The Long Road to Longbourn

A Pride and Prejudice Variation

By: Renata McMann, Summer Hanford

Narrated by: Benjamin Fife

Fitzwilliam Darcy has nearly everything a gentleman could want. Looks, wealth, connections. He lacks but one aspect of a perfect life, a bride. He’s chosen Miss Elizabeth Bennet to fill the role, but when he proposes, to his utmost chagrin, she refuses him in no uncertain terms. His heart stomped on by a country miss who is by no societal measure his equal, he can’t imagine a worse moment.

Elizabeth Bennet does not care for Mr. Darcy and his highhanded, supercilious ways, and wants nothing more to do with him. She hopes, in view of her vehement refusal of his proposal, to never set eyes on him again. After all, a man with Mr. Darcy’s pride can hardly be expected to bear her company after the strong words she’s issued.

Fate, however, has more plans for Elizabeth and Darcy. The moment before they mean to separate forever, both are abducted and whisked away on a harrowing journey. To save themselves and return home, they must band together to surmount perils, overcome obstacles, and decide whom to trust. Join Darcy and Elizabeth on their journey as they take the long road back to Longbourn… and to love.

©2018 Summer Hanford (P)2024 Summer Hanford

Kidnapping & Shipwreck

This was an Exciting Variation to begin with and was filled with interesting incidents on the journey home. I enjoyed this tale very much although I’m not a huge fan of the narrator. His narrative reading has an odd cadence and his female voices leave a lot to be desired. That said, his male dialogue is great.

Exciting

I’ve read several variations on the kidnapping theme and this is my favorite. Especially their travel through Scotland. There is a lot of action but it doesn’t diminish the story or the characters growth and understanding of each other. Wickham gets the most unusual and amusing comeuppance ever. As usual I enjoyed Benjamin Fife’s narration.

Great P&P variation

I read the book first and then bought the audio book and have really enjoyed both of them.

Quite a variation!

I was so drawn into the story I couldn’t stop listening! There were surprising developments throughout the book. I hesitated to purchase this variation because of the kidnapping theme but I found myself enjoying the story and the development of Darcy’s character and his love of Elizabeth. (Plus: I prefer a real narrator over a virtual voice.)

Great writing

I read the book years ago and I was so excited to see it available as an audio version. The story is great. The kidnapping premise is being done a lot these days and I have admired many of them. But scenes from this story kept coming back to me over the years and I think it’s the excellent writing. If you love your Darcy utterly noble and honorable and protective and swooningly romantic, here he is. I appreciated that our dear girl wasn’t a petulant head strong girl but an intelligent one. Who learned quickly. And the best part figured out who the real gentleman, the real hero was pretty darned quick. Of course Wickham helped her come to that conclusion faster due to his utter selfishness. What a rogue/rat. The story excels after the kidnapping victims get home and have to deal with the aftermath.

The narrator is a favorite of mine. He’s very distinctive in his character voice. I enjoy listening to him. I think it’s important that you just forget who is narrating once you get into the story and just enjoy, and I was definitely able to do that.

Highly recommended. This writing team is a great gig to the JAFF genre.

Characters shine

Really appreciated the character growth in Darcy. Elizabeth’s growth and understanding of Darcy. Wickham showing his true colors to Elizabeth was a definite plus. This was a good “abduction variation”. The escape, the journey, the humbling in order to feed themselves. The wrap up once Elizabeth returned to Longborne was a little thin but all in all I really enjoyed this book. Oh and the narration is ON POINT!

Great plot

This was an unusual plot. Darcy and Elizabeth were kidnapped and taken to Scotland. They escape but have no money and are far away from home in a poor area and no ability to get writing material or money to post a message for help. To make it worse, Wickham is involved, but his outcome is great! The main story is how the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth grows on their long journey home, on foot with no resources. I was hooked from the beginning and was disappointed that the book had to end. Bravo to the author.

Fabulous!

This book is a refreshing and exciting P&P variation. The characters and relationships are (almost) true to canon, but that’s where the majority of similarities to Austen ends. And that’s a very good thing!

This book is a brand new adventure.

Quite the adventure!

I read this book while listening along with audiobook, narrated and performed by Benjamin Fife. His delivery of all the characters was brilliantly done, entertaining me throughout.

Book review:
Darcy and Elizabeth embark on quite the journey in this multi-trope adventure: from Hunsford and an interrupted proposal where they are kidnapped; to being held prisoner on a ship with Wickham of all people; to being shipwrecked due to the ineptitude of their captors; and finally, making their way to safety while walking through Scotland, depending upon the kindness of strangers—or lack thereof.

Another kidnapping variation, you say? Yes, but this one has some unique details. First, the opening chapter is Wickham-centric, laying the foundation of the plot. Second, his being also a prisoner on the ship with ODC leads to much more interaction between him and Darcy than in most variations, something we don’t often see. Adding Elizabeth to the mix also provides lots of good dialogue, as she slowly pulls back the curtain on Wickham’s true character, and observes the kindness and gentleman-like manner of Darcy, and shows her just who is the better man.

Arriving at Pemberley, Georgiana causes a little angst, as does Mrs. Bennet upon their arrival at Longbourn, lamenting about Elizabeth’s ruination.

I loved Darcy in this book. He remains a hero and protector to the end. I haven’t read too many books by this pair of authors, but if the last two I’ve read are any indication of their talent, I have a lot of catching up to do. As mentioned, the dialogue is very good, but the narrative describing the events during their journey is also very well written.

Content is clean, with kisses only.

Highly recommend.

Darcy & Elizabeth kidnapped - journey home

Darcy & Elizabeth kidnapped right after Elizabeth has refused him and taken to a ship to hold for ransom. Guess who has slunk away from his military duty and joined a bunch of criminals? Yep, Wickham and he has fallen out of favor with them and stuck in the same cabin as Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth realizes that she has been fooled by Wickham's charm and stories. They end up escaping from a sinking ship and get to shore in Scotland thus an even longer journey home. Lots of on page time of Darcy & Elizabeth - pride, prejudices, communication, arguments, and truths are processed between themselves and within their own self. This is worth the read / listen and Benjamin Fife did a wonderful job with this story.