Sunday 8 July 2018

The Darcy Legacy by Joana Starnes - Blog Tour & Giveaway - Review

Blog Tour: The Darcy Legacy by Joana Starnes
Today I'm happy to be welcoming one of my favorite JAFF authors, Joana Starnes for the blog tour stop of her newest book The Darcy Legacy. There's also a fantastic giveaway! Let me share the blurb with you first.


Book cover: The Darcy Legacy by Joana Starnes
Book Description

‘Pemberley’s ancient halls harbour many secrets. Which one will affect Fitzwilliam Darcy and the love of his life? How is Mr Bennet to enjoy the comforts of a well-stocked library, when his wife’s premature demise had left him with the task of finding suitable matches for their daughters? What of a misleading encounter on a muddy lane in Hertfordshire, that renders a country-town assembly rather more tolerable than some might have thought?

Shades of mystery, meddlesome relations – not least a drenched Adonis – raillery, old errors and a very recent union make for a challenging courtship when Fitzwilliam Darcy is not on his own ground. Yet when love is the reward, challenges make it more worth the earning. “A fraught courtship? So, let it be fraught,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said with a nonchalant flourish of his hand. “A good challenge never hurt anyone.”’

My Review

I have read nearly all of Joana Starnes’ books so I was excited at the opportunity of reading her latest story, The Darcy Legacy. The blurb hints at something strange going on at Pemberley and the story opens with just that. George Darcy has just died. But instead of this being the end for him, it seems as though he is sticking around. And his former wife, who died some years ago, is still at Pemberley too. It seems as though both Darcys have some things to learn, but particularly George, who quickly finds out that he has been in error in some of his dealings with his son, his wife, and that he has been very mistaken in his favourite, George Wickham. Imagine the frustration of hearing and seeing things, but being unable to communicate warnings or affect events unfolding in front of your eyes and having to watch your children grieve.
As he stood beside his wife watching their son comforting their daughter, he could not find it in him to spare another thought for the conundrums of his new plane of existence. Nothing could dim the warm glow of love.
This story isn’t a direct Pride & Prejudice variation, although there is one big change, which is that poor Mrs Bennet has died, while her daughters were relatively young. This has meant that Mr Bennet wasn’t able to leave the child-raising to her, but has had to be more actively involved. This is an interesting variation as it could change the behaviour of his daughters quite significantly.

The first meeting of Darcy and Elizabeth is quite different too; he makes a bit of a mistake, which leaves him on the back foot when they officially meet. This means that rather than behaving haughtily and offending her, he is mindful that he should be polite, and therefore makes a much better impression. She has made an impression on him too, and he is reluctantly very attracted.
She was engaged for the rest of the evening.
Would he have stood up with her again otherwise? 
The very notion! Of course not.
With the Bennets being less objectionable for Bingley, the sojourn in Hertfordshire becomes extended longer than in canon, and the danger to Darcy, of making an unacceptable alliance, becomes more evident:
There was no future in his fascination. That had become increasingly clearer, the more he learned about her. 
Many of the settings and characters from canon are there, but changed, and it was very enjoyable to go down a different path. I liked seeing more of Mr Bennet, and his sense of humour. Here he is hosting the supercilious Bingley sisters on a visit:
The more laconic their replies, the more eagerly Mr Bennet engaged them in conversation, until Darcy had sufficient reason to suspect it was done on purpose, for the older gentleman’s private amusement.
This story is mainly from Darcy’s perspective, which I enjoyed, as I think his is an interesting head to be in. Particularly when you can see that he’s misinterpreting things and is heading for a set down!

I felt that the pace of the story was a little meandering; there isn’t a lot of angst and the story seemed to take a long time to unfold. Some readers will love that though, to really bask in the events. Towards the end of the story, there is a bit of a mystery, which for me didn’t really mesh with the rest of the story, and I would have liked to have seen the ghosts be a bit more actively involved.

One thing I always enjoy in Joana Starnes books are the touches of humour, and I am glad to say that there was plenty of that here, plus some nice romance, with a besotted Darcy (sigh!). There were also quite a few unexpected turns of events, which is always refreshing, as it makes it harder to anticipate the exact route of the story. This was an enjoyable book and I’d rate it at 4 stars.

4 star read

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Author Joana Starnes
About the author:

Joana Starnes lives in the south of England with her family. Over the years, she has swapped several hats – physician, lecturer, clinical data analyst – but feels most comfortable in a bonnet. She has been living in Georgian England for decades in her imagination and plans to continue in that vein till she lays hands on a time machine.

She is the author of eight Austen-inspired novels: From This Day Forward ~ The Darcys of Pemberley, The Subsequent Proposal, The Second Chance, The Falmouth Connection, The Unthinkable Triangle, Miss Darcy’s Companion, Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter and The Darcy Legacy, and one of the contributing authors to The Darcy Monologues, Dangerous to Know and the upcoming Rational Creatures (due in October 2018).

Joana Starneshas visited this blog with many of these works:
  • From This Day Forward ~ The Darcys of Pemberley ~ A Pride & Prejudice sequel - My review
  • The Subsequent Proposal ~ A Tale of Pride, Prejudice and Persuasion - My review
  • The Second Chance ~ A Pride & Prejudice – Sense & Sensibility Variation - My review
  • The Falmouth Connection ~ A Pride & Prejudice Variation set where Jane Austen's beloved characters are compelled to leave their tame and reasonably peaceful lives in the south of England and travel to the far reaches of Cornwall, into a world of deceit and peril, where few - if any! - are what they seem to be... - My review
  • The Unthinkable Triangle ~ A Pride & Prejudice Variation that dwells on the most uncomfortable love-triangle of them all. What if Mr. Darcy's rival for Miss Bennet's hand and heart is none other than his dearest, closest friend? And how can they all find their 'happily-ever-after'? - Guest post
  • Miss Darcy’s Companion ~ a variation that explores what might have happened if the warm-hearted Miss Elizabeth Bennet were employed instead of the scheming Mrs Younge. - Guest Post / My review
  • Mr Bennet's Dutiful Daughter - a Pride & Prejudice variation that sees Elizabeth marrying for the good of her family - but the bridegroom isn't aware of her feelings - My Review
They are available on all Amazon sites.

Books by Joana Starnes at Amazon.com

Books by Joana Starnes at Amazon.co.uk

Books by Joana Starnes on Goodreads

You can connect with Joana Starnes on Facebook, her website or Twitter.

Giveaway Time!

Joana is offering 10 copies of The Darcy Legacy and 20 audiobook codes, each one of which would allow download of one of her audiobooks and a $25.00 Amazon gift card. The giveaway runs until midnight, July 16, 2018.

Please enter using the rafflecopter.

The Darcy Legacy by Joana Starnes

Joana Starnes Audio books


Blog Tour Schedule

Please check out these other posts on the tour as they are posted:

Blog Tour: The Darcy Legacy by Joana Starnes
July 2 / Austenesque Reviews/Excerpt Post & Giveaway
July 3 / Diary of an Eccentric/ Guest Post & Giveaway
July 4 / More Agreeably Engaged/ Book Review & Giveaway
July 5 / Of Pens & Pages / Guest Post & Giveaway
July 6 / So Little Time... So Much to Read/ Guest Post & Giveaway
July 7 / My Love for Jane Austen / Excerpt Post & Giveaway
July 8 / Babblings of a Bookworm/ Book Review & Giveaway
July 9 / My Vices and Weaknesses/ Book Review & Giveaway
July 10/ Obsessed with Mr. Darcy/ Book Review & Giveaway
July 11 / Pemberley to Milton/Book Review & Giveaway
July 12 / Just Jane 1813/ Tour Finale & Giveaway

69 comments:

  1. I have been following this tour. Thanks Ceri for hosting. Joana I am so excited for you and this new launch. I am not into the audio books yet but I threw my name in the pot for a copy of you book or even the gift card so I can use it to buy your book. Special thanks to you and your publisher for this generous give-a-way. Blessings on the success of this work.

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    1. Thanks so much, Jeanne, for the ever so kind words and for stopping by to read Ceri's wonderful review!

      Ceri, huge thanks for reading my monster of a book at a time when you're so busy, and for writing this great review! Have a wonderful summer with your family and thanks for hosting me today.

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    2. Thanks for following the tour, Jeanne, and best of luck with winning a copy!

      Thanks to you too, Joana, for letting me be part of the blog tour!

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  2. Ceri,

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Joana's book. Hope the building project is progressing at a fast pace and that you'll be in your new kitchen before you know it!

    Joana,I've heard great things about your book and I wish you continued success in your writing endeavours.
    Thank you for the generous giveaway.

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    1. Thank YOU, Mary, for following the blog tour and leaving all these wonderful comments!

      Ceri, best of luck with the building project and thanks again for the warm welcome and the wonderful review!

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    2. Hi Mary, thanks for stopping by. We are just on the finishing touches of the kitchen, and we're very pleased :)

      Good luck in the giveaway, and I hope you enjoy the book when you read it.

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  3. Rather thrilling that George Darcy & his wife’s spirit are sticking around Pemberley. Would so like to read this book :)

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    1. Best of luck in the giveaway, Jo's Daughter, and thanks for following the blog tour! Hope you'll like the Darcys' antics :)

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    2. I liked that aspect too, Jo's Daughter. Being deceased, you don't often get to meet Darcy's parents, so I enjoyed seeing them, and watching them learn too.

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  4. I have only just found out that the elder Darcys are still around, if only in spirit, I like that idea.

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    1. I do hope you'll like the book, Susan. Thanks for stopping by to read Ceri's great review and best of luck in the giveaway!

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    2. Yes, it's an usual idea, but I liked it too. It's done in a fun way.

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  5. Good Morning! Thanks so much for this tour and the opportunity to find out about another great book my family can read. We have a list now and it keeps growing with so many loving to read. Thanks also for the giveaway!

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    1. You're most welcome, James! Thank YOU for following the blog tour and best of luck in the giveaway. Great to hear about your growing list! I hope you and your family go through it and enjoy every book. Hope you'll like this one too. All the best and thanks for visiting!

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    2. Thanks for stopping by, James! I hope you enjoy the book when you read it. Good luck in the giveaway!

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  6. I really enjoyed this book from Darcy's POV and the ghosts too. Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine were so hilarious in death. :)

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    1. Over the moon that you enjoyed it, Brenda, and that it gave you a giggle. Thanks so much for your wonderful support, you're great, as ever!

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    2. Glad you enjoyed it, Brenda. It must be lovely for authors to hear that other authors enjoyed their books.

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  7. Finally, some information on the paranormal elements of the book - just what I was wishing for! I like the idea of Mr. Darcy Sr. seeing the truth about Wickham and his mistakes. I totally agree about Darcy's POV being an enjoyable one (not that in general I'd decline being in ELizabeth's head either, of course - they are both great characters to see things through their lens and interpretation). I look forward to reading this book, thanks for the review!

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    1. Thanks for visiting Ceri's blog, Agnes, to read her wonderful review! I'm so glad you found what you were wishing for. I just realised I haven't mentioned this before: if you read the sample at Amazon, it might tell you a little bit more about the paranormal element, the book starts with that.

      Actualy, that's one of the reasons why I didn't choose excerpts from those sections, but from some others that come up beyond the end of the sample (and some I saved for sheer surprise element ;) ). Hope you'll gasp or chuckle when you come across some of the scenes. Best of luck in the giveaway and many thanks for following the blog tour!

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    2. I'm glad my post was able to give you some useful info, Agnes!

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  8. Thanks for the review. I love books with humor so I’m glad you mentioned that this book delivers on that. I also like the idea of George Darcy as a spirit realizing his mistakes although wish he was able to interact with his son. Sounds like an interesting read.

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    1. So glad you think so, DarcyBennet! I hope you'll like the full story. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for following the blog tour!

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    2. One of the things I enjoy about Joana's writing is the humour.

      George's spirit tries very hard to communicate with his son, and he actually has some success.

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  9. Great review Ceri, I do enjoy reading a more active Mr. Bennet. It would be interesting to see how the Bennet girls do without the influences of Mrs. Bennet and her nerves. Loving the blog tour! Thank you for so many giveaways opportunities as well!

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    1. So glad to hear that, Dung! This was one of the reasons I wrote this book: I wanted Mr Bennet to have a more central role, not just be killed off so that the Bennet girls end up in dire straights and Darcy can come to the rescue. I thought it would be nice to see Mr B more involved, show more of his relationship with Elizabeth and above all have him as a father figure / figure of authority to Darcy, who has to re-learn how to cope with that, and also cope with Mr Bennet's wit and his none-too-gentle prompting. Hope you'll like the book when you get to read it. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for taking part!

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    2. I enjoyed reading a more active Mr Bennet too, Dung, and like you say, it's interesting to think of how it would have changed the girls' upbringing and behaviour.

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  10. Nice review, Ceri! I always enjoy a bit of mystery and paranormal in the books I read. :)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by to read Ceri's wonderful review, Maria! Hope you'll like the bit of mystery and the dash of paranormal (Did I say dash? Dollops, more like ;) ).

      Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for taking part!

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    2. I hope you enjoy it when you read it, Maria!

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  11. I do like the idea of Darcy's parents watching over their children and realising the error with Wickham.
    I also appreciate a lower angst story as Joana knows. And I absolutely LOVE a besotted Darcy so this is definitely my kind of book.

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    1. Thanks so much for following the blog tour, Glynis! So glad you like the premise.

      This book definitely hasn't got the same level of angst as 'Mr Bennet's Dutiful Daughter' and 'The Unthinkable Triangle.' You'll have to give the verdict later if it's really low-angst. Hope you'll like it. All the best and thanks for stopping by to read Ceri's great review!

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    2. Hi Glynis. He is besotted, but blind. I wanted to give him a shake to wake him up!

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  12. Carole in Canada8 July 2018 at 20:00

    Lovely review Ceri and one book I am looking forward to reading! Joana never disappoints and I'm liking the paranormal beings! Thank you for hosting and thank you for such a wonderful giveaway Joana!

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    1. Thank YOU, Carole, for the ever so kind words! Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for following the blog tour.

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    2. Thanks for stopping by, Carole, and best of luck in the giveaway!

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  13. Great review! I love Joana’s books, and I’m really excited about reading this one. 😀

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    1. So glad to hear that, Pamela! Huge thanks and I hope you'll like it.

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    2. Thanks Pamela! I love Joana's books too :)

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  14. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one, I can't wait to read it myself :)

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    1. Best of luck in the giveaway, Victoria, and thanks for stopping by to read Ceri's great review!

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    2. Thanks for stopping by, Victoria! I hope you enjoy the book when you read it.

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  15. If I hadn't been at the Jane Austen Festival of Port Alberni all weekend, I would have commented yesterday, Joana, because I like stalking your blog tours in hopes of winning a book. This one sounds so much like the type I like, though with more comedy and less angst, which is fine too. Best of luck with the release! Thanks to Ceri for a brilliant review that's so helpful to potential readers and also for hosting today.

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    1. Hope you had a magical time at the Jane Austen Festival in Port Alberni, Suzan. Thanks for the ever so kind words! Wishing you all the best and lots of inspiration!

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    2. We love blog tour stalkers! Thank you so much for your kind words Suzan, and best of luck with winning a copy to enjoy.

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  16. I get curiouser and curiouser with each day of the blog hop...

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    1. Thanks, Ria, I'm so glad the blog tour caught your eye and got you intrigued. Hope you'll like the book. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for taking part!

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    2. I'm glad to hear it, Ria!

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  17. I have to add that I read and loved this latest of Joana's books. It is a bit different from her others but still top notch. I love her prose. Thanks for sharing here.

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    1. Thanks so much, Sheila, for your wonderful review at Goodreads! I'm so happy you liked it. Many thanks for your ever so kind words!

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    2. Glad you enjoyed it, Sheila. Thanks for commenting!

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  18. Great review of an excellent book. Congratulations

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    1. So glad you liked Ceri's review, Kate! Thanks for your wonderful words and wishes and for following the blog tour!

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  19. Thank you for the review! I am really looking forward to reading this book! Congratulations on the release, Joana!

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    1. Thanks, Daniela, I'm so glad. I hope you'll like it. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for taking part!

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    2. Thanks for commenting, Daniela. I hope you enjoy the book when you read it.

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  20. I believe that I will very much enjoy reading how Mr. Bennet baits Caroline and Louisa!

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    1. Thanks, Ginna, hope you'll like this Mr Bennet ;) . Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for following the blog tour!

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    2. It's good to see Mr Bennet out of his book room, Ginna!

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  21. Interesting twist with Mr. Bennet as the primary caregiver rearing the girls.

    denise

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    1. Thought it was about time he came pulled his weight, Denise, in between reading and whatever :D

      So glad you think it might be interesting. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for taking part.

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    2. It's interesting to think about how it would have changed the girls' behaviour and family dynamic.

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  22. Thanks Ceri for hosting. Hello again Joana, yeah, I'm stalking you through this blog. I love your books and look forward to reading this one. Hope all goes well for you. Good luck to all who enter the drawing. I don't do audio but would love an ebook. Blessing on the success of this work.

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    1. LOL Oh yes, please stalk me :) It's ever so nice to see you. Thanks so much for your wonderful wishes and your kind words about my other books! Have a good week and thanks for all the lovely comments.

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    2. Thanks for stopping by :)

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  23. I am a bit wary of reading ghost stories but from what I gather from the reviews on the tour, it would be minimal and hopefully will not play a major role in the story. The reviews have been very positive and encouraging so you have another winner in your hands, Joana. Hope I get the chance to read this variation

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    1. The ghosts aren't creepy at all so I hope you won't mind them when you get to read this book.

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  24. No worries, Sylvia, they're very friendly ghosts :)
    Hope you'll like their role in the story if you get to read it. Many thanks for hosting me on the blog tour and for stopping by to read Ceri's great review!

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If you're not logged in to Google please leave your name in your comment or it will post as anonymous. Thanks! - Ceri