The Pemberley Chronicles (Pemberley Chronicles #1) Book

{Would have given it a zero if possible.}

I purchased The Pemberley Chronicles yesterday with high hopes for enjoyment, especially since there were five other books in the series sitting next to it one the shelf. While Collins does state in the preface she makes no attempt to mimic Austen's style, I felt she tried. For me, a "sequel" that does not try to be Jane is much better than one that is.

But it's the actual plot that makes The Pemberley Chronicles unbearable to read. Collins can't bear to hurt Elizabeth, or even allow Darcy and Elizabeth to bicker and banter, so the Darcys marriage is perfect. Absolutely, positively perfect. Therefore, I fell asleep.

The time jumps made the novel even more frustrating and I was completely lost with the second half of the book. While the first half only spans five years, the second spans 15 to 20 years and often times the seven year time jump from chapter would be filled in with Kitty gave birth to an anticipated son, Charlotte Collins had another little girl, and Lydia was once again pregnant. And because of the time jumps, a character the reader just meet would be married to another of the Darcys' cousin/sister/friend in the next chapter.

In the beginning, I appreciated the integration of the government and issues of the time as it provided insight into why some things happens and why the characters acted the way they did. But as the novel continued one, the political plot began to take priority, the novel read more like a history and the progression of the characters' lives, the reason why I purchased The Pemberley Chronicles, took a back seat.