I’m delighted to help Robin Helm celebrate the release of her latest Pride and Prejudice variation, More to Love, which is certainly a different take on Austen’s novel. I hope you all are as excited as I am to read this book, and that the excerpt Robin is sharing today makes you even more excited!
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Early October, 1811
The second eldest Bennet sister sat alone, trying to smile as she watched the couples dancing gracefully around the floor. Occasionally, she nibbled at the cookie she held, taking comfort in the richness of the sweet almond confection. As Elizabeth was a great favourite of Longbourn’s housekeeper and pastry cook, Mrs. Bailey, she was never without several of the tasty morsels in her reticule. Mrs. Bailey, who had learned the recipes for several types of cookies while a young woman in America, kept Elizabeth well-supplied.
Knowing her mother would disapprove of her eating while she waited for an invitation to dance, Elizabeth practiced her usual ruse. She hid the jumble in her embroidered handkerchief, careful to let no one see it. In any case, she was rarely asked to dance, cookie or not, as there were always more ladies than gentlemen at Meryton’s Assemblies. This night had been no exception. She had danced only one set, and that with Joshua Lucas, a friend since childhood.
Her sister Jane’s amiable partner for an earlier dance, Mr. Bingley, stood fairly close to Elizabeth, chatting with a handsome, austere man. Mr. Bingley’s voice carried over the music and gaiety, impossible to ignore.
“Darcy! Why are you standing here with your arms folded when there are so many uncommonly pretty girls lacking dance partners? You should not keep yourself apart from the company in such a stupid manner when lovely young women are seated and gentlemen are scarce. ’Tis rudeness itself. I must have you dance.”
“I certainly shall not,” answered the gentleman, drawing himself up to his full, intimidating height, looking down his nose at his friend. “You have been dancing with the only handsome girl in the room, and your sisters are engaged at present.”
Bingley’s voice softened. “She is an angel, is she not? The most beautiful creature I ever beheld.” He sighed. “However, there are plenty of suitable young ladies who are available.”
Elizabeth smiled upon hearing his praise of her sister. Mr. Bingley’s pleasant manner and good sense caused him to rise several notches in her estimation.
The young man continued, “Look! There is her sister, and she has a very pretty face, too. I daresay she is most agreeable. You must ask her to dance. Allow me to ask my partner to introduce you.”
The young lady felt the weight of the gentleman’s disapproving stare and glanced away, but she could not avoid hearing his reply.
“She is tolerable, I suppose, but there is rather too much of her to tempt me. Return to Miss Bennet and bask in her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.”
Elizabeth’s eyes filled with unshed tears as she crushed the cookie hidden in her handkerchief. While she had never been obsessed with her looks in the way her younger sisters were, she always took pride in her appearance. Her father had often complimented her beautiful skin and her lustrous, thick hair, while her mother made certain her bonnets and dresses were stylish.
Even so, she grudgingly acknowledged to herself that she had been avoiding mirrors for at least two years now, and lately, her gowns had become uncomfortably snug.
True or not, his comments wounded her deeply. Though she was well-known for her intelligence and quick wit, she yearned to be told she was altogether lovely. She had many friends, but she feared that being bright and cheerful with a pretty face described a governess or a lady’s companion, and she did not aspire to either of those vocations.
Secretly, Elizabeth wished to be the wife of a gentleman who adored her, as well as a mother to children she would love with all her considerable depth of heart, regardless of their outward features. She prided herself on valuing the characters of her friends and relatives rather than their physical attributes.
To be judged so harshly by a person she had never met was disconcerting. Her view of the world and her place in it was shaken.
In the moment the haughty gentleman had declared her to be “too much,” she had become, to herself, “not enough.” Not good enough. Not pretty enough. Not tempting enough.
Mr. Bingley, sweet man, would not agree with his friend. “How can you say that, Darcy? She has a perfect complexion, beautiful eyes, and dainty hands which are lovely. Her entire face is alight when she smiles, and I have also observed how graceful she is when she walks. Surely you have noticed that.”
Darcy snorted. “I have. Who could miss it? She approaches the refreshment table every half hour, and she is sorely mistaken if she thinks her handkerchief hides what she is constantly eating. Bingley, I am not in humour to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men, especially when that slighting is so obviously justified in this case by the lady’s lack of discipline.”
His companion rather testily replied, “I would not be as fastidious as you for a kingdom. You are determined to be disagreeable, so I will leave you to it. Furthermore, I shall dare your disapproval and ask her myself.”
Elizabeth hardly ever allowed herself to dislike people to whom she had never been introduced, but she was willing to make an exception for tall, dark, brooding Mr. Darcy. Upon further reflection, she was somewhat surprised to realize she truly despised him, despite his arresting beauty and aristocratic profile. She had never formally met the gentleman, yet she could barely stand the sight of him. Odd, for she was generally accepting of everyone.
Seeing Mr. Bingley approaching her, she stuffed the handkerchief into her reticule and placed it under her chair. Her determined attempt at a pleasant countenance was successful.
A moment later, Mr. Bingley appeared before her, bowed, and extended his hand with a smile and a request.
Elizabeth stood and placed her hand in his, determined not to disgrace herself. She held her head high and fixed a smile upon her face, allowing her brilliant, green eyes to sparkle with mischief as he escorted her past Mr. Darcy onto the dance floor.
As she and Mr. Bingley moved through the steps, she glimpsed Mr. Darcy watching them several times, his dark eyes fixed upon her, an inscrutable expression on his striking face.
Assuming that he looked at her only to find fault, her active mind formed a scheme, and she could hardly wait to set it in motion.
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About More to Love
“She is tolerable, I suppose, but there is rather too much of her to tempt me.”
Overhearing Mr. Darcy’s rude dismissal of her shocks and mortifies Elizabeth Bennet to the core.
She is living her worst fear, and it galvanizes her into action.
oon, the gentleman cannot keep his eyes from her, but can she forgive his thoughtless judgment of her appearance and character?
Especially since he faces a worthy competitor for her attention?
Who will win the lady’s hand, along with the right to love her through thick or thin?
Check out More to Love on Amazon
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Giveaway
If that excerpt grabbed your attention, then you’ll be thrilled that Robin is generously giving away an ebook copy of More to Love to one lucky reader. To enter, please leave a comment with your email address. This giveway will be open through Thursday, February 28, 2019. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced in the comments section of this post. Good luck!
Thank you, Robin, for treating us to a peek of More to Love. Congratulations on your new release!
Oh Darcy! When will you learn to keep your voice down when insulting young ladies? If I’m not wrong you will soon find yourself completely under Elizabeth’s spell and then you will have a mountain to climb! 🙂
I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes from here. Thank you for sharing this excerpt.
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Hi, Glynis! He’s such a lovely man when his mouth is shut. Right? And you’re correct. Darcy will have a mountain to climb – and a rival to defeat. Thank you for commenting, Glynis. Good luck!
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I can only imagine how much of a mountain Darcy will have to climb to win over Elizabeth this time. This sounds brutal from her point of view, sitting there listening to strangers talk about her and Darcy’s horrible comments. Thanks for the excerpt. I would be delighted to read this one.
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Poor guy. He has some ‘splainin’ to do. I have heard people make comments about my appearance, and it wasn’t much fun. I channeled a good bit of that into Elizabeth’s responses. Glad you enjoyed the excerpt! Good luck in the giveaway.
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Oh, dear, poor Elizabeth. Darcy really put his foot in it this time and was excessively cruel, even for him. Bless her heart. How will he ever recover her good opinion? Thanks for the generous giveaway. jwgarrett13@hotmail [dot] com
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Hi, J.W. Garrett. Yes, his size twelves are all over this. He’s never had anyone cut him in the way he cut Elizabeth. He has NO idea how that would feel. He’ll have to really work hard. Thank you for dropping by! Good luck!
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Oh Darcy, that was bad! Poor Elizabeth! I can’t wait to know what she has in mind! Thank you for the excerpt and the giveaway!
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It truly was bad. He hurt her deeply, but he will pay. Glad you enjoyed the excerpt. Thank you for commenting! Good luck in the giveaway!
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Poor Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy’s barely tolerable speech was made so much worse attacking her weight. Thank you for sharing the excerpt and for the chance to win a copy. jadseah4(at)yahoo
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Hello, darcybennett. Darcy has his work cut out for him. Will he rise to the challenge and win her? After all, he has some formidable competition this time. Thanks for stopping by. Good luck!
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This was a fun read! Thanks for featuring Robin here and best wishes with the new release. Love the cover! Your daughter is perfect for Lizzy!
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Hi, Jennifer! Thank you for the good wishes, and I’m glad you like the cover. Melanie has always been my model for Elizabeth. Putting her on the cover made sense to me. So happy you liked it.
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I have enjoyed Robin’s previous novels. This certainly begins with a new twist, and will enjoy reading how it plays out. Thank you for the giveaway.
evamedmonds(at) gmail(dot)com
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I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed my work, evamedmonds! I had never read a JAFF in which Elizabeth’s weight was an issue, so I thought writing one would be fun. Thank you for leaving a comment. Good luck in the giveaway!
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I’m looking forward to find out about Elizabeth’s scheme. Congratulations on the new release Robin. 🙂
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Hi, KateB. I could just hear the little wheels turning in her head. It hurt her feelings, but it also made her take action, which was not a bad thing. Thank you for commenting! Good luck!
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Congratulations on the new release! Can’t wait to read it! 🙂
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Thanks, Christie. Good luck in the giveaway!
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A beautiful cover and enticing excerpt 🙂
Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
stluc3@sbcglobal.net
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Thank you! Good luck in the giveaway.
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Hi, Virginia. So glad you like the cover and excerpt. Best of luck to you!
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Wonderful excerpt! Please don’t enter me; I own it and just LOVE this story! Do not miss it 🙂 Congratulations on the release, Robin.
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Hi, Wendi! Thanks for stopping by. You helped me so much with this book. 😁
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Anna and Robin,
I enjoyed the beautifully-written excerpt so much, although it made me sad, as well. This sounds like a lovely and sensitive book. I’ll add a link to this giveaway to my blog’s sidebar. Thank you for hosting this giveaway, Anna. I’d like to enter it but would much prefer a print copy of the book so I may need to purchase one, instead.
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Hi, Suko! Thank you so much for adding the giveaway to your blog’s sidebar. This book is personal for me. When I gained weight in my forties (after being thin all my life), I was very hurt by remarks from others. The worth of a person should never be based on appearance.
I’m so glad you liked the excerpt!
Robin Helm
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A beautiful excerpt from a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing it. Thank you for hosting this giveaway, I would like to enter and my email is jlbpoak21 at yahoo dot com.Bludpoison
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Hello, fnu bludpoison. I’m so glad you liked the excerpt. Good luck in the giveaway!
Robin Helm
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For some reason I had a great deal of difficulty opening this blog. I had to go to the internet and search for your new blog there. I would love to read this and thank you for the chance. odara7rox(at)rcn(dot)com
I have enjoyed Robin’s other books.
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Hi, Sheila! I’m glad you persevered to come to the blog, and I’m delighted to hear you enjoyed my other books. Good luck in the giveaway!
Robin
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I think this twist is rather original, Robin. I enjoyed the excerpt and long to know what scheme is Elizabeth come up with to challenge Darcy’s arrogance. Thank you for offering an e-book of More to Love.
evangelineace2020(at)yahoo(dot)com
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Thanks everyone! The giveaway winner is fnu bludpoison. Happy reading!
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