Customer Reviews

Darcy Cousins

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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

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..

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

I didn't enjoy this second Pride and Prejudice sequel by Monica Fairview, which features Georgiana, Mr. Darcy's shy, somewhat reserved and much younger sister, as she prepares to make her debut in society, as much as the first. Because Georgiana needs to break out of her shell there is sometimes a tendency for her to be a little churlish and her love interest, while convincingly perfect for her in the end, is not as charming as last book's Robert Darcy, Mr. Darcy's American cousin. Still, this book has many wonderful aspects. Both Robert Darcy and his bride Louisa Bingley are back from the first sequel along with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy who are enjoying being new parents. Much of the action is set at Rosings Park where Lady Catherine De Bourgh is up to her old tricks trying to manipulate everybody, including her daughter Anne who finally makes her own satisfying bid for freedom. Mr. Collins is as ridiculously obsequious as ever and Colonel Fitzwilliam is ever helpful and polite, even when he's more than once put on the spot. New characters play some of the most important roles, including Clarissa Darcy, another Darcy American cousin, whose lively, unconventional style attracts the men to such an extent that Georgiana develops a plan to try to emulate her. Monica Fairview's characterizations consistently ring true for me and she's created a very complete and appealing P and P sequel world. I look forward to reading any new books she writes in this series.

I have read other Austen "spin-offs" only to find they don't measure up to the literary style, genre, gentility, and class of the master (mistress?) herself. However, Monica Fairview has completely captured all of those qualities in The Darcy Cousins as well as in The Other Mr. Darcy. Fairview writes with extraordinary attention to the details of the period without feeling the need to add the risque and vulgar content that I have been disappointed to find in other books that claim to be Austen-esque. I truly felt like I was reading Austen herself. I can hardly wait for her next one. I honestly believe Jane would be proud!

I read this book after first reading and LOVING this author's other novel "The Other Mr Darcy". Since I loved that one so much I decided to give this one a try and was not disappointed. I won't recap the book because you can read the book description yourself. However, I can share why I really enjoyed this novel. I found this "sequel" to Pride and Prejudice to be an enjoyable read which further developed my interest and love of some of the more minor characters from the original P&P novel. I would think it would be difficult to write a follow-up novel to such a famous classic novel. Yet the author did so beautifully, keeping the story accurate for the time period and in line with the feel of an Austen book, but without sounding like a copy cat only. Very enjoyable and highly recommended if you are a fan of this genre.

I'd rate this slightly under a 4.
I haven't read the precursor to this book, The Other Mr Darcy, so I don't know how they fit together or how having read the one would have influenced my opinion of the other. I do know that having Caroline Bingley as a character -- even a minor one -- put me on guard, which was sort of funny.

Beyond that, where to begin? I was very excited to see that this story expands on two of the women I wanted to know more about in P&P, Anne de Bourgh and Georgiana Darcy. They were both so shy and retiring, such complete wallflowers, but you knew there had to be more to them. Georgiana is the focus of this story (as well as her American cousin, Clarissa), but Anne certainly has her part to play. I enjoyed this, and thought Fairview did an admirable job of breaking them out of their shells believably.

Fairview mimics Austen fairly well, both in language and style, and follows her storylines (and patterns) to an extent that I at first thought I was going to be irritated -- that it was simply going to be a case of the same story with different names, which irritates me. This wasn't the case. Many similar things to occur, but in a way that show the differences between Georgiana and Lizzie. This makes sense, as they have two different characters, and it was fun to see different reactions and ways of acquiting themselves in social situations.
The story is predictable, of course, but not necessarily in a bad way. I love banter, and I enjoyed myself reading it; it was full of those little moments that I love where something is on the verge of happening, but doesn't. I think layering these in a story lays the groundwork for what is coming, but keeps it from coming too soon and losing it's power. It's a teasing game that keeps the reader engaged and looking for the next flirtation with the inevitable, and it's one of the things I loved in Austen's romances -- of course you knew where they were headed, but it never bothered you just sitting back and watching it get there, no matter how long it took. It even has me curious to read The Other Mr Darcy and find out how Caroline is able to work herself into my good graces. And that's saying something. ;p

While this was not quite as satisfying as 'The Other Darcy', it could be that my heart lies with Fitz and Elizabeth and it's they who I really love to read about. But, given that, this is a delightful book; a typical comedy of errors that would be great on stage, where we witness the girlish behavior of two 17 year olds, Georgianna, Darcy's beloved sister, and their cousin Clarissa. The story starts out at Rosings where the Darcy family and cousins are staying for six weeks (imagine the horror of it!) with the all-superior Lady Catherine and her poor 'imprisoned' daughter Anne; oh and we again meet the odious Mr. Collins who is at his oooozing best! The story takes off from there where boy sees girl, girl sees another boy, girl overhears both boys (recall Darcy behind the pillar?), the season...and the fabulous scrapes into which the girls tumble. This author really captures the essence of the times, as well as our much loved Jane, while at the same time telling a story that is as old as time. I look forward to more of Monica Fairviews tales; hopefully again engaging the Darcy's and the Bennets.

This is author Monica Fairview's second Pride and Prejudice sequel and the first I've read. I expected that I would enjoy it, based on the synopsis, but I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. In short, Monica Fairview has a new fan in this reader.

Ms. Fairview's writing is warm, engaging and utterly captivates the reader. I was transfixed by the story from the opening paragraph until the last line. Ms. Fairview takes Jane Austen's existing and much beloved characters - - Darcy, Elizabeth, Georgiana - - and even those a little less beloved - - Caroline Bingley, Lady Catherine, Anne deBourgh and Mr. Collins - - and entertwines them with new characters Robert Darcy, Clarissa Darcy, Frederick Darcy, Percy Channing and Henry Gatley, among others.

What I loved most about these new characters is not only how vividly Ms. Fairview sketches them out but how I could easily imagine them being Jane Austen's own creation. In this way, Ms. Fairview stayed true to the essence of Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen's vision.

In Pride and Prejudice, Georgiana is very much a secondary character who is primarily given life through her brother's story and personality. In The Darcy Cousins, Georgiana very much comes into her own and I thoroughly liked her. She is an enjoyable person, both a socially proper young lady of wealth and status and a determined and spunky fighter.

Her American cousin Clarissa Darcy is a pleasing addition to the roster of Austen inspired characters. The fact alone that she raises Lady Catherine's ire makes her a real jewel and I got a chuckle out of how many of her missteps and faux paus were attributed to her American upbringing. Clarissa's backstory made for an interesting read and I hope that Ms. Fairview will continue her writing with a book on Clarissa's continued story.

Henry Gatley was a wonderful hero and I was happy with the parallels between Mr. Gatley in this book and Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. Throughout the book I was rooting for Mr. Gatley and hoping that all the fictional characters would like him (even love him) as much as I did.

If there was any part of The Darcy Cousins that I would change it would be Elizabeth's personality, which I felt was a bit underdeveloped and missing that wit and verve that was so spectacular in Pride and Prejudice. However, Georgiana and Clarissa being major characters and so well developed eradicated any true disappointment I may have had.

All in all, I devoured this story and hated for it to end. It was a joy to read and I often found myself lost in this incredibly good book for a splendid week. Has any producer thought to snap up film rights because in my opinion, The Darcy Cousins would make a fun and entertaining miniseries.

I would highly recommend The Darcy Cousins for anyone who appreciates not only Jane Austen sequels but also historical fiction.

Lori Hedgpeth
Psychotic State Book Reviews

"The Darcy Cousins" is Monica Fairview's follow-up novel to the previous "The Other Mr. Darcy", reviewed on my blog, The Calico Critic last fall. Once again we return to Regency England and the social circles that include the Darcy family of "Pride and Prejudice". Robert and Caroline Darcy are again a part of the story, but theirs is not the main focus this time. In this installment, another American cousin, Clarissa Darcy joins Georgiana Darcy in their first Seasons as young ladies available for courtship. Multiple dashing (and not so dashing) suitors cross their paths, which makes things interesting throughout the novel. Anne de Bourgh also has her own story line, making some decisions that will affect the entire family in one way or another.

As in Fairview's previous novel, the language of "The Darcy Cousins" holds the flavor of the original Pride and Prejudice, but is a bit more readable. The main characters are once again navigating the intricacies of Regency life, searching for love, security and general happiness for all. While a few moments of villainy emerge, most of the plot is driven by relational issues, misunderstandings and mystery. There are several moments that are reminiscent of other Austen works, such as Sense and Sensibility or Emma. It's all very well within the style that Jane Austen exhibited in her storytelling.

While "The Other Mr. Darcy" remains my favorite of the two novels, I enjoyed "The Darcy Cousins" very much. The characters were enjoyable, the plot always kept a reasonable pace and I enjoyed seeing how the characters grew as people. In particular, by the story's conclusion 18 year-old Georgiana is no longer the same 15 year-old girl we met in "Pride and Prejudice". She indeed comes into her own as a woman.

Although "The Darcy Cousins" is a sequel to "The Other Mr. Darcy", I didn't feel that it was necessary to read Book 1 in order to appreciate Book 2. Knowing the first installment was helpful and aided me in understanding a few plot points, but readers beginning with this title will have no trouble immersing themselves in the tale. Cousins can for the most part stand on its own.

I'm so pleased that Monica's previous novel was successful enough to bring about "The Darcy Cousins". Due to some other literary obligations, I had to put "Cousins" down and return to it several times before completion. However, each time that I returned, I was always glad to dive back into the story, as it was consistently an enjoyable read. I certainly hope that Ms. Fairview goes on to bring us another chapter in the life of the Darcy family.

****

This title was provided to me free of charge by the publisher. Other than an honest review, no other obligation was required.