It Was A Disastrous Proposal...

A New Mary Alice Alexander JAFF Release

Exciting news for Jane Austen Fan Fiction readers!

In our last JAFF (Jane Austen Fan Fiction) post with librarian turned author Heather Moll, I did a poll that asked how many of you read JAFF.

Here were the results.

Have you read any Jane Austen fan fiction?

❤️Yes. I love them!

43%

🫣No. They aren't for me.

4%

✨Not yet, but I'm intrigued.

53%

I was so excited to see so many of you read them, or are intrigued to check them out!

Since we are most definitely NOT strangers here, and I can talk with just about anyone/anywhere… I have news!

There is new release today from JAFF author Mary Alice Alexander.

Here’s a bit about Mary…

Mary Alice Alexander is the pen name of a bibliophile, writer, gardener, and traveler from Boston's north shore and Portland Maine. She spent decades escaping the practice of law by reading and writing voraciously. She enjoys travel and gardening and is an excellent walker. She is the mother of six delightful adults and married to the most patient man in the universe.

I can confirm Mary is the sweetest and had a love for writing and bring Austen’s stories to life in new ways.

💌Here’s a little note from her about her own introduction to Austen what made her start writing JAFF.

My first encounter with Pride and Prejudice at age twelve left me baffled. All these people seemed to do was pay calls and stroll to town—where was the story? It wasn’t until years later that the genius of Austen’s social commentary clicked into place. While most other classics from my youth faded like old photographs, Jane Austen’s works endured in my memory, their wit and insight lingering like a familiar melody.

Forty years in family law taught me more about human nature than any advanced degree ever could. I witnessed marriages crumble and custody battles rage, each case a testament to life’s complexity in all its messy, heartbreaking glory. The emotional weight of my work, combined with raising six children, drove me to seek solace in fiction. At first, mysteries seemed perfect—unlike real life, they promised tidy resolutions. But soon, their violence and darkness felt too reminiscent of the battles I faced in the courtroom.

Then, in 2003, tucked away in the public library’s stacks, I discovered An Assembly Such as This. That chance encounter sparked an obsession that has kept me up at night ever since. As COVID banished us from courtrooms, I finally dared to cross the line from reader to writer. The journey has been halting, filled with self-doubt, but the stories demanded their due. They refused to stay silent.

My years in family law taught me that love stories are about character revealed in crisis, and I’ve witnessed enough crises to fill a library. Those moments—raw, tender, and often heartbreaking—became the clay from which I mold my fictional worlds. Every case file held a hundred possible stories, universal and timeless, waiting to be told.

Spinning life into something new, something that speaks to the messy, beautiful truth of human connection, inspires me. The stories may begin as wisps, fragile and fleeting, but they anchor me to this second act of life, where I’m finally writing the narratives I’ve longed to tell. In this act, I’ve found not just escape, but purpose—a way to weave the threads of my experiences into tales that resonate with the enduring complexities of the human heart.

Mary Alice Alexander

Now for the story…

Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy's paths diverged after a disastrous proposal, leaving them both heartbroken and alone. As the years passed, they carried the weight of their regrets and unfulfilled love. Each believes the other is lost to them and navigates life alone.

Believing Elizabeth wed, Darcy struggles to find a purpose in life Elizabeth, still a handsome woman, evades the attentions of men who can never measure up to the man she rejected.

When fate at last brings them together again, their feelings have only deepened with time. But can they overcome the ghosts of their past and the misunderstandings that threaten to keep them apart?

Elizabeth and Darcy face family obligations, societal expectations, and their own fears to find their way back to each other.

In this moving Pride and Prejudice variation, Jane Austen's beloved characters prove that true love is worth the wait, and that it is never too late for a second chance at happiness.

📖Download your copy HERE or read it in Kindle Unlimited.

I think this one will excited those of you who loved

Emma Hemingford

’s guest post earlier this week about romance tropes. Second-chance romances seemed to be a favorite!

Check out the post…

5 Romance Plotlines, Ranked from Most Unrealistic to Most Authentic

* for every upgraded membership, I will be donating a historical fiction or romance book to a local women’s shelter. Want to choose what book is donated? Just send me a message after you subscribe.

The Literary Assistant is Reader-Supported! Thank you so much for being part of this community! If you love the recommendations and would like to show your support, it means the world to me—THANK YOU! 💛

Please note, all posts are free for everyone to enjoy. Your support helps keep this space thriving for book lovers like you! 😊 You can support this space for only $5 a month.