Preference & Neglect by Jayne Bamber

Welcome, Dear Readers, today we have the privilege of checking out Jayne Bamber's upcoming release, "Preference & Neglect," which becomes available April 15, 2025 on Amazon!

I swear, guys, One of these days, I'm just going to go ahead and start the Jayne Bamber Fan Club. Who wants to join me? For her next trick, Ms Bamber has produced another binge-worthy page-turner. Who wants to join me in exploring the fresh content we are all about to enjoy?

Synopsis:

On the heels of an unusual sort of heartbreak, Elizabeth finds contentment in her new life - assisting her uncle, Sir Edward Gardiner, at his luxurious new hotel in Sanditon. Elizabeth is looking forward to an eventful summer with her friends, but her plans turn into schemes when she decides to come to the aid of a new visitor in her idyllic seaside community: Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Though the gentleman insulted her on the one occasion they met, nearly two years prior, Elizabeth is charmed by his lovable sister Georgiana and his mischievous cousin Richard, and moved by the pitiful circumstances of his arrival. As a friendship forms between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, her compassion for his own recent heartbreak and a healthy dose of contempt for his estranged fiancée tempt her into helping him in a ruse engineered by his impudent cousin. Together, Elizabeth repels an unwanted suitor and Mr. Darcy endeavours to rekindle a romance with the woman who has forsaken him for a rakish and frivolous fortune hunter.

While Elizabeth refuses to repeat the heartbreaking mistakes of her past, and Mr. Darcy desperately clings to what once was, his friends and her own all wait with amusement and anticipation for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s feigned courtship to grow into something genuine. In the meantime, Lady Catherine has her own decided opinions to shout at Darcy, Charlotte - now Lady Parker - is intent on solving a minor mystery, Georgiana hides a dark secret while Richard seeks an heiress to woo, and Austen heroines Emma Knightley and Marianne Dashwood arrive in Sanditon to play their own roles in a romance that captivates all of Sanditon with one question: will they or won’t they?

I do love a good mash-up, and Ms Bamber NEVER disappoints! What trouble could Darcy and Elizabeth get up to in Sanditon? Lady Catherine and Lady Denham in the same seaside village? Sidney Parker the playboy? Yes, please!

Dig into this excerpt thoughtfully provided for us by the author!

***

The Tremont Hotel was a spectacular structure. Indeed, the entire village of Sanditon proved to be, as Georgiana had exclaimed, “Like something from a fairy tale!” She had persuaded her brother to fold down the collapsible hood of the barouche for the final length of their journey, and even Darcy could not deny that the picturesque coastal vista and the charming clifftop hamlet were among the finest scenery he had ever beheld. Darcy could feel the many worries that plagued his family dissipate, as if carried away on the bracing saline breeze. It was well worth appearing a little blowsy from their windswept arrival.

As they approached the chipper little village, the narrow dirt road that had wound through the gentle gills and open countryside now turned westward, giving way to Grand Avenue, a wide cobblestone thoroughfare lined with quaint shops on the north side of the street. On the southerly side, looking out on the tranquil sea, sat a row of townhouses freshly painted in cheerful pastels. Visible from a considerable distance, the Tremont Hotel perched atop a cliff at the end of the avenue, its stucco edifice drenched in sunlight.

It sat on a low rise, perhaps a dozen feet higher than the rest of the village, where the cliff extended southward, affording the four-storied palatial building incomparable ocean views. The peninsular site seemed to have been designed for the hotel, which rivalled the former glory of Pemberley in its harmony with its surroundings. As their open barouche reached the end of the avenue, the road forked. The northernmost path was a gravel track that led into wilder terrain; they took the short, southerly lane that brought them directly into the courtyard of the hotel, which towered over them on three sides, each stretching about a hundred feet wide.

They were not the only arrivals; several other carriages had queued in the massive courtyard, though Darcy had no objection to waiting. He exchanged a tranquil smile with his sister and then turned to observe his cousin, who was reclined in a leisurely and indecorous posture on the rear-facing bench. Richard slowly tilted his head upward, taking in the splendor of their destination, and let out an appreciative whistle.

The three made easy companions, and they observed their new surroundings in a comfortable silence that rendered the hustle and bustle around them a thing of unlikely beauty. The cry of seagulls floated on the breeze, the laughter and lively chatter of other guests echoed across the cobblestones, and the splashing of water in an ostentatious stone fountain at the center of the courtyard lulled Darcy into a serenity that was nearly optimistic.

One by one the other carriages made a slow circuit of the courtyard, coming to a stop before an ornate set of steps that led to the flower-adorned entrance. Footmen in the Prussian blue and cerulean livery of the hotel assisted guests out of their carriages and hauled in trunks and traveling cases, and then the carriages were driven off to the large stables across the road.

“Brother, look!” Georgiana pointed at the western side of the building. Near the center of the building was another grand entrance, and above it, etched into the stone above the wide double doors, were the words Sunset Ballroom. “How perfectly wonderful,” she exclaimed, giving a little clap of her hands. “Roberta says they have weekly assemblies – she helped me practice my steps when we were in London!”

As if in anticipation of Darcy’s distaste for dancing, Richard voiced his hearty approval. “My lady mother has reminded me of my duty to the family, which as you may imagine has always been ever-present in my thoughts – and so I shall not return to London without an heiress on my arm. Perhaps a ball or two might even help you woo your wayward lady, Darcy. You shall dance your way back into her good graces, and we shall all be excessively diverted.”

Darcy turned sharply toward his cousin, stunned by that turn of phrase which she so often used in her letters. When he managed to recover himself, Darcy could only agree that their time in Sanditon would be a fine thing for them all. He had no doubt of Richard’s ability to recommend himself to the fairer sex, nor of Georgiana’s capacity to shed the anguish and anxiety of the past two years and begin to blossom in preparation for her debut in society. And with the sun on his face and his environs so idyllic, Darcy was filled with a confidence in his own endeavors that he had not felt in far too long.

He maintained his sanguine self-assurance as they entered the hotel, leading his sister on his arm through the crowded lobby, while Richard ambled jauntily behind them. The foyer was elegant and expansive, and the excitement within was palpable. A handful of the guests were making their way up the prominent staircase just beyond the front entrance, while a few others demanded the attention of the concierge, and a great many simply milled about in conversation, their voices carrying on the marble floors.

Darcy hesitated for but a moment as his face resumed the inscrutable mask that had always served him so well in society. Knowing his countenance revealed only the dignity of his station, and nothing of his true sentiments, Darcy took another step forward. The crowd of people shifted, fortuitously clearing a path for him to the large oak desk at the back of the room. A woman wearing the same shade of blue as the liveried footmen stood behind the desk, a few wisps of dark hair falling loose as she skimmed through several ledgers laid open before her.

She looked up, her fine grey eyes landing on Darcy with startling intensity. Her lips twitched upward as her gaze lingered on him and she nodded slowly, making a subtle gesture to summon him toward her. Darcy’s arm fell away from Georgiana as he strode forward, fixated on the buxom beauty that beckoned to him. He stopped a few feet from the desk and bowed; she dipped into the barest of curtseys before staring expectantly at him, mirth and a trace of recognition in her beguiling countenance.

Her lips parted and then pressed together again as a lovely tinge of pink shaded her cheeks. She ran an ungloved finger over one of the ledgers, finally dropping her gaze for a moment. “Your name, sir?”

“Mr. Darcy?” The voice was not his own, for he had hesitated once more, instinctively searching for someone who could perform the introduction. Fortunately, a plump woman of about thirty, who might have been plain but for the look of supreme contentment on her visage, had joined the siren he now realized was an employee of the hotel.

Darcy nodded and gave another bow. “Fitzwilliam Darcy at your service, madam.”

“Lady Parker of Trafalgar House – but I was Miss Charlotte Lucas when you met Miss Bennet and myself in Hertfordshire.” Lady Parker shared a significant look with Miss Bennet, missing the twinge of distaste that tugged at his upper lip at the mention of that name – Parker.

Miss Bennet furrowed her brows for a moment, smiling as if amused by her own confusion. “Forgive me, I – I am much occupied by the influx of guests this morning.”

Lady Parker grinned wolfishly. “Mr. Darcy accompanied Mr. Bingley to an assembly, though he was not inclined to dance – if I am not mistaken.”

Darcy searched his memory. Of course he recalled accompanying Bingley when his friend took possession of a charming manor in the country – it was where Bingley had met his wife, if his memory served him. But that visit had been curtailed by a series of calamities that had not yet ceased to confound Darcy, and he could recollect nothing further. Miss Bennet, on the other hand, appeared inexplicably alarmed. She drew in a sharp breath, her rosy lips parted in a perfect o.

“Yes, I remember. Well, Mr. Darcy, though you are a friend of my brother by marriage, I regret I must inform you that I do not see any reservations in your name, and we have no rooms to spare at present.”

Mr. Darcy’s companions moved closer to the desk, and the plain but pleasant gentleman in regimentals swept his gaze over one of Elizabeth’s ledgers before looking at her with a mischievous smirk. “Perhaps the reservation is under my name? Mr. Samuel Spencer.”

“Mr. Spencer, the acclaimed dancing master from London?” Elizabeth saw through his ruse but was nonetheless diverted by his manner of attempting it.

The officer performed a few steps of an improvised jig before spinning about with a flourish and sweeping into a bow. His companions winced as he smiled ruefully and shook his head with defeat. “Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam at your service, Miss Bennet. It was thoughtless of us not to make arrangements prior to travelling. My cousins have been beset by a series of calamities; there was a fire at their family estate in March, and they have not recovered from their mental distraction – hence our journey to this charming oasis.”

Elizabeth did not sense that this was another attempt to deceive her, for Mr. Darcy tugged at his cousin’s elbow, jerking him away from the desk with a look of reproach. The proud man who would not deign to dance with young ladies who were slighted by other men would certainly not wish his private travails blurted out to a near stranger.

Miss Darcy smiled at Elizabeth as the two gentlemen appeared to be arguing in hushed whispers behind her. “I beg your pardon, but surely you must be the same Miss Bennet I have heard of from Mrs. Bingley.”

Elizabeth inclined her head with a gentle laugh. “How fortunate that whatever you have heard of me has been said by an angel who has never found fault with anyone in the course of her life. When did you meet Jane?”

“I believe you were travelling with relations when we visited Netherfield last September.”

“I was here, as it happens. My aunt was in delicate health.” Elizabeth’s smile shuttered, and she turned around to Charlotte, only to find that her friend was no longer standing beside her.

The young woman who had been adulating Sir Sidney Parker since she had arrived in Sanditon a week prior approached the desk, her face pinched and her chin in the air. “I require some assistance at once.”

Mr. Darcy drew in a sharp breath. “Anne.”

Elizabeth was struck by the awkwardness of the encounter taking place on the other side of her desk. Mr. Darcy bowed stiffly to Miss de Bourgh, and though his posture was tense, his expression betrayed a surprising measure of passion.

Miss de Bourgh took a step back from Mr. Darcy and nodded curtly. “I am astonished to see you, Cousin.”

Miss Darcy stepped forward as if to shield her brother. “It is our custom to visit the seaside every summer, and Roberta painted such a pretty picture of Sanditon that I was mad to see the place for myself.”

Miss de Bourgh’s eyes widened and her nostrils flared. “I may as well have copied out my letters to her and distributed them about London.”

“It seems you have, for all of London society appears to have pursued you,” Mr. Darcy replied, taking a few slow steps toward his cousin. “One might suppose the company of a certain gentleman to be sorely lacking when not surrounded by half the ton.”

“I have no wish to be pursued by anybody from London, though I am impressed by how many fashionable friends have accepted Sir Sidney’s invitation to join us for a season of revelry. I shall reach my majority at the end of the summer, and that is certainly cause for celebration.” Miss de Bourgh turned sharply away from Mr. Darcy and addressed Elizabeth. “My mother and I require immediate assistance.”

Elizabeth clenched the edge of her desk; the mother was a horrifying harridan. What a lark, Elizabeth had thought when she had first seen the name Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the register – she had imagined her cousin’s noble patroness arriving with the fanfare of a queen, her groveling parson in tow. Mr. Collins had, to Elizabeth’s infinite relief, not accompanied the great lady, but the fanfare seemed a definite requirement for her ladyship.

Lady Catherine was sweeping through the lobby even now, fairly dragging an obstinate spaniel on a velvet leash. The other guests parted to make way for her, many of them wincing at the shrill yapping of the animal. The dowager came to stand imperiously in front of the desk, and she snapped her fingers at Elizabeth. “This creature has made a beastly mess in our suite and requires an excursion out of doors at once.”

Elizabeth sneezed and took several steps backward at almost the same instant as Mr. Darcy had the same reaction. They exchanged a look of commiseration before Lady Catherine turned her attention to her relations. “Darcy, thank Heaven you are here! Richard, Georgiana, you are both looking exceedingly well.”

The uneasy trio all offered their aunt a tepid greeting, and then she waved them away before rounding on Elizabeth again. “Well?” Lady Catherine extended the leash to Elizabeth as if expecting her to personally attend to the ungovernable ball of fluff that had begun to chew on one corner of Elizabeth’s desk.

Before Elizabeth could say anything, Mr. Connors the concierge had materialized at her side. He made it his personal mission to ensure that none of the guests of the hotel ever showed Elizabeth the slightest incivility, though on such occasions she was disappointed to be denied the delights of observing the outrageous ways that people behaved when away from home. At present, this was not at all the case, and she smiled her thanks at the fastidious concierge.

“Your Ladyship, I have such a fondness for spaniels, so regal, so utterly endearing. I beg you would allow me to personally attend to the darling creature’s needs at once. Miss Bennet is her uncle’s right hand – she surely cannot be spared. Come to me, little pineapple.” Mr. Connors, a man of tremendous dignity and little charm, had leaned over until his face was inches from the dog, and began to offer it kisses as he addressed the creature in a voice chiefly used to soothe infants.

“Thank you, sir. As Miss Bennet is apparently to be shackled to her desk, my mother and I are exceedingly grateful to you.” Miss de Bourgh sent Elizabeth a withering glare over her shoulder before thrusting her pet at Mr. Connors and then strolling away.

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief as Miss de Bourgh ushered her onerous mother away in rather the same style as Mr. Connors led the ill-mannered spaniel toward the terrace. She had not entirely composed herself, however, for as she began to address Mr. Darcy and his companions, she instead burst out laughing. “Gracious, the looks on your faces!” Mr. Darcy was redder in the face than anybody she had ever beheld, his sister tittered nervously, her eyes shining with unspoken japes, and the colonel threw back his head with an unfettered guffaw.

When they had all managed to becalm themselves, Elizabeth offered a conciliatory smile. “I apologize; I fear I have rather vexed your relations.” Elizabeth pressed her lips together before any further impertinence could escape her mouth.

“Anne will forgive you with pleasure when she hears you have turned us away. It was only last week that she was the one to dismiss poor Darcy, and so you have more in common than the acquaintance of that preposterous little parson.” The colonel gave a roguish waggle of his eyebrows, but Mr. Darcy looked stricken.

Something tightened in Elizabeth’s chest as she recognized the subtle symptoms of heartbreak about him. He watched Miss de Bourgh from afar with profound sadness. “I have not dismissed you by any means, though if you no longer wish to remain at the Tremont, I should hardly blame you for it.”

Mr. Darcy inclined his head. “Thank you, Miss Bennet. I should be most obliged if you could recommend any passable lodgings that could accommodate us on short notice, until a suitable suite of rooms becomes available here at the Tremont.”

Elizabeth was momentarily surprised that Mr. Darcy would wish to stay at the same hotel as the woman who had forsaken him, but as she studied his earnest countenance, she began to understand. Mr. Darcy had apparently come to Sanditon to win her back.

Elizabeth smiled. She may yet have the pleasure of seeing the man who had once publicly insulted her experience an even more public and painful sort of mortification – or better still, she might do a great service for someone as lovelorn as she was. She pulled open the second drawer of the desk and retrieved a key that was not like any of the others she had handed out that day. “I have just had a stroke of tremendous inspiration. Please, follow me.”

I can hear the ocean calling now!

I have the advantage of you all, Dear Readers, for I have enjoyed an advance copy of "Preference & Neglect!" Read my thoughts on the upcoming volume below:

Five Glorious Stars for Jayne Bamber’s “Preference & Neglect!”

Jayne Bamber has once again proven herself The Comedienne of JAFF with this laugh-out-loud, heart-tugging, utterly irresistible variation of Pride and Prejudice. From the very first page, the wit sparkles and the charm crackles, weaving a tale that is at once hilarious, romantic, and deeply satisfying.

In this clever reimagining, Elizabeth Bennet—reeling from grief and heartbreak—unexpectedly finds solace in a most unusual way: writing romantic letters to a mysterious gentleman on behalf of another lady who finds herself incapable of the task. Her anonymous correspondence sets off a beautiful slow-burn love story… until it is eventually cut short. What follows when Fitzwilliam Darcy arrives in Sanditon is a series of twists, revelations, and more laughs than one would think possible when Lady Catherine is on the warpath.

Bamber’s depiction of Anne de Bourgh is a revelation—no longer the sickly shadow of her mother’s will, but a woman with a flair for drama and terrible taste in men, particularly one “Sir Sidney Parker,” whose rakish absurdity steals every scene he stumbles into, usually half-soused and wholly inappropriate.

The story's true brilliance lies in the delightful collision of Austen worlds, as Sanditon’s vibrant setting provides the perfect stage for misunderstandings, schemes, mock courtships, and heartfelt growth. Darcy and Elizabeth’s rekindled romance is full of tension and yearning, made all the more compelling by Lady Catherine’s blackmail, a tangle of family secrets, and the delicious chaos swirling around them.

Georgiana and Colonel Fitzwilliam shine as matchmakers with impeccable timing and warm hearts, and the entire cast is so well-drawn and entertaining that you won’t want to leave Sanditon behind.

Jayne Bamber’s world-building is top-notch, her character development sublime, and there is—without question—a laugh on every single page. This is a Pride and Prejudice Variation that doesn’t just retell the tale, it reinvents it with zest and audacity, while keeping the soul of Austen’s beloved characters intact.

If you’re looking for romance, humor, a few well-placed scandals, and a love story that will leave you grinning from ear to ear, this is the book for you. Brava, Jayne Bamber—this one is truly a triumph!

-Caroline Cartier

Best Selling Author of "Not Without Affection"

About the Author:

Jayne Bamber is a life-long Austen fan, and a total sucker for costume dramas. Jayne read her first Austen variation as a teenager and has spent more than a decade devouring as many of them as she can. This of course has led her to the ultimate conclusion of her addiction, writing one herself.

Jayne’s favorite Austen work is Sense and Sensibility, though Sanditon is a strong second. Despite her love for Pride and Prejudice, Jayne realizes that she is no Lizzy Bennet, and is in fact growing up to be Mrs. Bennet more and more each day.

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