A Peculiar Connection by Jan Hahn
Publication Date: March 11th, 2015
Publisher: Meryton Press
Pages: 268
Received: Purchased my own copy
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Will a mysterious note from the past doom the love of Jane Austen's most beloved couple?
A Peculiar Connection begins near the close of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Bent on preventing the engagement of her nephew to Elizabeth Bennet, Lady Catherine de Bourgh declares that any union between Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth would be "a sin against Heaven itself!" Her shocking revelation, along with a cryptic message written over twenty years earlier, thrusts the couple into a whirlwind of heartbreak and disbelief.
Could a deserted mansion in Derbyshire or a small church hidden in the wood hold the key to solving the puzzle? And why is Elizabeth inexplicably drawn to the portrait of three young boys in Pemberley's gallery?
Determined to confirm or refute Lady Catherine's accusation, Darcy and Elizabeth are forced to embark upon a twisted trail into bygone days and family secrets. All the while, they must endure the exquisite torture of denying the indisputable desire that still hovers between them.
From the award-winning author of An Arranged Marriage, The Journey, and The Secret Betrothal.
My Review:
What if Darcy and Elizabeth were closely related? And what if because of that they couldn't marry each other?! **shutter the thought!** In A Peculiar Connection, a Pride and Prejudice variation, Jan Hahn spins a tale with just those thoughts in mind.
This story begins when Lady Catherine pays a visit to Longbourn to get Elizabeth to promise not to enter into an engagement with Mr. Darcy, but here’s the twist, she produces evidence as to why they should never marry. Declaring, “it would be a sin against Heaven itself!” (p. 10)
It's at this time Elizabeth learns she is not a Bennet. The Bennet's took her in as a baby, never revealing the truth to anyone. If she’s not a Bennet, who’s daughter is she? Could she be a Darcy as Lady Catherine is claiming? Heartbroken at the realization that she can never marry Darcy, and the discovery that the Bennet's are not her parents, sends Elizabeth into a downward spiral; one that she may never come out of.
Told in the first person, Elizabeth tells us the story of what happened to her during those months after Lady Catherine visit. Months of uncertainty and sadness. As you know, Elizabeth is not one to stay gloomy, her spirit always rises, but here Elizabeth has trouble rising above the gloom and sadness she feels. I wasn’t too fond of that. I like a Lizzy determined to make the best out of life. Also, Elizabeth’s lack of wanting to learn the truth annoyed me a bit.
Darcy is also heartbroken and angry, but he's also determined to find out the truth. Was Elizabeth truly a Darcy? Was everything he had ever known a lie? I liked Darcy’s drive; he would not stop until he learned everything although at times it seemed he would be driven to madness! He had his dark moments where he was snappy and mean.
I loved the mystery of Elizabeth’s birth and how they come to find the truth! It was a fun adventure! Oh, and the ending was truly lovely! I'm so glad I read it! Jan Hahn is one of my favorite Austenesque author’s, and she hasn’t let me down yet!
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