Darcy is acting rather oddly. After months of courting Elizabeth Bennet, no offer of marriage is forthcoming and Elizabeth is first impatient, then increasingly frightened. For there is no denying that the full moon seems to be affecting his behavior, and Elizabeth's love is going to be tested in ways she never dreamed...
Darcy has more than family pride to protect: others of his kind are being hunted all over England and a member of Darcy's pack is facing a crisis in Scotland. It will take all of Elizabeth's faith, courage, and ingenuity to overcome her prejudice and join Darcy in a Regency world she never knew existed.
Mary Simonsen has taken Austen’s most popular couple and
once again altered their circumstances, this time adding werewolf to Mr. Darcy’s
list of attributes. Werewolves and
Pride & Prejudice? Really? Those were my initial thoughts. However,
skeptical as I was, I wanted to read what Ms. Simonsen wrote since I have
enjoyed her other works. Page by page my curiosity was piqued, and I was drawn
into the story.
I want to be upfront with readers, especially those who do
not care for paranormals. Mr. Darcy’s Bite
is primarily a love story. Yes, Mr. Darcy is a werewolf, but surprisingly,
there are no gruesome or dark and scary scenes. Instead of Darcy and Elizabeth
overcoming their socio-economic differences as in Austen’s classic, here their
main obstacle is Darcy’s infliction. Elizabeth has quite the inner struggle
trying to get her mind around the fact that the man she loves is a werewolf for
two nights every month. Will she be able to look
past her fears and uncertainties and follow her heart? Or will Elizabeth dismiss
her feelings in favor of the certainty of a normal life?
I am always delighted when I read a Pride and Prejudice re-imagining and there is another man or woman
vying for Elizabeth or Darcy’s attention. Here, readers are presented with la belle femme Lady Helen, whose beauty is
unparalleled. Not only is Lady Helen the daughter of a peer of the realm, gorgeous,
and neighbor to Pemberley, but she also shares the same secret as Darcy. This
shewolf is unwilling to give up the Master of Pemberley without a fight. But
what will happen when she crosses the line?
It was quite enjoyable to see the author capture the loyal
and protective Darcy, as well as the compassionate and impertinent Elizabeth
Austen created. To maintain so many of their characteristics in such an
original and creative variation, exemplifies the talent of the writer. Whether
Darcy is a WWI veteran, WWII bomber pilot or werewolf, Mary Simonsen is queen
of placing Darcy and Elizabeth in a variety of time periods and extraordinary
situations while giving readers an entertaining and plausible story.
Between the internal and external struggles Darcy and
Elizabeth face, the deep, abiding love between the two, and the humor infused
in the novel, I was captivated by the story and didn’t want it to end. However,
Simonsen ends the story on such a note that should leave readers quite
satisfied. This is truly a
delightful love story between Darcy and Elizabeth!
For those who have read Mr.
Darcy’s Bite and are still yearning for more of Darcy and Elizabeth’s
lupine love story, I have wonderful news. Mary Simonsen will be releasing a
companion novella next month!
Read It Now!
Hmm, this sounds really good, I like Mary's books. Especially good to know its not gruesome, I don't mind paranormal but not keen on gruesome! Nice that it's on sale in the US but it's a shame for me that's it's not on sale in the UK too! Never mind, I'm sure I'll get round to it sometime :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's a bummer it's not on sale for you, Ceri. :/ I hope you do get around to reading it sometime. I really enjoy tis & it's a perfect romance for October.
DeleteHi Jakki. Thank you for the wonderful review redux. So glad you enjoyed my novel. :)
ReplyDeleteThis book is pheromone on a stick!
ReplyDeleteLol, Angie! I know you really enjoyed this book too! :)
DeleteOoh next month? I remember Mary saying she was working on a novella but wasn't sure about when. Yay!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great love story and I loved the end.
I love the ending as well, Monica! :)
DeleteSo glad to hear about the upcoming novel. I really enjoyed this book, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks, everyone, for stopping by and reading Jakki's review. Your support is soooooooooo appreciated.
ReplyDelete