A Case of Some Delicacy

A Pride & Prejudice Friends to Lovers Variation

By: KC Kahler

Narrated by: Sarah Jane Rose

Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

A secret alliance grows from an unwelcome olive branch...

When rumors of Jane Bennet’s impending betrothal to Mr. Collins begin spreading at the Meryton Assembly, Elizabeth Bennet vows to save her dearest sister’s happiness from being sacrificed in marriage. She finds an unlikely ally in Mr Darcy, the taciturn man whose heroics on the cricket field have made him the target for Lydia’s affections.

Overhearing a heated exchange between Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet, Darcy is stunned, not only by her devotion to her sister, but also by her defiant words to her father. An inexplicable desire to help Elizabeth draws Darcy into the match-breaking scheme, despite knowing that he should want nothing to do with a family like the Bennets.

As the new allies work together, they begin to understand and admire each other. But they must navigate a complicated web of sisters, parents, friends, cousins, aunts, and new acquaintances, all of whom seem contrary to being manipulated. A few of them may even be attempting their own manipulations and romantic schemes. Eavesdropping and jealousy abound, cricket balls go astray, and love blooms in spite of Mrs. Bennet’s mismatched matchmaking.

This humorous Pride and Prejudice reimagining is novel-length and pays homage to the wit of Jane Austen.

©2019 KC Kahler (P)2020 KC Kahler

Great fun with some angst

While I would usually take issue with the conversation where better communication would prevent some angst, it is NOT what drives the plot and the lack of communication is clearly driven by 1. emotion preventing Lizzy from using certain words around Darcy and 2. Darcy thinking she means she was upset at him trying to make a move on her.

This dilemma was also long in the making, between Mr Collins' pompous interference and Darcy's jealousy any time any other unmarried man gets to express intimacy of any kind toward Lizzy. The plot would have resolved itself regardless of whether this issue occurred, or whether any other obstacle were removed.

Miscommunication-driven plot is a pet peeve, but miscommunication along the way is a standard part of life, so I applaud how it was handled here.

Surprisingly enjoyable!

I was excessively diverted reading this novel! To compete w/Miss Austen is quite an achievement. The familiar characters were all there in the story, with an additional hero added in for good measure. There were twists and turns to the classic P&P, the only thing that was missing was visiting Pemberley! Highly Recommend!

This one is GREAT!!!

I have thought I had found my favorite JAFF before, now this one has eclipsed them all. The dialogue is so clever and engaging. The story flows really well, it takes just the perfect amount of direction from the original but is completely new, while still staying true to the characters. I love Lydia in this one, and that may be a first for me, she is silly and self absorbed, but she also shows the growth that should happen in a 15yo. Mary is amazing and John Lucas is a favorite. the narrator did an excellent job - while she does not do a male-sounding voice very well, she does do accents and speaking styles really well.

Perfect Story, Not So Perfect Narrator

LOVED the story. So much better than I ever thought I would find it. Loved everything about this book, especially the character growth of the sisters, Mr. Bennet, and others.

I did not care for the narrator. Unlike with other narrators, I never reached a point where I could recognize what character was speaking based on her voice. Sometimes it was even difficult when it was a conversation between only two people.

However, the story was so perfect that the narrator won't prevent this from being a book I listen to many times.

Story and narration were excellent!

This story was not like every other P&P variation. I will definitely read it again and consider it one of my favorites. It can be enjoyed by all ages and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves P&P. I liked that the whole story took place in Meryton and I loved that Mr. Darcy began interacting with Elizabeth from the start...

Probably the best JAFF I've come across

This readaptation respects Austen's primary characters while exploring the depths of others. While the main premise is a little hard to swallow, the author works it into shape and creates a nice examination of Pride and Prejudice's world and characters. While it's a good and believable romance that also gives Jane's feelings for Bingley some time to shine, my favorite aspect is Lydia's journey from the silliest girl in the country to a thoughtful sister and daughter. The idea that with a little attention and respect Lydia could have become an entirely different person is really well developed, and her set-down of Mr. Wickham, while definitely written with the hindsight of millions of Austen lovers, was startlingly funny. I'm always wary of dialog in this type of literature because so few authors seem able to handle it gracefully, but Kahler manages it. While it's not a literary adaptation like "Longbourn" or "The Other Bennett Sister," it's one you can fully enjoy without wincing over. I wish there were more adaptations written at this standard. Just really solid writing.

A good read

The plot is very “P and P” but it is fast paced and the dialogue is fresh. The characters seem three dimensional and feel real. There is plenty of Lizzy and Darcy banter to please us romantics. One of the better reads.

Among My Favorite P&P Variations - It's SO Good

I absolutely LOVE A Case of Some Delicacy. After having read and/or listened to well over 35 variations in the past half year, this one is handily in the top three. There is angst, but there is no torturous belaboring of misunderstanding or horrifying despondence going on in this book. There is plenty of tension and plenty of genuine romance between Elizabeth and Darcy. I have never seen a variation that contrived such a wonderful way for the two of them to become truly acquainted and gain real knowledge of each other as they fall in love. It's just...a pleasure. I've listened to it twice (which is not something I've done with any other variation, yet).

The best parts of this story are the secondary characters. The Bennett sisters each have a fleshed-out and realistic personality. The sibling relationships are explored and actually dwelt on with care and affection. No one behaves like a caricature. They act like regular, normal young ladies with human quirks and failings. Darcy is lovely, reserved, and introspective without being a hopeless depressive or a neurotic stalker. Elizabeth is lively, challenging, and recognizable as the woman we know her to be from Austen. The introduction to several new members of the Lucas family is charming and smoothly done. Charlotte's younger brothers and her eldest become integral to the story, and they are marvelous.

The angst, when it comes, is short-lived, and we don't spend hundreds of pages or hours and hours mired in deathly depression or horrifying emotional pain. Everything comes to its resolution naturally, and the writing throughout is just wonderful.

Get it. It's so good. It's so very well done. If you're going back and forth between this one and another...pick this one.

Low Angst Fun

I’ve listened to funnier versions, and wittier versions too come to think of it, but this was low angst, maybe a little too long, but still good.

P&P Parallel Universe

So clever. This is a P&P parallel universe, chock full of re-contextualized Austen quotes. The arc of the story is similar, but the events are in many cases different. One of the things I liked is that Mary and Kitty get more fully developed personalities here than Austen gave them. So much fun! I am full of admiration.