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An Unsuitable Governess: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
Sparks fly when Miss Elizabeth Bennet takes work as a governess at Pemberley.Will deceptions, highwaymen, and a rambunctious eleven-year-old girl bring Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy together or tear them apart?
After rejecting Mr. Collins proposal, Miss Elizabeth Bennet assumes the persona of a widow and goes to Lambton to find work. But when she befriends Mr. Darcy's half-sister Rose and becomes her governess, she must contend with Mr. Darcy, a man she wishes to despise, and Col. Richard Fitzwilliam, a man she wants to love but cannot. With Rose's help, will Elizabeth find the strength to follow her heart?
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy would sooner face bandits than return to Pemberley and deal with his stepmother -- alas, he must do both. And when he discovers Miss Elizabeth Bennet in his home, serving as governess to his half-sister Rose, things go from bad to worse. Col. Fitzwilliam is falling for her. Mr. Darcy is too -- or would be, if Miss Elizabeth were at all suitable. Will Mr. Darcy stop denying his heart before his cousin steals Elizabeth's?
Find out in An Unsuitable Governess, a standalone Pride and Prejudice novel of 64,000 words.
Warning! This book one not at all wicked stepmother, one 100% wicked band of highwaymen, one rambunctious eleven-year-old, one deceptive governess with a heart of gold, one love-stricken colonel, one handsome gentleman in denial of his true feelings, one found treasure, and two happily ever afters to set your heart aflutter.
If undeterred, grab a copy of An Unsuitable Governess today!
After rejecting Mr. Collins proposal, Miss Elizabeth Bennet assumes the persona of a widow and goes to Lambton to find work. But when she befriends Mr. Darcy's half-sister Rose and becomes her governess, she must contend with Mr. Darcy, a man she wishes to despise, and Col. Richard Fitzwilliam, a man she wants to love but cannot. With Rose's help, will Elizabeth find the strength to follow her heart?
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy would sooner face bandits than return to Pemberley and deal with his stepmother -- alas, he must do both. And when he discovers Miss Elizabeth Bennet in his home, serving as governess to his half-sister Rose, things go from bad to worse. Col. Fitzwilliam is falling for her. Mr. Darcy is too -- or would be, if Miss Elizabeth were at all suitable. Will Mr. Darcy stop denying his heart before his cousin steals Elizabeth's?
Find out in An Unsuitable Governess, a standalone Pride and Prejudice novel of 64,000 words.
Warning! This book one not at all wicked stepmother, one 100% wicked band of highwaymen, one rambunctious eleven-year-old, one deceptive governess with a heart of gold, one love-stricken colonel, one handsome gentleman in denial of his true feelings, one found treasure, and two happily ever afters to set your heart aflutter.
If undeterred, grab a copy of An Unsuitable Governess today!
424 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 30, 2019
76 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 8, 2023
I really enjoyed this Elizabeth-as-a-governess-at-Pemberley variation of Pride and Prejudice. It begins with Elizabeth traveling to Lambton after deciding she must develop some independent means of supporting herself. Her mother's censure for refusing Mr. Collins has made Longbourn a living hell, and she doesn't want to impose any longer on the Gardiners. She plans to stay at the home of a friend of her Aunt Gardiner and find work as a governess or companion as soon as possible.
Her traveling companion alerts Elizabeth to two things: highwaymen have been menacing the area, and the Darcy family has been having trouble keeping a governess for an eleven-year-old girl. This turns out to be Mr. Darcy's half-sister, Rosalind, or Rose. Elizabeth happens upon Rose in Lambton, the two take to each other instantly, and Mrs. Darcy offers her the position. Elizabeth is reluctant to accept until she learns Mr. Darcy never comes to Pemberley, having disapproved of his father's second marriage. She gets along well both with Rose and with Mrs. Darcy and, within a month, has settled nicely into life at Pemberley.
However, once Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy become aware of the highwaymen terrorizing the area, they feel duty-bound to come to Pemberley and assist the authorities. Unfortunately for Elizabeth, when going into service she had pretended to be a widow, Mrs. Wilson, to protect her family's reputation. Darcy is furious when he finds she's residing at his home under false pretenses, but Rose and Mrs. Darcy intercede on her behalf.
It's not long before Elizabeth has charmed Fitzwilliam, who becomes interested in courting her. Darcy keeps telling himself they won't suit, and THAT's why he's putting himself in competition--to protect his cousin. (Yeah, right!)
The book has a nice mixture of romance, humor, and mystery. Elizabeth would really like to be more attracted to Colonel Fitzwilliam, but the spark between her and Darcy is undeniable, even though she doesn't understand him at all and knows better than to believe he considers her any more than a servant. Humorous scenes include Darcy and Fitzwilliam teaching Rose and Elizabeth how to throw a punch like pugilists, which turns into a tickle match. The mystery, of course, is the identity of the highwaymen and their threat to those near and dear to the residents of Pemberley. And Rose and Mrs. Darcy are nicely drawn additions to the usual cast of characters.
Overall, it's a very well written, enjoyable story. Content is clean.
Her traveling companion alerts Elizabeth to two things: highwaymen have been menacing the area, and the Darcy family has been having trouble keeping a governess for an eleven-year-old girl. This turns out to be Mr. Darcy's half-sister, Rosalind, or Rose. Elizabeth happens upon Rose in Lambton, the two take to each other instantly, and Mrs. Darcy offers her the position. Elizabeth is reluctant to accept until she learns Mr. Darcy never comes to Pemberley, having disapproved of his father's second marriage. She gets along well both with Rose and with Mrs. Darcy and, within a month, has settled nicely into life at Pemberley.
However, once Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy become aware of the highwaymen terrorizing the area, they feel duty-bound to come to Pemberley and assist the authorities. Unfortunately for Elizabeth, when going into service she had pretended to be a widow, Mrs. Wilson, to protect her family's reputation. Darcy is furious when he finds she's residing at his home under false pretenses, but Rose and Mrs. Darcy intercede on her behalf.
It's not long before Elizabeth has charmed Fitzwilliam, who becomes interested in courting her. Darcy keeps telling himself they won't suit, and THAT's why he's putting himself in competition--to protect his cousin. (Yeah, right!)
The book has a nice mixture of romance, humor, and mystery. Elizabeth would really like to be more attracted to Colonel Fitzwilliam, but the spark between her and Darcy is undeniable, even though she doesn't understand him at all and knows better than to believe he considers her any more than a servant. Humorous scenes include Darcy and Fitzwilliam teaching Rose and Elizabeth how to throw a punch like pugilists, which turns into a tickle match. The mystery, of course, is the identity of the highwaymen and their threat to those near and dear to the residents of Pemberley. And Rose and Mrs. Darcy are nicely drawn additions to the usual cast of characters.
Overall, it's a very well written, enjoyable story. Content is clean.
February 20, 2020
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars
As Rose said in her review...you have to accept that Elizabeth would leave Longbourn and with the help of the Gardiners travel to Lambton in order to search for employment as a companion or governess. She explains her reasons in part later in the book as being able to support herself since she wants to marry for love is a necessity.
Ironically she accepts an offer from the mother of a girl she finds talking to two boys and whom she then diverts away from the boys and makes friends with, offering to share a meat pie with her as they walk through Lambton. It is only after she has accepted the offer that she learns the woman is Mrs. Darcy, second wife to Fitzwilliam Darcy. When she then explains that she and Mr. Darcy did not get along very well in Hertfordshire, Mrs. Darcy states that he stays away from Pemberley and thus he will not be a problem. Elizabeth has lied about her background, claiming to be a widow, Mrs. Wilson.
Part of this story has to do with a gang of highwaymen who have created havoc with carriages traveling in that area of Derbyshire. Darcy and his cousin, the Colonel return to Pemberley determined to bring these men to justice and thus, when he meets Elizabeth her lies are exposed.
Elizabeth is forgiven and soon finds that she considers her charge, Rose, as much a friend as a pupil. The Colonel is charmed by her and asks Darcy if he has any interest in Elizabeth soon as to not overstep if he wants to court her. Darcy discourages the Colonel but does not give any reasons other than the facts that she brings nothing to a marriage, money or connections.
Of course, Elizabeth gets to see a side of Darcy which is in contrast to the character he presented in Hertfordshire. Darcy has not enlightened her about Wickham so she still cannot figure out the contradictions in his behavior. Darcy learns about his mistaken impression of Jane and sends a letter to Bingley without Elizabeth's knowledge.
Elizabeth has not communicated what she has been doing to Jane (or her family) so when some events (I'm not revealing) have Jane traveling with the Gardiners to Derbyshire once again Elizabeth has some explaining to do. Jane is then the one to be giving advice to her younger sister.
This was a pleasant story. There have been other stories in which Elizabeth becomes a governess but it is usually for Georgiana. Darcy's relationship with his stepmother has some adjustments to be made in this story also.
As Rose said in her review...you have to accept that Elizabeth would leave Longbourn and with the help of the Gardiners travel to Lambton in order to search for employment as a companion or governess. She explains her reasons in part later in the book as being able to support herself since she wants to marry for love is a necessity.
Ironically she accepts an offer from the mother of a girl she finds talking to two boys and whom she then diverts away from the boys and makes friends with, offering to share a meat pie with her as they walk through Lambton. It is only after she has accepted the offer that she learns the woman is Mrs. Darcy, second wife to Fitzwilliam Darcy. When she then explains that she and Mr. Darcy did not get along very well in Hertfordshire, Mrs. Darcy states that he stays away from Pemberley and thus he will not be a problem. Elizabeth has lied about her background, claiming to be a widow, Mrs. Wilson.
Part of this story has to do with a gang of highwaymen who have created havoc with carriages traveling in that area of Derbyshire. Darcy and his cousin, the Colonel return to Pemberley determined to bring these men to justice and thus, when he meets Elizabeth her lies are exposed.
Elizabeth is forgiven and soon finds that she considers her charge, Rose, as much a friend as a pupil. The Colonel is charmed by her and asks Darcy if he has any interest in Elizabeth soon as to not overstep if he wants to court her. Darcy discourages the Colonel but does not give any reasons other than the facts that she brings nothing to a marriage, money or connections.
Of course, Elizabeth gets to see a side of Darcy which is in contrast to the character he presented in Hertfordshire. Darcy has not enlightened her about Wickham so she still cannot figure out the contradictions in his behavior. Darcy learns about his mistaken impression of Jane and sends a letter to Bingley without Elizabeth's knowledge.
Elizabeth has not communicated what she has been doing to Jane (or her family) so when some events (I'm not revealing) have Jane traveling with the Gardiners to Derbyshire once again Elizabeth has some explaining to do. Jane is then the one to be giving advice to her younger sister.
This was a pleasant story. There have been other stories in which Elizabeth becomes a governess but it is usually for Georgiana. Darcy's relationship with his stepmother has some adjustments to be made in this story also.
March 30, 2019
Who dares to teach must never cease to learn. ~ John Cotton Dana
If you are old enough to remember Johnny Carson and the skits he did on his show, you will remember all the skits that bombed. Carson tried to explain them: “If you don’t buy the premise, you won’t get the jokes.”
This is a story where I had a lot of trouble buying the premise.
Elizabeth Bennet leaves her home in Meryton, telling her family she will visit the Gardiners in London. The Gardiners assist her to travel to Lambton to search of employment as a governess, with only a maid to accompany her on the journey.
So, to buy this premise, the reader must accept that Elizabeth would willingly leave her status as a gentleman’s daughter and enter service as a governess. She will take an assumed name, pretending to be a widow. The reader must accept that she would attempt this career in Lambton, near the estate of the unlikeable Mr. Darcy. Would there be a more unlikely location? Of course, she believes she will not meet that man! And the Gardiners support this deception!
But once I could accept this unlikely premise, the story had merit and kept my attention.
The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. ~ Mark Van Doren
Shortly after her arrival in Lambton, Elizabeth encounters a young girl. Her mother offers employment as the girl’s governess/companion. Elizabeth is dismayed when she discovers the woman is the second wife of Mr. Darcy’s late father and the girl is his half-sister. Mrs. Darcy assures Elizabeth that her step-son is rarely at Pemberley so Elizabeth feels safe to take the job.
A secondary plot involves a group of highwaymen endangering carriages traveling in the area. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam arrive at Pemberley to aide in bringing the highwaymen to justice. Elizabeth’s ruse is discovered.
The author gave me an early copy of this book with no promise of a review, favorable or otherwise.
What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches. ~ Karl Menninger
If you are old enough to remember Johnny Carson and the skits he did on his show, you will remember all the skits that bombed. Carson tried to explain them: “If you don’t buy the premise, you won’t get the jokes.”
This is a story where I had a lot of trouble buying the premise.
Elizabeth Bennet leaves her home in Meryton, telling her family she will visit the Gardiners in London. The Gardiners assist her to travel to Lambton to search of employment as a governess, with only a maid to accompany her on the journey.
So, to buy this premise, the reader must accept that Elizabeth would willingly leave her status as a gentleman’s daughter and enter service as a governess. She will take an assumed name, pretending to be a widow. The reader must accept that she would attempt this career in Lambton, near the estate of the unlikeable Mr. Darcy. Would there be a more unlikely location? Of course, she believes she will not meet that man! And the Gardiners support this deception!
But once I could accept this unlikely premise, the story had merit and kept my attention.
The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. ~ Mark Van Doren
Shortly after her arrival in Lambton, Elizabeth encounters a young girl. Her mother offers employment as the girl’s governess/companion. Elizabeth is dismayed when she discovers the woman is the second wife of Mr. Darcy’s late father and the girl is his half-sister. Mrs. Darcy assures Elizabeth that her step-son is rarely at Pemberley so Elizabeth feels safe to take the job.
A secondary plot involves a group of highwaymen endangering carriages traveling in the area. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam arrive at Pemberley to aide in bringing the highwaymen to justice. Elizabeth’s ruse is discovered.
The author gave me an early copy of this book with no promise of a review, favorable or otherwise.
What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches. ~ Karl Menninger
May 20, 2021
I liked the idea of the story, but for me there was something seriously lacking in the writing.
May 6, 2021
This is another of those books where the child takes the story away from the protagonists, so be warned. You'll love the new character of Rose. What's weird, I never warmed up to her mother, even though I thought I should based on the work the author did to convince me to do so. I found I also didn't like Colonel Fitzwilliam any more than I did Mrs. Darcy, which is also weird.
Note: my reviews don't summarize the plot, they summarize the technical difficulties and high points.
I doubt if a girl such as Rose would play with a miller's daughter and a tenant's daughter, so I had to take my disbelief and swallow it for the sake of the requirement of contrivances within the plot. It was a good plot if you made allowances for an awful lot of contrivances. Everyone always seemed to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, causing mayhem. This is necessary in a novel, but not so obvious and on a platter. There were lots of small items in the plot that were cleverly done, though, and attention to detail won me over as the author used the senses well to share her story. I noted one blatant redundancy regarding Jane at Rosings. Trust your readers to remember.
Here are the non-Regency words in this book: the ubiquitous "snorted" (Why would a Regency character snort? It's disgusting! Horses snorted in the Regency, not people!), "old chap," fiance, "wedding breakfast," and facsimile. Not bad at all, but isn't the last one rather obvious? However, the use of "compromise" to mean "to be forced to marry" is also an error. In the Regency, the verb meant meant "to settle a dispute by mutual concessions" (Johnson's dictionary of 1806, 1836). I'm so tired of seeing this word misused! There was an Americanism in the use of "we will" for "we shall" as well as using "written" or "wrote someone" when it should be "written to" or "wrote to" in Brit speak. I noted only one contraction.
A number of what I'd call typos marred the work, including missing punctuation, a missing possessive, showed for shown, and a word that should have been plural.
One big point that the above stresses is the lack of a good editor. Betas are fine if they're good betas, but obviously a great deal was missing in this team. Nothing like a British beta and a proofreader!
An anachronism that really bugged me was the men wandering about without coats or sometimes even vests and cravats. This was akin to going out of doors in front of women in his UNDERWEAR. The shirt is underwear in the the Regency. A Regency man would not be caught dead out of his dressing room or bed chamber wearing less than a full waistcoat, coat, and cravat, and make sure about stockings and slippers as well!
I didn't know if the author made a big mistake referring to canon or intentionally changed canon, but Elizabeth's portion in P&P is 1/5 of 5000 pounds, that is, the 5000 pounds is split between her and her four sisters. That means she gets 1000 pounds. A dowry of 5000 pounds is nothing to scoff at.
(spoiler alert) The standard waffling went on for Elizabeth and Darcy before they decided they could belittle Darcy enough to let him marry Elizabeth in her low state. This was really too much. I've read it before and it didn't come off any better in this book. In fact, if she's so low, then why are you forcing it on the reader? It's a contrivance, plain and simple! But the development of their romance was sweet, and that's what JAFF readers want, so I'd bet the big bucks I'm the only one who brings this up.
This book has excellent descriptions, as mentioned before. The author did her homework on quite a few items and I was wowed by some of the technology employed in the story.
Characterizations outside of that mentioned above: the protagonists were a little out of character, and I'm one to give broad leeway to authors for allowing D&E to take on the breadth of Austen's characterization, which is quite wide. But E is a Mary Sue in this book, and D is almost a Gary Stu, except with with anxiety issues. A great deal more could have been done with Austen's emotions. New characters were well done and the villains had balance. The author was clever in the naming of the villains.
The cover is lovely, and I love the purple. Is that supposed to be violet? I have a Violet in my next book--total coincidence. She's a sympathetic character. I believe this cover shows E appropriately for the content of the book, it isn't too much like other covers (though it's a bit like them), and the colour makes the book stand out. I think the font balance could use work, but I'm no professional graphic designer.
In summary, this book was more than your typical governess book, with its swashbuckling story on the side, and a bit of historical research to make it more interesting to the reader who loves that kind of detail in a Regency romance. This was my first book by this author, and I'd definitely try another if it were within the bounds of my reading preferences.
Disclaimer: I'm a JAFF author and my reviews could be considered a conflict of interest. However, I was a reader first, and my reviews are honest and impartial. I write them for the benefit of both the reader and authors.
Note: my reviews don't summarize the plot, they summarize the technical difficulties and high points.
I doubt if a girl such as Rose would play with a miller's daughter and a tenant's daughter, so I had to take my disbelief and swallow it for the sake of the requirement of contrivances within the plot. It was a good plot if you made allowances for an awful lot of contrivances. Everyone always seemed to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, causing mayhem. This is necessary in a novel, but not so obvious and on a platter. There were lots of small items in the plot that were cleverly done, though, and attention to detail won me over as the author used the senses well to share her story. I noted one blatant redundancy regarding Jane at Rosings. Trust your readers to remember.
Here are the non-Regency words in this book: the ubiquitous "snorted" (Why would a Regency character snort? It's disgusting! Horses snorted in the Regency, not people!), "old chap," fiance, "wedding breakfast," and facsimile. Not bad at all, but isn't the last one rather obvious? However, the use of "compromise" to mean "to be forced to marry" is also an error. In the Regency, the verb meant meant "to settle a dispute by mutual concessions" (Johnson's dictionary of 1806, 1836). I'm so tired of seeing this word misused! There was an Americanism in the use of "we will" for "we shall" as well as using "written" or "wrote someone" when it should be "written to" or "wrote to" in Brit speak. I noted only one contraction.
A number of what I'd call typos marred the work, including missing punctuation, a missing possessive, showed for shown, and a word that should have been plural.
One big point that the above stresses is the lack of a good editor. Betas are fine if they're good betas, but obviously a great deal was missing in this team. Nothing like a British beta and a proofreader!
An anachronism that really bugged me was the men wandering about without coats or sometimes even vests and cravats. This was akin to going out of doors in front of women in his UNDERWEAR. The shirt is underwear in the the Regency. A Regency man would not be caught dead out of his dressing room or bed chamber wearing less than a full waistcoat, coat, and cravat, and make sure about stockings and slippers as well!
I didn't know if the author made a big mistake referring to canon or intentionally changed canon, but Elizabeth's portion in P&P is 1/5 of 5000 pounds, that is, the 5000 pounds is split between her and her four sisters. That means she gets 1000 pounds. A dowry of 5000 pounds is nothing to scoff at.
(spoiler alert) The standard waffling went on for Elizabeth and Darcy before they decided they could belittle Darcy enough to let him marry Elizabeth in her low state. This was really too much. I've read it before and it didn't come off any better in this book. In fact, if she's so low, then why are you forcing it on the reader? It's a contrivance, plain and simple! But the development of their romance was sweet, and that's what JAFF readers want, so I'd bet the big bucks I'm the only one who brings this up.
This book has excellent descriptions, as mentioned before. The author did her homework on quite a few items and I was wowed by some of the technology employed in the story.
Characterizations outside of that mentioned above: the protagonists were a little out of character, and I'm one to give broad leeway to authors for allowing D&E to take on the breadth of Austen's characterization, which is quite wide. But E is a Mary Sue in this book, and D is almost a Gary Stu, except with with anxiety issues. A great deal more could have been done with Austen's emotions. New characters were well done and the villains had balance. The author was clever in the naming of the villains.
The cover is lovely, and I love the purple. Is that supposed to be violet? I have a Violet in my next book--total coincidence. She's a sympathetic character. I believe this cover shows E appropriately for the content of the book, it isn't too much like other covers (though it's a bit like them), and the colour makes the book stand out. I think the font balance could use work, but I'm no professional graphic designer.
In summary, this book was more than your typical governess book, with its swashbuckling story on the side, and a bit of historical research to make it more interesting to the reader who loves that kind of detail in a Regency romance. This was my first book by this author, and I'd definitely try another if it were within the bounds of my reading preferences.
Disclaimer: I'm a JAFF author and my reviews could be considered a conflict of interest. However, I was a reader first, and my reviews are honest and impartial. I write them for the benefit of both the reader and authors.
December 22, 2022
In this Pride and Prejudice variation Elizabeth Bennet is employed by the second Mrs Darcy as governess to her daughter Rose. Accepting only because Darcy is not expected at Pemberley. But due to the activities in the area of highwaymen Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam arrive. As Darcy claims no interest in Elizabeth, the Colonel decides to pursue her, but Elizabeth is only interested in Darcy.
An entertaining variation.
An entertaining variation.
Read
March 24, 2021Good story
I liked this Lizzy but would have liked more of a romance between lizzy and Darcys. Wished for an epilogue showing a little life after marriage!!
I liked this Lizzy but would have liked more of a romance between lizzy and Darcys. Wished for an epilogue showing a little life after marriage!!
April 5, 2019
4 1/2 stars
A charming, clean Pride and Prejudice sequel that follows a changed set of circumstances from the original book. Elizabeth Bennet cannot take her mother’s berating after she has turned down Mr. Collins’ proposal. She determines that if she wishes to find love, the first thing she must do is be free from the need of requiring a husband’s support. Her next step is to find a position as a governess or lady’s companion. She heads from her relatives’ house in London to the north of England. Fortune smiles upon her when she comes to the aid of a young girl, and the child’s grateful mother offers her a position. The woman turns out to be Eugenia Darcy, second wife of Fitzwilliam Darcy’s father; the girl his youngest, high-spirited sister. Elizabeth, with few options, accepts the position, only because the Master of Pemberley is rarely at home. However, shortly after beginning to work with her charge, highway men attacking tourists and locals alike bring not only Darcy, but Colonel Fitzwillam home.
Anyone who has read more than a few Austen sequels will know the path this story takes. But this one offers a different unfolding of circumstances. There is no first proposal, and Lydia does not run off and marry Wickham.
One of the things I enjoyed most in this story is the slow development of the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth. It’s helped along with a slight touch of jealousy on Darcy’s part when the Colonel determines to set his cap for Elizabeth. Darcy and Elizabeth are frequently thrown into each other’s company, and young Miss Rose has hypotheses, theories, and axioms of how the two might come together.
If you’ve ever seen the Katherine Hepburn/Cary Grant movie The Philadelphia Story, you will easily be able to visualize young Rose. She’s every bit as outspoken and impulsive as Dinah Lord. It’s a well written character; in truth, all the characters are well written in this book.
I read an ARC of this book, and I’ll admit that I found more than a few gaps and typographical errors, but I trust that these were fixed prior to publication. It took me longer to read this book than expected, not due to any problems in the book, but due to a one-two punch of my phone being quarrelsome (I usually read ebooks on my phone’s kindle app; it goes into the shop tomorrow for repair.) and spring allergies destroying my eyes. However, it was worth every minute I spent reading, despite needing to argue with the phone and trying not to scratch my eyes out. This is a very nicely plotted and easy to read tale.
This was a fun read, and not the same old same old of so many Austen sequels. All the important developments are still included, but we get some new situations and some new characters, some of whom I wouldn’t mind seeing in another book.
I received an ARC of this book for free from the author with no strings attached to her generosity. I freely chose to review this book. Opinions express in the review reflect my honest response to the work I read.
December 15, 2023
Good story with lots of imperfections
The story itself is interesting. It is completely riddled with all kinds of typos. There are quotation marks where they shouldn't be and not where they should be. There are a few times where a word is missing, but many times where it is duplicated in the sentence. There were a few misspellings. And sometimes the story seems a little stilted, jumping around a bit without seeming natural. All of that was incredibly distracting from enjoying the story.
The story itself is interesting. It is completely riddled with all kinds of typos. There are quotation marks where they shouldn't be and not where they should be. There are a few times where a word is missing, but many times where it is duplicated in the sentence. There were a few misspellings. And sometimes the story seems a little stilted, jumping around a bit without seeming natural. All of that was incredibly distracting from enjoying the story.
December 23, 2023
I loved it!
This variation was very entertaining and way beyond the norm, I was smiling throughout the whole thing. This is another variation that needs to be made into a movie, who wouldn’t love a story with a touch of danger and a healthy dash of romance, all sealed with a kiss.
This variation was very entertaining and way beyond the norm, I was smiling throughout the whole thing. This is another variation that needs to be made into a movie, who wouldn’t love a story with a touch of danger and a healthy dash of romance, all sealed with a kiss.
August 13, 2021
Original story. I found it not altogether persuasive about Darcy’s love for Elizabeth. He was almost awful for most of the book, and the explanations given to unwind the plot were, I thought, not very subtle.
March 29, 2024
Enjoyable departure from canon
This variation features an unusual and compelling plot, with the usual host of difficulties on the way to the HEA. Unfortunately, the lack of adequate editing (especially missing 's) detracts from the otherwise diverting story.
This variation features an unusual and compelling plot, with the usual host of difficulties on the way to the HEA. Unfortunately, the lack of adequate editing (especially missing 's) detracts from the otherwise diverting story.
June 2, 2019
It have some unlikely events, like the way Lizzy becomes a governess, but if you let them go, this is a very enjoyable jaff.
Not your classic "Mr. Bennet die so they must find employment".
Not your classic "Mr. Bennet die so they must find employment".
March 11, 2022
4.5 rounded to 5
May 31, 2023
Elizabeth becomes governess to Darcy's half-sister, Rose.
May 15, 2025
A pleasant twist on the Elizabeth and Darcy story. A change By Darcy's father has far reaching effects.
January 6, 2025
I loved this book when I finished it and feel I would read again in the future so I stand by my 5*. An Unsuitable Governess (AUG) has an interesting secondary plot with a band of highwaymen that have been causing a great deal of trouble in Derbyshire. Darcy and Richard decide to help with the investigation because of course, it's their home territory. This crime solving part was well written and kept me turning those pages.
Elizabeth is already in Derbyshire at Pemberley when Darcy and Richard arrive, which shocks Darcy and Elizabeth and intrigues Richard. Now the whole point of the story-bringing Darcy and Elizabeth together. Although I had to seriously suspend my disbelief at Elizabeth deciding to go off on her own (basically on her own,) to become a governess, changing her name to a 'Mrs.' and keeping all of this from her family except for the Gardiners who crazily enough go along with the idea. You've got to believe Aunt and Uncle Gardiner had some serious talks with Elizabeth against that idea but we see nothing of that. Darcy blows Elizabeth's cover as to her 'Mrs' status and name and her employer forgives her immediately on behalf of her daughter, Rose.
Elizabeth meeting Rose in Lampton and getting her out of a sticky situation leads to landing a governess position within hours of arriving. Elizabeth and Rose hit it off right away and Elizabeth is able to be a positive influence in Rose's life, and it isn't long before she feels very much at home there. She finds a certain friendship in Mrs. Darcy. Some of my disbelief suspending came with the ease with which Mrs. Darcy allows Rose to be friends with a girl with a much lower status, but I reminded myself Mrs. D definitely married up when she wed Mr. D.
The 'competition' between Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam over Elizabeth annoyed me. I believe the author used it to get Darcy to come to terms with his true feelings. And that's fine with me, except there was no true angst involved IMO. We've seen Richard-Darcy-Elizabeth triangles in JAFF before and they are always far more angsty, which seems normal to me. I found the scene with the punching/tickling to be absurd. When touching each other's bare hands in a dance was inflammatory, tickling seems utterly beyond the pale of propriety. Here you've got the Master of the estate touching what amounts to a servant in a very inappropriate-could be considered suggestive-which equals abuse. It creeped me out! IMO teaching young ladies to punch doesn't make sense at all. In a threatening situation it seems like it would be even more dangerous for the lady. I'm not talking about personal defense in the 2000's, but the 1800's.
The slow to grow romance was the best part of the story. The poetry competition was a clever plot device. The love between Rose and her Mama was sweet. Rose's defense of Elizabeth was endearing. I liked the lovely little side stories that were important to the end of the story. I was thankful Darcy's opinion of his step-mother evolved for the better. One of the questions I had went unresolved and it was the issue of Georgiana. Rose seems to have a very high opinion of her older sister and longs to see her, but she never shows up or is ever mentioned beyond the one time.
After all my complaints I have made it sound like a bad story but it is not. All these pieces come together to make a lovely whole cloth. And I recommend it.
Elizabeth is already in Derbyshire at Pemberley when Darcy and Richard arrive, which shocks Darcy and Elizabeth and intrigues Richard. Now the whole point of the story-bringing Darcy and Elizabeth together. Although I had to seriously suspend my disbelief at Elizabeth deciding to go off on her own (basically on her own,) to become a governess, changing her name to a 'Mrs.' and keeping all of this from her family except for the Gardiners who crazily enough go along with the idea. You've got to believe Aunt and Uncle Gardiner had some serious talks with Elizabeth against that idea but we see nothing of that. Darcy blows Elizabeth's cover as to her 'Mrs' status and name and her employer forgives her immediately on behalf of her daughter, Rose.
Elizabeth meeting Rose in Lampton and getting her out of a sticky situation leads to landing a governess position within hours of arriving. Elizabeth and Rose hit it off right away and Elizabeth is able to be a positive influence in Rose's life, and it isn't long before she feels very much at home there. She finds a certain friendship in Mrs. Darcy. Some of my disbelief suspending came with the ease with which Mrs. Darcy allows Rose to be friends with a girl with a much lower status, but I reminded myself Mrs. D definitely married up when she wed Mr. D.
The 'competition' between Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam over Elizabeth annoyed me. I believe the author used it to get Darcy to come to terms with his true feelings. And that's fine with me, except there was no true angst involved IMO. We've seen Richard-Darcy-Elizabeth triangles in JAFF before and they are always far more angsty, which seems normal to me. I found the scene with the punching/tickling to be absurd. When touching each other's bare hands in a dance was inflammatory, tickling seems utterly beyond the pale of propriety. Here you've got the Master of the estate touching what amounts to a servant in a very inappropriate-could be considered suggestive-which equals abuse. It creeped me out! IMO teaching young ladies to punch doesn't make sense at all. In a threatening situation it seems like it would be even more dangerous for the lady. I'm not talking about personal defense in the 2000's, but the 1800's.
The slow to grow romance was the best part of the story. The poetry competition was a clever plot device. The love between Rose and her Mama was sweet. Rose's defense of Elizabeth was endearing. I liked the lovely little side stories that were important to the end of the story. I was thankful Darcy's opinion of his step-mother evolved for the better. One of the questions I had went unresolved and it was the issue of Georgiana. Rose seems to have a very high opinion of her older sister and longs to see her, but she never shows up or is ever mentioned beyond the one time.
After all my complaints I have made it sound like a bad story but it is not. All these pieces come together to make a lovely whole cloth. And I recommend it.
September 11, 2022
Definitely not your usual Governess story!
Anyone who enjoys Pride & Prejudice fan fiction will have a lot of fun with this book. There have been other variations where Elizabeth becomes a Governess (for various reasons), but this one is definitely original and different. This “What-if” variation adds two important non-canon characters, a stepmother and half-sister for Darcy to dither over, in addition to his usual dithering about Lizzy. With just these two additions, we are off and running on a whole different road to a Happy Ending.
The author writes excellent dialogue and weaves several mysteries together to develop familiar and unfamiliar characters. The Colonel is strong and honorable trying to straighten out Darcy by saying things like “…bravery in the heat of battle is a lesser courage than facing the truths we wish to avoid.”. Elizabeth is witty even when she thinks to herself “ (what) …passed between them was neither civil nor safe.” Darcy is a pain in the a_ _ trying to defrost his heart, thinking about Lizzy, “He was … furious, enamored and breathtakingly smitten”.
Most of the usual cast is included, although some have an “offstage” presence, but their influence is still noted and included in the story. A sweet Jane, a confused but amiable Bingley, a ditzy and mercenary Mama Bennet, a wise Mrs. Gardiner, a motherly Mrs. Reynolds, and a craven Wickham all help our Dear Couple on their pathway to love.
In fan fiction, it is ALL about the journey to the happily-ever-after destination. An Unsuitable Governess is a creative and highly entertaining trip!
I received an ARC copy of this book with no attendant obligation and this review is my honest opinion.
Anyone who enjoys Pride & Prejudice fan fiction will have a lot of fun with this book. There have been other variations where Elizabeth becomes a Governess (for various reasons), but this one is definitely original and different. This “What-if” variation adds two important non-canon characters, a stepmother and half-sister for Darcy to dither over, in addition to his usual dithering about Lizzy. With just these two additions, we are off and running on a whole different road to a Happy Ending.
The author writes excellent dialogue and weaves several mysteries together to develop familiar and unfamiliar characters. The Colonel is strong and honorable trying to straighten out Darcy by saying things like “…bravery in the heat of battle is a lesser courage than facing the truths we wish to avoid.”. Elizabeth is witty even when she thinks to herself “ (what) …passed between them was neither civil nor safe.” Darcy is a pain in the a_ _ trying to defrost his heart, thinking about Lizzy, “He was … furious, enamored and breathtakingly smitten”.
Most of the usual cast is included, although some have an “offstage” presence, but their influence is still noted and included in the story. A sweet Jane, a confused but amiable Bingley, a ditzy and mercenary Mama Bennet, a wise Mrs. Gardiner, a motherly Mrs. Reynolds, and a craven Wickham all help our Dear Couple on their pathway to love.
In fan fiction, it is ALL about the journey to the happily-ever-after destination. An Unsuitable Governess is a creative and highly entertaining trip!
I received an ARC copy of this book with no attendant obligation and this review is my honest opinion.
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November 1, 2023I didn’t warm up to this story. Sounded too modern for me.
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