Friends, Foes, or Fools in Love?
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Source: Gift from Author
TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation
THE PREMISE: Three eligible and wealthy men are residing at Netherfield?!? Mrs. Bennet shall definitely go distracted! But what happens when some of these men start developing feelings for the same Bennet sister…
MY THOUGHTS: Mr. Simon Lockhart, the wealthy and amiable owner of Aubrey Hall in Wilshire accompanies Mr. Darcy to Mr. Bingley’s newly leased estate, Netherfield Park. And like Mrs. Bennet I’m very excited for this fresh, new marriageable prospect. But more so because I think that this new character will produce some different twists and developments.
And I was right, Mr. Lockhart definitely does introduce some new twists and developments. Elizabeth renders him a great service, Mr. Lockhart is quick to appreciate her wit and charms, and Mr. Darcy is conflicted because his best friend is showing interest in the woman that he is impossibly attracted to. And if it is impossible for Mr. Darcy to consider a country miss like Elizabeth Bennet, surely it must also be so for Mr. Lockhart – whose estate is even grander? Right?!
In addition to Mr. Lockhart joining the gathering, the fact that Jane is in London when these eligible men arrive, Mr. Darcy does not utter his infamous insult at the Meryton Assembly, and Mr. Collins does not visit Longbourn at all steer this story into some interesting new waters. I enjoyed seeing Elizabeth develop an attraction and interest in Mr. Darcy so early in the story, and I loved her relationship with Mary. As always, it was very entertaining to see Darcy deal with some competition, and in this case Mr. Bingley ends up facing some too!
But sadly, some parts of Mr. Lockhart’s character (and the story overall) maybe felt a little weak and inconsistent. He is Darcy’s primary foil and the complexities of their friendship while pursuing the same woman could have provided some interesting tension and drama. But because Mr. Lockhart is even more impulsive, flighty, and whimsical in his affections than Mr. Bingley, the conflict quickly deflates. And he overall seems to be a wishy-washy character that I found it hard to fully like or feel satisfied with. Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley were also a bit changeable and capricious with their hearts as well in this story.
In addition, I had a little difficulty getting on board with the Wickham storyline. Mr. Wickham’s reasoning and actions weren’t very plausible, and I was disappointed with Elizabeth’s typical reception and gullibility – did her better understanding and impression of Mr. Darcy truly have no effect on her? And lastly, for Lydia to act in such a way (after knowing Wickham just 9 days) was maybe a bit too incredible…even for her.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
😁 A lighthearted and mixed-up romance that is sure to delight readers craving something humorous and engaging.
🐶 If you were to ask me which new character I loved more – Simon Lockhart or Robbie 🐾 – it probably doesn’t surprised anyone that my answer would be the goodest boy, Robbie
❣️ Love can be fickle and fleeting, but it isn’t for Fitzwilliam Darcy! *whew!*
I read this some time ago and it was a nice read. I, too, preferred Robbie as best new introduced character. He kind of stole the show for me. I, too, was nonplussed that Elizabeth was so easily taken in by Wickham when she knew Darcy’s character better. It was a disappointment. Still I think it was definitely worth the read.
I haven’t read this book but it sounds like a fun read. Thanks for the review.
This was a tale of swapping partners! Mr Lockhart was certainly not as devoted to Elizabeth as Darcy was so thank goodness it was all sorted out in the end. I agree that Robbie was a favourite secondary character! 😉
Thank you for reading “The Trouble With Friends,” Meredith, and for sharing your thoughts.
Sounds like a fun read!
I read and reviewed this story. Thanks for sharing here.