Enjoyable read for fans of Jane Austen!

This is a great comfort read. I enjoyed the perspective of Darcy writing in his diary for a look at his thoughts as the plot unfolds.
There wasn’t much new to the story but if you enjoy a JAFF read that stays true to the original story with a little glimpse behind the scenes for some of the characters -this is the books for you!

I would love to see a story for Mary come next after getting more of her perspective in the story.

I received an ARC from Warleigh Hall Press and NetGalley. I'm voluntarily leaving a review with my own opinions.

Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance, Pride and Prejudice Retelling
Spice Level: Very low (appropriate for all audiences

Because I love Austen's work, I'm always curious to see what authors do in retellings.

The author, Alice McVeigh, stays true to the original (mostly) with many direct quotes. I love the idea of seeing things through Darcy's perspective as well as some of the other characters like Mary.

Obviously, there are parts that McVeigh extrapolated to make the novel hang together, and I thought theses scenes added to character motivation and are appropriate for the time. There are so many things I love about this novel. The interactions between all the characters is always going to be on the top of my list. And second are the misconstrued intents.

There is only one thing that I thought could be improved: the letters and diary entries didn't have different voices or feel particularly epistolary. This confused me a bit, and sometimes, I had to double check whose perspective I was reading. But this is a minor point in a wonderful novel.

If you're a fan of P&P or want to read a variation that's easier to digest than the original, this is a great option.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Yes! I recommend this book.

Happy reading!

I absolutely love how McVeigh flushed out Austen's narrative, giving voice to scenes only minimally mentioned. The characters were absolutely spot on. My only wish is that she chose to go beyond the story for us to witness the Darcys married life. I need more. I think even Austen Purists would enjoy this book!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Warleigh Hall Press for the ARC.

Honestly? Any book, even a slight variation of Pride and Prejudice, is an instant read for me. Even if, but this is not the case, it's about zombies, vampire or dragons.
There is something in that novel written by Jane Austen over 210 years ago that speaks to my soul.
The story remains more or less unchanged, but it was particularly special for me to be able to read the whole thing from Darcy's perspective (it's not the first book of its kind that I've read). However, it was enjoyable to also read something from Mary's point of view, the somewhat neglected sister, and even some exchanges between certain servants.
It also helped me understand certain characters better, such as Bingley's sisters and Colonel Fitzwilliam, and I think it's definitely appreciable when reading a retelling of a great classic, the fact that it sheds light on things that remained in the shadows in the original.

4 stars for me, I's family-friendly and an enjoyable read.



I would like to thank NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This brilliant P & P variation will thrill all Janeites, with its nod to the original beloved story, plus creative twists that refresh the classic tale. The author penned two previous variations, SUSAN and HARRIET; I loved both but DARCY is my favorite of the three, with its wit, generous humor, and luscious passages that will delight Austen fans and lovers of historical romance.

“Should she reject me again, I shall have to wed - as I swore I never would - for dynasty alone. I can only ever love Elizabeth Bennet.”

Oh my goodness ... swoon!

I would like to thank netgalley and Warleigh Hall Press for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The unique parts of this, Darcy's journal and Mary Bennet's pov, were interesting.

Although the title of Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Alice McVeigh (Warleigh Hall Press, June 2023) suggests that it is a retelling of the classic novel focusing on the leading man, it actually presents the entire Pride and Prejudice story from a variety of perspectives. Along excerpts from Darcy’s diary and Mary’s papers, McVeigh also gives an omniscient perspective of various scenes in the original story, including scenes with the Bennet servants. I enjoyed considering the possible expanded scenes with my favorite book characters, and I especially liked Mary’s internal growth through her diary.

Darcy is a fun read for the fan of the original novel and the cannon of Pride and Prejudice movies. Some of the conversations even captured the inside jokes from the movies! For example, there is comment from Mr. Collins at the dining table about the delicious potatoes, which made me laugh. The author’s voice felt very similar to Jane Austen’s voice. For me, that actually made it less interesting, because it felt unoriginal.

I liked the glimpses of Darcy’s journey as he retold the story of his sister with Wickham and as he explained how he tracked down Wickham after he ran off with Lydia. But, in general, Darcy’s first person narration added a little to the story, but that along with the passages with an omniscient perspective seemed pretty straightforward in retelling the novel. On the other hand, Mary’s journals gave insight into her psyche and purpose for what she does throughout the novel. Since Jane Austen never did give much thought to Mary in her novel, I really enjoyed seeing this unique perspective. McVeigh also created young adult Timothy Lucas to be Mary’s friend, so this portion of the book was creative and unique.

Darcy was an enjoyable read for me, since I always love reading new perspectives of Pride and Prejudice, as well as rereading the original. But, with the exception of the new insights into Mary, the writing and characters felt a little bit too straightforward. It wasn’t a stand-out variation for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance review copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Imagine, if you will, if Mr.Darcy had kept a diary recording the events of his life during the time he met and fell in love with Elizabeth Bennett. Such is the case in this witty, humorous retelling of Jane Austen’s beloved classic. In addition to Darcy’s diary, the author also includes excerpts from Miss Mary Bennett’s attempt at a literary book of wisdom. Who knew that Mary Bennett had a secret romance? Pour a cup of tea, grab a biscuit, and enjoy this fresh look at a story for the ages.

3.5 stars


I have a fondness for any book set in the world of Darcy and Bennet.
The familiar names and places make me immediately feel at home.
This puts a great spin on not only seeing things from a different perspective, but also giving some extra flesh to characters I thought I knew well.
Enjoyable.

Pride and Prejudice, the book that started my love of reading. I’ve read every variation I can get my hands on including vampires, zombies and dragons.

This one sticks much closer to the original.
It’s more of a retelling where we get….wait for it…Mr Darcy’s POV (from his diaries) which I loved. And seriously it can’t be overstated how wonderful this is.
We also get more of Mary. How she fancied herself married to Mr Collins. The saviour of her family.

It’s the classic Pride & Prejudice but more. And I loved it.

I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 for goodreads.

In case you hadn't noticed, this is a Pride and prejudice reteliing, by an author who has apparently already written short stories in the same vein.
Even if it's titled Darcy, there are several points of view, Darcy's journal, Mary's journal, we also have short dialogues between the servants which brings liveliness. It's best if you have read the original, of course, yet you can do without.

It was a really good surprise : the language is right for the era, the characters' psychology is respected, the retelling is faithful with different angles and an Italian twist (I won't spoil) to make a difference. We also see more of Mary's own feelings, a bit righteous at the beginning but she evolves nicely - she struggles with her feelings and her view on life which brings many humorous moments.

Very recommended !

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books and I jumped at the chance to read a retelling from Darcy’s perspective. I liked how to true it stayed to the original story and it was really refreshing to read Darcy’s side of the story. I really appreciated the insight of Mary’s character, but I would have preferred to just read and focus on Darcy’s viewpoint. Overall, this was an enjoyable read!

I’m a big fan of Jane Austin adaptations, particularly P&P. So I was excited to see that there was a book from Darcy’s point of view. The writer did a good job of retelling the story, but I was expecting the book to be solely his POV. We also got Elizabeth’s and personal papers of Mary’s.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book isn't so much a "Pride and Prejudice" variation as a retelling with additional points of view. The novel remains mostly faithful to the original while offering some interesting subplots, especially from Darcy and Mary. Hill's perspective was also very fun.

The book is about 50% cannon, and 50% original material. It's an entertaining and satisfying read for "Pride and Prejudice" fans.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Oh my goodness! This book! :) I liked that it also had perspective from Mary Bennet, but from the pages of her diary. Having a closer look into the life of Mr. Darcy outside of his time in Longbourn was something that I’ve always wanted to be able to read so finding that in this book was a lovely treat! Pride and prejudice is one of favorite books, and I am always excited to find books that are based on or a continuation of the story.
It is always a comfort to me to read about Netherfield, or Rosings, and even the name Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
And I love getting to have a closer peak into the lives of some of my favorite characters in literature, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend! So so cute:)