The Spirits of Pemberley Must Have Their Say
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Source: Gift from Publisher
TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Fantasy Variation
SERIES: Happily Ever Afterlife #1
THE PREMISE: Elizabeth and the Gardiners are about to tour Pemberley when they hear some fanciful notions and tall tales around Lambton about the estate being haunted and “full o’ spirits.” More bemused than alarmed Elizabeth and the Gardiners tour Pemberley as planned, but Elizabeth can attest to there being some inexplicable events and strange sightings…. Is Pemberley really haunted? What do the spirits want?
MY THOUGHTS:
La! Elizabeth and the Gardiners ain’t afraid of no ghosts! Elizabeth’s tour of Pemberley had me enthralled immediately – especially after witnessing what she encountered near Pemberley’s lake…
One of my favorite parts of this variation were all the scenes of Darcy and Elizabeth together. There were quite a few stolen moments alone – which were equally as precious to Mr. Darcy as they are the reader. And Mary Smythe portrays their mixed feelings of awkwardness, admiration, and ardent yearning so plausibly and satisfyingly. Mr. Darcy is quite adorable with his numerous humiliating displays, and I loved seeing all the ways Elizabeth’s impression and understanding of Mr. Darcy has changed.
A new addition to this story that I quite loved was Mr. Darcy’s playful and affectionate Great Dane, Freddy. She was the cause of some occasional mischief but her sweet and affectionate nature always made it so easy to forgive any offense or mishap. I, of course, loved seeing Darcy’s relationship with Freddy and how quickly Freddy warmed to Elizabeth.
I greatly enjoyed seeing the “ghostly” spirits of Pemberley and their picking up some hints about their identity and intentions. At times I almost felt like they enlisted Freddy to be their accomplice! I wish we learned more about them and their experiences in the afterlife. However, as the story progressed it felt like the tale centered more upon Caroline Bingley and her annoying machinations than about the ghostly spirits in their aims. I wouldn’t have minded more spirits and less Caroline Bingley – but maybe I was just not in a very Caroline-Bingley-And-Her-Crazy-Schemes kind of mood.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
👻 A tale with friendly ghosts instead of one that is horridly gothic.
🥰 A perfect choice for readers who love seeing an easy path for Darcy and Elizabeth and a sizable serving of comeuppance for dear Caro.
✨ It looks like there are more spectral sightings in store…and our next encounter with them might be at Rosings Park!
Great review, Meredith. I just borrowed this through KU.
I’m not a lover of Caroline obviously but hopefully the many instances of Darcy and Elizabeth together times will adequately compensate? At least she gets her just rewards apparently, yes!!! Great review!
I love this book! I enjoy the spirits and their teasing of Caroline (among other things), the Darcy/Lizzy interaction, and Freddy of course. I am very much looking forward to the next book.