Book picks similar to
Understanding Elizabeth by Robin M. Helm


jaff
pride-and-prejudice
romance
austenesque

Reckless, Headstrong Girl: A Pride & Prejudice Variation


Grace Gibson - 2021
    Wickham, proving he is no gentleman, does the unthinkable and casts Lydia out of a second-rate coach. Filthy, exhausted, and penniless, Lydia is just facing the beginning of her ordeal! How can a spoiled, uneducated girl of fifteen—used to having her way—survive a night in the wilds of Sussex?As Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner vainly search for her in London, Lydia’s sisters struggle to keep her secret from their Meryton neighbors. Though they fear the worst—that Lydia’s wild life has ended in tragedy—all hope is not lost. Mr. Darcy, in the midst of reigniting his courtship with Elizabeth Bennet, is determined to recover his love’s unfortunate sibling.Will Mr. Darcy succeed in finding Lydia and restoring her to respectability? In what shocking condition will this catastrophe render such a reckless, headstrong girl?

Two More Days at Netherfield


Heather Moll - 2020
    Not sure what to think of his praise after all of their previous disagreements (and more flattered than she wants to admit) Elizabeth responds by teasing him, forcing Darcy to reconsider his opinion of a woman who has truly bewitched him.The ensuing day and weeks see confrontations and apologies and the beginnings of a friendship between Darcy and Elizabeth. But their warming acquaintance impacts the behaviour of those around them inciting jealousy, anger and malicious falsehoods. Is the strength of their emotional connexion enough to reunite them and put them back on the path to love?

Letters from Pemberley: The First Year


Jane Dawkins - 1999
    Fitzwilliam Darcy and mistress of Pemberley, finds herself in a very different league of wealth and privilege. Writing to her beloved sister Jane, she confides her uncertainty and anxieties, and describes the everyday of her new life. Her first year at Pemberley is sometimes bewildering but Lizzie's spirited sense of humor and satirical eye never deserts her.Incorporating Jane Austen's own words and characters from her other works (who appear here with different names, either associated with Austen's life, borrowed from another of her novels or are a wordplay on their original name), Jane Dawkins pieces together a literary patchwork quilt to tell the story of Lizzy's first eventful year as Mrs. Darcy.

The Forgotten Sister: Mary Bennet's Pride and Prejudice


Jennifer Paynter - 2012
    She retreats to her room to read and play the pianoforte and, when obliged to mix in society, finds it safer to quote platitudes from books rather than express her real opinions. She also finds it safer to befriend those who are socially “beneath” her. When wealthy Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley glide into her sisters’ lives, Mary becomes infatuated with an impoverished young musician, the son of her old wet-nurse, who plays the fiddle at the Meryton assemblies.It is only after her sisters tease her about her “beau with the bow” that Mary is forced to examine her real feelings and confront her own brand of pride and prejudice.An elegant accompaniment to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, The Forgotten Sister plucks the neglected Mary from obscurity and beautifully reveals her hopes and dreams.

Mr. Darcy's Diary


Amanda Grange - 2005
    I had forgotten what good company he is; always ready to be pleased and always cheerful. After my difficult summer, it is good to be with him again. ...""The only place Darcy could share his innermost feelings was in the private pages of his diary...Torn between his sense of duty to his family name and his growing passion for Elizabeth Bennet, all he can do is struggle not to fall in love.Mr. Darcy's Diary presents the story of the unlikely courtship of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Darcy's point of view. This graceful imagining and sequel to Pride and Prejudice explains Darcy's moodiness and the difficulties of his reluctant relationship as he struggles to avoid falling in love with Miss Bennet. Though seemingly stiff and stubborn at times, Darcy's words prove him also to be quite devoted and endearing - qualities that eventually win over Miss Bennet's heart. This continuation of a classic romantic novel is charming and elegant, much like Darcy himself.Pride and Prejudice has inspired a large number of modern day sequels, the most successful of which focus on the rich, proud Mr. Darcy.

Thursday's Child


Pat Santarsiero - 2013
    Risking her own reputation, she enters into a bargain with an unknown gentleman in order to obtain the funds she desperately needs.However, she soon discovers that the bargain has cost much more than she could ever have imagined.Set in the world of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Thursday's Child is a story of sacrifice, courage and love.

Unequal Affections: A Pride and Prejudice Retelling


Lara S. Ormiston - 2013
    Darcy, she despised him and was sure he felt the same. Angered by his pride and reserve, influenced by the lies of the charming Mr. Wickham, she never troubled herself to believe he was anything other than the worst of men--until, one day, he unexpectedly proposed. Mr. Darcy's passionate avowal of love causes Elizabeth to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about him. What she knows is that he is rich, handsome, clever, and very much in love with her. She, on the other hand, is poor, and can expect a future of increasing poverty if she does not marry. The incentives for her to accept him are strong, but she is honest enough to tell him that she does not return his affections. He says he can accept that--but will either of them ever be truly happy in a relationship of unequal affection?Diverging from Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice at the proposal in the Hunsford parsonage, this story explores the kind of man Darcy is, even before his "proper humbling," and how such a man, so full of pride, so much in love, might have behaved had Elizabeth chosen to accept his original proposal.

Darcy and Fitzwilliam: A Tale of a Gentleman and an Officer


Karen V. Wasylowski - 2011
    Fitzwilliam Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam couldn't be more different, and that goes for the way each one woos and pursues the woman of his dreams. Darcy is quiet and reserved, careful and dutiful, and his qualms and hesitations are going to torpedo his courtship of Elizabeth. His affable and vivacious cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam is a military hero whose devil-may-care personality hides the torments within, until he finds himself in a passionate, whirlwind affair with a beautiful widow who won't hear of his honorable intentions.Cousins, best friends, and sparring partners, Darcy and Fitzwilliam have always been there for each other. So it's no surprise when the only one who can help Darcy fix his botched marriage proposals is Fitzwilliam, and the only one who can pull Fitzwilliam out of an increasingly dangerous entanglement is Darcy...

Fair Stands the Wind: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Catherine Lodge - 2017
    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.

Dear Nameless Stranger: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Jeannie Peneaux - 2019
    I will not thank you for providing us with a home, nor will I even breathe a word of gratitude for your provision of such funds as will feed us each quarter. I will not even write such platitudes as ‘You are very good,’ given that you have also provided us with respectability in the form of Mrs. Ingles. There. I am quite done now with not expressing my gratitude – I should not at all wish to prove tiresome.” From the author of Tact, Dear Nameless Stranger is a heartwarming tale inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Jean Webster’s Daddy Long Legs. Tragedy has struck the Bennet sisters but they are greatly relieved when the anonymous kindness of a stranger means that they can remain together. In exchange for such charity, a monthly letter is required from each sister. It is a fortunate thing that Miss Elizabeth Bennet rather likes letter-writing, for she relishes the opportunity to relate to this unknown gentleman all her impressions and opinions regarding her changed circumstances.With each passing month Elizabeth confides more in the nameless stranger, and by the time Netherfield Park is once again occupied by the amiable Mr. Bingley and his friend Mr. Darcy, she is quite frank in writing of her dismay.

A Royal Disposition: A Pride and Prejudice Novel


Amy Cecil - 2012
    Elizabeth and Darcy are in love and plan to marry, until Elizabeth comes face to face with Lady Catherine De Bourgh. Although standing strong during the worst confrontation of Miss Elizabeth’s life, she soon realizes that she cannot marry Mr. Darcy and refuses him. Futile attempts by Mr. Darcy to win her back fail, until he finds out the most astonishing information about Elizabeth Bennet.Show More Show Less

The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy


Mary Street - 1999
    "The Holy Grail of P&P sequels." (Austenblog)Originally published in the U.K., Mary Street's ingenious retelling of Jane Austen's classic story now makes its U.S. debut-to the delight of the fans of Austen's comic masterpiece of divine romance. In Fitzwilliam Darcy, Austen created the ultimate romantic hero. Yet Pride and Prejudice reveals little of Darcy's innermost thoughts. Here, Street unveils the true motives and mysteries of Elizabeth Bennet's enigmatic suitor. Through Darcy's eyes we discover the reality of his relationships with his sister Georgiana, his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam, the dastardly Wickham, his friend Bingley, and his formidable aunt, Lady Catherine. And of course, all his memorable encounters with Elizabeth, from that first view of her fine eyes to his disastrous proposal, and then to a pride and arrogance tempered by an unquenchable love.

The Bennets Take on the Ton (The Sweet Regency Romance Series Book 12)


Perpetua Langley - 2018
    Bennet has brought her two eldest daughters to town for some shopping and they happily ensconce themselves at Gracechurch Street. Mrs. Bennet has managed to wrench an amount of money from Mr. Bennet’s grip so that she might spruce her girls up with new bonnets, gloves and ribbons. She really does not know what else will get them married. After an interesting meeting on Bond Street, Elizabeth and Jane find themselves entering a world they had never thought to encounter. Within that world there are to be found the charming Mr. Bingley, the standoffish Mr. Darcy, the foppish Beau Brummel, the cold Lady Catherine, a poodle, a mastiff and a host of other regular visitors to the environs of Pall Mall. Two of those visitors are intent on marriage, three on amusement and one on murder. And of course, there is the little matter of Mr. Collins and the entail. Perpetua Langley is the author of the twelve book Sweet Regency Romance Series. These books are clean and wholesome and true to the period.

An Unwelcome Guest at the Netherfield Ball


E. Bradshaw - 2016
    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.

Only The Deepest Love: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Amelia Wood - 2020
    And knowing she is alone in Hunsford Lodge gives him the perfect opportunity to tell her how he feels, even if it means being caught in a torrential downpour. But Elizabeth is on one of her walks and could be gone for hours. Unable to wait a moment longer to see her, Darcy is obliged to borrow clothes from Hunsford Lodge’s groom before he sets out to find and propose to the woman he loves. When Darcy finds her sheltering from the rain under the folly in Rosings Park, Elizabeth’s hostility and the fact that she has been soaked in the rain makes it impossible for him to propose. But in a lapse of his usual self-mastery, he kisses her and, just for a moment, Elizabeth responds. But they are not alone. When Mr Collins sees Elizabeth kiss a man in servant’s clothing, he goes to Lady Catherine, who insists Elizabeth marry the fellow in question to repair her ruined reputation. And her rage when she discovers the man is her own nephew is so great Elizabeth and Darcy are obliged to leave for London at once. Forced to marry, Elizabeth and Darcy must find a way to reconcile themselves to the match. Before Darcy can tell her he loves her, Elizabeth confesses she has never liked him believing him to feel the same, leaving Darcy devastated and forced to hide his true feelings for her. But as they spend more and more time together, Elizabeth begins to question her prejudices and assumptions. And now, both must find a way to overcome their fear that they are to endure a marriage to someone who can never love them. Only The Deepest Life is a Pride and Prejudice variation novella of approximately 30,000 words.