Miss Darcy's Companion

A Pride and Prejudice Variation

By: Joana Starnes

Narrated by: Stevie Zimmerman

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Miss Georgiana Darcy is need of a companion, and she would much rather not have Mrs. Younge. The recently bereaved Miss Elizabeth Bennet is in need of a position. When she accepts the one Mr. Darcy offers, she finds herself in his near-constant company and gets to know him at his best. Not as he would present himself to strangers in some remote corner of Hertfordshire, but as his nearest and dearest know him. An excellent brother, landlord, master. A wonderful man, noble, kind and impossibly handsome. So who falls in love first? What of Mr. Wickham and his dastardly ploys? And how is a lady's companion ever to have a future with one who could marry into the best houses in the land?

©2016 Joana Starnes (P)2017 Joana Starnes

Entertaining, well written and very well performed

A lovely prude and prejudice variation, with Mr Bennett dying before the Austen story line starts and Elizabeth and Darcy meeting in different circumstances.
The book was well written, great characterization, and very well performed.

Loved it!!

I LOVE ❤️❤️❤️ Joana’s books! And the whole point of tormenting Elizabeth instead of Darcy this time was brilliant! Though heartbreaking! Though seeing the romance survive during such conditions was another notch of Amazing and 5- Star 🌟 rating!
The performance was really quite good! And could see Georgiana come to alive even more than I did when just reading the book! And see to the characters come to life, and how they evolved through the story was nothing short of amazing! I hope to see more books come to life like this soon!

Super good story

I very much enjoyed this Pride and Prejudice variation. Darcy and Elizabeth do not meet until after Mr. Bennett dies and Mr. Collins takes over Longbourne. Elizabeth becomes paid companion to Georgiana, who is Darcy's sister. That is how Darcy meets her. Of course he admires her and in this version she admires him from the beginning, but misunderstandings occur and they become star crossed. Mr. Wickham shows up and he is despicable as usual. He tries to take advantage of Georgiana. Lots of angst - the fun kind. I really enjoyed it.

A favorite I revisit often

I loved this story. Delicious angst! And Stevie Zimmerman’s narration does the work justice. Well
Done

Characters we love, interesting new circumstances

While the characters in this novel are true to the ones Pride and Prejudice fans have grown to know and love, the circumstances in which they meet are drastically different, producing a very different but very enjoyable path for their acquaintance and growing respect and affection for each other. Mr. Bennet having passed away before the novel begins, we find Elizabeth working first as a governess for Darcy's relations, then becoming Georgiana's paid companion after the two form an acquaintance while Georgiana is visiting that family. So we, and Elizabeth, get to meet Mr. Darcy in the environment in which he is his best- as the fair and generous master of Pemberly and lovingly concerned older brother. He still has his faults and missteps, but with a wider picture of his character, Elizabeth's reaction to him is of course very different than how she feels after seeing only his distant and disdainful public manner in the original novel. Of course, her situation and position in society is also very different, creating new obstacles between them. But Darcy and Elizabeth are still great complements to each other, still two pieces that fit together so well, and you will savor the story as they begin to both realize and despair over this.

Georgiana, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Wickham play significant roles in the story, and other favorite characters such as Jane and Bingley play smaller parts. All of them are very true to their original characters, and the universe in which they live is likewise recognizable and realistic, things I always look for in this kind of book. If you love Pride and Prejudice and long to spend a little more time in that world, you won't go wrong with this one. This was a very enjoyable, believable, wonderfully narrated story full of sweet moments, secret longing, misunderstandings, and twists and suspense. I was kept up late listening! This is a P&P variation worth your time!

Wonderful Tale!

Anytime I see Joana Starnes and Stevie Zimmerman I prepare for a good story! I was not disappointed. Ms. Starnes weaves a wonderful web as she constructs a new spin on the P&P classic and Ms. Zimmerman steps in and plays that web so that the characters sing.

We start from a new point of view as Mr. Bennet has died and Lizzie has been employed in a Mayfair home where she meets Georgiana, and subsequently Mr. Darcy.

Never fear, misunderstandings still occur, but nothing like what we’ve seen before. The vast majority of this book takes place at Pemberley with very few appearances of the rest of the cast of characters from the original. One or two do appear, but I don’t want to give too much away.

My only negative is that I wished the villains had a more solid resolution. They seemed to escape justice.

Excellent

Excellent writing and a delightful narrator. I will be happy to listen to more by both author and narrator!

Loved it!

It is refreshing to read a Pride and Prejudice variation by an experienced and proficient author. I've read too much fan fiction by ametuer authors, but Joana Starnes has never disappointed. The audible for this book was fabulous as well, perfect for breaking up the monotony of long car rides.

Wonderful book!

A different but unique approach! Still has all the longing and waiting for Darcy and Elizabeth to find their love for each other. Ms. Zimmerman's performance is flawless!

The best Austen variation so far!

Ms Starnes made excellent use of our acquaintance with Austen characters to expand this variation storyline. Ms Zimmerman's performance was flawless. Combined they provide absolute delight from beginning to end! Congratulations to both artists. Looking forward to enjoying more of your work.