Done for the Best

A Pride and Prejudice Variation (The Engaged to Mr Darcy Series)

De: Amy D'Orazio

Narrado por: Simon Alison

Perhaps this concealment, this disguise, was beneath me… It is done, however, and it was done for the best. Elizabeth Bennet, walking in Kent the day after Mr Darcy’s proposal meets with an unfortunate mishap. A meeting with an adder has disastrous consequences for her and when she wakes from a period of unconsciousness, she has no memory at all of the last ten months of her life. To her complete shock she learns that she is engaged to a man called Darcy, a man she has no recollection of meeting before.

Darcy is shocked himself to realize that Elizabeth thinks she is engaged to him but his efforts to correct her misapprehension are thwarted by those around her who believe that to learn the truth will be detrimental to her recovery. As the days go by, Darcy and Elizabeth spend time together, reading and driving out around Kent, behaving as the lovers Darcy always dreamt they would be. To continue in the disguise, to forget the contentions and misunderstandings of their past proves an unbearable temptation.

When the worst happens and Elizabeth learns that not only did she refuse Darcy’s proposal, she hated him. What she learns seems completely incongruous with the man she has fallen in love with…and yet she simply does not know if she can forgive him for deceiving her.

©2025 AMY D'ORAZIO (P)2025 Quills & Quartos Publishing

One of the Best P&P Variations

Great variation. Great narrator. Great new character. The addition of Darcy’s cousin ,Say, (not sure if that is how you spell it) was a nice surprise. He should get his own story!

Enjoyable

I have no idea if the symptoms of an adder bite are as horrible as portrayed in this book and wonder at the lack of communication being necessary for Elizabeth's state of mind but it it made for a nice story. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a good job. It was fun to listen and I stayed up way too late to finish. Darcy was really quite romantic but the two of them had a hard time pulling it all together until the end. Thus my having to stay up so late to finish the book.

Great narration

This story had a wonderful beginning. The middle was angsty and Elizabeth was very irritating . She was very much her mother’s daughter. She set her mind that Darcy was irredeemable and nothing he or anyone else said would change her mind. Not even her own memories of his wonderful actions towards her after the snake bite. She even let Wickham in again despite knowing of his misdeeds. Thankfully Darcy’s cousin Saye was introduced and his actions to help Bingley, Darcy and Elizabeth livened up that section. I wish the story hadn’t ended so quickly after Elizabeth and Darcy FINALLY got back together and more time had been spent on Saye and his courtship and Jane and Bingley’s renewed acquaintance. Or at the very least an epilogue to let us know how things worked out for Saye.
Simon Alison’s narration was very enjoyable and enhanced the story

Done for the Best

Not one of my favorite Amy D’Orazio audiobooks, I’m sorry to say. Elizabeth really did seem to have lost her wits from the adder bite, as her mother feared. I couldn’t see any reason for Darcy to even find her interesting after she recovered and could spend time with her.

The narration was quite good; Simon Alison has a very pleasing voice. However, to my listening ears, his Darcy was weak and his Saye was all wrong. I guess Stevie Z. will always do the best voiced Lord Saye for me!

Delicious tension, flawless pacing

Amy D’Orazio’s DONE FOR THE BEST stands out in the crowded field of Austen variations with its clever, inventive plot and rich emotional depth. The story begins with Elizabeth Bennet awakening from a mysterious accident, only to find herself engaged to Mr. Darcy — a man she doesn’t remember ever meeting. What follows is a masterful exploration of memory, identity, and the fine line between deception and protection. The novel’s tension is delicious, its pacing flawless, and its characters deeply compelling. Elizabeth and Darcy’s journey from misunderstanding to love is one to be remembered, not just as another retelling but as a fresh and thoughtful reimagining of a beloved classic.

Narrator Simon Alison delivers a captivating performance with a beautiful voice and perfectly measured pacing that draws you effortlessly into the story. His tone balances warmth and subtle tension, enhancing the deliciously intricate emotional undercurrents of the narrative. This audiobook is a true treat for fans of Austen-inspired fiction and will keep you hooked from start to finish.