What if Elizabeth Bennet disguised herself as a boy—and Mr Darcy hired her as his assistant, only to discover the truth when they were already at sea?

A sweeping, slow-burn Pride & Prejudice variation with secret identity, forced proximity, and a fake marriage, set against real 1811 history—ending in a hard-won happily ever after.

Elizabeth Bennet never meant to leave Hertfordshire, let alone England.
But after she refuses Mr Collins, her mother’s cruelty becomes unbearable and Elizabeth cuts her hair, borrows a boy’s coat, and slips into a world where a single mistake can become scandal.

She tells herself it is only for a short while. Long enough to set things right.

It might even have worked… if she hadn’t met Mr Darcy.

Fitzwilliam Darcy is travelling on business with no patience for mischief or masquerades.
Yet far from home, he finds himself responsible for a stubborn “young man” with sharp opinions, fine manners, and a talent for trouble.

One misstep becomes scandal, and scandal demands a solution. Suddenly, Elizabeth and Darcy must pass as married aboard a steamboat on the Mississippi.

As the Great Comet of 1811 burns bright and earthquakes ripple through the valley, danger closes in from every side, and keeping feelings “proper” becomes the hardest part of all.

If Elizabeth is unmasked, she is ruined. If Darcy follows his heart, he risks far more than pride.

A Mortal Heart’s Desire is a standalone novel in The Austenesque Collection. A sweeping, adventure-tinged Pride and Prejudice variation set against real history, where survival, reputation, and love all hang in the balance.
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Praise for A Mortal Heart’s Desire:

★★★★★ “I’ve read more variations than I can count and this really had an intriguing story and a wonderful background. E&D are very much in character… A lovely slow-burn.”

★★★★★ “This was a well-researched, well-written, romantic romp from England to America.”

★★★★★ “This excellent standalone novel integrates everything we love about P&P with well-researched historic events… an engaging and entertaining narrative that I couldn’t put down.”

★★★★★ “I love the historical facts of astronomy, geology, and scientific invention that have been woven into a story that never stops and never disappoints.”

★★★★★ “I loved the way Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship grew in this one.”

★★★★★ “I loved this version… incorporating true historical events and taking them away from England”

★★★★★ “Pluck ODC out of their context and circumstances, drop them on a steamboat on the Mississippi… and see what happens!”