Review: The Darcy Brothers by White Soup Press

From the Publisher:

Theo Darcy is everything his disapproving elder brother, Fitzwilliam, is not—charming, easy-going, and full of fun. A tragic event as children severed their bond of friendship, but now they are together again. They are still at odds, though, this time over the love of Miss Elizabeth Bennet and the truth about George Wickham. Will Wickham manage to divide the brothers again? And more importantly, which Mr. Darcy will Elizabeth choose? Find out as the two brothers lock horns in this unique Pride & Prejudice variation collectively written by five respected authors. 

The Darcy Brothers was first conceived as an interactive group writing project and has developed into a full-length novel featuring the charismatic Theo Darcy. A sweet Regency romance for all lovers of Pride and Prejudice. 

Review: 

Last year, on the Austen Variationswebsite, a serial story was posted, with the authors taking turns in posting chapters. At the end of the chapter there was a poll which gave the readers a choice in the direction of the story. This must have been such a challenge for the authors involved, picking up the threads of the story where somebody else has left it, and having to follow the readers’ choice of direction rather than the writer’s own muse. I read most of the challenge as it was being posted and was therefore really interested to see this published version of ‘The Darcy Brothers’ by Monica Fairview, Maria Grace, Cassandra Grafton, Susan Mason-Milks and Abigail Reynolds.

This is a variation on ‘Pride & Prejudice’ where the variation is a change to Darcy’s family. Here, he has a brother two years younger than himself, Mr Theophilus Darcy. The Darcy brothers unfortunately do not have the closest of brotherly bonds, and Theo has become Darcy’s scapegoat for a number of events including Georgiana’s failed elopement with Wickham, as Theo accompanied her to Ramsgate and was very close to Wickham. Darcy is paying his annual visit to Lady Catherine and has decided to take his brother with him, to keep him out of trouble. Darcy and Theo have a very unhealthy relationship at the start of this story. Theo craves his brother’s approval, but also derives great enjoyment from needling and annoying him, and a perverse pleasure in proving all his brother’s worst suspicions correct. At the beginning of the book I really didn’t like the side in each other that the brothers provoked (because anybody with siblings will know that they can bring out the absolute worst in you!); Darcy was more humourless, intolerant and unpleasant than I am used to, and Theo, while being amenable to others, was quite childish in his provoking manner. I found his childishness towards Lady Catherine much more amusing though:

‘Dipping a quill in ink, he began a sketch of his aunt with fangs and bat wings, then neatly labelled it ‘The Old Bat’.’

Theo has very keen powers of observation and is quite sure that something is wrong with his brother, who has, unbeknown to Theo, travelled to Kent under the spectre of dread that Caroline Bingley has put into his head that Elizabeth may have married Mr Collins. Being a person with an enquiring mind, and having nothing else to do in the country, Theo has decided to try and puzzle out what is preying on his brother’s mind:

‘A plan began to take shape in his head. True, it would mean undertaking several of his least favourite things – awakening early in the morning, attempting to be polite to his aunt and avoiding annoying his brother – but sometimes sacrifices must be made.’

Once Theo is on the case, it doesn’t take long for him to come to some quite accurate conclusions regarding his brother’s feelings, but unfortunately Darcy isn’t blessed with the same level of success in determining people’s feelings and he isn’t sure if Theo also has feelings of admiration towards Elizabeth. Elizabeth has even less reason to think well of Darcy in this variation, as she sees him add mistreatment of his brother to his list of crimes, not realising that Theo is extremely provoking to his sibling. With so much pushing them apart, is there a way towards happiness for Darcy and Elizabeth? And can the Darcy brothers ever bridge the gap between them and be brothers in more than name?

I thought this was an interesting idea for a variation because on the face of it, Darcy having a brother shouldn’t make much difference to his relationship with Elizabeth unless he directly interferes, but of course, having a different family dynamic would make Darcy a different person, and he is a sorely-tried man with a brother like Theo. The root cause of this isn’t Theo’s fault, he has been blamed unfairly by Darcy for a number of events, but he has perversely exacerbated the problem as much as possible, because, like his brother, he is a proud man, and will not admit that he wants his brother’s respect and love so their relationship has evolved into a bit of a vicious circle.

While at Rosings we see a very different side to Anne de Bourgh. I really enjoyed Anne’s character, and have never seen one quite like it in my Austenesque reading. Having been so secluded from society, Anne hasn’t learned the boundaries required for polite society, and is extremely outspoken and headstrong (I wonder where she gets that from?!), which I found very entertaining. She also wants to ‘help’ Darcy’s courtship of Miss Bennet, for her own reasons. I also liked the new character of Theo’s good friend, the genial man-mountain Sir Montgomery Preston.

Through the trials and tribulations they face, we see the Darcy brothers draw closer together and overcome the obstacles to true brotherhood that they’ve placed between them; it’s lovely to see them becoming closer and as they do, you can see Darcy changing to become more like the character that we know and love, and as Darcy changed I enjoyed the story more and more. This is a less romantic variation than some as the focus is more on the brothers, particularly Theo, but it was entertaining and interesting. There was a really interesting section relating to how wounds were dealt with which was fascinating to compare to medicine today.  I was also interested to see whether having this many authors would lead to changes in style throughout the book, but reading the published version I don’t think I’d have realised that there were so many authors involved in creating the story if I hadn’t have known the fact.

I don’t know whether it’s intended for this story to have a sequel but I think there is definite scope for it, and I’d love to read it if one is written. I would like to see what happens to Theo after the close of our tale! I’d recommend this to Austenesque readers, and I’d rate it as a 4½ star read.

*I was provided with a copy of this book to review for Leatherbound Reviews. 
*Review written by Leatherbound Reviews contributing reviewer Ceri Tanti of Babblings of a Bookworm.

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Review: Charity's Heart by Sofia Diana Gabel

From the Publisher:

1888, London Charity Llewellyn, 19, looks forward to her wedding, but upon learning that her intended groom is Mathias Baptiste, the immoral son of a wealthy banker, she runs away from home to avoid the betrothal. Angry at her attempt, her father appoints a handsome and mysterious man, Alexander Sutton, as her constant chaperone. Furious, Charity plots an escape with help from her friend Lillian, although that leads to involvement in an unsolved 20-year old murder and a shallow burial of human bones. As she tries to unravel the secrets of the old murder, she meets a frightening man who could be Jack the Ripper. But that’s not her only obstacle. As she and Alexander grow closer, she learns a dark secret he’s been keeping and when Mathias finds them together, he’s overcome with rage and will stop at nothing to get her back, not even murder.

Review:

What is a nineteen year old young lady to do in the late 1800’s when her father is arranging a marriage that she does not want? Runaway, of course!

Meet Charity Llewellyn who was raised in the finest circles of London’s ton and never wanted for anything. Well almost nothing, except love and approval from her parents. Due to her aversion of her parents’ plan to wed her one Mr. Mathias Baptiste, she takes the chance to escape from her jeweled prison and sets out to see the real London and start a new life of her own free will.  However her plan is lacking a plan, she gets trapped by a less the sober sailor on the wrong side of the docks, but a strange gentleman comes to her rescue and Charity runs back to the safety of her home. Upon her returned home, her father is more than a little displeased. To Charity’s vexation, he hires a “chaperon” to escort her at all times and to her surprise it happens to be the same gentleman that recused her the previous night, Mr. Alexander Sutton. Startled with her father’s choice of “chaperon”, she tries in vain to dissuade her father’s latest attempts to rein her in, however, undaunted, Charity is still determined to escape her impending marriage, parents and most of all Mr. Sutton.

As Charity plans her next escape, she goes to the shops, her mother set up for her, to pick up her new dress and shoes for the upcoming garden party she will be attending all the while trying to get away from Mr. Sutton, but this man is hard to get away from. She is able to persuade her parents to allow her stay at her best friend’s home for the night as their home is closer to the garden party venue. With the help of her friend, Lillian Hollingberry, they collaborate a plan of action to have Charity’s make her escape during the garden party.

What could possibly go wrong with their well thought out plan? Everything! Charity stumbles upon an unsolved murder from twenty years ago that surprisingly has a lot to do with Mr. Sutton’s past. Charity’s own life is being threatened from not only her intended, Mr. Baptiste, but also a well-loved servant in the Hollinberry home. Now she must save Sutton from imprisonment and also her own life and those of her loved ones all the while not understanding her own true feelings towards Sutton. Can this man she claims to dislike really be the one man she cannot live without?  And what is truly going on with her father’s new shady business partner who happens to lurks around White Chapel where a series of murders are happening?

Although the beginning had a slow start, Charity’s story was riveting and intriguing to make me want to know what happens next. The touching scenes between Sutton and Charity are at times hilarious and at other times heartwarming. Ms. Gabel tells the story of self-discovery and following one’s own heart to find true happiness no matter what society dictates.

*Review written by Leatherbound Reviews contributor Liz Castillo

*Review copy provided by publicist 

While Leatherbound Reviews was offered a copy of Charity's Heart for review, the book is currently out of print. I just wanted to let readers know why they cannot find a buy link accompanying this post. 

Review: The Second Chance by Joana Starnes + Giveaway!

Earlier this year I read and really enjoyed The Subsequent Proposal by Joana Starnes which featured characters of both Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. When Jakki kindly offered me the opportunity to read The Second Chance by Joana, I read the blurb, and seeing that it featured characters from both Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice I assumed that it would be similar to The Subsequent Proposal but actually it was quite different.

The Second Chance diverges from Pride and Prejudice pretty early on. The story begins at Netherfield, where Elizabeth has gone to nurse her sister, and Darcy has realised how the second Miss Bennet bewitches him and is fighting hard against it. Elizabeth receives a note informing her of her father being found unconscious. Mr Darcy is very comforting to her when she receives this awful news, and offers the practical assistance of sending for his doctor from town. Elizabeth begins to see that perhaps she has had an overly-harsh perception of Mr Darcy initially, and he is a better, more feeling man than she previously gave him credit for. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth is in the early stages of her dislike of Darcy at this point, and much of this is done away by his solicitous behaviour towards her. So much so, that when a Mr Wickham arrives on the scene and tells her a tale of woe regarding Mr Darcy’s behaviour Elizabeth is not particularly disposed to give it much credence.

Although Mr Bennet recovers, he is diagnosed with a heart problem. He could survive for some time or drop down dead, leaving his widow and daughters destitute. By this point Mr Collins has arrived and has made his position clear. Mr Darcy is rather more in love with Elizabeth at this point than in canon and he makes a crazy decision. Rather than chance that Elizabeth may choose to sacrifice herself to ensure her sisters’ future security Darcy decides to give her an alternative option. He feels that he is unable to marry her, as her family is unacceptable, but he could secure her financial future. He has a smaller estate that he decides to sign over to her family, pretending that it has been left to Mr Bennet by an old university friend, who wished to remain anonymous. This sounds extremely generous, and it is, but it’s also gambling with the Bennets’ respectability – if anybody found out that the Bennets had been given an estate by an unrelated man there would probably be an assumption that one of the Miss Bennets was his mistress, and it could have ruined their whole family. It’s a pretty selfish action considering that he would be gambling with their respectability and reducing his family’s fortune in one fell swoop and the only reason he’s doing it is to try to prevent Elizabeth marrying before he’s had chance to get over her. If any of the Bennets or their relations find out it’s likely that they would be extremely offended, and Darcy’s motives could easily be misinterpreted.

As it happens, by the time Mr Bennet passes away Mrs Bennet and her daughters wouldn’t have been destitute as two of them have already married and are in a position to support their mother and sisters. But, being in possession of the Farringdon Estate in Devon, they move there, where they meet some characters who we would know from Sense and Sensibility - Sir John and Lady Middleton, Colonel Brandon and the garrulous Mrs Jennings, who immediately becomes fast friends with Mrs Bennet. There is also a visitor to the area that we would find familiar; Colonel Brandon has another colonel staying with him – a Colonel Fitzwilliam, who is very taken with the Misses Bennet, and believes he sees some partiality for them in his friend Brandon. Soon afterwards there are further newcomers to the area in the form of a widow, Mrs Dashwood, and her three daughters. Elizabeth and Kitty Bennet soon become good friends with Elinor and Marianne. This is where the storylines of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility start to merge, although differently to how Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion came together in the Subsequent Proposal. I thought the stories were intertwined really well – there were events from Sense and Sensibility that happened in much the same way as in that book, and other events unfolded differently due to the Bennets being there.  If you are not familiar with the intricacies of Sense and Sensibility then I wouldn’t worry too much, this story is primarily focused on Darcy and Elizabeth and the Pride and Prejudice characters.

Since Elizabeth never reaches the level of dislike that she has to overcome in canon the main thing keeping her and Darcy apart is him fighting a relationship due to societal gap between them. In Pride and Prejudice, although Elizabeth knows that there is a gap when she refuses Darcy, she doesn’t fully appreciate just how much higher Darcy stands in society than her father until she sees Pemberley. At the time of her scathing refusal she acknowledges the compliment of such a man’s affections, but in the moment she doesn’t have time to consider it, as she is so angry at his slights toward her family. Here Elizabeth is much more keenly aware of the gap between them and I felt sorry for her – the humbling realisation that it would be a poor marriage for Darcy couldn’t have been a comforting thought, and this theme is explored in some depth.

‘She had never imagined that the disparity between Pemberley and Netherfield, or between Pemberley and every place that she knew, for that matter, would be so marked.’

We are privy to Elizabeth’s thoughts and feelings throughout much of the book, but we are also treated to Darcy’s as well. What would a Pride and Prejudice variation be without some suffering for our dear hero?! Well there is quite a bit for him here and frankly he deserves every bit of it! It’s due to his own pride that he doesn’t pursue a relationship between himself and Elizabeth from the Netherfield days when he first begins to love her, and all the other delays, misunderstandings and conflict arise as a result of this, so although he goes through the mill it’s all self inflicted, as his comforting cousin and dear friend informs him:

‘I never expected a blunder of such magnitude! You do everything in a grander scale than the rest of us, do you not?’

I very much liked the portrayal of the characters in this story – I felt that Elizabeth and Darcy were pretty close to canon, Mrs Bennet was portrayed affectionately, Bingley as a sweet man with a lively sense of humour, and I also enjoyed Jane’s character here, especially when she showed some unexpected protective tendencies. We are also treated to an absence of some characters who I am quite happy to do without!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although it’s quite a long book and took me a while to read it never felt long. The storylines of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility merged and intertwined naturally and the style of the prose was delightful - charming and witty and there are some bits which are downright funny. There are also phrases of Austen’s weaved in throughout the book, often attributed to different characters, as unobtrusive nods back to Pride and Prejudice that I enjoyed spotting. It’s such a romantic read too. I would wholeheartedly recommend reading this!

*Review written by Leatherbound Reviews contributor Ceri Tanti
*Review copy provided by the author

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***GIVEAWAY TIME***

Joana Starnes is kindly offering ONE (1) ebook copy of The Second Chance for giveaway!!
To enter: Comment on this review
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Giveaway ends June 26, 2014!
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Review: Pride and Persistence by Jeanna Ellsworth

From the classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, we know that Darcy’s heart is persistent in his love of Elizabeth Bennet and part of reason so many of us love the story. In Pride and Persistence, we learn how far Darcy’s persistence will go to win the heart of Elizabeth.

Our story starts right after Darcy’s disastrous proposal and Elizabeth’s gut-wrenching refusal. He has returned to Rosings and is determined to write a letter to Elizabeth to explain his actions. After a restless night from both parties, each is determined to see the other. Darcy to give Elizabeth his letter and Elizabeth to tell Darcy she is sorry for how hurtful her statements were during her refusal, although not sorry for refusing him. A storm is approaching fast; however, they still venture out in search of each other, determined in their separate purposes. After searching for Darcy for as long as she could, Elizabeth turns and heads back towards the parsonage when she hears someone calling her name; as she turns, she see Darcy on horseback heading towards her. They meet up and neither is able to say a word for several minutes; at last, Darcy asks Elizabeth to take his letter, which of course she does, and he turns to mount his horse. However, the storm has started and Darcy’s horse is frighten and starts to take off with Darcy half in the saddle and half out. A concerned Elizabeth watches as Darcy is jostled about and then thrown onto the ground with the horse rolling on top of him. Elizabeth runs to his aide and assesses the situation, checks his pulse, checks for broken bones, wraps his cravat around the wound on his head, and stares at his chest, checking for injuries of course. With the help of the Collinses and their servants, they are able to move him into the parsonage. Elizabeth takes control and orders everyone about; her concern for Darcy’s welfare is endearing to say the least, and one must question why her reaction is so strong about someone she claims to hardly know let alone like.

Once the storm settles, the doctor finally arrives and examines Darcy; he is impressed with Elizabeth’s quick thinking. He states that Darcy cannot be moved, much to Lady Catherine’s vexation, and arranges for a nurse to come and care for Darcy during his time of recovery although suggests that Elizabeth also stay and assist. All the while, Elizabeth’s concern is noted by all who witness it and suspect there is more than friendship between the two even if Elizabeth cannot yet see it. She sits with Darcy most of the night just talking and reading to him, which seems to keep him calm in his unconscious state.

The following morning, to everyone’s relief, Darcy regains consciousness and all quickly learns that he is suffering some memory loss; Darcy does not remember the accident or the previous two days. Darcy is being stubborn and will not listen to reason, until the lovely Miss Elizabeth walks into the room. Darcy, being so besotted, will do just about anything Elizabeth tells him even if it means how to up the chamber pot! The whole scene is just priceless!

And so the story unfolds of Darcy trying to recover from his injuries while trying to win the heart of his true love.  The evolution of Darcy’s many, and I do mean many, proposals are at time hilariously rushed through while at other times heartfelt and enduring. All the while not truly accepting Darcy’s proposals, Elizabeth takes the time to examine her feeling of what heart truthfully desires.

Colonel Fitzwilliam also plays a pivotal role in keeping Lady Catherine at bay while helping Elizabeth realize her love for Darcy. I have always enjoyed Colonel Fitzwilliam, and his easy manner endears him even more as our story unfolds. Lady Catherine is as dreadful as always and tries to find a way to manipulate Darcy into a marriage with Anne, but there is nothing to be done to come between our favorite couple.

Along with some well-known characters and some new ones, this variation is humorous and charming. Darcy’s persistence is certainly fascinating and added a whole new level to his character that make you fall more in love with him with each passing page.

*Review written by Leatherbound Reviews contributor Liz Castillo

*Review copy provided by author

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