Recent Reads {Mr Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman}

Mr Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman by Maria Hamilton - It can be mind-boggling to consider the sheer number of Pride & Prejudice spin-offs, sequels, and "what-if's" available.  Trying to figure out which ones are worth reading and which ones are trash is quite a task.  This "what-if" by Maria Hamilton is, in my opinion, one of the better ones out there.  Hamilton takes up the story as Mr Darcy leaves Hunford after Elizabeth rejects his first proposal.  The remainder of the novel sets out an alternative course of events in answer to the question, "what if Mr Darcy had acted immediately in an effort to repair the damage he had done to Mr Bingley and Jane's relationship?"  The alternative love story sees Mr Darcy return to Hertfordshire much sooner, and determined to do whatever he could to earn a second chance with Elizabeth and take her criticisms of his character seriously enough to make changes.  Overall, the book is very well-written and in the spirit, if not quite the style of Austen.  It seemed to me that Hamilton's style was a somewhat simplified version of an Austen-style narrative, obviously written for a 21st century audience.  There were sections of dialogue that were a bit stilted - for example, there were a couple of conversations in which I was heartily tired of the lady prefacing almost every sentence with "Sir,..." and I had some minor quibbles with characterization.  Darcy worries and obsesses over his decisions much longer and with more angst than I would expect from him, even considering that he is doing his best to anticipate how Elizabeth may interpret his actions. As Darcy very subtly courts Elizabeth and she realizes that she is falling in love with him, they both recognize the danger that misunderstandings between them pose to their relationship, and they make great efforts to be patient and honest.  This sometimes goes a bit too far and they apologize to each other excessively.  (Spoiler alert, sort of: I didn't like that Darcy and Elizabeth anticipate their wedding vows near the end of the book, but that said, I am glad that it wasn't trashy and graphic.  And even though I didn't like this plot twist, it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the story at all.)  The storyline was delightful and romantic, the writing (and editing!) was well-crafted and classy, and I think this is a wonderful addition to the growing collection of JAFF.