If You Loved Pride & Prejudice: Regency Reads
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- Pride and Prejudice was published by T. Egerton in January 1813 and has remained continuously in print for 212 years.
- Abigail Reynolds published Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World through Sourcebooks Landmark in 2010, launching the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series.
- Jennifer Paynter's 2012 novel The Forgotten Sister reimagines Pride and Prejudice from middle sister Mary Bennet's perspective.
- Ella Quinn's The Seduction of Lady Phoebe (2013) is the first book in The Marriage Game series, set during the 1814 London Season.
- Gayle Callen's In Pursuit of a Scandalous Lady (2010) is book one of the Scandalous Lady series, a Regency romance about inherited secrets and high-society scandal.
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World — Abigail Reynolds
The OG Darcy POV retelling, and still the best if you've ever wondered what was going through his head during that first disastrous proposal.
Abigail Reynolds didn't invent the Austen variation, but she perfected the Darcy-perspective retelling when she published this in 2010. Every agonising moment of Pride and Prejudice gets reframed through Darcy's internal monologue — the Meryton assembly, the Netherfield ball, that train-wreck proposal at Hunsford — and Reynolds nails the voice. He's prideful, yes, but also bewildered by his own feelings and terrible at reading social cues. If you've ever wanted to watch a man slowly realise he's been an idiot, this is your book. The paperback copies floating through Sydney's preloved circuit tend to be Sourcebooks Landmark editions with creased spines and reader annotations in the margins — proof that this one gets reread. Explore our current copy of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World. Browse more Romance books at Patina.
The Darcys of Derbyshire — Abigail Reynolds
A "what if Elizabeth met Darcy under completely different circumstances" AU that rewrites their entire courtship from scratch.
Reynolds loves a structural experiment, and The Darcys of Derbyshire is her cleanest: strip away the Meryton prejudice, the Wickham drama, the meddling Caroline Bingley, and start fresh with Elizabeth visiting Pemberley under entirely different social conditions. The result is a romance that feels both familiar and genuinely surprising — the chemistry is still there, but the obstacles are new. This one appeals to Austen completists who've read Pride and Prejudice so many times they can recite the proposal scenes and need a genuinely fresh angle. White Soup Press published most of Reynolds's later variations, and the paperbacks hold up well. The foxing on older copies gives them that "found in a country-house library" aesthetic. Explore our current copy of The Darcys of Derbyshire. Browse more Romance books at Patina.
Mary Bennet — Jennifer Paynter
The middle-sister redemption arc Austen never gave her — Mary gets wit, agency, and a love interest who actually appreciates her bookishness.
Jane Austen sidelined Mary Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, making her the punchline every time she opened her mouth or sat down at the pianoforte. Jennifer Paynter's 2012 novel The Forgotten Sister (published in Australia under the title Mary Bennet) gives her the character development she deserved. Paynter keeps Mary's moral seriousness and love of Fordyce's Sermons but makes her observant, wryly funny, and capable of growth. The romance subplot is slow-burn and refreshingly grounded — no rakes or scandal, just two intelligent people realising they're well-matched. If you've ever felt like the overlooked middle sibling in your own family, this one will hit. The Australian editions are easier to find secondhand than the UK printings. Explore our current copy of Mary Bennet. Browse more Romance books at Patina.
In Pursuit of a Scandalous Lady — Gayle Callen
A Regency original (not an Austen retelling) where the heroine inherits a scandal she didn't create and the hero is annoyingly determined to solve it.
Gayle Callen's 2010 series opener isn't derivative — it's a straight-up Regency romance that leans into the genre's best tropes. The scandalous lady in question has a mysterious letter, a dead husband, and a reputation in tatters; the hero is the sort of honourable busybody who can't leave a puzzle alone. Callen writes sharp banter and knows how to pace a slow-burn attraction without stalling the plot. This is the book for readers who want the ballroom intrigue and class politics of Austen's world but don't need Elizabeth Bennet's ghost hovering over every scene. The mass-market paperback format makes these easy to toss in a bag for commutes — and the well-loved copies in circulation prove people do exactly that. Explore our current copy of In Pursuit of a Scandalous Lady. Browse more Romance books at Patina.
The Seduction of Lady Phoebe — Ella Quinn
Lady Phoebe swore off rakes after her disastrous first marriage; naturally, the next man who walks into her life is charming, wealthy, and maddeningly persistent.
Ella Quinn's 2013 series starter for The Marriage Game gives you everything a Regency romance should: a heroine with agency and a spine, a hero who respects both, and enough misunderstandings to keep the tension high without tipping into melodrama. Lady Phoebe is a widow raising her late husband's illegitimate children (already a more interesting setup than half the genre), and Marcus Finley is the marquis who falls for her despite — or because of — her refusal to play coy. Quinn writes women who make decisions and men who don't need to be "fixed," which is rarer than it should be. The Marriage Game series ran for multiple books, so if you fall for Quinn's voice, there's a whole backlist waiting. As of July 2026, Patina's romance collection includes several Quinn titles alongside the Austen variations. Explore our current copy of The Seduction of Lady Phoebe. Browse more Romance books at Patina.
If Pride and Prejudice was your gateway into Regency romance, these five titles are the next step — whether you want more Darcy, more Mary Bennet, or an entirely new cast navigating the same ballrooms and social minefields. All are currently in stock at Patina as preloved paperbacks, shipped from Sydney. Shop all Romance books at Patina Paperbacks →
Where can I buy secondhand Pride and Prejudice retellings in Sydney?
Patina Paperbacks stocks rotating preloved Austen variations and Regency romance, including Abigail Reynolds's Darcy POV series and Jennifer Paynter's Mary Bennet reimagining. We're an online bookshop based in Sydney, shipping Australia-wide — free over $29. As of July 2026, we've got 13,000+ secondhand titles, and the romance collection gets restocked weekly.
What's the difference between an Austen retelling and a Regency romance?
An Austen retelling directly rewrites or extends one of Jane Austen's novels — same characters, same 1811–1813 timeline, new perspective or plot twist. A Regency romance is set in the same historical period (roughly 1811–1820) but features original characters and storylines. Both lean on the same social conventions — balls, drawing rooms, marriage-market intrigue — but retellings are in explicit conversation with Austen's text, while Regency originals just borrow the setting.
Which Abigail Reynolds book should I start with if I've never read an Austen variation?
Honestly, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World is the safest entry point — it follows Pride and Prejudice's plot beat-for-beat but from Darcy's POV, so you're never lost. If you want something structurally bolder, The Darcys of Derbyshire rewrites the courtship entirely, but that one assumes you know the original well enough to appreciate the divergence. Either way, Reynolds writes clean prose and keeps the emotional stakes high.
Are Regency romance paperbacks hard to find secondhand in Australia?
Not especially — mass-market paperbacks from publishers like Sourcebooks, Avon, and Zebra circulate widely through preloved channels. The challenge is finding specific titles in decent condition, since popular romance gets read hard. Patina's stock rotates, so if you're hunting a particular Reynolds or Quinn title, it's worth checking back weekly or reaching out if you're after something specific that's not currently listed.
Do I need to have read Pride and Prejudice to enjoy these books?
For the retellings — yes, absolutely. Abigail Reynolds and Jennifer Paynter assume you know the original novel inside-out; half the pleasure is spotting how they've remixed scenes or reframed character motivations. For the Regency originals like Callen and Quinn, no — they're standalone romances that just happen to share Austen's historical setting. You'll appreciate the class dynamics and social codes more if you've read Austen, but it's not required.