Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
From the desk of Sophia Rose: A journey from unattractive and least wanted sister to unlikely heroine is the basis for many a classic suspenseful adventure. Relatable and easily cheered on, Pride & Prejudice’s Mary Bennet gets her time to shine in Katherine Cowley’s first in a series of historical mysteries launching as a sequel... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Patchell: Hidden letters. Long-lost relatives. Unlooked-for love. The Letter from Briarton Park is Sarah E. Ladd’s eleventh and most recent Regency novel. Set in small villages, lofty halls, and shadowy forests, its pages tell a page-turning tale created of equal parts chilling suspense and swoony romance. Unknown Beginnings Without... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Tracy Hickman: If friends are family that we choose, then what do our friendships reveal about us? And what might the literary friendships of women tell us about their lives and their work? Authors and friends Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney examine the relationships of iconic literary women in A... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: I often wonder how authors find inspiration for their novels. It is such an incredible skill to create a story from thin air. In the case of bestselling author Fiona Davis, she has made a successful career from reimagining stories surrounding iconic New York City buildings. In The... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Jackson: Come with me, dear readers, as we travel to the ruggedly resplendent cliffs of Cornwall to visit a lighthouse there called Golowduyn—pronounced goal-oh-DEW-in—and learn what secrets may be revealed by its shining light. Esteemed historical romance author Deborah M. Hathaway has crafted a lovely tale of hope through loss... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Patchell:Â Dear readers, what I am about to say will have you thanking your lucky stars: if this was a space for spoiler-filled reviews, I would have written a word count of thousands. Fortunately for us all, this shall be as abridged and spoiler-free as possible; a tricky task, as... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Jackson: Jane Austen—that lauded, shrewd observer and chronicler of humanity—was also a skillful sleuth. Or so readers are thoroughly convinced in the fourteenth book of acclaimed historical mystery author Stephanie Barron’s Being a Jane Austen Mystery series, Jane and the Year Without a Summer. Off to the Less-Celebrated Watering Hole... Continue Reading →
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 ÂŁ110. Ouch! One can only imagine how... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Patchell:  Henry Tilney (of Northanger Abbey fame) is an underrated hero of a vastly underrated novel. It’s almost impossible for me to name a favorite Jane Austen work, as (like all the best stories) each speaks into one’s life in different ways and seasons. Yet if I applied myself... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Patchell:  Who has seen the 1999 Wives and Daughters miniseries, adapted from Elizabeth Gaskell’s Victorian classic? It’s a powerful study of 19th-century life in a small English village, played by a phenomenal cast. Because of the miniseries, I recently devoured the 720-page volume and subsequently forced a family member... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Sophia Rose:  Already a fan of the writing style and careful historical research that is given to romances rich in well-developed characters and plots, I was salivating for this new Belles of London series. Mimi Matthews’ stories are only a recent find for me, but each has presented something fresh... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
