The Darcy Cousins [Paperback]

Monica Fairview (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2010

There are a few surprises in store for that bastion of tradition, Rosings Park, when the family gathers as they have done every year during Easter. Clarissa Darcy, Mr Darcy's American cousin, bursts upon the scene and Georgiana Darcy, usually a shy model of propriety, decides to take a few lessons from her unconventional cousin, to the delight of a neighboring gentleman. Meanwhile, Anne de Bourgh, encouraged to escape her "keeper" Mrs. Jenkinson, simply...vanishes.

But the trouble really starts when Clarissa and Georgiana both set out to win the heart of the same young man...

Georgiana Darcy is the star of the show in this delightful and youthful romp through the London Season.

(20100309)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"the path this book took was very refreshing... a quick read.  I'd recommend it for any purist."

Another excellent follow on to Pride and Prejudice that maintains the integrity of the original characters while moving the story of their lives forward.
--Gayle Surrette A Curious Statistical Anomaly

An engaging historical romance... Infused with humor, wit and a bit of social commentary. (Laurel Ann AustenProse 20100412)

Ms. Fairview is very proficient in creating romantic, attractive, and Austen-worthy heroes! (Meredith Esparza Austenesque Reviews 20100412)

Fairview is a definite treasure, and I look forward to more from her in the future. (Jean Wan All About Romance 20100412)

A good historical romance story. (Jackie Morgan Literary Escapism 20100412)

I loved this sequel and look forward to more to come. (Tea Kettle Read with Tea 20100412)

A very humorous and delightful story about the goings on in and around Rosings Park, London and Hunsford. (Kathleen Celtic Lady's Reviews 20100412)

A feast of fun and entertainment to the reader. Don't deny yourself the exquisite experience. (Lynda Coker Between the Pages 20100412)

Another excellent follow on to Pride and Prejudice that maintains the integrity of the original characters while moving the story of their lives forward.
(Gayle Surrette A Curious Statistical Anomaly 20100412)

For those who can't get enough of Pride and Prejudice, The Darcy Cousins is sure to please. (Linda Banche Linda Banche Romance Author 20100415)

A fun loving story, with characters who pop and come alive on the pages. (Eliza Knight History Undressed 20100415)

An excellent story of a girl growing up and learning some essential life lessons, while having fun with her family and friends. (MyShelf.com 20100415)

You will fall in love with the characters and storyline of The Darcy Cousins. Jane Austen would proud to see the way Monica Fairview continued her novel. (Renee Renee's Reads 20100416)

Highly recommended reading for all Jane Austen fans who will come to admire and applaud Ms Fairview's well written prose! Bravo! (Marilyn Rondeau CK2's Kwips and Kritiques 20100421)

Delightful and charming. (Svea Love Confessions of a Muse in the Fog 20100421)

The Darcy Cousins is absolutely a must read for any Pride and Prejudice fan. (Marie Burton The Burton Review 20100428)

Simply charming continuation of the much loved Darcy's. (Brande Book Junkie 20100428)

For those who can't get enough of Pride and Prejudice, The Darcy Cousins is sure to please. (Linda Banche Linda Banche Romance Author 20100429)

Historical fiction readers will LOVE this story with its witty repartee and descriptions of a time long past. (Best Romance Stories 20100430)

Loved the attention to detail. I thought the characters were well done. (Becky Laney Becky's Book Reviews )

Fairview has extended the life of Pride and Prejudice VERY well. (Patty The Broken Teepee )

Holds the flavor of the original Pride and Prejudice. (Laura Hartness The Calico Critic )

About the Author

Literature professor Monica Fairview loves teaching students the joys of reading. But after years of postponing the urge, she finally realized that what she really wanted to do was write. The author of The Other Mr. Darcy and An Improper Courtship, the American-born Ms. Fairview currently resides in London.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (April 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402237006
• ISBN-13: 978-1402237003
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #944,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

If I had to admit to a real life, I would say that for years I taught students to love reading, so that eventually (note my grand and devious plan) they would enjoy reading my novels (once I got round to writing them). Part of my plan was to develop a wide-spread audience, so I lived in as many places as possible, from sea to shining sea: LA to Boston, Texas and Colorado to Oregon and Seattle WA. Now I'm in England, making new friends and gathering foes.

If you happen to be passing through Surrey and hear mysterious maniacal chuckling (Jane Eyre style) you'll know it's me.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A witty Pride and Prejudice sequel featuring Georgiana Darcy, March 6, 2010

By 

Laurel Ann "Austenprose" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Darcy Cousins (Hardcover)

In THE OTHER MR. DARCY, last year's debut Austenesque novel by Monica Fairview we were introduced to Fitzwilliam Darcy's American cousin Robert Darcy. Now the story continues with THE DARCY COUSINS, a PRIDE AND PREJUDICE sequel to a sequel, when his two younger siblings Clarissa and Frederick Darcy arrive from Boston and join their brother and the Darcy family at Rosings Park, the palatial estate of Mr. Darcy's officious aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Being young, brash Americans, Clarissa and Frederick immediately ruffle Lady Catherine's unyielding standards of social stricture. Dutiful and naïve Georgiana Darcy is shocked and intrigued by her cousin Clarissa's adventuresome and unguarded behavior. Her shy and retreating nature has always acquiesced to proper decorum and her family's wishes. So has her sickly cousin Anne de Bourgh, who at age 29 remains unmarried and firmly under the thumb of her tyrannical mother. Clarissa is convinced that Anne has been imprisoned by Lady Catherine at Rosings like a tragic heroine in a Gothic novel. Together, Clarissa and Georgiana clandestinely meet Anne hoping to learn her mysterious back story, offer their friendship and encourage her to improve her situation.

Clarissa's lively spirits also makes her very popular with the young men of the neighborhood, especially to rakish charmer Percy Channing. Clarissa welcomes his attentions while wide-eyed Georgiana watches a seasoned coquette in action. She is also attracted to Channing and in turn annoyed by his sensible and matter-of-fact cousin Henry Gatley who sees right through Clarissa and Channing's affected airs. "But the perversity of the human spirit is such that when a young lady longs for a specific partner, every other partner counts for nothing." When Georgiana overhears Channing privately proclaim to his cousin that she is an insipid bore, she is determined not to be the dull as ditchwater little rich girl and entreats her cousin Clarissa's help to school her in fashion and the art of feminine allurements. And then the unthinkable happens! Their cousin Anne simply vanishes without a trace. Has she been abducted or is this a run-away-marriage to Scotland? Speculation and emotions escalate until Lady Catherine unjustly places all the blame on Clarissa and Georgiana's influence upon her daughter. As Mr. Darcy defends his sister and young cousin the battle lines are drawn and a family riff erupts. Will the Shades of Rosings be thus polluted? Can Georgiana have her London Season under the shadow of her cousin's unexplained disappearance and the family scandal? How can she earn her families trust after her disastrous affair with George Wickham? Will her newly acquired feminine wiles lure Percy Channing away from her cousin Clarissa? And why is that pesky Mr. Gatley always at the ready to remind her that she's a swan trying to be a peacock?

In this coming-of-age story Monica Fairview presents an engaging historical romance through the eyes of innocent Georgiana Darcy who idealistically thinks the grass is always greener in her cousin Clarissa's court. Hard wrought lessons on human nature and love must be learned before she can find her own happiness. We are never in much doubt that she will succeed, or whom she will bestow her favor upon, but that matters not. Fairview has such an effortless way of unfolding the narrative that we are swept along with Jane Austen's beloved characters and her own new additions seamlessly. The story is infused with the flavor of Austen's world but entirely her own unique creation. It is hard not to compare her skill at irony to Austen's when her Lady Catherine is annoyed at Napoleon, not for his impending threat to invade England, but for the inconvenience he has caused by too few men at her dinner table, or to the ribald humor of Georgette Heyer when Georgiana is stood up by Mr. Channing who invited her for a drive in his high phaeton through Hyde Park and is then quickly replaced by the waiting Mr. Gatley. When they encounter Mr. Channing driving another young lady, just as Mr. Gatley predicted, Georgiana is exasperated by Channing's "sublime forgetfulness" and Mr. Gatley's smug sagacity. Ha! Readers will recognize a bit of Mr. Knightley in Mr. Gatley and a combination of Austen's slippery villain's in Mr. Channing. Fairview understands Georgiana's personality perfectly adding a few surprise twists to Austen's shy, trusting young lady that give her added depth and interest. Infused with humor, wit and a bit of social commentary Fairview has proven again why she was my top choice of Austenesque debut authors of 2009. She is well on her way to becoming a nonpareil in Austen paraliterature and I recommend THE DARCY COUSINS to those who dearly love a satisfying love story and a hearty laugh.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Jane Austen Sequel..., April 3, 2010

By 

Kathleen Kelly "Celticlady" (Rhinelander, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Darcy Cousins (Paperback)

The Darcy Cousins by Monica Fairview is a very humorous and delightful story about the goings on in and around Rosings Park, London and Hunsford, among other locations. With familiar characters as Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her daughter Anne. Added to this mix of colorful characters are the American Darcy cousins, Robert and his sister Clarissa. Clarissa scandalizes from her first day at Rosings Park. Georgiana and Clarissa become fast friends and is a refreshing addition to the Darcy family... this story is almost a comedy of manners and how the lack of communication between characters male and female can result in various misconceptions and misunderstandings.
I liked the way the author wrote this sequel, it was fun to read and I had a hard time putting this book down. I have read a few other Jane Austen sequels and they were kind of stuffy and boring to read, whereas this one was a joy. I especially liked the character of Anne, who at first appeared to be weak and sickly, but later showed that she had spunk and went after what she wanted which was to be away from her mother and not get married just because society said she had to. I hope the author is planning on a sequel to this sequel as there is a lot more story to tell her I would think...one can hope anyway. I rate this book 5/5..

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Darcy Sequel, April 28, 2010

By 

P. Woodland "Broken Teepee" (Superior, MT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Darcy Cousins (Paperback)

What a lark!
As I have mentioned before I came to Jane Austen late in life and was very happy that I decided to read all of her books. I completely understand why they have stood the test of time; love is love after all. And the pursuit of love is a universal topic in novels. What makes a book great is the HOW in the boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy marries girl plotline. Austen was a master - her dialog was witty and sharp and it transcends time.

Many authors have decided use Austen as a base for a new novel. Some well, some not so well. Monica Fairview has extended the life of Pride and Prejudice VERY well. While the book is about Mr. Darcy's cousin Clarissa we again fall into the lives of stuffy Lady Catherine de Bourgh, uptight Mr. Collins and of course Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy and to my delight Georgina.

I always liked Georgina and it's nice to see her story continued in such a lovely way. Of course there are trials, tribulations and oh! scandal along the way but the writing is light, happy and while true to Austen's style it does have a tone all its own.

I really enjoyed it and hope to find Ms. Fairview's other book The Other Mr. Darcy