A Jane Austen Inspired Valentine’s Day Giveaway with Bingley’s Teas

Bingleys Teas Limited Logo

We drank tea again yesterday with the Tilsons, & met the Smiths. I find all these little parties very pleasant. — Letter from Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra 1811

Tea was at the center of social gatherings during Jane Austen’s time. Today, we enjoy tea everyday too, but the varieties and blends available would make any early nineteenth-century tea lover swoon.

I had the pleasure of tasting the wonderful array offered by Bingley’s Teas, Ltd. at the Jane Austen Society of North America’s AGM in Fort Worth, Texas last October. Their Jane Austen series is beautifully packaged as gift items and I bought two: one for a dear friend who had an upcoming birthday and one for myself. While I am still savoring my little parcel of Bingley’s tea, I would like to recommend them as the perfect Valentines gift for any Janeite or tea lover.

In celebration of Jane Austen and romance, Bingley’s Teas is offering this lovely giveaway. Included are one 55 gram package of the best selling Longbourn Wedding tea, one 50 gram package of the new Sweet Romance tea, one vintage inspired rosebud tea cup and saucer, and one ounce of pink rosebuds. Pure romance for the special person in your life – or yourself!

Bingleys Tea Valentine Giveaway (2012)

Longbourn Wedding Tea

Sparkling Champagne flavor, Rose buds and Raspberry are dressed in a Lovely White Tea.  Exquisite Silver Needle and pai mu tan white tea hold this blend that is sure to make a special moment whenever you share this tea! For very festive occasions, chill your Wedding tea with simple syrup and add to a glass of Champagne with rose petals.

Sweet Romance

Black Tea smitten with sweet marzipan and toasted almonds, graced with pink rose petals and a hint of rose flavor.

A Grand Giveaway

To enter the giveaway contest for the Bingley’s Teas, Ltd. items, just leave a comment stating who is your favorite romantic hero or heroine from any Jane Austen novel, or which of the Bingley teas is the most appealing to your sensibilities by 11:59pm PT, February 13, 2012. Winner to by drawn at random from the comments and announced on Tuesday, February 14, 2012. Shipment to US addresses only. Good luck!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all.

Cheers,

Laurel Ann

© 2007 – 2012 Laurel Ann Nattress, Austenprose

135 thoughts on “A Jane Austen Inspired Valentine’s Day Giveaway with Bingley’s Teas

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  1. Oh, I do love tea! It’s hard to choose, but I think I’ll go along with everyone when I say Mr. Darcy is my favorite romantic hero. It’s much more difficult to choose just one heroine, of course, but I think Anne Elliot is my favorite – more because the novel is my favorite than any other reason.

    Thank you for offering this lovely giveaway!

    Julie

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  2. I must admit that I rarely drink anything hot of late. If I do, it’s definitely some type of tea, rather than coffee. I spoiled my stomach for the latter while I lived in France and drank their strong coffee every evening. I think I’d do best with some “Compassion for my nerves a Mme Bennet” at the moment. Since I cannot win the tea from you, since I am not a resident of the U.S., I’ll see if it’s available somehow here in London…London, Ontario, that is.

    And what’s this tea about marzipan (aka almond paste)? Is that also a tea? I’m a huge fan of marzipan and all things almond.

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  3. Anne Elliott is my favorite and most deserving Jane Austen heroine. I find her character almost without a fault or weakness. As I’ve said before (with apologies to P&P fans) I consider Persuasion as JA’s greatest love story. And the tea? My wife and I love anything with the flavor of raspberries. ( LA: you’ll soon discover that the Pacific Northwest grows the world’s best strawberries, blackberries, blue berries, AND raspberries!)

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  4. Now that I have found my own Mr. Darcy, I adore the idea of sharing Longbourn Wedding Tea as we prepare for our own ceremony. As for a romantic hero, Elizabeth’s father, Mr. Bennett, may seem an unlikely choice but he protects each of the women in his life. His subtle ways and wit allows Elizabeth and Jane to seek out true affection and mutual respect with Darcy and Bingley.

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  5. The older I get, the more and more I love Anne Elliott from Persuasion. I feel like I just “get” her.

    As for tea, I love darjeeling.

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  6. Well of course Darcy. I mean I was in love with him long before Colin Firth and his wet shirt though that didn’t hurt.

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  7. my favorite character is… Elizabeth Bennet from “Pride And Prejudice”
    Thank you for hosting this giveaway

    Louis
    pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com

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  8. Like Theresa, my favorite is a toss-up between Mr. Darcy and Capt. Wentworth. And I loved the suggestion about combining the wedding tea with Champagne. My family combines champagne with fruit juice for all special brunches – it’s become a tradition. Thanks for this lovely giveaway.

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  9. Mr. Darcy is undoubtedly my favorite Austen hero, although I’d always liked Mr. Knightly as well. I guess I’m attracted to the kind of guy who isn’t afraid to speak up if someone is behaving wrongly.

    The Sweet Romance tea sounds delicious!

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  10. Ooh, I think I just found where my next round of presents will be purchased. What a great idea to tie together two of my favorite things: tea and Jane Austen. I’d love to try the Wicked Wickham tea. Let’s be honest; even though I’ll be shopping for friends a few items might land in the cart for me too.

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  11. I’ve never been one to shy away from the obvious, so I choose delightfully sassy and witty Elizabeth Bennett as my favorite. I normally drink green tea sweetened with wildflower honey, but the “Sweet Romance” tea sounds tasty.

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  12. Oh my goodness, Jane Austen themed tea! Where have you been all my life? I’m an Earl Grey tea fan, so I guess I would chose Mr. Knightley’s Reserve, even though my favorite romantic her will always be Mr. Darcy.

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  13. Although Mr. Darcy is one of my favorites, I am appreciating Mr. Knightly more and more because he helps Emma become the best version of herself by always challenging her to be better than what she is.

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  14. Yummy, yummy! I have to admit, Elinor is my favorite heroine. :-) The Lemon Meringue and the Vienna Cafe’ Oolong are going to be ordered soon! Thanks for hosting!

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  15. Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot are my favorite romantic hero and heroine. Persuasion has always been my favorite novel despite all the P & P fanfare. I do love all Jane’s novels. As for the tea, the Sweet Romance sounds lovely.

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  16. I love Elinor Dashwood, but I have to say my favorite romantic hero is Colonel Brandon. He is a devoted friend to everyone and pines away with hope that Marianne may come to her senses. While I wish his blend was still available, I actually think I should like to try the Mr. Collins. What a wonderful giveaway for one of us. Thank you so much.

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  17. Although I do like Captain Wentworth very much, Mr. Darcy is my favorite romantic hero of all time. As is fitting, Elizabeth Bennet is my romantic heroine of choice! Since I do so much enjoy hot tea in the evenings, the Sweet Romance blend would be a lovely tea to drink and especially in that beautiful tea cup and saucer. This is a very unique and fun giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity!

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  18. Oh I love tea so much and these sound just delightful to sip as we read our Austens! Being a newbie to the Austen world I’m not sure who I choose as a favorite, but I keep thinking it’s going to be someone other then Mr. Darcy, just to be different!

    Thanks for the fun opportunity

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  19. I definitely say Colonel Brandon is my romantic hero. He is just a wonderful man who even broken-hearted and wounded tries to do right by those he loves. He isn’t flashy, but he is true. As for heroine I vacillate between Elizabeth Bennet and Fanny Price.

    I would love to have this discussion with my other Jane Austen reading friends over a cup of tea. Wouldn’t that just be wonderful?

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  20. I love tea, and any tea that tastes like champagne sounds good to me. I’d have to say Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet are my favorite Austen hero and heroine, but Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth run a very close second.

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  21. I love tea and Jane Austen – perfect combo. I love Colonel Brandon from Sense and Sensibility. He is calm and strong, and faithful to those he loves.

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  22. Oh my, this is hard. I think Colonel Brandon slightly beats out Mr. Darcy. I adore his quiet steady love and how he stepped up to the plate when he was needed for Marianne and also for lost love Eliza and her daughter. That’s a real hero. And if he could read like Alan Rickman how could Marianne not just swoon? Thanks for for hosting the giveaway. I love tea!

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  23. I’d sip the wedding tea and toast its champagne qualities to Mr. Hurst, acknowledging his long suffering marriage to “the other Bingley sister.”

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  24. I loved Marianne’s Wild Abandon tea at Bingley’s tea- that sounds perfect for her! I do also rather like Marianne, even if I roll my eyes at her sometimes, but she reminds me a lot of modern teenagers with idealism and self-absorption and I always have a soft-spot for those who are determined to have the world be as wonderful as they want it to be.

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  25. Elinor Dashwood and Edward Ferrars for my heroine and hero. I so relate to Elinor. She is always the responsible one doing what is right to the point of almost not being able to be with Edward. In the end she is so happy that Edward is free and not married to Lucy. I am always so happy when they come to each finally and are able to be married. What could be better than reading Jane Austen and drinking tea from that beautiful tea cup! Both the wedding tea and the romance tea sound divine!

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  26. Oh my favorite hero is so hard to chose… It would have to be Mr. Darcy but with a close second to Mr. Tilney. Also my favorite Bingley’s tea is Miss Elizabeth…I just live a good black tea!

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  27. Anne Eliot is my favorite as well,followed closely by Elinor Dashwood. These teas sound delightful and since my sister happens to like marizpan,I might be able to get her to try that one:)

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  28. Everyone loves Lizzy Bennett, of course, but I do relate to Elinor Dashwood, too. She’s the more reasonable sister, even if it means sacrificing her happiness! I had the chance to sample Bingley’s teas at a JASNA event, and they were amazing! Great giveaway!

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  29. What a romantic prize giveaway! My husband and I both enjoy drinking
    hot tea together almost every evening…The “Sweet Romance” Tea
    sounds befitting for us!
    Many thanks for this delightful opportunity…
    Cindi

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  30. My favorite romantic hero is Mr Darcy~of course! Although now it makes sense that Lizzie Bennett would have to be my favorite heroine! Tea is my passion, so they all sound wonderful!

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  31. This is a wonderful idea! I’ve been a fan of tea of all kinds forever. I’m particularly interested in the Longbourn Wedding Tea. It sounds absolutely delicious. Maybe I have a thing for older guys, but I’ve always been partial to Captain Wentworth and Colonel Brandon. (Maybe it’s the uniforms…)

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  32. Oh my goodness first may I just say I was giddy beyond belief at the thought of Jane Austen Tea :), well, to my defense :) it’s the little things that excite me :). Now to the question at hand :), I have battled over the years over who my Austen male hero is and through the years that has changed but the one I keep coming back to most is Captain Wentworth, on paper he reads so strong and on screen specially the version played by Rupert Jones, oh my goodness!

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  33. I have several boxes of Bingley’s Teas in my tea cupboard and they are all delicious! If I had to choose favorites, I’d say Miss Elizabeth and…. it pains me to write this…Wicked Wickam! Such a rake, but his tea is delicious.

    The same goes for favorite couples, I love them all! However, if I had to pick, it would be Darcy and Elizabeth for first. Wentworth and Anne for second.

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  34. All the teas sound so wonderful–and I’ve wanted to try them for a while! My favorite heroine is definitely Emma–she’s so fresh and funny, and so open to making changes in herself once she needs to change. And I love Mr. Knightley. So I guess that makes them my favorite couple. They have such an easy relationship, mostly from spending so much time together, and there is so little drama and angst. They make romance look easy. Of course, Emma thinks it is!

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  35. My favorite romantic hero would be a toss up between Mr. Darcy and Capt. Wentworth. LOVE both of them. My favorite heroine is Elizabeth Bennet. Would love to taste these teas. Thank you!

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  36. I have Bingley’s Teas on my wishlist for ages. I love the names given to each blend, especially the Patience of Miss Price. I can envision myself unwinding after work with a cup of that.

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  37. I love Earl Grey tea and Mr. Knightley is my favorite hero, so of course I am partial to Mr. Knightley’s Reserve. I have tried it and highly recommend it!!
    Thanks for the giveaway. I love the teacup & would like to try the teas.

    Like

  38. I’ve only just learned about Bingley’s Teas from this, but I love the idea of Mr. Knightley’s Reserve. Earl Grey is one of my favorites, and I adore Mr. Knightley!

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  39. Captain Wentworth of Persuasion is my favorite Austen hero. I love tea, too! The raspberry white tea sounds wonderful!

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  40. Capt. Frederick Wentworth is my favorite hero from Austen’s novels,as well as Anne Elliot my most favorite heroine. There’s something to be said about the constancy of love when two hearts are pulled apart and at last come together. Persuasion is my favorite out of all of Austen’s works. I view it as the most sincere in love and the most caustic in class distinction.
    Thank you for this wonderful give-away.

    Like

  41. Mariane Dashwood seems to be the most romantic of the female characters. We see her idea of love mature over time.
    The tea that I would select is Wedding Tea.
    Thank you for the giveaway!

    Like

  42. Oh, I love Bingley’s Teas! I have the Marianne’s Wild Abandon & it is amazing! Since I teach 24 preschoolers I should probably be drinking the Compassion for Mrs. Bennet’s Nerves :) Captain Wentworth & Anne Elliot are my favorite hero & heroine. Thank you for the great giveaway!

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  43. these all sound so great! I think the Patience of Miss Price would be perfect at the end of a day, like they recommend! I think the Chamomile and everything else for Mrs. Bennet’s poor Nerves sounds perfect!

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  44. My favorite romantic hero… I have a hard time choosing between Mr Darcy and Captain Wentworth. Debating that over a nice hot cup of tea is guilty pleasure.

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  45. Anne Elliott and Capt. Wentworth are without a doubt my favorite hero and heroine. Such deep feeling and passion of all the Austen characters!

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  46. I love all of Austen’s heroines, but I always have to choose Lizzie Bennett. Who can resist that second proposal scene? It’s just so romantic and adorable. And I love Bingley tea, too!

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  47. Wow, great choices! I like the Sweet Romance tea (but any kind would be amazing). My favorite Jane Austen hero would have to be Mr. Knightley! He’s sarcastic, kind, and a great friend. Mr. Tilney is also a close second… :)

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  48. Darcy is my hero but he has to constantly keep on his toes or else Wentworth will catch up. :) As for teas, Miss Elizabeth (Darcy’s Distraction) and Treasures From the Colonel sound simply marvelous, as does the Longbourn Wedding Tea.

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  49. once upon a time, Elizabeth Bennet was untouchable as my heroine. In my later years, Anne Elliot firmly holds the number one spot. Poor Anne, she always had to wait for what was due her. I want to try the whole tea menu. Thank you for this giveaway.

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  50. Definitely Darcy and Captain Wentworth! What’s not to love! And I do admire Elinor Dashwood. The Sweet Romance tea sounds lovely! Thanks so much for hosting this giveaway! Cheers!

    Like

  51. Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are my favorite heroine and hero. I would love to taste some of Bingley’s Teas!

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  52. Who wouldn’t want to have tea with the Darcys and the Bingleys?! Mr. Darcy is my first love, and while Capt. Wentworth gives him a run for the money sometimes, Darcy will be my last love.

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  53. Elinor Dashwood is my favorite heroine; Colonel Brandon, my favorite hero. I wish I had a cup of Bingley’s Teas at this very moment. Thank you for the chance to win some!

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  54. Emma the book has long been my favorite book of Miss Austen’s. So naturally Mr. Knightly is my favorite romantic hero. There is something in his relationship with Emma that I love. They are simultaneously the closest of friends and romantic partners. It’s one of her more realistic relationships I think. Bingley’s teas I absolutely love. I first bought Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy at the 2010 Portland Ore. JASNA AGM. I highly recommend them. I recently also tried Emma’s Perfect Match which for not being a fan of green tea is quite delicious. I think Treasures from the Colonel would be a really nice tea.

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  55. Captain Wentworth is my favorite romantic figure. I have only tasted Wicked Wickham which I thought was good so I cannot offer up a comparison. I loved it, but admittedly I am not even remotely a tea connoisseur.

    Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
    sophiarose1816@gmail.com

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  56. Captain Wentworth is quite romantic (that letter!), but Henry Tilney is my favorite romantic hero. As for favorite tea, that’s even harder to choose, they have so many wonderful ones!

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  57. Please do enter me in your drawing. Both the cup and the tea sound enchanting.

    Edward Ferrars is my favorite Austen hero. I do not feel he gets enough attention. To be brave when one is strong, but to do so when one is so shy and unobtrusive is impressive. Just think, he stood up to the mother, the sister, and the brother to do what was right, not even just what he wanted. He never goes on about the unfairness of it all. He simply stands up and holds his ground. Then when all is said and done he could have thrown his hands in the air and been done with them all, but he doesn’t. He goes back to her with his heart on his sleeve not knowing whether she can forgive him. He is a man among men.

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  58. What a great giveaway!

    Of all the Jane Austen heroes’ Captain Wentworth is my favorite. I think the Longbourn Wedding Tea would be the perfect tea to drink while rereading Persuasion.

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  59. Darcy is definatley my favorite with Captain Wentworth a close second. I also have a special place in my heart for Colonel Fitzwilliam!

    As for tea….depends on my mood. Sometimes sweet, sometimes soothing, and other times big and bold. As for Bingley Teas: Darcy’s Distraction (Elizabeth) would probably be my favorite, but Wicked Wickham would be a must have in my collection of flavors!

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  60. Anne is certainly my favorite Austen heroine – she finally found the courage to make it work with the Captain. Sweet Romance Tea is the most appealing to me, I love marzipan. :)

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  61. Oooooh, it’s so difficult to choose just one favorite Austen character! I have a different one for each day of the week and each mood that I experience. But if I have to choose only one, it would be…(sigh)…Mr. Darcy! Oh, how I dreamed of him from the first time I read the novel as a young girl! Even before the BBC’s version of P&P when I saw Colin Firth portray him (which also started a life-long love affair, albeit in my own mind, with Mr. Firth), I adored him and dreamed of him. As I am fortunate enough to now have married my very own Mr. Darcy (really, I did! How lucky am I?), I can think of nothing better than to share “Sweet Romance” with him. How divine!
    Thank you so much for the opportunity!

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  62. Oh, “how shall I bear so much happiness”? And how shall I choose who is my favorite ..I must say Colonal Brandon in Sense and Sensability…so warm and strong and silent type!!

    I do love Capt. Wentworth toooooooooooooooooooooooo :)

    Patricia

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  63. I love the Marianne’s Wild Abandon that I got at the Fort Worth JASNA AGM. As the package says “wild flowers and enticing fruits throw themselves together…for a dramatic cup.”

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  64. How can I choose just one? I would probably opt for Mr Darcy (as long as he is Colin Firth!) And as for the tea, another hard choice… but I’ll go with the Wedding tea. Lovely give away!

    Barbara

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  65. Mr. Darcy, of course, although I can’t remember reading about him drinking tea, and Eleanor Dashwood, happy in the end. And she always had tea ready as needed.

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  66. Oooh! What a lovely giveaway! I think my favorite hero has to be Captain Wentworth. Who can resist a man in uniform, particularly one who is strong enough to admit his faults? (Even if it does take rather too long for him to do so)

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  67. Have to go with Darcy as a romantic hero adn Lizzy as the heroine. All the different tea choices sound amazing, I’ll have to go check them out! Thanks for the giveaway

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  68. It always comes back to Mr. Darcy. Whichever book I’m reading at the time, one of those characters becomes my favourite, but when I am not in the middle of one of the books, it’s Mr. Darcy again. Those teas sound delicious.
    Also, where might one get these teas, if the winning-teas doesn’t work out? doesn’t seem like you can buy them online…

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    1. Lexy,
      they are at bingleysteas.com
      depending on your server you may have to scroll across the top to highlight products or Jane Austen Tea Series.

      Like

  69. It’s too difficult to choose a favorite among Miss Austen’s heroes so I’ll just say my first love was Mr. Darcy. :)

    My favorite tea is much easier to name…Miss Elizabeth!

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  70. I love Mr. Darcy, but Captain Wentworth is a very close second. It is hard to choose. Elizabeth Bennet is my favorite heroine. She is so smart and so cool! (From all the entries I see here, Janeites really love their tea!)

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  71. I think I would like the Longbourn Wedding Tea–I love things with raspberry scent and flavor! My favorites would still have to be Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy (uncreative, I know).

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  72. I adore Mr. Knightly for his integrity, intelligence, and unpretentious personality. I would love to sip some Longbourn Wedding or Sweet Romance tea with him.

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  73. It would have to Elizabeth Bennet, from my favorite novel by Jane Austen “Pride and Prejudice”. She is strong and stands for what she believes in, her love for her family was strong enough to reject Mr.Darcy even tough its clearly she was in love with him. Wish I had a love story like this one. :)

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  74. Elizabeth will always be my favorite heroine of any book, but if we’re talking romantic heroes, then it has to be Captain Wentworth. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Mr. Darcy, but there is something extremely romantic about the Captain. His love for Anne Elliott survived her family, her friends, her own feelings and reservations, and even his bitterness and resentment. His love stood the test of time over the years and never wavered, even when their circumstances were reversed.

    It gives hope to any woman over a certain age who thinks she may have thrown her true love away. Sometimes it returns. I’ve always liked to think that Jane Austen held on to the hope that she would have her own Wentworth someday.

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  75. Definitely Sweet Romance tea would be my fav…the marzipan had me at once! I dearly love the Anne & Capt. Wentworth rekindled (no pun inteneded on reading device choices) of Persuasion. Would love to win the tea…didn’t know the tea existed. How brilliant!

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  76. I am a lifelong tea drinker and have to have it all day long! I love trying new teas also! My favorite romantic heroine is Marianne Dashwood. She just throws herself into life!

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  77. My favorites;
    Captain Wentworth took my breath away in Persuasian and I loved Ann Eliett.
    Edward Ferris was a dear heart in Sense and Sensability.

    Love Jane Austen…..and one of my favorite “go to” DVD’s is Jane Austen Regrets..such a well done story of Jane..love it all!!
    would love to win some delightful tea!

    Patricia

    Like

  78. Love , love , love, Mr. Knightly and his relationsip with Emma…I cry every time at the end of the movie when he professes his love and asks “if he has a chance” .ahhhhhhh!

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  79. Mr. Tilney and Captain Wentworth are my favorite heroes. They are so much more cheerful than Mr. Darcy. I can imagine living with them would be easier and more relaxing. Anne Elliot is my favorite heroine. I love the thought of getting a second chance…

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  80. It’s so hard to pick just one, but I think that my favorite Austen heroine is Ane Elliot. She reminds me, more than any other leading lady, of myself, and I find myself drawn time and again to her story. Her capability, patience, compassion (even for her rivals) and enduring love are beautiful to read.

    Like

  81. Captain Wentworth is the most romantic of Austen’s heroes. His letter to Anne was the stuff of legends. “You have pierced my soul…” {{Swoon!}} And what tea would be more appropriate than ‘Sweet Romance?’

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