What happens when Elizabeth Bennet is kidnapped, locked in a tower, and forced to marry Mr. Darcy by a completely unhinged Lady Catherine de Bourgh? This book is what happens!

This week, Emilie Davis and guest host Sharon Cortez (filling in for Alicia) dive into In the Tower With Mr. Darcy by Valerie Lennox, a bold, fairy tale–tinged Pride and Prejudice variation that had us texting "What is HAPPENING?!" practically every other chapter.

We’re unpacking:

The Rapunzel-meets-Regency plot that *somehow* works

What "Primal Darcy" looks like

Whether trauma bonding counts as romance

The surprisingly touching moment Darcy (not Elizabeth) laments their stolen "wedding" night

A strange pattern we've noticed with twins...

If you love fairy tale retellings, forced proximity, or just need something unpredictable to distract you from reality, this book’s for you!

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📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

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Just when you thought you'd seen every twist Pride and Prejudice fanfiction could offer, along comes Mr. Bingley: Just as a Gentleman Ought to Be, a book so wild, we had to call in backup. Emilie is joined by returning guest co-host Sharon Cortez for a deep dive into a version of Bingley that moonlights as an assassin on a righteous mission.

Yes, you read that right.

Together, we unpack the ethical gymnastics of vigilante justice, the surprisingly delightful voice performance by the “Pride and Prejudice TikTok Guy” Ben Fensome, and whether Jane Bennet would really say “I do” after hearing her fiancé has a body count. 

Turns out, Bingley’s sunshine disposition pairs unexpectedly well with a secret life of crime. Who knew? 

🎵 Music Credit:

📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

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Is love a fancy or a feeling...or fate?

In Julie Cooper’s Only Mr. Darcy, a young Elizabeth Bennet asks her beloved grandmother who she’ll marry, and receives a cryptic answer just moments before the woman passes away. The name? Charles. The result? Absolute certainty that her fate is intertwined with her new neighbor, a handsome man named Charles Bingley…even as he clearly falls for Jane.

This week, we're joined by guest host and longtime Book Clubber Sharon Cortez (Alicia is off on a well-earned summer break!) and we had the best time giggling, blushing, and swooning over this surprisingly tender and low-angst variation. We get into fate vs. free will, the charm of quiet fishing scenes, and why we love a Mr. Darcy who is good husband material. Plus, we debate Bingley’s character and swap stories of how our own Austen obsessions started.

An enjoyable and satisfying read that’s perfect for anyone who loves a smart twist on canon, delicious one-on-one time with Darcy and Elizabeth, and sweet yet swoon-worthy kisses!

🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.

📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

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This week on the Pride and Prejudice Book Club, we’re thrilled to welcome our new co-host Sharon Cortez as she joins the podcast for an interview with author Summer Hanford! If you’ve devoured The Bennett Gang Duology and Mr. Darcy’s Bookshop, you already know Summer’s work is delightfully creative and full of heart.

We chat about everything from her writing origins (in a surprise twist, she did NOT always love Jane Austen!) to her development process with longtime collaborator Renata McMann. Summer also teases three wildly different upcoming projects: one swashbuckling, one magical, and one including unexpected guests at Longbourn. Plus, we get a behind-the-scenes look at JAFFCon, the Jane Austen Fanfiction conference being held in November, and hear what it's like having her words brought to life by legendary narrators Stevie Zimmerman and Benjamin Fife.

It’s a discussion that reminds us why we keep returning to this world, and offers a rare peek behind the curtain at how JAFF authors like Summer build the stories we love to share as a community.

JAFFCon: https://jaffwriterreadergettogether.org/

🎵 Music Credit:

📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

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We’re diving back into the world of Summer Hanford’s Bennet Gang Duology with Gentleman of Honor, the second and final installment in this imaginative Pride and Prejudice variation. 

The overall feel of this book was different from the first, with a greater emphasis on Lydia's perspective and some mustache-twirling villains causing mayhem for our band of bandits. But it also wrestled with some difficult questions, such as "What do you do if the one you love is living a lie? A BIG LIE?" 

This book may not have captivated us quite like book one, but it still brought intrigue, action, and character development that kept us turning pages. Aaaaand...some swoon-worthy moments with Darcy and Elizabeth (and that's really what we're here for, right?)

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📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

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We are absolutely buzzing after diving into Dishonorable Gentlemen, the electrifying opener to Summer Hanford’s Bennett Gang Duology, and we can't wait to bring you along!

Without giving too much away, we’ll admit: we were hooked early. The story kicks off with highway robbery (literally) as Hanford reimagines the Bennett sisters as Robin Hood-like figures with some surprising talents and a desire to bring justice to the people of Hertfordshire.

With simmering tension between Darcy and Elizabeth, and a Mr. Collins more fun to despise than ever, this story goes full-throttle from beginning to end! 

If you’re drawn to Austen retellings that balance adventure with character depth, and you love seeing how familiar faces respond to fresh challenges, this is one you’ll want to experience for yourself.

Tune in for our full take on Book 1, then join us next week when we dive into Gentleman of Honor!

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📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

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What if Pride and Prejudice had a touch of magic…and a lot fewer pages?

This week, we dive into Her Charms To Recommend Her by Mary Smythe—a delightfully short reimagining where women wield magic in the form of charms, and men help amplify them. Elizabeth’s ability to grow flowers in her hair seems laughable…until it’s not. And Caroline Bingley? Let’s just say her magically produced perfume smells suspicious.

We unpack the charm-based society, explore the romantic and magical chemistry between Elizabeth and Darcy, and reflect on how partnership can amplify our strengths—both magically and in real life. We also share some (unsurprising) empathy for Caroline and the outsized consequences she faces for simply doing what society told her she should do.

If you're looking for a quick, clever read to kick off your summer, this episode is for you!

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📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

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Set sail with us, Book Clubbers! This week we’re talking Pirates and Prejudice by Kara Louise, a swashbuckling Austen variation that is exactly as bonkers as the title suggests. We’ve got Darcy going full emo post-rejection, Elizabeth getting stranded on an island, a wildly convoluted pirate impersonation plot, and yes…plenty of over-the-top swashbuckling pirate antics!

We had a lot of fun unpacking this intentionally silly, trope-heavy adventure, even if the only thing really Austen about it is the names. Along the way, we chat about the limits of leadership (does being a good landowner qualify you to captain a ship?), the question of whether men and women can be “just friends,” and the difference between regret and curiosity when we look back at our life choices.

This book might not be packed with depth, but it gave us plenty to talk about! So grab your eyepatch and suspend your disbelief—this is going to be fun!

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It’s hard to surprise us with a book premise, but this week’s story pulled it off!

We’re discussing More Than You Know by Jennifer Altman, a Pride and Prejudice variation with a twist we’ve never seen before: Elizabeth is paired with Bingley (!!), and Darcy is hiding a mysterious secret that had us eagerly turning the pages. The setup felt fresh and full of promise, and honestly, that kind of originality is getting harder to come by 😜

But oh, Darcy. Even with a sympathetic backstory, his relentless stubbornness in the second half of the book really wore on us. We unpack what worked, what left us a little frustrated, and what felt emotionally authentic for the character.

Plus, a brief detour into Sense and Sensibility, where Emilie’s teenage daughter challenges the moral integrity of Edward Ferrars (and… we might just have to agree with her).

🎵 Music Credit:

📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

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Is it ever okay to lie to "protect" someone? That’s the big question we wrestle with this week as we dive into Amy D’Orazio’s Done for the Best. In this Pride and Prejudice variation, Darcy makes a very bold choice: after Elizabeth loses her memory, he lets her believe they’re engaged—even though they’re not. Cue all the ethical dilemmas. Was it selfless? Was it selfish? And is “done for the best” ever really a good enough excuse?

Along the way, we veer into real-life relationship territory—when is omission just privacy, and when is it actually deception? Emilie shares her personal litmus test for honesty (kind, true, and necessary), while Alicia opens up about the tricky gray areas of trust and how much we really owe people in terms of full disclosure. We also dive into the awkward social minefield of pregnancy etiquette (please don’t ask unless you know), reflect on maternal instinct versus medical advice, and detour through ’90s movie nostalgia, featuring everything from While You Were Sleeping to Flubber. Turns out, memory loss isn’t the only thing that’s complicated.

🎵 Music Credit:

📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

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