Holiday At Pemberley Review

 

Holiday at Pemberley: A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride and Prejudice Variation Review

Writer: Kelly Miller

Book Length: 268 Pages

Paperback Price: $14.99

Kindle Price: $5.99 US

Kindle Unlimited: Free to read

ISBN-13: 979-8987981351

Release Date: June 9, 2019

 

Fitzwilliam Darcy has a dream. His wife has blessed his life in countless ways. Before he met Elizabeth, he could never have imagined being so happy. So, as he returns home, Darcy reviews his plans to repay her. Can he throw Elizabeth a birthday party worthy of the woman who has made every day a joy? And what strange events will threaten all his plans? Let's leap into Holiday at Pemberley: A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride and Prejudice Variation and see what happens!

 

Story

One moment, Darcy is riding his horse along an escarpment. Then suddenly, he is standing beside it. Darcy remembers something startling his horse, and how he tumbled from the saddle. Feeling uneasy with his near-death experience, Darcy returns home to learn that Elizabeth has fainted. She seems fine, and Darcy tries to put both events out of his mind. But the next morning, a stranger appears in his office. The man claims that he extended Darcy's life. But for how long remains to be seen.

 

In Holiday at Pemberley: A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride and Prejudice Variation, Darcy’s visitor explains that he is an Angel of Death. He should have let Darcy fall down the escarpment. But Darcy interests him. The Angel has sensed Darcy's extraordinary happiness and wishes to observe life from Darcy's perspective. Although the Angel has chosen to inhabit the revived body of an Italian lothario, Darcy is hardly a carefree lover with a string of mistresses. The Angel wishes to discover how a man who readily accepts great responsibilities and upholds the highest ethical standards could be happier than his body's former owner. 

 

While Darcy chafes at the Angel's demands, he cannot refuse. If he doesn't agree, the Angel could still let him die. Yet having him masquerading as a friend from his university days irks him. Worse, it means deceiving Elizabeth and everyone in his household. Acceding to the Angel’s requirements grants Darcy more time with his loved ones. Still, he doesn’t know how long the Angel has given him. There are rules to the universe. The Angel can bend them, but he cannot break them. So, in the time he has left, Darcy focuses on ensuring his estate’s future and cherishing his wife and young son, in Holiday at Pemberley: A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride and Prejudice Variation.

 

Final Thoughts

To pull the wool over his wife's eyes may not sound like much. But even if the Angel of Death has extended Darcy's life, he hates lying to his wife. Maintaining the charade grows increasingly difficult as longtime friends and relatives arrive at Pemberley. Worse, not all of them are welcome.

 

In Kelly Miller's story, Darcy must reexamine his past and how his actions have affected others. And even if an Angel of Death can never die, perhaps the man Elizabeth loves can show him how to live in Holiday at Pemberley: A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride and Prejudice Variation.

 

Rating: 5 Stars

 

Check out Holiday at Pemberley: A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride and Prejudice Variation at Amazon.

The Impoverished Orphan: A Pride & Prejudice Variation Review

 

Author: Kelly Miller

Editor: Jo Abbott

Cover Artist: The Red Fox Creative

Amazon ebook: $3.99

Paperback: $9.99

Kindle Unlimited: Free

Print Length: 197 Pages

Release Date: November 14, 2025

 

When she comes to live with them, her Uncle Allan Barton avoids her, while Aunt Rebecca welcomes three-year-old Elizabeth with open arms. By the time she is five, Elizabeth's memories of her parents and her sister Jane have faded. But when her nurse lets her view a portrait of her parents, her mother appears regal and happy, and her father well-read.

 

Elizabeth dreams about her late family, and yearns to read the books her father left her. What kind of woman will Elizabeth Bennett become? And how will she enjoy growing up on the Bartons’ estate in Wiltshire? Let’s grab a cup of tea, leap into The Impoverished Orphan: A Pride & Prejudice Variation, and see!

 

Story

The past holds nothing for Elizabeth. Her parents’ estate, Longbourn, was entailed, and ownership has passed to Mr Collins. Except for her uncle Gardiner, her extended family succumbed to the same ague that took her parents and sister. And after Aunt Rebecca's death, her uncle prevents Elizabeth from seeing her uncle Gardiner, claiming he is a dishonest and disreputable man.

 

While Uncle Barton has suffered from depression, his affection for Elizabeth grows after his wife's death, and he makes every effort to include her in his family. Elizabeth loves her cousins, and Noah and Cassie return her affection. But despite their mutual love for each other, Elizabeth is a penniless outsider, reliant on their kindness and hospitality.

 

Glimpses of Elizabeth's childhood show how her relationship with her family grows and changes. After a tenth of the novel, readers arrive in 1811. Elizabeth is twenty years old when Cassie's romance with Stephen Ware hits a rough spot.

 

Soon afterward, Fitzwilliam Darcy enters The Impoverished Orphan: A Pride & Prejudice Variation. After foiling George Wickham's scheme to acquire Georgiana's fortune, Darcy comforts his shattered sister while conferring with a Bow Street Runner on the murder of his neighbor. Although he disliked Mrs Cooper, Darcy agrees to watch for anyone resembling Mr Notley’s chief suspect when he visits his friend in Wiltshire.

 

Nature stripped Elizabeth Bennett of her family in The Impoverished Orphan: A Pride & Prejudice Variation. Then Darcy inadvertently robs Elizabeth of what she most cherishes while attempting to ease Georgiana's suffering. Still, Elizabeth is too concerned about others to dwell on her injuries. And despite the difficulties involved, Darcy seeks to assuage the hurt he has caused Elizabeth.

 

As in Jane Austen’s novel, Elizabeth and Darcy must learn to get past their initial perceptions of each other. As understanding develops between them, Darcy must reconcile his perception of what matters to him with his growing attraction to Elizabeth. While doing that, Darcy detects another mystery. So, while keeping an eye out for Mrs Cooper’s murderer, Darcy seeks to unravel a twisted past to help Elizabeth secure a better future.

 

Final Thoughts

As Kelly Miller welcomes readers into a cozy mystery and love story, she portrays Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy's struggles through their eyes. While Darcy is wealthy and well-traveled, Elizabeth wears her cousin's hand-me-down clothes and rarely leaves her uncle's estate. But as Darcy discovers, Elizabeth is rich in the things she values in The Impoverished Orphan: A Pride & Prejudice Variation.

 

5 Stars

 

Check out Kelly Miller's latest novel, The Impoverished Orphan: A Pride & Prejudice Variation, at Amazon.com.

 

More from Kelly Miller:

 

Mr Darcy's Complex Courtship: A Pride & Prejudice Variation

The Darcy Secret: A Pride & Prejudice Variation 

The Mysterious Disappearance of Mr Darcy: A Pride & Prejudice Variation 

The Trouble with Friends: A Pride & Prejudice Variation

 

Mr Darcy's Complex Courtship: A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride & Prejudice Variation Review

 

Writer: Kelly Miller

Editors: Jo Abbott & Carol Bowes

Kindle ebook: $4.99

Kindle Unlimited: Free

Paperback: $11.99

Audiobook: $19.99

Audiobook Narrator: Stevie Zimmerman

Release Date: November 14, 2024

 

While staying with her friend Charlotte and Mr Collins in Kent, Elizabeth Bennett visits the home of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She meets Mr Darcy and his cousin, who are staying with their strong-minded aunt. Elizabeth disliked Darcy in Hertfordshire and has no reason to think highly of him now.

 

Elizabeth receives a letter from her sister and learns that Charles Bingley broke off his engagement on Mr Darcy's advice. Then Mr Darcy visits her at the parsonage. After disparaging her family, Fitzwilliam proposes to her. Will Elizabeth politely decline his offer? Or will she give him the sharp edge of her tongue? Let's leap into Mr Darcy’s Complex Courtship: A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride & Prejudice Variation and find out!

 

Warning

While I strive to avoid spoilers, Kelly Miller expressed concern over the amount of plot I included in my review. If you plan on reading Mr Darcy's Complex Courtship: A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride & Prejudice Variation soon, you may not wish to read further.

 

Story

As in Jane Austen's classic tale, Elizabeth rejects Darcy's proposal. But his fervent desire to marry her touches her. Elizabeth sets invective aside and tells him she could never marry someone who separated her sister from the man she loved. After assuring Darcy that Jane’s affection for his friend wasn't motivated by greed or social elevation, Darcy promises to speak with Bingley and rescind his earlier advice. He also explains how Mr Wickham tried to elope with his younger sister to benefit from Georgiana's wealth. Darcy begs Elizabeth for another chance to demonstrate his character and prove his devotion to her.

 

In Kelly Miller's story, Elizabeth visits her aunt and uncle in London. After convincing Bingley to marry Jane, Mr Darcy woos Elizabeth. Unlike many gentlemen of his social standing, Mr Darcy shows no reluctance to visit a tradesman's house. When the Gardiners notice Mr Darcy’s interest, they approve of the match. Elizabeth also forges a friendship with Georgiana. Then Lady Catherine de Bourgh learns of her nephew's pursuit in Mr Darcy's Complex Courtship: A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride & Prejudice Variation. Unless Darcy severs his interest in Elizabeth Bennett, his aunt will ruin him.

 

Lady Catherine isn’t alone in her desire to prune the budding romance. Unlike his daughter, Mr Bennett cannot forget Mr Darcy's actions when he stayed with Mr Bingley at Netherfield. The young man's aloof manner, strict views, and rudeness set Mr Bennett against Darcy. Mr Bennett worries that Darcy would be a domineering husband who would repress Elizabeth’s spirits, dictate her actions, and extinguish her creativity and imagination.

 

 

 

Art

While keeping our focus on Elizabeth Bennett, Kelly Miller also takes us into Mr Darcy's world. Elizabeth’s anger turns to curiosity as Mr Darcy presses his suit. Darcy's earnest desire to reform his character and impeccable manners impress Elizabeth. Elizabeth also values his determination to discover the truth when Lady Catherine unveils her plan to destroy Darcy's life. Stevie Zimmerman’s voice and delivery evoke Keira Knightley’s portrayal of Elizabeth in Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice.

 

 

 

Like Jane Austen, Kelly Miller focuses on the etiquette and social standards in Regency England. Unlike today, Mr Darcy risks a scandal if he accepts someone who works for a living into his household. Elizabeth does not excel at music like Georgiana. But when she discovers an outlet for her creativity, Elizabeth gives critics ammunition to attack Darcy should she become his wife. Both situations recall Sir Thomas Bertram's outrage when he discovers his family preparing a theatrical production in Mansfield Park.

 

Finally, a lack of communication and an inability to readily discover facts reveal people's fears in Regency England. Kelly Miller shows how the poorer classes' lack of education could harm the aristocracy in Mr Darcy's Complex Courtship: A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride & Prejudice Variation. Mr Bennett's fears also reflect the society of the period. Elizabeth's father loves reading and encourages his daughter's thirst for knowledge and reasoning ability. Yet many members of The Ton strictly control their wives, sisters, and daughters' access to entertainment and learning, even refusing to let them read the plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare. 

Thanks to Kelly Miller for providing an audiobook for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

While some characters ascend, others embrace their darker sides in Mr Darcy’s Complex Courtship: A Darcy & Elizabeth Pride And Prejudice Variation by Kelly Miller. When circumstances separate them, Darcy risks his status in society to uncover the truth about his family, and Elizabeth discovers a new interest that could provide financial independence.

 

Rating: 5 Stars 

 

 

For a preview of the novel and audiobook, see Kelly Miller's book at Amazon.com.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Mr Darcy Review

 

Writer: Kelly Miller

Narrator: Vicky-Jo Eva

Ebook: Free to read on Amazon Unlimited

Paperback: $9.99

Audiobook: $17.46

Release Date: March 25, 2024

 

Rory enjoys playing along the beach in Ramsgate. When her Collie brings the ball to a young blonde woman, Elizabeth chats with her. Then, a dark-haired man accuses Elizabeth of using Rory to meet them. Elizabeth hopes to avoid meeting the rude stranger again during her seaside holiday. But how might her life change should her path intersect with the dark-haired Adonis? Let's put on our finery, pack our revolvers, leap into The Mysterious Disappearance of Mr Darcy, and find out!

 

Story

When Elizabeth Bennett meets the man and his sister again at Mrs Stapleton's house, Georgiana greets her happily. Her brother, Fitzwilliam Darcy, apologizes for mistaking Elizabeth's intentions. Elizabeth's admission that she initially thought him incapable of understanding the importance of kindness and respect leaves him humbled. So when Darcy notices Elizabeth has been reading An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke, he asks her opinion of Book IV. Elizabeth appreciates his receptiveness to her interpretations. Darcy likes how Elizabeth has thought through her opinions and can discuss the merits of their differing views without arguing.

 

In The Mysterious Disappearance of Mr Darcy, Elizabeth begins meeting Darcy on her morning walks. Despite her aunt's request that Elizabeth not meet with him privately, the wide-ranging conversations help them appreciate each other better. While Darcy and his sister enjoy the summer in Ramsgate, Mrs Rebecca Stapleton invited Modesty Gardiner and her niece to spend August with her. As Elizabeth's month in Ramsgate nears its end, neither she nor Darcy wishes to part from the other. So, after a short engagement, Elizabeth becomes Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy.

 

Despite Georgiana’s approval of Elizabeth, not everyone in Darcy’s family believes he made the correct choice. Some, like Lady Matlock, insist Darcy should have married someone from a titled or wealthier family. Nor do all his relatives accept Elizabeth's ability to oversee his correspondence and finances. These factors become important considerations when he goes missing after a shooting in The Mysterious Disappearance of Mr Darcy.

 

 

 

Art

Firstly, Kelly Miller differentiates her novel by setting it in Ramsgate and London instead of more familiar locales like Longbourn and Pemberly. While Elizabeth braves the disdain of Darcy’s family, she also faces the dangers of England’s bustling capital. Darcy trained her to use a gun. Elizabeth believes the staff, overseen by their butler Slade, can protect her on their house and grounds. Still, someone shot the man who accompanied Darcy to the house in Camberwell. So when she leaves the house, Elizabeth takes a gun with her.

 

Given the influx of foreigners following the French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power, Mr Ellis from the Alien Office investigates Darcy's disappearance. Joshua Webb, who attended Cambridge with Darcy, stays in the house and helps Elizabeth question anyone claiming to have seen him. Still, none of Darcy's close friends know him. In The Mysterious Disappearance of Mr Darcy, Elizabeth finds herself a stranger in a strange land, intent on protecting Georgiana, discovering what happened to her beloved husband, and not knowing who she can rely on.

 

 

 

In addition to placing Elizabeth in different locations, Kelly Miller also isolates Elizabeth from her family. By meeting Elizabeth while she and her aunt stay at Mrs Stapleton's house, Darcy doesn't view her in terms of her family's societal stumbles. Nor does he feel obliged to protect Charles Bingley's interests or observe propriety around Bingley's sisters and brother-in-law when they lease Netherfield Park near the Bennetts' home.

 

Lastly, by shortening the period between their first meeting and marriage to six weeks, Kelly Miller gives the couple sufficient time for love to bloom but not for Elizabeth to know Darcy well. Nor did Darcy have a year to think through what life with Elizabeth would be like. Perhaps, as Lady Catherine de Bourgh suggests, her nephew had second thoughts about his union with Elizabeth and "disappeared" to get his life back on track.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Kelly Miller's prose captures the elegance and romance of England's Regency period. Her story allows Elizabeth, Darcy, and Georgiana to shine in this new variation of Jane Austen's immortal novel. Enhanced by Vicky-Jo Eva’s cultured voice, the audiobook spirits you back to Regency England, portraying Miller's narrative and Jane Austen's characters with captivating realism in The Mysterious Disappearance of Mr Darcy. 

 

Rating: 5 Stars

 

 

 

The Darcy Secret: A Pride & Prejudice Variation Review

 

Author: Kelly Miller

Cover Artist: Janet Taylor

Audiobook: $17.46

Paperback: $10.95

ebook: $4.99 (free on Kindle Unlimited)

Release Date: May 26, 2023

 

Kelly Miller’s novel The Darcy Secret begins where Pride And Prejudice ends, with Darcy proposing marriage to Elizabeth Bennet at the Longbourn family estate. After Fitzwilliam Darcy leaves Elizabeth Bennett’s company, he realizes she never told him she loves him. Does she return his affections? Or did Elizabeth agree to marry him out of gratitude? After all, he saved her family’s reputation by arranging her sister Lydia’s marriage to George Wickham.

 

After Elizabeth assures Darcy of her love, past indiscretions return to haunt him. A chance meeting with Lady Marchand in Vauxhall Gardens reminds Elizabeth that societal expectations of acceptable conduct differ between men and women. She wonders how many former lovers might return to sway his affections. Can Elizabeth be assured of his steadfastness? Or might Darcy follow the conventions of the age and take lovers when his infatuation fades?

 

While battling the doubts and fears that afflict any engaged couple, Darcy’s family questions Elizabeth’s motives. Lady Catherine might have declared Elizabeth’s unsuitability, yet a far more agreeable relative questions Elizabeth's motives. After all, their courtship—if one can use that term—occurred after the Gardeners brought Elizabeth to his impressive Pemberley estate.

 

Darcy’s sister Georgiana is reluctant to accept Elizabeth. But Elizabeth soon wins her over, and after Elizabeth and Darcy marry, the two women regard each other as sisters. Zounds! The Gardeners receive a disturbing report about Georgiana from a former teacher. Her aunt and uncle send Elizabeth the letter that implicates Georgiana in another student’s death. While the couple ponders Georgiana's involvement, the report awakens an earlier concern. A final letter from Darcy’s late father claimed a streak of madness afflicted women in his family. Did Georgiana kill her schoolmate? And if madness runs through their family, what evils might their children perpetrate upon an unsuspecting world?

 

Kelly Miller’s novel The Darcy Secret: A Pride & Prejudice Variation tackles alcoholism and drug use in Regency England, the perils of ignoring the class structure, attitudes toward sport, and the rise of modern psychiatry. While faithful to the characters and spirit of Jane Austen’s beloved classic, events force Elizabeth and Darcy to investigate a tragic event. Having listened to the audiobook version, I confess that Scott Fleming's female voices initially made me titter with laughter. Yet I felt his deep voice lent gravity and authenticity to Kelly Miller's family drama during my second listen.

 

As I bid goodbye to The Darcy Secret: A Pride & Prejudice Variation, I ponder one final mystery. Elizabeth declares that Collies are the most beautiful breed, but Cocker Spaniels are the cutest puppies. A question plagues me. What kind of dog does Kelly Miller own?

 

Zounds! Why does this bother me? Might a streak of madness run through my family tree?

 

The Darcy Secret: A Pride & Prejudice Variation is available at Amazon.com

Discover the latest news on Kelly Miller's books at Meryton Press. 

Thanks to author Kelly Miller for providing her audiobook for review.

The Trouble With Friends: A Pride And Prejudice Variation Review

 

Author: Kelly Miller

Paperback: $9.99

eBook: $3.99 (free on KindleUnlimited)

Audiobook: $17.46

Narrator: Deborah Balm

 

When Simon Lockhart accompanied his friends Charles Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy to the Netherfield estate, he never guessed how Elizabeth Bennett would impact his future. Yet a few days later, she comes to his aid after a riding accident. The way Elizabeth cares for him—at the risk of her reputation—impresses him. Despite her lack of romantic inclinations, he fixates on her and insists on wooing her. Then he meets her sister Jane, and all thoughts of marrying Elizabeth take flight.

 

Pet ownership agrees with Elizabeth Bennett. After caring for her Cocker Spaniel Robbie, she takes a greater interest in her sister Mary and tempers her mother's outrageous schemes. Seeing Mr. Lockhart in distress, Elizabeth places his needs first and her safety second. Despite his wealth and pleasant manner, his features don’t call to her. While she finds Charles Bingley attractive, his disinterest in literature limits the scope of any possible relationship. Yet both potential suitors seem superior choices to their sullen friend Fitzwilliam Darcy. Why does she feel so drawn to Darcy?

 

Elizabeth’s looks and manners take Darcy’s breath away. He cannot stop thinking about her. Yet fate continually draws them together. After Lockhart declares his interest in Jane, Darcy misinterprets Elizabeth's actions as despair. While seeking to protect and befriend her, his sister arrives at Netherfield. Georgiana was bored at Pemberley and still pines for George Wickham. Darcy realizes she needs a friend and knows he can trust Elizabeth to look after his sister’s interests.

 

So begins The Trouble With Friends: A Pride And Prejudice Variation. Author Kelly Miller compresses Jane Austen’s original timeline and limits the settings to Hertfordshire and London. She sidelines some of Austen’s characters while adding new ones, allowing readers to glimpse her beloved protagonists in a new light. While channeling Austen’s voice, she concentrates less on outdated matters, such as entailed properties and arranged marriages, while giving readers what they most desire: more time spent in the delightful company of Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy.

 

In this altered timeline, some events remain fixed, and others change considerably. I missed some of Austen's longer set pieces, such as Elizabeth's visit with Charlotte and her tour of Derbyshire with her aunt and uncle. Yet amid this classic tale of love and family, Simon Lockhart's friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice make him an outstanding addition to Jane Austen's cast. The Trouble With Friends: A Pride And Prejudice Variation honors Austen’s classic tale and will keep readers involved until the end.

 

Deborah Balm's cultured voice adds authenticity to Kelly Miller's audiobook. Balm distinguishes characters well, and her narration immerses you in Elizabeth, Darcy, and Lockhart's world. As my first experience listening to a book on Audible, I found it hugely enjoyable.

 

Thanks to author Kelly Miller for providing a copy of her audiobook for review. The next time I attend an assembly in Meryton or a ball at Netherfield, I shall recommend your novel to all my friends, no matter how amiable or troublesome they may be!

 

The Trouble With Friends: A Pride And Prejudice Variation by Kelly Miller is available on Amazon.com.