Book Review: Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy (+ a Giveaway!)

I've recently read Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy by Barbara Tiller Cole and I am posting my book review here.

But first, I would like to say that the lovely and amazingly generous Barbara Cole Tiller herself has offered another book giveaway here of her novel, which we previously had a giveaway here and picked the lucky Winner of Fitzwilliam Ebanezer Darcy book Giveaway!. If you didn't get to win last time, you have another chance to winning this one (like Mr. Darcy had his second chance of winning his one and only true love and soul mate Miss Elizabeth Bennet in the novel). Read more below for more giveaway details...

Synopsis

A Jane Austen/Charles Dickens crossoverstory, Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy takesthe best of both classics and spins them into a delightful Holiday treat! F.E.Darcy has fallen into pitiful self-loathing and sorrowful angst-ridden despair;all of this due to his belief that he has lost forever the chance to marry theonly woman he has ever loved—Elizabeth Bennet. Seeing her son in such a state,the Ghost of Anne Darcy reaches out to him; informing him that three ghostswould visit him and give him hope. Will these Spirits provide him with thecourage to try again to win the esteem of his one true soul mate?

I really loved and enjoyed reading FE Darcy and must say that I had read this book in less than a day (and will be re-reading it more this holiday season!). It was a quick read, all because it was a short story and less than 150 pages. I would've loved for it to be longer, but it was a good length for this particular story as it was a delight and fun to read at the same time, which makes you wish it was longer... Barbara Tiller Cole did a great job writing this novel combining her two favorite authors Jane Austen and Charles Dickens into a wonderful crossover story of her own, which Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy, as the book description says, takes the best of both classics and spins them into a delightful holiday treat. A delightful holiday treat, indeed! A brilliant idea to combine Austen and Dickens' classics into one great book.

I even read this and was listening to one of  my all-time favorite Christmas CDs (Mariah Carey's classic 1994 Merry Christmas album) to get into the story and the Christmas spirit. All I want for Christmas Is You is a perfect Christmas song for Darcy & Elizabeth especially when you listen to this song and read this book at the same time. Another great combo!

Though I felt very sad for Mr. Fitzwillam Darcy as he was miserable (and depressed...so not into Darcy being angsty...) for most of the story in this book, but it was necessary for this type of story. Also, it was nice to read his journey into winning back the love of his life, Elizabeth Bennet. I laughed and smiled at some of the funny and happy moments like when the three ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future visited him to help and give him hope of redeeming himself to Elizabeth, to win her back, and for him to finally be happy for himself as well as to have the happiness he deserves with the only woman he truly ever loved (the very lucky aforementioned woman, the lovely Miss Elizabeth Bennet) as he longed to be reunited with her and to be with her always. William Darcy's (as he liked to be called in the book) life for sure, wouldn't have been complete without his Elizabeth and so does she. These two are truly soul mates and a perfect match as Austen wrote it on her original Pride and Prejudice novel. I love that even when Darcy was miserable, so was she as they really loved and cared for each other despite their misunderstandings and slow road to admitting and showing their true feelings and love for each other and just get on and be together already. But it was all worth it at the end when they finally get together for a truly deserving love and happiness as I was rooting for both of them, all the way, to be reunited and be Mr. & Mrs. Darcy that they were destined to be.

I just love reading all about my favorite P&P characters especially Elizabeth & Darcy, be it in the original P&P novel or its prequels, sequels, variations, and this crossover one, which I've never read written in this way before until now. I'm very glad I did read this one as It was different than other sequels and variations I've read previously (which they were all great too) and this one is a must-read for this holiday season...just in time for Christmas too.

Overall, Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy was a great book! Quite a page turner too and a fast-paced read with an interesting twist. I was hooked from the prologue to the epilogue. Wish it was longer, but other than that, It was a lot of fun to read. I highly recommend you check this book out and read it this holiday season.

Book Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)!

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Giveaway of Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy

Comment (with your name and valid email address) here about your favorite Pride and Prejudice prequels, sequels, variations you've read or tell us your favorite P&P adaptation along with your favorite Darcy actor below for achance to WIN a signed copy of Barbara Tiller Cole’s newest book, Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy by midnight on Sunday ET, December 18, 2011. One lucky Winner will be drawn atrandom and announced on Tuesday, December 20th, 2011.Open to ALL participants/entrants worldwide! Good luck to all! 

 

Barbara Tiller Cole, an Atlanta native and thewriter of the popular book White Liesand Other Half Truths, presents this family friendly classic—a delightfulcombination of the best of her two favorite authors, Jane Austen and CharlesDickens. Barbara credits her parents with fostering a love for both of theseauthors. Each Christmas, Barbara’s father would sit and read Dicken’s classic A Christmas Carol to the family. Hermother consistently challenged her to improve her mind by extensive reading,Jane Austen style. This book is dedicated to the memory of Cliff and Jeanne andthe season they loved the best.

THE AUTHOR’S BLOG:

An Austen Adventure

Facebook Author Fan Page:

Barbara Tiller Cole

Barbara Tiller Cole’s Amazon Author Page:

Visit Amazon's Barbara Tiller Cole Page

(FEDarcy book cover courtesy of Barbara Tiller Cole)

In Bookstores today: Miss Darcy Falls In Love

Today is the release day of best-selling author of The Darcy Saga series, Sharon Lathan's standalone novel titled Miss Darcy Falls In Love, a Georgiana Darcy (Mr. Darcy's younger sister) novel. It's available now in bookstores and online retailers around the country. So, go get your copy!

Congrats to the Winner of Miss Darcy Falls in Love Giveaway!  
 
Sharon's previous released novel, The Trouble With Mr. Darcy (volume 5) from The Darcy Saga series is available in bookstores and online retailers around the country as well.

Read more info about Miss Darcy Falls in Love including a synopsis below...

Miss Darcy Falls in Love synopsis

While touring Europe and post-Napoleonic France, Miss Georgiana Darcy discovers her deepest passion: composing and playing music. In Paris she meets two men who augment her passion in differing but profound ways. Mr. Sebastian Butler, the Viscount Nell and future Earl of Essenton, is a brilliant composer finishing his Grand Tour before studying at the prestigious Conservatoire of Music in Paris. Baron Caxton is an accomplished violinist teaching at the Conservatoire. Both men fire her soul, spark her sensuality, and fan the flames of her musical inspiration. Yet only one holds the key to her happiness and is her true soul mate. Amid the backdrop of Paris in this tumultuous time in history, Georgiana must learn to direct her destiny and fully understand her heart.

Read a Miss Darcy Falls in Love excerpt!

Sharon Lathan's Darcy Saga series (in order)

Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy
Loving Mr. Darcy
My Dearest Mr. Darcy
In The Arms of Mr. Darcy
The Trouble With Mr. Darcy

Also, from Sharon...
A Darcy Christmas (with Amanda Grange and Carolyn Eberhart)

For more news info and frequent updates on The Darcy Saga series, be sure to visit Sharon Lathan's website and Blog. You can follow her on twitter  too: SharonLathan. Plus, check out Sharon blogging over at Austen Authors with many of her fellow Austen inspired authors!

Book Review: Jane Austen Made Me Do It

I got my advance reader's copy (ARC) about almost two weeks ago or so of Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature's Most Astute Observer of the Human Heartedited by Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose. In her first published novel, in which shecompiled and edited a short story anthology of 22 short stories by 24 of themost talented writers in the Austen genre. All twenty-four authors were personally selected by Laurel Ann from a diverse range of writing backgrounds and interests including: popular Austenesque fiction, best-selling literary fiction, historical fiction, romance, mystery, contemporary chick-lit, paranormal, and one new debut voice, a grand prize winner.   

While I've mostly done P&P/Austen related and (you can read more of my film reviews in my Movies Blog), this is actually my very first book review as Ashley (my fellow blog contributor here at the P&P Blog) does most of the P&P/Austen related 
 
Before I do my book review, First, here (again) is the lowdown of Jane Austen Made Me Do It...

Edited by Austenprose’s Laurel Ann Nattress and published just in time for the 200th anniversary of the publication of Sense & Sensibility, JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT: Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart (Ballantine Books; October 11, 2011) is an engaging collection of 22 never-before-published original short stories inspired by Jane Austen. The treasures in this volume include exclusive short fiction, Q&As and reading group material from beloved bestselling authors Jo Beverley, Adriani Trigiani, and Lauren Willig; topAusten sequel writers Pamela Aidan, Amanda Grange, Laurie Viera Rigler,Stephanie Barron and Alexandra Potter; and a brand new voice inAustenesque fiction - the announced winner Brenna Aubrey of a short storycontest hosted by Ballantine Books, Austenprose, and the highlytrafficked Austen fan site The Republic of Pemberley (Pemberley.com),which receives 80 million hits per year.
Nattress says, “Oneof the joys of editing this anthology was composing a list of my ‘dreamauthors’ who write in the genre, and others whom I greatly admire whohave been influenced by Austen’s style, and asking them to contribute ashort story. My only request was that they stay within the theme ofexploring Austen’s philosophies of life and love by reacquaintingreaders with characters from her novels or introducing original storiesinspired by her ideals. From historical to contemporary to young-adultfiction to paranormal, five of Austen’s major novels and her life arefeatured in this anthology, covering ‘every possible flight which thesubject will afford.’ I hope you will be as pleased and delighted as Iam by the variety of amusing and poignant stories created for thiscollection.”
Each of these marvelous works ofshort fiction reaffirms the incomparable influence of one of history’smost cherished authors. As Nattress writes in her introduction,“we all have our favorites.” Mine may be the first in the volume, “JaneAusten’s Nightmare,” by Syrie James—if you’ve ever wondered what wouldhappen if Jane Austen encountered her own characters in real life, thisone is a must-read.

Now, read My Book Review of Jane Austen Made Me Do It...

I must say, I really loved and enjoyed reading all the 22 original never-before published short stories from JAMMDI novel. Laurel Ann did an AMAZING job putting together all these 24very talented authors (a few of which I'm very familiar with and have read at least one or two of their novels), the 22 short stories they wrote and contributed, and of course,  editing andcompiling them in all one book. The result is a great collection of amazing 22 short stories you'll read in one amazing book! Her introduction was quite engaging,insightful, and informative to read. I love all the familiar Austen quotes from all six of Austen's popular novels included in her introduction. All of the best-selling authors (including the grand prize winner, Brenna Aubrey,of the JAMMDI short story contest) did a great job writing their stories. I dowant to say that the following short stories (in random order) were myfavorite and rather the ones that stayed with me even long after I finishedreading this novel (that's not to say I didn't enjoy reading the others, because I did as well), which I must say was a lot of fun and quite a pageturner. I couldn't put this book down while I was reading it!

Here are the highlights or rather my thoughts of some of my favorite short stories from JAMMDI...

Jane Austen's Nightmare by Syrie James
I love how inthis story, Jane Austen encountered and met her characters that shecreated and wrote from her novels in Bath, but it was of something in adream, a nightmare one. Most of them either have some complaints or something they were unhappy about in the way they were written by her. My most favorite part was whenAusten met her most beloved characters Elizabeth and Darcy as well asJane and Bingley.


Waiting by Jane Odiwe
Her very interesting take on Austen'sPersuasion was really fun and entertaining to read. I love how itstarted of with Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot's engagement and how he was getting ready to see Sir Walter Elliot,Anne's father for a private interview...or rather to ask his permission tomarry his daughter once again.


Nothing Less Than Fairy-Land by Monica Fairview
I've reallyenjoyed reading Monica Fairview's debut Austenesque novel, "The OtherMr. Darcy" (which I was very lucky and fortunate to have won at the virtual Pemberley Ball 2010 with book giveaways I've participated last year!) and this short story she wrote for JAMMDI was another one that I enjoyed as well. Thisone though was about newlyweds  Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley (from Austen'sEmma) and how they were adjusting as newlyweds and their livingarrangement back in the Woodhouse residence in Hartfield and of course, Emma unexpectedly gettingback to her matchmaking days even though she promised Mr. Knightley she was not doing it anymore asshe'd learned her lesson.

Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane by Adriana Trigiani
I lovedhow this was written as a Jane Austen letter to her beloved niece Annaabout the news of her engagement. Beautifully written and It was quiteinspiring and touching to read.

Jane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss by Jo Beverely
This was aquite engaging and fun to read. It was like Sense & Sensibility,but with different names of characters and in a different (or rather modern) time. Loved how the titleJane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss were incorporated into this lovely and delightfulshort story, which made me want to read more!

When Only Darcy Will Do by Beth Pattillo
An interestingshort story with a mysterious guy who dressed up in Darcy's likeness.When Only Mr. Darcy Will Do, indeed. Basically, any stories with Darcyon it...will always do for me, haha!

Heard of You by Margaret C. Sullivan
This was a really niceand sweet short story to read about Austen's Persuasion, but is toldand written in a different way. Even though the newlyweds, Captain andMrs. Wentworth were not really the focus of the story as it was abouthis elder sister Sophy and how he had something to do with her meetingher husband the Admiral Croft, then Captain Croft. Loved their untoldstory of meeting and falling in love due to the young FredrickWentworth's unknowing matchmaking of his older sister and the captain.

Mr. Bennet Meets His Match by Amanda Grange
I really lovethis story of how Mr. & Mrs. Bennet met when they were younger andMr. Bennet looking back at his marriage proposal to Mrs. Bennet some 23years ago just when at the present his two beloved eldest daughtersJane and Elizabeth had just gotten married to the love of their lives, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy.Amanda Grange, who wrote one of my favorite retelling of Austen's classic P&P novel,but in Darcy's perspective, "Mr. Darcy's Diary" did an amazing jobwriting this short story. I loved reading it from beginning to end and wishedit was longer and there were more to when the Bennets had their 5daughters when they were born and infants/toddlers...like a prequel leading up to the original Pride and Prejudice novel by Jane Austen.

Me and Mr. Darcy, Again... by Alexandra Potter
I've read(and enjoyed reading it too) Alexandra Potter's "Me and Mr. Darcy" and thought this shortstory made a very nice sequel to it especially with the mysterious and handsome Mr. Darcy on it.

The Love Letter by Brenna Aubrey
(grand prize winner of JAMMDI short story contest)
This was a great read! Iloved how the present characters' relationship mirrored the JaneAusten's Persuasion characters' Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot.Definitely a deserving grand prize winner as I really loved and enjoyedreading it and the title of this novel was mentioned too!

Intolerable Stupidity by Laurie Viera Rigler
I loved and enjoyedreading Laurie Viera Rigler's first two Austenesque novels: Confessions and Rude Awakening of a Jane Austen Addictnovels. This one was another one that I also enjoyed reading albeitwritten differently but with "Intolerable Stupidity" bringing Mr. Dacycharges to all the writers of Pride and Prejudice (my obvious favoriteof Austen's six novels) sequels and spin-offs in a courtroom with Lady Catherine as the judge. The male protagonist's name Fritz Williams was interesting too.

All the other short stories were great too, but too many (andtoo long) to list here. The random ones I've listed here were the ones I really loved and enjoyed reading the most and as aforementioned, really stayed with me long after I finished reading them. Overall, I thought Jane Austen Made Me Do It was a great collection of short stories in different genres and compiled all in one amazing book. A must-read for all Jane Austen fansespecially to those of you who either had read all of her six novels or seen allsix Austen adaptations. Or even if you were just a Pride & Prejudice fan (in general), you'll lovethis too as P&P, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet were prominently featured and mentioned in most of the short stories written here especially in AmandaGrange's "Mr. Bennet Meets His Match," Beth Pattillo's "When Only Mr. Darcy Will Do," and Alexandra Potter's "Me andMr. Darcy, Again..." to name a few.

I highly recommend you check it out and read this book! You'll love it! I did! All great 22 original short stories with 24 of the best Austen authors in the Austenesque genre compiled into this wonderful and beautifully edited novel.

Book Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)!

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JAMMDI Editor bio:
A life-long acolyte of Jane Austen, Laurel Ann Nattress is the author/editor of Austenprose.com a blog devoted to the oeuvre of her favorite author and the many books and movies that she has inspired. She is a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, a regular contributor to the PBS blog Remotely Connected and the Jane Austen Centre online magazine. Classically trained as a landscape designer at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, she has also worked in marketing for a Grand Opera company and at present she delights in introducing neophytes to the charms of Miss Austen’s prose as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble. An expatriate of southern California, Laurel Ann lives in a country cottage near Snohomish, Washington. Visit Laurel Ann at her blogs Austenprose.com and JaneAustenMadeMeDoIt.com, on Twitter as @Austenprose, and on Facebook as Laurel Ann Nattress.

In Bookstores Today: Jane Austen Made Me Do It

Today is the big released day for the new Jane Austen inspired and tribute novel, Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature's Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart edited by Laurel Ann Nattress (of Austenprose). It's a fantastic book! I had the pleasure and honor of getting an ARC (Thank you Laurel Ann and Random House Publishing Group) of it! I will be posting my book review of JAMMDI in a bit. Jane Austen Made Me Do It (by Ballantine Books) is now available in all bookstores and online retailers around the country. Go get your copy! 

Jane Austen Made Me Do It is a short story anthology of 22 short stories by 24 of the most talented writers including Laurie Viera Rigler (author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, & Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict), which I had the pleasure of interviewing her here last December 2010), Monica Fairview, Amanda Grange, Alexandra Potter, Pamela Aidan, and Jane Odiwe to name some.

Come help the lovely Laurel Ann party like it’s 1811 on her Grand Tour of the blogosphere, October 10 – November 10, 2011, in celebration of the book’s release. P&P Blog is taking part of her book tour! Laurel Ann will make a special guest blog appearance here next (with a book giveaway!) Friday October 21st and I'll be doing a Q&A/interview with her on the following day October 22nd!

Mark your calendars:

• Friday - Oct 21st – P&P 2005 Blog Part 1
• Saturday - Oct 22nd – P&P 2005 Blog Part 2

See more of Jane Austen Made Me Do It Blog Tour Schedule!

Here is the lowdown of  Jane Austen Made Me Do It (via Laurel Ann of AUSTENPROSE):

Edited by Austenprose’s Laurel Ann Nattress and published just in time for the 200th anniversary of the publication of Sense & Sensibility, JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT: Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart (Ballantine Books; October 11, 2011) is an engaging collection of 22 never-before-published original short stories inspired by Jane Austen. The treasures in this volume include exclusive short fiction, Q&As and reading group material from beloved bestselling authors Jo Beverley, Adriani Trigiani, and Lauren Willig; top Austen sequel writers Pamela Aidan, Amanda Grange, Laurie Viera Rigler, Stephanie Barron and Alexandra Potter; and a brand new voice in Austenesque fiction—the as-yet-unannounced winner of a short story contest hosted by Ballantine Books, Austenprose, and the highly trafficked Austen fan site The Republic of Pemberley (Pemberley.com), which receives 80 million hits per year.

Nattress says, “One of the joys of editing this anthology was composing a list of my ‘dream authors’ who write in the genre, and others whom I greatly admire who have been influenced by Austen’s style, and asking them to contribute a short story. My only request was that they stay within the theme of exploring Austen’s philosophies of life and love by reacquainting readers with characters from her novels or introducing original stories inspired by her ideals. From historical to contemporary to young-adult fiction to paranormal, five of Austen’s major novels and her life are featured in this anthology, covering ‘every possible flight which the subject will afford.’ I hope you will be as pleased and delighted as I am by the variety of amusing and poignant stories created for this collection.”

Each of these marvelous works of short fiction reaffirms the incomparable influence of one of history’s most cherished authors. As Nattress writes in her introduction, “we all have our favorites.” Mine may be the first in the volume, “Jane Austen’s Nightmare,” by Syrie James—if you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Jane Austen encountered her own characters in real life, this one is a must-read. 

For more info on this novel visit its official website or Laurel Ann's own  AUSTENPROSE- A JANE AUSTEN BLOG!  

Darcy's Voyage (BOOK REVIEW)

Darcy's Voyage by Kara Louise is a an absolute must have P&P novel. If you don't have it, you need it!!!

In Darcy's Voyage, Darcy and Elizabeth first meet years before the assembly ball in Hertfordshire, when they happen to be sharing the same carriage. They fall instantly in love with each other, but they never see each other again till years later, when they're both traveling to America on Darcy's ship, Pemberley's Promise. Too bad they don't recognize each other! The two soon become very good friends. But when Elizabeth falls ill, Darcy is forced to take very improper action in order to save her. They soon fall deeply and ardently in love, but will their love survive the conventions of polite society?

If you love Darcy and Elizabeth, then I guarantee you will love this book. It has a unique and interesting plot and an exciting storyline. And every Darcy lover will love reading about him falling head over heels in love on the high sea. Romantic, compelling, exciting, funny, it has everything you could possibly want in a book. Once you start it, you won't want to stop. You'll be dying to know what happens next! Three cheers for Darcy's Voyage!

Rating: 5 stars!

Kara Louise is a fantastic author. She has also written Only Mr. Darcy Will Do, which you can find the review for here.

The Pride & Prejudice Novel Top 10

It is a truth universally acknowledged that an ardent lover of Pride and Prejudice must be in want of a great novel to read. So here is our top ten to help you get started! :)


#10) Mr. Darcy's Obsession by Abigail Reynolds:

A sweet, simple story about what would have happened if Mr. Bennet had died before the Hunsford proposal, leaving Lizzie to become a governess for her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner's children. Despite Mr. Darcy's knowledge of Lizzie's now even lower connections, his fascination with her leads him to constantly seek her out and eventually surrender to his affection to her. It's slightly lacking in romance, but still very very sweet. And extremely interesting and well -written! It would definitely be a great book to be your first P&P novel.



#9) Darcy's Story by Janet Alymer:

A short, well-written version of P&P told from our beloved Mr. Darcy's perspective. It's very sweet, but also slightly lacking in romance. Despite that, it's very delightful, and would also be a great starter to a long tradition of reading P&P novels. And Darcy is portrayed excellently! A great worry about P&P novels that dwells in the hearts of Darcy lovers is the fear that he won't be the same wonderful gentleman we all know and love from Jane Austen's original novel. But luckily, this novel conveys his thoughts and emotions very well. He's as all P&P women would imagine him. :)

#8) What Would Mr. Darcy Do? by Abigail Reynolds:

What Would Mr. Darcy Do? is a highly entertaining P&P novel. It questions what would have happened if Darcy had revealed his feelings for Elizabeth earlier in the story. It has a great plot, is very well-written, and is excessively romantic! I can guarantee that this book will have you blushing and giggling. And Mr. Darcy will have you swooning all the way! ;)

#7) To Conquer Mr. Darcy by Abigail Reynolds:

To Conquer Mr. Darcy is the most risque' novel in our top ten. It technically qualifies as a romance novel - and a fantastic one at that! This novel is about Mr. Darcy going back to Hertfordshire after Lizzie's refusal of his hand, determined to sweep her off his feet and make her his wife. This book is very romantic, very exciting, very well-written. But I must admit, Darcy acts a bit out of character. Some of his thoughts are not exactly what I would expect of him. And his forwardness with Elizabeth is a bit beyond what I believe of him-but, nevertheless, breathtakingly romantic and wonderful. This book will leave you dazed and absolutely enchanted.

#6) Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman by Maria Hamilton:

Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman is another novel where Mr. Darcy returns to Hertfordshire after Elizabeth's refusal. But this time he seeks only to right his wrongs against Miss Bennet and Mr. Bingley...at first. Gradually Darcy comes to the realization that he must have Elizabeth for his own, and he instantly begins to work at her complaints against his suit, determined to become a gentleman. This novel has one of the best P&P based plots I've ever read. It's very exciting, leaving you in suspense and shock regularly throughout the story. Very exhilirating. And the romance is very nice! The story starts off slow. Then suddenly, in the middle of the novel, one small, beautiful, sweet embrace opens a whirlpool of romance that leaves you with a feeling of bliss. A truly fantastic read.

#5) Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mystery Series by Carrie Bebris:
This series of mysteries will have you absolutely addicted. Five books of this six book series have been published so far (Pride and Prescience, Suspense and Sensibility, North by Northanger, Matters at Mansfield, and Intrigue at Highbury). These books are so compelling, riveting, and exciting (and a bit romantic) that once you start one, you won't be able to stop! The plot of each book is great. Each mix of P&P with Jane Austen's other novels is interesting and well-written. And the characters stay true to Jane's originals. Without a doubt, anyone who loves Pride & Prejudice - and takes pleasure in a good mystery - will love this series, whether they've read other Austen novels or not. :)

#4) The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen:

The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy is a great P&P novel with an interesting twist. Again, Darcy is seeking to win Elizabeth back. But this time he has some help from, guess who? His cousin, Anne de Bourgh, and his sister Georgiana! With some scheming and some advice from his cousin and sister, Darcy seeks to win Elizabeth Bennet's heart. In the process, he captures all of ours! This story is very very romantic and exciting. Once you start this one, you won't want to stop!

#3) Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange:

Mr. Darcy's Diary is a P&P novel with, without a doubt, one the best portrayals of Mr. Darcy EVER. Within the private pages of his diary, Darcy's inner-most thoughts, and feelings, and emotions are written exactly as all of us would imagine. This book links you directly with Darcy's soul throughout the original story. And it's VERY romantic just reading Darcy's feelings about Elizabeth. If you love Darcy you will love love love this book. And again, once you start reading it, you will find yourself unable to stop. And you'll want to read it over and over again once you're done. It is simply everything that is lovely. :)

#2) Only Mr. Darcy Will Do by Kara Louise:

This book is so good, it was very very close to being number one. It is an absolutely wonderful, awesome twist on P&P about what would happen if Mr. Bennet died shortly after Elizabeth's rejection of Mr. Darcy's hand. Lizzie becomes a governess for a respectable family in London, a family that is friends with Mr. Darcy!, and Elizabeth soon finds herself invited to Pemberley, where Darcy still holds a deep admiration for her despite her now extremely low circumstances. This book will make you laugh, cry, gasp, swoon, and giggle. As soon as you finish it, you will want to turn back to the first page and read it all over again. The one thing it lacks is Mr. Darcy's perspective, but that somehow brings a bit of mystery and suspense as to how everything will turn out in the end. And there are so many sweet, wonderful moments in this story that you'll want to remember and cherish forever. :)

#1) Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman Trilogy by Pamela Aidan:

We've saved the best for last. This series of books, telling the story of P&P from Darcy's point of view, is simply fantastic. It is a story true to both P&P and Mr. Darcy, but is also its own amazing story. The first book (An Assembly Such as This) is about Darcy's time spent at Netherfield (from the assembly ball to his removing to London) and the beginnings of his attraction to Elizabeth Bennet. The second (Duty and Desire) tells the story of the "lost" months of P&P, as Darcy tries to forget Elizabeth and find a new wife while visiting a Cambridge friend for the winter. And the third book (These Three Remain), the best of the trilogy (and my personal favorite out of all the P&P novels I have read :D), begins with Darcy's arrival in Rosings and goes on to capture your heart throughout Elizabeth's rejection of him, the misery and depression Darcy feels, and his eventual winning of her heart, while following up on the new events created in Duty and Desire. Hoplessly romantic, exciting, funny, compelling, and enchanting, you will want to read each of these books over and over and over again. Because while some P&P novels make you feel like your simply reading the same story, this series is its own. It has its own brand new, exciting happenings, and it gives more detail about what happens in P&P as well. (Including the rest of Darcy's first proposal! :D) And after reading this series, you'll look back on it and remember so many wonderful moments. These are books that remain close to your heart.

And there you have it! Happy reading, everyone!!! :)
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"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." - Jane Austen

Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman (Book Review)

Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman, by Maria Hamilton is a fantastic new Pride and Prejudice variation. This novel tells the story of what would have happened if Mr. Darcy set off to take care of the problems he caused. After Elizabeth Bennet's rejection of his suit, Darcy journeys to Hertfordshire to right his wrongs against his friend Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet. Soon Elizabeth comes to see Darcy in a whole new light as he strives to be a true gentleman.

I loved this book. An interesting and fun twist, written extremely well. It was exciting, compelling, and had a great plot. It also had the perfect amount of romance. It started off small then built to the point of sheer bliss in a way that made me blush and giggle with glee! :) And the new characters fit perfectly. I also enjoyed Jane and Bingley in this novel. Often in Pride and Prejudice-based novels, there is either too much about Jane and Bingley or not enough. This book got it just right. And Darcy....wow. He was absolutely wonderful, swoon-worthy, and true to Jane Austen's original character. Make sure to pick this book up. You're in for a treat!

Rating: 5 stars

What Would Mr. Darcy Do? (Book Review)

Hello, fellow Devoted Fans of Pride and Prejudice! :) One of my favorite pastimes is reading P&P variations and sequels, and I am looking forward to sharing my thoughts on these novels with you.

This (my first post!) is a review of the P&P variation What Would Mr. Darcy Do? by Abigail Reynolds. This was an absolutely wonderful book! What Would Mr. Darcy Do? is an interesting variation on the classic P&P story asking, 'What if...Darcy and Lizzie had revealed their feelings for each other earlier in the story?' In the first chapter, we find Lizzie at the Lambton Inn, distressed over the news of Lydia's ruin. Mr. Darcy suddenly appears, and Lizzie tells him of all that has happened. But rather than Darcy leaving the inn after giving her his best wishes, he stays and reveals to Lizzie his love for her. And because of this one change, a completely different outcome is created. An outcome highly entertaining, sweet, and romantic! And Abigail Reynolds is simply the master of kissing scenes. She is an absolute genius when it comes to writing these romantic moments. So much so, I would find myself blushing and giggling as I read! So if you like to see a little heat between Darcy and Lizzie and lots of sweet romance, I hope you pick up this fantastic book! 5 stars! :)

- Ashley <3