A different spin on Pride and Prejudice and fiction's sweethearts, Darcy and Bennett.
A quick entertaining read that and Darcy fans will love.

“Love involves a peculiar unfathomable combination of understanding and misunderstanding.” –Diane Arbus

Our Pride and Prejudice universe is somewhat altered from canon in this story. There are many changes and timelines that are skewed differently and ODC [our dear couple] meet under different circumstances. Elizabeth has been sent to live with her father’s elder sister Lady Vanessa Barrett, with whom he had been estranged. Her ladyship was a widow, without an heir, and had decided to mend the breach in the family by taking Elizabeth and training her in how to be a lady in a new circle of society. She was concerned that Mrs. Bennet, a tradesman’s daughter, wouldn’t know how to raise a proper gentlewoman. If Elizabeth stayed with her and did well during her training, consisting of a twelve-month complete, then Lady Barrett would adopt Elizabeth, making her the heir.

Elizabeth was trying very hard to adjust to a new environment and society. Every evening before going to bed, she wrote faithfully to her dear sister Jane. This was so touching especially when we learned the heartbreaking truth. When Elizabeth and Darcy were introduced, I was especially thrilled to see the famous dialogue switched about with different outcomes. There were so many misunderstandings and trials between ODC. At times, I wanted to shake Elizabeth.

“Jealousy can even be good for love. One partner may feel secretly flattered when the other is mildly jealous. And catching someone flirting with your beloved can spark the kind of lust and romance that reignites a relationship.” –Helen Fisher

Talk about your jealous triangles of love. This One loved That One, but That One longed for Another, and Another lusted for Someone Else, while Someone Else languished for This One. [Who’s on first?] Add to that conflab, a grasping Caroline Bingley and her wimp of a brother, and you have a complete mess of Who is in love with Whom. Jealously was flaunted back and forth among the many single characters. It became tedious and drawn out in unusual and confusing ways. The direction Elizabeth went, with her thinking and behavior, was crazy at best, stupid on one hand and utterly frustrating on the other. Again, I wanted to shake her and ask, “WTH [what-the-heck] is your problem?”

“People who have strong likes and dislikes find life very difficult; they are as rigid as if they had only one bone.” –Eknath Easwaran, The Mantram Handbook

Lady Catherine was extremely vexing as she demanded that Darcy fulfill his family duty and marry Anne. She threatened him with something that even angered her brother the Earl of Matlock. She was a witch. She traipsed all over the countryside looking for Elizabeth, in order to make her sentiments known. I especially felt for her poor coachman and horses. It was hilarious.


Of course, Wickham made his disgusting appearance… the scum-bag-rat-bastard. I wanted to know why they didn’t hang him for desertion? We never did address that. But then, that would throw a wrench in the works and the Bennet sisters didn’t need to suffer because Lydia was being stupid. And boy, was she a pip in this story. La, that child… help us all.

What I didn’t like: Gaps or something that would jolt me from the story. Something would be missing that I needed to transition from one place to another, or from scene to scene. Snippets would jar me and I would think, ‘What?’ This was throughout the story and it was perplexing as well as disconcerting. It was that note that was off in the symphony and flow of the story.

This was a clean, and yet enjoyable read. It was short and could be read rather quickly. It is followed by book 2, ‘Tis the Season for Matchmaking, and continues the story-line with even more outrageous behavior and angst.

I first read this in 2017 as part of the ‘First There is Love’ Collection. Not realizing it was the same story, I volunteered to read an unedited galley from the publisher via NetGalley. I even purchased a copy, due to it having a different cover. Dang, these cover changes, collections, box-sets, and anthologies can be confusing.

Although the writing itself is of Ms. Dixon's usual high quality, the plot leaves some holes and some lack of logic that made it less than satisfying.

Elizabeth agrees to live with her aunt, Lady Vanessa Barrett, with whom her father has been estranged for decades due to his unacceptable marriage to Mrs. Bennet, a mere solicitor's daughter. The siblings have a tentative truce and, based on her brother's description, Lady Vanessa (having no children of her own) is considering making Elizabeth her heir.

As the story begins, Lady Vanessa is clearly cut from the same opinionated, condescending, elitist cloth as Lady Catherine. Elizabeth does the best she can but isn't certain whether the inheritance will be worth the experience of living with the imperious lady. This conflict is never developed. By the book's end, without any interaction shown between the two to justify it, the relationship between Lady V and Elizabeth pops up very differently. In fact, lady V barely factors in the middle section of the book except as mistress of the estate at which Elizabeth resides while our heroine is off socializing with others.

The relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy is equally frustrating. For one thing, Elizabeth is way too prickly at first. We know that Darcy historically is attracted to her because she doesn't pander to him, but she's beyond "impertinent" with him--she seems downright rude--and without just provocation.

Their major misunderstanding when Darcy heads to Rosings is also ridiculous, this time on his side. Certainly he must know that many gentlemen take advantage of innocent gentlewomen. Considering that he intends to marry Elizabeth, there's no good reason for him to keep significant information from her as he's about to leave and then get indignant when she becomes upset. It's a dumb argument that seems manufactured just to separate the two on bad terms.

There are aspects of the story that I enjoyed. It is kind of interesting to see Darcy as a participant in a horse race and a gentleman actively involved in buying, selling and breeding horses. Initially, Elizabeth is reluctant to give her heart to anyone because she is still reeling from losing someone she dearly loved, which is a different perspective than usual. Darcy definitely gets some competition for her favor, with Lady V. strongly encouraging a match between her niece and Lord Holland, the nephew of her late husband. Lucy Lancaster is a bubbly young lady who is said to become a good friend to Elizabeth, even though their relationship is not developed on page. I would've liked to see more done with that. I do like the face-off between Lady V. and Lady Catherine, too, despite Lady V's attitude being a bit out of the blue.

Darcy and Elizabeth do get ample page time together at various dinner parties, picnics, and balls. Their attraction is palpable, they have some bantering conversations, they have some romantic interaction. The content remains clean throughout.

Overall, it's a book that has some good elements, but there's a lot more that seems undeveloped. Not one of this author's better stories.

Such as any book of Ms P O Dixon, this is such a lovely mix of the original and its variation. There were new charcaters added, who did not distract away from our couple's love story. Loved the way the story had unfolded, how true to its title the story is. This is a must read for all (esp avid fans of Pride and Prejudice)

A Lasting Love Affair is a clever reimagining of Pride and Prejudice. In this version, Elizabeth’s beloved sister Jane has died due to the effects of a “trifling cold.” Elizabeth eagerly leaves the sadness of Longbourn behind to live with Mr. Bennet’s estranged, wealthy older sister. In this retelling, Mr. Darcy never visited Netherfield, but instead meets Elizabeth near her aunt’s home. Elizabeth was so hurt by Jane’s death that she tries to close her heart to Darcy, but he breaks through her defenses; however, a series of misunderstandings separate them for a time. Ironically, it is Lydia’s elopement with Wickham that brings them together again.