A Match for Mary Bennet

A Match for Mary Bennet by Eucharista Ward is perhaps one of my favorite Pride and Prejudice sequels so far. I have always said that a book that leaves you wanting for more is a good book indeed, and this book is such.

I found myself running home from work everyday to read. I usually do this, as I like to read a great deal, but I found myself thinking about the Bennets and all of the wonderful characters that you find in the land of Jane Austen. From the first page I was drawn in, and I have to tell you that I was surprised.

Most authors shy away from Mary Bennet. Lets face it. Austen did not make her a very likable character. We all know that one person that thinks they are better than everyone, or that perfect person who never does anything wrong. Most think this of Mary, but no Ms. Ward. The author shows the reader why Mary is the way she is. You soon see why Mary reacts to things the way she does, and you find a woman who is very independent in a society that does not want her to be independent.

I was afraid that we would see very little of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, or that we would not get to know what was going on with the Bingley's . If this is a fear of yours you can relax. The entire Bennet family is a part of the story and through visiting and interacting with her sisters you get to see who Mary is and what drives her. What of our other characters like Col. Fitzwilliam and Gerogianna?

We find a very surprising match for the Col, see Ms. Darcy become her own woman, and might there be love on the horizon for Ms. Bingley? Ms. Ward does bring new characters into the mix, and I have to say that I enjoyed the kleptomania of Ms. Johnstone and never failed to smile as she tried to leave Pemberly with some keep sake.

If you are looking for a book that will keep you entertained and will do justice to your favorite characters, the please do pick up A Match for Mary Bennet.

The Plight of the Darcy Brothers

Ms Altman has been at it again. The writing style is the same and the reader may find themselves easily lost in this book. It was hard to put down and I must admit it went faster than the first.

The story is centered around Elizabeth and Darcy and their adventure on the continent as they race to preserve the reputation of Miss Mary Bennette. Mary has let her guard down once and has learned that horrible lesson, that it only takes once. She is with child and cannot marry the man as he has been promised to the church. So it is off to France for Elizabeth and Darcy to try and find this man and save the reputation of the Bennette family.

There are many twists and turns in this story and you find out a lot about the Darcy family. Was Darcy's father the gentleman that he was thought to be? Could there be more Darcy relations out there? The reader will see more of Caroline Bingley Maddox and I believe will come to love her. There is also an appearance by the Prince of Wales.

I would recommend this book. It was a fun read and as always I got to spend time with my favorite characters.

The Darcy's and The Bingley's

Once again I am reading a book that deals with Pride and Prejudice. I seem to be stuck on this subject, but can promise you that one day I will move away from it, or not read so many. Finding one good sequel seems to have opened my eyes to all of them :) This time around I have been brought to Marsha Altman.

The Darcy's and the Bingley's picks up before the wedding of our hero and his lady love. We see how Darcy and Elizabeth deal with impending matrimony and with Mrs. Bennete as she nears the finish line. As with all of the continuations of this great story we see our four main characters married. They set out to begin their lives as newly weds, and the reader watches as Darcy and Elizabeth move onto Pemberly and Jane and Bingley settle in at Netherfield park.

But what sets this continuation apart from the rest?

It has to be in the way that Ms. Autlman deals with her characters. The characters speak as they would in this time period, but there is not the formality of Austen. The characters are altogether a bit more loose with each other. The reader feels more of a personal connection with these charecters. Ms Altman has brought them to the level of the modern reader. You see Darcy and Elizabeth joke, Jane taking out the pains of Childbirth on poor Charles Bingley, and you see Caroline Bingley smile and make a joke. Perhaps one of the most shocking things you see in this story is Darcy giving Bingley a copy of the Kama Sutra.

It is also the development of the characters that a lover of Pride and Prejudice can expect, and love. You see characters such as Caroline Bingley come front and center. You see how she deals with the expectations that have been set upon her by society and her parents. The reader just may be surprised by how she deals with this. You will see Jane and Bingley come to the fore front and be a little surprised by the former Ms. Bennette. These characters help develop the story and lets the reader see just how much Darcy and Elizabeth love each other. Some readers may even be surprised to find that they can understand Mrs. Bennette and can even come to love her.

Through the development of characters that were merely mentioned by Austen, Ms. Altman has put her own stamp on this story. If the reader comes to this book with an open mind, and realizes as with all continuations, this is another story by another author, they will be able to enjoy Ms. Altman's book. They may even be able to enjoy the fact that the Kama Sutra pops up in this story.