Mr Darcy's First Elizabeth by John Edwards
This book has had very mixed reviews and I can see why. There are some horrible grammatical errors all the way through it and even a dyslexic reader like myself could not help but notice.
Then there were the Americanisms that would never be seen in an Austen book, for instance: Critters instead of creatures and fishing poles instead of rods.
But worst of all the lack of fact checking for instance: How hard can it be to check a map? Hampshire is a County (like an American State) not a town. Brandy wine belongs in Middle Earth and Wakefield is right at the other end of the country no where near Hampshire.
OK rant over, now for the plus side:
This is actually two stories, I can understand people who read only half this book and then gave up thinking that Darcy does not even appear. He does, but not until Chapter 10. Until that point you have a sweet love story of Elizabeth Watkins and her Mr Winstead.
OK it is unlikely that a wealth gentleman in Mr Winsteads position would not have his own coach and be useing a Public coach or that he would fall for Elizabeth who is down on her luck and although a Gentleman's daughter,Has no family or money, she has to work as a governess.
But, romance does not have to be scrutinised too closely, it is an engaging love story and in Chapter 10 Elizabeth Watkins meets a nine year old Darcy which opens the door to a Pride and Prejudice re-imagining at the end of the story with John Edwards reworking Pride and Prejudice to turn out much more smoothly, gone is the heart ache and worry. he even gets Wickham out of the way and Mr Collins married to Mary.
It is still entertaining and that's why I still recommend that you give this book a try. I know it has it's faults but it also has a nice romantic story line running through it.
