From This Day Forward - The Darcys of Pemberley in Austenesque Lovers TBR Pile Reading Challenge 2016

Nov 09, 2016 Sophia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: holiday-romances, jane-austen-austenesque, historical-romance-english-welsh

A lovely sequel and a heartwarming tribute to Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. From This Day Forward explored the ups and downs of married life for Darcy and Elizabeth and the ongoing stories of courtship, disappointment and love for many others. Moving along gently and thoughtfully, this was a worthy tale of the first few years following the end of P&P.

The story follows Darcy, Elizabeth, Georgiana, and their relations through the early days of the Darcy marriage- daily life, adjustments, lesson A lovely sequel and a heartwarming tribute to Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. From This Day Forward explored the ups and downs of married life for Darcy and Elizabeth and the ongoing stories of courtship, disappointment and love for many others. Moving along gently and thoughtfully, this was a worthy tale of the first few years following the end of P&P.

The story follows Darcy, Elizabeth, Georgiana, and their relations through the early days of the Darcy marriage- daily life, adjustments, lessons learned, and family. Conflict comes from without as Elizabeth knows she must learn her new duties and step into a big role, but also that she must put her own stamp on the Darcy family heritage as mistress and wife of the master. Darcy has come a long way and is prepared to trust and support the woman he loves even as he too must learn what it means for there to be a new mistress and a new lady on his arm entering society. Their daily life is about setting a routine and adjusting to change. Meanwhile, Georgiana is coming of age and must learn to trust herself and decide her own path.

Family events and holidays, society happenings, triumphs, sorrows, love and courtship all make up their ongoing lives over the course of a few years. Will tragedy or interference bring down the Darcy's? Will Georgiana be able to make a nearly impossible decision regarding her own future happiness? What does the future hold for them all?

This was a book that does well tying into the original P&P story and continuing on from there. The author had a strong grasp on historical authenticity and the tone of story and characters. Conflict was organic and not contrived. The new characters that were introduced were interesting and welcome.

Though, I will say that I could have used a chart to figure out all of Darcy's extended family of relations that passed through this book. I eventually got them sorted, but there were many times that I had no idea the connection certain characters had to the Darcys though I vaguely understood them as some relation. It was neat to see that Darcy and Georgiana had more relations than just the Fitzwilliams and that there were more Fitzwilliams as well.

While I absolutely loved seeing the inner workings of the marriage and ongoing love affair for Darcy and Lizzy, it was also fun to see Georgiana emerge as the third main character to get her coming of age and romance. And she was not the only one because the fate of Lizzy's younger sisters is told.

From This Day Forward has some slow spots and is a gentle story, but that doesn't mean that it was boring. There were intense moments and many emotional changes from laughter to tears to fear to hope.

All in all, I loved this first encounter I had with the author and it will definitely not be my last as I work through her backlist. I definitely recommend it for those who enjoy sweet historical romance and Austenesque sequels. ...more

20 likes · Like · see review

Mar 23, 2015 Sheila Majczan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The first time I read this book I received it on loan from friend and author, Joy Dawn King.

Now, however, the dear author, gifted me with my own copy. She had made some changes and additions, i.e., a section at the end explaining the various people, their titles and their connections to each other, etc.

I found myself again in the grips of a powerfully told and dear creation of the life after the wedding ceremony for not only ODC but also their sister, Georgiana. Joana writes the thoughts, the fe The first time I read this book I received it on loan from friend and author, Joy Dawn King.

Now, however, the dear author, gifted me with my own copy. She had made some changes and additions, i.e., a section at the end explaining the various people, their titles and their connections to each other, etc.

I found myself again in the grips of a powerfully told and dear creation of the life after the wedding ceremony for not only ODC but also their sister, Georgiana. Joana writes the thoughts, the feelings, the confusion, the fears and family life in town and at Pemberley.

My first review: I don't usually read sequels: I love variations. However, of the few sequels I have read this has to be the best. I do agree with a few other reviews that I would love to have had a family tree to consult, i.e., Col. Fitzwilliam is spoken about at the end of the book under another name and this is not immediately explained. And Georgiana's married name changes with the death of her husband's grandfather (?) and this was not obvious until a few sentences later. Plus, as someone else pointed out, the story has various POVs and also changes of story line in the middle of a page/with no warning. (Second review: I found I had no problem with the change in POV during this reading.)

Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) said it best in saying that this story is about the two main women in Darcy's life, Elizabeth and Georgiana. The book may seem slow at the beginning to some but I did find that it kept my attention. We are learning about Elizabeth's adjustment to her married life, including her relationship to Georgiana, her role as mistress of two estates with the relationships to the housekeepers, her acceptance (or not) into the ton and into Darcy's extended family. The latter are all new characters in this continuing story.

The tale has two main plots in my opinion: ODC's relationship focusing on pregnancy and Georgiana's coming out. I used a number of tissues in reading this story with not all my tears being for happy, poignant moments. Joana Starnes brought this story into my heart and soul as well as into my mind with the realism of life as a married couple. Her use of both heroines' life experiences to help them deal with new issues show how life shapes us and guides our decision making. As has been said, the author dealt with relationships as more a building process than a light bulb being turned on, i.e., Elizabeth's and Georgiana's evolving sisterly bond and in only learning as needed about past experiences.

One strong note is that after *SPOILER* Elizabeth's miscarriage Georgiana has to speak with Darcy to make him realize that he can't dwell on the tragedy but must move forward for Elizabeth's sake. One gets the feeling here (but it is not explored to my satisfaction) that Darcy is not only all condolences and sad miens but also that he is holding himself apart from Elizabeth in the intimacies of marriage. One only learns that this has been corrected when one learns of a second pregnancy pages later.

Georgina's coming out is all one could imagine. Wickham's past best friend - horrors, but can this man have changed? And then there is the quiet man of whom no one takes notice. Georgiana has a number of suitors - not hard to imagine with her beauty, her connections and her dowry. Very satisfying how this is worked out.

Footnotes are provided which I found helpful and the conversation about historical military practices and styles very interesting but not heavy. The comparisons between the French, Spanish and British commanders and their troops was enlightening.

One last comment, and again, *SPOILER* - Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine - can you imagine? I had to laugh. Delightful. You will enjoy that touch of humor.

Very well done. I highly recommend this as I also recommend all of Joana's other books. ...more

16 likes · Like · see review

Sep 15, 2013 Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) rated it really liked it

Shelves: jane-austen, pride-and-prejudice

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and her most beloved and romantic couple, debut author Joana Starnes takes up her pen to tell the story of what happens after Elizabeth and Darcy say “I Do.” Taking us through the first couple years of marriage, Ms. Starnes astutely illustrates all the adjustments, transitions, and challenges a young bride experiences upon marriage, as well as the joys and blessings. In addition, this sequel also displays the trials, ceremony, and excitement of a you Inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and her most beloved and romantic couple, debut author Joana Starnes takes up her pen to tell the story of what happens after Elizabeth and Darcy say “I Do.” Taking us through the first couple years of marriage, Ms. Starnes astutely illustrates all the adjustments, transitions, and challenges a young bride experiences upon marriage, as well as the joys and blessings. In addition, this sequel also displays the trials, ceremony, and excitement of a young lady’s first season as readers witness Georgiana’s coming out. While there is plenty of Darcy in this sequel, the primary focus of this tale is on his womenfolk – Elizabeth and Georgiana.

Will Elizabeth be able to master her new role as mistress of Pemberley despite the fact that half of Darcy’s family disapproves of her? Will Georgiana be able to conquer her timorous nature and accept the attention and addresses of her various suitors? You must read to find out…

What I loved most about this Pride and Prejudice sequel (besides how the author reverently and skillfully handled Jane Austen’s characters) was that it felt exceedingly realistic! Elizabeth faced a lot of struggles and obstacles as Mrs. Darcy, such as: a housekeeper who treats her with “frosty civility,” key members of the Fitzwilliam family still opposing her marriage, and a new sister who is a little reticent and hard to draw out. I loved that Elizabeth’s transition into her new role wasn’t perfect and that everyone wasn’t instantly in love and accepting of her. I appreciated how Elizabeth had to earn people’s respect and work hard to prove herself.

Another aspect of this story I greatly enjoyed was witnessing Georgiana coming-of-age and falling in love. I admired how Joana Starnes portrayed Georgiana in this sequel – she didn’t immediately warm up to Elizabeth or transform into a mini-Elizabeth with a lively wit and penchant for teasing. She stayed very true to self – sensitive, shy, and still slightly scarred by her past. I enjoyed seeing her interactions with her suitors (she has such a caring heart) and her analyzation and comparison between her current suitors and feelings with those she experienced in Ramsgate with Wickham.

While several sections of this story are low-key and slower in pace, other sections are much accelerated with drama, tragedy, and tension. I very much enjoyed both the low-key moments and the high drama, but I kind of felt the sometimes abrupt shifts in pacing were a little disjointed. In addition, there were some leaps in time that occurred in the middle of the chapter which were sometimes a little bit awkward and hard to follow.

And although I loved how Ms. Starnes included more of the Darcy-side of the family tree (Yes! Darcy does have relatives on his father’s side!), I was in desperate need of a family tree or some sort of diagram describing how everyone is related (especially since there are multiple generations, titles, and not much use of the surnames ‘Darcy’ or ‘Fitzwilliam.’)

What a wonderful debut novel from Joana Starnes! I found Ms. Starnes narrative voice to be very similar to that of Jane Austen’s and I greatly appreciated her convincing developments of these beloved characters! Definitely looking forward to more from this author!

Austenesque Reviews ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

May 06, 2013 Ceri rated it really liked it

Shelves: austen-inspired, austen-sequel

Although Elizabeth stated in Pride and Prejudice that since Darcy was a gentleman and she was a gentleman’s daughter they were equal it wasn't strictly accurate; they lived in very different worlds. Darcy’s estate was much larger than the Bennets' so even if Elizabeth was well-versed in the duties that she’d need to fulfil as mistress of a home being the mistress of a grand estate may well have been daunting. Also, Elizabeth had very likely never navigated London’s fashionable circles, something Although Elizabeth stated in Pride and Prejudice that since Darcy was a gentleman and she was a gentleman’s daughter they were equal it wasn't strictly accurate; they lived in very different worlds. Darcy’s estate was much larger than the Bennets' so even if Elizabeth was well-versed in the duties that she’d need to fulfil as mistress of a home being the mistress of a grand estate may well have been daunting. Also, Elizabeth had very likely never navigated London’s fashionable circles, something she’d need to do successfully to ensure a good marriage for Georgiana as well as for any children that she and Darcy would have. I’ve often wondered whether she’d struggle or if it would be plain sailing.

Joana Starne’s story picks up 9 days after Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding. When the story begins we find a few obstacles that Elizabeth has already encountered; the housekeeper at the London townhouse is unwelcoming towards her and Lady Catherine is not the only one of Darcy’s Fitzwilliam relatives that is opposed to his marriage to Elizabeth. With the exception of Colonel Fitzwilliam, none of the Fitzwilliams are welcoming to Elizabeth. If Elizabeth had come from the same social circle as Darcy she would have been able to rely on the support of her own family but of course, this isn’t the case, as her parents don’t have the connections to be able to launch her into society. Luckily some of Darcy’s more distant relations are more amenable and agree to assist.

The book follows the events of the Darcy household over the next few years. Darcy and Elizabeth are a very loving couple (although don’t worry if you don’t like sex scenes, there are none in this book). We see them settle into their roles as husband and wife, and see how much they come to rely on each other, particularly in the face of his family’s opposition. Elizabeth breathes life into the rather staid Darcy household that has been missing since the death of Lady Anne. The growing relationship between Elizabeth and Georgiana is lovely to see, and Elizabeth really helps Georgiana grow and find confidence in herself, something that is vital for Georgiana’s launch into society. The book is as much about Georgiana and her blossoming into womanhood as it is about Elizabeth and Darcy. The family face a number of hurdles, some harder to overcome than others and we will get the opportunity to see how well Mr and Mrs Darcy have overcome their old faults of hasty judgement and distain for the feelings of others.

Although I enjoyed the book from the outset it took a good while to grip me. It was fairly slow going at the beginning, and although issues were faced initially they were pretty easily overcome and I’d have liked a bit more tension in the first half of the story. The book has its share of angst but it is concentrated, so it hits you even harder when it arrives.

Both Elizabeth and Darcy’s families appear in the book. I felt the depiction of the Bennet side of the family was generally faithful to Pride and Prejudice, aside from the Gardiner’s sons who were older than canon. In the world of Austenesque fiction you often find Mrs Bennet drawn very harshly, but here I felt she was properly represented in all her embarrassing glory and you couldn’t help wincing at some of her comments, but also sympathising with her when she succeeded in her life’s ambition of marrying off all her daughters and then felt bereft. I’d have liked to have seen a bit more of Elizabeth’s sisters. As for Darcy’s family, both Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lady Catherine feature in this story, and we meet the more distant relatives who assist Lizzy’s launch to society. The connection between Darcy and these relatives is described in a bit too much detail for me, I read the paragraph about 5 times before I had it straight in my mind, but distant cousin pretty much covers it!

One thing I particularly liked about this book was the humour, such as this gem showing Miss Bingley’s views of the Christmas entertainment at Pemberley:
‘ “What game is that, pray?” Lady Mellor’s youngest piped up, understandably inexperienced in what passed for entertainment in Cheapside and the wilds of Hertfordshire.’

We see three Christmases in this book, the first two Christmases following Elizabeth and Mr Darcy’s wedding which form a stark contrast to each other, and the third Christmas celebration in the epilogue, 24 years down the line where we get the chance to catch up with the futures of many of the characters. Personally, I love an epilogue, and the epilogue in this book I particularly enjoyed.

*I received a copy of this book courtesy of Leatherbound Reviews in return for this honest review. ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jul 09, 2013 Candy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: austenesque

From This Day Forward ~ The Darcys of Pemberley is a sequel to Pride and Prejudice. The beginning seems to be about Elizabeth and Darcy, and the second half seems to be more about Georgiana.

The story takes us through the first few years of Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage. It is a time for Georgiana and Elizabeth to get to know each other. Elizabeth also gets to know a host of distant relatives that are not in the original story. We see Elizabeth learning her duties as mistress. Elizabeth has her ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 22, 2021 Suzan Lauder rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: unable-to-get-into-it, get-an-editor, slow-sections-boring, jaff-regency

Overall word for this book: Slow. Yet how could a book that's an epic that took its time about literally everything have such poorly developed characters? Perhaps that's why it seemed so slow. The interest factor just wasn't evident. And that's sad, considering the quality of Joana Starnes's later novels. When your female protagonist is one-dimensional (I actually wrote that down twice while reading, once early in the book and once near the end), boring, and bland, yet her character is supposed Overall word for this book: Slow. Yet how could a book that's an epic that took its time about literally everything have such poorly developed characters? Perhaps that's why it seemed so slow. The interest factor just wasn't evident. And that's sad, considering the quality of Joana Starnes's later novels. When your female protagonist is one-dimensional (I actually wrote that down twice while reading, once early in the book and once near the end), boring, and bland, yet her character is supposed to be an older version of the energetic Elizabeth Bennet of Jane Austen fame. Well, something dire happened when she got married. Darcy is a little better, but he can get away with being dour and distant.

I won't summarize the book, I will merely comment upon my observations on technical issues that struck me while reading and made it into my notes.

First off, the incongruities with Austen: I mentioned characterization already. There is also the issue of the Gardiner children. In canon, the girls are 6 and 8 and the boys are younger. Not in "From This Day Forward." Must everyone say Jane has serene beauty? Everyone but Austen, that is.

Of course, there are the usual problems with non-Regency words and phrases. Wedding breakfast, outing, chuckle/chuckled, mesmerized/mesmerizing, taken aback, normality, acerbic. The number is no more than the average JAFF, but the fact is that they are words that should have been noticed by the author or editor easily. Otherwise, there was reasonably good use of Regency style language and British English in the novel. You felt like you were there.

The book has technical issues such as head-hopping, which makes the point of view difficult to follow for the reader. There area extra commas, missing possessives, and sentence fragments.

However, all of these are nothing compared to the lack of conflict. The book has attempts at showing conflict with Davenport, a fall by Elizabeth (no spoiler), and an injury for Colonel Fitzwilliam and following confession (no spoiler). I must say that the confession was handled well and turned out to be quite believable. However, none of these brought much more than mild tension. It was very slow going up to Elizabeth's fall, and even then the scenes that followed were rushed through so quickly that the issues were only moderately compelling. The subject matter should have been horrible, yet it was not. Was the author trying to shield us? The fact that there were three possible places for angst shows the author was all over the place with this book, so lack of focus caused this book to be too long. Yet where was the climax? I couldn't determine anything being built towards or any high point in the novel that was specifically noticeable. Unless you deem the change in Darcy and Elizabeth that point, which was so subtle it was barely there, you could not find a point where the plot points all converged.

The cover is ho-hum. It looks like it might have been made by using a template. It would never stand out among covers and say "Buy me!"

I suspect this is an early book of Starnes's and it's not her typical variation, so that may be the reason it doesn't have her trademark drama and interest. It's too bad. This book was only mildly interesting; it will be easy to forget. It took me forever to read because I had a hard time pushing myself to get to it. Sorry to say, but it's true.

Disclaimer: I'm a JAFF author and because of that, some might suggest that this review is a conflict of interest. However, I was a reader first, and my reviews are honest and impartial. I write them for both the author and the reader. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

May 28, 2019 Christina rated it really liked it

Shelves: happily-ever-after, austenesque, regency-romance, favorites

Easy to recommend Joana Starnes book. I’ll say it again, read one—read them all. She’s master storyteller and knows her Darcy & Elizabeth intimately.

3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 23, 2017 Teresita rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: jaff

I really loved this story. The way in which they learned to live together, how Georgiana was integrated, how they overcame problems and nurtured their love.

The new characters are very interesting and add to the enjoyment of the story.

Like · see review