Book picks similar to
Agony and Hope by L.L. Diamond


jaff
pride-and-prejudice
austenesque
historical-fiction

Plots, Ploys, and the Art of Matchmaking: A Humorous Pride and Prejudice variation


Sarah Courtney - 2020
    Bennet, nobody can escape their mischief. From locked doors to misdirected carriages, Matlock and Bennet wreak havoc on inhabitants of Longbourn and Netherfield alike.Darcy and Elizabeth fall prey to their relations' schemes more than once, but they firmly resist any matchmaking efforts. Darcy knows his value in the marriage market and has no intention of marrying beneath him. Elizabeth could never marry such a pompous bore. But their pride and prejudice become a lot harder to maintain when they find themselves trapped alone together.Will Matlock and Bennet succeed in making matches for all of Meryton—except the two stubborn fools they know belong together?This sweet comedic variation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is 73,000 words of mischief and matchmaking.

Nameless: A Pride & Prejudice Variation


Julie Cooper - 2021
    But the past intrudes upon her again, and Mr Darcy returns to her, handsome, wealthy, and widowed, and hiding many secrets beneath his solemn exterior. BUT IF TIME HAD ALTERED THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES, one thing remains: Mr Darcy still wishes to marry her, and this time, Elizabeth consents. At nearly twenty-nine it is inarguably a good prospect for her and indeed, not until they arrive at his vast estate does she realise how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their growing love. But the new Mrs Darcy’s courage will continue to rise despite the many attempts to intimidate her; and she vows to use whatever power she holds over the master of Pemberley to keep him.Nameless is a tale of the triumph of good over evil, of passion over prejudice, of loyalty over lies…and most of all, of enduring, unfailing love.

With My Whole Heart Forever


Wendi Sotis - 2020
    Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s pleasure trip to the Lake District with her aunt and uncle is redirected when they receive an express stating Mrs. Gardiners’ sister and two nephews have fallen ill. The trio proceeds to a farm in Derbyshire to assist the ailing family, on the estate where her aunt grew up, Pemberley. During a walk, Elizabeth happens upon a young lady. A friendship is born, but secrets and heartache surround her new friend. Perhaps Elizabeth will finally meet Ana’s brother, of whom she has heard so much, at Pemberley’s Harvest Ball?Fitzwilliam Darcy is desperate to help his sister recover from the events at Ramsgate but is at a loss as to how to do so. After she begins to ride every day, she also seems to begin healing. In his state of relief, he does not push for answers as to why. When Ana comes to him excitedly requesting that he make the Harvest Ball a masque, he is so grateful for her interest in something, he agrees.

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?

Unintended: A Pride and Prejudice Accident


Alix James - 2020
    the person who caught you in your most embarrassing moment is also the one your heart was meant to find? It was never supposed to happen. Elizabeth Bennet never planned to get trapped in a ridiculous situation, and she certainly never intended for the person who found her to be a dizzyingly handsome... tall... and odiously haughty man who seems to regret ever meeting her.  The only thing to do, naturally, is to tease him about it, and try not to let him under her skin. Fitzwilliam Darcy wishes he could erase that whole morning--especially the part where he laid bare his... well, it is hardly worth repeating. For a surety, he would rather forget about the temptingly pert lady who had borne witness to his blunder. The only trouble is, he keeps being thrown into company with her. Every encounter brings a new brush with calamity, and he is beginning to wonder if he will survive their acquaintance.When Lady Catherine asks Darcy to pay her respects to a Mrs. Ashton, an elderly neighbor in Meryton, he discovers a friend where he least expected it. But is Mrs. Ashton who he thinks she is? And what is he to do when the very woman he is trying to forget has entirely the wrong impression of him? He would ignore her, but she keeps wandering into his path with comically unlucky results. And when the rest of his family becomes suspicious about the reasons for his sister Georgiana's low spirits, the best way to protect her reputation is to bring her to Netherfield—into the vicinity of George Wickham, the man who broke her heart.Darcy must find a way to keep his wits about him, keep his sister's reputation safe, and keep Elizabeth Bennet from becoming something she was never supposed to be... his intended. From the author of Indisposed, Unintended is a clean and sweet Regency variation of approximately 20,000 words.

For Worse and For Better: A Pride & Prejudice Variation


Alexa Douglas - 2021
    A miserable wife. How can their marriage survive when “for better, for worse” becomes worse… and worse… and worse?Elizabeth Bennet does not want to marry Fitzwilliam Darcy. He's rude, arrogant, and selfish. But her father's illness changes everything: if she holds out for love, her family may be destitute. Hoping Mr. Darcy's friends are right — that he is truly a better man than she knows — she accepts him. Afterward she begins to glimpse the generous, affectionate man she'd heard about. Until he learns what she really thinks of him.Furious and betrayed, ensnared by a fortune-hunter who hates him, Fitzwilliam Darcy is nevertheless a man of his word. He will marry Elizabeth Bennet, but he will never again trust her with his heart. Returning to Pemberley and his sham of a marriage, he can hardly bear to be in the same room with his wife. Then he falls, and the real troubles begin.Shakespeare wrote, “The course of true love never did run smooth,” but the Bard never scripted a path so perilous as Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy's. Join them as they face disasters both natural and man-made in search of their happy ending.

Old Boots: A Pride & Prejudice Variation


Grace Gibson - 2021
    Darcy.Since his father’s death, Fitzwilliam Darcy has endeavored to be reliable, responsible, and restrained. But upon visiting Netherfield Park in Hertfordshire, he finds himself weary of the struggle to be so damnably well regulated and delights in a revival of the carefree mischief that characterized his younger days.What brings on this sudden reversal? Perhaps it is a shocking incident that takes place upon his first entering the neighborhood when he rescues Miss Elizabeth Bennet from the raging current of a rain-swollen stream. The so-called “lady” does not prefer to be rescued, and Darcy’s subsequent dunking, rather than resulting in the gratitude that is his due, is met with her confounding resentment of his interference.This tale of Darcy’s entanglement with the mysteriously grief-stricken Bennet family is interwoven with a love story—a most delicious exchange of looks, barbs, pranks, and innuendos as Miss Elizabeth, the “lightning bolt of Longbourn,” regularly singes, frustrates, and humbles the man from Derbyshire.

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.

Yours Forevermore, Darcy


KaraLynne Mackrory - 2015
    Fitzwilliam Darcy has a secret. The letter he presents to Miss Elizabeth Bennet after his ghastly proposal is not the only epistle he has written her. In this tale of longing, misadventure, and love—readapted from Jane Austen’s dearly loved Pride & Prejudice—our hero finds a powerful way of coping with his attraction to Miss Bennet. He writes her unsent letters. The misguided suitor has declared himself, and Elizabeth Bennet has refused him, most painfully. Without intending for these letters to become known to another soul, Mr. Darcy relies on his secret for coping once again. However, these letters, should they fall into the wrong hands, could create untold scandal, embarrassment, and possibly heartbreak. But what happens if they fall into the right hands?

A Hopeful Holiday: A Pride and Prejudice Novella


Heather Moll - 2021
    While his friend is now happily married, Darcy regrets not having the courage to pursue Elizabeth in the autumn. As 1812 draws to a close, Darcy rallies his spirits to spend the Christmas holiday with Lady Catherine.Elizabeth Bennet wanted to show Darcy that her feelings for him had changed, but he never returned to Hertfordshire and she fears Darcy could never tolerate being brother-in-law to Wickham. For a change of scene and with the hope of lifting her spirits, Elizabeth accepts an invitation to visit Charlotte Collins and her new baby at Christmas.Lady Catherine’s New Year’s Eve masquerade ball is the social event of the season and, amid the festivities and mistletoe, both Darcy and Elizabeth hope for a reason to make their affections known. But will her ladyship’s interference, the sudden appearance of her scheming nephew, and Elizabeth and Darcy’s insecurities prevent them from finding happiness during the holiday season?This is a 31,000 word Pride and Prejudice variation.

Faults of Understanding: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Jennifer Altman - 2021
    Darcy, Pride and PrejudiceWhen Fitzwilliam Darcy makes an impetuous offer of marriage to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, he is convinced they have as good a chance as any for a harmonious life together. That is, until an overheard conversation changes everything, and Darcy realizes he is now joined in perpetuity to a woman who loathes the very sight of him.Elizabeth Bennet's expectations for matrimonial accord were never very high, having accepted Mr. Darcy's proposal in a fit of pique, not love. Still, she is determined to make the best of her situation, despite having tied herself to such an arrogant, disagreeable man.But life at Pemberley is not at all what she imagined, and Elizabeth soon finds herself with more questions than answers about the enigmatic gentleman she agreed to wed.Trapped in a marriage founded on misunderstandings, Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy struggle with deepening attraction while confronting self-doubt and old betrayals. But is love enough to heal the wounds of the past? What will it take for two people bound by duty to find their way home to one another?Note: This novel contains mature content dealing with intimacy and loss. While the scenes are not graphic in nature, the subject matter is most suitable for an adult reader.

Fallen


Jessie Lewis - 2021
    Her stomach churned, as it was wont to do these days. He would not marry her. She was ruined.THE ARRIVAL OF TWO ELIGIBLE GENTLEMEN at Netherfield Park sends ripples of excitement through nearby Meryton. But Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy are not the only additions to the neighbourhood raising eyebrows. An unremarkable cottage in the woods between Netherfield and Meryton also has new tenants. One of them—a lively little girl with an adventurous spirit, a love of the outdoors, and a past shrouded in mystery—draws the notice of more than one local.ELIZABETH BENNET—YOUNG, INTELLIGENT, and UNFASHIONABLY INDEPENDENT—forms a poor first impression of the haughty Mr Darcy. On closer acquaintance, and against her better judgment, her disgust begins to give way to more tender feelings. Yet standing in the way of any potential romance is the closely guarded history of a certain little girl in a cottage in the woods. Elizabeth might be ready to disclose her hidden affections, but she is about to learn that some things are better kept secret, and some hearts are safer left untouched.

A Wilful Misunderstanding: A Pride & Prejudice Variation


Amy D'Orazio - 2020
    Within months, they are married and spend a blissful winter at Pemberley, falling more deeply in love with each other than either might have imagined possible. But spring in London proves more challenging to them. Accident and artifice join to devastating effect for the young couple, destroying their felicity and creating an outcome neither might have imagined. TWO YEARS LATER, happenstance reunites them. Sorrow and anger have built walls between them but can the love they once shared remains. Will it be enough to conquer the sins of the past? Is the love they still hold within them strong enough to prevail over the anger and mistrust that tore them apart?

Betrothed to Mr Darcy


Lin Mei Wei - 2020
    But the betrothal forces her into Mr Darcy's frequent company, and the better she knows and understands him, the more he bewilders and fascinates her.Meanwhile, behind the scenes, dark forces are at work. While Elizabeth slowly loses her heart to the man she once thought would be the last in the world she would ever marry, she is in danger of losing much more, when she discovers long buried family secrets, and understands what it means to be Mrs Darcy.Warning: This book contains scenes of a sexual nature.

Love, Letters and Lies: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Renata McMann - 2018
    Darcy. When, through no fault of her own, she ends up in a compromising situation with him, she does everything she can to keep their scandal secret and avoid matrimony. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to go along with that plan. Darcy doesn’t want to wed an aggravating country miss with no connections, but honor dictates he offer. When, shockingly, she refuses, he’s relieved. Upon reflection, that relief turns to indignation, for no other woman would think of turning him down. Indignation soon grows into preoccupation… or could he be in the grip of some other, even stronger emotion? Love, Letters and Lies is a Pride and Prejudice Variation of approximately 92,000 words. Renata McMann and Summer Hanford began writing Pride and Prejudice Variations together in 2014 and have since become immersed in the amazing world Jane Austen created. Whether you’re a fan of Darcy and Elizabeth specifically or of clean Regency Romance in general, you will enjoy both McMann’s ability to imagine variations of this classic love story and Hanford’s skill in turning these variations of Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, and their enduring love into entertaining stories.