Book Description
The moment he saw her at the assembly in Meryton, he knew he loved her.
WHEN FITZWILLIAM DARCY MEETS ELIZABETH BENNET in the fateful autumn of 1811, their mutual infatuation is immediate and undeniable. Within months, they are married and spend a blissful winter at Pemberley, falling more deeply in love with each other than either might have imagined possible. But spring in London proves more challenging to them. Accident and artifice join to devastating effect for the young couple, destroying their felicity and creating an outcome neither might have imagined.
TWO YEARS LATER, happenstance reunites them. Sorrow and anger have built walls between them but the love they once shared still remains. Will it be enough to conquer the sins of the past? Is the love they still hold within them strong enough to prevail over the anger and mistrust that tore them apart?
A
Wilful Misunderstanding by Amy D’Orazio – My Review
Amy D’Orazio is one of my must-read Austenesque authors, so I was excited to hear that she had a new book out… as well as feeling some trepidation, because I am a big wimp and her books can be at the top level of my angst tolerance!
This book has a pretty angsty premise. Elizabeth and Darcy meet in Hertfordshire at the Assembly, but it’s a very different meeting. Instead of clearly looking down on his company and disgusting the room with his pride, Mr Darcy tumbles head over heels in love with Elizabeth pretty much immediately, and they marry in a whirlwind, despite the reservations of her father:
"Elizabeth is my… well, she is my treasure. I love all my daughters, but she has always been especially dear to my heart. That is why I could not bear to see her in an unequal situation or made unhappy by a husband whose burning love turned too soon to ash."
After a rapturous beginning to married life things start to go sour. The seeds of doubt are sown in Darcy’s mind and since he has married somebody he barely knows, there is no foundation of trust:
He needed to confront her, to be sure, but the timing never seemed right to light the match that would burn one’s own house down.
Since the first time that I read Pride & Prejudice, I was very much team Lizzy. I love Mr Darcy, don’t get me wrong, but it’s Elizabeth that made me love P&P and she gets treated unfairly by her husband in A Wilful Misunderstanding. The early part, where things have started to go wrong are quite hard going in that respect, because you just feel so sorry for her. Her marriage is coming apart at the seams but she is entirely blameless, and doesn’t even know what her husband suspects her to be guilty of. His fears and behaviour are explained, so they make sense to the reader, but this doesn’t excuse his actions.
One thing I think Amy D’Orazio does really well is write a story that keeps you turning the pages. I read this book all the way through in one go, without even a tea break because I wanted to know what happened next. There were some uncomfortable feelings reading of Elizabeth’s humiliation and heartbreak. I understood her husband’s pain, but didn’t have much pity to spare for him as I kept it all for his wife. I really felt quite resentful towards him. I don’t like it when authors torture their characters unnecessarily but if a bit more suffering had been thrown his way I wouldn’t have minded! I didn’t doubt his remorse, but I found it hard to admire him.
Regular readers of this author will be pleased to see her original character, Saye, who is Colonel Fitzwilliam’s older brother. He is on form here, and provides some light moments of comedy. His flirting style is something to behold!
“Lilly,” her aunt admonished whilst Saye tried not to look too gleeful. She had noticed his breeches, which meant it was likely she had surreptitiously examined his…
As this story deviates from Pride & Prejudice very early on, a lot of things that happen in canon don’t happen here, and I enjoyed seeing the characters walk different paths and in some cases have different relationships with each other.
I
think people who enjoy a dose of angst will enjoy this story but it doesn’t get
too acute or perilous. It’s enjoyable angst that keeps you turning the pages
until there are no more left. There’s less in the way of romance but that’s not
really what this story is about, it’s more about forgiveness – not mine, I didn’t
quite manage it! I’d rate this as a 5 star read.
Amy D’Orazio is a long time devotee of Jane Austen and fiction related to her characters. She began writing her own little stories to amuse herself during hours spent at sports practices and the like and soon discovered a passion for it. By far, however, the thing she loves most is the connections she has made with readers and other writers of Austenesque fiction.
Amy currently lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and daughters, as well as three Jack Russell terriers who often make appearances (in a human form) in her book.
A Wilful Misunderstanding is Amy’s sixth book.
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Buy
Links
A Wilful Misunderstanding is available to buy now in Paperback, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. It’s also available in audio.
• Amazon US • Amazon UK • Amazon CA • Add to Goodreads shelf
Quills and Quartos are kindly giving away an ebook of A Wilful Misunderstanding. To enter, please comment on this blog post and Quills and Quartos will choose a winner on 13 Oct.
Note about comments: If you have any problems adding your comment please contact me and I will add your comment for you :)
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I’m 82% through the book. It appears ODC are finally approaching a tentative reconciliation. You’re correct that the angst is not too perilous, but it is, at times, agonizing. Thank you Amy for another page turner!
ReplyDeleteThank yo Paige!! -- Amy
DeleteYou've put that so well, Paige, that's just how it is. The angst isn't too much but on the other hand it's deliciously agonising!
DeleteI love the artowkr used for this book any chance name of artwork and artist is known?
ReplyDeletePatricia it is by Edmund Blair Leighton and is called Off (1899)
DeleteI am so glad that Amy stopped by to answer this because I couldn't have helped you!
DeleteI've just started the book and already loathe Caroline Bingley. I certainly hope she gets a comeuppance by the end of the book. One of my least favorite elements of ff is betrayal and Caroline & Wickham have that in spades. UGH! Will be reading more later today. :)
ReplyDeleteShe is pretty hateful in this, ForeverHis. But what I found harder was that her actions would have meant nothing if Darcy had behaved how he should have.
DeleteI’m another angst wimp so haven’t read this yet! I’ve read so much good about it that I know I will!
ReplyDeleteI love Saye so I do hope he helps Darcy to see the truth and I do hope that Caroline Bingley and Wickham get their just punishment! (Perhaps marriage to each other should do it?)
I'm a wimp, Glynis, and I found that it didn't break my angst meter! Hope you enjoy it when you read it.
DeleteThis book is a wonderful, page-turning read! Thoroughly enjoyable even in its angst.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Julie, it's a really enjoyable read :)
DeleteWonderful review, Ceri! I had to put the book down and walk away when I felt Caroline was going to do something evil. But I soon came back and picked it up. I wanted her drawn and quartered! Yes, Amy such a job of squeezing and twisting our heart. Loved it! Do not enter me in the giveaway. Hope you are doing well and that your renovations are done! Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteOh Carole... I am but a fool... (hope you get the Neil Sedaka reference) because the renovations were never 100% completed and we are doing more work! I had some money left and rather then spend it sensibly on double glazing for the front of the house we decided to get a log burner. So my front room is all in upheaval... but it will be awesome!
DeleteThanks so much for saying you enjoyed my review :)
That's what happens when you don't talk openly to your spouse
ReplyDeleteThat's very true, Vesper, and also when you marry a stranger!
DeleteGreat review. I loved this story. At times I wanted to reach in and shake Darcy!
ReplyDeleteOh me too, Sheila!
DeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts on this book. It sounds like one I would enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it as much as I did Darcybennett!
DeleteI have a comment to add for Eva:
ReplyDeleteCeri, I, too, enjoy all of Amy's books and this one sounds fabulous. I also like some angst but wonder if I can bear Darcy having false accusations against Elizabeth. I'm already hurting and haven't read the book! Thank you for the giveaway
I would recommend you be brave and try it, Eva! Hope you enjoy it when you do :)
DeleteQuills and Quartos chose a winner from the blog post comments and that person was Paige Hale. They posted about it on their facebook page. Paige, if you would like to claim your prize please can you contact Kristi at books@quillsandquartospub.com
ReplyDelete