Mr. Darcy's Bookshop

A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Pride & Prejudice Variations)

By: Summer Hanford

Narrated by: Stevie Zimmerman, Benjamin Fife

Cut off from his family’s fortune because he refuses to marry the woman his father has selected for him, Fitzwilliam Darcy takes up the only employment he deems tolerable, that of bookseller. Darcy is determined to support himself and to marry for love, but his powerful relations use their clout to keep customers and fashionable young ladies away. Worse, Darcy’s absence from Pemberley allows treachery to flourish. Determined to see her older sister marry as well as possible, Elizabeth Bennet orchestrates their removal to London.

Elizabeth isn’t searching for a husband of her own, but she is always looking for a good book. At a pleasant little bookshop in Cheapside, she finds plenty to read, and so much more. But should she give her heart to a bookseller and leave the life of a gently bred lady behind? Mr. Darcy’s Bookshop asks what would happen if George Darcy and Sir Lewis de Bourgh had lived, and taken up their deceased wives’ quest to see Darcy and Anne wed. This is a lighthearted variation with laughter, love, a touch of villainy, and a happily ever after for our dear couple.

©2024 Lillian Summer Hanford (P)2024 Lillian Summer Hanford

Soo good!

This is charming, with and lovley variation. I think that I listened almost all, but this was unaspectedly wonderful.

Loved it

From the first time I saw this book cover I knew it was a book I needed to read. There are times where I haven't enjoyed P&P characters being completely changed in personality and there are other times when I have found it most agreeable. This book falls into the latter category. The set up for the story is unique and I enjoyed Darcy as a bookshop owner. The biggest personality change, and one I greatly enjoyed, was Anne. This characterization of her was hilarious. I always say I love variations where Anne gets a backbone. I'd have to say she got more than that in this one. Apparently being raised by her father instead of her mother made a big difference in how she would turn out. I loved her. I need to read the prequel to get her story.

I thought this was a fun story. The plot does not have many similarities to canon but that made it interesting. Wickham was still despicable but he was horrible in different ways than canon. At least in part. Bennets were still ridiculous, Bingley still had puppy eyes for Jane, and Caroline was haughty and paid dearly for her bad choices. The one big change I didn't care for was Jane. Her attitude toward Darcy seemed too far off and felt abrupt.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrators did a good job.

Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: yes

Darcy the bookseller.

I loved this book when it was released earlier this year and thrilled to now have it as an audiobook. The dual narration with the incomparable Stevie Zimmerman and entertaining Benjamin Fife, make it all what it should be… a great listen! Three widowed fathers, Mr. George Darcy, Sir Lewis de Bourgh, and the Earl of Matlock, are determined to see a pact undertaken years earlier to have Anne de Bourgh and Fitzwilliam Darcy wed, except—Darcy isn’t interested and has become estranged from his family by his refusal to capitulate to their demand. Cut off from his allowance, he sells some belongings and purchases a bookstore to make his living. Wickham has gained influence with Darcy’s father, and is determined to take his place. He has also befriended Bingley, who is yet unknown to Darcy, more to use his purse than be a friend, mind you. Meanwhile, at Longbourn, Elizabeth and Jane prepare to leave for London to escape Mr. Collins’s unwanted attention.

Elizabeth meets Darcy at his bookshop and a friendship ensues. Bingley also sees Jane there for the first time and, of course, is instantly infatuated with her. Jane is not well pleased with Elizabeth’s interest in a ‘bookseller’, and throughout the book, she is quite tenacious in trying to have her way by thwarting Elizabeth whenever she can. It wasn’t that she was mean, but I felt she was a ‘not-so-nice Jane’.

I really loved this variation where Darcy has to undertake an occupation to support himself and is just above living in poverty. He falls for Elizabeth quickly, but fears she would unlikely have him, being a gentleman’s daughter, in addition to his own fear that if she did accept him, the trio of fathers would make her and her family’s lives miserable. Also, while Wickham is as ever the villain, Summer Hanford has made him especially deceitful and even criminal.

The novel is well written and has a great plot that even includes a rare and significant role by Sir Lewis. Anne de Bourgh is not the commonly portrayed laudanum-induced Anne, but is a vibrant and outgoing woman who hunts and fences, among other things. I recommend the prequel to this book, ‘The Adventures of Miss Anne de Bourgh of Rosings’ be read first to have a better understanding of this Anne, although this book can stand alone.

I highly recommend this very satisfying and engaging page-turner. I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited but loved it so much I purchased it for my library.

Kisses only.

Great unique story.

What if Darcy’s father were still alive and he wanted him to marry Anne de Bourgh? Not just Darcy’s father but Anne’s father as well, and to top that off Colonel Fitzwilliam’s father too and they all insisted he marry her or lose his inheritance. Sell his most valuable possessions and buy a book store.

The book store is where he meets Bingley when George Wickham arrives for his routine visit of torture and antagonism. Wickham doesn’t count on Bingley coming to befriend Darcy. The bookshop is where he meets Elizabeth Bennet. This was a story of love at first sight.

But Elizabeth is from a small estate in the country and Darcy has no hopes of regaining his inheritance. And it takes a near death experience for the fathers to rethink their edict of the marriage. And it takes a near tragic kidnapping for Darcy’s father to realize who Wickham really is and the treacherous lies he’s been telling and how close he came to swindling it all from his godfather.

Crazy good multi layered plot. I loved it and I loved the duel narration. I know it’s going to be a favorite repeat listen for me. Highly recommended.

Interesting take on P&P

I enjoyed this book very much. It was an interesting take on pride and prejudice. The only thing I can say on performance is that I am not so keen on Benjamin Fife as narrator. He sounds like his voice is wobbling all the time. But Stevie Zimmerman did a great job as usual. Great Jaff.

Fantastic dual narration!!

Loved the story!! Darcy standing by his principles to not marry Anne and being essentially disowned for it and becoming a bookstore keeper to support himself was a unique twist I’ve not seen before. Of course Darcy and Lizzy fall in love discussing books but Wickham and family drama make the path less than smooth. Stevie Zimmerman and Benjamin Fife are two of my favorite narrators and a book combining them was a delightful listen.

Darcy as a different man, sort of

Darcy has refused to marry Anne and his father and uncles cut him off. So he sells what he can and purchases a book shop. This is, of course, Mr Bennet’s favorite book shop which Jane and Elizabeth visit to obtain Christmas gifts. Also visiting the shop are the Bingleys with their good friend George Wickham, who tries to increase the enmity between Mr Darcy the elder and the younger for his own nefarious reasons. Can Wickham be stopped before he ruins all the love stories? Will the patriarchs of the family relent and free Darcy to marry where his heart lies?

An interesting and unique variation with lessons of overcoming pride being learned in a very different manner. I especially enjoyed the tag team performance.

Sweet JAFF with an unusual story twist

I enjoy low-status-Darcy variations on Pride & Prejudice, but they’re hard to do well. This is a good one. The romance is sweet—just a couple of kisses. Narrator Stevie Zimmerman is great as always. I found Benjamin Fife’s narration to stiff and clipped for my taste. Glad I listened to this book.

Sweet humble P & P Variation

This was a very sweet and humble version of our dear Mr. Darcy! Very enjoyable, just a little too short. Anytime you get Stevie Zimmerman narrating, you know you’re in for a treat! Such a pleasure to listen to this book. I can’t wait for more!

Mr. Darcy a lowly bookseller

This story has a huge character shakeup. Anne is healthy and headstrong. Darcy’s father and Sir Lewis are still living. Darcy has been evicted from Pemberley for refusing to marry Anne and is running a not very successful bookshop. Mr. Darcy is kind and gentle despite his many disappointments and struggles. His and Elizabeth’s attraction and bonding over novels is very sweet and watching the romance develop was enjoyable. This time it’s Elizabeth’s family trying to come between the couple. Jane is more snobbish than sweet here. Wickham is truly evil.
The dual narration really enhanced the story.