In The Late Mrs Willoughby, readers are reintroduced to the ever lovable Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney as they once again find themselves embroiled in a murder. It was a joy to see these characters again, despite the circumstances. Even without trying to solve a murder, Jonathan and Juliet are interesting characters to observe as they try to navigate the ins and outs of society while staying true to their own personalities. Neither character feels that they truly fit in with the society around them and while this brings them closer, it does so slowly, allowing the friendship time to breathe and develop.
It was lovely to see so many well known characters in a new way. While some may have issues with seeing some of their beloved characters in this way, I found it fascinating to see beyond the original stories. The tone, while obviously different from that of Jane Austen, still maintained the air of propriety and decency that is so easy to come to love.
The only time the tone and pace struggled was when the actual mystery was involved. At times, the mystery was fast paced and interesting, at others, it lagged. It suffered from a repetition of facts. This could be simply because there were so many characters involved in the plotline. With that many people involved, all of whom need answers or have important information, it is hard not to hear the same facts over and over.
This book was an excellent sequel and I absolutely loved being transported to a different time and place where I could take a break from the real world for a few hours. I cannot wait to see how and why Jonathan and Juliet may be reunited in further books.
⅘ stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Vintage Anchor for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Novel Llama 