Mr. Darcy's Secret by Jane Odiwe

Genre: Regency romance, Jane Austen sequel

Published: Feb. 1, 2011, 368 pp.

Source: Advanced Review Copy from Sourcebooks

Review: 3.5/5 stars

I've been impressed by the two books by Jane Odiwe that I've now read. She has a nice style that's Austenesque and I really appreciate that she conveys the love and passion between her characters without going behind closed bedroom doors. There's often too much sex in Austen sequels that I don't like.

That being said, the stories haven't been quite as compelling as I would like. Though I have enjoyed her books, Mr. Darcy's Secret and Willoughby's Return, I can't say that I've been blown away by them. They are fun, light reads though and are nice when you have a hankerin' for some Austen men. :) It seems like I have heard that Lydia Bennet's Story, also by Odiwe, is particularly good. I fear that I'm a little burnt out on this genre right now so I will try reading that one some time in the future.

In case you want to know a little about what happens in this book here's a short teaser:

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth arrive at Pemberley newly married and ready to begin their new life together. Elizabeth meets the Derbyshire high society and deals with their gossip and expectations. Mr. Darcy deals with the challenge of Georgianna's entering society and finding proper suitors. They both must learn what it means to be married and to trust one another.

Rating: 2.1.1 Pretty clean. Sexual content is only implied.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy by Abigail Reynolds

Genre: Romance, Austen fan-fiction

Published: Jan. 2010, 288 pgs

Source: ARC from Sourcebooks

Review: 4/5 stars

Description on Goodreads:

In this sexy Jane Austen sequel, Elizabeth Bennet accepts Mr. Darcy's first marriage proposal, answering the "What if...?" question fans everywhere have pondered
" I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry."
Famous last words indeed! Elizabeth Bennet's furious response to Mr. Darcy's marriage proposal has resonated for generations of readers. But what if she had never said it? Would she have learned to recognize Mr. Darcy's admirable qualities on her own? Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy follows Elizabeth and Darcy as they struggle to find their way through the maze of their prejudices after Elizabeth, against her better judgment, agrees to marry Darcy instead of refusing his proposal.

I should have paid attention to the "sexy" adjective used to describe this Pride and Prejudice sequel before I read it. That is a very apt description for the detailed sex scenes towards the end of this book. Having said that... I really liked this book. I am embarrassed at how quickly I devoured it soon after receiving it in the mail from Sourcebooks a couple of months ago. By the time I got to the objectionable scenes, there was no way that I could set this book aside (they are in the last quarter of the book). While I don't think Reynolds always captured Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth's true characters, her story of their marriage and struggles to find happiness with each other is compelling and quite a page-turner. Reading this book reminded me again of what a hopeless romantic I am. I am ashamed but I've decided to just be open and honest about it. :)

Rating: 5.1.1 Two detailed sex scenes; it is within a married relationship but it is detailed.

Searching for Pemberley by Mary Lydon Simonsen

Genre: Historical fiction, romance

Published: 1 December 2009, 496 pgs.

ARC

Review: 3.5/5

Simonsen's Searching for Pemberley is not your typical Austen sequel. Set in England after World War II, Maggie is an American working in London when a sight-seeing trip to Derbyshire leads to a friendship with a couple who believe that Jane Austen based her novel, Pride and Prejudice, on real people. The story is multi-generational, includes a few different love stories, including Maggie's, and is a history lesson on both World Wars. I've read a few reviews that have called it a "leisurely" read and I think that is a perfect word for it. The story behind the people who were allegedly the inspiration for the Darcys, Bingley, and Bennets is slowly laid out as the main story about Maggie and the couple, named Jack and Beth Crowell, and their family, unfolds.

I quite enjoyed this book. I have to admit that it was pretty slow going at first and it was probably about page 100 before I started to really like it. Sometimes there seemed to be too many characters to keep track of and I'd come across someone's name and think, who is that? I enjoyed the journal entries written by Elizabeth Garrison and the letters written by William Lacey who were supposedly the real Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. However, that part of novel was not extensive and the story mainly dealt with Maggie, her love interests and the Crowells. I thought their story was interesting and I really liked the information about the wars and conditions in England during and after the war. I learned quite a bit from that and I appreciated the obvious research that Simonsen had put into writing the book.

Overall this was a pretty good story with interesting characters. I didn't really like the direction it went with the morality/religion/pre-marital sex issues that were brought up so I wouldn't recommend this book for teenagers. It definitely has adult themes.

Rating: 3.1.3 This book contains many sexual situations but not explicit and graphic. Also contains plenty of barnyard language (I didn't think it was excessive, though).

Willoughby's Return by Jane Odiwe

Genre: Romance
Published: Nov. 2009, 352 pgs.
ARC
Review: 3.5/5 stars

Most Jane Austen "sequels" that I've ever seen are about Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Willoughby's Return: A Tale of Almost Irresistable Temptation continues the story of Marianne and Colonel Brandon. As the title suggests, Willoughby comes back to the neighborhood and stirs up a little mischief for Marianne. The story is predictable and a little cliched at times but I enjoyed it. I wish that Eleanor had played a bigger part in the book but it was fun to get to know Margaret and Marianne a little more (as seen through the eyes of Jane Odiwe). Marianne has matured and grown a little more sensible but she is still very much the old romantic Marianne. If you like Jane Austen sequels, this one would be a fun choice.

Reading this story about Marianne and wishing that there was more about Eleanor made me wonder about what other people think about these characters. When I read or watch Sense and Sensibility, I'm all about Eleanor and Edward. Marianne is just a side story that I don't care about very much. She kind of bugs me, to be honest, but I love everything about Eleanor. What do you think about Marianne and Eleanor?


Rating: 1.1.1 Very clean read