The Falmouth Connection Review & Giveaway

The Falmouth Connection is a breath-taking love story that begins with Darcy’s visit to the Hunsford Parsonage a few days before he intends to propose to Elizabeth.

During this visit, Mr. Darcy discovers Elizabeth is to leave Kent the next day to join her family in Cornwall, and visit a mysterious great aunt. He offers to assist Elizabeth in her travel, and Col. Fitzwilliam, finding this strange, is able to get Darcy to admit he intends to ask for Miss Elizabeth’s hand. It is during this confession that Col. Fitzwilliam discovers how Darcy could ruin everything if he were to propose with his current mind set, and tries to make him see how Elizabeth would react to such a proposal. I liked this turn of events as it prevented Mr. Darcy from ruining his proposal without changing him in essentials.

Elizabeth agrees to travel with Mr. Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam and during the carriage ride she is able to see, for the first time, multitude facets of Mr. Darcy, which is something I always find delightful. I love to read a book that allows me to understand how, why and when Elizabeth started to change her mind about Mr. Darcy. For me, as a reader, it is important to know why she loves him or to see her fall in love with him, and that is something we encounter in The Falmouth Connection.

After their voyage, they arrive at Basingstoke to meet with the Bennet family, and Elizabeth finally realizes Mr. Darcy loves her and will most likely propose to her. I must tell you that this scene is one of the best moments I have ever read! I loved every single moment of it; from thinking exactly what Mrs. Starnes wrote, to laughing out loud at the third “good heavens”!

Seeing Elizabeth relieve every moment she shared with Mr. Darcy in a different perspective, and seeing her realize everything that was right in front of her eyes all along, was marvellous. I also loved the chemistry and intimacy of their last scene at the inn in Basingstoke, it is one of those I will hardly forget.

But of course it is too soon for our beloved characters to find their HEA and Elizabeth leaves to Falmouth. Mr. Darcy is so passionately in love with her that he decides to follow her to Cornwall, and it is in this part of the country that we will find romance, broken hearts, a rival for Mr. Darcy, but also adventure, suspense and mystery.

Mrs. Starnes takes this plot into a whole different stage and creates an innovative different story that completely deviates from the original but that keeps the characters as truthful to themselves as Jane Austen wrote them. The book is chaste and clean but overly romantic and emotional with a depth that can only be found in Mrs. Starnes books.

The Falmouth Connection is very focused in Darcy and Elizabeth which is also something I truly love in a book, but some of the other characters were exceptionally written as well.

I don’t think I have enjoyed a scene with Mrs. Bennett so much as the one Joana Starnes wrote on the day Mr. Darcy paid his first visit. I loved reading everything about it. Mrs. Bennett’s reaction to the first unexpected visit was fun to read, but adding the second unexpected visit was brilliant. In this passage we will see Mrs. Bennet’s perspective, and being in her head and seeing the way she constructed her thoughts on the eligibility of her daughters, to see how she contrived the idea that it was Lizzy that would suit Mr. Darcy, and to see that she would aid in their reconcile was absolutely wonderful.

The way this character was described in this scene made me love her for everything that she was, and to have her prattle knowing she was doing so out of an inability to entertain a gentleman such as Mr. Darcy, was magnificent.

The scenes between Darcy and Elizabeth are electrical. Joana Starnes surely knows how to transmit their chemistry into the pages of her novels, and this was no exception. Between the encounter in Landennis, the meetings at the cove and the balls, I wouldn’t know how to choose my favourite moment. In fact, this review was one of the hardest I have had to write because there were too many things I wanted to talk about, and I ended up cutting many paragraphs because the review was getting too long.

I’m looking forward to read Mrs. Starnes next book as I am certain it will be just as good. Joana Starnes is, in my opinion, one of those writers with an innate talent who just cannot get it wrong, her books are always a turmoil of emotions and a pleasure to read, with something that is definitely an added value: a quality writing that is hard to see nowadays.

The Falmouth Connection did not disappoint and I recommend it to any reader looking for a quality book to read.

 

The Falmouth Connection is available at:

Amazon.com – The Falmouth Connection

Amazon.co.uk – The Falmouth Connection

Amazon.fr –The Falmouth Connection

 

***It’s Giveaway time***

Next month I will have the chance to meet with Joana Starnes for the first time. I’m looking forward to it as it’s not every day we have the opportunity to meet with one of our favourite authors 🙂

I am so happy with this encounter that I decided to share my good fortune with you. So, we will offer a personalised signed paperback copy of The Falmouth Connection to one reader of From Pemberley to Milton.

All you have to do to be contemplated is comment this post. Let us know what you think of The Falmouth Connection or Mrs. Starnes other books, we are looking forward to hear from you.

The giveaway is international and is open until the 3^rd of May. The winner will be announced on the 5^th of May in this blog.