Happier in Her Friends than Relations

A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Friends & Relations)

By: Jayne Bamber

Narrated by: Sadie Pepperrell

Length: 23 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

In this angsty fusion of two of Jane Austen’s most beloved novels, Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility, the actions of their sisters cause challenging chain reactions for one of literature’s most celebrated couples....

Fitzwilliam Darcy is faced with a family crisis of epic proportions after the fallout of his sister Georgiana’s ill-fated elopement in Ramsgate, while his friend Charles Bingley is persuaded to abandon his scheme of renting Netherfield Park.

Elizabeth Bennet journeys to London to recover her spirits after Jane’s unexpected marriage changes the sisters’ relationship forever, and despite an attempted reconciliation, Jane is revealed to be far from the angel Elizabeth has always admired.

The bonds of friendship offer Elizabeth a lifeline after a series of tragic events causes her to fear for her future. The support she receives from her new neighbor Marianne Brandon and snarky socialite Lady Rebecca Fitzwilliam may yet prove to heal her broken heart and bring her closer to a happily ever after. The wide array of characters from throughout Austen’s works teach Elizabeth Bennet that she is truly happier in her friends than relations.

Author's note:

Please note that this volume has been heavily edited and revised since original publication, based on suggestions from previous reviewers.

This is book one out of a three-book series. Most storylines will be resolved by the conclusion of this story, but minor characters' stories will be left not fully resolved, for continuation in book two and book three. The Friends & Relations series is an epic saga that peers into the lives of all of Jane's Austen's heroines, imagining them to inhabit a world where their lives and families are intertwined. Throughout this series, characters from all of Jane Austen's major works will be revealed to have existing familial relationships and will forge new connections as well. As the lives of so many beloved Austen characters weave together, this series will address the question of what if all of Austen's works had taken place in the same world...a world where overlap was possible and surprises hide around every corner....

©2019 Jayne Bamber (P)2020 Jayne Bamber

Clearly not the reading was not edited

I kept thinking I was accidentally tapping the playback button. No, the narrator just stops and starts over. Chapter six is the worst. You can literally hear the clap board to stop and start.

Good story IF you can get past it.

Chapter 6

The reader does a horrible job on reading Chapter 6 if you can get past it it’s a great story. The ending could be better leaves you wanting.

Terrible narration

The book itself was good, but too long. However, the narrator was just awful. Other reviews (which I had not read in advance) mentioned the problems as well, and it has NOT been corrected. This is so unprofessional. I paid actual money for this so I cannot return for a refund. Audible should not be offering this for sale if it is not corrected. Until then, DO NOT BUY.

chapter 6 needs reediting, but still very good.

in spite of the one badly edited chapter, I still give it 5 stars. Enjoyed this one.

Awesome variation but...

There is so much to enjoy in this reimagining of P&P. It is one of my favorites with a who’s who of Jane Austen characters. I love the cross novel friendships between beloved characters.
The author brought some real perspective on things glossed over in the original.... Bingley’s indecisiveness; Georgiana’s loneliness and teenaged rebellion; and Mrs. Bennet’s love of her daughters. Darcy in particular was portrayed with more true humanity behind his haughty facade. We can infer these traits from the original, but it is a joy to read a more in depth story. Very well done keeping to the original characters. So often variations create caricatures based on the best or worst traits of the originals. Aside from Jane, this story was very true to Austen’s depictions.

The narration and editing are the only downfall to this lovely production. Others have mentioned the editing mishaps, and they are correct. The narrator has a wonderful voice for it and did better than most varying voices of multiple characters. She caught the tone of 90% of the scenes perfectly in her performance.
With a little practice and expanded vocabulary, this narrator has true potential. When I say vocabulary, I mean the author wrote words that the narrator didn’t interpret correctly. This is a pet peeve of mine in audiobooks. Example:
An “eligible” match was commonly used in the book. The narrator read it as an “illegible” match every time. There were several other words repeatedly misspoken throughout. To misread or misspeak a time or two is expected in such a long book. To get the same words wrong every time suggests the narrator doesn’t understand the words. I hope the narrator will continue to practice as Lady Catherine would say. She does have talent and a great voice for audiobooks.

Needs re-editing!,,,

Most notable at the about 3:15 into the recording. Repeats, clapping which was apparently to mark the edit cut, etc....

Great story but unhappy audiobook!!!!

Hysterical Satire

Oh yes, this is highly entertaining and hilarious satire. It's like the soapiest soap opera ever and the start of the second book starts out even more hysterical. I lol'd many times. If you are ready to laugh at every possible overwrought Austen drama then this is exactly what you need,

Rinse and repeat.

I liked the story but there is a clap and the narrator repeats herself over and over.

PLEASE EDIT CHAPTER 6!!

Please.. its killing me. It just needs to be clipped and edited. It's all there, and I tried to be patient.. but after 10 minutes of claps and restarts, i cant take it any more.

QA problem

Once you hit Chapter 6, it suddenly becomes unedited and impossible to listen to. Please fix so I can redownload.