My COYER Summer Vacation Challenge starts NOW!

I am going to try something new this summer!  There is a reading challenge called COYER Summer Vacation, and I am in!  The idea is to read and review as many of my e-reads as possible this summer, and maybe even win some prizes.

This sounds like a wonderful group of people involved in reading and reviewing and I can hardly wait to get started. In fact - I think I will link the review I just completed so I can start today.

Forced to Marry Mr. Darcy by Mary Weston - 2 stars - abandoned in frustration

Forced to Marry Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Mary Weston

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

As other reviewers have mentioned, this is an interesting premise, although not unique. Elizabeth and Darcy are caught in an innocent situation that appears compromising, so must marry. Both are reluctant, but find themselves falling in love with each other. After they are forced to marry they are faced with danger from Wickham which draws them together. Pretty straightforward and a story that offers a lot of interesting situations and good conversations.

However, the author has a very annoying habit of creating references to what appears to be a back story, but then never delivers on that story. In addition, many of the characters act so out of character that you are left questioning what is occurring. The story and characters vary from the original Pride and Prejudice, which is fine, but we are often left wondering why and how the changes came about.

For example, at the very beginning of the story the author tells us that at the Netherfield ball the room is tense and feels like the attendees are split into two factions. In a conversation between Elizabeth and Charlotte we hear "This is the most dreadful ball I have ever attended. I've never seen a group of such dismal faces." "I know. It's rather like the air before a thunderstorm. The clouds are gathering and the air is still and sticky and one is just waiting for the storm to break and the air to clear." "What do you think the storm will be? A duel, perhaps?" This is pretty powerful imagery and you wonder what occurred to bring about this great deal of tension. In the original P&P the Netherfield ball is very much enjoyed by all those attending, with the exception of the tension between Elizabeth and Darcy. But, at this version, there is tension that affects every single person attending. Well, that is pretty intriguing. What happened prior to the ball to bring about this kind of tension? Why is everyone at the ball so miserable? What has caused this sense of dread that is expressed in this conversation? Wow, I could hardly wait to find out. But, nothing comes of this. I don't know what the author intended here. Why did she create this situation for the Netherfield ball without any explanation?

Then we have the compromise. The situation is innocent enough - Elizabeth catches her dress on a branch and it tears. Darcy recommends using her broach to pin it together. When Elizabeth struggles with the latch, Darcy helps her. His hand inadvertently touches her breast and this is observed by the Hursts. Now we have a strong series of people acting out of character with no explanation.

Darcy stops Elizabeth over and over as she tries to explain why the situation is innocent. I don't get it. Why does he do this? There is no explanation. The Hursts insist Darcy must marry Elizabeth due to this compromise. What? Don't they want Darcy for Miss Bingley? Miss Bingley believes Darcy has tried to seduce Elizabeth. What? Shouldn't she be defending him so she can keep him for herself? And, Elizabeth knows the situation is dire when told Mrs. Hurst told Miss Bingley about the compromise, because Miss Bingley is a gossip. She would rather gossip than save Mr. Darcy for herself?

It keeps going. Why is Lady Catherine present the next day when Darcy meets with Mr. Bennet? And, she is there to insist Darcy and Elizabeth marry. Isn't this contrary to everything we have ever known about her desire for him to marry Anne? Anne isn't even mentioned. Why is Lady Catherine so different in this variation? Why does Darcy just meekly allow her presence as a representative of his family and his interests? There is no explanation.

Other things are just tossed in as if they matter, but then they don't. Why is Wickham so insistent that Elizabeth is his? In the original P&P Elizabeth is looking forward to dancing with Wickham and feels herself halfway to falling in love with him. In this version, there is no mention of Wickham until after the ball, and Elizabeth feels fear around him. Why? What happened? No explanation.

After the betrothal is all arranged and Darcy is alone to consider what has occurred, he has this thought: "And now he was about to again undertake marriage with a woman who did not want him. Except, this time he planned to stay as far away from his wife as possible." Whoa! Looks like Darcy has been married previously and had a very bad time of it. This is a new twist! Only, it isn't. This line of thinking goes nowhere, apparently, and we are left wondering if we missed something.

When Darcy and Elizabeth reach Pemberley, Lady Matlock visits. She appears to already know Elizabeth! Interesting idea. But, we never find out more about this. It leads nowhere.

So, at some point the headache I was getting from these strange story line starts and stops makes the book difficult to read. Luckily for me another reviewer on Goodreads has chosen to fill their review with all the spoilers necessary to tell the rest of the story. I now can abandon the book without guilt.

Not recommended.





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Accepting Mr. Darcy by Jane Grix - Too short but intriguing - 4 Stars

Accepting Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Jane Grix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rating would actually be 3 1/2 stars.

Accepting Mr. Darcy was a short variation on P&P. The concept has been done before - Elizabeth learns her father is ill and dying. Therefore, when Darcy proposes at Hunsford she immediately accepts him and they become engaged. What made this one different for me, both good and bad, was the lack of external emotion attached to this change.

Darcy is very happy about the proposal and wants to take Elizabeth in his arms and kiss her passionately, but he doesn't. Elizabeth still dislikes Darcy and is simply marrying him for his money. However, her lack of enthusiasm is not obvious, as both of them are being very proper and are maintaining their composure.

What I like about this is how it in many ways matches the original. Elizabeth held back her negative opinion of Darcy such that he assumed she liked him and was anticipating his proposal. Darcy held back his passion for Elizabeth hoping to prevent any expectations of an offer. Unfortunately, he succeeded so well that she had no idea it was even a possibility. So, for the two of them to very sedately arrange to marry in this version actually makes complete sense given just the one change in circumstances: Mr. Bennet's imminent death.

We know in the original that once Darcy and Elizabeth start communicating, they quickly fall in love and resolve all of their miscommunication. Unfortunately for our couple, in this version Darcy overhears Lydia comment on Elizabeth's dislike of Darcy. He confronts Elizabeth with what he heard and she, although gently, basically confirms for him that she accepted him for his fortune. Instead of resolving their miscommunication, this now creates it, as Elizabeth is interested in developing a good relationship with her husband once this issue has been uncovered, while Darcy is hurt and backs away.

The resolution of this problem occurs as Darcy and Elizabeth find they need each other and begin to comfort each other during difficult times. This is a bit rushed, but feels natural enough. However, here is the part of liking it and not liking it for the same reason. It just feels like the couple reason everything out. I guess I was wanting a little bit more romance. I feel like the length of this version is what prevented the author from providing opportunities for our couple to fall in love.

But, to be fair to the author, I really loved her characterizations of Elizabeth and Darcy. Darcy has a very dry sense of humor and you can see why Elizabeth finds him attractive. Elizabeth very quickly determines she is not going to cry and fret over the misunderstanding she has with her husband. Yes, she married him for his fortune, but he loved her. She is going to be the woman he fell in love with and work to create a close and happy marriage. She pushes to make sure they are the "mutual help and support" mentioned in the wedding ceremony. I also enjoyed Bingley reminding Darcy about the "with my body I thee worship" aspect, too!

I would love to see what others think of this story to see if I am the only one torn between loving and disliking the same aspect. Overall, I would recommend Accepting Mr. Darcy, as it is at least an intriguing story. I just wish it had been longer.

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Yes, Mr. Darcy by J Dawn King enjoyable read 4 stars

Yes, Mr. Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Novella by J. Dawn King

• My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yes, Mr. Darcy is an unusual variation on Pride and Prejudice which takes the reader quite a distance from the original. It is well written and enjoyable, and I do recommend it, but purists be aware.

Mr. Bennet has determined the only way for his family to survive while he continues to spend his indolent life as he chooses is to arrange a marriage of his convenience between his second daughter, Elizabeth, and his heir, Mr. Collins. He would like the couple to marry and live at Longbourn so they can care for the estate for the rest of his life.

Elizabeth is given a short reprieve to travel to Derbyshire with her aunt and uncle Gardiner. While there she has a very life changing conversation with Georgiana Darcy. She recently returned from Ramsgate where George Wickham almost convinced her to elope. She is feeling terrible guilt and shame, and needs someone to talk to. Elizabeth comes to her rescue and Mr. Darcy sees this and wants to know her. But, Elizabeth disappears before any names can be exchanged. Darcy goes to every ball, dinner, etc. he can trying to find her. Finally, he heads to Netherfield to visit Bingley.

Now, Darcy finds Elizabeth at the Meryton assembly and he does not insult her. There actually is not any problem between the two of them. All issues are between them as a couple and those who do not want them to marry. Of course, we have our HEA, but there are a few worrisome moments.

I enjoyed the characters of Elizabeth and Darcy, and found the conversations very romantic. This was a fun read and I recommend J. Dawn King novels.






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Mr. Darcy's Vow by Timothy Underwood - 2 stars - unsuccessful executionn of an interesting premise

Mr. Darcy's Vow: A Pride and Prejudice Story by Timothy Underwood

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A very interesting premise of Darcy being in serious debt due to his father's overspending. In addition, he does not go to Ramsgate and Wickham is successful in his elopement with Georgiana. When Darcy arrives in Meryton, he is worried about money, unsure where Georgiana is with Wickham, and has just paid out her dowry of 30 thousand pounds through a loan from Bingley.

Although the premise is interesting, I am not sure it was successful as a story. This Darcy is less admirable than the original, although he is trying desperately to live up to his vow that he will not be like his father who wasted money, kept a mistress, and brought Pemberley to its knees financially. Darcy appears to stubbornly stick to the letter of this vow while not at all recognizing when it is hurting his own self-interest, not to mention that of Elizabeth. He continually attempts to stay a "rational man" and not let his emotions run away with him. From my perspective, he is very irrationally sticking to a vow. At one point he reminds himself he has an adequate income to marry anyone he chooses, even if a good portion of his income is still going to pay off the huge debt. He keeps telling himself over, and over, and over, that he must marry an heiress or his uncle Matlock will stop lending him money when he knows, and Bingley tells him, his uncle would not abandon him. He seems to believe he is being selfish and like his father to choose to marry a woman he loves. More troubling, however, is his ability to flip back and forth between wanting to marry Elizabeth (and demonstrating his love to her, so she and everyone around knows) and determining he cannot have her (hurting her and himself each time). He just seems like such a stubborn idiot over and over.

I also found little to admire in Elizabeth. She appears to be a loose cannon, letting her mouth go off pretty much wherever she is regardless of possible consequences to herself or to others. It is not only that what she says is improper, it is that it is not smart to attack people verbally when she doesn't know what they are capable of.

I really enjoyed The Return written by Underwood, but found the writing style in Mr. Darcy's Vow to be stiff and less descriptive. There was not a lot of emotion or a sense of place. The book is okay, but nothing to recommend to others.



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Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld 4 Stars - a very enjoyable modern day Pride and Prejudice

Eligible: A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a crazy Jane Austen Fan Fiction (JAFF) reader. I have literally read hundreds of books based on her writing. I belong to 5 fan fiction websites where I read JAFF, specifically based on Pride and Prejudice. My preference has always been to read Regency variations, rewrites or alternates. I often comment that I have a hard time reading modern JAFF, but occasionally I find one I enjoy. Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld is one of those exceptions. I really enjoyed it!

First off, there is not a lot of variation from the original in Eligible, other than the modern setting. But, in order to stay true to the original, Sittenfeld had to come up with some pretty interesting situations in order to make it fit. For example, what mother in today's world worries about a 20 and 22 year old daughter who is not married? None. So, in Eligible, Elizabeth is 38 and Jane is just shy of 40. Now, Mrs. Bennett is definitely desperate and Jane, at least, is feeling her biological clock ticking. This is just one example of the very interesting plot twists Sittenfeld applies so that we get the feel of the original P&P - the same kind of angst and understanding of why what is happening is of concern to anyone. I found some of these hilarious and others very poignant.

So, what kind of man is particularly of interest to match-making mamas in today's world? Why, doctors, of course. And, Bingley was the male contestant on a reality show called Eligible, which is pretty much the fictional version of The Bachelor. Instead of the militia, who do Kitty and Lydia spend their time with? Men at a gym, of course, and they are paleo, too! I can't give you too many more examples, as it would fall into the category of spoilers, but it is just so much fun to read the creative situations the author has determined to have us experience the same feelings as the original.

Another important factor in staying true to JA is to tell the story almost totally from Elizabeth's perspective. Darcy says little, and we never hear his thoughts, just like in P&P. Jane Austen said she couldn't write from the man's perspective as she had no idea how a man thought, or what men said to each other when no women were present. So, she didn't write that. Sittenfeld has done the same, and very effectively.

There is a fair amount of sex in this version, which is kind of to be expected in a modern version. But, the hate sex is kind of interesting. I'm not sure I quite liked this Elizabeth as much as the original, and Lydia was even more annoying, but otherwise, this was a really enjoyable read. I certainly can recommend it to my JAFF loving friends. A solid 4 stars and maybe even 4 1/2.

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I Met Mr Darcy Via Luton by Fredrica Edward - 3 stars - just slightly off

I Met Mr Darcy Via Luton by Fredrica Edward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read portions of I Met Mr Darcy Via Luton online at the Fan Fiction site, but it was nice to be able to sit down and read the entire thing. This story is very out of canon and I do not believe it would appeal to purists. I enjoy Fredrica Edward's writing and enjoyed reading this title, however, I am giving it only 3 stars as it felt as if there was just something missing.

Mr. and Mrs. Philips have moved to Luton and Jane and Elizabeth set out to visit them in the Bennet carriage. There is an accident right outside the entrance to Netherfield and Jane is slightly injured. Bingley and Darcy come to the rescue and take Jane inside. Thus, both couples meet prior to the assembly ball. This was a very interesting way to start the story, and I thought this was a great premise. Although it changed the story for many of the lesser characters, the main story of Elizabeth and Darcy did not change all that much. Darcy still insulted Elizabeth at the assembly and still convinced Bingley to give up Jane.

This turned out to be true of several changes made to the original P&P in this variation. The author would vary the story in an interesting way, but then it did not seem to matter in the relationship of Darcy and Elizabeth. They still had the same misunderstandings. Dr. Gregory was a very interesting character to bring into the mix, but that never developed into what I would have anticipated - a serious rival for Darcy. Wickham never became an important character, but Elizabeth still championed him and believed his story. There was a quick meeting while Elizabeth and Jane were in London, prior to Elizabeth heading to Hunsford, but that did not affect the story. The Hunsford proposal was changed in an interesting way, but that also seemed to make little difference in the long run. Mr. Bennet was even more detached than in the original, but that made little difference. Each of the Bennet sisters were more responsible and had certain adventures, but those lead to nothing changing in Darcy's opinion of them, etc.

In this variation, Darcy is a more sexually active man than Austen would have written. But, I am pretty certain this author has the right of it, that at Hunsford Darcy, even in the original, was working more from his physical attraction to Elizabeth than to a real love. However, we see and feel Darcy changing in his feelings toward Elizabeth, but Elizabeth seems to come to the decision to accept Darcy with her head, rather than her heart. So, a large issue I have with this story is the lack of tender feelings shown by the characters. They are definitely physically attracted to each other, and they mentally determine the other person is the right one for them based on what they learn along the way, but we rarely see them actually falling in love.

There are a couple of strange errors in the book that might be corrected. In one instance Mr. Bingley indicates he is looking forward to becoming Elizabeth's brother and they should call each other by their first names. But, this occurs after Jane and Bingley are married and are seeing Darcy and Elizabeth once their engagement is announced. They are already brother and sister and should have had this conversation prior to the Bingley's wedding, not prior to the Darcy's wedding.

I Met Mr Darcy Via Luton was an interesting and enjoyable read, but I just felt there was something slightly off about it. It is difficult to name, but I have to go back to two factors - 1. little chemistry between Darcy and Elizabeth outside of physical attraction, and 2. very interesting variations that don't seem to make a lot of difference in their story. I read a second story by this author on the Fan Fiction site and I look forward to seeing her publish it, as I believe it is the better of the two stories. Fredrica Edward writes well and I look forward to more from her.

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