Caroline Bingley’s Perfect Plan: A Pride Prejudice variation by C.A. Miller

Caroline Bingley’s Perfect Plan: A Pride Prejudice variation Reviews

• 
  Debbie

  2.5 rounded up to 3 stars
  
  There are some interesting ideas here, but there are also a couple of ideas that fell flat for me. Unfortunately, the writing seems very amateurish, as well. There's SO much over-explanation. Dialogue sounds unnatural and stilted. Misplaced and missing commas abound, and there are a number of sentence fragments and odd word choices (for example, Caroline wanting to "get Charles away from that tremendous Bennet family"??), so this has not been well edited.
  
  The basic plot with Caroline Bingley coming up with a plot to be "compromised" without it being an obvious set-up is pretty good, though. She stages the aftermath of a supposed attack by a stranger on Netherfield's lands where Darcy is the first to find her. The bodice of her dress is ripped and, being a gentleman, he looks away, provides his coat for her to cover herself, and escorts her back to the estate. When she returns, she makes a scene for all the servants to observe. Using her London correspondent, she plants the story that it was Mr. Darcy who wouldn't take "no" for an answer. Naturally, this salacious gossip spreads through the city like wildfire. Caroline hopes that, in order to save her reputation and his own, Darcy will feel obligated to marry her.
  
  Colonel Fitzwilliam has come to Netherfield, as he is serving as a courier for a message to Colonel Forster from his superiors. He and Jane both give Elizabeth a different perspective regarding Mr. Darcy, making her more open to overlooking the initial insult at the Meryton assembly. Darcy even apologizes. Also, Elizabeth and Jane campaign to present Mary in a better light, attracting Mr. Collins's attention her way.
  
  There's no way that Darcy would allow Caroline to convince him NOT to warn Mr. Bennet and/or Elizabeth that an attack on a lady has occurred, considering that he A) knows Elizabeth walks alone through the countryside and B) he has feelings for her. Supposedly, Darcy and Bingley agree with Caroline that they shouldn't frighten the neighborhood. I don't follow the logic there at all.
  
  The fate described for Mrs. Bennet at the end of the book also seems too farfetched to be believed. After Charles and Jane Bingley move away, Jane's mother actually recognizes that it was her behavior that caused them to leave the area. I don't believe Mrs. Bennet would have this level of self-awareness. Even more amazing, Lady Matlock takes an interest in her and makes suggestions to refine her manners. I certainly don't see how Mrs. Bennet would have the opportunity to receive instruction from a Countess. Without a whole vignette explaining it (which would be completely off-topic anyway), this was an odd piece of information that has nothing to do with the rest of the book.
  
  It's a fairly short book, and the compromised Caroline plot is interesting.
• 
  Leslie

  This is another difficult book to review. It jumps in with Darcy being shaved the day the Bennet sisters leave Netherfield following Jane's illness and Darcy's dilemma regarding his feelings for Miss Elizabeth. Caroline Bingley has no such dilemmas she immediately recognizes the danger that Eliza presents to her future and she is determined to get Darcy by hook or by crook.
  I had the weirdest sense of deja vu reading the whole plan she concocts, perhaps I read it on FF but it really seemed familiar.
  
  So what's not to love. I have often opined that people who read P&P FF (extended universe, what ifs, etc. ) should have a good background knowledge of the source material... So I was really disturbed when the author decided to recap all of P&P up to this point in an awkward synopsis. Which gets repeated later on for other scenes the author didn't write.
  
  when the reveal of the plot happens it is dragged out and the 'twist' is something so obvious that it makes you wonder if Col. Fitzwilliam and his father are both addled
  
  I liked it but I didn't love it.
• 
  Carol Perrin

  Carbon Bingley's Perfect Plan: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
  
  It is said that plans made by men, or women, often go astray and in this case, Caroline Bingley's plan to trap Fitzwilliam Darcy smacked her in her face. Thinking that she was so clever to enlist her London friend, Caroline carefully wrote her letter, and then, carried out that plan. Problem was that she didn't plan her timing and was caught being the cause of her own downfall. When her London friend's parents realized that Caroline had used their daughter to spread false accusations, the letter was shared with Lord Matlock thus getting back to Darcy. Caroline crumbled under heavy questioning by her brother, Darcy, and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Of course, Caroline couldn't really have a perfect plan, because her clinging, flirting character was always less than perfect! Her cleverness was lacking as was her wit. So ODC got to plan their wedding with her brother and Jane. As Colonel Fitzwilliam found out, her dear brother also brought an end to her "perfect plan" to trap Fitzwilliam Darcy.
• 
  wosedwew

  Just read another review claiming this is a re-issue of a previous book.
  
  I am sure I have read this story some time in the past. Possibly in a book if that reviewer is correct or on a fan fiction site.
  
  Caroline plots and is thwarted. Average writing, some errors and average plot line.