The Darcy Cousins by Monica Fairview

I received a review copy of this novel from Sourcebooks. This in no way affected my opinions.

Another gem from Monica Fairview. I thoroughly enjoyed her previous Pride and Prejudice spin-off The Other Mr. Darcy, which told the story of Caroline Bingley and Robert Darcy, Mr. Darcy's American cousin. Now in The Darcy Cousins, we meet another American Darcy – Clarissa Darcy. The Darcy Cousins tells the story of Georgiana Darcy and her new friendship with her vivacious cousin and the new people she meets – 'people' as in fashionable young gentlemen. Ahem.

The Darcys are spending Easter at Rosings and Clarissa spares no time in driving Lady Catherine up the wall. Clarissa and Georgiana also take pains in trying to free Anne, who has practically been a prisoner in her own home. However, things soon get out of hand when Anne is found missing and Lady Catherine immediately blames Clarissa. Everything is turned upside down as the Darcys are banished from Rosings and the hunt for Anne begins.

Georgiana quickly finds herself taken with a certain gentlemen named Mr. Channing, but unfortunately for her, he only has eyes for her cousin. Georgiana then finds her attention unwillingly taken up by Mr. Channing's cousin Mr. Gatley. Gatley is far different from his energetic, handsome, selfish cousin, but Georgiana soon finds herself gaining respect for him. However, an unfortunate misunderstanding threatens to ruin her new found feelings.

The Darcy Cousins is full of witty dialogue that I'm coming to expect from Fairview. The characters – new and old – are three dimensional in their personalities. And again, Fairview takes few liberties in the characters of Pride and Prejudice. Their characters are as true as they are in the original novel.

If you loved The Other Mr. Darcy, then you will for sure love The Darcy Cousins. Although, you don't need to have read the former to read and enjoy this novel.

The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview

Pride and Prejudice continues...

There are countless continuations of Pride and Prejudice out there, none of which I have read. Most of them follow either Darcy and Elizabeth or any of the Bennetts. The Other Mr. Darcy follows the life of Caroline Bingley after the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth. Who would have thought that Caroline Bingley could be redeemed? This book succeeded in that.

The story starts out with Caroline finding herself sobbing after the wedding and then discovering that someone had been observing her: Darcy's cousin from Boston: Robert Darcy. She is, of course, mortified, and hoped that she would never set eyes on him again. That does not happen. Where would the fun be in that?

The story was so original that I was sometimes forgetting that it was a continuation of the Pride and Prejudice story. Robert Darcy was a very droll, witty character and the exchanges between him and Caroline were utterly delightful. And the appearances of the well-known and well-loved characters from Pride and Prejudice struck true to each characters' personality that was established in the original novel.

The Other Mr. Darcy is a separate story of its own. It is a funny, touching and romantic tale and the redemption of a previously despised character.