Yours Forevermore, Darcy, by KaraLynne Mackrory – A Review

From the desk of Monica Perry:

Letter writing can be such a beautiful way to express oneself, to pour out feelings that are too difficult to say in person. It’s especially romantic when the writer is a passionate soul undercover, and desperately in love.  Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is just such a person. When we first meet him in Yours Forevermore, Darcy, he’s writing to Elizabeth Bennet, and not for the first time. Since the beginning of their acquaintance, he’s written letters to purge his feelings for her, the woman he wants but is convinced he can’t have. He never intends her to read them, of course; they’re just a cathartic release of emotion, a compulsive coping mechanism to clear his head and let him go on about his life. Now two months after she rejected his proposal, broke his heart and made him reevaluate his entire life, he vows to stop writing and focus on becoming a better man. Fans of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and the myriad tales it has inspired know that the beauty in the story of Darcy and Elizabeth is the personal growth each must undertake separately. In Yours Forevermore, Darcy, KaraLynne Mackrory gives readers insight into these journeys and shows how affecting the written word can be to both writer and reader.

Yours Forevermore, Darcy follows the canon timeline of P&P fairly closely, with a few well-placed tweaks to keep it being too predictable. After his humiliating rejection, Darcy intends leaving Elizabeth behind him forever with, ironically, only a letter. It’s decidedly NOT his best work, as I now know, but is nevertheless important. She has little time to contemplate it then as, with all the perverseness of mischance, they find themselves together again and again.  There’s a theme woven throughout, to describe their emotions, and I loved that. Comparing Darcy to the rich warmth of a cello definitely hit the right note with me! The amiability and humor of Colonel Fitzwilliam is the perfect buffer for them too, and there is more than one scene with him and Darcy that is just laugh out loud funny.

With fate seemingly intent on toying with them, I found myself in suspense as to when they would next meet. And of course, there are the letters. They’re so romantic! That was likely the furthest thing from Darcy’s mind as he wrote them, which makes it all the better. Putting such thoughts in writing naturally carries a hint of danger, yet Darcy cannot bring himself to burn them. Will Elizabeth see them? Will someone else? How? When? As much as I loved seeing Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s metamorphoses, I found myself getting impatient for something to happen with the letters – would Elizabeth ever get to see them or were they just a means of showing us Darcy’s inner struggles? As I was first writing my review, that point was going to be my one quibble: that the introspection, while lovely, was a little lengthy. But honestly, the more I contemplated it, the more I felt like reading the whole thing over again! Witnessing these characters that I love so much grow and evolve is like a gift, and I didn’t want to undervalue that; as I said, it’s the essence of P&P. I could go on and on about how much I loved seeing Darcy strive to improve himself; to really learn to value the feelings and needs of others in his life. While he probably would prefer the cello reference, I kept thinking he was like a butterfly emerging: in essence the same being yet in a different form. I don’t think it’s wandering into spoiler-town to say Elizabeth does see the letters, and that’s when 100 percent of my heart became truly engaged. Reading his words as she did, experiencing her reactions and realizations was really moving. When they do see each other again, she’s resolved not to waste one more moment and quickly accepts him. I was laughing and crying at the same time.

Yours Forevermore, Darcy is a book I think any P&P lover will enjoy, particularly if they prefer their Darcy and Elizabeth to stay close to the original; expounding on the characters and missing scenes, rather than transplanting them to various other circumstances. With beautifully picturesque writing and a true understanding of romance, Ms. Mackrory opens up the hearts and souls of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, as they learn what it means to truly love, and made me fall in love with them all over again.

4 out of 5 Stars

TOUR SCHEDULE

• 9/7: Guest Post & Giveaway at My Jane Austen Book Club
• 9/8: Review at Babblings of a Bookworm
• 9/9: Excerpt & Giveaway at Laughing with Lizzie
• 9/10: Review at Half Agony, Half Hope
• 9/11: Guest Post & Giveaway at Babblings of a Bookworm
• 9/12: Review at My Kids Led Me Back to Pride and Prejudice
• 9/13: Excerpt & Giveaway at My Love for Jane Austen
• 9/14:  Guest Post & Giveaway at More Agreeably Engaged
• 9/15: Review at Wings of Paper
• 9/16: Review at Margie’s Must Reads
• 9/17: Guest Post & Giveaway at Songs and Stories
• 9/18: Guest Post & Giveaway at So Little Time…
• 9/19: Excerpt & Giveaway at Best Sellers and Best Stellars
• 9/21: Review at Austenprose

ADDITIONAL REVIEWS

• Babblings of a Bookworm
• My Kids Led Me Back to Pride and Prejudice

Yours Forevermore, Darcy, by KaraLynne Mackrory
Meryton Press (2015)
Trade paperback & eBook (256) pages
ISBN: 978-1681310008

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBEL | GOODREADS

We received one review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. We only review or recommend products we have read or used and believe will be a good match for our readers. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Cover image courtesy of Meryton Press © 2015; text Monica Perry © 2015, Austenprose.com