Book Review: A Lady of Large Fortune by Tiffany Thomas

Author: Tiffany Thomas

Title: A Lady of Large Fortune

Genre: Historical Romance, What If, Variation

Format: Ebook

Pages: 498

Published: July 22, 2026

Where I got It: Kindle Unlimited

Summary: 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman of large fortune may fall in love at her leisure and choose her own fate.

Elizabeth Bennet has spent years quietly holding her family together. With Longbourn entailed away and her father content to leave its management in her hands, Elizabeth has learned to be practical, capable, and useful. Then a flood in London takes the lives of her aunt and uncle Gardiner, leaving three young children in need of protection—and Elizabeth with more responsibility than ever.

But beneath the damaged house in Gracechurch Street lies a secret no one could have imagined: a Roman treasure, hidden for centuries, that changes the course of her life—in more ways than one.

Rewarded by the Crown for her discovery, Elizabeth becomes exactly what society values most: a lady of large fortune. But she chooses to keeps her good fortune a secret from everyone, determined to keep her family safe from gossip, greed, and imprudent schemes.

Retired militia colonel Fitzwilliam Darcy knows too well what a fortune can cost. His father’s extravagance left Pemberley wounded, his sister vulnerable, and Darcy sacrifices everything, including his hopes for a love match, to prudence and rebuilding. Yet when he comes to Hertfordshire, he does not expect to meet again the muddy, courageous young woman who once rose from a hidden cellar with a Roman coin in her hand.

But wealth does not solve every difficulty, and the past has a way of reaching for what it was never owed. Darcy and Elizabeth must work together to restore their happiness and protect the future of those they love.

Review:

I was itching for some P&P variations, and I stumbled upon this in Kindle Unlimited, so why not? 

Here we are with Darcy and Elizabeth. Tale as old as time, but a little different. What if Darcy's father was a spendthrift who ran Pemberley to the ground and left it to Darcy to fix? What if Elizabeth found a way to have riches and save her family? 

I had fun with this one! It was pretty sad at some points. Poor Darcy...Poor Lizzie.

There was a LOT of changes to the story, but it was still the same at its core. I enjoyed watching our characters interact and find their ends. Some happy, some not. Especially Wickham. His ending was def well-deserved. 

It was weird not seeing more of the Gardiner children, minus a cameo in London and then quickly mentioned in the epilogue. This was a big deal and a huge change in the story, but we didn't really get to see them. 

But yes, I enjoyed the changes made. They were refreshing and new. Super sad, though. I wish we would've seen more of the aftermath of the Gardiner children having to move in with them. Maybe a scene or two with Elizabeth with the kiddos. But the ending was nice and fitting. I liked this overall! It was good. 4 stars from me. 

Book Review: The Pemberley Picnic by Melanie Rachel

Author: Melanie Rachel

Title: The Pemberley Picnic - A Pride and Prejudice Variation

Genre: Historical Romance, What If, Novella

Format: ebook

Pages: 160

Published: July 16, 2026

Where I got It: Kindle Unlimited

Summary: 

Fitzwilliam Darcy never expected Elizabeth Bennet to come to Pemberley—least of all after the proposal she so decisively refused. Yet here she is, seeing him not in a ballroom or a drawing room, but on his own ground, where he might be able to prove to her that he has changed.

But he has only days before she returns home.

So he does something entirely unlike himself: Darcy announces a picnic. There is only one difficulty. He has not planned a picnic.

Still, he is certain everything will go well. It must.

But Darcy soon discovers that even the simplest picnic can go astray—especially when the wind, the weather, and Miss Bingley all seem determined to keep him from the guest he most wishes to please. As old misunderstandings soften and new feelings bloom, Elizabeth and Darcy must decide whether pride, prejudice, and past mistakes can give way to something far sweeter.

Review:

I'm in a JA mood, I guess! 

Here we have a P&P variation. Darcy never expected to see Elizabeth again after she declined his proposal. Well...here she is....in his home.....this is his chance to show her he has changed. He decides that there will be a picnic on the grounds! What could go wrong? Everything. 

I'm going to be chill again and divide and conquer this review. It's been a long week. 

The Good

- LOVE a P&P and Austen variation. It's just so fuuuuun. 

- Awww loved seeing Darcy do something so out of character. 

- Fitzwilliam was a gem. So witty. So funny. 

- This was very sweet and adorable

The Bad and the Ugly

- Some phrases and words didn't seem to vibe with the time period and characters. It just didn't hit the ears (well...I did the ebook...would it be eyes?) right. 

Conclusion

I enjoyed this little gem. It was very sweet, and I liked this cute twist. Imagine if Darcy got an extra day with Lizzie. So very sweeeeet. 

4 stars. 

Audiobook Review: Longbourn -Dragon Entail by Maria Grace

Author: Maria Grace

Narrator: Benjamin Fife

Title: Longbourn -Dragon Entail

Series: Jane Austen's Dragons #2

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Romance, Retellings

Format: Audiobook

Published: April 21, 2017

Where I got It: Audible

Summary: 

Darcy thought his problems were over when Pemberley hatched and successfully imprinted on humans. But baby dragons prove far more difficult than any dragon lore prepared him for. Only Elizabeth Bennet's notes offer him any help. When his imperious Aunt Catherine takes matters into her own hands, things take a turn for the worse and Pemberley’s life hangs in the balance. He desperately needs more of Elizabeth’s help, but she ignores all of his requests.

Elizabeth, though, has problems of her own. After the Bennet family dragon sent Pemberley away, life at Longbourn was supposed to return to normal and Elizabeth get on with the all-important business of marrying the heir to her father’s estate. Except that he is the last man in the world whom she could ever be prevailed on to marry—a bumbling, addle-pated dragon-hater who demands she gives up the dragons she lives for.

Can she, with the help of her dragon friends, find her way back to Pemberley before they both suffer their fate from the Dragon Entail?

Review:

Okieee I had to read book 2 right away. The last book left me needing more. I needed to see what was going to happen to our lovely cast. 

Darcy and Elizabeth thought everything was done and over with. Back to normal life. Darcy has his baby dragon and Elizabeth is going to (eventually) marry Mr Collins. However, life is never simple especially with dragons. 

I really enjoyed this one. I liked it more than book 1. I felt like I understood more about this world. Yes, we are still learning, but I felt like I had a grasp and there wasn't info-dumping here. Yayy!

Things between Darcy and Elizabeth FINALLY move forward. We get to see them go from enemies, to friends, and maybe JUST maybe more? Feelings, especially when the truth is all laid out, are blossoming. Yayy!

Mr Collins needs to be shipped away to some remote island where he can live alone. UGH. Unbearable man. Honestly...this version is top 5 of the worst Collins. 

Lady Catherine and Anne are unbearable too. Normally I pity Anne, but this version she is a little snot. Send these two with Collins so they can live together. 

I'm so glad to see Mary getting some love in this version. She is normally ignored and a super background character, but we get to see her more. Love that for her!!! I feel bad at a certain point at the end......but if she's happy......let it be. 

Now, I did switch up to the audiobook because I had an extra credit and I had no idea what to get and this popped up as a recommended so why not. The narrator was fine. The dragon voices grated on my nerves at first, BUT I did get used to them. Yes, I get why they had to use voice effects essentially but still.....it took a minute to warm up to them. Especially the higher up voices like April. *eye twitch*

THAT ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG OMG. Now I need to read book 3. Hahahaha. Damn these cliffhangers. 

All-in-all I did enjoy this one much more than book 1. However, I was 50/50 on the narration. I liked the people voices, but it took some time to get used to the dragon voices. I might switch back to the ebook/physical book. We'll see. 

I'll stamp this with 4 stars. 

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Better

Challenge(s):
- Audiobook #20

Book Review: Pemberley - Mr Darcy's Dragon by Maria Grace

Author: Maria Grace

Title: Pemberley - Mr Darcy's Dragon

Series: Jane Austen's Dragons #1

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Romance, Retelling. P&P Variation

Format: ebook

Pages: 319

Published: October 31, 2016

Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a dragon.

Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley has the good fortune to be in possession of the first English firedrake egg laid in a century. Or, at least, he was until some miscreant stole it.

Mr. Darcy tracks the thief to Hertfordshire. Catching the thief, however, proves to be an entirely different kettle of brimstone, especially when he encounters fellow Dragon Keeper, Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn.

Elizabeth Bennet’s deep connection to dragons and remarkable grasp of their lore make her the ideal companion for finding the egg. It’s too bad that from their introduction she finds Darcy arrogant, conceited, and selfishly disdainful of the feelings

of others.

Time is running out for Darcy to win Elizabeth’s trust and recover the precious egg before it hatches, and the fragile peace between humans and dragons is lost forever.

Review:

Dragons and P&P variation? Yes pleasseeee!

Here we follow Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy. We know them. We love them. Here we have our duo in a world filled with dragons. Mr Darcy's dragon egg was stolen (5$ if you can guess who) and now he is on the hunt to find it. His search leads him to Hertfordshire. Enter in Elizabeth who is a fellow Dragon Keeper. She has a deep connection with dragons and has a great understanding of the lore, so this makes her a great companion for finding the gg. Too bad she finds Darcy arrogant, conceited, and selfishly disdainful of the feelings for others. Time is running out, so Darcy will have to do what he can to make Elizabeth and her dragon trust him. If the egg hatches without a human to imprint on, then the fragile peace between humans and dragons could be severed. 

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo the first half of the book was dreadfully long for me. Loads of info-dumping and it seemed to drag on and on. I get it. Lots of set up and etc. If I'm being frank here....I nearly called it quits. However, there was the mystery of the egg that kept me going. 

I'm glad I did. I started really enjoying the tale especially during the Ball. The scene at the Ball and thereafter made me extremely interested to read book 2! And yes, I already have it stored and ready to go when I have the time. 

Oooo that ending was sad and evil. BUT in a good way. I for sure need to read more now. Gah!!!!!!!!

I still have some questions about this world and about the roles some of the characters have in it. Like the Bingleys. Hopefully we'll learn more in book 2. 

I was also really, really annoyed with Mr Bennet and Elizabeth. They literally jumped on Darcy from the moment he entered the room. Like...calm down a touch guys. It's not his fault the egg was stolen. But, to be fair, Darcy should've explained it right away on who he believes the thief is (even though he doesn't have 100% proof). The prejudice is super high in this rendition. By the end we do see they relent a little bit, but now Elizabeth is bitter. I can't explain why, but you'll see. Curious to see how it all turns out in the next book, because Elizabeth and Darcy have a lot of things to weed through to find their HEA. 

All-in-all, I ended up enjoying this. It was rough waters for me in the first half. Once we hit halfway I was attached and had to finish. With THAT ending, I am forced to read book 2 because I HAVE to know what happens next. Eeeeee. But yes, this was an interesting world we find our characters. Very interesting indeed. 3 stars from me. 

ONE WORD SUMMARY: (mmmmmmm....IDK for this one.....) Interesting?