear not, the scoundrel Wickham still makes his appearance and causes his own problems for poor Darcy and Elizabeth, and not just because of his actions with Lydia. But again, you must read it yourself to see what other mischief he gets up to!
And good old Caroline pops up every now and then and causes great amusement. I suppose you could pity her a little as she continually flirts with and flatters Darcy - shame she doesn't know he's married! She even warns Elizabeth that even though Darcy seems to be paying Elizabeth special attention to not to get her hopes up for he would never marry her - too bad Caroline, for he already has! Seeing Elizabeth hold her own against these attacks was great.
And finally, thanks to two new characters, we get to see a jealous side to Darcy! Responsible for this is, first, a dashing Lord Lennox who rather takes a fancy to Lizzy in France, and secondly, a Mr Fenton - or as I like to call him, Mr Collins mark 2! Mr Fenton really was such a comedy character. He needs to marry. Jane is almost taken, or so Mrs Bennet believes due to Bingley's recent return to Netherfield, and so Elizabeth it is. If possible, his proposal of marriage is even worse than Mr Collins was! And just like Mr Collins, Mr Fenton will not take no for an answer - it would have silenced him, I should think, had Lizzy been able to refuse him due to the rather problematic fact that she was already married and would not become a bigamist!
I will wrap things up here, but one last thing... Let me assure you that although the story is full of drama and can be quite serious, it is not without it's humour thanks to characters such as Caroline and this Mr Fenton. I laughed many times while I was reading this!
If you like a fast moving story, full to the brim of drama and adventure, with some brilliant humour and beautiful romance thrown in then this is the story for you!
We join the story at a familiar place, when Elizabeth runs into Darcy, accidentally, many months after she has read that ever so important letter - the only difference is that this doesn't happen in the garden's at Pemberley, but at a ball... in France! And here the similarity plot wise ends - although the outcome as a result of this accidental meeting is the same, there is an extremely different route to get to that outcome in this variation!
Right, first things first, let's start with the writing style. On the whole, I thought it was very well written. The dialogue was great and the author was very good at description - particularly describing the inner feelings of both Darcy and Elizabeth throughout the story.
Lets get my small negative out the way; the little problem I had was with the americanisms I noticed (when I see a "couch" or a mention of the "fall" it does slightly irritate me - but not for long!) and there were a few editing issues and mistakes, but I know how hard it can be to catch them all, and as I got more and more drawn into the action filled story I found these little mistakes and typos didn't distract from the story at all! And that is my only criticism!
The writing flowed well and I was easily wrapped up in the story. I enjoyed the fast pace to the book as it was never dull and never dragged! We had everything from near death experiences to almost imprisonment, from kidnappings to elopements (and that's not just Lydia I am talking about here!)
So, onto the most important characters, Elizabeth and Darcy. As I mentioned above, the inner thoughts and feelings of these two were very well described throughout the story, and boy do these two go through a lot together! After meeting in France, things seem to be improving between the two, as we know it does, but then, most inconveniently, the Napoleonic War starts up again! (A little aside here - the bits of historical detail about the war I found very intriguing to read about.)
Things don't go smoothly for these two as they try to escape France, english visitors no longer being welcome! I found it really interesting to see how these to react to each other in the face of danger and in such unusual circumstances! As you can imagine, rules of property and proper manners all have to go out the window as the only thing which matters is escaping France, alive. The relationship between them really builds through this time and you really see a different side to Darcy as he is doing all he can to protect Elizabeth and get her safely back to England.
During their trouble filled escape attempt Elizabeth falls terribly ill and so doctor Darcy jumps into action! He was such a sweetheart while she was poorly, caring for her and doing all he possibly could for he. You really had to feel sorry for him as you could really tell how stricken with worry he was. Things had started to look better between him and Elizabeth and he had been given a second chance, but now it seems she to be taken from him forever! *pause for dramatic effect*
Ok *(slight) SPOILER ALERT* I never like to give away any spoilers but for what I want to say, I need to carry on past this point as it happens relatively early on in the plot! (And finding out will not ruin the story for you in my opinion - I think it would make you want to read it even more!) Anyway, you have been warned!
I don't think it would come as a surprise to know that although it gets rather close, of course Elizabeth pulls it back - well she couldn't die now could she! After this near death experience, Elizabeth sees her life in a new perspective and for various reasons of both a romantic and practical nature (of which I shall let you read for yourself!) Darcy and Elizabeth end up marrying before they leave France - how you wonder? A quick explanation... the house Darcy takes the ailing Elizabeth to is of an old school friend who moved to France and who just happens to be a clergyman! (You can't deny that marrying in France without anyone knowing has its advantages - no Mrs Bennet or Lady Catherine to contend with!)
Eventually the now married couple escape from France, and this is where the matter of their marriage becomes rather interesting to the story and events which take place, but also difficult at times and often amusing at others! As I said, this is a very fast moving story which is full of drama and many problems! What was really different and nice to see was that because they had married in France, all the problems they face upon returning home - Lydia's elopement, family problems for Darcy etc - they face together, as a married couple. It is a real test for their relationship and marriage, but it also shows the strength of attachment between the two of them. It was lovely to see them being so much more open with each other during all these problems - well, they were married after all.
More and more problems arise which result in more and more delays before they can announce their marriage. Now aside from physical problems to test their marriage thanks to their 'friends' and relations, they also face emotional struggles; they are a newly married couple, passionately in love, after all, who had a very unusual courtship where none of the usual restraints between men and woman applied, and now they have to revert back to acting as mere acquaintances when really they know each other much more intimately! I really felt for them, trying to steal private moments together when no one was looking! Or they thought no one was looking; a few people had to be let in on their secret if they weren't to accuse Darcy of some rather scandalous and ungentlemanly behaviour towards Elizabeth! Of course, a happy ending is eventually reached and the secret can be revealed, meaning they can finally live and act as the married couple that they are, and have been for many months!
Darcy and Elizabeth really go through a lot, and the moments of intimacy and romance between the two are very sweet and highly romantic (while the story remains clean.) I enjoyed these parts of the book and it was nice for them to reach an understanding and marry so much earlier in the book, as it meant that rather than the ups and downs and problems in the story keeping them from marrying (as is the case in many variations), the problems merely kept them from announcing their marriage. It was an interesting and enjoyable change.
I mustn't forget all the other characters, but this review will never end if I talk of them all so I shall pick my favourites!
We get to see more of Colonel Fitzwilliam (who is just as teasing, but caring, of Darcy as we would expect!) which I always love and we also get to know Georgiana more which is always nice, especially when we see her relationship with her new sister Elizabeth grow, even though she doesn't know she's got a new sister!
I felt sorry for Mr Bennet who had a lot to deal with through this story, and it was interesting to see his feelings more and the pain caused by Lydia's elopement. Hearing of his favourite daughters very dangerous - and unchaperoned - escape from France with Darcy doesn't help matters for the poor man either!
Lord and Lady Matlock come into the story which was nice as it is always interesting to see more of Darcy's family - although due to certain circumstances they add to the delay and continued concealment of the marriage between Darcy and Elizabeth. As does Lady Catherine, surprise surprise. The famous confrontation between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth was fun to read as Darcy is also present when it takes place in this story! Lady Catherine goes to extraordinary lengths to cause the couple problems - I think you would be surprised at how far! You see a different and determined side to Lady Catherine - but I shall say no more on this matter!
Fear not, the scoundrel Wickham still makes his appearance and causes his own problems for poor Darcy and Elizabeth, and not just because of his actions with Lydia. But again, you must read it yourself to see what other mischief he gets up to!
And good old Caroline pops up every now and then and causes great amusement. I suppose you could pity her a little as she continually flirts with and flatters Darcy - shame she doesn't know he's married! She even warns Elizabeth that even though Darcy seems to be paying Elizabeth special attention to not to get her hopes up for he would never marry her - too bad Caroline, for he already has! Seeing Elizabeth hold her own against these attacks was great.
And finally, thanks to two new characters, we get to see a jealous side to Darcy! Responsible for this is, first, a dashing Lord Lennox who rather takes a fancy to Lizzy in France, and secondly, a Mr Fenton - or as I like to call him, Mr Collins mark 2! Mr Fenton really was such a comedy character. He needs to marry. Jane is almost taken, or so Mrs Bennet believes due to Bingley's recent return to Netherfield, and so Elizabeth it is. If possible, his proposal of marriage is even worse than Mr Collins was! And just like Mr Collins, Mr Fenton will not take no for an answer - it would have silenced him, I should think, had Lizzy been able to refuse him due to the rather problematic fact that she was already married and would not become a bigamist!
I will wrap things up here, but one last thing... Let me assure you that although the story is full of drama and can be quite serious, it is not without it's humour thanks to characters such as Caroline and this Mr Fenton. I laughed many times while I was reading this!
If you like a fast moving story, full to the brim of drama and adventure, with some brilliant humour and beautiful romance thrown in then this is the story for you!
August 26, 2022
Very Good
Reviewed in Canada on April 6, 2019
Great story and very nice writing style. Not too many errors. I enjoyed the way the love story unfolded, with some passion and just enough angst. I sobbed when Darcy did. I don’t often see variations that display a Darcy who cries, but I appreciate that emotion in the appropriate circumstance. Well done.
August 26, 2022 - Audiobook
Excellent narration and performance of characters by Stevie Zimmerman. She’s simply outstanding!
Reviewed in Canada on April 6, 2019
Great story and very nice writing style. Not too many errors. I enjoyed the way the love story unfolded, with some passion and just enough angst. I sobbed when Darcy did. I don’t often see variations that display a Darcy who cries, but I appreciate that emotion in the appropriate circumstance. Well done.
August 26, 2022 - Audiobook
Excellent narration and performance of characters by Stevie Zimmerman. She’s simply outstanding!
August 12, 2016
This is an amazing P&P Variation beginning a few weeks after the disastrous proposal at Hunsford. Darcy is in a funk and his cousin suggests a trip to France to help him forget Miss Bennet. The plan falls apart when Darcy sees Elizabeth at a ball and they resume their relationship.
This is well written and believable but loaded with drama. I look forward to the next book from this author
This is well written and believable but loaded with drama. I look forward to the next book from this author
April 12, 2021
ODC in France and England
The first part of the story take place in France and is full of action and romance leading to the marriage of Lizzy and Darcy. Great beginning.
The second part takes place is full of foolishness and lots of adventures where ODC don’t tell anyone they’re married. Plot made no sense.
I almost went with 3 stars but the writing was good even though the story in England was less than awesome.
The first part of the story take place in France and is full of action and romance leading to the marriage of Lizzy and Darcy. Great beginning.
The second part takes place is full of foolishness and lots of adventures where ODC don’t tell anyone they’re married. Plot made no sense.
I almost went with 3 stars but the writing was good even though the story in England was less than awesome.
November 12, 2016
The Tyrant Forces the Issue
The brief respite in the continental cataclysm brought about by the Treaty of Amiens allowed Napoleon to sell Louisiana to the United States (bringing a much needed case infusion), declare himself Emperor, issue the Napoleonic Code, and , apparently strand ODC in France when hostilities resumed. Suffice to say that 5 months after Hunsford, Darcy is wounded and circling the bottom of a brandy bottle. He agrees to his cousin's suggestion that a trip to Paris may be just what was needed. And it was, especially considering that Elizabeth had accompanied the Gardiner's to the City of Light. Yet, when Napoleon resumes the war, she must flee to the Channel to escape. Ah, but here is where Darcy steps forward. Will they survive? What will happen? Read this delightful story...strongly written and full of the character development and plot twists we Ave come to expect from Ms Kincaid.
The brief respite in the continental cataclysm brought about by the Treaty of Amiens allowed Napoleon to sell Louisiana to the United States (bringing a much needed case infusion), declare himself Emperor, issue the Napoleonic Code, and , apparently strand ODC in France when hostilities resumed. Suffice to say that 5 months after Hunsford, Darcy is wounded and circling the bottom of a brandy bottle. He agrees to his cousin's suggestion that a trip to Paris may be just what was needed. And it was, especially considering that Elizabeth had accompanied the Gardiner's to the City of Light. Yet, when Napoleon resumes the war, she must flee to the Channel to escape. Ah, but here is where Darcy steps forward. Will they survive? What will happen? Read this delightful story...strongly written and full of the character development and plot twists we Ave come to expect from Ms Kincaid.
November 19, 2022
Secret marriage story
Post-Hunsford, Darcy and Elizabeth are trapped in the middle of a war in France. Darcy has a chance to demonstrate his caring, vulnerability, and devotion, and they return to England married. The first part is very romantic. In the second part, they face opposition and suspicions from the family. Lydia and Wickham are missing and our dear couple decides to keep the marriage a secret until the ratface has been dealt with. But it is very hard not to act married and Darcy struggles with irrational jealousy. The longer the secrecy goes on and the more scandalous situations they get caught in the more contrived their reasoning justifying the necessity of secrecy starts to appear.
I enjoyed the writing and the touches of humor and would recommend the story despite some implausibilities of the plot.
Post-Hunsford, Darcy and Elizabeth are trapped in the middle of a war in France. Darcy has a chance to demonstrate his caring, vulnerability, and devotion, and they return to England married. The first part is very romantic. In the second part, they face opposition and suspicions from the family. Lydia and Wickham are missing and our dear couple decides to keep the marriage a secret until the ratface has been dealt with. But it is very hard not to act married and Darcy struggles with irrational jealousy. The longer the secrecy goes on and the more scandalous situations they get caught in the more contrived their reasoning justifying the necessity of secrecy starts to appear.
I enjoyed the writing and the touches of humor and would recommend the story despite some implausibilities of the plot.
January 26, 2018
Loved this action filled version. Especially the first 50%. It is exciting from the first page. Darcy goes to Paris to forget E but meets her at a ball. He is courting her, trying to change her opinion of him. Then the Napoleon war starts... They have an hasardous escape with fighting, sickness, troubles and a marriage. When they arrive in England there is theire realations making mischive... I feel that there is some stalling in the latter 50% of the book. I wonder why they have to continue the lye but it is not bad enough to prevent me from giving 5 stars. Will definitely read more from this author. Enjoy!
December 17, 2019
3.5 out of 4. There were many similarities between this one and “The Unforgettable Mr. Darcy”. While I did enjoy this one, it was the lesser of the two.
July 17, 2018
Great book
Loved it like it when Darcy and lizz y call in love , and Lydia and Wickham do not marry.
Loved it like it when Darcy and lizz y call in love , and Lydia and Wickham do not marry.
August 22, 2018
I'm not sure about this book... for me it was a book of two halves - I enjoyed the first half immensely, not very keen on the second half with the exception of but the end...
Darcy finds himself convinced to go to Paris with the Colonel to escape the heartbreak of his awful proposal. Elizabeth is in Paris with the Gardiner's. The two meet and Darcy is determined, with some encouragement from the colonel, not to waste this second chance. However, war breaks out and Darcy comes to Elizabeth's aid to get her out of France as the Gardiner's have travelled, leaving Elizabeth behind.
In the second part of the book, the couple decide to keep the nature of their relationship a secret from everyone else... whilst this was necessary for the rest of the story, it seemed to cause more problems than it solved and I found myself increasingly frustrated by it. Wickham turned out to be a real scoundrel and Lady Catherine was awful!
Overall, I did enjoy this story and am looking forward to reading something else by this author!
Darcy finds himself convinced to go to Paris with the Colonel to escape the heartbreak of his awful proposal. Elizabeth is in Paris with the Gardiner's. The two meet and Darcy is determined, with some encouragement from the colonel, not to waste this second chance. However, war breaks out and Darcy comes to Elizabeth's aid to get her out of France as the Gardiner's have travelled, leaving Elizabeth behind.
In the second part of the book, the couple decide to keep the nature of their relationship a secret from everyone else... whilst this was necessary for the rest of the story, it seemed to cause more problems than it solved and I found myself increasingly frustrated by it. Wickham turned out to be a real scoundrel and Lady Catherine was awful!
Overall, I did enjoy this story and am looking forward to reading something else by this author!
June 12, 2020
👍👍
I have re-read this story several times on my Kindle app. I have always enjoyed it. When I saw this book being released on Audible, I bought it without hesitation. This was doubly so because Stevie Zimmerman is one my favorite narrators when it comes to Regency and/or Victorian era stories.
I enjoyed this story once again and Ms Zimmerman brought the book to life.
I have re-read this story several times on my Kindle app. I have always enjoyed it. When I saw this book being released on Audible, I bought it without hesitation. This was doubly so because Stevie Zimmerman is one my favorite narrators when it comes to Regency and/or Victorian era stories.
I enjoyed this story once again and Ms Zimmerman brought the book to life.
June 15, 2016
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...
What if Richard finds Darcy in such a state of sorrow that he insists his cousin must go with him on a trip to Paris?
And what if instead of going to the Lake District as planned, Mr. Gardner had business in Paris and invited his niece Elizabeth to go there with him and his wife?
What are the chances of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth finding each other at a ball on the most romantic city there is?
Paris is my favourite city in the entire world, so this book was already in my heart even before I started reading it! But guess what? I read it, the story goes from Paris to London and the book continued to surprise and delight me.
I loved the Paris scenes! I could truly feel I was there with the characters. The book was written in such a fashion, and the places so well described that my imagination took me river banks with Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.
For the first time, while reading this book, I really felt inspired to write a story of my own. Of course I didn’t do it, I would probably write a miserable book, but the point is, The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth was so good that it inspired me to do it!
To tell the truth, it is hard to say which my favourite part of this book was. There were so many interesting scenes that I could not pick just one. I think that’s also why I got inspired to write. This book is very rich in terms of scenarios and dialogues. The entirety of scenes in France is splendid: from the ball to the walks along the Seine, to the escape from Paris and the dialogues in the carriage (which I found interesting, witty and flirtatious), to the intensity of the scenes during the illness and the adrenaline of the return to England.
From the comments I’ve made, it would appear the book is solely placed in France, but great part of the book occurs in England. In fact, when the action went from France to England I didn’t know how the story would evolve from there, and I got scared the book might become on a stand still until the end, but Victoria Kincaid was able to create new surprises and cliff-hangers throughout the entire book! When I thought that finally we would reach a happy ending, something else completely unexpected occurred. Obviously this made me want to keep reading until there were no more pages to read:)
I also enjoyed 2 other aspects in this book that I must mention: to see a jealous Darcy and to see the characters in love but not together during a great length of the book.
Even though jealousy is something we often see in JAFF, I always adore it! Always!!! In this book, we see a jealous Darcy, but not because he sees Elizabeth as his possession. He is jealous because he is insecure of her love for him, and that is just too sweet to see. I wanted to enter the book, become Elizabeth and tell this Darcy he had no reason to worry about!
The fact that the characters knew they loved each other, but not being able to be together is something that I haven’t seen that much, and I truly enjoyed it. It gives us the romantic glimpses we all love, but also a bit of angst for not seeing them together. I truly enjoyed this.
What if Richard finds Darcy in such a state of sorrow that he insists his cousin must go with him on a trip to Paris?
And what if instead of going to the Lake District as planned, Mr. Gardner had business in Paris and invited his niece Elizabeth to go there with him and his wife?
What are the chances of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth finding each other at a ball on the most romantic city there is?
Paris is my favourite city in the entire world, so this book was already in my heart even before I started reading it! But guess what? I read it, the story goes from Paris to London and the book continued to surprise and delight me.
I loved the Paris scenes! I could truly feel I was there with the characters. The book was written in such a fashion, and the places so well described that my imagination took me river banks with Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.
For the first time, while reading this book, I really felt inspired to write a story of my own. Of course I didn’t do it, I would probably write a miserable book, but the point is, The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth was so good that it inspired me to do it!
To tell the truth, it is hard to say which my favourite part of this book was. There were so many interesting scenes that I could not pick just one. I think that’s also why I got inspired to write. This book is very rich in terms of scenarios and dialogues. The entirety of scenes in France is splendid: from the ball to the walks along the Seine, to the escape from Paris and the dialogues in the carriage (which I found interesting, witty and flirtatious), to the intensity of the scenes during the illness and the adrenaline of the return to England.
From the comments I’ve made, it would appear the book is solely placed in France, but great part of the book occurs in England. In fact, when the action went from France to England I didn’t know how the story would evolve from there, and I got scared the book might become on a stand still until the end, but Victoria Kincaid was able to create new surprises and cliff-hangers throughout the entire book! When I thought that finally we would reach a happy ending, something else completely unexpected occurred. Obviously this made me want to keep reading until there were no more pages to read:)
I also enjoyed 2 other aspects in this book that I must mention: to see a jealous Darcy and to see the characters in love but not together during a great length of the book.
Even though jealousy is something we often see in JAFF, I always adore it! Always!!! In this book, we see a jealous Darcy, but not because he sees Elizabeth as his possession. He is jealous because he is insecure of her love for him, and that is just too sweet to see. I wanted to enter the book, become Elizabeth and tell this Darcy he had no reason to worry about!
The fact that the characters knew they loved each other, but not being able to be together is something that I haven’t seen that much, and I truly enjoyed it. It gives us the romantic glimpses we all love, but also a bit of angst for not seeing them together. I truly enjoyed this.
May 26, 2017
This review was first published on Babblings of a Bookworm: http://babblingsofabookworm.blogspot....
This is a Pride and Prejudice variation that picks up some weeks after the Hunsford proposal. Darcy is in London and he is miserable. He has come to the conclusion that Miss Elizabeth Bennet was correct to refuse his arrogant proposal. He is tortured by regretful thoughts, and the only way he can get a full night’s sleep is to drink heavily. He believes that he has hidden his excesses from Georgiana, but he is mistaken. She has called for reinforcements, and in a very touching scene, Colonel Fitzwilliam forces his confidence. The Colonel convinces Darcy to try a change of scenery to try and raise his spirits. Since a ceasefire has been called with France, Colonel Fitzwilliam and some friends are taking the opportunity to visit Paris, and he badgers Darcy into coming along.
While in Paris, Darcy is convinced to go to a ball. There he sees somebody familiar – Elizabeth has also travelled to Paris, in the company of the Gardiners, as Mr Gardiner has business in France. Darcy decides to make the best of this opportunity to try and change Elizabeth’s view of him. Elizabeth is sorry for her previous misjudgements of Darcy and is eager to be on good terms, but Darcy soon makes it clear to her that his feelings toward her haven’t changed. She is unsure over whether she would want to encourage him in this way. She feels attracted to him, but is unsure of whether she would want to be married to him, particularly as she is unsure of whether he is the proud man she met in Hertfordshire or the more charming and eager to please Darcy that she sees now.
The Gardiners had planned to move on from Paris within a few days of the time they encountered Darcy. Seeing such an eligible suitor showing interest in their niece they arrange to leave Elizabeth under the guardianship of the acquaintance that they have been staying with, just for a short time while they travel to another area for Mr Gardiner’s business. However, after they leave Darcy receives the news that the ceasefire is over. It is imperative for English people to leave France as soon as possible. Colonel Fitzwilliam wastes no time, as an army officer he would be all the more hated, and he leaves straight away with friends. Darcy goes to Elizabeth to offer to escort her out of Paris. They attempt to take a maid as chaperone, but due to the scarcity of carriages they are only able to obtain a small carriage which means the maid gets left behind. However, they are not able to escape France as quickly as they’d hoped because Elizabeth falls gravely ill. Once they are safely back on English soil Darcy and Elizabeth have some news for their families, but it is not the most opportune time to tell either family due to other events, and therefore the secret must be kept for longer, leading to some misinterpretations.
I was a little surprised with how quickly their courtship seemed to progress, but when I considered it, once Elizabeth had got over her misconceptions of Mr Darcy in Pride & Prejudice she actually falls in love with him fairly quickly. I really liked the idea of a new setting, and Darcy and Elizabeth’s escape from France was pretty exciting reading. My main quibble with this book was the secret keeping. To me, it didn’t make sense. It went on for too long, and it made things look much, much worse than they really were and was the catalyst for some quite unpleasant events that needn’t have occurred. But neither of them seemed to see this. I am sure that letting the truth out so late in the day would have caused quite a bit of talk, and made things seem more scandalous than they would have been if they’d told the truth from the outset. The secret wasn’t shameful, but in my opinion the omission would have made the truth less believable.
Also, as the story progressed the escape from France wasn’t their only adventure, and it stretched credibility more. It was fun reading, but pretty unlikely, and personally I prefer more believable variations, but if you like excitement there is plenty of it here!
Another thing I was a little unsure of was the portrayal of our starring couple. I know it’s a variation, so deviations from Pride & Prejudice’s characters can be part of the change, but neither of them felt quite right to me. For example, a few times Darcy lost his temper and immediately started shouting at people, which is something that seems out of character to me – to me, one of Darcy’s most notable characteristics is his self-control. Also, Lizzy reacted in quite a laid-back way at things which I think would have shocked a young lady of limited experience, which she was. I have been puzzling over what it was that was not hitting all the right notes for me, and I think it is that, for me, they behaved and reacted with a more modern mindset than I feel would have been likely. I think self-control is less valued now than in the past, so Darcy losing his temper and hollering didn’t seem classy enough for my view of him (it wouldn’t seem classy enough for my view of him now, but particularly in a historical variation). Similarly, a wider world view would work well for a modern woman, but I don’t see that somebody of Elizabeth’s class at that time would have had that. There were also some instances of language use that I found a bit incongruous, some American terms, sidewalks etc. However, this book has some excellent reviews so I’m obviously in the minority with my quibbles! It’s an action-packed variation with some lovely romance, particularly when Darcy first sets out to woo his lady.
This is a Pride and Prejudice variation that picks up some weeks after the Hunsford proposal. Darcy is in London and he is miserable. He has come to the conclusion that Miss Elizabeth Bennet was correct to refuse his arrogant proposal. He is tortured by regretful thoughts, and the only way he can get a full night’s sleep is to drink heavily. He believes that he has hidden his excesses from Georgiana, but he is mistaken. She has called for reinforcements, and in a very touching scene, Colonel Fitzwilliam forces his confidence. The Colonel convinces Darcy to try a change of scenery to try and raise his spirits. Since a ceasefire has been called with France, Colonel Fitzwilliam and some friends are taking the opportunity to visit Paris, and he badgers Darcy into coming along.
While in Paris, Darcy is convinced to go to a ball. There he sees somebody familiar – Elizabeth has also travelled to Paris, in the company of the Gardiners, as Mr Gardiner has business in France. Darcy decides to make the best of this opportunity to try and change Elizabeth’s view of him. Elizabeth is sorry for her previous misjudgements of Darcy and is eager to be on good terms, but Darcy soon makes it clear to her that his feelings toward her haven’t changed. She is unsure over whether she would want to encourage him in this way. She feels attracted to him, but is unsure of whether she would want to be married to him, particularly as she is unsure of whether he is the proud man she met in Hertfordshire or the more charming and eager to please Darcy that she sees now.
The Gardiners had planned to move on from Paris within a few days of the time they encountered Darcy. Seeing such an eligible suitor showing interest in their niece they arrange to leave Elizabeth under the guardianship of the acquaintance that they have been staying with, just for a short time while they travel to another area for Mr Gardiner’s business. However, after they leave Darcy receives the news that the ceasefire is over. It is imperative for English people to leave France as soon as possible. Colonel Fitzwilliam wastes no time, as an army officer he would be all the more hated, and he leaves straight away with friends. Darcy goes to Elizabeth to offer to escort her out of Paris. They attempt to take a maid as chaperone, but due to the scarcity of carriages they are only able to obtain a small carriage which means the maid gets left behind. However, they are not able to escape France as quickly as they’d hoped because Elizabeth falls gravely ill. Once they are safely back on English soil Darcy and Elizabeth have some news for their families, but it is not the most opportune time to tell either family due to other events, and therefore the secret must be kept for longer, leading to some misinterpretations.
I was a little surprised with how quickly their courtship seemed to progress, but when I considered it, once Elizabeth had got over her misconceptions of Mr Darcy in Pride & Prejudice she actually falls in love with him fairly quickly. I really liked the idea of a new setting, and Darcy and Elizabeth’s escape from France was pretty exciting reading. My main quibble with this book was the secret keeping. To me, it didn’t make sense. It went on for too long, and it made things look much, much worse than they really were and was the catalyst for some quite unpleasant events that needn’t have occurred. But neither of them seemed to see this. I am sure that letting the truth out so late in the day would have caused quite a bit of talk, and made things seem more scandalous than they would have been if they’d told the truth from the outset. The secret wasn’t shameful, but in my opinion the omission would have made the truth less believable.
Also, as the story progressed the escape from France wasn’t their only adventure, and it stretched credibility more. It was fun reading, but pretty unlikely, and personally I prefer more believable variations, but if you like excitement there is plenty of it here!
Another thing I was a little unsure of was the portrayal of our starring couple. I know it’s a variation, so deviations from Pride & Prejudice’s characters can be part of the change, but neither of them felt quite right to me. For example, a few times Darcy lost his temper and immediately started shouting at people, which is something that seems out of character to me – to me, one of Darcy’s most notable characteristics is his self-control. Also, Lizzy reacted in quite a laid-back way at things which I think would have shocked a young lady of limited experience, which she was. I have been puzzling over what it was that was not hitting all the right notes for me, and I think it is that, for me, they behaved and reacted with a more modern mindset than I feel would have been likely. I think self-control is less valued now than in the past, so Darcy losing his temper and hollering didn’t seem classy enough for my view of him (it wouldn’t seem classy enough for my view of him now, but particularly in a historical variation). Similarly, a wider world view would work well for a modern woman, but I don’t see that somebody of Elizabeth’s class at that time would have had that. There were also some instances of language use that I found a bit incongruous, some American terms, sidewalks etc. However, this book has some excellent reviews so I’m obviously in the minority with my quibbles! It’s an action-packed variation with some lovely romance, particularly when Darcy first sets out to woo his lady.
September 10, 2018
In this Pride and Prejudice variation, Colonel Fitzwilliam convinces a dejected Darcy to visit Paris as he has been sulking for months about Elizabeth's rejection. Darcy finally agrees but is shocked to find his Elizabeth in Paris as well with the Gardiners! With the Colonel's good advice Darcy starts courting Elizabeth rather than assuming anything when tragedy strikes - the peace treaty between France & England is broken and everyone must get out of town ASAP or risk being killed.
Darcy does everything in his power to protect Elizabeth and her reputation, but they run into some complications. Those complications turn into decisions that must be kept secret. Those secrets have consequences - which are so much fun to unravel on their way to happily ever after.
Darcy does everything in his power to protect Elizabeth and her reputation, but they run into some complications. Those complications turn into decisions that must be kept secret. Those secrets have consequences - which are so much fun to unravel on their way to happily ever after.
February 19, 2017
I'm a P&P lover since i read it many years ago and although i haven't read many variations of Austen's work, I thought I could give a try to this one when I found it here.
I'd say this deserves 4.5 stars because even if it takes some deviations from the original story, Darcy and Lizzy are still there and you'll enjoy their story.
I'd say this deserves 4.5 stars because even if it takes some deviations from the original story, Darcy and Lizzy are still there and you'll enjoy their story.
August 20, 2018
I would divide this variation in three parts: the first takes place in France, the second in London and the last in Longbourn/Meryton.
I loooved the first part of the story taking place in France, it was novel, original and intense, utterly a variation while keeping the main characters true to their canon personas.
The second part when they return to England was ok, a good connecting piece, sewing elements from the previous part and setting the stage for a forthcoming resolution... only, it did not go that way.
I got disappointed by the last portion... I truly did not like Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth by then, ´cause they had unnecessarily made a huge mess of the plot, kept stupid secrets which they should have solved a while ago, and made me lost respect for their character and their relationship (argh!).
Give me a second to rant please: I understand when for the sake of entertainment issues are not solved right away and there are misunderstandings in order to have a resolution later on. In this case I hated Darcy and Lizzy not coming out with their secret after so long, because in my opinion, it showed for both of them lack of respect for each other and their station. So, not acknowledging their relationship at some point resulted in people thinking the hero did not respect the heroine, the heroine having no honor, having the heroine interacting with many people who treated her as something she was not... all of that gave me the creeps! A self respecting hero should first honor his beloved, should strive to uphold her name and position in everyone´s eyes and should be proud to show her on his arm... and that is Mr. Darcy to me, that was the Darcy of the first part of this novel, and I don´t understand how he mutated into such a wimp at the end.
There was no sound reason to keep the main secret at all, also, the mess the main characters built up reached a high point with a ridiculous intervention by Wickham as a comedic villain and a rapey vibe that was not welcome.
Overall, there are 3 solid stars for the beautiful start and the setting in France (even with many many pages of an unexpected illness in between).
I loooved the first part of the story taking place in France, it was novel, original and intense, utterly a variation while keeping the main characters true to their canon personas.
The second part when they return to England was ok, a good connecting piece, sewing elements from the previous part and setting the stage for a forthcoming resolution... only, it did not go that way.
I got disappointed by the last portion... I truly did not like Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth by then, ´cause they had unnecessarily made a huge mess of the plot, kept stupid secrets which they should have solved a while ago, and made me lost respect for their character and their relationship (argh!).
Give me a second to rant please: I understand when for the sake of entertainment issues are not solved right away and there are misunderstandings in order to have a resolution later on. In this case I hated Darcy and Lizzy not coming out with their secret after so long, because in my opinion, it showed for both of them lack of respect for each other and their station. So, not acknowledging their relationship at some point resulted in people thinking the hero did not respect the heroine, the heroine having no honor, having the heroine interacting with many people who treated her as something she was not... all of that gave me the creeps! A self respecting hero should first honor his beloved, should strive to uphold her name and position in everyone´s eyes and should be proud to show her on his arm... and that is Mr. Darcy to me, that was the Darcy of the first part of this novel, and I don´t understand how he mutated into such a wimp at the end.
There was no sound reason to keep the main secret at all, also, the mess the main characters built up reached a high point with a ridiculous intervention by Wickham as a comedic villain and a rapey vibe that was not welcome.
Overall, there are 3 solid stars for the beautiful start and the setting in France (even with many many pages of an unexpected illness in between).
October 11, 2016
Should have stopped after the escape from France.
If you can suspend disbelief and follow the premise of the first half of the book this story is intriging. However, after Elizabeth and Darcy escape France it becomes a horrendous and unbelievable tale. Let's play Elizabeth the mistress and Darcy the meek and afraid of the ton. I couldn't finish the book as it only became more ridiculous.
If you can suspend disbelief and follow the premise of the first half of the book this story is intriging. However, after Elizabeth and Darcy escape France it becomes a horrendous and unbelievable tale. Let's play Elizabeth the mistress and Darcy the meek and afraid of the ton. I couldn't finish the book as it only became more ridiculous.
October 14, 2017
Sadly, this one wasn’t for me. Nothing wrong with the writing, but the plot was too contrived, imo. The reasons behind the “secret” weren’t convincing enough, so in the end, it all seemed too silly and implausible.
ETA: Am I the only one worried about the maid that was supposed to go with them to escape France? I mean, if Elizabeth almost died from her illness and the maid was already ill - what happened to her? Did she survive as well? Poor girl!
ETA: Am I the only one worried about the maid that was supposed to go with them to escape France? I mean, if Elizabeth almost died from her illness and the maid was already ill - what happened to her? Did she survive as well? Poor girl!
August 6, 2014
A fun P&P variation that has Darcy and Elizabeth escaping from Paris together, quite unchaperoned, during the Napoleonic wars. Oh the secrets they must keep!
October 14, 2022
It dragged a lot, & honestly for no reason. I wanted to reach into the book & shake ODC to just tell Mr. Bennet already! I honestly still don’t really understand why ODC waited so long, other than the author seemingly wanted to drag out the story.
Now, I am ALWAYS in favor of making a book longer, but not at the expense of the story itself. There were other ways to have made the story longer. A more in depth conclusion of Lydia’s portion of the story for example, or just a nice little look at ODC’s life when they finally made in to Pemberley.
Honestly, there were a lot of things that slightly annoyed me or didn’t really make much sense in this book, which is honestly such a shame because despite this review being critical- I actually did really enjoy this novel! Aside from the aforementioned secrecy that served no purpose &/or Lydia’s storyline not being fully fleshed out; I felt like Mr. Bennet’s anger was unwarranted & confusing in its vehemence. What did Darcy tell that Collins 2.0 man? I’m always irritated when I don’t get a run down about all the side characters, in this book they missed Mary, Kitty, Georgianna, & Richard. What ever happened to Lady Catherine or Miss Bingley? Did they get their comeuppance? What ever even happened with Lizzy’s illness? One minute it looked like she was going to relapse, only for the story to no longer need her illness as a plot device & it was completely forgotten.
All that to say, it was well written with an interesting & original plot. Most importantly, I LOVED the chemistry between ODC. How I could literally feel their bond growing through the pages. Any writer who can make you feel those lovey butterflies through their writing is a must read author!
Now, I am ALWAYS in favor of making a book longer, but not at the expense of the story itself. There were other ways to have made the story longer. A more in depth conclusion of Lydia’s portion of the story for example, or just a nice little look at ODC’s life when they finally made in to Pemberley.
Honestly, there were a lot of things that slightly annoyed me or didn’t really make much sense in this book, which is honestly such a shame because despite this review being critical- I actually did really enjoy this novel! Aside from the aforementioned secrecy that served no purpose &/or Lydia’s storyline not being fully fleshed out; I felt like Mr. Bennet’s anger was unwarranted & confusing in its vehemence. What did Darcy tell that Collins 2.0 man? I’m always irritated when I don’t get a run down about all the side characters, in this book they missed Mary, Kitty, Georgianna, & Richard. What ever happened to Lady Catherine or Miss Bingley? Did they get their comeuppance? What ever even happened with Lizzy’s illness? One minute it looked like she was going to relapse, only for the story to no longer need her illness as a plot device & it was completely forgotten.
All that to say, it was well written with an interesting & original plot. Most importantly, I LOVED the chemistry between ODC. How I could literally feel their bond growing through the pages. Any writer who can make you feel those lovey butterflies through their writing is a must read author!
October 31, 2020
Superb. You can just count on Victoria Kincaid to offer a tale that's refreshingly different from other JAFF.
Yes, there were a few non-Regency words, in fact, the ones that are most common these days such as "mesmerize" and "staff," but far fewer than most JAFF books. A couple of misused words and one instance of head-hopping were used. There was a slight amount of suspension of disbelief when the secret revelation was delayed a bit longer than I thought necessary--that's just an opinion, though. I wish she had a more lively cover to match the story as well. Minus 1/2 star.
However, the excellent story telling trumps all. Firstly, the premise is fresh. Then it was carried out with excellent prose, characterization, and imagery. The plot twists within the premise were just as fresh, and every idea within them was a new and unique one. You won't get a rehashed story here. The final twist added to the enjoyment of the book and gave Wickham his comeuppance in a great two-fer (avoiding a spoiler here).
Victoria Kincaid now heads my list of go-to authors, and thankfully, she has a backlist that I haven't yet fully explored.
Disclaimer: I am a JAFF author and my reviews may be considered to be a conflict of interest; however, I was a reader first, and my reviews are honest and impartial. I don't know Victoria Kincaid.
Yes, there were a few non-Regency words, in fact, the ones that are most common these days such as "mesmerize" and "staff," but far fewer than most JAFF books. A couple of misused words and one instance of head-hopping were used. There was a slight amount of suspension of disbelief when the secret revelation was delayed a bit longer than I thought necessary--that's just an opinion, though. I wish she had a more lively cover to match the story as well. Minus 1/2 star.
However, the excellent story telling trumps all. Firstly, the premise is fresh. Then it was carried out with excellent prose, characterization, and imagery. The plot twists within the premise were just as fresh, and every idea within them was a new and unique one. You won't get a rehashed story here. The final twist added to the enjoyment of the book and gave Wickham his comeuppance in a great two-fer (avoiding a spoiler here).
Victoria Kincaid now heads my list of go-to authors, and thankfully, she has a backlist that I haven't yet fully explored.
Disclaimer: I am a JAFF author and my reviews may be considered to be a conflict of interest; however, I was a reader first, and my reviews are honest and impartial. I don't know Victoria Kincaid.
July 2, 2021
I first read this a couple of years ago and now own the audio version. I remembered most of the first half but had forgotten a lot of the second half, except for the premise. For me, the second half dragged, and I got frustrated with the 'Secret' being unannounced for way too long. And keeping the secret just seemed to create a lot more superfluous problems than need be. But overall, I loved this story, love Victoria's writing and Stevie Zimmerman's narration cannot be beat (and there's a lot of great narrators out there!) The 'draggy' last part won't keep me from relistening to this again, or getting excited for Victoria Kincaid's latest release (whenever that is, soon?, maybe?) So many of her books fall into this category; favorite rereads.
February 12, 2023
I very much enjoyed this variation. It is as if someone took all the things I love most in P&P variations and put them all together!
Some of the reasoning behind concealing the secret was a bit flimsy and unconvincing, and the final act kidnapping saga felt unnecessary in this book.
Some of the reasoning behind concealing the secret was a bit flimsy and unconvincing, and the final act kidnapping saga felt unnecessary in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2014
I loved this book I read it in a day! It was very refreshing to read a plot that has not been explored before. Darcy goes to Paris to try and forget about Elizabeth after she refuses him, but discovered her in Paris as well! They both apologize for their behaviour and appear to start a courtship, but then the peace between England and France ends and they must escape France! Elizabeth is separated from the Gardiners, and travels with Darcy to try and escape. This is potentially damaging to her reputation, and matters only become worse when Elizabeth falls ill. They secretly marry (for love, not reputation), and return to England, where due to Lydia's elopement they decide to keep their marriage a secret. There is more drama in this part of the novel than escaping warring France! Wickham, Darcy's family, a Mr. Collins clone, and more do their best to ruin the secret couple.
I wish I could give it 4.5 stars instead of either 4 or 5. I found that I liked the parts in France a lot more than the parts in England. I had trouble reconciling myself to the fact that Darcy and Elizabeth, but mostly Darcy, would support such a deception (about his marriage). I would actually love to read a version of this version where they return to France and announce their marriage to all immediately. I would love to read the interpretation of the reactions. There were a few typos as well (heal vs. heel in one chapter, a "+a" randomly inserted).
I look forward to reading more from Kincaid - this novel was so very refreshing!
I wish I could give it 4.5 stars instead of either 4 or 5. I found that I liked the parts in France a lot more than the parts in England. I had trouble reconciling myself to the fact that Darcy and Elizabeth, but mostly Darcy, would support such a deception (about his marriage). I would actually love to read a version of this version where they return to France and announce their marriage to all immediately. I would love to read the interpretation of the reactions. There were a few typos as well (heal vs. heel in one chapter, a "+a" randomly inserted).
I look forward to reading more from Kincaid - this novel was so very refreshing!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2014
This novel was a lot of fun! Elizabeth is on vacation in Paris after her regretful hurtful words towards Darcy. Darcy is coerced into going to Paris with his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam and bumps into Elizabeth into a ball. He is determined to try to win Elizabeth and show her that he is a better man now because of her. When the war breaks out Elizabeth is forced to flee Paris with none other than Darcy. Neither consider the impact of her reputation as they flee alone but when Elizabeth dreadfully ill Elizabeth comes to see just how much Darcy loves her and she falls in love with him also - and this is just at the beginning of their story! What will happen when they return to England? What secrets will they have to keep from their families?
Spoiler Alert!!! - they get married in France when Elizabeth decides she doesn't want to waste any other time without Darcy after a near death experience but they must keep this secret until they can tell Mr Bennet. However when they Return to London to news of Lydia's elopement, their secret wedding is no longer priority. But how they cope being separated from each other after living as husband and wife without raising suspicion with either side of the family. I loved the scene at the ball in London when Darcy is jealous about the attention Elizabeth receives and there is nothing he can do about it Lol and I loved the reactions of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Bingley!
Spoiler Alert!!! - they get married in France when Elizabeth decides she doesn't want to waste any other time without Darcy after a near death experience but they must keep this secret until they can tell Mr Bennet. However when they Return to London to news of Lydia's elopement, their secret wedding is no longer priority. But how they cope being separated from each other after living as husband and wife without raising suspicion with either side of the family. I loved the scene at the ball in London when Darcy is jealous about the attention Elizabeth receives and there is nothing he can do about it Lol and I loved the reactions of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Bingley!
August 10, 2016
An enjoyable read. Not particularly a P&P related variation, but it was a good story, well told.
After Hunsford, Darcy is convinced to go to Paris with his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and some of his comrades. Darcy is ready to do anything to get Elizabeth off his mind, and hopes Paris will help. However, Elizabeth's trip with the Gardiners to the Lake District is cancelled due to Mr. Gardiner's need to travel to France for business. Guess who meets up at a ball in Paris?
This time Darcy is going to dance, and do what he can to win over Elizabeth. While this is going on, Napoleon escapes and the French/English war is back on. Now, all English citizens risk death by staying in France and it is time for all to evacuate.
ODC endure several hardships and adventures before making it safely to England. But, they have been together. What about now they are back with their families and the London society?
After Hunsford, Darcy is convinced to go to Paris with his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and some of his comrades. Darcy is ready to do anything to get Elizabeth off his mind, and hopes Paris will help. However, Elizabeth's trip with the Gardiners to the Lake District is cancelled due to Mr. Gardiner's need to travel to France for business. Guess who meets up at a ball in Paris?
This time Darcy is going to dance, and do what he can to win over Elizabeth. While this is going on, Napoleon escapes and the French/English war is back on. Now, all English citizens risk death by staying in France and it is time for all to evacuate.
ODC endure several hardships and adventures before making it safely to England. But, they have been together. What about now they are back with their families and the London society?
February 1, 2021
Are the shades of my Goodreads list to be thus polluted?
If, like me, you're fond of reading about Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy, ignore this book completely. It is a 'Pride and Prejudice' Variation in name only, as the characters are so completely unlike themselves you might as well be reading any other Harlequin novel. For a while, I was debating adding this to my Goodreads list at all, since I was ashamed I'd even read it.
While the concept was fun for one whole chapter, the style and plot deteriorated rapidly until I felt as if I were reading a badly written soap opera. The language leaves much to be desired and I felt as if it had been published without someone to edit or proofread the text.
While Jane Austen was well known for her witty comedies of manners, this reads more like a corny comedy of errors with far-fetched incidents dragging the plot forward while its digging its heels in the ground.
I wouldn't even recommend this as a guilty pleasure.
If, like me, you're fond of reading about Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy, ignore this book completely. It is a 'Pride and Prejudice' Variation in name only, as the characters are so completely unlike themselves you might as well be reading any other Harlequin novel. For a while, I was debating adding this to my Goodreads list at all, since I was ashamed I'd even read it.
While the concept was fun for one whole chapter, the style and plot deteriorated rapidly until I felt as if I were reading a badly written soap opera. The language leaves much to be desired and I felt as if it had been published without someone to edit or proofread the text.
While Jane Austen was well known for her witty comedies of manners, this reads more like a corny comedy of errors with far-fetched incidents dragging the plot forward while its digging its heels in the ground.
I wouldn't even recommend this as a guilty pleasure.
October 24, 2019
3.5 Stars. This book was pure escapist pulp P&P fiction. Was it mind blowing? No. Did it sweep me off my feet? No. BUT it was fun and I quite enjoyed the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy.
My main gripe was with how damn forced this plot was. Such as Darcy just happening to have a friend living in France. Or literally every reason ODC had for hiding their marriage when they returned to England. Especially, once hiding it came with so many complications. It just seemed unrealistic. The book was enjoyable, but the plot was very forced.
My main gripe was with how damn forced this plot was. Such as Darcy just happening to have a friend living in France. Or literally every reason ODC had for hiding their marriage when they returned to England. Especially, once hiding it came with so many complications. It just seemed unrealistic. The book was enjoyable, but the plot was very forced.
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