Handsome, Clever, and Rich

By: Jayne Bamber

Narrated by: Alexandra Lee Smith

What if Elizabeth is not a Bennet by birth, but by marriage?

When Netherfield Park is let at last, the village of Meryton is inveigled in romance, intrigue, and a few less-than-happy reunions. The Bingley siblings return to the home of their youth, an estate purchased just before the death of their father. The neighborhood, especially the Bennet family, is ready to welcome them back with open arms, but Mr. Bingley’s attempt to make a good impression on his community backfires so badly that it is his awkward friend Mr. Darcy who is obliged to salvage the situation in the aftermath of Mr. Bingley insulting Jane Bennet at the Assembly.

Young widow Elizabeth Bennet begins her acquaintance with Mr. Darcy on amiable terms, but the reckless folly of his friend and the regrets from her own past create a bumpy path to Happily Ever After for them.
Not long after an injury obliges Elizabeth to recover at Netherfield Park, her estranged sister finally discovers Elizabeth’s whereabouts, and journeys from Highbury to Meryton in all haste, suitors in tow.

When one unexpected betrothal arises out of necessity, Jane Austen’s most notorious matchmaker is inspired to work her magic at Longbourn, Netherfield, and Lucas Lodge - but she, too, will have met her match in matters of meddling & mischief….

©2023 Jayne Bamber (P)2023 Jayne Bamber

too much repetition.

too many characters with all the same characteristics. I cannot accept charles Bingley as the a--hole

One of the best!

This might be my favorite P&P retelling and I have read dozens! The author is excellent at maintaining Austen's original style of writing And there were times that I forgot that I was not listening to one of her books. The mash up with Emma is delightful and fun. Sometimes retellings are overly unrealistic, but the unusual events that occurred in this story felt very much in line with Austen's style of satirical mayhem so they did not feel out of place. I love that the author threw in so many little Easter eggs from both of the original books and also several of the movies and TV shows that any true Austen fan would recognize and appreciate, and I found myself smiling at many occasions of what felt like "inside jokes" that we Austen lovers can mutual enjoy. Overall I would say this is definitely a P&P and Emma retelling that is on my top list of favorites and I plan to relisten soon. The narrator is also top tier!

Imaginative mashup of P&P + Emma

What took me so long to listen to this book!!! it is AMAZING!! It is the perfect mashup of the 2 stories, it's more P&P, but with characters from Emma and clever little bits of the Emma storyline thrown in. I love how the author made Lizzy a Bennett, but also a Woodhouse. The dialogue is witty, there is lots of flirting and a lot of subtle digs mixed into it. The chemistry between the characters was pronounced, and the mix-up of the storylines between the couples was enjoyable to follow.

I also loved how this story emphasizes women's strengths and the complex but vital relationship between women. I would HIGHLY recommend this listen if you love Jane Austen. I feel like the author did a really great job at keeping all of the characters true to their intended personalities, while at the same time developing a completely new story. I've listened to a couple hundred of these PP variations and this is one of the most unique stories in my collection of them. The narrator did a wonderful job of creating unique voices for each of the characters while inflecting them with personality. I did have to speed it up to 1.10, but that's just my preference.

Again, if you're a JA fan, do yourself a favor and listen to this fun, clever story. It's absolutely worth it!!!

Excellent story and delightful narration

Oh such fun to be had!

I do love how this author takes Ms. Austen characters and plays with them. They are twisted around and put into new and vastly different situations, usually stretching them to new heights, all while keeping them recognizable. Amazing, it always keeps me coming back to her books.

I love the narrator, they are fairly new to me and with so many different voices I was still able to tell who was speaking. It was easy to listen to and didn’t drag but not too slow. I look forward to listening to more books read by her!

Clever and Hilarious

This book did justice to the odd mix of the cast of characters from Pride and Prejudice and Emma with hilarious results while creating a new but recognizable story. The story may seem long at first, but the way everything comes together at the end is well worth the wait.