The Luxury of Silence

A Variation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice

De: Susan Adriani

Narrado por: Stevie Zimmerman

No woman of my acquaintance has ever inspired a fraction of the admiration that I feel for you.... You are the only woman to ever touch my heart.

Fitzwilliam Darcy has had enough—enough of the ton and their speculations, enough of matchmaking mamas and their eager daughters, and enough of his family’s expectations that he will eventually marry his cousin Anne.

Craving solitude and peace after discovering his sister with George Wickham in Ramsgate, he accepts an invitation to visit Netherfield Park from his friend Charles Bingley and travels to Hertfordshire, where he hopes Georgiana will recover from her disappointment in relative privacy. Thinking only that his sister might have the good fortune to make a friend there, the last thing Mr. Darcy expects is to make one himself.

Elizabeth Bennet has never met a man so used to getting his own way as Mr. Darcy, master of Pemberley. Their first meeting is unexpected, their second infuriating, but before the evening ends, they make peace with one another, and an unlikely friendship is forged.

But friendship with a man like Mr. Darcy, who soon shows Elizabeth there is more to him than his wealth, reserve, and haughty manners, comes with a steep price—her heart. Will their friendship turn into romance, despite Darcy’s professed disinterest in matrimony, or is friendship all they are ever destined to share?

The Luxury of Silence is a variation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and will be enjoyed by fans of friends-to-lovers romantic tales.

©2022 Susan Adriani (P)2022 Quills & Quartos Publishing

Listening was such a lovely experience.

This was quite beautiful. Lovely written and beautifully narrated. I’m very happy with this purchase—a wonderful addition to my library to enjoy multiple times to come.

I love this book!

I love the narration. I love the story. I want to listen to it over and over. I want to listen to all of her books now. Such a joy!

easy read

this was an easy read/listen. no real major drama or angst which was nice. sometimes you just need some easy going in your story.

So romantic

I really like that ODC gets to know each other on an emotional level. My favorite scene is where Darcy plays the piano for Elizabeth.

Read with alacrity

Characters behave as one would wish. Georgiana accompanying her most beloved brother to Netherfield Park changes the countenances of all involved and brings a most satisfactory resolution.

Great read

I absolutely laughed out loud when I heard Elizabeth’s comment in the birthing chamber :) how shocking haha. Loved it. Great Jaff. And great narrative.

After Ramsgate: autumn the Darcy's visit Bingley.

A delightful change classic Darcy and Elizabeth meeting, misunderstanding, friendship, mutual respect, admiration and love.

Just SO GOOD!!!

This one gives you all the feels. Not much angst, which makes it really lovely. ODC's banter and getting to know one another was magical. I really loved this one, I wish it had been longer. I want more!

Fabulous

Another terrific story by Susan Adriani and this narrator, Stevie Zimmerman, always delivers. Easy to recommend.

Beautiful Prose, Excellent Narration

Never disappointing, Stevie Zimmerman performs yet another outstanding narration.

Book review:

This variation begins at Ramsgate. Feeling he has failed, Darcy is filled with anxiety and self-recrimination following his finding Georgiana and Wickham together in a compromising situation. For the moment, Wickham is gone and Georgiana is secluded in her bedchamber. Crushed by the burden of responsibility and needing a moment’s escape, he seeks the silence and refuge of a church.

“Darcy felt a tightness in his throat and the hot pressure of tears in his eyes. He dropped his head into his hands with a quavering exhalation, fighting to remain in control. It was not to be. The devastating events of the last two days had finally caught up with him, and their hold upon his conscience was unforgiving. He covered his face with his hands and wept.”—quote from book

After weeks of unsuccessful attempts to bring Georgiana out of her gloom, Darcy brings her to Netherfield with him when Bingley leases the estate. Elizabeth and Darcy accidentally meet under more pleasant than usual circumstances at Oakham mount. They will meet again, and Darcy will deliver his infamous insult, but he will apologize and they agree to be friends.

This enthralling story is filled with wonderfully-flowing dialogue and beautifully-written narrative. When they come, the expressions of pain and hurt, both contemplated and spoken, especially by Darcy, will have you ache with him.

“His voice was impenetrably grave. “Every morning at sunrise I walked to the shore. Even from the cliffs, the air smelt of salt and brine. The sea itself was never still. It was magnificent, hypnotic—a living, breathing entity impossible to contain. It could break a ship in half or drown a man in a matter of minutes. But there is more to the sea than its malicious beauty and intemperate nature. Beneath its cold surface, beneath its undulating waves, there is tranquillity and peace. Submerged, no idle thoughts disturbed my conscience. Not one soul imposed upon my peace. If not for Georgiana, if not for Pemberley, I could have remained in its embrace forever.”—quote from book

This Darcy is also musical. When that scene occurs, I must encourage readers to be sure to listen to the music he plays to fully appreciate his emotion of that moment—easily found on YouTube.

Also contained within these pages is one of the most beautiful Darcy and Elizabeth proposal scenes I’ve read to date. The words of love will touch all the right emotions and warm your heart to its core. The prose is so beautifully written, it’s practically poetic. It was difficult not to swoon.

While Wickham influences the plot to a degree, and you remain in anticipation of what will come, I didn’t consider this book angsty. Most of the other usual characters from canon are either present or mentioned and well placed into the plot. Honourable mentions go to Mr. Hurst and Lydia.

Some content touches on suggestive themes, but there’s nothing too graphic—it’s a clean read in my opinion.

This will definitely go into my re-read stack, on my “favourites” shelf, and I plan to purchase the published version. I highly recommend this jewel Susan Adriani has gifted her readers.