From Lambton to Longbourn

I was transfixed from beginning to end, a truly wonderful variation on Pride and Prejudice. I love the what-ifs proposed by this story and the writing style was VERY true to the original work by Austen. My only complaint was the numerous instances of compromising behavior. Seemed a little bit of overkille to me, but I ADORED the insight into Georgianna's character and the chance to read intimate love letters from Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth. I want my own copy now, because I know I'll want to re-read this in the future. That it because I am and Austen-junkie and I LOVE SEQUELS AND VARIATIONS. Heaven help us all!

Much better than the last but does go slowly at parts. I like the setting and scenes so didn't mind the lag. I liked the story as it just seems like a different way of them getting together. There is a lot of kissing but she left the erotica out. It seemed a much better fit to me.

This Pride and Prejudice variation begins at the Lambton Inn when Darcy visits Elizabeth as she is reading Jane's letter concerning Lydia and Wickham. As they speak more openly will this change the. outcome, especially as the Gardiners walk in seeing them in an embrace. There is a lot of talk between the two in various locations plus a large amount of kissing but very little tension. But still an enjoyable well-written story.

Abagail Reynolds is one of my favorite authors when in comes to Pride and Prejudice variations. I have read several of her novels and have fallen in love with each one. She takes the question 'what if?' and applies them to the original story line. In this novel, What Would Mr. Darcy Do? Abagail Reynolds addressed the question, What if Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett were upfront with their feelings for each other at the Lampton Inn?" The storyline takes off in a new direction. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy both confess to their romantic feelings towards each other and things start to heat up. They are caught in a precarious position by the Gardiners and hard choices have to be made. Although Elizabeth is fond of Mr. Darcy, she does not want show more to be forced into marriage. Mr. Darcy makes it his mission in life to convince Elizabeth that he is the right man for her.
This book was originally published in 2008 under the title, From Lambton to Longbourn. However this was my first time reading this particular variation. I found the story line to be very enjoyable. I like this twist on the original story. I also like that Abagail Reynolds keeps most of the side stories in tact while giving us something completely new. She stays true to the characters and their personalities. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth both express doubts and misinterpret each other quite a bit. They must learn to overcome it their insecurities, with the help of the Gardiners. Things also become a little hot and steamy between the two. It's not R rated but definitely not PG either. The chemistry between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is captivating.
Overall this book is a great Pride and Prejudice variation. I adore Abagail Reynolds and I love reading her novels. She definitely gives me my Mr. Darcy fix. If you're a fan of Pride and Prejudice, I would recommend this novel to you. Even if you're not a fan it's still a good read. show less

My thoughts:

This was another lovely Jane Austen variation from Abigail Reynolds. It was sweet, and it made me smile.

In this one the story takes a slight turn at that day at the Inn in Lambton. Instead of him going away at once they talk a bit, she cries a bit, and there is a promise to see each other again. What we have next is Bingely showing up to court Jane, Georgiana writing letters to Elizabeth, and Darcy pining over Lizzy. There are no big surprises or changes, but instead it's a closer look at this couple.

Mr Darcy in this one is lovely, absolutely lovely. He is violently in love as Mrs Gardiner says to Lizzy, and he is just so so, yes in love. It's great to see this passionate side of him and the only thing he wants to do is to show more court her. Lizzy is Lizzy, firm in her opinions but she has fallen for him, and these two together when they sneak away are such a joy to read about.

At the beginning this book was so cute, and I just had this big grin on my face. Then it became a bit more passionate (ok passionate for that age), lol, just reading about these two saying each other's given names and kissing was plenty.

Conclusion:

A lovely re-telling of a story that I just can't get enough of. I would recommend this one to my fellow JA lovers.

Rating:

Short and nice show less

What Would Mr. Darcy Do? by Abigail Reynolds is another variation of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. In this version, Elizabeth and Darcy have an opportunity to express their feelings following her surprise tour of the Pemberley grounds at Lambton just before the news of Lydia’s elopement reaches Elizabeth. The story begins months after her refusal of Darcy’s proposal at Hunsford, and the plot follows along much of the original story, with stolen kisses and embraces, as well as secret letters.

“Dear Miss Bennet,

It is always a pleasure to hear from you, but I must admit the arrival of your letters is becoming quite a source of entertainment in itself. My brother thinks I do not notice how he watches for the post now, but how show more could I miss the way he hovers in an agony of suspense over me when I read your letters until I finally take pity on him and allow him to read for himself, and then he spends no less than half an hour admiring your letter, for it cannot possibly take him so long to read it!” (page 46 of ARC)

No new characters are introduced, but Reynolds does provide us with a version of Georgiana Darcy that is not seen in the original novel. She opens up to Lizzy and becomes less reserved once she’s around girls her own age. However, will the changes in Georgiana be welcome to Darcy or run contrary to his expectations.

Read the Full Review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2011/04/what-would-mr-darcy-do-by-abigail-reynolds.h... show less

This is one of the "what if's" for Pride and Prejudice. You can see my review on Impulse and Initiative for all the books in the series I've read - they're pretty much the same when it comes to forming an opinion: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/847343509?book_show_action=false