Lady Catherine’s wish is everyone’s command, but does love listen to a Lady?

Synopsis

Pemberley Presents…

Lady Catherine de Bourgh has invited herself to Pemberley, intent upon bringing about an engagement between her daughter Anne and Colonel Fitzwilliam. But her ladyship has failed to take into account the remarkable improvement in her daughter’s health and spirits since the arrival of her new tutor, the charismatic Mr Asquith.

Meanwhile, Colonel Fitzwilliam is becoming more enchanted by the widowed Celia Sheffield and is perturbed to learn that her fortune is being contested by an individual in Jamaica – from whence Mr Asquith also hails.

When the obsequious Mr Collins shares grave rumours concerning Mr Asquith’s character, further suspicions are raised…and Lady Catherine demands answers!

A sparkling continuation of Pride and Prejudice perfect for fans of Bridgerton!

Please note: This book was originally published as Colonel Fitzwilliam’s Dilemma.

My review

After seeing Mr. Darcy getting married to Elizabeth instead of her own daughter Anne, Lady Catherine de Bourgh is adamant on finding another match for Anne. The next best thing is seeing Anne married to Colonel Fitzwilliam. And Lady Catherine is sure that her compliant daughter will agree with her choice. To make sure such an union takes place, Lady Catherine invites herself and Anne to Pemberley, even if Mr. and Mrs. Darcy aren’t all that excited about it.

And what Lady Catherine didn’t take in account at all, is that Colonel Fitzwilliam himself finds himself drawn to widow Celia Sheffield. And that Anne is improving not only in her health but also in her spirits, with the help of her tutor Mr. Asquith.

Yet what Lady Catherine wants, is what Lady Catherine gets…

Well, here we are again, after reading another chapter in the Pemberley Presents series. And what a delight reading this chapter was! To be honest, I enjoyed this book even more than the first one, as in this book the focus was more on the romance and not on the deception or scheming of another character.

Of course it’s a delight to see how Mr. Darcy and Lizzy are still enjoying their lives together on Pemberley. And you already know how much I already enjoyed seeing this other, more open side of Mr. Darcy and how Lizzy is still that outspoken woman, yet also turning into the grand Lady that Pemberley requires.

But the focus in this book is definitely on Colonel Fitzwilliam and Anne de Bourgh. While in the original P&P I already liked Fitzwilliam’s character, the same couldn’t be said of Anne. It’s not that I disliked her, but she was rather invisible, unmemorable and a follower of whatever her mother told her.

The mother being Lady Catherine de Bourgh, another not so pleasant character… And unfortunately, even in this book she is that obnoxious know-it-all character, not having learned from the past. 

Once again we find her attempting to make the most profitable engagement for Anne, without taking in account what Anne wants.

Now, I have to say that Lady Catherine has made some improvements, as she has chosen Mr. Asquith to be tutoring Anne, something that in the past she would never think of doing…

It’s that Mr. Asquith that caused Anne to make remarkable changes in her own character. I truly liked reading how this rather invisible, insecure, and even weak young woman starts to thrive under Mr. Asquith’s watchful eye. Anne starts to have a mind of her own, question what is asked from her. And she starts to open up, even making genuine friends of her own! I would even go that far that in this book, Anne has turned into a real pleasant character! 😊

But of course standing up against your mother isn’t easy, especially if the mother is someone like Lady Catherine… I could understand Anne’s trepidation even if her feelings towards Mr. Asquith are growing. Yet I could also understand her fear, as this is the first time the young lady is falling in love, but are those feelings reciprocated or is Mr. Asquith after her inheritance after all?

Keeping in account in what era the story is taking place, I could understand a tiny bit Lady Catherine’s point of view, and her seeing Fitzwilliam as the perfect candidate – husband for Anne.

But Fitzwilliam, even if marrying Anne would solve several of his worries, is the kind of man that listens to his heart. And no matter how easy it would be to marry Anne, he cannot just marry her for the benefits.

And when he meets widow Celia Sheffield, he finds himself  attracted to her in an undeniable way. Of course he always remains the gentleman that he is, I wouldn’t expect otherwise from him! And when he sees that Celia in fact has struggles of her own, he without a doubt offers his help, without even asking something in return, even if that would have been so easy. THAT is the kind of man Fitzwilliam is, helping out without wanting anything in return…

I truly enjoyed reading this story, seeing how already established characters once again confirm who they are, but also seeing characters evolve, standing up for themselves. And I absolutely liked seeing how there was even some tit for tat, showing us that even the grandest of Lady’s cannot stand a chance or stand in the way of love!