I wrote a funny, modernised version of Pride and Prejudice, and I say so right at the beginning. It’s called Christmas Variations: Pride & Prejudice Reimagined . I make it clear that readers are about to step into a playful, cheeky, slightly chaotic reinterpretation of characters they already know. My intention is simple. I want to offer a laugh. I want to give people two lighthearted hours during which Darcy ends up in a cupboard, Elizabeth gets the giggles, and everyone has a good time. These novellas are not aiming to follow canon in spirit or detail. They are little snow-globes of mischief. They are my way of celebrating characters I adore without pretending I am writing lost chapters of Austen.

I would never touch Jane Austen’s work in order to antagonise her legacy. She is sacred to me. I honour her by keeping her characters alive in a way that feels natural to my own voice. That voice includes humour, warmth, a dash of absurdity, and the occasional anachronism that signals quite clearly that we are not in 1812. Readers who choose my books through Kindle Unlimited or pick them up for a cosy evening know exactly what they are getting. They expect to laugh. They expect a familiar cast thrown into unfamiliar little disasters. They expect a bubble of comfort. And they tell me so in their reviews, which means I must be doing something right.

To everyone who has read my books, thank you. To everyone who took the time to leave a review, thank you even more. Most readers understood my vibe at once and embraced it with enthusiasm. They laughed along, enjoyed the twists, and took the stories for what they are. Lighthearted escapades. Playful seasonal distractions. Variations that wear their irreverence openly.

There are others who, for reasons I genuinely cannot guess, came in expecting something completely different. They wanted strict historical accuracy. They wanted canon-faithful scenes. They wanted Regency solemnity dressed in precise research. I admire those things when they are the author’s intention, but they were never mine, and I put that information right at the top of the book description. When readers come expecting a museum piece despite the clear notice on the door, they are bound to be disappointed. That is normal. That is part of being a writer. Not every book will be for every person.

If I can offer a gentle observation, one reader to another, it is this. When a book tells you it is about a murder, do not buy it expecting a rosy romance. When a book tells you it is a modernised, humorous variation, do not expect it to behave like a lost Austen manuscript. If you ignore the signposts, it is a little unfair to be shocked by the destination. It is like walking into a bakery and being horrified to discover fresh bread.

So to those who came for a laugh and found one, I am grateful. To those who wanted a different experience, I understand, and I hope you find the books that suit your taste. I am going to keep writing the stories that bring me joy and make my readers smile, because that is the whole point of this little creative life. And honestly, if Darcy ends up hiding in a cupboard again next year, I will not apologise.