He Taught Me to Hope by P. O. Dixon ★★★★☆

A Pride and prejudice retelling with Elizabeth as a young widow and mother.

Following the deaths of her aristocratic husband and then her father-in-law, Elizabeth finds that the new occupant of her home brings unsavoury visitors.

Deciding it is not a fit environment to raise her son Bennet, she reluctantly returns to Longbourn.

Mr Bennet disapproved of her marriage and has little sympathy for her plight. His only solution is to pressure her into marrying his heir, a Mr Geoffrey Collins. A handsome widower with two daughters, he seems a not too unpleasant option. So they become betrothed.

Into the town comes Fitzwilliam Darcy. He and Elizabeth are powerfully  attracted to each other.

Darcy meets Ben, a young boy obsessed with Arthurian legend and they develop a close friendship, not realising that Ben is Elizabeth’s son.

Ben is a delightful character and steals the show.

Elizabeth and Darcy are well constructed characters, with Darcy having a distinctly racy edge! 

I really enjoyed this and as ever Pearl Hewitt did a great job of narrating.

I received a free copy of this audiobook via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review. All views expressed are my own.

Audible