From Mei:

Title: A Prudent Motive
Fandom: Pride and Prejudice
Pairing: Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy, other canon pairings
Category: AU, romance
Length: epic
Warnings: none

Author on LJ: n/a
Author's website: n/a

Author's Summary: Elizabeth puts her feelings aside and responds, instead, out of prudence, when she accepts Mr. Darcy's Hunsford proposal. After their engagement, Elizabeth begins to find herself drawn to Mr. Darcy, but his pride and condescending attitude still disturb her.

Review:
I've never read any "Pride and Prejudice" fanfics in the past because I felt no one could possibly write better regency romance novels than Jane Austen. While that sentiment remains true, this story has proven to be an enjoyable read.

Jane Austen created an Elizabeth Bennet that was intriguing to readers of the early 1800s because this Elizabeth was capable of doing something that was inconceivable and, frankly, quite impossible for the time period: she rejected the marriage proposal of a highly desirable gentleman with all the right connections. However, if we look at this today, any sensible young women would most likely reject a man that insults her family and really has nothing to recommend himself other than his large fortune. In truth, the 'OMG you're so poor, your family disgusts me, and all my friends/relatives would make fun of me if they saw us together, but you're hot and kind of smart, so please marry me' would probably warrant a few slaps and a hot coffee down his head and undoubtedly very expansive suit.

On the contrary, Malini's Elizabeth captures the interest of readers of today's world by actually accepting Darcy's marriage proposal. Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship develops slowly after their wedding and she eventually grows to love him deeply (and he her).

In a world where people are free to love whomever they choose, true love (at least ones of the long-lasting variety) is still hard to come by. I think there's a certain Romanticism that people today associate with arranged marriages and/or marriages of convenience, partially because most people have been burnt at least once by a failed relationship. 'Just because you can choose your partner freely, it doesn't mean you'll end up any happier' is a pessimistic way of looking at it, though I wouldn't trade this freedom for anything else.

Malini's writing is smooth and gentle. Elizabeth and Darcy stay very much in character, and Georgiana is just a darling. Seriously, no in-laws and a new sister that worships her; Elizabeth has struck gold! And she manages to battle Wickham and save the Darcy (and most importantly, Georgiana's) name in between managing three households.

A Prudent Motive