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N. N. Light
Jun 114 min read

5++ stars for Something About Lizzy: Family Secrets Post-Pride and Prejudice (Sofia-Elisabete Stories Book 5) by Robin Elizabeth Kobayashi #regencyfiction #bookreview #pastichefiction



Title: Something About Lizzy: Family Secrets Post-Pride and Prejudice (Sofia-Elisabete Stories Book 5)

Author: Robin Elizabeth Kobayashi

Genre: Historical Regency Fiction, Pastiche Fiction

 

Book Blurb:

 

To be mistress of Pemberley is certainly something …


Derbyshire, Summer 1826. Sofia-Elisabete, the sixteen-year-old daughter of Colonel Fitzwilliam, is initiated into the idyllic, genteel world of her cousin-in-law, Elizabeth Darcy, mistress of Pemberley and mother of five. Lizzy, as she prefers to be called by her intimates, seems happily established in domestic country life and, naturally, still in love with Mr. Darcy. With beguiling candor, Sofia narrates how the two ladies quickly become close friends—despite the misgivings of Sofia’s father.


… but there are secrets in all families, you know.


Soon, however, Sofia witnesses the trials of parenthood and signs of simmering conflict in Lizzy’s traditional marriage to Mr. Darcy. She senses that things are not quite right. The mystery deepens when others reveal tidbits concerning a connection between Lizzy and Sofia’s uncle, Lord Scapeton, who has sorely wronged Sofia herself in the past. As the ladies’ lives and secrets intertwine that long, hot, sultry summer, Sofia discovers something about Lizzy that threatens to upend their newly blossoming friendship.


The novella can be read as a standalone, or as a sequel to My Cousin Darcy, now available for free on Kindle Unlimited.


The award-winning Sofia-Elisabete Stories on Kindle Unlimited:

 

  • I, Sofia-Elisabete, Love Child of Colonel Fitzwilliam - Searching for Utopia in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. A Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2018.

  • Twelfth-Night Cake & the Rosings Ghost - Clashing with Lady Catherine of Rosings Park. Finalist, 2018 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.

  • Only Sofia-Elisabete - Trusting love and her healing power. A Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2021; B.R.A.G. Medallion honoree.

  • My Cousin Darcy - Teaming up with Fitzwilliam Darcy to save her father's honor. B.R.A.G. Medallion honoree; Winner, Silver Medal, 2023 Audiobook, The Wishing Shelf Book Awards.

  • Something About Lizzy - Discovering the Darcy family secrets. Release date: June 11, 2024.

 

My Review:

 

Against her father’s wishes, Sofia forges a strong friendship with Elizabeth Darcy (Lizzy) and discovers all is not as it seems in the idyllic Darcy marriage. Will Sofia stand by Lizzy after all the family secrets are revealed? Something About Lizzy is an imaginative story with characters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice like you have never seen them before. The immersive nature of the writing draws you in and keeps you invested in what’s going on. The style of writing is very much Austenesque which makes for enjoyable reading, especially if you love Pride and Prejudice. The pacing is slow and easy. Something About Lizzy is a book worth savoring.

 

Let’s start with the characters. Even if you haven’t read the other books in the series, you’ll like Sofia. She’s the narrator and her view is unbiased. She sees life and what’s going on around her in a practical way. As the reader, we get to see what she sees and feels. She’s a young woman drawn from the historical era, written with accuracy. I appreciate that. She’s not dropped into 1826 with a modern point of view but is authentic for the time period. I connected with her right away.

 

Lizzy, or Elizabeth Darcy as I know her to be, is a wonderfully complex character. Robin Kobayashi takes liberties here and crafts a woman with hidden secrets and unlike the woman I love from Pride and Prejudice. She’s a woman with drive and more yet Lizzy is relatable. In this time period, a woman has to make a good match to live a comfortable life. What I found impressive about Robin Kobayashi’s characterization of Lizzy is how much I understood her.

 

The descriptive narration and setting are not only historically accurate but draw the reader into the story. Every scene is overflowing with historical details from the descriptions of the setting to the clothing to the dialogue to inner thoughts and feelings of Sofia. Robin Kobayashi is a masterful writer when it comes to her Austenesque world-building. She’s done an impressive amount of research into the time period. It makes for an immersive reading experience.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Something About Lizzy. If you’re a fan of Pride and Prejudice and looking for a creative spin to the characters, you’ll love Something About Lizzy. I recommend it to all JAFF and historical fiction readers.

 

My Rating: 5+ stars

 

Buy it Now:   

 

Free to read on Kindle Unlimited!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Biography:

 

Robin Elizabeth Kobayashi is a writer of historical fiction and magical realism. Her book, I Sofia-Elisabete, was named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2018. The sequel, Only Sofia-Elisabete, was named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2021 and honored with a B.R.A.G. Medallion. My Cousin Darcy, her short novel, was honored with a B.R.A.G. Medallion and also won the Silver Medal for 2023 Audiobooks at The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. The sequel to that book, Something About Lizzy, releases June 11, 2024. Her short story, "Goya's Muse," appeared in the Copperfield Review Quarterly.

 

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Reviewed by: Nancy

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