Obviously, the hardest thing about writing a sequel to Pride and Prejudice is the fact that it is one of the best-loved novels of all time and any sequel would therefore have to be compared to it (and would undoubtedly fail). So, the fact that Mr. Darcy’s Daughters is not as charming, witty, or funny as even Jane Austen’s lesser works, comes as no surprise. The settings are close, Aston has resurrected several well-loved characters, but she is not a great writer by any means. Where Austen’s novels focus on the underlying character within a very constrictive environment (while simultaneously keeping a rather light look at things), Aston misses this. Her characters are pretty one-dimensional and many of the scrapes the other sisters give way to “well, duh” moments for the reader. There are intrigues and balls, and lots of lots of descriptions of dresses, so anyone who enjoys reading about that time period (as I do) will probably come away pleased. However, I wish the author had simply written a book unrelated to Jane Austen, because it only hurts the book (well, I guess it helps in the pocketbook for the publishers). The only returning character she does well with is Lydia. And can you really have a sequel without Elizabeth and Darcy?