Particular Intentions

By: L. L. Diamond

Narrated by: Leena Emsley

Who is this Mr. Darcy and what are his intentions? Like much of Meryton, the Bennets of Longbourn anticipate the arrival of Mr. Bingley and his friends to Netherfield, yet an unexpected visitor is not a part of Mr. Bingley's or Mr. Darcy's plans. While the two gentlemen attempt to control their uninvited guest, Elizabeth Bennet arrives to tend to her ill sister. An overheard conversation, the intriguing behavior of Mr. Darcy, and Miss Bingley's cloying manner all fascinate her, but manage to throw her emotions into turmoil as well. As Elizabeth becomes better acquainted with Mr. Darcy, his world unfolds and, if possible, it is more complicated than the man himself! Mysterious strangers and seducers lurk in the shadows - enough to threaten anyone's equanimity. Elizabeth's courage will be tested as she not only struggles to discover her own heart, but also why danger seems to surround Mr. Darcy.

©2016 L.L. Diamond (P)2017 L.L. Diamond

Kinda steamy

I enjoyed this variation of Pride and Prejudice. All my favorite characters reacting to new circumstances!
Just a heads up, this one is kinda steamy. So if that’s your thing, you’ll enjoy Elizabeth and Darcy’s struggle with propriety. If not, you’ve been warned.
The performance of the narrator when voicing male characters can sometimes have repetitive cadence, but she does a pleasant job throughout other characters.
I was able to listen to this book on 1.4 speed because of the narrator’s cadence.
I’d like more comedy from the follies of Mr Collins and Lady Catherine, but Mrs Bennet fills in that space nicely.
Mr Bennet curtails his daughters’ and his wife’s behavior in a satisfactory manner before returning to his character’s famous indolence.
It’s a good listen with a satisfying ending for all.

Intriguing story

I loved this story. It was different and showed pride & prejudice from a different perspective. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes what-if stories and sequels to P&P. Great narrator as well.

Better with a different narrator

This is a wonderful story, but the narrator has a slow slightly quavering voice.

What would happen without so many misunderstandings at the beginning, such as getting in front of Wickams’ lies by warning Mr. Bennet?

Some of the same issues still remain and need to be overcome. Lizzie is just as stubborn as you’d expect which means some things take more to resolve than others. Some side characters are different. For example, Richard is not as astute as usual. Mr. Gardiner had to suggest to him that Wickam may have been after Georgiana’s diary, which took Richard by surprise?!? Huh?

I have heard a few narrators that actually PREVENT me from trying a book, and Ms. Easley is not one of those. The recording was slightly improved by increasing to 1.1 speed.

But, I’d very likely repurchase if recorded again by Stevie Zimmerman ( duh, obviously), Elizabeth Klett, Catherine Bilson, etc.

(Oh, yeah, R rating on this one )

Lovely story

In essentials this story is a, "What if Elizabeth eaves dropped on everyone?" lol.
Elizabeth overhears several things that allow her to get to know Darcy sooner. The real draw of the story, however, is in the subtle changes to characters and relationships woven through this reimagining. Because of this I won't go into more detail, as it would definitely ruin the surprises of the story, but so you have an idea of what type of variation you are getting: There are some passionate scenes but nothing very explicit. Also it is very centered on D&E; the use of other characters and relationships are used to drive their story not as filler or side line plots.
(I did listen to it at 1.15x speed as the narrator was rather a ponderous reader, but none of the voices bothered me)

Very, very well done

Leena Emsley does a fabulous job of narrating this book. She has different voices that work well for the characters and my interest was held throughout the book. It was certainly never boring. I truly think she is gifted, it's that good! And L. L. Diamond had written a very good book as well. This is a great match

Interesting story bludgeoned by convoluted angst

The narrator really put her heart into the narration so she deserves a 5-star rating.

The story begins with the unexpected arrival of Caroline Bingley at Netherfield Park. Both Bingley and Darcy are outraged. From there it a series of contrived situations unfold that bring ODC to recognize their mutual regard. Elizabeth is brave, witty, intelligent, and attractive. Darcy is brave, intelligent, forthright, and attractive. There are several roadblocks thrown in their path to overcome during this part of the book [Meryton, Longbourn, Netherfield]. A misunderstanding and gross stupidity on Elizabeth's part sunders the relationship.

Then the scene shifts to London. Darcy is determined to have Elizabeth. Elizabeth is sent to London by her father where she is reunited with Darcy at a ball. She is happy to renew their relationship and accepts his marriage proposal. At that point, Elizabeth becomes a different woman. If Darcy gives her a kiss she is lost to all reason. She cannot think or breathe in the presence of danger. She can't even open her mouth to give a warning in the form of a scream. She faints, quivers, or closes her eyes in terror.

I gave the story 4 stars rounded up from 3-1/2 stars because the author is usually excellent. It lost a star because the angst was excessive, contrived, and convoluted, especially the last occurrence with the gun. Plus, only silly girls giggle. Women laugh.

Loved it!

loved it. I laughed and cried both 1 and 2 Particulars... are great.
Now onto the next!

Great story, okay narrator

This was a pretty good variation. I've read quite a few others by this author and continue to enjoy her writing. I did feel the need to speed the narration up and use the speed of 1.05. This helped immensely as I feel the narrator was far too breathy and paused unnaturally.

Recency intrigue

It was not a struggle to finish this book, but I wish Georgianna was not always painted as the victim. Considering Wyckham's behavior towards her it is a miracle Darcy and Richard did not kill him outright.

The subplots were a refreshing change from the usual and everyone will enjoy reading about Darcy's family. Miss Bingley's life is properly upended, while Lidiya is restrained at last.

The narrator was monotone, making it very difficult to understand who was speaking at any given time. My favorite narrator for Pride and Prejudice was the amazing Flo Gibson. An accomplished actress from the 1950s, the lady gave me the audible impression of entering a ballroom during the time of Regency England. Delightful narration!

Great story, horrible narration

Pros:
The story's plot was well conceived and wonderfully executed. It was perfectly paced. The story was different enough to be refreshing, but stayed mostly true to the original. The characters were fully formed, and I loved the fate of Lydia and Miss Bingley.

Cons:
The narrator made the story difficult to finish. She was monotonous and dull, especially when portraying a male character.