Jane and The Year Without a Summer by Stephanie Barron – Blog Tour, Review

Today I’m pleased to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for the latest of Stephanie Barron’s ‘Being a Jane Austen Mystery’ series – Jane and the Year Without A Summer. I will share the blurb with you and then move on to my review of the book. Read on for more details.

Book Description 

May 1816: Jane Austen is feeling unwell, with an uneasy stomach, constant fatigue, rashes, fevers and aches. She attributes her poor condition to the stress of family burdens, which even the drafting of her latest manuscript—about a baronet's daughter nursing a broken heart for a daring naval captain—cannot alleviate. Her apothecary recommends a trial of the curative waters at Cheltenham Spa, in Gloucestershire. Jane decides to use some of the profits earned from her last novel, Emma, and treat herself to a period of rest and reflection at the spa, in the company of her sister, Cassandra.
 
Cheltenham Spa hardly turns out to be the relaxing sojourn Jane and Cassandra envisaged, however. It is immediately obvious that other boarders at the guest house where the Misses Austen are staying have come to Cheltenham with stresses of their own—some of them deadly. But perhaps with Jane’s interference a terrible crime might be prevented. Set during the Year without a Summer, when the eruption of Mount Tambora in the South Pacific caused a volcanic winter that shrouded the entire planet for sixteen months, this fourteenth installment in Stephanie Barron’s critically acclaimed series brings a forgotten moment of Regency history to life.

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.

Austen-Inspired Children’s Book Suggestions

I have a number of children’s books which are Austen-inspired, but as they are so much shorter than the books I usually blog about I thought I’d put a post together featuring a few. If you’re interested in ones I’ve looked at previously you can see posts about a version of Pride & Prejudice for younger readers here, and a biography of Austen here. 

Firstly, Cozy Classics Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice by Jack & Holman Wang– this is a board book for babies featuring pictures of needle-felted characters with single words on each page. The characters are really SO cute – mostly inspired by Pride & Prejudice 2005 by the looks of them, although I’d say Elizabeth looks more like the 1995 or maybe even based on Jane Austen. I would recommend this as part of a baby gift to a parent who is a P&P fan. Five Stars

Threads of Magic: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Monica Fairview - Guest Post and Giveaway

I’m happy to be welcoming Monica Fairview to the blog today with Threads of Magic: A Pride & Prejudice Variation, the second book in her Mr Darcy’s Magic series. Monica has brought us a guest post about the book and an ebook giveaway.

You can read more about the first book, Dangerous Magic: A Pride & Prejudice Variation, here.

Let's look at the blurb of Threads of Magic and then I'll hand over to Monica for her guest post. 

Book Description

In a magical Regency England, two powerful magicians strive to find a balance between love and duty as they confront enemies who might well be their closest friends.

Elizabeth Bennet may be a heroine, but by defying some of the most powerful mages in England, she has made enemies who will stop at nothing to embroil her in scandal.

So when she is accused of endangering the Royal Mages through her reckless actions, she no longer knows who to trust. Even the gentleman she loves is taking their side. It seems the only person who believes her is the captive French mage who is imprisoned in the cellar at Netherfield.

Meanwhile, Fitzwilliam Darcy is willing to fight to the death to defend Elizabeth, if only she would stop getting herself into trouble. Why does she always have to break the rules? And why does even her sister Jane cause him so many problems?

Join us in this magical Jane Austen Regency variation. Set mostly in Meryton, with familiar beloved characters from Pride and Prejudice, you will once again be captivated by Elizabeth and Darcy as they struggle to find true love against the backdrop of England’s war with Napoleon.

Threads of Magic continues the bewitching tale of a forced marriage between two powerful mages. The novel picks up after Fitzwilliam Darcy has told Elizabeth that he is in love with her, but are the differences between them too difficult to overcome?

Since this is the second book of a series, there is more to come. Experience the slow-burn romance developing between Elizabeth and Darcy in this magical adventure spanning several novels. It is a standalone novel without cliff-hangers, but it is best read as part of a series.

Captive Hearts by Kelly Miller - Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway

Today I’m welcoming Kelly Miller back to the blog with her new Austenesque book, Captive Hearts, which is released today. This is a Persuasion variation, which is good news as there are so few of those out there! Let’s look at the blurb and then I’ll hand over to Kelly who has brought us an excerpt from Captive Hearts and a guest post about Bath, where the book is set.

Book Description

Will Captain Wentworth realize too late that he has a second chance at love?

With a successful naval career and a fortune to his name, Frederick Wentworth receives a hero’s welcome from his sister’s neighbours.

One person, though, presents a source of vexation. Years earlier, Miss Anne Elliot had reneged on her promise to marry Wentworth, revealing a significant character flaw. Yet Anne’s unmarried state at the age of seven and twenty, her altered demeanour, and her resolute avoidance of Wentworth raise questions that gnaw at his composure.

In this Regency variation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, the captain follows the advice of a respected new friend and re-examines the agonizing circumstances of his bitter break from Anne, reaching a novel conclusion. But before he can act upon his new resolve, a dire twist of fate threatens Anne’s life.

Blog update - changes to email subscription

As long-time visitors to my blog will know, I have been meaning to make some updates for a long time and I haven't, mainly because of lack of confidence in my limited technical abilities! Last year the email subscription service I was using, Feedburner, was discontinued. This email service would send out new blog posts to my email subscribers. As it was still working, I did nothing (shame on me) but it meant that new subscribers weren't able to sign up, so I needed to get it sorted and finally I have. 

I have moved active subscribers over to a new email service, Follow.it. I hope this service will be a good fit for my blog. Obviously the email addresses will not be used for anything other than letting subscribers know that a new post has been published. I understand that one of the benefits of Follow.it is that subscribers will be able to tailor the emails they receive, however I am not sure how much difference that will make as I'm not likely to start churning out a higher volume of posts! If you're interested in seeing the options you can do that here. As ever, if you have any suggestions for changes or improvements I'd be happy to hear them; please contact me with anything you'd like to raise. 

Who knows, if this update is successful, maybe it'll embolden me to try the other improvements I need to make, but don't hold your breath on that one :)

If you haven't subscribed already please do! 

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Jane Austen and Names by Maggie Lane - Review

Today I’m bringing you a review of a book I read a while ago. I had been meaning to read this book for literally years so I was pleased to finally get to it. The title of the book is Jane Austen and Names by Maggie Lane and as you will have inferred from the title, it takes a closer look at the character names that Austen used in her works. Let’s look at the blurb and then I’ll bring you my review.

Book Description

For Jane Austen, Edmund was a name the represented heroism and chivalry, Maria signified heartlessness and Richard was a joke.

She had a weakness for Emma and a passion for Frederick which endured from her earliest years until she bestowed it on her last, and most romantic, hero.

Unlike most novelists of her period, in naming her characters Jane Austen confined herself to the names found in everyday life, choosing them to fit not only their personalities but their place in society.

While the classic English names are her staple, she also drew on the Old Testament for her low-born characters and eighteenth-century creations for the would-be fashionable.

In this study of a hitherto neglected area of the novelist’s art, Maggie Lane looks at the history of English nomenclature up to Jane Austen’s time and at the naming patterns and practices current in her society, including who was entitled to use the Christian name of whom.

A section on Jane Austen’s own taste in names is followed by an alphabetical listing of all the Christian names used in her mature fiction, with their history, social status and associations.

'Jane Austen and Names' is a must-read for anyone interested in the great novelist.

A Promise of Forever by Christine Combe - Blog Tour, Guest Post and Giveaway

Today I’m welcoming Christine Combe back to the blog as part of the blog tour for her new Pride & Prejudice variation, A Promise of Forever. Christine joins us with a guest post and a giveaway opportunity. Let’s take a look at the blurb – I think it’ll grab your attention!

Book Description

“How dare you think that you can just come along after four years and dictate the course of the whole rest of our lives, Mr. Darcy!” she cried. “You don’t have the right!”

He stood and stepped up to her, and stared down at her with an equally determined expression. “I am your husband and he is my son—I have the only right.”

****

In this new Austenesque tale, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are Elizabeth’s parents and she grows up happy and carefree in Lambton. At sixteen, Lizzy meets and falls in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy, future Master of Pemberley. The couple decides to elope but they are torn apart by their closest relatives, and when reunited must determine whether the pain of the years that have passed can be overcome to regain the love that was lost.

****

Much Ado in Meryton by Riana Everly - Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway

Today I’m very happy to be welcoming Riana Everly back to the blog with the blog tour for her new book, Much Ado in Meryton. From the title, you will have guessed there is a Shakespeare influence mixed with a bit of Pride & Prejudice, as the title also mentions Meryton. Although I try and keep my blog mostly focussed on Austen, I actually read Much Ado About Nothing in my early blogging days, so you can learn a bit more about the play here if you're not familiar with it..

Riana has joined us with a guest post about home theatricals, which feature in her book, and also featured in Austen’s life and in Mansfield Park. She’s also treating us to an excerpt from the book. There is also an ebook giveaway to accompany the blog tour. Let’s look at the blurb and then I’ll hand over to Riana for her guest post.

Book Description 

A tale of friends, enemies, and the power of love.

"Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably." – Benedick, Much Ado About Nothing, 5.2

Mr. Darcy's arrival in Meryton raises many people's disdain, and Elizabeth Bennet's ire. An insult at a dance is returned in full measure, and soon the two find themselves in a merry war of words, trading barbs at every encounter. Matters go from bad to worse when Elizabeth and Darcy find themselves living under the same roof for a time, and their constant bickering frays everybody's nerves.

Will a clever scheme by their family and friends bring some peace to Netherfield's halls? And what of Mr. Wickham, whose charming presence is not quite so welcome by some members of the party? When the games get out of hand and nastier elements come into play, will everybody's chances for happiness be ruined forever?

This clever mash-up of Pride and Prejudice and Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing casts our beloved characters in fresh light, uniting Jane Austen's keen insight into love and character, and Shakespeare's biting wit.

Happy New Year - Welcome 2022

Hello to all of you. I just wanted to wish all of you a very Happy New Year and hope that 2022 is a good year for you. Usually at this point I'd share my pick of this year's reads but I have had the worst reading year that I've had in a long time :( I've read very few books and reviewed only a tiny fraction of them! So I haven't reviewed enough to make a fair pick from. 

Home Office with Co-worker Cat

I am not sure why I've struggled so badly this year, you would have thought that 2020 would be the worst, with the pandemic starting and all the uncertainty and unknown, but I think that deep down I was expecting things to go back to 'normal' in 2021 and that just hasn't happened. The expected three weeks of homeworking that I started back in March 2020 is looking like the ongoing situation now. At least now I have a separate space to work, as we've made a small home office in the garage. It doesn't look like much but actually it's a really cosy and comfortable space and it's good for me to have a space away from the other parts of the house.

I also started a new job within the same company and this is good for me too, as I am doing different things, dusting off old skills and learning some new ones. I'm in a small team - I already knew three of my team pre-pandemic, but only know the other four people through video meetings, and although it's not the same, they couldn't have been more helpful or welcoming to me, which makes me feel very fortunate.

I feel in a lot of ways that my life has shrunk, as if I don't go anywhere or do anything. It's so much harder in the current climate to do things and go places, and of course it being winter doesn't help. I am trying to go into 2022 looking for positivity and to broaden my horizons again. I hope for a better year in 2022.

So, how was your 2021? I know a lot of you squeezed plenty of reading in, so if you have any recommendations of good books you read in 2021 I'd love to hear about them. Are there any books coming in 2022 that you're really anticipating? Let me know in the comments.

Again, I want to take the opportunity to wish you a happy, safe and fulfilling 2022. I hope the year brings you good things!