Mr. Darcy's Secret

December 20, 2010
What comes after "happily ever after" for Pride and Prejudice protagonists Lizzy and Darcy? Odiwe (Willoughby's Return) picks up right after the wedding as Lizzy moves to Pemberley and learns how to be mistress of a grand estate. While trying to reconcile Darcy with Lady Catherine and coax Georgiana out of her shell, Lizzy is bombarded with innuendo about Darcy's past indiscretions. Reluctant to discuss rumors with her husband, she tries to maintain a calm demeanor as various people, including the odious gossip Mrs. Eaton and still bitter Miss Bingley, hint about illegitimate children and secret affairs. It would be a charming romp through "what-if" if Lizzy didn't come across as a brainless young debutante, neither charming nor intelligent, while Darcy is erratic, going from extreme haughtiness to acting like a buffoon. Austen fans will barely recognize their beloved characters in these clumsy caricatures.

December 15, 2010
Odiwe picks things up where Austen left off in Pride and Prejudice, in an impeccably crafted tale of Elizabeth and Darcy after the wedding. Elizabeth arrives at Pemberley with her beloved husband Fitzwilliam, certain that her life could not get any better, and at first, everything seems fairy-tale perfect. Even if a few people, most especially Caroline Bingley and Lady Catherine de Bourge, still seem to have their noses out of joint about the marriage, almost everyone else wishes the new couple a long and happy life together. The honeymoon seems to be over, though, once Elizabeth discovers that not only can Darcy still be quite stubborn, especially when it comes to letting his younger sister Georgiana decide her own future, but also that her new husband has a secret past that threatens to wreck their marriage.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)