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Darcy and Fitzwilliam #2

Sons and Daughters

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"""Sons & Daughters"" is Book Two of the romantic, charming and very funny continuation of ""Pride and Prejudice"" that began with ""Darcy & Fitzwilliam"". Mr. Darcy, and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, are life-long best friends and competitors, whether for the hand of Elizabeth Bennet or for who can avoid Aunt Catherine the longest.

A Pride and Prejudice family saga in the making, in Sons & Daughters we follow the children from infancy to adulthood, with all the terrors in between - unrequited love, mistaken romance, French pornography, parents who just don't understand about love, and children who want to grow up much too fast.

""Laugh until your sides ache and then laugh some more..."" Sons & Daughters will make you laugh and cry...just like life does."

417 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2012

23 people are currently reading
235 people want to read

About the author

Karen V. Wasylowski

8 books15 followers
Karen V. Wasylowski was born in Chicago, Illinois and is now a retired CPA living in Florida with her husband, Richard. "We married late in life, first for both of us - started right off with the happy second marriage, avoided the often disastrous first altogether. No children. Just dogs."

Karen's book, Darcy & Fitzwilliam, A Tale of a Gentleman and an Officer is a very different continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and the first book of what has turned into a Darcy and Fitzwilliam Family Saga...

Darcy & Fitzwilliam
Sons and Daughters
Wives and Lovers
Saints and Sinners
Georgiana's Story (short story)

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5 stars
71 (46%)
4 stars
41 (26%)
3 stars
28 (18%)
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5 (3%)
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7 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Teresita.
1,228 reviews12 followers
July 21, 2019
Interesting saga

I especially enjoy all the little details and every day happenings. The relationship between Darcy and his family and Richard Fitzwilliam and his,as well as the one between families is highly entertaining.
Thoroughly recommended and worthy every minute and every penny! Can't wait for the next book!
Profile Image for Elin Eriksen.
Author 24 books159 followers
March 15, 2019
Pride and Prejudice sequel, book 2.

The second book in Wasylowski's family saga of the gentleman and officer. If you have not read the first book of Darcy and Fitzwilliam I would advise you to do so.

The highlight of this book, and the entire serie, is the cleverly written banter, dry wit and snarky comments. Despite the dark ambience in this serie, I have laughed out loud too many times to count.
In the forefront of the battle of wits are the gentleman and officer but in this book we have in addition, the adorable hellions that are there children. Not to forget Lady Catherine, the hilarious banshee she is...

The book picks up a few years hence of where the previous left off. Quite a few children have been added to the mix.
The older brother of the Colonel has died, making him the heir of the earldom. Darcy are being contacted by the highly esteemed Duke of Devonshire in a political matter. Be on you toes with that one...

We follow the Darcy's and the Fitzwilliam's as their children grow and mature in to adulthood with happiness and heartache. There is even a glimpse of a young Queen Victoria.

Heartily recommend this book!
Profile Image for Charlene.
474 reviews
January 11, 2013
Wonderful, Funny and definitely diverting. I loved every minute of this story. As the title states this is a story of Darcy and Col Fitzwilliam"s children. The story spans 20yrs or so. Our beloved characters are still the same but getting older and having to deal with family and children! And all our favorite characters are there.(Lady Catherine causing trouble). I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud and had to turn around to make sure no one saw me. The children's antics were funny and reminicent of what we all experience in a house with children. And lots of children there were. Darcy has only three but Fitzwilliam has nine. This was truely a perfect story of how there lives could be. There was problems to solve but also romance and like I said lots of entertainment. Well done Karen, this is a new favorite for me. I heartily recomend this book to all!!
762 reviews8 followers
November 24, 2019
Avid Reader

This is my second reading of this book.I originally read it on Kindle Unlimited. This time I purchased it for my personal library. All of Darcy and Elizabeth 's children are married. Darcy 's oldest son married Colonel Fitzwilliam 's oldest daughter, and Darcy 's youngest daughter marries Colonel Fitzwilliam 's step-son. Both couples have a trying time. The book ends with the first grandson being born.
Profile Image for Ree.
1,336 reviews80 followers
August 4, 2021
Endearing
Reviewed in Canada on June 23, 2019
This is an endearing continuation of the lives of Darcy and Fitzwilliam following them through the early lives of their children and unto some of their marriages. Once again, the author writes with a teasing humor among this blending of families. I love her writing style. I felt the emotions during difficult events and the joy during happy ones, and enjoyed the writer’s development of the characters of the children into adulthood. I came to love their personalities as I did their parents’. Nicely done.
1,200 reviews30 followers
June 20, 2019
Another reason to stay up late

The second installment of this saga focuses mainly on the offspring of Darcy and Fitzwilliam, although those two necessarily figure largely into the day to day events. Their spouses, Elizabeth and Amanda, make their appearances, but not too often. The Fitzwilliams get most of the attention, but that may be due to their number. There are nine children in that family, as opposed to three Darcy children.

Once again, the story is clever and humorous, with lots of good natured banter and ribbing and wrestling going on. The theme of family love and loyalty is still important, but that love and loyalty is put to the test with the children reaching more difficult ages of adolescence and young adulthood. The stiff and proper Darcy and Fitzwilliam families of the original P&P are nowhere to be found. These kids seem to run wild, with no mention of governesses or tutors or nursemaids to restrain them. All the scenes of family get-togethers are proudly chaotic and casual, with mom and dad interacting directly with their children, rather than the more formal viewings of a lot of these Regency tales. Kids eat with the parents rather than in the nursery.

As time rolls along, usually in five year increments, the older kids start having romantic relationships. It was notable to me that few of the attachments were chaste, for both the guys and the girls. The concepts of proprietary and respect for maidens are missing here, and nobody was taught to be cautious or to be upset about crossing certain lines of behavior. The Fitzwilliams and the Darcys are more sexually progressive than you'd think for that era.

Unfortunately, this book is not nearly as well edited as the first. There are words missing or misused, and even the wrong name used in a couple of places. It happens enough to interrupt the flow and becomes a distraction. The characters are interesting and charming for the most part, but sometimes the rough and tumble antics of the Fitzwilliam kids borders on the disturbing and just plain bad. The scene at the end involving Harry Penrod and Alice Darcy disappointed me, when he displays some very icky behavior, and yet wins the sweetest girl.

Yet, it is well done and romantic and heartwarming, and I recommend it.


Profile Image for Bethanne.
618 reviews11 followers
May 21, 2019
Positively wonderful story

I don't think I have laughed so hard reading a P&P adaptation until this series. The sheer ingenuity of the Fitzwilliam children is beyond anything I have seen. They are little demons who give joy and then torment to almost everyone.
The story revolves around Darcy and his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam and their families. It continued from the first book and has only improved.
76 reviews2 followers
March 18, 2019
Such a great series

Just finished this wonderful book, the second in the Darcy and Fitzwilliam series. This one was as good as the first. I loved the dialogue and the lovely relationship between Darcy and Fitzwilliam and their families. A great read!
16 reviews
May 19, 2019
I love the series!! The Darcy´s and Fitzwilliam´s are a crazy bunch!!

I loved the character development and the story!! Darcy and the Colonel have their hands full! Lizzy and Amanda are remarkable women!!





74 reviews
May 8, 2019
Well worth reading

Such a fun, funny, sweet story with two families who are related. Aristocrats, monied. Some twists and turns of course.
Profile Image for Becky Schrader.
6 reviews
May 15, 2019
Lots of fun

Some fun humor in the storyline. A few words Miss Austin would never have used. Not sure that they’re actually needed in the storyline.
Profile Image for Kim.
2,160 reviews62 followers
March 11, 2013
I remember the first time I read Pride and Prejudice and chuckled to myself at the little tongue-in-cheek humor that Austen used.  Elizabeth's observations and statements (especially about Mr. Collins) regarding those around her were always sure to get a rise out of me.  It's this memory that makes me so happy that there is an author in the Austen fan fiction world that can continue to make me laugh with these characters.  Karen Wasylowski is this author and it was her first book, Darcy and Fitzwilliamthat really got me laughing.  Between the over-the-top (in a good way) personality of Lady Catherine and the hysterical brotherly relationship between Fitzwilliam and Darcy, I was hooked.  When offered the chance to review book two in the series Sons and Daughters I immediately said yes!  For who would ever turn down a chance to add humor to one's life? 


From Goodreads:
Sons and Daughters, a sequel to Karen V. Wasylowski’s Darcy and Fitzwilliam (which was itself a continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice), again follows the iconic Fitzwilliam Darcy and his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam. Now we see the two battling best friends as loving husbands and doting fathers, older and a bit wiser, making the sacrifices, the difficult (and frequently unpopular) decisions that men must make for the good of their families and we see their large brood of offspring - the ‘Fitzwilliam Mob’ - grow from childhood to adolescence then on into adulthood. Along the way, Darcy and Fitzwilliam are viewed by their children first as heroes, then as the enemy, but eventually as mortal human beings and the children’s adored champions once again.

I knew from reading book one of this series that I was in for some seriously funny stuff.  Wasylowski is a master at writing humor.  It's obvious from the title that the Fitzwilliam and Darcy children play a large part in the plot.  Getting the opportunity to see Darcy and Fitz in parental roles was hilarious.  Especially Fitzwilliam! His brood runs roughshod all over him, especially his twin sons who are major practical jokers.  The only detraction I would have to list is the fact that there were so many characters, which caused some of the story lines to feel rushed and incomplete.  It was a little difficult to keep everything straight because of all the new characters, but once I got the hang of it all was well again.  I have to say that this was easy enough to overlook because of how well Wasylowski was able to hold my attention.  The combination of abundant humor and unique storylines was a delight to read and has cemented my interest in this series as a whole.  I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us in the future!

Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-1Fr
Profile Image for Linda Banche.
Author 11 books218 followers
November 30, 2012
Karen V. Wasylowski has done it again with SONS AND DAUGHTERS, an often hilarious, sometimes soul-wrenching, but always engaging tale as she continues the saga begun in the delicious DARCY AND FITZWILLIAM: A TALE OF A GENTLEMAN AND AN OFFICER.

True to the title, Darcy's and Fitzwilliam's children dominate the story. Darcy has three and Fitzwilliam nine. (Nine, you say? The man has worked overtime.) The book spans twenty years and we laugh and cry along with both clans as the parents age and their children grow and navigate the always difficult transition to adulthood.

Ms. Wasylowski’s flowing prose keeps you turning the pages to see what will happen next. With so many characters, something new, perhaps funny and perhaps heartbreaking, always happens. Like the time when the children, mostly preadolescent, find some erotic prints Fitzwilliam saved and aren’t sure what to make of them, although they’re certain they must be scandalous, to when Fitz’s wife, Amanda, has her ninth child in a very difficult birth.

Ms. Wasylowski’s is a master at writing the emotion of both adults and children, especially as she shows how the children’s feelings change as they mature. She also has a good ear for realistic dialog, whether the character is child or adult, male or female. At times, the boys are disgustingly boys, and the girls, while perhaps a little nicer, are the boys' matches in every way. And the parents, as parents do, yell and threaten as well as love their children to distraction.

I only wish the book was longer. With so many characters, Ms. Wasylowski by necessity had to skim over some stories. I’d like to know more about George and Kathy, and Anne Marie and Mr. Wentworth. Maybe a few novellas?

But if you want more fun with Darcy and Fitzwilliam, read SONS AND DAUGHTERS.

Book provided by the author
Profile Image for Ruth.
34 reviews
April 12, 2015
It's a very poignant adaptation...so very good!

What is addressed in this variation is how women were / are mistreated, abused and made to marry or do things that are against there own wishes. It has been an on going issue through the ages with women abused by disgusting lecherous men particularly in this era when this was rampant. This P&P variation opens up with a startling incident of the worst kind and absolutely captures the time period by what is done to hide away this terrible incident. Britain has always had a class system that while the upper echelon could hide behind their nefarious deeds, the rest would be scrambling to get back their life with little if any justice.
To save all of Elizabeth's dignity and virtue she must keep secrets that could cause the complete ruination of her beloved sisters never mind Elizabeth herself. She suffers terribly from the burden and stress of it all. Elizabeth's portrayal in this story is one of a woman facing terrible adversary and having the strength and courage to continue on immersing herself in her family. They are her therapy, they are what keeps her going....until she has to face the consequences when once again all the sores she's dealt with are reopened and her secrets may be revealed. This is a worthwhile book to read and I think no matter how difficult the subject this book addresses it with class and depth!
Profile Image for Erlynn (BooksHugBack).
87 reviews9 followers
April 22, 2013
This second book by Karen Wasylowski was actually a pleasant surprise for me. I was not a fan at all of her first book Darcy and Fitzwilliam: A Tale of a Gentleman and an Officer. I'm not even all that sure why I gave the second a try, except that it seemed to be getting better reviews. I will add one more to that pile I suppose.

Sons and Daughters follows the children of Darcy and Fitzwilliam from childhood, into adolescence, and finally to adulthood. Darcy and Fitzwilliam are charming to watch as parents and the children are frustrating, hysterical, and endearing. The trouble they get into is entertaining and the life lessons they learn and ultimately their love lives are enjoyable to see develop.

This as a stand alone book is excellent and one not need to have read her first to enjoy this. I am glad that I gave her another try, and look forward to more by this author.
Profile Image for Talia.
971 reviews4 followers
June 14, 2016
A continuation of the previous book and book two of the series. It was strange. It could have been written by someone else. Since I read these back to back, I was surprised at how much her style changed for the second book. It was consistent with book 2 to book 3. The story was still romantic and interesting but less D and F than the first.
Profile Image for Jackie.
50 reviews8 followers
August 13, 2013
If you like post P&P. this is a well written one. Loved it. Please write more.
Profile Image for Susan.
7,274 reviews69 followers
November 11, 2019
This is the sequel to Karen V. Wasylowski’s 'DARCY AND FITZWILLIAM'. Following the cousins through the next 20 years, and their children's activities and loves
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

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