Sharon Lathan: The Legacy of Pride & Prejudice Continues

     Perhaps the biggest disappointment of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice was that it took us through all the twists and turns of Elizabeth and Darcy’s blossoming romance, only to stop short immediately after they became engaged and got married.  Enter Sharon Lathan, author of The Darcy Saga, a series of books written to follow the Darcy newlyweds into their first few years of marriage.
        My one complaint on this series is that the lovemaking scenes are rather… extravagant :/.  Not vulgar, but definitely over-the-top.  As a nurse, I am fairly certain that seeing stars during the act of sex might actually mean something is wrong!  But since Lizzy and Darcy are in fact legally married and have been historically established as being deeply and passionately in love with each other, we shall overlook the author’s frequent need to expound upon their bedroom activities, and focus on the other aspects of the novels.
       One thing I love about these books is the Regency Era setting.  Like the originals, this series takes place in the early 1800s.  Of course, Sharon Lathan does not have the advantage of writing about her own time period – the amount of time needed to research and portray the period accurately is mind-boggling!  Which is probably why I will never write historical romance novels.  As much as I enjoy going back in time and getting a glimpse of the past, I prefer to use a more current setting that needs less explanation!
         But my FAVORITE part was seeing Lizzy and Darcy grow as a married couple.  So few stories do this!  Entirely too often, the story ends with a wedding – but then what?!  Surely the adventure isn’t over once we tie the knot (though some folks may argue otherwise) – the books shouldn’t stop there, either!  My original complaint against Jane Austen was how suddenly her books ended, so I was absolutely thrilled to find a series that extended a favorite love story.  Watching a fledgling love develop into a solid marriage as a young couple becomes a family; seeing beloved characters grow in an everyday, real life setting as opposed to an extreme set of circumstances – it’s an unusual treat, and reassuring to know that marriage can be just as interesting as falling in love.  I have yet to be inspired to write a novel that entirely focuses on life after the wedding, but if I am, I hope I am able to convey the depth of married love as well as Sharon Lathan does.
          What do you think?  Share your thoughts in the comments section!
          Until the next time, keep reading!
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