"When Caroline Bingley collapses to the floor and sobs at Mr. Darcy's wedding, imagine her humiliation to discover that a stranger has witnessed her emotional display. Miss Bingley, understandably, resents this unknown gentleman very much, even if he is Mr. Darcy's American cousin.
Mr. Robert Darcy is as charming as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is proud, and he is stunned to find a beautiful young woman weeping brokenheartedly at his cousin's wedding. Such depth of love, he thinks, is rare and precious. For him, it's love at first sight. Alas, regaining her good graces seems an impossible mission, and he is left to hope that someday their paths will cross again."(from the publisher)
my thoughts:
Fairview's The Other Mr. Darcy is a lovely little light read for fans of Pride and Prejudice featuring Caroline Bingley, a character from P&P that most likely didn't have a lot of sympathy from readers. As this tale begins, Caroline is devastated that the man she has harbored hopes of marrying for her entire life is happily marrying the love of his life, Elizabeth Bennet. She is horrified to learn that her breakdown has been witnessed by a gentleman. Thus begins the strained and unlikely relationship of Miss Bingley and Mr. Robert Darcy.
The author does a very good job of keeping all of the familiar P&P characters true to form, particularly Lydia, perpetually immature and self-centered, and Mr. Bennet, droll as ever. The focus, though, is on the journey and evolution of Caroline, who's a pretty tough nut to crack.
The catalyst for most of the story's action is a trip to Pemberley to cheer up the spirits of Eliza Bennet who is recovering from a health crisis. Caroline and her widowed sister, Louisa, are accompanied on the trip by Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Robert Darcy, and it is here that a piece of gossip at a weekend house party could seriously harm Caroline's chances with another man she hopes may become her betrothed. Mr. Robert Darcy, a true gentleman, steps forward with a plan to save Caroline from public humiliation.
Will Caroline ever drop her cold and haughty facade? Will she ever put aside society's expectations for her and look, instead, at her own heart's desires? The Other Mr. Darcy is a simple but charming tale of her self-discovery and path to finding someone who truly cares for her.
3.5/5 stars
Title: The Other Mr. Darcy
Author: Monica Fairview
genre: historical fiction
Sourcebooks
2009
351 pages
3 comments:
I'm not a fan of Caroline Bingley, but I like this book's premise and should try it out some time! Thanks for the review.
Also..the books you've listed as reading now - The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott and The Far Pavilions are on my to-read list and I'm looking forward to your reviews of them :)
I think this looks like fun too. I've read a lot of P&P fanfiction and much of it has to do with Caroline and some of it can be very funny, so this one looked good to me, I have it coming up on my TBR list very soon!
Hi, Kals -- I'm enjoying The Far Pavilions very much, but it is a chunkster! It will take me quite a while to finish it.
Hey, Julie - It's an easy read....you're able to whip through books, so you'll probably finish this one in one sitting!
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