The Truth about Mr. Darcy [Paperback]

Susan Adriani (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 1, 2011

A sexy, compelling Pride & Prejudice " what if"...

The truth always has consequences......

Mr. Darcy has a dilemma. Should he tell the truth about his old nemesis George Wickham in order to protect the good citizens of Meryton from Wickham's lies and deceits? Doing so will force Darcy to reveal family secrets that he'd prefer never come to light. The alternative is keeping the man's criminal nature to himself and hoping he leaves the area before doing significant harm.

But as Wickham's attentions to Elizabeth increase, Darcy knows if he's to win the one woman he's set his heart on, he's going to have to make one of the most difficult decisions of his life. And what he ultimately does sets in motion a shocking train of events neither he nor Elizabeth could possibly have predicted.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For me, The Truth About Mr. Darcy allowed me a whole new perspective, and I found that I thoroughly enjoyed it!" - Royal Reviews

"What makes The Truth About Mr. Darcy so interesting is Adriani's handling of Austen's characters." - Diary of an Eccentric

"Truly remarkable, creative, and brilliantly written, The Trouble With Mr. Darcy is one "what if" variation you will surely not want to miss." - Austen Prose

"...I found The Truth About Mr. Darcy by Susan Adriani to be a splendidly romantic and enjoyable tale." - Austenesque Reviews

"This was one of the best adaptations I've read it quite a long time. I will most definitely pick up any and all adaptations by Susan Adriani." - Books Like Breathing

"I liked the prejudice Elizabeth faces in London and Darcy's ride to her defense ala "Pretty Woman" style." - Love Romance Passion

"Ms. Adriani has humanized the story by adding emotion to the book's almost too cerebral characters." - Historical Hilarity

"Adriani stayed true to Austen's vision, while allowing it to blossom and change for a new audience. " - Debbie's Book Bag

About the Author

In addition to writing, Susan Adriani is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. In 2007, after contemplating the unexplored possibilities in Jane Austen's celebrated Pride and Prejudice, she successfully self-published her first story and is currently at work on a second. She lives with her husband and young daughter in southern New England.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (May 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402246137
• ISBN-13: 978-1402246135
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.1 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #835,852 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this enough that I wanted everyone to read it! May 5, 2011

By Abigail Reynolds

Format:Paperback

As another writer of Pride & Prejudice variations, I have to say that my first reaction when I read the beginning of The Truth About Mr. Darcy in its online form was that I wished I'd come up with the idea, but Susan Adriani does a splendid job with the scenario. Remember the scene in P&P when Elizabeth Bennet is meeting Mr. Wickham for the first time, and Darcy rides by and the two men acknowledge each other coldly? That's the turning point of this book. Instead of pretending that Wickham doesn't exist, Darcy gets off his horse and tells Elizabeth why she should be careful around Wickham. It's still not smooth sailing for the two given that Elizabeth already has a bad impression of Darcy, and it makes for an intriguing and romantic tale.

How much did I like this book? A couple of years ago when I was meeting with Deb Werksman, my editor at Sourcebooks, she asked me if there were any other authors of Pride & Prejudice variations she should know about. I pitched this book to her and also Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman by Maria Hamilton, which has also just been released. To my delight, Sourcebooks bought both books, and I hope they both find the wide audiences they deserve.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Pride and Prejudice Variation with a Large Dose of Affection and Romance! April 27, 2011

By Meredith VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

The Truth About Mr. Darcy is a beautifully romantic variation of Pride and Prejudice that was originally self-published as Affinity and Affection (a more fitting and attractive title, in my humble opinion) in 2008. In this variation Ms. Adriani alters the scene where Darcy and Wickham first encounter each other in Meryton. Instead of letting Wickham insinuate himself in Elizabeth's good graces and tell vicious lies, Darcy shares his side of the story first. Instead of maintaining a healthy dislike for Darcy for many months, Elizabeth, after hearing Darcy's disclosure about George Wickham, experiences a change in her perception. Instead of being happily engaged to Charlotte Lucas, a recently rejected Mr. Collins notices Darcy and Elizabeth's attraction for each other and takes it upon himself to exact some revenge.

As an ardent admirer of Pride and Prejudice variations, I was most eager to read Susan Adriani's debut novel. I greatly enjoyed the unique premise of this variation; having Darcy share his past dealings with Wickham so early in the novel changed the course of several characters' lives. In addition, as a romantic, I was deeply gratified with the exquisite love and tender devotion Ms. Adriani illustrated between Darcy and Elizabeth. Although he was sometimes a little saccharine, I enjoyed seeing Darcy so violently in love.

While I enjoyed the intimate and romantic scenes between Darcy and Elizabeth, I did not like how Darcy lost all self-control. I understand him loosing some of his pride and prejudice, just like he did in Jane Austen's novel, but for him to exhibit such a want of propriety is a little perplexing. I don't mind Darcy acting like a rake behind closed doors, but in front of family and friends? It seemed like he was consumed with sexual desires all the time and never satiated! I would have liked more love and less lust for this Darcy. (Warning: this book is suitable for Mature Audiences only).

Another aspect I wasn't too fond of was the absence of conflict. Darcy and Elizabeth resolve their issues fairly early in this variation, and thus this novel is missing the dramatic tension, obstacles, and angst that usually surrounds their relationship. While there are some outside sources that create a few conflicts, Darcy and Elizabeth's intimate rendezvouses seem to take up a bit more page time.

Despite my quibbles, I found The Truth About Mr. Darcy by Susan Adriani to be a splendidly romantic and enjoyable tale. This variation would most appeal to readers who are interested in seeing an affectionate and devoted Darcy and Elizabeth, not bothered by scenes of intimacy, and are incurably romantic!! I look forward to reading more of Susan Adriani's work in the future!

Austenesque Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars I'm all for a good Jane Austen re-imagining... July 29, 2012

By xxnlng09

Format:Paperback

but this novel felt like an incredible break from Austen's Darcy and Elizabeth. Understandably, we've not seen much of Austen's point of view on Darcy. He's left much to our imagination in the canon, but this became unbelievable fairly quickly. Adriani leads with the pretense of an alternate envisioning of the original novel, but she strayed far. As others have mentioned, there's plenty of hot-and-heavy romance, but it's often bad timing and doesn't reflect well on the Darcy we have come to know and love. If you're looking for a rauncy, Austen-esque, watered-down 50 Shades, this is your book.