Four and a half stars. This was a truly delightful collection of short stories based in the world of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and also with hints of Emma and Northanger Abbey as well. (More on that in a bit.) Any Austen fan would enjoy this, as each story takes us to a different part of the tale, from a different pair of eyes.

My favorites were "Captivating Mr. Darcy," which painted Caroline Bingley in a different light than I'd considered before, "A Heliotrope Ribbon," giving us a look at exactly what happened between Lydia and Wickham at Brighton, and "Pride and Perjury," which tells us about Mr. Elton's time in Bath. There were a few I liked less than others, but on the whole they were enjoyable.

What I liked best about this collection was the way the author wove the characters of Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Northanger Abbey were woven into each other's stories. It wasn't heavily done; in fact, I would have liked to see more of it. It's fascinating to think of Austen's best characters crossing paths this way. Hopefully there'll be more stories in the future. ( )

1. The Housekeeper's Tale - Mrs Hill's view of Pride and Prejudice.
2. One Good Sonnet - (from the diaries of Mr Paul Perkins) - Perkins meets a 15 year old Jane Bennet while she resides in town.
3. Valentine's Day at the Bennets - Kitty and Lydia concoct a scheme so that they and their sisters receive their first Valentine. What could go wrong?
4. Captivating Mr Darcy - (from the diaries of Caroline Bingley) - She realises she actually loves Darcy, and Louise gives her a plan to capture his interest.
5. All Hallows' Eve at the Bennets- Will Lydia see her future husband in the mirror.
6. The Bennet Girls Easter Bonnet - It's Lent and Lydia is bored at Longbourn, while Elizabeth is visiting Hunsford.
7. A Heliotrope Ribbon - Lydia at Brighton.
8. Lady Catherine Regrets - What will Lady Catherine do when she hears about Darcy and Elizabeth.
9. Of Tact and Tactics - Anne de Bourgh is staying in town, but will she finally find a husband.
10. Mary Rose - Newly married Knightley reads his diary from when he was 19 and the estate had a parlour maid named Mary Rose.
11. A Highbury Christmas - Mr Perry, Apothecary is a good mimic.
12. Pride and Perjury - Elton is in Bath and meets Miss Augusta Hawkins but also Miss Caroline Bingley.
Twelve delightful and well-written short story variations mainly based on Pride and Prejudice, though with three based on Emma written mostly from the point of view of the more minor characters of the books. ( )