Miss Darcy's Secret Love: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Jane Austen Sequels, #2) by Cheryl Bolen on July 5th 2016
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo
Goodreads
"This sweet Pride & Prejudice romance will have you laughing."
Miss Georgiana Darcy's first season was a resounding success, judging from the eleven marriage proposals she received—including one from the most sought-after bachelor in the kingdom. The Earl of Hampton is handsome and courtly and clearly in want of Miss Darcy's large dowry. Uniting herself with his lordship, she is sure, would please her dear brother. If only she could forget her lifelong love of Robert, Captain Farrington of his Majesty's Dragoons, currently in Spain.
Robert returns to England to seek his brother's permission to marry a Spanish noblewoman, but has to wait until his brother returns from the Continent. His oldest friend, Georgiana Darcy (whom he has always called George), won't hear of him being alone at his nearby Bodworth House when Pemberley is teeming with activity. Robert is immediately repulsed by Lord Hampton and knows the man's not worthy of George.
Will Robert realize what he feels for Georgiana is more than friendship? Will they be able to overcome well-intentioned meddling from those at Pemberley?
~~~~~
~~Reviewed by AnnMarie~~
Miss Darcy’s Secret Love: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, is the second book in the Jane Austen Sequels series by Cheryl Bolen.
In this story Mr Darcy’s sister Georgiana is contemplating a betrothal. She doesn’t have feelings for the man in question, but he is the best of a bad lot of fortune hunters offering for her hand. Secretly Georgiana has been holding out for the love of her life to come home from Spain and for him to finally notice she has grown up. When she hears that he is hoping to marry, she realises that she can hold on no longer, and agrees to spending some more time with her possible suitor at Pemberley.
Unknown to her, on the very day the Earl of Hampton is due to visit, is also the very day that she will discover that Robert Fitzpatrick, her secret love, is back home. He is the younger brother of Lord Fane, who wed Georgiana’s companion in the first book of this series. He has returned home with the hope of gaining permission from his brother to get married. He isn’t of age, and therefore needs permission to wed.
When Georgiana sees Robert again all her old feelings come flooding back, and even though she knows he loves another, and that she needs to think of marrying the Earl of Hampton, she can’t help falling even more in love with him. Will Robert notice that she is all grown up now, he certainly doesn’t seem to like watching the Earl fawn all over her. It’s only because he’s worried about her ending up with a fortune hunter, isn’t it?
I really enjoyed this story, and despite being a novella, it managed to tick all the boxes for an entertaining story. Loveable characters, unrequited love, jealousy, fun moments, emotional moments, annoying characters, yes we are introduced to the ever annoying Mr Collins again in this story. Isn’t he the one person you just love to cringe over! Pride and Prejudice would just not have been the same without him, just as these sequels wouldn’t be. Then of course with all of that, there is the wonderful blossoming romance between Georgiana and Robert, written as only Cheryl Bolen could write it.
You don’t have to have read the first book in this series, you don’t even have to have read Pride and Prejudice, but it definitely would be a bonus if you have. It’s so wonderful to continue reading about the characters from the original book, and I like to think Jane Austen would approve.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book.
Rating:
About Cheryl Bolen
Cheryl Bolen is the acclaimed author of more than a dozen Regency-set historical romance novels. Her books have placed in several writing contests, including the Daphne du Maurier, and have been translated into 11 languages. She was named Notable New Author in 1999, and in 2006 she won the Holt Medallion (Honoring Outstanding Literary Talent) for Best Short Historical Novel. Her books have become Barnes & Noble and Amazon bestsellers.
A former journalist who admits to a fascination with dead Englishwomen, Cheryl is a regular contributor to The Regency Plume, The Regency Reader, and The Quizzing Glass. Many of her articles can found on her website, www.CherylBolen.com, and more recent ones on her blog,www.CherylsRegencyRamblings.wordpress.com. Readers are welcomed at both places.
Cheryl holds a dual degree in English and journalism from the University of Texas, and she earned a master’s degree from the University of Houston. She and her professor husband are the parents of two sons, one who is an attorney, and the other a journalist. Her favorite things to do are watching the Longhorns, reading letters and diaries of Georgian Englishmen, and traveling to England.
Leave a Reply