Duty and Desire

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman #2

by Pamela Aidan

³There was little danger of encountering the Bennet sisters ever again.² Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice is beloved by millions, but little is revealed in the book about the mysterious and handsome hero, Mr. Darcy. And so the question has long Who is Fitzwilliam Darcy? Pamela Aidan's trilogy finally answers that long-standing question, creating a rich parallel story that follows Darcy as he meets and falls in love with Elizabeth Bennet. Duty and Desire, the second book in the trilogy, covers the "silent time" of Austen's novel, revealing Darcy's private struggle to overcome his attraction to Elizabeth while fulfilling his roles as landlord, master, brother, and friend. When Darcy pays a visit to an old classmate in Oxford in an attempt to shake Elizabeth from his mind, he is set upon by husband-hunting society ladies and ne'er-do-well friends from his university days, all with designs on him -- some for good and some for ill. He and his sartorial genius of a valet, Fletcher, must match wits with them all, but especially with the curious Lady Sylvanie. Irresistibly authentic and entertaining, Duty and Desire remains true to the spirit and events of Pride and Prejudice while incorporating fascinating new characters, and is sure to dazzle Austen fans and newcomers alike.

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Regency, Historical Romance, Retellings

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2006

About the author

Pamela Aidan grew up in small towns in southeast Pennsylvania but found her heart's home in the Pacific Northwest where she lives with her husband and a feisty miniature Australian Shepherd.

Reviews

[Maria Clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un sí pero con un enorme pero... Es decir, se supone que es la historia de Orgullo y Prejuicio desde el punto de vista de Darcy, no? Pues poco de esto hay aquí. Sin embargo, engancha.

[Melanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. This book was so off the mark compared to the first in the series! Really, if you want to enjoy this series...read the first and the third book, but conveniently forget there was ever a second book!

Aside from Darcy's inability to forget Elizabeth, and his treasuring of a bookmark Elizabeth had left in a novel she's been reading during her stay at Netherfield, there is not much to recommend this second installment of the trilogy. Darcy and his valet are more like Batman and Robin...solving mysteries and saving ladies in distress...plotting together and having witty chats. Colonel Fitzwilliam comes off as pompous and a bit jealous of his older brother, not at all the "convivial fellow" constructed by Austen.

Darcy leaves his sister shortly after Christmas to get over Elizabeth by actively hunting for a wife. He chooses to do so at the aged castle in which an old school chum lives, gambling away his fortune. Darcy encounters a variety of women who all fall all over themselves to make him love them, but he is entranced by a woman with a great air of mystery about her. Ultimately, of course, this woman turns out to be unsuitable for him in the extreme, but only after Darcy acts in ways I can see Austen weeping over, and the lady in question is exposed for her involvement in a truly treacherous scheme.

I finished this book out of faithful loyalty to reading the complete trilogy, and those all-to-brief moments when Darcy reflected on his feelings for Elizabeth. All else I would easily have passed by! The third and final chapter of this trilogy has a great deal to atone for to make me forget this book!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series by Pamela Aidan. I have read other reviews on this website where people said to just skip this second book altogether and just read the third book. The complaint is that this book has really nothing to do with Pride & Prejudice. It takes place during the "silent time" in P&P while Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are apart; after he goes off to London with Bingley and before they meet up again at Rosings in the Spring. I found it quite interesting and worth reading. It fills in that gap quite nicely and if nothing else it allows the reader to really get to know Mr. Darcy's character by seeing him in the company of his old friends and family members, some we know from P&P and others that are created explicitly for this book. If you've ever wondered how Mr. Darcy came to the point where he expresses his love for Elizabeth, this will enlighten you. I could have done without the last part of the book, when he's at Norwycke Castle, but I know it was meant to illustrate his character further as well as show how he's becoming more aware that marriages of convenience do not make a happy life and perhaps that's not the direction he wants to go. Overall, a good book and quite enjoyable.

[J. W. Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Nothing is easier than self-deceit.
For what every man wishes,
that he also believes to be true.”
–Demosthenes

>>Rating: MA: adult themes, unnatural and unholy things discussed, insanity and descriptions that may be unsettling.
>>Angst Level: medium, due to fear of the unknown, and reader frustration due to Darcy [with a bulls-eye painted on his back] attending a house party with several unmarried society ladies on hand. Oh, you just know he’s going to do something stupid… and he does.
>>Source: Own:
>>Timeline: That space of time after Darcy left Netherfield and just prior to his going to Kent at Easter. Since this was an alternate universe [AU], that meant it was the author’s choice as to what Darcy was doing during those silent months.

SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***

Book 2 of 3: This story followed book 1 and several characters continued in the saga. It would be best to read the books in order. Certain characters are featured throughout each book with their own HEA to be featured in book 3.

I read this years ago and became so frustrated that I took a break and came back to it later. Since I knew what was happening, I thought I’d be able to get through it a second time unscathed. Nope. I needed to take a break until my nerves settled. It was very creative but I just don’t like it when Darcy has such a close call with another woman when I want him with Elizabeth. It seemed like he was being unfaithful when his emotions and passions were engaged somewhere else. Nope, I did not like that AT ALL.

“Human happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.” –George Washington

Darcy decided to accept an invitation to attend a house party at Norwycke Castle in Oxfordshire, given by Lord Sayre. Most of the men had gone to school together and like many classmates, they had lost touch and were looking forward to being together. Even I knew this was a bad idea. Darcy was on the rebound from Elizabeth and for him to throw himself headlong into society was a bad idea from the get-go. It was a formula for reader frustration and unnecessary angst. Our dear boy was determined to find an appropriate wife [not Elizabeth Bennet] and there were several unmarried ladies at his classmate’s estate. Yep, ole Darcy was on the prowl for the perfect mistress of Pemberley. I just knew there would be someone there that would distract him. Sure enough… she was beautiful, connected, and yadda, yadda, yadda.

“Do something every day that you don’t want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.” –Mark Twain

Darcy found himself up front and personal with the behavior of the upper circle that left him disillusioned and disgusted. There were several ladies present that were available and even anxious to find a match. However, Darcy quickly determined that he needed a wife he could trust out of his sight. Several of the ladies attending the house party had the morals of an alley cat. That would never do.

“Men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire.” –Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code

Since this was a P & P story, I knew it would eventually get back on track. I just didn’t want to wait that long for it to happen. Truth be told… as far as this second book was concerned… I could have completely skipped it and never missed it. What was the point? It accomplished very little other than scaring the socks off this reader and having Darcy appreciate Elizabeth even more. Perhaps it was to show him that even society ladies don’t measure up to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Whatever!

“It’s always nice being wanted. Even if it’s by the wrong person.” –Tabitha Suzuma, Forbidden

It's like those bachelor or bachelorette shows where the contestant picks their perfect mate from a select pool. How is that even reasonable? How can you choose from 25 prospects the perfect mate that will be the love of your life? It is a contest, for goodness sake. People are out to win… at any cost. Darcy was the sugar daddy and everyone wanted him. He was the catch of the day. Several had set their sights and would not be deterred from their goal.

“You need to know it’s your actions that will make you a good person, not desire.” –Matthew Quick, The Silver Linings Playbook

There was nothing wrong with this story. It was just me wanting Darcy back in Elizabeth’s presence. I’m headed to book 3 now. I know Darcy is scheduled to travel to Kent and I know what happens there. Can I survive? Guess we will find out. There is a lot to look forward to. The author has set the stage by matching several couples. Darcy has to settle that business with Bingley. We’ve also had the foreshadowing with Fletcher and what is up with Lord Dyfred Brougham, the Earl of Westmarch? There is something about him that's hidden just under the surface. I really enjoy it when he is on the page. I like him and he has been spending a lot of time watching over Georgiana while Darcy and the Colonel have been out of town. I guess we’ll see.

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman Series:
Book 1: An Assembly Such as This
Book 2: Duty and Desire
Book 3: These Three Remain

[Marian · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I loved the first book in the series, this one was a big disappointment. The story picks up where Mr. Darcy leaves Netherfield and he and Elizabeth do not meet again for some time. This author's account of where he went and what he did strays very far from the tone and style of Austin's story. Mr. Darcy leaves to try and find a more suitable wife. He believes once he does, he will forget Elizabeth. Fair enough, I liked that idea; but where he goes and who he meets just gets strange. He is involved a mystery complete with a sacrificed pig and a stolen baby. Weird. I never pictured Mr. Darcy as a rich socialite by day and Sherlock Holmes by night. To me, the two do not fit.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU WITH 100% CONFIDENCE THAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO READ THIS BOOK TO ENJOY OR STAY CONNECTED IN THIS TRILOGY!

I had read similar comments to the one I just stated in other peoples reviews of this book but told myself, “I don’t want to miss anything that might be important in the third book,” so without listening to others warnings I forged ahead and read “Duty & Desire” and NOW understand why so many were urging me to skip it.

Let me explain.

The novel starts off with a lot of what one would expect. Christmas at Pemberly, meeting Miss Georgiana Darcy, and of course getting to see Darcy in his element working with his staff and tenants and going about the business that he was raised to do. This was fascinating to read and revealed even more about Mr. Darcy and his family and friends.

After Christmas things take a turn and the novel takes on a new tenor. It strikes out into the uncertain waters of a Gothic romance. The creepy castle, the strange guests, the bizarre supernatural element, the even stranger going-ons will all have you wondering, “…wait, isn’t this story supposed to be about Pride & Prejudice, not about a cheesy adaptation of Sherlock ‘Darcy’ Holmes and his mystery solving valet side kick Dr. ‘Fletcher’ Watson?”

I guess Pamela Aidan had to do something with Darcy during this book to make it novel length! Starting with Darcy’s arrival at Norwyke Castle, everything became overly farfetched and didn't seem to match up with the first book or the last. It's almost as if the time in the castle was time spent in the Twilight Zone.

*The author did say that this was a tribute to Jane Austen's own venture into the Gothic genre (Northanger Abbey) and since I haven’t read that novel perhaps that is why I found the ‘gothic’ transition so painful.

To be fair to Miss Aidan, I appreciate the huge undertaking of writing P&P from Darcy’s point of view and I understand that eventually, the story would lead to the inevitable middle, “filler” book that would be difficult for anyone to make an interesting read with Darcy and Elizabeth separated from each other. I’m totally okay with the fact that the Aidan decided to take some ‘literary liberties’ with her writing and filled in Darcy’s story with a few “never told before” plot details. I also agreed with her thought process that Darcy would try and forget about Elizabeth by looking for a more ‘suitable’ wife for himself, that made sense to me. But, what I don’t understand is why Aiden strayed SO far from the feel and essence of P&P to the point I had to remind myself that I wasn’t reading “Pride & Prejudice & Zombies.” This book takes a bizarre romp into the strange and not entirely realistic intersection between the gritty underworld of the British upper class circa 1810 and strange Irish occult practices performed by an Irish Revolutionary.

I finished this book out of faithful loyalty to reading the complete trilogy, and those all-too-brief moments when Darcy reflected on his feelings for Elizabeth. All else has already been forgotten as I try and forget Duty & Desire. Although I liked the first book, this one strayed too far from the original subjects for me. The only positive was that we do see how Darcy could come to the conclusion that character of a lady outweighs her position in life. This is never entirely clear in the original and I found it to be the redeeming factor of this book.

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those stories I read before I retired and then began reviewing every book I read. It was reprinted October 3, 2006 so that is most likely when I read it.

8/22/2021: I am rereading this second book in a trilogy. My paperback book has 238 pages.

The beginning has Darcy's relationship with Georgiana restored. Although he is somewhat dismayed by her interest in giving financial support to fallen women and in exploring her religious beliefs. He fears that any suitor (when she comes out) will be put off by a woman who has developed an area of interest which might take away from her role as wife and mistress to an estate. Mrs. Annesley has some words of advice when Darcy goes to her for answers about Georgiana's changes in behavior and interests.

Darcy decides to attend a house party at Norwycke Castle along with a number of men with whom he attended University. He is "wife-hunting" as are many of the others, although his cousin's fiancée is one of the ladies also in attendance. Elizabeth Bennet's only presence is in Darcy's thoughts. A bookmark made of various colors of threads is kept in his pocket (for the most part) and brings up warm memories also. His valet, Fletcher, plays a large part in this story by searching out clues to events and motives from among other household servants or by observing and/or following other people present.

There is a circle of stones nearby which have a legend attached to them and which provide one of the dramatic events in this tale. The Castle's owner, Sayre, has brought his half-sister and her companion back from their long exile in Ireland. Those two women become much of the focus. Lady Sylvanie presents as a perfect match for Darcy as he gets to know her. However, thoughts of Elizabeth continue to come to mind when he considers going forward into a courtship.

This story builds slowly. And gradually we come to realize that this is a mystery story with much plotting behind the scenes. There are charms and curses told of. And we also find Darcy nearly trapped in a compromising situation.

There is also the matter of the host's financial situation and the possibility of his using an old, very valuable sword as part of a wager in the betting games which go on for the men late in the evenings. Darcy wants that sword...but how far is he willing to go to obtain it?

As several other reviews state, you could probably skip this middle book in the trilogy. However, it does make for an interesting story as it builds.

[Kathleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well-written, but deeply, DEEPLY weird. So not at all what I would have expected from a Jane Austen pastiche. The dip into Gothic romance felt bizarre and mismatched, especially when compared to An Assembly Such As This, which was pitch-perfect Austen, and I simply didn't believe that the character we were following in the second half of the book was Fitzwilliam Darcy. He seemed so different from Pride and Prejudice and An Assembly Such As This and even the first half of Duty and Desire. It's like the last two hundred pages were chopped off and an entirely different book glued on.

Good Lord. I am deeply disappointed.

[Mina Lobo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some reviewers expressed dissatisfaction with the second book in Aidan's trilogy and, if they wished to experience more interaction with Lizzy Bennett in it, that would have led to disappointment. As at least one other person noted, Lizzy does not appear in person in this installment. However, in my opinion, she was omnipresent in the narrative, as Darcy constantly brought her to his, and the reader's, mind. Much as he tried, he could not shake her memory, and if nothing else the book served to cement the affection and attraction Darcy inadvertently harbors for Lizzy. As a hypothetical foray into the gentleman's mind when he was so long absent from Meryton, until he met up with Lizzy again at his exalted Aunt's home, it wasn't every reader's cuppa, but I enjoyed it.

Another reviewer noted this was a bit of Gothic farce, in the way of Northanger Abbey - this did not turn me off as it did that reader. It was a somewhat dark descent into the peculiar turns of human nature, as well as an exploration of existential matters involving God's justice. (Also, I happen to enjoy Gothic farce.) :-)

Darcy's continued outrage with Wickham's betrayal is mirrored by another (not original to P&P) character's feelings and actions against her own, one might call them abusive, family. The tale does twist down bizarre, and even creepy, alleys, but why not? To remonstrate with the author for such a departure when she already veers from Austen's canon by giving us the gentleman's point of view - which Austen never did, as she truly followed the exhortation to write what she *knew* - seems to me a bit absurd, especially if those who quibble continued with the series or sought other works derivative of P&P.

Anyway, as a lover of Gothic page-turners, Duty and Desire satisfied me, and I look forward to completing Aidan's trilogy soon.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this nearly as much the second time around. I think reading it with the original wasn’t helpful for this particular volume (although the first in the series was a big thumbs up).

For me, too much of this story was manufactured, including whole storylines and (unlikable) characters. Does the series as a whole tell Pride and Prejudice from Darcy’s POV? Yes. But this one adds a whole lot that imo is pretty uninteresting.

Looking forward to the next and last volume in the series.

[LUNA · Rating 2 out of 5]

Este libro si no lo leéis no pasaría nada, es completamente relleno. Nos cuenta mas o menos la vida cotidiana de Darcy, amistades, costumbres y demás...y que se plantea tener esposa. Yo me he aburrido si soy sincera.
Reseña en el wrap up del canal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dreRM...

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

And then there's the second book of the trilogy...mediocre at best. I understand the second of any trilogy is the toughest. This one in particular was likely difficult as it covers the time the two protagonists are apart and thus, the chemistry is lost.

But this was an incredible opportunity to create storylines around characters introduced in the original work such as Charles Bingley, Georgianna, Fitzwilliam, and remind us again why we love to hate Caroline Bingley! LOL

I thought that's where the book was heading but the author spends the last two-thirds of the book with Darcy visiting an old college friend (and in search of a wife of his Society), which really plunges us into a bizarre and unbelievable storyline involving love charms, child abductions and his valet as his caped crusader in solving a mystery. My guess is the author is trying to show that the "unpolished" society of the country pales in comparison to the level of dysfuction of the high ranking gentry and aristocracy, though it didn't feel like the character himself made that connection. Plus, the new characters were completely unlikeable and had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Duty to his host or not, I kept thinking -- "Darcy, get out of there already. This is weird." LOL

I have since started the final book of the trilogy and I can already tell it's more in line with the first book, which was very well done. So, my suggestion may be to read the 1st and 3rd and skip this one altogether. You really won't miss much.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This just made me appreciate Darcy as a man of morales. He is resolute in his options but they served him well in this book. The story did go a little astray and I wonder why it went that way. It overall a good read.

[Simone Ramone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now I understand what makes people call for a fatwa.

Do not read this.

I need to rinse my Kindle with Dettol.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Duty and Desire, Pamela Aidan explores the "silent" time that Darcy absent from the narrative of Pride and Prejudice. Darcy is in his element now, among his peers of the English upper class. In an attempt to kill what he views as a totally inappropriate fascination with Elizabeth Bennet on his part, Darcy throws himself into the task of finding a "suitable" wife. He soon finds himself embroiled in a mystery with a gothic flair that is more Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights than traditional Austenian. However, though the change in tone takes a bit of getting used to, Aidan succeeds splendidly in constructing a cracking good read that further delves into Darcy's character.

Austen, while a very saavy woman, avoided assiduously avoided politics and world events in her writing, focusing instead on the day-to-day lives of her female protagonists. Aidan expands the scope of the world Austen created in Pride and Prejudice by constructing a world that reveals the society and concerns a landed gentleman of Darcy's standing would encounter. Darcy's relationship with Georgiana is further fleshed out, as are the characters of Fletcher, his invaluable valet, and Dy Brougham, his closest friend (hint: think the Scarlet Pimpernel -- love this character, he needs his own book!). The book does suffer from some melodramatic improbabilities, even by the standards set in An Assembly Such As This, the first book of the trilogy. However Aidan has done an admirable job of *daring* to create a flesh-and-blood Darcy with passions, struggles, and a heaping helping of angst.

[Elin Eriksen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of the "A novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy Gentleman, trilogy.

The second instalment on this trilogy enters before Christmas, after the Netherfield party has left.
Darcy's involvement in the attempt to persuade Bingley not to return to Hertfordshire, stood in great conflict with his later pronounced abhorrence of deceit.

Darcy's relationship with his sister gets the senter of attention in the beginning and I adored this portray of Georgiana. She was astute and caring.
One might expect Darcy's pining for Elizabeth to have been more in the senter but I loved how it was done. Subtle but I felt it made it even more emotional. You can feel the under currents rather than having it elaborated page after page.
Darcy did not learn his lesson before Hunsford but Georgiana was working on him while he sought entertainment to banish Elizabeth from his thoughts.
Visiting Norwycke Castle, with wife hunting in mind, he got a lot more than he bargained for. Taking a gothic turn of events.
This was not Darcy's greatest moment in my opinion and a large lart of the book I could have easily foregone. That said, I must admit that the book did hold my attention from start to finish and I was hard pressed to put it down...
I must mention though that Elizabeth only appeared in this book in Mr Darcy's mind.

Recommend.

[Commonalgebra · Rating 1 out of 5]

A teaser quote selected from this book by the publishers is this: "There was little danger of encountering the Bennet sisters ever again." And, I must say, there is absolutely NO danger of encountering any of the Bennet sisters in the pages of this novel. Because they're not in this novel. Not at all.

Yes, I admit, I read this trashy trilogy of Austen spin-offs Pamela Aiden. But, after the first book I expected to encounter some of the characters or at least some of the situtations from Austen' PRIDE & PREJUDICE. No dice. This particular book is a bizarre romp into the strange and not entirely realistic intersection between the gritty underworld of the British upper class circa 1810 and strange Irish occult practices performed by an Irish Revolutionary...I guess. Anyway, terribly disappointing to those people just wishing to read a trashy, trashy Darcy spin-off.

Incidentally, the third novel is a bit better...except, I'm sorry, I just can't picture Darcy getting sloshed in public...and some of the descriptions of Darcy's desire for Elizabeth almost make me think he has an erection. That's a little alarming to my inner Austen. But, actually kind of amusing...much more preferable to the other weird liberties this author has taken with the story...

[Rosava Doshchyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Друга частина трилогії, яка заповнює прогалину між виїздом з Незерфілду і прибуттям до Розинг-парку.
Спершу я планувала оцінити її на трійку, але мені дуже сподобалась друга половина роману, яка набула кольорів готичних історій. Це було дуже несподівано, але мені зайшло. Люблю вплетення лякачок, містики й детективних вивідувань. Флетчер — окрема зірка цієї книжки.

[Rhonda D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a three book series. The first book in the series covers Pride and Prejudice through the Netherfield Ball and Christmas of that year. This second book covers the time between Christmas and Darcy's trip to Rosings Park. This covers a time when Darcy and Elizabeth do not see each other at all.

In the story, Darcy decided he needs to search for a suitable wife (to distract him from the thoughts of Elizabeth). The story takes him to the estate of a friend and a party of acquaintances and strangers. After a short time of infatuation with a young lady, the events take a tragic turn for the party.

The story didn't fit in with the Darcy I see in the original story. Some of the events, while not completely out of character, seem out of another time period. Aiden states she was imitating other Austen work, like Northanger Abbey. It really never seemed to work with Darcy's character.

Although I liked the first book, this one strayed too far from the original subjects for me. The only positive was that we do see how Darcy could come to the conclusion that character of a lady outweighs her position in life. The is never entirely clear in the original.

[Ledys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this was my favorite book from the three and, ironically, it has rather little of Elizabeth Bennett in it. Let me explain: Darcy decides that he must forget all about Elizabeth and, to begin that process, he accepts an invitation from an old college "friend" to spend a week at his estate. What then follows is a fascinating tale of intrigue, loyalty, friendship, power, love, and Darcy falls right in the thick of it. The idea of Elizabeth and everything Darcy admires about her is felt all throughout, but she does not make an appearance and one does not feel the lack (more on that on my review of the third book): here, Darcy is in his own world, and it was both fascinating and enlightening to take a peek at it.

What this book does best is illustrate what Darcy stood to lose, in terms of his own standing in society and the values he had been taught to respect, by a marriage with Elizabeth, contrasted by what he would gain from it that, ultimately, leads to a very satisfying end in the latter part of Pride and Prejudice.

As a side note, the characters of Fletcher and Dyfed Brougham are so awesome that they probably deserve their own books ;-D

[Em · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this one ventured from midly interesting, to just plain weird. All the sudden she venutures into Darcy visiting this castle, where there are pagan sacrafices, and love charms, and suicide. It was really weird, and so not Darcy-esque. I'm not exactly sure what the author was doing with this book, except choosing to fill a whole book with nonsense. We're into the second book and Darcy hasn't even proposed the first time yet! I am going to read the third just to see how she handles them finally getting together. But mine advice, skip the second book.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The middle book and probally my favorite. This encompassed the time when Mr. Darcy left with Mr. Bingley for more social opportunities. This is a completly new story of his time trying to get over Elizabeth and I absolutly loved it.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly Surprised!, June 4, 2011
By B. Thompson "LibrarianforKids" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) This review is from: Duty and Desire: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman (Paperback)
After reading many reviews of the second book in this trilogy about Fitzwilliam Darcy, I chose to follow the advice of many and skipped over it to go directly to the third. Now, after exhausting my supply of books about Elizabeth and Darcy, many of which were pretty bad, I decided to come back to Duty and Desire and give it a try. I was very pleased that I had.

Conventional wisdom tells us the middle book of a trilogy will be its weakest. I am sure an argument can be made this is true for this trilogy as well. However, it should be recognized that Aidan was given a strict plot to follow in the first and third books due to the original Austen plot and characters. It is only in the middle of the three that she is given a free hand to develop her own story line using the Austen characters. Therefore, I believe she is to be commended for a very interesting, unusual, and original middle book.

Why am I reading Austen fan fiction with the Pride and Prejudice characters? Because these two people and their love story fascinate me and I want to experience their story again and in new ways. Duty and Desire is written solely to enlighten us as to the true character of Darcy and to demonstrate his character in situations outside of Elizabeth's knowledge. It is through this middle story that we can truly appreciate the man Elizabeth eventually comes to admire and love.

Because we do not have the sexual tension between Darcy and Elizabeth, nor the over-riding question of if and/or how they will eventually come together, the middle book must develop its own tension. I disagree with other reviewers who question why Darcy would attend this gathering - he was joining several of his old school friends. Haven't we all attended various forms of reunions with the people we knew from school? Even if some of them were not our favorite people? Darcy strongly dislikes the social whirl of the London season. It seems perfectly logical to me that he would seek other means of acquainting himself with possible wife candidates, and would accept an invitation to a house party where several of the attendees would appear to be eligible.

Would some of these attendees have ulterior motives for inviting or attending? Very likely. Very few of the great houses of England are outside of the National Trust today because the aristocracy found that as time went on, their income no longer met their needs. This was true whether they were responsible landowners or profligate gamblers like Darcy's host in this novel. Darcy knew what was expected and did all he could to protect himself - staying sober for the card games for one thing. Did he expect there would be match-making attempts made? Of course. That was one of the reasons he attended. Was it impossible that one character might be in a mind to take revenge upon another for mistreating them? I don't think it unlikely. I will avoid some of the other plot points to prevent spoilers, but I did not find any of the means for revenge to be out of the realm of possibility or even probability given the background of these characters. All in all, I had no problem taking a leap of faith and buying into the oddities presented. That is what "fiction" means.

Other reviewers take exception of the view of Georgiana and her religious faith and "enthusiasm" as detailed. I keep in mind the time-frame. We might not feel there is anything odd about her studies, but in her era this would not have been looked upon favorably by a potential suitor. Men during the Regency era wanted wives who were pretty, proper, healthy for bearing children, and willing to subjugate their views to those of their husbands. If Georgiana took it upon herself to seek out religious viewpoints to better inform her faith, this could easily be an issue for potential husbands, even if done within the Anglican community. And, many men would simply not like that she was developing her mind in ANY direction.

So, from my viewpoint, this book provides a very probable set of circumstances for us to learn more about Darcy.

Now, some reviewers say the book is dull. I really disagree. There is a very subtle tension that develops early on and builds throughout the story. Is there a lot of action and romance? No. But, we see Darcy in his real struggle to leave Elizabeth behind and do his duty to find a wife from among the "acceptable" society. He is not pining endlessly for Elizabeth, but it is obvious he cannot get her off his mind and compares other women to her. He proceeds down a logical course to find her replacement. In the meantime, he is faced with unusual circumstances. We see the honorable man he is as he faces these circumstances. We see the good master and responsible land owner. We see the man who cares for those who need his help and we see a man who stands up for good sense and virtue. The unusual circumstances allow us to see his mind, his organizational strengths, and his ability to think independently brought to the fore. And, we see he is human and needs people he can rely on to help him when he gets stuck. Of course, he is better at everything than those around him, but for me, thats why I read about Darcy - my perfect male.

All in all, I believe this middle book in the trilogy to be a satisfying read for P&P fans and I would recommend it to those who love the characters and want to explore a bit more. If, however, you are looking for the Darcy portrayed in other P&P sequels/variations in a state of constant arousal and torment over Elizabeth, you may just choose to skip this one and read just the first and third books. But, I think Duty and Desire is an admirable addition, and can even stand alone.

[Bettye McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Darcy returns to London and then Pemberley, he is miserable, staying inside, avoiding his friends, drinking too much, trying to escape his memories of Elizabeth Bennet. He finally decides that the only way to put her in the past is to marry someone else.

Darcy accepts an invitation to a house party at Lord Sayres' home, Norwycke Castle. He is aware of the notoriety associated with these gatherings, but surely among the guests will be some marriageable women. In this instance, Darcy gets more than he bargained for.

This is the second book in the trilogy and it is a doozy! There are no sex scenes and .wildly foul language. There are, however, twists, surprises and an occasional shock.

19

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

That was the most a book has ever suffered from second book syndrome that I’ve ever read. I skipped an entire 3 chapters of the book to read the final chapter and be done so I can get to the good stuff in the next book. Save yourself the hassle and just skip this book IMHO.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh mercy. A rather dull second installment. In spite of a good start, the author must have realized that endless yammering about Georgiana’s “recovery” and restoration of faith would get on people’s nerves, so she tried to spice things up with a Gothic twist—mystery! ghosts! deceit! revenge! Doesn’t quite work. The final book in the trilogy is supposed to be as good as the first, though.

[Tandie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ridiculous. Stupid plot. How is it that I liked the first one?

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 2 out of 5]

Um...wut?

If the first book in the series was the parallel of the '95 P&P, this was closer to the '99 MP end of the spectrum. Not quite so bad, because I don't think it was intentionally vicious toward the original material, but it was almost as far off the mark. I did not recognize this Darcy (or this Georgiana), and while the first volume of the trilogy was a plausible companion to Pride and Prejudice, this one was out of place in the Austenverse.

Other reviews note that the third book gets back on course, so I will persevere in hopes Aidan redeems her story.

But really...wut???

[Galena Sanz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Me apeteció mucho el primer libro cuando lo encontré y la verdad es que me gustó bastante, al principio no sabía que sería una trilogía y no me pareció muy buena idea. La premisa inicial es sencilla: Orgullo y prejuicio contado desde la perspectiva de Darcy.
Bien ¿eran necesarios tres libros? Pues no, pero es que además incluso sobran. Esta segunda entrega cubre un hueco vacío de la novela, justo cuando Bingley y Darcy se van a Londres y dejan Netherfield. Todo lo que sucede es pura invención de la autora, hablar de ese hueco que no aparece en Orgullo y prejuicio no es algo que me convenciera mucho, pero es que al final, como termina siendo llevado, pierde mucho.
Veremos la vida de Darcy en Londres y en Permberly, lo que hacía para entretenerse, sus obligaciones, algunas de las posibles aspiraciones que le da esta autora al personaje... y lo que tenemos es una novela histórica insulsa que me ha hecho pensar: ¿y Orgullo y prejuicio que tiene que ver con esto? Sí, aparece Darcy, Bingley, Georgiana y otros personajes, pero se aleja demasiado, no hay rastro de la premisa inicial y ya ni digamos de las Bennet. Todo esto a mi juicio se ha ido de las manos y este libro sobre, es un relleno demasiado evidente y que consigue ser una historia aburrida.
Me queda el tercer libro, en el que se supone que volverá a retomar la trama de Orgullo y prejuicio, pero me da miedo que no sea así, y en caso de no ser así, me enfadaría mucho. Le daré una oportunidad y espero que volvamos a la línea del primer libro, que si bien es algo lento, tiene su punto de interés. Sin embargo, la autora me ha decepcionado mucho con esta segunda parte y le pongo 1 estrellas porque la segunda mitad de la novela se me hizo muy pesada y me costó terminarla, es que ya ni me apetecía. Es tentadora la idea de abandonar la trilogía aquí, pero todavía tengo la decisión suficiente como para averiguar qué sucede en el tercer libro, ojalá se retome la premisa inicial, o esta trilogía se vende por lo que no es.
Ante esto, no sé si recomendaros estas lecturas, creo que tienen un tono bastante correcto, algo lento, pero que en la primera entrega a mí me dejó bastante satisfecha, y tampoco sé si deciros que leáis solo el primer y el tercer libro... si os animáis, espero poder deciros que al final merece la pena, cuando lea el tercero os contaré qué tal.

[Myridian · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I did like this book quite a bit more than the first. Initally I hadn't even meant to read the sequel but am actually glad I picked this up. If the book had been simply an original novel I would have liked it even more. The story was engaging, and the additional characters that Aidan created to populate Darcy's life are interesting. But Aidan has set herself up to be compared to Austen and (of course) suffers terribly by that comparison. This novel is not at all in the Austen commedy-of-manners-bordering-on-farse style that Austen is so prized for. Rather it reads more like a period adventure piece with a broody, romantic hero at it's center. Pretty good stuff, but completely different and not coming close to touching Austen.

Additionally, the Darcy that Aidan has created doesn't fit the Darcy that I envisioned from Pride and Prejudice. I had assumed that Darcy's "pride" was more in the mind of Elizabeth and stemmed from introverted social anxiety. Aidan briefly mentions this at times, but the sum total of it seems more to be a reluctance to dance, play charades, or engage in meaningless chit chat rather than actual anxiety. Actually Aidan's Darcy seems to lack personal limitations (aside from detesting Wickham for trying to seduce his sister) and is able to handle witty drawing room reparte as easily as he is able to wow his fellows with random displays of swordsmanship (dare I hope that this was again meant to be tongue in cheek?).

So the story as a somewhat gothic thriller piece might be interesting, but why divert so completely from the Austen model? I am going to read the third in the trilogy just to see how Aidan handles returning to the predetermined plot line provided by Pride and Prejudice.