When Kitty Wren decided to publish one of the Pride and Prejudice variations she'd been secretly writing, she hadn't even told her husband the stories existed. A few months later, she's writing full-time, releasing books at an astonishing pace, and having an absolute blast doing it!

This week, Emilie welcomes Kitty to the podcast to talk about her unexpected journey from devoted JAFF reader to published author, and the romantic comedies that inspire her writing. From trapping Darcy and Elizabeth in wine cellars to giving Caroline Bingley a surprisingly sympathetic love story, Kitty has a talent for finding the funny, sweet, and occasionally ridiculous possibilities in Austen's world.

We also talk about our shared love of low-angst romance, the joy of seeing Darcy and Elizabeth actually happy together, favorite variations we return to, and why Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle really ought to reunite for another Pride and Prejudice adaptation.

If you love stories that make you laugh, swoon, and kick your feet, Kitty might just be a new favorite author.

Emilie doesn't believe in soulmates. Which makes it a little strange that she is such a sucker for soul mark stories! Give Darcy and Elizabeth matching tattoos, matching magical melodies, or some other cosmic indication that they are absolutely, unequivocally meant to be together, and she will eat. it. up!

Which makes this week's story a great fit. Sharon and Emilie are discussing Sarah Courtney's Mark of Character, a Pride and Prejudice variation where people with a close tie to the land are born with soul marks that identify the person they're destined to be with. Elizabeth has one. Darcy has one. There's just one small problem: Darcy is already engaged to Caroline Bingley, who supposedly has a matching soul mark of her own.

So Darcy and Elizabeth are drawn to each other almost against their will, Caroline is working overtime to keep them apart, and even in a world where Darcy and Elizabeth are literally destined to be together, the path to happily ever after refuses to be smooth.

We have so much to talk about!

We love the streamlined world building, the devious Caroline, and the utilization of side characters in the story. If Sarah Courtney is reading this: more, please!

Episode Credits:

🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis and Sharon Cortez

🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.

📚 See a list of books we've read at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!

What if Darcy marrying Caroline Bingley...actually wouldn’t be that bad?

We know. We KNOW.

But somehow that’s where we ended up while discussing Darcy’s Marriage Pact by Cat Gardiner, a modern Pride and Prejudice variation in which Darcy, heartbroken after losing Elizabeth, enters into a legally binding marriage pact with his best friend’s sister, Beanz (aka this story’s Caroline Bingley). There are rules, there are clauses, and there are subsections that include a $1.5 million wedding budget. And absolutely *no one* is allowed to mention Elizabeth Bennet.

Of course, this being a Pride and Prejudice variation, Elizabeth comes back, and all of Darcy's plans fly out the window. But if she hadn't...

We're just saying, maybe we would have read that book, too.

But if you're like us and want more Darcy and Elizabeth, there's still plenty in this story to talk about: how much influence should the people we love have over our romantic choices? (Feeling some serious Persuasion vibes!) When a relationship falls apart, who is responsible for fighting for it? And how much healing does Elizabeth need to do before she’s really ready to build a life with Darcy?

And perhaps most shocking of all: Sharon, our resident modern-variation skeptic, liked this one enough that she may actually be coming around to moderns.

Emilie is rubbing off on her. It was bound to happen eventually!

Episode Credits:

🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis and Sharon Cortez

🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.

📚 See a list of books we've read at https://www.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