A Matter of Prudence

A Variation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

By: Lucy Marin

Narrated by: Caius Ashburn

He could hardly stop thinking of Elizabeth, and no longer tried to convince himself that he should.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is drawn to Elizabeth Bennet from the day they met, captivated by her cleverness, her charm, and her good humour. While he initially sees only a friendship between them, his feelings for her soon grow more ardent, even while he tries to persuade himself she would be an unsuitable bride. At length, however, his pride and his prejudices must be laid aside; he knows that to be happy in marriage is more important.

Alas, just as he grows certain of his own heart and mind, a problem reveals itself. Mr. William Collins, a cousin of the Bennets who has lived in Longbourn since his boyhood, returns to Hertfordshire. The fondness between Elizabeth and Mr. Collins is clear, and Darcy begins to fear there is an understanding between them. His fears are confirmed by Miss Caroline Bingley, who warns him that the pair are on the brink of matrimony.

A chance encounter when he is visiting his aunt, Lady Catherine, changes everything. Deceptions are uncovered and friendships end, but is it too late for him and the woman he loves?

A Matter of Prudence is a Pride and Prejudice vagary in which mistaken identities and false assumptions complicate the road to true love for Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.

©2023 Lucy Sportza (P)2023 Quills & Quartos Publishing

Enjoyed!

Terrific storytelling. Enjoyable narrator. Great pacing. Unique spin on a beloved classic. Easy to recommend.

Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s immediate attraction and friendship.

I loved it. Given the Bingley family was the money grabbing bunch made this story more interesting.
The narrator was great.

Bad Bingleys

Great story. The Bingleys are not what you think they are. Very interesting take on pride and prejudice. I liked Lady Catherine as well. Or Lady Kitty ;) great Jaff

Bad Bingleys

I almost stopped listening to the audiobook at the beginning when it became apparent that the story was using a Bad Bingley trope. I really have a problem when seemingly good characters are written as bad. I hate it. Every scene with the Bingleys in it was kind of a torture for me. I know others love a Bad someone or other trope but I'm just not one of them. I kept listening, hoping I could like other things about the story. I did like Darcy and Elizabeth together but was irritated with Darcy's continued denseness when things didn't make sense. Darcy saw red flags but was color blind to them. Once Darcy and Elizabeth were together, I wondered how there could be so much left of the story. I'm not sure it needed so much more. So maybe the book was longer than it needed to be. But I did like seeing Darcy's family accept Elizabeth, especially Lady C.

Interesting Twist to P&P

A Matter of Prudence is a beautifully written book, and the author’s deviations from Pride & Prejudice were among the most intriguing I’ve seen in the past year. Instead of just repeating the same scenes and dialogues, the author was able to truly change the story while maintaining the intense romance between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, and that was the game changer for me. After reading so many P&P variations, it may become a bit repetitive to see the same script developed with only minor changes, Lucy Marin was able to add minor changes but revamp the entire feeling of the book, making it an unforgettable story. I highly recommend this book to readers who love to see Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth find their way to HEA in romantic and uncomplicated manner.
This was the first audiobook I heard Caius Ashburn narrate and it was an agreeable experience, especially when hearing the female characters, however, the lower tones, namely Mr. Darcy’s sentences were a bit hard to hear while I was commuting, requiring a more silent environment. I would also like to see more inflexion in the dialogues, which sometimes felt flat, but it was still a good narration.