Title: First Impressions by Elizabeth
Fandom: Pride and Prejudice
Pairing: Henry Bennet/Catherine Darcy (i.e. Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy)
Categories: AU, Genderswitch, Romance
Length: Long
Warnings: n/a

Author on LJ: n/a
Website: n/a

Review:
When Henry Bennet, only son and heir to an eccentric country squire, crosses paths with Catherine Darcy of Pemberley, she publicly insults him and runs interference in his sister's romance. Naturally, proposals, matchmaking messes, an elopement, an abundance of mixed signals, and massive misunderstandings ensue.

I’ve always been hesitant to rec a “Pride and Prejudice” fic because it seems like there’s a very fine line between people absolutely loving them and people absolutely hating them. Having said that, this fic is just too good to resist sharing. Based in a universe where Darcy and Elizabeth’s genders are turned on their heads, this fic manages to be well-written and delightfully executed, with the author using every bit of her artistic license to keep things fresh, fun, and interesting. Which is no small feat considering how many and varied the stories in this particular fandom and with this particular pairing can be.

Though there are many enjoyable aspects of this fic, fabulous characterization chief among them, the one thing that really stands out to me is that, though their genders are reversed and, due to necessity, a few key elements are changed, the story is, at its heart, essentially the same one we know and love. That means there’s still the villainous Wickham, the ever popular proposal scene, and more misunderstandings and pride than you can shake a stick at. Despite the fact that some readers might balk at the idea of reading this, I definitely recommend it to those of you who are willing to take a chance on this new version of Miss Darcy and Mr Bennet.

First Impressions