Sunday 28 June 2020

And the winners are....

Lately life has been really busy and I've got a bit behind with the blog. So this is a big winners post, where I am trying to catch up. All winners were chosen by using a random number generator. 

Book cover: Rebellion at Longbourn by Victoria Kincaid
 Firstly, Victoria Kincaid stopped by with Rebellion at Longbourn - she brought us an excerpt and was giving away an ebook of the story. 

The winner of Rebellion at Longbourn is.... Nightstitcher!

You can still read the post here, and it includes buy links, if you'd like to console yourself for not winning by treating yourself to a copy.

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Book Cover: So This Is Love by Laura HileNext, Laura Hile joined us with her Charlotte Lucas story So This Is Love. Again we had a fantastic excerpt and an ebook giveaway.

The winner of So This Is Love is.... Maria!

Congratulations. You can still enjoy the post here, and there are buy links on the post if you'd like to pick up a copy.

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Book Cover: A Timely Elopement by Joana StarnesOur next visitor was Joana Starnes who has brought out A Timely Elopement, which I read and reviewed.

Joana was giving away two ebooks of A Timely Elopment, and the winners are:

Suzan Lauder
and
DarcyBennett

You can read my review of the book here and in the review post are also some buy links if you'd like to treat yourself. 

Phew!

Congratulations to all the winners. Please can you contact me to claim your prize. If I haven't heard anything by the end of Wednesday I will offer the unclaimed prizes to the reserve winners.

Thank you so much to these authors for visiting and offering a giveaway and thanks to everybody who visited the posts and commented.

Friday 26 June 2020

In Plain Sight by Don Jacobson - Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveway

Blog tour: In Plain Sight by Don Jacobson
Today the blog tour for Don Jacobson’s new book, In Plain Sight stops here for the last stop of the tour. Let’s take a look at the blurb and then I’ll hand over to Don for an excerpt. There’s also a chance to win a copy of the book. Please read on for details!

Book Description

At the end of the day when we are each of us lyin’ flat on our backs, lookin’ at the ceiling, and the vicar is whisperin’ in our ear, the greatest comfort we shall ’ave is to know that we loved well and were well loved in return.”

When Fitzwilliam Darcy’s father slides into an early grave, his son is forced to take on Pemberley’s mantle. Brandy numbs his pain, but Darcy’s worst inclinations run wild. After tragedy rips everything away, he spends years finding his way back: a man redeemed by a woman’s loving understanding.

Elizabeth Bennet is afflicted with a common Regency ailment: observing the world about her but not seeing those beneath her notice. Then a clarifying act shatters the propriety that has denied her heart the transcendent love she craves.

In Plain Sight explores Jane Austen’s eternal love story by flipping social roles on their heads. From their first encounter, Elizabeth Bennet and the convict known as “Smith” must overcome their prejudices and break through their pride. Only then can they share the treasure hidden in plain sight.

Monday 22 June 2020

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner - Review

Blog Tour: The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
Today I’m very pleased to be taking part in a blog tour for the eagerly anticipated book The Jane Austen Society, by Natalie Jenner. I’ve seen such praise of this book online in the run up to its release that I was excited to get my mitts on a review copy to find out if it lived up to expectations. Let’s look at the blurb and then I’ll start telling you what I thought of the book.

Book cover: The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
Book Description

Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England's finest novelists. Now it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.

Sunday 14 June 2020

A Timely Elopement by Joana Starnes - Review and Giveaway

Book Cover: A Timely Elopement by Joana Starnes
Today I’m happy to be welcoming Joana Starnes back to the blog with her new book, a Pride & Prejudice variation called A Timely Elopement. I’m going to share my review of the book with you, and Joana is kindly offering an ebook giveaway. Let’s look at the blurb, and then I’ll tell you what I thought of this book.

Book Description

What if Mr Darcy’s first proposal was interrupted by a bearer of ill tidings? The worst tidings: an elopement!

Ah, but whose elopement would allow Elizabeth and Mr Darcy to spend quite so much time together and overcome their prejudices and his stubborn pride?

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The blurb of this book doesn’t give much away, does it!

A Timely Elopement – My Review

Many Pride & Prejudice variations start us off at Hunsford, at Darcy’s disastrous proposal. This one takes off there too, but sends us in a new direction for me. Just at the point where Darcy is about to kindly inform Elizabeth that he is proposing against his own better judgement, they get interrupted. Colonel Fitzwilliam arrives with news of an elopement, and although it involves George Wickham, this time he’s left the Bennet girls alone. He has run off with Darcy’s cousin, Miss Anne de Bourgh!

As it would be dishonourable to ask a lady to marry him when a family scandal is unfolding in front of his eyes, Darcy reassures his lady love that once it’s all sorted he will follow her, post-haste, to Hertfordshire, as he takes it for granted that she will jump at the chance to accept his most flattering proposal. Only here’s the thing; she doesn’t want to marry him.

Elizabeth is shocked to hear that George Wickham has behaved in such a fashion and realises that her judgement has been seriously at fault when considering his character and his relationship to Darcy. However, Darcy still interfered in Jane and Bingley’s relationship, was rude in Hertfordshire, is prideful and arrogant and she has never, until now, considered that he might even like her, let alone admire her. She feels bad at piling more bad news on top of the news of his cousin’s elopement but in fairness to him, Elizabeth knows that she has to tell Mr Darcy that she will not accept his proposal:

With a quiet sigh, Elizabeth drew her hand away, uncomfortably aware that she must tell him that. It would be cruel to let him labour under a misconception.

But she doesn’t get the chance, the Collinses have arrived home and Darcy leaves. Elizabeth must find a way to clear up the mistake. If Darcy arrives in Hertfordshire it would be hugely embarrassing for him and potentially could set off a disastrous possible chain of events for her if word gets out and she finds herself with no option but to marry him. Being offered an opportunity to accompany Lady Catherine to town, Elizabeth decides to go in order that she might have the opportunity to tell Mr Darcy that she won’t be accepting his very surprising offer.

Having the opportunity to see more of Mr Darcy, Elizabeth begins to see that he is a very different person to what she had thought, and has a much more attractive side to his personality.

She had seen him in his home. No ceremony. No reserve. No trace of the despot she expected. Not his sister’s keeper, but her whole world; her protector and succour.

Spending more time together also gives Mr Darcy the opportunity to get to know Elizabeth better. More specifically, once he realises that she has fault to find in his manners and behaviour, he starts to question his attitude somewhat:

If she had not seen his offer of marriage for the tribute that it was – a heartfelt homage to her delightful person – then she might have also failed to find due proof of his devotion in his honest recitation of the impediments he had brought himself to overlook in order to have her beside him.

I really enjoyed this story; there were some lovely sparks of humour, and I enjoyed Darcy’s character in particular and his slow steps in realising his mistakes and blunders. I thought his relationship with his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, was delightful. I also liked the fact that the story didn’t follow the lines I expected; due to the nature of this genre, the fact that it’s based on Pride & Prejudice I have often seen scenarios played out in other works, and you can feel like you’re travelling down the same road. However, this story took me in directions that I didn’t anticipate, which was refreshing.

The only thing I would have liked would have been for the story to be set over a longer time-frame as I felt opinions and feelings changed quite quickly. There was also one character that I felt was let off too lightly, I wanted to see them suffer just a little!

Overall, this is a romantic, amusing, low-angst read, which I would recommend. There’s some passion too, but nothing graphic. I’d rate it as a 4½ star read.

4.5 star read


Author Joana StarnesAbout the Author

Joana lives in the south of England with her family. Over the years, she has swapped several hats – physician, lecturer, clinical data analyst – but feels most comfortable in a bonnet. She has been living in Georgian England for decades in her imagination, and plans to continue in that vein till she lays hands on a time machine.

She is the author of Austen-inspired novels (From This Day Forward ~ The Darcys of Pemberley; The Subsequent Proposal; The Second Chance; The Falmouth Connection; The Unthinkable Triangle; Miss Darcy’s Companion; Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter, The Darcy Legacy and The Journey Home to Pemberley) and one of the contributors to the Quill Ink anthologies (The Darcy MonologuesDangerous to KnowRational Creatures and Elizabeth). They are all available at Amazon in Kindle and paperback, and some in Audible too: Joana’s Amazon Page.

Book Cover: A Timely Elopement by Joana StarnesBuy Links

A Timely Elopement is available to buy now in Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Joana's other books are also available in paperback and audio so let's hope these will be too!

Amazon USAmazon UKAmazon CA • Add to Goodreads shelf



Book Cover: A Timely Elopement by Joana Starnes
Giveaway Time!

Joana is very kindly offering to give away an ebook copy of A Timely Elopement to two lucky visitors to Babblings of a Bookworm! To enter, just leave a comment on this blog post by the end of the day worldwide on Sunday 21 June. If you have any difficulty commenting, please contact me and I will add your comment for you :)

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Friday 12 June 2020

So This Is Love by Laura Hile - Excerpt and Giveaway

Blog Tour: So This Is Love by Laura Hile
Today I’m excited to be welcoming Laura Hile back to Babblings of a Bookworm with the first blog visit for her new book, So This Is Love. This book focuses on one of my favourite minor characters from Pride & Prejudice, Charlotte Lucas, who is going to take a different path to canon. Let’s look at the blurb, and then I’ll hand over to Laura for a guest post. There’s also an ebook giveaway for one of you!

Book cover: So This Is Love by Laura HileBook Description

“I am not romantic, you know. I never was.”

Newly escaped from a loathsome engagement of convenience, Charlotte Lucas has no interest in romance. More than ever, she is convinced that no man would—or could—love her. As companion to an aging aunt, Charlotte’s new life is as predictable as it is circumspect.

But then she is rescued from a robbery by her uncle’s heir, a masterful man who is disastrously handsome. Why has he remained as a guest in the house? Why is he so determined to draw Charlotte out and make her talk? And what of his invitation to visit his home by the sea?

Romance is not on the chart for Captain Jack Blunt. Never again will he be played for that kind of fool! He is ashore only to heal from an injury and see to business, nothing more. And yet the pointed disinterest of his cousin’s pert niece is intriguing. She is forthright, refreshingly honest—and altogether lovely.  She will make a fine wife for one of his officers. But not, of course, for him.

So This Is Love is a joyride of a Regency, bringing whirlwind romance and happily-ever-after to Jane Austen’s staid and practical Charlotte Lucas.


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Friday 5 June 2020

Rebellion at Longbourn by Victoria Kincaid - Excerpt and Giveaway

Today I’m very happy to be welcoming Victoria Kincaid back to the blog with her latest book, Rebellion at Longbourn. Isn’t that an exciting title?! Victoria joins us with an excerpt and ebook giveaway. Let’s look at the blurb, to get an idea of why there would be rebellion at Longbourn, and then I’ll hand over to Victoria for the excerpt.

Book cover: Rebellion at Longbourn by Victoria Kincaid
Book Description

Elizabeth Bennet’s father died two years ago, and her odious cousin Mr. Collins has taken possession of the Longbourn estate. Although Collins and his wife Charlotte have allowed the Bennet sisters and their mother to continue living at Longbourn, the situation is difficult. Viewing Elizabeth and her sisters as little more than unpaid servants, Collins also mistreats the tenants, spends the estate’s money with abandon, and rejects any suggestions about improving or modernizing Longbourn. After one particularly egregious incident, Elizabeth decides she must organize a covert resistance among her sisters and the tenants, secretly using more modern agricultural methods to help the estate thrive. Her scheme is just getting underway when Mr. Darcy appears in Meryton.

Upon returning from a long international voyage, Darcy is forced to admit he cannot forget his love for Elizabeth. When he learns of the Bennet family’s plight, he hurries to Hertfordshire, hoping he can provide assistance. Sinking into poverty, Elizabeth is further out of Darcy’s reach than ever; still, he cannot help falling even more deeply in love. But what will he do when he discovers her covert rebellion against Longbourn’s rightful owner?   

Falling in love with Mr. Darcy was not part of Elizabeth’s plan, but it cannot be denied.  Darcy struggles to separate his love for her from his abhorrence for deception.  Will their feelings for each other help or hinder the Rebellion at Longbourn?

Monday 1 June 2020

Holidays with Jane: Spring Fever - Review

Book cover: Holidays with Jane: Spring Fever by various authors
Today I’m bringing you my review of the anthology Holidays with Jane: Spring Fever. This has stories from Jessica Grey, Cecilia Gray, Melissa Buell, Rebecca M. Fleming, Kimberly Truesdale and Jennifer Becton.

I’ve read this book more than once but I’ve never got around to reviewing, and as it’s seasonal, once you’ve missed the opportunity to post, you have to wait a whole year for it to be the right time of year to review. So this year, although I’m late, I thought that I would post the review or it will never happen! I’ll give you the blurb (or part of the blurb because the whole thing is very long!) and then I’ll move on to my review of the book.