Full Description

Darcys & the Bingleys

A Tale of Two Gentlemen's Marriages to Two Most Devoted Sisters

Three days before their double wedding, Charles Bingley is desperate to have a word with his dear friend Fitzwilliam Darcy, seeking advice of a most delicate nature. Bingley is shocked when Darcy gives him a copy of The Kama Sutra - but it does tell him everything he needs to know.

Eventually, of course, Jane finds this remarkable volume and in utmost secrecy shows it to her dear sister Elizabeth, who goes searching for a copy in the Pemberley library...

By turns hilarious and sweet, The Darcys & the Bingleys follows the two couples and the cast of characters surrounding them. Miss Caroline Bingley, it turns out, has such good reasons for being the way she is that the reader can't help but hold her in charity. Delightfully, she makes a most eligible match, and in spite of Darcy's abhorrence of being asked for advice, he and Bingley have a most enduring and adventure-prone friendship.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Excerpt

Excerpt

Excerpt from Chapter 1: The Deal

Charles Bingley, a man in possession of fortune and of good standing, had been for several years now in want of a wife. Now he stood at the culmination of his efforts and found it almost alarming.

For the first time in many years, the shooting season had passed, and Charles Bingley didn’t give it a second thought. He had to look his best at all times for the numerous guests that were filling his hours. Normally, hosting was something he did gladly, but other forces were pulling him in directions away from his abominable guests and well-wishers.

This must be how Darcy feels all the time, he mused, and allowed himself a rare smile—rare in that it was at the expense of his friend. For he had no doubt that whatever sufferings he was enduring at Netherfield by having the flux of people and priorities keep him from his beloved Jane, Darcy was probably feeling them more, because Darcy went into the intense period of social events with a predisposition against them. As a guest in Bingley’s estate, he was normally entitled to all of the privacy he wished and could hide in his room with a pile of books for all Bingley cared. But that was not the case when one was engaged in what was looking to be a rather controversial wedding.

Perhaps controversial was not the right word, but Bingley chose it anyway, at least in his own mind. Certainly, there were those who opposed it, but none that he and Darcy were not willing to stand up to. He could never have imagined his unshakable best friend bending to the will of his aunt and marrying Anne de Bourgh, but then again, he also could never have imagined his friend falling in love with someone deemed below his station by the world at large. If anything, the master of Pemberley was more than aware of his station and the social standing that he was required to maintain, something Bingley would not wish on himself for the doubling of accounts that it would bring.

So, it seemed, life was full of surprises, because Darcy was quite possibly more in love with Elizabeth than Bingley was with Jane, even if he was being subtle about it and apparently had been since the moment they met. Only after much teasing and a persevering interrogation did Fitzwilliam Darcy admit to falling in love with her at first sight, of all places and times, and he only admitted it with a passion in his eyes that indicated that, if Charles Bingley were not his best friend and companion, he would be inclined to thrash him with his walking stick for asking such a question.

But even all of his purported and very real hauteur and intimidating posture and grace could not save poor Mr. Darcy from the necessities of prenuptial social business. There were the trips to Longbourn that were not frequent enough and the various well-wishers (and non-well-wishers) streaming into Netherfield that were all too frequent. He also had to travel to London no less than three times in a month for reasons of finance management and general legal wedding preparations. Bingley, a man of smaller fortune, only had to go once and entrusted to his steward that all the rest would be well.

In fact, it had reached such an extreme that standing in his room, waiting for the appearance of his waistcoat, Charles Bingley could not think of two or three words he had spoken to Darcy in the past day, despite living under the same roof. Not that he was totally unaccustomed to absences, and not that he was helpless without the person whom he would never bring himself to call—to his face, anyway—a sort of elder brother, but he could think of no better way to idle away the time which they were forced to be away from their respective fiancées by social circumstance than talking, even if it was idle chatter that would result in Bingley quite knowingly running his mouth off and Darcy impatiently rolling his eyes. That, at least, would be a bit relaxing in its own way.

No, there would be no return to normalcy. In three days, they would no longer be eligible bachelors who were the talk of every ball. Bingley’s beloved sister would no longer be batting her eyelashes at his best friend (or, at least, Bingley hoped she wouldn’t), and he would not be returning the favour with dismissive witticisms. All right, Bingley admitted he was a bit oblivious at times, but he was not dim-witted, even if he had missed Darcy’s obsession with Elizabeth Bennet. But then again, everyone had missed that, probably including Darcy himself. Darcy was jubilant when writing to his sister of the arrangement, and he took great pains to make his face even more unreadable than usual when he gave the grave news to Caroline Bingley. It was a masterpiece of a performance and went well with Charles’s considerable relief that he didn’t have to do it himself. All cousins, sisters, distant relatives, attendants, hired planners, paperwork officials, and local guests made two matters particularly vexing for the normally unvexible Charles Bingley. First, and most obviously, despite the many trips to Longbourn, he could not get nearly as much time with Jane as he would have liked, but he was assured that he had the rest of his life to make up for it. The second matter was more pressing, if less emotionally invested: he needed Darcy, alone.

It took him several weeks to admit even to himself that he had questions that were better answered before the wedding and that Darcy was the best person to answer them. He was lacking a father—though that would have been an awkward situation anyway—and Mr. Hurst was, he decided, with all of his good manners and intentions, the last person he wanted to ask. That left his friend, confidant, and evermore-experienced-at-everything brother figure. If he could just get him alone long enough to properly work up the courage to ask the appropriate questions, then all would be well. Darcy wouldn’t answer, of course. He would look indignant and find some reason to stomp off or find no reason at all and still stomp off. Or maybe, maybe, he would actually have some advice that could be pried out with excessive trying.

And Bingley was ready to try.

Reviews

Reviews

For Immediate Release Reviews Shaley Melchior
Can Jane Austen be improved on? Does Pride and Prejudice REALLY need to be continued? This charming period piece by debut novelist Marsha Altman proves that yes, you can never have too much Darcy and Elizabeth!

’Tis only three days until the double wedding of the Bennet sisters and best friends Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. Mr. Bingley, lacking... experience, quizzes his (presumably much more knowledgeable) friend for certain helpful information relating to the honeymoon soon to come. Mr. Darcy, ever helpful, rides in a pouring rain to find a volume to help Bingley out of a certain predicament.

This delightful novel reintroduces us to old friends and acquaintances, and even shows different sides to the irrepressible Caroline Bingley and the fragile Anne de Bourgh. We again meet the charming and devilish Wickham, and my favorite part of the book is the following excerpt from page 93:
"(Wickham said)’Come now, Fitzers, we are finally brothers-’ Bingley raised his hand to shield himself from Darcy’s rage, but Darcy’s voice, after a pause in which undoubtedly numerous emotions were suppressed, was surprisingly light-hearted.’And I suppose as your brother, I must be the mischievious pest. And as the youngest of the three, Bingley must be my partner-in-crime, the immressionable young lad that he is. Right, Mr. Bingley?’
’Um... yes.’ Bingley had no idea as to where this was going, but he was hardly going to contradict Darcy.
Darcy began to pace the room, circling Wickham. ’For example, I could be an annoying older brother and for no reason whatsoever, hit you with this walking stick.’ And then, suddenly, he took Wickham’s walking stick and smacked him on the back of the head, causing Wickham to double over. ’Then, because the youngest brother inevitably follows his senior, Bingley could help me toss you out the window. Bingley?’
Bingley opened his mouth to put up a protest, but Darcy gave him a look that told him resistance would be indefensible. And so, oddly enough, he hellped Darcy heave Wickham out the window. They did not hear the cracking of bones, of even an audible thud, but it was not a long drop from the second story window.
’Will he be all right?’
’Oh yes,’ Darcy said as he closed the window. ’The manure pile there surely broke his fall.’"
The rest of the book is by turns serious, hilarious, and sweet. Although the back cover mentions much about a certain book purchased by Mr. Darcy, the book is not overly graphic, rather having just enough sweetness to make the reader fall in love all over again with the Darcys and the Bingleys and their families and friends. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of Pride and Prejudice.

Becky’s Book Blog Rebecca Laney

Austen Prose Laurel Ann Natress
Now they had come to it, the moment he dreaded. “We are to marry in nearly two days -”
“It has not escaped my notice, I assure you.”
“- and I find myself in need of some . . . advice.” Mr. Bingley & Mr. Darcy, The Darcys & the Bingleys
And so gentle readers, begins the premise of the latest sequel to Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, entitled The Darcys and The Bingleys. In this debut novel by Marsha Altman the story is centered on the friendship of Charles Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy, elevating Mr. Bingley to co-protagonist with his future brother-in-law. We are immediately reconnected to the original story as Charles Bingley, that amiably good natured friend of the commanding Mr. Darcy ruminates over their approaching marriages to the Bennet sisters, Jane and Elizabeth. Endearingly true to character, Mr. Bingley is not quite sure of himself or how to resolve a pressing matter. After much deliberation he determines that his closest friend Mr. Darcy is the best man to approach on the delicate subject of martial relations and entreats his advice. Mr. Darcy responds by presenting him with a wedding gift; — ‘the book’– an illustrated and transcribed ancient Indian text of the Kama Sutra.
Not only is Charles Bingley concerned about his wedding night performance, his future bride Jane Bennet is in turn confused and alarmed after the obligatory mother-daughter chat on wifely duties that her mother unloads on her and sister Elizabeth the day before the wedding. Luckily their aunt Mrs. Gardiner was also present to smooth the waters so-to-speak, but even cool and clever Elizabeth is befuddled by the vagueness of the information and asks her fiancé, Mr. Darcy for reassurance.
As the invited guests arrive for the wedding, we are re-acquainted with many familiar characters from Pride and Prejudice; Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Rev. Mr. Collins and wife Charlotte, Mr. & Mrs. Bennet and their daughters Kitty and Mary, Lydia Wickham, Anne de Borough who has escaped from Rosings and the clutches of her mother Lady Catherine, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Georgiana Darcy, Mr. & Mrs. Hurst, Caroline Bingley, and one uninvited guest, George Wickham who is unceremoniously pitched out the second floor window of Netherfield Park and into a manure pile by Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. The men folk then proceed to throw a stag party, and Mr. Darcy has a bit too much to drink.
We are also privy to a snipet of the back story on the friendship of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy many years before “Netherfield Park is let at last” when Pride and Prejudice begins, enlightening us further on their personalities and relationships. Bingley and Darcy became fast friends at Cambridge University after Bingley rescued him from a scandalous situation after their introduction at a faculty soirée. A nineteen-year old Mr. Darcy was deep in his cups, seduced by a disreputable young lady and found in another student’s dorm room incoherent and disheveled. With Bingley’s help, the matter was swiftly smoothed over, but since it was so unlike his friend’s usual reserved manner, he continues to chide him about it whenever he needs to privately put the grand Mr. Darcy of Pemberley in his place.
At the conclusion of the wedding ceremony and dinner, the Darcy’s and the Bingley’s depart for there respective townhouses in London, and hopefully on to connubial bliss. Like Mr. Darcy’s new bride Elizabeth, we see a more relaxed and casual husband after the ceremony. This Darcy makes jokes with his new wife.
“I shall do my best to be an upstanding gentleman, ignoring your presence almost entirely in company, and never endeavour to gaze upon you or whisper private jokes in your ear at parties_ “
Her response was to kiss him. Well, to kiss him and to climb on top of him, the ultimate assertion of authority. “That is not what I prefer, Mr. Darcy.”
“Then we are in agreement. I will treat you with great love and compassion in front of guests and as a wanton wench in the bedchamber.”
To this, she could not find a reason to raise dispute.
On the other martial front, the sun rose on the Bingley household and Jane exclaims, “I do not believe that I have ever been so happy.” Charles Bingley credits the book and then shows it to Jane.
Six months have passed and Jane and Elizabeth are both with child and expecting at the same time. In appreciation for his friend’s considerable favour of the wedding gift, Bingley sends Darcy a new book that he has tracked down and imported from India, the Ananga Ranga, another sex manual. The ongoing competition between the two friends continues to the point of their placing bets on whose home will be used for their wives confinements, and who will be first to deliver a child. Bingley wins the £5.
The second half of the novel involves Charles Bingley’s sister Caroline, who as you will remember in Pride and Prejudice tires her hardest to attract Mr. Darcy, but he does not give her a moment’s thought in the romance arena. She is a caustic and abrasive character in Austen’s novel, and gets much of the plum biting dialogue. In this treatment she is more sympathetically portrayed, and many of the faults and foibles in her personality are smoothed out and explained. When the two friends Darcy and Bingley are called into action to check out a prospective beau of Caroline’s, the ongoing comedy continues and the story ends just like Austen with a wedding.
Recently, author Marsha Altman was interviewed on the Risky Regency blog by fellow Austen-esque author Janet Mullany, who asked her how she felt about taking on Jane Austen?
I’m trying to have fun with her characters. As to whether she would mine, Miss Austen has posthumously endured her nephew and extended family publishing all of her unfinished writing and personal letters for profit, numerous sequels and adaptations, books analyzing her personal life, and even movies about her starring actresses wearing heavy lipstick. So, if she’s been spinning in her grave, she’s probably tired by now and may well have gotten over it. That or she understands imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, if that phrase existed in the Regency period.
Fun is the operative word here, and if one reads this book within the context of expecting a light, frothy, humorously diverting comedy written in a contemporary style based on Jane Austen’s characters from Pride and Prejudice, you will not be disappointed. On the other hand, if you are expecting a Regency novel whose language, plot, character development and historical reference are similar to Austen’s, this may not be for you.
Ms. Altman states that imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery. I do not think that imitation was her intention here, and Miss Austen may have to take a few more spins at Winchester Cathedral.

Riley’s Reviews Riley MErrick
This is the first book that I was actually asked to review. I was tickled pink, but also absolutely terrified: what if I hated it? I like to think I’m always truthful with my reviews, and I wouldn’t want anyone thinking I’d sold out. Fortunately, that was not the case: I can freely and honestly rave about this book!

With The Darcys and the Bingleys, author Marsha Altman gives readers a delightful and sweet window into what happens after the events recorded by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice, following Darcy, Elizabeth, Bingley, and Jane into splendidly happy marriages.

Events start with the lead-up to the joint wedding, during which Bingley corners Darcy and asks for advice on how to please Jane (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). So Darcy rides to London to obtain a copy of the Kama Sutra for Bingley, whose reaction can be described as sputtering, but curious all the same. In this fashion, Ms. Altman cracks open the bedroom doors, but in a discreet manner – nothing here would give Jane Austen the vapors! Together, these two happy couples weather the first years of marriage, getting accustomed to their new relationships and welcoming new members into the family. The plot is realistic for the most part, and reads as something Jane Austen herself might dream up.

The characters and the way they interact are simply perfect. Ms. Altman’s version of Elizabeth is spot-on; she’s as intelligent and witty and graceful as ever, as is Jane. Bingley is sweet, sincere, and a little awkward, very much as I recall him from the original work. Mr. Bennet finally explains to us why he endures Mrs. Bennet, and, miracle of miracles, Caroline Bingley proves that there is a real woman behind the shrewish demeanor.

It’s with Fitzwilliam Darcy that Ms. Altman really triumphs. In Pride and Prejudice, he may be a romantic ideal, but readers never really get to see behind the aloof façade. How can one live everyday life with a romantic ideal? Ms. Altman shows us that behind that stern pride Darcy shows to the world is a warm and caring man, very much a match for the lovely Elizabeth. He’s more approachable, more realistic, and definitely even sexier.

Because Darcy is so much more approachable, readers get treated to great little running jokes about childhood nicknames, masculine bouts of one-upmanship between Darcy and Bingley, and of course, gentle jesting about scandalous books from India.

I don’t know if Ms. Altman is planning to continue this book as a series, but I for one would love to see a courtship and marriage for Georgiana Darcy.

A final note about the publication itself: the quality of the book and its binding is fantastic. If all trade paperbacks were of this high of a quality, I’d almost gladly shell out the extra money for them.

The Darcys and the Bingleys is a sweet, fun, and sparkling homage to Pride and Prejudice that would please even Jane Austen herself. It’s going on my keeper shelf, and I anticipate re-reading it many times to come. If you’re a fan of anything Austen, I highly recommend this book.

Jane Austen Today Vic Sandborn
I am always in a quandary when I write an Austen sequel book review. How much should I reveal of the plot before spoiling it? Should I write for the Jane Austen fan who enjoys readings sequels regardless of the quality of the writing or research, or should I keep a larger reading audience in mind?
I make these statements before reviewing The Darcys and the Bingleys because my sense is that if you cannot get enough of these two Pride and Prejudice couples, then you will love this sequel. But if you have only read that classic novel once and you are looking for a stand-alone book, this one might not quite fit the bill, for there is an assumption by author Marsha Altman that the reader already knows a great deal about the characters.
Let me go on the record as stating that Jane Austen’s novels are inimitable. Those who dare to write sequels to her classics are brave souls. They must run the gamut of Janeites, many of whom can quote reams of Jane’s words forwards and backwards without pausing to take breath. Marsha Altman, the author of The Darcys and The Bingleys is one of the brave.
In her first novel she closely follows Charles Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy as they prepare to wed the Bennet sisters. Readers are treated to the preparations before the nuptials and the arrival of familiar guests, such as Lydia Wickham and her husband. She is welcome but he is not, and his cheekiness in accompanying his wife to Netherfield is met with funny but deserving results. Readers of my reviews know that I am no great fan of Jane Austen sequels, so it took me a few moments to warm up to this book. But with the arrival of the wedding guests, I found myself chuckling and getting into the fun spirit of things. We are treated to a cameo of Mr. Hurst which I found hilarious and re-meet familiar characters like Caroline Bingley and Mr. Collins. I rather like the description of the relationship between Miss Anne de Bourgh and Mr. Darcy, who are great friends but who are not attracted to each other romantically. Anne comes off as a smart woman with a mind of her own who chooses not to countermand her strong-minded mother, Lady Catherine. This puts a different and interesting spin on her character, and I will never quite view Anne as an insipid spinster again.
We are also made privy to the easy banter that exists between Lizzy and Darcy, and of the innocent but heated yearning between Bingley and Jane, who must wait until her wedding night to have her passion awakened fully. Darcy, a man of the world, has his own concerns, such as finding private time with Elizabeth, but he has no qualms about their first intimate moments, for he possesses a secret weapon – a book from Bombay that he inherited in great secrecy from his father.
Before Bingley consults Darcy at length about this book, Ms. Altman (in the above photo) introduces their back story and how they met during their student days at Cambridge. I found the novel’s emphasis on Bingley’s thoughts and actions refreshing. In Pride and Prejudice he remains a cheery enigma, but Marsha fleshes him out from the moment he meets Darcy to their joint suspicions of the Irish earl who wishes to marry Caroline.
Marsha in no way tries to imitate Jane Austen’s style, and her tone is modern and breezy. However, once in a while her characters words and actions seem spot on, as in this instance when Mr. Bennet visits his beloved Lizzy at Pemberley a few months after her marriage:
“Your mother and sisters are in Brighton admiring all the officers from a very respectable distance. At least a foot, I told them, though I have no idea if they will abide by it. I would have said at least thirty feet and bought your mother a pair of looking glasses, but she would not have it. They will arrive closer to the holiday, though I challenge even Mrs. Bennet and Kitty to fill these immense hallways with their squalling.”
We also learn more about Bingley’s relationship to his sisters, which I found touching and believable:
They were not an affectionate family. At least, they had not been in years, since Bingley’s sisters had entered society. He had vague recollections of being depressed at the prospect, because suddenly Louisa and then Caroline were all grown up, and he was left to be the only child in the family for a few more years, perhaps the loneliest in his life. And then he went to Cambridge, and when he came home for his father’s funeral, he was the man of the house, not the little brother, and one of his sisters was married and the other quite expecting to marry as soon as she found someone suitable. They still had their moments of treating him as their baby brother – three years Caroline’s junior and five to Louisa – but he, Charles Bingley, master of Netherfield and their London townhouse, controlled their fortunes, however graciously and unwittingly.
As the much anticipated wedding night approaches, Darcy shares passages of the book - the Kama Sutra - with his good friend. If you have a bawdy sense of humor like me you will enjoy these rather funny scenes. One must suspend disbelief, however, and simply enjoy the ride that this book provides, for as my wise counselor Lady Anne remarked dryly: “The Kama Sutra had not yet been translated into English during this era and I doubt that a sophisticated man like Fitzwilliam Darcy would need salacious illustrations to show him how to please a virgin in bed.”
Try as I might I could find no earlier reference to an English translation of the Kama Sutra before the explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton made the attempt in the 1883 with his colleague, Forster F. Arbuthnot. Earlier versions of these sacred texts were written in Sanscrit and came without illustrations. The original intent of these ancient compilations was not eroticism per se, but a combination of pleasure, spirituality, and virtue in the hope of a attaining a secure and rounded life. Critics of Burton’s translation felt that it skirted pornography. His translation held sway for nearly a century, influencing our thoughts about the book. Knowing these details, I kept asking myself as I read Ms. Altman’s scenes: “How would Darcy and Bingley gain any useful wedding night information from a book written in a foreign tongue that might or might not be illustrated?” And here lies the crux of the matter. If you are a stickler for historical accuracy, this plot device will fall absolutely flat. But if you love pop culture in all its manifestations like I do, then you will find this passage amusing:
[Bingley] was flummoxed by the illustration and read the description several times before finally saying, “This cannot be very gentlemanly.”
"But it does work - quite well.” Darcy was so at ease. Was he basking in the glory of watching Bingley squirm and blush so hard he might pop out of his skin at any moment? Or was he recalling fond memories of the past?
The Bingleys and Darcys embark on several months of honeymoon bliss aided by a book that had yet to be translated or illustrated. :) They then settle into their respective homes. (The Bingleys move from Netherfield within months of their marriage, since Charles can only stand Mrs. Bennet’s interference for so long.) We wait along with the two happy couples for the arrival of their first-born children in the second part of the book, and in the third section we become privy to a mystery: Is the Irish nobleman who wishes to marry Caroline Bingley a suitable candidate for a husband? And what role does Dr. Maddox, who is called upon to take care of Mr. Hurst, play in Caroline’s life?
On the surface Lord Kincaid seems like a perfect suitor for Miss Bingley, but her brother Charles cannot bring himself to approve of the match and he solicits Darcy’s help in uncovering the truth about the Irishman. Darcy sets out to learn more about the mysterious earl and challenges him to a friendly fencing match at his club. Regency gentlemen elected to gamble, hunt, or fence when taking each others’ measure, and while Marsha chose the right battleground for Mr. Darcy and the earl, I found her fencing passage strangely devoid of sweat-inducing action.
Kincaid could remain aggressive himself, but he had not yet seen Darcy aggressive, and he did not know the ferocity with which he would be attacked.
The ferocity never really came, for Marsha did not use the sport’s militaristic language to its full advantage. Fencing’s robust verbs and descriptive terms like “en garde, froissement, glise, assault, attack, riposte, lunge, feint, and the blade movements of thrusting, cutting and slashing” were missing, and thus Darcy’s and Sinclair’s fencing match lacked the heart-stopping, can’t-wait-to-read-what-will-happen-next suspense that I expected.
But I quibble, for Marsha’s plot keeps twisting, and she still had a few surprises in store for Fitzers and his brave Lizzy and Bingley and Jane that kept me turning the pages. This book was written to fulfill a desire in P&P fans to learn more about Jane Austen’s characters. While Marsha is spare in her physical descriptions of time, place, and character, I kept reading the book wanting to find out how the plot would develop. If you simply cannot get enough of Pride and Prejudice’s characters, then this book will more than satisfy you. (And it is a good first effort. Keep writing, Marsha.) If you want great writing that will transform your world, well, then turn to the incomparable novels of Jane Austen. No one does it better.

BookFoolery Nancy Horner
What led you to pick up this book? I was contacted by Danielle of Sourcebooks, Inc. She was really enthusiastic about The Darcys and the Bingleys and, in fact, I’ve planned to eventually give one of those Austen off-shoots a go (I have one in the stacks . . . at the bottom, though), so when she asked if I’d like to review it I said, "Sure!" She also sent me a gorgeous, glossy catalog and another book (which I’m sure you’ll hear about soon enough).

Summarize the plot without giving away the ending. There are several sections of this book, so it’s a little complex but the gist . . . initially, you must bear with it, a bit . . . The Darcys and the Bingleys is worth sticking out. The first section of the book has a very weak premise. Darcy and Bingley are preparing for their dual wedding and Bingley expresses some concerns about the wedding night. Darcy responds by purchasing a copy of the Kama Sutra for Bingley. Despite that ridiculous premise, scenes like those quoted above were such fun that I honestly didn’t care that there was a good bit of giggling, silliness and talk about the book (Elizabeth and Jane eventually discover that each of their husbands own a copy), rib-elbowing about marital relations, etc. It was not what I would call overly rude or obnoxious.

Onward . . . Bingley and Darcy marry the Bennet girls and there’s a lot of everyday business, all entertainingly written — again, with a great deal of levity. Eventually, a Lord from Scotland asks for Caroline Bingley’s hand, but both Darcy and Bingley sense something is amiss. This is where the book starts to become really fun, if you ask me. To say much more would give too much away (the crowd groans; I hear ya), but there’s plenty of witty interchange, love, lies, danger and even some exciting swordplay. I truly believe the last third of the book is the best.

What did you like most about the book? In spite of frequent implications (my father would have called many of the scenes "suggestive"), the book is good, clean fun. Lots of wit, humor and even a bit of adventure. It’s a charming read.

What did you think of the characters? Well, of course I love the real Darcy and Bingley in Pride and Prejudice. Fair warning: If you’re an Austen purist and totally unwilling to allow an author to mold and stretch the characters a bit, I suppose any offshoot would make you cringe a bit. I didn’t particularly care for Darcy’s past scenes because the young Darcy of this book was not as I’d like to imagine him. In fact, the explanation as to how Darcy and Bingley met makes little sense because we all know they’re cousins who presumably knew each other from childhood, right?

However — and it’s a big "however" — I enjoyed the bantering dialogue so much that it was easy enough to make a conscious decision to allow the author to take them where she desired and just enjoy the ride. Long story short . . . I still adored the characters. There were many, many scenes in which I could practically hear the voices of the actors from the Colin Firth version of P & P in my head. In many ways, I think the author remained faithful to Austen (not all ways, but she’s named Marsha, not Jane, so let’s give her a break).

Describe your favorite scene: See those quotes above? Those are just two of my favorite scenes. There are many, many more. In addition to quite a few zingy scenes between Darcy and Bingley, I loved the one truly intense action scene — a scene involving locked doors and crossed swords, a man swinging from a rope . . . gosh, all sorts of excitement.

And, oh, poor Darcy. What happens to him when he goes to confront Caroline’s intended . . . oh, oh! It’s really good stuff, trust me.

Recommended? Enthusiastically. Honestly, the more I reflect upon this book, the more I love it. There is to be an entire series by Marsha Altman. I plan to read them all. There, that’s all you need to know, right? Now, do remember that you have to be willing to accept the odd inclusion of modern language and some reshaping of the characters. Leave your preconceived notions at the door to enjoy this book.

In general: Such fun. I laughed. I gasped. I learned to love Caroline Bingley. I’m so glad Danielle suggest this title. Thank you, Danielle!

Cover thoughts: Probably a much-used painting, but it’s very colorful and appears time-appropriate. I think it’s lovely and suits the book well. In fact, I’m quite relieved that they didn’t chop off any heads.

Romance Rookie Jill Dunlop

The Darcys and the Bingleys picks up where Pride and Prejudice left off. It is divided into two parts. Part one basically reads like one long epilogue of Pride and Prejudice beginning with a dual wedding of Darcy to Elizabeth and Bingley to Jane. Part two is another story that centers around Caroline Bingley’s engagement and the Darcys’ and the Bingleys’ involvement in it. I feel that readers who haven’t read Pride and Prejudice will feel lost without having read it first. Ms. Altman assumes that the reader is already familiar with these characters. I, myself, read Pride and Prejudice a couple of years ago and at times I found myself racking my brain trying to remember a certain character and how they were related to whom.

The first part of the book was a little boring. Not because it was bad writing, quite the contrary actually, it’s just that there was very little conflict. It was almost too sweet and therefore little to hold my interest. Also, quite frequently a character would have a “remember when” moment and then the character would recount an event from the past. When book two began, things started to pick up speed and I found myself turning the pages faster. Actually, if it wasn’t for the second part of the book, I would have found myself grading the story much lower.

For the most part I enjoyed Ms. Altman’s writing style, most especially the conversations between characters. Darcy and Bingley’s relationship is explored further in this book and it was definitely welcome. I liked the competition they had between each other. Ms. Altman also weaves subtle humor throughout the story that would leave me smiling at something Darcy or Elizabeth said. I felt like Ms Altman remained true to the characters as I remembered them. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Jane Austin who are clamoring for more.

Once Upon a Romance Connie
Charles Bingley is very nervous about his upcoming wedding night and his lack of experience. Charles asks his best friend, Mr. Darcy, for his advice and Darcy gives Charles a copy of the KUMA SUTRA.

After many months of wedded bliss, Charles finds out, that his sister, Caroline, is seeking his consent to become engaged. After meeting Caroline’s intended, Charles feels there is something wrong with the man, even though, he appears to be a wealthy, titled, gentlemanly man. Of course, Charles asks for Darcy’s opinion of Caroline’s intended. When Darcy feels the same way about the man, they begin to investigate him. Because Darcy’s life has changed greatly since his marriage, the women in his life aid him in his endeavors— whether he likes it or not.

The Darcys and The Bingleys is one of the most enjoyable books, that I have read in ages. Since PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is my favorite book, I have read many sequels to this great classic. Many of these sequels fell well short of my expectations, but this one contains many laugh out loud moments and great, happy relationships between the characters. While this is not the sequel, that I feel Jane Austen would have written, Ms. Altman takes Austen’s beloved characters and makes them her own with lovely results. The Darcys and The Bingleys is highly recommended and I really wish that it would be made into a mini-series.

Marlene

Hollywood Today Gabrielle Pantera
HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 11/21/2008 - “Really I just wanted to write some Darcy-Bingley banter, something I hadn’t read enough of in other sequels or fan-fic,” says The Darcys & the Bingleys author Marsha Altman. “The first section, ‘A Bit of Advice’, started as a short story.”
The Darcys & the Bingleys starts three days before the wedding in Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and goes thought the birth of Darys and Bingleys children.

You’ll laugh out loud many times while reading The Darcys & the Bingleys. Altman knows how to keep the plot moving. She knows how to phrase a sentence. There are times when the author is absolutely brilliant in her writing, but not consistently.

“I suppose my two goals are to make the characters funny, and to make the readers sympathize with Caroline Bingley, which is pretty surprising to do if I pulled it off,” says Altman. “Also, there’s a fight scene. Well, two.”

“Slowly I started branching out to deal with the other characters and found them just as fun to play with,” says Altman. “My basic principle for the start was to give some decency to every character, even if they essentially remained as they were presented in Pride and Prejudice.”

“Mr. Collins is still silly but his wife loves him,” says Altman. “Mr. Bennet passed out when his daughter was born and his wife mocks him for it. Lydia realizes that Wickham’s presence is not appropriate at the wedding of her sisters.”

“Any character can be made sympathetic when put into an amusing situation,” says Altman. “I reserved the real villains for my second story, in the latter part of The Darcys and the Bingleys. Those characters were invented, given motives, and then dispatched. By then I had realized there was more I could do in the story.”

“There are nine more stories after this book that I hope will be published,” says Altman. “Then I can finally move on, probably back to the cyberpunk and urban fantasy that I usually write and have been writing all my life. Sci-fi is a much harder field to break into than historical romance, in terms of the world of publishing. I have things on the shelf that need revision, and some ideas for new projects, but it’s hard to move from Regency fiction to metaphysical noir. There’s a mental shift there that takes a few days.”

Altman makes a few glaring errors jarring to anyone who reads stories set in Regency England. Women didn’t travel alone, especially women of means. And, a woman would not have ridden astride from Scotland to London by themselves. Aside from those missteps you’ll thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Marsha Altman is originally from North Caldwell , New Jersey, the same town The Sopranos is set in. She currently lives in New York

Historical Novels Review Audrey Braver
Subtitled A Tale of Two Gentlemen’s Marriages To Two Most Devoted Sisters, this novel begins a few days before the joint weddings of Jane and Elizabeth Bennet to Bingley and Darcy. When Bingley confesses his “innocence” and asks advice from his most cosmopolitan friend, Darcy responds by giving Bingley a copy of the Kama Sutra. Most of the characters from Pride and Prejudice appear, including the reprehensible Wickham, who is disposed of in a most ungentlemanly way by Darcy and Bingley. The two families settle down in Derbyshire close to one another, and married life progresses apace. There are births, engagements, and marriages, but not all goes smoothly. Darcy is shot in the back, for example.

Ms. Altman has written an amusing supposition of what might have been. Jane and Bingley mature but remain true to character, as does Mr. Bennet. A more confident Elizabeth rules a somewhat weak and besotted Darcy, which is a less plausible outcome.

Nancy Horner
What led you to pick up this book? I was contacted by Danielle of Sourcebooks, Inc. She was really enthusiastic about The Darcys and the Bingleys and, in fact, I’ve planned to eventually give one of those Austen off-shoots a go (I have one in the stacks . . . at the bottom, though), so when she asked if I’d like to review it I said, "Sure!" She also sent me a gorgeous, glossy catalog and another book (which I’m sure you’ll hear about soon enough).

Summarize the plot without giving away the ending. There are several sections of this book, so it’s a little complex but the gist . . . initially, you must bear with it, a bit . . . The Darcys and the Bingleys is worth sticking out. The first section of the book has a very weak premise. Darcy and Bingley are preparing for their dual wedding and Bingley expresses some concerns about the wedding night. Darcy responds by purchasing a copy of the Kama Sutra for Bingley. Despite that ridiculous premise, scenes like those quoted above were such fun that I honestly didn’t care that there was a good bit of giggling, silliness and talk about the book (Elizabeth and Jane eventually discover that each of their husbands own a copy), rib-elbowing about marital relations, etc. It was not what I would call overly rude or obnoxious.

Onward . . . Bingley and Darcy marry the Bennet girls and there’s a lot of everyday business, all entertainingly written — again, with a great deal of levity. Eventually, a Lord from Scotland asks for Caroline Bingley’s hand, but both Darcy and Bingley sense something is amiss. This is where the book starts to become really fun, if you ask me. To say much more would give too much away (the crowd groans; I hear ya), but there’s plenty of witty interchange, love, lies, danger and even some exciting swordplay. I truly believe the last third of the book is the best.

What did you like most about the book? In spite of frequent implications (my father would have called many of the scenes "suggestive"), the book is good, clean fun. Lots of wit, humor and even a bit of adventure. It’s a charming read.

What did you think of the characters? Well, of course I love the real Darcy and Bingley in Pride and Prejudice. Fair warning: If you’re an Austen purist and totally unwilling to allow an author to mold and stretch the characters a bit, I suppose any offshoot would make you cringe a bit. I didn’t particularly care for Darcy’s past scenes because the young Darcy of this book was not as I’d like to imagine him. In fact, the explanation as to how Darcy and Bingley met makes little sense because we all know they’re cousins who presumably knew each other from childhood, right?

However — and it’s a big "however" — I enjoyed the bantering dialogue so much that it was easy enough to make a conscious decision to allow the author to take them where she desired and just enjoy the ride. Long story short . . . I still adored the characters. There were many, many scenes in which I could practically hear the voices of the actors from the Colin Firth version of P & P in my head. In many ways, I think the author remained faithful to Austen (not all ways, but she’s named Marsha, not Jane, so let’s give her a break).

Describe your favorite scene: See those quotes above? Those are just two of my favorite scenes. There are many, many more. In addition to quite a few zingy scenes between Darcy and Bingley, I loved the one truly intense action scene — a scene involving locked doors and crossed swords, a man swinging from a rope . . . gosh, all sorts of excitement.

And, oh, poor Darcy. What happens to him when he goes to confront Caroline’s intended . . . oh, oh! It’s really good stuff, trust me.

Recommended? Enthusiastically. Honestly, the more I reflect upon this book, the more I love it. There is to be an entire series by Marsha Altman. I plan to read them all. There, that’s all you need to know, right? Now, do remember that you have to be willing to accept the odd inclusion of modern language and some reshaping of the characters. Leave your preconceived notions at the door to enjoy this book.

In general: Such fun. I laughed. I gasped. I learned to love Caroline Bingley. I’m so glad Danielle suggest this title. Thank you, Danielle!

Cover thoughts: Probably a much-used painting, but it’s very colorful and appears time-appropriate. I think it’s lovely and suits the book well. In fact, I’m quite relieved that they didn’t chop off any heads.

Stephanies Written Word Stephanie
Have you ever wondered what happened to Elizabeth and Darcy, Jane and Bingley after the wedding? Author Marsha Altman has taken on the task and written a sequel to Pride & Prejudice with style.

The novel opens a couple days before the double wedding with a funny scene between Darcy and Bingly, in which Bingley asks Darcy for advice on how to keep a wife “happy” in marriage. The exchange between the two characters is a perfect opening of the book. Altman gets Bingleys boyish charm and likability spot on and Darcy is just as unapproachable and off-putting as before. You can see that Altman has tried to write a believable sequel to Pride & Prejudice and she succeeds.

Altman ventures where no Austen novel has gone before - sex. Written with humor, Elizabeth and Jane worry, just like Bingley seems to do, about the wedding night and really get nervous from the talk of womanly matters from their mother.

Another fun part of the book is the growth of the Darcy character. Unlike Pride & Prejudice, The Darcys & The Bingleys shows you the private Darcy. The man who likes to tease his wife or maybe have a drink or two with his best friend Bingley. These exchanges add the the humor in the book and allow us a glimpse of Darcy behind the Pemberly front door. I’m not sure how Austen would like this Darcy (I imagine lots of blushing on her part) but I found it to be a refreshing look at the character. Bookfoolery & Babble also reviewed this book and I just love the quotes she picked out to include in her review. Make sure to stop by her blog to check them out.

Overall I think Altman’s The Darcys and The Bingleys has written a fun, witty and ultimately a very satisfying read. I sure hope that the author decides to continue with another book about the two couples. If she does, I’ll sure to be one of the first to read it!

Bookopolis Sheri Stock
“The Darcy’s & the Bingley’s” is a Pride and Prejudice sequel, which starts off with the preparations for the double wedding of Fitzwilliam Darcy to Elizabeth Bennett and his best friend Charles Bingley to Elizabeth’s sister, Jane Bennett. The book is composed of two different books in one, with the first describing the wedding and their lives as newlyweds, and the second one about raising children and focuses a great deal on Charles’ sister Caroline and her future engagement.

This is the first Jane Austen sequel that I’ve read and it was very enjoyable. The storylines make it a nice and light read. While there are some dramatic scenes (and a swordfight!), the majority of the book is very sweet and subtle. Altman’s writing is very poetic and she captures the ’Jane Austen’ time period quite well with the right tone and use of language. I found that the characters remained just as charming and likable despite their obvious flaws as Jane Austen had intended. I especially appreciated reading the witty banter between Darcy and Elizabeth and their feisty yet incredibly loving relationship, which continued nicely from Pride and Prejudice.

Library Journal
Picking up right where Pride and Prejudice left off, Altman’s debut novel commences just two days before the double wedding of Darcy and Bingley to the Bennett sisters. When Bingley confides some misgivings about the upcoming wedding night, Darcy presents him with a special wedding gift: a magnificently illustrated edition of The Kama Sutra. This light, humorous return to Austen’s key characters is an engaging read.

The Book Zombie Joanne Mosher
Here in The Darcys & The Bingleys we have another authors take of how things might continue on after Pride & Prejudice ends. Moving along at a quicker pace, this book begins with the approach of a dual wedding. Elizabeth and Jane are busy getting everything ready, preparing to become new wives. Meanwhile Darcy is helping Charles out with a few things he isn’t too confident about – mainly the private affairs of husband and wife. Darcy decides that what Charles needs is a little research, and so he passes a copy of the Kama Sutra along to his friend. This leads to some scandalous (for the times) fun. Honestly, the banter between characters is the absolute highlight of this story. Once things begin to settle down, about halfway through the book, a new plotline emerges as Caroline Bingley introduces the new man in her life, Lord James. Together Darcy and Charles take a closer look at this man and decide that something isn’t right. This second story arc adds a nice touch of intrigue to the humor of the first part. Altogether a very readable and enjoyable book. Marsha Altman also has two more Austen follow-ups, The Plight of the Darcy Brothers (which I talk about next) and coming in the future Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape.

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Trade Paper Specfications

• Length: 7.75 in
• Width: 5.75 in
• Height: 0.00 in
• Weight: 17.00 oz
• Page Count: 432 pages