A Covenant of Marriage

By: C. P. Odom

Narrated by: Christopher Jarvis

A covenant of marriage - legally binding, even for an unwilling bride!

Defined as a formal, solemn, and binding agreement or compact, a covenant is commonly used with regard to relations among nations or as part of a contract. But it can also apply to a marriage as Elizabeth Bennet learns when her father binds her in marriage to a man she dislikes. Against her protests that she cannot be bound against her will, the lady is informed that she lives under her father’s roof and, consequently, is under his control. She is a mere pawn in the proceedings.

With such an inauspicious beginning, how can two people so joined ever make a life together?

©2019 C. P. Odom (P)2020 C. P. Odom

Matrimonial Bliss Only After Arranged marriage

What a story! I enjoyed the music in between chapters. I loved the storyline of Darcy and Elizabeth’s journey from sorrow and ill tidings to true happiness!

Loved this

The story takes our beloved characters and adds new dimensions. It also stands a couple of them on their heads and shakes them! Georgiana, for example, is VERY influenced by the nasty Caroline Bingley and does not take the relationship between Lizzy and Darcy well...at all!!!

In the beginning, Lizzy is very, very, angry and bitter as well, even more so than in any other variation, and it’s hard to listen to her tirades. There are also a few twists and changes but it all stays very true to JAFF.

Will look for more by this author.

One of my top P&P variations

This is excellent. Great story. There were a couple of times I would have liked to knock Elizabeth in the head for her stubbornness and downright meanness. Mr. Darcy was extremely faithful and patient and I loved his character. Col. Fitzgibbon was superb. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are awesome. Lydia is a total disaster. There are a few new characters (Tom Reynolds and his wife mainly) that I enjoyed. Wickham gets the best comeuppance ever in this book,
The narrator was good, but the production irritated me due to the frequent piano music interruptions. There were slight sound effects (doors shutting, carriage wheels on the road, background conversation) that were not bad or distracting at all, but the frequent piano music (end of a scene, end of chapters and beginning of chapters) that I absolutely did not like.
I definitely will listen to this again, and again.

Wonderful story with great narration!

I had read this book years ago and loved this unique creative take on a variation of Pride and Prejudice, and I enjoyed the audiobook even more! I loved how Darcy in this story had to woo Elizabeth after they got married and I also enjoyed how things worked out for many of the other characters. The narration and production was really wonderful as well! I loved how Christopher Jarvis added in musical transitions in addition to his narration and I wish he was the narrator for more Pride and Prejudice variation audiobooks!

Painfully realistic

I think very highly of this story, no sugar coating of reality of women’s lives in Austen’s era. It is exactly as Lydia’s adventure would have ended had it not been for Darcy’s interference in canon. She would have been abandoned and most likely with child, probably without Mrs. Younge’s small mercy of providing her an address of a shelter.

The fate of the whole family would be miserable and the remaining daughters would be treated as pariahs. Very sad and disturbing but the society was unforgiving.

Seeing Lizzy so sad, disillusioned and angry was painful. No spark of liveliness, just resentment. Her anger at Darcy was caused by all the years of fears, disappointment, injustice of being punished for the wrongs she had not committed. Poor Darcy, luckily he is made of strong mettle. And I loved Mr. and Mrs Gardiners good judgement by pushing ODC together against all odds. As independent as Lizzy was, she knew very well what duties a wife had and would have not questioned them. Luckily a good and loving husband can do wonders to improve his wife’s wellbeing.

It was a second book narrated by Christopher Jarvis and I enjoyed it immensely. His one man performance with all sound effects and distinguishing narration from characters speech is engaging. I’m looking forward to listening to more of his productions.
Highly recommended for JAFF lovers, but with a warning to be prepared for cruel reality of women’s life in JA times.