Book picks similar to
Willoughby's Return: A Tale of Almost Irresistible Temptation by Jane Odiwe
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historical-fiction
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The Forgotten Sister: Mary Bennet's Pride and Prejudice
Jennifer Paynter - 2012
She retreats to her room to read and play the pianoforte and, when obliged to mix in society, finds it safer to quote platitudes from books rather than express her real opinions. She also finds it safer to befriend those who are socially “beneath” her. When wealthy Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley glide into her sisters’ lives, Mary becomes infatuated with an impoverished young musician, the son of her old wet-nurse, who plays the fiddle at the Meryton assemblies.It is only after her sisters tease her about her “beau with the bow” that Mary is forced to examine her real feelings and confront her own brand of pride and prejudice.An elegant accompaniment to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, The Forgotten Sister plucks the neglected Mary from obscurity and beautifully reveals her hopes and dreams.
Imperative: A Tale of Pride and Prejudice, Volume 1
Linda Wells - 2012
The problem is, he cannot just keep the secrets. They demand attention, and action, and in hopeless times, a good man does not always think things through, even when he is desperately trying to do the right thing for the two most important women in his life.In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Fitzwilliam Darcy arrived in Ramsgate before his sister could leave with George Wickham. Things are not so easily remedied in this two-volume variation.This story contains scenes of a mature nature between a happily married couple.
Mr. Darcy's Forbidden Love
Brenda J. Webb - 2012
Darcy’s Forbidden Love is a Pride and Prejudice variation. Not a simple retelling, it is an intriguing new story that does not follow canon. It is rated for Mature Audiences. When Fitzwilliam Darcy meets Elizabeth Bennet for the first time, he is already married to another woman. Forced into a loveless marriage, in name only, to the widowed Lady Gisela Grantham because of his father’s sins, Darcy is obliged by honour to remain in the marriage to hide a dark secret. That unhappy part of his life, however, is quickly coming to an end as he meets the love of his life in a little known village in Hertfordshire. Mr. Darcy’s Forbidden Love is the story of a love that was meant to be—a passion too strong to be denied.
So Rough a Course
Laura Hile - 2009
Elizabeth Elliot is as beautiful as ever, yet no gentleman of proper stature has requested her hand. Lady Russell claims she is too particular, but Elizabeth begs to differ. She is not about to settle for a gentleman of no distinction like her sister Mary. Nor will she follow her heart and marry a commoner with no title but Captain--that was Anne's mistake. As for romance and the tender stirrings of the heart, why, only a simpleton would fall prey to such foolishness! But when the proud Miss Elliot encounters a pair of smiling Irish eyes in a most unsuitable man of vulgar connections, she is tempted to change her opinion. Almost. Jane Austen's beloved Persuasion provides the backdrop for this delightful romp set in Regency England.
Rumours & Recklessness: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
Nicole Clarkston - 2015
Finally confronted with a woman who ignites all his hopes , he agonizes over the cruel trick of fate which placed her in a situation beneath his notice. The morning after the Netherfield ball, he resolves to put as much distance between himself and her as possible.That very morning, however, Elizabeth's future is jeopardized by her father's untimely accident. With Mr Bennet unconscious and surrounded by concerned neighbors, Mr Collins presses his suit. Elizabeth's mother frantically demands her acceptance to secure the familiy's welfare. With so many witnesses to his proposal and everyone expecting her to make a practical choice, Elizabeth's reputation hangs in the balance.Without her father to defend her refusal of Mr Collins, there is no one to speak up for her... except the last man in the world she would ever marry.
Lady Vernon and Her Daughter
Jane Rubino - 2009
Unfortunately for readers, Lady Susan did not enjoy the same treatment by its author and was left abandoned and forgotten by all but the most diligent Austen scholars. Until now.In Lady Vernon and Her Daughter, Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway have taken Austen's original novella and transformed it into a vivid and richly developed novel of love lost and found—and the complex relationships between women, men, and money in Regency England.Lady Vernon and her daughter, Frederica, are left penniless and without a home after the death of Sir Frederick Vernon, Susan's husband. Frederick's brother and heir, Charles Vernon, like so many others of his time, has forgotten his promises to look after the women, and despite their fervent hopes to the contrary, does nothing to financially support Lady Vernon and Frederica.When the ladies, left without another option, bravely arrive at Charles's home to confront him about his treatment of his family, they are faced with Charles's indifference, his wife Catherine's distrustful animosity, and a flood of rumors that threaten to undo them all. Will Lady Vernon and Frederica find love and happiness—and financial security—or will their hopes be dashed with their lost fortune?With wit and warmth reminiscent of Austen's greatest works, Lady Vernon and Her Daughter brings to vivid life a time and place where a woman's security is at the mercy of an entail, where love is hindered by misunderstanding, where marriage can never be entirely isolated from money, yet where romance somehow carries the day.
Longbourn's Unexpected Matchmaker
Emma Hox - 2010
Bingley and Mr. Darcy to Netherfield? What would happen if Mr. Darcy made friends with a mysterious member of the Meryton neighborhood who refuses an introduction but who has a close relationship with the Bennet household?Elizabeth Bennet, the second of five daughters to Mr. Thomas Bennet has caught the attention of the rich and handsome Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy almost from the moment he laid eyes on her, but when he purposefully misinterprets her families expectation of her marrying well and slights her in a way unknown to those who have always loved Jane Austen 's acclaimed Pride and Prejudice, he must leave forever or make amends. Sulking in the library he determines to leave the place and give her up, but is waylaid by a member of the Meryton neighborhood who claims an intimate acquaintance with the Bennet family and offers up advice on how to win Elizabeth 's heart.Longbourn 's Unexpected Matchmaker puts a spin on Pride and Prejudice that no one would ever expect as Colonel Fitzwilliam attends Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy to Netherfield, Elizabeth Bennet is witty enough to detect the motives of Mr. Darcy 's long time enemy Lieutenant Wickham and Georgiana Darcy is bold enough to defy her brother and cousin and comes to Meryton in the midst of a storm. Not to mention Caroline Bingley, Lieutenant Wickham and Lady Catherine are all working against our hero and heroine ever finding their own happily ever after.Re-edited January 2010 - Second Edition
The Abominable Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
J. Dawn King - 2016
Darcy was an enigma... until he spoke. Then, he was the enemy. Miss Elizabeth Bennet's eyes are instantly drawn towards a handsome, mysterious guest who arrives at the Meryton Assembly with the Bingley party. The gentleman destroys her illusions by delivering an insult that turns him from Mr. Divinely Attractive to the Abominable Mr. Darcy. While Elizabeth sets in motion her strategy for retaliation, Darcy plans to win the campaign being waged in the genteel drawing rooms of Hertfordshire. As more players from Jane Austen's beloved cast of characters enter the fray, complications arise--some with irreversible consequences. Can a truce be called before their hearts become casualties as well? How many times can two people go from enemies to friends and back again before it's too late?
The Darcy Monologues
Christina BoydJan Hahn - 2017
Darcy has captivated readers' imaginations as the ultimate catch. Rich. Powerful. Noble. Handsome. And yet, as Miss Austen's Pride and Prejudice is established through Elizabeth Bennet's fine eyes, how are we to know his mind? How does Darcy progress from "She is tolerable: but not handsome enough to tempt me" to "I thought only of you"?In this romance anthology, fifteen Austenesque authors assemble to sketch Darcy's character through a series of re-imaginings, set in the Regency through contemporary times--from faithful narratives to the fanciful. Herein The Darcy Monologues, the man himself reveals his intimate thoughts, his passionate dreams, and his journey to love--all told with a previously concealed wit and enduring charm.
"It is your turn to say something now, Mr. Darcy."
Darcy's Decision
Maria Grace - 2012
Only in the quiet solitude of the churchyard does he indulge his grief. None but his unlikely mentor recognize the heartache and insecurity plaguing him as he shoulders the enormous burden of being Master of Pemberley.Not all are pleased with his choice of adviser. Lady Catherine complains Darcy allows him too much influence. Lord Matlock argues, "Who is he to question the God-appointed social order?" But the compassionate wisdom Darcy finds in his counselor keeps him returning for guidance even though it causes him to doubt everything he has been taught.In the midst of his struggles to reinvent himself, his school chum, Charles Bingley, arrives. Darcy hopes the visit will offer some respite from the uproar in his life. Instead of relief, Darcy discovers his father's darkest secret staring him in the face. Pushed to his limits, Darcy must overcome the issues that ruined his father and, with his friends and mentor at his side, restore his tarnished birthright.
Dreams and Expectations
Wendi Sotis - 2012
Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet quickly recognize their feelings for each other and form a friendship, but misunderstandings and a bit of mystery and adventure hinder their path to happiness.
Rainy Days - An Alternative Journey from Pride and Prejudice to Passion and Love
Lory Lilian - 2009
Darcy, and that gentleman's pride and aloofness toward her loved ones took them on a long, difficult road to happiness. In "Rainy Days," Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are caught in a rainstorm two days before the Netherfield ball, and they are forced to spend a few hours alone together where they talk, listen, and better understand each other's feelings. However, even when original pride and prejudice are overcome, new obstacles arise. The road to true love is never smooth, and surprises along the way enhance the passion of the journey. Rainy Days - an alternative journey from Pride and Prejudice to passion and love.
Mr. Darcy Takes the Plunge
J. Marie Croft - 2010
Impeccable comportment is mandatory in Regency England, a society governed by strict rules of conduct. The immaculate image of perfectionist Fitzwilliam Darcy is somewhat tarnished when he and his traveling companions arrive, hot and sweaty, at Pemberley and decide to take a fateful plunge into a scummy pond. An embarrassing encounter on the estate's lawn leaves a long-lasting impression on Jane and Elizabeth Bennet, who are new acquaintances of Georgiana and Anna Darcy. With both families in London for the Little Season, Darcy finds himself thrown again into the path of perky Elizabeth Bennet, but a handsome army officer just might blockade further advances. This romantic comedy is a lighthearted adaptation of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, featuring a softer, sweeter, sillier side of Austen's beloved characters.
Rational Creatures
Christina BoydJessie Lewis - 2018
"But I hate to hear you talking so, like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatures. We none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days." --PERSUASION Jane Austen: True romantic or rational creature? Her novels transport us back to the Regency, a time when well-mannered gentlemen and finely-bred ladies fell in love as they danced at balls and rode in carriages. Yet her heroines, such as Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Elliot, and Elinor Dashwood, were no swooning, fainthearted damsels in distress. Austen's novels have become timeless classics because of their biting wit, honest social commentary, and because she wrote of strong women who were ahead of their day. True to their principles and beliefs, they fought through hypocrisy and broke social boundaries to find their happily-ever-after. In the third romance anthology of The Quill Collective series, sixteen celebrated Austenesque authors write the untold histories of Austen's heroines, brave adventuresses, shy maidens, talkative spinsters, and her naughty matrons. Peek around the curtain and discover what made Lady Susan so wicked, Mary Crawford so capricious, and Hettie Bates so in need of Emma Woodhouse's compassion. RATIONAL CREATURES is a collection of humorous, poignant love stories set in Georgian England that complement and pay homage to Austen's great works and great ladies who were, perhaps, the first feminists in an era that was not quite ready for feminism. "Make women rational creatures, and free citizens, and they will become good wives; --that is, if men do not neglect the duties of husbands and fathers." --Mary WollstonecraftStories by: Elizabeth Adams * Nicole Clarkston * Karen M Cox * J. Marie Croft * Amy D'Orazio * Jenetta James * Jessie Lewis * KaraLynne Mackrory * Lona Manning * Christina Morland * Beau North * Sophia Rose * Anngela Schroeder * Joana Starnes * Caitlin Williams * Edited by Christina Boyd * Foreword by Devoney LooserMATURE CONTENT RATING as per EDITOR ALL STORIES CONTAINED HEREIN HAVE A HEAT INDEX RATING OF 1-3.(1) Chaste: affection and possible kissing (2) Mild: kissing(3) Moderate: some sexual references but not explicit
Of a Sunday Evening
Amy D'Orazio - 2020
Driven from his house, eager to escape the tedium and his own thoughts, he encounters Miss Lydia Bennet on the mean streets of London. An elopement is in progress but Darcy soon finds himself called upon to stop it. IN LAMBTON, Elizabeth Bennet is horrified to learn of her sister's escapade, and even more dismayed to learn that somehow, some way Mr Darcy has become involved in it all. Her feelings having already softened towards him, she finds herself returning to London to find a changed man has been her family's hero. ONE SUNDAY EVENING soon gives way to another, and sisters must conspire to give the pair the nudge they need to speak to one another. Sunday evenings prove to be not so disagreeable after all!This Pride & Prejudice short story is a sweet, romantic what-if with an earlier reconciliation of Jane Austen's most famous lovers.