Consequences is a cautionary tale about the evils
of hasty judgment, revisiting Jane Austen’s Pride
and Prejudice and one of those pivotal moments when Elizabeth Bennet throws
away Mr. Darcy’s offer of marriage so decisively. What transpires from that
point is well known to Austen’s extensive readership, but what if even one
element in the chain of events in her novel turns out differently? Does
Austen’s happy ending eventually come to pass, or is the outcome more bleak?
And if, in order to secure financial security for
her loved ones, Elizabeth does not reject Darcy, is she married to a proud,
arrogant, disdainful man who, as she feared, forces her to deny her own relatives
and thus condemns her to a lifetime of misery? Or does she find herself married
to a man who cares enough for her to reject the opposition of his
family and chance his very standing in society in order to marry a woman he
loves beyond measure?
Consequences, written by the
author of A Most Civil Proposal,
explores two alternate realities—both tragedy and triumph.
Buy Links:
Book Details:
Consequences by C. P. Odom, Publisher: Meryton Press, ISBN: 978-1-936009-30-5, Published: December 17, 2013, Trade Paperback, How I read it: Trade Paperback sent via Leatherbound Reviews
My Thoughts:
Consequences is two stories in one book. The catalyst
for both stories is Darcy’s first marriage proposal.
In the first story,
Elizabeth rejects Darcy’s proposal and there is no turning back and no happily
ever after in sight. It kind of felt as though Odom wrote the first draft of
book 1, read it then decided the characters weren’t suffering enough so he
added more suffering and heartache.
Book two has Elizabeth
accepting the proposal and a happier outcome is achieved.
If I’m being honest,
book 1 had me wanting to chuck bloody thing in the bin and never see it again.
It was really a depressing little tale that had the characters of Pride &
Prejudice dropping like flies. You may need to keep the tissues handy when reading
this one. But I continued reading and thankfully book 2 was bright and sunny
and much more uplifting. I also really enjoyed seeing Charlotte Collin’s as a
stronger character.
Overall, I trudged
through book 1 but enjoyed book 2. Odom’s writing style was intriguing and true
to that of Miss Austen’s and I look forward to reading more from this author.
