An Unwitting Compromise
by Sue Barr
Genres: Regency, Historical Romance, Pride and Prejudice, Adult
Release Date: March 5, 2021
Pages: 254
Purchase from: Amazon
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
Can a woman have two great loves in her life?
All it takes is one night for Elizabeth Bennet’s life to change forever. Finding herself pregnant with Mr. Darcy’s baby, she is forced to make decisions that will have an impact on the rest of not only her life but her family’s.
Mr. Darcy, who cannot remember the night in question and therefore does not believe he is the father of Elizabeth’s child, soldiers on in his pride and arrogance until he’s forced to admit – he is the father.
His realization comes too late. She is now married and not only is she unattainable, but so is his son.
**Warning** There is a hint of what some might feel is sexual violence in the first chapter. It is not graphic, but some readers who are sensitive to this type of scenario should read with caution.
Review
An Unwitting Compromise (AUC) was an interesting story. I generally enjoyed it, although I noticed more errors in AUC than in Pride and Perception by the same author. On a surprising note, this is the first Pride and Prejudice variation I’ve read that made me dislike Mr. Darcy
Click to Reveal SpoilersDarcy was such a jerk to Mr. Bennet when the latter confronted him about his assault of Elizabeth. To dismiss the idea, both that he’d assaulted her and that she was pregnant because of it, out-of-hand, then disparage Elizabeth and her family was abominable. And it seems so out-of-character for him to both judge her so harshly and to believe Mr. Collin’s horrid insinuations.
On top of that, once he acknowledged their son was his, he then wanted to remove the boy from his lawful inheritance. He didn’t give a moment’s consideration to Henry Talbot and all he’d done for Elizabeth and her (their) son. All he saw was an opportunity to take ownership of his son so he’d have an heir for Pemberly.
In my opinion, those are unforgivable offenses, but Henry Talbot, and then Elizabeth, both forgive him fairly easily. It seemed especially surprising considering how angry Mr. Talbot was with Darcy when the latter tried to “inform” him of Elizabeth’s alleged indiscretions with Mr. Collins. I would have been much happier with the story if Mr. Talbot had survived and we’d gotten to see more of his cousin, Queen Charlotte.
I do, however, like Jane’s story and her different husband. Sue Barr’s Janes are tougher than Jane Austen’s Jane, which I appreciate. This Jane was willing and able to put aside Mr. Bingley and find happiness elsewhere.
Mr. Bingley is another sticking point. It’s clear Ms. Barr doesn’t care for Mr. Bingley, as he hasn’t gotten a happy ending in either of her Pride and Prejudice books I’ve read. He’s not portrayed in a nefarious manner, he’s merely a bumbling idiot. He hardly seems to be able to tell his front end from his back. I can’t believe he didn’t at least tell Darcy what he’d done. Elizabeth, as a guest in his house, was under his care, and he didn’t even so much as apologize to her.
There was a great moment where Darcy mentions Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice (although not by title). It reminded me of Belle reading her own story — if you believe the theories — in Disney’s animated Beauty and the Beast.
Another fabulous scene is a ball near the end of the book. Elizabeth does an excellent job of setting Caroline Bingley down. It’s a very satisfying scene, and I can easily imagine Caroline’s fate. Admittedly, though, I would have like to actually see it, even if only as a note in an epilogue.
Despite my issues with it, I do recommend AUC, especially if you have Kindle Unlimited. It’s a nice change to see Elizabeth in a happy relationship with someone other than Mr. Darcy.
About the Author
“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” ~ Jane Austen
Lover of books, scribbler of words <– this pretty much sums up my life other than a current obsession with cooking shows. How do they turn pink cotton candy into a delicious entree? Seriously, I can barely butter my bread some mornings…
I love all things Regency and this translates well with what I’m currently working on – Jane Austen Fan Fiction – set smack dab in the middle of Regency England. I also write sweet contemporary romance set in my fictional town of Ravenwood, Illinois. You will find I have a weakness for Alpha males and feisty heroines who keep them on their toes.
I look forward to meeting you, between the pages.
Author links: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | BookBub | Amazon Author Page | Newsletter Sign-up
Disclaimer: This review is based on an eBook I borrowed from Amazon on May 6, 2021 as part of the Kindle Unlimited program.
Thank you for your honest review. This is a story readers love or hate. Not much middle ground, I’m afraid.
You are correct on two points. Firmer Jane, softer Bingley. I have promised myself to write them a happy storyline someday – just not today. He’s getting the short end of the stick again in my current W.I.P. *sigh*
… don’t tell anyone, but I almost kept Henry. I loved him too and actually cried when I wrote his final scenes. How do we get so enmeshed in our character’s lives??
Once again, thank you.
I can certainly understand how it’s polarizing. To be honest, with Jane/Bingley, they have so many happy endings, even some that are implausible, it’s refreshing to see Jane take a firmer, perhaps more modern, stance on something that really should be unforgivable. It’s very interesting to have her develop relationships with a better foundation.