Mr. Darcy 's Valentine by Heather Moll - Blog Tour, Guest Post, Review and Giveaway

Today I’m really pleased to be welcoming Heather Moll back to the blog with the blog tour for her newest book, Mr. Darcy’s Valentine. I love a bit of seasonal reading and have been lucky enough to read this one. As you will have gleaned from the title it’s a Valentine’s day story. Read on to learn more about the book, read a guest post from Heather, see what I thought of the book and finally have the chance to enter a worldwide giveaway.

Book Description 

WILL AN EXCHANGE OF SECRET VALENTINES LEAD TO LOVE?

After her aunt notices her partiality for Mr Wickham, Elizabeth Bennet is invited to town for the winter along with her sister Jane, and February in London gives Elizabeth the chance to become better acquainted with the Gardiners’ friend Mr Elgin.

When Mr Darcy and Elizabeth cross paths at a concert, Darcy must account for how Bingley left Hertfordshire as he considers his deepening feelings for Elizabeth. Bingley is determined to renew his attentions to Jane, and an evening’s diversion of writing valentines leads to disastrous results for Darcy.

When Valentine’s Day arrives, who will Elizabeth want to receive a valentine from: the lively man she just met or the man whose proposal she already refused? On sale Feb 1, 2023 by Excessively Diverted Press in ebook and paperback.  

Content note: this is a 50,000 word kisses-only variation

Guest Post from Author Heather Moll

Hello Ceri and thanks for welcome me back to Babblings of a Bookworm to talk about Mr. Darcy’s Valentine. Valentine’s Day wasn’t always about store-bought cards for every kid in the class or a box of chocolates in a heart-shaped box. In Mr. Darcy’s Valentine, we see a hint of the customs that set up how people in Georgian England sent valentines through the mail. It’s these old games and customs that lead to all the things that go wrong for Darcy and Elizabeth—before they eventually go right.

Printed in 1725, Antiquities of the Common People describes community practices regarding a wide variety of beliefs and observances about things like evil omens, harvest suppers, and Christmas decorations. There’s a judgmental tone about everything covered, as you can see in this section mentioning drawing lots to determine your valentine:

Vulgar? Drawing names for valentines is vulgar? They’re no fun, are they? The practice of drawing lots gives us an explanation of the nursery rhyme that perseveres:

The rose is red, the violet’s blue,

the honey’s sweet and so are you

thou art my love and I am thine

I drew thee to my valentine

the lot was cast and then I drew

and fortune said it should be you.

In Mr. Darcy’s Valentine, Jane and Elizabeth are in London over the winter and when Bingley finds out what Darcy and his sisters have done, Darcy feels guilty. Darcy agrees to invite the Gardiners and their nieces to dinner to make it up to Bingley… and maybe spend a little time with Elizabeth. In this scene at Darcy’s house, and after talking about the custom of drawing lots, Bingley is determined to renew his attentions to Jane. He gets Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam to go along in helping him scheme to draw lots to get Jane to be his valentine.

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Excerpt from Mr Darcy's Valentine by Heather Moll

“I can arrange the lottery, then,” Fitzwilliam said. “I shall tell the ladies what we are doing and watch them write their own names. There are only three, and it will be easy enough with a look to tell you which one to choose.”

“That is all well for him,” Darcy said, gesturing to Bingley, “but I cannot draw Miss Bingley.”

Fitzwilliam’s shoulders fell. “And how amusing will this be for me to draw her and write flowery lines for such a–” With an embarrassed look at Bingley, Fitzwilliam winced and said, “That was exceedingly rude of me.”

Bingley shrugged. “Rude, but true. We are decided? You shall draw my sister and you”–he pointed to Darcy–“can write to Miss Elizabeth. Neither of you need worry that you will raise the expectations of the lady you draw. It shall only be an evening’s diversion as far as they are concerned.”

It could be a way to learn how warmly Elizabeth thinks of an alliance between us. She might blush prettily, or wonder if she could be so fortunate. Or she might realise it was only a game, and it would be cruel of him to distress her by raising expectations.

Do I love her? He had admired her from early in their acquaintance. He had thought of her more often than he wanted to admit since leaving Hertfordshire. Elizabeth was lively, kind, accomplished, and had bewitched him from nearly the first moment he attended to her conversations. She was lovely in her person and in her manner, and he wanted to hear all of her opinions and her joyful laughter.

I love her. I am attached to her in a way that I never was to any woman before.

She would naturally say yes if he asked, but did she have an equal love for him? A little love to begin with, along with a great deal of esteem, might be enough of a beginning. Perhaps she was simply as guarded as was her eldest sister, and once assured of his affections and wishes, she would admit to all the amorous feelings of her heart.

But Elizabeth might not display her emotions upon reading his valentine, and he certainly could not give the same emphatic smiles the way Bingley intended to do with Miss Bennet. He would have to do all he could to show that he was in earnest, but how long would he have to wait for her to show him how happy his valentine had made her?

“We can encourage them to reply,” Darcy said quickly before the others moved away. “It would be as though it were a modern valentine received in the post. Then Miss Bennet could give you an answer now.”

“I would not mind having more than a hint as to her wishes. . . ” Bingley nodded. “Very well. We are in agreement? I shall encourage the game, Fitzwilliam will arrange the lottery and encourage them to answer. He shall write to Caroline–”

“I promise not to weep when she rejects me.”

“–and Darcy shall write to Miss Elizabeth, and I shall write to Miss Bennet.” Bingley smiled and clapped his hands once. “Shall we begin?” Without waiting for an answer, Bingley walked to where the ladies were sitting.

Fitzwilliam shook his head. “Damned fool, but if it helps him be secure of his choice, so be it. Ready?”

Darcy saw Elizabeth smiling at Georgiana and encouraging her to bid higher. She seemed to be leading the way in conversation. She was amiable and obliging without being deferential or insipid. The only thing more satisfying than gazing on Elizabeth’s beauty would be to sit by her and hear some of her sparkling intelligence.

She would likely argue with me, but so much the better. He smiled at the thought of evenings at home with his wife, a pleasing scene of domestic comfort interspersed with lively debate, playful teasing, and affectionate embraces. I love her dearly.

“Darcy? I asked if you are ready to waste a few poetic lines on a woman you do not love?”

“Undoubtedly.”

Darcy thinks this game they’re about to rig for Bingley might also be a fantastic way to show Elizabeth how much he feels for her. She’ll be so flattered and grateful, right? Everyone else will think they’re drawing lots for an anonymous game, but she’ll know he loves her. She might even write back a few lines expressing her gratitude for his attentions. What could go wrong with sending Elizabeth a few romantic lines?

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My Review of Mr. Darcy’s Valentine

Mr. Darcy’s Valentine sees Elizabeth Bennet accompanying her sister Jane to London after the Gardiners visit the Bennets at Christmas, after the Netherfield party has left for town. Mr Darcy has observed that his friend Bingley is taking time to get over his separation from Jane Bennet and wonders if it’s more than infatuation. Upon seeing the Bennet sisters in London he makes Bingley aware of them being in town, and his part in the deception.

Bingley wastes little time in renewing the acquaintance, with the assistance of a penitent Darcy. Young ladies have less liberty in town than the country, so it’s harder for Bingley to speak to Jane privately and he’s desperate to find out whether she would welcome an offer of marriage from him or if it’s too soon. Therefore, with Valentine’s day approaching, the excuse of writing some Valentine’s messages as after-dinner entertainment gives Bingley the chance to sound Jane out. As part of the game, Darcy writes a message to Elizabeth, and succumbing to his feelings for her, manages to convey the sentiments of liking her against his will and in spite of her objectionable relations into a rhyming poem! This is not received particularly well but with a lot less heat than in canon as Darcy has already been instrumental in helping Jane and Bingley’s relationship progress.

Thrown together due to Bingley and Jane’s growing relationship and a friendship with Miss Darcy, the opportunity is there for Darcy to show Elizabeth that he can be less proud, and for her to get to know him. But with another suitor involved, will she want to?

I like to have a seasonal read and there was a lot in this book which felt well-researched, such as the superstitions relating to love.

This was an easy read which is low on angst and drama. I enjoyed the humour, much of it down to Colonel Fitzwilliam, who is Darcy’s confidante, friendly tormentor, and the writer of some chuckle-worthy lines of poetry to his ‘Valentine’, Miss Bingley! The book is relatively short. In canon I think of Darcy and Elizabeth both needing time to get over their feelings of anger and mortification from their interactions and their mistakes, but here everything moves really quickly. There were some plot points which may have seemed unlikely considering the characters, but that the author explained quite feasibly.

I wasn’t sure about the propriety of some of the behaviour, for example whether an unmarried sister would be suitable as a chaperone in town in private property. This could well be allowable though, I haven’t researched it!

There’s a nice bit of romance in this story, which is just the thing to warm the heart at this cold time of year. I would rate this as a 4 star read.

Author Bio 

Heather Moll is an avid reader of mysteries and biographies with a masters in information science. She found Jane Austen later than she should have and made up for lost time by devouring her letters and unpublished works, joining JASNA, and spending too much time researching the Regency era. She is the author of An Affectionate Heart, Nine Ladies, Two More Days at Netherfield, and His Choice of a Wife. She lives with her husband and son and struggles to balance all of the important things, like whether or not to buy groceries or stay home and write.

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Buy Links 

Mr. Darcy’s Valentine is available to buy now in Paperback, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.  

• Amazon US • Amazon UK • Amazon CA • Add to Goodreads shelf

  

Giveaway Time

Mr. Darcy’s Valentine Worldwide Rafflecopter Swag Giveaway

• Signed paperback copy of Mr. Darcy's Valentine
• Mr Darcy soap from Northanger Soapworks
• Color Me Jane adult coloring book

The giveaway is open from 6 Feb 2023 12:00am EST through to 15 Feb 2023

12:00am EST. Giveaway is open worldwide.

One winner will be chosen at random and notified via email on February

15, 2023. Winner has 24 hours to reply and claim their prize or another winner will be drawn.

Entrants must leave a comment on the blog or subscribe to Heather Moll's newsletter to enter. Entrants can leave a comment at every blog.

Please use the Rafflecopter to enter after leaving your comment or subscribing.

Note about comments:  If you have any problems adding your comment please contact me and I will add your comment for you :)

 

Blog Tour Schedule

Heather is visiting some other blogs. Check out the other stops on the tour. 

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