Longbourn's Lark: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

Shallow but Decent

Written like a short story, so events happen too quickly to be realistic or plausible. The premise is interesting and I wish the author had taken the time to write it out as a real book, but it was written with obvious haste in mind, so everything is superficial and lacking satisfying details.
I loved the idea of Colonel Fitzwilliam being discharged from the army due to illness and returning to England with the intention of renewing his acquaintances and acquiring a home for himself. While making his way to Netherfield for a quick stop to see Darcy, on his way to visiting Rosings, he accidentally comes upon Mary in a wonderfully unguarded moment. The impact of his first (lovely) impression of her, combined with the contrast to his years spent so recently in war, makes the idea of an instant infatuation with her completely understandable. I just wish that instead of rushing them into a proposal within DAYS of first meeting each other, they had continued their start of drawing their best sides of each other out, and progressed to a natural courtship. If they had left Richard’s Father an Earl and his brother in line to inherit the title/fortune, as in canon, the natural difficulties resulting from their vastly different stations would have been intriguing to see overcome, especially as Richard does not have the pride issues that Darcy does. Their personal issues most likely would have involved medical issues for Richard (PTSD episodes, injuries) and his lack of fortune or a home, and difficulties for Mary would have included her lack of education, lower station, zero fortune, and generally poor temperament around her family. There is so much room for an amazing book here and the author didn’t explore any of it. Instead, Mary is turned into a beautiful singer and an incredibly accomplished piano player, who literally only needed no one as an audience to become so(??). Okay then! Lol!
There are a few days of nice interaction between the two and regardless of the fact that he has only been back in England for a few days, has only known Mary for those same few days, has no home, and hasn’t even visited 99% of his family yet...and they haven’t had a courtship either...Boom! They’re engaged! And getting married in 3 weeks! At Rosings! While he visits his Aunt Catherine and his cousin Ann! Merely because he was planning to visit them anyway, and he’d like to introduce Mary to them(???)
Does this make any sense at all?!
The idiotic imaginings in this book continue on but I’ve grown bored writing them down here. If you enjoy having nothing make logical sense, or be even remotely satisfying to read, buy this 😉