Mix-n-Matchmaking by Marilyn Brant
First and foremost, I want to say thanks to YOU for making my first White Soup Press book, Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match, an Amazon top 100 bestselling title in both Single Women’s Fiction and in Humor! I’ve heard from readers who’ve told me they picked it up just for the contemporary romance, but I know it’s truly my fellow Austen fans from around the world that have made it my fastest-selling ebook thus far. I can’t express to you all how much that’s meant to me…thank you.
For those of you who have read it or are reading it now, it was also chosen as the Nook Feature for February at the Barnes & Noble General Fiction Book Club! The direct link to discussion is here, and it’s open to everyone all month long. We’re not talking just about the book, by the way. We’ve chatted about other favorite classic novels and, of course, all of those great Austen films… 
In my novel, the matchmaking method that’s used to connect my main characters — Beth Ann Bennet and Dr. William Darcy – is the fictional ”Lady Catherine’s Love Match Website.” Well, I’d like to have some fun today and give us ALL the chance to play matchmakers by uniting some other potential lovers! Which romantic pairings do you think would be especially delightful, if we were to mix-n-match heroes and heroines from across the Austen novels? Any character (primary or secondary) from any of Jane’s original books is fair game — although I’ve listed 60 ladies and gents in the character database below to get us started. Just imagine their names are being entered into an online matchmaking website under “AustenMatch.com,” LOL. I wonder what the “love match” results will be…
Who would you enjoy seeing as players in a special love-match connection?! Did you make your selection based on the humor that such a match might create? (I’m thinking Augusta Elton from Emma and William Collins from P&P here…*giggle*) The true romantic potential of such a love connection? Some other reason? I’d love to know. 
LADY CATHERINE’S LOVE MATCH DATABASE:
Ladies: Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Elliot, Marianne Dashwood, Lucy Steele, Elinor Dashwood, Fanny Price, Eleanor Tilney, Lady Russell, Elizabeth Elliot, Louisa Musgrove, Mrs. Clay, Emma Woodhouse, Mary Crawford, Mrs. Norris, Charlotte Lucas, Jane Bennet, Lydia Bennet, Mary Bennet, Kitty Bennet, Georgiana Darcy, Caroline Bingley, Jane Fairfax, Maria Bertram, Harriet Smith, Augusta Elton, Lady Catherine, Anne de Bourgh, Isabella Thorpe, Catherine Morland, Miss Bates, ______(a different heroine??)
Gentlemen: Fitzwilliam Darcy, John Willoughby, George Wickham, Col. Brandon, John Dashwood, Col. Fitzwilliam, Edward Ferrars, Captain Wentworth, Robert Ferrars, Sir Walter Elliot, Captain Benwick, William Elliot, Henry Crawford, Tom Bertram, Edmund Bertram, William Collins, Charles Bingley, George Knightley, Philip Elton, Frank Churchill, Mr. Denny, James Morland, General Tilney, John Thorpe, Henry Tilney, Charles Musgrove, Admiral Croft, Col. Forster, Mr. Rushworth, John Yates, ______(a different hero??)
Marilyn Brant
Marilyn Brant is a National Bestselling Author of Contemporary Women's Fiction and Romantic Comedy. She's published seven novels including ACCORDING TO JANE, which was a #1 Kindle Bestseller, won RWA's Golden Heart Award and was named one of Buzzle.com's "100 Best Romance Novels of All Time." She also wrote PRIDE, PREJUDICE AND THE PERFECT MATCH, which was a Top 100 bestselling book on Amazon in the "Humor" category.
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38 Responses to Mix-n-Matchmaking by Marilyn Brant
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Oh, oh, oh, I’d like to match Henry Tilney with, with, with…. well, I’m not sure… Elizabeth Bennet, Elinor Dashwood, Georgiana Darcy, or?? Hmmm… I think EB might be too much like him for my tastes and ED might be a bit too serious. I’m gonna go with Georgiana Darcy, but a few years older, having gained quite a bit of confidence and a little bit of impertinence from EB in that time. She’d be smart, talented, and kind. Yeah, she’d work. What I do know is that I always felt that HT’s wit and humor was wasted on Catherine Morland. That poor girl was just… well… not bright. And he had it all going on — intelligence, humor, honor, and kindness. I would hope that it would be his kindness that would keep their future relationship from becoming something like Mr and Mrs Bennet’s, yet I worry. I always liked him though. He’s not a popular Austen hero but he’s always been a favorite of mine.
Lisa, I like Henry Tilney, too! There’s something about his teasing nature that has always really appealed to me. I can definitely see him with someone like Georgiana, who’s bright and could use a little more levity after that whole Wickham incident…
Fantastic congratulations on the top 100 spot, Marylin!
And what fun! Lessee, I think I would love to see a match between Colonel Brandon and Georgiana Darcy!
Vera, thank you!!
. She’s got so much going for her (kind, gentle, musical, sensitive, accomplished, good fortune, pretty…) that she’d be a fun character to match up!
Oooh, I hadn’t thought of that, but I can see Brandon and Georgiana together, too
Congratulations!!
What fun! I am trying to decide who best to pair with Colonel Fitzwilliam. I always want him to find someone special.
Thanks so much, Becky!
And, yes…to find the perfect match for Col. Fitzwilliam!! He’s such a great guy — and a practical one — so he needs it to be a woman of some fortune. (Emma Woodhouse would qualify on that point, but I fear she would completely overrun him, LOL. And Georgiana is a relative…) Hmm!! You’ve got me pondering…
JA doesn’t give us many wealthy, kind heiresses to choose from. Most of her heroines are in financial duress. Of the list you gave us there is Eleanor Tilney, Emma Woodhouse, Georgiana Darcy, and maybe Anne de Bourgh (we don’t know enough about her to say whether she is kind or not, all we know is she’s sickly). Of the 4, none seem quite right for the Colonel. Eleanor Tilney might work. We don’t know much about her but that she is intelligent and kind.
You bring up an excellent point, Lisa! Yeah…there aren’t a lot of JA ladies who’d fit what Col. Fitzwilliam needs, but I do think Eleanor Tilney may be one who would
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Great idea, Marilyn! And congratulations on your ebook – I enjoyed reading it very much.
Coloniel Brandon with Jane Bennet, though I think she may either bore him, or be a little too OLD for him. Kitty may be more of his type.
LOL, Angie!! What a fun pairing — I’m smiling imagining Brandon with a Bennet sister! And thanks so much for your comments about my new book. I’m so glad it was a story you enjoyed
.
I think you’re right, Angie, that Colonel Brandon needs a younger woman who he feels he can in some way ‘improve’…. I wouldn’t want to wish Lydia on him, but perhaps Catherine Morland, whose sweetness of nature and innocence would appeal to his protective instincts.
Oooh! Interesting thought, Cassie! I like your reasoning
.
Congratulations on your success, Marilyn!
Oh the pairings! What a delight to imagine them… I too would love to see Colonel Fitzwilliam well settled, and I do like the idea of Eleanor Tilney. I have to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Emma, so I’d quite like to see George Knightley paired with someone else.
Elizabeth Elliott and Robert Ferrars would pretty much deserve each other!
LOL, Cassie!!!
Yes, you’re so right about Elizabeth E. & Robert F. — that would be fun to watch for sure! As for the Emma/Knightley pairing, the one that I thought really worked was in the film “Clueless” with Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd. The modern slant to the story made their relationship more believable to me. But, in the Regency versions, I’d much prefer to keep Jonny Lee Miller and Jeremy Northam to myself.
How fun. What a good joke it would be to see Mr Darcy married to Mrs Bennet or Mrs Palmer! It would probably have been like Mr and Mrs Bennet, though ten times worse. Poor Mr Darcy…
A good match, however? I am not sure. Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr George Knightley, perhaps.
Ingrid,
The good news is that, given his carefulness and intelligence, he probably would be clued into the problem before he made it to the wedding and know it would be wise to call it off…but, I can imagine it would be so uncomfortable for him to do that!!
Oh, yes!! Poor, poor Mr. Darcy — if he were in a marriage like that he’d surely go crazy…
Wickham and Maria Bertram…my much adored Mr. Knightley and Anne Elliot…Fanny Price and Henry Tilney…
LOL fun!
Ha!! Love the idea of Wickham and Maria together, Stephanie…too funny!! And I can definitely see Mr. Knightley and Anne E…that would be sweet
.
Lady Catherine and General Tilney! Oh the havoc they would wreak!
*snorting with laughter!*
)!!
Oh, Bonnie, THAT would be quite a match (and one to watch safely from the sidelines
Now that’s a match I’d like to see too!
LOL, Jakki!
.
Agreed
Congrats on all the accolades for PP&TPM, Marilyn! It’s a great story and you deserve it.
Oh, the pairings….let’s see…how about Lady Catherine and Sir Walter Elliot. Or William Walter Elliot and Mary Crawford (that just gives me the creeps). I love Jane Bennet with Colonel Fitzwilliam, even though she doesn’t have any money :/ Mr Bennet and Lady Russell? Charles Musgrove needs someone better than Mary – maybe Mary can go with Mr Collins. lol This is fun!
LOL, Monica!! I love your imagination!
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You’re right about William Elliot and Mary Crawford — I’m shuddering just thinking about it. So much manipulation in one place! Yikes… And, oh, yes! Let’s definitely pass off Mary Musgrove to Mr. Collins! I think Charlotte Lucas deserves a clergyman who’s less irritating (Edmund Bertram, maybe?), even if she claims her chances at happiness are the same regardless…
And thank you for your compliments on the book. I’m so pleased you liked it
I was thinking Geargian Darcy with either Col. Brandon or Henry Telney but then i thought Col B. to be a bit too old for her.
a fun match would be General Tilney with Caroline Bingley
G. Wickham and Lucy Steele
I can’t think of some one for Col. Fitzwilliam.
I have such
thoughts… lol
Suze, LOL!! You *do* have
thoughts! (But I like reading ‘em!)
.
And now you’ve got me thinking about George Wickham with Lucy Steele — 2 devious people who definitely deserve each other
Sir Walter Elliot and Caroline Bingley! She would love his title and estate, he loves and needs her 20,000 pounds, and they would both enjoy hosting balls and parties where they can both be adored.
Or Caroline Bingley and Captain Frederick Tilney. He and his father would love her 20,000 pounds, she would be mistress of an estate, and his father wouldn’t care about her roots in trade as long as her money is good.
Then there is John Thorpe and Lydia Bennet. She would enjoy being taken in his carriage for a too-fast ride, he would drive it wildly and the carriage would overturn, thus ridding us of both irritating characters. Muahaha!
Ooooh, June, that’s good!!
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I can see what you mean when it comes to matches for Caroline (money talks). And your carriage ride scenario featuring John Thorpe and Lydia Bennet had me rolling with laughter!!
Thank you
It’s my turn now. How about Elizabeth Bennet and Henry Tilney? They have the same temperament and I would like to see who will outwit the other in a contest.
Yes! Love it, Lúthien!! And you’re so right — it would be great fun getting to listen in on one of Elizabeth and Henry’s conversations! I wouldn’t want to be the subject of their discussion (their quick wit would tear most anyone to shreds!!), but it would be a hoot to get to hear them spar… You and I can hide behind the drawing-room curtain and eavesdrop on them
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Hear. Hear. I would love to see them spar with one another. But, for me, their characters have such a similar combination of sweetness and archness to them that they seem more like the brother/sister than husband/wife. Is it just me? Either way, this would be a situation where similars attract.
You make a good point, Lisa! I suspect, in some ways, when JA was writing those characters, she modeled them both a little more on herself. Not that I could know this with any certainty, LOL, but I’ve always considered JA to be rather like Elizabeth in wit and temperament. And I remember when I was reading N.Abbey thinking she *had* to be much more like Henry than Catherine…
So, perhaps, Henry and Elizabeth are kind of the male/female reflections of her own beliefs — so you may be onto something with that brother/sister comparison!
Yes, would love to be an invisible fly in the wall just to hear them spar. I would like to think that Lizzy might win every argument because Henry will give way since he is the very essence of a gentleman.
LOL, Lúthien!!
They would certainly entertain and amuse each other!
I have a hard time pairing our leading couples with others, but I would love to find someone for Colonel Fitzwilliam.
Becky,
He deserves the best!
I really agree with you! It would be wonderful for a man as kindhearted as Col. Fitzwilliam to find happiness in love…
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