The Slipper Scandal

A Pride and Prejudice Variation (The Rom Com Collection)

By: Melanie Rachel

Narrated by: Harry Frost

One masquerade. One misplaced slipper. One very unexpected betrothal.

When Elizabeth Bennet dons the mask of Athena at a glittering Twelfth Night masquerade, she expects only an evening of diversion—not disaster. But after a misadventure involving a determined rake, a lost shoe, and a most inconvenient encounter in the garden, she finds herself at the centre of London’s latest scandal.

Fitzwilliam Darcy prides himself on propriety. But when he spots a lady in distress at a ball and gallantly steps in to help, he doesn’t rescue her from trouble—he walks straight into it with her. One country maiden, a moonlight encounter, and a slipper in the wrong hands is all it takes: the ton believes them engaged—or worse. Now entangled with the quick-witted, sharp-tongued Miss Elizabeth Bennet, his carefully ordered, predictable world begins to unravel.

Darcy is prepared to do what honour demands. Elizabeth, however, is prepared to do anything to escape the engagement—including leveraging her intellect, wit, and every ounce of stubborn determination she possesses. Unfortunately for her, Mr. Darcy is equally resolved not to let society destroy their reputations—or to let her go.

Sometimes it takes a masquerade to reveal the truth, a lost slipper to find your footing, and a forced engagement to discover a love worth fighting for.

The Slipper Scandal is the second standalone novel in the Darcy & Elizabeth Rom Com Collection.

©2025 Melanie Rachel (P)2025 Melanie Rachel

Compromise, fish jokes and falling in love

I first read this via KU and then got the audiobook when it came out,
4 1/2 rounded up but a smashing 5 stars for the fantastic audiobook. To me, audiobooks make a story even better, and this is another wonderful example of that.

Elizabeth is staying in London with her childhood best friend as her entire family is in the north with her aunt and uncle. Elizabeth & Arabella (whose parents love Elizabeth as their own) are even closer than Elizabeth and Jane.

Melanie Rachel takes us from a Twelfth Night masquerade with Darcy holding Elizabeth's slipper not giving it back immediately and being caught by others (yep, so scandalous) to Elizabeth causing a large fish to be dropped in Darcy's lap inciting the unrelenting fish jokes. I dare you not to laugh along!!

Elizabeth has some very deep-rooted fears of what marriage, especially when brought about by not by ones own choice. This Darcy is one who finally understands that fear and does everything to alleviate that for her.

This is another one of Melanie Rachel's books I will add to my permanent collection.

Darcy tries to win Elizabeth’s heart

After meeting at a masquerade Lizzy loses her slipper while trying to run from an unpleasant lord. Darcy finds her slipper and is seen with Lizzy in the garden holding the slipper. Scandal ensues. An engagement is begun despite Lizzy’s attempts to get Darcy to cry off. Darcy sets out to make Lizzy fall in love with him. This is a lovely story, low angst. The narration was top notch

Compromised and courted.

Another outstanding performance by Harry Frost. I am never disappointed. He most ably brought the humour of this story to life. Can’t recommend Harry high enough.

In The Slipper Scandal, Elizabeth Bennet is in London as the guest of the Abernathys, whose daughter Arabella is her closest friend since childhood and whose family also owns Netherfield. A Twelfth Night masquerade ball leads to one badly timed encounter with a lord bent on compromising Elizabeth that lands her and Fitzwilliam Darcy at the centre of a fast-brewing scandal when he comes to the rescue. With their reputations on the line, Darcy steps forward with an offer of marriage, but Elizabeth, haunted by her parents’ unhappy forced history, has no wish to marry for the same reason.

Melanie Rachel’s strengths are on full display in this novel. It is a dialogue-rich story, with humour inserted at just the right moments and serious, necessary conversations that mark the budding relationship. This, along with a fabulous supporting cast—particularly the Abernathy and Fitzwilliam families—keeps the pace lively while still allowing the romance to build naturally. Except for the Bennet parents and Jane, the familiar Meryton characters are absent, with Mr. Bingley only meeting Jane in the closing chapter. They are not particularly missed. A delightful and heartwarming, family-oriented epilogue is included.

“I kept the slipper, married the scandal, ignored the lord, and never looked back.” —Darcy, quote from book

Oh, and by the bye: I adore a musical Darcy. His swoon worthy performance will melt your toes.

This is a story where wit and warmth work together to take the journey from reluctant betrothal and possible forced marriage to a partnership filled with love and mutual trust. The Slipper Scandal is another strong, entertaining addition to this favourite author’s collection. Highly recommended.

Quite good

Best thing: besides the narration, there was no Lydia-Wickham business. Wickham wasn't even mentioned and Lydia was mentioned once near the end. There isn't even anything about Collins. None of this takes place in Longbourn.
Least favorite: The viscount cousin was over the top. Labeling wines according to poetry seemed beyond the pale, along with over half his dialogue. However, I enjoyed the tale and the character of Miss Abernathy. Jane was barely in this as well.

Couldn’t Finish

The story itself is the problem. Lizzy laughs at perceived insults, she tells her closest friends and family about them, she tells everyone in order to laugh herself out of ill humor. Trying so hard to make this an enemies to lovers trope is clearly failing because the writer is forced to twist Elizabeth into an absolute idiot or a missish, petty, and immature woman.

She can’t tell that Darcy is trying to compliment her? Really? Lizzy Bennet takes it’s personally? Instead of teasing him for struggling today what she should absolutely know he’s trying to say, she gets angry and irritated. She’s too far out of character and it’s distracting.

Plus, forcing a story about a whole new family to go after Col. Fitzwilliam is just not what I want out of a P&P fanfic.