Overview
What if…
The last man in the world she could be prevailed upon to marry…is her husband?
In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet tells the proud Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy that she wouldn't marry him if he were the last man in the world.
But what if she never said the words? What if circumstances conspired to make her accept Darcy the first time he proposes?
In this installment of Abigail Reynolds's acclaimed Pride and Prejudice Variations, Elizabeth agrees to marry Darcy against her better judgment, setting off a chain of events that nearly brings disaster to them both…
What readers are saying
"A highly original story, immensely satisfying."
"Anyone who loves the story of Darcy and Elizabeth will love this variation."
"I was hooked from page one."
"A refreshing new look at what might have happened if…"
"Another good book to curl up with… I never wanted to put it down."
Synopsis
In this sexy Jane Austen sequel, Elizabeth Bennet accepts Mr. Darcy's first marriage proposal, answering the "What if...?" question fans everywhere have pondered
Publishers Weekly
Originally self-published as a “Pride and Prejudice Variation,” Reynolds (From Lambton to Longborn) introduces a few twists to the Austen classic, a project that purists will surely abhor, but which should prove a pleasing diversion for more casual fans. In this spin on events, Reynolds excises Elizabeth Bennet's famous rejection of Fitzwilliam Darcy's initial proposal (“the last man on earth” she'd marry), instead putting them together from the get-go (despite Elizabeth's lingering doubts). This romantic trifle is marred by occasionally hysterical sentiment (Darcy: “But ardent love will not be denied. I can no longer imagine a future without you by my side”) and the incongruous notion that Austen's willful proto-feminist would feel constrained by a kiss, however public. If romantics can overlook the subversion, they should enjoy witnessing Elizabeth as an industrious and caring wife, administering to Pemberley's tenants, learning how to be an equestrian and growing to love that perplexing Darcy; characteristic trepidations, setbacks and miscommunications stick close to the spirit of Austen. (Jan.)