Mr. Darcys Dream

by Elizabeth Aston

Book Overview

From the author of Mr. Darcy's Daughters, the delightful escapades of the Darcy family continue with an enchanting story set at Pride and Prejudice's Pemberley.

When Phoebe, a young niece of Pride and Prejudice's Mr. Darcy, is shattered by an unhappy romance, she retreats to Pemberley and is joined by kindhearted Louisa Bingley, unmarried after three London seasons. Once...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416547266
• ISBN13: 9781416547266
• Release Date: February 2009
• Publisher: Touchstone Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

P and P sequel

I have enjoyed all the continuing stories written by Elizabeth Aston....she has an imagination that continues to surprise me with each of her books.

Yet Another Romance

While I enjoyed reading this latest in a line of Jane Austen inspired romances, I did not enjoy it as much as some of its predecessors. The plot was predictable, although it was sweet and incredibly well written. The characters were the high point of the novel, although I felt that I would have enjoyed it better if Louisa had been the main character instead of Phoebe. I enjoyed Phoebe's attitude and spunk but I think I would have liked the book better if the quieter Louisa had taken center stage. Otherwise, however, I enjoyed this book thoroughly, as will any fan of Jane Austen, historical fiction, or light hearted love stories.

Delightful even without Mr. Darcy!

Author Elizabeth Aston has become a nonpareil in the Austen sequel publishing industry. Her latest outing Mr. Darcy's Dream will be her sixth Pride and Prejudice continuation in as many years. With so many authors out there jockeying for position in this competitive book niche, she remains on top and true to her vision consistently offering amusing stories of Jane Austen's famous romantic couple Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy's children and families. A winning recipe if you mix it up right, so why does the namesake of this book Mr. Darcy not show up until the last three pages of the novel, and what the deuce does his dream have to do with anything? Twenty-year old Phoebe Hawkins is handsome, well-born, and endowed with a fortune of fifty thousand pounds to the lucky man to win her affections. Unfortunately, her choice Mr. Anthony Stanhope has a bit of a bad rep prompting her father to reject his offer of marriage. Undaunted, Phoebe is certain that Stanhope is no rake until she witnesses his assignation with a notorious woman. Heartbroken and dejected, her clever ma'ma Lady Georgiana averts London gossip by devising a plan to send her to the country to her uncle Darcy's estate in Derbyshire until it blows over. Joining her is her amiable cousin Louisa Bingley whose failure to engage after three London seasons is a bit of flop. Their temperaments could not be more opposite. Quick to judge, Phoebe's free spirit challenges social stricture, while easygoing Louisa is as accepting of fate as her mother Jane Bingley seeing little fault in anything. Both feel the pressure to fulfill their family obligations with brilliant marriages yet neither have a clue as to why they have not succeeded or if they will ever find their own bit of happiness. Together they hope for a respite at Pemberley free from the pressures of thinking about men, while focusing instead on planning a summer ball while the Darcy's are abroad. The young ladies arrive at Pemberley to see great improvements underway with the construction of a grand new glasshouse supervised by Mr. Darcy's estate manager Hugh Drummond, all part of Mr. Darcy's dream of modernizing Pemberley, (thus the book title). Educated as an attorney, Mr. Drummond is a bit of hands on manager after his stint as a 'Light Bob' during the peninsular war where he and Mr. Stanhope served under Wellington. Louisa Bingley takes a shine to him. Who wouldn't? When Mr. Stanhope arrives in the neighborhood on the pretext of visiting his married sister, Phoebe is resigned not to see him averting his persistent attempts until she must face the music. Add to this mix the return of devilish George Warren, step son of the condescending and censorious Caroline Warren nee Bingley, and you have your sinister element. When Mr. Darcy finally arrives at Pemberley to attend the ball, the story swiftly concludes as all the romantic misunderstanding and machinations have been resolved, but not to everyone's satisfaction. Underneath this di

"Matrimony is not to be entered into lightly."

All is Sturm and Drang in Aston's recreation of Mr. Darcy's early 19th century English world, romance run aground by obstacle and misunderstanding, a beautiful, principled heroine turning her back on the man she loves. From ecstasy to despair in less than twenty-four hours, Phoebe Hawkins, Mr. Darcy's niece, finds her joy in marrying the impressive Mr. Arthur Stanhope dashed by her father's objections and her own realization that the man she loves may be a rake. Affected by her parents' issues with infidelity in her youth, Phoebe is a creature of her era, quick to judge and slow to forgive. Fleeing the London social season for Darcy's estate in Pemberley, Phoebe discovers that trouble pursues in spite of her best intentions. On the mend- she desperately hopes- from a shattered romance, Phoebe is determined to enjoy Darcy's estate, all the more so when Louisa Bingley arrives to keep her company. The usual assortment of characters create a pleasant, and typical diversion of such period novels, an enigmatic, haughty French governess, a house full of observant and talkative servants, an interfering, nosy aunt, a familiar villain from previous Aston novels, an unexpected romantic entanglement, and, of course, the arrival of Mr. Stanhope, much to Phoebe's dismay. Class distinctions are rigid, those with fortunes deemed superior to those without, women embracing fleeting happiness in marriages dominated by men ( who enjoy their mistresses and political passions, whether Whig or Tory), all the action come to a head on the night of a summer ball in Darcy's newly-constructed glass house (hence the title). Their choices constricted by social convention, young ladies like Phoebe and Louisa are expected to marry well to benefit their families. But such expectations fly in the face of true love, a key element in such a delightful distraction from the harsh realities of life. Phoebe remains intractable- for as long as she can hold out against the inclinations of her heart- avoiding bumbling suitors, virtuously clinging to principle and the harsh judgment of a wronged Mr. Stanhope. With perfect pitch, Aston captures time and place in a delightfully escapist novel, a wry treatment of privilege, pride and the inevitability of passion. Luan Gaines/2009.

Mr Darcy finally arrives on page 281 -- but I heartily endorse, regardless!

I would have easily given this book 5 stars if not for the niggling sensation I felt as I read it. Like all Elizabeth Aston's books, Jane Austen's original characters are not principal players -- which for in any other book would have been perfectly acceptable. And I love that all her books can stand alone. But to actually title this book MR DARCY'S DREAM was extremely deceptive. In classic Aston style, Mr Darcy makes an appearance at the end and does have the last word. But since almost the entire story is based at Pemberley, and the Darcy's arent even in residence until the day of the ball -- well, to be honest, that disappointed me. This book was very enjoyable nonetheless, if not for the deceptive title. (Yes, yes... I get it. I totally get WHAT Mr Darcy's dream is... it just wasnt what I had anticipated or hoped for when pre-ordering this book.) That said, Mr Darcy's nieces are enchanting and I easily liked them. The heart break that Georgianna's daughter, Phoebe, experiences and carries with her through out the book is intense and Aston inflicts just the right amount of angst on us to keep us reeling til the end. Which by the way, wraps up all too quickly for my liking (but then all her books do!) I found the added Whig vs. Tory ingredient to be just the right balance. Aston gives enough of the politics to make it interesting and a believable situation -- but not so much to bore us to death. Elizabeth Aston is a gifted writer and I enjoy all her books. This story, even though Mr Darcy doesnt actually show up until page 281, was a superb read that I heartily endorse!