Genre: Historical Romance
Age Group: Adult
White Soup Press (2015)
Ebook - 370 pgs
Elizabeth Bennet can’t imagine anything worse than being stranded by a blizzard in a tiny cottage with proud and unpleasant Mr. Darcy. But being trapped there for days – and nights - with an injured and confused Mr. Darcy who keeps saying the oddest things about her is even worse. At least he possesses the useful ability of lighting a fire to keep them from freezing to death. But when he puts his arms around her, she discovers the hearth isn't the only place he knows how to build a fire. And the little half-frozen kitten he finds in a woodpile isn't proving to be much of a chaperone.
She doesn’t really believe his promises to marry her if anyone finds out they spent two nights alone together, especially after learning he was betrayed by another woman in the past. When her worst fears are realized and her reputation is in tatters, she isn’t surprised to discover Mr. Darcy has vanished into thin air, leaving her no choice but to find a husband as soon as possible before her whole family is ruined. Any husband will have to do, no matter how much she dislikes him. Even if she can’t stop thinking of Mr. Darcy…
Rating: 4/5
Even
though it has been a while since I read this retelling, I still remember
enjoying it quite a bit. Normally these escape my brain rather quickly so that
is just one of the many points in its favor.
There
was a lot to like in this book including the amazing characterization. Like
many of Abigail Reynold’s retellings the characters felt authentic and acted
like their counterparts in the original novels. Personally, I really enjoy when
a Pride and Prejudice retelling is filled with tropes and is a little
predictable. I read these to relax and to simply enjoy different situations
where Darcy and Lizzy meet. This was one of my favorites that I’ve come across
in years as far as the love story is concerned. It is predictable in many of
the Lizzy/Darcy interactions, but there are surprises in other aspects of the
novel. Some of the other characters are very different than they are in the
original novel. This was an interesting twist on the story and created a myriad
of issues for Lizzie and Darcy.
There
were some things that didn’t work as well. The circumstances of how Lizzie and
Darcy end up in the cabin alone were rather rushed. Also there were two things
plot points that bothered me. There was a rather callous dismissal of a rape
victim and a mental health condition (PTSD) is glossed over for the most part.
I understand these were both written in a historical sense, but I thought it
could have been handled better.
Overall
this is one of my favorite Reynolds retellings even though it had issues. I
can’t wait for more Reynolds retellings. She just has a nack for it.
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