Customer Reviews

Without Reserve: A Pride & Prejudice Variation

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Taken as just a romantic tale, Without Reserve is a very satisfying read.
But, readers of Pride and Prejudice will find this to be a very original and satisfying variation. The idea of Darcy faced with another suitor for Elizabeth's hand makes an excellent story, and provides a look at some of the social customs of the time. It also provides some heart-wrenching moments as well as some beautifully romantic scenes. The interactions between the main characters, Darcy and Elizabeth are beautifully evocative. The use of Blake's poetry serves to complement the story and helps to frame the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth.

I love this story - I've read it over and over again. It keeps your interest throughout, and should appeal to a wide range of readers.

I am a huge fan of all of Abigail's 'variations' on the original Pride & Prejudice, but also have to agree with another reviewer here. Here is a story that works beautifully whether you know/understand/love P&P or not. (Actually, I would say that of all Abigail's works, with hindsight).

This is a lovely 'what if' - I love the sheer romance of it all, that Darcy loves Elizabeth so much that he pursues her, then leaves her in peace because he believes she has made a choice that she is happy about, and wants what is best for her; then he finds his purpose again in such a wonderful way... the second part of the book, with his renewed determination to win her to his point of view is just so rewarding, romantic and superbly written that you almost don't want the story to end!

Another great read, I highly recommend it.

Without Reserve is a beautiful story full of glorious angst and emotion. This is one of my favorite Abigail Reynold's Pemberley Variations, exploring the roads not taken in Pride and Prejudice. Here Darcy is faced with Elizabeth's engagement to a childhood acquaintence, a very likeable Mr. Covington. As with all her stories, her characters are honest, believable and even LOL amusing... for instance, when Darcy volunteered himself as "chaperone" for Elizabeth and her other suitor!

And I swear my heart skipped a beat when Darcy first kissed Elizabeth, before escaping to Europe. "Their eyes met again for a long moment, and she looked away at first. He moved towards the door, then stopped again just at the edge of the vestibule. 'Before I go, though, Miss Bennet, I must beg your forgiveness.' 'My forgiveness? For what?' she asked. 'For this," he said. Before she realized what he intended, he leaned towards her and kissed her, a brief, tender touch of his lips to hers."

This is a book I delight in re-reading anytime--anywhere. One doesn't have to have read Pride and Prejudice to follow this story. Most enthusiastically recommended!

Of all the published P & P variations published by Abigail Reynolds, this is one of my favorite! It's fast pace (like the original P & P), and there's quite a bit of character development for both Darcy and Elizabeth. The Darcy portrayed in this book seems more consistent with that in the original Austen novel, in that he showed fierce determination and single-mindedness to be with Elizabeth, even when she was betrothed to another. When he learned that she had ended that engagement, he became even more determined to win her and to marry her, despite her concerns about what marriage to her would do to him on a social level. Darcy stuck to her like velcro to comfort her and to assuage her of the disgrace she felt by breaking her engagement to another. These sections were a bit hard to read but I did find them credible given the norm of the period ... Darcy devised a series of plans to
"persuade" Elizabeth to marry him: put her in a compromising situation, seduce her outright, or involve her family in encouraging her to marry him. I personally found this part of the book to be very interesting and asked myself if Jane Austen's Darcy would do that. Indeed, the Darcy we know was quite clever although stubborn. One always had the feeling that underneath that cool arrogant facade was a man of great passion. Equally interesting to read were the parts when Darcy questioned his own intentions and admonished himself for being selfish...The passion he felt for Elizabeth and the continuous admonition he gave to himself because of his efforts to seduce Elizabeth gives the reader something to consider in the context of "love, allure/sex, marriage..." In the end, the determined Darcy gets the girl!
Hurray!

Mr. Darcy's Undoing (originally self-published as Without Reserve in 2007) is one of Abigail Reynolds' earliest novels from her incomparable Pemberley Variation Series, and just happens to be the first one I ever read! If you are unfamiliar with these riveting and romantic variations, they are retellings of Pride and Prejudice that take our beloved hero and heroine down a slightly altered path. Abigail Reynolds, one of my favorite Austenesque authors, is a skilled-story teller, an ardent admirer of Jane Austen, and quite proficient at infusing a lot of emotion, tension, and passion into her stories!

In this variation, Ms. Reynolds takes up her pen and asks: What if, after refusing Mr. Darcy's marriage proposal in Hunsford, Elizabeth accepts the marriage proposal of a childhood friend?

An interesting scenario, isn't it? Mr. Darcy has a rival - and the rival's already won! Or has he? Mr. Covington (a. k. a. Darcy's rival/Elizabeth's fiancée) is an amiable young gentleman who owns a small but well-established neighboring estate. He's affable, kind-hearted, generous, honorable, and has never insulted Elizabeth Bennet! He may have Elizabeth's hand in marriage, but does he have her heart?

I love the uniqueness of this premise! Not many authors have penned Austenesque novels where Lizzy is involved with another man. It definitely throws a wrench into the original plot! I loved witnessing Darcy's divided emotions in this variation; he doesn't know if he should feel hopeful because Lizzy seems to enjoy his company, or hopeless because she isn't available. In addition, it was interesting to see Elizabeth causing some scandals of her own and being somewhat of a social outcast. As you might imagine with conflicts such as these, this variation has a bit more tension, drama, and emotion!

*SPOILER ALERT*
While I deeply enjoy reading about a passionate and sensual Darcy and Elizabeth, I must admit to not loving the fact that they anticipated their vows in this variation. When I read this novel four years ago, I had no problem with their premarital intercourse. But strangely this time, I did. I know this is a very accurate representation of how engaged couples behaved, but I just wasn't too fond of seeing Darcy and Elizabeth forced to advance their marriage because of their nightly rendezvouses. I guess I felt like it added a negative connotation to what should be a joyous occasion.

Regardless of my one quibble, I greatly enjoyed my time rereading this beautiful and engaging Pride and Prejudice variation. I don't think I will ever tire of reading and rereading novels by Abigail Reynolds! She truly is a gem!

Note: Due to several intimate and romantic scenes in this novel, I'd recommend this book for Mature Audiences only.

Austenesque Reviews

After I read "The Last Man in the World" I figured I was home free with this author. I really enjoyed reading that book. Then I began to read this one. Obviously, somewhere along the way I became confused about what this series of books was intended to do because this one just threw me for a loop. Ms Reynolds took situations from the basic Pride and Prejudice but about all I recognized was that Darcy had proposed marriage and Elizabeth had refused him, Darcy had unmasked Wickham, and Lydia had eloped with Wickham after going to Bath with Colonel and Mrs Forster. Everything else is very, very much a new story.

I had not realized that I was going to be reading a romance novel where the author used the names of people and places which I was familiar with but in very unfamiliar circumstances. In this book Abigail Reynolds has veered off so far from the original text and ideas of Pride and Prejudice that it really made me uncomfortable in spots. After having Elizabeth and Darcy go through torture for page after page concerning his love for her, then her love for him, she began to put in very explicit sex scenes. First they were in the form of dreams for Darcy. Then they began to be actual occurrances with Elizabeth. I didn't like for my beloved characters to be kidnapped like that. Maybe I would not have objected so much if these sexual situations had happened #1 - after they were married, or #2 - toward the end of the book, but this book is just filled with the situations I prefer to use my imagination for regarding Darcy and Elizabeth.

I love the way Jane Austen wrote Darcy and Elizabeth. I allowed myself to accept Ms Reynolds changes in these characters for "The Last Man in the World" because I thought she had held basically to the actual story and moral character of the people in the original. In this book, she just went too far toward the physical for my taste. I read other fiction which includes senuality even more pronounced than this but they don't feature Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. It feels as if she took two people who I know and love and turned them into characters in what is commonly called "a trashy novel". I didn't like that.

I have the other three books. I'm hoping PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't let them be like this one! I gave it three stars. Maybe 2.5 would have been more reflective of my feelings.

If I could have given this book zero stars I would have. It was terrible. It is a trashy romance novel with the names of Jane Austen's beloved characters thrown in it. I love Jane Austen and I love Elizabeth Bennett because I always felt like I related to her. This version of Elizabeth is so silly and stupid I had no respect for her at all. She agrees to marry a man she does not love? Unheard of! And though I am sure Mr. Darcy had desires for Elizabeth sexually he was a GENTLEMAN in every form of the word and would never have compromised Elizabeth as he does in this book. The Mr. Darcy in this book was no gentleman. I liked the idea of these "what if" books but they are done all wrong. The characters that I know and love would have never acted in the manner that they do in this book. I will not be reading anymore of the Pride and Prejudice Variations.

This was the first of Abigail Reynolds books I've read. I loved P&P and all of Austen's books as well as most of the variations I've read. The story idea was good...Darcy facing competition was a great idea...the last part of the story was TERRIBLE...it was nothing but descriptions of Darcy and Elizabeth's premarital sexual encounters. The likelihood that the Elizabeth Bennet(or even Mr. Darcy with his sense of right and wrong) I read about behaving in such a way especially after Lydia's disgrace is impossible and unbelievable. I like a good storyline and can overlook a little sex if it's not too descriptive and there's more to the story than sex but this was almost as bad as Linda Berdoll's Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife. I hated it and am not sure I want to read any of the other books in the series. This book was classic literature rewritten to make it trashy.

I highly recommend this story! I am a fan of Ms Reynold's works and this is one of my favorites. Her story explores a new avenue in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I feel she does an excellent job in showing us the struggle our beloved couple has to go through. You can feel their dispair and their happiness.

Thank you Abigail, for bringing to us this wonderful tale. It is one that I plan to read again and again.

Like other reviewers, I was totally turned off, and a little saddened, by the graphic sex in this novel. I was expecting a good old fashioned romance featuring a first class gentleman. It started off fine, but ended on what was for me a sour note with Mr. Darcy behaving in a most ungentlemanly manner. I just can't believe Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy would compromise his Elizabeth. TWICE. I know this is written for the modern audience, but there is still some value in restraint-by Mr. Darcy AND Ms Reynolds.

This is the second P&P book I have read by this author. Since Mr. Darcy behaved similarly in both, I am left to surmise that this is the vision Reynolds has for these characters. The social commentaty of P&P(inequity, the rights of women, being your own person) were totally disregaded in favor of dime a dozen pulp. Very sad indeed.