One evening, she finds herself locked in the library with none other than Mr. Darcy himself. Several hours spent together in this awkward situation offer them the chance to talk to one another and to find out more about each other than they have in the entire two months of their previous acquaintance. But what will happen after they are released from this temporary “trap”? How much will that mere incident affect their lives? “The Benefits of Extensive Reading” is a clean, romantic novella of around 42 000 words, appropriate for readers of all ages who cannot have enough of Elizabeth and Darcy.

    Darcy to make a more Persuasion-esque proposal?Author Note: Readers considering this work should be aware that, unlike the Constant Love series, this novella is written in third-person present tense, so if they routinely read only past-tense writing, they may wish to peruse the sample before purchasing.They should also be aware that it uses lines from Jane Austen's Persuasion as well as Pride and Prejudice. Readers who have not read Persuasion are encouraged to read that novel first, less because of spoilers than because it is absolutely wonderful.

    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.

    Elizabeth Bennet has no notion that she is of royal blood. Her father has kept a secret from her of her birth mother and the love that they shared. Having been trapped in a loveless marriage by Fanny Gardiner, Mr Bennet has struggled for years. After the carriage Elizabeth is traveling in is robbed and she is abducted, the race is on to rescue her. The highwaymen have no notion of her heritage, and they are on their way to Liverpool to sell Elizabeth and her aunt's maid as slaves. Fitzwilliam Darcy and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, are in hot pursuit of the criminals, hoping to rescue the young lady who holds Darcy's heart in the palm of her hand.

    And with a push from Lady Catherine, Mr. Collins sets alight a series of misunderstandings, rumours, and lies that create obstacles to a romance between Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. This slightly unhinged romantic comedy follows Darcy as he sets off to find himself a wife and instead finds himself pulled into the mire of his aunt’s machinations and his own fascination with Elizabeth, whom he believes betrothed to another. As Meryton judges him the grieving groom of Anne de Bourgh and a caddish dallier with the hearts of others, Darcy must ferret out the truth behind his cousin’s disappearance, protect his sister from the fretful fate of all Fitzwilliam females, and most importantly, win Elizabeth’s heart.

    Enjoy a what-if journey with Elizabeth and Darcy, Jane and Bingley and more of Jane Austen's beloved characters as their lives are changed by a bit of plain speaking.

    The rekindled love between him and his wife encouraged a unifying bond amongst their five daughters. Their story unfolds as each eligible young lady walks down the aisle, taking her husband’s hand and forever leaving the name of Bennet behind. Fitzwilliam Darcy was a tormented man. His sister’s recent accident and the lifelong difficulties she was now to face plagued him. While visiting his friend, Darcy crosses paths with a young lady. He is immediately captivated and soon seeks out an introduction and dance with Elizabeth Bennet. Could it be that his parents, though they are no longer with him, are leading him right to the arms of a family who can help both he and his sister heal from all they have suffered? Will the instant connection Darcy and Elizabeth both feel for each other be able to weather the storms that come when a secret past connection is revealed?

    “I think her as delightful a character as ever appeared in print…” wrote Jane Austen in a letter, January 1813―and we think so too!

    How much do we often owe to being in the right place at the right time? In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet plans to visit the Lake District with her uncle and aunt, yet ends up at Pemberley instead, just as, by coincidence, Mr Darcy also arrives home. They meet, understand one another better and all eventually ends well. But what if they did not have such luck? What if Elizabeth actually went to the Lake District and was nowhere near Pemberley, and she and Mr Darcy never met again until another four years had gone by? Now they are very different people, altered by marriage, time and situation, although, Mr Darcy's failed proposal in the Parsonage at Hunsford still haunts both of them in different ways. Elizabeth is a companion to her Aunt, Mrs Mountford, a widow of great standing in society who married exceptionally well and 'Miss Bennet' finds herself accepted in the very best of circles and able to marry whomever she might chose. Mr Darcy did his duty by his sickly cousin, Anne de Bourgh, and married her to protect her from the tyrannical force of her mother Lady Catherine. He has come to Bath, however, a widower, with his family, the Fitzwilliams, and his sister, Georgiana. Darcy sees Elizabeth, the woman who rejected him, in the opposite box at the theatre and cannot help falling in love with her all over again. Now though, it seems there are even more hurdles to overcome for them to be together, including Elizabeth's new suitor, the handsome and charming Mr Yorke. Mr Darcy is still a little proud, still not able to 'perform to strangers'. Can Elizabeth see past his reserve and awkwardness to the decent man underneath? This book is a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice from Chapter 36 onwards (Darcy's failed proposal and the delivering of his letter).

    Now is his chance to be the hero and get the girl by helping his friend to his own romantic happily-ever-after. Or is it? Darcy soon learns that showing up is only the first step in the battle when his true enemy is his own pride and arrogance. Now he must change his own ways and undo the harm he has unwittingly done. Only then can he hope to win the hand and heart of the woman he loves. As he overcomes the flaws in his own nature and the opposition of a prideful aunt, he is helped along by family and friends in ways he would never have expected. Will his smoky dreams of sorrow and guilt turn to a living dream of happiness? Read on and find out...

    Her family’s relocation from the bustle of the big city to a quiet family farm has changed her future, and now, she must build a new life in rural Meryton, Kentucky. William Darcy suffered family turmoil of his own, but he has settled into a peaceful life at Pemberley, the largest farm in the county. Single, rich, and seemingly content, he remains aloof—immune to any woman’s charms. Until Elizabeth Bennet moves to town.As Darcy begins to yearn for something he knows is missing, Elizabeth’s circumstances become more dire. Can the two put aside their pride and prejudices long enough to find their way to each other? 1932, Karen M Cox’s award-winning debut novel, is a matchless variation on Jane Austen’s classic tale.

    This classic couple’s romance is shaken off course when, shortly after leaving Hertfordshire, Darcy receives word that one of the Bennet sisters is engaged to the obsequious Mr. Collins. Darcy, a rich and powerful landowner, knows that Elizabeth is not a suitable match but, having already lost the battle with Cupid, he finds himself rushing back to the countryside. He is relieved to discover that it is Mary Bennet who is destined to become Mrs. Collins. But his path to happiness is still far from assured. Darcy may have resolved his internal struggle to accept Elizabeth’s as she is, but he must now overcome a rival and his own inability to interpret events around him. Read as all ofJane Austen’s favorite characters overcome hilarious misunderstandings and mishaps. Assumptions and Absurdities is a Regency Romance sure to entertain.

    The reader later discovers the truth of this situation; that Mr Wickham was keen to avoid Mr Darcy that night – for it was entirely possible that he could have faced (entirely justifiable) retribution from Mr Darcy if he had attended. The reader – and Elizabeth – are unaware at that point in the novel of Mr Wickham’s true, deceitful nature – and, of course, no one in wider society is aware of Mr Wickham’s scandalous behaviour concerning Mr Darcy’s younger sister. However, in this alternative narrative, the reader is shown how events could have varied in Pride and Prejudice if Mr Wickham had thrown caution to the wind and had instead attended the ball on that fateful evening. In this re-telling of the famous story, events start on the evening of the much anticipated Netherfield ball, and Elizabeth quietly frets to herself over the potential for her family to create a public scene. She knows very well that Mr Bingley’s conceited sisters hold her family in contempt, just as she is very aware of Mr Darcy’s obvious disapproval. She dreads the prospect of enduring her promised dances with Mr Collins, and is appalled at her mothers’ blatant matchmaking efforts. However, with the one pivotal change – of Mr Wickham being unexpectedly present at the ball – Elizabeth’s night, and her prospects for an enjoyable evening, change completely. And as a consequence of his attendance at the ball, the events of the novel begin to differ from there onwards as well. The neighbourhood of Meryton is entirely scandalised when Elizabeth takes a dance with the gallant Mr Wickham – and Mr Darcy is beside himself with rage to see the woman he secretly admires dancing so merrily with his arch enemy. ‘Elizabeth looked up at Mr Wickham’s face as he spoke, and realised, as she followed the direction of his pointed gaze, that he had locked eyes with Mr Darcy across the space of the crowded ballroom. She had not noticed before that Mr Darcy was observing them; though it was clear that Mr Wickham had known exactly where Mr Darcy was within the room – as well as having been entirely aware that Mr Darcy had been watching the two of them. The air seemed to spark between the two men, and Elizabeth could not fail to notice the palpable tension which flowed in waves between them. She saw the scornful sneer that Mr Wickham shot towards his enemy – and Mr Darcy bristling in return.’ In fact, Mr Darcy is so unsettled by the sight of Elizabeth dancing with his enemy, and so jealous, that he acts immediately to separate them. Unfortunately for Elizabeth, this is only the first of a series of humiliating experiences that she is to face that evening – and the consequences of Mr Darcy’s actions are to cause a scandal which will unavoidably change her future.

    Darcy is proud and prejudiced because he is a wealthy landowner who believes himself above his company and that Elizabeth Bennet can afford to be proud and prejudiced because she believes she has the freedom to make choices for herself. But what if Mr. Darcy is the second son, sent to sea at a young age? What if Elizabeth is trapped by circumstances with an ill father on one side and an understandably desperate mother on the other? Meet Captain Darcy of the Royal Navy, a successful frigate captain with ample prize money and a sister for whom he needs to provide while he is at sea. Meet also Elizabeth Bennet, who needs a husband and is trying to resign herself to Mr. Collins, the worst “least worst alternative” in the history of literature.

    In this slow-paced feel-good variation of Pride and Prejudice, Fitzwilliam Darcy, disillusioned and tired of London society, decides that it is time to take a break and do something both drastic and unexpected to at long last find himself again and quite unexpectedly also happiness and love.