In this latest book in the Mr. Darcy's Daughters series, 20 year old Phoebe Hawkins, daughter of Georgiana Darcy and a Sir Giles Hawkins, has found love in her second season. After a whirlwind night of dancing and falling in love, Mr. Stanhope informs Phoebe he is going to call on her father to ask leave to pay his addresses. Sir Giles is against the match for two reason: one, Mr. Stanhope and his family are Whigs while Sir Giles is a Tory. Whigs are thought to be immoral and they marry their own kind. The other reason Sir Giles objects is because Mr. Stanhope as a lady in keeping and a reputation as a rake. She is crushed by her father's decision but determined to see Mr. Stanhope again because she doesn't believe the gossip. Unfortunately, Phoebe happens to see the dashing Mrs. Vereker leaving Mr. Stanhope's apartments shattering all Phoebe's hopes and dreams. Phoebe knows just enough about unfaithfulness and the unhappiness it causes within families to know she does not want to be married to such a one as Mr. Stanhope. She is packed off to Pemberley where she meets with her cousin Louisa Bingley (daughter of Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley). Mr. Darcy has hired an up-and-coming young landscape architecht, High Drummond, to modernize the Pemberley grounds and to build a new, large greenhouse for the tropical plans Elizabeth has collected on her travels. Once the renovations are complete, Mr. Darcy is to hold a ball and leaves Phoebe in charge of all the arrangements. Phoebe and Louisa's only other companion is a Miss Verney, a French emigree, forced to work as a governess for Mr. Darcy's grandchildren. Phoebe dislikes and mistrusts Miss Verney, but lkike her parents, Louisa refuses to see bad in anyone. Meanwhile, Mr. Stanhope learns that Phoebe is in the country and dashes off to see his married sister who lives in the neighborhood. He senses unhappiness all around him with his sister, with Phoebe and the mysterious Miss Verney. Phoebe spends a lot of time and energy trying to avoid Mr. Stanhope while Louisa becomes closer to Mr. Drummond. George Warren steps in to try to make trouble but this time everyone is suspicious and determined he will not make trouble for the Darcys again. Everything culminates at Mr. Darcy's ball where under the moonlight futures will be made and everything changes. This is another rewrite of Pride and Prejudice featuring the next generation. It was a little confusing to keep everyone straight and follow the plot. The mystery and villianry are hinted at and then dropped and then picked up again only to be resolved quickly and easily. The romances are predictable and come off as I hoped but there wasn't much of solid conclusion to Phoebe's story. Though of all Aston's spinoffs, this one comes closest to actually being a story that a 19th century lady could have written. I enjoyed it and am sad that it seems to be the last in the series. I was sucked into reading this by the blurb on the back that said, "Jane Austen would be proud". Would she really? I'm not so sure. This is kind of like Jane Austen mixed with a tabloid. Imagine if Jane Austen's characters acted like today's Hollywood stars... Lots of affairs, divorce, seductions, elopements, domestic abuse, sex before marriage- you name it. If it would have been scandalous in Jane Austen's day, then Elizabeth Aston will write it in one of her books. Many of these are subjects that Jane Austen was too much of lady to ever mention in her books. This one was better than Mr. Darcy's Daughters - probably because the majority of the characters were made up and not Jane Austen's. The books are entertaining, just realize that you are getting the tabloid version of Jane Austen. If you want authentic regency novels, turn to Georgette Heyer. She is truly the next best thing to reading Jane Austen.
Do You like book Mr. Darcy's Dream (2009)?
I liked it - it was a good spin-off though a bit dry at time as the plot developed.
—Kevin
Just as all her other books, predictable, fast reading, and entertaining.
—marori
Well written as usual. Not as interesting as some of her earlier books.
—becalm
Another "fan fiction" based on Pride & Prejudice.
—errith
