Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for an author I’ve read a few times now, Kelly Miller. I picked up this new book from this regency-era writer via the BookRoar review site and am so glad I did >>>

About the Book:

What will Fitzwilliam Darcy do when his beloved father stands between him and happiness?

Darcy has always emulated his wise and honourable father, George Darcy. But following a sinister act of betrayal by a former family friend, his father rejects his most benevolent principles.

When Georgiana forms a friendship with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Darcy convinces his father to allow the association to continue. However, Elizabeth soon presents a thorny problem: she entices Darcy as no other lady has before, and with his current outlook, his father would not approve of her as a daughter-in-law.

Still, Darcy’s problem may resolve in time: his father, after getting to know Elizabeth, is certain to recognise her many admirable qualities and change his mind. But what if he does not?

In this Pride & Prejudice Regency variation, Fitzwilliam Darcy is caught between the influences of love and duty. Which of these will wield the greatest power?

My Review:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A lovely heartwarming read

I’ve read a few books by this wonderful author now, and this one was a lovely, heartwarming read. As always, writer Kelly Miller has brought the classic Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to new life with this fresh take on the characters and their Regency-era lives.

‘“I cannot believe this! How could Wickham betray me after all I have done for him? The blackguard!” George Darcy’s fist crashed upon the mahogany desk with a mighty thump.’ … from this angst-filled opening line, the reader is immersed in a family dilemma that will come to challenge Fitzwilliam Darcy in ways neither he nor his father could have envisioned.

One thing I liked in particular in this take on Pride and Prejudice is that Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet become fast friends early on in the story, which makes a nice change from an oft-used trope in romance where it’s animosity at first sight instead.

A few things impacted my full immersion and enjoyment of this book, such as passive writing and the over use of filler words such as ‘own’, etc. But more than anything else, sentences opening with ‘He’ and ‘She’—often inappropriately and confusingly—tripped me up time and again. These sentence starters, for the most part, denoted either Darcy or Bennet, but— unfortunately—they occurred frequently at new paragraphs and also followed other characters, and even a horse! Suffice it to say, this is a huge issue and needs addressing. Because of this, I almost gave four stars to this read, but instead have given 4.5, rounded up to 5 for rating purposes, due to the other aspects of the narrative being so well done.

I especially loved Davy’s character, young man with mental development issues, whom the author portrayed wonderfully. And the interactions between the other characters and Davy were fantastic and felt realistic. Lots of fun banter enlivens the dialogue and overall warm, cosy feel of this period romance read.

I highly recommend Kelly Miller and her Pride and Prejudice adaptations for anyone who enjoys clean romance in a historical setting.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …

UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/