Book picks similar to
Dearest Cousin Jane by Jill Pitkeathley


historical-fiction
jane-austen
fiction
historical

Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor


Stephanie Barron - 1996
    Isobel's husband--a gentleman of mature years--is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. The Earl's death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet the bereaved widow soon finds that it's only the beginning of her misfortune...as she receives a sinister missive accusing her and the Earl's nephew of adultery--and murder. Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to the worst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help. And Jane finds herself embroiled in a perilous investigation that will soon have her following a trail of clues that leads all the way to Newgate Prison and the House of Lords--a trail that may well place Jane's own person in the gravest jeopardy.

Mr. Darcy's Debt: A Pride & Prejudice Variation Novel


April Floyd - 2017
    Collins who has come to offer marriage as an olive branch to soothe the way when he inherits their home, Longbourn. A deathbed promise from the past saves the ladies and Elizabeth Bennet becomes better acquainted with the wealthy, handsome Mr. Darcy, the man who insulted her at the assembly in Meryton. With the Bennets living at Somersal, a country estate that belongs to the Fitzwilliam family and is only a short distance from Pemberley, the home of Mr. Darcy, their mutual love of riding fosters a love neither Darcy nor Elizabeth can deny. After a terrible accident, Elizabeth believes she must race in the spring to secure her family’s future, much to Mr. Darcy’s dismay. His proposal, given to keep her from racing, is summarily refused as Elizabeth Bennet will not marry from necessity.

Mr. Darcy's Christmas


Elizabeth Aston - 2012
    Darcy and Elizabeth - until Caroline Bingley threatens Georgiana Darcy’s future happiness.Set in the wonderful world of Jane Austen, this sparkling and witty romantic comedy takes us to Pemberley for an enchanted Christmas, where Mr. Darcy and his family enjoy the delights of the season, culminating in a ball to celebrate his sister’s engagement. But a serpent lurks amid the greenery and Yule candles, as spiteful Caroline Bingley sets out to ruin her dear friend, Georgiana.Haunted by her near-elopement with Mr. Wickham, Georgiana, Mr. Darcy’s sister, plays safe when she accepts Francis Horsley’s proposal of marriage. As the Darcy family gather at Pemberley to celebrate Christmas, Caroline Bingley, in a fit of envy, spreads dark rumours about her friend. With the help of aloof and amused Sir Giles Hawkins, Georgiana finally finds her true Darcy spirit and fights to regain her reputation – and in doing so, finds true love.

Charlotte: Pride & Prejudice Continues


Karen Aminadra - 2012
    However, what price must she pay for that future? She once said she was not romantic, but how true is that now after almost one year of marriage? Mr Collins is submissive in the extreme to his patroness, and his constant simpering, fawning and deference to the overbearing and manipulative Lady Catherine de Bourgh is sure to try the patience of a saint, or at least of Charlotte. As Charlotte becomes part of Hunsford society, she discovers she is not the only one who has been forced to submit to the controlling and often hurtful hand of Lady Catherine. She feels trapped and realises her need for love and affection. She is not as content as she once thought she would be. The easiest thing to do would be to maintain the peace and do as she is told. But as Charlotte witnesses the misery around her due to her inimitable neighbour, she must decide to remain as she is or to begin a chain of events that will change not only her life but also the lives of those around her in the village of Hunsford forever. But...after all, doesn't every girl deserve a happy ending?

I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend


Cora Harrison - 2010
    At fifteen, Jane is already a sharp observer of the customs of courtship. So when Jenny falls utterly in love with Captain Thomas Williams, who better than Jane to help her win the heart of this dashing man? But is that even possible? After all, Jenny’s been harboring a most desperate secret. Should it become known, it would bring scandal not only to her, but also to the wonderful Austen family. What’s a poor orphan girl to do? In this delicious dance between truth and fiction, Cora Harrison has crafted Jenny’s secret diary by reading everything Jane Austen wrote as a child and an adult, and by researching biographies, critical studies, and family letters. Jenny’s diary makes the past spring vividly to life and provides insight into the entire Austen family—especially the beloved Jane.

The Jane Austen Society


Natalie Jenner - 2020
    Now it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.

Unmarriageable


Soniah Kamal - 2019
    Darsee at a wedding makes her reconsider. A scandal and vicious rumor concerning the Binat family have destroyed their fortune and prospects for desirable marriages, but Alys, the second and most practical of the five Binat daughters, has found happiness teaching English literature to schoolgirls. Knowing that many of her students won’t make it to graduation before dropping out to marry and have children, Alys teaches them about Jane Austen and her other literary heroes and hopes to inspire the girls to dream of more. When an invitation arrives to the biggest wedding their small town has seen in years, Mrs. Binat, certain that their luck is about to change, excitedly sets to work preparing her daughters to fish for rich, eligible bachelors. On the first night of the festivities, Alys’s lovely older sister, Jena, catches the eye of Fahad “Bungles” Bingla, the wildly successful—and single—entrepreneur. But Bungles’s friend Valentine Darsee is clearly unimpressed by the Binat family. Alys accidentally overhears his unflattering assessment of her and quickly dismisses him and his snobbish ways. As the days of lavish wedding parties unfold, the Binats wait breathlessly to see if Jena will land a proposal—and Alys begins to realize that Darsee’s brusque manner may be hiding a very different man from the one she saw at first glance. Told with wry wit and colorful prose, Unmarriageable is a charming update on Jane Austen’s beloved novel and an exhilarating exploration of love, marriage, class, and sisterhood.

Presumption: An Entertainment: A Sequel to Pride and Prejudice


Julia Barrett - 1993
    Darcy's younger sister, who must choose between two suitors, a well-placed navy captain and a brash young architect. Masterfully adapted to Austen's original nineteenth-century style, Presumption brings back to life the book's most memorable characters, the Bennets, Darcys, Collins, and de Bourghs."An elegant emulation and continuation of Pride and Prejudice. . . . Jointly composed by two admirers of Jane Austen, the book often achieves crisp replication of her style. . . . Presumption shows how sequel-writing can, like parody, be a sharp exercise in literary appreciation."—Peter Kemp, Times Literary SupplementJulia Barrett is a pseudonym for Julia Braun Kessler and Gabrielle Donnelly.

A Look Behind the Mask: A Pride & Prejudice Variation


Tiffany Thomas - 2021
    She learns the hard way that a handsome face can mask cruelty and depravity.This experience forever alters her relationships with her sisters, her parents, and her friends.How will a changed Elizabeth Bennet react to Fitzwilliam Darcy's insults at the Meryton Assembly?Can Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy overcome their altered pride and prejudices to find happily ever after?A Look Behind the Mask is a full-length, clean Pride & Prejudice variation of 112,000 words.**Trigger warning: the prologue shows an experience of an adult male abusing a young female teen. It does NOT go into detail, but it may be disturbing for some. If it becomes uncomfortable for you, you can skip to chapter 1 without missing any of the story.**Praise for A Look Behind the Mask:“I enjoyed how you used the Jane Austen characters and set them in your own story. I really enjoyed all the differences and unique plot twists. Well done.”“Wow what a glorious story!”“Oh my god I SOBBED during the epilogue. What a beautiful story and a beautiful end.”“This was a wonderful story! I really enjoyed the exploration of these characters and how real they were.”“Your story is one of the top stories I've read… Please keep writing, you have a talent that should not be wasted.”“Just the idea of Elizabeth dumping a pitcher of water on Lydia's head is giving me more enjoyment than I ever expected.”“What a great story. You carried the many plot lines beautifully.”“Your story is one of the top Jane Austen Fan Fiction stories I've read.”

Follies Past: A Prequel to Pride and Prejudice


Melanie Kerr - 2013
    The story, characters, and setting are meticulously researched and written to give Jane Austen fans the closest thing to a new novel from her. The story follows the events surrounding the wicked Mr. Wickham's seduction of the beautiful and innocent 14 year old Georgiana Darcy and breathes new life into characters such as Caroline Bingley, Wickham, and Mr. Darcy himself by following them through their scandalous ordeal starting almost a year before the opening of Pride and Prejudice at Pemberley during Christmastime. The story opens at a time when Caroline Bingley is convinced of Mr. Darcy’s affection and determined to convert his regard into matrimony as swiftly as possible. Fourteen-year-old Georgiana Darcy has been taken from school, and is about to be sent off to face the rigours of a life in London. Wickham has only begun to plot against his ancient rival, and Mr. Darcy is still a bit open to the world and a little less full of both pride and prejudice. As the cast turn their faces to the city of London, one gentleman awaits them with all the charm and fascination that a handsome face and merciless ambition can beget. The story follows young Georgiana to London, to Ramsgate and to the brink of a perilous elopement, bringing readers all the wit, the drama and the delights of their beloved Pride and Prejudice. Authentic in its use of language, meticulously researched, and faithful to Austen’s classic, it is the book Austen fans have been waiting for!

The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth: A Pride and Prejudice Variation


Victoria Kincaid - 2014
    Paris is teeming with English visitors during a brief moment of peace in the Napoleonic Wars, but Darcy’s spirits don’t lift until he attends a ball and unexpectedly encounters…Elizabeth Bennet! Darcy seizes the opportunity to correct misunderstandings and initiate a courtship.Their moment of peace is interrupted by the news that England has again declared war on France, and hundreds of English travelers must flee Paris immediately. Circumstances force Darcy and Elizabeth to escape on their own, despite the risk to her reputation. Even as they face dangers from street gangs and French soldiers, romantic feelings blossom during their flight to the coast. But then Elizabeth falls ill, and the French are arresting all the English men they can find….When Elizabeth and Darcy finally return to England, their relationship has changed, and they face new crises. However, they have secrets they must conceal—even from their own families.

Sorrow and Second Chances


E. Bradshaw - 2019
    In this adaptation, the Bennet family are afflicted with grief following a sudden death in their family, and as a consequence, the fate of the whole family is changed forever. Fitzwilliam Darcy, who has been filled with regret and deep remorse ever since his last encounter with Elizabeth Bennet, realises that – in this time of great sorrow – he might just have a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the woman he loves. Told predominantly from the viewpoint of Mr Darcy, who has been left broken-hearted by Elizabeth Bennet’s rejection, this Pride and Prejudice variation tells the story of what happened next between these two much-loved characters. ‘He could easily see that he had astonished her, and he knew very well that he was skirting well over the line of acceptable conduct with his close proximity and with his use of her Christian name – but he felt that they had travelled well beyond the realms of proper conduct a long time ago. Somewhere between their heated argument at the Hunsford Parsonage and their private conversation in the dark of her bedroom, they had crossed an invisible line. They could never return to holding polite, stilted conversations about music or politics, or the state of the weather, when they had already bared so much of their inner souls to one another. Let other people conduct their courtships in such a way, he thought determinedly to himself, but he could remain silent no longer. If he had felt less for her then he might have been able to restrain his candour, but he knew he was well beyond that now.’

Heiress Without a Cause


Sara Ramsey - 2012
    With rumors of insanity swirling around them, his sisters desperately need a chaperone. Ferguson thinks he’s found the most proper woman in England–and he won’t ruin her, even if he secretly desires the passionate woman trapped beneath a spinster’s cap.One chance to break the rules...Lady Madeleine Vaillant can’t face her blighted future without making one glorious memory for herself. In disguise, on a London stage, she finds all the adoration she never felt from the ton. But when she’s nearly recognized, she will do anything to hide her identity–even setting up her actress persona as Ferguson’s mistress. She’ll take the pleasure he offers, but Madeleine won’t lose her heart in the bargain.One season to fall in love...Every stolen kiss could lead to discovery, and Ferguson’s old enemies are determined to ruin them both. But as their dangerous passion ignites their hearts and threatens their futures, how can an heiress who dreams of freedom deny the duke who demands her love?

Relentless Considerations: A Pride and Prejudice Novel


Amy Cecil - 2015
    Hearing from his aunt that the Collins’ are expecting Miss Elizabeth as a guest, Darcy and the Colonel change their plans and set off for Kent a fortnight sooner than originally planned. He and the Colonel have both decided that they are about to secure their future happiness. Darcy planning to propose to Miss Elizabeth and the Colonel is prepared to make a proposal of his own. Have you ever been a victim of false assumptions? Imagine assuming that the love of your life is engaged to your cousin and one of your dearest friends. Through a series of miscommunications and assumptions, Darcy believes that he has missed out on securing his future with Elizabeth when he comes upon them in Rosings Park. Will Darcy find the happiness he so desperately longs for …?

The Dashwood Sisters' Secrets of Love


Rosie Rushton - 2005
    The author of Friends, Enemies offers a fresh, funny new novel about sisterhood, friendship, and romance.