Jane Austen Sequels | Austenprose

Posts Tagged ‘Jane Austen Sequels’

Mr. Darcy’s Diary: A Novel, by Amanda Grange – A Review

Posted in Blog Events, Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013, tagged Amanda Grange, Book Review, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy's Diary, Pride and Prejudice Sequels, Reading, The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013 on 10 April 2013 | 40 Comments »

This is my fourth selection for The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013, our year-long event honoring Jane Austen’s second published novel. Please follow the link above to read all the details of this reading and viewing challenge. Sign up’s are open until July 1, 2013.

In 2005 author Amanda Grange gave Pride and Prejudice fans what they had been craving for centuries—Jane Austen’s classic story retold entirely from the perspective of its iconic romantic hero—Mr. Darcy. It was certainly not the first novel to explore this concept, but Mr. Darcy’s Diary remains, after many other attempts, the best in a very crowded field of Darcyiana.

I first read Darcy’s Diary eight years ago when it was released in the UK. I paid a fortune for the first edition to be shipped to the US. I did not regret it. My copy retains its place of honor on my Austen sequel bookshelf, along with the five other novels in her Austen Hero Diaries Series that Grange has since produced. She has a large international following for her work which she has earned through honest homage and clever craftsmanship.

Writing a first person narrative of a classic hero who is a bit of a prig in the original story has its challenges. In Pride and Prejudice the reader sympathizes with the heroine Elizabeth Bennet in her dislike of Mr. Darcy. We meet him and draw our conclusions of his personality from her perspective—he is a proud and disagreeable man—we see why she thinks so, but we do not know why.

Seeing the same events unfold from his eyes does not absolve him of his bad behavior, but as the narrative progresses, we are more sympathetic to his reasons. As we discover his inner thoughts and outward actions, our second impressions countermand his arrogant noble mien: we learn details of his chance intervention of the elopement of his sixteen-year old sister Georgiana with his nemesis George Wickham; we see his management of his soft-hearted friend Charles Bingley and learn why he is guiding him by the manipulation of his confidence and Bingley’s sisters; we see his attraction to Elizabeth Bennet spark and grow from his original cool intolerance to his admiration of her “fine eyes” and saucy impertinence—and his puzzlement of her brusque behavior to him.

‘Oh,’ she said, ‘I heard you before; but could not immediately determine what to say in reply. You wanted me, I know, to say “Yes,” that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes. I have therefore made up my mind to tell you, that I do not want to dance a reel at all – and now despise me if you dare.’

‘Did I really seem so perverse to her? I wondered. And yet I could not help smiling at her sally, and her bravery in uttering it.’ p. 40

Close readers of Pride and Prejudice will recognize lines of Austen’s original dialogue (like Elizabeth’s speech to Darcy quoted above) interlaced with Grange’s new text. This ingenious co-mingling is seamless and we partake in many of the important passages where Darcy interacts with Elizabeth in the original novel, and then his private reaction. This works for this reader because Grange does not try to write like Austen in Elizabeth head, but as Grange in Darcy’s.

For those who are a student of character (like our heroine Elizabeth) it is interesting to observe our hero Darcy’s view of events from a male perspective. The whole Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus theory plays out beautifully and Grange takes full advantage of the differences in the sexes and how they think and react to the same scene when Elizabeth arrives at the Netherfield Ball.

“I continued walking towards her. ‘I am glad to see you here. I hope you had a pleasant journey?’ I asked. ‘This time, I hope you did not have to walk!’

‘No, I thank you,’ she said stiffly. ‘I came in a carriage.’

I wondered if I had offended her. Perhaps she felt I had meant my remark as a slight on her family’s inability to keep horses purely for their carriage. I tried to repair the damage of my first remark.’” p. 51

Clueless! There is some hope of improvement. As Darcy’s admiration of Elizabeth grows, it begins to humble his pride. While he is in Kent visiting his aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh, we begin to see the change as he reacts to Elizabeth’s explanation to Darcy’s cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam of his behavior when they first met at the Meryton Assembly.

“In her eyes, my refusal to dance became ridiculous, and I saw it so myself, for the first time. To stride about in all my pride, instead of enjoying myself as any well-regulated man would have done. Absurd! I would not ordinarily have tolerated any such teasing, and yet there was something in her manner that removed any sting, and instead made it a cause for laughter.” p. 78

Even though many will know the final outcome of the story, Grange keeps us in suspense by adding new scenes and inner thoughts that only Darcy would be privy too—and now we are too. What fan of Pride and Prejudice, and Mr. Darcy, could possibly resist reliving a cherished novel and walking in his shiny, black Hessian boots? I couldn’t.

5 out of 5 Regency Stars

Mr. Darcy’s Diary: A Novel, by Amanda Grange
Sourcebooks (2007)
Trade paperback (320) pages
ISBN: 978-1402208768

Read Full Post »

Attempting Elizabeth, by Jessica Grey – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Attempting Elizabeth, Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Jessica Grey, Pride and Prejudice, Reading, Time Travel on 3 April 2013 | 6 Comments »

From the desk of Veronica Ibarra

Ever love a book so much that it is committed to memory? Have a favorite book that provides comfort and escape from life’s more troublesome realities? Pride and Prejudice is just such a book for many, including Kelsey Edmundson, the heroine of Jessica Grey’s new Jane Austen-inspired novel Attempting Elizabeth, who is magically transported through time and dimension jumping right into the story.

Kelsey is a grad student with a deep and abiding geeky love for TV, movies, and books, particularly Pride and Prejudice. She is also in recovery after a bad breakup. In an effort to help Kelsey get back into the game of life, her roommate Tori Mansfield coerces Kelsey into putting on her shortest dress and best boots for a night of dancing. Kelsey, however, is not at the top of her game, suffering through a dance with an overly grope-y acquaintance, manages to insult the Aussie hottie Mark Barnes, and then utterly fails to redeem herself as the evening comes to a close.

If that is not bad enough, the next day Kelsey’s given a second chance to make a better impression with Mark on a group hiking excursion. Unfortunately, hiking is not really Kelsey’s thing and her foul mood prompts more ill-judged comments. Then without a chance to freshen up, the group goes out for dinner, where Kelsey’s downward spiral continues as she spills her drink and the sight of the woman who had put the nail in the coffin of Kelsey’s last relationship hanging all over Mark sends her into a bit of self-pity relapse.

This is when Kelsey seeks comfort in the way so many of us can relate. Dressed in her “rattiest sweats” and armed with a glass of wine and her favorite book, she settles on the couch for some escapist reading. Kelsey escapes far more effectively than she intends as she comes to inexplicably inside the body of Georgiana Darcy. Kelsey is confused. Not only is she inside the world of her favorite book, but being Darcy’s sister is no way to enjoy the experience.

Kelsey’s efforts to cope with her “delusion” are hilarious until she finally discovers the key to returning to her reality. However, reality finds Kelsey still unable to say or do the right thing around Mark, who fate seems to keep throwing at her. Kelsey wonders if it was just a fluke that got her into Pride and Prejudice or if there is a way to repeat the experience. With the exciting discovery that it is possible, Kelsey’s mission becomes jumping into Elizabeth in order to be with Pride and Prejudice’s hero, Darcy. But Kelsey finds that becoming Elizabeth is not so easily done and that her emotional baggage may have something to do with it.

Through Kelsey’s various character jumping Grey demonstrates a keen understanding of the characters Jane Austen created, and also looks at them through the eyes of a modern woman dropped into their world as a participant and not merely as an observer. This presents an added challenge for Kelsey who must fight against her desire to deviate from Austen’s story or suffer on repeat—to truly understand that, you really have to read Attempting Elizabeth.

While Kelsey can jump into Pride and Prejudice and live there with the Regency society, it is Regency as Austen wrote about it. Still the need of maids for dressing, how bathing is handled, and even how relieving oneself is done are only hinted at, but not explored in detail. How the lack of indoor plumbing alone does not kill Kelsey’s determination to be Elizabeth can only be explained by her desire to be with the real Darcy. If you have read Pride and Prejudice then you know that Elizabeth and Darcy do not hit it off from the get go and that there is a lot of time between meetings, we are talking months of time. Even having an escape hatch, I am not sure I would have the same determination as Kelsey.

Kelsey’s journey to true love and through the pages of Pride and Prejudice is fun and quirky. Her internal dialogue is full of references to things Austen would have known nothing about, such Star Wars and Quantum Leap. At the beginning of every chapter there is a quote from a movie, television show, or book, but the details are not given until the end of the story. I am not sure if Grey intended it to be a guessing game or not, but I had fun playing it that way as I read. I got sixteen out of twenty-two. Not sure how geeky that makes me, maybe slightly above average. It is also kind of interesting how the quotes fit with the chapters, but even without them the book is a fun read I would recommend.

4 out of 5 Regency Stars

Attempting Elizabeth, by Jessica Grey
Tall House Books (2013)
Trade paperback (320) pages
ISBN: 978-0985039660

Read Full Post »

Loving Miss Darcy: The Brides of Pemberley (Volume 2), by Nancy Kelley – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged 5 Stars Review, Book Blogger, Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Loving Miss Darcy, Nancy Kelley, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice Sequels on 23 March 2013 | 1 Comment »

From the desk of Katie P.

An innocent young lady with a secret past preparing for her first Season. Her guardian torn between chasing off suitors and becoming a suitor himself. His friends (who just so happen to be spies) preparing to do what they do best to fend off the rogues. All of this together with a dash of romance, a pinch of adventure, and a handful of espionage, and you have the Pride and Prejudice continuation, Loving Miss Darcy: The Brides of Pemberley.

Georgiana Darcy’s life is peaceful. Her new sister, Elizabeth Bennet Darcy has brought the family together as never before, and Georgiana has happily spent her days in the countryside doing what she loves best with those she loves best, particularly her older cousin and guardian, Col. Richard Fitzwilliam. Surrounded by her music and family, she quickly flourishes into a beautiful young woman of eighteen, with only one dark moment of her past to shade her happiness. But just as she finally manages to put her failed elopement with Mr. Wickham behind her, Georgie finds out that she must go to London for the Season to be thrown in amongst men who only desire her for her fortune, men who might turn out to be exactly like Wickham.

On the eve of Georgiana’s season, Richard rediscovers some old friends and his guardian problems are solved. After all, who better to watch Georgiana and chase off suitors who are not worthy of her (which oddly enough, happens to be all of them), than seasoned spies? And why is it that he seems so against her meeting, well, any eligible gentleman?

With her brother Fitzwilliam Darcy and cousin Richard Fitzwilliam to protect her, Georgiana feels she is safe from ever falling in love again, but what if love has been right in front of her all along? What can Richard and Georgie do when old secrets come to light, and specters from their past come back to haunt them? When her past and future collide, Georgiana must learn to rely on her family and trust the one who loves her, while Richard must begin a search to discover the traitor in their midst before it is too late.

I’ve always been wary about reading Jane Austen continuations, especially Pride and Prejudice ones. All of her characters are so special and beloved, that I’m afraid to come across one that distorts my own opinion and ideas of how they’d act or talk. So I am happy to say that Loving Miss Darcy is a refreshing continuation of Pride and Prejudice. I could easily imagine Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, Kitty, Georgiana, Mrs. Bennet, and Richard in the drawing room discussing art (or attempting to, in the case of Mrs. Bennet) and exchanging witty banter. Nancy Kelley treats the characters with respect and opens them up in a natural way that holds steady to the aspects of their personalities, yet adds some new surprises. For example, sisters Kitty and Mary Bennet are both mature, and soon become Georgiana’s friends. I was pleasantly surprised to see Kitty and Georgiana’s friendship develop, as I had never thought about how Georgiana would interact with Elizabeth’s family. I also loved the new characters that were added. Richard’s family did not appear in more than a few chapters, but when they did, their scenes were so very special. Every family member, no matter how small a role, was entertaining and unique: Elaine (his nagging sister), John and Sally (his cute nephew and niece), Simon (his foppish and irritating brother), and Lord and Lady Fitzwilliam (his wise and loving parents). It was wonderful to read a book that not only had action and adventure, but also tender family scenes. More new characters included the spies: perceptive Sebastian, lovelorn Ashford, and good-natured Colin. They were all well developed, and I just have to sigh a girlish sigh over Richard’s spy friends (gotta love a mysterious and crafty secret agent).

One of the interesting things I learned more about from Loving Miss Darcy was the importance of the coming out Season. I had never thought about the details, or how frightening it would seem in a society where that was the one and only chance at an advantageous marriage—and all of us Jane Austen fans know that an advantageous marriage during the Regency was the highest aspiration for a well-bred female. Georgiana was afraid that she wouldn’t find a worthy man to marry, and Nancy Kelley did a good job portraying this so that the reader could understand the weight of her (and any Regency female’s) decision. Imagine choosing your spouse after knowing them only a short time, and only making your decision based not on character, but on the well-known facts of his or her family property and wealth! As Georgie says, “Flowery speeches have not stood me in good stead. I would much prefer an honest man who speaks from his heart.”

My only problem with this book was the flip-flopping of names. Fitzwilliam Darcy is sometimes called William, but other times called Fitzwilliam. Richard is also Mr. Darcy’s cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Lord and Lady Fitzwilliam (Richard’s parents) also go by the names of Lord and Lady Matlock. This wasn’t a huge problem when reading, but it was confusing at first.

I love three things in a book—adventure, banter, and romance. This book had all of them, and I cannot wait to read more from this author (and hopefully more about the characters)!

5 out of 5 Regency Stars

Loving Miss Darcy: The Brides of Pemberley (Volume 2), by Nancy Kelley
CreateSpace (2013)
Trade paperback (244) pages
ISBN: 978-1481859172

Read our review of His Good Opinion: A Mr. Darcy Novel, by Nancy Kelley

Read Full Post »

Return to Longbourn: The Next Chapter in the Continuing Story of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, by Shannon Winslow – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged 5 Star Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Books, For Myself Alone, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice Sequels, Reading, Return to Longbourn, Shannon Winslow, The Darcys of Pemberley on 20 March 2013 | 11 Comments »

From the desk of Kimberly Denny-Ryder:

Ever since Shannon Winslow debuted with The Darcys of Pemberley (DoP) in 2011, she’s been an Austen fan-fiction author that I’ve kept on my radar. In the two years since she published DoP I’ve not only read everything else she’s written, For Myself Alone (2012) and Mr. Collins’s Last Supper (2012), but have shared countless conversations with her about life, Austen, and everything in between. She is a woman that truly understands people and deep feelings. It’s easy to understand this without knowing her when you read her latest novel Return to Longbourn. The depth of feeling that the characters go through by the end of the novel is nothing short of astounding.

Mary Bennet is happily ensconced at Netherfield Park as the governess for the Farnsworth family. All is well in her life until her father suddenly passes away. Back at home in mourning with her family she realizes how alone she feels. Her sisters Elizabeth and Jane have their husbands to turn to, while Kitty has Lydia. She feels that her only value is to remain stoic and take care of the household while the rest of her sisters fall apart emotionally. It’s this event that triggers a sudden heaviness to her life. When it’s announced that her cousin Tristan Collins (the heir to Longbourn) will be notified of Mr. Bennet’s death, well, that’s when her life turns a bit hectic. Mrs. Bennet announces her plan to have Kitty marry Mr. Collins so that they can remain at Longbourn, while Kitty confides to Mary that she is planning her escape to Pemberley. Mary understands Kitty’s reluctance to enter a marriage without love and agrees to keep their new cousin occupied until Kitty is summoned back to Longbourn. Much to everyone’s surprise, Tristan Collins arrives and is the complete opposite of his odious older brother William in every way. Mary feels herself beginning to fall in love with him and internally questions her decision to live her life without the love of a man. Add to all of this the bipolar friendship she maintains with her employer, the widowed Mr. Farnsworth, and you have the makings of much soul searching. Will Mr. Collins return her feelings? How will Mr. Farnsworth deal with her possible leaving Netherfield Park?

Upon first glance, many readers will find this to be a story about love, and in some aspects, redemption. The deeper, more beautiful story to take away from this novel is that of a young woman trying desperately to find her place in a world where she begins to feel valueless. Winslow’s Mary (and Austen’s too) is a stoic individual, not much taken with the fancies of romance, men, balls, or fine clothes. She much prefers to toil her hours away with books and reading. She can at times be a woman of unyielding character, but deep down past this hardened exterior is a woman just like any other. She wants to have purpose, she wants friendship, and yes, she even longs for love. In Return to Longbourn, we see a Mary who is beginning to question the way she has lived her life emotionally. Add to that the grief from her father’s death and the relationships of her sisters and brother-in-laws, and you find a very lost woman indeed. All of this coupled together makes Mary a very relatable character. For who among us can claim to never have felt lost in their own skin and unable to make sense of a multitude of new and unusual emotions?

I truly loved how Winslow showcased Mary’s multiple dimensions through her relationships with the other characters of the novel. Her personal connections with her students, employer, cousin, sisters, and mother all helped create a depth to Mary that wasn’t there before. Winslow has mastered the technique of writing like Austen. I can honestly say she’s one of the best writers of the genre, getting not only the language down, but Austen’s tongue-in-cheek humor as well. While a majority of the book has Mary in contemplation of her life, these small sections of humor helped lighten the load of her inner-reflections. This is definitely Winslow’s strongest novel to date and hands down my new personal favorite—possibly due to the Jane Eyre-esque style the story takes on towards the end—which I will leave for the reader to discover.

5 out of 5 Regency Stars

Return to Longbourn: The Next Chapter in the Continuing Story of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, by Shannon Winslow
Heather Ridge Arts (2013)
Trade paperback (270) pages
ISBN: 978-0989025904

Read Full Post »

One Thread Pulled: The Dance with Mr. Darcy (Volume 1), By Diana J. Oaks – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Book Reviews, Books, Diana J. Oaks, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, One Thread Pulled, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice Sequels, Reading on 16 March 2013 | 9 Comments »

From the desk of Jeffrey Ward

How differently would Pride and Prejudice have proceeded if Miss Elizabeth Bennet had not overheard Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy’s insulting remarks during the Meryton assembly? Differently? Yes, very-very differently according to this debut author’s totally diverting and brilliant re-imagining of Jane Austen’s timeless romance.

Starting at page one and continuing all the way to page 457 (rather lengthy for a work of this nature), it never falls off or fails to delight at any point or on any page. So, if you love Elizabeth and Darcy, please read on…..

Two years in the writing, and perhaps more in research, validate the author’s mastery of the Regency period, especially her intimate portrayals of Elizabeth and Darcy, clear down to the least significant character. I am astonished at how the author totally re-charts the course of Miss Austen’s most famous story, yet manages to respectfully maintain and indeed significantly expand upon the expected attributes of its most important personalities. Just about every Austen character makes an appearance and I love the way the author chooses to highlight Miss Anne de Bourgh, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, Miss Caroline Bingley, and Miss Georgiana Darcy. Just name ANY other character from P&P; they’re all in there in some capacity.

The story centers on Netherfield, Meryton, and Longbourne with a brief Sojourn to London. That would seem restrictive for a lengthy novel but this plot device allows the author to deftly focus on the complex and ever-evolving emotional relationship between the heroine and hero. With the “prejudice” portion removed, the encounters between Miss Bennet and Mr. Darcy begin with initial wariness but grow gradually to respect, regard, affection, and ultimately love. The angst generated over this two-steps-forward-one-step-back romance is the foundation that makes this story so irresistibly seductive.

Putting aside my blathering plaudits, how better to recommend this book than to read samples of the author’s delicate wit? Darcy and Elizabeth meet by chance on their outings as they witness a beautiful sunrise. The incongruity is priceless as Miss Bennet admires nature but Mr. Darcy admires only her, yet cannot gain her regard.

“Look, Mr. Darcy. Is the sight before you not a fair prospect? I do not know how to bear it sometimes, to gaze upon such beauty and not be able to ever hold it, to be limited to just looking. It seems a hardship.” “Yes,” Mr. Darcy said, looking at Elizabeth, the sunlight glinting off her hair, and her face flushed from exertion. “I believe I understand how you feel.” p. 145

Here is a rousing verbal joust between two strong personalities as Darcy’s insistence on teaching Elizabeth how to ride disguises enormous romantic implications:

“I taught Georgiana.” Darcy replied. Elizabeth shook her head. “I do not feel safe on a horse.” “you will be safe with me,” Darcy said. “How many ways must I refuse before you relent?” Elizabeth laughed. “How many times must I offer before you accept?” Darcy countered with a smile. “It is not in me to back down, Miss Bennet. Once I have set my course, I persist. “Mr. Darcy, it is my course you are setting, not your own.” Elizabeth replied.” p. 221

I laughed over this classic regency eaves-dropping moment as Mr. Darcy leaves Elizabeth’s sick bed following a supposed private attempt to confess his love for her:

Darcy backed silently to the door where he would leave, his eyes never leaving the woman he hoped to make his wife. Upon reaching the door, he opened it, only to find that Jane, Bingley, Anne and the colonel were all pressed up against it. Only the colonel actually fell. p. 276

I must make mention of some threads not “pulled” but “woven in” by the author that may raise both curiosity and doubt: Mr. Collins attempting to compromise Elizabeth Bennet? Miss Caroline Bingley mentally unsound? Elizabeth Bennet collapsing in the middle of the Netherfield ball? Mr. Wickham extorting Mr. Darcy? Mr. Bennet’s almost impossible courtship demands on Darcy and Elizabeth? Mr. Bingley’s secret sister? Mr. Collins’s entail invalid? As I initially read these threads, I thought “That’s far-fetched.” No worries whatsoever, because the author neatly and plausibly explains each of them in a very convincing and satisfactory manner which makes the entire book breathlessly unpredictable.

The conclusion comes abruptly and would be a disappointment for most readers if a sequel was not forthcoming. It is! This reviewer keeps top-five lists of his very favorite works from a variety of genres and this one has easily parked itself in my top 5 list for favorite regency romances which puts it in with some distinguished titles indeed. That upcoming sequel, Constant as the Sun, can’t get into my hands quickly enough!

5 out of 5 Regency Stars

One Thread pulled: The Dance with Mr. Darcy (Volume 1), By Diana J. Oaks
CreateSpace (2012)
Trade paperback (456) pages
ISBN: 978-1475149616

Cover image courtesy ©Diana J. Oaks 2012; text ©Jeffrey Ward 2013

Read Full Post »

Giveaway Winners Announced for Return to Longbourn

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Giveaways, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Pride and Prejudice Sequels, Return to Longbourn, Shannon Winslow, Swag on 14 March 2013 | 3 Comments »

54 of you left comments qualifying you for a chance to win a copy of Return to Longbourn by Shannon Winslow. The winners drawn at random are:

Aimee who left a comment on March 05, 2013
Jordan F. who left a comment on March 04, 2013
Sharon who left a comment on March 12, 2013

Congratulations to the lucky winners! To claim your prize, please follow these instructions:

Please contact me with your full name and address by March 20, 2013.
Please tell me which item you have won.
Please tell me which format you want: print book or digital.
If you want a digital copy please tell me which format you need: Kindle, NOOK, etc.

Print book shipment to US addresses only; eBook sent internationally.

Thanks to all who left comments, and author Shannon Winslow for her great guest blog and giveaway copies of her new novel Return to Longbourn. Best wishes with its success.

Read Full Post »

Pemberley or Pride and Prejudice Continued, by Emma Tennant – A Review

Posted in Blog Events, Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013, tagged Book Revews, Books, Emma Tennant, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Pemberley or Pride and Prejudice Continued, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice Sequels, Reading on 12 March 2013 | 51 Comments »

This is my third selection for The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013, our year-long event honoring Jane Austen’s second published novel. Please follow the link above to read all the details of this reading and viewing challenge. Sign up’s are open until July 1, 2013.

If you can, take yourself back to 1993. Some of you reading this review were not even born yet, so bear with me. Imagine the Jane Austen universe pre Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy emerging soaking wet from Pemberley pond in the 1995 A&E/BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice. No dripping Darcy. No thousands of Jane Austen-inspired prequels, sequels and inspired-by novels and self-help books brimming book shelves at your local bookstore. No buy-it-now button at your favorite online retailer. No INTERNET for that matter! You have read Pride and Prejudice (multiple times) and seen both the adaptations: the1940 movie starring Laurence Olivier and the 1980 BBC mini-series starring David Rintoul on Masterpiece Theatre. You are violently in love with Jane Austen’s novel and know of no one else who shares your obsession—and then one day you are in a bookstore and see Pemberley or Pride and Prejudice Continued, by Emma Tennant. You stare at it in total disbelief. Could someone else continue the story of your beloved Elizabeth and Darcy? Could you be back at Pemberley again?

Now that you have a closer understanding of the environment that Tennant’s brave foray into Jane Austen sequeldom entered in 1993, and what anticipation the reader might have felt, you will have a greater appreciation of its tepid reception. When the vast majority read this book they delusionally expected Jane Austen, again. How could they possibly not be disappointed? By the time I read it in 2002 it had gotten a bad rap all-around by media reviewers and pleasure readers. My first impressions were not positive either. Now, after eleven years of reading numerous Pride and Prejudice-inspired novels that have been published in its wake— I have re-read it with an entirely new perspective—with an open heart and a sense of humor.

It has been almost a year since the happy day in which Mrs. Bennet got rid of two of her most deserving daughters. Elizabeth Darcy nee Bennet is learning the ropes of being the chatelaine of Pemberley House while obsessing over her insecurities and lack of producing an heir. Her dear father has died and his entailed estate of Longbourn has passed on to his cousin Mr. Collins and his wife Charlotte. The displaced Mrs. Bennet and her two unmarried daughters Mary and Kitty have taken up residence at Meryton Lodge, their new home not far from Longbourn and neighbors Mrs. Long and Lady Lucas. Elizabeth’s elder sister Jane and her husband Charles Bingley have purchased an estate in Yorkshire thirty miles from Pemberley. After four years of marriage they have one daughter and another on the way. Thoughtless younger sister Lydia, her ner-do-well husband George Wickham and their four children are continually in debt and an embarrassment to Elizabeth and her family.

The holidays are approaching and the plans for the annual festivities will include gathering family at Pemberley for Christmas and a New Year’s Ball. Besides Georgiana, Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, the guest list is growing out-of-control. Even under the care of her capable housekeeper Mrs. Reynolds, Elizabeth is overwhelmed. Included are Elizabeth’s family: some welcome and others not. Mrs. Bennet, Mary and Kitty will make their first visit to Pemberley. Jane will also journey with her husband and his sisters Miss Caroline Bingley, Mrs. Hurst and her husband. Elizabeth’s favorite Uncle and Aunt Gardiner have let a house nearby so that the unwelcome George Wickham and his family can visit with Mrs. Bennet. Also on the guest list is Mr. Darcy’s officious Aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh who disapproved of Darcy’s choice of bride but seems to have mended the fence enough for an extended stay. Arriving with her is her unmarried daughter Anne and the heir to the Pemberley estate, a distant cousin of Lady Catherine, Master Thomas Roper. Shortly before Mrs. Bennet is to depart for Pemberley she reveals to her friend Mrs. Long that even though Mr. Bennet departed this life but nine months ago, she intends to marry Colonel Kitchiner, a cousin and a crush from her youth whose father was a business partner of her father in Meryton. She has invited him to Pemberley as well—so it is a full house of unlikely companionship for its new mistress.

Any fans of Pride and Prejudice will recognize the irony of the guest list. The back story from the original novel and the combination of personalities is a set-up for the conflicts that inevitably arrive even before the guests do. Tennant has fudged on the facts from the original novel which were a bit off-putting. I remember being irked by this the first time around, and the second time did not sit as well either. Jane and Elizabeth were married on the same day in P&P, yet she chose to have Elizabeth marry Mr. Darcy four years after the original event—and how could any author writing a sequel or any historical novel set in the Regency-era not understand the ins and outs of British primogeniture? Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s cousin Thomas Roper, also the cousin of Mr. Darcy’s mother Ann, could not be the heir to Pemberley. If so, it would mean that the Darcy family and his mother a Fitzwilliam were related in earlier generations. This is possible but highly confusing to the reader who may understand the English inheritance laws, or not.

Quibbles in continuity and cultural history aside, my second impressions of Pemberley or Pride and Prejudice Continued were much more favorable—at least I didn’t despise it anymore. With the exception of Elizabeth Bennet being overly angst ridden and atypically un-spirited, I enjoyed Tennant’s characterizations of the delightfully dotty Mrs. Bennet and the slippery Bingley sisters. My biggest disappointment remained with the male characters. We see all of the action through Elizabeth’s eyes, and since she is uncertain and overly grateful of Darcy’s love, their relationship is strained and unpleasant. He is proud again and given nothing to say, and she is too unprejudiced to do anything about it. Tennant excelled most with her new creations: Mr. Gresham, Thomas Roper and the hysterical Col. Kitchiner who rivals the odious Mr. Collins (thankfully not invited to Pemberley) in the role of buffoon.

I appreciate Tennant much more as a writer than I did at first reading. It was interesting to put Pemberley into a wider perspective after many years. She was helping to create a new genre in which many would follow. This first attempt, though seriously flawed, merits some respect and congratulations. It is a must read for any ardent Austenesque fan, but most will be disappointed.

3 out of 5 Regency Stars

Pemberley or Pride and Prejudice Continued, by Emma Tennant
St. Martins Press (2006) reprint
Trade paperback (226) pages
ISBN: 978-0312361792

Read Full Post »

Return to Longbourn Blog Tour with Author Shannon Winslow & Giveaway!

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Austenesque Authors, Books, For Myself Alone, Giveways, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Pride and Prejudice Sequels, Reading, Return to Longbourn, Shannon Winslow, Swag, The Darcys of Pemberley on 4 March 2013 | 69 Comments »

It is always a red letter day when one of my favorite Austenesque authors releases a new book – so I am so pleased to share this guest blog with you today from Shannon Winslow. Her new “darling child” has arrived and it is a treat.

Return to Longbourn is her second installment after her popular The Darcys of Pemberley was published in 2011. Please help me welcome Shannon by leaving a comment to enter a chance to win one of three copies of her new novel available.

Thanks, Laurel, for having me here today. It’s always a pleasure to visit Austenprose, especially when I have a new story to share!

Following last year’s publication of For Myself Alone, I longed to return to my first love, to the world of Pride and Prejudice. Even after tying up lots of loose ends in The Darcys of Pemberley, there were interesting avenues left to explore.

Yes, Elizabeth and Jane are well settled, and it would be pleasant to visit them again. As for Lydia… well, that’s another story. But I was chiefly intrigued by what lay ahead for the other two Bennet daughters. With her expiration date quickly approaching, Kitty is desperately looking for a husband.

She fretted over being already almost twenty with no prospects for marriage immediately apparent…(The Darcys of Pemberley, epilogue)

Mary, however, has pragmatically moved on with her life, putting her hard-won skills to good use as governess to the new family at Netherfield.

Thus, well seasoned by time, practice, and renewed dedication, she made great strides toward the standard of the truly accomplished young woman she had always aspired to be…(The Darcys of Pemberley, epilogue)

Then disaster strikes; Mr. Bennet dies. So, what will become of the Bennet ladies?

If you remember, Mr. Collins met a premature end in The Darcys of Pemberley. What you may not recall is that he had a younger brother (as revealed in that book and in the preview post for RTL here at Austenprose). You will find Mr. Tristan Collins far more agreeable (and swoon worthy) than his brother. And, to Mrs. Bennet’s delight, he turns out to be single. We first meet him in the prologue:

The letter from London was a true Godsend. He knew it the instant it arrived, and just as quickly determined what he must do. Now the fertile Shenandoah Valley of Virginia – which until so recently had encompassed all aspects of his life and every hope for the future – lay half an ocean behind him, the distance widening with each passing day.

As the creaking timbers of the deck dipped and rolled beneath his feet, Mr. Tristan Collins kept one gloved hand ready on the rail. He had long since overcome his initial discomfort with being at sea, to the point where his legs had learnt to compensate for the perpetual movement without any conscious effort.

“Mr. Collins, sir,” said the cabin boy, coming up behind him. “Capt’n says won’t you take supper with him?”

The distinguished young gentleman with sandy hair turned into the chill wind to answer the lad. “Thank you, Patrick,” he said with a wan smile. “Tell the captain I shall be along directly.”

Pulling his great coat more tightly about his person, he turned his gaze aft once more, to where the sun had recently sunk below the western horizon. He had no idea what he expected to see. There was nothing there, other than a fading glimmer of daylight and three thousand miles of cold, roiling brine – an impenetrable barrier, seemingly. But would only half an ocean be enough to keep the ghosts he left behind in America at bay… or to keep his own thoughts from forever flying back, like pigeons returning to their roost?

No, he would not feel truly secure until he once more set foot on the reassuring ground of his native country. In England, he would start again.

Hmm. I wonder what – or who – he has left behind in America. I wonder what he’ll think of Longbourn… and of its female occupants. Will he turn them out of the house, or obligingly fall in love with Kitty… or Mary?

The book is called Return to Longbourn, but I could just as easily have been named Netherfield or Pemberley in the title instead. I hope you’ll come along as we revisit all our favorite P&P places and people, come alive again between the pages.

Author Bio:

Shannon Winslow specializes in writing fiction for fans of Jane Austen. She first garnered attention as a finalist in the Jane Austen Made Me Do It short story contest, with her entry titled Mr. Collins’s Last Supper. The 2011 publication of her popular debut novel, The Darcys of Pemberley, further cemented her place in the genre, being particularly praised for the author’s authentic Austenesque style and faithfulness to the original characters. A stand-alone Austen-inspired story, For Myself Alone, followed in 2012. Now Return to Longbourn continues Winslow’s Pride and Prejudice saga, serving as the sequel to her own sequel.

Her two sons grown, Ms. Winslow lives with her husband in the log home they built in the countryside south of Seattle, where she writes and paints in her studio facing Mt. Rainier.

Learn more about Shannon on her website/blog. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Giveaway chance for Return to Longbourn

Enter a chance to win one of three copies available of Return to Longbourn, by Shannon Winslow, by leaving comment about what intrigues you about reading a sequel to Pride and Prejudice by 11:59 pm, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Winners to be announced on Thursday, March 14, 2013. Print copies shipped to US addresses and ebook internationally. Winners choice. Good luck!

Return to Longbourn: The Next Chapter in the Continuing Story of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, by Shannon Winslow
Heather Ridge Arts (2013)
Trade paperback (270) pages
ISBN: 978-0989025904

Read Full Post »

Emmalee: The Jane Austen Diaries #4, by Jenni James – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Contemporary Inspired Book Reviews, Young Adult Fiction Book Reviews, tagged Book Reviews, Books, Emmalee, Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Jenni James, Reading, The Jane Austen Diaries, Young Adult Fiction on 23 February 2013 | 4 Comments »

From the desk of Kimberly Denny-Ryder

Several months ago I had the opportunity to read Persuaded by Jenni James, a modern YA (young adult) adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I was really impressed with James’ ability to keep the depth of Austen’s works when translating them into the modern world, and make them appealing to the YA crowd. When offered the chance to review her adaptation of Emma, I jumped and said yes! I’ve always found that Emma Woodhouse is a difficult character to relate to. (At least to me) The film Clueless did an excellent job showcasing her naivety while also reflecting that deep down inside she was a good person with good intentions. I was interested in seeing if James could also reflect this naïve nature while still making Emma appealing to teens.

Emmalee Bradford, the modern day equivalent to Emma, lives a very satisfied life. She believes that she is an expert matchmaker, and never misses and opportunity to set her friends up on dates. She takes special interest in Hannah, whom she decides to devote all her energy towards in order to make her popular. What she doesn’t realize, however, is all this energy expended on others leaves her alone and partner-less. Will she be able to find a match for herself despite being so adept at finding matches for others?

As I said before, Jane Austen’s Emma is a difficult character to relate to. Emmalee, on the other hand, is surprisingly refreshing. This may be because of her age. We’ve all had those awkward teen years dealing with growing up, moving on, difficult parents, friendship/relationship woes, and all the other difficulties being a teen brings. On the surface Emmalee seems like a spoiled rich kid, but when you get in her head, she genuinely thinks that what she does and says is completely unselfish. By the end of the novel, we see her begin to look at her actions from a different perspective and take responsibility for them. This highlights an emotional growth that was missing in Emmalee in the beginning, and is now beginning to transform her into a much more mature person. James weaves this into the plot perfectly, much like Austen made Emma transform from a slightly superficial matchmaker to a woman who has finally found true fulfillment in her own life. It is this transformation that makes Emmalee such a great read (and of course Emma too by extension!)

This book is filled with all the things that teen girls love: trips to the mall, cute boys, crushes, first kisses, Edward Cullen v. Jacob Black of Twilight discussions, puppies, fashion, texting, etc. James does an exquisite job in making her works appeal to her audience. Parents too will love these books for their clean nature, fun-loving prose, and moral lessons. If you know a young adult who has yet to give Austen’s classics a try, I recommend you have them read The Jane Austen Diaries series by Jenni James as encouragement.

4 out of 5 Stars

Emmalee: The Jane Austen Diaries #4, by Jenni James
Walnut Springs Press (2012)
Trade paperback (230) pages
ISBN: 978-0983829386

Read Full Post »

Falling For Mr. Darcy, by KaraLynne Mackrory – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Book Blog, Book Reviews, Books, Falling for Mr. Darcy, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, KaraLynne Mackrory, Reading on 20 February 2013 | 9 Comments »

From the desk of Jeffrey Ward

We know from the surviving canceled chapters of Persuasion that Jane Austen penned an alternative conclusion to her final novel with stunning results. Based on the now 200 year old masterpiece Pride and Prejudice, debut Author KaraLynne Mackrory has likewise crafted her own romantic detour. Let us find out, through the eyes of this old-school traditionalist reviewer if this spin-off embodies similar gratifying qualities.

The opening deviates immediately following the disastrous Meryton assembly with Mr. Darcy taking a morning horseback ride out from Netherfield, trying to calm his already intense attraction to Elizabeth and his mortification for insulting her. Miss Elizabeth Bennet simultaneously is taking her morning walk and pauses to rest in her favorite wooded copse. Darcy spots and admires her from afar. Suddenly, a gust of wind snaps a dead oak that Miss Bennet scrambles to avoid being struck by. Her ankle injured, Darcy comes to her rescue showing great concern. This chance meeting between hero and heroine fills many pages with absorbing and delicious detail which typifies the author’s unique style. As Darcy attempts to lift the injured Miss Bennet to his horse, as gentlemanly as possible, this charming dialogue ensues:

“Miss Bennet, I must help you to the horse, if you will give your consent again.” Mr. Darcy tried to sound as casual as possible even as his mind was screaming – yes, say yes! You belong in my arms Elizabeth! She laughed, and the hair on his neck stood up at the musical sound. “Mr. Darcy, I cannot see any other way I could get up there unless another gust of wind were to pick me up and place me atop your horse! You may assist me, thank you.” p. 21

The author’s route then heads straight from Longbourn to London, bypassing Pemberley. Things are proceeding much too smoothly between Darcy and Elizabeth when at about the half-way point his pride rears its ugly head, he comes to his senses, (loses his senses?) and affirms to himself that he can never marry a lady with poor connections and embarrassing family members.

The author, much to my satisfaction, also emphasizes the significance of Mr. Bennet as a major character who loves all of his daughters and has a hidden but joyous surprise for each daughter, should they marry for love instead of convenience. The odious Mr. Collins also makes an appearance and with the influence of Mr. Darcy be shocked at whom the clueless curate sets his eyes upon for matrimony!

Especially effective throughout is the mood of latent sexual desire between our heroine and hero without referring to any of the currently abused secondary sexual characteristics. Instead, the author delicately features the eyes, hair, facial expressions, garments, hands, posture, and the glimpse of a feminine ankle, much as it was two centuries ago. Combine this subtle sexual tension with the author’s dialogues, which faithfully stress the extremely polite civility between the sexes, and you are treated to page after page of crisply entertaining Regency conversations and situations.

A particularly savory moment is Elizabeth’s coincidental encounter with Georgiana Darcy in a fine London clothing shop where neither is aware of the other’s identity, yet they take an instant liking to each other as Elizabeth draws the shy Georgiana out:

“You will think me most silly, but I had teased my brother that I would shop for a wife for him today and choose a pair of slippers for her as well. He was so pleased to get out of coming in here with me that he laughed and went along with it.” Georgiana then frowned as she realized her silliness. Elizabeth laughed at the unusual declaration and said, as she glanced around the shop, “I did not see the ‘wife aisle’.” p. 183

My only minor criticisms? Somewhat departing from most of Jane Austen’s beloved characters who manifest both weaknesses as well as strengths, the author’s good characters are sometimes too-too good, the bad characters (Mr. Wickham) are too-too bad, and the ugly characters (Mr. Collins) are too-too ugly. This, at times, seemed to foster a cloying or schmaltzy atmosphere. We are also privy to the private thoughts of some of the characters (in italics) which are effective in some situations but perhaps reveal a little too much in others.

Nevertheless, I’m impressed by this debut novel and give praise for the author’s clever plot detour, character authenticity, genuine regency manners, and especially the tastefully rendered romantic eroticism between Elizabeth and Darcy which really drew me into the story right from the beginning.

4 out of 5 Regency Stars

Falling For Mr. Darcy, by KaraLynne Mackrory
Meryton Press (2013)
Trade paperback (264) pages
ISBN: 978-1936009206

Read Full Post »

Austensibly Ordinary, by Alyssa Goodnight – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Paranormal Book Reviews, tagged Alyssa Goognight, Austensibly Ordinary, Book Blogger, Book Reviews, Books, Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Paranormal, Jane Austen Sequels, Reading on 16 February 2013 | 8 Comments »

From the desk of Lisa Galek

What’s an average girl to do when she wants to add some excitement and romance to her life? Just ask Jane Austen, of course! Sure, she’s been dead for nearly 200 years, but there are ways around that little problem.

Cate Kendall spends her days teaching the classics like Emma to a group of quasi-bored high school students and her nights dreaming of doing something adventurous. The most excitement she’s got going on in her life is her weekly Scrabble games against her best friend, and fellow teacher, Ethan Chavez. When Cate receives an invitation to an Alfred Hitchcock-themed party in Austin, Texas, she realizes this is her chance to reinvent herself into the sexy woman of mystery she’s always dreamt of becoming.

But, as she’s preparing her transformation, Cate finds a centuries-old diary. It’s blank inside, but the inscription on the first page is a quote from none other than Jane Austen herself. Cate decides to use the diary to record her new adventures and plans. What she doesn’t expect is for the diary to start writing back. And that it actually has some pretty good advice… the kind of stuff that Jane herself might say.

Slowly, Cate realizes the truth about the diary. But will she take its advice and find the love she’s been waiting for – her own Mr. Darcy or Mr. Knightley? Or will she wind up unwittingly chasing Mr. Wickham as part of her daring new lifestyle?

Austensibly Ordinary is really a fun, light romp into the world of Jane Austen and romance. I loved how the story stays tethered to Austen, though she wasn’t the entire focus. Cate loves and teaches Austen novels and, obviously, the diary is tied to Jane, but otherwise, most of the other characters live normal, Jane Austen-free lives. Ethan doesn’t even like Mr. Darcy, and yet I still found him charming. Now that’s saying something.

I don’t think it’s spoiling too much to say that I loved the will-they-won’t-they dynamic between Cate and Ethan. From the very first chapter, when we see him playing Scrabble with Cate, the sparks are flying (though, of course, Cate doesn’t know it). The dialogue and banter between them was sharp, sexy, and fun. And when the details about Ethan’s secret background came out, it really heightened the tension between them.

The other characters were both funny and memorable. Cate’s recently divorced mother who is a bit of a cougar hunting for younger men, her sister, Gemma, a grad student, who moonlights as a sex phone operator, and Cate’s friends, especially the ghost-hunting Courtney, were all quirky, interesting, and all-around hilarious.

The book is also very, very sexy without getting graphic. The author is really skilled at the slow burn. She draws out every situation until you’re waiting with baited breath for the characters to just go ahead and kiss already. But, when a couple makes their way to the bedroom we don’t follow behind. For some readers that will be a relief, for others a disappointment. I thought it was really well done, but I’m not much into those Fifty Shades of Gray level sex scenes.

Overall, the writing is good. The dialogue especially jumps out and really gives the characters life. Though, during some of the quick exchanges, I found Cate’s constant stream of thoughts a bit intrusive. No one thinks that much. Especially not someone who is in the middle of some particularly snappy banter with the guy she has a crush on.

There were also a few situations that seemed a bit out of place. I didn’t really care for the ending where Cate finally gets the guy. Without giving away anything, I just thought it was a little off, though it didn’t completely ruin the story for me. There’s also a scene where the ghost of Jane Austen appears in a public bathroom. But, hey, once you accept that a magic, advice-giving journal is hanging around, I guess anything goes.

And, speaking of endings, until I got there, I didn’t realize that this book is actually a sequel of sorts to Alyssa Goodnight’s other novel, Austentatious. They both follow the same structure – single woman finds a mysterious Austen-inspired diary. Cate actually discovers the diary after the heroine from the first book drops it off at a random location in Austin.

For a fun, light, sexy romance, I’d definitely recommend Austensibly Ordinary. I was happy to see that, in the end, Cate also passed on the diary to some other unsuspecting future heroine. I know I’ll be putting both the first book and any others in this series on my reading list very soon.

4 out of 5 Stars

Austensibly Ordinary, by Alyssa Goodnight
Kensington (2013)
Trade paperback (320) pages
ISBN: 978-0758267450

Read Full Post »

Giveaway Winners Announced for The Darcys of Pemberley

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Books, Giveaways, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Reading, Return to Longbourn, Sequel, Shannon Winslow, Swag, The Darcys of Pemberley on 14 February 2013 | 1 Comment »

56 of you left comments qualifying you for a chance to win one of three copies available of The Darcys of Pemberley. The winners drawn at random are:

lostinavalonor who left a comment on February 04, 2013
Hannah who left a comment on February 05, 2013
Carolyn Rowins who left a comment on February 04, 2013

Congratulations ladies! To claim your prize, please contact me with your full name and address by February 20, 2013. I have several giveaways running, so please state which book you won and if you would like print or digital format. Shipment of paperback to US addresses only. Digital copy sent internationally.

Many thanks to all who left comments, and to author Shannon Winslow for supplying the giveaway copies of The Darcys of Pemberley and for the great sneak peek of her new book in the series, Return to Longbourn, which releases on February 26, 2013. Check back on Monday, March 04, 2013 for a guest blog with Shannon about Return to Longbourn and a chance for giveaway copies too.

Read Full Post »

Top Jane Austen-inspired Books of 2012

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mysteries, Paranormal, Reading, Young Adult Novels on 12 February 2013 | 23 Comments »

2012 was a banner year for Jane Austen-inspired books. From historical fiction to self-help to mysteries, Austen was visible in several genres and as popular as ever. Here are our top favorites reviewed here at Austenprose.com in 2012 with a bonus category, Readers Choice Awards.

Top 5 Historical sequels, prequels or retellings:

♥ The Three Colonels: Jane Austen’s Fighting Men, by Jack Caldwell (4.5 stars)

♥ Dear Mr. Darcy: A Retelling of Pride and Prejudice, by Amanda Grange (4.5 stars)

♥ The Journey, by Jan Hahn (5 stars)

♥ The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, by Syrie James (5 stars)

♥ A Pemberley Medley: Five Pride & Prejudice Variations, by Abigail Reynolds (5 stars)

Top 5 Contemporary inspired:

♥ Compulsively Mr. Darcy, by Nina Benneton (4 stars)

♥ Mr. Darcy Forever, by Victoria Connelly (4.5 stars)

♥ Find Wonder in All Things, by Karen M. Cox (4.5 stars)

♥ Hidden Paradise, by Janet Mullany (4.5 stars)

♥ Darcy Goes to War: A Pride and Prejudice Re-imagining, by Mary Lydon Simonsen (5 stars)

Regency inspired:

♥ The Garden Intrigue, by Lauren Willig (5 stars)

♥ The West Yet Glimmers: The Lord & Lady Baugham Stories, by Gail McEwen & Tina Moncton (5 stars)

Mysteries:

♥ Midnight in Austenland: A Novel, by Shannon Hale (4.5 stars)

♥ My Particular Friend: A Charlotte House Affair (Volume 1), by Jennifer Petkus (5 stars)

Paranormal:

♥ Jane Vows Vengeance: A Novel, by Michael Thomas Ford (5 stars)

♥ Searching for Captain Wentworth, by Jane Odiwe (5 stars)

Nonfiction:

♥ The Jane Austen Guide to Happily Ever After, by Elizabeth Kantor (5 stars)

♥ The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman, by Lori Smith (5 stars)

Scholarly:

♥ The Marriage of Faith: Christianity in William Wordsworth and Jane Austen, by Laura Dabundo (5 stars)

♥ Jane Austen’s Cults and Cultures, by Claudia L. Johnson (5 stars)

Self-published:

♥ Mr. Darcy’s Proposal, by Susan Mason-Milks (4 stars)

♥ For Myself Alone, by Shannon Winslow (4 stars)

Young Adult:

♥ The Beresfords, by Christina Dudley (4.5 stars)

♥ Persuaded, by Jenni James (4 stars)

Debut Author: (tie)

♥ All My Tomorrows, by Colette Saucier (5 stars)

♥ Mercy’s Embrace: Elizabeth Elliot’s Story, Book 1: So Rough a Course, by Laura Hile (5 stars)

Readers Choice Awards:

1.) The West Yet Glimmers, by Gail McEwen & Tina Moncton

2.) Persuaded, by Jenni James

3.) The Journey, by Jan Hahn

4.) Echoes of Pemberley, by Cynthia Ingram Hensley (tie)

4.) Find Wonder in All Things, by Karen M. Cox (tie)

5.) Pulse and Prejudice, by Colette L. Saucier

Congratulations to all of the authors! Thanks for another great year of fabulous reading.

Cheers,

Austenprose review staff

Related posts

2013 Laurel Ann Nattress, Austenprose

Read Full Post »

Giveaway Winners Announced for Pride and Prejudice 200 Anniversary Celebration

Posted in Jane Austen in the News, tagged Book Blog, Giveaways, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice 200, Swag on 7 February 2013 | 5 Comments »

105 of you left comments qualifying you for a chance to win one of eight books available of our Pride and Prejudice 200 Celebration. The winners drawn at random are:

Pride and Prejudice (Naxos Audiobooks Young Adult’s Classic), by Jane Austen, read by Jenny Agutter

eenayray who left a comment on Feb 6, 2013

Dancing with Mr. Darcy, edited by Sarah Waters

araminta18 who left a comment on Jan 28, 2013

Mr. Darcy’s Dream, by Elizabeth Aston

Lynn M. who left a comment on Feb 4, 2013

Jane Austen in Love, by Elsa Solender

Meredith who left a comment on Jan 28, 2013

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler

Jordan F. who left a comment on Jan 28, 2013

Jane Austen Made Me Do It, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress

Missy S. who left a comment on Jan 29, 2013

Falling For Mr. Darcy, by KaraLynne Mackrory

Anna (Diary of an Eccentric) who left a comment on Jan 28, 2013

Austensibly Ordinary, by Alyssa Goodnight

Cassie Grafton who left a comment on Feb 2, 2013

Congratulations ladies! To claim your prize, please contact me with your full name and address by February 13, 2013. Shipment is to US addresses only please.

Read Full Post »

Roundup of Pride and Prejudice Turning 200 and other Amusements

Posted in Jane Austen in the News, tagged Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice 200, Reading on 5 February 2013 | 18 Comments »

Illustration of The Kiss, from a note card by Janet Taylor

This has been a heady week of Pride and Prejudice blitz from the media and bloggers celebrating the 200th anniversary of its publication on Monday, January 28, 2013. There have been so many articles, interviews, read-a-thons, television news segments, and Internet chat about Jane Austen’s “darling child” that even this confessed Austen obsessive is overwhelmed and unable to keep up with all of the festivities. I was shocked to hear another Austenesque author tell me that she was sick of it. “What?” I exclaimed incredulously. “No! This is great for Jane’s fame and for authors,” I told her defensively. She shrugged and agreed.

It is very gratifying to me to see my favorite author so amply admired by so many and honored by scholars and the media. In a world filled with so much uncertainty and unrest, Pride and Prejudice is indeed a truth universally acknowledged. I think it will be around and venerated as long as people value pithy dialogue, intelligent, spunky heroines, honorable heroes, and compelling love stories. If I had to narrow down why it is my favorite novel, I would say because it is such a chameleon: after repeated annual readings over thirty plus years, I always come to the final passage with some new insight and a calming satisfaction that some things in life are constant.

Here is my roundup of favorite #PandP200 articles:

The enduring appeal of Pride and Prejudice

Our friend and Jane Austen Made Me Do It short story contributor Jane Odiwe is interviewed by the BBC. Jane, the author of four Austen-inspired novels, and numerous illustrations of her favorite Austen characters and scenes, admits to being obsessed with Jane Austen to the world. Brave, Jane. We love you!

Austen Power

“To mark the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, novelists, moviemakers and scholars are releasing a flood of new homages to cash in on the bottomless appetite for all things Austen.” The Wall Street Journal interviews Austen authors Sharon Lathan and Paula Byrne, publishers Oxford University Press, HarperFiction and Sourcebooks, scholars Juliette Wells and Claudia Johnson, and fan Meredith Esparza for this extensive article about Austen’s enduring appeal. Wowza! It got a full page spread in the print edition. Go #TeamJane!

200 Years of Pride and Prejudice Book Design

There are thousands of editions of P&P (it seems) and we love to discover cover designs, old and new. This article in the The Atlantic Wire shares many of the good, the bad, and the horrid, including ones that I included in a post My Top Ten Pride and Prejudice Covers that I wrote in 2010. I guess I was ahead of the trend.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: Darcy is still the ultimate sex symbol

Like this is a surprise? The Telegraph (UK newspaper) offers up this cream puff of a piece on a truth already universally acknowledged by any Janeite worth their weight in syllabub. *yawn* We still like seeing wet shirt Darcy and enjoyed the history of his on screen persona thank you very much!

Why Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice still has appeal 200 years on

Professor Karen O’Brien, Austen expert, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) and Professor of English Literature at the University of Birmingham, explains why Pride and Prejudice’s appeal has spanned two centuries – and is still growing.

Pride and Prejudice is an enduring classic because it is really about the human instinct to pursue happiness, to insist that happiness is something we are all entitled to (no matter what the Lady Catherine de Bourghs of this world tell us) and to believe that those who are generous, affectionate and self-aware stand the best chance of becoming happy.

The love story is fundamentally about that path to self-awareness, and how a genuinely intimate relationship is a mutual journey in which we come to know ourselves, each other and the world.

We are reminded of Austen’s rub of Birmingham in Emma. I think they have forgiven her.

A Tweet Universally Acknowledged

How would the Netherfield ball play out on Twitter? Austenesque author Lynn Shepherd’s delightful imaginings of a Twitter feed if the Bennet girls could tweet and Darcy could DM. Even Mr. Collins has his say. How he condensed his flowery soliloquies down to 140 characters is quite a feat.

Following in Jane Austen’s Footsteps: Discover Novelist’s England

A video look at Chatsworth House, the famous grand manor in Derbyshire that many believe was Jane Austen’s inspiration for Pemberley, Mr. Darcy’s estate in Pride and Prejudice. Ooo, we are always awed by its magnificence and are reminded of this passage from chapter 43:

Elizabeth’s mind was too full for conversation, but she saw and admired every remarkable spot and point of view. They gradually ascended for half a mile, and then found themselves at the top of a considerable eminence, where the wood ceased, and the eye was instantly caught by Pemberley House, situated on the opposite side of a valley, into which the road with some abruptness wound. It was a large, handsome stone building, standing well on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills; and in front a stream of some natural importance was swelled into greater, but without any artificial appearance. Its banks were neither formal nor falsely adorned. Elizabeth was delighted. She had never seen a place for which nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste. They were all of them warm in their admiration; and at that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!

Janeites: The curious American cult of Jane Austen

BBC News interviewed Janeites and scholars about the phenomenon of Pride and Prejudice and Jane’s fame here in America including blog mistress and author Myretta Robens of The Republic of Pemberley, professor of English Literature at Princeton University and esteemed Austen scholar Claudia L Johnson, and me. Yes, you read that correctly. ME. In our best imitation of Mr. Collins, we were very humbled that the esteemed BBC condescended to interview us on such an auspicious occasion.

Which—leads me to my own personal Pride and Prejudice 200 encounter at work on Wednesday with a non-Janeite sent on an errand by his teenage daughter.

Customer: Do you have a copy of Pride and Prejudice?
Me: *smiles* Why yes, we have several editions. Is this a gift or for yourself?
Customer: It’s for my 14-year old daughter who has never had an interest in reading classics before. She gave me this news article and asked for this book too, written by some Jane Austen cultist who lives in our hometown of Snohomish.
Me: *Nods in stunned silence. Looks at article.* Yes, I am familiar with the article and the book.
Customer: Really? What a coincidence!
Me: Monday was the bicentenary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice. It was all over the media and television. *walks customer over to Austen shelf in fiction and then to anthologies for Jane Austen Made Me Do It.
Customer: *points at cover of Jane Austen Made Me Do It* Do you know anything about this book?
Me: *pregnant pause* I do. I am the Jane Austen cultist who lives in Snohomish.
Customer: *Stares in stunned silence and then laughs loudly*
Me: *calmly smiles* I hope she enjoys both books!
Customer: *still laughing, he nods his thanks and walks away*

Happy bicentenary Pride and Prejudice!

If you would like to continue the celebration with us here at Austenprose, please join The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013. We are reading Jane Austen’s classic and many Austen-inspired sequels, viewing movie adaptations and other diverting entertainments with great giveaway prizes all year long.

Cheers,

Laurel Ann

Read Full Post »

Preview of Return to Longbourn & Giveaway of The Darcys of Pemberley, by Shannon Winslow

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, Jane Austen Book Sleuth, tagged Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Reading, Return to Longbourn, Swag, The Darcys of Pemberley on 4 February 2013 | 60 Comments »

Gentle readers: Here is a special treat for you today. Author Shannon Winslow has graciously offered an exclusive sneak peek to Austenprose readers of an excerpt of her new Austen-inspired novel, Return to Longbourn, which releases on February 26th.

I have had the pleasure of reading an advance copy and I can share that Shannon is in peak form channeling Jane Austen characters and creating new ones too. This new sequel to her popular The Darcys of Pemberley is sure to please her many fans.

The passage that she has chosen for us also includes a letter from one Tristan Collins, the heir to Longbourn, the estate of the Bennet family in Pride and Prejudice. Some of you might recognize similarities in phrase and tone to his elder brother Mr. William Collins whose unexpected demise in The Darcys of Pemberley made Tristan the heir to the Longourn estate.

Excerpt from Return to Longbourn

“Now you shall see why I am in such a flutter,” Kitty said. She drew a packet of paper from her pocket and held it out to Mary…“It is from the heir to Longbourn – Mr. Tristan Collins! He has written from America, and it is a great secret because Mama has not yet read it. Nor must she! …Kitty held up a hand to forestall the anticipated protest. “I know you will say that I should not have taken it. But before you quote me a sermon, read the letter yourself and hear my proposal. Then, on the grounds of sisterly loyalty, you must come to my aid, else before Michaelmas Mama will have me engaged to this stranger and forever miserable.”

Mary looked grave, and yet she opened the letter.

Dear Madam,

I feel myself called upon by our relationship to condole with you on the grievous affliction you are now suffering under, of which I was only yesterday informed by a letter from your solicitor in London. I pray you will forgive me for introducing myself to your notice at this difficult time, and that you will not think my sympathy any less genuine for the awkwardness of our situation. I write chiefly to reassure you that I am very sensible of the severity of your loss, and that I mean to in no way add to your misery where it can be helped. Therefore, although I propose myself the satisfaction of coming to you without delay, I do not anticipate any need for you to vacate your comfortable abode at once. I ask only that you allow me to be a guest therein whilst we sort out between us what is best to be done… My intention is to follow this letter as soon as I am able to settle my business affairs, and I hope to arrive within three weeks of your receipt of the same. Until then, please convey my respectful compliments to all your family.

Tristan Collins, esquire

“Well? What do you think of it?” Kitty demanded.

“I think it is a very good letter – well composed and clearly expressed.”

“Is that all you can say on the subject?” cried Kitty in exasperation. “How can you be so tiresome, Mary?”

“Very well, then. Let me look again.”

Mary’s second appraisal was more comprehensive and more gratifying to her sister’s feelings.

“The content reveals nothing so very remarkable. It was always to be expected that he would come to inspect his property. This is only a little sooner than anticipated. As to the style of the letter, I must say that I am pleased with it. His generous sentiments do him credit, and they are elegantly conveyed.” Mary took a moment to consider before adding one more point. “There is a certain something in his way of expressing himself, however. It is rather reminiscent of a person we used to know.”

“Exactly! I can see this Mr. Tristan Collins now,” said Kitty, evincing horror at the specter before her mind’s eye. “The man is his brother to the very core, and he will be here in less than a month!”

End of excerpt

Author Bio: Shannon Winslow, her two sons now grown, devotes much of her time to her diverse interests in music, literature, and the visual arts – writing claiming the lion’s share of her creative energies in recent years.

In addition to three short stories (one a finalist in the Jane Austen Made Me Do It contest), Ms. Winslow has published two novels to date. The Darcys of Pemberley, a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, was her debut. For Myself Alone, a stand-alone Austenesque story, now follows. Her third novel Return to Longbourn is the next installment of her Pride and Prejudice series.

Shannon lives with her husband in the log home they built in the countryside south of Seattle, where she writes and paints in her studio facing Mt. Rainier. Visit Shannon at her website/blog Shannon Winslow’s Jane Austen Says, follow her on Twitter as @JaneAustenSays, and on Facebook as Shannon Winslow.

A Grand Giveaway of The Darcys of Pemberley

Get ready for the release of Return to Longbourn by entering a chance to win one of three copies available of the first book in the series The Darcys of Pemberley. Just leave a comment stating what intrigues you about the letter from Tristan Collins or reading a Pride and Prejudice continuation. The contest is open until 11:59 on Wednesday February 13, 2013. Winners will be announced on Thursday, February 14, 2013. Print copy shipment to US addresses only. Digital copy shipment available internationally. Good luck!

Read Full Post »

Last Day to Vote for Your Favorite Jane Austen-inspired Book of 2012!

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Austen-inspired Books, Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Nonfiction, Reader Poll on 31 January 2013 | 4 Comments »

Make haste! The poll closes at 11:59 pm PT tonight for Austenprose’s Readers Choice Award for Austen-inspired books that were published in 2012 or have been reviewed here last year. One vote per IP address.

Best of luck to all of the authors!

Cheers,

Laurel Ann

Read Full Post »

Georgiana and the Wolf: Pride and Prejudice Continues Volume 6, by Marsha Altman – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Paranormal Book Reviews, tagged Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Paranormal, Jane Austen Sequels, Paranormal Books, Reading on 30 January 2013 | 4 Comments »

From the desk of Veronica Ibarra

As if reading about the continued lives of our favorite characters from Pride and Prejudice and that of their children is not fascinating enough, send one Georgiana Bingley to seminary in France, throw in a murder with the rumor of a werewolf, and you potentially have something quite interesting. Such is Marsha Altman’s Georgiana and the Wolf, the sixth installment of her Pride and Prejudice Continues series. If you have not read any of the previous books then you are in luck as this one, though connected via Georgiana, can stand on its own without any confusion that reading a series out of order can cause.

Inspector Robert Audley has been pulled off a case in Paris and ordered to a small country town where the Marquis de Maret is rumored to be a werewolf and a murderer. With his engagement to Lady Heather Littlefield threatened by these rumors the marquis is eager for Inspector Audley to put an end to them. But things quickly become complicated as “the famed inspector of Paris” Audley uncovers a tangled web of clues that point to not one but two killers as more are found dead, and finds that Lady Littlefield’s companion Georgiana Bingley seems to be far more adept at gathering information than he.

Georgiana Bingley is the daughter of Charles Bingley and Jane Bennet, but little is made of this. All that is familiar to the avid Austen fan goes largely by the wayside because even though Georgiana is central to the story, where she comes from, who her family is, and any dowry attached to her is of little significance to this story.

The main character of this tale is Inspector Audley. It is through his eyes (and thoughts) that we are led through his investigation and distraction. Because of this we are kept focused on the case, but even as Audley finds the case baffling, it is clear that his distraction is the only thing really keeping him from solving the case. Though the particulars were interesting enough to keep me reading, I did not find myself baffled by it in the least.

When the main suspect in a murder is rumored to be a werewolf, there is a certain expectation I have of what would fuel that sort of belief, and in a rural community the belief in superstition is generally part of the driving force no matter how enlightened the population. But Altman keeps things light on the supernatural, staying focused on your standard investigative practices with the kind of lead following an inspector would under any circumstance. There is even enough attention given to the relationships between characters with the kind of reserve one expects with rules of etiquette and decorum, though being in France we are not dealing strictly with the English sensibilities Austen fans are most familiar with.

I am no great historian, so I cannot speak to the historical accuracy of the French setting Altman uses, though she freely admits that there are “probably a lot” in the historical note at the end of the story. There was an interesting inclusion of Japanese philosophy in regards to elements and the code of the samurai, which historically appropriate or not, provided some characters with an added layer of depth and worldliness. The Japanese cultural influences, though enjoyable for me to read, however, did leave me with a sense of slight disappointment that Altman did not pull much from French legend or folklore, or even really mention Japanese legends that could have given the story a bit more supernatural eeriness without overwhelming the main plot.

It is important to note that in the introduction Altman herself admits that “events of previous books don’t matter a lot in this one.” This would seem to mean that the tale has little connecting it to the Austen world or to the world Altman has created with The Darcys and Bingleys. Not having read any of Altman’s other work to know how this book might fit in with the series, I cannot say if it adds anything to or strays from the character of Georgiana Bingley as established in Altman’s series. Certainly her inclusion is the connecting factor, and without Georgiana an Austen fan would have no reason to read, though an Altman fan might.

Over all, though I enjoyed reading Georgiana and the Wolf I found the Austenesque connection thinly made, and the mystery not very mysterious. Being forced to muddle through things with Inspector Audley felt limiting at times and unnecessary. There never seems to be a sense of urgency, though there clearly should be as one murder becomes another. The greatest point of interest is the character of Georgiana Bingley who I would have much preferred following, but which would have changed the story entirely.

3 out of 5 Regency Stars

Georgiana and the Wolf: Pride and Prejudice Continues Volume 6, by Marsha Altman
CreateSpace (2012)
Trade paperback (376) pages
ISBN: 978-1480232129

Read Full Post »

Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen, by Sally Smith-O’Rourke – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Contemporary Inspired Book Reviews, tagged Book Review, Books, Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Paranormal Romance, Reading, Yours Affectionately Jane Austen on 26 January 2013 | 2 Comments »

From the desk of Lisa Galek

In this sequel to The Man Who Loved Jane Austen, Sally Smith-O’Rourke takes us on a journey through time and across continents as we explore what happened to the characters and romances from her first novel.

Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen picks up moments after the previous book leaves off. The heroine, Eliza Knight, a contemporary New York artist, is staying at the home of Fitzwilliam Darcy, a handsome, southern gentleman and the owner of Pemberley Farms in Virginia. Previously, Eliza and Fitz were brought together by a pair of mysterious letters written by Jane Austen herself which suggested that she once had an affair with an American named Fitzwilliam Darcy. A man whom she later used as the basis of the hero of Pride and Prejudice.

Though the letters are valuable, Eliza decides to give them to Fitz (for reasons revealed in the previous book, which I won’t spoil). Eliza must now deal with the fallout from refusing to reveal the contents of the letters to the public, while navigating her blossoming love for Fitz and trying to understand his past as a time traveler. Yup, a time traveler.

Eliza’s story also intertwines with that of a 1813 Jane Austen. Fresh off the success of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, Jane is planning to publish her newest novel, Mansfield Park. Jane writes and spends time with her family, though she cannot quite forget the handsome American whom suddenly fell into her life just three years before and disappeared just as quickly.

I may be at a disadvantage here because I’ve never read The Man Who Loved Jane Austen. If you’re in the same boat, you will probably be able to catch up very quickly as the author spends quite a bit of time recapping the events of the previous story. However, I would really recommend going back and reading the first installment if you plan to tackle this one.

The main reason for this is that I just couldn’t shake the feeling that The Man Who Loved Jane Austen was probably a much more interesting book than this one. Jane Austen? Mysterious letters? The truth about the real Fitzwilliam Darcy? Time travel? Budding romance? Sign me up. Once all of those questions are answered, there just doesn’t seem much left to do.

Almost nothing happens in this story until nearly 2/3 of the way through. Well, not nothing, but not the kind of things that one would want to spend an afternoon reading about. Eliza and Fitz’s growing relationship is really just a series of insignificant little tiffs and conversations that have almost no bearing on the story. There’s no spark or passion between them despite the fact that they met only two days ago and are starting to fall madly in love. Our time with Jane Austen, too, is surprisingly boring. Obviously, the author is taking liberties with the real Jane, her life, and family, but I couldn’t help wishing she had taken more. Jane’s life seemed to be nothing more than a quick succession of busy nothings. The whole story just needed more meat on its bones to get the reader interested.

Even another time travel subplot doesn’t do much to heighten the stakes. When one of the Austen family servants travels through time to contemporary England, Fitz worries quite a bit about creating a paradox in time and somehow ruining Jane Austen’s life. But, nothing really happens. I kept waiting for everyone’s copies of Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion to start slowly disappearing Back to the Future style, but alas.

I also noticed a few errors in my copy, which is always annoying. One especially caught my eye as a devoted Whovian:

“The program that’s coming on is one of my favorites. It’s called Dr. Who. It’s a science fiction show about time travel. This guy, Dr. Who, has a time machine that looks like a police box from way back in the 1960s, and it takes him everywhere and anywhere. It’s really cool.”

The show’s title, of course, is written out as Doctor Who (and should be italicized). The main character is also never called “Dr. Who,” but is just simply referred to as “the Doctor.” He’s also not really a “guy,” but an alien from the planet Gallifrey who travels through time and space, but now I’m just nit-picking.

Aside from all this, the writing is actually very good. The author has a talent for vivid description and paints a beautiful scene wherever she takes us. The characters of Eliza and Fitz were likeable and spunky at times. Even Jane Austen seemed like a perfectly lovely version of our beloved author. The dialogue is well done and even witty. Sadly, with all these good qualities, none of it seemed to go anywhere.

If you enjoyed The Man Who Loved Jane Austen and wondered what happened to Eliza, Fitz, and Jane when that story ended, then this book might be for you. However, I can’t help thinking that you might be better off letting your own imagination run wild.

3.5 out of 5 Stars

Yours Affectionatley, Jane Austen, by Sally Smith-O’Rourke
Victorian Essence Press (2012)
Trade paperback (380) pages
ISBN: 978-1891437038

Read Full Post »

Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match, by Marilyn Brant – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Contemporary Inspired Book Reviews, tagged 5 Stars Review, Book Blogger, Book Reviews, Books, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels on 19 January 2013 | 11 Comments »

From the desk of Kimberly Denny-Ryder

In reading a large variety of Pride and Prejudice variations, I’ve come to expect works of all shapes and sizes. What I didn’t expect, however, was a work that centers on an online dating site. Such is the premise of Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match by Marilyn Brant. Sure, we’ve seen modern adaptations on the beloved original, yet this is a new twist that adds another dimension to the story between the Lizzy and Darcy that we all cherish. How would this timeless love story survive in a world governed by digital matchmaking?

The last thing that Beth Ann Bennet wants to do is end up on a dating site, but much to her chagrin, here she is. As a social worker studying sex-based stereotypes, she signs on to Lady Catherine’s Love Match Website under a pseudonym in order to get a firsthand account of said stereotypes. She is surprised, however, when she meets Dr. William Darcy through the site. He has his own secrets, however, as he too is signed up for the dating service under false pretenses. In order to settle a bet and win funding for a new clinic he is building, Darcy agrees to sign on to the site and find a match. Now that they have met, both agree that it would be in their best interests to stay apart, yet there seems to be an invisible force that draws them to each other, making that original promise much harder to keep. Although they both assume that the site will give them a superficial and fleeting glance at a relationship, what they actually encounter is something much deeper and more personal. What will happen once they come to find that this meeting is not what they originally intended, but something much more involved indeed?

At first blush, I found the idea behind this story to be intriguing and fresh. Always up for a new take on the P&P variation genre, I was excited to see what Brant had in store. I was surprised to find that the storyline between Darcy and Elizabeth seemed to be swapped somewhat with the plot between Jane and Bingley, but this didn’t seem to detract from the flow of the work at all. In fact, it made me read faster. After a while, the old Darcy and Elizabeth I’ve come to know and love made their appearance, as the story made a course correction and we came back into familiar territory. When this was coupled with references to Roman Holiday and high tea, I began to feel like I was reading a book that was a greatest hits of all the things I love in life. Brant couldn’t have done a better job at pulling me into the story and keeping me hooked until the end. I loved how her work was different enough that I felt really out of my element at first, but then brought back to the themes of compassion, forgiveness, and love that really hold Darcy and Elizabeth together. This was an amazingly smart move that left me more than satisfied at the end of this work. In fact, I liked this book so much that I delayed watching the season 3 premiere of Downton Abbey!! (This is a huge deal) In all, if you’re up for a new and exciting change in the P&P variation world, I strongly suggest that you give this a try. Who doesn’t love a fresh look at our Darcy and Elizabeth?

5 out of 5 Stars

Pride, Prejudice, and the Perfect Match, by Marilyn Brant
White Soup Press (2013)
eBook (167) pages
Nook: BN ID: 2940016076669
Kindle: ASIN: B00AYLN5TI

Read Full Post »

Darcy’s Decision: Given Good Principles Volume 1, by Maria Grace

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Books, Darcy's Decision, Fiction, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Maria Grace, Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Reading on 12 January 2013 | 11 Comments »

From the desk of Jeffrey Ward

For 200 years, I suspect many enthralled readers of Pride and Prejudice have silently pondered the question “What would Darcy do?” Author Maria Grace endeavors to put her own spin on this with her debut prequel novella Darcy’s Decision, in her Given Good Principles trilogy.

Spanning a brief but significant moment in time, the main gist of the story deals with Darcy’s rival Mr. Wickham, his demands for a living, and his alleged compromising of Georgiana and how young Mr. Darcy finally deals with it.

It is six months following the death of his father and Fitzwilliam Darcy struggles with how to honorably and properly manage the vast holdings of Pemberley, care for his 15 year old rapidly-maturing teenage sister, and deal with the prickly problem of one Mr. Wickham –his boyhood friend who shows up to claim the curacy that was thought promised to him by Darcy’s father. A dinner at Pemberley with some cherished neighbors, the Bingleys, Georgiana, the newly-appointed curate John Bradley and Mr. Wickham reveals the complications Darcy is up against: (Georgiana speaking of Wickham)

“You came to pay your respects?” Lackley dabbed his chin with his napkin. “No, he did not.” Everyone gasped, staring at Georgiana. “Stop it!” Rebecca hissed, reaching for Georgiana’s hand. “He was promised the living given to Mr. Bradley.” A hush fell over the table. Darcy’s pulse thudded in his temples as the blood drained from his face.

With admirable originality the author has created a morality drama with Biblical undertones stressing mercy, forgiveness, and what makes a man truly great. She showcases the familiar well-loved characters of Pride and Prejudice quite accurately: Darcy, Wickham, Richard Fitzwilliam, the Bingleys, Mrs. Reynolds, as well as introducing her own cast of loveable loyal neighbors and old family friends. Chief among these is John Bradley, the vital mentor to both Darcys – father and son. The wise old Clergyman counsels young Darcy and the dialogue is beautiful in its timeless truth:

“I am not like him.”Darcy grimaced and swallowed hard against the rising bile. “I lack his wisdom, his discernment.” But you were given good principles, the ones your father stood.” The wind whipped his coattails and scoured his face. “Are they enough?” “He found them so.” Bradley clapped his shoulder.

But as Darcy reads his father’s private journals, a shocking confession is uncovered which will test the young man’s mettle and may change forever his attitude towards his late father and young Darcy’s relationship with his immediate family.

No Elizabeth? Sorry, but I believe she makes her appearance in the author’s trilogy installment #2 – The Future Mrs. Darcy. Until then, the romantic interest in this tale features the obnoxious Caroline Bingley as she sets her cap at poor Fitzwilliam. The off-and-on banter between Darcy, Charles Bingley, and Richard Fitzwilliam regarding how and who they may find as wives is utterly charming and really sets the stage for #2 in the author’s trilogy.

At scarcely 120 pages, the author still manages to lavish her debut work with historical accuracy, helpful footnotes, and scintillating dialogues. The author’s unique voice is most apparent in her descriptions of facial expressions, posturing, gestures, and mannerisms. A scene where Wickham is bound up and is being interrogated by Darcy and his buddies is so vivid and comical that I was in raptures mentally visualizing the entire episode.

About the only minor criticism I can level against this work is the character of Georgiana who Jane Austen describes in chapters 44 and 45 of Pride and Prejudice as exceedingly shy and quiet. This author’s Georgiana, on the other hand, is quite the feisty outspoken teenage girl, but I suppose that can be excused off as the emotional frustration of no longer being a girl, but not quite a woman yet.

I found Darcy’s Decision richly entertaining with a very plausible variation on “what if?” If Darcy doesn’t wear the mantle of hero yet with you, dear readers, I predict he will once you finish this read. Next stop? The Future Mrs. Darcy, or course!

4 out of 5 Regency Stars

Darcy’s Decision: Given Good Principles Volume 1, by Maria Grace
Good Principles Publishing (2011)
Trade paperback (154) pages
ISBN: 978-0615582771

Read Full Post »

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen Book Launch Party with Author Syrie James, & Giveaways

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Books, Fiction, Giveaways. Swag, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Plan of a Novel, Reading, Syrie James. Historical Fiction, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen on 30 December 2012 | 156 Comments »

Please help us welcome today bestselling author Syrie James. She is joining us for a two-day book launch party in celebration of the debut of her new Austen-inspired novel, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen.

I am so thrilled for the release of this new book. I was given the opportunity to read an early manuscript last winter and I must share that I was so impressed and excited about it that it was very difficult to keep the details a secret. It is structured as a novel within a novel—one of my favorite formats for fiction—revealing a contemporary story framing an historical novel. Samantha McDonough, a young American scholar is set on a quest to an ancient grand manor house in Devonshire to find the missing manuscript and meets the present owner Anthony Whitaker, who is at first reluctant to assist in her search until he realizes the possible financial gain. When they discover the missing manuscript they read it together, and so do we—a charming premise tying an historical novel together with a contemporary plot. The amazing thing about this book is that it was inspired by Jane Austen’s own short outline, A Plan of a Novel, a parody in which she comically describes characters and plot for a possible novel that was never written, or was it?

Our guest of honor today is the author herself, Syrie James, who will share insights with us on The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen. Welcome Syrie.

What was your inspiration to write The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen?

Like many of Jane Austen’s fans across the globe, the first time I read all her books, I finished the sixth one and said, “Is that it? Only six?” To continue feeding my Jane addiction, I read her juvenilia, her shorter works, her unfinished works, and all her preserved letters. Then I went back to the beginning and read her novels all over again. It still wasn’t enough. If only, I thought, she’d written a seventh novel!

Five years ago, I was at the JASNA AGM (Jane Austen Society of North America Annual General Meeting) in Chicago. It was my first time at a Jane Austen conference—a truly wonderful immersion experience that I like to call “Jane Austen heaven.” My novel The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austenhad been published the year before. I was nearly finished writing my Brontë book. I had researched both novels like crazy, felt like a walking Austen and Brontë encyclopedia, and was pondering what to write next.

While walking down Michigan Avenue, a title suddenly downloaded into my head: The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen. I felt a sudden tingle, a momentous feeling of excitement and impending change. I thought: what a great a title! What if Jane did write a manuscript that somehow went missing? As far as the world knows, she only wrote six full-length novels. Could I write the seventh? I knew it would be a Herculean task, just as surely as I knew that I was supposed to do it.

I pondered the idea for a while, seeking a storyline that would be truly “Jane.” One day, while perusing her minor works, I re-read a little piece Austen wrote a year before she died: Plan of a Novel. It’s a comedic outline for a book about a beautiful, accomplished heroine and her clergyman father, who’s driven from his curacy by a heartless man, forcing them to go forth on all sorts of adventures. Plan of a Novel pokes fun at the overly dramatic books of the time. Jane even added footnotes attributing various story elements to ‘hints’ or suggestions from well-meaning friends and relatives. I’d always thought it was hilarious.

An idea occurred to me: What if Jane’s Plan of a Novel wasn’t just a bit of silliness she dashed off as a parody? What if she wrote it in a mood of wit and wistfulness, making fun of a manuscript she’d written years earlier, but had lost and half-forgotten?

That’s how The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen was born. I was excited. I could write a novel based on an outline for a book that Jane Austen had written herself! Plan of a Novel is, on a cursory reading, very silly indeed; but I envisioned a way to delve beneath the surface and make it work on a serious level—as a story with characters we would care about—a tale with heart and meaning in true Jane Austen style.

I wrote an outline for the book, but was soon distracted by other projects. Several years went by. I wrote other novels. During this time, I continued to steep myself in Austen literature and lore until I felt that I knew her world, her work, and her life inside and out, well enough to attempt to write the Austen book that had been simmering in my brain. By now, I’d come up with a new approach that I thought would be even more interesting: to make it a novel with a novel, wrapping a modern day story around the missing manuscript, so that I could show the impact that find would have on their lives.

I developed the main characters in the Austen manuscript (all of whom remain nameless in Plan of a Novel) as per Austen’s description. My heroine, Rebecca Stanhope, is the daughter of a clergyman; she is beautiful, highly accomplished, plays the piano forte and harp, and sings “in the first stile.” Rebecca’s father, the Reverend William Stanhope, is (as in Austen’s Plan) an excellent man and a model parish priest. I gave him enough flaws to give the story some edge and mystery, and set it in motion.

I kept the best story elements of Jane Austen’s (very short) outline and tweaked others. Austen wrote that wherever the heroine goes, “somebody falls in love with her, and she receives repeated offers of marriage” and she is compelled to “support herself and her father by her talents.” These were fun scenes to write.

I created the rest of the characters and story on my own, following the path I believed Austen would have tread. Since Jane Austen often reused character names from her juvenilia in her mature novels, I did the same. I titled it The Stanhopes since most of her early titles were based on the names of her characters.

After I finished The Stanhopes, I wrote the modern day story around it. It was challenging to write the Austen part of the novel, but equally challenging to write Samantha and Anthony’s story—it took three drafts to get it right. Fortunately, Laurel Ann Nattress read an early draft and suggested ways to give the modern day story more edge and meaning—advice that was so brilliant and invaluable, I created a character based on her and put her into the book! J My editor, Jackie Cantor, also provided very insightful and helpful feedback. The whole book was a labor of love and a tribute to Jane. I hope readers enjoy the result!

Many thanks to author Syrie for her great guest blog and for allowing us to host her online book launch party for The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen here at Austenprose. I look forward to reading the reactions by Janeites and historical fiction fans to your fabulous new novel. I hope they will be as pleased as I was with your delightful fictional creation.

Author Bio:

Syrie James is the bestselling author of eight critically acclaimed novels, including The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë, Dracula My Love, Nocturne, Forbidden, and The Harrison Duet: Songbird and Propositions. Her books have been translated into eighteen foreign languages. In addition to her work as a novelist, Syrie is a screenwriter, a member of the Writers Guild of America, RWA, and a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. Syrie lives with her family in Los Angeles, California. Connect with her on her website, facebook, and Twitter.

A GRAND GIVEAWAY

Enter a chance to win one of these four amazing prizes being offered during our book launch party for The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by leaving a comment either asking author Syrie James a question about her new book or her writing career, or sharing what intrigues you about reading her new Austen-inspired novel, or which is your favorite Syrie James novel, so far? The contest is open to US residents and closes at 11:59 PT Wednesday, January 9, 2013. Winners to be announced on Thursday, January 10, 2013. Good luck to all participants.

Miss Lucy Steele Tea from Bingley's Teas

Miss Lucy Steele tea from Bingley’s Teas

Country charm but not quite a peach! From the Jane Austen tea line at Bingley’s Tea, this lovely box of Miss Lucy Steele, black tea will win you over with its juicy country apricot, sunshine gold petals of marigold and overtly polite and sweet vanilla. * Tested and loved by fellow Janeites. A festival favorite!

Darcy and Lizzy cards by JT Originals (2012)

Jane Austen-Inspired Cards by JT Originals

One small packet of 10 cards each of this lovely set of Darcy and Elizabeth greeting cards will go to two lucky winners, generously offered by designer and Janeite Janet Taylor. Printed on 100% recycled card stock, single fold, blank inside with square flap envelopes. A corresponding quote is on the front of each card with more of the quote on the back. All drawings and cards copyright Janet Taylor, JT originals.

Jane Austen Charm bracelet from justbedesigns

Jane Austen Lovely Charm Bracelet by justbedesigns

Designed by the talented Bianca Fleischman, this bracelet is quite unique. There are 5 handmade cameos featuring portraits of pretty Jane herself. In addition to the cameos are charms of a fine tip pen point, a book locket, a clock, a hand, a feather, a brown gem, a Victorian charm, and a silhouette of a head. The bracelet measures 8 inches and can be altered. From the Etsy shop of justbedesigns.

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, by Syrie James (2012)

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, by Syrie James

Syrie’s publisher Berkley Trade has generously offered one print copy of The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen to five lucky winners.

The party continues until December 31st, but comments left until January 9th, 2013 will qualify you for any of the prizes. (shipped to US addresses)

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, by Syrie James
Berkley Trade (2012)
Trade paperback (432) pages
ISBN: 978-0425253366

Read Full Post »

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, by Syrie James – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Jane Austen, Books, Fiction, Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, Syrie James, Jane Austen Sequels, Reading, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen on 29 December 2012 | 7 Comments »

From the desk of Christina Boyd.

In such days as this, of on-line Jane Austen fan fiction, self-publishing, and perusing the stacks in traditional brick and mortar bookstores, it is incomprehensible to neglect reading the manifold of Jane Austen spin-offs, what-ifs and other such Austen-inspired musings. Those of us Austen addicts simply cannot get enough of her—and oftentimes inhale all we can in self-indulgent reading binges—in search of that same rush, that wonderful, satisfying moment we experienced upon discovering her for the first time. We all partake in the lamentation that she left this world but a handful of completed novels. And we all share in the unreserved, unrequited, whimsical dream to discover some misplaced work from our dear Jane. However, best-selling authoress, Syrie James has done just that! She has discovered the mythical, undiscovered novel in her soon to be released novel inside her novel, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen.

Samantha McDonough, an American librarian and Austen scholar, is on an English holiday with her cardiologist boyfriend. Well actually, he is at a medical conference and she busies herself with sight seeing and visiting the shops. She purchases a 200-year-old poetry book during her wanderings and later discovers a letter tucked inside—that leads her to believe that it is in fact a letter from Jane Austen… “The minute I saw the letter, I knew it was hers. There was no mistaking it: the salutation, the tiny, precise handwriting, the date, the content itself, all confirmed its ancient status and authorship…” And now for the pudding—in it, this treasure refers to a missing manuscript Austen lost while visiting a country manor in Devonshire! “Even at a distance of fourteen years, I cannot help but think of it with a pang of fondness, sorrow and regret, as one would a lost child. Do you recall my theory as to how it came to be lost? I still maintain that it was all vanity, nonsense, and wounded pride. I should never have read it out loud to you that night during our stay but kept it safe with all the others- although we did have a good laugh!”

What Austen addict could resist such a temptation? Hence Samantha, after a phone call to her dear bookseller friend and fellow Austenite, Laurel Ann (yes! our very own Laurel Ann!!) follows the clues to said estate and meets the handsome yet frosty, Anthony Whitaker, Greenbriar’s present-day owner. After he realizes the monetary windfall such a discovery could bring him, he thaws and the two embark on a search of the mansion.

“’Let me try.’ Anthony wedged himself into the small, confined space beside me, until our faces were inches apart, and his lean muscled arm and the length of his torso were pressed against mine. My heart began pumping loudly in my ears – an effect, I told myself, that had nothing to do with his proximity but was due entirely to the excitement of the search and the anticipation of what we might find.”

It is this very cozy scene in which they discover the 340-page manuscript, a collection of 42 hand-sewn booklets! Lucky girl indeed, on all counts. Almost immediately they commence reading aloud The Stanhopes—the novel about a young woman whose clergyman father has fallen quite low under the specter of gambling parish monies. Cast out from all Rebecca Stanhope has ever known, they survive on wits and the charity of family amidst attempts to redeem her father. “Mr. Stanhope was the picture of patience and delight through these many introductions, which Rebecca, although grateful, found more overwhelming than anything. While the gentlemen talked over the politics of the day and compared the accounts of the newspapers, the women gossiped about who had said and worn what at which party.” Like Austen’s canon, these Stanhopes are very much the people she would have known (or been), encountering friendemies, scoundrels, and even a handsome hero. Meanwhile, back in her real life, Samantha finds herself in unfamiliar terrain vis-à-vis her attraction to Anthony and what he might actually do with this secret Austen cache.

Ever since I heard the author of The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte, Nocturne, Forbidden as well asa short story in Jane Austen Made Me Do It, had another novel in the works, I have been all anticipation. Syrie James luminously weaves an Austen-style plot within a charming contemporary love story. The real genius of this astonishing work is her use of Austen’s “Plan of a Novel,” the authentic notes for a book Jane Austen never wrote (that anyone knows about, of course… says this ever hopeful fan girl.) By using Austen’s notes, Syrie James brought to life a tale that true Austen romantics and proficients (ie. Austen addicts) can only daydream but might pacify that gnawing want for more Austen—until a real missing manuscript is discovered. As expected, Syrie James’ latest offering, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen is nothing short of masterful. This is a must buy—and should catapult to the top of your Must Read List for 2013.

5 out of 5 Regency Stars

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, by Syrie James
Berkley Trade (2012)
Trade paperback (432) pages
ISBN: 978-0425253366

Read Full Post »

In Celebration of The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, by Syrie James

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Books, Giveaway, Guest blog, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Reading, Swag, Syrie James, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen on 24 December 2012 | 3 Comments »

Please join us on December 30th & 31st, 2012 for a book launch party honoring the release of The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, a new Austen-inspired novel by best-selling author Syrie James.

Hailed as the queen of nineteenth century re-imaginings, Ms. James is renowned for her best-selling The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen and the intriguing The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte. She will be our very special guest for a two-day soiree contributing a blog on her inspiration to write her new book and participating in our reader discussion.

Based on Jane Austen’s comical short essay “A Plan of a Novel”, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen is a novel within a novel; a contemporary story framing a previously unknown Jane Austen manuscript discovered by heroine Samantha McDonough at an English grand manor house in Devon. I have had the pleasure of reading The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen and I would like to briefly share my first impressions:

“For two hundred years Jane Austen fans have bemoaned the fact that six novels from their favorite author is just not enough. Syrie James rectifies this dilemma in The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, offering the ultimate Janeite fantasy: a novel within a novel honoring what we love most about Austen: her engaging stories, her rapier wit, and her swoon worthy romance. This pitch perfect novel might not truly be Austen’s undiscovered seventh book, but who cares? James’s brilliantly crafted prose will have you enchanted and in awe of her mastery until the very last page. 5 out of 5 Regency Stars!”

And, to add to the festivities there will be chances for great giveaways too!

I hope you can join us. We look forward to a very merry party.

Cheers,

Laurel Ann

Read Full Post »

All My Tomorrows, by Colette Saucier – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Contemporary Inspired Book Reviews, tagged 5 Stars, All My Tomorrows, Book Reviews, Books, Colette Saucier, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Pride and Prejudice, Reading on 23 December 2012 | 2 Comments »

From the desk of Kimberly Denny-Ryder

As most Austenprose readers will know by now, I’m a big fan of Pride and Prejudice variations, what-if’s, and retellings. In fact, if you look at the scope of Jane Austen fan fiction that I read it’s almost entirely comprised of Pride and Prejudice inspired novels. A recent addition to this group that I adored was Colette Saucier’s Pulse and Prejudice (review is here). After reading this I couldn’t wait to see what else she had in store, and I was excited to find she’d written another P&P influenced novel entitled All My Tomorrows which promptly was added to my to-read list. I’m also a huge sucker for the melodramatic romance novel, so when I read further into All My Tomorrows’ plot and discovered it was about a soap opera AND a melodramatic romance novel….well my heart did a little flutter of excitement.

The head writer at a storied and long-running soap opera entitled “All My Tomorrows”, Alice McGillicutty has enjoyed steady success until the show’s ratings have recently begun to plummet. Desperate for a way to save the soap from inevitable cancellation if ratings do not improve, Alice begins frantically searching for inspiration, even reading the old and crazy melodrama “The Edge of Darkness” in the hopes that it will spark new ideas. Meanwhile, fate intervenes when controversial Hollywood star Peter Walsingham comes to Alice’s studio. He signs on to “All My Tomorrows” due to contractual obligations after his character is killed off in his previous project. Unfortunately for Alice, however, Peter’s ego seems to be larger than the studio can hold, and the two butt heads immediately. In this tale of Peter’s pride meeting Alice’s prejudice, can the two manage to work together to save the show or are they destined for cancellation?

One of the great things that Saucier has accomplished with this work is how she managed to modernize the story and include so many of my guilty pleasures as well! I was so impressed by the way that Saucier created a book (“The Edge of Darkness”) within All My Tomorrows. It was a wonderful, melodramatic addition to the work, and goodness, do I love a melodramatic novel. It’s something about the way in which these works weave an over-the-top love story with a great plot that makes me want to keep turning the pages. Returning to the book at hand, All My Tomorrows, it was evident that the more serious tone of this main work was meant to balance the melodrama of “The Edge of Darkness”. It did this perfectly. All My Tomorrows has solidified the thoughts I had after reading Pulse and Prejudice, in that Saucier is a master storyteller. Her ability to keep the reader engaged throughout both works, even though they are contained within the same novel, is fantastic. Additionally, the character development was phenomenal, Peter (Darcy) is throughout the shining example here. His total transformation from pretentious jerk to kindhearted, thoughtful, selfless man is not only believable, but an honest portrayal of Austen’s true vision. The subsequent supporting characters were all visions of genius as well. This, combined with the excellent storytelling, engaging plot, and melodramatic addition made for a read I won’t soon forget.

5 out of 5 Stars

All My Tomorrows, by Colette Saucier
Southern Girl Press (2012)
Trade paperback (248) pages
ISBN: 978-0615657387

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »

WELCOME TO AUSTENPROSE

where "There is a monsterous deal of stupid quizzing, & common-place
nonsense talked, but scarcely any wit."

Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, 21 April 1805

Join us in celebration of author Jane Austen (1775-1817) through her novels, letters, life and modern interpretations.

© 2013 All rights reserved by Laurel Ann Nattress.
Category Menu
TOUR JANE AUSTEN’S ENGLAND

A JANE AUSTEN TOUR:
SEASCAPES AND LANDSCAPES

September 7-16, 2013

Follow in Jane Austen's footsteps with authors Syrie James and Laurel Ann Nattress when we tour Austen's homes and haunts this fall with Ingenious Travel.

JOIN THE TOUR TODAY!
Twitter Updates
- The Best Intentions: A Regency Romance, by Candice Hern – A Review wp.me/p8oRe-5HN 1 day ago
- Drinking Lavender Earl Grey Black Tea from Queen Mary Tea in Seattle. YUM! queenmarytea.com/products/laven… via @queenmarytearm 2 days ago
- I just bought: 'Miss Bennet & Mr Bingley' by Fenella J Miller via @amazonkindle amazon.com/dp/B00A9SOEAA/… 6 days ago
Follow @Austenprose
THE PRIDE AND PREJUDICE BICENTENARY CHALLENGE 2013

Join the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's classic novel by reading or viewing books and movies along with hundreds of her fans each month here on Austenprose.com.
•Join the challenge
• Review of Pride and Prejudice (Naxos Audiobooks)
• Review of Celebrating Pride and Prejudice
• Review of Pemberley or Pride and Prejudice Continued
• Review of Mr. Darcy's Diary
• Review of Pride and Prejudice 1980
Email Subscription

Enter your email address to subscribe to Austenprose and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 7,462 other followers
THE REGENCY ROMANCE
READING CHALLENGE 2013

Explore a new author with us this year by joining in the reading challenge of traditional Regency author Candice Hern. Sign-up's are open until 01 July 2013.
•Join the challenge
• Review of A Proper Companion
• Review of A Change of Heart
• Review of An Affair of Honor
• Review of A Garden Folly

Our Share of the Conversation

	ihmark on The Best Intentions: A Regency…
	Laurel Ann (Austenpr… on The Best Intentions: A Regency…
	Laurel Ann (Austenpr… on The Best Intentions: A Regency…
	cathyallen on The Best Intentions: A Regency…
	Anne Hoile on The Best Intentions: A Regency…
	the moody box fan on The Best Intentions: A Regency…
	Theresa M on The Best Intentions: A Regency…
	Carol Settlage on The Best Intentions: A Regency…

Masterpiece Classic PBS

DOWNTON ABBEY
SEASON 3

aired in Jan. & Feb. 2013 on Masterpiece Classic PBS and is now available on DVD

• Preview of Season 3
• Downton Twitter Event
• Episode One Review
• Episode Two Review
• Episode Three Review
• Episode Four Review
• Episode Five Review
• Episode Six Review
• Episode Seven Review
• Visit the official Downton Abbey website
Jane Austen Made Me Do It eBook now $4.99!

“Austenesque ... box
of bonbons.”
— The Seattle Times

Available Now!
JANE AUSTEN
MADE ME DO IT
edited by
Laurel Ann Nattress

My new Austen-inspired short story anthology, from Ballantine Books

LEARN MORE ABOUT JAMMDI
Austenprose Contributors
Jane Austen Sequels Group

Can't get enough Jane Austen? Join the
Jane Austen
Sequels Group
on Goodreads co-moderated by
Laurel Ann & Kimberly!
Jane Austen’s Regency World Magazine
Austenesque Authors Austenesque Books Blog Events Book Reviews Celebrating Georgette Heyer Downton Abbey Georgette Heyer Book Reviews Jane Austen's Emma Jane Austen's Life & Times Jane Austen's Mansfield Park Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey Jane Austen's Novels & Letters Book Reviews Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice Jane Austen's Works Jane Austen Adaptations Jane Austen Book Sleuth Jane Austen Contemporary Inspired Book Reviews Jane Austen Humor Jane Austen Inspired Jane Austen in the News Jane Austen Made Me Do It Jane Austen Merchandise Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews Masterpiece Classic Reading Challenges
Top Posts
Archives

Join the discussion of Jane Austen novels, movies, sequels and the pop culture she has inspired

Posts Tagged ‘Jane Austen Sequels’

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Top 5 Historical sequels, prequels or retellings:

Top 5 Contemporary inspired:

Regency inspired:

Mysteries:

Paranormal:

Nonfiction:

Scholarly:

Self-published:

Young Adult:

Debut Author: (tie)

Readers Choice Awards:

Austenprose review staff

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Laurel Ann

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Laurel Ann

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

What was your inspiration to write The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen?

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Laurel Ann

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

WELCOME TO AUSTENPROSE

Category Menu

TOUR JANE AUSTEN’S ENGLAND

Email Subscription

Our Share of the Conversation

Masterpiece Classic PBS

Jane Austen Made Me Do It eBook now $4.99!

Austenprose Contributors

Jane Austen Sequels Group

Jane Austen’s Regency World Magazine

Top Posts

Archives