Scan barcode
A review by dg_reads
Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley by Kelly Miller
4.0
I received a complimentary copy of DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY AT PEMBERLEY from the author. Thank you Kelly Miller for the chance to read and provide an honest review!
DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY AT PEMBERLEY is billed as “a Pride & Prejudice Romantic Fantasy”, picking up a few years after the conclusion of the Jane Austen classic. Fitzwilliam Darcy is happily married to Elizabeth and father to a 2 year old son, working hard to care for his estate and his family. While traveling, Darcy has a near death experience which introduces him to an angel of death, Graham. From the beginning it isn’t clear how precarious Darcy’s salvation is, but he has a lot waiting for him at home to live for!
Graham is incredibly curious about the mortal human experience and what makes a man like Darcy so incredibly happy in his life such that he would be heartbroken to leave life behind. Graham forces Darcy to serve as his guide to the human world, introducing Graham to his family as an old school friend in town for a visit. Darcy also has a surprise birthday party in the works, visiting relatives and work to be done, making this a very chaotic time for an extra supernatural visitor.
I didn’t quite know what to expect from a spinoff of the Jane Austen classic novel, especially one with a paranormal twist such as this, but I found it a fun read! I thought that the author did a great job of keeping the feel of the time period in the way the characters spoke and the way the narrative set the scene.
While the character of Graham somewhat exists outside of time in his concepts of womens’ rights and the proper etiquette of the day, which seemed appropriate given that he isn’t a part of the human world, the reactions of other characters also felt appropriate toward his sometimes shocking statements and activities. The author finds fun ways for Graham to express his supernatural nature to impact the lives of those he meets in Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s world while keeping it a rather subtle element of the overall story.
It has been a lot of years since I last read PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, but I have seen a film adaptation relatively recently. With that not so recent reading and watching experience, I can confirm that this book does work as a standalone, but having the background knowledge of P&P does help the reader appreciate some of the characters that arrive and those that are referenced. Lady Catherine arrives unannounced, still expressing displeasure with Darcy’s match with Elizabeth and she had plans to undermine their happiness. The sisters arrive with their own dramas to unfold as well.
It was fun to see the family life of Elizabeth and Darcy and the strength of their relationship in the face of adversity, both from human interventions and the possibility of Darcy’s potential death. Darcy is still a man of responsibilities and principles, but has also found his softer side with his son. Elizabeth is a woman of confidence who can lean into her trust in her husband.
The book was a fun read that kept me really engaged throughout! It was a great way to combine a love of the classics and a bit of the supernatural making this perfect for a fall read!
DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY AT PEMBERLEY is billed as “a Pride & Prejudice Romantic Fantasy”, picking up a few years after the conclusion of the Jane Austen classic. Fitzwilliam Darcy is happily married to Elizabeth and father to a 2 year old son, working hard to care for his estate and his family. While traveling, Darcy has a near death experience which introduces him to an angel of death, Graham. From the beginning it isn’t clear how precarious Darcy’s salvation is, but he has a lot waiting for him at home to live for!
Graham is incredibly curious about the mortal human experience and what makes a man like Darcy so incredibly happy in his life such that he would be heartbroken to leave life behind. Graham forces Darcy to serve as his guide to the human world, introducing Graham to his family as an old school friend in town for a visit. Darcy also has a surprise birthday party in the works, visiting relatives and work to be done, making this a very chaotic time for an extra supernatural visitor.
I didn’t quite know what to expect from a spinoff of the Jane Austen classic novel, especially one with a paranormal twist such as this, but I found it a fun read! I thought that the author did a great job of keeping the feel of the time period in the way the characters spoke and the way the narrative set the scene.
While the character of Graham somewhat exists outside of time in his concepts of womens’ rights and the proper etiquette of the day, which seemed appropriate given that he isn’t a part of the human world, the reactions of other characters also felt appropriate toward his sometimes shocking statements and activities. The author finds fun ways for Graham to express his supernatural nature to impact the lives of those he meets in Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s world while keeping it a rather subtle element of the overall story.
It has been a lot of years since I last read PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, but I have seen a film adaptation relatively recently. With that not so recent reading and watching experience, I can confirm that this book does work as a standalone, but having the background knowledge of P&P does help the reader appreciate some of the characters that arrive and those that are referenced. Lady Catherine arrives unannounced, still expressing displeasure with Darcy’s match with Elizabeth and she had plans to undermine their happiness. The sisters arrive with their own dramas to unfold as well.
It was fun to see the family life of Elizabeth and Darcy and the strength of their relationship in the face of adversity, both from human interventions and the possibility of Darcy’s potential death. Darcy is still a man of responsibilities and principles, but has also found his softer side with his son. Elizabeth is a woman of confidence who can lean into her trust in her husband.
The book was a fun read that kept me really engaged throughout! It was a great way to combine a love of the classics and a bit of the supernatural making this perfect for a fall read!