Pride & Prejudice Book Club Podcast

Author Interview: Summer Hanford

This week on the Pride and Prejudice Book Club, we’re thrilled to welcome our new co-host Sharon Cortez as she joins the podcast for an interview with author Summer Hanford! If you’ve devoured The Bennett Gang Duology and Mr. Darcy’s Bookshop, you already know Summer’s work is delightfully creative and full of heart.
We chat about everything from her writing origins (in a surprise twist, she did NOT always love Jane Austen!) to her development process with longtime collaborator Renata McMann. Summer also teases three wildly different upcoming projects: one swashbuckling, one magical, and one including unexpected guests at Longbourn. Plus, we get a behind-the-scenes look at JAFFCon, the Jane Austen Fanfiction conference being held in November, and hear what it's like having her words brought to life by legendary narrators Stevie Zimmerman and Benjamin Fife.
It’s a discussion that reminds us why we keep returning to this world, and offers a rare peek behind the curtain at how JAFF authors like Summer build the stories we love to share as a community.Enjoy!Links 🔗: 
JAFFCon: https://jaffwriterreadergettogether.org/Books by Summer Hanford: https://amzn.to/4kjBJRE
🎵 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!

Gentlemen of Honor - By Summer Hanford

We’re diving back into the world of Summer Hanford’s Bennet Gang Duology with Gentleman of Honor, the second and final installment in this imaginative Pride and Prejudice variation. 
The overall feel of this book was different from the first, with a greater emphasis on Lydia's perspective and some mustache-twirling villains causing mayhem for our band of bandits. But it also wrestled with some difficult questions, such as "What do you do if the one you love is living a lie? A BIG LIE?" 
This book may not have captivated us quite like book one, but it still brought intrigue, action, and character development that kept us turning pages. Aaaaand...some swoon-worthy moments with Darcy and Elizabeth (and that's really what we're here for, right?)
🎵 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!

Dishonorable Gentlemen - By Summer Hanford

We are absolutely buzzing after diving into Dishonorable Gentlemen, the electrifying opener to Summer Hanford’s Bennett Gang Duology, and we can't wait to bring you along!
Without giving too much away, we’ll admit: we were hooked early. The story kicks off with highway robbery (literally) as Hanford reimagines the Bennett sisters as Robin Hood-like figures with some surprising talents and a desire to bring justice to the people of Hertfordshire.
With simmering tension between Darcy and Elizabeth, and a Mr. Collins more fun to despise than ever, this story goes full-throttle from beginning to end! 
If you’re drawn to Austen retellings that balance adventure with character depth, and you love seeing how familiar faces respond to fresh challenges, this is one you’ll want to experience for yourself.
Tune in for our full take on Book 1, then join us next week when we dive into Gentleman of Honor!
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🎵 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!

Her Charms to Recommend Her - By Mary Smythe

What if Pride and Prejudice had a touch of magic…and a lot fewer pages?
This week, we dive into Her Charms To Recommend Her by Mary Smythe—a delightfully short reimagining where women wield magic in the form of charms, and men help amplify them. Elizabeth’s ability to grow flowers in her hair seems laughable…until it’s not. And Caroline Bingley? Let’s just say her magically produced perfume smells suspicious.
We unpack the charm-based society, explore the romantic and magical chemistry between Elizabeth and Darcy, and reflect on how partnership can amplify our strengths—both magically and in real life. We also share some (unsurprising) empathy for Caroline and the outsized consequences she faces for simply doing what society told her she should do.
If you're looking for a quick, clever read to kick off your summer, this episode is for you!
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🎵 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!

Pirates and Prejudice - By Kara Louise

Set sail with us, Book Clubbers! This week we’re talking Pirates and Prejudice by Kara Louise, a swashbuckling Austen variation that is exactly as bonkers as the title suggests. We’ve got Darcy going full emo post-rejection, Elizabeth getting stranded on an island, a wildly convoluted pirate impersonation plot, and yes…plenty of over-the-top swashbuckling pirate antics!
We had a lot of fun unpacking this intentionally silly, trope-heavy adventure, even if the only thing really Austen about it is the names. Along the way, we chat about the limits of leadership (does being a good landowner qualify you to captain a ship?), the question of whether men and women can be “just friends,” and the difference between regret and curiosity when we look back at our life choices.
This book might not be packed with depth, but it gave us plenty to talk about! So grab your eyepatch and suspend your disbelief—this is going to be fun!
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🎵 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!

More Than You Know - By Jennifer Altman

It’s hard to surprise us with a book premise, but this week’s story pulled it off!
We’re discussing More Than You Know by Jennifer Altman, a Pride and Prejudice variation with a twist we’ve never seen before: Elizabeth is paired with Bingley (!!), and Darcy is hiding a mysterious secret that had us eagerly turning the pages. The setup felt fresh and full of promise, and honestly, that kind of originality is getting harder to come by 😜
But oh, Darcy. Even with a sympathetic backstory, his relentless stubbornness in the second half of the book really wore on us. We unpack what worked, what left us a little frustrated, and what felt emotionally authentic for the character.
Plus, a brief detour into Sense and Sensibility, where Emilie’s teenage daughter challenges the moral integrity of Edward Ferrars (and… we might just have to agree with her).
🎵 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!

Done For The Best - By Amy D'Orazio

Is it ever okay to lie to "protect" someone? That’s the big question we wrestle with this week as we dive into Amy D’Orazio’s Done for the Best. In this Pride and Prejudice variation, Darcy makes a very bold choice: after Elizabeth loses her memory, he lets her believe they’re engaged—even though they’re not. Cue all the ethical dilemmas. Was it selfless? Was it selfish? And is “done for the best” ever really a good enough excuse?
Along the way, we veer into real-life relationship territory—when is omission just privacy, and when is it actually deception? Emilie shares her personal litmus test for honesty (kind, true, and necessary), while Alicia opens up about the tricky gray areas of trust and how much we really owe people in terms of full disclosure. We also dive into the awkward social minefield of pregnancy etiquette (please don’t ask unless you know), reflect on maternal instinct versus medical advice, and detour through ’90s movie nostalgia, featuring everything from While You Were Sleeping to Flubber. Turns out, memory loss isn’t the only thing that’s complicated.
🎵 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!

Author Interview: Elizabeth Adams on Sons of Pemberley

We couldn’t wait to welcome Elizabeth Adams back for her third visit to the podcast, and trust us—she did not disappoint! This time, we dive deep into her epic reimagining Sons of Pemberley, a richly layered story that explores what might have happened if Lady Anne Darcy had survived. Spoiler: everything changes.
In this conversation, we cover everything from character arcs and alternate timelines to the surprising ways a book can take on a life of its own. Emilie and Elizabeth swap insights about Lady Anne’s transformation into the emotional center of the story, Lady Maryanne’s unexpected emergence as a featured character, and how friendship, adoption, and beauty are intricately woven throughout the narrative. There’s also a healthy dose of behind-the-scenes author talk—deleted scenes, writing during toddler nap times, and the pressures of crafting a dual-timeline novel with dozens of characters.
Whether you’ve read Sons of Pemberley once or five times, you’ll love this peek into the heart and mind behind the story. And if you haven’t read it yet… consider this your sign!
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🎵 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!

Sons of Pemberley - By Elizabeth Adams

In this episode of The Pride and Prejudice Book Club, we dive into Elizabeth Adams’ sweeping alternate universe tale, Sons of Pemberley. This rich reimagining had us reflecting on everything from the impact of childhood relationships to the quieter tragedies and triumphs of our lives.
We loved discussing the novel’s unique premise—what if Lady Anne Darcy never died? That single change creates an entire cast of new and altered characters, and a world where Darcy doesn’t arrive at Netherfield alone but with a whole crew of siblings, cousins, and childhood friends. While Darcy and Elizabeth are still at the heart of the story, the emotional center here belongs to Lady Anne and George Darcy, whose heartbreaking and beautifully written love story had us both tearing up more than once.
We explored how the book's flashbacks added depth and poignancy, particularly through themes of grief, partnership, and the complicated bonds of family. While we wanted more from some characters’ arcs, there’s no denying how much we appreciated the attention to emotional realism and generational influence.
And yes, we also went on a few tangents—this is us, after all! Superhero fatigue, cousin dynamics, the eternal quest for more stories about happily married people working through real issues... it’s all in there. Join us as we reflect on the joys of slow-burn stories, emotionally intelligent writing, and the power of a well-drawn supporting cast.
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🎵 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!

Pride & Prejudice (2005) – 20th Anniversary Special

Book Clubbers, we have a very special treat for you this week! We had the distinct pleasure of seeing the 20th Anniversary re-release of Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice (2005), starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen — and we were so excited afterward that we immediately recorded our thoughts right there in the car (please excuse the less-than-perfect sound quality!).
We talk about the moments that we still love, and get a little nitpicky about some of the choices that were made, but at the end of the day, our love for this adaptation holds strong. Pride and Prejudice forever ❤️
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🎵 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!