Pemberley to Waterloo

Pride and Prejudice Chronicles #2

by Anna Elliott

Can their love withstand the trials of war?

Georgiana Darcy and Edward Fitzwilliam want only to be together. But when the former Emperor Napoleon escapes from his exile on the Isle of Elba, Britain is plunged into renewed war with France ... and Edward is once more called away to fight.

To be with the man she loves, Georgiana makes the perilous journey to Brussels, in time to witness the historic downfall of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. But when Edward is gravely injured in the battle, she will need more courage than she ever knew she had to fight for their future together.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Historical Romance, Regency, Historical, Regency Romance

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 25, 2011

About the author

Anna Elliott is an author of historical fiction and fantasy. She enjoys stories about strong women, and loves exploring the multitude of ways women can find their unique strengths. She was delighted to lend a hand with the Sherlock & Lucy series, and thrilled to continue a new spin-off series featuring Becky and Flynn. Her first series, the Twilight of Avalon trilogy, is a retelling of the Trystan & Isolde legend. She wrote her second series, The Pride & Prejudice Chronicles , chiefly to satisfy her own curiosity about what might have happened to Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and all the other wonderful cast of characters after the official end of Jane Austen’s classic work.

WEBSITE: http://sherlockandlucy.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sherlockand...
FACEBOOK READER GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/77782...
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anna-El...

Anna lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and five children.

Reviews

[QNPoohBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Georgiana Darcy is engaged to her true love, Colonel Edward Fitzwilliam. She longs for him when he isn't there and wants to be by his side to help him deal with the difficult things he has seen. When they are reunited after Col. Fitzwilliam was sent with the army to Ireland, things are a bit awkward between them. Edward has a difficult dilemma. Does he stay in the army or sell out? His heart is torn and Georgiana must help him make the decision. At Pemberley, the holiday season is approaching and Elizabeth is expecting a new addition to the family. Some of the young Gardiners are visiting and Kitty Bennet is in residence to help out with the rambunctious youngsters. Kitty is engaged as well but is still a silly flirt. Georgiana is shocked by her friend's behavior but knows it's not her place to say anything. Even so, Georgiana doesn't want to distress Elizabeth. What should she do? Caroline Bingley turns up like a bad penny, still after Darcy. When Edward's brother arrives in time for Christmas and a lively flirtation with Caroline, Caroline seems to want nothing to do with him. Poor Georgiana must interfere with everyone else's love life when all she wants is a happily ever after. The Napoleon escapes from Elba and Wellington is recalled from Vienna to stop the French from advancing on Brussels. Georgiana knows in her heart what she must do but it won't be easy and by the time the Battle of Waterloo is fought and won, Georgiana's happy ending may not be in store.

This story is OK but I think it would work better independently of Austen's story and with original characters. I liked the central romance and that plot was excellent. All the historical events were there in gruesome detail. The secondary stories added little to the story and bogged down the plot. I also noted some errors that made me drop my rating to two stars instead of three. Georgiana is of the Derbyshire Darcys not the Devonshire, however, that mistake could have been deliberate on behalf of the author since it was coming from someone who only knows Col. Fitzwilliam and in a military capacity. The other errors came in the form of childbirth. While it's possible Elizabeth might have a midwife in attendance, I know I would prefer a woman to a fancy male doctor, I know Darcy would want the best of everything for Elizabeth. He would most definately hire an accoucheur or male midwife, probably Sir William Knighton, the best accoucheur in all of England. Hopefully NOT Sir Richard Croft who killed Princess Charlotte in childbirth a few years after this story takes place. I know I'm nitpicking but small details matter when you're trying to set a story in a specific year and a specific place. I wouldn't question it if the story was about ordinary non-Austen characters. If the story was about the Bennets of Longbourn, yes Mrs. Bennet would be attended by her sister and maybe a midwife but the Darcys are wealthy and spend a lot of time in London.

I did appreciate how the author incorporated a little realism about returning veterans and what they went through. The author did do excellent research on Waterloo to make her story more realistic.

I likethe sketches Georgiana drew in her diary. They make the diary seem more realistic.

Georgiana has come a long way from the shy and reserved girl she once was. She's come so far, I don't even buy that she's the same person. She even jokes with someone she meets for the first time! Georgiana is sweet, kind and sensitive. She loves deeply with her whole heart. Georgiana is kind even to fools like Kitty Bennet and nasty witches like Caroline Bingley. I'd like to be Georgiana's friend. Her romance is sweet and swoony in spots. Edward is a tortured hero though. He's been through hell and seen a lot of horrific things. In modern terms, he has PTSD. Georgiana knows this and understands he needs time to heal. Her understanding and sympathy is what makes her an appealing heroine and the romance sweet. Edward can be thick-headed sometimes and proud, like his cousin. Unlike Darcy, Edward needs someone to lean on, to talk to and to listen to him. I still think he's too old for Georgiana but I do like them better now they've gotten to know one another as adults in love rather than child-guardian.

Darcy has also come a long way in three years. He's openly kind and loving towards Elizabeth, even talking about his feelings. Of course he has his moments when he doesn't tell her what's in his head but only because he doesn't want to worry her. Elizabeth isn't her usual lively self. She doesn't sparkle. She's worn down by the end stages of pregnancy and worried about what happens next. Elizabeth is worried about Kitty and frustrated by Caroline. She would be happier if she just told them to go away and leave her alone!

Kitty is still Kitty. *sigh* This author has chosen to ignore the statement that Kitty will spend time with Jane and Elizabeth, learn refinement and manners and marry a clergyman. In this story, Kitty is engaged to a younger son who is making his way in the army. Captain Ayres is a super nice guy who doesn't know Kitty well at all. Kitty is still a Lydia clone, flirting with other men and having a good time. To her credit, she's good with the Gardiner children and I think she'd be a great mother if she grew a brain. Otherwise, she's just like her own mother, silly, stupid and foolish. Captain Ayres is a saint, a sweetheart and a fool for being engaged to Kitty.

Caroline Bingley's subplot takes up too much space and is so totally out of the realm of realism. She's still catty and obnoxious. For some reason she takes Col. Fitzwilliam's brother Frank into dislike. He's jovial and doesn't take anything seriously. Since the death of his bethrothed, he's been even worse. I'd dislike him intensely and not believe it if I didn't know someone who is the EXACT same way! Frank is flirtatious and I suspect he may be a Frank Churchill bad boy. I just really hated this plot. No authors, a woman would not choose to willingly have an illegitimate child ALONE because she doesn't want to trap the man she loves into marriage. No. Just no. Out of wedlock pregnancy was shameful and Caroline would be scorned. Her reputation would be ruined and her family's by association. If this is her intent then she succeeded but that doesn't seem to be her motive.

Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper at Pemberley is a champ. She's warm-hearted inside, tough outside and devoted to the Darcy family. However, she has children? Where and since when? Mrs. is usually a courtesy title and servants weren't really allowed to marry.

George Wickham is back. He hasn't learned any lessons and is still the same. Georgiana has changed though and I like how she deals with him. I disagreed with how she handled him. Elizabeth would have done something different for the sake of her sister. However, we don't even know if he'll return to Lydia. One quibble I had was that Georgiana didn't even know he was in the Regulars. Didn't Edward tell her or was he keeping it a secret, afraid to upset her? Not the best way to start a relationship!

Col. and Mrs. Forster reappear in Kitty's life. Apparently now Lydia is married and far away, Harriet has latched on to Kitty. Harriet is simple and uncomplicated. She's very young and still very much in love with her husband. He adores her but what will happen when her naive simplicity is no longer charming? I hate to say it, but I hope he dies so she can grow up and have a mature relationship. I'll just hope it works out for them, if he isn't killed at Waterloo.

Hugh, Lord Cantrell, from the previous book is back. He's a good friend to Georgiana but I don't think he would tell her his secret. She shouldn't know about such things. Also, he would marry anyway because it's his duty to do so and produce an heir. His grandfather told him so over and over. I get being true to oneself but in this time, in 1814, that wasn't truly possible, at least not in England. He doesn't seem to have any family to inherit after him either. How sad for his grandfather to have the line die out.

New characters introduce an element of The Watsons Jane Austen's fragment continued and completed by John Coates and some are original. A secondary romantic subplot involved Georgiana's former governess, Ruth. Years ago she fell in love and was left brokenhearted and impoverished. Georgiana wants to help her friend find happiness. I would have liked an entire novel about these characters. Their plot was interesting even though I don't like second chance novels. Unfortunately, as a subplot, it is unnecessary and rushed. It shows Georgiana is a romantic at heart and a kind person but it's not necessary.

Lord Carmichael is the obvious Willoughby to Kitty's Marianne. His reputation is known to all as a dangerous man for unmarried ladies. This subplot should have been saved for Kitty's diary. It doesn't add to Georgiana's story.

Mrs. Metcalfe, Harriet Forster's grandmother, is a lively old lady. She has a wicked wit and gets on well with Georgiana. I really like her and wanted to read more about her.

Sargeant Kelly, a friend of Edward's, is a fun character. He's a charming Irishman who adores his Colonel, giving us an idea of what kind of man Edward is. Sargeant Kelly is loyal to the man who is loyal to his troops. Sgt. Kelly feels protective of his Colonel's extended family and friends. He's a good man.

Giles Tomalin does not deal well with adversity. He's throwing himself a pity party when the alternative is much worse. He'd rather die than survive and help others the way Edward wants to do. He needs a good talking to. Everyone else handles adversity better than he does.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first. I won't make the mistake of reading Kitty's diary even though I'm mildly intrigued.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first book a few years' back and loved it. I have no idea why it took me so long to move forward to the sequel. Thanks to reading challenges, I found proper motivation to see what came next in this warm, engaging epistolary-style series.

Pemberley to Waterloo is the second part of Georgiana's Diary and really must be read in order because it picks up right where the other book left off.

All from Georgiana's point of view as she faithfully puts down the events in her life onto the pages of her diary. The author makes this quiet young lady observant and privy to the people around her and the events of their lives, too so that the reader gets to know a larger cast of characters through Georgiana's eyes.

Georgiana has grown so much over the course of the first book and this maturity continues to happen throughout the second book. She goes from a sheltered, shy heiress to a quiet, but brave young woman who is ready to fiercely fight for those she cares about and none more than her fiance' Colonel Fitzwilliam. Much of the story is set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic War, particularly the events after Napoleon escapes from Elba and fighting resumes.

Georgiana is the main character, but the reader gets to see a goodly amount of the feckless Kitty who didn't learn from her sister Lydia's mistakes and the reader also gets to see the married life of the loving Darcys in the background. But mostly, this is Georgiana and Edward growing as a couple whether together or separated by his military duty.

I loved the first book, but I think I might have enjoyed Pemberley to Waterloo a smidge more seeing Georgie, Kitty, and some others situated in the middle of the events during and after the big brutal battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo and afterwards.

It was an emotional drama, but there was some lightness provide in the form of little literary easter eggs buried throughout the story for readers to notice and, of course, Georgiana's sometimes wry humor she puts into the pages of her diary.

In summary, it was a sensational wrap up to Georgiana's story, but also preps the reader for the new series' arc of Kitty's ongoing story in the next book. So, for those who enjoy first person point of view in epistolary form and seeing strong growth in their characters over a gently-paced developing historical sweet romance, don't hesitate to pick up Georgiana's Diary volume one and go from there.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only have a few moments to write this, and my hands are shaking so much that I've already upset the inkwell twice. We arrived in Brussels this afternoon. And the fighting is expected to begin tomorrow. The war has truly begun.

Pemberley to Waterloo by Anna Elliott is the sequel to Georgiana Darcy's Diary, a continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Elliott's novels are written from the viewpoint of Mr Darcy's younger sister, Georgiana, in the style of a personal diary.

Pemberley to Waterloo begins during Christmas in the year 1814. Georgiana is impatiently waiting for the time when she can marry her sweetheart, Edward Fitzwilliam. For now, though, she continues to reside at Pemberley with her brother and his wife, Elizabeth, who is heavily pregnant with her first child. Elizabeth's younger sister, Kitty, is staying with them, and Caroline Bingley also stops by for a bit, as does Edward's brother, Frank.

Edward has just returned from his army post in Ireland and is grappling with the emotional scars left by a career in warfare. Despite this, Georgiana remains excited by the prospect of their future together, especially now that the war with Napolean appears to be over. She cannot wait to become Edward's wife - this is a love-match, truly. Georgiana has matured into a thoughtful, considerate young woman who admires her brother and sister-in-law, and finds Kitty's escapades silly and annoying. Georgiana is a listener who does not judge others when they reveal their socially awkward secrets. Always the optimist, Georgiana is a romantic who wants to see everyone happy and lucky in love, as she and her brother have been.

But then the unthinkable happens: Napolean escapes his prison and Edward must once again return to the battlefield. Georgiana, desperately fearing for his life, risks her own and travels to Brussels in an attempt to be closer to him. As the fighting breaks out and people flee Brussels for the relative safety of Antwerp, Georgiana makes the decision to remain in the dangerzone, continuing the search for Edward amongst the injured and the dead. She sees and experiences the worst imaginable, but does so stoically and amiably - she will do no less than what Edward would do in return, constantly finding strength in the belief that love conquers all adversities.

By writing Pemberley to Waterloo in the format of a diary, Elliott provides her readers with a clear insight into her heroine's true thoughts and feelings. It also allows for greater scope to consider issues relevant to the era, particularly those pertaining to the role of women in society, social standards pertaining to marriage and children, and of the horrors of war, complicated by the medical inadequacies of the time.

I also really enjoy the fact that these "diaries" are beautifully illustrated, setting the scene more perfectly, putting faces to the characters, and bringing to life the Regency era. How can you not admire the time, dedication and skill that Laura Masselos has put into these pictures? I wholeheartedly feel the story would be incomplete without them.

A perfect Valentine's Day read!

[Teresita · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a war everyone loses

But it also brings forward a person's inner strength or weakness and that is masterfully portrayed in this story. A highly recommended read.

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sicuramente meno accattivante del precedente, ma molto più intenso questo diario che va dalle feste di Natale 1814 al luglio 1815, con il clou che si tocca nei giorni caldi di giugno che portarono alla Battaglia di Waterloo. Accanto a Georgiana, Kitty Bennet e la giovanissima Mrs. Forster, che sono andate in Belgio con la nonna di quest'ultima per stare vicine ai loro mariti/fidanzati. Anche se Kitty, dopo aver tradito l'uomo con cui era fidanzata con un nobile dongiovanni, lo ha lasciato ed è andata in Belgio per rivedere il giovane Casanova, che però fa finta di non riconoscerla.
Sia dopo Quatre Bras che dopo la terribile battaglia di Waterloo, Georgiana e le altre si dedicano a curare i feriti, ma soprattutto a cercare tra i sopravvissuti i loro uomini. Le notizie che arrivano sono spesso contrastanti, e infatti, dopo aver ricevuto la notizia della morte del colonnello Forster, Georgiana scopre che si tratta di un altro ufficiale, mentre il marito della loro amica è stato ferito gravemente, ma è ancora vivo. Per non darle false speranze, dopo il ciolpo ricevuto dalla prima notizia, Georgiana attraversa la città assieme a uno degli uomini del colonnello Fitzwilliam, vedendo orrori ancora più raccapriccianti di quello che ha visto restando in casa e curando i feriti. Più avanti riuscirà a trovare anche il suo Edward, ma lo trova più morto che vivo...
Si conclude con questo romanzo la storia dedicata a Georgiana, ma Kitty, dopo le marachelle combinate in questo romanzo, deve ancora avere il suo lieto fine, cosicché il terzo diario di queste Pride and Prejudice Chronicles sarà il suo.

[Audiobook Accomplice (Gillian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soooo enjoyed this Listen—Now I reeeeally wanna get to the third installment of this wonderful series!
My Full Review →

[K Whatsherface · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those everyone gets a happy ending stories...expect maybe kitty but she has the next book for that

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ...

Volume II of The Diary of Georgiana Darcy picks up shortly after the first book's triumphant end, and immediately throws cold water on the main couple's joy (of course, otherwise there wouldn't be a book). Napoleon has escaped his exile, and Col. Fitzwilliam has decided not to leave the army after all; his services have specially been requested by Wellington, and he wants to see the fight through. And off he goes to Belgium.

I can't, just can't rate this one as highly as the first one, for the simple fact that it had me worried for several chapters that it was going to take a well-trodden path, and I reassured myself by reminding myself that with the first book so much better than expected, she wouldn't … and then she did. And the big fat glittery cliché that results was extremely disappointing.

There was still much to like about the book: Wickham's comeuppance, and a really very nice exploration of Kitty's character. She and Georgiana head off to Belgium with a couple of other officers' wives, meaning to see their men again before the battle they know is coming. Unfortunately, their timing is drastically off, and they find themselves very nearly in the path of the fighting, and then they find themselves trying to do anything they can to aid the wounded who come flooding in. Nearly everything from the moment they leave Pemberley was – just – saved from the "same-old same-old" formula by the girls' characterizations, that of some of the soldiers they encounter, and solid writing. I'm not sure this compensates fully for the (I feel) unfortunate decision to extend the story in this way, but it was still overall very readable and enjoyable. Kitty, always the most disregarded character in Pride and Prejudice, I think, comes into her own nicely – steals the show, in fact. She's heart-breaking, and I've never been able to say that about Kitty Bennet before. I'm looking forward to her Diary (in which she, having Given Up Men, tries to find a match for poor Mary) with about one hundred percent more eagerness than I would ever have thought.

But still. Napoleon's army is (*points*) right there. Once all the menfolk of the house have gone off to fight, that leaves – I'll do the math for you: only women. Four ladies, of varying ages but at least two young and nubile. Okay, your turn: take four women (age and nubility (?) being irrelevant, really), and add one horde of French soldiers, then add one horde of Belgian and English soldiers, and then subtract whichever horde gets to the house second. Then you might as well subtract the women, 'cause the soldiers won't leave much that resembles a lady.

And my goodness, Caroline Bingley, what you do get up to. I'm not entirely sure I buy into all of it, but hateful as Caroline is I have to admit it's enjoyable to watch her twist in the wind a little.

(For the curious, or those who have already read it, the Big Huge Ridiculous Cliché the author succumbed to is: Fitzwilliam is wounded in battle: a head wound which is utterly un-disfiguring, of course, but which leaves him blind. He grumps about, tries to drive Georgiana away for her own good, Georgiana sticks tight, they make up and decide to get married A.S.A.P., and then Fitz gets clocked upside the head again. And yes, of course it restores his sight. It's two worn-out tropes in one, actually: "I'm a burden you can't love me go away" and The Magical Head-Bump of Healing. I was, in a word, pissed.)

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderfully written diary of Georgiana Darcy was amazing. I can picture and hear her voice very clearly. Ms Elliot story is told through georgiana's diary and from her point of view. This story is a continuation of P&P and starts out about 2 yrs after P&P. Georginana is bethrothed to col Fitzwilliam and before they can get married, Napolean escapes Alba and col F is thrust back into battle(he was working for Wellington at the time). The road to happiness is long and full of the unknown. Wonderful journey. Characters were true and believable. We see Darcy and Elizabeth. Lots of real life stiff going on and we see it all through georgiana's eyes. Also there are lovely drawings that dipict scenes that are wonderful extras. This 2nd book from Georgina's POV is a definite read for all the Jane Austen fans. Absolutely loved it.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was lovely. I think it was a great choice by the author to write these books in diary form as the first-person narrative of a minor character from Jane Austen’s novel helps avoids any unnecessary comparison with Jane’s writing style and enables the character of Georgiana to have her own voice separate from her original creator.

The post-battle scenes reminded me of Gone With The Wind, with Kitty Bennet and Georgiana channelling Melanie Wilkes with all their might while caring for the wounded soldiers. The women in this book all go in slightly unexpected directions (Elizabeth Darcy excepted, and she goes precisely where we all want her to go) and it’s interesting to see how they are shaped by the circumstances and society they find themselves in.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't as good as the first one, but it was pretty good. I liked the first half and the last quarter, but didn't love the part at war. It just wasn't engaging to me. But the other, gossipy parts I liked. The only other issues I had with this were (and the first is sort of minor): 1. I find it unlikely that Elizabeth would not have a wet-nurse or additional help; the amount of care she provided her son seemed inconsistent with the times and her wealth, and 2. There is NO WAY Edward and Georgiana would be engaging in so much cuddling, lap holding, and kissing. It is so inconsistent with the times that it kind of bothered me. They are downright modern teenagers in their displays of affection. Other than that, I enjoyed the premise and the story.

[Janell · Rating 3 out of 5]

So-so sequel to Georgiana Darcy's Diary, Vol. 1. Unfortunately, while the first book had a certain charm, this book seemed to really stretch the "threads" connecting this story to that of Georgiana Darcy in Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Plus, in spite of a war-time plot, the story had little substance, with several scenes that were pretty far-fetched. Probably 2 1/2 stars.

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this before and I love this whole series. Georgiana is one of my favorite characters that I felt wasn’t explored enough in the original Pride And Prejudice. I’m so glad that she was given a happily ever after.
I enjoyed this book book and would recommend it to everyone. I look forward to re-reading the last book in the series.

[Anoush · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick and silly, easily resolved, but cute.

[Barbara K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's difficult to review this middle book, of a series of three books, after I've already read the third, but I'll give it a try. I was hesitant to read this at all because I find the Battle of Waterloo, if it's covered at all realistically, to be one of the most difficult historical events to read about, and having already read Georgette Heyer's impeccably researched account, I wasn't eager to go there again. But the first book of this series, Georgiana Darcy's Diary, was so compelling and fleshed out the characters so well that I found I couldn't help myself.

The first half of the book takes place at Pemberley, and again this is written in the form of a diary, and still using Georgiana's voice to tell the story. She's now engaged to Colonel Fitzwilliam, and in spite of his prior wound and his PTSD, he's still in the Army. Here my account gets sketchy, because I'm having trouble differentiating what happened in the first book from what happened in the second book. I think that's a compliment to the author, though. She was able to keep the characters true from one book to the next, something that is not always easy, and I was impressed with how Georgiana grew as the stories went along. She truly matured from a teenager in love into a grown woman who had to face the grim realities of life, while still coming to terms with some of her girlhood errors, the biggest being her near elopement with George Wickham. I love how she's characterized here as a mostly quiet person but one who is tuned into other people so well that she can't help seeing when they're troubled, and can't not try to help. This goes so far as to include some people you or I might not want to bother helping, such as Caroline Bingley.

Kitty Bennet comes into the picture here, when she visits Pemberley for the holidays and gets herself into some encounters with a notorious rake. She's sent home, but reappears in the second half of the book, when she and Georgiana travel to Brussels with Harriet Forster, Colonel Forster's young wife. Then comes the famous battle and the aftermath, and all the wounded.

This story, in some ways, isn't as conclusive as it is a kind of bridge between the first and third books of the series, especially as regards Kitty Bennet. I had trouble even calling it a romance for that reason, although there is plenty of romance in it. But our main couple are already a couple, and well, to say more would give too much away. It seems to cement their relationship, and gives Georgiana a distinct coming of age experience before marriage.

This book does require some emotional fortitude to read, but the Waterloo portion of it is not as much of a blow-by-blow report as Heyer provided in An Infamous Army where she followed the battle itself, in which her hero had four horses shot from underneath him, and in which she brought the Duke of Wellington to life on the page. Still, in order to give any realism to the event, one has to travel into the dark side of human history a little ways. Otherwise why bother taking the reader there at all? Things hang in the balance for our main couple for a while there, so in a sense it's a second romance for them. Kitty Bennet has a different kind of experience, but then the rest of her story has to wait for the next book in the series.

I started to give this four stars, and then I wasn't sure why, because it was very well done, and I found myself thinking a lot about it after I read it. So I've upped my rating to 5 stars. Never fear, if you find this one too emotionally grueling. Once you've read it, the third in the series feels quite a bit lighter, in fact at times really funny.

[Allie Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've now read both volumes of Georgiana Darcy's diary this week, and I found them sweet, and loving, and faithful to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Georgiana Darcy is the much-younger sister of Fitzwilliam Darcy, he of the haughty demeanour who eventually marries Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. She is a very minor character in Austen's novels, but is brought to vivid life by author Anne Elliott in a series of diaries. In the first diary, the young heroine seeks to be loved by the man of her dreams, a soldier and all-round decent guy; in the second installment Georgiana, now engaged to Mr. Right, follows him to Belgium while he fights at Waterloo. I really enjoyed the tender, determined, feisty character of Darcy's younger sister, and thanked Elliott for making her not just a googly-eyed Regency heroine, but a woman with a mind of her own, with intelligence and fortitude and a heart of gold.

It was also lovely to revisit Darcy and Elizabeth. Elizabeth is just about to have/has her first child in the novel. Elizabeth is just fine, healthy baby, healthy mama, but Elliott does posit the risk of Elizabeth dying in childbirth, as in the 19th century women often did die in childbed, and their babies as well.

There are more of these books out there and I'm going to read all them. Kudos to Anne Elliott for adapting my favourite novel so well.

[peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a lot of hope for this one after the first book. I liked the first half a lot--although I thought the whole Caroline Bingley subplot was a bit ridiculous. I did appreciate that Georgiana and Edward's relationship matured and stepped away from the whole guardian thing (which I could not get past in the first book). The romance was engaging until the end where it got a little cliche for my taste.

I was overall disappointed by the ending. The author gave in to the most generic cliches. Edward goes blind from a head injury, but *magically heals* after getting in a fight with Wickham, who otherwise contributes absolutely nothing to the plot. Please. The author could've done a lot with this ending. It just did not do it for me.

I'm still rating 3 stars because the author did really flesh out some other P&P side characters (Kitty for example). Were these characterizations accurate? Not exactly. But they were fun to read nonetheless. I also appreciated how much research the author put into Waterloo and the aftermath of war. Edward suffers with what would be PTSD in modern terms. I think the author handles this well in the story and shows what the real challenges of dealing with this in a relationship.

All in all, it was ok. The first book was better.

[Rachael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book a big letdown after the first one. All of the pregnancy and childbirth passages were problematic. I know it's her home but Elizabeth would not have been going down to the public rooms a mere 3 days after giving birth. Due to her status and wealth she would also have had an army of midwives and wet nurses on standby for at least the last month of her pregnancy, and she most certainly wouldn't have been attending, let alone hosting, a very large ball that close to the end of her pregnancy. Darcy seemed totally absent from the whole story despite him and Georgiana being extremely close in Austen's world; I can't imagine him ever allowing her to travel to a war zone just because she misses her fiance. I mean really, the whole plot line of traveling to Brussels was just silly considering Georgiana's status and place in the world.
Oh well, you win some you lose some in the Austen-spin off world!

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't want to rate the book well, I feel silly enjoying this series so much. It just cracks me up to hear the voice of the characters I know so well, in diary form, telling the rest of their story. I love it when everything works out well in the end, but this is not a romance novel! I will try to pretend it is historical fiction, because I did learn a little about the Battle of Waterloo. Did you know it is not just an ABBA song?

[N.W. Moors · Rating 5 out of 5]

Georgianna Darcy and Edward FitzWilliam are engaged to be married. Life continues at Pemberley until Napoleon escapes from Elba and Edward is called back to duty on Wellington's staff.
This is a continuation of Georgianna's Diary, so the book is written in the form of a journal with lovely sketches to illustrate the people in Georgianna's life. The story is romantic and written in the style of Jane Austen. I very much enjoyed it and will look for more books by this author.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting continuation of Pride and Prejudice but with Georgiana Darcy as the main character. The soldiers have fought Waterloo and some convalesced at Pemberly with Kitty and Georgiana helping to care for the soldiers and characters exhibiting PTSD.
The only part I remember that gave pause was that Kitty and Georgiana would have attended a ball uninvited, unchaperoned, and unannounced; not for Georgiana's status and that time period.
This is book two of a trilogy.

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Georgiana's Story Continues- An Excellent Read

I loved this continuation of Georgiana Darcy's story. The author has created a lovely, lively, and exciting telling of this story. I am a history buff and I was so pleased with her telling of a soldier's life and the way battles and war really happened in this time period. It made it very exciting. I could not put this novel down until the last bit of information had been told. I look forward to the next story.

[Lizette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful realistic, interesting characters and plot

Georgiana experiences a broad swath of life: many things happen involving many people. Georgiana watches, reflects, and worries in her journal. She speaks boldly with a variety of people, becoming an agent of change in her own and others' lives. She's still the young woman we love, telling us about others and her life with insight and detail. By the end, we rejoice with her in her hard-earned happiness.

[Jenna H. King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging from the first page to the last!

Like me, you must be a fan of Pride and Prejudice, if you are considering this book. Wonder no more and get it! The story is full of your favorite chapters with a storyline to complement volume 1 in the most engaging way. I read only a few pages each night but it is easy to pick up the storyline and actually, I can’t wait to read the next page!

[Voirrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

And now we get more serious... Kitty and Georgiana find themselves in Brussels on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo. And Kitty's suddenly hit with a dose of reality like a bucket of cold water - and that at the Duchess of Richmond's Ball before they even have to cope with the aftermath of battle.

[Anna Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I thought I had to suspend my disbelief a couple of times in the first book, but this book requires me to suspend everything from the very beginning. It's still very readable and good to use up a few of those quarantine hours, but don't expect it to have many connections to the original Pride and Prejudice aside from some of the settings and the character names.

[Steve W McCowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

I read the first book, Georgiana Darcy’s Diary, which I enjoyed. I bought this book right after as I wanted to continue the story. I loved it! It was well written and kept me on my toes to the end. These will be books I will go back and read many more times, and enjoy all over again!

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a nice change of pace for me and my usual reading. Having enjoyed all the Jane Austen books of this period featuring the same characters featured here it was easy to pick up on the action. I have read quite a few books featuring Napoleonic conflict and felt this was handled well in this book. It was from the viewpoint of young woman traveling to be on the scene for the Napoleonic war.

Purchased in 2012, put off reading....why? Don't know. I got another one at the same time, I guess.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

So GOOD! Edward is fighting at the Battle of Waterloo. Georgiana goes to Brussels to be near him. However, she doesn’t find him before the battle. Edward is injured during the battle. That is all I will say. You MUST read it for yourself. Thank you Anna Elliott!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Sarah read the audio book version that I listened to. The combination of the author's heartbreaking descriptions of the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo and the affecting performance of the reader made for a memorable listening experience.