Mr. Darcy's Challenge by Monica Fairview Excerpt & Giveaway!

I am so glad to have Monica Fairview visiting Leatherbound Reviews again! She is a joy to have as a guest; her posts are always entertaining. And today's excerpt is no exception! 
So sit back and enjoy an excerpt that will leave you wanting more!

First of all, thank you for this delightful opportunity to visit Leatherbound Reviews. I’m very pleased to be here with the wonderfully supportive and talented Jakki, who wears so many hats. I’m quite awestruck by her energy!

I’m excited to introduce you today to my latest novel, Mr. Darcy’s Challenge, a comic Pride & Prejudice ‘what if’ variation which focuses on the search for Lydia Bennet and its aftermath. In this variation, Mr. Darcy doesn’t find Lydia as quickly as he does in Pride & Prejudice. In fact, she remains rather elusive. Not only that, but initially, after a rather unpleasant encounter with Elizabeth at the beginning of the novel, Darcy is not entirely certain he even wants to try and find her. Only his honor as a gentleman keeps him steadfast.

Mr. Darcy’s Challenge is the second volume in The Darcy Novels series, but can be read independently.

In this scene, the Bennets, the Bingleys and the Darcys are in Brighton, all searching for Lydia. Elizabeth has encountered an old childhood friend of hers and has gone out riding with him along the Marine Parade.

“Do you know where I can find Miss Bennet?” said Darcy, abruptly. “She is not with Miss Bingley, and she is not in her chambers, either. I expected to find her making preparations for the dance tonight. Has she gone out?”

So now she knew what was bothering him. The explanation for his strange mood was apparent.

 “Why, yes,” said Georgiana. “An old acquaintance of hers called on her. They have gone on a carriage ride along the promenade to reminisce about old times.”

“A female acquaintance?” said Darcy.

Georgiana hid a smile by pretending to cough. “No. It was a gentleman.”

Darcy frowned. “She went on a carriage ride with a gentleman, without a chaperon? How could you let her do such a thing when you know the reputation of the whole Bennet family hangs by a thread?”

“William, be reasonable. How could I possibly have prevented her? I have no influence over her at all. However, you need not worry in any case. Jenny has gone with her.”

This should have had the effect of appeasing her brother, but it did not.

“And how, pray, are you supposed to do without Jenny? This shows a lack of consideration—”

“I have no need of Jenny at the moment, William. Would you have preferred Miss Bennet to be without a chaperon?” interrupted Georgiana, mildly.

 Another silence.

“I do not wish to be cooped up inside,” said Darcy. “We must take advantage of the good weather. Shall we go for a drive as well, Georgiana?”

Georgiana would have been happier if Darcy had offered to take her out before he knew what Elizabeth was doing. No doubt Darcy was hoping to catch a glimpse of Elizabeth’s friend and discover who he was. However, she did not really mind, since she had been hoping to be invited for a drive anyway. She agreed at once, hoping William’s mood would improve amongst the revelers.

~~x~~

It was a most pleasant day. White clouds outlined the horizon, appearing like snow-topped mountains from afar, and the white-tipped sailing boats completed the illusion. The blue of the sky and the blue-green of the sea complemented each other, like a well-chosen bonnet matching a pelisse. Darcy had dismissed the coachman, deciding to handle the ribbons himself, and he had taken Georgiana up in the front with him. Although the sea breeze prevented her from feeling hot, the sun was warm. Georgiana put up her parasol to protect her face. She did not wish to turn red as a lobster before her first dance.

“I am excited about attending the dance tonight,” she said.

Her brother said nothing, concentrating on handling the ribbons as a carriage with four noisy Corinthians dashed through the crowd, causing havoc all around them.

As the traffic settled into a more sedate pace again, she felt her brother’s gaze on her.

“Are you not worried you will encounter Wickham at the dance? It is very likely he will be there. You must be prepared.”

The question was unexpected and Georgiana was flustered by it at first. However, she composed herself quickly. If her reaction at the parade was anything to judge by, she did not feel herself likely to be ill at ease.

“It no longer matters,” she replied. “I know now that I do not care for him at all.”

Darcy reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. “You do not know how relieved I am to hear it, Georgiana. I will not conceal from you that I have been very worried that you would succumb to him once again.”

She shook her head vigorously. “Never!”

“You have removed a huge burden off my shoulders.”

A gentle breeze came up from the sea. It was fresh and wet and carried with it the scent of a great salty expanse, teaming with millions of fellow creatures. It felt good to be alive – and free. At this instant in time, she loved the sea, and the way the waves danced as they crawled merrily onto the shingle and she loved the way the horizon seemed to stretch on forever, like her own future.

Just then, a carriage came into view, moving in their direction, with Elizabeth and her acquaintance talking animatedly and Jenny smiling at something they were saying.

“Oh, there they are!” she exclaimed. She waved and Elizabeth grinned and waved back.

Darcy turned his head sharply to inspect the gentleman in the other carriage.

“Look out!” said Georgiana as their carriage veered to the right.

By the time Darcy had straightened the horses, Elizabeth and her companion had passed them by.

“I have seen him before,” said Darcy. “I feel I ought to recognize him. I seem to remember something unpleasant about him. Do you know his name?”

I hope you have enjoyed this selection. Thank you once again to Jakki for her kind invitation to join you all here on Leatherbound Reviews.

What a teasing excerpt, Monica! Now you have my in tatters, dying to know who this man is and what he wants with Elizabeth! I can only hope Darcy will be there to save the day if needed. Excellent way to pique the reader's interest! 

Thank you for that and again for visiting, Monica!

*******

From the Publisher:

In this humorous Pride and Prejudice Variation, Mr. Darcy is determined to win Elizabeth Bennet's hand in spite of her rejection and he has a strategy worked out. He will rescue Lydia Bennet from Wickham and will return to Longbourn to convince Elizabeth to marry him. But when a chance encounter prompts Darcy to propose once again to Elizabeth before he has rescued Lydia, his plans go horribly wrong. 

Broken hearted, disillusioned and bitterly regretting his impulsive action, Darcy sees no point in assisting Miss Bennet. After all, rescuing Lydia might save Elizabeth’s reputation, but why should he care when they have no future together? His code of gentlemanly conduct, however, demands that he fulfill the terms of his promise to her. Once again, Darcy finds himself faced with impossible choices: helping Elizabeth when she is certain to marry someone else, or holding onto his dignity by turning his back on the Bennets once and for all. 

Pride and love are at loggerheads as he struggles to choose between his mind … and his heart. 

Volume Two of The Darcy Novels continues the story began in Mr. Darcy's Pledge but can

be read as an independent book as well.

Author Bio:

Monica is a longtime admirer of Jane Austen and likes to write down her fantasies about living in the Regency period. She has written two traditional Jane Austen sequels,THE OTHER MR. DARCY and THE DARCY COUSINS and a story in the anthology JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT. Her new series consists of traditional Pride and Prejudice ‘what-if’ variations. MR. DARCY’S CHALLENGE is the second in the series.

Monica Fairview’s real claim to fame is that she lived in Elizabeth Gaskell’s house in Manchester as a teenager, when it was crumbling and neglected, so you could say she has the smog of NORTH & SOUTH in her blood. After that, Monica lived in the USA for many years, where she taught literature to captive victims (not necessarily captivated). She now lives in Surrey within the Greater London area and loves visiting historical properties when it isn’t raining.

***GIVEAWAY TIME***

Monica Fairview is graciously giving away ONE (1) ebook copy (open internationally) and ONE (1) paperback copy (USA only) of Mr. Darcy's Challenge!! 

To enter, please comment on today's excerpt. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the excerpt. :)

Please leave your email address or Twitter handle. If you do not, your entry will not be entered. 

Giveaway ends December 15, 2014!

Good Luck!!

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Review: From This Day Forward by Joana Starnes + Giveaway!!

From the publisher:
On a crisp winter morning, in a small country church, Miss Elizabeth Bennet married Mr Darcy – and her quiet, tame existence had abruptly changed. The second daughter of a country gentleman is now many different things, to different people. Beloved wife. Mistress of a dauntingly great estate. Reluctant socialite. Daughter. Sister. Cousin. Friend. Her world is very different too, touched by a series of events that the creator of ‘Pride & Prejudice’ would have recognised. And as the days of her married life go by bringing both joy and turmoil, the man that stands beside her is her shelter and comfort in the face of family opposition, peril and heartbreak. 
Three very different Christmas seasons come to serve as landmarks to their lives and there are blissful days and times of sorrow at the old English country house. And before too long, a time would come when Darcy must decide if he is prepared to risk everything for the sake of a full life together - or succumb to the collection of his fears.

Although Elizabeth stated in Pride and Prejudice that since Darcy was a gentleman and she was a gentleman’s daughter they were equal, it wasn’t strictly accurate; they lived in very different worlds. Darcy’s estate was much larger than the Bennet’s, so even if Elizabeth was well-versed in the duties that she’d need to fulfil as mistress of a home, being the mistress of a grand estate may well have been daunting. Also, Elizabeth had very likely never navigated London’s fashionable circles, something she’d need to do successfully to ensure a good marriage for Georgiana as well as for any children that she and Darcy would have. I’ve often wondered whether she’d struggle, or if it would be plain sailing.

Joana Starne’s story picks up 9 days after Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding.  When the story begins, we find a few obstacles that Elizabeth has already encountered; the housekeeper at the London townhouse is unwelcoming towards her, and Lady Catherine is not the only one of Darcy’s Fitzwilliam relatives that is opposed to his marriage to Elizabeth.  With the exception of Colonel Fitzwilliam, none of the Fitzwilliams are welcoming to Elizabeth.  If Elizabeth had come from the same social circle as Darcy, she would have been able to rely on the support of her own family, but of course, this isn’t the case as her parents don’t have the connections to be able to launch her into society. Luckily, some of Darcy’s more distant relations are more amenable and agree to assist.

The book follows the events of the Darcy household over the next few years.  Darcy and Elizabeth are a very loving couple (although, don’t worry if you don’t like sex scenes, there are none in this book).  We see them settle into their roles as husband and wife, and we see how much they come to rely on each other, particularly in the face of his family’s opposition.  Elizabeth breathes life that has been missing since the death of Lady Anne into the rather staid Darcy household.  The growing relationship between Elizabeth and Georgiana is lovely to see, and Elizabeth really helps Georgiana grow and find confidence in herself, something that is vital for Georgiana’s launch into society.  The book is as much about Georgiana and her blossoming into womanhood as it is about Elizabeth and Darcy. The family face a number of hurdles, some harder to overcome than others, and we will get the opportunity to see how well Mr and Mrs Darcy have overcome their old faults of hasty judgement and distain for the feelings of others.

Although I enjoyed the book from the outset, it took a good while to grip me.  It was fairly slow going at the beginning, and although issues were faced initially, they were pretty easily overcome, and I’d have liked a bit more tension in the first half of the story. The book has its share of angst, but it is concentrated, so it hits you even harder when it arrives.

Both Elizabeth and Darcy’s families appear in the book. I felt the depiction of the Bennet side of the family was generally faithful to Pride and Prejudice, aside from the Gardiner’s sons who were older than canon. In the world of Austenesque fiction, you often find Mrs Bennet drawn very harshly, but here I felt she was properly represented in all her embarrassing glory, and you couldn’t help wincing at some of her comments, but also sympathising with her when she succeeded in her life’s ambition of marrying off all her daughters and then felt bereft.  I’d have liked to have seen a bit more of Elizabeth’s sisters.  As for Darcy’s family, both Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lady Catherine are featured in this story, and we meet the more distant relatives who assist Lizzy’s launch to society.   The connection between Darcy and these relatives is described in a bit too much detail for me, I read the paragraph about 5 times before I had it straight in my mind, but distant cousin pretty much covers it!

One thing I particularly liked about this book was the humour, such as this gem showing Miss Bingley’s views of the Christmas entertainment at Pemberley:

‘“What game is that, pray?” Lady Mellor’s youngest piped up, understandably inexperienced in what passed for entertainment in Cheapside and the wilds of Hertfordshire.’

We see three Christmases in this book, the first two Christmases following Elizabeth and Mr Darcy’s wedding which form a stark contrast to each other, and the third Christmas celebration in the epilogue, 24 years down the line where we get the chance to catch up with the futures of many of the characters.   Personally, I love an epilogue, and the epilogue in this book I particularly enjoyed.

Review written by Leatherbound Reviews contributor Ceri Tanti. 

About Ceri:

I read ‘Sense and Sensibility’ back when I was a teenage bookworm.  I liked that book enough to move on to ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and I absolutely fell in love with it, completely captured by Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy’s story, and quickly moved on to read Austen’s other main novels.  Fast forward to Christmas 2011 and my husband got me a kindle for Christmas; when I looked on Amazon for my Jane Austen favourites I found that there was a whole world of Austen-inspired fiction that I never knew existed before.  Thank you Jakki, for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on ‘From This Day Forward’ with you all.

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***GIVEAWAY TIME***

Joana Starnes has kindly offered up ONE (1) ebook copy of From This Day Forward for giveaway! Open internationally! To enter, comment on the review.

For extra entries, you may also do the following:

*Tweet the review (comment you tweeted)

*Comment on my interview with Joana on Thursday

*Tweet the interview (comment you tweeted)

*Share on Facebook

Giveaway ends Wednesday, October 2. 

Best of luck!! =)