More Than a Pretty Face: A Variation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by Frances Reynolds. ★★★★☆
The story begins when Elizabeth Bennet returns from Hunsford, following Fitzwilliam Darcy’s dreadful proposal and their subsequent argument.
She joins her sister Jane, at the Gracechurch Street house of their Aunt and Uncle Gardiner.
Elizabeth has had her eyes opened, following her interactions with Darcy. She had thought him wicked and Mr Wickham to be all that was good.
His revelations that Wickham is a rake and a scoundrel shatter her belief in her skills as a judge of character.
Jane has been slowly recovering from her heartbreak over Charles Bingley’s abandonment. She has put aside her rose tinted view of the world, to recognise that the Bingley sisters are harpies and Charles Bingley is a weak character.
This revelation has made her feel a great deal better about herself.
When the newly minted Lord Lyfford meets Mr Gardiner for a business meeting, he explains that he thinks his steward is embezzling from his estate. When they look at the books, Gardiner asks Jane to assist. Thus, it is revealed that Jane has prodigious skill with numbers. Lyfford is impressed with both her mind and her beauty.
And so, begins a relationship of respect, esteem and love.
When Darcy meets his old friend Lyfford, he is encouraged to court Elizabeth and show that he can be a better man than she has believed him to be.
In a parallel story, Elizabeth tries to ensure that her family and the town of Meryton are protected from the predations of Mr Wickham.
It takes some time to motivate her apathetic father but progress is made. All the family but Lydia accepts that Wickham is bad.
Her behaviour finally triggers Mr Bennet to act and shockingly Mrs Bennet agrees.
A stunned Lydia finds herself relegated to the nursery. Further stubborn and reckless behaviour leads to her windows being boarded up and Mr Bennet searching for an appropriate school!
Overall, this is an enjoyable, low angst story.
I liked seeing Jane portrayed as intelligent.
A chastened Darcy makes good, after courting Elizabeth rather than assuming she will have him and Lyfford is lovely from the beginning.
It was also good to see Lydia finally “getting it”!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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