My Share in the conversation...From This Day Forward

From This Day Forward by Joana Starnes

The Darcys of Pemberley

The story begins nine days after the marriage of Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth. Elizabeth has just penned a letter to her parents, much enjoying adding her new signature, Elizabeth Darcy! It brought to memory her mother’s vivid voice, ‘Elizabeth Darcy – oooh, how well that sounds!’ Much to her surprise she felt an odd sense of loss rather than her usual annoyance with her mother. Elizabeth found her new townhome very warm and pleasant but it did not feel like home yet. Thus, we are privy to the thoughts and feelings of the newly married Elizabeth.

As we spend time with the Darcy couple we experience with them the felicity of their love and time together. We see Lizzy as she learns to be the mistress of the London townhome and then Perberley. Darcy and Lizzy are true to character and their marriage is much like what I would have expected it to be – happy – yet with a few bumps along the way. Darcy is a loving husband and very attentive and protective of is wife.

The relationship with Georgiana and Lizzy develops slowly as it takes the shy young girl time to relax and enjoy her new sister as she would so like to do. They eventually develop a strong bond and Georgiana loves and confides in Elizabeth.  Lizzy is a good influence on Georgiana and helps her just like Darcy knew she would.

Colonel Fitzwilliam plays a significant role in the story and is the ever loyal and honorable man we know and love. He is injured in the war but does recover with the help of Darcy and Lizzy. I felt much sadness at times for the dear colonel, but will leave my reasons for the reader to discover.

Later in the marriage Darcy and Lizzy experience a difficult time and the author gives us a good bit of insight into their troubles. I experienced the heart-ache shared by both with them. When the problem is resolved, I almost missed it and wasn’t even sure it had been resolved until a bit later in the story. I would have liked there to have been more time spent on the resolution as it was significant to the story. I felt it would have left a more fulfilling conclusion to their trials.

Georgiana’s coming out and romance is a delightful addition to the novel. I adored watching the shy girl blossom into an enchanting, more confident woman under Lizzy’s tutelage. It was extremely gratifying to witness her courtship and marriage.

Joana Starnes has a wonderful way with details and descriptions. Her first-hand knowledge of the area brings her writing to life. She has written a beautiful love story of the Darcy’s of Pemberley. The new characters that Ms. Starnes has introduced are wonderfully written as an integral part of the story. I would be interested in reading more about many of them. At the end of the book, the lives of all characters are brought to a satisfying conclusion.

If you love a story about Darcy and Elizabeth with little angst, then this book is a must read! It is one that any Janeite purist should enjoy. Thank you, Ms. Starnes, for sharing your excellent book with us.

4 out of 5 stars

PG Rating for no explicit sex

This is my 13^th book for the 2013 Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge.

There is a giveaway of two eBooks of Joana Starnes's From This Day Forward. Please leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway.  Be sure to include your email address in the comment. To prevent unwanted spam, put your email address with an (at) instead of @.  Winner will be chosen in a random drawing. Giveaway ends at midnight, June 29. The give away for the two eBooks associated with the post by Ms. Starnes ends at midnight, June 24! That is a a total of four eBooks being given away! Thank you so much for your generosity, Joana Starnes.