Mr Darcy's Undoing by Abigail Reynolds

The idea for this book had me excited, I had been waiting to read a story line such as this!
After the proposal at Hunsford Elizabeth returns only to be offered marriage from Mr Covington, someone she has known since childhood. Elizabeth tells him she will ruminate on his offer while touring the lakes with the Gardiners. With the tour as planned the trip to Pemeberley  never takes place. While in the lakes Elizabeth concludes that with Jane out of sorts since Bingleys departure, no man will be interested in someone who is obviously pinning over a lost love. Lydia and Kitty can hardly be depended on to make a sensible match. So Elizabeth concludes the task must fall to her to make a match that can support her mother in the event that her father should pass away. Although she may not love Covington she feels that love may grow in time.

'All in all, she had very little to complain of Mr. Covington as a husband— nothing at all, in fact, except that she found herself with no particular urge for his company. She did not miss him when they were apart; she did not look forward with eagerness to their next encounter; she did not remember with delight what he had said at the last. She had hoped to marry for love, but she could go no further than to say she liked him. Still, could not that affection develop into more, given time? - A.Reynolds

Darcy returns to Meryton with Bingley intent on setting things right, only to find Elizabeth is engaged to Mr Covington!!!! What will Darcy do? While Bingley attempts to win Jane's affections, Darcy and Elizabeth are thrown together as chaperons and in the process Elizabeth discovers her heart belongs to Darcy!! I will stop there as I do not want to spoil it, but will say as much as I enjoyed it I was met with a very frustrating Lizzy!!! I internally screamed at the book more than once. I could understand her dilemma but she was being a saint to the letter. There was a vary interesting conversation with the Colonel and poor Georgiana's sensibilities were compromised by Darcy himself tut tut.

“I understand that I should be giving you my congratulations, Miss Bennet,” he had said, his mouth dry as ashes. She had looked up at him, engaging in that bewitching habit of hers of biting the corner of her lower lip, and thanked him gravely. Glutton for punishment that he was, he had asked her to dance again, telling himself that it was only to show her he was not so mean as to hold the past against her. He knew, though, that his motivation was more that of an addict seeking his opium— he wanted the touch of her hand, and the opportunity to pretend that her smiles were for him. Pathetic! he thought bitterly. - A.Reynolds

Darcy and Elizabeth had an inside joke involving a tiger which was amusing at first but soon became very annoyingly corny! This over passionate Darcy I found hard to relate too, but you have to make allowances, after all it is a 'what if ' and I do so love a 'what if.'