Sophia Rose Reviews: A Famous Good Marrying Scheme by Jan Ashton

Today Sophia Rose returns with a Historical Rom-Com, A Famous Good Marrying Scheme by Jan Ashton.
Enjoy!

A Famous Good Marrying Scheme by Jan Ashton

Historical Romantic Comedy

Publisher: Quills and Quartos

Published:  9.26.22

ASIN:  B0B92CV1C3

Page:  283

Rating: 4 stars

Format: Trade Paperback

Source: Quills and Quartos

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

GoodReads Blurb:

“Sober and grave grows merry in time! Mr Darcy shall be the true love of mine.”

“Oh no, Jane!”

DAYS AFTER FITZWILLIAM DARCY and Mr Bingley return to Netherfield in the autumn of 1812, they are thwarted in their hopes of securing the hands of the Bennet sisters they love. Discouragement turns to mortification and full-scale farce as a trifling head injury leads Jane Bennet to shed both reticence and reason and announce Mr Darcy is her true love.

ELIZABETH, AS DESPERATE for the return of her sister’s sensibilities as she is for Darcy to declare his love for her, must now manage the envy, yearning and frustrations of the two men caught up in Jane’s shocking confusion. While Mrs Bennet masterminds her own secret plan to restore her most beautiful daughter, Darcy and Elizabeth become confidantes in a madcap romantic scheme.

DARCY GIVES HIMSELF over to Elizabeth’s humorous management, and as he assumes the role of a most unsuitable suitor and Elizabeth encourages him to exhibit the behaviour she once found most offensive, they are unable to hide their long-suppressed love and desire for each other.

BUT WILL JANE’S MISGUIDED affection for Darcy fade before Bingley runs out of patience and the real lovers—Darcy and Elizabeth—are discovered?

A Famous Good Marrying Scheme is a humorous friends-to-lovers Pride and Prejudice variation

 

Sophia Rose's Review:

Once in a while, one wants a fun romp with just enough seriousness to give the story a direction.  This escapist, entertaining variation on Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice was just such a tale because it asks what if Jane Bennet sustained a head injury right about the time the lover who left her behind is suddenly back and ready to renew his attentions and what if, instead, her befuddled mind has her captivated by her sister’s suitor instead?  Let the hijinks commence.

 

A Famous Good Marrying Scheme standalone just fine in that those not much familiar with the original Pride & Prejudice can pick it up and appreciate the story and, for those who are more acquainted, they will see this picks up late in the original’s time line and know what led to this point.

 

After love changes his heart and priorities, Darcy has recently rescued the youngest Bennet daughter’s reputation, come clean with his best friend Bingley that the oldest Bennet daughter wasn’t as disinterested in Bingley as he originally thought, and he is determined to follow his heart rather than duty to pursue a second chance with Elizabeth Bennet.  Bingley is chagrined to have left Jane Bennet behind and listened to his sisters and his friend instead of his own heart so, he too, is returning to Hertfordshire to get a second chance.

But, the path to love is never easy and the two suitors find themselves up against demure young ladies and their own tongue-tied situations.  Darcy is certain Elizabeth is over him and he’s ready to leave for good even while she feels that her blistering refusal and her family’s behavior has pushed any thoughts of love from his head.  Meanwhile, Bingley and Jane look to start a courtship.  Only that’s when the mischief happens.

Jane falls and hits her head making her insensible to the recent past.  She has forgotten Bingley and is enamored with Darcy who was the first one on the scene and to her rescue.  But, that’s not all.  Poor Jane’s befuddlement leads her to spout nonsense rhymes.  She needs time to heal so Elizabeth and Darcy come to an understanding led by a need for Darcy to remain and help turn Jane’s interest back to Bingley.  Darcy learns that his own love interest might not be as hopeless as he’d thought.  But, what a tangle!

 

Again, this is meant to be a fun tangled courtship romantic comedy involving Austen’s beloved characters so readers need to keep this in mind.  I enjoyed the scheme and the affect Jane’s injury turns out to have on the love story of two couples and their surrounding friends and family.  It’s a light, quick read that doesn’t dig too deep, but entertains well though it is grounded in a heartwarming layer that leads to a satisfying happy ending and I recommend it as a good tonic for what ails a reader.

Author Bio:

Author and editor of Austenesque novels, lover of history and romance, co-founder of Quills & Quartos Publishing.

Website:  https://www.quillsandquartos.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jancat10

Sophia’s Bio:

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sophia.rose.7587

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiarose1816

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13418187.Sophia_Rose