From Publishers Weekly
The storied romance of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet (they of Pride and Prejudice) reaches its conclusion in the strongest entry in an already impressive trilogy. While visiting his aunt's estate, Fitzwilliam continues alternately courting his beloved Elizabeth and trying to crimp his longing for her. ("Although the sunlight did marvelous things with her hair, chestnut curls and velvety brown eyes were not in fashion," he notes.) He finally musters his courage and, in an arrogant, bumbling way, proposes marriage. He returns to London in defeat, but realizes, after some time and distance, that her rejection has provided him with "the opportunity to become a better man." Months later, a fortuitous meeting with Elizabeth offers them the chance to renew their friendship and for Fitzwilliam to prove he has changed for the better. But just as Fitzwilliam is making headway, George Wickham, his smarmy nemesis, appears and threatens to undo everything. As ever, Aidan keeps her narrative taut and her characters conflicted. Fans of the series won't be disappointed; the uninitiated will be hooked. (Jan.)

From Booklist
The third in Aidan's originally self-published Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy (following An Assembly Such as This, 2006 and Duty and Desire, 2006) begins when Darcy pays his yearly visit to his aunt, Lady Catherine, and discovers that Miss Elizabeth Bennet is staying with the Collinses nearby. After his disastrous proposal of marriage, he returns to London and attends a soiree where he is almost drugged, and . . . well, most readers will be glad to get through the book's long middle section and back to Austen territory. Things pick up again with Darcy's chance encounter with Elizabeth at Pemberley, and the narration of Darcy's efforts to clean up the mess created by Willoughby's elopement with the youngest Bennet sister is thoroughly engrossing. Although acquaintance with Pride and Prejudice is not essential to the enjoyment of any title in the series, Austen fans will be delightfully entertained by Aidan's witty spin on familiar characters and events. Mary Ellen Quinn

The Jane Austen Magazine
…the authoress’ take on Darcy’s inner journey is, in our opinion, spot-on.

Epinions
A masterfully wrought look at Darcy's side of the table, and it's true, "...indeed, he has no improper pride"!

The Banner
While others have tried to embroider Austen’s novel and failed, Aidan shows great sensitivity and respect for the original…

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed