Decisions and Consequences A Pride Prejudice Variation edition by Zoe Burton Romance eBooks
Download As PDF : Decisions and Consequences A Pride Prejudice Variation edition by Zoe Burton Romance eBooks 
Elizabeth Bennet has received two proposals of marriage in the last twelve hours one from her ridiculous cousin Mr. Collins and the other from the arrogant and disdainful Mr. Darcy. She turns both of them down flat. Unfortunately for her, between her mother’s insistence that she marry and some mysterious hold Mr. Darcy has over her father, she is forced to choose one.
Fitzwilliam Darcy is a man in need of a wife. He has searched high and low amongst the high society women of London but has yet to meet someone who combines all the attributes he requires. When he meets Miss Elizabeth Bennet in the small market town of Meryton, he finds her pointed dislike of him refreshing in its honesty. After observing her for a while, he decides he will marry her, and instructs his solicitor to investigate Mr. Bennet in the hopes of finding some sort of leverage to force her to accept him.
Though she chooses Darcy, Elizabeth is not happy. It takes weeks of being in his presence and learning his character, and the drama of people totally unrelated to her, to make Elizabeth see that that the consequence of her decision could possibly be a deep, abiding love.
Decisions and Consequences A Pride Prejudice Variation edition by Zoe Burton Romance eBooks
While I've enjoyed other Zoe Burton novels, this one just didn't do anything for me. The assumption that an honorable man such as Darcy would stoop to extortion to gain the hand of a woman he was not even in love with, boggles my mind, and that Elizabeth would calmly accept the choice given to her, upset me further. So starting with this unlikely premise, we just glide through the story with little to no emotion. Even the climax, which should have been wrought with gut-wrenching anxiety, was a cut and dried narrative which faded to a bland ending. I could have stopped reading this book at any point without repenting it, but I kept reading because I wanted to see what the author did with it after working through the early kinks. Alas, it didn't get better. I gave it three stars instead of two because it was well edited, although in future, when an author is trying to use the English of Austen's period, care should be taken not to drop in modern English colloquialisms.Product details
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Decisions and Consequences A Pride Prejudice Variation edition by Zoe Burton Romance eBooks Reviews
3.5 stars
I came to purchase this book because a friend recommended it. However, friends do not have to agree on everything. I did not find this book to be exceptional. Much of it was the same story line as canon. HOWEVER, there is an interesting premise, which if this story had been developed better, would have elevated my opinion about the entire novel.
As the book description relates, Mr. Darcy has been hunting for a bride. Now in this variation, Mr. Darcy comes across as one of those "concrete, sequential" (black & white/1-2-3, A-B-C) personalities. He has a list of characteristics he desires in a wife. He has attended many balls and dinners in London during the season and upon finding someone he thinks fits the bill is then shocked to overhear her relate to her lover how she believes she has Darcy on her hook but how he is so droll. So "Honesty" is high on his list now.
He decides to take a break and travel with his friend, Bingley, to help him settle into his newly leased estate, Netherfield. Do I have to add how he attends the assembly and insults Elizabeth? However, in this version, in overhearing him Elizabeth gives as good as she takes. In relating to her friend, Charlotte, his words, she has them take two steps closer to his person in order to make sure he overhears her. Now she has his attention. Obviously, she does NOT like him and furthermore, she is honest in her opinion. So he decides to check her out and, as related in the book description, has his solicitor look into Mr. Bennet's background. He is not one to venture into any relationship until he has all the cards necessary in his hands. After all he knows she does not like him and he, too, is not marrying for love, but for a woman who will be a good mistress of his estates, who will not shame him in public and who will care for his family and any children who come along. (He witnesses her care of Jane at Netherfield, as in canon. They converse and she holds her own in such and in politely handling Caroline’s snipes.)
The reader learns of the information provided Darcy with which he can, if necessary, use to force Mr. Bennet's cooperation in making Elizabeth acquiesce to Darcy's proposal, but Elizabeth is not given those facts. And as told she is presented with two proposals within a short span of time and immediately upon also turning down the second one, is told by her father that she MUST chose one or the other. At least, she is given a choice. And here Elizabeth does think it through. Despite knowing that Mr. Darcy has some hold over her father, she also realizes that she cannot choose Mr. Collins. Darcy DOES have intelligence, good conversation, and manners on his side...(Not to mention good looks.)
We, as readers, are treated to the period of prenuptial planning and do witness respectful conversations during courting. Of course, Elizabeth, tries to get Mr. Darcy to reveal what he has on her father, but he replies back that it is her father's choice to tell her or not. I found it rather amusing that neither person could put a name on why their bodily reactions to even just kisses were reactions of desiring more, of liking what had happened. Darcy put it down to now knowing she wouldn’t turn him away from her bed, that there was some evidence of passion. But I also found it a little nonsensical that Elizabeth would ask that he not consider her wanton for liking those kisses. How naïve are we suppose to opine about Elizabeth? I, for one in knowing that she is an intelligent woman and in having the fact that they are engaged for this period of time, would expect that kisses would be shared with no one thinking the action "wanton".
So much of the rest of the story is how love develops. However, we also have several side stories of romance in the making. And you know that Wickham has to have his part in the intrigue. That man is stopped short of having his way in Meryton when Elizabeth uses her knowledge about Darcy and the honor of character she has come to know to make a judgment call about Wickham’s story and to share it in all the right places. Wickham does not take that lightly.
This was an interesting read but I felt that at times it was flat and overall could have been better developed. The price is also a point of aggravation with me. I do know that authors don’t set prices but this one is overpriced for the length and quality given.
This was my first Zoe Burton book and I loved it! Slightly off of Canon, but only slightly. I loved the marriage of convenience twist, especially how Elizabeth rationalizes her marriage partner choices. I chuckled as Darcy cites his list in observing the opposite sex and ends up enjoying Elizabeth's honesty, apparently a lacking trait in women. I also enjoyed how the character of Mary was explored in a favorable fashion, so much as to intrigue and capture the attention of Colornel Fitzwiliam, her future husband. An wonderful read!
This starts with a fairly unusual premise Darcy and Elizabeth agree to a pure marriage of convenience on both sides. They don't even particularly like each other at that point. But Darcy has decided he needs to marry someone and, to that end, established a set of criteria that Elizabeth meets perfectly. He and Mr. Collins each propose to Elizabeth within 12 hours of each other. She declines both, but her father presents her with an ultimatum, requiring her to choose one or the other in order to provide security for the Bennet family.
Wickham doesn't enter the story quite as early as in Pride and Prejudice. By the time he gets the opportunity to tell his tale of woe to Elizabeth, she already has recognized that Darcy is too honorable to have behaved so disgracefully. Since she and Mr. Bennet both learn the full story of Wickham's character early on, the Meryton shopkeepers and Colonel Forster are warned. Wickham exits the area quickly, vowing revenge against Elizabeth and Darcy.
An additional storyline is the romance between Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mary Bennet.
Most of this was fairly predictable. Aside from Lady Catherine, the marriage is acceptable to everyone, especially Lord and Lady Matlack, who welcome Elizabeth into the family with open arms. It's obvious to the reader that Elizabeth and Darcy are in love long before they admit it to themselves. It is also apparent what kind of precipitating event is going to bring them to that realization. The additional romance just continues the book long after the climax and falling action of the primary story. It's a good book, but not great.
While I've enjoyed other Zoe Burton novels, this one just didn't do anything for me. The assumption that an honorable man such as Darcy would stoop to extortion to gain the hand of a woman he was not even in love with, boggles my mind, and that Elizabeth would calmly accept the choice given to her, upset me further. So starting with this unlikely premise, we just glide through the story with little to no emotion. Even the climax, which should have been wrought with gut-wrenching anxiety, was a cut and dried narrative which faded to a bland ending. I could have stopped reading this book at any point without repenting it, but I kept reading because I wanted to see what the author did with it after working through the early kinks. Alas, it didn't get better. I gave it three stars instead of two because it was well edited, although in future, when an author is trying to use the English of Austen's period, care should be taken not to drop in modern English colloquialisms.
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