Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
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 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... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Happy Wednesday, dear readers. Please help me welcome bestselling author Karen Odden to Austenprose today. Her new Victorian murder mystery, Down a Dark River, released yesterday. I have been hearing wonderful things about this book for months. Isn't the cover gorgeous? I am rather partial to detective mysteries.... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Jackson: J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote that “not all those who wander are lost.” That is certainly true for some; for others, they have convinced themselves they are on a mission, all the while searching for a true purpose. It is this concept, as well as the topic of another of... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Sophia Rose: What would the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic, The Secret Garden, look like if all the main players were adults? That is what author Clarissa Harwood asked herself and a lush, atmospheric, and romantic historical suspense was born. A book from a new to me author and a set up... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: As All Hallows Eve approaches on October 31st, tis the season to discover new and recent Gothic fiction in the historical suspense, romance, and mystery genres. We can thank English writer, art historian, and politician Horace Walpole (1717-1797) for creating the Gothic fiction genre. After having a terrifying... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Patchell: Thanks to Charles Dickens’ vivid imagination and keen eye for the overlooked, Victorian England’s readers met paupers and rag-sellers, prostitutes, and orphans. Many other authors followed his example in showing the light, the darkness, and everything in between, that are a very real part of our world. John Thornton,... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Jackson: In 1837, a sheltered yet determined 18-year-old became Queen Victoria and ushered in an era of immense transformation. Increased educational and employment opportunities for women and an overall increase in literacy cracked open the previously elite worlds of journalism and literature and scientific invention in exciting new ways. It... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Sophia Rose Reader, I must confess that I went into this book totally blind. No blurb, no captions, and a mere glance at the cover. This is because I spotted the title and the author, and it was all over. I needed a gender swapped Jane Eyre-Dracula mash up to quench... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Patchell: Readers, beware: The Dread Penny Society is back in town. Their mission this time? Justice. In September 2019, acclaimed Regency author, Sarah M. Eden, published her first book in the “Dread Penny Society” series. Titled The Lady and the Highwayman, this novel is a tongue-in-cheek - albeit romantic -... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Pamela Mingle: From the age of twelve, Lucie Tedbury’s mission has been to improve the lives of women. Twenty years on, a rogue from her past, Tristan Ballentine, interferes with her plan. Opposites attract, after all. Evie Dunmore’s A Rogue of One’s Own, second in The League of Extraordinary Women series,... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Patchell: Pop Quiz: Which of the following is a penny dreadful -- a) the title of a recent TV series, b) a term for a gory but thrilling story or c) a serialized novel from the 1800s? If you answered any of the three, you would be correct! Besides... Continue Reading →
