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Chance Encounters
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$ 19.30
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| Retail Value |
$ 20.75 |
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$ 1.45 |
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| Item Number |
2713156 |
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Item Description...
Product Description
In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Fitzwilliam Darcy arrives at Netherfield in a state of indignation and delivers an insult that nearly ended his future before it began. What if he did not go to Meryton that autumn and instead met Elizabeth Bennet later in London during the winter? What if their introduction was not an insult, but rather a challenge to smile, and how does the strength of an extraordinary couple help them to survive all that life sends their way? Chance Encounters is a journey of the imagination, and explores how a resigned and wiser Elizabeth meets a hardened Darcy. It follows them and their families through their courtship, marriage, and beyond. Together they experience a mature love. Linda Wells is also the author of Fate and Consequences, and Perfect Fit
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Item Specifications...
Pages 460
Dimensions: Length: 8.9" Width: 6" Height: 1.3"
Weight: 1.6 lbs.
Binding Softcover
Release Date Sep 27, 2008
ISBN 1440421218
EAN 9781440421211
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Availability 100 units.
Availability accurate as of May 26, 2012 12:46.
Usually ships within one to two business days from La Vergne, TN.
Orders shipping to an address other than a confirmed Credit Card / Paypal Billing address may incur and additional processing delay.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | Over-the-top mush. Feb 11, 2010 |
| I have come to grips with the proposition that authors of Pride and Prejudice spin-offs are under no obligation to mirror the characteristics of the characters created by Jane Austen. In Chance Encounters Linda Wells takes the liberty of transforming Darcy from a man among men into a vulnerable, insecure, weepy, unconfident, indecisive, emsculated, needy, feelings-oriented, dependent, jealous, weak, sex-driven, sniveling wimp who can't go five minutes without being reassured of Elizabeth's love. Is this really the sort of men modern day readers of romance novels like? There were far too many "I love you's" and associated endearments exchanged between Darcy and Elizabeth - clearly over-the-top for my tastes. Another problem is the author's apparent fixation on sex. She's explicit in her descriptions of Elizabeth's and Darcy's unending sexual encounters, including their wedding night consumation and even oral sex - not exactly the sort of thing one might want his or her teenagers to be reading. It goes beyond an "R" rating and well into erotica territory, much of which seems artifically created to titillate the reader rather than move the story forward. After reading about half way through the book I had to exercise great discipline to finish it, and that's not much of a recommendation. I give it two stars max. | | |  | Not bad but no PP Jan 26, 2010 |
For a self published book the results are not bad as far as the writing goes. One should consider that Jane Austen published PP she was younger than 21, and her sex knowledge was probably non existent since she was single and the product of her time. So that PP would reflect her naïveté and her idea of love without accounting for sexual desire and the erotic aspects of a passionate relationship. Now, in the 21st Century, many of us want to know other aspects of a relation, how do Elizabeth and Darcy really think, what are their fears, their desires, how and what are their sexual/sensual interactions and so on. Both Elizabeth and FD were sensual creatures capable of deep passions so one could think that their actual walks and encounters hid some of their actual interactions, specially because Elizabeth was unconventional.. Chaperones existed for a reason and it was to prevent the awakening of sexual feelings which could "ruin" a "good" girl. So, I for once welcomed the beginning of the sex angle, but quickly the sex became not only excessive but highly unlikely. I cannot fathom Elizabeth allowing Darcy into her bed before marriage as when she was sick, instead of Jane, and that Darcy would have compromised his beloved this way.
It is also problematic, as with many other of the PP writers, the change of the basic nature of the characters, ie. Darcy as a crying man seemed ok after he rescued his sister, and while he sunk into depression but the crying was just annoying after a while. I am depressed and don't cry that much. These radical personality changes are a running theme in almost all the PP sequels, as it is the introduction of too many new characters and the changes in the interaction between characters . The multilateral changes inflicted by these authors on PP, from character natures, to historical facts to customs, etc, would compare to a recipe to improve a chocolate cake recipe, by changing the chocolate to pistachio pudding, butter to shortening, frosting to a nut glaze so on. While the resulting cake might be delicious, no one would call it a chocolate cake with frosting.
In Ms. Wells case, she would have done much better by writing a book where the characters were "loosely based" in PP but not sold as a sequel. I guess many of us are still looking for a real sequel or an expansion to the original tale sort of a cross of Ms. Aidan's book trilogy, that addresses real desires, feelings, and maybe some clandestine sex play that could have indeed been part of their relationship, culminating with their marriage and their first months but in more realistic terms while with the age and the customs. My personal advice: authors should stop calling the books a PP sequel unless it really is and stop riding the Austen's bandwagon; and for another those who are tired of the sequels should not be buying them, the belly aching is also annoying. If you can be a better writer than the authors, then write it yourself. I just want a book written by a modern Jane Austen that reads like PP, but with a more sensual and realistic angle, and will keep looking for it until I find it. . The end.
| | |  | I enjoyed it again! Dec 30, 2009 |
| I just re-read Chance Encounters. I loved it again. I like the way Darcy and Lizzy are dedicated to each other from the very beginning. The angst in the books of Linda Wells never happens between our favourite couple. I like it that way! For me it is a 5 star experience. | | |  | Chance Encounters Dec 9, 2009 |
| Can I say "WOW"? I love Pride and Prejudice. I have read it numerous times ... more than I care to admit. My family roll their eyes at me. I recently was introduced to these other versions of my favorite book and found this book a very interesting version. Totally takes a different approach to how the Darcy and Lizzy meet. It is much more risque and certainly touches on situations that Jane Austin would never have gone. A couple of jaw dropping scenerios that you don't expect during an era of etiquette and proper behavior was upheld. As most of the sequels, there is the existence of the passion between Lizzy and Darcy as well as all the characters that we know and love from the original. | | | | "Chance Encounters" with "The Bar Sinister" Oct 15, 2009 |
Well, uh, as a steamy novel, there are some rather provocative moments that demanded your attention - can't sugarcoat that. With that as a "plus" or a "negative" depending on your view point, Darcy was portrayed as rather emotionally weak, extremely jealous and requiring no Viagra, Elizabeth spent most of the time enraptured, ensnared and enjoyed with and by Darcy, and the entire novel smacked of an earlier (better) book called "The Bar Sinister." Now, that particular novel (I believe since renamed and want to say it was authored by Linda Berdoll) was not 100% either, boasting of multiple errors in the editing department and rather graphic sex scenes as well, but there was a familiarity between "Chance Encounters" and "The Bar Sinister" storylines beyond the main characters all having the same names. If there's anyone out there who's read both, I'd appreciate your opinion on that.
Outside of a dragging storyline, my biggest complaint rests with the character assasination of Mr. Bennett whom most will agree was a rather indifferent parent but, in my interpretation of the original novel, harbored sincerely deep pride and love in his two eldest daughters. To have him play villain to generate tension between Darcy and Elizabeth was unnecessary - that is why good books create issues between the protagonists. "Chance Encounters" held no drama, no will-they-won't-they suspense. I suffered through the book, the "wow, really?" sex scenes, the teary-eyed gazes, the soul-baring conversations, the line up of peripheral characters I couldn't get excited about but read through to see how their arcs would get sewn up.
I'd love to give any author the thumbs up for sheer bravery and possessing the ability to put pen to paper/keystrokes to hard drive, but I really can't. I'd recommend save your money on this one and channel a fraction of your Elizabeth and Darcy affection to Anne and Wentworth of "Persuasion" - there are two-in-a-series books by Susan Kaye telling the story from the good captain's perspective that I've enjoyed. Definitely satisfies the Austen fix better than "Chance Encounters" did. | | | Write your own review about Chance Encounters
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