The True Darcy Spirit

Darcy #3

by Elizabeth Aston

Cassandra Darcy, disowned by her family, strives to make a living by painting. However, struggling to succeed in bohemian London proves to be the least of her worries.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, Regency, Chick Lit

585 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 2006

About the author

I’m the daughter of two Jane Austen addicts, who decided to call me after a character from one of Jane Austen’s novels. So it’s no wonder that I also became a passionate Jane Austen fan.

Elizabeth Aston is a pen name (it's actually my married name). I first wrote under the name Elizabeth Pewsey, and now Attica Books are reissuing those novels as ebooks under my Aston name.

I've also published several books under my own name Elizabeth Edmondson. They're historicals, but set in the 20th century.

from http://www.elizabeth-aston.com/catego...

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It drags, there are too many unbelievable events and the amount of characters are confusing.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dočítala som vianočný darček od bráška, ďakujem, ďakujem ❤️, hrozne sa mi to páči. ;-) Austenovská tradícia fan fiction, v ktorej autorka opisuje rodinný klan Darcyovcov, má tuším až 7 románov voľne nadväzujúcich na seba a ja ich nutne potrebujem mať všetky. ^_^ Asi si dám novoročné predsavzatie.
...
Tak po dočítaní musí povedať, že to vôbec nie J. Austenová, je to vyslovene fan fikcia, ľúbostná, ale bavilo ma to. Má menej rozvité vety ako klasická J. Austen, celkovo je jazyk modernejší, samozrejme aj téma (samostatne zarábajúca žena), aj keď sa to vždy točí okolo svadieb a "kto s kým a za koľko" ostanú žiť šťastne až do smrti.

[Carole (in Canada) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first two books in this series of Elizabeth and Darcy's grown daughters and enjoyed them. This one I was expecting to as well, but I struggled through it. First, I had to remember that the author is using the timeline of when Miss Austen finished writing the initial draft of 'First Impressions' in 1797 otherwise the dates would not work based on 'Pride & Prejudices' publication in 1813. Second, I found Miss Cassandra Darcy, daughter of Anne de Bourgh and Thaddeus Darcy(deceased and cousin to Fitzwilliam Darcy), to be more of a Bennet (obstinate headstrong girl) but having an immense artistic talent. I will say, I did like her maid, Petifer.

There were parts I enjoyed and others not so much. Two of Elizabeth and Darcy's daughters play a key role in this book. Camilla who is married and Belle. Now, Belle, in the second book 'The Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy' is mentioned already as married,, but in this book she isn't. Now Belle causes problems for Cassandra when she is sent to Rosings Park to keep her out of trouble. Unfortunately, for Cassandra her grandmother, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is no longer with them and a series of events has Cassandra disowned by her step-father, Mr. Partington, and her mother, Anne. There are shades of Lydia and Wickham in this tale, however, Cassandra takes a different route that puts her up against another distant cousin, Mr. Horatio Darcy. He definitely has the Darcy pride in spades but for me, he was the pot calling the kettle black.

"...her refusal to see sense, to conform to the rules and proprieties of that order of society into which she had been born." (quote from the book)

There is an element of intrigue in this book that really didn't do much for the story other than, for me, being solved so abruptly, with consequences between Horatio and Cassandra, that had me shouting out 'What just happened here!'

So this brings me to another struggle...rating the book. Like I said, I liked parts of it and the writing and editing were there. I think I would have preferred more interaction between Cassandra and Horatio than what was written. I do also plan to continue reading the series.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really fun for a book I had zero expectations going in to.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the previous volumes in the series, but not better than mediocre. Artist Cassandra Darcy (distant cousin) escapes her wicked stepfather and terrible mother (who have consigned her to a terrible guardian and boring intended after deciding she’d been inappropriate with a painter) by eloping with her First Love, but discovers he’s a jerkypants (all this, told in flashback) and embarks upon life as a Ruined Woman. Several dangerous interludes later, Our Hero Horatio Darcy (distant cousin) realizes he’s a big ol’ sexist and falls for Cassandra. Still more obstacles and courtly intrigue and a farcical ending. This book is quite uneven, excellent if plebeian where Cassandra interacts with her best friend (who sadly disappears from the text when she is no longer useful in driving the plot) and her cousin Camilla, unconvincing in turning our hero from a hypocritical prude to a worshipper of a bluestocking, interested in the Regency period but full of unnecessary anachronisms.

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this so long ago in paperback and mean to reread to post an honest review but for now this will have to do.

[Amelie Cuppens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very compelling read. I really liked this novel, despite its many inaccuracies.

However, since the story often refers to the events and main characters from the first two books in the Darcy series, I do recommend reading these first before starting this one.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. It keep me interested and I definitely wanted to know what would happen and had to read it to the end. I always like stories from that time period too, and clean romances. I have to admit that I am not a favorite of Elizabeth Aston though. I don't find that I like her nearly as much as Jane Austen. I just don't quite like her characters as much or maybe the plot is quite as good, I'm not sure. Maybe its just her style I don't like as well. Anyway, I'm not sure I will read any more of her books for now.

[Novelle Novels · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5 stars
Cassandra Darcy has been disgraced and disowned by her family. When she has a chance meeting with one of her Pemberley cousins it brings both friendship and chance to support herself. Unfortunately I found this abit slow and it took a while to get into. The ending was really good though which is what gained it half a star.

[SarahC · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars to be more exact.

This is one of the most enjoyable Austen continuations I have read to date. The world of Austen fan fiction is a tricky place. Positioning a novel in this particular sub-genre would not be the easiest path for any writer because the biggest competition is the fabulous Jane Austen herself. So writers of Austenia take many routes. There are prequels, sequels, and retellings of all sorts. As a reader, it is fun to sort through all these possibilities, but it does get discouraging when you find too many that just aren’t quite what you are looking for to refresh your Jane-deprived soul.

Elizabeth Ashton’s The True Darcy Spirit is a well done work of psuedo-Austen lit. It is flavored not only with Austen characters and spirit, but also represents the fine vintage-style literature that has come since Austen -- I especially see some 20-21th century style here -- historical fiction such as that of Georgette Heyer, Donna Grove and Deanna Raybourn. So Ashton’s writing carries a nice timeless touch -- about Austen’s world, but not so parallel to Austen that the story stifles. Her plot and characters have a life of their own.

The story centers on Cassandra Darcy, daughter of Anne de Bourgh and a Darcy cousin who has passed away. When a step-father enters Cassandra’s life, her comfortable home life is no more. Cassandra is not one to be immersed in the rules of being lady nor in other restrictions of her step father’s strict standards. She is wrongly punished for a misstep and sent away to the guidance of a relative, where she makes a bad choice in men and the real trouble begins as she is banished from the family.

Horatio Darcy is displeased at being brought into the details of Cassandra’s disinheritance. Horatio, a younger son of a Fitzwilliam Darcy uncle, is not living the fine life of Pemberley either. Born further down the ladder, he is beginning his way in life as a London attorney, and so is hired by Cassandra’s wicked stepfather. Horatio is at a crossroads, dallying with a troublesome upper crust lady, but also making truer friends among other classes of society. Even as he sees the possibilities of a different side of life, he still isn’t convinced of cousin Cassandra’s choice to redeem herself through hard work as a serious painter living in London. What Darcy lady could live alone and make her own way in the Regency world?

Along with her handsome cousin’s uncertain opinion, Cassandra gains support and adversaries alike as she lives as a modern-thinking girl in London. Other Darcy cousins and children of Darcy and Elizabeth appear and add to the plot. Also some royal blackmail and intrigue has to be put to rest as best as possible during the story.

It is not a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but instead a tribute to this most famous Austen fictional family. Ashton doesn’t rely on growing more troubles for Fitzwilliam and Lizzie, nor does she recast the original characters in uncomfortable roles. Readers of The True Darcy Spirit particularly won’t find the sensual details of the relationships in the story as the interest in this story is a finer type of romance and more about falling in love than falling into bed. Ashton provides overall good writing and well-paced dialog.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As perhaps the biggest Jane Austen fan writing this review, I was excited to learn of Aston's take-off series detailing the lives of future generations of Darcy. The main character in The True Darcy Spirit is Casssandra Darcy, the granddaughter of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Her feeble, simpering mother has been widowed, and has remarried an intolerable man with no imagination. Cassandra is therefore an outcast at Rosings Park.

She soon finds herself in a truly Austenesque bind. She is falsely accused of giving a kiss without an engagement, and is sent away to Bath in shame. There, she meets Mr. Eyre, a classic Austen male. He's charming, handsome, and universally liked by all eligible women within a 10 mile radius. Uh-oh. This is a bad sign. Like Willoughby and Wickham, Eyre is a scoundrel. He takes Cassandra to London on the pretense that they will elope. Later, he demands a large dowry before marrying the likes of her. Cassandra is appalled and heart-broken, and decides to break off the forced engagement.

She is therefore left on her own in a society that provides few choices for "sluts" like Cassandra, other than prostitution. I won't spoil the rest of the book for you-- enjoy the plot twists yourself.

In my opinion, Aston (so close to Austen!)could, at best, hope to imitate Austen's genius. She does so in some important ways. The themes of how women in this society were not allowed to work, and how the most popular men often turn out to be rats fall nicely into Austen's genre.

However, Aston cannot approach Austen's delightful character development and comedic array of individuals. I was sorry that Aston did not include even ONE conversation with Mr. Collins. In the end, this was a well-executed copy of Austen's literary magic. Aston is at best a high-end Xerox. This is good if, like me, you've already exhausted the existent Austen library.

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Here I am at the last Elizabeth Aston book in my possession, and it was a stinker. There are more books in this series, but I don't think I'll seek them out. I really enjoyed The Adventures and Exploits of Miss Alethea Darcy, and hoped that this novel would closely follow that style. Unfortunately, Mrs. Aston reverted back to the comforts of Mr. Darcy's Daughters, and I must despise this novel more because of it.

In truth, this novel had a well conceived storyline, with those twists of personal connections that Mrs. Aston has a fondness for adding at the end of her books. The end was completely predictable and followed the pattern that Mrs. Aston has been developing in her novels.

I could not abide this book because Mrs. Aston reintroduced her theme: the complete lack of morality in early 20th century England. No one is chaste, least of all the Darcy decendents. Worst of all are the man-whores who populate every chapter. Were the men of that time really so virile they could satisfy a wife, a mistress or two, and all the whorehouses of London? This stereotype is broadly and specifically assigned to each male character of this book, saving only Miss Camilla Darcy's husband. In addition, the exploits of these man-whores are continually commented on, leaving me no enjoyment of the story at hand. At least in Miss Alethea's adventures, we were consumed in her narrow escapes and saving the day. Here Mrs. Aston has none such endeavors to save my interest level, and we are left with profligate men to broaden the storyline.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first 60% of the book dragged with the main character--the one supposedly dripping with "The True Darcy Spirit"--languishing in Lydia Bennett stupidity. The final 40% finally picked up in interest, but didn't do the relationship justice. Damn Costco for their bulk pricing and enticing book stacks.

[Miriam Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Read!You get a little of the old Darcy family and just get to enjoy a fun JA universe read.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you really like the author and the way she treats the supposed second generation of Darcy women, then it would be possible to like this work.  As for me, someone with decidedly mixed feelings about the author's treatment of Austen's writings and family, I found this book to be a mixed bag, like the author's work in general.  In fact, the more I read of Aston's works, the more I am convinced that the author is really not aware of what she is doing.  She makes works that are full of knowing winks and references to Austen's body of work as a whole (here she not only winks at Pride & Prejudice, which is to be expected, but makes the odious Mrs. Norris a substantial threat, and somehow known to the characters as someone who helps take care of wayward women who elope unwisely.  That said, Aston misses the heart of what makes Austen's novels such a joy to read.  It is not merely that Austen was rather unsentimental about the dangers faced by her characters, but that she manages to show her main characters as honorable and decent (if hardly perfect) women even while showing the shenanigans and corruption of her age that surrounds her characters.  Aston lacks that crucial insight.

The plot itself is something that one would expect as wish fulfillment for fallen filles.  Cassandra Darcy is the oldest daughter of Anne de Bourgh, but she is not loved by her stepfather and after being falsely accused of tussling in the bushes with a talented German painter, she is sent off in disgrace to stay with a relative, where she rashly elopes with a debtridden naval officer on half-salary who only wants her for her supposed dowry.  Refusing either of the options provided by a lawyer cousin, Horatio Darcy, she seeks to make it on her own as a painter in London, finding help from her former maid and avoiding the clutches of the loathsome and not very uxorious Lord Usborne.  Eventually she gets caught up in an affair about letters that would incriminate Princess Caroline that her estranged husband, the loathsome Prince Regent, would like to have to help his divorce case against her, and seeks to find a place of honor and respect despite her previous disastrous elopement, which occurs because the author has a high taste for these things, even having a mysterious and shrewish old man in Mrs. Shawardine providing the ability for Mr. Horatio Darcy to settle down with someone who is not Lord Usborne's wife, with whom he has been carrying on his own adulterous relationship.

The author appears all too interested in writing with the moral worldview of Prinny and his set or the contemporary moral worldview than that of Jane Austen.  Perhaps it would seem unrealistic and rather tame for characters to be as virtuous of those of Jane Austen's leading ladies--for while there are plenty of supporting characters who are by no means chaste or honorable ladies, one thing that can be said about Jane Austen's heroines is that they are all decent and moral ladies, ladies that any decent and honorable man would be able to respect.  That cannot be said for the protagonists here--one of whom runs off with a man and then refuses to marry him because he's a golddigger and the other of whom has to be almost bribed to marry his proud and dignified and worthwhile cousin and make an honest woman out of her.  Neither of these characters are the stuff by which happy endings in Jane Austen's novels are made of, but are rather the sort of characters that Austen would use for a darker moral subplot.  On top of that, the author includes another important pooftah whose death at the hands of Lord Usborne conveniently allows Horatio to come into independence and political power.  How very convenient.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

"After being disowned by her family, Casandra Darcy -- the artistic eldest daughter of Anne de Bourgh (and granddaughter of the infamous Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mr. Darcy's cousin in Pride and Prejudice) -- strives to make a living by painting. But struggling to succeed in bohemian London turns out to be the least of her worries! To begin with, there are the unwelcome advances of a certain Lord Usborne, and then there are the letters bequeathed to her by a friend -- highly compromising letters written by Princess Caroline that her husband, the Prince Regent, would very much like to possess. In league with Lord Usborne, the prince enlists the services of Cassandra's cousin, Horatio Darcy, who is a lawyer, to track down the missives. When Horatio's investigation leads him straight to Cassandra, he initially disapproves of her lifestyle until he finds himself utterly charmed by it -- and particularly by her. Romance may prove elusive, however, as social obstacles and the efforts of a vengeful Lord Usborne conspire to divide the two would-be lovers."
~~back cover

Unfortunately, the author is not nearly as witty nor as well-crafted a writer as our Jane was. The book moves along at a good pace, but I detected the romance the first time the man made his appearance. There are the usual difficulties, mostly because of the strict class structure and hidebound social mores. But of course there's an HEA, several of them as a matter of fact. Like our Jane, all the various strings are bundled up and solved in the end -- after all, and Jane Austen fan fic can't be dark or end sadly.

[Diane Shearer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Camilla Darcy should have been called Cassandra so Cassandra could have been called Camilla. She is so like Fanny Burney’s Camilla. A young girl thrown on the mercy of Society who can’t make a good decision to save her life. Once again, Isabelle Darcy is creating havoc wherever she goes with her selfishness while poor Cassandra Darcy takes the blame. Happily, the servants come to her rescue. First her own maid and then Griffey, the former governess turned author. Servants know everything, as we are well aware. The men in this story are particularly hideous. It’s rather darker than I liked, especially at the end. There is a reliance on deus ex machina which should have come off as Dickensian but didn’t. But the world of the demi monde, the poets, artists, and painters, the people who live outside the ton is so interesting and well done here, it’s very much an homage to Burney, and it’s part of the Regency era that we almost never get to enter in this genre outside of the occasional visit to Vauxhall Gardens or one of the teenagers sneaking into a masked ball. I really enjoyed it.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 3 of Elizabeth Ashton‘s Darcy series.
Cassandra Darcy, the artistically, gifted, eldest daughter of Anneberg and granddaughter of the infamous lady Catherine Deberg has been disowned by her stepfather and cowering mother, and after several misadventures due to her naivety, is now trying to make her way in London by painting portraits. A distant cousin, Horatio Darcy, lawyer, hired by Cassandra’s stepfather to disown her after a mistaken embrace in the shrubbery, with artist, Henry Lister, is horrified by the scandal attached to Cassandra, and yet drawn to her at the same time. He is the lover of lady Osborne, who has tried to make Cassandra his mistress.
however all things turn out for the best, and it is happily ever after for everyone, with several marriages and most unlikely pregnancy in high places.

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cassandra Darcy, heroine and one of the main victims in this tale is a vibrant young woman, who has been sorely misused by her step-father, paramour, and society in general. It is that time period when women were treated like cattle...told what to do, where to go and if you were poor, it was even worse. I read historical fiction because of the settings and eras they are set in because these tales show how far we have come and yet how similar our two time periods are. There are still horrendous injustices for the poor, children and women. It is still the rich who are usually protected and have the most necessities and luxuries of life.
In keeping with Jane Austen's style of writing and the lifestyle of the characters, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other Aston works.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I say that I would never read another JA fanbook! What will power - not even a month since I finished Mr Darcy's Daughters (The Darcy Series #1)! Well I did need a break from the complexities of Joyce's Ulysses and Gerard Reve's The Evenings which I was concurrently reading, and it was a free download from Audible so who can blame me. It was all a bit ridiculous with some impossible coincidences. The heroine, Cassandra, was naif beyond belief and the interaction and love interest with Darcy really did need developing. They seemed to drop into each other's arms without any build-up. Still, it was great to see Camilla back from Darcy's Daughters - the real heroine of the book together with Petifer. All good clean fun!

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was My favorite so far, I loved Cassandra's indomitable spirit. I have seen some reviewers be critical saying this is not Austin, but I really thing Aston did a great Job researching the times and writing in the Austin spirit. This is the next generation of Darcy's and I think she truly caught both the spirit of the original and the progression of the next generation. I particularly liked reading about woman of this time making progress, and wanting jobs and knowing they could paint or write as well if not better then their male counterparts - seems a timely tale to me.

[Mathilde · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a devoted Jane Austen fan, I wanted to love The True Darcy Spirit. The premise had promise, and there are moments that capture a hint of Austen’s wit and charm. But the characters feel like faint echoes of the originals, and the story lacks the sparkle and subtlety that make Austen’s world so irresistible. Enjoyable in parts, but ultimately a pale imitation of the real thing. To be honest, it felt at times a bit like a wattpad fan fiction of Pride&Prejudice.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naive, headstrong, obstinate, unyielding and that's only the beginning of her faults. Arrogant, superior, judgmental are the beginning of his. Yet some how they are a perfect match in spite of themselves. An interesting set of characters inhabit this story. I enjoyed this third installment and will start the next tomorrow.

[ladylassitude · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Austen was satirising her contemporaries and making biting comments on women’s lives, but this just seemed to be lots of people talking about marriage and girls being headstrong and flirty. Fine, but I need it to be a bit more fun if it’s going to be light and fluffy

[Dieuwke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unable to finish this book, despite having had, and enjoyed, a fair share of fan fiction.
I thought it was rather cheap, and couldn’t more than attempt a grin, when Mrs Norris (to name just one) was thrown in. Amongst other faults I see in this book.

[Jennsie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story focuses on the artistic daughter Cassandra of fictional Darcy family. I found it slow-moving and generally hard to follow and hard to get interested in with the writing style. I won’t be reading more of this series.

[Jolette · Rating 1 out of 5]

1,5 stars. Not a fan of fan fiction.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

took a while to get interested in the characters and would have liked a Darcy or Elizabeth cameo.

[Salwa Alqallaf · Rating 3 out of 5]

للأمانة هذي اسخف رواية مبنية على كبرياء و هوى

[Isabel Keats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le falta amor por todos lados.