What If Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley Received Life Advice From An Older and Wiser Family Friend?

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Review Copy from Author

TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation

THE PREMISE: Admiral Pembroke, the brother of Mr. Darcy’s aunt and long-time family friend pays a visit to Netherfield Park while passing through the county. Welcomed by the Bingley’s he spends time with the young men, meets the Bennets, and helps Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley navigate some of their romantic dilemmas…

WHAT I LOVED:

• The Admiral: An exceptional original character! He was perceptive, kind-hearted, and open-minded. I thought this was an excellent new character to add to the mix, it is easy to conceive how he would have an impact and alter the courses of these characters’ lives.

• The Admiral and Elizabeth: I loved their first impressions of each other – how the Admiral appreciated Elizabeth’s impertinence and openness, and how Elizabeth admired the Admiral’s honor and concern. It was lovely to see all their interactions together. I loved how the Admiral respected and delighted in the Bennet family and urged the men from Netherfield to spend more time with them.

• The Admiral and Mr. Darcy: I love it when we see Mr. Darcy have an older and wiser person in life he can look up to and receive counsel from. It is something we see so rarely in Austenesque works. Even though he wasn’t a blood relation, the Admiral had a lot of care and concern for Mr. Darcy and his life. I And I admired the Admiral even more when we learned about his past and experiences with love. However, I feel like there was some more clarity or page time needed in regards to his relationship with Mr. Darcy in the last quarter of the book.

• Elizabeth’s Rescue: While out walking, Elizabeth finds and tries to save some orphaned puppies! First off, I love it any time dogs are brought into an Austenesque work. But I especially loved it in this story where the puppies were in danger and Elizabeth grew very attached to them and fearful for their survival.

• Elizabeth’s Rescuer: Elizabeth is found dirty, injured, and bedraggled in her attempt to save the puppies and is perhaps in need of a rescue herself. And what a rescue it was! I loved how it brought connection and softness to these two characters. This rescue and the events that followed it make some dramatic changes in the story and I really loved all the encounters and developments these two characters shared as a result.

WHAT I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT:

• Secrets of the Past: I will try to be super-vague to avoid some spoilers – but this was an interesting new arc that came later in the story and mostly concerned our new original character. I really loved this development because it plausibly fleshed out this character and added some poignancy to his story. But at the same time, I felt like it was a bit rushed and underdeveloped. Like maybe it was too late or too little.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

• Pacing: While the first half of the story progressed with the events unfolding steadily, it felt like there were other parts of the story where the the pace became a little stagnant. Sometimes the text would become heavier with a lot of telling or a lot of repeated talk about future plans. And then the last three chapters were essentially told in summary of the events that happened. I think having some of these summaries fleshed out into scenes and some of the earlier texts cropped a bit may have given the story a more balanced and even pace.

NOTE: There is one brief scene suited best for Mature Audiences towards the end of the book.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

⚓️  Admiral Pembroke is a most estimable and welcome addition to this story! A prequel about him would be amazing!

💕  Amidst puppies, gossip, and forced circumstances Darcy and Elizabeth find their way to each other with open candor, deep regard, and sincere attachment.

📖  A low angst and charming Pride and Prejudice variation that is sure to delight Lory Lilian fans!

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