The Sequel Fans Asked For!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Source: Review Copy from Author
(Note: Potential readers should be made aware that although this is a standalone novel, more pleasure and understanding may be derived from reading Rainy Days prior to this work.)
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: A sequel to Lory’s Pride and Prejudice variation, Rainy Days
TIME FRAME: The day after the Darcys’ wedding through their first 4 months of marriage (+ epilogue)
SYNOPSIS:
The newly married Mr. and Mrs. Darcy currently reside in town in anticipation of the Season. While Elizabeth may want to escape to the beautiful environs of Pemberley, she can’t. It is important for her to be accepted as Mrs. Darcy, and in order for that to happen she must dress impeccably, be seen at society events, and attend her first ball at Almack’s. Lucky for Lizzy she has the fervent love of her devoted husband, the guidance of Lady Matlock, and the support of many of her closest relations as she makes her debut.
WHAT I LOVED:
- It’s Sentimental: This sequel was written at the bequest of many readers who fell in love with Ms. Lilian’s beautifully romantic variation, Rainy Days. And as such, there were many nods to the tender moments readers fell in love with in Rainy Days. I loved seeing Darcy and Elizabeth embrace their love-story and look back fondly at the pivotal experiences that brought them together. What Darcy did with the cottage was just so wonderful and romantic. I love that they cherished their time together there.
- I Want to be Elizabeth Darcy When I Grow Up: There is so much to admire in Ms. Lilian’s Elizabeth Darcy – she shows unmeasured kindness and selflessness as she takes in and cares for a perfect stranger, immense courage as she faces those who would try to belittle or insult her, and unwavering devotion for her beloved husband. This sequel illustrates some of the challenges Elizabeth faces as Mrs. Darcy and it was so wonderful to see her handle them with such grace and confidence.
- The Accepted Behavior of Married Men: Darcy and Elizabeth encounter a maid left to fend for herself in an unfortunate-but-not-too-surprising situation and it makes Elizabeth realize the common practices of many married men of her day. I really appreciated the realism and moral debate of this plot-line. I liked how it sparked a variety of reactions and beliefs. And I especially liked how one character in particular stood up for her beliefs and took certain members of her family to task! Her actions were indeed very praiseworthy.
- Rainy Day Favorites: One of the things I was most excited about in reading this sequel was seeing some more of Lady Ellen Matlock and Becky Gardiner! Becky’s unabashed honesty remains a delight and Lady Ellen continues to exemplify an admirable matriarch – something we don’t see a lot of in Pride and Prejudice related stories. I was so glad to see much page time devoted to these characters and to see that they fostered a sweet relationship with each other. I can only imagine how thrilling and heartwarming it must be for Darcy and Elizabeth to have some of their most beloved family members interact and form attachments with each other!
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
- Practically Perfect: While I loved reading about Darcy and Elizabeth as a happily married couple, I sometimes missed seeing a little more drama or conflict in parts of this story. Elizabeth acquits herself marvelously well in her new roles as wife and mistress – with nary a fault, and the Darcy’s pass through their first couple months of marriage with little conflict or misunderstanding. Their relationship was pretty close to a picture of perfection, but perhaps that is what the author envisioned.
WARNING: I’d recommend this story for Mature Audiences due to several romantic and intimate scenes
CONCLUSION:
With The Rainbow Promise Lory Lilian delivers an exquisitely romantic happily-ever-after for Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. If you are an ardent fan of Rainy Days, this thoughtful sequel will satisfy your desire to see more of these lovable and charming characters and their inspiring love story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel. Beautiful imagery in the writing to accompany the exploration of their relationship.
Very well said, Colleen! I’m so glad you enjoyed this story!
I totally loved this book so much so that I bought both the ebook and the paperback (i just love the cover!). Sometimes it is just what I need, to read a book without too much angst and heartbreak and this is one of the best and totally finishes off the story from Rainy Days. I love Lory’s passionate romantic Darcy and he is exceptionally so here. I’m glad you enjoyed it Meredith. I eagerly look forward to her next book.
Hi Glynis! So glad to hear you loved this book so much! I completely agree, Darcy was amazing in this series. So very romantic and thoughtful! 🙂 I too can’t wait for Lory’s next book!
A beautiful review Meredith!
It seems a lovely story with many interesting plots but I’ll have to read first “Rainy days” to enjoy the story as it deserves 🙂
Thanks for the recommendation!
Thank you, Teresa! 🙂 Yes, definitely read Rainy Days first! It is a beautiful story. 🙂
Thanks Meredith for your review, I love all of Lori’s books and already have this one.
Thanks for reading my review, Jennifer! I love Lory’s books too! I hope she continues to give us many many more!
I loved this book too Meredith but love all Lory’s books. I didn’t expect to have any angst especially as they were newlyweds and it was lovely to read about Elizabeth’s transition into wife and Mistress of Pemberley. I would highly recommend reading Rainy Days first which is a wonderful, romantic story. Can’t wait for Lory’s next book!
Hi Michelle! I’m so glad to hear you loved this book. 🙂 Thanks for reading my review and sharing your thoughts!
Great review. I read and enjoyed this book also.
Thanks, Sheila! It was great to spend some more time with these characters!
I agree entirely with your review of this lovely story, Meredith. Lory has been one of my favorite writers for many many years and this tale does not disappoint her loyal readers.
Thanks, Brenda! 🙂 Yes, I count Lory as one of my favorites too! Glad she has gifted us so many wonderful stories!
I agree with you and I was one of those fans that was thrilled with the sequel being created and bought it immediately. I think that they are “practically perfect” in this one because Rainy Days got us through their angst and since we insisted on a sequel, she made them have their utopia whilst the rest of the world must be dealt with. That’s just my opinion of course…LOL Great review as usual!
Hi Stephanie! 🙂 Very true, we wouldn’t want Darcy and Elizabeth to go through so much strife and turmoil again after what they experienced in Rainy Days. But I guess I tend to crave a little bit more conflict in my stories sometimes. Like Sophie Croft, I don’t “expect to be in smooth waters” all our days. 😉
I have long been wanting to read Rainy Days–now I have one more excuse to do so : )
Yes you do, Ginger! Definitely a lovely romantic tale and how great to see it continued. 🙂
Wonderful review Meredith! I will have to re-read Rainy Days again and make sure I have a copy of The Rainbow Promise when I finish it! It is on my wishlist!
Thank you, Carole! That’s what and I did and it was so much fun to reread such a favorite of mine! 🙂 Good plan!
Oh good! Glad you found it satisfying. I liked how you broke it down. All those aspects sound appealing.
Thanks, Sophia! It was such an enjoyable read and I liked how it focused on other characters as well as Darcy and Elizabeth! 🙂 Thanks for reading my review!
Very nice review, Meredith. Now I feel compelled to go back and read the two books again. 🙂 JAFF in general, is genre I most often reread. And I loved these books.
Rereading great stories like these is such a pleasure, isn’t it? I’m trying to make more time for rereads! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Thank you, Meredith, for such a wonderful review and big hugs to everyone who commented ! I know how much you liked Rainy Days, so I was a little anxious to see what you think about the sequel 🙂
I kind of agree with you about their relation being a little “too perfect” and I have been struggling with this for some time :-).
But, as StephanieL said, I choose to write ODC this way, because they already went through angst and misunderstandings and fights in Rainy Days. By the time she married, Elizabeth had already acted as a mistress of the house, she went through a horrible fight with Lady Catherine and she already had the Colonel and Lady Matlock’s support and the Earl’s acceptance, all these together with her husband love and devotion. So I decided to add angst from other sources 🙂 .
Besides, since my dear readers waited ten years for this sequel, I could not be so cruel to fill it with angst between ODC. 🙂 🙂 🙂 I wanted both RD and TRP to be a set of books to make the readers feel good :-).
Now – dear Meredith, if you want angst, just wait to read my next story ! “evil grin here”
Thank YOU, Lory, for this beautiful story! It was a wonderful feel good story and I feel like this book in particular is a special gift to your readers. I could tell it was written with a lot of love – for these characters and for the readers who love them. 🙂 Thank you again, Lory, for all the pleasure your books brings!
Oooh Lory any idea when this will be as I need to stock up on tissues and maybe chocolate? Please please don’t torture Darcy too much although as long as he is still his romantic self and ends up with his beloved Elizabeth……………. whatever I know I will love it 🙂