Impulse & Initiative: A Pride & Prejudice Variation
Reynolds, author of several self-published Pride & Prejudice Variations, as well as Pemberley by the Sea, also reviewed in this issue, asks, what if Mr. Darcy had persisted immediately in the wake of Elizabeth Bennet’s first refusal? Persuaded by his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, to snap out of the funk he’s been in since Elizabeth turned down his marriage proposal, Darcy, along with Mr. Bingley, returns to Netherfield to try to woo the woman who has captivated him completely. At first reluctant to change her opinion of him, Elizabeth gradually comes to enjoy his company, but she’s convinced she’ll never be able to love him. Time serves to change her mind, however—so much so that she agrees to marry him—and she even succumbs to a moment of intense passion before their wedding. Die-hard Austenites will no doubt wonder why any variation on Pride and Prejudice is necessary, but lovers of steamy period romances will find plenty of stolen kisses and fluttering hearts to whet their appetites here. --Kristine Huntley--This text refers to an alternatePaperbackedition.