4.5 rounded up to 5 stars
If you accept the author's version of Elizabeth and Darcy's characters, I think you'll really love it. I do have the following warning, though.
Jane Austen's Elizabeth is light and lively, and her insults are couched in such pretty language that the recipient can't even be certain he/she is actually BEING insulted. Ms. Jeffers' Elizabeth in this book is impulsive and feisty, and subtlety is far from being our heroine's forte. Darcy is under no illusion that she likes him, as her Katherina-type comments are clearly insulting!
As for Darcy, he isn't shown to hang around the fringes of society the way he usually does. Although his family members make a comment a two that implies he's been known to do so, I don't note that in the pages of this book. While he's definitely not as outgoing and uninhibited as Petruchio, this character seems much more engaging than the usual Darcy. He does not make a bad impression on the denizens of Meryton.
He definitely makes a bad one on Elizabeth, though! She has a knee-jerk negative reaction to him, and they're off exchanging Katherina and Petruchio quotes at their very first meeting, long before Mr. Bennet's suggestion that Darcy take Shakespeare's approach with his fiery daughter. The back and forth between the two protagonists is wonderfully done.
It's clear these two are well matched from the beginning, and Darcy doesn't fight too hard against his attraction to this country spitfire. But there's a lovely tension within Elizabeth, who is strongly drawn to Darcy physically while truly believing that he's too smug and obnoxious and that she doesn't want anything to do with him. Their shared physical attraction leads to a passionate kiss in front of witnesses. Now Elizabeth is stuck having to marry the guy!
As if the two don't have enough problems just working out their basic relationship issues, that dastardly Wickham pops up to make trouble. He's like that dog poo you stepped in that you can't completely get off the sole of your foot, no matter how hard you try. Colonel Fitzwilliam is around to keep him in line, but will that be enough? Both Elizabeth and Darcy make mistakes in handling Wickham's appearance in their lives, leading to estrangement between them. Darcy believes that Elizabeth has betrayed his trust, but he never really shows any trust for her, either.
I love both Lord and Lady Matlock here! Lady Catherine is her usual pain-in-the-butt self, as are Caroline Bingley and Lydia. Sometimes Elizabeth doesn't seem as intelligent as she ought to be, but I've known some really smart people who do NOT think things through clearly at times of high emotion. Elizabeth proves herself to be one of those. So does Darcy, for that matter.
Don't worry that Darcy will employ the abusive methods Petruchio uses on Katherina after marriage. Darcy makes his expectations clear and he never mistreats Elizabeth, although he does misjudge her and acts accordingly. (No more than she misjudges and acts.) While there are scenes that are technically "in the bedroom," there are no intimate details described beyond conversation and kissing. I consider it a very clean read.
And a really good one!