Book picks similar to
1932 by Karen M. Cox


romance
fiction
historical-fiction
austenesque

Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature's Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart


Laurel Ann NattressSyrie James - 2011
    Sullivan • and Brenna Aubrey, the winner of a story contest hosted by the Republic of Pemberley “My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” If you just heaved a contented sigh at Mr. Darcy’s heartfelt words, then you, dear reader, are in good company. Here is a delightful collection of never-before-published stories inspired by Jane Austen—her novels, her life, her wit, her world. In Lauren Willig’s “A Night at Northanger,” a young woman who doesn’t believe in ghosts meets a familiar specter at the infamous abbey; Jane Odiwe’s “Waiting” captures the exquisite uncertainty of Persuasion’s Wentworth and Anne as they await her family’s approval of their betrothal; Adriana Trigiani’s “Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane” imagines a modern-day Austen giving her niece advice upon her engagement; in Diana Birchall’s “Jane Austen’s Cat,” our beloved Jane tells her nieces “cat tales” based on her novels; Laurie Viera Rigler’s “Intolerable Stupidity” finds Mr. Darcy bringing charges against all the writers of Pride and Prejudice sequels, spin-offs, and retellings; in Janet Mullany’s “Jane Austen, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!” a teacher at an all-girls school invokes the Beatles to help her students understand Sense and Sensibility; and in Jo Beverley’s “Jane and the Mistletoe Kiss,” a widow doesn’t believe she’ll have a second chance at love . . . until a Miss Austen suggests otherwise.Regency or contemporary, romantic or fantastical, each of these marvelous stories reaffirms the incomparable influence of one of history’s most cherished authors.Look for special features inside.Join the Circle for author chats and more.RandomHouseReadersCircle.com

Duty Demands: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Elaine Owen - 2017
    Darcy wants to marry her- and even more surprised when her uncle tells her why. But after they are married she begins to see a different side of her husband.Darcy thinks that Elizabeth has married him for love, but slowly begins to realize that all is not as it appears in their marriage. Will he still love her when the truth is revealed?Will our two favorite characters overcome their misunderstandings and achieve a marriage based on more than duty and obligation? This is a Pride and Prejudice variation brought to you by the author of Mr. Darcy's Persistent Pursuit, Love's Fool: The Taming of Lydia Bennet, and One False Step. This is a new release of an edition originally published by Elaine Owen.

A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity


Amy D'Orazio - 2016
    Never did Mr. Darcy imagine it could happen to him. But it has, and by Elizabeth Bennet, the woman who first hated and rejected him but then came to love him—he believed—and agree to be his wife. Alas, it is a short-lived, ill-fated romance that ends nearly as soon as it has begun. No reason is given. More than a year since he last saw her—a year of anger, confusion, and despair—he receives an invitation from the Bingleys to a house party at Netherfield. Darcy is first tempted to refuse, but with the understanding that Elizabeth will not attend, he decides to accept. When a letter arrives, confirming Elizabeth’s intention to join them, Darcy resolves to meet her with indifference. He is determined that he will not demand answers to the questions that plague him. Elizabeth is also resolved to remain silent and hold fast to the secret behind her refusal. Once they are together, however, it proves difficult to deny the intense passion that still exists. Fury, grief, and profound love prove to be a combustible mixture. But will the secrets between them be their undoing?

Old Friends and New Fancies


Sybil G. Brinton - 1913
    Inventive matchmaking leads numerous pairs of lovers through the inevitable (and entertaining) difficulties they must encounter before they are united in the end. Old Friends and New Fancies is a gratifying read for any Jane Austen enthusiast.

Lost in Austen


Emma Campbell Webster - 2007
    Name: Elizabeth Bennet. Mission: To marry both prudently and for love. How? It's entirely up to the reader. The journey begins in Pride and Prejudice but quickly takes off on a whimsical Austen adventure of the reader's own creation. A series of choices leads the reader into the plots and romances of Austen's other works. Choosing to walk home from Netherfield Hall means falling into Sense and Sensibility and the infatuating spell of Mr. Willoughby. Accepting an invitation to Bath leads to Northanger Abbey and the beguiling Henry Tilney. And just where will Emma's Mr. Knightley fit in to the quest for a worthy husband? It's all up to the reader. A labyrinth of love and lies, scandals and scoundrels, misfortunes and marriages, Lost in Austen will delight and challenge any Austen lover.

Disruption at Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Emily Russell - 2018
    Ever since she harshly rejected his proposal of marriage months earlier, she has dreaded seeing him again. How could she have been so wrong about him? How could she ever look him in the face, knowing how badly she misjudged him?
Elizabeth and the Gardiners are not the only ones taking advantage of the master's absence. While travelling through the woods, their carriage is held up by three highwaymen who have been terrorising the countryside. In the scuffle, her uncle is injured, and Elizabeth is almost taken with them before they are saved by the last person she expected to see.

Fitzwilliam Darcy has struggled to overcome his feelings for Elizabeth Bennet. Ever since she rejected his proposal of marriage and made it clear how much she disliked him, he sought to put her from his mind. His only comfort is if he ever did see her again, he might prove himself a better man than the one she believed him to be.
Needing to return home to Pemberley earlier than anticipated, he takes a shortcut through the woods at night only to come across a carriage being held up by a gang of highwaymen. He intercepts and chases the thieves away. On his return, he is startled to find the woman he never thought to see again.

Darcy and Elizabeth put aside their emotions at seeing one another and agree that Elizabeth's uncle should be taken to Pemberley to receive care. Forced to live under the same roof, Darcy and Elizabeth finally have a chance to face their true feelings for one another and see if the wrongs of the past can be overcome. Can Darcy prove to her that he has changed from the man she thought him to be? And is Elizabeth still dear enough to him that he can overcome his hurt pride at her rejection?

Their growing closeness is disrupted when one of the highwaymen is captured and reveals information that forces Darcy and Elizabeth to make a decision about their relationship. And an old enemy from the past threatens to ruin everything that has been growing between them.

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen


Syrie James - 2007
    What if, hidden in an old attic chest, Jane Austen's memoirs were discovered after hundreds of years? What if those pages revealed the untold story of a life-changing love affair? That's the premise behind this spellbinding novel, which delves into the secrets of Jane Austen's life, giving us untold insights into her mind and heart.Jane Austen has given up her writing when, on a fateful trip to Lyme, she meets the well-read and charming Mr. Ashford, a man who is her equal in intellect and temperament. Inspired by the people and places around her, and encouraged by his faith in her, Jane begins revising Sense and Sensibility, a book she began years earlier, hoping to be published at last.Deft and witty, written in a style that echoes Austen's own, this unforgettable novel offers a delightfully possible scenario for the inspiration behind this beloved author's romantic tales. It's a remarkable book, irresistible to anyone who loves Jane Austen—and to anyone who loves a great story.

Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility


Hillary Manton Lodge - 2017
    You want nothing but patience - or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope.”―Jane Austen, Sense and SensibilityJust a few years after their father’s business scandal shatters their lives, Jane and Celia Woodward find themselves forced out of their San Francisco tea shop. The last thing Jane wants is to leave their beloved shop on Valencia Street, but when Celia insists on a move to Austin, Texas, the sisters pack up their kid sister Margot and Jane’s tea plants, determined to start over yet again.But life in Austin isn’t all sweet tea and breakfast tacos. Their unusual living situation is challenging and unspoken words begin to fester between Jane and Celia. When Jane meets and falls for up-and-coming musician Sean Willis, the chasm grows deeper.While Sean seems to charm everyone in his path, one person is immune – retired Marine Captain Callum Beckett. Callum never meant to leave the military, but the twin losses of his father and his left leg have returned him to the place he least expected—Texas. In this modern spin on the Austen classic, Sense and Sensibility, the Woodward sisters must contend with new ingredients in unfamiliar kitchens, a dash of heartbreak, and the fragile hope that maybe home isn't so far away.

Compromise & Consequence: a Pride & Prejudice Variation


Sue Barr - 2021
    Darcy are irretrievably compromised and forced to marry. Angered beyond reason, Mr. Darcy prepares the vilest marriage settlement known to man, forcing Mr. Bennet to accept his terms or suffer the consequences of ruined reputations and unwed daughters.The repercussions that follow show a determined young lady with keen intelligence and a prideful man who comes to realize that the consequences of their compromise are the best things that ever happened in his life.

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?

He Taught Me to Hope


P.O. Dixon - 2011
    Fitzwilliam Darcy, the one man who captures her heart and imagination like no other? What's more, Darcy has an entanglement of his own--an engagement of a peculiar kind. As dire as their chance for "happily ever after" seems, is there a measure of hope by way of a strong and enduring bond between them?

The Perfect Gentleman


Julie Cooper - 2019
    Lizzy Bennet knows just what to do to find her. ‘Tis no secret that Lizzy Bennet has dreams. The uniquely talented daughter of a woman with a dubious reputation, Lizzy knows she must make her own way in a world that shuns her.Fitzwilliam Darcy carries the stains of his family’s dishonour upon his soul and only by holding himself to the strictest standards has he reclaimed his place in society. If his fifteen-year-old sister cannot be found quickly, her scandal could destroy years of perfect behaviour. Lizzy is willing to join the pursuit to get what she wants but will Darcy be willing to trust her with his secrets? And what will they do when the search for Georgiana reveals what neither expected to find?

To Refine Like Silver


Jeanna Ellsworth - 2014
    Darcy had met Elizabeth Bennet in his beloved Derbyshire, would he have recognized her as the love of his life instead of dismissing her as someone “not handsome enough to tempt” him? This alteration of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice adds a little spirit, flirtation, and charm to everyone’s favorite characters. Early in the summer of 1811, Elizabeth Bennet travels to Derbyshire to help her aunt and uncle settle in as new owners of Saphrinbrooke. Elizabeth is soon introduced to the estate’s nearest neighbors: Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and his sister, Georgiana, who is suffering the results of a fateful trip to Ramsgate. Having endured several life tragedies herself, Elizabeth reaches out to the young lady of Pemberley. Under her radiant influence, both Darcy and Georgiana begin to look for help outside of themselves. To Refine Like Silver is a romantic and spiritual journey where more than one of our favorite Regency characters must learn to fully rely on God. Their trials bring depth to the beloved story, and Mr. Darcy ultimately learns that our trials do not define us; rather they refine us.

Meant to Be: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Andreea Catana - 2017
    Bingley rented Netherfield nine months later than in the original? What if Elizabeth Bennet met Mr. Darcy first at Rosings while she is staying with her friend Charlotte Collins and he is visiting his aunt, Lady Catherine? What if Elizabeth is as attracted by Darcy’s fine eyes as much as he is by hers? When their mutual attraction is tainted by pride, prejudice, misunderstandings, and false accusation, how will they reconcile their feelings when they meet again in Hertfordshire? Follow this Regency Pride and Prejudice variation that takes you into a different—yet much the same—journey through the beloved story of Elizabeth and her Mr. Darcy.

Death Comes to Pemberley


P.D. James - 2011
    D. James, long among the most admired mystery writers of our time, draws the characters of Jane Austen’s beloved novel Pride and Prejudice into a tale of murder and emotional mayhem. It is 1803, six years since Elizabeth and Darcy embarked on their life together at Pemberley, Darcy’s magnificent estate. Their peaceful, orderly world seems almost unassailable. Elizabeth has found her footing as the chatelaine of the great house. They have two fine sons, Fitzwilliam and Charles. Elizabeth’s sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; her father visits often; there is optimistic talk about the prospects of marriage for Darcy’s sister Georgiana. And preparations are under way for their much-anticipated annual autumn ball. Then, on the eve of the ball, the patrician idyll is shattered. A coach careens up the drive carrying Lydia, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister, who with her husband, the very dubious Wickham, has been banned from Pemberley. She stumbles out of the carriage, hysterical, shrieking that Wickham has been murdered. With shocking suddenness, Pemberley is plunged into a frightening mystery. Inspired by a lifelong passion for Austen, P. D. James masterfully re-creates the world of Pride and Prejudice, electrifying it with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly crafted crime story, as only she can write it.