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lifeand100books's review
4.0
All too often it’s easy to get caught up in the romanticism of the Regency era. Jane Austen’s novels make us crave for a time filled with proper manners, fancy ball gowns, and stolen kisses in the moonlight. Getting lost in this time period makes it easy to forget all of the modern marvels that would not have been available back then. In Becoming Elizabeth Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen, we get to see what happens when a modern woman is thrown into Austen’s era, and how these modern marvels changed people’s lives when they were introduced.
Elizabeth (Beth) Hannigan has the swine flu, and a fever so bad it’s caused her into fall into a coma. It is in this state that she follows a boy through a bright tunnel, awakening in the body of Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy. She is at first astounded that she’s somehow time traveled to Pemberley, and secondly scared that she’ll never return. When Darcy comes home from a weekend hunting trip, she quickly realizes that all is not well with her favorite literary duo and that helping them solve their marital woes might be her ticket out of the Regency era. Beth realizes she must convince Darcy that she is not his Elizabeth in order to begin solving the problems of the Darcy marriage; problems that her modern-day knowledge of medicine can help with. After speaking with Darcy, Beth learns of the multiple miscarriages Elizabeth has suffered and her depression caused by the unfortunate death of their only child. Will Beth be able to give Darcy the knowledge he needs to save his marriage to Elizabeth? Will Beth be able to get back to 2010 and beat the swine flu?
Becoming Elizabeth Darcy is the darkest JAFF novel that Simonsen has written to date, but that does not mean it is in any way diminished from her other works. On the contrary, it is better than ever! Simonsen gives us a believable scenario in the sense that even the happiest of marriages can go through extremely dark times. After reading so many JAFF novels that picture Elizabeth and Darcy in the happiest of circumstances, it was refreshing to read a novel unafraid to tackle such dark issues as depression and postpartum.
Simonsen’s humor does however still get an opportunity to shine through as she opens our eyes to the reality of what the Regency era was like. The lack of flushing toilets, absence of anti-bacterial soap, and prevalence of unhygienic situations, offer Beth’s character ample amount of material to freak out over, making us laugh. These satirical sections of the novel help to level out the darker and more complex remainder of the storyline. That being said, I feel that Simonsen has a great balance between these themes of humor and seriousness, and this makes the novel an exciting and fulfilling addition to he fan fiction world. Simonsen has once again shown that she can tackle any JAFF genre and is a force to be reckoned with. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://wp.me/p18lIL-LN
Elizabeth (Beth) Hannigan has the swine flu, and a fever so bad it’s caused her into fall into a coma. It is in this state that she follows a boy through a bright tunnel, awakening in the body of Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy. She is at first astounded that she’s somehow time traveled to Pemberley, and secondly scared that she’ll never return. When Darcy comes home from a weekend hunting trip, she quickly realizes that all is not well with her favorite literary duo and that helping them solve their marital woes might be her ticket out of the Regency era. Beth realizes she must convince Darcy that she is not his Elizabeth in order to begin solving the problems of the Darcy marriage; problems that her modern-day knowledge of medicine can help with. After speaking with Darcy, Beth learns of the multiple miscarriages Elizabeth has suffered and her depression caused by the unfortunate death of their only child. Will Beth be able to give Darcy the knowledge he needs to save his marriage to Elizabeth? Will Beth be able to get back to 2010 and beat the swine flu?
Becoming Elizabeth Darcy is the darkest JAFF novel that Simonsen has written to date, but that does not mean it is in any way diminished from her other works. On the contrary, it is better than ever! Simonsen gives us a believable scenario in the sense that even the happiest of marriages can go through extremely dark times. After reading so many JAFF novels that picture Elizabeth and Darcy in the happiest of circumstances, it was refreshing to read a novel unafraid to tackle such dark issues as depression and postpartum.
Simonsen’s humor does however still get an opportunity to shine through as she opens our eyes to the reality of what the Regency era was like. The lack of flushing toilets, absence of anti-bacterial soap, and prevalence of unhygienic situations, offer Beth’s character ample amount of material to freak out over, making us laugh. These satirical sections of the novel help to level out the darker and more complex remainder of the storyline. That being said, I feel that Simonsen has a great balance between these themes of humor and seriousness, and this makes the novel an exciting and fulfilling addition to he fan fiction world. Simonsen has once again shown that she can tackle any JAFF genre and is a force to be reckoned with. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://wp.me/p18lIL-LN
blodeuedd's review
3.0
This was kind of time-travel and yet not. You have to read and see. The lines are blurry in a way and I never truly knew what was going on.
Beth is really really sick, and as the ambulance takes her away she wakes up in a strange bed. She is suddenly Mrs Darcy, but how did it happen? And where is the real Elizabeth?
Yes it had me wondering, would Beth go home, would she stay? Was she dead, was Lizzy dead? But I can't tell you those things. Instead I can say Beth is there cos Lizzy and Darcy were having problems. A dead child, miscarriages. Sad really, but also it rang true, if that had happened of course they could have drifted apart even though they still loved each other.
The end was a great ending but at the same time I had wished for something else too. But, trust me, everyone was happy, this book has a HEA after all.
I wish I could go and be Mrs Darcy for a day ;)
Beth is really really sick, and as the ambulance takes her away she wakes up in a strange bed. She is suddenly Mrs Darcy, but how did it happen? And where is the real Elizabeth?
Yes it had me wondering, would Beth go home, would she stay? Was she dead, was Lizzy dead? But I can't tell you those things. Instead I can say Beth is there cos Lizzy and Darcy were having problems. A dead child, miscarriages. Sad really, but also it rang true, if that had happened of course they could have drifted apart even though they still loved each other.
The end was a great ending but at the same time I had wished for something else too. But, trust me, everyone was happy, this book has a HEA after all.
I wish I could go and be Mrs Darcy for a day ;)
coolbaud's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
mcsangel2's review
4.0
I really think Mary Simonsen is one of the best P&P fanfic writers out there...I'm behind on my reading, so I haven't read everything of hers yet, but each story is usually better than the last.
I loved the premise, and I loved that she made Darcy more human and less the literary dreamboat he usually is. I loved that Mary's Darcy looks more like Richard Armitage (yay!), and I loved the bit where Beth was asking him what everyone's first names were. (Clarence? Ew.)I loved everything about E & D's children, and the present issues they were dealing with.
The only thing I didn't like were the places that, because of the time travel premis, large amounts of historical detail were thrown in. The author is exceptionally good at her historical research (as I know from reading another book), and as a history buff myself, I really appreciate that. In some places in the story, it's appropriate, but it did seem that usually when it came up, it went on and on/involved more details than was appropriate. In those places, I felt it derailed the story and made the reading awkward.
Overall, I stand by my assertion that MS is a top writer. The ideas for her stories are varied and everyone that I've read so far has been really interesting.
I loved the premise, and I loved that she made Darcy more human and less the literary dreamboat he usually is. I loved that Mary's Darcy looks more like Richard Armitage (yay!), and I loved the bit where Beth was asking him what everyone's first names were. (Clarence? Ew.)I loved everything about E & D's children, and the present issues they were dealing with.
The only thing I didn't like were the places that, because of the time travel premis, large amounts of historical detail were thrown in. The author is exceptionally good at her historical research (as I know from reading another book), and as a history buff myself, I really appreciate that. In some places in the story, it's appropriate, but it did seem that usually when it came up, it went on and on/involved more details than was appropriate. In those places, I felt it derailed the story and made the reading awkward.
Overall, I stand by my assertion that MS is a top writer. The ideas for her stories are varied and everyone that I've read so far has been really interesting.
drcopeland's review
4.0
Very well written. Keeps you interested and engaged. Characters are very well developed and believable. Only a few paragraphs that mention sex but nothing explicit.
sus7's review
1.0
I read this book for this month's book discussion. I'm not a Jane Austen fan, but besides that, I found the main character, Beth Hannigan, extremely annoying in her breezy superiority throughout the book. I didn't find anything believable in this book.
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