Review: A Darcy Christmas by Amanda Grange, Sharon Lathan, & Carolyn Eberhart

In the midst of paper grading and Christmas preparations, I have thankfully had a copy of A Darcy Christmas to escape into!  A couple of weeks ago I read the first story in the compilation, "Mr. Darcy's Christmas Carol" by Carolyn Eberhart.  It was so darling, that I decided to stop and do a single review of that first story in the book.  Since then, I've used my reading as a quick escape and recently finished it. 

Synopsis:  In a three-part, Jane Austen themed Darcy collection, we follow one of the most famous romantic couples of all time through the Christmas season.  The first story in the book is a spin off of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.  (As mentioned, I reviewed "Mr. Darcy's Christmas Carol" back in November.)  This was followed my Amanda Grange's, "Christmas Present."  In this short story, we follow Elizabeth and Darcy to the Bingley's new home, where they have just welcomed a baby.  Elizabeth is also expecting her first child, as all of the Bennet's (and even a Collins) join together for the holidays. 

Completing the collection is Sharon Lathan's, "A Darcy Christmas."  In this concluding selection, Elizabeth and Darcy take us through a series of Christmases together over the years.  Jumping across the years, this famous couple share their lives and growing family as they celebrate many happy holidays across a lifetime.

Review:  Admittedly, I genuinely enjoy reading Austen-themed remakes and retellings.  I've previously read novels by both Grange and Lathan, so I was familiar with their style of storytelling, but quickly fell in love with Everhart's cute retelling of A Christmas Carol.  Grange's tale had a lot of language that was common to other Austen novels, so the story and characters felt warm and familiar, and showed just where the Darcys and Bingleys might be in their futures.  Lathan's story, like her novels, was romantic and charming as it showed the loving relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth with their growing family.

As an Austen fan, I loved the sweet holiday flair brought to the characters of Pride and Prejudice.  The three separate stories were unique and fun to read, each with a style that helped it stand out from the others.  Honestly, I had a wonderful time escaping into the possible lives of the Darcys and would definitely recommend this compilation to Austen fans.  In short, A Darcy Christmas brings Jane Austen charm to the holidays in a delightful way.

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a review copy of the novel provided by Sourcebooks.

This beautiful collection counts as my first in "The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2010".  The challenge is being hosted by The True Book Addict & The Christmas Spirit Blog.  It started on Friday, November 26th and runs until January 6th.  You can read as little as one book on up.  For more information or to sign up, visit their site today!