REVIEW of “Bewitched, body and soul” by P.O. Dixon

P.O. Dixon is one of the JAFF authors I have read the most. I may have read around 80% of her writing, that is quite extensive, and I keep liking everything she writes.

Bewitched, body and soul is one of my favourites by P.O. Dixon, I have just reread it to write this review. In this book you can see the strong willed Elizabeth Bennet who goes to town in order to look for Mr. Bingley and tell him or make him understand that her sister Jane is in love with him.

She is not very successful because she encounters Miss Bingley and also Mr. Darcy but there is no way of finding her sister’s heart’s desire. Jane Bennet is not the same one as she was since he left the neighbourhood, she rarely is in company of her family members and she does not even dares to go to Meryton.

Elizabeth is determined and after going to Mr. Bingley’s house and have no success on seeing him, she decides to go to Mr. Darcy’s house to seek assistance from the serious and haughty friend of Bingley. You can imagine how inappropriate was this visit for two reasons: she was unchaperoned and he was the only person in his house. They are totally alone and she collapses due to a temporal illness. He takes care of her and she wakes up in the mistress’ bedroom without recalling any event from the previous night.

She is ill but as she is a headstrong girl, she flees from Darcy House to her relatives. She is fuming and very angry with Darcy for two reasons, again: he does not want to help her regarding her sister’s relationship with Bingley and she realises the unladylike behaviour she had going to the house of an unmarried man.

However, she has seen a different man, still a bit arrogant but caring as well. She is a bit confused but avoids thinking about it. At this point  Elizabeth is “indifferent” to Mr. Darcy or that is what she wants to believe but there is already something not clear for her.

What must it be like seeing him again? Elizabeth frowned. Why am I always thinking of him?

Elizabeth’s aunt, Mrs. Gardiner, has a family member, Lady Susan, that wants to be like a sponsor for Elizabeth. Elizabeth accepts with the hope of finding Mr. Bingley in any social event during the Season. Among other people, Lady Susan introduces Lady Gwendolen Helmsley to Elizabeth and they get on well with each other.

Lady Gwendolen is the sister of one of Mr. Darcy’s oldest friends and she is hoping to catch Mr. Darcy, she fancies herself in love with him. She is actually quite nice until she sees some rivalry and tries to overcome it. This rivalry is seen during the getaway in her country house and the person that seems to get Mr. Darcy’s attention is her new friend Elizabeth Bennet. Lady Gwendolen is not happy and seeks, as usual when Darcy is concerned, help from his brother.

Rumours can destroy the reputation of a person and even more if those rumours point to a fallen woman, Elizabeth Bennet… When Darcy is informed about those gossips he is as usual, honourable and asks Elizabeth to marry him, to placate the malicious reports and also because he loves Elizabeth.

Nevertheless, Elizabeth refuses him! why? on what account she refuses the person who wants to protect her and claims a profound admiration and love for her?

Does Elizabeth see Mr. Bingley? When and where do they meet again (both Charles and Jane and Elizabeth and Darcy)? Do they solve their problems? Lady Catherine is going to be around, how will she behave? Is Wickham going to make an appearance as usual or not?

 

Read the book and see what else is happening to the eternal Darcy and Elizabeth.

 

A teaser to get you into the book:

“I must confess I am relieved to hear it. I had not put the matter completely out of my mind.”

“Trust me, Miss Elizabeth, I am relieved, as well, much more than you know.”

“Why is that, sir?”

“Because, the next time I offer you my hand in marriage, I intend to go about it entirely differently.”

 

If you want to find out more about this book and P.O. Dixon‘s work, check her Twitter and Facebook. If I have to choose my favourite book by her, I will choose Still a young man: Darcy is in love. I will reread it, for the third time, and review it for you to like it at least half as much as I do like it 🙂

You can buy her books on Amazon US and Amazon UK.