The Darcy Cousins

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

I really enjoyed this book, so much so that when it was stolen out of my car before I finished it I bought another copy so I could finish it. Well written and I especially liked getting a glimpse of a grown up Georgiana Darcy. Characters were well defined and consistent. All around good read.

Monica Fairview's THE DARCY COUSINS is a book full of surprises, and the surprises start with the title. This follow-on to THE OTHER MR. DARCY continues the saga of the American Darcys, but this book is the coming-of-age tale of the very English Georgiana, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy's sister. Three years have passed since Pride and Prejudice. Shy, retiring Georgiana is still unsure of herself after the debacle with Wickham. She awaits the start of her first Season, when into her life swoops her American cousin, Clarissa. The younger Clarissa is everything Georgiana wants to be--confident, outgoing and attractive to men, especially the handsome, charming Mr. Channing, to whom both girls take a fancy. Mr. Channing's friend, Mr. Gatley, also handsome but not so charming, disapproves of Georgiana's infatuation and her attempts to ape Clarissa, and he makes no bones about telling her so. Each takes the other in dislike, and they spar constantly, refusing to admit their growing attraction. As Georgiana learns to be herself, with her own strengths and weaknesses, she at last sets to rest the ghost of Wickham. Mr. Gatley, so confident he is always right, realizes he can make mistakes, too. Ms. Fairview has written a tale true to the Regency era, yet at the same time brimming with strong women. Clarissa is strong in an outgoing way. Georgiana is quieter but equally determined. The delightful surprise is the fate of Anne de Bourgh, the down-trodden daughter of the domineering Lady Catherine. For those who can't get enough of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, THE DARCY COUSINS is sure to please. ARC provided by Sourcebooks

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..

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 Geo