He consciously ran his fingers through his forelocks to brush them to one side, yet kept the pose nevertheless for Georgiana’s benefit — until he felt compelled to look her way again, merely to discover that his sister was not the only one who kept him under scrutiny. Miss Bennet’s eyes were also steadily fixed on him, her countenance oddly solemn, but before he could wonder why, she dropped her gaze and instantly turned away.
(from Miss Darcy’s Companion)
Miss Darcy’s Companion is the latest Pride and Prejudice variation by Joana Starnes, and it imagines Elizabeth Bennet as a temporary governess for Colonel Fitzwilliam’s nieces and nephew, which is how she meets Mr. Darcy. The Darcys and Richard feel bad for how Lady Stretton treats Elizabeth, and Darcy thinks about how he would feel if his sister, Georgiana, were in her shoes: the daughter of a gentleman thrown out of her home upon the death of her father.
Convinced by Richard that Georgiana needs a companion closer to her age and that, despite her lack of experience, Elizabeth’s liveliness will do her a world of good, Darcy agrees to hire Elizabeth as Georgiana’s companion — and the three settle into a comfortable friendship at Pemberley. That is until Elizabeth becomes withdrawn, and Darcy realizes he wants the love and passion he witnesses between his friend Bingley and his new wife, Elizabeth’s sister Jane. Forced to distance himself from Pemberley to get his feelings under control and make a life-changing decision, Darcy must rush back to Pemberley when a ghost from his past arrives and destroys his hopes for happiness.
In Miss Darcy’s Companion, Starnes puts Darcy and Elizabeth in entirely new situations with entirely different misunderstandings but stays true to Jane Austen’s characters, namely Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s impertinence. She also portrays a Darcy whose true character is known almost immediately by Elizabeth, and a more solemn Elizabeth who is more difficult for Darcy to figure out. I really enjoyed seeing Georgiana blossom under Elizabeth’s watchful eye and Richard relentlessly tease his cousin. There also were plenty of original characters to liven the plot, from the obnoxiously arrogant Lady Stretton to the vicar’s sweet sister, Miss Bradden, to Fitzwilliam’s charming nieces Margaret and Hetty.
Miss Darcy’s Companion is the third Pride and Prejudice variation I’ve read by Starnes, and it’s another winner. (Check out my reviews of The Subsequent Proposal and The Unthinkable Triangle.) Starnes has quickly become one of my favorite authors of Austen-inspired fiction. She never lets me down with her beautiful writing style, tenderly drawn characters, and imaginative plots. I can’t wait to read her next book, Mr. Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter, for the blog tour next month!
Disclosure: I received Miss Darcy’s Companion from the author for review.
© 2016 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
I’ve had my eye on this one and plan to read it, but I’m determined to get to the ones of hers already on my shelf first. 🙂 I like what you are saying about the change in plot, but that the characters are pretty much still themselves.
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No matter where you start with her books, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!
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I like this premise! 😀
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It definitely was fun and imaginative!
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The only one I have yet to read, loved Joana’s other books
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Thanks for the kind words, Vesper! Hope you’ll like this too.
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I have a couple of her oldest books left to read, and I definitely plan to do so at some point! Glad to hear you loved them!
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Many thanks, Anna, for the wonderful review, I’m over the moon that you enjoyed it!
I’m ever so glad it caught your eye, Sophia Rose and Blodeuedd, and I hope you’ll like it.
All the best,
Joana
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My pleasure! All the praise is well deserved!
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Wow, 5 stars from you for an Austen variation means a lot!
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I really loved it!
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This was a 5 star review for me also. Lovely review. Great book.
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Thanks, Sheila! I’m glad to see you enjoyed it as much as I did!
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I’m glad you enjoyed this book and series, Anna. Starnes’ work sounds wonderful!
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I really love her writing!
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I really want to read this one!
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I bet you’ll really enjoy it!
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[…] novels by Starnes I’ve read so far (The Subsequent Proposal, The Unthinkable Triangle, and Miss Darcy’s Companion — all 5-star reads!), and her stories and her writing get better with each book. Starnes has […]
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The author must be talented at coming up with imaginative plots for all the different variations she writes based on the same characters.:-)
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Yes! It’s amazing how many times P&P can be retold and still be unique.
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