Fitzwilliam Darcy: An Honorable Man

De: Brenda J. Webb

Narrado por: Stevie Zimmerman

Fitzwilliam Darcy, An Honourable Man is a Pride and Prejudice variation. Not a simple retelling, it is an intriguing new story that does not follow canon. It is rated for mature audiences.

Leaving England after his disastrous proposal was refused at Hunsford, Darcy spent two lonely years in Scotland and Ireland before returning home to face Elizabeth Bennet, certain that he could regard her as an indifferent acquaintance. Events that transpired in his absence have left Elizabeth a changed woman. The victim of a marriage by deception to Count Stefano, she has suffered greatly at his hands. Will Mr. Darcy rescue the woman he vowed to forget?

©2024 Brenda Webb Bigbee (P)2024 Brenda Webb Bigbee

Emotional & you want to kill some people

Yes, I said it - you will want to kill some people in this story. Darcy leaves for 2 years to go lick his wounds so he has no knowledge of what has happened since Huntsford. Mr Bennet has died and greedy Mrs Bennet sells Elizabeth to a man that was already denied by Elizabeth and her father. My heart goes out to Elizabeth and everyone who has to deal with her husband (yes he is one that you want dead). This obsession he has for Elizabeth is scary and he leaves her as a broken shell of the wonderful lively woman she was. One quibble I have with the story is hiding Elizabeth at Netherfield. Jane & Bingley could have come up with something way better than run the risk they did. One character I loved was the old vicar who Darcy befriends. Lots of bad, mercenary characters who all show up BUT thankfully we get our wonderful well deserved HEA.

Stevie Zimmerman brought much emotion and life to this story and love her performance.

Heartbreak, Hope and Heroism

Fitzwilliam Darcy: An Honourable Man begins two years post-Hunsford. He's been away in Scotland and Ireland handling estate mattersᅳbut it's really a ruseᅳhe is trying to heal from the heartbreak of his failed proposal to Elizabeth Bennet. He returns to Pemberley, determined to begin anew and perhaps finally find another to marry.

“Fitzwilliam Darcy was going home. It had taken a long time, but he was certain now of one thingᅳhe could meet her as an indifferent and common acquaintance. He had conquered the steady ache in his heart, and he no longer thought of her every waking moment. He could go for days without waking in the middle of the night, wet with sweat and heart pounding, as dreams of their last argument tormented him anew. He was almost free of her at last!” ᅳquote from book

Forced by Mrs. Bennet into a cruel marriage with a manipulative and evil Count Stefano, Elizabeth has suffered deeply and isn't the lively, confident woman we remember. And when Darcy discovers what happened to her, he can't walk away. He steps in to protect her, even knowing it could cost him. Elizabeth's ordeal is truly heartbreaking, but her journey towards recovery, Darcy's loving responses to each setback, and their love for one another keeps you turning each new page.

This book has everythingᅳvillains, danger, and a lot of emotional moments. There is a cemetery scene that is definitely a two-tissue segment of the book. My poor heart. Darcy is written as the ultimate romantic hero, including a swashbuckling rescue! He's strong, protective, and completely devoted to Elizabeth. Even with so many obstacles in his way, including multiple ladies vying for his attention, he never wavers in his determination to help Elizabeth and make her his priority, and that makes him truly loveable.

As to his dealings with others in the story, Darcy's close bond to Colonel Fitzwilliam is particularly endearingᅳit's clear how much they care for each other, and the colonel's way of drawing out his cousin with his teasing is truly diverting. I love how their relationship is portrayed. Lady Matlock's motherly affection towards her nephew is noteworthy, as is the background role of Charles and Jane Bingley. While never on page in the story, Anne de Bourgh and Lady Catherine still have a part in the plot. Caroline Bingley also manages to stick her nose in where it doesn't belong.

Not to be overlooked is Georgiana and her husband, Evan Ingram, who both are lovingly supportive to Darcy. Another new character is Mr. Williamson, the vicar who christened Elizabeth and who comforts Darcy, and later becomes a father figure to them both. At the same time, the villains are written so well that you'll love to hate them even though they are causing you anxiety all the while! From the evil Count Stefano to scheming women trying to trap Darcy, the drama keeps coming, but the happy ending is a memorable one.

Stevie Zimmerman does an incredible job narrating the audiobook. At just over twenty hours, she gives a consistent performance to each character throughout, never wavering on each distinct voice and capturing the emotional intensity of the story, especially in the moments between Darcy and Elizabeth. Her narration made the book even more enjoyable and easy to get lost in than the ebook.

If you're someone who isn't offended by off-canon variations, I'd recommend it to those who love a protective, honourable Darcy at the centre of a gripping story.

I first read this book back in 2019ᅳloved it then, and love it even more now with the 2024 release of the audiobook version. My original review was rather limp in the writing, so it's a good time to give that sad attempt a rewrite.

Mature content.

Poor Elizabeth

Elizabeth was betrayed by her mother and sold as a wife to a despicable man.
A heart broken Darcy found her and did all he could to help her. Some greedy women tried to thwart him. The despicable husband trod to find her and take her away

Heartbreaking and Beautiful

Never have I ever been more in love with Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth nor hated her family more, except Jane and Mr Bennett.

The author words and narrators performance combine to convey the deepest and abiding love. I will read this one again and again.

20 hours of Darcy and Elizabeth! Loved it!

The writing is pretty good, the story held my interest and for most of the book, I enjoyed the tale. The performance was very good, but Georgianna’s voice was really annoying. There were way too many instances of tears in the eyes for me, but that’s just me. My main disagreements with the author are the actions and evolution of Elizabeth’s mother. Of course, the author has a right to have characters do whatever they please. Over all, nice and long and entertaining.

It was a struggle

This book should have come with trigger warnings. If they were there, i missed them. Abuse and violence are present. However, overt sexual violence is not.

This has a Gothic novel feel. Leans into the melodrama. Truly evil villain. But read perfectly by Ms. Zimmerman to keep it in balance, if that's a problem for you.

The story really did NOT NEED all of society and every couple to be obsessed with sex. It got tedious. I usually avoid novels of this nature, and wasn't aware this was one of them. But i was genuinely interested in what was happening to the characters. Though it was basically tasteful, the sexual descriptions could have been skipped in nearly every instance. Honestly, the romance and commitment described in the relationships would have been enough. A couple of characters needed that motivation for the story line. Ok. They can have it. But when it stops the progression of an interesting storyline, it becomes annoying to me.
I felt like the book had too many side hustles. It needed to be a tangled storyline to push the intrigue, and it was. However, I honestly lost track of whether or not all the stories got resolved. I THINK they did?

I liked the addition of the Reverend. The scene where he sees Darcy for the first time. may be the best scene in the book.

The story of Lizzy's struggles at the beginning of the book was what drew me in. No spoilers, but I felt like the author lost track of that as the tale spun on.

If I was in charge of the universe, I would ask the author to release an abridged version of this book. And have Stevie Zimmerman read the new release. It's got an interesting plot, with some well-written relationships and well-crafted scenes. It just needs a little zhuzh. And a trim around the sideburns.

Who doesn't love a hero Darcy?

Although this story is long, it has romance, adventure, mystery and drama to keep you listening for more. Fantastic narration. Great storyline. I believe you have to 'suspend your disbelief' for some plot points but isn't that what makes for great fiction? If you are looking for a good long story that takes Elizabeth and Darcy on an adventure together, this book will meet your needs. Recommended.

Interesting premise but too long

Really like the premise and the diary 2/3 of book but last was painfully slow, unnecessarily drawn out and too many tears from MMC!! Mr Darcy teared up to the point of annoyance which says alot bc I love the original Pride and Prejudice not matter he format….
Just be prepared….

Really enjoyed!

The story was written well. I liked the complexity of the story line. The length is nice instead of being a short novela the story could be developed well.

Swoonworthy Darcy

This is a long, relatively low angst novel with one of the swoonworthiest Darcys I've read. It is set two years after the Hunsford proposal; in the interim, Darcy has traveled to repair his heart and Elizabeth has lost her father, been taken from home by a reprehensible villain, presumed dead, and is living in hiding at Netherfield with Jane and Charles- who are happily married. The patience Darcy shows Elizabeth, as she struggles with fragile mental health as a consequence of her time with the villain, is everything! While I consider this low angst since misunderstandings are dealt with quickly and there is not a doubt of ODCs feelings for one another, it is not a light piece. Elizabeth and Darcy are much changed by hardship.

Stevie Zimmerman performs the narration and characters flawlessly.