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An Invisible Thread: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
“Mr. Darcy! Good morning, sir. I am surprised to see you here,” Elizabeth managed to utter although she was shocked by his presence on Oakham Mount. How could he actually be here when he had been on her mind throughout most of the night and since she had awakened this morning?
Elizabeth Bennet has been back in Hertfordshire for months and she hasn’t been sleeping well. She cannot seem to get Fitzwilliam Darcy, his insulting proposal and his letter of explanation out of her mind. One day, she sets out for her daily walk and finds Mr. Darcy waiting for her on Oakham Mount. He renews his proposal and after another sleepless night, she accepts. As they start their married life in London, all is well until Elizabeth visits the modiste with Lady Matlock and encounters Lady Alice Thornton. From that day forward, misinformation, hurtful comments, Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s self-doubts come together and build a wall between ODC. Will Elizabeth learn the truth about Darcy’s apparent betrayal? Can they begin to understand the truth of what has really happened and come to love each other as they once did? Was the Invisible thread which once connected them severed beyond repair?
Elizabeth Bennet has been back in Hertfordshire for months and she hasn’t been sleeping well. She cannot seem to get Fitzwilliam Darcy, his insulting proposal and his letter of explanation out of her mind. One day, she sets out for her daily walk and finds Mr. Darcy waiting for her on Oakham Mount. He renews his proposal and after another sleepless night, she accepts. As they start their married life in London, all is well until Elizabeth visits the modiste with Lady Matlock and encounters Lady Alice Thornton. From that day forward, misinformation, hurtful comments, Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s self-doubts come together and build a wall between ODC. Will Elizabeth learn the truth about Darcy’s apparent betrayal? Can they begin to understand the truth of what has really happened and come to love each other as they once did? Was the Invisible thread which once connected them severed beyond repair?
344 pages, Paperback
Published November 17, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 30, 2018
This story has an interesting start... what if Darcy returned to Netherfield with Bingley... what if Elizabeth took this opportunity to apologise - and for him to too... but let's now complicate the situation by putting Jane in London and Bingley in Hartfordshire. Let's have a second marriage proposal with much more feeling than the first but with the special request that Elizabeth marry him so Georgiana is not removed from his care by Lady Catherine and the Earl of Matlock.... (This bit of the proposal seems pointless. It adds absolutely nothing to the story...)
Anyway, they marry... just before they marry there is some gossip, after they marry there is a bit more. Instead of discussing it, like the sensible people they are, Darcy decamps. There are two ways of looking at this. Firstly it could be that Darcy and Elizabeth would never have come to love or understand each other had they not met at Pemberley so things were potentially always going to be stressful.
Or secondly, these two are completely ridiculous and bear no resemblance to the couple imagined by Jane Austen.
I quite enjoyed the first half of the book. It quite captured my imagination. The second half... or maybe third, was just terrible. Lots of repetition, not much going on, lots of reflection by one character which is then repeated by another or a scene happens which is then discussed afterwards, with a recounting of what happened (which we have literally just read) with nothing extra added. Why?? It was almost as though once we get to the turning point in the story, it just lost its steam and lost its way.
The whole thing with Georgiana goes nowhere. The issues with Lady Catherine go nowhere. The issues with the Earl of Matlock go nowhere. The issues with Lady Alice go nowhere. Bennet is spelt with two t's in this book. There is lots of mention of an invisible thread... it's a very romantic idea... but there is no real evidence if it. These two don't understand each other and can't seem to find a way to connect... invisible thread or not. Despite the thread Darcy was missing and Elizabeth didn't know where he was. I hated that she called him a tyrant and he called her a minx. I have no idea why but it grated on me every time without fail. There is lots of expression of love with these two, but I just couldn't feel it and didn't believe it. Emotional depth was lacking
I think I can only give it a three star rating to reflect the promise at the start but the dissatisfaction at the end.
Anyway, they marry... just before they marry there is some gossip, after they marry there is a bit more. Instead of discussing it, like the sensible people they are, Darcy decamps. There are two ways of looking at this. Firstly it could be that Darcy and Elizabeth would never have come to love or understand each other had they not met at Pemberley so things were potentially always going to be stressful.
Or secondly, these two are completely ridiculous and bear no resemblance to the couple imagined by Jane Austen.
I quite enjoyed the first half of the book. It quite captured my imagination. The second half... or maybe third, was just terrible. Lots of repetition, not much going on, lots of reflection by one character which is then repeated by another or a scene happens which is then discussed afterwards, with a recounting of what happened (which we have literally just read) with nothing extra added. Why?? It was almost as though once we get to the turning point in the story, it just lost its steam and lost its way.
The whole thing with Georgiana goes nowhere. The issues with Lady Catherine go nowhere. The issues with the Earl of Matlock go nowhere. The issues with Lady Alice go nowhere. Bennet is spelt with two t's in this book. There is lots of mention of an invisible thread... it's a very romantic idea... but there is no real evidence if it. These two don't understand each other and can't seem to find a way to connect... invisible thread or not. Despite the thread Darcy was missing and Elizabeth didn't know where he was. I hated that she called him a tyrant and he called her a minx. I have no idea why but it grated on me every time without fail. There is lots of expression of love with these two, but I just couldn't feel it and didn't believe it. Emotional depth was lacking
I think I can only give it a three star rating to reflect the promise at the start but the dissatisfaction at the end.
September 2, 2018
This is a dark depressing P&P what if... but that isn't why it is two stars. It is two stars because of the endless dialogues, endless, pointless, repetitious dialogues. It is better to Show than tell well this book tells and tells until as a reader your are like "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP"
There is also just so bizarreness the author twists P&P so Lizzy & the Gardiners don't go to Pemberley So that's bad? No it's good because Lydia doesn't go to Brighton. So that's good no that's bad because the Militia doesn't go either. So that's bad no that's good because Lizzy has alerted the locals to Wickham's perfidy. So that's good, no that's bad because the reason she did it was because Jane never returned from London. So that's bad, no that's good because Darcy and Bingley come back anyway... Oh I give up any way in Sept '12 Darcy proposes, Lizzy accepts and they marry quickly because of a plot between the Earl & Lady C to force Darcy to marry Anne...
This Lizzy has been emotionally and verbally abused by Mrs. Bennet for so long that she has low self esteem and really would benefit from therapy alas it hasn't been invented yet so she is profoundly needy while cloaking it in a facade of 'rising at every attempt to intimidate me' ... and failing miserably and breaking down
"Now she's feeling more alone
Then she ever has before " Ben Fold Five
And it just gets bleaker and darker and sadder....
and then it gets illogical . The book is really rather juvenile with the actions of the adults being more like the actions of spoiled children and their excuses being ridiculous
This really is dreadful and pointless and unnecessarily depressing. I had marked this DNR but I found it on my Kindle and read it before I checked my GR list - lesson learned.
There is also just so bizarreness the author twists P&P so Lizzy & the Gardiners don't go to Pemberley So that's bad? No it's good because Lydia doesn't go to Brighton. So that's good no that's bad because the Militia doesn't go either. So that's bad no that's good because Lizzy has alerted the locals to Wickham's perfidy. So that's good, no that's bad because the reason she did it was because Jane never returned from London. So that's bad, no that's good because Darcy and Bingley come back anyway... Oh I give up any way in Sept '12 Darcy proposes, Lizzy accepts and they marry quickly because of a plot between the Earl & Lady C to force Darcy to marry Anne...
This Lizzy has been emotionally and verbally abused by Mrs. Bennet for so long that she has low self esteem and really would benefit from therapy alas it hasn't been invented yet so she is profoundly needy while cloaking it in a facade of 'rising at every attempt to intimidate me' ... and failing miserably and breaking down
"Now she's feeling more alone
Then she ever has before " Ben Fold Five
And it just gets bleaker and darker and sadder....
and then it gets illogical . The book is really rather juvenile with the actions of the adults being more like the actions of spoiled children and their excuses being ridiculous
This really is dreadful and pointless and unnecessarily depressing. I had marked this DNR but I found it on my Kindle and read it before I checked my GR list - lesson learned.
Did Not Finish
December 11, 2019I read to 35% in this book and needed to read an ARC … and never returned to it.
Just couldn't like Elizabeth and reviews hinted she doesn't get better for a long time.
It is making my "life's too short" shelf.
Just couldn't like Elizabeth and reviews hinted she doesn't get better for a long time.
It is making my "life's too short" shelf.
April 5, 2018
I am sorry but this was just not my cup if tea...
It failed to captivate me and I struggled to finish. Frankly I wanted to quit it after only 9%.
I did not like this Elizabeth at all. She jumped to conclusions and overreacted to a point where I felt she was rather stupid...
Darcy was rather ignorant as well and in one of the letters to lady Thornton he sounded more as a petulant child than a grown man.
The plot felt like a storm in a glass of water, not very plausible. It also lacked the regency feel. You will not believe the speed Richard is able to travel back an forth between Hertfordshire/London and the war...
There are embraces with lady Matlock at the receiving line at the ball etc.
Enters after the Hunsford proposal. Darcy comes to Hertfordshire to propose to Elizabeth to avoid the machinations of lady Catherine and her brother. Elizabeth accepts and love soon flourish.
***spoiler alert ***
When Elizabeth pronounces her love to Darcy he answers: "Are you sure you mean It?"
***spoiler ended***
Both of ODC are very insecure and that does not sit well with me. After a week, succumbed in their bedroom, their relatives start to interfere. Lady Matlock invites them to a ball and escorts Elizabeth to the modist. While there, they encounter one of the cats of the ton, her snide remarks sends Elizabeth into emotional spiral and from then on she interprets everything her husband says/does not say or does/does not do in the worst possible way.
Jealousy and misunderstandings drives the two lovers into a lengthy separation.
The whole debacle is mended after some frank conversations and the books ends with a rather nauseating epilogue.
I was so happy to have finished this book
(Edit: Corrected spelling error 05.04.18)
It failed to captivate me and I struggled to finish. Frankly I wanted to quit it after only 9%.
I did not like this Elizabeth at all. She jumped to conclusions and overreacted to a point where I felt she was rather stupid...
Darcy was rather ignorant as well and in one of the letters to lady Thornton he sounded more as a petulant child than a grown man.
The plot felt like a storm in a glass of water, not very plausible. It also lacked the regency feel. You will not believe the speed Richard is able to travel back an forth between Hertfordshire/London and the war...
There are embraces with lady Matlock at the receiving line at the ball etc.
Enters after the Hunsford proposal. Darcy comes to Hertfordshire to propose to Elizabeth to avoid the machinations of lady Catherine and her brother. Elizabeth accepts and love soon flourish.
***spoiler alert ***
When Elizabeth pronounces her love to Darcy he answers: "Are you sure you mean It?"
***spoiler ended***
Both of ODC are very insecure and that does not sit well with me. After a week, succumbed in their bedroom, their relatives start to interfere. Lady Matlock invites them to a ball and escorts Elizabeth to the modist. While there, they encounter one of the cats of the ton, her snide remarks sends Elizabeth into emotional spiral and from then on she interprets everything her husband says/does not say or does/does not do in the worst possible way.
Jealousy and misunderstandings drives the two lovers into a lengthy separation.
The whole debacle is mended after some frank conversations and the books ends with a rather nauseating epilogue.
I was so happy to have finished this book
(Edit: Corrected spelling error 05.04.18)
September 18, 2019
A good afternoon read
Let me start by saying if you can get past the formatting issue and turn your iPad the story is good. Darcy asks Elizabeth to marry him to save him from losing Georgiana after his last proposal in Kent. Elizabeth learns to love him, however has insecurities that lead to a misunderstanding. While this story is not one of my favorites, I did enjoy my afternoon.
Let me start by saying if you can get past the formatting issue and turn your iPad the story is good. Darcy asks Elizabeth to marry him to save him from losing Georgiana after his last proposal in Kent. Elizabeth learns to love him, however has insecurities that lead to a misunderstanding. While this story is not one of my favorites, I did enjoy my afternoon.
October 8, 2018
In this Pride and Prejudice variation, Elizabeth accepts Darcy's post Hunsford proposal. She had spent so much time thinking of her refusal and his letter, she did not expect him to propose again. They are happily married and Elizabeth is trying to fit in with the help of Lady Matlock. Unfortunately, there are evil people in the ton and our dear couple constantly misunderstands each other. Luckily for them, they are able to return to the thread that holds them together.
January 22, 2018
The thread never breaks
Lovely tale, they are both stubborn and insecure, and they stretch the thread to the limit.
I loved this Darcy!
Lovely tale, they are both stubborn and insecure, and they stretch the thread to the limit.
I loved this Darcy!
August 10, 2018
Formatting now ok
I saw no formatting problems like earlier reviewers. Nice they have been eliminated.
The idea that Darcy would take over a dead friends estate, without telling a wife or relative was rediculous . On top of that having Lizzy take over the running of Pemberley without him noticing was also absurd. There is not communicating, which is believable. But to the extent it happened in the story is just inconceivable.
Not recommended.
I saw no formatting problems like earlier reviewers. Nice they have been eliminated.
The idea that Darcy would take over a dead friends estate, without telling a wife or relative was rediculous . On top of that having Lizzy take over the running of Pemberley without him noticing was also absurd. There is not communicating, which is believable. But to the extent it happened in the story is just inconceivable.
Not recommended.
April 10, 2022
NO !
Poorly written. Confused vocabulary. Failed attempt at formal English. Everybody calling each other by nicknames after the slightest acquaintance...
The story does not make sense. Mr. D urges E to marry him so his relations can’t force him to marry AdB and stop Lady C and the Earl to take his sister away. Because Col F. is on the continent doing his duty to the crown, he has passed on his guardianship of Miss D temporarily to his father until his return from the war... so that is the premises of the story.
But then, Col. F has a leave of absence from the battlefield (on the Continent, in the beginning of the 19th century...) to attend Mr. D’s wedding 🤦🏻♀️
When E accepts Mr. D’s second proposal, she tells him had he proposed more "politely" the first time she would have accepted him, because she had liked him but resented him for his harsh words. However, a few pages later, she declares she had just discovered her feelings for him... What?!
Then there is W...🤦🏻♀️ But there I stopped reading (at pge 79), I tried, but I just couldn’t go on.
Poorly written. Confused vocabulary. Failed attempt at formal English. Everybody calling each other by nicknames after the slightest acquaintance...
The story does not make sense. Mr. D urges E to marry him so his relations can’t force him to marry AdB and stop Lady C and the Earl to take his sister away. Because Col F. is on the continent doing his duty to the crown, he has passed on his guardianship of Miss D temporarily to his father until his return from the war... so that is the premises of the story.
But then, Col. F has a leave of absence from the battlefield (on the Continent, in the beginning of the 19th century...) to attend Mr. D’s wedding 🤦🏻♀️
When E accepts Mr. D’s second proposal, she tells him had he proposed more "politely" the first time she would have accepted him, because she had liked him but resented him for his harsh words. However, a few pages later, she declares she had just discovered her feelings for him... What?!
Then there is W...🤦🏻♀️ But there I stopped reading (at pge 79), I tried, but I just couldn’t go on.
October 7, 2018
gave me a heartache
I am not really fond of a lot of dialogue between characters without a real conflict happening. At the start, I didn't get as much enthusiastic of the story. In the middle, when the conflict arises, that's when it became interesting. A part of me wanted E not to forgive D. He just left her and he didn't tell her what he had been upto. Not to mention talking to the lady ,who was rude to his wife, while they are in a secluded area . Also, I don't understand why they can't disclose everything in one sitting and in sequence (causing the story to get longer). It ended nicely, D partially redeemed himself
I am not really fond of a lot of dialogue between characters without a real conflict happening. At the start, I didn't get as much enthusiastic of the story. In the middle, when the conflict arises, that's when it became interesting. A part of me wanted E not to forgive D. He just left her and he didn't tell her what he had been upto. Not to mention talking to the lady ,who was rude to his wife, while they are in a secluded area . Also, I don't understand why they can't disclose everything in one sitting and in sequence (causing the story to get longer). It ended nicely, D partially redeemed himself
July 8, 2023
Very entertaining
Interesting variation with a unique storyline. It was written from the "telling" perspective with little dialogue, so no a favorite. The additional villain was a different secondary character that was unexpected. I'm not sure what the author thought Lady Catherine could do to end the legal marriage of her nephew, so her threats were rather superfluous. My knowledge of Regency marriage law is weak, but women basically had no rights, so basically Darcy's Aunt was SOL. There were some typos, but not enough to effect the story.
Interesting variation with a unique storyline. It was written from the "telling" perspective with little dialogue, so no a favorite. The additional villain was a different secondary character that was unexpected. I'm not sure what the author thought Lady Catherine could do to end the legal marriage of her nephew, so her threats were rather superfluous. My knowledge of Regency marriage law is weak, but women basically had no rights, so basically Darcy's Aunt was SOL. There were some typos, but not enough to effect the story.
July 20, 2022
Excellent
I have read this author before and was not impressed. I decided to give her another try. I'm glad I did.
The grammar and punctuation are not perfect. The characterizations are not perfect. I love it anyway.
I think I cried throughout the second half of the book. Yep, a tear jerker.
I highly recommend, especially if you are not looking for perfection.
I have read this author before and was not impressed. I decided to give her another try. I'm glad I did.
The grammar and punctuation are not perfect. The characterizations are not perfect. I love it anyway.
I think I cried throughout the second half of the book. Yep, a tear jerker.
I highly recommend, especially if you are not looking for perfection.
September 11, 2022
Tear Jerker
If you read this you will cry. What a storyline! There are few villains but many emotional battles. I've not read a P&P variation like it.
If you read this you will cry. What a storyline! There are few villains but many emotional battles. I've not read a P&P variation like it.
October 25, 2019
DHF
Read to 8%. Doesn’t feel realistic or in character, didn’t feel connected enough to read on.
Read to 8%. Doesn’t feel realistic or in character, didn’t feel connected enough to read on.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews