I saw this book and was drawn to it. I am really glad that I read it. Jane Austen is one of my all-time favorite authors and anytime I see that someone has decided to continue one of her stories or write in that style I am immediately interested. Marsha Altman's work thoroughly impressed me. One of my greatest fears when I read a "continuance" as I call it (I'm not sure if that's the correct term) is that if I loved the original, I'm afraid an author who is not the original author will change details or change the tone of the story and for me that ruins it. Marsha Altman's work is not like that at all! She kept ALL of the same details from the original and even kept every character she wrote to have the same personalities that Ms. Austen originally gave them years ago! In her writings, Marsha gives the reader an idea of what it might have been like for the ever-getting-into-tough-spots Darcy and Elizabeth and what it must be like to have the Bennett family as in-laws. Marsha allows every character to grow in ways that I thought Jane Austen herself would have thoroughly approved of. For me, there is no other continuance series of the Pride and Prejudice story that counts. In my mind Marsha Altman's books are the "official" continuances and all the others just don't compare.I highly recommend this book and its companions.I will way though, I did not realize that this was the second of Marsha Altman's books and I did ruin a few surprises for myself from the first one. So if you can read The Darcy's and the Bingley's first then definitely read this one. :) This is the second book in a series of 8. I enjoy these books but purists I am sure don't. When Mary Bennet returns from school in France in a delicate condition and no husband Lizzy & Darcy are off to war torn Europe to track down the baby daddy and wring a settlement from him. At their first stop they learn a difficult fact about Darcy's father and meet a 1/2 brother who is monk. They make their way to Italy while Darcy comes to terms with his father's fall from grace and his control issues.While enjoyable it really doesn't feel like a Pride and Prejudice book excluding the names of the characters. It doesn't distract from the book and it is a compelling read.
again - this was fun to read the continuing story of Mr Darcy - funny and well written.
—shosho
Absolutely wonderful! Read, finished in two days. Romantic and utterly engaging :)
—Pru
Enjoyed it more the second time around!
—Jmatthews
Still reading but good fun.
—aloha
Very enjoyable.
—dcolon94
