Duty and Desire (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman Trilogy, #2)

Confused and Confounded

After reading the first book in this series, I was very excited to pick up where I had left off. The story starts out fine with discovering more about the relationship between Darcy, Georgianna, and Fitzwilliam (hence the two stars). But when Darcy goes to the manor??? It really adds nothing to the original story and leaves the reader bemused. Had I to do over again, I would skip the second book and head straight to the third.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Darcy Goes Gothic

I just finished reading the first installment of Aidan's Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, and enjoyed it enough to purchase the second and third novel in one visit to the bookstore. 'An Assembly Such as This' felt a faithful tribute to one of Austen's most beloved gentleman, and I was even so impressed with the masculine perspective on the Darcy-Elizabeth relationship that she weaves that I thought we would see clearly how Darcy could have really believed Elizabeth might accept that first marriage proposal. I just finished 'Duty and Desire' and must say I am pretty thoroughly disappointed. The first half of the novel is well enough, and introduces the Georgiana-Darcy relationship in a convincing manner... THEN Darcy goes AWOL, and leaves the world of Austen behind for a more Gothic existence in which he battles Irish witchcraft, love charms, and makes a dash through the ruined foundations of an ancient castle with his Indiana Jones-worth side-kick of a valet, Fletcher, to save an infant from pagan human sacrifice... seriously.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

WONDERFULLY WRITTEN! GET THE TRILOGY!

Though this isn't a sequel, Aidan certainly gives us a different perspective on who Darcy is in Austen's novel. In the sequels I have read, I can't say I agree with the Darcy they write out. And besides I have always wanted to know who the true Darcy is. How did he truly take Lizzy's refusal of marriage? Was he truly in love with her from the beginning? How did he view his Aunt Catherine and her interference in his personal life? How did he try and change himself? What friends would he have other than Bingley? There are so many unanswered questions Austen leaves out by writing Pride and Prejudice from Elizabeth's view. And I think Aidan does an excellent job of tackling those questions, and vague narratives. To see Darcy as a lovesick gentleman is hard to imagine, but I think it's truly who he is; he's a gentleman fighting between love and duty. Great writing. I highly recommend the whole trilogy to any JA fan out there.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Another Worthy Waste of My Time

I actually liked this book! I thought it was interesting and fun to read. I didn't read it as quickly or enthusiastically as 'An Assembly Such as This' but I still enjoyed it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Well written and fun to follow

Fitzwilliam Darcy hides in London to be away from his obsession, Elizabeth Bennet. Still out of sight does not mean out of mind as he constantly thinks of her even as he decides he must find a lady suited to his lofty station. He spends the Yuletide holiday with his younger sister Georgiana who seems to be finally overcoming her long bout of melancholy caused by her poor relationship with Wickham. Darcy also feels good that Bingley has ended his courtship of Elizabeth¿s sister Jane though he thinks that his friend loves the girl and he ponders why there is something about these Bennet women.-------------- In his quest to find a wife equal to him, Darcy attends a country-house party hosted by his Cambridge classmate Lord Sayre. However, he finds rusticating with the Ton depressing as the males behave poorly and the women conspire to find either husbands or if not, married lovers. His host¿s half-sister turns Darcy on as he finds himself attracted to her, but Lady Sylvanie has her own woes and dark secrets.--------------- The second ¿Pride and Prejudice¿ offshoot, DUTY AND DESIRE is more Pamela Aidan¿s tale than the first book (see AN ASSEMBLY SUCH AS THIS) as the author takes Darcy on new adventures in his quest to get over his infatuation. Elizabeth for the most part never appears except in Darcy¿s mind. The story line brings to life the Regency era with its pompous caste system so that fans of the period will appreciate the country party at Norwycke Castle and Georgiana¿s turn to charity to lift her broken heart out of melancholia. Well written and fun to follow, however like many readers, this reviewer knows Jane Austen, Ms. Aidan is good, but she¿s not Jane Austen.------------- Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The first book in the trilogy was MUCH better

I know that it's not reasonable to expect Darcy to spend all his time pining for Elizabeth Benett, but I don't see him taking on this particular adventure. It's more Sherlock Holmes than Fitzwilliam Darcy.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Tis a book about Darcy...

I've read this book many times since being self-published by the author and maybe because of it, I am a bit biased and reacting subjectively toward more negative or lukewarm reviews of this book. While I do have to admit it is not my favorite of the three, there are many excellent passages and parts I could not be without. Others say this book is just a 'filler'. At that, I cringe. The author wrote this from Darcy's perspective and one knows Elizabeth can't be in every scene. The time she is not around, especially during this time, is actually a very important part of the story of why and how Darcy changed. Indeed, this book is not just stuffing, it's the stuff that Austen fans worldwide want to know about.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Darcy's dark period away from Elizabeth

I really enjoyed this story much more than I thought. I had heard from others who read this book before me that the story does not have Elizabeth in it. Of course, She is frequently on Darcy's mind, but this story takes place during the period of separation for Darcy and her.
Nonetheless, the story is delightful with interesting characters. I particularly like Darcy's valet, Fletcher, and his friend, Dy. They add some great insight into Darcy's character and humorous lines. Darcy's sister is a wonderful character and I enjoyed witnessing the deep care they hold for one another.
I am very much looking forward to finishing this series. I think I liked this book better than the first in the series. I did not like Darcy much in the first book, but I came to understand him more in this book.

Creative and mysterious

In all of my imaginations of Darcy's activities during his quiet period from Pride and Prejudice, this storyline never entered my thoughts. It was a creative idea and a good nod to Austen's affinity to the macabre shown in Northanger Abbey.

Jane Austen would not approve.

I love Pride & Prejudice and enjoyed the first book of this trilogy. This one goes a little off track with the wierd plot toward the end, and is quite dull in the first half as well. Not as good as I'd hoped.

My favorite of the trilogy

To me, the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy *is* Fitzwilliam Darcy's side of the story. Pamela Aidan does a superb job of rounding out his history, filling in the blanks about such details as his standing in society, how long he's known Bingley, his relationship with---and the character of---his sister, and the other friends, acquaintances, and servants who shape his life. And since her writing captures the feel of the time without becoming awkward, every bit of the trilogy is a pleasure to read.

I'm reviewing Duty and Desire, the second book in the trilogy, because it's my favorite. I know many readers disliked this volume because Elizabeth isn't in it. But for me, this is where Aidan's Darcy gets to shine. Despite being apart from Austen's characters for most of the book, her Darcy still manages to ring true. And although Elizabeth isn't there, she remains ever-present in Darcy's mind, and I loved watching Darcy's resulting struggle against his inclinations. I also love that Aidan adds a touch of the gothic romance in this book, which seems a nod to both the literature of the time and one of my other favorite Jane Austen novels, Northanger Abbey.

MIXED FEELINGS?

I am somewhat ambivalent about this middle book of a three-part set. (An Assembly Such as This, and, These Three Remain) I agree with the (mixed and sometimes contradictory) reactions of other reviewers - with the addition that I found Darcy's weakness and extreme attraction to Lady Sylvanie both out of character for him and out of sync with his abiding and comprehensive love for Elizabeth Bennet. He loves who Elizabeth is; Sylvanie makes him hot. There is a naiveté about him as he refuses or fails to take advice from those he has reason to trust, that makes him seem obtuse. After all, his real revelations in this book are that a few individuals whom he knew were not highly respected among the ton were unsavory characters, and that he was unbelievably susceptible to invitations to casual sex with an obviously devious and scheming woman - which in turn would inevitably have led to "connections" with a family he surely would have deemed no better than the Bennets. So much for struggling to become the man Lizzy Bennet could have loved!
I enjoyed this author's coherent use of language and historic circumstances - and even her introduction of the unusual fillip of gothic darkness in her tale. Her characters sometimes crackle, and at least pique my interest, as their characters and purposes unfold. Duty and Desire does make a rather jolting departure from the first and third in this series which I enjoyed for their Darcy p.o.v. in complement to the endlessly fascinating and rewarding P & P original. Still, I am glad I read all three of this set.

HARD 2 JUDGE

this book is very hard to judge sine in P&P jane doesn't mention much of Darcy's social life. i like how it is a little gothic, but while reading you can notice that Darcy isn't use to the gothic type of... lifestyle since he loses his composure when he is put into eerie situation. towards the end he starts thinking of ditching and running home because things were just getting to weird.

An updated Gothic

I loved volume one and was even more pleasantly surprised with this middle book of the trilogy. Halfway through it becomes a light Gothic novel very much in the spirit of Northanger Abbey. This book is fun, and I believe Austen herself would enjoy it.

Another Worthy Waste of My Time

I actually liked this book! I thought it was interesting and fun to read. I didn't read it as quickly or enthusiastically as 'An Assembly Such as This' but I still enjoyed it.

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