Book Review- No Particular Importance by MJ Stratton
Elizabeth is not a Bennet…she’s a de Bourgh! In a unique twist, Elizabeth is the niece of both Lady Catherine de Bourgh and the Bennets. The orphaned daughter of Mr. Bennet’s sister Rebecca and Sir Lewis de Bourgh’s younger brother Nathan, Elizabeth grows up under the care of Rebecca’s dearest friend, Princess Caroline of Brunswick, the Princess of Wales.
Under “Aunt” Caroline’s loving care, Elizabeth flourishes into an intelligent and accomplished young lady, with a substantial fortune inherited from her father. But Elizabeth’s connection to the Crown puts her in a precarious position. For her own protection, she adopts the surname “Bennet” while visiting her relations, keeping her dowry and royal connections hidden.
Darcy, full of arrogance, mistakenly believes her to be nothing more than a poor country miss, whose aspirations include capturing a wealthy gentleman. As it becomes clear his assumptions were wrong, Darcy finds himself increasingly drawn to Elizabeth’s magnetic personality. Yet in his pride, he still believes her beneath him.
Only after Elizabeth’s entry to society and her true surname is revealed does he realize it is in fact he whose connections and status are inferior. But now, he has a greater problem to solve—proving to the Prince Regent, who desires a political match that benefits the Crown, that he is worthy of marrying the woman he has fallen in love with.
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Darcy and Elizabeth’s courtship through the lens of her secretly being an heiress with a distant relationship to Darcy that he himself that he is unaware of. Elizabeth’s sparkling wit is only heightened by her accomplishments and connections. Meanwhile, Darcy’s pride repeatedly causes him to misstep, setting him up for a massive humbling.
The inclusion of real-life royal figures lends a wonderful aspect of historical fiction to the story, and although their friendships with the de Bourghs is fabricated, the portrayal of the historical persons and certain key events depicted is accurate. Examining the relationship of the Prince and Princess of Wales, I could not help but be struck by the similarity between them and another couple holding those same titles more than a hundred years later, their circumstances more alike than not—a testament, perhaps, to the fact that history often repeats itself.
Thankfully, Our Dear Couple enjoys a happier turn of fate than either of these royal couples, proving once again that love flourishes best when it is chosen by two hearts alike in thought and feeling, united in commitment to each other.
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