"Learning to Love" by Brigid Huey ~ Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hello, my friends! Do you love Little Women and Pride and Prejudice? Brigid Huey has entwined the two stories in her new book Learning to Love! Brigid is here today to share an excerpt from the book. There's also a giveaway happening! Details for the giveaway are at the bottom of this page.  

Learning to Love 

by Brigid Huey 

Blurb

 

In this exploration of Little Women and Pride and Prejudice, can Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy help unite two young lovers? 

Amy March has been in love with her neighbor Laurie for years, but he only had eyes for her older sister. Now living in Europe, Amy is choosing her path to happiness despite her heartache. But her equilibrium is challenged when a single and melancholy Laurie pays her a visit.  

Soundly rejected by his childhood love and best friend, Laurie is now wandering around Europe, taking little interest in anything or anyone. Things change in France, where he reunites with his old friend Amy. Disappointed in his behavior, she convinces him to take charge of his life and engineer his own happiness. 

Laurie returns to London to make a fresh start, but he cannot get Amy out of his mind. Confused and lovestruck, he appeals to his grandfather’s close friends, the Darcys, for advice. Will this wise, elderly couple be able to guide him through his heartache?

 

Candy, thank you so much for having me here at So little time! I’m pleased to be back, and even more excited to share with you and your readers my newest work! Learning to Love is inspired by my two favorite historical novels, Pride and Prejudice and Little Women. I’ve brought a little excerpt to share. I do hope you all enjoy it! 

Oh, I should probably mention that a key plot point from Little Women is revealed here. So if you haven’t read the original, be warned! Here we find Amy in a little garden in Vevay.

Excerpt

     The yard offered a green sanctuary shaded by trees with an excellent view of the water, and Amy sat for hours each day staring out across its wide blue expanse.

     She sat there now, alone as usual, with a pile of letters in her lap. Behind her, a bed of flowers bloomed with roses, her black crepe dress standing in stark contrast to the riotous blooms of pink and yellow behind her. How she wished for Laurie to be here! But she had told him to stay with his grandfather, and she would not be so selfish as to pull him away. Nevertheless, she felt certain that, once he heard the sad news, he would come. Her dear sister had been gone almost a month now.

     Tears slid down her cheeks once again. She should have gone home long ago. How would she ever bear this heartache alone? And how could she have missed the opportunity to say farewell to her beloved Beth?

     She dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief, absentmindedly fingering the black cross she wore around her neck. Laurie had given it to her many years ago. Jo had laughed at such a serious gift, but Laurie knew her better. Amy had a solemn, serious side that her sisters did not often appreciate. Meg understood, perhaps, but Jo never would. Though they had quarreled often as children, she and Jo had come to a pleasant place of understanding as they grew older. Her sister’s letters were full of affection and came with endearing regularity. Jo’s pages overflowed with snippets of stories she was working on, tales of her life in New York as a tutor, and the everyday ups and downs of life at Orchard House. All that would change if Jo ever found out about Amy’s love for Laurie.

     Amy thought that Beth might have suspected, but—as was her gentle sister’s way—she had never asked about it, unwilling to force a confidence. She should have confided in Beth. Now she would never get the chance. A fresh wave of tears overcame her, and she buried her face in her handkerchief. The loneliness of Vevay was suffocating.

     She longed for Laurie with a force that shook her confidence. She had practiced for so many years! Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus on the mantra that she often repeated to herself: He does not care for you in that way. You will be respected if you cannot be loved.

     But the words did not bring her comfort now. The letters from Laurie had drawn him too close to her heart. She loved him so very much but was still in ignorance of his feelings. He had never shown her more than brotherly affection.

     Yet the tone of his letters had changed. He spoke to her now as an equal, not a younger sister to be teased. His words were of a man to a woman. And though they were friends as they always had been, she felt that their friendship had deepened in a way she didn’t quite understand.

     Laurie—would he not come?

     She looked up and gasped. He stood on the other side of the courtyard, handsome as ever, though he wore a suit of mourning. Blinking to be certain she was really seeing him, her lips formed his name, though no sound escaped them. 

     In a moment, she was on her feet and running toward him. The forgotten letters fluttered to the ground as she opened her arms. “Oh, Laurie! I knew you would come to me!”

     The words escaped her lips without her realizing it. In a moment, she was safe in his embrace. His strong arms came around her and she rested her head on his lapel, taking in his familiar smell and the comfort that only his presence could bring.

     “I came as soon as I got your letter,” he muttered against her hair.

     After a long moment, she realized she was still holding onto him. She stepped back, feeling the flush on her skin. “I’m so sorry! I couldn’t help it. I was just so lonely, and I looked up and saw you, and…well…”

     He took her arm in his, leading her back to the bench. She sat and watched him gather up the forgotten letters. She felt her cheeks heat again when she realized just how many of them were from him. As he sat beside her and handed her the letters, his look was almost shy. She tucked them away in her reticule and struggled to meet his gaze.

     “How are you doing, my dear? Really?” His voice was gentle, and she felt tears coming on again.

     “I shall be well in time.”

     “I wish I could say something to comfort you for the loss of dear Beth, but I can only feel and…” Unable to finish his thought, Laurie took her hand instead, giving it a gentle squeeze.

     “You needn’t say anything. This comforts me.”

     They sat for a moment in silence, thinking of Beth and all they had lost.

     “Beth is at peace now,” Amy whispered at last. “I am so grateful you have come, Laurie. My Aunt and Flo have been very kind, but they didn’t love Beth the way we did.” She looked at him with sudden anxiety. “You need not return right away?”

     “I shall stay as long as you want me, my dear.”

     Something in his voice struck her heart in a way that stole her tongue. She could not trust herself to reply, so she nodded instead. Still, he said nothing, and she whispered, “I do want you. Very much.”

     She chanced a look at Laurie’s face and saw something there that made her heart beat faster. He was looking at her tenderly—in a way he never had before.

     The moment passed, and he said in his usual way, “Poor little soul! I am going to take care of you now. Come. It is too chilly to sit still here in the shade. Let us walk together.”

     He slipped her arm through his and led her out into the sunlight. They walked along the stone walkway near the lake’s edge, admiring its beauty together.

About the Author

Brigid Huey lives in Ohio with her husband and two kids. She
dreams of living on a farm where she can raise as many chickens, ducks, and goats as she likes and write romance novels in an airy study overlooking the wildflowers.

Connect with Brigid Huey

Website • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter

Book Links

Amazon US • Amazon Universal Buy Link

Add to Goodreads

FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon US. I am an Amazon Associate. I will receive a small commission, at no cost to you,  if you purchase a book through the link provided. Thanks!

Other Books by Brigid Huey

A Chance Encounter in Pemberley Woods (Amazon US)

Interrupted Plans (Amazon US)

Spies of Our Acquaintance (Amazon US)

The Foll Stones (Amazon US)

Blog Tour Schedule

July 2 - So little time... you're here!

July 5 - From Pemberley to Milton

July 8 - Interests of a Jane Austen Girl

July 10 - My Jane Austen Book Club

July 12 - Delighted Reader Book Reviews

July 15 - Austenesque Reviews

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

It's giveaway time! Meryton Press is giving away an eBook of Learning to Love to one of my lucky readers! To enter, leave a comment below with a way to contact you, or check back here, where I will announce the winner.

• One person will win an e-copy of Learning to Love.
• Winner will be randomly picked.
• To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below and provide a way of contacting you, or check back for the winner announcement.
• Open internationally.
• The last day to enter the giveaway is July 9th, 2024, by the end of the day.

Good luck!

Congratulations, Brigid, on the release of Learning to Love! Thank you so much for stopping by!

Thanks to Meryton Press for the giveaway, and a heartfelt thanks to Janet Taylor @ More Agreeably Engaged for organizing and including me in this blog tour!

So readers, what are your thougths about a Little Women/Pride and Prejudice mashup? Let me know in the comments! 

"A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings" by Jayne Bamber ~ Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hello, my friends! Jayne Bamber is visiting today with an excerpt from her new book, A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings!

 

A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings

A Jane Austen Mashup 

By Jayne Bamber

Blurb:


The worlds of Pride & Prejudice and Mansfield Park collide when the Bertrams and Crawfords come to Meryton…. 

The Bertram family of Mansfield Park is forced to retrench and retreat to Purvis Lodge when the baronet’s heir, Tom Bertram, bankrupts the family with his extravagant spending and expensive debauchery. Oblivious to their ruin, their new neighbor Mrs. Bennet finds an agreeable friend in the indolent Lady Bertram, and hastily forms designs on the two Bertram sons for her daughters. 

Mary and Henry Crawford leave Mansfield Parsonage for the Mayfair home of their friend Charles Bingley, and soon convince him to rent Netherfield Park and travel there with a large party of friends as well as his wily, widowed aunt, Lady Susan Vernon. Once again, Mrs. Bennet is overjoyed at the influx of eligible bachelors for her girls.  

Jane and Elizabeth Bennet are delighted to be reunited with their Crawford cousins, who shall in turn be reunited with the Bertrams. The bonds of the two eldest Bennet daughters and their cousins Mary and Henry Crawford are put to the test over the course of a summer filled with more fine society than Meryton has ever seen! 

Mrs. Bennet has it all planned out, but hers are not the only matchmaking maneuvers being made in Meryton - the matrimony-obsessed matron has met her match in Lady Susan Vernon, a masterful manipulator who is infinitely Mrs. Bennet’s superior in subtlety, and who brings out the schemer in Mary Crawford. Even Mr. Bennet is tempted to a little light trickery of his own when Mr. Collins comes to town. 

Fitzwilliam Darcy wishes only to lift the spirits of his broken-hearted sister Georgiana and his bereaved cousin Richard, and in his efforts to cheer them he becomes embroiled in schemes, rescues, and is even compelled to participate in a theatrical production because it pleases the ones he loves - including the bewitching Elizabeth Bennet. Conflicting desires not only consume his mind, but begin to surround him as his companions at Netherfield all form opposing plans of their own, which threaten to keep any of them from a clear path to Happily Ever After….

 

I’m so happy to be back at So Little Time... to share another new release! My tenth novel, A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings is a mashup of Pride & Prejudice and Mansfield Park; these two worlds are linked by a familial relationship, with the Crawford siblings as cousins to the Bennet sisters. The Bertrams also have a part to play, for they move to Purvis Lodge after Tom’s profligate spending forces Sir Thomas to rent out Mansfield Park. Darcy and the Bingleys arrive at Netherfield with a larger party than in canon, including Georgiana, the Colonel, and Bingley’s aunt – the notorious Lady Susan Vernon. 

In this variation, the Lucases are no longer residing in the area; Maria Lucas married well and Charlotte married splendidly, becoming Lady Longmont. Sir William Lucas, now a widower, divides his time between his two daughters’ estate, and only visits annually so that his young son and heir can maintain a connection to Lucas Lodge. On this occasion, Lady Longmont accompanies her father, curious at all the new neighbors Lizzy has mentioned in her letters.

In the excerpt I am sharing today, Sir William hosts a garden party with his eldest daughter, with the Bennets, the Bertrams, the Crawfords, and all their companions at Netherfield in attendance. Mrs. Bennet is insistent that Jane must be for Darcy, and Lizzy for Bingley; early in the story, Elizabeth is still unsure if she likes any of the gentlemen in the area (and there are enough to send Mrs. Bennet into a tizzy!)

***

     A sense of euphoria carried Elizabeth through the crowd of her neighbors as she put her mother’s scheming from her mind. Her sisters all appeared content, her cousins were here and so was a dear friend she had not seen in years. Meryton was as merry as she had ever seen it, and she was enjoying the liveliest and finest blend of society she had ever experienced. She felt that she was even now making memories that would be cherished when her environs returned to their usual monotony, and a sense of being on the precipice of great felicity for many weeks filled Elizabeth with exhilaration. She was fairly floating.

     After stopping to speak with all her friends and neighbors, she finally approached Mr. Bingley. His game of lawn bowls had just ended, and a new one was beginning. Lady Susan moved away with Henry in pursuit, and Mr. Bingley entreated Mr. Darcy and his sister to take their place. 

     Elizabeth, too, was invited to join; she declined, saying, “I shall have to suffice as an observer of your game, though I shall not be a silent one – I shall leave this office to Mr. Darcy.”

     Georgiana began to look alarmed, but her brother gave her a reassuring nod, his lips curling slightly upward in what Elizabeth supposed must be all the smile she could expect from him. “I am ready to oblige you,” he said. 

     Mr. Bingley laughed. “I can well believe it of Darcy, but not you, Miss Elizabeth.”

     “My old friend Lady Longmont has been teasing me already, for my greatest pleasure in the day is sure to be studying the characters of all our new neighbors.”

     “I am sure you shall make quick work of me,” Mr. Bingley replied with a self-deprecating laugh. 

     “Oh yes, I understand you perfectly,” Elizabeth teased him.

     She had hoped for something clever in return, but he drew his eyebrows together as he replied, “I might wish that a compliment, but to be so easily seen through is rather pitiful.”

     Georgiana gasped. “I am sure Lizzy means no offense.”

     Now it was Elizabeth’s turn to reassure the girl; she gave a broad smile and said, “It does not necessarily follow that a deep and intricate character is more estimable than an open temperament such as yours, sir.”

     “You are generous,” Mr. Bingley said. “But I cannot begrudge you what must be a fascinating occupation.”

     “I thank you,” Elizabeth said, hoping she might yet lure Mr. Bingley into a lively debate. “Intricate characters do have the advantage of being a more interesting study.”

     “Undoubtedly,” Mr. Bingley agreed. 

     Mr. Darcy had watched them with the same twinkle in his eye as when he had seen Elizabeth’s fit of pique in the boxwoods, and she was struck with the memory of his real smile, wide and bright and completely disarming. For now, he offered only that polite turning upward of his lips. “No doubt you must find yourself more occupied than usual, with the recent influx of subjects for study.”

     She had said so to Charlotte, but as much as Elizabeth enjoyed studying her companions, she delighted more in verbal sparring; she refused to agree with Mr. Darcy. “The long standing residents of Meryton have never disappointed me. People themselves alter so much that there is something new to be observed in them forever.”

     “Ha,” Mr. Bingley cried. “How very true.”

     Mr. Darcy eyed his friend, his face beginning to betray his amusement. “And are you so content, Miss Elizabeth, to be surrounded by the same changeable companions, that you cannot be tempted by a chance to examine new specimens?”

     His phrasing could only inspire more rebellion in Elizabeth. “I hope I should never limit myself in such a dismal way; who knows what delights I may deny myself. No, I should be pleased by any opportunity to take the likeness of a new character, even if they are only tolerable.”

     “You are fortunate in having a disposition so well suited to society; I am sure it must aid your endeavors.”

     Mr. Bingley was quick to agree with his friend. “Quite so – we are alike in that way, Miss Elizabeth – I daresay we enjoy society more than Darcy here.”

     Elizabeth grinned at the gentlemen. “Is our company such a punishment for your friend? I wonder at your bringing him amongst us, Mr. Bingley.”

     Georgiana looked alarmed. “Oh, no – I am sure William is very pleased with Meryton. He smiled more on the day of our picnic than I have seen him do in many months, and I know he was looking forward to coming here today, for he was most impatient at Miss Bingley’s delaying our departure.” She finished this speech with a little gasp and clapped a hand over her mouth, offering both her brother and Mr. Bingley an apologetic look. 

     “Your brother’s commitment to punctuality is most commendable,” Elizabeth said to Georgiana with a cheeky little wink. “It proves he is able and willing to apply himself in society. After all, he is a gentleman of consequence who might move in the world as much as he chooses, and so in time he may become as proficient as his friends in the enjoyment of social occasions.”

     Georgiana made no reply beyond a startled sound that grew into a smile; Mr. Bingley mirrored her amusement, but likewise remained silent as he regarded Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth with merry anticipation. 

     “You posit that your ease in company is the result of practice, and not predisposition?”

     “Certainly, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth replied. “I should always rather be considered accomplished than lucky.”

     “Then you are not perceptive and convivial by nature?”

     “I am sure you are, Miss Elizabeth,” Mr. Bingley said at once. 

     “I am, yes – and is it not prudent to nurture those strengths in character that might be most easily and most advantageously cultivated?”

     “Might not the same be said of discernment and pride?” 

     Elizabeth tilted her head to one side as she studied Mr. Darcy. “Pride, sir? We speak of strengths and not weaknesses.”

     “Yes, but where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will always be under good regulation.”

     Elizabeth laughed in spite of herself. “Confident as you are, I cannot imagine the reason for your reserve in society.”

     “I am conversing easily with you now, am I not?”

     “You must be the judge of that, sir – I can say only that you are conversing well. But I have claimed only to excel at studying society, not participating in it.”

     Mr. Darcy’s lips twitched and twisted, as if resisting a smile. “And what is your success?”

     “I cannot make out your character at all,” Elizabeth replied. She considered the disinterested haughtiness he had shown at the assembly – it was very different to his behavior at the picnic. He had shown her compassion, then, and an intriguing trace of humor – and his sister seemed to think he had enjoyed himself, despite Elizabeth’s display of absurdity. 

     “My experience has been limited to such disparate encounters with you as to puzzle me exceedingly,” Elizabeth said. 

     “I beg you would not attempt to sketch my character at present,” Mr. Darcy replied. “I fear it would not reflect well on either of us. You shall have many other opportunities to perfect your study; a hasty judgment would be a most regrettable thing, particularly when the subject merits greater consideration.”

     This was said with such a significant look in his eye that Elizabeth felt certain Mr. Darcy meant to atone for his rude remarks at the assembly, though any gentleman so far above her station might have thought one apology was more than enough. She suspected it would only embarrass him for her to acknowledge such a tender sentiment – for he had indeed softened her feelings for him considerably – but she remained too stubborn to expose herself in such a way. 

     “At last we are in agreement,” Elizabeth said. She might have spoken more – indeed she had begun to feel she might easily lose all sense of time, propriety, and consideration for her companions in conversing endlessly with Mr. Darcy – but they were interrupted.

     A beleaguered looking Mr. Fitzwilliam joined them with Miss Bingley on his arm. That lady wore a haughty grimace which tried, and failed, to become a smile. The gentleman clapped his cousin on the back. “I had to come over and ascertain if you have developed some manner of fever or mania, Darcy, for I have never seen you so conversant amongst new acquaintance.”

     “Mr. Darcy has been enlightened as to the myriad benefits of practice,” Elizabeth said archly. “Do you not think his efforts a great success?”

      “I am sure Mr. Darcy does everything well,” Miss Bingley replied.

     “I have it on good authority that you are quite right,” Elizabeth said cheerfully. “His sister informed me, when we had our picnic at Longbourn, that her brother has no faults at all.”

     “Have you revised your opinion of him, then?” Mr. Bingley stepped closer to her, looking eager for his share of her attention. 

     Elizabeth smiled back at him before turning to give Mr. Darcy a significant look. “I hope we are all capable of revising our first impressions.”

     “Surely nobody could ever think ill of Mr. Darcy,” Miss Bingley insisted. “He is too much the gentleman – he commands too much respect for the censure of strangers.”

     “I am sure I must defer to your superior judgment, Miss Bingley – I am resolved to act upon sound advice, and not sketch his character until we have become better acquainted.” Feeling on the verge of becoming quite embarrassed, Elizabeth dipped into a curtsey. She roused one last moment of defiance as she parted from them, saying, “I beg you would excuse me – I must look elsewhere for some folly to amuse me.”

     Elizabeth strode away, and when she had sufficiently removed herself from Mr. Darcy and his praise chorus, she began to laugh. How could it be that Mr. Bingley was far more agreeable than his sister, when both siblings were inclined to agree endlessly with anybody they liked? 

     Mr. Bingley’s style of agreement, Elizabeth supposed, was more sincerely and more frequently bestowed; he responded to any pleasant sentiment with more of the same, seeking to please everyone he could. Miss Bingley was the opposite side of the same coin – she wielded her acquiescence like a poisoned dagger, making little cuts wherever she could. Anything might be made to sound worse by Miss Bingley’s agreement, which was given only when she could use it to assert her own imagined superiority.

     With Mr. Fitzwilliam so perversely resolved to attach himself to Miss Bingley, and that lady twice as determined to insinuate herself into Mr. Darcy and Georgiana’s esteem, Elizabeth could understand why Mr. Darcy worried for his sister and cousin – she was almost moved to pity Mr. Darcy. Almost.

     She had every reason to dislike him, but Elizabeth could not deny, in the privacy of her own musings, that she had not only understood Mr. Darcy’s ill humor and forgiven him his insult, but she was beginning to like him. And poor Mr. Bingley! There was every reason in the world she should like him – beyond the material considerations her mother was wont to expound upon, and even his own apparent interest in herself, Mr. Bingley was handsome, amiable, and everything a gentleman ought to be. And yet, Elizabeth was beginning to believe that she could never think better of him than she did now; his disposition was so open that she doubted there was more of wit and substance than she had yet to discover in him. If only he had argued with her, and not Mr. Darcy!

About the Author

Jayne Bamber is a life-long Austen fan, and a total sucker for costume dramas. Jayne read her first Austen variation as a teenager and has spent more than a decade devouring as many of them as she can. This of course has led her to the ultimate conclusion of her addiction, writing one herself. 

Jayne’s favorite Austen work is Sense and Sensibility, though Sanditon is a strong second. Despite her love for Pride and Prejudice, Jayne realizes that she is no Lizzy Bennet, and is in fact growing up to be Mrs. Bennet more and more each day.

Connect with Jayne Bamber

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Purchase Links

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FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. I will receive a small commission, at no cost to you,  if you purchase a book through the link provided. Thanks!

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

It's giveaway time! Jayne is one eCopy of A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings to one lucky person on this Blog Tour! Enter through this Rafflecopter link.

Good luck!

Jayne, congratulations on this 10th book! Wow! That's fantastic! Also, thank you for visiting here! I enjoyed hosting you. 

Friends, thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed the excerpt. Let us know your thoughts about the story! Do you like mash-ups? 

Much Ado in Meryton by Riana Everly ~ Guest Post & Giveaway!

Hello, my friends! Today I have the lovely Riana Everly visiting with an interview with Elizabeth Bennet and a delightful excerpt from her new book, Much Ado in Meryton! 

Be sure to read to the bottom of the page for giveaway details!

Happy New Year to everyone! I wish you all the very best for 2022. And thank you for hosting me here today and letting me talk a bit about my new book, Much Ado in Meryton.

As you might guess from the title, this is a mash-up of sort of Pride and Prejudice and Shakespeare’s blistering play, Much Ado About Nothing. There are two main storylines in the play, and one of those involves the “merry war” between main characters Beatrice and Benedick. They have a past and cannot stop trading barbs and insults, until their friends step in to settle matters.

So what does this have to do with Elizabeth and Darcy? I’ll let Elizabeth Bennet herself tell you all about it.

~ * ~

Riana Everly: Thank you, Miss Bennet, for joining us today. I
always enjoy our conversations.

Elizabeth Bennet: Please, call me Lizzy. We are old friends, after all. 

Riana: I hear your first encounter with Mr. Darcy was not entirely amiable.

Lizzy: (lets out a huff) No, it was not at all amiable. The man is quite dreadful. Why, at a ball full of ladies with not enough gentlemen to dance with us all, he quite refused to even look at me. I should not have minded, but then he had the nerve to offer a most cruel insult, calling me tolerable, at best. Can you imagine it?

Riana: That is quite upsetting. And how did you respond?

Lizzy: I remarked, as I walked past him, that I did not mind at all for I only dance with gentleman. And he was no gentleman!

Riana: Oh. I see. He must not have been too pleased. Did he improve upon subsequent meetings?

Lizzy: No, indeed! He grew worse and worse. He was rude and insufferable, and I dare say he had fewer wits about him than a fish has hair. Why, he could not find a single sensible thought were it on a map presented right to him, and with an arrow pointing directly to it. You cannot imagine the things he called me: Harpy, termagant, virago! Can you imagine? These words directed at me? The horror of it!

Riana: Say it is not so! And he offered these insults without provocation?

Lizzy: Well… perhaps I was not always as temperate in my own comments as I might have been. But others have always enjoyed my particular wit. Why should he not? The only possible is that he has more earwax than brain in his head. Oh, that it were not so handsome.

Riana: He is quite pleasant to look at.

Lizzy: (sighs) Alas, I must agree with you. If only the person inside matched the outside. Then he would be the perfect man.

~ * ~

Here is an excerpt from Much Ado in Meryton. I hope you enjoy it.

* * * 

Elizabeth and Charlotte were sitting on the settee with Miss Margaret Robinson, talking about some diverting, if quite inconsequential matter, when Mr. Bingley and his party arrived. All rose and a series of bows and curtseys ensued, with one remarkable exception. Mr. Darcy most definitely did not offer any manner of salutation to Elizabeth. He bowed to Charlotte and muttered appropriate words to Miss Margaret, and quite ignored her very existence. It was the Cut Direct if ever she had seen one. She gaped after him as he walked on.

“I was correct, it seems,” she observed for any ears that happened to be near, “when I presumed Mr. Darcy to be no gentleman.” 

To which, Mr. Darcy surprised her by turning to speak directly to her for the first time since the night of the assembly. “How fortunate then, Miss Bennet, that you are no lady to care.” He turned his back and began to move into the room.

What? The nerve of that man! How dare he insult her in such a way? She had, a small voice in her head insisted, started this particular skirmish, and ought to ignore his taunts and show herself to be the superior creature. But her pride would not listen to this quiet voice of reason and her mouth began moving almost before her brain agreed with it.

“How happy that his purse is full then, for the man himself is an empty pocket.” There. That should put him in his place. She ignored Charlotte’s gasp of horror at her side, as well as the tinge of guilt that nagged at her conscience.

He turned once more and glared at her, eyes narrow and jaw tight. “How happy that we are so distant from Egypt, lady, for your tongue is more venomous than all the asps in the Nile.”

“Darcy!” Mr. Bingley was at his side in a trice. “What are you doing? This is most unlike you. I know you have a hot temper at times, but I have never heard you speak to a lady like this. You were the one who told me always to take the higher path. What is this? Come away at once.”

Darcy sniffed and stuck his nose up into the air and walked away without another word, Bingley hissing into his ear. That man’s back was his best side, to be sure! If only his face weren’t so handsome.

Much Ado in Meryton

Pride and Prejudice meets Shakespeare

by Riana Everly

Blurb 

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.

 

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About the Author

Riana Everly was born in South Africa, but has called Canada home since she was eight years old. She has a Master’s degree in Medieval Studies and is trained as a classical musician, specialising in Baroque and early Classical music. She first encountered Jane Austen when her father handed her a copy of Emma at age 11, and has never looked back. 

Riana now lives in Toronto with her family. When she is not writing, she can often be found playing string quartets with friends, biking around the beautiful province of Ontario with her husband, trying to improve her photography, thinking about what to make for dinner, and, of course, reading!

Riana’s novels have received several awards and citations as favourite reads of the year, including two Jane Austen Awards and a Discovering Diamonds review.

Connect with Riana

Blog • Facebook • Twitter

She loves meeting readers!

Blog Tour Schedule 

January 7 ~ Babblings of a Bookworm

January 10 ~ Interests of a Jane Austen Girl

January 11 ~ A Novel Sentiment

January 13 ~ So Little Time… ~ you are here!

January 14 ~ Austen Authors

January 17 ~ From Pemberley to Milton

January 22 ~ My Love for Jane Austen

January 27 ~ Austenesque Reviews

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

It's giveaway time! Riana Everly is giving away five eBooks of Much Ado in Meryton for this blog tour! You can enter through the Rafflecopter below. If you have trouble entering with the Rafflecopter, you can email her directly with you name and preferred email address and she will add you manually to the list for the draw. Her email address is riana.everly@gmail.com. 

 Open internationally!

Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Riana, thank you so much for stopping by! I enjoyed this interview and excerpt! Sounds like a fun read!

Dear readers, what do you think? Does Much Ado in Meryton sound like something you’d like to read?

What Are You Reading? ~ Oct. 30th, 2019

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What are you Reading?  Let me know what your current read is, what you recently finished reading, and what you plan on reading next! 

Current Read

I'm currently reading Looking for Alaska* by John Green. I'm not very far into this, but I'm enjoying it. It's an easy read. I'm trying to read this before watching the series on Hulu! :)

I'm also listening to The Girl With No Name* by Diney Costeloe, a WWII story. It's so good! I'm about a third of the way through. 








Recently Finished

I finished reading Pride and Prometheus* by John Kessel. This was really good. Kessel kept true to the original Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (which I have read) while adding the Bennet's to the story. Mary and Kitty Bennet are the main characters pulled from Pride and Prejudice, although you will see appearances from most of them. I do have one quibble with the story, but mentioning it would be a spoiler. Otherwise, it was a great read! ~ 4 stars

I also finished Rules of Conflict (Survival Rules #2)* by Jack Hunt. I had put this one down for a while but picked it back up. It was okay. ~ 3 stars








What's next? 

I think I'm going to read One Second After* by William R. Forstchen, which is a post-apocalyptic/ EMP story.








*Disclaimer: Links are to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks! 


Have a great week, friends! Be sure to share what you've been reading! 

What Are You Reading? ~ Oct. 23rd, 2019

* * Post contains affiliate links. * *

What are you Reading?  Let me know what your current read is, what you recently finished reading, and what you plan on reading next! 

Current Read

I'm currently reading Pride and Prometheus* by John Kessel. I'm not too far into it, but I'm enjoying it! I'm glad I took the time to read Frankenstein last year. I don't think that's necessary to enjoy this book, but I'm glad I have the background.







Recently Finished 

I recently finished reading The Inheritance* by Tamera Alexander. I forgot to mention last week that I had started listening to this while driving to my son's wedding. Well, I finished it the other day. It was great! ~ 4 stars. 

I also finished reading Sanditon* by Jane Austen. Boy, I wish Jane had finished this story. Sadly, she passed away before she could. She had laid all the groundwork for all her characters (and she had quite a few in this one!) when she quit working on it.

I'm looking forward to watching the new mini-series when it comes to the US. I've heard mix things about it.

I love this cover! Lol! It's the chicken that I adore. It's a funny picture. I'm not sure why it was chosen for this story! :)

What's Next?

I want to read Looking for Alaska* by John Green before watching the series on Netflix. It's been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years now, but I haven't read it. My daughter has, though.







*Disclaimer: Links are to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks! 


Have a great week, friends! Be sure to share what you've been reading!