Saturday, December 31, 2011

Mr. Darcy’s Letter by Abigail Reynolds


Hurray! I brand new book from Abigail Reynolds! I really liked Mr. Darcy's Letter!  There were times I couldn’t put it down, but with the holidays at hand, I had to! 
In this Pride and Prejudice variation, Elizabeth refuses to read Mr. Darcy’s letter, the one he writes to her after his proposal at Hunsford. As a result, Elizabeth is unaware of Mr. Wickham’s true character. She confides in him when she returns to Lougbourn and he tries to convince her to accept Darcy.  What is Wickham up to?
I liked the addition of Mr. Wickham’s older brother in this story. Even though he is a bit rough, he is a descent man. Bingley actions surprised me a little, although we know he is easily swayed. I was disappointed in Elizabeth for not reading Mr. Darcy’s Letter! Which leads to one misunderstand after another!  Of course, that’s what the story is about!
The story ended too quickly for me, it felt like it just stopped.  There is one intimate scene for those of you who don’t care for that. 
If you are a fan of Reynolds you won’t want to miss it!

Buy a copy of Mr. Darcy's Letter here.

Comments are always welcome!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Christmas at Pemberley By Regina Jeffers


Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! And what a better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by reading Christmas at Pemberley! It is a beautiful story!
About 2 years into Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage, the Darcys are traveling home to Pemberley when they have to seek shelter from a storm and icy roads. They are stranded at a crowded inn for several days. Unknown to Elizabeth, Darcy has arranged for her family to come to Pemberley for Christmas.  Besides the Bennets and the Bingleys, Pemberley receives some other unexpected company. One is Lady Catherine! What is she doing there? Nothing good I’m sure! Caroline Bingley, Colonel Fitzwilliam (always a favorite of mine and he didn’t disappoint me in this one!), along with a few new characters are all in attendance. Georgiana has her hands full trying to entertain everyone. 
Meanwhile, the Darcys, while stranded at the inn, meet the Josephs.  Mrs. Joseph is about 8 months pregnant. What happens at the inn is beautiful and full of meaning as Ms. Jeffers captures the spirit of Christmas. 
I really enjoyed Christmas at Pemberley, and was pleasantly surprised to find an inspirational message in it!  Although, it jumps back and forth a bit too much for me, it comes together nicely at the end. Overall, it’s a wonderful story and a great Christmas read!

Buy a copy of Christmas at Pemberley here.
Your comments are always welcome!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen by Lindsay Ashford


I really liked The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen! I love Jane Austen and her work but I don't know much about her personal life, so I didn't have any preconceived notions about Jane's family. Please keep in mind that this is a fictional story based on letters and diaries.

Written from the point of view of Anne Sharp, who worked as a governess for the children of Jane Austen's brother Edward. It was there that Jane and Anne became lifelong friends. Anne began to suspect Henry Austen of having an affair with Edward's wife Elizabeth. Everybody liked Henry, he was a very charming, easy to get along with kind of guy, but he was also very manipulating. There were other odd things going on in the family, but was Anne reading too much into what she saw?

I kept trying to figure out if this was all just Anne's active imagination or was it really happening. I loved trying to figure it out. It all came together at the end.

I liked learning about the family and trying to put the pieces together of what was going on. Also, did Jane write her family members into her stories?

Lindsay Ashford is a contemporary crime/mystery novelist and has a degree in criminology. When she moved to Chawton, the village where Jane had lived, she began to investigate Jane’s death.

Buy a copy of The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen here.

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you!
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