Review: The Darcy Connection - Elizabeth Ashton

The Darcy Connection by Elizabeth Ashton

Genre: Historical romance
Published: 2008
Pages: 304

In The Darcy Connection, Mr. Collins of Pride and Prejudice is now the Bishop of Ripon, living with his wife, Charlotte, and their two daughters, who have reached marriageable age. The elder, another Charlotte, is extraordinarily beautiful, and her parents hope her looks and connections will ensure a brilliant marriage. Her sister, Eliza, while not as handsome, possesses a lively intelligence that, in Mr. Collins's opinion, is too like her godmother, Mrs. Darcy.

In London, Charlotte's beauty wins her many admirers, despite her small fortune. But Eliza's wit and attempts to interfere in what she considers an unsuitable marriage for her sister infuriate her family and Charlotte's suitor -- until Eliza herself meets her match.(fantastic fiction)

This was, well it was a nice read now and again. But mostly I just now and then saw characters I knew, there was the "Mr Wickham" "Mr Darcy" "Lizzy" "Jane" and "Mr Collins. She could have tried more to give them voices of their own and not mould them after Austen figures. Just because it's an Austen sequel does not mean every character have to be the same.

This story is about Mr Collins and Charlotte's daughters, Charlotte and Eliza (that is Jane and Lizzy). Eliza is in love with a neighbour and Charlotte is stunning and will therefore surely catch a good husband so she is sent away to town. And Eliza too because she should get away from the man. And here the story unfolds. Sure some things they do are not like in P&P but I still feel like the characters are borrowed and while reading it I said out loud to my friend who was driving, - Ok "Mr Wickham" just came in and so on.

Still it was a nice story. One sister is careful with her feelings, she is called ice-cold, while Eliza is witty and just like Lizzy. Even her dad says so. There will be guys, everyone likes the ice-cold Charlotte, while Eliza is called provincial (oh yes by our "Mr Darcy"). But of course we all know how that will end. Charlotte was more of a surprised in her love affairs. The author got me there, and I saw something of her mother in her too.

I can't say if Austen fans will enjoy it, I mean it was a short read, romance, some troubles, regency England. I enjoyed that even if there could have been more of things and things could have been better. If I compare it to the only other sequel I have read, Mr Darcy Vampyre, well the latter one is way much better, oh and funnier. But other than that is was funny to read it, and especially because it was Mr Collins daughter I was reading about. Now that was funny.

The author does try to be Austen like, but now, it does not work. She should have found her own voice instead of mimicking. But like I have said before, nice enough, and it took now time at all to read it.