Book picks similar to
Pride and Persistence by Jeanna Ellsworth


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Affinity and Affection


Susan Adriani - 2008
    Darcy did not simply ride away in anger when he met with Mr. Wickham that day in Meryton? What if he had actually warned Elizabeth Bennet of that gentleman's despicable character? In the spirit and wit of Jane Austen, Affinity and Affection explores the possibility of what might have happened had the proud and haughty Mr. Darcy decided to come down off his high horse, quite literally, so to speak, to lay his personal dealings with his childhood friend and father's former favourite open before the eyes of the bewitching Elizabeth Bennet. Would his forthrightness have set the stage for a better understanding between them? Would it have changed Elizabeth's mind about how she perceived the taciturn Mr. Darcy sooner, rather than later? And what else might have transpired as a result?

Her Unforgettable Laugh: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Linda Thompson - 2015
    Later, a second glimpse showed her to be lovely, and he heard her melodious laugh again. Darcy wondered what it would be like to meet this remarkable, and remarkably lovely, young woman. Would the spirit that caused her to go to the aid of a stranger be able to bring some joy to his lonely life? Would they ever meet, or would he always be left wondering? Little did Fitzwilliam Darcy know that his trip to Hertfordshire to help his friend would bring him face to face with the lovely young woman whose unforgettable laugh had haunted his dreams for the last several years. Would she be anything like the woman he had built up in his dreams? Would he be able to avoid Miss Bingley long enough to discover more about this mysterious young woman?

Matter of Trust: The Shades of Pemberley


P.O. Dixon - 2012
    First, he acted to save his sister from the villain when he set out to elope with her while she was only fifteen. Not long thereafter, Darcy impetuously declared his intention to marry a charming young woman from Hertfordshire, whom he secretly admired, to save her from scandal and ruination at the hands of his nemesis.Darcy hoped he had seen the last of Wickham. Then an aunt he never knew showed up on his doorstep, after three decades abroad, shrouded in mystery and armed with secrets threatening his family’s legacy.For reasons of her own, his aunt invites George Wickham into their lives. Wickham's reappearance sorely tests Darcy's relationships with his bride, his aunt, and his sister.Knowing Wickham better than anyone, Darcy sets in place a trap that is certain to ensnare the scoundrel, thus revealing the man's true character to everyone.MATTER OF TRUST is an engaging Pride and Prejudice “what-if” story with a hint of intrigue and a touch of romance!

Through Pemberley Woods: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Emily Russell - 2018
    It is a welcome chance to escape her mother’s attempts at finding her a husband. The town of Lambton also has the added attraction of being surrounded by Pemberley Woods which Elizabeth is eager to explore while their reserved owner, Mr Darcy is away in London. While exploring the woods, Elizabeth is ordered to leave the estate by a man she believes to be the gamekeeper. Elizabeth is offended by his high-handed manner and even more embarrassed when she discovers the man is none other than Mr Darcy himself, home from London earlier than expected due to recent thefts on his lands. Elizabeth resolves to forget Mr Darcy and soon forms a friendship with her hosts' attractive son, Captain Waters, who is home from the Navy. On Market Day in Lambton, she also forms a bond with a young lady. Elizabeth is troubled to discover the girl is none other than Georgiana Darcy, the sister of the arrogant Mr Darcy. However, she is determined Georgiana's unpleasant brother should not stand in the way of their new friendship. Fitzwilliam Darcy is angry that a thief has been harassing his tenants. He is determined to find the culprit and bring him to justice, but his search is distracted when a young woman with bright eyes leaps into his path. Fascinated by her, but worried for her safety, Darcy orders her from his woods with more force than he intended. However, he cannot stop thinking about her, and it is a relief to know their paths will not cross again. Until his shy sister, Georgiana, makes a new friend; none other than the bewitching and perplexing Miss Bennet. As Elizabeth spends more time with the Darcys, she slowly comes to understand there is more to Darcy than the aloof, arrogant man he seemed. Darcy for his part is plagued by his jealousy of Captain Waters and his fears that the rumours of his impending engagement to Miss Bennet might be true. Trouble comes when Georgiana’s manipulative companion, Mrs Younge, is determined to take Georgiana away to Ramsgate despite Georgiana’s reluctance. When Georgiana resolves to stay in Derbyshire with her brother and her new friend, Mrs Younge must amend her plan and invites a former friend of the Darcys to Derbyshire whom Darcy hoped never to see again. Darcy and Elizabeth fight their growing attraction for one another and Mrs Waters' vocal determination to have Elizabeth as a daughter-in-law throws more confusion into the mix. Will they finally face the truth of what they both want, or will the wishes and interferences of others prevail? When Darcy’s old enemy, George Wickham returns to Derbyshire, his presence threatens to destroy Georgiana's life, and Darcy and Elizabeth must do all they can to save her. And Elizabeth comes to the painful realisation that even friends are not always what they seem.

The Trials: A Pride and Prejudice Story


Timothy Underwood - 2017
    Bennet died, Elizabeth became the governess of Lady Catherine’s unwanted ward. One day she collided with Mr. Darcy in the halls of Rosings. But though she now saw the good gentleman he truly was, it was too late: Mr. Darcy was engaged to his cousin, Anne. Lady Catherine called Darcy to Rosings after she learned about Georgiana’s near elopement to Wickham. She gave Darcy a terrible choice: Marry Anne, or I shall tell the world! When Darcy saw Elizabeth again, he knew he never ceased to love her. Darcy was torn between protecting his sister and the desperate wishes of his heart. When Darcy at last sees a hope for himself and Elizabeth, something terrible happens that may keep them apart forever…

The Best Of Relations


Catherine Bilson - 2015
    Aunt Gardiner, who after all hailed from Lambton, was well acquainted with the Darcy family, and knew of Wickham's misdemeanours? How would the story have been different? This tale begins with an exchange of letters between Elizabeth Bennet and her favourite aunt, discussing the happenings in Hertfordshire as the Bennet family become acquainted with their new neighbours, the Bingleys and their house guest Mr Darcy.

The Longbourn Quarantine


Don Jacobson - 2020
    A feared specter has escaped London’s grimy docklands and now threatens the wealthy districts. Amongst that ragged stream is a single carriage jostling its way toward Meryton. Inside are the Darcy siblings along with Charles and Caroline Bingley. They desperately seek the safety of Netherfield Park.For all their riches, they could not evade the epidemic’s dark hand. Bingley’s leasehold had been reduced to rubble as roving bands raped, pillaged, and burned. The only sanctuary was Longbourn where, once installed, the Darcys and Bingleys were barred from leaving by a fortnight’s quarantine.Events converge with disease in The Longbourn Quarantine. Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy abandon old prejudices to face grief and mourning. Pride is set aside as Death hovers nearby. The couple forges ahead. knowing that love unexplored is love lost: that words must be said lest they remain unspoken in the time of smallpox.

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."

The Fire at Netherfield Park: A Pride & Prejudice Variation


Renata McMann - 2016
    Smoke soon seeps into the room, rapidly turning the event from frivolous to dire. Determined to save everyone, Darcy enlists Elizabeth’s aid in urging the disbelieving assemblage to depart. Darcy and Elizabeth prove as noble as one might expect, but who else will rise to the ranks of hero, who will escape the fire, and who will perish? When the smoke clears, what will become of those who escaped the fire at Netherfield Park? This Pride and Prejudice variation has approximately 70,000 words.

One Thread Pulled: The Dance with Mr. Darcy


Diana J. Oaks - 2012
    Fortunately for Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth has walked away and does not overhear his insult, thus snagging the thread that would have sealed her prejudice against the prideful stranger. Unexpectedly, circumstances thrust Elizabeth into the same household as Mr. Darcy, and her proximity unwittingly proves tempting, as her tantalizing wit and playfulness evoke desires that threaten to unravel his resolve against her. In this delightful re-imagining of Jane Austen's beloved classic, Pride and Prejudice, the players are the same, but the rules have changed as the dance between Darcy and Lizzy unfolds.

A Noteworthy Courtship


Laura Sanchez - 2009
    What if the Netherfield party had not left Hertfordshire immediately following the Netherfield Ball, and what if Mr. Darcy in particular had given himself inducement to remain? Comical entanglements and exploits thicken the familiar plot as various characters break their canon form. Two are repeatedly drawn to the bookshop in Meryton with little explanation, and a gentleman from Kent is not so easily dissuaded as he might otherwise have been. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are as lackadaisical and troublesome as ever, and Mr. Bingley and Miss Jane Bennet are left to their own inclination without the untimely interference of their friends. A new set of characters allow the escapades to continue before finally a resolution can be reached, with much the same happily ever after as Jane Austen intended. Adapted in part from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and inspired by the film You've Got Mail.

The Darcys of Pemberley


Shannon Winslow - 2011
    Darcy have been married for almost a year, and their heated arguments are a thing of the past. All that passion is now directed into more satisfying pursuits. But how long can the honeymoon last? The couple’s idyllic life together at Pemberley is jeopardized by secrets they begin keeping from each other, the troubles of their closest friends, and the threat of a villain in their midst. Layers of seemingly innocent deception are building between Darcy and Elizabeth, threatening their relationship. He is conducting some covert business dealings that he’s unwilling to share with his wife, and she likewise begins keeping things from him against her own better judgment. The couple also becomes embroiled in the tribulations of Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, Georgiana, and his friend and cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Fitzwilliam falls victim to their aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, as the object of her latest scheme to make a noble match for her daughter. The arrangement satisfies the ambitions of the couple’s parents, but appears to hold little prospect of happiness for Anne and Fitzwilliam, who each harbor other romantic interests. During this same period, Georgiana runs the gamut of emotions as she comes of age. Her elation at her birthday ball soon crumbles when she learns the man she secretly admires is engaged to another. The excitement of a London season and the attention of two other eligible suitors cannot make her forget her disappointment over her lost first love.As the story progresses, the menacing shadow of Mr. Darcy’s life-long nemesis looms ever larger. By carelessness and design, Mr. Wickham and Lydia painfully intrude into the lives of the Darcys and the Bingleys, with disastrous results. The Darcys of Pemberley is the tale of two romances: the continuation of Darcy and Elizabeth’s story, and the courtship of Miss Georgiana. For those of us who didn’t want Pride and Prejudice to end, this charming novel gives the opportunity to learn what happens after the wedding, to revisit all our old friends and foes, and to share the next chapter of their lives. Ms. Winslow carries on the saga much as Jane Austen herself might have – true to her style, her sensibilities, and the delightful characters she created.

His Good Opinion: A Mr. Darcy Novel


Nancy Kelley - 2011
    Darcy Speaks from the Heart:Pride and Prejudice from his Point of ViewThough tired of Society's manipulations, Darcy never thought to be enchanted by a country maiden. Yet on a visit to rural Hertfordshire, Elizabeth Bennet captivates him. Lovely and vivacious, she is everything he is not, and everything he longs to have.Unfortunately, her connections put her decidedly beneath him, and the improprieties he observes in her family do not win his favor. Putting her firmly out of his mind, Darcy returns to London, but Elizabeth is not so easily forgotten.When chance throws them together, Darcy can no longer deny his love, but Elizabeth, put off by his manners, refuses him. To change her mind, he must set aside his proud ways and learn how to please a woman worthy of being pleased. It takes a serious incident for his true character to shine, and for Elizabeth to learn just how valuable is...His Good OpinionIncludes an excerpt of Caroline Bingley by Jennifer Becton

So Gradually: A Pride & Prejudice Tale


Jessica Schlenker - 2015
     A much better summer for Darcy prevents the worst of the misunderstandings in Hertfordshire. This results in a fast, strong friendship between Elizabeth and Darcy. While in Kent, Darcy abruptly discovers that despite, considering Elizabeth only a friend, she has fallen in love with him.

Agony and Hope


L.L. Diamond - 2021
    What will become of him when Georgiana is wed, and he is left by himself? He cannot give away a heart not his own. Must he remain in this mournful existence, anticipating the nights to come, where in his dreams, he can finally be with Elizabeth, a spectre of his once living, breathing beloved. When a surprise visitor brings unexpected news, his hope is breathed back to life. Will he finally obtain his deepest desires? Will Fitzwilliam Darcy be able to leave behind the agony of the past and hope for the future he once thought impossible?Due to circumstances beyond her control, Elizabeth Bennet’s family is irrevocably altered. Her father is dead, Lydia is missing, and her mother and remaining sisters are to be relegated to a life of poverty. Fitzwilliam Darcy’s behaviour at Pemberley indicates he still loves her, but too much has happened. She can never hope for him to once again make the offer of his hand. Elizabeth’s sole option is to abandon the life she once led and start anew. But what happens when her path once again crosses with the love she thought lost to her? Will Elizabeth choose to protect him with the one option available to her or will she put aside the agony of the past and choose hope?