From
the Publisher: When the haughty and wealthy Fitzwilliam Darcy arrives
in the rural county of Hertfordshire, he finds he cannot control his attraction
to Elizabeth Bennet – a horrifying thought because, as she is too far below his
social standing to ignite his heart, he fears she must appeal to the dark
impulses he struggles to suppress. Set against the vivid backdrop of historical
Regency England, this adaptation of Pride and Prejudice follows the cursed Mr.
Darcy as he strives to overcome both his love and his bloodlust for Miss
Elizabeth Bennet. This compelling variation remains faithful to the original
plot and style of the Jane Austen classic but tells Darcy’s story as he
descends into the seedier side of London and introduces Elizabeth to a world of
passion and the paranormal she never knew existed.
Due to his affliction, Fitzwilliam Darcy realizes marriage
is a luxury he can ill-afford, regardless of wealth or relations. However, once in Hertfordshire, can he
disregard this strange feeling in his chest every time he thinks about
Elizabeth Bennet? In Pulse and Prejudice,
Darcy endures the same struggles in acknowledging his growing ardor for
Elizabeth Bennet: familial duty, disparity in their situations, her vulgar relations
and lack of connection, yet now he has one more matter to add to this list.
He’s a vampire. Struggling with his feelings for Elizabeth is not Darcy’s only
growing desire. He soon finds himself unable to sate his hunger and blood-thirst.
Will Elizabeth be the answer to Darcy’s insatiable desire, or will she flee
once she learns the dreadful truth of Darcy’s circumstances?
From the very beginning, Saucier has captured Darcy’s
prideful demeanor and Elizabeth’s teasing nature, staying true to cannon in
these regards. In the same way readers only see Pride and Prejudice from Elizabeth’s perspective, here, the
majority of this story is told from Darcy’s point-of-view, often times driving
me to distraction not knowing what Elizabeth’s thoughts or feelings are.
Similar to Mr. Darcy being a werewolf in Mr. Darcy’s Bite and an angel in The
Guardian Trilogy, I was constantly intrigued, wondering how Darcy and Elizabeth
will overcome obstacles greater than just their stations in life. For me, Darcy
as a vampire works. Even though this is my first foray in to the world of
vampires, I now have an urge to read other vampire variations and retellings so
I may compare these works, discovering what vampire aspects I find entertaining
and which ones may seem a bit far fetched.
Even though this is a Pride
and Prejudice retelling, and I know authors use Austen’s words in their retellings,
I felt there was too much of Austen’s original dialog used. So much so, at
times I caught myself skimming over the words since I already knew them.
However, when Saucier deviated from the original, creating new scenes and
dialog, I found those parts enthralling. From about halfway through volume
three and the majority of volume four, I didn’t want to put down the book, as
Saucier’s unique spin on the story was spellbinding.
I enjoyed Saucier’s writing style and found this book to be
well-written. While I am not a huge fan of sequels, the ending is crafted in
such a way to make me desirous for what will come next between Darcy,
Elizabeth, and even Wickham.
Since my main qualm was too much of Austen’s words are used,
I have a feeling that Dearest, Bloodiest
Elizabeth, the sequel to Pulse and
Prejudice, will be a more gripping tome. One I cannot wait to get my hands
on!
Disclaimer: Review copy provided by the author
