Pride & Prejudice Book Club Podcast

Have you ever wondered what Pride and Prejudice would be like if you combined it with...The Parent Trap? No? Well, prepare to be surprised! Author Jayne Bamber returns to the podcast to celebrate the release of her newest novel, The Guardian Gambit, which just launched on April 29th and is now available on Kindle Unlimited. Inspired by The Parent Trap, this latest variation promises mistaken identities, long-lost connections, and plenty of romantic chaos, and we share just enough on the podcast to spark your curiosity (without giving too much away). We also spend time diving into her recent release, The Sisters' Holiday, a Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility remix inspired by the movie The Holiday. We explore Jayne’s love of bold reinterpretations, from unexpected pairings and “spoiled by choice” heroines to villain redemption arcs that add surprising depth to familiar characters. We also talk about how shifting the stakes (whether through money, social standing, or simply giving characters more agency) opens up entirely new possibilities for romance, and how modern relationship expectations are subtly reshaping the way these stories are told. Fair warning: this part of the conversation does include spoilers, so if that book is still on your TBR, you may want to circle back after reading! Along the way, Jayne shares behind-the-scenes insights into her writing process, the joy of weaving together large casts of beloved characters, and why rom-com energy and nostalgia continue to influence the JAFF world in such fun and creative ways. Episode Credits: 🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis 🎵 Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason. 📚 See a list of books we've read at prideandprejudicebookclub.com! ➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter! ✍️ Apply To Be a Co-Host Here: https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/nerd

Can love survive when trust is shattered? In this episode, we dive into A Wilful Misunderstanding by Amy D’Orazio, a Pride & Prejudice variation that cranks the angst up to 100 and then dares to ask: can a marriage survive betrayal born of pride and insecurity? We unpack Darcy’s catastrophic (and idiotic) choices, Elizabeth’s devastating heartbreak, and the long, messy road toward forgiveness. Is this a story about true love persevering, or about a man who didn’t deserve true love in the first place? (Our opinions may vary from day to day.) This book had us in our feelings from the first moment, and while it's often painful, it's that exquisitely delicious kind of angst that sometimes you just can't get enough of! From willful pride to hard-won healing, this book explores what it really means to believe in someone, and what it costs when you don’t. Bring tissues. And maybe a strong opinion. If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast, leave us a review, and come chat with us online. We love hearing your thoughts (even when you disagree with us)! 🎵 Music Credit:Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason. 📚 See a list of books we've read at prideandprejudicebookclub.com! ➡️ Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!

[Big spoiler warning on this episode!] This week we venture into fantasy with Miss Bennet’s Dragon, a gaslamp Regency Pride & Prejudice variation that introduces dragons, mysterious powers, and life or death stakes to the story! Fantasy isn’t typically Sharon’s genre, but she adventurously dove right into the world-building and dragon lore and discovered it was a lot more fun than she thought it would be! We revel in the quieter, slow-burn romance of this variation, and geek out over Darcy's efforts to communicate to Elizabeth (quietly) how much he cares about her. The story packs some big surprises, leading to a discussion on how ambition and power reshape familiar characters, and force Elizabeth into morally complex decisions with far-reaching consequences . If you enjoy Pride & Prejudice variations that take risks, ask big questions, and aren’t afraid to explore darker themes, this episode has plenty to unpack!

When we started this podcast back in 2023, we never dreamed that we would one day get to meet one of our favorite authors, Jessie Lewis. So it was a huge shock when Jessie not only reached out to say she'd enjoyed the episodes we'd done on her books, but that she would be happy to answer questions about them, too! And thus, a new type of episode was born. The author interview has now become a bookclub staple (with more great episodes on the way), and our appreciation of authors grows with each and every one! In honor of Jessie's new book, Room for Improvement, which she co-authored with Amy D'Orazio, coming out on January 26th, 2026, we're re-releasing this episode to give some of our newer listeners a chance to discover it, and hopefuly bring joy to our long-time listeners who already know how fun an interview it was. [This re-release also mildly improves on the audio quality of the interview, something that has bugged Emilie for a long time....] We'll be back next week with some more book discussions, but for now, enjoy this throw-back episode of our interview with the amazingly talented Jessie Lewis. 🎵 Music Credit:Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason. 📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com! ➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, or check out our blog and more at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/!

What happens when a Pride and Prejudice variation asks you to root for two genuinely good men vying for Elizabeth's heart? This week on the Pride and Prejudice Book Club, we’re tackling The Unthinkable Triangle by Joanna Starnes, a high-angst variation that puts Elizabeth Bennet at the center of a true love triangle with Fitzwilliam Darcy and Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. And while Sharon delighted in finally getting a triangle where both men are real contenders, Emilie… really struggled. We dig into why this trope is such a hard sell for Emilie, especially when Colonel Fitzwilliam is written as emotionally present, communicative, and deeply invested in Elizabeth, while Darcy spends much of the story yearning from a distance, holding himself back, and making choices that feel more like restraint than growth. That tension fuels a lively debate about whether Elizabeth’s emotional “switch” feels earned, whether Darcy’s love is grounded in reality or fantasy, and why the deepest betrayal in this book may not be romantic at all, but the fracture between two cousins who were once as close as brothers. Along the way, we zoom out to talk about fantasy vs. real-life relationships, infatuation vs. love, and why — in the real world — the healthiest choice in a love triangle is often to walk away from everyone. If you love messy emotional questions, debates about tropes, and honest takes on romance in literature, this episode will give you a lot to chew on! 🎵 Music Credit:Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason 📚 Curious what we’ll be reading next?See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com ➡️ Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter athttps://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter

If you’ve been around the JAFF world for more than five minutes, chances are you’ve already read a forced proximity book that takes place in a cottage during a snowstorm. You've also probably read a book by Abigail Reynolds. But have you read them both together? Alone with Mr. Darcy is one of those books that everyone seems to have read, and has quietly set the standard for snowstorms, forced proximity, and Darcy doing his very best while being deeply attracted to Elizabeth (and more than a little confused). In this episode, we talk about what Abigail Reynolds does so well as an author: creating deep emotional intimacy without leaning too hard on the tropes that drive us all a little crazy. The forced proximity, miscommunication, and snowstorm are all there, but they’re used to build tension without turning Darcy or Elizabeth into people you want to yell at. At the heart of it all is a Darcy who is deeply honorable, quietly persistent, and determined to do the right thing—even when he has no idea what went wrong. Whether this was one of your first JAFF reads or the first time you've been snowed in with Mr Darcy, this is a cozy, nostalgic conversation about a book that has clearly earned its place on the OG JAFF bookshelf. 🎵 Music Credit:Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason. 📚 Curious what we will be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com! ➡️ Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!

What happens when Darcy wishes he’d never been born…and Elizabeth accidentally gets dragged into the fallout? In this episode, we dive into The Difference of a Darcy by Tiffany Thomas, an engrossing Pride and Prejudice variation that surprised us in all the best ways. What begins as an It’s a Wonderful Life–style premise turns into a rich exploration of partnership, forgiveness, identity, and the road not travelled. We're giddy over all the Darcy and Elizabeth time (it's amazing!), devastated by Georgiana’s alternate-universe life, and stunned by a particularly shocking Bingley twist. Grab some hot cocoa and settle in. This is going to be fun! 🎵 Music Credit:Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason. 📚 Curious what we’ll be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com! ➡️ Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!

What makes us come back to Pride and Prejudice again and again? That's a very important question, and one that Emilie explores this week with Emilia Stratford, the author of Such Persuasions as These and Some Particular Evil. The result is a delightful deep-dive into all things Darcy, Elizabeth, and the creative world of Pride and Prejudice variations! Together we unpack Darcy’s (slow!) decision-making process, the challenge of writing a believable Elizabeth, favorite tropes and hard passes, the joys of AO3, and Emilia’s deliciously angsty new WIP. We honestly can't wait to see what she comes up with next! --- 🎵 Music Credit:Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason. 📚 Curious what we’ll be reading next? See a list of upcoming books at prideandprejudicebookclub.com! ➡️ Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!