Echoes of Love: Jane Austen in 21st Century Book 5, by Rosie Rushton – A Review

Guest review by Kimberly Denny-Ryder of Reflections of a Book Addict

Anna is the daughter of Walter Elliot, a washed up has-been TV personality. Walter has been out of work for over a year and has refused to curb his lifestyle, which has caused major financial difficulties for the Elliot’s. Family friend Marina has convinced Walter to move rent-free into an apartment near the marina where he can “house-sit” for her friends, while a nice couple pays to rent out the family estate. Marina begins telling Anna about the couple that is going to be renting out the house when Anna suddenly gets the feeling that she’s heard of them before. Turns out the couple renting the house are the aunt and uncle of Felix Wentworth, the love of Anna’s life. All would be well with their being there, except for the fact that Anna’s family came between her and Felix two years earlier, tearing them apart. Anna comes to learn that Felix is going to be visiting them for the summer while he is on leave from the military, and sees that she might have a chance to win him back if she can prove her love and remorse. Will she be able to convince him that there has never been anyone but him for her, and that her family will never make her decisions for her again?

Echoes of Love is the fifth book in the 21st Century Austen series by Rosie Rushton. The series takes Jane Austen’s novels and turns them into contemporary teen romance stories, with Echoes of Love being based on Persuasion. Rushton is also well known for her other teen series The Leehampton Series, Best Friends, and What a Week. Echoes of Love does a great job at making Persuasion relevant to the social issues of today. I think it was an interesting twist to make Felix black and Anna white. Bi-racial relationships are still sometimes tough sells to some people, and it was nice to see it accepted here. And what a great twist to make Felix a soldier in Afghanistan! So many people in today’s society are dating/engaged/married to a soldier and it was interesting to see it represented here. The personal struggle Anna had with saying goodbye to him when he left for training and boot camp and her response when she found out that he had been injured were definitely relatable for many today.

My biggest complaint with the book would probably have been the Wentworth “you pierce my soul” letter. It’s missing. Anyone who has read Persuasion knows that the letter is the standout part of the novel. I was all anticipation to find out whether or not Rushton was going to include it in her novel, and when I finally got to it I was a bit let down. I guess since it was a teen related book I shouldn’t have expected something as stunning and heartfelt as an adult’s love letter, but I hoped anyway!

I’m a huge fan of turning Austen’s novels into ones geared towards teens. Rushton does a great job at bringing Persuasion to a more mature teen audience. The book takes place in Europe, where the drinking age is 18, so many of the characters meet at bars and drink wine and beers. There are also some sexual innuendo’s made, which might make some parents uncomfortable about their younger teens reading the book. This young, hip, fresh take on Jane Austen’s Persuasion is sure to have the teen in your family clamoring for Austen’s originals.

4 out of 5 Stars

Echoes of Love: Jane Austen in 21st Century Book 5, by Rosie Rushton
Piccadilly Press (2010)
Trade paperback (208) pages
ISBN: 978-1848120549

© 2007 – 2011 Kimberly Denny-Ryder, Austenprose