What happens when a Pride and Prejudice variation asks you to root for two genuinely good men vying for Elizabeth's heart? 

This week on the Pride and Prejudice Book Club, we’re tackling The Unthinkable Triangle by Joanna Starnes, a high-angst variation that puts Elizabeth Bennet at the center of a true love triangle with Fitzwilliam Darcy and Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. And while Sharon delighted in finally getting a triangle where both men are real contenders, Emilie… really struggled.

We dig into why this trope is such a hard sell for Emilie, especially when Colonel Fitzwilliam is written as emotionally present, communicative, and deeply invested in Elizabeth, while Darcy spends much of the story yearning from a distance, holding himself back, and making choices that feel more like restraint than growth. 

That tension fuels a lively debate about whether Elizabeth’s emotional “switch” feels earned, whether Darcy’s love is grounded in reality or fantasy, and why the deepest betrayal in this book may not be romantic at all, but the fracture between two cousins who were once as close as brothers.

Along the way, we zoom out to talk about fantasy vs. real-life relationships, infatuation vs. love, and why — in the real world — the healthiest choice in a love triangle is often to walk away from everyone.

If you love messy emotional questions, debates about tropes, and honest takes on romance in literature, this episode will give you a lot to chew on!

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We’re closing out 2025 by looking back at every book we read and every interview we recorded this year… and, for the first time ever, we’re doing it with all three hosts together!

Alicia, Emilie, and Sharon are all here to geek out about favorite moments, standout books, and (of course) enjoy a few side-tangent conversations along the way.

If you’re new to the podcast, this episode is a great way to get quick summaries of the stories we covered and our reactions as we experienced them. And if you’re a longtime listener, we hope this feels like a fun jaunt down memory lane.

As we head into 2026, we just want to say thank you. It’s been such a joy discovering fellow Pride and Prejudice enthusiasts through this podcast, and we’re so excited to step into a new season with you!

Happy New Year, Book Clubbers!

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

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If you’ve been around the JAFF world for more than five minutes, chances are you’ve already read a forced proximity book that takes place in a cottage during a snowstorm. You've also probably read a book by Abigail Reynolds. But have you read them both together?

Alone with Mr. Darcy is one of those books that everyone seems to have read, and has quietly set the standard for snowstorms, forced proximity, and Darcy doing his very best while being deeply attracted to Elizabeth (and more than a little confused).

In this episode, we talk about what Abigail Reynolds does so well as an author: creating deep emotional intimacy without leaning too hard on the tropes that drive us all a little crazy. The forced proximity, miscommunication, and snowstorm are all there, but they’re used to build tension without turning Darcy or Elizabeth into people you want to yell at. At the heart of it all is a Darcy who is deeply honorable, quietly persistent, and determined to do the right thing—even when he has no idea what went wrong.

Whether this was one of your first JAFF reads or the first time you've been snowed in with Mr Darcy, this is a cozy, nostalgic conversation about a book that has clearly earned its place on the OG JAFF bookshelf.

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

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Bookclubbers, this one’s a treat! A fun conversation with Harry Frost, the narrator whose voice has become synonymous with Mr. Darcy for countless Jane Austen fan fiction readers and listeners. 

Harry shares how The Darcy Monologues launched his narration career, the techniques he uses to differentiate an ever-expanding cast of characters, and some of the nitty-gritty details of the narration business.

If you love Darcy, audiobooks, or just hearing people geek out about how breath and emotion impact the voice, you’re going to feel right at home in this conversation!

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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 happens when Darcy wishes he’d never been born…and Elizabeth accidentally gets dragged into the fallout?

In this episode, we dive into The Difference of a Darcy by Tiffany Thomas, an engrossing Pride and Prejudice variation that surprised us in all the best ways. What begins as an It’s a Wonderful Life–style premise turns into a rich exploration of partnership, forgiveness, identity, and the road not travelled. We're giddy over all the Darcy and Elizabeth time (it's amazing!), devastated by Georgiana’s alternate-universe life, and stunned by a particularly shocking Bingley twist.

Grab some hot cocoa and settle in. This is going to be fun!

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

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Strap in, book friends, we’re heading to the stars! Longbourn Crater, to be precise. This week we unpack Pride and Prejudice and Planets, the wildly imaginative sci-fi variation that turns Elizabeth into a spaceship mechanic, Darcy into a tightly wound captain, and Bingley into the galaxy’s most affable (and capable)  diplomat.

We explore the rich world-building, the political layers we didn’t expect, and the fun character interpretations that made this book stand out. We also talk about Caroline’s radicalization, Wickham as a ship thief, and why this story deserves mad respect (even if we wish it had a little more romance!)

If you've been waiting for us to read a sci-fi Pride and Prejudice variation, this one's for you!

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What makes us come back to Pride and Prejudice again and again?

That's a very important question, and one that Emilie explores this week with Emilia Stratford, the author of Such Persuasions as These and Some Particular Evil. The result is a delightful deep-dive into all things Darcy, Elizabeth, and the creative world of Pride and Prejudice variations!

Together we unpack Darcy’s (slow!) decision-making process, the challenge of writing a believable Elizabeth, favorite tropes and hard passes, the joys of AO3, and Emilia’s deliciously angsty new WIP. 

We honestly can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

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Picture this: two friends on a long car trip across a (seemingly) endless desert, with nothing but some Red Vines and a JAFF Audiobook to keep us going...

This week, we listed to More Than a Pretty Face by Francis Reynolds (as narrated by Stevie Zimmerman), and we're here to tell you allll about it!

We recap our road-trip audiobook experience, dig into the book's expanded characterization of Jane, swoon over Lord Lyfford's charm and emotional depth, and explore the nuances of how male POV is written in JAFF.

We also indulge in the pure joy of being surrounded by fellow Austen fans, because this episode was recorded live at JaffCon! Please note, there’s a little more background noise than usual this week, but a whole lot more fun, too!

Recorded in front of a LIVE audience...it's the Pride and Prejudice Book Club Podcast at JAFF Con 2025!

Over the weekend we had the amazing opportunity to participate in JAFF Con, an annual get together of writers and readers who love and all adore all things Austenesque!

We were invited to record an episode live in front of the conference attendees, and it was electrifying to be able to not only talk about what we love and adore (Pride and Prejudice Variations), but also get validation from fellow junkies about our thoughts and opinions in real time.

Since some attendees were unfamiliar with the podcast, we give a bit of backstory, and then dive right into what we love to read, where we find our books, and which books live rent free in our heads. We also uncovered the root of some of Emilie and Sharon's differences of opinion when it comes to JAFF, and tried to name-drop as many authors as possible without sounding crazy...

10/10, A+, 5 stars, definitely recommend JAFF Con to anyone who loves Jane Austen Fan Fiction, and loves our amazing, talented, and generous authors! As always: Thank you for writing!!!

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Have you ever wondered what the editing process is like for indie authors? Look no further!

In this episode, Emilie sits down with longtime editor—and newly published author—Jo Abbott, whose work behind the scenes has helped shape some of the most beloved stories in the JAFF community. From editing for authors like Lory Lilian, Jennifer Altman, and Laura Moretti, to navigating the intricacies of historical accuracy (goodbye, Americanisms!), Jo shares what it really takes to bring a Pride and Prejudice variation to life.

We talk about the different types of edits, how budget impacts the process, and what it's like working in a genre where readers know almost every line of the original text. Jo also shares what pushed her to finally publish her own debut novel, Disarmed, and how it feels to see her name on the front of a book after years of editing from behind the scenes.

Other topics we cover:

Why forced marriage is her favorite trope

The impact of AI in the editing world (and beyond)

A few hints at what she might publish next 👀

Whether you’re a JAFF fan, an aspiring author, or just love hearing how your favorite books come together, this episode is a must-listen.

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

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