This is the continuation of the romances of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy and Charles Bingley and Jane Bennet. It introduces the idea that the Kama Sutra helped both marriages immensely.

I liked the idea of continuing the stories of the Bennet sisters and the writing was good. However, it just seemed boring in comparison to Pride and Prejudice. The characters were okay, but lacked the spark and spirit of the original novel. This is one of those occasions that I wish Goodreads had half stars as it is really a 2 ½ star book.
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This is the continuation of the romances of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy and Charles Bingley and Jane Bennet. It introduces the idea that the Kama Sutra helped both marriages immensely.

I liked the idea of continuing the stories of the Bennet sisters and the writing was good. However, it just seemed boring in comparison to Pride and Prejudice. The characters were okay, but lacked the spark and spirit of the original novel. ( )

A diverting romantic comedy using the names and trappings of Jane Austin's novel. However, the sensibilities and bawdiness of the characters, and their humor, are much more like what we're used to in the modern movie romantic comedy genre. ( )

Take a moment and picture Pemberly. Now, take another moment and try to picture this: a Scotsman in kilted glory swinging in on a chandelier from out of nowhere - in Pemberly - to land beside a swashbuckling Darcy.

Yes.

The Darcys & The Bingleys, upon first inspection, is the sequel that all Austen fans truly hunger for; what does happen after the collection of unlikely but highly romantic proposals? With that premise, the novel begins well, but quickly veers off into extremely awkward sexual territory, and by the novel's conclusion has devolved so greatly that the characters and setting are not only unrecognizable, but can really only be accepted as rather unflattering satire (similar to a "work" like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

While it's far from being the worst thing I've read this year, I really can't recommend it to fans of Austen. ( )

There is only one regret I have for this book, and it's why did I not read this one sooner? it was hilarious! I heard myself chuckle here and there at almost every other chapter. Darcy and Bingley are central to this book as most of the humor surrounds them and their actions. Sometimes it's their playful banter, other times it's Darcy's wit and his ability to take it out on Charles. Other times...well let's just say when they drink it just gets even more funny. It was a nice side to see to these two men, I've always thought they can't always be so stuffy and formal can they? they have to loosen up sometimes during life! and this book shows the side of the two that you've always wondered about. It's definitely a fun read and a cheerful one.

Aside from the wit and humor, you also see inside of both their marriages and again, it's a different face to the characters you're used to reading in Pride and Prejudice. It's amazing to see both Jane and Elizabeth take charge in their marriages and manage to get their own way when it comes to decisions. I liked seeing Darcy having to give in to Elizabeth's demands although it may seem very uncharacteristic at first as whoever thought Elizabeth could just order Darcy around and have him coiled around her little finger? (I actually never pictured their marriage to be this way but it's not that bad to read). You don't hear much from Lydia or Wickham in this book. Also Mary and Kitty have their own appearances but small ones.

You also get to see a different side from Caroline Bingley (she's still catty, but she's actually got a heart) and that, I think got a little too strange and a little too different. The outcome of Caroline in the novel, is nice but I couldn't really get used to it. Perhaps because with previous Jane Austen spinoffs, Caroline Bingley was always catty, mean, and always had a snide comment here and there as a means of insulting someone "politely". It's just hard to picture her being nice and loving (yes..she was loving believe it or not). It's a different side to Caroline, yes. I suppose it's the author's way of showing that Caroline can be human too.

Aside from that, the other problem I had with this book was there were times where present day English would accidentally appear throughout the dialogue. It does take the realism out of the story just a little bit. The characters and their new different "face" might take a while to get some die hard Austen fans to get used to (perhaps they might cry out sacrilege) but the storyline is wonderful, the humor is great, and I'm really looking forward to more from Marsha Altman's works.

Overall a hilarious read with plenty of fun adventures. It makes you wonder what's going to happen next with the Darcys and the Bingleys. I recommend this book to those in love with Jane Austen spinoffs. ( )