Darcy & Elizabeth: Days and Nights at Pemberley

Author: Linda Berdoll
Published: May 2006 (Sourcebooks)
Category: Historical Romance

Darcy & Elizabeth is Berdoll's sequel to her Pride and Prejudice sequel, Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife. I didn't like D&E as much as I liked Berdoll's first book. While the first book had a very strong storyline, the second seemed more like a journal of the goings-on in the Darcys' life. This pseudo-storyline, paired with Berdoll's style of backtracking in time, but from the viewpoint of a different character, makes the book less fluid than its predecessor.

D&E picks up approximately where Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife left off. I say approximately because of the way the changing viewpoint sometimes changes the point in the storyline. Elizabeth has just given birth to twins, a boy and a girl, thus fulfilling her duty as Darcy's wife by providing him an heir. Nothing really happens with Lizzy and Darcy in terms of their relationship growing. Their only relationship obstacle is when they can start doing it again after Lizzy's confinement.

Georgiana gets married to Colonel Fitzwilliam, and I'm not really sure about this. I guess back in those times, it was acceptable to marry your first cousin. After all, Darcy was "betrothed" to Lady Anne, his first cousin, and Mr. Collins tried to marry Lizzy (but I don't think he was a first cousin). It just grosses me out.

Wickham returns from the dead to do what he does best: scheme and cheat his way to some undeserved money. I dont' really like how Wickham wound up at the end of this book. I don't really see the point of Darcy meeting him to pay off the demands, especially with Bingley's money when Bingley was in dire financial straits. The end of the book got a little confusing and it was not as entertaining as the first.

There were other characters, such as the corrupt steward/butler and Lady Catherine, who didn't get the comeuppance they truly deserved. I love a good book with poetic justice. For a good example of that, read Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy, specifically Queen of the Darkness.

I think someone who wants to read a sequel to Pride and Prejudice should stick with Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife and pass on Darcy & Elizabeth.