What do you think?
Rate this book
If I Were Mrs. Darcy... A Pride and Prejudice Variation
"If I were Mrs. Darcy... I would be the mistress of a grand estate, but who could tolerate such a disagreeable husband?" For Elizabeth Bennet, the simple assertion that she would not marry unless overwhelmed by the very deepest love has put her in an awkward position. For who could possibly measure up to her strict requirements? Weighing the value of potential suitors has become a game in the Bennet house, and while the younger girls participate in earnest, Jane and Elizabeth are considering their futures much more carefully. But when a simple game threatens to disrupt their simple lives, Elizabeth is forced to set aside her pride and see that true love has been in front of her all along. If I Were Mrs. Darcy is a sweet, clean Pride and Prejudice variation novella of 43,000 words that is suitable for all lovers of Jane Austen's classic.
132 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 10, 2019
21 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 1, 2019
This P&P what if has an interesting basic concept asking what if the Bennet sisters liked to play a game where they imagined their life with their future spouse thus
"If I were Mrs. Darcy"
But the book is simply bizarre. It makes pointless changes to P&P canon which actually disrupt the story. It is simultaneously rushed and glacial, bogging down on pointless detail and omitting major plot points.
First it moves the ladies meeting Bingley & Darcy in town to the day after the Assembly, it also has the militia arriving before the assembly. Jane is invited to tea, Jane & Lizzy go via their feet, while they think about the coming Christmas season. The assembly was at Michaelmas, September 29th. So it can be no later than the first week in October. Now who, aside from a greedy 6 year old or Walmart is thinking about Christmas the first week in October?
During the visit Lizzy runs into her arch nemesis Mr. 'not handsome enough' Darcy. Lizzy is injured and unconscious... but no worries she and Jane can go home the same day in their carriage. Also while out of doors Lizzy sees a Poinsettia Bush. Wow the poinsettia is a commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family. The species is indigenous to Mexico. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant to the US in 1825. So unless Netherfield is in Mexico or the gardener was Dr. Who this is wrong.
When their mother tells them that their cousin, Mr. Collins, is coming to visit. And he does arriving on November 28th, which according to canon is the day after the ball. And this is when I started to get a clue that either the writer is 12 years old or she doesn't even bother to read her own work. The Bennets and Mr. Collins again meet the Boys in Meryton and Bingley says 'I was just telling my sister we should have a ball' and then moments later pulls an invitation from his jacket. Damn even Amazon can't deliver that fast.
In the time leading up to the ball we learn that the Bennets are too poor to afford new dresses. The ball arrives and Lizzy sees Mr. Darcy escort Mr. Wickham from the ballroom and she follows them and gets into an argument with Mr. Darcy. In canon Lizzy and Darcy have spent time together when she was at Netherfield but that DOESN'T happen in this book. So when did two basically total strangers have time to form opinions of one another? Maybe it was in another book?
Anyway the ball happens they dance but don't speak and the Netherfield party depart without a word. THEN several weeks later Jane gets a letter from Caro, and the author reuses JA's letter. Except it makes no sense because it has been weeks not hours and Caro has been in London for weeks...
Jane goes to London with the Gardiners, Lizzy stays at Longbourn and I was getting confused because we are at 70% and Lizzy still hadn't gone to Hunsford. Well Lizzy gets there and almost immediately runs into Darcy who proposes. (WTF) And she rejects him and hides in Charlotte's cottage and refuses to see him. Until she says "I may have to leave sooner than planned" and a few sentences later announces, "I have written my aunt and I am leaving today" Now I am usually thrilled when the author lets things happen 'off page' but I don't know how Lizzy did it in the middle of a conversation. (Magic? and Owl?)
Then in what I can only call the worst OOC behavior I can recall Lizzy decides to confront Caroline about splitting up Jane and Bingley and does it on a street in London, then in the guise of a servant delivers a letter to Bingley telling him how much Jane loves him.
Now I am going to have to touch on the time line. Darcy goes to Rosings for Easter. Usually falling from very late March to very late April. And Lizzy left early; without ever setting foot in Rosings or meeting Lady C. Her trip to the north is scheduled for August. So Mr. Bingley had at a minimum 3 and at a maximum 4 MONTHS to go back to Jane before Lizzy left on her trip. Unless you are an eternal optimist I am pretty sure you would think this is a lost cause.
Then Lizzy & the Gardiners (still think this is an awesome name for a band) head to Pemberley where more inconsistencies await us. Lizzy thinks it is more family oriented than Rosings, the interior of which she never saw. Aunt Gardiner tells her that Mrs. Reynolds has invited them to stay for Luncheon then later that she brought a picnic basket from the Inn.
Later while Lizzy is standing in the garden playing "If I was Mrs. Darcy" Aloud! Mr Darcy sneaks up behind her, reissues his proposal and is accepted and we all live HEA, except the reader who needs brain bleach to get this crap out of his or her head. I am just going to reiterate these aren't D&L from canon, they have had maybe 5 encounters, 6 if you count him carrying her unconscious body into Netherfield. They have never had a proper conversation. They haven't taken a single walk, discussed a single book or probably even eaten a meal together.
So I ask How could he possibly be in love with her? And how could she possibly be in love with him.
It is utter garbage. In my rush to rid my brain of this terrible mess I omitted the errors of Luisa losing her O (or maybe Netherfield is in Mexico, hmmm) and 'grant' for grand.
"If I were Mrs. Darcy"
But the book is simply bizarre. It makes pointless changes to P&P canon which actually disrupt the story. It is simultaneously rushed and glacial, bogging down on pointless detail and omitting major plot points.
First it moves the ladies meeting Bingley & Darcy in town to the day after the Assembly, it also has the militia arriving before the assembly. Jane is invited to tea, Jane & Lizzy go via their feet, while they think about the coming Christmas season. The assembly was at Michaelmas, September 29th. So it can be no later than the first week in October. Now who, aside from a greedy 6 year old or Walmart is thinking about Christmas the first week in October?
During the visit Lizzy runs into her arch nemesis Mr. 'not handsome enough' Darcy. Lizzy is injured and unconscious... but no worries she and Jane can go home the same day in their carriage. Also while out of doors Lizzy sees a Poinsettia Bush. Wow the poinsettia is a commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family. The species is indigenous to Mexico. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant to the US in 1825. So unless Netherfield is in Mexico or the gardener was Dr. Who this is wrong.
When their mother tells them that their cousin, Mr. Collins, is coming to visit. And he does arriving on November 28th, which according to canon is the day after the ball. And this is when I started to get a clue that either the writer is 12 years old or she doesn't even bother to read her own work. The Bennets and Mr. Collins again meet the Boys in Meryton and Bingley says 'I was just telling my sister we should have a ball' and then moments later pulls an invitation from his jacket. Damn even Amazon can't deliver that fast.
In the time leading up to the ball we learn that the Bennets are too poor to afford new dresses. The ball arrives and Lizzy sees Mr. Darcy escort Mr. Wickham from the ballroom and she follows them and gets into an argument with Mr. Darcy. In canon Lizzy and Darcy have spent time together when she was at Netherfield but that DOESN'T happen in this book. So when did two basically total strangers have time to form opinions of one another? Maybe it was in another book?
Anyway the ball happens they dance but don't speak and the Netherfield party depart without a word. THEN several weeks later Jane gets a letter from Caro, and the author reuses JA's letter. Except it makes no sense because it has been weeks not hours and Caro has been in London for weeks...
Jane goes to London with the Gardiners, Lizzy stays at Longbourn and I was getting confused because we are at 70% and Lizzy still hadn't gone to Hunsford. Well Lizzy gets there and almost immediately runs into Darcy who proposes. (WTF) And she rejects him and hides in Charlotte's cottage and refuses to see him. Until she says "I may have to leave sooner than planned" and a few sentences later announces, "I have written my aunt and I am leaving today" Now I am usually thrilled when the author lets things happen 'off page' but I don't know how Lizzy did it in the middle of a conversation. (Magic? and Owl?)
Then in what I can only call the worst OOC behavior I can recall Lizzy decides to confront Caroline about splitting up Jane and Bingley and does it on a street in London, then in the guise of a servant delivers a letter to Bingley telling him how much Jane loves him.
Now I am going to have to touch on the time line. Darcy goes to Rosings for Easter. Usually falling from very late March to very late April. And Lizzy left early; without ever setting foot in Rosings or meeting Lady C. Her trip to the north is scheduled for August. So Mr. Bingley had at a minimum 3 and at a maximum 4 MONTHS to go back to Jane before Lizzy left on her trip. Unless you are an eternal optimist I am pretty sure you would think this is a lost cause.
Then Lizzy & the Gardiners (still think this is an awesome name for a band) head to Pemberley where more inconsistencies await us. Lizzy thinks it is more family oriented than Rosings, the interior of which she never saw. Aunt Gardiner tells her that Mrs. Reynolds has invited them to stay for Luncheon then later that she brought a picnic basket from the Inn.
Later while Lizzy is standing in the garden playing "If I was Mrs. Darcy" Aloud! Mr Darcy sneaks up behind her, reissues his proposal and is accepted and we all live HEA, except the reader who needs brain bleach to get this crap out of his or her head. I am just going to reiterate these aren't D&L from canon, they have had maybe 5 encounters, 6 if you count him carrying her unconscious body into Netherfield. They have never had a proper conversation. They haven't taken a single walk, discussed a single book or probably even eaten a meal together.
So I ask How could he possibly be in love with her? And how could she possibly be in love with him.
It is utter garbage. In my rush to rid my brain of this terrible mess I omitted the errors of Luisa losing her O (or maybe Netherfield is in Mexico, hmmm) and 'grant' for grand.
July 25, 2019
Trapped by reality, freed by imagination. ~ Nicolas Manetta
The Bennet sisters play a silly game.
Originally from the imagination of the oldest sisters, the game has been adopted by the youngest sisters. It is called … “If I were Mrs. …”
Quote from the book: “If I were Mrs. Denny, we would ride out on a fine horse every Sunday.”
Quote from the book: “If I were Mrs. Bingley I would be sure that my dear sisters would be always away in London and never here.”
Of course, Elizabeth never plays “If I were Mrs. Darcy” – the thought horrifies her.
And then … a proposal.
“If I Were Mrs. Darcy” is a short clean story. An unfortunate use of the word “grown” begins the story; it made me groan. Some plot lines were confusing and our heroine holds on to her resentment much too long.
But Elizabeth scores a win in her silly game and ends the story at Pemberley. Very sweet.
Imagination is the soul's happiest retreat. ~ James Lendall Basford (1845–1915)
The Bennet sisters play a silly game.
Originally from the imagination of the oldest sisters, the game has been adopted by the youngest sisters. It is called … “If I were Mrs. …”
Quote from the book: “If I were Mrs. Denny, we would ride out on a fine horse every Sunday.”
Quote from the book: “If I were Mrs. Bingley I would be sure that my dear sisters would be always away in London and never here.”
Of course, Elizabeth never plays “If I were Mrs. Darcy” – the thought horrifies her.
And then … a proposal.
“If I Were Mrs. Darcy” is a short clean story. An unfortunate use of the word “grown” begins the story; it made me groan. Some plot lines were confusing and our heroine holds on to her resentment much too long.
But Elizabeth scores a win in her silly game and ends the story at Pemberley. Very sweet.
Imagination is the soul's happiest retreat. ~ James Lendall Basford (1845–1915)
June 10, 2024
SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***
>>Rating: clean for all audiences
>>Angst Level: slight: mostly, frustration at the errors and the juxtaposition in the events and timeline.
>>Source: Own/Purchase
>>Timeline: The author tweaked the timeline and everything felt off and rushed.
This should be considered the Spark Notes for Pride and Prejudice. There were errors, condensed scenes, and a skewed timeline, making the story feel off. Several canon scenes were scrunched into one which felt strange. The errors were enough to pull one from the story. Louisa vs Luisa, Longbourn vs Longboune. Jane and Elizabeth walked to tea at Netherfield and made it before the rain. While there, Elizabeth fell and sprained her ankle. Mrs. Bennet arrived in the carriage to retrieve them. The Netherfield Ball was later in November. Mr. Darcy hardly had a scene with Elizabeth and yet, he was in love with her. Wickham attended the ball. Lydia didn’t follow the militia to Brighton. Elizabeth never met Lady Catherine. It felt off.
>>Rating: clean for all audiences
>>Angst Level: slight: mostly, frustration at the errors and the juxtaposition in the events and timeline.
>>Source: Own/Purchase
>>Timeline: The author tweaked the timeline and everything felt off and rushed.
This should be considered the Spark Notes for Pride and Prejudice. There were errors, condensed scenes, and a skewed timeline, making the story feel off. Several canon scenes were scrunched into one which felt strange. The errors were enough to pull one from the story. Louisa vs Luisa, Longbourn vs Longboune. Jane and Elizabeth walked to tea at Netherfield and made it before the rain. While there, Elizabeth fell and sprained her ankle. Mrs. Bennet arrived in the carriage to retrieve them. The Netherfield Ball was later in November. Mr. Darcy hardly had a scene with Elizabeth and yet, he was in love with her. Wickham attended the ball. Lydia didn’t follow the militia to Brighton. Elizabeth never met Lady Catherine. It felt off.
August 28, 2019
In this novella, Elizabeth Bennet is over the top and gets on my nerves. This is a Lizzy whose predjudice levels are through the roof. It takes a LOT to make her see the world in a different way/without her blinders on. I did not like her.
The concept that the author started with sounds lovely. The Bennet girls play a wish game "If I were" to pass the time. However, one must be careful who is listening. The story uses the game to connect the plot.
For the story itself, I thought parts were cute but the ending gave me whiplash.
The concept that the author started with sounds lovely. The Bennet girls play a wish game "If I were" to pass the time. However, one must be careful who is listening. The story uses the game to connect the plot.
For the story itself, I thought parts were cute but the ending gave me whiplash.
August 2, 2019
Needs a serious proof read - Mrs Collins works for Lady C, while Mr Bigley likes Jane etc.
The idea of the game sounded interesting but is in fact only a tiny bit of the story. The book is basically a poorer rewrite of the canon storyline with a condensed timeline which makes no sense. There are only 2 weeks between the assembly and the ball, and the main characters only meet 2/3 times in all, so how everyone is supposed to be so well acquainted never mind fall in love is never explained. Any depth or hint of extra plot lines aren’t followed up. Where the story diverges from canon, Lizzy’s behaviour is worse than Mrs Bennet & Lydia combined.
The idea of the game sounded interesting but is in fact only a tiny bit of the story. The book is basically a poorer rewrite of the canon storyline with a condensed timeline which makes no sense. There are only 2 weeks between the assembly and the ball, and the main characters only meet 2/3 times in all, so how everyone is supposed to be so well acquainted never mind fall in love is never explained. Any depth or hint of extra plot lines aren’t followed up. Where the story diverges from canon, Lizzy’s behaviour is worse than Mrs Bennet & Lydia combined.
February 2, 2020
This story didn't really work
This variation started off quite well, although it needs a lot of editing. As it progressed the story became more incomprehensible. Darcy's character was one dimensional and he was such a remote person in the story that Elizabeth's emotional turnaround was totally lacking in realism. Several geographical mistakes as well although understable if the author isn't from the UK.
This variation started off quite well, although it needs a lot of editing. As it progressed the story became more incomprehensible. Darcy's character was one dimensional and he was such a remote person in the story that Elizabeth's emotional turnaround was totally lacking in realism. Several geographical mistakes as well although understable if the author isn't from the UK.
April 13, 2020
Please re-edit...and flesh out your story
Nope, don't bother. The idea COULD have been original, but it just ends up being a copy of the original with just the timing of events to be different. Almost no Darcy/Elizabeth interaction at all and the poor editing is also a distraction. Skip this one.
Nope, don't bother. The idea COULD have been original, but it just ends up being a copy of the original with just the timing of events to be different. Almost no Darcy/Elizabeth interaction at all and the poor editing is also a distraction. Skip this one.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews