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Obsession
Banished from her home at the age of seventeen for refusing a marriage proposal from an odious man, Elizabeth Bennet moves to London to live with her aunt and uncle Gardiner. Though fighting feelings of hopelessness, Elizabeth attempts to be happy. The persistence of her unwanted suitor, however, upsets the balance she has achieved with her relations, leaving her fearful for her future.
An introduction to Mr. Gardiner’s new business partner allows Elizabeth to make a new acquaintance with a pleasant man and his family, bringing some much-needed variation to her colorless life. But when she is approached by a mysterious stranger who wishes to know more of her, Elizabeth can only allow herself to be caught up in the excitement of the moment and his apparent interest.
Unfortunately, her other suitor still lurks in the background, waiting for his chance to snare her. It soon becomes clear to Elizabeth that others see as interest, the reality is much more sinister, and takes all the appearance of an OBSESSION.
An introduction to Mr. Gardiner’s new business partner allows Elizabeth to make a new acquaintance with a pleasant man and his family, bringing some much-needed variation to her colorless life. But when she is approached by a mysterious stranger who wishes to know more of her, Elizabeth can only allow herself to be caught up in the excitement of the moment and his apparent interest.
Unfortunately, her other suitor still lurks in the background, waiting for his chance to snare her. It soon becomes clear to Elizabeth that others see as interest, the reality is much more sinister, and takes all the appearance of an OBSESSION.
405 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 28, 2016
74 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Jann Rowland
82 books192 followersJann Rowland is a Canadian, born and bred. Other than a two-year span in which he lived in Japan, he has been a resident of the Great White North his entire life, though he professes to still hate the winters.
Though Jann did not start writing until his mid-twenties, writing has grown from a hobby to an all-consuming passion. His interests as a child were almost exclusively centered on the exotic fantasy worlds of Tolkien and Eddings, among a host of others. As an adult, his interests have grown to include historical fiction and romance, with a particular focus on the works of Jane Austen.
When Jann is not writing, he enjoys rooting for his favorite sports teams. He is also a master musician (in his own mind) who enjoys playing piano and singing as well as moonlighting as the choir director in his church’s congregation.
Jann lives in Alberta with his wife of more than twenty years, two grown sons, and one young daughter. He is convinced that whatever hair he has left will be entirely gone by the time his little girl hits her teenage years. Sadly, though he has told his daughter repeatedly that she is not allowed to grow up, she continues to ignore him.
Website: http://onegoodsonnet.com/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/OneGoodSonnetPub...
Twitter: @OneGoodSonnet
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/bol2p9
Though Jann did not start writing until his mid-twenties, writing has grown from a hobby to an all-consuming passion. His interests as a child were almost exclusively centered on the exotic fantasy worlds of Tolkien and Eddings, among a host of others. As an adult, his interests have grown to include historical fiction and romance, with a particular focus on the works of Jane Austen.
When Jann is not writing, he enjoys rooting for his favorite sports teams. He is also a master musician (in his own mind) who enjoys playing piano and singing as well as moonlighting as the choir director in his church’s congregation.
Jann lives in Alberta with his wife of more than twenty years, two grown sons, and one young daughter. He is convinced that whatever hair he has left will be entirely gone by the time his little girl hits her teenage years. Sadly, though he has told his daughter repeatedly that she is not allowed to grow up, she continues to ignore him.
Website: http://onegoodsonnet.com/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/OneGoodSonnetPub...
Twitter: @OneGoodSonnet
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/bol2p9
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
March 14, 2017
This is a well-written, well-edited, well-constructed story. It's another of Jann Rowland's very inventive variations that almost isn't a Pride and Prejudice tale except for the characters. I place this book in that gray area that Jane Austen purists may not approve, but I enjoyed it.
In addition to Wickham, there is another villain in this piece, Mr. Winston Pearce, who has the "Obsession" over Elizabeth referenced in the title. Seventeen-year-old Lizzy moves from Longbourn to live with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner to avoid the unwelcome pursuit of Mr. Pearce and the constant beratement of her mother for not accepting his multiple marriage proposals. Mrs. Bennet is given some motivation for her hysterical reaction to Elizabeth for rejecting what would be the financial salvation of the family, and she does finally see the light regarding Mr. Pearce fairly late in the book.
Bingley is introduced to the story as a prospective business partner of Mr. Gardiner. Darcy has an uncharacteristic lack of hesitance in pursuing a courtship with Elizabeth, and it's at the Gardiners' home where Bingley and Darcy first meet. Much of the book is devoted to gradually winning over Darcy's family to the idea of his courtship to this very young woman not of the ton, starting with the three most receptive: Georgiana, Fitzwilliam and Charity (Fitzwilliam's sister). Despite Darcy's apprehension over a surprise meeting with Lady Catherine (whose daughter Anne has previously died), Elizabeth quickly wins her over, and Lady C. actually influences the grudging acceptance of her brother, the Earl of Matlock, and his wife.
When the story reverts back to Hertfordshire, under Elizabeth's influence, Darcy behavior is not as aloof or haughty as in Pride and Prejudice, although the couple does have their first argument when his reaction to Mrs. Bennet's boorish behavior is to express his intent to limit contact between Elizabeth and her family once they're married.
Once the storyline has been established and all the characters introduced, though, it seems rather obvious that the climax will involve some attempt by Mr. Pearce and/or Wickham to separate the couple, and the reader just knows something bad is about to happen when Elizabeth foolishly slips out of the house without the footman/bodyguard assigned to her. It also seems obvious before it actually happens that her escape will be through her own quick-wittedness and/or heroics by Darcy.
I have some other reservations that I need to expose some major spoilers to explain, but overall I think this is Mr. Rowland's best effort aside from "Implacable Resentment," which I still believe is his best book to date.
But romance novels often feature implausible actions, and perhaps I'm being being too nitpicky in pointing these out. This is, first and foremost, an entertaining story.
In addition to Wickham, there is another villain in this piece, Mr. Winston Pearce, who has the "Obsession" over Elizabeth referenced in the title. Seventeen-year-old Lizzy moves from Longbourn to live with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner to avoid the unwelcome pursuit of Mr. Pearce and the constant beratement of her mother for not accepting his multiple marriage proposals. Mrs. Bennet is given some motivation for her hysterical reaction to Elizabeth for rejecting what would be the financial salvation of the family, and she does finally see the light regarding Mr. Pearce fairly late in the book.
Bingley is introduced to the story as a prospective business partner of Mr. Gardiner. Darcy has an uncharacteristic lack of hesitance in pursuing a courtship with Elizabeth, and it's at the Gardiners' home where Bingley and Darcy first meet. Much of the book is devoted to gradually winning over Darcy's family to the idea of his courtship to this very young woman not of the ton, starting with the three most receptive: Georgiana, Fitzwilliam and Charity (Fitzwilliam's sister). Despite Darcy's apprehension over a surprise meeting with Lady Catherine (whose daughter Anne has previously died), Elizabeth quickly wins her over, and Lady C. actually influences the grudging acceptance of her brother, the Earl of Matlock, and his wife.
When the story reverts back to Hertfordshire, under Elizabeth's influence, Darcy behavior is not as aloof or haughty as in Pride and Prejudice, although the couple does have their first argument when his reaction to Mrs. Bennet's boorish behavior is to express his intent to limit contact between Elizabeth and her family once they're married.
Once the storyline has been established and all the characters introduced, though, it seems rather obvious that the climax will involve some attempt by Mr. Pearce and/or Wickham to separate the couple, and the reader just knows something bad is about to happen when Elizabeth foolishly slips out of the house without the footman/bodyguard assigned to her. It also seems obvious before it actually happens that her escape will be through her own quick-wittedness and/or heroics by Darcy.
I have some other reservations that I need to expose some major spoilers to explain, but overall I think this is Mr. Rowland's best effort aside from "Implacable Resentment," which I still believe is his best book to date.
But romance novels often feature implausible actions, and perhaps I'm being being too nitpicky in pointing these out. This is, first and foremost, an entertaining story.
February 3, 2016
“Obsession can make men do irrational things.”
When contemplating reading this novel by reading the book description and the sample on Amazon, the word “stalker” came to mind as well as the question of how such could be incorporated into JAFF. I have read four of Mr. Rowland’s other novels and for me this was the best. It brought me to tears over and over again, if not also with a catch in my throat and on the verge of more tears.
As we read in the description Elizabeth is young but somehow a man in the Hertfordshire vicinity has fixated on her as his choice for a bride. And YOU MUST KNOW that Mrs. Bennet, like a dog with a bone, will not allow an opportunity to marry off a daughter, even if full young, pass by. She cares not (as in the case of Mr. Collins in canon) whether there is any chance of happiness in marriage. The image of money before her eyes with the salvation from the hedgerows is all that matters! Her daughters must save the parents, not the other way round. Readers, Mr. Collins looks like St. Peter in comparison to Mr. Pearce…in manners and reputation above all else. And he WILL NOT take no for an answer!
Mr. Bennet, rather than take his wife in hand, sends Elizabeth off to London to spend some time sheltered from her mother’s diatribes…her continual diatribes. Sadly, this harridan now sends frequent letters to demand Lizzie do her duty and not only that, she gives the odious man Elizabeth’s location.
Elizabeth is warned that her uncle can do little except shelter her as he is making some new investments with a Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth helps out with bookkeeping at her uncle’s warehouse as well as with the children. All are aware of danger so Elizabeth’s walks are limited to within eyesight in the nearby park. It is there that “…nothing more than an overheard conversation with a sleeping child. Of all things has alerted him to those qualities in Miss Bennet. It was the stuff of novels.”
So I will not give details of how a courtship began but I must warn you that there are differences in behavior with our Mr. Darcy from that you read of in canon. None of the class distinctions, although they are discussed or mulled over in his mind, prevent Mr. Darcy from realizing the value of a good woman and pursuing her. Their relationship seems to build smoothly for quite some time BUT have no fear (Hah! Hah! She says, leeringly.) There is more than the one villain encircling the home fires. Mr. Rowland keeps us in suspense until the last. But I loved how it all worked out. Elizabeth is not a simpering young maiden, even at the young age of 17. She makes her voice known in many a conversation and in saving the day.
Remember the discussion between Elizabeth and Lady Catherine in that little wilderness to the side at Longbourn? Many an author has used that in whole or part, in various settings and times, and with different actors. I loved how Mr. Rowland tweaked a word or phrase here or there and in the end Lady Catherine comes out with a whole new stance! Bravo! You must read that. The give and take there had me with damp eyes and that catch in my throat of which I spoke.
A certain man in Oklahoma loves kidnappings…this book will not disappoint. We have many of the same characters as in canon and many with the same behaviors: Major/Captain Fitzwilliam and his family with his sister, Charity, rallying to Elizabeth’s side, Georgiana again loving her new acquaintance, Charlotte Lucas and the Bennet family intact with all their expected behaviors are here. Caroline is just a little over the top, but not a surprise.
My only criticism is some errata but they were not too many and did not take away from my enjoyment of this book. I can recommend this book as a book with tensions, suspense and enough romance, even if the latter is smoother than canon, to make it very sigh worthy for me.
When contemplating reading this novel by reading the book description and the sample on Amazon, the word “stalker” came to mind as well as the question of how such could be incorporated into JAFF. I have read four of Mr. Rowland’s other novels and for me this was the best. It brought me to tears over and over again, if not also with a catch in my throat and on the verge of more tears.
As we read in the description Elizabeth is young but somehow a man in the Hertfordshire vicinity has fixated on her as his choice for a bride. And YOU MUST KNOW that Mrs. Bennet, like a dog with a bone, will not allow an opportunity to marry off a daughter, even if full young, pass by. She cares not (as in the case of Mr. Collins in canon) whether there is any chance of happiness in marriage. The image of money before her eyes with the salvation from the hedgerows is all that matters! Her daughters must save the parents, not the other way round. Readers, Mr. Collins looks like St. Peter in comparison to Mr. Pearce…in manners and reputation above all else. And he WILL NOT take no for an answer!
Mr. Bennet, rather than take his wife in hand, sends Elizabeth off to London to spend some time sheltered from her mother’s diatribes…her continual diatribes. Sadly, this harridan now sends frequent letters to demand Lizzie do her duty and not only that, she gives the odious man Elizabeth’s location.
Elizabeth is warned that her uncle can do little except shelter her as he is making some new investments with a Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth helps out with bookkeeping at her uncle’s warehouse as well as with the children. All are aware of danger so Elizabeth’s walks are limited to within eyesight in the nearby park. It is there that “…nothing more than an overheard conversation with a sleeping child. Of all things has alerted him to those qualities in Miss Bennet. It was the stuff of novels.”
So I will not give details of how a courtship began but I must warn you that there are differences in behavior with our Mr. Darcy from that you read of in canon. None of the class distinctions, although they are discussed or mulled over in his mind, prevent Mr. Darcy from realizing the value of a good woman and pursuing her. Their relationship seems to build smoothly for quite some time BUT have no fear (Hah! Hah! She says, leeringly.) There is more than the one villain encircling the home fires. Mr. Rowland keeps us in suspense until the last. But I loved how it all worked out. Elizabeth is not a simpering young maiden, even at the young age of 17. She makes her voice known in many a conversation and in saving the day.
Remember the discussion between Elizabeth and Lady Catherine in that little wilderness to the side at Longbourn? Many an author has used that in whole or part, in various settings and times, and with different actors. I loved how Mr. Rowland tweaked a word or phrase here or there and in the end Lady Catherine comes out with a whole new stance! Bravo! You must read that. The give and take there had me with damp eyes and that catch in my throat of which I spoke.
A certain man in Oklahoma loves kidnappings…this book will not disappoint. We have many of the same characters as in canon and many with the same behaviors: Major/Captain Fitzwilliam and his family with his sister, Charity, rallying to Elizabeth’s side, Georgiana again loving her new acquaintance, Charlotte Lucas and the Bennet family intact with all their expected behaviors are here. Caroline is just a little over the top, but not a surprise.
My only criticism is some errata but they were not too many and did not take away from my enjoyment of this book. I can recommend this book as a book with tensions, suspense and enough romance, even if the latter is smoother than canon, to make it very sigh worthy for me.
June 30, 2016
I started this book got to 55% quit and moved on back in February but decided I'd better finish it as part of my midyear resolution to read up all my unreviewed P&P variations.
The best description of this is a P&P out of timeline variation. Taking place several years before JA thought was appropriate. In this version 17 year old Lizzy Bennet attracts a suitor, Mr. Pearce, who is man of 5 & 30 with a terrible reputation toward his staff, women and most of society. So of course he is OBSESSED with Elizabeth. She rejects his proposal but he persists and has an annoying Mrs. Bennet on his side. Never one to advocate for violence against women this lady would be perfectly acceptable were she whipped regularly. And Mr. Bennet is just a freaking waste of flesh. He won't force Lizzy to marry the loser but he will do little else [note- no one in this book has heard the term 'not home to'] Eventually Lizzy is banished to the Gardiners and her father does little to assist her.
Once she arrives in London her aunt and Uncle are like is this old, nasty, misogynist really so bad?? Don't dis (my language not the author's) your Momma; who is out of her ever loving mind and majorly abusive,... you are a lady (FU Uncle Gardiner) they both accuse Lizzy of exaggerating how bad it is. (FU Aunt Gardiner) Then they tell her you are welcome to stay her but we haven't got any spare cash so you'll be dressed in rags. Gardiner is merging with Bingley and thus Lizzy meets Charles Bingley at her uncles house. and the first thing she says to him is "Oh you should meet my sister she's the pretty one" [Is there a single woman in the world who when her sister is 4+ hours away and is introduced to a handsome available man would say this?? NO!] And as soon as Bingley leaves Aunt Gardiner is all like "do you love him??" WTF. And I think Mrs. Bennet tells Mr. Pearce where Lizzy is so he shows up and acts all rude and stuff and now the Gardiners believe her but [note- no one in this book has heard the term 'not home to']. and the Gardiners also meet the rest of the Bingleys and Caroline is a nutter.
Eventually Darcy meets Lizzy because he overhears her talking to a baby in the park and decides to stalk her ... (really). Then he introduces himself, and takes her out for coffee ... and asks to enter into precourtship (again my language). So Lizzy & Darcy get to know each other.. and Georgiana and other Fitzwilliams and Lizzy is neurotic and Darcy is borderline obsessed. And Miss Bingley imposes upon 13 year old (not out of the school room) Georgiana Darcy [note- no one in this book has heard the term 'not home to'] There is no way that the staff at Darcy's house would have admitted an non family caller for a child in 1810 or 2010 but the author had to show us how CRAZY Caroline is.... oh and Wickham is here too and he's a baddie.
Bingley lets Netherfield, Darcy gets Mr. Bennet's permission to court Lizzy. They all move to Hertfordshire. Darcy & Lizzy get engaged, Bingley is courting Jane and Lizzy gets kidnapped. And honestly I can tell you at this point I ceased to care... so she gets rescued and they all lived happily ever after. But after she is found, not rescued because our plucky heroine didn't need rescuing; there is this awkward exchange where the author tries to shoehorn JA P&P quotes
The only character I really liked in this book was Lady Catherine who is a mother still mourning the death of her daughter and is spirited and real.
The best description of this is a P&P out of timeline variation. Taking place several years before JA thought was appropriate. In this version 17 year old Lizzy Bennet attracts a suitor, Mr. Pearce, who is man of 5 & 30 with a terrible reputation toward his staff, women and most of society. So of course he is OBSESSED with Elizabeth. She rejects his proposal but he persists and has an annoying Mrs. Bennet on his side. Never one to advocate for violence against women this lady would be perfectly acceptable were she whipped regularly. And Mr. Bennet is just a freaking waste of flesh. He won't force Lizzy to marry the loser but he will do little else [note- no one in this book has heard the term 'not home to'] Eventually Lizzy is banished to the Gardiners and her father does little to assist her.
Once she arrives in London her aunt and Uncle are like is this old, nasty, misogynist really so bad?? Don't dis (my language not the author's) your Momma; who is out of her ever loving mind and majorly abusive,... you are a lady (FU Uncle Gardiner) they both accuse Lizzy of exaggerating how bad it is. (FU Aunt Gardiner) Then they tell her you are welcome to stay her but we haven't got any spare cash so you'll be dressed in rags. Gardiner is merging with Bingley and thus Lizzy meets Charles Bingley at her uncles house. and the first thing she says to him is "Oh you should meet my sister she's the pretty one" [Is there a single woman in the world who when her sister is 4+ hours away and is introduced to a handsome available man would say this?? NO!] And as soon as Bingley leaves Aunt Gardiner is all like "do you love him??" WTF. And I think Mrs. Bennet tells Mr. Pearce where Lizzy is so he shows up and acts all rude and stuff and now the Gardiners believe her but [note- no one in this book has heard the term 'not home to']. and the Gardiners also meet the rest of the Bingleys and Caroline is a nutter.
Eventually Darcy meets Lizzy because he overhears her talking to a baby in the park and decides to stalk her ... (really). Then he introduces himself, and takes her out for coffee ... and asks to enter into precourtship (again my language). So Lizzy & Darcy get to know each other.. and Georgiana and other Fitzwilliams and Lizzy is neurotic and Darcy is borderline obsessed. And Miss Bingley imposes upon 13 year old (not out of the school room) Georgiana Darcy [note- no one in this book has heard the term 'not home to'] There is no way that the staff at Darcy's house would have admitted an non family caller for a child in 1810 or 2010 but the author had to show us how CRAZY Caroline is.... oh and Wickham is here too and he's a baddie.
Bingley lets Netherfield, Darcy gets Mr. Bennet's permission to court Lizzy. They all move to Hertfordshire. Darcy & Lizzy get engaged, Bingley is courting Jane and Lizzy gets kidnapped. And honestly I can tell you at this point I ceased to care... so she gets rescued and they all lived happily ever after. But after she is found, not rescued because our plucky heroine didn't need rescuing; there is this awkward exchange where the author tries to shoehorn JA P&P quotes
The only character I really liked in this book was Lady Catherine who is a mother still mourning the death of her daughter and is spirited and real.
March 1, 2018
“An obsession is where something will not leave your mind.” Eric Clapton
The timeline for Rowland’s story is several years earlier than canon. No one knew each other. So, know going in that this variation is out of the box and way-way off canon. However, it was cute, clean and adorable at times. Since Elizabeth was 17 years-old and that put the younger girls at about 14 and 12 years-old. Mrs. Bennet was even more angst driven to marry off her girls so her security would be assured should something happen to Mr. Bennet. Mr. Bennet was even more indolent than canon and attempted to avoid her exuberance at all cost by hiding in his bookroom.
“Determination becomes obsession and then it becomes all that matters.” Jeremy Irvine
After several dances over several assembles and gatherings, Elizabeth had garnered an admirer… Mr. Pearce. To Elizabeth’s horror, his paying particular attention to her had come to the notice of her mother. After a horrid proposal, Elizabeth attempted to graciously refuse him; however, he would not accept her refusal and continued his attentions. In spite of the rumors about Pearce, Mrs. Bennet went on a rampage against her least favorite child. Nothing Elizabeth said to her mother mattered. Mr. Bennet, in order to regain his peace and his bookroom from his wife’s vocal intrusions, finally sent Elizabeth to London to the Gardiners.
Elizabeth escaped her mother’s ire with only a few clothes and whatever Jane could smuggle out of the house for her. She arrived at Gracechurch Street amid many questions. Mr. Gardiner wondered at his sister being so cruel. Mrs. Bennet made her sentiments known by sending a weekly diatribe demanding her least favorite daughter do her duty to the family. Many of the letters fed the fire until Mrs. Gardiner discovered what Elizabeth was doing. If nothing else, she felt Lizzy owed her mother her respect.
The Gardiners weren’t sure of the magnitude of the situation until Mr. Pearce showed up at Gracechurch Street. It soon became very evident that this was not a good person and the Gardiners were horrified that Mrs. Bennet would force Elizabeth to marry such a man. I actually shuddered when he talked to her. It was disgusting.
But that all changed when Elizabeth met Mr. Darcy in the park near Gracechurch Street. OMG!! I absolutely loved this Darcy. I liked how he behaved, how he treated Elizabeth, how he logically addressed his and her predicaments and went about securing a courtship with her. Their conversations were delightful and I loved their interactions. It was enough OOC [out of character] to be simply cute. I didn’t care if it was realistic or not. This was the Darcy and Elizabeth I enjoy seeing together. There was no insult, pride or prejudice that got in the way of their becoming acquainted. It was just them and it was lovely.
Mr. Gardiner and the elder Bingley had been in the process of completing a merger when Mr. Bingley died. Charles then took over the negotiations and when he visited the Gardiners, he was introduced to Darcy, who was courting Elizabeth. In this story, Bingley didn’t go to school with Darcy. When they partnered with Gardiner in his import business, they soon became friends. We later meet the sisters, Caroline and Mrs. Hurst, when they host a dinner for the Gardiners in appreciation for feeding Charles until they arrived in town. Let’s just say the meeting between Caroline and the Gardiners and Elizabeth went fair, but it was obvious that she was not impressed with the connection. On the other side of that coin, at a dinner hosted at Darcy House, Caroline was stunned at all the glitz and the glamour of the Darcy wealth and immediately set her jaundice eye on Darcy. Oh, dear Caro, will you ever learn?
“Obsession is the single most wasteful human activity, because with an obsession you keep coming back and back and back to the same question and never get an answer.” Norman Mailer
Pearce was obsessed with Elizabeth, Wickham was obsessed with Darcy’s money and power, Caroline was obsessed with Darcy’s wealth and social standing, and Mrs. Bennet was obsessed with gaining her own security by marrying off her daughters to greatest advantage.
Because this was an earlier JAFF version, we were at the point where Wickham approached Darcy after having gone through the money from the inheritance and the living. He was not happy to be turned away and swore his revenge. Since Darcy knew that he had seen Elizabeth at Darcy House, he installed additional security for her protection. He did not trust Wickham. He was wise to do so.
During her courtship with Darcy, Elizabeth met various members of Darcy’s family. One meeting in particular was very poignant. Lady Catherine de Bourgh… the first meeting with Lady Catherine was very different from canon. I loved this lady. What??? Did I say that out loud? Well, I did… and nearly cried as she and Elizabeth talked. Our Elizabeth seemed to have an effect on people, including Lady Catherine.
The rest of the story was the ups and downs of the courtship, M/M Bennet and their opinions, what to do with the younger sisters, and dealing with the various villains. I was scared to death it was going to go very bad for ODC. The Epilogue was cute… there were still a few threads that were unclear. We had hints and suggestions throughout the story, but it ended well.
3-1-18 Revised due to spoilers...
The timeline for Rowland’s story is several years earlier than canon. No one knew each other. So, know going in that this variation is out of the box and way-way off canon. However, it was cute, clean and adorable at times. Since Elizabeth was 17 years-old and that put the younger girls at about 14 and 12 years-old. Mrs. Bennet was even more angst driven to marry off her girls so her security would be assured should something happen to Mr. Bennet. Mr. Bennet was even more indolent than canon and attempted to avoid her exuberance at all cost by hiding in his bookroom.
“Determination becomes obsession and then it becomes all that matters.” Jeremy Irvine
After several dances over several assembles and gatherings, Elizabeth had garnered an admirer… Mr. Pearce. To Elizabeth’s horror, his paying particular attention to her had come to the notice of her mother. After a horrid proposal, Elizabeth attempted to graciously refuse him; however, he would not accept her refusal and continued his attentions. In spite of the rumors about Pearce, Mrs. Bennet went on a rampage against her least favorite child. Nothing Elizabeth said to her mother mattered. Mr. Bennet, in order to regain his peace and his bookroom from his wife’s vocal intrusions, finally sent Elizabeth to London to the Gardiners.
Elizabeth escaped her mother’s ire with only a few clothes and whatever Jane could smuggle out of the house for her. She arrived at Gracechurch Street amid many questions. Mr. Gardiner wondered at his sister being so cruel. Mrs. Bennet made her sentiments known by sending a weekly diatribe demanding her least favorite daughter do her duty to the family. Many of the letters fed the fire until Mrs. Gardiner discovered what Elizabeth was doing. If nothing else, she felt Lizzy owed her mother her respect.
The Gardiners weren’t sure of the magnitude of the situation until Mr. Pearce showed up at Gracechurch Street. It soon became very evident that this was not a good person and the Gardiners were horrified that Mrs. Bennet would force Elizabeth to marry such a man. I actually shuddered when he talked to her. It was disgusting.
But that all changed when Elizabeth met Mr. Darcy in the park near Gracechurch Street. OMG!! I absolutely loved this Darcy. I liked how he behaved, how he treated Elizabeth, how he logically addressed his and her predicaments and went about securing a courtship with her. Their conversations were delightful and I loved their interactions. It was enough OOC [out of character] to be simply cute. I didn’t care if it was realistic or not. This was the Darcy and Elizabeth I enjoy seeing together. There was no insult, pride or prejudice that got in the way of their becoming acquainted. It was just them and it was lovely.
Mr. Gardiner and the elder Bingley had been in the process of completing a merger when Mr. Bingley died. Charles then took over the negotiations and when he visited the Gardiners, he was introduced to Darcy, who was courting Elizabeth. In this story, Bingley didn’t go to school with Darcy. When they partnered with Gardiner in his import business, they soon became friends. We later meet the sisters, Caroline and Mrs. Hurst, when they host a dinner for the Gardiners in appreciation for feeding Charles until they arrived in town. Let’s just say the meeting between Caroline and the Gardiners and Elizabeth went fair, but it was obvious that she was not impressed with the connection. On the other side of that coin, at a dinner hosted at Darcy House, Caroline was stunned at all the glitz and the glamour of the Darcy wealth and immediately set her jaundice eye on Darcy. Oh, dear Caro, will you ever learn?
“Obsession is the single most wasteful human activity, because with an obsession you keep coming back and back and back to the same question and never get an answer.” Norman Mailer
Pearce was obsessed with Elizabeth, Wickham was obsessed with Darcy’s money and power, Caroline was obsessed with Darcy’s wealth and social standing, and Mrs. Bennet was obsessed with gaining her own security by marrying off her daughters to greatest advantage.
Because this was an earlier JAFF version, we were at the point where Wickham approached Darcy after having gone through the money from the inheritance and the living. He was not happy to be turned away and swore his revenge. Since Darcy knew that he had seen Elizabeth at Darcy House, he installed additional security for her protection. He did not trust Wickham. He was wise to do so.
During her courtship with Darcy, Elizabeth met various members of Darcy’s family. One meeting in particular was very poignant. Lady Catherine de Bourgh… the first meeting with Lady Catherine was very different from canon. I loved this lady. What??? Did I say that out loud? Well, I did… and nearly cried as she and Elizabeth talked. Our Elizabeth seemed to have an effect on people, including Lady Catherine.
The rest of the story was the ups and downs of the courtship, M/M Bennet and their opinions, what to do with the younger sisters, and dealing with the various villains. I was scared to death it was going to go very bad for ODC. The Epilogue was cute… there were still a few threads that were unclear. We had hints and suggestions throughout the story, but it ended well.
3-1-18 Revised due to spoilers...
November 13, 2023
"It is generally understood that when a woman of limited means receives an offer of marriage from an eligible gentleman, she had best accept it. Most young women, however, are not named Elizabeth Bennet."
Obsession (2016, One Good Sonnet Publishing), by Jann Rowland, is a retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice . This book is still set in the Regency period, but is three years prior to P&P canon. I read this book because I was due to read a JAFF (Jane Austen Fan Fiction), and as far as I've learned, Mr. Rowland writes chaste books!
Rating: 4 stars
The heroine: Elizabeth Bennet, 17, is not prepared to think about marrying just yet. But she is out, and she is of age, and she is vexed to attract the interest of an eligible yet dishonorable man. "You cannot offer for me in any possible manner which would tempt me to accept you. Can I be any plainer than this?"
The would-be hero: We know of course, who must be the hero! Mr. Winston Pearce "was the owner of an estate situated to the north of Meryton… He was a tall and austere man, well-favored, and possessing, if not happy manners, at least those which allowed him to move with ease in society." When talking with Elizabeth during a dance in Meryton, "Mr. Pearce's tone conveyed nothing more than condescension, and Elizabeth was immediately offended."
"...I am interested in a wife to warm my bed and obey my edicts, and a worldly woman of society would be such a bother. You shall do nicely."
Um… no.
"But if wishing for a man's death is the only thing brought into a marriage, then it is better to refrain. Such a marriage cannot be agreeable."
The hero: After the unpleasantness, Elizabeth is sent to the Gardiners, and while in London, she meets a "five and twenty" year-old Fitzwilliam Darcy.
Christian elements: At one point, Elizabeth expresses a definite lack of interest in Fordyce's sermons.
Is it clean/chaste? Yes!
What I liked:
*Mr. Rowland makes his character sketches very clear. Sometimes in a retelling, JAFF authors like to change the background and/or personality of the characters from canon. Either way, it's important for the reader to know what to expect! In this retelling, it seems that Rowland was aiming for keeping the characters true to canon while changing them in some way, depending on what changed their circumstances.
*Rowland takes some of Austen's well-known phrases and uses them in other situations. I didn't check to see whether they were all rephrased or if any were kept verbatim. Either way, I enjoy finding these. I thought the majority of them worked really well. There were a just a couple that I didn't care for.
*I always like finding new historical details I didn't know. I didn't know, for instance that entailments could expire. "The entailment was instituted in my great-grandfather's time, and is set to expire after papa's cousin inherits." I looked this one up and found some information online to back this up. This paper from a 1999 conference explains it pretty well, I think. Addressing the Duke and Inheriting his Loot
What I didn’t like:
*Warning: the following is DEFINITELY a spoiler: I did not think there was sufficient reason to explain the reason for
*I did not quite like the joking about other people that occurred. This isn't a major issue, but it grated on me just a little bit. Surely there's something else that could be a source of humor to build camaraderie?
*I did find some errors that needed to be fixed. Discrete instead of discreet, incorrect use of commiserate, etc. It did not take away my enjoyment of the story, but there were enough that I feel they should have been caught in the final edit. Otherwise, the writing is high-quality. Jann Rowland says he's fine with accepting a list of editing issues from me for a future edit of this book, and I always think well of authors who do accept my unsolicited help and act on it.
*This is VERY minor, but I was disappointed that Elizabeth's involvement in the children is initially commented on and then seems to disappear later.
For a completely different POV on this story, read Leslie's review, but warning, it is somewhat spoiler-y.
***********
The bottom line: This was a very good Pride and Prejudice retelling. I recommend this book to JAFF fans and to those who want give Jane Austen fan fiction a try. I look forward to reading more by this author, and plan to read The Angel of Longbourn.
Obsession (2016, One Good Sonnet Publishing), by Jann Rowland, is a retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice . This book is still set in the Regency period, but is three years prior to P&P canon. I read this book because I was due to read a JAFF (Jane Austen Fan Fiction), and as far as I've learned, Mr. Rowland writes chaste books!
Rating: 4 stars
The heroine: Elizabeth Bennet, 17, is not prepared to think about marrying just yet. But she is out, and she is of age, and she is vexed to attract the interest of an eligible yet dishonorable man. "You cannot offer for me in any possible manner which would tempt me to accept you. Can I be any plainer than this?"
The would-be hero: We know of course, who must be the hero! Mr. Winston Pearce "was the owner of an estate situated to the north of Meryton… He was a tall and austere man, well-favored, and possessing, if not happy manners, at least those which allowed him to move with ease in society." When talking with Elizabeth during a dance in Meryton, "Mr. Pearce's tone conveyed nothing more than condescension, and Elizabeth was immediately offended."
"...I am interested in a wife to warm my bed and obey my edicts, and a worldly woman of society would be such a bother. You shall do nicely."
Um… no.
"But if wishing for a man's death is the only thing brought into a marriage, then it is better to refrain. Such a marriage cannot be agreeable."
The hero: After the unpleasantness, Elizabeth is sent to the Gardiners, and while in London, she meets a "five and twenty" year-old Fitzwilliam Darcy.
Christian elements: At one point, Elizabeth expresses a definite lack of interest in Fordyce's sermons.
Is it clean/chaste? Yes!
What I liked:
*Mr. Rowland makes his character sketches very clear. Sometimes in a retelling, JAFF authors like to change the background and/or personality of the characters from canon. Either way, it's important for the reader to know what to expect! In this retelling, it seems that Rowland was aiming for keeping the characters true to canon while changing them in some way, depending on what changed their circumstances.
*Rowland takes some of Austen's well-known phrases and uses them in other situations. I didn't check to see whether they were all rephrased or if any were kept verbatim. Either way, I enjoy finding these. I thought the majority of them worked really well. There were a just a couple that I didn't care for.
*I always like finding new historical details I didn't know. I didn't know, for instance that entailments could expire. "The entailment was instituted in my great-grandfather's time, and is set to expire after papa's cousin inherits." I looked this one up and found some information online to back this up. This paper from a 1999 conference explains it pretty well, I think. Addressing the Duke and Inheriting his Loot
What I didn’t like:
*Warning: the following is DEFINITELY a spoiler: I did not think there was sufficient reason to explain the reason for
*I did not quite like the joking about other people that occurred. This isn't a major issue, but it grated on me just a little bit. Surely there's something else that could be a source of humor to build camaraderie?
*I did find some errors that needed to be fixed. Discrete instead of discreet, incorrect use of commiserate, etc. It did not take away my enjoyment of the story, but there were enough that I feel they should have been caught in the final edit. Otherwise, the writing is high-quality. Jann Rowland says he's fine with accepting a list of editing issues from me for a future edit of this book, and I always think well of authors who do accept my unsolicited help and act on it.
*This is VERY minor, but I was disappointed that Elizabeth's involvement in the children is initially commented on and then seems to disappear later.
For a completely different POV on this story, read Leslie's review, but warning, it is somewhat spoiler-y.
***********
The bottom line: This was a very good Pride and Prejudice retelling. I recommend this book to JAFF fans and to those who want give Jane Austen fan fiction a try. I look forward to reading more by this author, and plan to read The Angel of Longbourn.
Read
February 15, 2016Will one man’s obsession lead to the fruition of another man’s darkest fears?
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Source: I received an ARC of this book for a fair and honest review.
Last December I had the pleasure of reading my first Jann Rowland “Pride and Prejudice” variation, “Cassandra,” which I really enjoyed. When he recently published his next book, I was looking forward to this story and I am pleased to state that this book did not disappoint me.
“Obsession” is a variation that takes place three years before the events of Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” so many of the events we are familiar with surrounding Austen’s characters haven’t occurred in this story. Mr. Rowland includes many of the characters from canon, and it was fun to read a variation that combined Austen’s story with a more frightening and unique storyline than what is typically written in JAFF.
The story is also a rather bold move by Mr. Rowland, because he takes a rather dark and haunting concept, and weaves it into a “Pride and Prejudice” variation, without allowing the story to become outrageous or absurd. I enjoyed how he develops his characters to interact with each other, alongside his inclusion of his new character, the haunting Mr. Pearce.
This story opens up in Hertfordshire, where the Bennet ladies exist in their isolated world of local balls, neighborhood chatter and the never-ending search for eligible suitors. At an event in Meryton, Elizabeth catches the attention of an older man, named Mr. Pearce, who becomes determined over time to have her as his wife. Before long, his character is determined by Elizabeth to be condescending, arrogant and quite obstinate. After Elizabeth dismisses his efforts and voices her numerous reasons for refusing his marriage proposal, Mrs. Bennet, and Mr. Pearce remain as determined as ever to see this marriage take place, and sooner rather than later.
This is where readers gain a sense of what could have been, had a suitor other than Mr. Collins desired Elizabeth’s hand in marriage while plotting alongside Mrs. Bennet. Always one to disparage Elizabeth and to make certain that no offer of marriage “goes to waste,” Mrs. Bennet becomes nearly as determined as Mr. Pearce to have Elizabeth accept his proposal, and through her efforts, the residents of Longbourn all must endure her “suffering,” along with her endless and noisy battles with Elizabeth.
Over time, and with more intensity than in canon, Mrs. Bennet becomes nearly undone when Elizabeth can’t be forced to change her mind about Mr. Pearce. As he becomes subjected to the daily drama amongst the ladies and the constant wailings of Mrs. Bennet’s poor frayed nerves, Mr. Bennet makes a decision that changes the course of everyone’s lives; Elizabeth must leave Longbourn and go live in London with the Gardiner family so that the rest of the Bennet family can live in peace. To complete her “step-mother-style” treatment of Elizabeth, Mrs. Bennet sends her off to live amongst London society with barely a piece of decent clothing…
Once Elizabeth arrives in London and settles into her new life, she’s forced to accept the consequences of her situation in an attempt to find an alternate path to her own happiness. Yet, week after week, letters arrive from Mrs. Bennet, with each correspondence communicating her demands to Elizabeth and letter after letter, Elizabeth grows more and more disillusioned about her future. Will her own mother inform Mr. Pearce that she’s living in Cheapside and cause more concerns for her future?
As events move forward, we also meet a young man in possession of a fortune, which was recently acquired from “trade,” named Mr. Charles Bingley. As Bingley looks to create a silent business partnership with Mr. Gardiner, he becomes better acquainted with Elizabeth. Will he pursue this Bennet sister through their future interactions with each other?
As Elizabeth becomes better situated in her new life, she finds her circumstances altered in an unimaginable way, when a mysterious gentleman discovers her as he overhears her speaking to her cousin. Has Mr. Pearce found her here in London or is there a new man longing to meet up with her again?
When Elizabeth eventually discovers that she is being pursued by more than one suitor, we get a sense that one suitor is already falling under the spell of her “arts and allurements,” while another suitor has become obsessed with her in a disturbing and frightening manner. Repulsed by one suitor, while she’s slowly intrigued by the other, Elizabeth finds herself facing a maze of traps and confinements that may eventually become her undoing. Will a good opinion that was never sought end in an obsession that has fatal consequences for our dear characters?
I’m going to leave you hanging here because I think this is the place where I believe you will enjoy uncovering the rest of this storyline for yourself. Yes, you will meet Darcy and yes, you will meet Wickham… There’s also plenty of Austen’s other characters from canon to enjoy here in this story. The only character portrayal I didn’t enjoy as much was Lady Catherine’s character. For me, she felt too different from canon to relate to, especially during her relationship in this book with Elizabeth.
However, most characters feel true to canon, and combined with Mr. Rowland’s original storyline, they make a rather enticing, and heart-warming read that will have you quickly turning the pages to see how this obsession comes to a conclusion in this story! Expect a gradual, tender romance to build here within a storyline that takes readers through quite a few exciting twists and turns.
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Source: I received an ARC of this book for a fair and honest review.
Last December I had the pleasure of reading my first Jann Rowland “Pride and Prejudice” variation, “Cassandra,” which I really enjoyed. When he recently published his next book, I was looking forward to this story and I am pleased to state that this book did not disappoint me.
“Obsession” is a variation that takes place three years before the events of Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” so many of the events we are familiar with surrounding Austen’s characters haven’t occurred in this story. Mr. Rowland includes many of the characters from canon, and it was fun to read a variation that combined Austen’s story with a more frightening and unique storyline than what is typically written in JAFF.
The story is also a rather bold move by Mr. Rowland, because he takes a rather dark and haunting concept, and weaves it into a “Pride and Prejudice” variation, without allowing the story to become outrageous or absurd. I enjoyed how he develops his characters to interact with each other, alongside his inclusion of his new character, the haunting Mr. Pearce.
This story opens up in Hertfordshire, where the Bennet ladies exist in their isolated world of local balls, neighborhood chatter and the never-ending search for eligible suitors. At an event in Meryton, Elizabeth catches the attention of an older man, named Mr. Pearce, who becomes determined over time to have her as his wife. Before long, his character is determined by Elizabeth to be condescending, arrogant and quite obstinate. After Elizabeth dismisses his efforts and voices her numerous reasons for refusing his marriage proposal, Mrs. Bennet, and Mr. Pearce remain as determined as ever to see this marriage take place, and sooner rather than later.
This is where readers gain a sense of what could have been, had a suitor other than Mr. Collins desired Elizabeth’s hand in marriage while plotting alongside Mrs. Bennet. Always one to disparage Elizabeth and to make certain that no offer of marriage “goes to waste,” Mrs. Bennet becomes nearly as determined as Mr. Pearce to have Elizabeth accept his proposal, and through her efforts, the residents of Longbourn all must endure her “suffering,” along with her endless and noisy battles with Elizabeth.
Over time, and with more intensity than in canon, Mrs. Bennet becomes nearly undone when Elizabeth can’t be forced to change her mind about Mr. Pearce. As he becomes subjected to the daily drama amongst the ladies and the constant wailings of Mrs. Bennet’s poor frayed nerves, Mr. Bennet makes a decision that changes the course of everyone’s lives; Elizabeth must leave Longbourn and go live in London with the Gardiner family so that the rest of the Bennet family can live in peace. To complete her “step-mother-style” treatment of Elizabeth, Mrs. Bennet sends her off to live amongst London society with barely a piece of decent clothing…
Once Elizabeth arrives in London and settles into her new life, she’s forced to accept the consequences of her situation in an attempt to find an alternate path to her own happiness. Yet, week after week, letters arrive from Mrs. Bennet, with each correspondence communicating her demands to Elizabeth and letter after letter, Elizabeth grows more and more disillusioned about her future. Will her own mother inform Mr. Pearce that she’s living in Cheapside and cause more concerns for her future?
As events move forward, we also meet a young man in possession of a fortune, which was recently acquired from “trade,” named Mr. Charles Bingley. As Bingley looks to create a silent business partnership with Mr. Gardiner, he becomes better acquainted with Elizabeth. Will he pursue this Bennet sister through their future interactions with each other?
As Elizabeth becomes better situated in her new life, she finds her circumstances altered in an unimaginable way, when a mysterious gentleman discovers her as he overhears her speaking to her cousin. Has Mr. Pearce found her here in London or is there a new man longing to meet up with her again?
When Elizabeth eventually discovers that she is being pursued by more than one suitor, we get a sense that one suitor is already falling under the spell of her “arts and allurements,” while another suitor has become obsessed with her in a disturbing and frightening manner. Repulsed by one suitor, while she’s slowly intrigued by the other, Elizabeth finds herself facing a maze of traps and confinements that may eventually become her undoing. Will a good opinion that was never sought end in an obsession that has fatal consequences for our dear characters?
I’m going to leave you hanging here because I think this is the place where I believe you will enjoy uncovering the rest of this storyline for yourself. Yes, you will meet Darcy and yes, you will meet Wickham… There’s also plenty of Austen’s other characters from canon to enjoy here in this story. The only character portrayal I didn’t enjoy as much was Lady Catherine’s character. For me, she felt too different from canon to relate to, especially during her relationship in this book with Elizabeth.
However, most characters feel true to canon, and combined with Mr. Rowland’s original storyline, they make a rather enticing, and heart-warming read that will have you quickly turning the pages to see how this obsession comes to a conclusion in this story! Expect a gradual, tender romance to build here within a storyline that takes readers through quite a few exciting twists and turns.
March 25, 2016
3.5 Stars...
First, I love Jann Rowland's Pride & Prejudice variations. I always look forward to reading them, however, I did not 'connect' with this one. As the title states, it is a story of obsession for Elizabeth Bennet by a new character Mr. Pearce. He wants to marry Elizabeth and nothing and no one will stop him. This is another dark tale, but where I loved 'Implacable Resentment', 'Obsession' felt as if I was being narrated the story as opposed to immersing me in it.
I enjoyed parts of the story of how Elizabeth meets Darcy during her extended stay with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner after repeatedly refusing Mr. Pearce who Mrs. Bennet is insisting she marry. Lady Catherine edges have been softened and her scene with Elizabeth is very touching. Wickham has his part to play and Miss Bingley is as catty and obsessed in her own way as ever.
I still recommend reading this book as each person will have a different reaction to it...
First, I love Jann Rowland's Pride & Prejudice variations. I always look forward to reading them, however, I did not 'connect' with this one. As the title states, it is a story of obsession for Elizabeth Bennet by a new character Mr. Pearce. He wants to marry Elizabeth and nothing and no one will stop him. This is another dark tale, but where I loved 'Implacable Resentment', 'Obsession' felt as if I was being narrated the story as opposed to immersing me in it.
I enjoyed parts of the story of how Elizabeth meets Darcy during her extended stay with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner after repeatedly refusing Mr. Pearce who Mrs. Bennet is insisting she marry. Lady Catherine edges have been softened and her scene with Elizabeth is very touching. Wickham has his part to play and Miss Bingley is as catty and obsessed in her own way as ever.
I still recommend reading this book as each person will have a different reaction to it...
March 8, 2023
Well, we have a brand new villain (along with a couple of usual ones) in this story. And what Elizabeth says in the end is right, he's all bark and no bite. I didn't get this guy. He's rich and eligible who many women will agree to marry but he wants only Elizabeth , not because she's unique and clever and pretty but because he wants her, period. The story is fast and captivating at places but generally moves on in a sedate pace. When someone exclaims to Elizabeth that the courtship was only two weeks long not only her but I was also taken aback because it felt as if they had known each other forever. But I have to say this, this book had the best setdowns that Darcy ever gave Caroline.
July 14, 2022
Incoherent plot and one of those variations where the Gardiners were almost as bad as the Bennet parents. If you read this you will at least experience how much we readers depend on the Garginers being a source of goodness and rationality.
April 9, 2016
Another wonderful book by Jann Rowland. Mrs Bennet tries to force Elizabeth to accept a proposal from a man with a terrible reputation of being a cruel libertine, merely because he has the potential of two estates totalling just over five thousand a year. But worst of all, he wants only to possess and "tame" Elizabeth, denying her any of her interests or comforts. She is sent to the Gardiners, her mother feels she has a small triumph, but it is her father's minimal attempt to protect his favorite daughter. One day in the park, Elizabeth begins to pour her frustrations out in a sweet speech to her baby cousin. In a surprising twist, the stranger who overhears is none other than Darcy. Completely taken by her, he soon seeks her out again to perform his own introduction, and asks her for refreshments and a conversation. If this isn't spontaneous enough, he asks to begin calling on her immediately. Through the Gardiners Bingley has also appears, but he and Darcy only meet for the first time. The nefarious suitor , Pearce, makes a couple more appearances, along with Wickham appearing as well, Caroline is Caroline, but Lady Catherine surprises. Through it all, we see a charming romance develop between Darcy and Elizabeth, which becomes strong enough to survive Mrs B, Caroline, Wickham and Pearce. I loved the ending, which proved the true power of laughter.
April 20, 2020
The title could apply to any one of several characters in this Regency-set tale featuring many of the characters from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. If however, you're expecting it to be a variation that veers off from canon at some point, be aware that the plot itself bears only a passing resemblance to it. It's set three years before the original, meaning Elizabeth Bennet is an extremely self-possessed 17 to Darcy's 25 and the action takes us from Longbourn to London and back again. Mrs. Bennet is one of those to whom the title could apply, as she's still concerned (as in canon) about hers and her daughters' futures should anything happen to her husband. So much so, that she's trying to force Elizabeth to marry a man twice her age. This is one of the book's original characters, Winston Pearce, a nasty piece of work if there ever was one. His "obsession" is Elizabeth and he just won't take "no" for an answer. Nowadays, we'd probably call him a stalker with an unhealthy interest in young girls. He even follows Elizabeth when she's sent by her father to her Aunt and Uncle Gardiners' in London, to get her away from her mother's constant diatribes. That doesn't stop Mrs. Bennet from continuing the constant invective by post.
It's in London that she eventually meets Darcy in a park. She's taken her young cousins for a walk and when one falls asleep, she sits on a bench and talks to the sleeping child, enunciating her woes. Darcy overhears this conversation and you could say he also becomes obsessed with this young woman, but in a far less creepy way than Pearce. On only their second encounter, he asks her to accompany him, alone, to a café for a coffee, which is something I find hard to see a well brought up young lady doing. However, it happens and admittedly he accompanies her back to the Gardiners' to ask for a courtship. All very sudden one might think but then, the story takes a long time to meander through said courtship and romance.
You might get the impression that I didn't enjoy this book, which would be mostly wrong. It's well told and the writing and language use set off very few alerts. Personally, I think it could have done with some tightening up of the storyline and some further information as to why Pearce was so obsessed with marrying Elizabeth. Mr. Rowland has created some delightful original characters, especially Darcy's cousin Charity, sister to the gentleman most of us know as Colonel Fitzwilliam who's a Captain, then Major in this timeline. Mr. Bingley turns up as a business colleague of Mr. Gardiner and his character is much as one would expect but oh dear, Caroline! She's another one with an obsession, once she meets Darcy. Lady Catherine's character is a revelation in this, and strange to say it, I rather enjoyed seeing this portrayal of her.
On the whole, I can definitely recommend this chaste, slow-burning and completely different version of one of our favourite romances. My copy was bought from the Kindle store and I'd award it 3.5 stars if I could but have rounded it up to four for the purposes of the review.
It's in London that she eventually meets Darcy in a park. She's taken her young cousins for a walk and when one falls asleep, she sits on a bench and talks to the sleeping child, enunciating her woes. Darcy overhears this conversation and you could say he also becomes obsessed with this young woman, but in a far less creepy way than Pearce. On only their second encounter, he asks her to accompany him, alone, to a café for a coffee, which is something I find hard to see a well brought up young lady doing. However, it happens and admittedly he accompanies her back to the Gardiners' to ask for a courtship. All very sudden one might think but then, the story takes a long time to meander through said courtship and romance.
You might get the impression that I didn't enjoy this book, which would be mostly wrong. It's well told and the writing and language use set off very few alerts. Personally, I think it could have done with some tightening up of the storyline and some further information as to why Pearce was so obsessed with marrying Elizabeth. Mr. Rowland has created some delightful original characters, especially Darcy's cousin Charity, sister to the gentleman most of us know as Colonel Fitzwilliam who's a Captain, then Major in this timeline. Mr. Bingley turns up as a business colleague of Mr. Gardiner and his character is much as one would expect but oh dear, Caroline! She's another one with an obsession, once she meets Darcy. Lady Catherine's character is a revelation in this, and strange to say it, I rather enjoyed seeing this portrayal of her.
On the whole, I can definitely recommend this chaste, slow-burning and completely different version of one of our favourite romances. My copy was bought from the Kindle store and I'd award it 3.5 stars if I could but have rounded it up to four for the purposes of the review.
March 14, 2016
This story begins in 1808 when a 17 year old Lizzy is pursued by a Mr. Winston Pearce. Mrs. Bennet insist Lizzy accepts his proposal. Lizzy refuses again and again. An angry Mrs. Bennet tells Lizzy to accept or to leave . Lizzy stands her ground in not accepting Pearces' proposal because he is a rake. Mr. Bennet sends Lizzy to the Gardiner's house in London to get away from the raptures of her mother. Lizzy helps Mr. Gardiner with his bookkeeping and meets Charles Bingley. Charles Bingley is Mr. Gardiners new business partner. While living in London Lizzy receives weekly letters from Mrs. Bennet telling her she must do her duty. Lizzy reads some and burns others. Mr. Pearce comes to London to the Gardiner's house demanding Lizzy comes with him. Again Lizzy refuses. We now see that Mr. Pearce has an obsession with Lizzy. Darcy overhears Lizzy talking to her sleeping niece on a park bench. Darcy is impress with her thoughts and beliefs. Darcy meets Lizzy in the park and takes her to tea and asks her to enter into a courtship. Darcy meets Bingley as he enters into business deal with Mr. Gardiner. Darcy and Lizzy's courtship turns into an engagement. Things are going well ie: marriage date set, Darcys' family approval, a well given set down for Caroline given by Darcy. Lizzy gets kidnapped by Wickham under Mr. Pearce direction. Lizzy escapes and is rescued. This is my problem with this book - the night of her rescue the family sits down to dinner like nothing happened. When did Darcys family get to Longbourne? What happens to Wickham and Pearce? Then Darcy and Lizzy come across Pearce in the theater while in London and laugh at him? What? Then, Lizzy says something to the girl with Mr. Pearce ? What? I feel the ending was rushed. I would have rather read another 100 pages. I would give this story 3 1/2 stars.
March 1, 2016
I really really really wanted to like this one. But as it took me a month to get through, because of a clear lack of motivation, I have to admit, this variation just wasn't for me.
It's written well, it had an interesting premise, Mrs. Bennet and Caroline were wonderfully nasty as was Mr. Pearce, but there was something seriously lacking for me.
Upon some reflection, I think it was the lack of passion and real love between Darcy and Elizabeth. In this variation Elizabeth is only 17, and Darcy and her only start a courtship based on...convenience (pretty much). The drama between Pearson and Elizabeth is interesting, although I wish they had gone more into why Pearson had 'picked' her to marry. Every time she asks he brushes her off and tells her that she wouldn't understand, or that's for him to know, not her. ...But I want to know! I can see that in the end he's just someone who gets what he wants, and won't take 'no' for an answer, but what sets him off to begin with, especially when others would be easier? I think you could make plenty of arguments, but none were made. This left a hole for me.
Then much of the book is about how Elizabeth would actually fit in with the family and the ton. Those stretches felt long, boring, and got us away from any exciting plot.
So overall...not the worst book, but certainly not a favorite.
It's written well, it had an interesting premise, Mrs. Bennet and Caroline were wonderfully nasty as was Mr. Pearce, but there was something seriously lacking for me.
Upon some reflection, I think it was the lack of passion and real love between Darcy and Elizabeth. In this variation Elizabeth is only 17, and Darcy and her only start a courtship based on...convenience (pretty much). The drama between Pearson and Elizabeth is interesting, although I wish they had gone more into why Pearson had 'picked' her to marry. Every time she asks he brushes her off and tells her that she wouldn't understand, or that's for him to know, not her. ...But I want to know! I can see that in the end he's just someone who gets what he wants, and won't take 'no' for an answer, but what sets him off to begin with, especially when others would be easier? I think you could make plenty of arguments, but none were made. This left a hole for me.
Then much of the book is about how Elizabeth would actually fit in with the family and the ton. Those stretches felt long, boring, and got us away from any exciting plot.
So overall...not the worst book, but certainly not a favorite.
April 6, 2016
Obsession
Oh my what an intriguing alternative! In this P&P story Elizabeth is 17 and unfortunately a gentleman more than twice her age and a know rogue to boot asks her to marry him. He has 3 thousand a year and will soon inherit his uncles estate. This is enough for Mrs Bennet but Lizzy refuses him several times but he is insistent and Mrs Bennet is unrelenting! So as a result Elizabeth is sent (banished) to London in Cheapside. This is where the story gets interesting. A chance encounter with Mr Darcy and the fact that he is yet not acquainted with Mr Bingley, but Mr Bingley is doing business with Elizabeth's uncle Gardiners. What happens and how the story progresses is extremely diverting and though we have a new villain in Mr Pierce the obsessed suitor who will not take no for an answer, we still see all the usual bad guys. Plenty of romance and a little angst thrown in. You will love this alternative. Mr Rowland did an awesome job and I highly recommend this book!
Oh my what an intriguing alternative! In this P&P story Elizabeth is 17 and unfortunately a gentleman more than twice her age and a know rogue to boot asks her to marry him. He has 3 thousand a year and will soon inherit his uncles estate. This is enough for Mrs Bennet but Lizzy refuses him several times but he is insistent and Mrs Bennet is unrelenting! So as a result Elizabeth is sent (banished) to London in Cheapside. This is where the story gets interesting. A chance encounter with Mr Darcy and the fact that he is yet not acquainted with Mr Bingley, but Mr Bingley is doing business with Elizabeth's uncle Gardiners. What happens and how the story progresses is extremely diverting and though we have a new villain in Mr Pierce the obsessed suitor who will not take no for an answer, we still see all the usual bad guys. Plenty of romance and a little angst thrown in. You will love this alternative. Mr Rowland did an awesome job and I highly recommend this book!
January 25, 2020
I am beginning to be a big fan of this author! He knows how to spin an excellent yarn. My favorite is still The wilds of Derbyshire.
This is a sweet tale, weaving main characters together, with a switch up of one new one.
Mt only complaint for all his books would be the editing. There are so many grammar mistakes, it is quite astounding. However, I have noticed that many of these P&P fanfictions are riddled with typos and grammar mistakes. Doesn't take away from the story, just an observation of mine.
This is a sweet tale, weaving main characters together, with a switch up of one new one.
Mt only complaint for all his books would be the editing. There are so many grammar mistakes, it is quite astounding. However, I have noticed that many of these P&P fanfictions are riddled with typos and grammar mistakes. Doesn't take away from the story, just an observation of mine.
June 17, 2016
This is really a 3 1/2 star rating. It was better than okay, but not memorable. The obsession of one character prevents Darcy and Elizabeth from having a perfect life.
February 5, 2016
Obsession
What a fantastic story! Story starts with egotistical suitor being sanctioned by Mrs. Bennet for Elizabeth. She knows nothing of his character, but she knows his one estate brings in 2.500£ and when he inherits his family estate he'll be worth as much as 6.000£ a year. When Elizabeth refuses the second time, he smirks and tells Mrs. Bennet Elizabeth is out of sorts because she looks tired. Mrs. Bennet screams and threatens her day and night. When her mother bursts into Elizabeth's room with Jane visiting with her, her mother tells Jane to leave. Bless Jane for standing up to her mother for Elizabeth's sake. She tells her get dressed and called the maid to put her up. Defiant and angry that her mother will not listen to her about Mr. Winston Pearce so has picked out one of the most ratty looking morning dress and had the maid put her in a low bun. Pearce appears once more, and again Elizabeth rejects him. At this point her mother wants her gone from the house. Sent to London to stay with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner she has to tell her story and why she'll not marry Pearce. Afterwards her Aunt tells her she should possibly rethink her choice, until he shows up at their home. Pearce's treatment of the Gardiners is appalling and his attitude towards them all is so bad that Mr. Gardiner raises his voice quite loudly insulting him. Days later, Elizabeth takes a walk carrying her youngest niece, Emily. When Elizabeth sits on the bench, Darcy's hat was blown off his head close to the bench. Elizabeth begins to talk about her problems at home to the baby which Darcy hears. When gets up, she sees Darcy and simply makes a curtsey and says "Sir". She leaves the park to return home. Darcy continues to come to the park to see and even road down the street to see if can find her. When he finally meets her again, they introduced themselves and went to the tea shop where he and Elizabeth drinks her first cup of hot chocolate. Before they leave, Darcy asks her for a courtship. Wow, this is a very different Darcy! He walks her home wanting to talk with her Uncle. Mrs. Gardiner's mouth falls open when she's told why he wants to speak to Mr. Gardiner. Mr. Gardiner speaks to Darcy and discovers Darcy means what he saying pertaining to Elizabeth and he will agree to an unannounced courtship. Darcy agrees and travels to Longbourn to get permission and blessings from Mr. Bennet. Given after much convincing, Darcy returns to London. Elizabeth is still in London when they start being seen as a couple. After one meeting with Georgiana, they begin to see each other often. At one of the teas at Darcy House, Lizzy is introduced to the major's younger sister, Charity. Another time as she's at the front door, Wickham introduces himself to her. She immediately dislikes him. When Darcy throws him out, Wickham begins to plan. Both she and Georgiana love Lizzy. Darcy's cousin, Major Fitzwilliam, visits and he quizzes Darcy about this young lady. Meeting her changes his opinion immediately when he sees both Darcy, Charity, and Georgiana's reactions to Lizzy. Aunt Catherine shows up, but things are different. Surprise! Got to read this for yourself, because I'm not revealing. Now Darcy needs to inform his Aunt and Uncle Matlock. First the five supporters talk with them. Neither are happy with Darcy's decision, but eventually Lady Matlock agrees to meet her. Before traveling the next day, Lizzy takes one more walk in the park with Jack trailing behind her. She meets Wickham on the trail who's up to no good. Jack comes to take care of Wickham. Wickham is more than willing to leave since he is afraid of Jack, because of something he did back at Pemberley. Lizzy travels home, and Darcy who has just met Bingley through Mr. Gardiner, leases Netherfield. Before Darcy comes to Meryton to continue his courtship with Elizabeth, Mr. Pearce comes to Longbourn, to try to grab Elizabeth. His first try falls and as he tries a second time, Juan steps between them protecting her sister. Hill goes to get Mr. Bennet and Jack. Jack, her bodyguard, and Mr. Hill usher him out the door and when he tries escape, Jack picks him up by the scruff of his neck and throws him down to the road. When Jack gets in Pearce's face and threatens him, Pearce seem to shake with fear. One day Lizzy tells Hill she's going out to walk in the garden and tells her not to wake Jack. Wickham kidnaps her, throws her on his horse, and rides to an abandoned cabin somewhere that Lizzy doesn't recognize. He locks her in the cabin telling her that someone will bring her food. He tells her that no fire would be started because the smoke would indicate that someone is there. He does leave blankets. Broads cover the windows. Eventually someone unlocks the door and throws a bag of food. The next day, Pearce shows up and tells her that he will be coming to get her and they'll be off to Gretna Green to be married. Word gets out that Elizabeth has been taken. Darcy immediately contacts the major. Neighbors and tenets search various paths out of Longbourn. Darcy, the Major, Bingley, and a few others go to Pearce's home. Tells them she's not there. Darkness falls and Elizabeth spends a cold dark night. In the morning she begins to scrape around the nails on the window. Wickham is at last caught. With the Major's method of persuasion, Wickham finally confessed to grabbing her, but it was for Pearce. In the meantime, Elizabeth has escaped through the window and is running to find the path through the woods. Darcy sees a flash of color through the trees. He runs down the hill and grabs Elizabeth. As he is putting her on his horse, they hear horses approach. Out along the road, many people are waiting for Pearce and his few men. Darcy meets them with the Major, Bingley, a few other friends of the Bennets, and a group of soldiers. Needless to say, Pearce backs down. She rides home in his arms. He and Mr. Bennet agrees that must marry sooner than planned. Darcy and Elizabeth are happy with this new plan. They are happily married as soon as could be arranged.
What a fantastic story! Story starts with egotistical suitor being sanctioned by Mrs. Bennet for Elizabeth. She knows nothing of his character, but she knows his one estate brings in 2.500£ and when he inherits his family estate he'll be worth as much as 6.000£ a year. When Elizabeth refuses the second time, he smirks and tells Mrs. Bennet Elizabeth is out of sorts because she looks tired. Mrs. Bennet screams and threatens her day and night. When her mother bursts into Elizabeth's room with Jane visiting with her, her mother tells Jane to leave. Bless Jane for standing up to her mother for Elizabeth's sake. She tells her get dressed and called the maid to put her up. Defiant and angry that her mother will not listen to her about Mr. Winston Pearce so has picked out one of the most ratty looking morning dress and had the maid put her in a low bun. Pearce appears once more, and again Elizabeth rejects him. At this point her mother wants her gone from the house. Sent to London to stay with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner she has to tell her story and why she'll not marry Pearce. Afterwards her Aunt tells her she should possibly rethink her choice, until he shows up at their home. Pearce's treatment of the Gardiners is appalling and his attitude towards them all is so bad that Mr. Gardiner raises his voice quite loudly insulting him. Days later, Elizabeth takes a walk carrying her youngest niece, Emily. When Elizabeth sits on the bench, Darcy's hat was blown off his head close to the bench. Elizabeth begins to talk about her problems at home to the baby which Darcy hears. When gets up, she sees Darcy and simply makes a curtsey and says "Sir". She leaves the park to return home. Darcy continues to come to the park to see and even road down the street to see if can find her. When he finally meets her again, they introduced themselves and went to the tea shop where he and Elizabeth drinks her first cup of hot chocolate. Before they leave, Darcy asks her for a courtship. Wow, this is a very different Darcy! He walks her home wanting to talk with her Uncle. Mrs. Gardiner's mouth falls open when she's told why he wants to speak to Mr. Gardiner. Mr. Gardiner speaks to Darcy and discovers Darcy means what he saying pertaining to Elizabeth and he will agree to an unannounced courtship. Darcy agrees and travels to Longbourn to get permission and blessings from Mr. Bennet. Given after much convincing, Darcy returns to London. Elizabeth is still in London when they start being seen as a couple. After one meeting with Georgiana, they begin to see each other often. At one of the teas at Darcy House, Lizzy is introduced to the major's younger sister, Charity. Another time as she's at the front door, Wickham introduces himself to her. She immediately dislikes him. When Darcy throws him out, Wickham begins to plan. Both she and Georgiana love Lizzy. Darcy's cousin, Major Fitzwilliam, visits and he quizzes Darcy about this young lady. Meeting her changes his opinion immediately when he sees both Darcy, Charity, and Georgiana's reactions to Lizzy. Aunt Catherine shows up, but things are different. Surprise! Got to read this for yourself, because I'm not revealing. Now Darcy needs to inform his Aunt and Uncle Matlock. First the five supporters talk with them. Neither are happy with Darcy's decision, but eventually Lady Matlock agrees to meet her. Before traveling the next day, Lizzy takes one more walk in the park with Jack trailing behind her. She meets Wickham on the trail who's up to no good. Jack comes to take care of Wickham. Wickham is more than willing to leave since he is afraid of Jack, because of something he did back at Pemberley. Lizzy travels home, and Darcy who has just met Bingley through Mr. Gardiner, leases Netherfield. Before Darcy comes to Meryton to continue his courtship with Elizabeth, Mr. Pearce comes to Longbourn, to try to grab Elizabeth. His first try falls and as he tries a second time, Juan steps between them protecting her sister. Hill goes to get Mr. Bennet and Jack. Jack, her bodyguard, and Mr. Hill usher him out the door and when he tries escape, Jack picks him up by the scruff of his neck and throws him down to the road. When Jack gets in Pearce's face and threatens him, Pearce seem to shake with fear. One day Lizzy tells Hill she's going out to walk in the garden and tells her not to wake Jack. Wickham kidnaps her, throws her on his horse, and rides to an abandoned cabin somewhere that Lizzy doesn't recognize. He locks her in the cabin telling her that someone will bring her food. He tells her that no fire would be started because the smoke would indicate that someone is there. He does leave blankets. Broads cover the windows. Eventually someone unlocks the door and throws a bag of food. The next day, Pearce shows up and tells her that he will be coming to get her and they'll be off to Gretna Green to be married. Word gets out that Elizabeth has been taken. Darcy immediately contacts the major. Neighbors and tenets search various paths out of Longbourn. Darcy, the Major, Bingley, and a few others go to Pearce's home. Tells them she's not there. Darkness falls and Elizabeth spends a cold dark night. In the morning she begins to scrape around the nails on the window. Wickham is at last caught. With the Major's method of persuasion, Wickham finally confessed to grabbing her, but it was for Pearce. In the meantime, Elizabeth has escaped through the window and is running to find the path through the woods. Darcy sees a flash of color through the trees. He runs down the hill and grabs Elizabeth. As he is putting her on his horse, they hear horses approach. Out along the road, many people are waiting for Pearce and his few men. Darcy meets them with the Major, Bingley, a few other friends of the Bennets, and a group of soldiers. Needless to say, Pearce backs down. She rides home in his arms. He and Mr. Bennet agrees that must marry sooner than planned. Darcy and Elizabeth are happy with this new plan. They are happily married as soon as could be arranged.
January 24, 2024
I really liked this book a lot until the resolution.
February 1, 2016
This book starts off way before the events for the original Pride and Prejudice. In fact Elizabeth is only seventeen in this book and Darcy is twenty-four. The only thing that bothered me is that Mr Pearce was thirty-five in this book. What man in his right mind wants a bride who is eighteen years younger than him? The man is old enough to be her father for heaven's sake.
I really enjoyed the premise for this book as I have never seen it done before. I really started to hate Mrs Bennet for trying to force Elizabeth to marry Mr Pearce. She even goes so far as to kick Lizzy out of Longbourn until she sees reason. Though Mr Bennet agreed with Mrs Bennet on the issue of Lizzy leaving the estate it was for the purpose of getting her away from her mother and her ranting. You have to commend Mr Bennet on that front at least.
The fact that Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy only became acquainted because of Darcy approaching Elizabeth in the park and through that Mr Gardiner was genius. They even allude to the fact had Bingley gone to Cambridge instead of Oxford they might have met sooner. Miss Bingley was her usual charming self in this novel. Through most of the book she is trying to get Darcy to marry her instead of Lizzy and she badmouths her whenever she can. I don't know how Miss Bingley can think herself above the Bennets when her family is in trade and the Bennets are landed gentry. She has serious issues that she needs to work through. What was most surprised me was that most of the Fitzwilliam family accepted Elizabeth even one that you wouldn't think that would.
In all this book was a delight to read. The only problem I had was that I had to put it down to go to work. Which by the way is something I hate doing but I need the money. I wish I could get paid to read books all day. That would be lovely. If you would like to see how one man's obsession for a Bennet daughter could affect her life and courtship to another man this is the book for you.
Rating: 4½ stars out of 5
I really enjoyed the premise for this book as I have never seen it done before. I really started to hate Mrs Bennet for trying to force Elizabeth to marry Mr Pearce. She even goes so far as to kick Lizzy out of Longbourn until she sees reason. Though Mr Bennet agreed with Mrs Bennet on the issue of Lizzy leaving the estate it was for the purpose of getting her away from her mother and her ranting. You have to commend Mr Bennet on that front at least.
The fact that Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy only became acquainted because of Darcy approaching Elizabeth in the park and through that Mr Gardiner was genius. They even allude to the fact had Bingley gone to Cambridge instead of Oxford they might have met sooner. Miss Bingley was her usual charming self in this novel. Through most of the book she is trying to get Darcy to marry her instead of Lizzy and she badmouths her whenever she can. I don't know how Miss Bingley can think herself above the Bennets when her family is in trade and the Bennets are landed gentry. She has serious issues that she needs to work through. What was most surprised me was that most of the Fitzwilliam family accepted Elizabeth even one that you wouldn't think that would.
In all this book was a delight to read. The only problem I had was that I had to put it down to go to work. Which by the way is something I hate doing but I need the money. I wish I could get paid to read books all day. That would be lovely. If you would like to see how one man's obsession for a Bennet daughter could affect her life and courtship to another man this is the book for you.
Rating: 4½ stars out of 5
March 17, 2017
This was an odd sort of book, in that it wasn't really a variation at all. This was P&P if it had happened several years earlier and some circumstances were different. Darcy is more open and charismatic, Mrs. Bennet is far more of a manipulative harpy, Bingley and Darcy meet under different circumstances, Caroline Bingley is far less subtle, Lady Catherine is far nicer, and Fitzwilliam is only a Major (not sure why that seemed like one of the strangest parts but it did--probably because Colonel feels like it's practically his name...when it's not Richard, anyway). Darcy's courtship of Elizabeth is actually pretty smooth, and most of the conflict comes from exterior sources.
I'm honestly a little surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did, but I do think some of it was the novelty of such a different story. I almost dropped a star because I didn't really understand Pearce and why he did the things he did. However, since what I really cared about was Elizabeth and Darcy, it was easy enough to ignore his head-scratching logic and just enjoy the rest.
I'm honestly a little surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did, but I do think some of it was the novelty of such a different story. I almost dropped a star because I didn't really understand Pearce and why he did the things he did. However, since what I really cared about was Elizabeth and Darcy, it was easy enough to ignore his head-scratching logic and just enjoy the rest.
November 4, 2023
Left me wanting more
This story starts out with a younger Lizzy being sent to the Gardiners in London to avoid her mothers wrath when Lizzy rejects a much older suitor. I have never liked Mrs. Bennet and this story makes her that much more silly. It's not a bad thing to hate Mrs Bennet it actually helps the story. Darcy is younger and more flexible in some ways. This makes the pair enjoyable. The couple faces obsticles, but not from lady Catherine, which I liked. The Fitzwilliam family has more family members, some of them ridiculous. I don't want to give too much away. The end of the story is a bit rushed, which left me wanting more. I almost wished for a sequel, almost.
This story starts out with a younger Lizzy being sent to the Gardiners in London to avoid her mothers wrath when Lizzy rejects a much older suitor. I have never liked Mrs. Bennet and this story makes her that much more silly. It's not a bad thing to hate Mrs Bennet it actually helps the story. Darcy is younger and more flexible in some ways. This makes the pair enjoyable. The couple faces obsticles, but not from lady Catherine, which I liked. The Fitzwilliam family has more family members, some of them ridiculous. I don't want to give too much away. The end of the story is a bit rushed, which left me wanting more. I almost wished for a sequel, almost.
March 1, 2016
Banished from Longbourn for refusing an awful man, Elizabeth pours out her heart to her little niece on a park bench. Darcy hears her soliloquy and is piqued by this woman and soon enough they embark on a courtship. I could never quite picture Darcy doing such a thing or even being brave so quickly. However, Elizabeth's rejected suitor will not take no for an answer and relentlessly pursues her. Considering how he views Elizabeth I was surprised he went as far as he did. Interesting premise but the obsession was overkill in my opinion.
February 8, 2016
Disappointing.
I have always loved books by this author, but unfortunately this one fell short. While I will say that it is beautifully written and the story is interesting I was disappointed that some parts seem to have been padded out with useless, long conversation that had little baring on the story and their only purpose seemed to be adding to the page numbers.
I have always loved books by this author, but unfortunately this one fell short. While I will say that it is beautifully written and the story is interesting I was disappointed that some parts seem to have been padded out with useless, long conversation that had little baring on the story and their only purpose seemed to be adding to the page numbers.
July 4, 2016
Another really good P&P variation. I love these types of stories so much.
March 25, 2019
Rather silly
I'm a big fan of this author, have read anything I could find by him, but the premise of this book is sillier than I have come to expect from him. His stories are usually well crafted, believable and well written. This one is hard to accept in more than one respect.
The first point to bother me is the exaggerated hysterical behavior of Mrs. Bennett. The book explains away time and again her manic fear of the future and desperate need to get her daughters married. However, this character is so over the top in her sections that it becomes creepy and too close to child abuse for comfort. Her actions border on madness, and make the humoring of them by her family a sad situation that never really gets addressed.
Next is Mr. Pearce, who is the obsessed person of the title. His behavior is also bordering on the unhinged, and makes one wonder why a magistrate isn't summoned early on to have him carted off for trespassing. Everyone is always too well mannered or too well bred turn him away, even while Elizabeth is being verbally and psychologically abused. These scenes are frustrating.
Then there is Mr Darcy. He begins a courtship with Elizabeth based on a conversation he overhears between her and her infant baby cousin. This is all very well for the plot, but in no way resembles our fastidious and aloof Mr. Darcy, a man who closely guards his head and his heart from strangers.
For some reason the time frame is three years before that of the original P&P. Other than my impatience with the ridiculous, this is a nice story. I like the romance that develops slowly between ODC, and the situation is completely altered from the original book. Mr. Rowland is a talented storyteller. I recommend the book with the above reservations.
I'm a big fan of this author, have read anything I could find by him, but the premise of this book is sillier than I have come to expect from him. His stories are usually well crafted, believable and well written. This one is hard to accept in more than one respect.
The first point to bother me is the exaggerated hysterical behavior of Mrs. Bennett. The book explains away time and again her manic fear of the future and desperate need to get her daughters married. However, this character is so over the top in her sections that it becomes creepy and too close to child abuse for comfort. Her actions border on madness, and make the humoring of them by her family a sad situation that never really gets addressed.
Next is Mr. Pearce, who is the obsessed person of the title. His behavior is also bordering on the unhinged, and makes one wonder why a magistrate isn't summoned early on to have him carted off for trespassing. Everyone is always too well mannered or too well bred turn him away, even while Elizabeth is being verbally and psychologically abused. These scenes are frustrating.
Then there is Mr Darcy. He begins a courtship with Elizabeth based on a conversation he overhears between her and her infant baby cousin. This is all very well for the plot, but in no way resembles our fastidious and aloof Mr. Darcy, a man who closely guards his head and his heart from strangers.
For some reason the time frame is three years before that of the original P&P. Other than my impatience with the ridiculous, this is a nice story. I like the romance that develops slowly between ODC, and the situation is completely altered from the original book. Mr. Rowland is a talented storyteller. I recommend the book with the above reservations.
October 24, 2021
A suitor for Lizzy who is even worse than Collins!
An astounding variation of Pride and Prejudice which introduces a new character whom is more despicable than Wickham and Collins combined. Pearce is a local landowner that is obsessed with Lizzy. However, his character is very base in nature - believing all women are beneath him, and only put on earth to satisfy his desires. Mrs. Bennet, however, can only see his income and security as the only path in life available to her second daughter. When Lizzy refuses, her mother torments her incessantly until Mr. Bennet decides to send Lizzy to London out of reach of Pearce.
This tale does include introspection as is Mr. Rowland’s wont. However, the tale is delightful as to how Darcy, Bingley, Caroline, and Lady Catherine are inserted into the story. I believe this is one of Mr. Rowland’s best.
An astounding variation of Pride and Prejudice which introduces a new character whom is more despicable than Wickham and Collins combined. Pearce is a local landowner that is obsessed with Lizzy. However, his character is very base in nature - believing all women are beneath him, and only put on earth to satisfy his desires. Mrs. Bennet, however, can only see his income and security as the only path in life available to her second daughter. When Lizzy refuses, her mother torments her incessantly until Mr. Bennet decides to send Lizzy to London out of reach of Pearce.
This tale does include introspection as is Mr. Rowland’s wont. However, the tale is delightful as to how Darcy, Bingley, Caroline, and Lady Catherine are inserted into the story. I believe this is one of Mr. Rowland’s best.
June 17, 2024
Well written-okay grammar problems but storyline WOW
I choose 5 stars because I could not put this book down. Darcy was meltingly complex and more mature. Elizabeth was strong, vulnerable, and intuitive. Jane grew. Mrs. Bennett got on my nerves so bad-but the writing showed how limited and ignorant she was. You could not help but be honest and know she was selfish but also wanting a good life for her children.
The Fitzwilliam family was so stratified and some how Lady Catherine was redeemed. This story is a HEA but it takes some bumps, bruises, and more to figure things out.
Wickham gets his due and thankfully Georgiana is not involved.
The story of obsession was weaved in that you forgot at times until Peance reappeared unexpectedly.
Read to the end-it’s worth it!
I recommend this for those who enjoy suspense and can take some moments of abuse.
I choose 5 stars because I could not put this book down. Darcy was meltingly complex and more mature. Elizabeth was strong, vulnerable, and intuitive. Jane grew. Mrs. Bennett got on my nerves so bad-but the writing showed how limited and ignorant she was. You could not help but be honest and know she was selfish but also wanting a good life for her children.
The Fitzwilliam family was so stratified and some how Lady Catherine was redeemed. This story is a HEA but it takes some bumps, bruises, and more to figure things out.
Wickham gets his due and thankfully Georgiana is not involved.
The story of obsession was weaved in that you forgot at times until Peance reappeared unexpectedly.
Read to the end-it’s worth it!
I recommend this for those who enjoy suspense and can take some moments of abuse.
March 24, 2021
Compelling read.
Jann Rowland spins a yarn very well indeed. I have read reviews by those who think the last book they read was his best yet. I find myself thinking the same way. This book is hard to put down. It gets underway in a hurry, it is sudden with surprises--both good and bad, and it wraps up quite satisfyingly. I highly recommend it.
Jann Rowland spins a yarn very well indeed. I have read reviews by those who think the last book they read was his best yet. I find myself thinking the same way. This book is hard to put down. It gets underway in a hurry, it is sudden with surprises--both good and bad, and it wraps up quite satisfyingly. I highly recommend it.
April 13, 2019
A different kind of story
I love this book because it well written. The story is great though I wonder how different the times are compared to now. The none payment from persecution for crimes still happens today just like then. Overt I enjoyed reading this book
I love this book because it well written. The story is great though I wonder how different the times are compared to now. The none payment from persecution for crimes still happens today just like then. Overt I enjoyed reading this book
February 17, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. I love the different ways that Darcy and Elizabeth meet. Of course they always fall in love and overcome any obstacles. These Pride and Predjudice variations have been very diverting.
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