a lovely lizzy and darcy story
350380
i really enjoyed this story, and from someone who reads too much JAFF i think that says something.  i can't even believe it was a first time author, and if i had known that i might have stayed away from the book and missed out.  to me, this is an authentic lizzy/darcy story.  she has a chip on her shoulder about being a country miss compared to the sophisticated rich darcy; sometimes i feel that books just don't get it with lizzy and have to make her into this modern feminist fighter when it is really much more simple than that.  and this darcy rings true, he's just a man trying to do right and coming across as cold and unfeeling - but he has been alone for so long without parents to guide him that he doesn't realize the coldness he eminates.

take a chance on the book, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
1702229
This book was very well written.  You will simply love Darcy, Col. Fitzwilliam, and Aunt Catherine.  Other than the foul language used, I thought the author did a beautiful job.  Instead of Lady Catherine being old, cantankerous, and mean throughout the entire story to Elizabeth, she actually got to the point of accepting her and putting Caroline Bingley in her place because of her disrespect of Elizabeth.  Not all of the cast from Pride and Prejudice had prominent parts in the story, (such as Jane and Bingley, Mrs. Bennet, Lydia and Wickham, to name a few), but they were all mentioned.  Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam were closer than most brothers, and they called each other names throughout the entire book.  If you can look over a few typos and choice words, I guarantee you will love this book.
894977
And yet again, this author delights me with a sequel of a lovely Austen story, Emma.  I am amazed the way this author takes the short story format to tackle a sequel that completely shares where the people of Highbury are at in their lives after the conclusion of Emma.

Some are happily situated like the sweet Harriet Martin who looks forward to her first child and like the lovely Emma Knightley who learned her powerful lesson and now is surrounded by those she loves as they await her first child.  Others are marginally happy like Jane Churchill who also awaits her child, but there are shadows for her and her still flirting and ever on the move Frank.  But others are disillusioned like the frustrated Mrs. Elton and her sadder, but wiser Mr. E.  The book even has time for a small twist for Miss Bates.

There were a lot of babies which I suppose was natural since the three ladies married at the same time.  The Martins were off scene, but I thought it was interesting to see where the author saw the other three couples after things settled down to every day life.  I thought it reflected well on her knowledge of the characters from the original.

All in all, this was very good and would have only been better if I could have stayed with the folk of Highbury much longer.  Austenesque Lovers will find a gem in this story.
3881344
This has to be one of the best Pride and Prejudice adaptations I've read. I normally stay away from stories in which either Darcy or Elizabeth have been previously married but this one grabbed me from the beginning. The twist in the plot was hidden almost until the end, although, if you're really paying attention you can figure it out, however, the angst was truly remarkable. Kudos to Amy for writing such a wonderful story. I absolutely loved Henry and Darcy was adorable. I wanted to hug him more than once. My other favorite, the Colonel, was also a welcome addition for me and I did enjoy his brother as well.
1504330
I chose this read simply because the reviews seemed to comfort me with the knowledge that in this full length read the couple are together. It is not true to the original although the disastrous proposal has taken place the precise and prejudice has been claimed and now is forgotten. When a scheming lady Elton hopes to ruin Elizabeth's reputation for her own self gain it back fires forcing the couple to merge their futures  in order to squash any damage that would later take place. There is never a moment where either regret their decision necessarily but there are those early moments of adjustment to what has taken place and both characters try to incision their future. The couple become close at pretty fast pace, some may feel too fast, I was convinced of their bond as Lizzy loved to watch Darcy charm her aunt and uncle Gardiner. He is charmed when she plays for all of them after dinner and as an added bonus he turned the pages for her. The early feelings of passion and intimacy is felt as the two experience innocent bumps and grazes while the music sheets are turned. The incident with Lydia  happens as does lady Catherine along with a short separation but all in all it has a light hearted feel. There are mild passionate moments between the pair ending with their marriage which only after was it truly consummated. I enjoyed the story and appreciated the mild angst. Enjoy!
134104
This Book is a follow up to Bedlows Fair Trade [which was awesome]. You need to read the first book in order to understand who, what, when, where and why. The second book attempts to explain some things; however, prior knowledge of the history of the events is needed.

We open four years later in the lives of our P&P characters. Jane and Bingley are married with children, Elizabeth and Darcy are married with a daughter, Mary is engaged to a viscount, Lydia is enjoying London, still the belle of the ton, along with Miss Darcy at her side, and Kitty is still running the Beau Bon-Bon Tea Shop in Meryton. Mrs. Bennet no longer worries for her own future. Her wealthy son-in-law has seen her moved from the cramped quarters at sister Mrs. Philips into her own large house full of servants, with carriages, and enough spending money for her to live comfortably. So why is she so dissatisfied?

This was a delightful story full of snow, sleigh rides, and baking contests for the bragging rights for the best dessert in Meryton. Each estate cook was attempting to do their best in order to represent their house well. There were several additional story threads; however, they were gently woven throughout a core story that of Mrs. Bennet and her Im not dead statement. Entering the neighborhood the arrival of the new owner of Netherfield an older man, yeah, this was simply adorable. I love seeing a mature attraction between characters that are of a certain age. It can happen.

There are a lot of revelations in this story. We are given a bit of history with Mrs. Bennet and made to feel for her. She changed a lot in this story. We see her looking differently at Elizabeth and with a bit more understanding than she ever did before. She also looked at her own life and decisions. We see Charles and his innermost fears. We see Darcy and his thoughts on what it is to be a father. We have a lot of introspection going with our characters.

The dog on the cover was finally revealed and made a daring rescue. It was so cool. All the story threads were not completed with this book. We ended with the promise of a twelfth-night ball at Pemberley and Mrs. Darcy having matchmaking ideas in mind for Kitty and Georgiana.
There were editing problems, which were unfortunate.
2924351
Some unexpected turns and some sad situations but a well written storyline I couldn't put down. One of the better Darcy and Lizzy stories.
328398
He Taught Me to Hope: Darcy and the Young Knight's Quest is a delightful alternative telling of how Elizabeth and Darcy meet and eventually fall in love. The story starts with Elizabeth marrying a young man of a wealthy family at age 17. Soon after, Elizabeth is widowed and 9 months later she gives birth to a healthy baby boy whom she names Ben. Flash forward five years when Elizabeth returns to Longbourn after the death of her father-in-law. At the behest of her father, Elizabeth becomes engaged to Mr. Collins out of a sense of duty -- to provide a future for her mother and sisters, and to secure a father figure for Ben.

Ben is simply adorable! He's imaginative and wise beyond his years. Ben's favorite past time is exploring the woods around Longbourn. On one such exploration he meets Mr. Darcy. Ben introduces himself as Sir Lancelot and Darcy plays along and says that he is King Arthur. Darcy's relationship with Ben is endearing. He lets Ben be imaginative, and basically falls in love with Ben before he realizes that Ben is Elizabeths son.

Like in Jane Austen's book, Darcy and Elizabeth meet at the Meryton Assembly. Their eyes meet across the crowded room and both of them feel an instant attraction. Throughout most of the book Darcy tries to persuade Elizabeth that Mr. Collins is all wrong for her, and after her broken engagement, Darcy persuades her to marry him. Darcy's feelings for Elizabeth never waiver and are steadfast.

I listened to the Audible version of this story narrated by Pearl Hewitt. She did an outstanding job, providing distinct and consistent voices for all characters, young and old. Pearl's narration certainly contributed to my enjoyment of this book. Great job!
756418
I really rated this book a 31/2 stars. This book is a compilations of the milestone celebrations of Darcy and Elizabeth. There 1st Xmas, Valentines day, Easter and so on. It starts out with there preparation of there 1st Xmas and a little miss communication which easily is resolved. Through out the book you see how they start to jell as a couple through misunderstandings and there love for each other. I did feel that the beginning was a little flat for me but as the story progressed it was more involved and there was the meeting back at Rosings and Lady Catherine. It was wonderful to see this confrontation and how Lizzy and Darcy handled it. Each milestone is met with different circumstances and was diverting to read. Definitely worth reading.
2236917
I really enjoyed this "what if" take off of Jane Austen's P&P. I applaud any author who attempts to bring us into the lives of Darcy and Elizabeth as there is much to brave when taking on Austen's characters. In saying this, the author did an excellent job staying true to Austen's characters and does an excellent job of keeping you turning pages to find out what happens next.
An enjoyable read for any Darcy and Elizabeth fan, wanting/needing a new adventure with these two.
I'll be looking for more books from this author!
4199747
What happens when you move Pride and Prejudice into the 21st Century, make Darcy a man with a boatload of issues including a compulsive disorder, and make Elizabeth an impulsive Berkley educated Doctor of Infectious disease?

Something utterly delightful and unexpected happens that's what!

The story begins with our main characters along with Jane and the other Bingleys arriving in S. Korea for the stated purpose of adopting a baby for the Hursts though Bingley brought Darcy to get him a much needed vacation away from his work.  Bingley unfortunately is injured and happens to be treated by none other than Elizabeth.  Darcy, in his controlling mode best, jumps all over Elizabeth for not putting Bingley first and this leads to Elizabeth jumping to conclusions and the beginning of a whirlwind relationship.  Their relationship is parts sweet, passionate, humorous and irritating as they draw ever closer to one another.
The second third of the story moves to NYC and Elizabeth sees how the other half lives and must deal with Darcy in his true setting and more importantly his past.
The final part of the book is where the reader must buckle up for the fast and bumpy ride.  There are foreshadows through the first parts of the book of villains up to trouble trying to break up Darcy and Elizabeth and trying to line their own pockets.  It is not until this point that the villains really get active and everyone must pull together to foil them.

The characters are well written with that blend of flaw and lovableness that made me see them as more than just shadows of the original P&P gang.
The plot was definitely new and refreshing with only winks and nods to the mother story.
I appreciated the attention to settings, pace, and shifting in points of view that really kept my interest.  Normally the idea of two people thoroughly misunderstanding each other when simple communication would have solved the problems would have driven me to fling the book aside, but I found the way the author teased out reasons and motives made me less infuriated with that behavior and more sympathetic than usual.

I must toss in some cautions here so readers know what to expect.  This is contemporary so we have a steamy romance, adult issues, and language usage.

Well done contemporary take on the classic!
2633259
"Falling for Mr Darcy" was a wonderfully fun and light P&P alternative. In this novel Elizabeth literally falls for Mr Darcy and he comes along and rescues her and brings her back home to Longbourn. This alternative has many positives and though it does have some angst it was an easy fast read. Loved how we get to see the real Mr Bennet. Darcy was still the proud and duty bound hero we all love and Lizzy is still a little impertinant! And of course we cannot forget the rogue Mr Wickham!! This book has it all. I recomend to all the JAFF readers out there. A wonderful read
2776399
I really enjoyed this book, it was a good read.  You discover that there are going to be a whole lot more books in this series, but that may be a good thing if the writing continues to be as good as this book.  You will not like Darcy in this book but you will fall in love with Meryton and the people who live there.  Lizzy and her family except for the most awful Mrs. Bennet.  She is worse than usual.  But this is Lottie and Bill's story and it was wonderful.  Don't miss this book.
4602828
This is my favorite Jane Austen story.  Her characters, Lizzy and Darcy, are so romantically written.  A perfect anytime read.
284398
This book has a fun twist on my favorite book. I am not a fan of the more modern takes on Pride and Prejudice, but this one had it all. Ms. Simonsen gives a wonderfully crafted description of the Regency life and the very probable reaction of a thoroughly modern woman.

As the other reviewers wrote, I, too, laughed and cried as I read the story of the tragedy that befell Pemberley and resulted in the modern girl, Beth being in early 19th century England.

I love that the story is so romantic and shows our beloved Darcy in all of his loving best. Elizabeth isn't around for a good part of the story but she is by no means far from the mind and heart of Fitzwilliam Darcy. When she does come on the scene, I nearly swooned with happiness.

Being a fan of Mary Simonsen, I have to say this is my favorite of her books and that is saying a great deal. I very much recommend the book.
3829221
This Pride and Prejudice variation is delightful. Told from the perspective of Mr. Darcy's dog, we get an intimate behind-the-scenes look at how Darcy became the man he is and how his love grows for Elizabeth over time. The author does a remarkable job  keeping the dog's perspective without making it seem contrived or awkward. I have read all of this authors other books and she always delivers interesting stories with characters you'd like to meet yourself. This book is no exception.
4126372
I really liked this version of the Darcy universe and how Mr Darcy and Elizabeth fell in love but in a modern time.