This book is pure fluff. If you expect anything more from it than a nonsense romance, don’t, because you will be disappointed.

Although it has an intriguing premise, I did not enjoy this book and only finished it so that I could write a fair review. While I enjoy a well-constructed fluff fanfiction, I thought that Her Unforgettable Laugh was naively thought out. It seemed like Linda C. Thompson ran out of ideas and relied on filler to allow her to stretch the story out. There is no need for this story to be drawn out into a trilogy.

Summary

Five years before the events of Pride & Prejudice, a young Elizabeth helps rescue Georgiana from being kidnapped by Wickham. Darcy is mesmerized by Elizabeth’s beauty and the sound of her laugh, but before Darcy can thank her, she is whisked away by her aunt. Darcy never forgets the enchanting laughter and is elated when he comes face to face with the mysterious beauty during his trip to Hertfordshire. However, their path to happiness becomes dangerous with Wickham seeking revenge, and Miss Bingley determined to marry Mr. Darcy at any cost.

What I liked about this book…

Darcy meets Elizabeth before Meryton Assembly trope

I thought that the idea for this story was intriguing because I am a fan of the Darcy meets Elizabeth before the Meryton Assembly trope, particularly when Darcy is captivated by an element of Elizabeth and becomes determined to find the mysterious woman. I have enjoyed this plot device in other variations, and I liked it in this book up until Darcy and Elizabeth finally meet.

One of the problems with this plot-line is that the story can become dull because either Darcy, Elizabeth, or both are already in love. As a result, the excitement that comes with the uncertainty of their relationship is gone. The author needs to replace the will they/won’t they fall in love with something else that creates that suspense because otherwise, the story becomes boring. Unfortunately, I thought that Her Unforgettable Laugh didn’t replace that tension successfully.

Wickham’s Story-line

Wickham’s story-line is the only compelling aspect of this book. I liked that even though he is violent, Thompson showed restraint with what he does to his victims. I appreciated that even though he assaults both Elizabeth and Georgiana, he didn’t do anything graphic that was difficult to read.

I also think that his schemes made sense and were believable. I felt a sense of dread and anxiety when Darcy is in the bookshop and learns that Wickham is in the area. It was one of the few moments in the book where I actually wanted to know what would happen next.

What I didn’t like about this book…

Mary Sue Elizabeth

It is one of my pet peeves when a character is made out to be perfect. Author’s don’t need to make a character flawless to get them over with readers. In this book, Elizabeth is nauseatingly perfect. Consequently, she is no longer relatable, I don’t root for her, and I don’t even like her. Elizabeth is beautiful, popular, sings perfectly, and has a rich, handsome man in love with her. Her only fault is that she neglects her sister Mary, but even that is something she points out and quickly rectifies it.

Even when she is shot, she doesn’t show any weakness. What would happen if Lizzy admitted that she was in pain after she was shot protecting Georgiana? How does it make her any less esteemed in the eyes of people who already love her to admit that yes, in fact, it is sort of painful to be shot? It is so unbelievable to have her shot and act as if it is not a big deal.

Elizabeth is also remarkably unobservant, and maybe a little dumb. For example, Darcy gives her a gift and says it is for the “great service” she did for his family, and she doesn’t know what he means. Really Lizzy? You don’t know? They have only mentioned it to you 500 times, and it is the only thing you have ever done for them – rescue Georgiana. Another time Darcy explains to Elizabeth that Bingley sent Miss Bingley away because of her repeated attempts to harm Elizabeth. Again, she has no idea what he is talking about.

The Elizabeth we all know and love is meant to be a keen judge of character, not this version. This version of Elizabeth is incapable of putting two and two together, and it is incredibly frustrating to read.

The chair scene

There is an entire scene in this book where Darcy tells Bingley how to arrange the chairs when they confront Miss. Bingley. I think this scene speaks for itself:

“May I make a suggestion Bingley?” At Bingley’s nod, he continued. “From dealing with difficult tenants, I know that confidence and control of the situation can help a great deal. I would suggest that you speak to her from behind your desk and that my chair be pulled off to the side also facing you. Her chair should be the only one in front of the desk placed directly across from you. You show your authority as head of the family from this position. My being to the side also diminishes my position in the discussion and forces her to face you.” Caroline’s knock was heard, they stood quickly and placed the chairs as discussed. (Ch. 11)

Constant reminders

Throughout this book, Thompson reminds us constantly of crucial plot points. It becomes repetitive to be told 1000 times that Elizabeth saved Georgiana from kidnapping or that Wickham almost kidnaped Georgiana. It is a sign of poor writing and a lack of ideas when this happens in a book.

Fake will they/won’t they

Darcy and Elizabeth are clearly in love with each other, but they are unsure of each other’s affections. There is nothing in this book that supports the idea that there is some uncertainty about whether these two will end up together. The entire book is fluff between Darcy and Elizabeth, yet despite their private meetings, the constant flirting, compliments, hints about their future, both Darcy and Elizabeth question the other’s feelings. Instead of proposing marriage, Darcy asks for a courtship, and then after they have been courting and are even more open about their feelings with each other, he tells Colonel Fitzwilliam that he needs to convince Elizabeth to accept him.

Conclusion

Perhaps you might enjoy Linda C. Thompson’s book Her Unforgettable Laugh if you love Pride and Prejudice fluff, but even then, there must be better and cheaper variations available. I don’t understand how others have given this book more than two stars, and I caution anyone considering purchasing this book to examine the samples and reviews critically before buying it.