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Darcy #4
The Second Mrs. Darcy
The next adventure of the Darcy family from the author of Mr. Darcy's Daughters -- the story of a reluctant heiress who has been left a widow by Darcy's cousin Christopher.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a husband. So say the friends and family of impoverished widow Octavia Darcy when she unexpectedly inherits a fortune, but she has a different view and looks forward to a new life of independence.
Escaping from the efforts of her half brothers and sisters to marry her off, Octavia goes to Yorkshire to find out more about the family she never knew, and while she is there she meets and crosses swords with landowner and politician Sholto Rutherford.
When she returns to London to share a house with the dashing Lady Susan, Octavia, now secure in her new life, becomes caught up in the romantic problems of her niece. Then, the shadow of George Warren, the old nemesis of the Darcy family, falls over her, and she is threatened with the loss of both inheritance and reputation.
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
29 people are currently reading
957 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Aston
53 books230 followersI’m the daughter of two Jane Austen addicts, who decided to call me after a character from one of Jane Austen’s novels. So it’s no wonder that I also became a passionate Jane Austen fan.
Elizabeth Aston is a pen name (it's actually my married name). I first wrote under the name Elizabeth Pewsey, and now Attica Books are reissuing those novels as ebooks under my Aston name.
I've also published several books under my own name Elizabeth Edmondson. They're historicals, but set in the 20th century.
from http://www.elizabeth-aston.com/catego...
Elizabeth Aston is a pen name (it's actually my married name). I first wrote under the name Elizabeth Pewsey, and now Attica Books are reissuing those novels as ebooks under my Aston name.
I've also published several books under my own name Elizabeth Edmondson. They're historicals, but set in the 20th century.
from http://www.elizabeth-aston.com/catego...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
July 29, 2018
I read this long ago just after it was published, in paperback, and have been meaning to reread in order to post an honest review but this will have to do for now.
June 20, 2008
Wow. I'm wondering if I read the same book as the other people who raved about this... Here's the deal- I tried to like this book. There was just such a long section in the middle where I felt like she was just adding filler because it was too soon to develop the romance in the book. There were some nice moments throughout. But, the characters weren't likable enough that I cared about what happened to them. The story had a lot of useless facts in it too that seemed to be like the author saying "Look I've done my research!". Good for you! Just don't bother adding that information unless it advances the plot! I've heard that there are far better P&P spin-offs and I sincerely hope that is true- but I won't bother reading another from this author.
September 17, 2018
Dear Publishers,
I know the vast media coverage of book groups in the early 2000’s convinced you that someone, somewhere, was reading every book with the intent of dissecting it while eating cake, or drinking wine, or both. But your weirdly pretentious high-school-English class questions like “what about these unusual names the author chose, eh? D’you think those MEANT something? Does Mr. Forsyte HAVE FORESIGHT, eh?” are embarrassing to read and offer proof that this tolerable light romantic fiction book I’ve just completed is fluff.
This time we are even further from Austen’s characters, with a bit of name-checking (house-name-checking?) going on. Octavia Darcy, youngish widow of a Navy officer distant cousin of His Gooeyeyes, sets off back to England from India with little awaiting her but an unpleasant expectation of life with her half-siblings and the unlikely-sounding obscenely large inheritance from a great-aunt. The problem with these Austen takeoffs is that the characters never really have real growth that we see. We are told Olivia has grown, but it’s tough to believe. Our hero is slow in making an appearance and a good half of the book was unnecessary. Aston ends with an attempt at Shakespearean Everybody Gets A Partner! and it isn’t hard to conclude that these massive ending scenes were her starting point. Not bad, better than the previous installments.
I know the vast media coverage of book groups in the early 2000’s convinced you that someone, somewhere, was reading every book with the intent of dissecting it while eating cake, or drinking wine, or both. But your weirdly pretentious high-school-English class questions like “what about these unusual names the author chose, eh? D’you think those MEANT something? Does Mr. Forsyte HAVE FORESIGHT, eh?” are embarrassing to read and offer proof that this tolerable light romantic fiction book I’ve just completed is fluff.
This time we are even further from Austen’s characters, with a bit of name-checking (house-name-checking?) going on. Octavia Darcy, youngish widow of a Navy officer distant cousin of His Gooeyeyes, sets off back to England from India with little awaiting her but an unpleasant expectation of life with her half-siblings and the unlikely-sounding obscenely large inheritance from a great-aunt. The problem with these Austen takeoffs is that the characters never really have real growth that we see. We are told Olivia has grown, but it’s tough to believe. Our hero is slow in making an appearance and a good half of the book was unnecessary. Aston ends with an attempt at Shakespearean Everybody Gets A Partner! and it isn’t hard to conclude that these massive ending scenes were her starting point. Not bad, better than the previous installments.
April 27, 2007
Now this book I loved! Octavia is a great character.
Octavia Melbury. Tall and outspoken, Octavia fails to find a husband in London and is dispatched to India, where she is to live with relatives. There, she marries Capt. Christopher Darcy, but their happy union is cut short when he dies from an insect bite. Christopher's spiteful cousin, George Warren, nabs the estate and leaves Octavia with a pittance. However, a surprise and sizable inheritance comes Octavia's way, and she travels back to England, where she keeps mum about her newfound fortune while her conniving half-sister Theodosia schemes to marry her off. Octavia takes a shine to her smart, headstrong niece, Penelope, who, in turn, fancies a man of lower stature than her mother will accept. Not so for Octavia, whose rocky repartee with Lord Sholto Rutherford matures, inevitably, into love. Meanwhile, George realizes Christopher's inheritance isn't as large as he had thought and plots to steal Octavia's fortune. Aston's villains may be one-note wicked, but the lengths to which their puerile greed sends them make for good reading.
Octavia Melbury. Tall and outspoken, Octavia fails to find a husband in London and is dispatched to India, where she is to live with relatives. There, she marries Capt. Christopher Darcy, but their happy union is cut short when he dies from an insect bite. Christopher's spiteful cousin, George Warren, nabs the estate and leaves Octavia with a pittance. However, a surprise and sizable inheritance comes Octavia's way, and she travels back to England, where she keeps mum about her newfound fortune while her conniving half-sister Theodosia schemes to marry her off. Octavia takes a shine to her smart, headstrong niece, Penelope, who, in turn, fancies a man of lower stature than her mother will accept. Not so for Octavia, whose rocky repartee with Lord Sholto Rutherford matures, inevitably, into love. Meanwhile, George realizes Christopher's inheritance isn't as large as he had thought and plots to steal Octavia's fortune. Aston's villains may be one-note wicked, but the lengths to which their puerile greed sends them make for good reading.
February 16, 2010
I really enjoyed this book! It was SO much fun! I do have a soft spot for regency romance novels--and I LOVE it when I find the ones that are NOT skanky! :)
This follows the life of a young woman named Octavia. She is a half sister to some nasty people, is packed off to India, meets a man (a Captain Darcy who is some random distant cousin to The Mr. Darcy)and is married. He dies in an accident in the hills of India, so she returns to England... I loved the characters and all the little (albeit predictable) twists of plot. A fun and fulfilling read--VERY nice if you need something to snuggle up to after taking care of kids and houses and moving all day!!! :)
This follows the life of a young woman named Octavia. She is a half sister to some nasty people, is packed off to India, meets a man (a Captain Darcy who is some random distant cousin to The Mr. Darcy)and is married. He dies in an accident in the hills of India, so she returns to England... I loved the characters and all the little (albeit predictable) twists of plot. A fun and fulfilling read--VERY nice if you need something to snuggle up to after taking care of kids and houses and moving all day!!! :)
July 23, 2011
I'm always a bit sceptical about Jane Austen spin-off's because I adore the originals so much. Aston only mentions the Bennets and Fitzwilliam Darcy once or twice. So she has developed a whole new story.
The courting only begins in the last 50 pages of the book. Before that the story evolves quite slowly with a lot of , in my opinion, side characters who aren't that interesting as Mrs. Darcy or Lord Rutherford themselves.
All in all the second Mrs. Darcy is a pleasant read. You just shouldn't compare the story with Prise and Prejudice. If you like 'regency' books you should give Elizabeth Aston a go.
The courting only begins in the last 50 pages of the book. Before that the story evolves quite slowly with a lot of , in my opinion, side characters who aren't that interesting as Mrs. Darcy or Lord Rutherford themselves.
All in all the second Mrs. Darcy is a pleasant read. You just shouldn't compare the story with Prise and Prejudice. If you like 'regency' books you should give Elizabeth Aston a go.
April 10, 2020
How many variations on Pride & Prejudice can be written? Apparently an infinite number. In this book the Mrs. Darcy in question, Octvia, is recently widowed from Christopher Darcy, a distant cousin of Fitzwilliam Darcy, in India. As Christopher Darcy's estate is entailed, Octavia will inherit nothing and is thrown on the mercy of her rich relations in London - that is until she discovers that she is heiress to the fortune of an unknown aunt. (Aren't these unknown relatives convenient?)
How she navigates her new found riches and becomes an independent woman makes for delightful light reading.
August 29, 2010
Bleh. If I could have given this 1 1/2 stars, I would have. Although I did start getting more involved in the story in the last 50 pages, I found that for most of it, I was just slogging through. The action is slow to develop, and although there are some subplots, none of them are all that engaging since they have no suspense to them, and most are pretty much resolved at the point that they're introduced. George Warren's appearance and actions, while kind of fun in the sense that they continue the Warren tradition of being scheming money-grubbers, feel very underbaked and really could have done with more development. That statement goes for the characters of the novel in general as well: none are really memorable or anything more than shadows of people. There's nothing distinctive, interesting, or particularly compelling about them, and that goes especially for the protagonist, Olivia. I didn't find myself feeling anything for her, and I think part of it was the third-person-omniscient narration style that simply reports on what Olivia's doing in a superficial kind of way, and then abruptly shifts briefly to random other characters' points of view for no conceivable reason, since their short and sporadic inputs don't seem to further the plot much (except in Rutherford's one extremely lucky coincedence that sets him up to save the day later). Besides that, though, as a reader, I never really felt I entered Olivia's head or heart, and so she just seems to me a cardboard Lizzy Bennet knock-off who "speaks her mind," "is honest," and "has somewhat of a temper."
Another thing that I realized is that Aston rarely describes her characters' physical appearances, and I wonder if that's intentional. It left me feeling like everyone was more or less faceless; I would only discover 50-100 pages after "meeting" them that they were "handsome," "striking," or "graceful," and was lucky to get even that. I think it's an interesting idea to not dwell too much on the physical, but don't think it was executed mindfully here, or in a way that suited the story.
It was interesting to me that Aston used a play to unite everyone toward the end, since that was the same basic technique as in the modern-day Pride and Prejudice rewrite that I read, Pride, Prejudice, and Jasmin Field. I have to say that I liked that book better, since the characters felt real and actually elicited emotion rather than just a feeling of indifference, not to mention that the book itself was just a whole lot more fun. (Pains me to say that, though, especially since Aston's an Oxonian.) Of course, both novels share the frenetic final matchmaking of just about every person in the story, which felt excessive in both cases, but I think The Second Mrs. Darcy clinches the title.
I wanted to like that Aston had Olivia start her story off in India, but felt that the atmosphere there and Olivia's feelings towards it were never given more than a surface gloss, and while I appreciated her attempts to work in historical and political details, they never really did anything to further the action in the book; if anything, they slowed the pace without having sufficient detail to add intrigue about the broader context of the world that the characters were moving in and the forces that may have been playing upon them.
The brief references to P&P characters were... okay, but again, not memorable; they were just thrown in there for the hard-core fans, and otherwise, this story could have happened to any girl in a similar position in relation to any well-off family. Those little tidbits were mainly little brain-treats thrown to us English lit nerds, but I wouldn't recommend the book overall as anything more than just something to pass the time with.
Another thing that I realized is that Aston rarely describes her characters' physical appearances, and I wonder if that's intentional. It left me feeling like everyone was more or less faceless; I would only discover 50-100 pages after "meeting" them that they were "handsome," "striking," or "graceful," and was lucky to get even that. I think it's an interesting idea to not dwell too much on the physical, but don't think it was executed mindfully here, or in a way that suited the story.
It was interesting to me that Aston used a play to unite everyone toward the end, since that was the same basic technique as in the modern-day Pride and Prejudice rewrite that I read, Pride, Prejudice, and Jasmin Field. I have to say that I liked that book better, since the characters felt real and actually elicited emotion rather than just a feeling of indifference, not to mention that the book itself was just a whole lot more fun. (Pains me to say that, though, especially since Aston's an Oxonian.) Of course, both novels share the frenetic final matchmaking of just about every person in the story, which felt excessive in both cases, but I think The Second Mrs. Darcy clinches the title.
I wanted to like that Aston had Olivia start her story off in India, but felt that the atmosphere there and Olivia's feelings towards it were never given more than a surface gloss, and while I appreciated her attempts to work in historical and political details, they never really did anything to further the action in the book; if anything, they slowed the pace without having sufficient detail to add intrigue about the broader context of the world that the characters were moving in and the forces that may have been playing upon them.
The brief references to P&P characters were... okay, but again, not memorable; they were just thrown in there for the hard-core fans, and otherwise, this story could have happened to any girl in a similar position in relation to any well-off family. Those little tidbits were mainly little brain-treats thrown to us English lit nerds, but I wouldn't recommend the book overall as anything more than just something to pass the time with.
September 27, 2008
After my very unsatisfactory read of Aston's first Darcy novel, I was extremely reluctant to read this one. Once I get on a reading jag, though, very little (even extremely bad books) will stop me from reading whatever on that subject I can get my hands on until I move on to the next obsession.
I am glad to say this book exceeded my expectations after Mr. Darcy's Daughters crushed them so thoroughly. One trick that helped was just to disassociate this series in my mind from Pride and Prejudice at all--this isn't hard when neither Mr. Darcy or Elizabeth are ever actually present. When I did that, I found I didn't mind the novel at all and actually enjoyed most of it and its insight into Regency England.
Octavia Darcy and trying to outsmart her horrid relatives were a delight to read about. I liked her independent character; although, that seems a more modern interpretation than what you would have read then.
Just pretend this book has nothing to do with Pride and Prejudice; ignore the references to gay men (what is her obsession with it?); and it becomes a decent read.
I am glad to say this book exceeded my expectations after Mr. Darcy's Daughters crushed them so thoroughly. One trick that helped was just to disassociate this series in my mind from Pride and Prejudice at all--this isn't hard when neither Mr. Darcy or Elizabeth are ever actually present. When I did that, I found I didn't mind the novel at all and actually enjoyed most of it and its insight into Regency England.
Octavia Darcy and trying to outsmart her horrid relatives were a delight to read about. I liked her independent character; although, that seems a more modern interpretation than what you would have read then.
Just pretend this book has nothing to do with Pride and Prejudice; ignore the references to gay men (what is her obsession with it?); and it becomes a decent read.
March 15, 2010
This was another amazing Pride and Prejudice derived novel by Elizabeth Aston. Unlike other romance novels, Aston's piece was very Jane Austenesque in the fact she did not focus the story on the romance of the main characters. In fact the main characters feeling for each other are only revealed later on in the book but it is still able to give you that little heart flutter that occurs when you are in the presence of true love. Aston uses the majority of the novel to develop the characters separate of their interactions with each other, and like Jane Austen Aston does not focus on mainly those characters but involves the main characters' best friends, their families and their relationships/loves. It is refreshing to read such a well written story, that is not merely a trashy romance that is based on the mutual lust of the main characters but shows you how love develops gradually as Elizabeth Bennet's love for Fitzwilliam Darcy did in Pride and Prejudice. I would recommend this book to anyone.
December 31, 2010
I liked this book as well as the first book in Ms. Aston's Darcy series. The Mrs. Darcy of the title is not a second wife of the Mr. Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice". Her husband, deceased before the start of the book, is some sort of distant relation. Octavia Darcy is left in poor circumstances since her husband's estate is entailed and he left no children. George Warren, son of Caroline Bingley Warren, inherits his estate and gives nothing to the widow. When Octavia unexpectedly comes into a fortune left by a distant relative on her mother's side, Warren tries to get his hands on that money too by claiming that her relative died before her husband.
Octavia is an appealing character and her half-sisters and brother are reminiscent of some of the unkind snobs found in Austen books. There are several suitable romances and an elopement and all is resolved as Austen would have done.
Octavia is an appealing character and her half-sisters and brother are reminiscent of some of the unkind snobs found in Austen books. There are several suitable romances and an elopement and all is resolved as Austen would have done.
July 7, 2011
While I enjoy Aston’s writing, if you’ve read one of these books, you’ve pretty much got the plot for all of them – possibly with the exception of the second one. Women, who are either on the outskirts of society or completely dissolved from it, find themselves in trouble and are saved by a rich gentleman who comes to their aid in some way. This story is no different, the only change being that Octavia has already been married and is rich in her own right. There is an air of tension in this story as she tries to keep her interfering family from finding out about her fortune. Octavia is a bit less sure of herself than some of Aston’s other characters, but this is pretty much gone by the end of the story.
August 9, 2007
I've also been on a bit of a Jane Austen kick recently, and I have to say I had no idea how many people had written spin-offs of Pride and Prejudice. I think this is one of the better ones I've read. The title character was married to Captain Darcy in India, but passed away shortly before the beginning of this book and didn't leave her with much because the estate was entailed. She has a pretty horrible family of stepsisters and brothers, but suddenly comes into an inheritance and meets people more to her liking. You can probably guess what happens from there, but the enjoyment is in seeing the character evolve and gain some confidence.
August 16, 2009
This is my second favorite of the series. Octavia is abused and overlooked from infancy because she is the only child of a second marriage. She is foisted off asap to India where she marries an inferior Darcy cousin who dies shortly afterwards. She is langushing there until she gets the suprizing news that a relative from her unvalued mother's side left her an enormous fortune.
She goes back to England and lives with her hideous sister until it's possible to enjoy her fortune. She comes under the ire of our hero when she dabbles in politics. She is his match and off course they end up together.
She goes back to England and lives with her hideous sister until it's possible to enjoy her fortune. She comes under the ire of our hero when she dabbles in politics. She is his match and off course they end up together.
February 9, 2015
En mi opinion una mala novela del universo Austeriano, no venia al caso, el romance nulo, la protagonista nada atractiva, el protagonista muy poco coherente, no se aun para pasar el rato resulta mul larga y no muy entretenida.
October 13, 2008
Still needing my "pride and prejudice" fix without reading it. Had some good parts-but the ending was totally predictable. Let me down. I may just have to read P&P.
December 24, 2008
Although the book has similar Jane Austen themes and mention of her characters, the plot begins too slowly and then had to tie up loose ends too quickly.
February 19, 2009
The books by this author are no more than romance books with names from Austen's novels thrown in to entice Jane Austen fans. They are nothing like the original books.
March 19, 2019
I have to say that this book is my favorite of the Darcy series I have read--and this is the fifth book I have read of that series. Although there are certainly problematic aspects of this book (more on those below), the book certainly has fewer of them and has an appealing heroine with her head on her shoulders that is certainly a fitting figure for feminist wish-fulfillment of the sort that this book is. Again, though, one senses that the author has a secret (or not-very secret) sense of disdain for the men in her novels, as she portrays the romantic hero as one who is somewhat fierce and whose honorable nature is undercut by his willingness to entangle himself in a long adulterous relationship. Although he is very rich and politically powerful, are we really supposed to be quick to believe that this man is going to settle down loyally and easily to a wife as bluntly honest as Octavia Darcy, whose claim to that name comes from being the second wife of a cousin of the more famous Darcys who was impoverished by a first wife who had gambled away much of his own fortune. And how is the odious George Warren the next male heir in the entail of Darcy's estate? How did this happen? I need to see a family tree.
As far as the plot goes, this particular novel is very episodic. We begin in India, where Octavia mourns the death of her husband and then finds out a few days later (this bit is crucial) that she has inherited a lot of money and property from a great-aunt she never knew about whose family was big in the Indian tea business. She returns to England where her seven older half-siblings (which explains her name) want her to marry again and are upset that she shows no inclination to seek their advice or welcome their attempts at influencing her, and after interfering in the politics of a Yorkshire rotten borough she happens to be the new landowner of to place her tenant in the House of Commons she sets up a household with an actress named Lady Susan (not that one). Meanwhile she is consumed by helping her niece with her attachment to a cleric, dealing with her complicated feelings for Lord Sholto Rutherford, who has been entangled in a longtime adulterous relationship and could use a wife and children to carry on the family name, and whose sister is definitely in full spinsterhood in her mid 30's, but suddenly attracted to a charming London banker. Meanwhile, the hateful George Warren is trying to scheme to control Octavia's new-found fortune, and the author works busily to tie up these (and other!) various loose ends in a proper deus ex machina fashion.
While this novel is certainly the best I have read of the series, it does demonstrate the author's flaws even if in more mild fashion than usual. For one, the author seems obsessed with referring to Regency and Victorian homosexual behavior, and manages to have some of her characters accuse Octavia of lesbian tendencies, something which she seems deliberately intent on quashing, to the point of being reluctant to play Viola in some Netherfield (yes, that Netherfield) dramatics because it happens to be a breeches role. For another, the author simply cannot make her characters sufficiently honorable. Even though Octavia is a decent woman (if a bit too feminist for her time, likely to make her more appealing as a figure for contemporary audiences), Sholto has all kinds of lady trouble in unappealing ways, being pushed to prey on a young and not very bright Miss Goulding of Meryton (yes, that one), being entangled with an adulterous relationship of long standing and being pursued by a young widow and being a bit irritated about these circumstances and womenfolk in general. It would be nice if the author could avoid trying to write late 20th and early 21st century feminist wish fantasies that dwell too much on contemporary sins while portraying them as Regency and early Victorian-era novels that miss the most important parts of Jane Austen's framing of her heroes and heroines as being honorable people in a frequently dishonorable world, but it seems unlikely that will happen at this point.
As far as the plot goes, this particular novel is very episodic. We begin in India, where Octavia mourns the death of her husband and then finds out a few days later (this bit is crucial) that she has inherited a lot of money and property from a great-aunt she never knew about whose family was big in the Indian tea business. She returns to England where her seven older half-siblings (which explains her name) want her to marry again and are upset that she shows no inclination to seek their advice or welcome their attempts at influencing her, and after interfering in the politics of a Yorkshire rotten borough she happens to be the new landowner of to place her tenant in the House of Commons she sets up a household with an actress named Lady Susan (not that one). Meanwhile she is consumed by helping her niece with her attachment to a cleric, dealing with her complicated feelings for Lord Sholto Rutherford, who has been entangled in a longtime adulterous relationship and could use a wife and children to carry on the family name, and whose sister is definitely in full spinsterhood in her mid 30's, but suddenly attracted to a charming London banker. Meanwhile, the hateful George Warren is trying to scheme to control Octavia's new-found fortune, and the author works busily to tie up these (and other!) various loose ends in a proper deus ex machina fashion.
While this novel is certainly the best I have read of the series, it does demonstrate the author's flaws even if in more mild fashion than usual. For one, the author seems obsessed with referring to Regency and Victorian homosexual behavior, and manages to have some of her characters accuse Octavia of lesbian tendencies, something which she seems deliberately intent on quashing, to the point of being reluctant to play Viola in some Netherfield (yes, that Netherfield) dramatics because it happens to be a breeches role. For another, the author simply cannot make her characters sufficiently honorable. Even though Octavia is a decent woman (if a bit too feminist for her time, likely to make her more appealing as a figure for contemporary audiences), Sholto has all kinds of lady trouble in unappealing ways, being pushed to prey on a young and not very bright Miss Goulding of Meryton (yes, that one), being entangled with an adulterous relationship of long standing and being pursued by a young widow and being a bit irritated about these circumstances and womenfolk in general. It would be nice if the author could avoid trying to write late 20th and early 21st century feminist wish fantasies that dwell too much on contemporary sins while portraying them as Regency and early Victorian-era novels that miss the most important parts of Jane Austen's framing of her heroes and heroines as being honorable people in a frequently dishonorable world, but it seems unlikely that will happen at this point.
August 20, 2022
This was fun and cute and just about what I expected it to be. We picked it up in a library sale, because my father and I are both suckers for anything related to Jane Austen, including what amounts to published fan fiction. I started it this evening on a ride to the beach, and quite unexpectedly stayed up until midnight to finish it. The main character Octavia and her blood relations are all new, and Octavia is sufficiently different to not be a bad reproduction of Austen heroines. An Austen/Regency purist may not like her; she, and several of the other characters, feel a bit as if they were written by a modern writer with more modern views (which of course they are), but for me this did not detract from the fun of the story. I was really there for Octavia getting to stick it to her relations.
My main gripe with the story was that it was meant to be a romance (apparently) but I would not have known it if I didn’t know that *all* Austen spin offs are destined to be romances- most of the book is a romp where Octavia discovers and relishes her (somewhat improbable) independence, and the romance it sort of tacked on toward the end. It’s a shame, because her supposed hero is actually one of the most interesting characters, and a lot more romantic tension could have been worked in. The book wasn’t long enough for both the independence/inheritance plot and the romance plot both to be properly developed and properly wrapped up.
Still, I read Regency for the happy ending (and the quirky social norms) and there is certainly plenty of that. A good easy beach read (or wherever you read your fluff). Also apparently it’s one of a series, but I didn’t know that until I came on to Goodreads
My main gripe with the story was that it was meant to be a romance (apparently) but I would not have known it if I didn’t know that *all* Austen spin offs are destined to be romances- most of the book is a romp where Octavia discovers and relishes her (somewhat improbable) independence, and the romance it sort of tacked on toward the end. It’s a shame, because her supposed hero is actually one of the most interesting characters, and a lot more romantic tension could have been worked in. The book wasn’t long enough for both the independence/inheritance plot and the romance plot both to be properly developed and properly wrapped up.
Still, I read Regency for the happy ending (and the quirky social norms) and there is certainly plenty of that. A good easy beach read (or wherever you read your fluff). Also apparently it’s one of a series, but I didn’t know that until I came on to Goodreads
March 21, 2022
This is set in the world of Pride & Prejudice, and while some known characters appear in it (or rather their offspring), it is a completely separate story. It is done very much like P&P and in Austen's style, so if you're craving for that, this is a good read.
It is well written in the sense that it definitely gives you the Austen vibe in its slightly mocking way. I certainly enjoyed that. It doesn't, however, deliver on the main subject (apart from the social commentary) - the romance! It is so... boring. And uneventful. The two main characters barely spoke or had an interaction until what felt like half the book. There was almost no build up, no real tension between the characters that we associate with Austen's writing. So much so, that it felt incredibly rushed in the end. I was so confused by how their relationship went from mild curiosity to full blown love. Like. How? Everything felt so sterile that the ending made me cringe a little. I was almost more interested in what happened to Lord R's sister and the hot banker (?) guy than him and Octavia.
I would give this 2 stars, but I give it an extra one, just for the excellent audiobook alone.
The narration by Phyllida Nash is SUCH perfection. I could listen to her read all my books. The accents, the tone, the vividness of sound and character, the different styles matching people's personalities. Women, men, young people, old people, middle class, upper class, so distinct and amazing. It's just so good. A true actor, pure perfection.
Yay for narration, nay for the romance.
It is well written in the sense that it definitely gives you the Austen vibe in its slightly mocking way. I certainly enjoyed that. It doesn't, however, deliver on the main subject (apart from the social commentary) - the romance! It is so... boring. And uneventful. The two main characters barely spoke or had an interaction until what felt like half the book. There was almost no build up, no real tension between the characters that we associate with Austen's writing. So much so, that it felt incredibly rushed in the end. I was so confused by how their relationship went from mild curiosity to full blown love. Like. How? Everything felt so sterile that the ending made me cringe a little. I was almost more interested in what happened to Lord R's sister and the hot banker (?) guy than him and Octavia.
I would give this 2 stars, but I give it an extra one, just for the excellent audiobook alone.
The narration by Phyllida Nash is SUCH perfection. I could listen to her read all my books. The accents, the tone, the vividness of sound and character, the different styles matching people's personalities. Women, men, young people, old people, middle class, upper class, so distinct and amazing. It's just so good. A true actor, pure perfection.
Yay for narration, nay for the romance.
December 4, 2023
I have enjoyed reading The Second Mrs. Darcy, the fourth of the Darcy novels by Elizabeth Ashton. Though the ending is somewhat predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Octavia, the eighth child of her father, and first by his second wife who died at her birth, is totally looked down upon and scorned by her seven half siblings and their spouses. Brought up in the country by her father‘s third wife she is only brought to London when she is 18 and has a disastrous first season and is packed off to India to find a husband there. She marries naval officer, Christopher Darcy, and his widowed, almost pennyless a year later, when a lawyer tells her that she has inherited a fortune, she returns to England, not telling her half siblings of her business and fortune, she stubbornly meets with the lawyers and bankers in secret, and explores her options as a now dependent, widowed woman of age, thus, for the first time in control of her own life and future. Her own half siblings are a despicable lot, but she meets some of her Darcy relations, and likes them their politics, and their friends, much better than her own family, as she begins to make decisions on where and with whom she will live.
Powerful Lord Rutherford always seems to be at odds with her and yet unhappy in his own life. This is an interesting exploration of Regency, social, romance, women’s rights, politics, and acknowledging what you feel not what people tell you you ought.
Octavia, the eighth child of her father, and first by his second wife who died at her birth, is totally looked down upon and scorned by her seven half siblings and their spouses. Brought up in the country by her father‘s third wife she is only brought to London when she is 18 and has a disastrous first season and is packed off to India to find a husband there. She marries naval officer, Christopher Darcy, and his widowed, almost pennyless a year later, when a lawyer tells her that she has inherited a fortune, she returns to England, not telling her half siblings of her business and fortune, she stubbornly meets with the lawyers and bankers in secret, and explores her options as a now dependent, widowed woman of age, thus, for the first time in control of her own life and future. Her own half siblings are a despicable lot, but she meets some of her Darcy relations, and likes them their politics, and their friends, much better than her own family, as she begins to make decisions on where and with whom she will live.
Powerful Lord Rutherford always seems to be at odds with her and yet unhappy in his own life. This is an interesting exploration of Regency, social, romance, women’s rights, politics, and acknowledging what you feel not what people tell you you ought.
May 26, 2022
So clever, interesting, engaging, witty, and utterly charming it makes me want to give it five stars, but it’s just a bit off the mark in the way of timing. Also, Octavia put up with the horrible behavior of her step-siblings too easily and too long, though she finally, finally escapes their clutches. I realize they are written as caricature and are supposed to be amusing but I found them appalling. Their comeuppance was not nearly satisfactory, so it only gets four stars. I love that it starts in India and ends in Meriton at Netherfield. I love that Caroline Bingley and her rotten stepson are thwarted again. The way the ending mirrors the ending of Twelfth Night made me laugh out loud, it’s so charming, though some reviewers really hated it. I adored it. It adds depth to the writing. Im really enjoying this series, no matter that we are so far afield from Austen’s universe. I dont want to read retellings. There is only one Jane Austen. But I love that Elizabeth Aston has taken JA’s characters to the next level with such style and humor. She has given me a really good reason to spend more time in their world, which I just love to do.
June 7, 2019
Instead of following one of the characters from Pride and Prejudice as many sequels of Austen's works do, this book follows a distant relation of the Darcys. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy don't actually show up in the novel, but their daughters do. This book is actually fourth in a series that begins with 'Mr. Darcy's Daughters,' which I didn't know until after I read the book. The story definitely makes sense as a standalone, but I would like to go back and read the whole series.
In 'The Second Mrs. Darcy,' Octavia looses her husband and must return to the care of her horrible step-brothers and sisters. Octavia is a strong-willed woman who wants to be independent, even though everyone just wants her to catch another husband. I liked her immensely. She was very strong; so many people and unfortunate things come at her in this novel, but she just takes it on the chin and moves forward. The plot was pleasantly intricate and exciting.
In 'The Second Mrs. Darcy,' Octavia looses her husband and must return to the care of her horrible step-brothers and sisters. Octavia is a strong-willed woman who wants to be independent, even though everyone just wants her to catch another husband. I liked her immensely. She was very strong; so many people and unfortunate things come at her in this novel, but she just takes it on the chin and moves forward. The plot was pleasantly intricate and exciting.
April 2, 2021
My first book with this author. As I love all things regency, I had had to give her a try.
I was very impressed with Elizabeth Aston's writing. It was immediately apparent that she is a student of Jane Austen and possibly Georgette Heyer.
Mrs. Darcy, a headstrong widow is left a pittance due to her husband's estate being entailed to another. Worse, Mrs. Darcy's half sisters find her to be a nuisance and a burden. But her circumstances change rapidly when she is found to be the benefactress of a rather large inheritance. Suddenly, Mrs. Darcy becomes one of the most eligible young widows in London. But this glory is short lived when a malicious scheme threatens her integrity as well as her right to her inheritance.
The story was fairly engaging but it seemed to be hurried in the end which affected the experience for me. Fans of Jane Austen will find it a cozy and quick read.
I was very impressed with Elizabeth Aston's writing. It was immediately apparent that she is a student of Jane Austen and possibly Georgette Heyer.
Mrs. Darcy, a headstrong widow is left a pittance due to her husband's estate being entailed to another. Worse, Mrs. Darcy's half sisters find her to be a nuisance and a burden. But her circumstances change rapidly when she is found to be the benefactress of a rather large inheritance. Suddenly, Mrs. Darcy becomes one of the most eligible young widows in London. But this glory is short lived when a malicious scheme threatens her integrity as well as her right to her inheritance.
The story was fairly engaging but it seemed to be hurried in the end which affected the experience for me. Fans of Jane Austen will find it a cozy and quick read.
October 12, 2019
An easy and quick read with a well developed plot
I read quite a bit of Jane Austen Fan Fiction and one of my ongoing complaints is that frequently the characters are undeveloped and the plot is just so unbelievable. These problems do not occur in this book. Here the characters (many of whom have the most delightful and contrived names) find themselves in circumstances that are both interesting and believable from which they extricate themselves through thoroughly satisfying plot twists. The book has only the most distant connection with anything or any characters Jane Austen wrote about, but this did not in any way detract from my enjoyment of the novel. It is not great writing, but it is definitely good writing. It is another worthy addition to Ms. Aston's Darcy series.
I read quite a bit of Jane Austen Fan Fiction and one of my ongoing complaints is that frequently the characters are undeveloped and the plot is just so unbelievable. These problems do not occur in this book. Here the characters (many of whom have the most delightful and contrived names) find themselves in circumstances that are both interesting and believable from which they extricate themselves through thoroughly satisfying plot twists. The book has only the most distant connection with anything or any characters Jane Austen wrote about, but this did not in any way detract from my enjoyment of the novel. It is not great writing, but it is definitely good writing. It is another worthy addition to Ms. Aston's Darcy series.
June 3, 2018
Apparently I read the first book (paper) in this series and disliked it. (I gave it 2 stars, which is pretty darn low for me.)
I found this book for free on Audible's romance package (which I had given up but decided to try again.), and not realizing it was related to the 2-star "Mr. Darcy's Daughters", I gave it a try.
The connection to the characters in P&P is so tenuous, and the tone so much more romp-ish and Heyer-esque, I was able to see past my original frustrations (how OOC all the P&P folks were, how madcapped it was) and quite enjoy the book.
So, basically--I was much more of a purist, and I hadn't read Heyer, when I read the first book. Also, like the narrator on Audible.
I'm even reading the sequel.
I found this book for free on Audible's romance package (which I had given up but decided to try again.), and not realizing it was related to the 2-star "Mr. Darcy's Daughters", I gave it a try.
The connection to the characters in P&P is so tenuous, and the tone so much more romp-ish and Heyer-esque, I was able to see past my original frustrations (how OOC all the P&P folks were, how madcapped it was) and quite enjoy the book.
So, basically--I was much more of a purist, and I hadn't read Heyer, when I read the first book. Also, like the narrator on Audible.
I'm even reading the sequel.
May 31, 2017
This one gets probably an extra star based on what it is. It is not great literature. It is very predictable. It's not my cup of tea. That said, it was sent out in the world to be read as what it is. I didn't find any flaws that made this unreadable. There were a whole lot of occasions when I wanted to write the author and suggest she make less of one bit and maybe concentrate more on another, but mostly, this was just a super easy, read in the car on the drive home from vacation while looking up at road signs and so forth, without too much effort.
June 16, 2019
In this Pride & Prejudice world where descendants of characters from that book, now 20 years later, cross paths with these characters makes for a fun and interesting world. If you're looking for a lot of action and suspense, this isn't the book for you. But if you like stories like Austen's or Heyer's, you'll enjoy this one.
The romance is a very slow burn and doesn't really happen until the last third of the book, but I found the story interesting anyway. And Phyllida Nash is wonderful as the narrator--as always.
The romance is a very slow burn and doesn't really happen until the last third of the book, but I found the story interesting anyway. And Phyllida Nash is wonderful as the narrator--as always.
November 8, 2020
It’s a satisfying Cinderella story with a neatly sewn-up ending.
I admit it was a bit uneven in places, and the tone and level of detail would shift noticeably. There were details that got so much attention, it seemed like they must be important to the plot, but upon further reading it turns out they were just filler or perhaps an author displaying her historical knowledge.
Still, I found this a diverting and enjoyable read, and in this strange and stressful year that is exactly what I was yearning for.
I admit it was a bit uneven in places, and the tone and level of detail would shift noticeably. There were details that got so much attention, it seemed like they must be important to the plot, but upon further reading it turns out they were just filler or perhaps an author displaying her historical knowledge.
Still, I found this a diverting and enjoyable read, and in this strange and stressful year that is exactly what I was yearning for.
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