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The book with which it all began: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
Her family's behaviour during the Netherfield Ball has Elizabeth Bennet hide in the billiard room in mortification. Perhaps her sister Mary is right after all, that reading is to be preferred to dancing. But when Elizabeth starts to read a book, carelessly forgotten on a side table in front of the fireplace, she soon finds out that even this on occasion can be anything but an innocent pastime.
53 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 22, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 13, 2017
“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.” Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Well this was not what I expected. It was cute and so OOC that when it took a left turn from canon, it really went off track. However, not in a bad way… it was just different. We open at the Netherfield Ball. Lizzy’s and Darcy’s dance left them both frustrated and shortly after that we leave canon. Lizzy [wanting silence for a minute] escapes to the billiard room, finds a book, near a comfy chair, in front of the fireplace. Would any rational person pass up such a delight? What would our dear Jane Austen have to say about that?
“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerable stupid.” Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
And there you have it... from the source, herself. So, Lizzy picks up the book and begins to read. OMG!! She blushed from her toes to her hairline. What was she reading and why couldn’t she stop? Thank goodness, she was alone. Or was she?
No spoilers here. What happened next… any JAFF fan would know or could quickly figure out. What fun. This was so cute. It can be read in about an hour and is very creative.
Because it was so short, it forced the action to move quickly. At times, I had to think where I was and had to figure out who was talking. People would suddenly appear on the page and I would wonder when did that person arrive? There were small editing problems… word replacement [thread vs threat]. That can change the tone in the delivery a line. I don’t think the author intended that sentence to be funny.
Well this was not what I expected. It was cute and so OOC that when it took a left turn from canon, it really went off track. However, not in a bad way… it was just different. We open at the Netherfield Ball. Lizzy’s and Darcy’s dance left them both frustrated and shortly after that we leave canon. Lizzy [wanting silence for a minute] escapes to the billiard room, finds a book, near a comfy chair, in front of the fireplace. Would any rational person pass up such a delight? What would our dear Jane Austen have to say about that?
“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerable stupid.” Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
And there you have it... from the source, herself. So, Lizzy picks up the book and begins to read. OMG!! She blushed from her toes to her hairline. What was she reading and why couldn’t she stop? Thank goodness, she was alone. Or was she?
No spoilers here. What happened next… any JAFF fan would know or could quickly figure out. What fun. This was so cute. It can be read in about an hour and is very creative.
Because it was so short, it forced the action to move quickly. At times, I had to think where I was and had to figure out who was talking. People would suddenly appear on the page and I would wonder when did that person arrive? There were small editing problems… word replacement [thread vs threat]. That can change the tone in the delivery a line. I don’t think the author intended that sentence to be funny.
October 17, 2017
99% Of this short, 38 page story, takes place in 24 hours. We dive right in at the Netherfield ball following Lizzy's dance with Darcy. She is so frustrated by her mother she hies off to the billiards room to hide and finds an inappropriate book for maiden's eyes. Then she is interrupted by Mr Darcy and they have some lovely conversation but then realize they may have inadvertently created a compromise. Immediately they seem to have made a clean break but alas that's not true. The remaining plot of P&P wraps up in about 10 hours minus Lady Catherine.
There is nothing wrong about the story but there is nothing right about it either. I obtained it via KU and would never pay $2.99 for 38 pages written by anyone.
There is nothing wrong about the story but there is nothing right about it either. I obtained it via KU and would never pay $2.99 for 38 pages written by anyone.
August 1, 2017
Low Angst – or maybe No Angst!
A simple love story begins at the Netherfield Ball and ends the next day at Longbourn. Three engagements happen that day.
Jane, of all people, squelches the evil Caroline Bingley:
"I will not have my brother sully the family name by marrying this shameless hussy!"
With that she pointed at Jane, who, rarely thinking bad of even the greatest villain had the great presence of mind to answer her in a way which made her sister most proud:
"Then perhaps you should find a husband for yourself and change yours."
Mr. Collins – he made me chortle!
Very short – and rather sweet.
A simple love story begins at the Netherfield Ball and ends the next day at Longbourn. Three engagements happen that day.
Jane, of all people, squelches the evil Caroline Bingley:
"I will not have my brother sully the family name by marrying this shameless hussy!"
With that she pointed at Jane, who, rarely thinking bad of even the greatest villain had the great presence of mind to answer her in a way which made her sister most proud:
"Then perhaps you should find a husband for yourself and change yours."
Mr. Collins – he made me chortle!
Very short – and rather sweet.
August 16, 2017
Good story with the premise that Darcy and Elizabeth are alone in the locked library at Netherfield after their contentious dance. She enters alone and finds a particular book of an embarrassing nature that she can't help but look more closely at. He comes in a little later without realizing she's there, locks the door, and then spots her and her reading material. Although the circumstances are innocent, the potential that others would perceive it as Elizabeth being compromised is obvious to them both.
As other reviewers state, things move quickly in this VERY short story. The pivotal scene occurs at Longbourn. My favorite part is Darcy's effective verbal smack down of Wickham.
Although this is cute and fairly well written, it's much too short to be worth the money Amazon is currently charging to buy it and is not available on Kindle Unlimited.
As other reviewers state, things move quickly in this VERY short story. The pivotal scene occurs at Longbourn. My favorite part is Darcy's effective verbal smack down of Wickham.
Although this is cute and fairly well written, it's much too short to be worth the money Amazon is currently charging to buy it and is not available on Kindle Unlimited.
October 31, 2017
Charming, Inventive, Brief Variation
About half an hour's worth of charming diversion. Witty and fulfilling - even has an epilogue! Everything a short story of this genre should contain, except for the desparate need of a grammar editor who could easily have made this true gem. Please dear author, do not forego this step on your next effort. Your talent demands you consider the potential errors before you publish again.
About half an hour's worth of charming diversion. Witty and fulfilling - even has an epilogue! Everything a short story of this genre should contain, except for the desparate need of a grammar editor who could easily have made this true gem. Please dear author, do not forego this step on your next effort. Your talent demands you consider the potential errors before you publish again.
August 4, 2017
Funny story
A well written, funny and clever variation with no angst. I loved twists on characters, especially Mr. Collins. And I loved Clarabella.
I wish it was longer.
A well written, funny and clever variation with no angst. I loved twists on characters, especially Mr. Collins. And I loved Clarabella.
I wish it was longer.
December 6, 2017
This Pride and Prejudice variation features Elizabeth being locked in a room with Darcy at the Netherfield ball with a suggestive book. They believe that they leave the room undiscovered, but this is not the case. The story however contains no angst as Collins is happily refused, Bingley makes an expected proposal and Wickham is shown as the scoundrel he is. Luckily for our happy couple their observer is not one that wants to start gossip and they soon find their happily ever after.
November 12, 2019
Sweet and silly
This is a strange little "what if" story, what if both Elizabeth and Darcy sought some quiet and solitude in the billiard room during the Netherfield ball, and they spent a half hour conversing and getting to know each other better. This is one of those quickie stories where Elizabeth changes her opinion about Darcy with lightning speed, as at the start of the story she thinks he's awful, then with one comfortable conversation all her dislike vanishes, and she's ready to fall in love.
The whole story is rather topsy-turvey, as Mr. Collins turns out to be not so offensive, and Darcy has no trouble deciding that he wants to marry Elizabeth, even though they hardly know each other. The storyline was difficult to follow and confusing, with some very strange behaviors on the part of Caroline Bingley, Mr. Bennett, and Colonel Fitzwilliam.
I wanted to like the book because it's such a cute and sweet scenario, but the writing was atrocious. So many sentences had to be guessed at for their meaning, spelling and grammar errors, punctuation problems, incomplete sentences, you name it. I can't believe anyone proof read this work. It was a major distraction. I can't really recommend it, even though it's so short.
This is a strange little "what if" story, what if both Elizabeth and Darcy sought some quiet and solitude in the billiard room during the Netherfield ball, and they spent a half hour conversing and getting to know each other better. This is one of those quickie stories where Elizabeth changes her opinion about Darcy with lightning speed, as at the start of the story she thinks he's awful, then with one comfortable conversation all her dislike vanishes, and she's ready to fall in love.
The whole story is rather topsy-turvey, as Mr. Collins turns out to be not so offensive, and Darcy has no trouble deciding that he wants to marry Elizabeth, even though they hardly know each other. The storyline was difficult to follow and confusing, with some very strange behaviors on the part of Caroline Bingley, Mr. Bennett, and Colonel Fitzwilliam.
I wanted to like the book because it's such a cute and sweet scenario, but the writing was atrocious. So many sentences had to be guessed at for their meaning, spelling and grammar errors, punctuation problems, incomplete sentences, you name it. I can't believe anyone proof read this work. It was a major distraction. I can't really recommend it, even though it's so short.
August 11, 2017
Ok read
The twists in this P & P variation are sweet. And I agree with other reviewers, this Mr. Collins is rather endearing. But for a short story, too many translation and grammatical errors. If it had been any longer, probably would not have bothered to finish. For readers who are not crazy about sensual versions of P&P, this one is mild, more a tease, which I prefer.
The twists in this P & P variation are sweet. And I agree with other reviewers, this Mr. Collins is rather endearing. But for a short story, too many translation and grammatical errors. If it had been any longer, probably would not have bothered to finish. For readers who are not crazy about sensual versions of P&P, this one is mild, more a tease, which I prefer.
December 21, 2017
Too pat
Meh, it was ok. Needed better editing. And events unfolded too perfectly. Hard to explain without spoilers. Not that all that much happens.
So it killed some time while I was sick, wasn't so awful that I abandoned it after a few paragraphs, but nothing to write home about.
Meh, it was ok. Needed better editing. And events unfolded too perfectly. Hard to explain without spoilers. Not that all that much happens.
So it killed some time while I was sick, wasn't so awful that I abandoned it after a few paragraphs, but nothing to write home about.
October 9, 2017
Short
Good read but very short! This is basically a fan fiction, so you have to be familiar with the the book and characters of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Good read but very short! This is basically a fan fiction, so you have to be familiar with the the book and characters of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
September 1, 2019
A nice little fluffy JAFF short story. Elizabeth and Darcy discuss an interesting book at the Netherfield ball and the next day they are engaged.
July 30, 2017
Unputdownable!
I rarely rate 5 stars on a short story but this has earned it.
Hilariously funny, sweet, romantic and thrilling read.
Searching for peace and quiet during the Netherfield ball, Elizabeth stray to the billiard room. On a table she finds a very interesting book which she settles down to read. Darcy ventures into the room and the blushes on his face reveals that he is the owner of the book...
Heartily recommend this book!
I rarely rate 5 stars on a short story but this has earned it.
Hilariously funny, sweet, romantic and thrilling read.
Searching for peace and quiet during the Netherfield ball, Elizabeth stray to the billiard room. On a table she finds a very interesting book which she settles down to read. Darcy ventures into the room and the blushes on his face reveals that he is the owner of the book...
Heartily recommend this book!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews