Darcy's Royal Dilemma

The Witches of Longbourn, Book 1

By: Barbara Silkstone, A Lady

Narrated by: Jannie Meisberger

Length: 4 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

In Darcy's Royal Dilemma, Fitzwilliam Darcy's first spell has gone wrong, and he arrives at Netherfield with a small jewel box possessing the power to topple the British monarchy. Desperate to find a witch to undo his botched magic, he is attracted to Elizabeth Bennet - but hijinks ensue as Miss Fiona Feelgood, a darling little love witch, enters their lives.

Time is running out. Will Darcy realize the witch he needs is the witch he desires? And what is in the mysterious box?

©2016 Barbara Silkstone (P)2016 Barbara Silkstone

Love this series!!

I absolutely LOVE anything by Barbara Silkstone. Her writings are so much fun and keep you wanting more...
The characters are great. The twists she puts on her story lines are great!!
There will be another book following this one, so I can't wait to see what is next for Lizzy and Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Lighthearted Fun

I smiled most of the way through this P&P variation. It follows the original in many ways but adds a fun twist. Sometimes they’re magical and other times it’s a twist on certain iconic scenes. One of my favorites was Darcy’s true thoughts of Caroline’s comments about his letter to Georgiana. I would have given this 5 stars if it wasn’t for the abrupt cliffhanger. Jannie Meisberger’s performance really enhanced my enjoyment of the story. Her nuances and inflections added to the humorous and witty lines as well as Caroline’s snide remarks. The character’s voices were very well done. I was given this audiobook at my request for an honest review.

The poor Prince er frog

Barbara has done it again. A humorous twist on Darcy and Elizabeth's misunderstandings in Pride and Prejudice with a bit of magic gone awry. The story had me laughing, especially when Caroline Bingley was involved. I loved Lizzy's suspicions and misinterpretation of events involving Darcy and her being misled by Wickham. There is angst, but it is broken up by humor. I think my favorite new character is the good witch Miss Fiona Feelgood; what a name. Barbara Silkstone's use of descriptive language is a treat that makes the scenes come alive. This ends in a cliff hanger, but the mini-story within does come to a conclusion.

Jannie Meisberger does a wonderful job of bringing out the nuances of the story during her narration. Her character's voices are beautifully done and she had me laughing out loud.

I received this audiobook as a gift from the author.

Clever & witty🧡

Darcys Royal Dilemma is a most enjoyable tale. Silkstone cleverly captured the feel of Pride and Prejudice while also delivering a witty, creative and unique story.  I listened at 1.20X speed as I found the pauses between sentences interrupted the stories flow and irritating, however Meisburgers narration was clear, concise and her voice quite lovely.  I was given this book at my request and am voluntary leaving a review. 

Fun and funny new twist

This is a fun and funny twist on the Darcy/Elizabeth saga. Witchcraft is alive in well in Regency England, but must be kept secret. Without proper training, magic can be dangerous and funny! You do need to listen to all three books in the series to get the whole story. It is broken into stand -alone chunks, but you still need to listen to all three. I listened to all three today, so I will be posting the same review for all three books. My advice, give it a listen. It is light-hearted fun. If you are the type of person to say "that would never happen in Regency England", this may not be the series for you! I liked the narrator. Lately, I have been having trouble listening. people just seemed to be talking to slowly. It is me, not the narrators. This is the first series in a long time that I did not speed up or skip ahead.

Not my favorite P&P variation

Real rating = 2.5* / Narration rating = 3.5* -- I got this book for free. My opinions are my own. I have read quite a few P&P retellings, including at least one other fantasy version, and unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one very much. I found the dialog to be a bit awkward and didn't like what was done with the relationships between Bingley & Darcy (seemed quite snippy) and Elizabeth & Jane (was just missing the original warmth). I also found the ending to be quite problematic; I won't say much more, to avoid spoilers, but he better be under a spell or it is completely unacceptable. The narration has a hint of English accent. I listened on my usual 1.25 speed and found it still just a touch slow. The emoting & pacing were well done (although the whole tone was a bit acrimonious, which I put on the author). In summary, I will listen to the next one only because I also received it for free and because I want to see if the ending is justified.

Whimsical Twist on P&P

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and all opinions expressed herein are my own. This is the first book in the Witches of Longbourn series. It is not a standalone and ends on a cliffhanger. I love Pride and Prejudice. I will watch and read numerous variations on the book [and having read the original countless times]. This is such a fun twist - the Bennett sisters are witches. Darcy shows up to try to reverse a spell but Lizzie believes he is a witch hunter. There is a lot of humor, crisp dialogue, and just plain fun. It is light and entertaining. I absolutely enjoyed this twist. The narrator, Jannie Meisberger, is wonderful. She makes this entertaining twist on P&P more entertaining. I loved listening to her.

Royal Dilemma

In this Pride and Prejudice rewrite, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley arrive at Netherfield Park cloaked in mystery with an ulterior motive. They are looking for a witch to undo Darcy's first botched spell, but Lizzy suspects that they are actually witch hunters. Lizzy and Jane have successfully hidden their powers from most of the county, but now Lizzy feels Darcy is out to harm them. She decides to keep a close eye on the mysterious man. This was an interesting take on Pride and Prejudice! It's a sweet read with no steamy scenes, it does end on a cliffhanger and you'll want to grab the next book. Some of the original dialogue is placed in new situations in entertaining ways. I loved the author's expressions and her writing. Bingley is much more firm and doesn't hesitate to criticize Darcy here, which was refreshing. Jane was her sweet lovely self. And Lizzy and Darcy are wonderful on every page, I especially loved the scene in the library. The narration was done well, with the perfect voice for Lizzy and Darcy. I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Fun book

I really enjoyed the the books and can’t wait to read the next in the series. It was an interesting and a fun read.

Not a typical frog prince! Surprising and fun!

Would you listen to Darcy's Royal Dilemma again? Why?

As with all of Ms. Silkstone's books, there are depths that are missed on the first hearing. The second and third and.... listens always bring an 'Ohhhhhhh!' frequently as hidden depths are revealed.

What other book might you compare Darcy's Royal Dilemma to and why?

They remind me a bit of Amanda Quick, but with a decidedly magical direction.

Which scene was your favorite?

Oooo, if I say that, I'll give away the ending!

An enjoyable magical romp

1st in the trilogy of magical takes on Pride and prejudice. Funny, charming and lovely narration.