Book picks similar to
The Perfect Gentleman by Julie Cooper


jaff
austenesque
historical-fiction
pride-and-prejudice

Mr. Darcy's Perfect Match: A Pride & Prejudice Variation


Kelly Miller - 2020
    What can solve his dilemma?When circumstances compel Darcy’s return to Hertfordshire in assistance of his friend Mr. Bingley, he must confront his unfathomable attraction to Miss Elizabeth.In this "Pride & Prejudice" Regency novella, one afternoon spent in company with Miss Elizabeth Bennet is enough to make an indelible and life-altering impression upon Darcy, setting him on a rocky course towards the fulfillment of his desires. Will Darcy attain happiness, or will his ingrained pride be his downfall?

When Duty Calls


Belén Paccagnella - 2020
    Mr. Bingley’s departure leaves the eldest, Jane Bennet, heartbroken whilst Mr. Collins’s proposal induces Miss Elizabeth to make a hasty escape. During her flight, she happens upon Mr. Darcy, a gentleman she despises. A moment of solitude in the woods leads to rather improper behavior, and the couple departs with the promise they will tell no one about their minor indiscretion. When their secret is finally uncovered, marriage becomes the only solution to saving Elizabeth from social disgrace. Her other grudges against Mr. Darcy are amplified by resentment and the prospect of spending her life with a man she can never respect. Nonetheless, the marriage takes place, forcing the young couple to deal with their pride and prejudices as husband and wife.Originally posted online almost twenty years ago, this Regency tale of redemption narrates the struggles of two people, their differences, and their rocky start. But will they succeed in overcoming lies, misunderstandings, and their own errors to finally find love?

Darcy's Longest Day: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


M.A. Sandiford - 2021
    St Albans, Hertfordshire. Fitzwilliam Darcy travels north with his sister, bound for Pemberley. In his frockcoat pocket lies a letter to Elizabeth Bennet, penned the night after his disastrous proposal. He intended to hand it to her before quitting Rosings for London, but their paths never crossed.His plan is to call at Longbourn while visiting Bingley, now returned to Netherfield. Darcy broods over possible complications. Elizabeth might refuse the letter. Bingley might have lost Jane Bennet’s esteem. The militia (including Wickham) might still be quartered in Meryton …But these are minor worries. For what awaits him is a life-and-death struggle to protect all he holds dear, in what will prove the most momentous day of his life.

A Longbourn Entanglement


Monica Fairview - 2021
    If Darcy discovers it, will it spell the end of their fledgling romance?When Mrs. Bennet falls ill after the Netherfield Ball, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley postpone their trip to London to offer their assistance. But things are never what they seem. Before long, Darcy is entangled in a chaotic situation at Longbourn, and Elizabeth is faced with a thorny dilemma that could drive Darcy away from her forever.Will Elizabeth and Darcy muddle their way through the mayhem, or is everything just too tangled for them to find love?If you are looking for a sweet, frolicsome Jane Austen short read, this romantic comedy is just what you need.

The Many Lives of Fitzwilliam Darcy


Beau North - 2016
    In that moment, he was but a man. A man filled with more frustration than most souls could bear. A man torn asunder by his desperation, his fruitless dreams and desires.”After Elizabeth Bennet rejects his marriage proposal, Fitzwilliam Darcy finds himself in the most unusual of circumstances. At first believing the extraordinary turn of events has granted him an inexplicable boon, he is eager to put the humiliating proposal behind him. He soon discovers that he is trapped in the same waking dream with no end in sight and no possible escape. All that he holds dear—his name, his home, his love—remains ever out of reach. How will he find his way back to his normal life? Will one mistake haunt the rest of his days? It will take all of his fortitude to weather the storms of his strange new fate, and all of his courage to grasp the promise of his future.

Silver Buckles


Grace Gibson - 2020
    He was reeling. She was overwhelmed.Fitzwilliam Darcy, standing irritably at the edge of the Meryton assembly, declines to dance with Elizabeth Bennet. In a mood of revulsion, he rejects her without concern of being overheard. Country pretensions are always in need of squashing, and what better way to make clear he would not partner anyone outside his party? However, when he looks over at her, she does not appear humbled at all. She is secretly laughing at him!Elizabeth is perversely delighted to encounter such an outrageous snob as Mr. Darcy. When he approaches her with a stiff, graceless apology, she coolly brushes him off, believing that, like most annoyances, he will go away when properly snubbed. But no! The man then puts out his hand and, not wishing to create a scene, compels her to stand up with him.They go through the steps of the dance mutually disdainful and intent upon wounding each other. But by the time the musicians end their tune, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have traded barbs with such accuracy, they are unaccountably amused and engaged. Will this most inconvenient flirtation drive them apart—or, like silver buckles, are they a matched pair?

This Disconcerting Happiness: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Christina Morland - 2016
    Yet their growing regard may cause more harm than good -- for their families, and for themselves.

Impertinent Strangers


P.O. Dixon - 2016
    Intrigue and Desire. An impertinent stranger is thrown into Fitzwilliam Darcy's path and, even though he declares her tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt him, it is all he can do not to think of her. Upon first making Mr. Darcy's acquaintance, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is quite fascinated with him. Then she discovers that the gentleman is haughty and above his company, and she wants nothing to do with him. Still, the prospect of spending time in each other's company is beyond their power to resist. Will Darcy and Elizabeth stop denying the truth to themselves and find in the other what's been missing in their lives? You'll fall in love with Darcy and Elizabeth all over again while reading this heartwarming Pride and Prejudice what-if story. Grab your copy now! Impertinent Strangers is also available in paperback (270 pages) and coming in audiobook.

On Oakham Mount: A Pride & Prejudice Variation


Sophia Meredith - 2016
    Bennet insists that Elizabeth marry the odious Mr.Collins, she dashes off in tears to seek refuge on Oakham Mount. There she encounters Mr. Darcy, seeking distraction from his own concerns. In a moment of emotional turmoil, they turn to each other and Mr. Darcy is moved to offer a solution to Elizabeth’s dilemma: A marriage of convenience. But when this engagement is broken almost before it has begun, why do the two feel so bereft? Could there be more between them than a simple arrangement? Can these two proud, strong-willed individuals overcome all the obstacles that seem determined to keep them apart? More importantly, can they open their hearts to each other and to love? Find out in this reimagining of Jane Austen's beloved British Regency classic.First in the Pemberley Departures Collection; the stand-alone books need not be read in order unless otherwise specified.

Mr. Darcy to the Rescue: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Victoria Kincaid - 2015
    Collins proposes marriage, Elizabeth Bennet is prepared to refuse him, but then she learns that her father is ill. If Mr. Bennet dies, Collins will inherit Longbourn and her family will have nowhere to go. Elizabeth accepts the proposal, telling herself she can be content as long as her family is secure. If only she weren’t dreading the approaching wedding day… Ever since leaving Hertfordshire, Mr. Darcy has been trying to forget his inconvenient attraction to Elizabeth. News of her betrothal forces him to realize how devastating it would be to lose her. He arrives at Longbourn intending to prevent the marriage, but discovers Elizabeth’s real opinion about his character. Then Darcy recognizes his true dilemma… How can he rescue her when she doesn’t want him to?

The Gentleman's Impertinent Daughter: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Rose Fairbanks - 2014
    Instead, he meets a young woman who challenges his ideas and pulls his sister out of her melancholy. He soon realizes Elizabeth Bennet is the only woman in the world with whom he could spend the rest of his life. Elizabeth, clever and self-assured, refuses to change for the sake of gaining a husband, a prospect she finds impossible regardless. With wit and independence rather than fortune, she is entirely convinced no sensible man would have her, and she cannot respect a fool. Can Darcy prove to be this impossible man? Or is a figure from his past an insurmountable obstacle to a future with The Gentleman’s Impertinent Daughter? This was previously posted on various forums in a draft as St. Michael's Little Summer.

The Olive Branch: A Pride and Prejudice variation


Sarah Courtney - 2021
    Collins or watch him destroy her entire family.Given a choice, Elizabeth would never dream of marrying the pompous, ridiculous Mr. Collins. But when she refuses his offer, he threatens to reveal a shocking secret that could ruin the Bennets.Fitzwilliam Darcy has no intention of giving in to his unsettling attraction to Elizabeth Bennet. Still, before he flees to London, he cannot resist seeing her one last time and discovers, to his dismay, that she is now betrothed to her odious cousin. She did everything in her power to evade Mr. Collins at the Netherfield ball, and the woman he sees before him now is not merely unhappy, but afraid. Elizabeth is in trouble, and Darcy cannot bear to abandon her in her distress.As the wedding day looms, Darcy and Elizabeth become desperate to break the engagement without scandal. It is only when a stranger arrives—a stranger Mr. Collins seems to fear—that Darcy and Elizabeth have any hope of extricating her from this frightening predicament.As Mr. Collins’s plan begins to unravel, it is clear that Elizabeth may not be the only one in danger. Will she and Darcy be too late to stop Mr. Collins’s vile plans?The Olive Branch is a clean, full-length Pride and Prejudice variation of about 90,000 words.

If Mr. Darcy Dared: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Romance


Elizabeth Ann West - 2018
    . . As Charles Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy prepare for the Netherfield Ball, a gentlemen’s challenge develops between them to secure their future happiness . . . with the two eldest Bennet sisters! But when things do not go as expected for Mr. Darcy, Hertfordshire society is in an uproar over the pursuit of one of their favorite daughters by such a wealthy gentleman. Despite being claimed by Mr. Darcy as his future bride, Elizabeth Bennet has no plans to wed the proud and disdainful Mr. Darcy, no matter what her father says! At her sister’s urging, she agrees to give him a chance, if only for Jane’s sake. But there are others with an interest in breaking a match between Fitzwilliam Darcy and some country miss. . . The stakes are high and romance strong as two of Jane Austen’s most beloved characters dare to declare their feelings, dare to defy family, and dare to trust each other! If Mr. Darcy Dared is a steamy romance for fans of Elizabeth Ann West’s other works, especially those readers who love their drama cranked to a ten!

Only The Deepest Love: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Amelia Wood - 2020
    And knowing she is alone in Hunsford Lodge gives him the perfect opportunity to tell her how he feels, even if it means being caught in a torrential downpour. But Elizabeth is on one of her walks and could be gone for hours. Unable to wait a moment longer to see her, Darcy is obliged to borrow clothes from Hunsford Lodge’s groom before he sets out to find and propose to the woman he loves. When Darcy finds her sheltering from the rain under the folly in Rosings Park, Elizabeth’s hostility and the fact that she has been soaked in the rain makes it impossible for him to propose. But in a lapse of his usual self-mastery, he kisses her and, just for a moment, Elizabeth responds. But they are not alone. When Mr Collins sees Elizabeth kiss a man in servant’s clothing, he goes to Lady Catherine, who insists Elizabeth marry the fellow in question to repair her ruined reputation. And her rage when she discovers the man is her own nephew is so great Elizabeth and Darcy are obliged to leave for London at once. Forced to marry, Elizabeth and Darcy must find a way to reconcile themselves to the match. Before Darcy can tell her he loves her, Elizabeth confesses she has never liked him believing him to feel the same, leaving Darcy devastated and forced to hide his true feelings for her. But as they spend more and more time together, Elizabeth begins to question her prejudices and assumptions. And now, both must find a way to overcome their fear that they are to endure a marriage to someone who can never love them. Only The Deepest Life is a Pride and Prejudice variation novella of approximately 30,000 words.

Fallen Woman: A Pride and Prejudice Vagary


Arthel Cake - 2019
    Darcy has already left Netherfield. Torn by his attraction to Elizabeth Bennet, a woman he cannot marry, he retreats to Scotland, unaware of the social disaster that overtakes the Bennet family. Shunned by friends and neighbors, Mrs. Bennet succumbs and Mr. Bennet moves what is left of his family to London. As Mary and Kitty find husbands, Elizabeth and Jane are left to care for their failing father with little money and less hope for the future. After Mr. Bennet’s death, the sisters continue to live on the bare edge of gentility with fading prospects for happiness in life. But then Elizabeth accidently encounters Mr. Bingley. Both young women are drawn back into his sphere, which includes Mr. Darcy. Once again Bingley is plagued by his sister Caroline, who is as determined as ever to prevent his marriage to Jane, and whose machinations may go farther back than anyone realizes. Darcy is assisting his friend in his renewed courtship of Jane and as Elizabeth finds herself in continual contact with him a friendship grows between them, one Elizabeth tries to believe is platonic, while Darcy knows he is still inescapably in love with her. Torn between a growing attraction to Darcy and the taint of Lydia’s sin, Elizabeth struggles to find a way forward. Darcy has problems of his own. His sister Georgiana has withdrawn from her first Season, refusing to choose a suitor in spite of family pressure. Lady Catherine deBourgh believes she can force Darcy to marry her daughter Anne, and will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. And a threat from the past by Darcy’s old enemy George Wickham arises once more with the potential to ruin not only the Darcys but the Fitzwilliam family as well. Now at a Twelfth Night ball, Darcy is no longer able to deny his love and offers Elizabeth his hand. But Elizabeth, deeply damaged by her experiences, believes herself unworthy of him and rejects him with consequences no one could have predicted, forcing Darcy to face a turning point that will decide his and Elizabeth’s future in one last encounter. Finally, just when matters seem to be settled, Darcy and Elizabeth’s happiness is jeopardized once again by a ghost from the past as Wickham finally seems ready to strike.