Sorry for the disjointed aspect of this review but I can barely remember what I even read. The story wasn't bad while reading it and the story was quite interesting. The characters were in character...mostly and the dialogue, what there was of it, was actually very good. I loved Mrs. Bennett's discussions particularly, I always laughed.
However, this book had a bad case of Tell, Don't Show and parts of this were almost incomprehensible. When showing a very average time of the Bingley and Darcy newlyweds, this book shown. But then conflicts came in and with them came the desire to bang my head against my ebook. Almost ever choice or decision concerning the big issue simply would not have been made. None of it made any sense. But it wasn't until a character did a complete 180 that I gave up. I finished the book but I have no plans to ever do so again.
For anyone interested in my specific issues and have either read this or don't mind spoilers, my thoughts are below. *Warning: Major Spoilers!*
Mrs. Bennett, no matter how insane - and I don't consider her so - would NEVER even consider have Darcy take on Lydia's child. Bingley...maybe, but she's knows enough about the world to not even broach that subject. Elizabeth would never have brought it up with him. Sorry.
The whole Mary as Anne de Bourgh's companion was...convenient. While I acknowledge it was possible, it was highly unlikely and seemed there merely as a contrivance for future events. As for her writing to Mr. Collins, I don't know about that. It seemed...not exactly proper. I know he's family but it just didn't strike me as seemly.
And don't get me started in the impropriety of Lady Catherine paying Wickham to seduce Lydia and ruin the Bennett name. Not only is that extremely melodramatic but it's absolutely not possible. She would not trust him; wouldn't even do something like that when she could do what she did by speaking to Darcy and the rest of him family. It's...almost Gothic melodrama and is in no way Autenesque.
Finally, Wickham turning good through the power of fatherhood! I have high respect to the power a child can have over a family and the long term considerations of their parents but that is ridiculous. He showed himself to be a man who had no thought for anyone but himself and that reaction demands an amount of selflessness. Further, Darcy would never dream of going and finding him; after everything he'd done, he would not have allowed him near Pemberley.
So no, the whole big conflict of the book was completely implausible and melodramatic. Better luck next time.
(show spoiler)
5
