Mr Darcy's First Elizabeth by John Edwards

Mr Darcy's First Elizabeth by John Edwards

This book has had very mixed reviews and I can see why. There are some horrible grammatical errors all the way through it and even a dyslexic reader like myself could not help but notice.
Then there were the Americanisms that would never be seen in an Austen book, for instance: Critters instead of creatures and fishing poles instead of rods.
But worst of all the lack of fact checking for instance:  How hard can it be to check a map? Hampshire is a County (like an American State) not a town. Brandy wine belongs in Middle Earth and Wakefield is right at the other end of the country no where near Hampshire.

OK rant over, now for the plus side:

This is actually two stories, I can understand people who read only half this book and then gave up thinking that Darcy does not even appear. He does, but not until Chapter 10. Until that point you have a sweet love story of Elizabeth Watkins and her Mr Winstead.

OK it is unlikely that a wealth gentleman in Mr Winsteads position would not have his own coach and be useing a Public coach or that he would fall for Elizabeth who is down on her luck and although a Gentleman's daughter,Has no family or money, she has to work as a governess.

But, romance does not have to be scrutinised too closely, it is an engaging love story and in Chapter 10 Elizabeth Watkins meets a nine year old Darcy which opens the door to a Pride and Prejudice re-imagining at the end of the story with John Edwards reworking Pride and Prejudice to turn out much more smoothly, gone is the heart ache and worry. he even gets Wickham out of the way and Mr Collins married to Mary.

It is still entertaining and that's why I still recommend that you give this book a try. I know it has it's faults but it also has a nice romantic story line running through it.

The Knights of Derbyshire by Marsha Altman

The Knights of Derbyshire by Marsha Altman

Pride and Prejudice Continues

Two in a row for Marsha Altman, this is number 5 in the series.

We are now 20 years on from the original story of Pride and Prejudice and the next generation of Darcys, Bingleys and Maddoxes (Caroline Bingleys children) and Wickhams are starting to come of age.

Up till now the families stayed firmly together and intertwined in many ways. 

It is hard to believe anything could bring them to blows.

But, extreme stress and fear can cause cracks in even the strongest relationships.

There is political unrest in England and after a long bitter winter it even touches the Darcys estate of Pemberley.

As the heir to Pemberley  awakes with a slight hang over on his eighteenth birthday he can not possibly imagine what the day has in store for him.

All the family rally to try and help when Darcy and Elizabeth most need them.

Bringing their different skills to try and resolve the terrible situation the family find them selves in.

For Dr Maddox the situation at last leads him to admit how bad his eyesight has become and some other family secrets have to be revealed with unhappy results.

Who can save the day? You had better get a copy of this book and read it to find out because you know I won’t tell!

A jolly good read, lots of pent-up emotions and the younger generation are really following  in their parents footsteps.

Marsha Altman’s Blog

Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James

Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James

A Novel

The story is set in 1803. Darcy and Elizabeth and of course Jane and Bingley have both been married happily for six years and their nurseries are filling up and life is moving along smoothly.

The only problems on the horizon is which of Georgina’s suitors will she choose and will Lady Anna’s yearly ball be the high light of the season.

That is until Lydia arrives uninvited screaming at the top of her lungs in a speeding chaise.

She is screaming that Wickham is dead and this is where the fun starts.

Deep interwoven stories have to come to light and a murderer has to be found. Some of the twists and turns take you into the lives of the people in and around the Pemberley Estate.

The emotions are laid open for you to immerse yourself into the story following the police as they try with the very limited resources of the times to solve the crime. No finger printing or DNA for them to work with here and even a murder weapon is nowhere to be found.

I very much enjoyed this book and am happy to recommend it to you especially if you enjoy a good period who dunnit.

Thank you P.D. James for giving us this one.

The Trouble With Mr Darcy By Sharon Latham

The Trouble With Mr Darcy By Sharon Latham

Keep Friends Close, Enemies Closer...

Pride and Prejudice Continues

The story opens with the Darcy Family on tour in post war Europe, visiting family and friends, Miss Georgina Darcy is smitten by cupids bow when she meets a Gentleman who is a talented young musician.

While Elizabeth and Darcy return home she continues her tour with her Aunt and Uncle, Lord and Lady Matlock.

The torrid romance between Darcy and Elizabeth continue they return to England to await a happy event, the birth of their second son.

But their sublime loving relationship is put to the test after the birth, as Elizabeth is plunged deep into a postnatal depression, an unknown problem at that time.

Her, untreated symptoms almost lead to disaster as she withdraws further from those who love her.

Thank goodness for Uncle George Darcy, who steps in to help and get’s the couple back on track.

Soon after her recovery the whole family are back at Netherfield , rented to them for their stay during the happy event of Kittys Marriage.

But, some of the guests are not so welcome and as one might guest at the top of the list is Wickham!

He is at the centre of a very evil plot. Will this be the time he goes too far and his need to destroy Darcy ends in disaster.

You need to read this book, it is very gripping and full of action, so much more so than Sharons earlier books.

So, if you found the first books slow, give this a go, this novel is packed full of excitement and much more adventure.

A great holiday read.

The Perfect Bride For Mr Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen

The Perfect Bride For Mr Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen

Mr Darcy obviously needs a good matchmaker... or two...

I started this book with huge expectations having really enjoyed Searching for Pemberly by the same author.

The Perfect Bride for Mr Darcy is another rerun of Pride and Prejudice but with some added characters. Central to the story is a plot with Anne de Bourgh who has with Georgianas help to try and make sure the stubborn  Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy get together and mend their differences.

Anne De Bourgh though very frail is very determined to help the cause of true love along, even when it means hours spent in tiring journeys and plenty of subterfuge.

Georgiana is a fairly bubbly and enthusiastic teenage only too keen to find the romance in any situation, with a huge love of the gothic novel (as an aspiring author herself) she is keen to have Elizabeth and her support as a permanent part of her family.

In this version Charles Bingley has a much larger family including an older brother who is a bit of a financial genius and aides Darcy as his partner in this search for Wickham and Lydia.

The other notable characters are Darcy’s ex-girl friends who turn up like bad pennies and Colonel Fitzwilliam’s older brother who is a total lush with a cutting tongue (not the first choice at a family re-union)

There is plenty in here to make it worth a read but I still feel that for me Searching for Pemberley is the better book. Read both & let me know what you think.

http://marysimonsenfanfiction.blogspot.com/

Mr Darcys Decisions by Juliette Shapiro

Mr Darcys Decisions by Juliette Shapiro

A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Well this poor book got a drenching as soon as I started it, my kitten Bingley (I thought he had a lovable warm personality hence the name) has a thing about water and no sooner do I put my water down on my bed side table than he has knocked it over and is paddling in it, he also paddles in the shower and the fish bowls.

So having had my water glass emptied all over my book I had to read it in a very crinkly and soggy state.

This is an interesting book, the author stays true to the style and pretty faithful to characters but manages to come up with some new angles that really work very well with the original story.

The Wickham story is quite clever, she also has the contempt of Lady Catherine and Caroline Bingley bringing them together in their spite and condescension.

Juliette Shapiro manages to fit so much into one year, covering every single sister and all the other characters from Pride and Prejudice.

She is another lady that likes happy endings.

If you have read any of my past reviews you will know that I hate my bad guys and girls turned into saints, I like my baddies to be bad. But, Juliette has managed it in such away that I actually felt alright about a bit of redemption, I must be getting soft.

This book was in small print but was gripping and most enjoyable so well worth putting on the reading glasses.

I sincerely hope her four Grandchildren don’t keep her too busy to write more books as I would like to know where she would take all the Sisters in their new relationships and the independence of Anne De Bourgh.

Mr Darcys Diary by Amanda Grange

Mr Darcys Diary by Amanda Grange

Pride and Prejudice: It's Darcys Turn to Tell His Side Of The Story...

Well, this book delivers exactly what it offers, a look at Pride and Prejudice faithfully from cover to cover and a little beyond from the point of view of Fitzwilliam Darcy.

It does not go for any sensationalism, it sticks with the original story line, starting with Georgina and Wickham’s attempted elopement to give a bit of sympathy for Darcy as a loving brother before we have his terrible behavior and haughtiness at Netherfield.

A lot of the books I have read have Darcy almost having an epiphany after Elizabeth refuses to marry him. In this one Amanda Grange has him realizing by degree, slowly but surely what a pride full and rude proposal he had made, with it taking a while for him to get over his anger, much more true to life I think.

All the characters are well drawn, Bingley is spot on and Caroline is also, so desperate to get a proposal from Darcey.

She does not see that her cutting comments and down right bitchiness are not endearing her to Darcy at all.

I have already reviewed Amanda Grange book Mr Darcy Vampyre and I shall look forwards to reading more of her work.

She has also written diaries from Captain Wentworth, Edmund Bertram, Mr Knightly and Colonel Brandon.

Pride/Prejudice by Ann Herendeen

Pride/Prejudice by Ann Herendeen

Pride / Prejudice. A Novel of Mr Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet and their Forbidden Lovers

In Ann Herendeens words ‘I felt there is a hidden story behind the one Austen shares with us, one she gives readers just enough clues to discover if we will”!

So what is it that Ann has read between Jane Austen’s lines?

Well, she has found Fitzwilliam Darcy to be a fairly brutal lover, and his victim is poor Charles Bingley.

When Charles, deeply in love with Jane Bennet spurns Mr Darcys very regular advances Darcy sulks out regularly with plots to split up his ‘special’ friend and Miss Bennet

His own growing fascination with Elizabeth does not stop him continuing with his sexual activities with the help of the other members of the ‘Brotherhood of Philander’ a boys only club for hedonistic spoilt aristocrats who definitely prefer the male form.

Now to balance this Ann Herendeen has made Elizabeth and Charlotte Lucas special friends as well, but does not draw their relationship in the same detail only using it to illustrate that both Lizzy and Darcy are selfish, both preferring to keep their lovers for themselves rather that worry about their happiness.

I found it pretty hard to like this Darcy and, Elizabeth was not that much better.

As for Lizzy and Jane happily allowing Darcy and Charles to continue their sexual activities under their noses during their marriages, hard to swallow.

One character easy to believe was Wickham, not much of a stretch to believe he would have sex with anyone if it was to his own advantage.

If you don’t like sex in your Austen then don’t read this and if a bi-sexual Darcy spoils your fantasies definitely don’t read this, however if these things don’t worry you, go for it, it was interesting.

Ann Herendeen has also written Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander, A bi-sexual regency romance.