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

It Started with a Kiss: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Beth Wood - 2015
    Darcy leaves Elizabeth with no doubt as to his continued affection upon finding her touring his beloved Pemberley. When Darcy finds Elizabeth touring the park around Pemberley, he assumes he is still in the grips of one of his dreams, and acts accordingly. It quickly becomes apparent that he is mistaken.

Fearful Symmetry: A Pride & Prejudice Variation


Gailie Ruth Caress - 2021
    Seeing how he put his own life at risk to pull her from the fire, how could she help but change her opinion of him?THROWN TOGETHER AGAIN in the refuge offered at Netherfield, Darcy and Elizabeth’s unexpected bond gains strength. But disapproval, debts, and doubts all arise when the costs in time and expense involved in rebuilding Longbourn threaten to widen the gulf in standing between Elizabeth and Darcy in the eyes of society. Amidst these perplexities of destruction and decorum, can love’s courage overcome calamity?FEARFUL SYMMETRY is a Pride and Prejudice variation

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.

Locked at the Netherfield Ball: A Pride and Prejudice variation


Layla Johnson - 2020
    This novella, however, comes with a surprise regarding the characters who fell victim to a broken doorknob.The Netherfield Ball turned to be more a reason for distress than enjoyment for Elizabeth. Desperate and ashamed, she watched her family making a spectacle of themselves under Mr. Darcy and Bingley sisters' contemptuous gazes, until she could not bear it any more. Struggling for a moment of peace and tranquillity, she hid in the solitude of the library. While leaning on an armchair in a corner of the dark room, two men entered, arguing. Before Elizabeth had time to make her presence known, the confrontation turned more violent in words and tone, revealing deep secrets that should have been kept hidden.When one of the men attempted to leave and end the fight, his temper betrayed him and he pulled the doorknob so hard that it broke it.Suddenly, Elizabeth found herself blocked in the library with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham - only moments after she had discovered that her judgement about the two men had been utterly wrong.With no place to hide and no mean to escape, the three of them had no other choice but to face each other, the truth and their own flaws.How long will their ordeal last and how will that happenstance influence their lives are questions to which the readers will find answers in these clean, romantic, low angst novella of approximately 30 K words.