The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen

Have you ever wondered about Mr. Darcy’s side of the story in Pride and Prejudice? I know I like to think about Mr. Darcy! The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy chronicles Mr. Darcy’s love for Elizabeth Bennet and how his sister Georgiana and cousin Anne had to work their magic at times to get Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth together.

The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy mostly takes place between Mr. Darcy’s ill-fated proposal at Rosings to just after the marriage of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. This story is unique in that we get to find out what happened on Mr. Darcy’s side, and it also fills in the missing gaps on the Bennets' side.

The other unique aspect is that Anne de Bourgh is no longer the non-talkative invalid of Pride and Prejudice; she is a heroine with weak lungs who gives her all to ensure that her beloved cousin Fitzwilliam Darcy will have a happy ending. Unlike in P&P, she actually befriends Elizabeth and they become correspondents. She uses this opportunity to convince Elizabeth of Darcy’s goodness and also to make sure the timing of her holiday with find Mr. Darcy at home at Pemberley.

Georgiana has also changed in this version of the classic tale. She is no longer a shy wallflower, but is a budding author whose imagination takes flight at anything hinting of gothic mystery or of romance. Her curiosity of her brother’s secret love for Elizabeth leads her to help her cousin Anne to do anything she can to bring the two together.

The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy was a very well-written and enjoyable tale. It had great witty dialogue that made me laugh out loud a few times. Unlike some other Mr. Darcy books that just paraphrase Pride and Prejudice, The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy is a fully realized tale of its own that was very intriguing. Author Mary Lydon Simonsen took the original story and expanded on it, creating new intriguing characters, and developing other minor characters into riveting new characters themselves. I especially liked the expanded Bingley clan and older brother George. I also loved the humorous turn of events after Lydia elopes with Wickham.

Overall, The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy is the perfect book for all lovers of Pride and Prejudice to fill in the behind the scenes details of how our favorite two lovers were finally able to get together!

Author Mary Lydon Simonsen will be a guest on Laura’s Reviews this upcoming Thursday so stay tuned!

Book Source: Advance Review Copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!