Welcome to Litsy!

What if Lizzie had said yes to Mr. Darcy‘s 1st proposal? That‘s the premise of this P&P retelling. I didn‘t love Darcy‘s proprietary attitude at the beginning of the book, but I felt both characters had wonderful growth throughout the novel. I don‘t always love Austen retellings, but this one kept with the tone of the original, expanding the interactions between our favorite pair. I loved seeing the way they learned compromise & patience together.

✨ april ✨

i had two five-star reads in april this year:

-the undertaking of hart and mercy
-unequal affections

and unequal affections was my favorite of the two.

#12booksof2023

Okay, team #HappyReads, here are a few options for our next round. The tagged is a P&P variation that I read a long while back and know is 100% clean 😂 Indiscretion is an old favorite that I keep meaning to reread. The Shadowy Horses doesn't completely fit into our usual parameters - I haven't read this particular one, but I know Kearsley usually has a little bit of supernatural mixed into her stories. And of course, Wodehouse and Heyer - ⬇

3️⃣6️⃣ Bed of Roses ➡️ 3️⃣7️⃣ Unequal Affections

#ThingsInCommon: white dress on covers

After reading Claudia Gray, I‘ve been on a bit of a Jane Austen binge. I found this title on Goodreads as a pride and prejudice retelling asking what would have happened if Elizabeth had accepted Darcy‘s first proposal. I was a little shocked this book started off as a fan fiction, it reads to me like a literary piece. I finished it in one sitting it was so good, with a lot more sexual tension and character growth for both than most retellings. ❤️

#manicmonday on a Tuesday #letterU @CBee

📖 Unequal Affections
✍️ I've got nothing 😕
🎞️ Underworld
🎤 U2
🎵 Used to Rule the World, by Bonnie Raitt

"Like Cordelia, you are yourself a dowry." ?? I feel a little faint...

While most of the variations I've discussed this month have been Kindle Unlimited fare, this is what I would consider a “legit“ variation, as it was actually published by a real publisher lol It shows in the finished product - this is a really excellent story. At Hunsford, when Darcy proposes, instead of losing her temper and telling Darcy just where he can get off, Elizabeth asks for time to consider his proposal. This alone is enough to make ⬇

What if Elizabeth accepted Mr. Darcy‘s first proposal, without loving him, and we got to experience their courtship?

This retelling of one of my favorite books is fantastic—the writing and story seem true to Austen and our beloved characters. It was published in 2014, and I may be imagining it, but it somehow had the feeling of the 2005 movie to me, which is a huge plus. ❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tagging some of my fellow Janeites... have y‘all read this??

Such a clever concept! What if Lizzy had accepted Darcy's first proposal? This alternate version of P&P was intriguing and showed a whole new (possible) side of Lizzy and Darcy. I thought she did their arcs quite well and left their characters quite intact compared to many spinoffs and retellings. A light read I'd suggest for Austen fans who can handle a reimagining!

Had been seeing this book for a while but a Goodreads review from @andrea_blair finally convinced me to give it a shot! I'm at exactly 50% and enjoying it quite a bit! #prideandprejudice