Mr Darcy's Forbidden Love by Brenda J.Webb

Oh my word! Mr Darcy is married and it is not to Lizzy!!! Fetch my smelling salts! How can this be?

This is not to be born! How dare he? “Well apparently, he has married someone against his will and even against his better judgement and all for the honour of keeping the Darcy name intact”, Oh, if that is the case, all is forgiven then!!

Darcy first meets Elizabeth in the local book store in Meryton and it would seem it is love at first sight. Yet at the Netherfield ball it would seem Mr Bennet has also noticed Darcy’s interest. After a storm finds Elizabeth and Darcy forced to share a cottage for the night, Mr Bennet wants answers and a marriage proposal!!!! After Darcy’s confession that he is married and Bingley’s insistance that the truth surrounding the strange circumstances of Darcy’s marriage be told; Mr Bennet is finally appeased and as Elizabeth’s reputation has been left unscathed, Darcy leaves Meryton before any more damage can be done.

“Suddenly, the ladies made a loop around the line, and she came into view! She looked even lovelier than he remembered in a gown of pale blue, with an empire waist that was circled by a dark-blue ribbon embroidered with various colours. The low neckline displayed her womanly curves to great advantage, making jewellery unnecessary, though she wore small pearl earrings. Her ebony hair was pulled into curls atop her head that were interspersed with more of the same ribbons before they cascaded down her back in long tendrils that bounced with every step. For a second, he was awestruck. Then, remembering that she was Darcy’s love, Richard chanced to glance at him, eager to see if he had discovered her yet.” – Brenda Webb

So how will the most perfect couple in the world, get their happily ever? Well you will have to read this book to find out! At 500 pages, this is an epic tale of jaw dropping, action packed drama, complete with what I call the famous 5am Colonel Fitzwilliam chuckles (when you are still reading at 5am because you cannot put the book down and the colonel says something that makes you laugh out loud, causing you to wake the whole household).

"However, if you continue to push Charles, I fear that he shall rid himself of you at some point—perhaps making good on his threat to send you to live with Aunt Harrison in Scarborough. And I shall not plead your case if he does. When I have in the past, it only served to make him angry at me. So be forewarned!” Caroline cocked her head as if studying her sister. “When I am Mrs. Darcy of Pemberley, I shall remember your disloyalty.” Louisa stifled a laugh. “If you are ever Mrs. Darcy, I shall just have to rely on my connection to Charles to recommend me to Mr. Darcy.” – Brenda Webb

Gisela Darcy was a widow before she married Darcy, older than him and an embarrassment to the Darcy name! Ever since Darcy deposited her, on the doorsteps of her own residence on their wedding day (oh the shame of it), she has been most eager to get Darcy’s attention, although no man in the ton would ever refuse her, I am sure you will believe me when I say that Darcy would be the first!! HA Ha Ha, to champion Elizabeth’s cause I spent most of the book thinking of all the different ways Darcy could get rid of Gisela!!

“I am Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, and for the first time in my life, every woman with breath in her body envies me! I have seen their eyes follow him across a ballroom, devouring him, ready to simper if he deigns to look in their direction. Young or old, married or not, they all desire him! My mother saddled me with that old fool, Grantham, when I was young and beautiful—I should have had Darcy then! I could have made him love me if I were still young!” – Brenda Webb

This book is long enough to cover most of our beloved characters in detail, including some new ones. Lady Ashford is Darcy’s aunt and Lord Landingham is Georgiana’s godfather and I loved them most dearly. Lady Ashford replaced Mrs Gardiner for me in this book, as Mrs Gardiner was not the usual favourite aunt of Elizabeth and Jane. I couldn’t stand Mrs Gardiner in this or Mrs Bennet for that matter! Although in fairness to them, they are only going along with the expected societal proprieties of the time.

Aunt Catherine is at her most devious and not short of having a man killed and Wickham is more than happy to do her dirty work. The Colonel, the Matlocks, Jane and Bingley are great as per usual. I enjoyed this story because it changes from different people’s points of view throughout, including the servant’s opinion on the subject at hand.

This story line is not slow paced so you better kept abreast of what is happening otherwise you might just get left behind. Brenda Webb certainly knows how to spin a tale, along with a roller coaster of events, which I for one was happy to go along with!! Will Elizabeth forgive Darcy for not making it known to her that he was married? Will Darcy be able to come up with a solution before Elizabeth is married off to an earl? What will an unstable and jealous Gisela Darcy do if she catches wind that Darcy likes Elizabeth? Well that would be telling now, would it not?

This book is a great read but not for the faint hearted, Elizabeth and Darcy do not ring entirely true, especially Elizabeth as she does not behave as I would expect based on Austen’s character and Lady Catherine is outrageous! However this is JAFF, not a reproduction of Pride and Prejudice and if these misgivings can be overlooked and the believability of it all can be stretched, then I do not see why one would not be able to enjoy it. It is most worthy of a Hollywood style big screen offer, it would certainly be a blockbuster! I look forward Brenda’s other title Fitzwilliam Darcy An Honourable Man J

This book is worthy of 4 & a half hearts- Mr Bingley & Mr Darcy!!!!