Trouble with Mr. Darcy

I have been a long time fan of Sharon Lathan’s. Her version of what happens after Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourites and it is safe to say that I use the beautiful imagery that she has built up in my mind whenever I read any P & P variation. The passion between Elizabeth and Darcy has kept me captivated over 5 books and I can’t imagine ever tiring of it. They are books I will read again and again.

In this book Wickham makes an entrance and it was good to see that Sharon stayed true to Austen’s original character. Wickham is a character that I’ve always loved to hate and this book is no exception. Together Darcy and Elizabeth come to a greater level of understanding and trust and their wonderful romance and passion for each other continues.

If you love Pride and Prejudice then I urge you to try Sharon Lathan. Her characters are true to the original Austen characters with a very satisfying and modern love story that includes a very passionate and steamy love story. Order your copy of The Trouble with Mr Darcy at Amazon, Amazon Kindle or Book Depository.




In this installment of the Darcy Saga, Sharon Lathan really went above and beyond with her plot line. Immediately, the first few chapters are gripping and tender from the get go. Something that utterly relates to the world around us in this day and age, Lizzy Darcy nee Bennet finds herself struggling with postpartum depression. Naturally, back then they did not quite know of such a thing, what it was or how to treat it, and the relationship between husband and wife dramatically suffered.

Sharon Lathan handles that situation exceedingly well, making the disease a believable occurrence and treating it as it would have been in that era. This modern author also manages to incorporate a great sense of action to the story. While Darcy and Elizabeth face the most trying times of their marriage, old enemies step into play and cause enough trouble to make my heart beat over time. Needless to say, the story is emotionally investing enough to make readers cry one minute and smile from ear to ear the next.

Sharon Lathan has created a saga of the most talented kind and The Trouble with Mr. Darcy is a perfect continuation of the story, fitting in well and adding to the story’s impact. Each one of Sharon Lathan’s books is better than the last and impedes Jane Austen’s work in no way. Thinking about the errors of this novel is an extremely difficult task because there are so few to mention.

The only distracting issue of the book occurred in the last chapter. The author wrote a very in depth few paragraphs on the fashion of the characters that it seemed more a mentioning of the author’s extensive knowledge of the period and less like an integral part of the story, adding in no way to the prose. Besides that brief scene, the book was expertly written and one I consider an addition to the classic. I highly recommend it to Austen fans, regency romance connoisseurs and all around readers who believe in the happily ever after of well written escapist literature.



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There’s a lot going on in this book. For example there’s a trip to the continent, a birth, a wedding, an engagement, betrayal, and more. Reading the story is like being on a roller-coaster ride; just when you think that Elizabeth and Darcy are safe, you turn a corner and once again are thrown into doubt as to what will happen. It’s a book that I found almost impossible to put down until I finished it and then immediately read it again. I laughed. I cried. And when I closed the covers after the first reading — I felt drained and satisfied that things were now as they should be.

Lathan has a masterful feel for Austen’s Elizabeth Bennet Darcy and Fitzwilliam Darcy. You can hear their voices as if you were reading Austen. Their characters remain the same but with a responsibility to each other that marriage and a child have given them. Their first child is a bit older and we see Darcy as a caring parent. Elizabeth is still a forceful personality but tempered with motherhood and a bit more understanding towards her sisters and mother. First and foremost, Elizabeth and Darcy are in love — romantically, passionately, and totally. The ups and downs of married life have tempered them but their love sees them through the trials of their lives.

However, books need conflict and Lathan manages to come up with some interesting twists and turns. Some of those conflicts involve problems that are as relevant today as they’d have been in Austen’s time — only then such problems would have been hidden away and not dealt with at all. Lathan has a nice touch making the plotlines relevant to today’s women but firmly grounded in the historical and social era that gave birth to Elizabeth and Darcy.

I can’t say much about plot other than, as the book description mentions, Wickham returns with malice and a plan. However, that is only the later half of the book. Once you finish reading, you’ll find yourself wondering how so much fit into such a normal size book. Based on how many events occur, you’d expect one of those huge doorstopper volumes.

All our favorite characters from the previous books by Lathan and from the original novel of Jane Austen are here. Take the time to immerse yourself in another time with characters that we’ve come to enjoy. The only nit I have with the book is that the title implies that Darcy is the problem when, in fact, he’s more the victim of these troubles. The Trouble with Mr. Darcy by Sharon Lathan is in bookstores now. If you’re a fan of her previous books , you’ll be sure to enjoy this one. If you haven’t yet read Lathan’s books that continue the story of Pride and Prejudice, you may get confused by the larger cast of characters which can readily be solved by getting her earlier works.



I enjoyed Jane Austen books as a younger reader and have recently been having a lot of fun reading some of these remakes and variations of her stories. Sharon Lathan has done an excellent job of taking some of Jane’s beloved, as well as the despised characters and giving them slightly different adventures. While this book is the fifth installment in the series, it also makes a pleasant stand-alone read. You are given plenty of background information in the beginning to allow you to jump right into the action.

After I read The Trouble with Mr. Darcy I read some of the reviews for the book on Goodreads. I usually wait until I’ve written my own before seeing what others have said, but this time I veered from my routine a bit. It was interesting to me that some readers were upset that this book wasn’t exactly as Jane Austen would write it. They wanted the characters to be and do exactly the same things as the originals in Pride and Prejudice. I am siding with the opposite camp who enjoys a different take on the old tried-and-true Darcy and Lizzie that we all know. The "what-ifs?" are what make Ms. Lathan’s stories a lot of fun for me. We still have the familiar, but they’re put into situations out of their normal comfort zone. New dilemmas are thrown at them and it is fun to see how they either muck it up or get themselves out of it.

The writing is very easy to follow and flows smoothly. I liked the dialogue as it was filled with warmth and wit. The solid foundation of Jane Austen’s beloved masterpiece are much in evidence, but Sharon Lathan has added her own touches that allow a completely new audience to fall in love with the timeless characters.



I know I commented in one of my early reviews of Sharon Lathan’s books in this series that something has to come along to make life real for Darcy and Lizzy, even while still newlyweds - they’re so in love, nothing can break through that bubble of happiness. But just as life is wont to do, it does eventually burst that bubble, and Ms. Lathan does a good job of handling this couples’ heartache and pain when necessary. But, my heavens, in this book, they get a heavy dose of when it rains trouble, it pours.


Actually, the issues the Darcys go through at this point have the potential to tear them apart. They have matured into loving parents, responsible business owners, and attentive and sensual lovers. Life is about to bring all of that to a halt with circumstances from which they may never recover or be very changed at the very least.

Lizzy is about to give birth to their second child, and Darcy is as thrilled with this pregnancy as he was with Alexander, their firstborn. Once Michael arrives, however, Lizzy slowly descends into a hell neither anticipated nor expected. Darcy is beside himself when his usual helpfulness, even his wit and charm, cannot bring the Lizzy he loves back to him. What we know today as post-partum depression throws them into a turmoil all their own, and Ms. Lathan, with her nursing background, is quite successful at getting Lizzy’s downward spiral and all related emotions across to the reader, as well as Darcy’s anguish and fear of the unknown plaguing his wife.

In between the heartache there is still happiness for the Darcy family. Lizzy’s sister, Kitty, is getting married and both sides of the clan come together to celebrate. But there is a snake in their midst with the return of George Wickham. Fitzwilliam vows to keep his temper and anger in check when face to face with the snake while also keeping on high alert. Trouble follows in Wickham’s wake and Darcy is bound and determined to keep those he loves safe. And he does try. Goodness does triumph over evil, but evil sure has a way of making itself known and throwing life into havoc at the wrong times. Darcy learns this lessons in spades. And, needless to say, Wickham gets what’s coming to him, as well as another enemy in cahoots with him, and their ends are evilly fun to read.

Georgiana is all grown up and has a beau of her own now. I’ve always enjoyed the relationship between Georgie and Darcy; they’re not afraid of showing their love for each other, and Darcy does the big brother thing quite well when her new love asks for her hand. The only little nitpick I have is I want more of the gent. We don’t meet him until approximately three-quarters of the book, and, once introduced, I like him a lot. But what we do get assures us Georgiana will be in good hands.

All of the secondary characters we’ve met in previous books show up again here, catching up with each other and reveling in the chaos of family and children. Ms. Bennet is her usual gushing self, and Lydia Wickham takes the cake when it comes to self-absorption. My favorite secondary character is Dr. Darcy, he’s front and center when family needs him and is as funny and loving as ever.

Another successful addition to her series for Ms. Lathan. She stays true to her characters no matter the dilemma, in happiness as well as sadness and tragedy. I don’t know if more books are planned, but I look forward to any that are. I’m always very pleasantly surprised and entertained and especially appreciate the emotion with which Ms. Lathan writes. It’s been an honor to read these stories that come from her heart.



The happiness of a birth and a wedding, the sorrow of illness, and the return of villains all mark The Trouble with Mr. Darcy, the emotional latest chapter in Sharon Lathan’s Darcy Saga.

The Trouble with Mr. Darcy belongs to Elizabeth as some good and a lot of bad overtake her. The Darcys have a new son, Michael, but all is not well. Although physically cured, Elizabeth remains mentally sick from the birth, and the illness takes a toll on her and Darcy’s marriage. On a happier note, Kitty weds her beloved General Randall Artois, although the attendance at the wedding by George and Lydia Wickham casts a pall over the proceedings. George is as evil and revengeful as ever, and along with another malefactor from the past casts Elizabeth as the pawn in his latest plot against Darcy.

Written in her flowing sensual style and with a wealth of detailed descriptions, Ms. Lathan again transports us to the Regency as she immerses us into the joys and fears of her characters. We suffer along with Darcy and Elizabeth during Elizabeth’s illness, rejoice in the heady joy of Kitty and Randall’s new love, and snarl at Wickham and his dastardly plot as we cheer on Mr. Darcy in his new role as swashbuckler fighting to protect his family.

All in all, a story that grips you from beginning to end.

The happily-ever-after at Pemberley takes a sharp left in The Trouble with Mr. Darcy, the fifth book in Sharon Lathan’s lush, romantic Darcy Saga. Darker and more complex than the preceding novels in the series, Lathan tackles deeper elements in Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy’s marriage. Gone are the days of the happy honeymoon period, as Elizabeth struggles to recover from her second pregnancy, creating tension in the Darcy household.

Lathan’s latest work definitively shows her growth as an author, chronicling a marriage that has its roots in real-life marital problems that we all face. Because of this, I was drawn into the story and interested where it would lead. I really connected with Lizzy, being a married woman myself, and I happily dove into the pages not knowing what to expect, but excited all the same.

After returning from their six month trip to the continent, Lizzy gives birth to their second child, Michael. Days of happiness should be ahead, but unfortunately aren’t, due to Michael being born more than a month early. Lizzy becomes desperate in her care for him and begins neglecting Darcy and their first child Alexander. Darcy becomes angry and depressed due to what he sees as his failing in properly taking care of his family. Lizzy and Darcy soon stop speaking to one another and sleep in separate rooms, causing major issues in their relationship. Luckily Dr. Darcy, Fitzwilliam Darcy’s uncle, begins noticing what’s going on and sees that Lizzy is suffering from what we would call today as post-partum depression. He begins Elizabeth on an herbal treatment to help calm her hormone imbalance and get her back to normal.

Lizzy and Darcy begin to mend their relationship and about a month later all is back to normal. By the time Lizzy is feeling herself again they rush off to Meryton for her youngest sister Kitty’s wedding. In the days leading up the impending nuptials, they discover that Lydia and Wickham will be attending the event, making it the first time that the Darcy’s have been in his company since “discovering them” living together in London before they were married. When the Wickham’s arrive, Lizzy is surprised to see that Lydia is dressed in the latest fashions and that neither she nor Wickham look like they are at a loss for money. This begins the cogs working in Elizabeth and Darcy’s minds as to where their money is coming from, and what the Wickham’s are really doing in Meryton….

This is, without a doubt, Lathan’s best book in the saga so far, as Darcy and Lizzy evolve into a more mature couple. Gone are the overtly gushy scenes where they obsessively call each other pet names and tell each other how much they are in love with each other. The Lizzy and Darcy of TTwMD are more secure in their love and affection for each other, and it’s obvious in the change of their manner of speech. The love scenes were the one thing that bothered me about the former books in the series. It became tedious to read them book after book; with TTwMD the love scenes are more sensual and seductive (definitely for mature audiences). The notion of a perfect marriage is also gone, replaced by a marriage that is marred with the occasional conflict and misunderstanding. Watching them struggle with Lizzy’s post-partum, which is a real conflict in many marriages today, turned the book into a truer look into their marriage. Their relationship is therefore much more believable because of these points, making the book more enjoyable for me.

The best part about Lathan’s writing is that she’s unafraid to delve into the minds of Austen’s supporting characters. In the first four books we see Jane, Bingley, Caroline Bingley, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Kitty, and Mary all get their own story lines. I was beginning to wonder when we would see more Georgiana Darcy! The Trouble with Mr. Darcy FINALLY takes us deeper into her story and gives her a “happy ending”. Lathan has a great way of introducing characters in small way in her prior books and then expands on their story lines in her later works. It’s a great tactic that ties all the novels in the series closer together, making the story more seamless and streamlined.

While The Trouble with Mr. Darcy takes us down a darker road in the marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy, it is in turn very enjoyable to see them work through struggles and evolve. Because she makes us truly care about the outcome of these beloved characters, it’s easy to see why Lathan’s Darcy Saga is so successful. Just as romantic and engaging as ever, this is one sequel you won’t want to miss.



I have shelves full of Jane Austen spin-offs, mash-ups, add-on, and the like, although I find that it is the writings of Sharon Lathan that are my go to books. I find that I am constantly telling everyone I know and even a few unsuspecting bookstore browsers about the wonderful qualities attributed to Sharon Lathan’s books, and The Trouble With Mr. Darcy has that same amazing feel to it. It seems that she has a very vivid picture of her Mr. Darcy and her Elizabeth and she does a brilliant job portraying her characters without compromising the original characters that Jane Austen created. Her characters are so well defined that you cannot help but to fall in love with them all over again. The plot for this was brilliant as well and flowed off the page with the lyrical quality she writes with. This book should come with a warning stating that once you start reading you will not want to put it down until you have read the last page.

Trust me BUY THIS BOOK you will thank me later!

Format: Paperback

Dimensions
Length: 9 in
Width: 6 in
Weight: 17.00 oz
Page Count: 368 pages