Mr. Darcy 's Valentine by Heather Moll - Blog Tour, Guest Post, Review and Giveaway

Today I’m really pleased to be welcoming Heather Moll back to the blog with the blog tour for her newest book, Mr. Darcy’s Valentine. I love a bit of seasonal reading and have been lucky enough to read this one. As you will have gleaned from the title it’s a Valentine’s day story. Read on to learn more about the book, read a guest post from Heather, see what I thought of the book and finally have the chance to enter a worldwide giveaway.

Book Description 

WILL AN EXCHANGE OF SECRET VALENTINES LEAD TO LOVE?

After her aunt notices her partiality for Mr Wickham, Elizabeth Bennet is invited to town for the winter along with her sister Jane, and February in London gives Elizabeth the chance to become better acquainted with the Gardiners’ friend Mr Elgin.

When Mr Darcy and Elizabeth cross paths at a concert, Darcy must account for how Bingley left Hertfordshire as he considers his deepening feelings for Elizabeth. Bingley is determined to renew his attentions to Jane, and an evening’s diversion of writing valentines leads to disastrous results for Darcy.

When Valentine’s Day arrives, who will Elizabeth want to receive a valentine from: the lively man she just met or the man whose proposal she already refused? On sale Feb 1, 2023 by Excessively Diverted Press in ebook and paperback.  

Content note: this is a 50,000 word kisses-only variation

Colonel Brandon in His Own Words by Shannon Winslow - Guest Post

Well hello to you my dears and happy Friday! I have something nice for you today. Shannon Winslow has brought out a new book, which is exciting, BUT it’s also a Sense & Sensibility book, which is double exciting. Colonel Brandon, in His Own Words is a book looking at Austen’s Sense & Sensibility from the perspective of its most honourable hero. Shannon has also written a similar book looking at Pride & Prejudice from the perspective of Mr Darcy.

Now I am not one for covers but oh my goodness, the cover of this book is something else. Isn’t it wonderful?! And it’s a beautiful companion to the cover for the Mr Darcy story.

Now, let’s look at the blurb, and then I will pass you over to Shannon Winslow for a guest post, which I am sure you will enjoy.

Book Description

Colonel Brandon is the consummate gentleman: honorable, kind almost to a fault, ever loyal and chivalrous. He’s also silent and grave, though. So, what events in his troubled past left him downcast, and how does he finally find the path to a brighter future? In Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen gives us glimpses, but not the complete picture. 

Now Colonel Brandon tells us his full story in His Own Words. He relates the truth about his early family life and his dear Eliza – his devotion to her and the devastating way she was lost to him forever. He shares with us a poignant tale from his military days in India – about a woman named Rashmi and how she likewise left a permanent mark on his soul. And of course Marianne. What did Brandon think and feel when he first saw her? How did his hopes for her subsequently rise, plummet, and then eventually climb upwards again. After Willoughby’s desertion, what finally caused Marianne to see Colonel Brandon in a different light?

This is not a variation but a supplement to the original story, chronicled in Brandon’s point of view. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the things Jane Austen didn’t tell us about a true hero – the very best of men.

Back to the Bonnet by Jennifer Duke - Review

Earlier this week I posted about a fund raising appeal that author Jennifer Duke is running in order to have her Pride & Prejudice-inspired time travel book Back to the Bonnet converted to audio format. 

Back to the Bonnet is written from Mary Bennet’s point of view because she is the time traveller (most of the time). Mary uses a bonnet with mysterious powers to go back in time and is therefore able to undo some unfortunate events. You can read the previous post here and I’d recommend that you do, as it has an alternate take on the Netherfield ball which Mary has to undo.

I’ve been meaning to read the book since it came out and Jennifer’s fund raising appeal gave me a nudge to read it. Let’s look at the blurb and then I’ll share my review with you. 

Book Description

Matrimony is not a destiny that attracts plain but clever Miss Mary Bennet.

With her family’s fortunes threatened by their own foolish mistakes, deceptive rogues and the inconvenience of male heirs to her family home, the future looks unstable, even bleak. But Mary possesses a secret weapon . . . a bonnet that allows her to travel in time.

In orchestrating events according to her own inclinations, Mary takes an unconventional route to protect her family from ruin. However, she is unprepared for the dark path down which duty and power will lead her.

Back to the Bonnet by Jennifer Duke - Fund Raising for Audio Book Appeal

Some time ago I featured a time travel book about Mary Bennet called Back to the Bonnet, written by Jennifer Duke. It’s a book where Mary can time travel. 

Jennifer is currently fund raising to create an audio version of Back to the Bonnet which I wanted to post about, and I thought it’d be a good time to read the book. I’ll bring you my review of that later in the week.

Now I’ll hand over to Jennifer for her to tell you about her fund raising.

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Calling all Janeites! Can you help make this author’s audiobook dream a reality?

Back in 2020, author Jennifer Duke self-published her first novel, Back to the Bonnet, a reimagining of Pride and Prejudice in which Mary Bennet orchestrates events with the help of a time-travelling bonnet. Now she’s hoping to turn her novel into an audiobook read by Lucy Briers who played Mary Bennet in the BBC’s 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice.

Jennifer: Back to the Bonnet had been some time in the making and, as most writers have to do when starting out, I invested a lot of time and money into creating the final book and I did this whilst working in childcare and housekeeping jobs, as well as navigating lockdown like most of the rest of the world. Being new to the publishing and marketing side of things, about which I still have much to learn, and being self-published rather than having the backing of a traditional publisher, sales have been on the slow side, though I’m grateful for some lovely reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

I felt particularly encouraged after actress Lucy Briers got in touch with me via Twitter, having enjoyed Back to the Bonnet, to say that if it were to be made into an audiobook some day, she’d love to narrate it. This was so lovely to hear, though it wasn’t until more recently that I seriously thought I could make this happen. Now I have a team of women who are enthusiastic about creating the audiobook - Lucy Briers as narrator (which is so fitting as the novel is written in first person, it’s Mary Bennet’s narrative), Tamsin Collison as audiobook director (she directed a fairly recent version of Mansfield Park for Audible) and talented sound editor Tshari King.

All I have to do now is raise the funds for the production costs including the fees for these amazingly talented women, then it will get the green light. To do this, I’ve set up a Go Fund Me page in hopes of gaining financial help from people who wish to support the project. If you’re reading this and thinking that you like the idea behind this audiobook and that you might be able to make a donation, however small, to contribute to its manifestation, please know that I would be so grateful for your help. I’m not in a position to do this on my own and so I would be hugely appreciative of having my fellow Austen fans in my corner! 

If I happen to raise more than the required amount for this project, I will be donating additional funds to TreeSisters, a UK registered charity that plants trees in the tropics. I’m hoping to fund the planing of 1000 trees. Together I believe we can create beautiful things.

You can find out more about donating to this crowdfunding project here:

• Go Fund Me page • Jennifer Duke’s website • Email: contact@jennifer-duke.com

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How exciting that Lucy Briars might narrate this book if it makes the move to audio! As the book is written from Mary's point of view it would really bring the book to life to have it in a voice we can connect to Mary. I wish Jennifer all the best with her fund raising. 

Please come back later this week to find out what I thought of Back to the Bonnet.

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Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation by Alice McVeigh - Guest Post

Today I’m really pleased to be welcoming author Alice McVeigh back to the blog with her new book, Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation. Now who is Harriet? Well, it’s Harriet Smith from Austen’s Emma! It’s lovely to be able to feature something based on Emma as there is so little out there. Alice has visited here before with an Austen-inspired book, Susan (which is a book about Lady Susan, from Austen’s juvenilia).

This book has an interesting premise, which Alice has written us a guest post about. Let’s look at the blurb and then I’ll hand over to Alice for her guest post and giveaway!

Book Description

Emma, a privileged young heiress, decides to mentor Harriet Smith, a pretty boarding-school pupil, and to matchmake her as eligibly as she can… But how is she to guess that Harriet has a secret?

Meanwhile, the brilliant, penniless Jane Fairfax consents to a clandestine engagement with Frank Churchill – though not daring to confess, even to him, that she is being relentlessly pursued by her best friend’s husband.

Harriet sidelines Emma herself in favour of the ingenious Harriet and the fascinating Jane Fairfax. It is Emma – but an Emma with a surprisingly believable twist in its tail.

Fitzwilliam Darcy, In His Own Words by Shannon Winslow - Guest Post and Excerpt

Today I’m happy to be welcoming Shannon Winslow back to Babblings of a Bookworm with her new book, Fitzwilliam Darcy, In His Own Words, which as the name suggests is a book from Darcy’s point of view. Read on for the blurb, followed by a guest post from Shannon and an excerpt of the story. 

Book Description

What was Mr. Darcy’s life like before he met Elizabeth Bennet? – before he stepped onto the Pride and Prejudice stage at the Meryton assembly? More importantly, where is he and what is he doing all the time he’s absent from the page thereafter? And what is his relationship to a woman named Amelia?

With Fitzwilliam Darcy, in His Own Words, the iconic literary hero finally tells his own story, from the traumas of his early life to the consummation of his love for Elizabeth and everything in between.

This is not a variation but a supplement to the original story, chronicled in Darcy’s point of view – a behind-the-scenes look at the things Jane Austen didn’t tell us. As it happens, Darcy’s journey was more tortuous than she let on, his happy ending with Elizabeth in jeopardy at every turn in his struggle between duty and his heart’s desire, between the suitable lady he has promised to marry and the woman he can’t stop thinking about.

Port and Proposals by Mark Brownlow - Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway

Today I’m delighted to be welcoming Mark Brownlow back to the blog with the blog tour for his new book, Port & Proposals. This can be read stand-alone but is a sequel to Cake & Courtship, a book that focuses on Mr Bennet from Pride & Prejudice. Cake & Courtship has the reader accompany Mr Bennet up until Elizabeth goes to Kent, and we spend the rest of the timeline of Pride & Prejudice with him in Port & Proposals.

I’ll share the blurb with you, and then hand over to Mark for a guest post and excerpt from Port & Proposals. He’s also offering an ebook giveaway to a commenter on the post.

Book Description

All Mr Bennet wants to do is read books, eat cake, and study butterflies. But life has other plans for him in this Regency tale of love, regret, and second chances.

Family troubles and a promise to his middle daughter, Mary, force our father of five out of his library to deal with reticent bachelors, stubborn curates, and glib officers. Though his greatest challenge may be to face up to a past he cannot seem to forget.

Mark Brownlow presents a Pride and Prejudice variation full of Mr Bennet's wit and wisdom that plays out against the backdrop of Vols II and III of Jane Austen’s famous novel.

Although a standalone story, Port and Proposals is also the sequel to Brownlow's Cake and Courtship.

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow - Review

UK Cover

Today I’m bringing you my review of Janice Hadlow’s ‘The Other Bennet Sister’, the focus of which is the middle Miss Bennet, Mary. Let’s look at the blurb and then I’ll move on to my thoughts on this novel.

Book Description:

For fans of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Janice Hadlow's The Other Bennet Sister tells Mary's story...

It is a sad fact of life that if a young woman is unlucky enough to come into the world without expectations, she had better do all she can to ensure she is born beautiful. To be handsome and poor is misfortune enough; but to be both plain and penniless is a hard fate indeed.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mary is the middle of the five Bennet girls and the plainest of them all, so what hope does she have? Prim and pious, with no redeeming features, she is unloved and seemingly unlovable.

The Other Bennet Sister, though, shows another side to Mary. An introvert in a family of extroverts; a constant disappointment to her mother who values beauty above all else; fearful of her father’s sharp tongue; with little in common with her siblings – is it any wonder she turns to books for both company and guidance? And, if she finds her life lonely or lacking, that she determines to try harder at the one thing she can be: right.

One by one, her sisters marry – Jane and Lizzy for love; Lydia for some semblance of respectability – but Mary, it seems, is destined to remain single and live out her life at Longbourn, at least until her father dies and the house is bequeathed to the reviled Mr Collins.

But when that fateful day finally comes, she slowly discovers that perhaps there is hope for her, after all.

Simultaneously a wonderfully warm homage to Jane Austen and a delightful new story in its own right, Janice Hadlow's The Other Bennet Sister is, at its heart, a life-affirming tale of a young woman finding her place in the world. Witty and uplifting, it will make you feel – and cheer – for Mary as you never have before.

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UK Cover

The Other Bennet Sister - Review

I am not the biggest fan of Mary Bennet, although I do feel sorry for her position, caught between two close sets of sisters. I’ve always imagined that she would have felt quite alone and that the reason she worked so hard on her accomplishments was to have a defined role – Jane was the beautiful one, Elizabeth the clever one, which left Mary to try and distinguish herself another way.

…who having, in consequence of being the only plain one in the family, worked hard for knowledge and accomplishments, was always impatient for display.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

And from The Other Bennet Sister:

Learning would rescue her, not just from boredom and frustration, but from the likelihood of making any further sad mistakes.

It’s interesting to speculate on Mary’s perspective, and this is where books like this come in. This is a book in four parts and it’s quite a mighty tome – the best part of 700 pages. Part one looks at childhood and the events of Pride & Prejudice from Mary’s perspective and this was probably my favourite part of the book. Here, Mary is aware of the deficiency of her looks compared with those of her sisters, and it isolates her from them:

She had always been a cautious, watchful girl; now, she thought of little else but the poor impression she must make upon those around her.

I felt that the portrayal of Mary in the P&P part was obviously quite sympathetic to her, as it’s written from Mary’s point of view. I felt it showed Mrs Bennet as being more unkind to Mary than I got a sense of from P&P. Mr Bennet is just as insensitive and neglectful though!

The truth was, she thought bitterly, that there was no one in her immediate society who considered her worthy of attention; and it this was so when she was still young, why should it improve as she grew older?

Once we move past P&P, Mr Bennet has died, the Collinses take possession of Longbourn and Mary struggles to find her place in the world. I felt extremely sorry for her at this point, because at Jane’s home, Miss Bingley is still in residence and basically bullies Mary, and at Pemberley Mary feels like she’s intruding in the family party. She stays for a while at Longbourn and finally ends up with the Gardiners where FINALLY she feels accepted and loved for being herself.

It was as if a great abyss had opened up before Mary, and in it, she saw nothing before her but loneliness. In the space of a moment she understood how fervently she longed for affection.

US Cover

There were some parts of this story that for me didn’t tie up with Pride & Prejudice. Some details like Sir William Lucas being a baronet rather than a tradesman who was knighted. Mr Collins is different too – firstly, he was shown still acting as a clergyman once he had inherited Longbourn but I think it more likely that he would have revelled in the status upgrade of being a landed gentleman. He is also better-educated than P&P Collins, who had an ‘indifferent education’. I felt quite sad for Mr Collins here, who has started to come to the realisation that his wife doesn’t care for him.  

I didn’t follow some of the facts relating to Lady Catherine either. Here, it is said that Lady Catherine recognises Darcy as titular head of the family but I don’t know why that would be. He is head of the Darcy family, but she is either a de Bourgh or a Fitzwilliam. Also, a character called Mr Ryder is described as her closest relation but I wasn’t clear on how he was related to her, unless he is the son of another Fitzwilliam sister and in that case he wouldn’t be any closer than Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam or one of their siblings. Unless he was an illegitimate child of hers, which doesn’t seem likely!

Going back to the story, I thought Mary’s tale seemed quite a typical story of a person who is completely lacking in self-esteem. If you are a person who has similar issues I think this could cut quite close to the bone for you, and in that, I thought it was well done.

“Mr Wordsworth says elsewhere that nothing of value is to be gained from books. For him, our affections are the only real guide worth following.”

She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes.

“And I’m not sure I have any. Or none strong enough for me to follow with confidence. Perhaps they are too weak – too frozen – to help me find my way.”

Mary benefits hugely by living with the Gardiner family who genuinely love her. They see her for herself and love and value her. She finally finds like she has a place and begins to blossom. And once she has a greater value for herself she begins to find other people who value her too.

You dress as you do because you do not believe you deserve anything better and you wish to communicate that low opinion of yourself to everyone who sees you.

I found the character of Mary frustrating, though – while she learns to put a higher value on herself and becomes less despondent, in other aspects of her life she doesn’t seem to learn at all. She makes some mistakes through not trusting her own judgement – realising immediately that it’s a mistake but does nothing to rectify it, and then when she has a similar feeling in the future she learns nothing from the previous incident and just follows the same pattern. I was pleased to see her seize the moment in order to take the advice that she is trying to live by of being the architect of her own happiness.

In summary, there was a lot to like about this story, such as Mary’s take on the events of P&P and her coming to value herself, but I found I that it was drawn out a bit much for me. I prefer a shorter read. I’d rate it as a 4 star read.

* My thanks to Netgalley UK and the publishers of The Other Benent Sister, Pan Macmillan for the review copy.

Buy Links

You can buy this book in paperback, hardback, ebook or in audio now! 

Amazon UK / Amazon US / Amazon CA / Add to Goodreads Shelf

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Blog Tour and Giveaway - Thaw by Anniina Sjöblom - Review

Today I'm happy to be featuring an author who has made the jump from the forums to publishing as the blog tour for Anniina Sjöblom's debut Pride & Prejudice-inspired novella, Thaw stops at Babblings of a Bookworm for my review of the story. Let's take a look at the blurb and then we will move on to my review. There's also an ebook giveaway :)

Book Description

It is a truth universally acknowledged that one false step can involve a lady in endless ruin. On a rainy November day in 1811, Miss Elizabeth Bennet finds herself wondering why no one ever bothered to tell her about this.

A few blithe steps on a morning walk, taken after a succession of rain, lead to unexpected events that irrevocably change the course of Elizabeth’s life, placing her fate in the hands of the haughty and conceited Mr. Darcy – the last man in the world she had ever thought to marry.

As long winter days slowly pass, she writes letters to her loved ones, trying to come to terms with her new role as a wife and the Mistress of Pemberley. But can she ever learn to love her husband? Will he overcome his arrogant notions of rank and circumstance?

And most importantly – will the shades of Pemberley ever recover from being thus polluted?

The Most Interesting Man in the World by J L Ashton and Justine Rivard - Blog Tour

Today I am welcoming the blog tour for The Most Interesting Man in the World by J L Ashton and Justine Rivard. J L Ashton has been here previously with her earlier books, a modern P&P story, A Searing Acquaintance and the Regency set Mendacity & Mourning, but this is the first opportunity I've had to host Justine Rivard. The ladies have dropped by with a guest post for us about the book plus the chance to enter a giveaway. Let's take a look at the blurb and then I'll hand over to Jan and Justine for a guest post.

Lover’s Knot: A Mysterious Pride & Prejudice Variation by Jenetta James - Blog Tour - Review & Giveaway

Today the blog tour for Jenetta James' new book, Lover’s Knot: A Mysterious Pride & Prejudice Variation stops by for my review. I was very pleased to have the opportunity to read this book, having previously enjoyed reading Suddenly Mrs Darcy, The Elizabeth Papers and The Darcy Monologues. The other reason I wanted to read this is that it's a mystery. I love reading mysteries, and prefer historical ones such as those by Agatha Christie with sleuthing and legwork. The blog tour also has a giveaway attached! We'll start off with the blurb:

The Child by Jan Hahn - Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

I'm happy to be featuring Jan Hahn again on the blog today, with her latest book, 'The Child'. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the book for my review, and I'll share what I thought of it below. First, though, let's whet your appetite by sharing the blurb!

Book Description

Will Darcy ever grow to love a child he never wanted?

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Fitzwilliam Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth Bennet at Hunsford is disastrous. In Jan Hahn’s The Child, Darcy flees England soon afterward, striving to overcome his longing for her. Upon his return two years later―while standing on the steps of St. George’s Church in Hanover Square―he spies the very woman he has vowed to forget. But who is the child holding her hand?

Darcy soon discovers that Elizabeth and her family are suffering the effects of a devastating scandal. His efforts to help the woman he still loves only worsen her family’s plight. His misguided pride entangles him in a web of falsehood, fateful alliances, and danger.

Will Elizabeth be able to forgive Darcy for his good intentions gone awry? And what effect will the child have on Darcy’s hopes to win Elizabeth’s love?

George Knightley, Esquire; Book Two, Lend Me Leave by Barbara Cornthwaite

This is the second book in the ‘George Knightley, Esquire’ duology. You can see my review of the first book, ‘Charity Envieth Not’ here. Since this is Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ from Mr Knightley’s point of view, and this is the second book of the series, the following review may contain spoilers for ‘Charity Envieth Not’ as well as ‘Emma’. I would strongly recommend reading ‘Emma’ before reading this series. Now that we’ve got the warnings out of the way, let’s crack on with the review!

Henry Tilney’s Diary by Amanda Grange

Amanda Grange has written a whole range of these diaries, Austen’s stories from an alternate point of view. Following my recent read of 'Northanger Abbey', it seemed a good time to see what the book may have looked like from Henry Tilney’s point of view. I’ve read a few of these diaries before, the Captain Wentworth one, which was my introduction to JAFF (Jane Austen Fan Fiction) and I followed that up by reading the Mr Darcy one. I enjoyed them both, although I felt, particularly with the Darcy one, that his character hadn’t quite been captured. I was interested to see how Austen’s most amusing hero, Mr Tilney, had been represented.

The story begins when Henry is aged 16, so about 9 years or so before the events of 'Northanger Abbey', and the author builds a picture of the family. At this time, Mrs Tilney is still alive, beloved by all her children and very much the centre of the family, although she has spells of illness. Henry’s older brother, Frederick is extremely wild. He is his mother’s darling and his father’s exasperation, and his wild behaviour is given as the reason for the fact that he, the heir to the estate, was sent into the army. Frederick is feckless with his money, and believes himself to be in love, until a rude awakening makes him realise that the woman he thought he loved was only interested in finding herself as rich a husband as possible. Frederick takes this very hard, and drunkenly warns his brother away from love:

‘Poking me affectionately in the chest, he went on, in a slurred voice, “You’re a good man, Henry, a very good man. You’re not just my brother, you’re my best friend and I love you, I do. So I will tell you something, Henry. Now listen carefully. Come closer. Closer. Never give your heart to a woman. Never, never, never. Promise me. Promise me!’

Henry and his sister Eleanor are very close. Their relationship was so lovely, with plenty of affectionate banter, and a shared love of gothic novels, which they read together. I enjoyed seeing so much of Eleanor Tilney, because in Northanger Abbey she is a lovely character and I would have liked to have seen her get a bit more page time. Here they are discussing how Henry could become suitably villainous if he were to feature in one of these novels:

“I don’t suppose I can become a rake all at once, but I will take it in stages. I will begin by making a mildly scandalous remark to the Lowrys’ governess, perhaps commenting on her shapely ankles. I will make a similar small beginning on gambling, betting five shillings on whether or not it will rain on Saturday, and proceed from there.” Eleanor laughed and ran through into the walled garden, where we were sheltered from the wind. 

“You will never make a good villain,” she said. “You will have to resign yourself to being a hero.”

The theme of Henry being the hero goes throughout the novel; I thought it was wonderfully apt when you consider that Northanger Abbey opens with a discussion about Catherine’s suitability to be a heroine.

After Mrs Tilney’s death there is a break in the timeline, which picks up again a few months before the time that the Tilneys travel to Bath. Here we get the details of Eleanor’s forbidden romance, which was quite sweet. Henry approves of her choice:

‘I wondered how I felt about the idea of his becoming my brother-in-law. His gaze, as it fell on Eleanor, was rapt, and that was a point in his favour, for anyone who marries Eleanor must adore her to have my blessing.’

When we move on to Bath we have caught up to the point where the Tilneys meet with Catherine and so pick up with the opposite side of the story we already know from ‘Northanger Abbey’. There is quite a lot of Austen’s dialogue in this part, which I suppose is unavoidable, because the same scenes are being described. In NA, most of the best lines are Henry’s and here we are treated to his thoughts too.

‘Your heroine? Eleanor mouthed silently to me. 

I smiled, for Miss Morland certainly had all the hallmarks of a heroine. She was sweet and innocent and honest and loving. She had a great affection for her brother. She was, for the present at least, without a mother and under the care of her mother’s friend. And if she was not presently threatened by some cruel marquis, well she was young and there was still time!’

We also see Catherine’s visit to Northanger Abbey and the part that follows her return to Fullerton from Henry’s point of view, the argument with his father, but also some resolution for Captain Tilney’s story. I thought that part was really nicely done, because not only are reasons put forward for Frederick’s behaviour, but also we see him move on and get some closure.

As I said, I’ve read a couple of other books in this diaries series, but I thought this one was most successful in terms of capturing his voice and humour. I really enjoyed seeing the close relationship between Henry and his sister, seeing the possible back story for Captain Tilney and seeing some of Eleanor’s romance. If you are a fan of ‘Northanger Abbey’ I think you’d probably enjoy this book. I certainly did, it was the type of read where I kept finding myself smiling as I read along!

The only real downside I found with this book was the formatting. I read the kindle version and I wasn’t expecting any problems in this regard, as this is a book from a long-established publisher, but the formatting wasn't great, especially at the beginning. There are many spaces missing between words and line breaks in odd places. Thankfully, the missing spaces between the words was only at the beginning of the book because otherwise it'd be unreadable, but the line break problem happens throughout the book, almost as if it had been converted to kindle from a different format and the spacing not checked, not even on the first page. There were also instances of words being incorrect that seem to have been done by a spellchecker e.g. ‘deus ex machina’ was ‘deus ex machine’ etc. I was pretty unimpressed by this, I’d expect better from a publishing house. However, I am not going to let this affect my star rating, it gets a highly enjoyable 5 star rating from me.