Book Review: Mr Darcy's Secret

Author: Jane Odiwe

Title: Mr. Darcy's Secret
Genre: Jane Austen variation, romance, historical fiction, historical romance
Pages: ebook

First Published: December 10th, 2010
Where I Got It: my shelf (Amazon)

"One dark secret can completely ruin a bright future. From the author who brought you Lydia Bennet's Story and Willoughby's Return, comes a unique look into one of the most famous relationships of all time, in Mr. Darcy's Secret. After capturing the heart of the most eligible bachelor in England, Elizabeth Bennet believes her happiness is complete-until the day she makes an unsettling discovery. When she finds a stash of anonymous, passionate love letters that may be Darcy's, Elizabeth begins to question the quiet, stoic man she married."

Took me an eon to finish this book. 

You know me....I can't help myself when it comes to Jane Austen and Jane Austen variations, so when they book popped up for free on Amazon one day, I snatched it up in a hurry. However, I'm glad it was a freebie.........

The beginning was very well done. Jane Odiwe gave a small nod to the beginning of 'Pride and Prejudice' using the insane, but loveable Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Bennet have marital squabbles. Mrs. Bennet is freaking out and being all insane, while Mr. Bennet is having a good laugh at his wife's expense. It was a fantastic first chapter, which is rare to see.  Jane Odiwe surely did a wonderful job voicing the characters and sticking with the appropriate Jane Austen voice. She also avoided using too many modern words and phrases. It felt like it was written from that time period. 

Also, the story took its time to get rolling. It was a slow set-up and I oddly liked it. I wasn't too bored. However I was getting really angry because I wanted to know what Mr. Darcy's secret was! Sure there were hints scattered about, but nothing really substantial! It was driving me insane being left in the dark! However, the secret would have to wait because the author threw in a little romance for Miss Darcy, Mr Darcy's shy little sister.

At some points I preferred Georgianna's POV and storyline, because stuff was actually happening. Also, I was always upset that Georgianna didn't get airtime in 'Pride and Prejudice'. I loved transformation you could see in Georgianna when she met her Prince Charming. It was nice to see. 

BACK to the main storyline though....

The moment you thought you learned the secret of Mr. Darcy it morphed and changed. It changed so many times I just didn't care anymore. At the "climatic" point of the book where Elizabeth confronts Mr. Darcy, I felt almost embarrassed for her, because even I knew that that wasn't the secret. SPOILER ALERT **It was all a waste of time...there was no real secret! It was just a scam the Wickhams invented to get money. The secret was that the child was Wickham's and his step-sister's. GAH! I really wish that the baby had been one of the Darcy's or something. Laaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmeeeee. **END OF SPOILER!

In the end, it was alright. Not the best variation I've ever read, story-wise, but I must say that it had the most Jane Austen feel to it. I really wish I could have been there while the author was writing and convince her what the secret should have been. Oh well. All's well that ends well, I suppose. I would recommend this to those that like Jane Austen and variations. Out of five stars, I stamp this 2 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Georgianna, Mr. Butler, Elizabeth, and Jane (who honestly doesn't like Jane?)
Not-so Favorite(s): Those damned Wickhams....they are SO wicked. >.>

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<3CaroleRae

Who, What, Where??

This meme was created by Melissa over at My World in Words and Pages. This meme is a way to share where you are, who you are with, and what is going on in your book. Make sure to not give away any major spoilers. 

Happy Wednesday everyone! The week is nearly done so do not fret! Sorry I haven't been as active as I normally am, but the semester is nearly over and I have a total of three papers due. One I just turned in, which is my Philosophy of Education (if you want to check it out, click HERE, I am in love with this paper and I feel like its fantastic even if my teacher were to fail me on it). One is due tomorrow, which is for my International Relations class. I'm writing on diplomats, which really interests me because I would LOVE to do that. The third one is for my Macroeconomics class, which isn't due for two weeks. I haven't picked a topic yet. 0_0 Oh well. 

I'm with Elizabeth Darcy, Georgianna, and the neighbors of Pemberly enjoying some neighborly time together. We are in England during the 19th century in Jane Austen's world. Georgianna seems to have a crush on one of the neighbors (well not name) and Elizabeth is encouraging this, while Mr. Darcy is on the search for a rich suitor for his sister. 

Where are you guys at?

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<3CaroleRae