Reject in Haste, Repent in Leisure, Lizzy!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Two variations (approximately 120-140 pages each) that explore two different possible outcomes of Darcy’s proposal at Hunsford Parsonage

TIME FRAME: The first variation (The Road Not Taken) begins the day of Darcy’s proposal and continues forty-two years into the future. The second variation (The Sleeper Wakes) begins early in the day of Darcy’s proposal and continues seven months into the future.

MAIN CHARACTERS: Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, Jane Bennet, Lydia Bennet, Charlotte Collins, and the whole gang…

SYNOPSIS: The Road Not Taken explores the questions: What if the coincidental meeting at Pemberley never took place? What if Darcy didn’t learn about Lydia’s scandalous elopement until it was too late? The Sleeper Wakes explores the questions: What if Charlotte addressed her concerns and suppositions more forcefully with Elizabeth? What if Elizabeth realized ahead of time the negative consequences her refusal of Mr. Darcy might have on her family and more specifically her sister?

WHAT I LOVED:

The Little Touches: I loved how the two variations were plausibly and cleverly connected to each other by a thread. I’m always a fan of when authors begin each chapter with an epigraph and/or date. I admire the time, thought, and work it takes into finding apropos quotes and I appreciate having a definite timeline or being able to know the passage of time. Loved the Q&A at the end of the book; very informative and thorough.

Read what else Meredith loved about the book at Consequences – C. P. Odom – Austenesque Reviews.