Cover Reveal, These Dreams by Nicole Clarkston

It is my pleasure this morning to host the cover reveal for Nicole Clarkston's soon to be released novel, These Dreams. This novel is a Pride & Prejudice variation and is different from any I have ever read. I have had the good fortune to read along as Nicole was writing her story. It has been a rewarding and enjoyable experience, although there were quite a few times that I felt like 'strangling' her for leaving me in such a bad place! :) Of course, I jest, but I did shriek while she laughed with a maniacal chortle at my distress. She was having a delightful time, too delightful if you ask me, while writing those heart-wrenching scenes. Oh, but they were delicious and kept me wanting more—and more—and more! I am eager for each of you to have a chance to read These Dreams.

Before revealing the cover, I will give you a taste of what is inside
by showing you the back cover blurb! Enjoy!

*****

An abandoned bride

A missing man

And a dream which refuses to die...

Pride and patriotism lend fervor to greed and cruelty, and Fitzwilliam Darcy

is caught at the centre of a decades old international feud. Taken far

from England, presumed dead by his family, and lost to all he holds dear, 

only one name remains as his beacon in the darkness: Elizabeth.

Georgiana Darcy is now the reluctant, heartbroken heiress to Pemberley,

and Colonel Fitwilliam her bewildered guardian. Vulnerable and unprepared,

Georgiana desperately longs for a friend, while Fitzwilliam seeks to protect her

from his own family. As the conspiracy around Darcy's death widens and 

questions mount, Colonel Fitzwilliam must confront his own past. 

An impossible dream, long ago sacrificed for duty, may become his only hope.

Newly married Lydia Wickham returns to Longbourn- alone and under

mysterious circumstances. Elizabeth Bennet watches one sister suffer and

another find joy, while she lives her own days in empty regrets over what might

have been. Believing Darcy lost forever, she closes her heart against both pain

and happiness, but finds no escape from her dreams of him.

*****

Nicole and I actually started working on this cover months ago. It has been finished, except for spine width, for quite some time. Of course, we would tweak one more thing or change a font color, 

but the essentials stayed the same.

Are you ready to see? Let's do it!

Drum roll, please!

*****

So, what do you think? Is your interest piqued?

*****

Nicole, any thoughts you want to share?

Janet and I started talking about this cover back in February, when the book was still in its infancy. She had been reading right along from the beginning, but she knew very little about some of those landmark scenes that were so clear in my imagination. I knew I wanted a heartbroken Elizabeth on the front cover, and we were still hesitant about whether or not we would include Darcy.

We flipped through dozens of images; or at least I did, I’m sure Janet’s count was probably in the hundreds. I knew I wanted a vintage painting that we could tweak as needed, but that narrowed our selections considerably. When Janet found this poor girl leaning against the tree, I almost fell out of my chair. What she did not yet know was that I had already planned several key scenes which looked just like that!

Darcy was harder. We almost excluded him entirely, but Janet faithfully looked and looked, trying to find something that would fit. The first image she saw was the one we used, but she initially discarded it because he was facing away from the viewer. In the end, that was what we loved best about him. Meanwhile, we flipped through several others. On one particularly snippy day (for which I am still apologising) I said one of her gentlemen reminded me of Zoolander. Thank goodness for her generous heart, she is still speaking to me!

As you may have already guessed from the back cover, Colonel Fitzwilliam plays an enormous role in this story. Yes, that is our devastatingly hot colonel gracing the back cover, in a custom uniform which Janet crafted herself. This is why I no longer do my own covers, ladies and gentlemen. The identity of that sultry lady next to him will remain, for now, a mystery, but I absolutely love that girl. I cannot wait to introduce you to her on another day!

*****

I can hardly wait for you to introduce the readers to that sultry young lady, as well.

As for 'Zoolander' Darcy face, I keep coming across that same gentleman in picture searches. Every time I see him, I stop,... look at him;... then wonder...what was I thinking? Darcy - NOT! Zoolander - YEP! Good call, Nicole! (and you were not snippy) lol

After sending Nicole the painting that we used for the front cover, and she told me about the key scenes that she had planned which looked just like that painting, I got 'gooseflesh'!
When I originally saw the painting, I thought it would be so perfect,
but of course, I had no idea of just how perfect!
Isn't it neat how things work sometimes? I love it!

Thank you for having me do this cover, Nicole. It was such a pleasure working on it and making it come together to fit your story. I must confess, I rather enjoyed working on the Colonel! :)
Thank you also for allowing me to read the story as you wrote it. It's fabulous and I cannot wait for all my readers and the rest of the JAFF community to have a chance to read it for themselves. It was great fun working with you and giving a 'face' to 'your baby'. I cannot count the number of times I laughed out loud reading our back and forth dialogue!

Now, get this turkey out of the oven and on the table! lol

To read an excerpt and make sense of the above sentence,
read Nicole's post about this book at Austen Variations. :)

Get ready, folks! There is a giveaway! YAY! Two lucky winners will each get an eARC
of These Dreams! The giveaway is international and is for two eARCs.
Please leave us a comment, some love, or whatever else you feel like on this fine Friday.
Leave me a way to contact you if you are new to my blog.
I am always sad to lose winners because I have no way of reaching them.
Giveaway will end on the 17th of August at 11:59 P.M. Good luck to all.

We hope you enjoy the cover reveal for These Dreams by Nicole Clarkston. Keep 'an eye out'
because there is a blog tour coming the later part of September! There will be much
to look forward to with excerpts, guest posts, vignettes, giveaways, and some reviews.
I hope you will all join in the fun. Dates to follow in a few weeks.
The book is available for pre-order! :) This is a universal link and will provide all pre-order sites as they become available.

And the winner is...When We Are Married

It is time to announce another winner!

Isn't this part fun?! I love it! 

We have the winner for the eBook, When We Are Married,

by Caitlin Williams.

Anji

Congratulations to you, Anji! I hope you enjoy this book

as much as I did. 

Please let me know your thoughts once you have read it. 

Thank you for supporting my blog.

A special thanks to Caitlin Williams for giving away an eBook

and to Claudine Pepe for organizing the blog tour.

Thank you ladies!

And the winner is...The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen

Good morning and happy Wednesday to everyone.

I hope your week is going good.

I have a winner to announce so will get right to it!

The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen

by Ada Bright and Cass Grafton

Jan Hahn

Congratulations, Jan. 

Thanks to all of you for stopping by and reading my review. I loved reading all your comments. Those of you who had already read the book and loved it, felt the same as I did about this fab book! 

I'm so anxious and excited for the sequel!

Thank you, Cass and Ada. I appreciate so much your willingness to have a giveaway to coincide with my review. It was lovely of you ladies to do and I know the readers appreciated it. I hope you will visit again when the sequel releases! You are always welcome to visit 

More Agreeably Engaged! 

My share in the conversation...When We Are Married

Available on Amazon

Today is my stop on the blog tour for When We Are Married by Caitlin Williams. I'm so happy to be posting about Caitlin's book. I have written my review of it but will post the blurb for it first. I do hope you get a chance to read this awesome book soon. There is a giveaway too, so be sure you check it out as well.

*****

Blurb:  

Two sisters, one man. Someone’s heart is about to get broken.

Elizabeth Bennet quickly realises she has misjudged Mr Darcy. In Kent, she learns first impressions are not always accurate. His proposal is disastrous, insulting even, but when she reads his letter her heart begins to thaw, and her objections and prejudices start to melt away. Elizabeth decides to offer Mr Darcy a sliver of hope, an apology, and a second chance.

Yet when he begins to call at Gracechurch Street, determined to become a better man and humbled by Elizabeth’s reproofs, he unwittingly stirs the romantic hopes of another lady altogether.

Jane Bennet is bereft and confused, rejected by Charles Bingley. She is fearful of becoming an old maid and eager to fall in love with the very first gentleman who takes notice of her. Mr Darcy just happens to be everything her mother has wanted for her; rich and handsome, the perfect suitor.

Through crowded, industrious Cheapside, to the elegant ballrooms of Mayfair, Mr Darcy chases Elizabeth Bennet, unaware that the quiet unassuming girl who smiles too much, is fully intent on chasing him.

*****

When We Get Married by Caitlin Williams

Anyone familiar with Pride & Prejudice knows the behavior of Mrs. Bennet and her deep obsession with marrying off her daughters to rich husbands. We are also aware of the heartache, embarrassment and abandonment that beautiful Jane Bennet felt when Charles Bingley left Netherfield without a goodbye or even taking proper leave of the Bennet family. Caitlin Williams based the premise of her newest release on the ‘what-if’ factor. What if Jane Bennet responds differently to her feelings of betrayal, looming spinsterhood and the strong wishes of her mother? What if she decides to seriously consider the first man that paid her attention? What if Darcy, wanting to show Elizabeth that he had taken her words to heart, pays a visit to Jane in Cheapside, delivering a letter from Lizzy? What if Jane mistakes his attempts to gain Lizzy’s favor as attempts to gain her own favor? After all, she thinks Lizzy despises Mr. Darcy. Oh, what a mixed-up mess these what-ifs create and Ms. Williams handles them brilliantly!

What if Lizzy sees Darcy at Hunsford when she returns after reading his letter? That is exactly what happens and starts the novel with a ‘bang’. The scene that unfolds is quite fun and wonderful. I could visualize it playing out in my mind as I read. Lizzy’s efforts to let Darcy know she has wrongly judged him, were bold and clever. His response, discreet, and just as clever. The observations by Charlotte and Colonel Fitzwilliam, who could tell something was going on between the two, just not sure what, were a delight to read. The first chapter had me hooked and I couldn’t wait for more. (And ohhh, I do love how the title of the book plays into the storyline! Awesome!)

When Lizzy and Jane finally realize what the true feelings of each sister are for Darcy, they have a problem. Can they overcome it? Both think they are in love with the same man and it hurt me for both and Darcy too. Poor man! He is clueless, but very true to character. In canon, Darcy didn’t have an inkling how Elizabeth truly felt about him and misconstrued everything. He does the same with Jane. He completely misreads her and is oblivious to her interest in him. The good Colonel can see so much more than his cousin which often happens when one’s feelings are not engaged. He does try to warn Darcy but those warnings fall on deaf ears. Even so, Darcy is swoon-worthy and I fell in love with him all over again. The story that unfolds is as delicious as it is ‘angsty’.

I had read the first two books by Ms. Williams and greatly enjoyed both books. I had been looking forward to this one and Caitlin Williams did not disappoint. This book was all I had hoped for and more. The writing style of Ms. Williams is lovely. Her story flows, she uses the British spelling of words, which I love, and she writes beautifully in a style like books I’ve read that were written during the Regency era. It is a book I highly recommend and especially so, to anyone willing to accept ‘what-if’ and then discover the delightful outcome! Well done, Caitlin Williams.

Purchase Link: 

Amazon

Also Available on Kindle Unlimited

Author Bio:

Caitlin Williams is the author of two novels, Ardently and the best-selling The Coming of Age of Elizabeth Bennet, both based on the characters from Pride and Prejudice. She’s a lifelong Austen devotee and lover of all things regency.

Originally from South London, Caitlin spent thirteen years as a detective in the Metropolitan Police, but is currently on a break from Scotland Yard so she can spend more time at home with her two children and write.

Author Links:

Facebook / Caitlin Williams

Goodreads Author Page / Caitlin Williams

Austen Variations

Blog Tour Schedule:

July 21 Austenesque Reviews / Guest Post Launch & Giveaway

July 22 Of Pens & Pages / Book Review & Giveaway

July 23 Just Jane 1813 / Book Review & Giveaway

July 24 More Agreeably Engaged /  Book Review & Giveaway

July 25 My Vices & Weaknesses / Excerpt Post & Giveaway

July 26 Babblings of a Bookworm / Book Review & Giveaway

July 27 From Pemberley to Milton / Book Review & Giveaway

Giveaway:

Thank you, Dear Readers, for stopping by and sharing my review. Let me know your thoughts. I always love your share in the conversation.  It was such a pleasure reading and reviewing this book and I hope each of you will get a chance to read it soon. One of you will win it here so...for the giveaway...1 eBook of When We Are Married is up for grabs. The giveaway is international and will end at 11:59 PM on the 30th of July. Good luck to all. If you are in doubt as to whether I have your contact info, be sure and leave it.

MAE Awards for 2016

Jane Austen 

Born-16 December, 1775; Died-18 July, 1817

Jane Austen brings us together. As we know so well, this community thrives because of our shared love for the writing of this intelligent, witty woman whose works are classics and admired all over the world. Two hundred years from the date of her passing and what a legacy she has achieved! Do you not wonder what her reaction would be to the many books, movies, tributes and articles done about her works and in her honor. 

I am thankful for the many friends and acquaintances I have made over the years, strictly because of Jane Austen. We love her, we love her writing and we cannot get enough of the stories based on her characters. There are many of us who have been helped through difficult times in our lives due to Jane Austen and her works, as well as fiction based on her stories and characters. The amount of fan fiction devoted to her novels is countless. With so many new novels coming out monthly and new plots still being created, we fans should have plenty to read and enjoy for quite some time.

In a review I posted yesterday for Cass Grafton's and Ada Bright's book, The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen, I mentioned a part in the story where the world was without Jane Austen, as if her writings never existed. It made me feel so strange when I was reading this part of the book. It also made me think. How different would my life be if we did not have the wonderful works by Jane Austen? Take a minute and think about your life and how it might be different. Many, many things would not be the same. I probably would not be doing book covers or a calendar every year. I might not read as much and most of all, I would not have the acquaintance of so many lovely online and personal friends.

I am inspired by Jane Austen and amazed at the genius that has been unleashed because of her. To have her fifth great-niece, Caroline Jane Knight, become part of this community was such an unexpected delight and seemed almost surreal, as if Jane Austen herself, was among us.  Ms. Knight founding the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation to help women and children learn to read and write, is the ideal legacy of this phenomenon that is Jane Austen. To quote Dr. Seuss, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." Today, Miss Austen, I do not cry because your life is over, I smile because your life happened. 

As part of my celebration, I wish to list my favorite Jane Austen fan-fiction novels for 2016. Yes, I am later than most but I decided to do my 2016 favorites list on the 18th of July. Although I do have some books that made my list that are not related to Jane Austen, most are Jane Austen Fan Fiction. It seemed fitting to do this list on this 200th Anniversary in honor of Jane and all she accomplished.

MAE Favorites of 2016

Now to my favorites...these will not be listed in any specific order but will be will be somewhat categorized. I was unable to read as much as usual last year, therefore I know I missed out on many good books that would have made my list. I also have some books on this favorites' list that were not released in 2016 but that is when I read them. 

Pride & Prejudice Variations/Alternate Paths

 Accusing Elizabeth by Jennifer Joy

Ardently by Caitlin Williams

Miss Darcy's Companion by Joana Starnes

The Abominable Mr. Darcy by J. Dawn King

Unwilling by Elizabeth Adams

Minor Character Novellas
The Courtship of Edward Gardiner by Nicole Clarkston

When Mary Met the Colonel by Victoria Kincaid

Jane Austen

A Most Singular Venture by Donna Fletcher Crow

Jane & the Waterloo Map by Stephanie Barron

Pride & Prejudice contemporary and other eras
Undercover by Cat Gardiner

Without a Conscience by Cat Gardiner

Non-P&P

Austen in Austin (4 Texas-set novellas based on Austen novels) by Debra E. Marvin, Susanne Dietze, Anita May Draper and Gina Welborn
The Last Adventure of the Scarlet Pimpernel by Jack Caldwell

Pride & Prejudice/Jane Austen Time Travel/Paranormal

Darcy By Any Other Name by Laura Hiles
The Elizabeth Papers by Jenetta James
The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen by Ada Bright and Cass Grafton

North & South Variation

Northern Rain by Nicole Clarkston

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my list of favorites with me. If any of you have a favorite that did not make my list for 2016 and you suggest I put it on my TBR list to read, please share the book with me. I would love your thoughts. As I mentioned earlier, there are so many books that I didn't get to read and many of those that I know were good books. Maybe I will get to some of them this year and they will make my 2017 Favorites List. I have already read a few from last year and some from this year that have been marked for the list! :)

My share in the conversation...The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen

Available at Amazon US and UK

Good morning and happy Monday to everyone! I hope you had a good weekend and I wish you a great week! I'm starting mine off with a review of The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen. I thought this would be a good time for this review. I thought about doing it tomorrow but I have other plans for tomorrow. I hope you will pop back in.

Cass Grafton and Ada Bright visited my blog about a year ago, July 5, 2016 to be exact. Here is a link to that visit should you want to go back and take a look. Thanks for stopping by and reading my share in the conversation...

 *****

The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is set in Bath, England, during the September Jane Austen Festival, the present time. That alone was awesome as the reader gets to participate in the fun activities of the festival with the characters. Add a little mystery, some time travel and, of course, some romance and it’s a unique book that ­­­­­is hard to put down. I loved this book from beginning to end.

The novel is written by two authors in different parts of the world but one would never know it when reading the text. The story flows flawlessly. I never knew when one author stopped and the other one took over. It is that seamless. Their writing style and story-telling abilities are so alike that it would seem to be written by only one person. Great job, ladies.

Rose and Morgan, online friends, finally get to meet when Morgan travels to Bath to attend the Jane Austen Festival with Rose and stay for a visit. It is such fun reading about their meeting, all the things they experience, who they meet and how everything changes both of their lives. I felt I was there living it all with them. There is a surprise ‘character’ in the book, who it seems the authors captured perfectly. I adored this person and wanted to know more. (I was thrilled to read there is a sequel coming!) Rose’s boss, James, and Aiden, an archeologist are the two leading males. The story that revolves around all five of these characters is fascinating and intriguing. It grabbed my interest from the beginning and I didn’t want to put the book down.

One of the many neat things about the book was discovering what would have happened if Jane Austen had not been published. It was a scary thought. The world changed so much. Not only would that have been terrible for everyone that loves Jane Austen’s novels, but the effect was far-reaching, much more so than some would have imagined. Think about her influence on the writing, in particular, and the world, in general. How much would have disappeared had she never published a novel! Frightening, isn’t it?

There is a lovely reference to Persuasion that made me swoon. The ending—well, it gave me gooseflesh, made me smile and got me super excited all at the same time! It was perfect! Well done, Ada Bright and Cass Grafton. Just hurry and write the sequel!

I have purposely focused my review more on the writing and less on the actual story. I don’t want to give any spoilers. Each reader needs to ‘suspicion’ and come to his/her own conclusions as he/she reads the book. The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen is too delicious to spoil for any reader and those ‘ah-ha’ moments are too good to ruin. 😊. Any Janeite should love this book. If you haven’t read it yet, I hope you will put it high on your TBR list! I highly recommend everyone read and savor ‘Charm’ for themselves.

***** 

I must say, I’m curious if this story has any connection to the two authors and their friendship? It seems there are some similarities. How about it Cass and Ada? 

I can't wait for the sequel to this book. I hope we will not have to wait too long.

Ada Bright and Cass Grafton are giving away a book, winner's choice of a paperback or eBook copy of The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen. Thank you Cass and Ada. The giveaway is international and we ask you to please leave a comment to be entered. Be sure to include your contact info in your comment. The giveaway will end on the 23rd of July at 11:59 PM. Good luck to all.

My share in the conversation...Devotion

Good morning, Dear Readers. Today, I'm happy to highlight author, Meg Kerr, and her latest release, Devotion. I have written my review for Devotion and will share it with you later in this post. As most of you know, I'm a cover junkie, being that I love designing covers, so indulge me a minute, if you will. I'm not sure you can see the writing on the lower front cover but it says, 'being a sequel to Experience by the same author and a further continuation of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. Isn't that neat? I like this description of what's inside and it sets the tone for the writing style of this author. 

Before I post my review, I would like to give you a bit more info about the book and share an excerpt. First, pay close attention to this next paragraph! You are going to LOVE it!

*****

As part of the 200th Anniversary of Jane Austen's passing on July 18, author Meg Kerr will offer her new novel Devotion as an exclusive free digital download to celebrate the life and legacy of one of the most prolific writers of all time. This FREE giveaway starts today, July 15th and will run to July 19th. (it actually ends July 18th) Following the free offer, Devotion will be available for purchase in digital format only, with the paperback edition to be released on August 18, 2017. 

Austen's books have been read by millions worldwide, with her most famous, Pride and Prejudice, selling over 20 million copies. Devotion is written as a "sequel" to Pride and Prejudice, and answers many questions posed by the original classic that have been haunting curious readers for generations.

"Devotion is Prism Publishers’ contribution to the growing litany of fiction honouring the life and legacy of one of history’s greatest romantic novelists," says Prism’s publisher, Michael Braund.

Kerr, writing effortlessly and wittily in the style of Jane Austen, sweeps the reader back to the year 1816 for a reunion with many of literature's most beloved characters.

“I delight in interesting conversation, so writing dialogue is pure pleasure to me,” says Kerr when asked about the effort it took to write in Austen’s distinct prose. “My ideas come first and foremost from Jane Austen herself. I am always asking, ‘What would Jane do?’ In Devotion I played with a theme that was dear to her heart: the bad boy, and whether it is possible for him to be redeemed.”

For more information on this title, please visit http://www.prismpublishers.com.

*****

That is quite an offer and one that I'm sure will be much appreciated by all. Thank you, Meg Kerr and Prism Publishers.

*****

Synopsis 

In this sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Georgiana Darcy, now twenty years old and completely lovely, is ripe for marriage. Her brother has carefully selected her future husband, but the arrival of a long-delayed letter, and a secret journey, bring Georgiana into the arms of an utterly wicked and charming young man whose attentions promise her ruin. At the same time, events in Meryton are creating much-needed occupation for Mrs. Bennet and a quandary for Lydia Bennet’s girlhood companion Pen Harrington; and the former Caroline Bingley is given — perhaps — an opportunity to remake some of her disastrous choices. Meg Kerr, writing effortlessly and wittily in the style of Jane Austen, sweeps the reader back to the year 1816 for a reunion with many beloved characters from Pride and Prejudice and an introduction to some intriguing characters.

Excerpt

That Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley lived happily ever after is universally acknowledged as truth. Mr. Darcy through all the vicissitudes of matrimony assuredly continued to experience a happiness such as he had never felt before, and Mrs. Darcy remained the happiest creature in the world. Nor can there be any doubt that Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bingley remained blessed in a marriage of easy tempers and affectionate hearts.

But as they were driven away from the church door in Meryton, the quartet of joyful newlyweds left behind several young ladies with stories in a very incomplete state. Their creatrix, Miss Jane Austen, vouchsafed only that…

Mary Bennet remained at home and was obliged to mix more with the world as a result of her mother’s inability to sit alone.

Kitty Bennet to her material advantage spent the chief of her time with her two elder sisters, to her great improvement.

Lydia Wickham retained all the claims to reputation that her marriage had given her, as Wickham’s affection for her sank into indifference and hers soon followed.

Caroline Bingley was deeply mortified by Darcy’s marriage but took every necessary step to retain the right of visiting at Pemberley.

Georgiana Darcy now made Pemberley her home, with her brother and his wife.

No, no, this will not do. It is not to be tolerated that after living so intimately with the Bennets, Bingleys and de Bourghs, the reader of Pride and Prejudice should be denied any further news of their lives! And thus, Experience—to which this book, Devotion, is a companion volume. Pride and Prejudice took place over the course of the year 1812. Experience picks up the story immediately and its events unfold from the beginning of 1813 to the end of 1815. Over the course of Experience:

Mary, believing she has found her best and highest duty by uniting herself to a clergyman older than her father, a prolific writer who must surely be in need of her multitude of accomplishments to finish his tome on The Martyrs of the Reign of Queen Mary, is very much taken aback by her new husband’s insistence that the proper role of a clergyman’s wife is to visit the poor with a basket of potatoes and teach needlework to the daughters of the local labourers. Is there any escape for her from this nightmare?

Kitty through a perfectly natural and credible series of coincidences, contrivances, accidents and twists of fate ascends to the peerage

Lydia, a soldier’s wife, cannot avoid being swept up in the events of 1815 that culminate in the Battle of Waterloo and change her life forever.

Caroline Bingley’s humiliating romantic defeat at the hands of Elizabeth Bennet may be assuaged by a marriage into the aristocracy arranged by her sister Mrs. Hurst…but Miss Bingley, with her partiality for arrogant, tall, dark, handsome men finds what passes for her heart pulled in different directions.

As for Georgiana Darcy—Georgiana’s story is told in Devotion rather than in Experience, as she clearly needed a larger stage, all to herself, for her escapades.

*****

Now for my share in the conversation...

Devotion is the second sequel of Pride & Prejudice written by Meg Kerr. I have not read Experience, which is the first sequel but it did not affect my enjoyment of the second book nor hinder my understanding and following of it. I do plan to go back now and read Experience as I was fascinated with Ms. Kerr’s writing. She writes much in the style of Jane Austen and I found that delightful.

Devotion is a story about Georgiana. She is more independent now and makes some decisions that are a bit risky. These choices certainly do not make the rest of her family too happy. When she disappears for a time, Darcy and Lizzy are at a loss as to where to find her. The part that Kitty and Colonel Fitzwilliam played in figuring out her location was excellent. I truly enjoyed their pairing. We spend much time with Georgiana on her journey, her arrival and her emotional growth during her absence. She is a bit determined but she is a Darcy after all.

There are some of the same characters as in the original but there are also some new ones introduced. Pen Harrington, one of the originals who got only a small amount of page time in Pride & Prejudice, is much more involved in this novel. I enjoyed getting a chance to know her better. The role that the Gardiners played was significant. They were the fair and good couple that I love. They saw reason and acted upon their good judgment. These actions were a definite influence in the outcome of Georgiana’s life. Mrs. Younge has a fairly big role and her personality remains mostly unchanged. She’s still up to her old tricks. Caroline Bingley is in the story with a new name and a new position. I liked the life that Ms. Kerr gave Caroline. I also found the name of an old flame and love interest of Caroline’s quite interesting. The man’s home and occupation are too similar to the hero of a later time and different author to be coincidence. I will be eager to learn if there will be more to this story.

John Maury is a new character that is both bad and good. He is utterly charming and I couldn’t help but like him. He plays a leading role in the story and his development as a person was exciting to watch. I enjoyed and was also fascinated by the interplay between him and some of the characters from his life. Those enhanced the story and eventually came around to add their own significance and cohesiveness to the conclusion.

There were times in the beginning of the novel that I felt the switch of scenes and people from one chapter to another was a little disjointed but not enough to make me lose interest. My main feeling was if I had missed something earlier. (This also could have been a result of me not having read the first book.) As I continued reading and the plot played out, I saw the importance of those introductions and changes. They were necessary to the summation of the story and all the pieces began to fit together nicely.

Overall, I felt the characters were true to the originals. Darcy is still protective of Georgiana and Lizzy is the sister that she needed. Georgiana is growing into the young woman that I would think she would with Lizzy for her sister and example. I enjoyed Meg Kerr’s ability to spin a tale and make it believable. The novel is intriguing and held my interest from the beginning. Her love of Jane Austen’s writing is evident in her own. I took much pleasure in Ms. Kerr’s style of writing. I look forward to reading more from this author. If you get a chance to read Devotion, I highly recommend it.

*****

Author Bio:

What do you do when you live in the twenty-first century but a piece of your heart lies in the nineteenth? If you are author Meg Kerr you let your head and hand follow your heart. With her love of country life—dogs and horses, long walks in the woods and fields, dining with family and neighbours and dancing with friends, reading and writing and the best conversation—and her familiarity with eighteenth and nineteenth century history and literature, Meg has a natural gift to inhabit, explore and reimagine the world that Jane Austen both dwelt in and created, and to draw readers there with her. 

*****

Contact Information:

Meg Kerr may be contacted via her publisher, Prism Publishers. Please contact Michael Braund at prismpublish@gmail.com to inquire about interviews, appearances, signings, and other events.

*****

I hope you have enjoyed reading about Meg Kerr, her novel, Devotion and my review of it. Please let us know what you think. Since the Ms. Kerr is giving away her novel today to July 19th, you do not have to comment to win. You win by following the link here to get the  Free eBook. 

I will leave you with this video of Meg Kerr as she discusses Austen's 'bad boys'. Enjoy! Thank you for stopping by today and please tell your friends about this wonderful giveaway but remember, the eBook is only free for a limited time. Get your copy now! :)