#Lizzie and Darcy Mysteries

[roesolo]

Being a Jane Austen Murder Mystery Spin-Off: In Want of a Suspect b

In Want of a Suspect (A Lizzie & Darcy Mystery), by Tirzah Price, (Nov. 2024, HarperCollins), $19.99, ISBN: 9780063278028 Ages 12+ The Jane Austen Murder Mysteries brought some of the author’s favorite characters to cozy mystery life, but author Tirzah Price gives us more in a new spin-off starring Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy! In Want of a Suspect features Lizzie, working as a…

[sharksandsquirrelsandsnakes-ohmy]

I just read a published lawyer AU Pride and Predjudice fanfic Called Pride and Premeditation and it was SO FUCKING GOOD BRO. Like, Lizzie is trying to convince her dad to let her work at the firm and Darcy is working at his (living)father's firm and they end up working together to solve a murder and its FANTASTIC

u ever read a fanfic so good that you want. fanfic of the fanfic

[tudorblogger]

‘Pride and Premeditation’ by Tirzah Price

Genre: Adult Fiction – Historical Mystery Published: 2021 Format: Paperback Rating: ★★★★★ I loved this book! I hadn’t heard of it before, and a friend gifted me it. I was intrigued by the premise as I really enjoy Jane Austen’s books. My friend hadn’t read it either but thought I would enjoy it, which I did. I love Austen’s works, and this is a more modern retelling of the Pride & Prejudice…

[darlingofdots]

What is a romance novel, really?

So far, the response to this post has mostly shown me that a lot of people don't actually know what a romance novel is, and that's okay! I don't expect everyone to know! However, for my own peace of mind, I am going to do my best to explain what we mean when we talk about romance novels, where the genre comes from, and why you should not dismiss the pastel cartoon covers that are taking over the display tables at your nearest chain bookshop. Two disclaimers up front: I've been reading romance novels since I was a teenager, and have dedicated the majority of my academic career to them. I'm currently working on my PhD and have presented/published several papers about the genre; I know what I'm talking about! Secondly, all genres are fake. They're made up. But we use these terms and definitions in order to describe what we see and that's a very important part of science, including literary studies!

The most widely used definition of "romance novel" to this day is from Pamela Regis' 2003 A Natural History of the Romance Novel, in which she states that "A romance novel is a work of prose fiction that tells the story of the courtship and betrothal of one or more [protagonists]."* People also refer to the Romance Writers of America's "a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending" and another term you will see a lot is "Happily Ever After/Happy For Now," which posits that the protagonists must be in a committed and happy relationship at the end of the novel in order to count as a romance novel. That's it. That's what a romance novel is.

Of course it's a bit more complex than that; Regis also posited the Eight Essential Elements which describe the progression of the love plot over the course of the book, and there's a similar breakdown from Gwen Hayes in Romancing the Beat that is intended more as writing advice, but both of these are really useful for breaking down how this narrative structure works. My personal favourite part of the Eight Elements is that the romance opens with a definition of the society in which the protagonists exist, which is flawed in a way that oppresses them, and then the protagonists either overcome or fix it in a way that enables them to achieve their HEA. A lot of social commentary can happen this way!

It can also be a bit difficult to pin down what exactly counts as a "central love story" because who decides? A lot of stories have romance arcs in them, including dudebro action movies and noir mystery novels, but you would never argue that the romance is the central plot. A lot of romance novels have external plots like solving a mystery or saving the bakery. A useful question to ask in this case is whether the external plot exists for its own sake or to facilitate the romance: when Lydia runs off with Wickham in Pride & Prejudice, it's so that Lizzie can find out how much Darcy contributed to saving her family from scandal and realise her own feelings for him. The alien abduction in Ice Planet Barbarians happens specifically so the abducted human women can meet and fall in love with the hunky aliens. There are definitely grey areas here! Romance scholars argue about this all the time!

I have a suspicion that a lot of people who responded to the post I linked above are not actually romance readers, which is fine, but it really shows the lack of understanding of what a romance novel is. I have a secondary suspicion that the way we have been talking about books has contributed to this miscategorisation in a lot of people's minds, because especially with queer books we will often specifically point out that this fantasy book is f/f! This dystopian novel has a gay love story! This puts an emphasis on the romance elements that are present in a book when a lot of the time, the romance arc is just flavouring for the adventure/uprising/heist and we are pointing it out only because its queerness makes it stand out against other non-queer titles. It makes sense why we do this, but there is SUCH a difference between "a sci-fi book with an f/f romance arc" and "an f/f sci-fi romance." I could talk for hours about how the romance genre has evolved alongside and often in the same way as fanfiction and how there are codes and tropes that come up again and again that are immediately recognisable to romance readers, even down to phrases and cover design, and how romance is an incredibly versatile and diverse genre that functions in a very specific way because of that evolutionary process. The same way that dedicated fantasy readers can trace the genealogy of a given text's influences ("this writer definitely plays a lot of DnD which has its roots in the popularity of Tolkien, but they're deliberately subverting these tropes to critique the gender essentialism"), romance readers are often very aware of the building blocks and components of their books. These building blocks (that's what tropes are, lego pieces you put together to create a story!) often show up in other genres as well, especially as part of romantic arcs, but that doesn't make every book that features Only One Bed a romance novel, you know?

Romance is an incredibly versatile and diverse genre and I really highly recommend exploring it for yourself if you haven't. I personally read mostly Regency/Victorian historicals and I've been branching out into specifically f/f contemporaries, and there are so many authors who are using the romance framework to tell beautiful, hard-hitting stories about love and family while grappling with issues of discrimination, disability, mental health, capitalism, you name it. The genre has a very specific image in a lot of people's minds which makes them resistant to it and it's not entirely unjustified, but there is so much more to it than Bridgerton and repackaged Star Wars fanfiction!**

*the original text said "heroines" but Regis later revised this. There is a very good reason for the focus on the heroine in the first couple waves of romance scholarship, but that's a different post!

**neither of these are a bad thing and part of that genealogy that I mentioned earlier.

[aziraphales-library]

Hi!!! Do you have any fics where aziraphale is famous and crowley's just a "nobody"? preferably without explicit scenes, please :)) thank you so so much <3<3

Hello! We have a #famous aziraphale tag. Here are some fics in which Aziraphale is famous and Crowley is not. I could only find a couple of non-explicit fics, I'm afraid, but I'm pretty sure the smut is minimal/skippable in most of these...

First Thing In The Morning by FeralTuxedo (E)

Aziraphale Fell, erstwhile nerd, now successful fantasy author, is signing books at this year’s Heaven and Earth convention when he spots a red-headed man in the crowd. Someone he hasn’t quite been able to forget since his school days. And as luck would have it, Anthony Crowley, former troublemaker, now responsible adult, seems keen to reconnect.

Pride Month and Prejudice by TawnyOwl95 (E)

They say that you should never meet your celebrity crush. Especially when you know what an absolute bastard he is. So, of course, Anthony J. Crowley's participation in a queer adaptation of Pride and Prejudice for Pride Month has nothing to do with the involvement of A-lister A.Z. Fell. Crowley is only doing it so he has some gossip for his column. He didn't mean to get cast as Lizzy Bennet, he certainly didn't mean to be acting opposite Fell's Mr Darcy. And to make matters worse, Fell keeps staring at him...

Veni Vino Vegas (I Came, I Got Drunk, I Got Married) by A_N_D (T)

After a whirlwind drunken evening, author Az Fell came home from Rom-Con without his heirloom pinkie ring – but with a wedding license from a 24-hour Las Vegas chapel. Elsewhere, book fan Tony Crowley woke up with a hangover, vague memories, and a brand new ring he’s only seen in author photos. Mutually attracted, mutually terrified the other one thinks it was all a regrettable mistake, they turn to their dear but anonymous online friend to vent and ask for advice. …Maybe they should tell each other their screennames someday.

and now all of my garden is grown in lavender by ilikeblue (E)

Popular queer romance author, A.Z. Fell, has been lying about having a husband and a happy marriage for years. Longing to escape a string of failed relationships and looking for a fresh start, Aziraphale moves into the cottage left to him by his Great Aunt Agnes. When a TV adaptation of one of his books leads to sudden popularity and throws him into the limelight, his fans (and the press) are eager to catch a glimpse of Aziraphale's own mysterious leading man. Unfortunately, he still has to cast someone for that role. Enter the handsome gardener… Under Crowley's meticulous care the cottage's neglected garden slowly comes back to life, and Aziraphale finds himself writing the most important love story he'll ever write: his own

Once upon a time by elf_on_the_shelf (E)

‘Hello, my dear.’ Crowley bit his lip for a couple of seconds before he took a deep breath and just went with it. ‘Would you like to go for a coffee sometime?’ There was silence at the other end. Oh shit. ‘That was my friend messing around with my phone…?’ ‘You do realise that only works over text.’ ‘Myeah.’ Why was he like this? He had wanted to kill Bea for doing the same thing and yet here he was, doing the thing. At Bea’s behest, mind you. ‘I would love to go for coffee. Oh, and cake!’ Aziraphale is a very rich and successful writer. Crowley is at the worst possible moment of his life - living off Bee's couch and posting his mum's fairy tales on some random sites only to be ignored by everyone except one random person simply called A. This is a story about how both of our main protagonists get over the ghosts of their pasts, learn to work together and maybe - just maybe - fall in love in the process. Not to mention that all of the characters that we love (hate - looking at you, Gabe) make an appearance.

The Infernal Bodyguard by Santillatron (M)

Alistair Zira Fell is a popular author. Loved by everyone he meets. Well, almost everyone. Someone is trying to hurt him, and right now, he needs a bodyguard. Anthony J. Crowley is the best, although he doesn't work with celebrities. He has three rules. He never gets too close, never stays once the job is done, and Never Gets Involved. But this isn't a thriller. This, is a love story.

- Mod D

[gooenthusiast]

He was probably that rude because he was raised/ his life experience taught him to be snobbish & distant with the (countryside) lower class (especially since it isn‘t the case that he refused to ask Lizzy & then happily danced with every other lady he could)

This one made me laugh for a second. This meme is obviously depicting Darcy. He soon realizes that he in fact does find Elizabeth attractive enough to fall in love with her. In light of this meme, and with Wednesday being focused on Darcy, I have decided to do a quick character analysis on Darcy.

I do not fault Elizabeth for forming the opinion she did early on in the book. Darcy essentially calls her ugly, and continues to seemingly look at her with hatred. Little does she know, it is actually with love. Darcy has a strange way of showing this love, and Elizabeth obviously thinks so to. This is evidenced by the proposal. Elizabeth clearly thought that the proposal was completely out of left field, as she is left in disbelief. However, it does show a change in Darcy, as the reader is likely to have formed a similar opinion of him from earlier. It seemingly plants a seed in my mind as a reader that maybe he is not such a bad guy. When I read the proposal passage, my first thought was that it was much better than Mr. Collin's proposal. Even though he did propose in such a condescending way, he did it out of love, while Collin's was simply a matter of convenience.

After the proposal was my favorite part of the book. Watching Elizabeth slowly realize that Darcy is a good man is very interesting (whether she really wants him or his estate is another question). As we discussed in class, the parallels between her visiting the house and her meeting Darcy are very thought consuming. I think what really helped to change her mind was the passage where the housekeeper vouches for Darcy. She said she has worked in the estate since she Darcy was little, and said that he has never said an unkind word to her, even as a kid.

My opinion of Darcy has completely changed. I now see him as a good man, but I do wonder what motivated him to say those harsh things at the ball. If he really is such a good man, why would he say that?

I am very much enjoying this part of the book.

[doriansredroses]

So, my novella fell flat on its face. It was not the right storyline and I’m not ready for a novella yet. It was actually supposed to be the basis for my senior writing project, but I did pretty poorly in most of my classes due to mental health and it destroyed my project. But my professor likes me and is giving me a winter break extension to write this 25 page project for a full grade. So this means I can start fresh. I have until January 19th to complete it.

I need help though. Well I’d like to thank @janeuary-month for doing the Janeuary event because I’ve had an idea for day 22, which covers the plot estate. It has to be about an estate in some way, and follows the guidelines as well.

The title is called Woodward Park and it’s about a haunted estate. Here I go again making things spooky. I’m just stumped on the overall story. I’m thinking about basing it on Pride and Prejudice but I’m unsure which version I should do.

Version 1: MC (who’s basically a fusion of myself and Elizabeth Bennet, sort of but she plays Lizzie’s role) travels to England and stumbles upon this handsome young man but she’s not interested in him at all. But as time goes on she does fall in love with him and discovers the secrets of his estate, Woodward Park, and that he’s a vampire. He’s essentially vampire Mr. Darcy in the modern day in a Pride and Prejudice retelling.

Version 2: MC travels to England and meets a young woman who becomes friends with her. She goes to her estate and discovers that the house is indeed haunted. The ghosts start talking to her and tells her that the mistress is evil and she must get out. She may or may not fall for one of the pesky spirits. This is the least Austen-esque story of the bunch, but there will still be hints of regency. It’s also very similar to my old novella plot but with some signifiant tweaks.

Version 3: It is set in a fantasy dimension and MC must team up somehow with my Mr. Darcy character. It follows a similar plot line to Pride and Prejudice but also combines my mysterious manor idea and loosely inspired by Margaret Rogerson’s Sorcery of Thorns. I am unsure if there will be ghosts, sorcerers, or vampires yet, but I’ll get there. The setting is fantastical, but is set in the regency era of that dimension. Sorcery of Thorns was set in like 1813 in their dimension and the aesthetic was regency (ish).

Version 4: MC is now a young man and Darcy is a woman. It is set in the fantasy dimension again with a similar plot, but with a twist. MC is not interested in fem!Darcy at first, but slowly goes crazy for her to the point of obsession. She traps him in her estate and he slowly discovers that things are not all they seem. The ghosts try to warn him that things are sinister and he finds out Darcy is a witch who’s centuries old and has trapped all these men in her manor to serve her forever and to steal their souls. This is the most similar to my original novella plot except changing things from 18th century in colonial Massachusetts (the Salem obsession still rages strong) but to a fantastical regency-esque universe.

I’m unsure which idea to go ahead and start, so I need your feedback. Plot idea 2 seems the least Jane Austen so I am apprehensive about it because the event is Austen related. But, I could end up scrapping doing this day for the event if my thoughts go elsewhere. I hope not. I’ve been thinking about doing a Jane Austen inspired called Woodward Park for months.

@xxiamtiebrousxx

@ilovegayvampires

@firthbetterorfirthworse

@fetchmearum420

@mysteryofvampires

@ibrithir-was-here

[cadiebug]

I watched pride and prejudice again and now I have the urge to write a loosely inspired buddie fic based on the plot and vibes

Like Buck as Lizzy and Eddie as the charming mysterious Mr Darcy y'know

[tashacee]

Anyway a while ago I started writing a Witcher/Pride and Prejudice crossover crack fic called Geralt Dicks Down In Pemberly Lake.

It was essentially about Geralt, Yenn, and Jask rocking up at Pemberly to help Mr Darcy and Lizzie kill a monster while also being very Stylish and Cool, and there was a spooky mystery to solve

I never finished it but I see it every time i open my docs, and would anyone be interested in reading the absolute mayhem that is that fic?

[thatchronicfeeling]

It has come to my attention that it's Period Drama Appreciation Week 2023. I love period dramas and grew up watching them. They have been a formative part of my life and I'm now too disabled to watch video. Even gifs are too difficult for my brain to process. It is also Bi Visibility Week and I'm posting this on Bisexual Visibility Day. Since I can't safely post a pile of gifs, here is a list celebrating actors/characters/moments from period dramas that have been significant to my bisexuality. [Yes, this is a big list. I am missing out on watching and re-watching A Lot of awesome period dramas and I hate it. This list is helping me reclaim a bit of joy. Also I've probably forgotten some favourites and may update this.]

Lori Petty in A League of Their Own

Jodhi May in any period drama

Mary Wickes in any period drama

Freddy Honeychurch in A Room with a View

Anne Hathaway playing cricket in that rust-coloured dress in Becoming Jane

Esther Summerson (disabled heroine!) & Allan Woodcourt in Bleak House

the freshly-painted yellow cabin door swinging shut with the names 'Calam & Katie' painted on it in Calamity Jane

the sequence where Doris Day sings 'Secret Love' in Calamity Jane

Michelle in Derry Girls (and James too, a wee bit)

George Eliot & Lenore in Edgar Allan Poe's Murder Mystery Dinner Party

the moment where Emma and Mr Knightley start dancing together and it feels like you're inside the music in Emma

Polly Waker's haircut in The Enchanted April

Matthias Schoenaerts in Far From the Madding Crowd

Idgie & Ruth in Fried Green Tomatoes

Suranne Jones in Gentleman Jack

recognising Marian Lister as a bisexual who hasn't realised it yet in Gentleman Jack

Mary Agnes McNue in Godless

Bel & Freddie in The Hour

June Allyson leaping over a hedge (or is it a fence?) as Jo March in Little Women

the Patricia Rozema adaptation of Mansfield Park

the whole sequence where Judy Garland strides onto the neighbours' porch to sock The Boy Next Door in the jaw in Meet Me in St Louis

Katie the cook in Meet Me in St Louis

the moment where Benedick braces his arm against a doorframe in a desperate panic to stop Beatrice from going to eat Claudio's heart in the marketplace in Much Ado About Nothing

Denzel Washington in Much Ado About Nothing

Mr Thornton's hands (ok, and also his face) in North & South

tomboy Doris Day in On Moonlight Bay

Valentine in Parade's End

all of Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Papi in Pose

Lizzy Bennet declaring that she would never marry someone she did not love in Pride & Prejudice

Mr Darcy diving into a pond in Pride & Prejudice

both Angel and Joanne in Rent (the 2008 broadway version)

Martha the maid in The Secret Garden

Lelia Walker in Self-Made

swashbuckling Margaret Dashwood in Sense & Sensibility

the dance sequences in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

the whole Thomas Kent situation in Shakespeare in Love

Maria (when she is not a nun) in The Sound of Music

Kitty Butler onstage in Tipping the Velvet

Annie and Janette and Jacques and Linh in Treme

Audra McDonald and Anne Hathaway and Raúl Esparza in that promotional photo for Twelfth Night

Julie Andrews and her male co-star singing a version of 'Home on the Range' with the line 'and the deer and the antelope are gay' in Victor/Victoria

Justine Waddell in Wives & Daughters

[fictional-library-tournament]

Prelims round 1, poll 7

Propaganda

Elinor's library, Inkworld trilogy by Cornelia Funke:

None

Pemberley's library, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen:

Look we all know half of the reason Lizzie changed her mind on Darcy was the gardens. The other half is his library

Mrs Phelps' library, Matilda by Roald Dahl:

Matilda's safe place

Jordan Library, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman:

None

Gossington Hall library, A Body in the Library by Agatha Christie:

None

The Great Archives, Sea of Stars:

The Great Archives is home to an immortal alchemist who's really just trying to stop his ex-boyfriend from being too evil.

(Resh'an, the Alchemist, has been calculating timelines and outcomes within the Great Archives for y'know, a casual few centuries). The Great Archives serves as a sort of teaser for the halfway point in the game as Resh'an narrates parts of the story from within the Archives anonymously, without the player knowing who or where he is until later on within the story, adding to the mystery. The Archives themselves are beyond a locked door in Antsudlo, and according to an alternate timeline, would've been locked, not allowing the protagonists through. However, Resh'an unlocks the doors in this timeline, revealing the Great Archives to the player as a sweeping library that he's been in for the duration of the game.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb:

The first book in a thrilling mystery duology that follows Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy from the acclaimed Jane Austen Murder Mystery series!

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that London’s first female solicitor in possession of the details of a deadly crime, must be in want of a suspect.

The tenacious Lizzie Bennet has earned her place at Longbourn, her father’s law firm. Her work keeps her busy, but luckily it gives her plenty of reasons to consult (and steal occasional kisses) with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a stern but secretly softhearted solicitor at Pemberley.

Lizzie is hired to investigate a deadly warehouse fire and to find the mysterious woman who was spotted at the scene moments before the flames took hold. But when the case leads to the sitting room of a woman Darcy once proposed marriage to, the delicate balance between personal and professional in their relationship is threatened.

Questions of the future are cast aside when the prime suspect is murdered and Lizzie’s own life is threatened. As the body count rises and their suspicions about what was really going on in the warehouse grow, the pressure is on for Lizzie and Darcy to uncover the truth.

Classic characters with an enthralling twist—Lizzie and Darcy, as introduced in the hit novel Pride and Premeditation, are back for more suspense, danger, and romance!

Review:

Pride and Prejudice gets a new twist in this story where Lizzie is London's first female solicitor and is determined to solve cases with Darcy, a fellow solicitor and her love. Lizzie wants nothing more than to solve cases and be respected for her talents, and despite the fact that she might be in love with Darcy she definitely does not want to marry him if he is being forced to be society or if it means she'll lose everything she's worked for. Yet when Lizzie finds herself in a new case she can't help but drag Darcy into it with her.... yet this new case has them facing a woman whom Darcy had previously proposed too and now he's slightly panicked over what his actual relationship with Lizzie is. Darcy is in love with Lizzie... but they haven't exactly talked about where their relationship was going and with this new potential wrench in their relationship and her slowly distancing herself.... on top of his new horrible workplace pressure, can Darcy find a way to sort out his own life and chase after the woman who has stolen his heart or will everything and everyone get in the way before he can finally tell Lizzie he loves her. This is the first book in a new duology series that is both Pride and Prejudice and murder mystery fun. As a huge fan of murder mysteries and of Pride and Prejudice, this was such a fun twist and a great read. It's a light hearted read and it's got fun moments all throughout the story. The romance is sweet and the characters are a great interpretation of Lizzie and Darcy in a new light. I would absolutely recommend this for fans of the classic!

Release Date: November 12, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit]

Book Review: A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales

A Most Agreeable Murder is many things: a regency romp, a comedy of manners, a satire, a subtly teasing romance, and a murder mystery with a side of cozy plus an extra slice of whimsy. It's a clever and inviting debut, bursting full of the lovably absurd characters that you might find in the pages of an Austen or a Heyer novel.

In fact, if Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey could have penned a novel herself, I think it might've come out something like this--with plenty of folly and fancifulness to spare.

The plot centers around Beatrice Steele, a resident of Swampshire, a small English town in the country, as she attempts to solve a murder that takes place during the Stabmort ball. Though it's not considered ladylike to be interested in such things, Beatrice loves true crime, dreaming about one day being able to solve cases and pursue justice for real. So when Croaksworth croaks (the pun was there, okay?) in the middle of a minuet, she is enlisted to help Vivek Drake, a surly, disgraced, eye-patching wearing detective, solve the mystery and apprehend the culprit responsible.

However, with Beatrice up against the wall with the etiquette demands of Swampshire as well as Drake's facts-first-and-foremost way of investigating, things do not proceed smoothly. Or easily, for that matter. So as the evening continues to descend into madness and mayhem, the storm outside keeping them all locked inside the manor house, will she be able to rise above it all to catch the killer? Will she be able to solve the case before anyone else dies?

I had such a marvelous time with this book!

Even though there were times the satire could be too heavy-handed, I mostly reveled in all of the ridiculous antics (like Miss Bolton and her hats, like Daniel and his rhymes) because it added to the hilarity. It poked fun at all other "dramatic" mysteries of the time period. Plus, the puns were phenomenal - STABmort Park, Edmund CROAKSworth - I couldn't help but laugh.

I also enjoyed Beatrice as a heroine because she's plucky, passionate, and intuitive. She's the type of gal (and investigator!) who follows her gut instincts, which sometimes prove to be right and other times turn out to be fifty shades of wrong...And that, of course, made for half the fun!

She and Inspector Drake were good partners. Well-balanced. A formidable team. They're like the head and the heart of crime-solvers, with a dynamic that is Darcy-Lizzie-esque in nature because it was all bad first impressions, reluctant attraction, acerbic wit, and slowly evolving trust and cooperation. It was fabulous. Truly. As such, the stage was set for their personal and professional partnership to continue in the future, and I, for one, sure hope it does!

A perfect pick for Jane Austen and Agatha Christie fans. Especially ones who don't mind some quirkiness stirred into their regency manners or murder mystery soup.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my review.

4/5 stars

**Follow me on Goodreads

[checkoutmybookshelf]

How Do I Even Begin to Explain Regina Jeffers...

When I was growing up, my hometown had a local bookstore called Gulliver's Books. The ground floor was a standard bookstore with new books and tchotchkes and book paraphernalia. Pretty bog standard. What made Gulliver's magical was the entire second floor--everything was donated used books. One of my favorite things to do as a stressed teenager and early 20-something was to grab a hot chocolate and spend an hour reading the shelves to see what I could find. There was always a gem or two, and you could even usually find schoolbooks for a hell of a price reduction, so this place was a win. And it smelled like books and coffee... *drifts away on sensory memory*

RIGHT. SORRY. We're talking about a specific book here. I found The Phantom of Pemberley during one of my Gulliver's book trawls, and this absolute delight of a Pride and Prejudice murder mystery was captivating, fluffy fun from start to finish. Let's talk Pride and Prejudice spinoffs!

Regina Jeffers's book is, as you can likely tell from the title, a combination of an Agatha Christie-esque cosy house murder mystery with some Phantom of the Opera overtones. Taking place about a year after Lizzie and Darcy marry, the premise is that a winter storm forces Lydia Wickham, Anne de Bourgh, and a passle of various, loosely acquainted hangers-on to shelter at Pemberely for a few days until the weather clears up.

This book is absolutely delightful cozy house, winter fun fluff, including sugared icicles, sledding, hot chocolate for DAYS, and performing scenes from Shakespeare in the parlor. The tooth-rotting fluff is balanced beautifully with issues of romance and murder centered on Anne de Bourgh, Lydia Wickham, and Georgiana Darcy. Our young ladies are firmly under Lizzie's wing, and unlike her mother, Lizzie might actually be something of a social genius because she is manging the social restrictions/expectations and the girls' wants and needs like a freaking champ.

Meanwhile, Darcy and the other gentlemen are trying to figure out why on earth people are dying in Pemberley, why there seems to be a ghost flitting around the halls, and why Lizzie is drinking abormally high amounts of hot chocolate.

I don't have much to say about this book other than that it is delightful fluff; it's what it says on the tin, and it's very much a comfort book for me. So if you're an Austen stan and want a little bit more of Lizzie and Darcy, I can't recommend this book enough.

[firthbetterorfirthworse]

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012)

Season 4 - finale!

Starting with episode 77 - when she's at Pemberley Digital!

She is shown around by an adorable tour guide, who requested the duty of meeting her - and turns out to be Darcy's sister.

Hahahaha in the very next video, Gigi acts all weird and essentially throws Darcy into the room with Elizabeth and runs out of the room.

It was awkward, but cute. They are pretty people.

He is now participating in some of her videos, and they are having conversationssssssssss this is my favorite part of the story, okay

Also, Bing showed up, and is asking about Jane a lot, and eventually finally was like "are these really all video letters to Charlotte?"

Oh Bing. You puppy. I love you.

And OH MAN. Gigi comes forward to make a video about what happened between her and Wickham (I always adore any variation where Georgiana gets to choose to tell her own story!)

Oooooooof, Wickham moved in with her, and when Darcy found out and tried to prove that he was only using her for the money by holding a check in front of Wickham, he said "sorry peach" and took the money and ran.

PS. Darcy awkwardly asking her to the theatre and being like "it'll be just you and me" was adorable.

Aaaaaand immediately interrupted by the news that Wickham has set up a website asking for subscriptions to view Lydia's sex tape, with a countdown for when it will go live.

Of course Darcy immediately jumps into action.

"Lizzy, let me help you -"

(shut up I love when characters who don't touch actually touch okay, the breakdown of restraint is my favorite moment of all humanity)

Also, holy. shit. HUGE tone shift in episode 87 while Lydia gives some insights into her relationship with Wickham and processes it. Uh. Just, gut wrenching stuff, so be aware - if you've escaped a manipulative relationship, it's going to be really familiar. Mad props. Mad kudos for delving into it, and portraying it accurately.

With one day left before the video goes live, the website mysteriously disappears.

And Bing shows up! Out of the blue! And this Jane has balls, and is like we can't pick up where we left off. But he's gonna be in town for a while, and they're going to see how things go.

Except she just got a fantastic job opportunity in New York and is leaving super duper soon! She was nervous about talking to Bing and didn't want him to ask her to stay - but he would never ask her that. He's asking if he can come with her! He quit med school and everything.

AND SHE SAID NO and my heart broke. And he was so polite and understanding and she said wait and they make plaaaaaaans. They'd have to be going to New York for their own lives, and not solely for each other (yay, huge green flags) and she says YES and they hug and I loved it. Also they kissed. It was beautiful. I'm a sucker.

Charlotte visits and gets Elizabeth to admit that she hasn't heard from Darcy since she bugged out of there and she's too nervous to call him.

And then Lydia admits that she found out that Darcy was the one who got the website taken down by buying out the company that owned the site and the video/rights.

Oh snap Caroline showed up and was like 'you've ruined my brother's life and now you're trying to seduce Darcy, the two of you together would be disastrous.'

After a lot of vacillating, Lizzie finally gives in and calls Darcy. Leaves a voicemail. Days go by.

Charlotte shows up to celebrate their birthday and cheer her up, and forces her to talk about her feeeeeeeelings.

And then Darcy does show up!! "I thought you would just call me back, you didn't have to come here." "Yes I did."

And in the middle of him being like uh I feel the same way I did so if all you want is to be friends -

YES. YEEESSSSSSSS.

There's also another video after where they are about to kiss, and then it abruptly cuts to them being out of breath and very disheveled. Love this. Perfect.

He offers her a job at Pemberley Digital, which she turns down in order to start her own company, but located in San Francisco to be near him.

Everybody gets a happy ending! It's wonderful! And they have adaptations of Sanditon and Emma tooooooooo

I loved this one everyone go watch it <3

[cryptidjeepers]

good omens pride and prejudice aus where crowley is mr. darcy and aziraphale is lizzy make no sense to me. aziraphale is the one of a higher social standing that often looks down on people and he can be pretty ignorant/prejudiced towards things he doesnt understand. hes terrible at talking and often insults crowley even when trying to compliment him. hes the mr. darcy.

meanwhile crowley is sarcastic and prideful. he is the one that saves aziraphale, not the other way around. he doesnt like being helpless. he's strongheaded and quick to anger. i think the fact that he exudes prickly, mysterious energy is why people pick him for mr. darcy but he's actually a total softie for the people he cares about and incredibly protective over them