Today, on this episode of Miscellaneous Monday, I bring you the cover reveal for It Taught Me to Hope as promised. For any who missed it, you can go here for the post that includes the excerpt and description.

In this cover, you might see a few subtle differences from what I usually try to portray in the covers I commission. For one, if you noticed that Darcy appears a little more . . . well, shall we say rugged than usual, this is by design. The Darcy in this story is older than in Pride and Prejudice and has spent several difficult years regretting his mistakes with Elizabeth. While I did not describe him in the book as having grown a beard, I think it’s a nice touch. The beard and his slightly unkempt hair help establish a man who is older, wiser, and sadder than he was as a younger man. Yet the expression with which he regards Elizabeth shows his devotion, though in true Darcy fashion he does not wear his feelings on his sleeve.

Elizabeth, by contrast, has not experienced what Darcy has in the period of their separation. She too has undergone the passage of years, loss, and disappointments aplenty, but she has a happier disposition than Darcy, and joy comes more easily to her features. This facet of her character is also illuminated through the sun shining just over hear head, which is another nice touch. Elizabeth is older and wiser than she was before, and as she has had several years to consider Darcy—the story having diverged from Pride and Prejudice after receiving his letter at Rosings—she no longer holds a grudge, but has not thought of him much in recent years. Thus, when Darcy returns to her life, she is initially shocked, but she is able to quickly recover. This serves her in good stead as it allows her to see him through clear eyes for the first time in their acquaintance, to understand him better. As she stated to Wickham in Pride and Prejudice, “. . . from knowing him better, his disposition was better understood.” Elizabeth will put that statement to the test in It Taught Me to Hope.

As for Wickham, do not suppose his influence does not permeate this novel, though I will leave it for you to discover his exact role. Wickham’s actions have a significant impact on the story in more ways than one. Aside from Wickham, most of your favorite characters are present, though there are a few that have either passed on or no longer remain in contact with Elizabeth. The identities of those characters will become clear early in the story.

I would place a scene the cover depicts as fairly late in the book. There is one particular scene that it fits, a part that I was rather proud of. It delves into the growth of the two major characters, their hopes and wishes, and the peace they—especially Darcy—have found just by being reunited and learning to understand the other better than they did before. As I noted in the excerpt post, It Taught Me to Hope will be available on Amazon Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback, and Hardcover on Thursday. An audiobook narrated by Harry Frost is also in the works, to be released in September. I hope you enjoy this alteration of Elizabeth and Darcy’s situation, and anticipate the ride to reach their happily ever after!

And so, without further ado, here is the cover!