Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:
Today is Pride and Prejudice’s 209th birthday. Many happy returns of the day to Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.
Jane Austen’s second novel was published in a three-volume set by Thomas Egerton, Whitehall, London in 1813. She sold the copyright for £110. Ouch! One can only imagine how much the novel has made for its numerous publishers over the centuries. Continue reading “The Best Pride and Prejudice Inspired Novels to Add to Your Historical TBR List”
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:
Happy news for historical book lovers. The selection of new novels available in the next two months is so exciting. From forgotten events in history, to deep dives into the social machinations of Gilded Age New York, to feisty heroines and swoon-worthy heroes, the selection is deep and broad and satisfying for those who enjoy being emersed in another era.
Here is my curated list of my favorites to entice you.
Best, Laurel Ann Continue reading “12 Highly Anticipated Historical Novels to Ring in the New Year, 2022”
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:
Happy New Year’s Eve dear readers!
2021 proved to be a fabulous year in the historical book arena. From creative Austenesque variations, to Regency romances upending tropes, to reimagined gender-switched classics, to compelling historical fiction and mystery, we have been duly entertained and enchanted. A big thank you goes out to all of the authors and their publishers for keeping us supplied with so many stories to binge during these challenging times. Continue reading “Austenprose’s Best Austenesque & Historical Novels of 2021”
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:
Merry Christmas Eve to one and all. Are you ready for the big day?
Can you image how the Christmas holiday season was celebrated in England in the early 1700s? Featured today is an exclusive excerpt from Austens of Broadford, by Carole Penfield, sharing a New Year’s Day dinner party and gift-exchange typical with English families during this time.
The new novel fictionalizes the life of Jane Austen’s great grandmother Elizabeth Weller Austen who lived in Horsmonden, Kent. The Austens of Broadford is the third stand-alone novel in The Midwife Chronicles series and was Continue reading “A Preview & Exclusive Excerpt of Austens of Broadford: The Midwife Chronicles (Book 3) by Carole Penfield”
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:
Happy Friday, dear readers. There was a time when I could count the number of Northanger Abbey sequels on one hand. Admitting that may date me and my Austenesque reading terribly, however, it is true. Only in the last few years has there been an uptick of new books inspired by Jane Austen’s Gothic parody published in 1817. Since Northanger and its charming characters is one of my favorites of Austen’s novels, I jumped at the chance to feature Woodston, by Kate Westwood. Continue reading “A Preview & Exclusive Excerpt of Woodston: A Sequel to Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, by Kate Westwood”
From the desk of Sophia Rose:
What if Lady Catherine never makes her infamous visit at Longbourn? What if Mr. Darcy never returns to the neighborhood? Can Jane Austen’s most iconic pair still discover a way to ‘only remember the past’ with pleasure together? It might take a bit of yuletide mischief and interference orchestrated by a talented writer, Heather Moll, whose tales I have enjoyed in the past.
A Hopeful Holiday opens with Elizabeth Bennet looking forward to the Continue reading “A Hopeful Holiday: A Pride and Prejudice Novella, by Heather Moll — A Review “
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:
Happy Black Friday, dear readers! Here is a new Austenesque book to pull you away from your online holiday shopping featuring one of Jane Austen’s most pragmatic minor characters from Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte Lucas.
Author Carolyn Korsmeyer’s new novel, Charlotte’s Story, was released last month by TouchPoint Press. It gives us an insider’s view of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of the Charlotte Lucas. An unmarried spinster at the beginning of the novel, she soon after agrees to marry Continue reading “A Preview & Exclusive Excerpt of Charlotte’s Story: A Novel from the World of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, by Carolyn Korsmeyer”
From the desk of Katie Jackson:
Sometimes all that is required to convince a person to pursue their heart’s desire is to present evidence that it is not, in fact, an impossible achievement. In His Perfect Gift—the latest Pride and Prejudice variation from prolific Austenesque author L.L. Diamond—our hero considers the possibility of becoming the kind of man who is capable of pleasing a woman worthy of being pleased and earning her esteem.
Fitzwilliam Darcy has escaped Hertfordshire with great haste, along with his friend Bingley, following the ball at Netherfield, keenly feeling the danger he’d been in and hoping to soon forget the cause: the Continue reading “His Perfect Gift, by L.L. Diamond — A Review”
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:
Happy Friday, dear readers! ‘Tis the season to read Christmas-inspired stories, and this year there is an amazing line-up of new historical romance novels, novellas, and short stories to deck your halls or fill up your eReader.
Interestingly, the prevailing theme this year appears to be kissing brought on by standing under the mistletoe! I wonder what ambitious mother thought up that tradition to get her daughter married? Continue reading “My 15 Favorite Christmas Historical Romance Novels of 2021”
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:
Happy Friday, dear readers. All Hallows Eve is this weekend. Have you chosen a costume and stocked up on candy yet? I don’t have trick or treaters visiting me in the country, however, that has never stopped me from celebrating the holiday by decorating with pumpkins and eating candy corn!
If you are seeking recommendations for great Jane Austen-inspired reading to put you in the mood for the spooky season, look no further. Here is a short list of six novels and one adaptation to help you Continue reading “7 Historical Suspense Novels Inspired by Jane Austen”
From the desk of Katie Jackson:
In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet impertinently tells Mr. Darcy that his “defect is a propensity to hate everybody” to which he replies that hers “is willfully to misunderstand them.” Austen enthusiasts everywhere delight in this flirtatious battle of wits over the topic of natural defects. With a title inspired by Mr. Darcy— “I have faults enough, but they are not, I hope, of understanding”—Jennifer Altman’s second Pride and Prejudice-inspired novel, Faults of Understanding, follows Elizabeth and Darcy as they become better acquainted with each other through unforeseen trials. Continue reading “Faults of Understanding: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, by Jennifer Altman — A Review”
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:
Happy Monday dear readers! It is a special day for me. Ten years ago on October 11, 2011 my short story anthology Jane Austen Made Me Do It was published by Ballantine Books. I can’t believe how the years have flown by.
The collection includes 22 original short stories and reading group material from bestselling authors Jo Beverley, Syrie James, Adriani Trigiani, and Lauren Willig; top Austen sequel writers Stephanie Barron, Pamela Aidan, Elizabeth Aston, Amanda Grange, Alexandra Potter, and Laurie Viera Rigler; mother and Continue reading “Jane Austen Made Me Do It’s Tenth Anniversary Celebration & Giveaway”
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