Six beloved authors deliver romantic Valentine novellas set in Jane Austen’s Regency world. Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, and Barbara Cornthwaite, together with Susan Kaye and Mandy Cook, share variations of Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility, featuring your favorite characters in sequels, adaptations, and spinoffs of Austen’s adored novels. Experience uplifting … uplifting romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and poignant regret as these authors deftly tug on your heartstrings this Valentine’s Day.
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I did not care for the stories that changed the original story
What do you get when you combine Austen and Regency experts and tell them to create Austen-inspired retellings?
Well, in this case, you get six fabulous novellas! From the first to the last, each story is a gem in its own right.
Robin Helm gives us a glimpse into Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s marriage in “I Dream of You” and shows how Elizabeth takes a problem and turns it into a challenge. There is so much to be learned from this story, and yet I don’t know how much of that “lesson” Ms. Helm meant to put there. It’s not a moralistic tale or a sermon disguised as a story. It doesn’t read like that anyway. Instead, with excellent writing and careful attention to period detail, she shows how Elizabeth takes a personal disappointment and turns it into a way to bless her husband. Brilliant. I have to caution that for conservative readers, this one is more sensual than I usually read, but I am NOT sorry I read it. Nothing is inappropriate… I’m just a prude and I know some people are aware of that.
Note: Every wife should be as wise and forethoughtful as Lizzy Darcy when she senses something lacking in her marriage.
An excellent lesson!
Laura Hile is up next with her delightful tale of a serendipitous mixup, “Sir Walter Takes a Wife.” Sir Walter Elliot is brilliantly self-centered as usual, and he’s met his match–both literally and figuratively–in Lady Catherine deBourgh. I laughed from beginning to end, and absolutely loved how she kept everyone the same while showing us new sides to them as only Laura can do.
Wendy Sotis retells the tale of Elizabeth’s sojourn in Kent in “My Forever Valentine” but at a slightly different time than we saw in the original, and because of that, we see different sides of several characters. I LOVE Anne in this one in particular.
Next up is Barbara Cornthwaite’s “Pretense and Prejudice” in which Elizabeth and Darcy have to deal with spies!
As we’re accustomed to with Ms. Cornthwaite, the story is full of rich detail that doesn’t bog down the pace (yay!) and a carefully woven plot that kept me on my toes the whole way. I mean, you know what’s going to happen… and yet, you don’t. And that’s the best part.
“My Valentine” by Mandy Cook is possibly my favorite. Just don’t quote me on that because my favorite changes depending on which one I’m talking about at any given moment. Right now, it’s this one. I’ve never read anything by Mandy Cook before, but I look forward to more! Her glance a couple of decades into the future to show us Elizabeth Darcy’s daughter and her very special Valentine… aaah… Seriously one of the sweetest stories. I envy someone writing something so delightfully endearing.
And the “Lover’s Ruse” by Susan Kaye did what I’ve wanted to see for a long time. She showed us Anne Elliot BEFORE Lady Russell meddled where she wasn’t wanted and sent Anne into a depression I don’t think the girl even knew about. Seeing those sparks of the Anne we see after Wentworth returned BEFORE he even went–wonderful. I just loved this “what if” and everything that went with it.
Of further note:
One of the most frustrating things about reading historical fiction is when the diction and even syntax becomes so modern that you can’t shake it off. Anachronisms–painful. But I knew when I went into reading this set that I wouldn’t find any of that. And while I’m no Regency expert, I didn’t. Nothing jumped out and slapped me upside the head. Can’t wait for the next Very Austen collection.
Jane Austen is a favorite of mine, so a collection of Austen-inspired novellas is perfect, provided they are well-done. Happily, this collection is, and I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting some of my favorite characters in literature.
I Dream of You by Robin Helm
I enjoyed this first novella—it was sweet and endearing, and I loved the tactics Elizabeth used to woo her husband rather than nag him about his distraction. There were quite a few historical phrases and details that increased my enjoyment and helped place me in the Regency setting.
Sir Walter Takes a Wife by Laura Hile
This one was funny, and the characters were pretty well in-character, but the author had a huge hurdle to overcome in pairing some of my least favorite characters together. I’m not sure I’d call it romantic as much as just desserts, but it was well-written and humorous.
My Forever Valentine by Wendi Sotis
Varying the plot of Pride and Prejudice a little, this story has much more interaction and input from Darcy’s cousins, Richard and Anne. I liked the playful banter between the three, as well as learning more about the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth from his perspective. I think my favorite aspect of this novella, however, was that even though much of the story changes, the author still worked in many of my favorite lines from the original work.
Pretense and Prejudice by Barbara Cornthwaite
I was cracking up from the earliest pages of this novella, where mistaken identity leads Elizabeth and Darcy to suspect the other of being a spy. The story is quite different from Pride and Prejudice, but it is fun to imagine the same characters in a quite different storyline.
My Valentine by Mandy Cook
Starting a bit strangely, this one quickly piqued my interest to see what the author had in mind. I was not disappointed as the story rapidly progressed and both updated me on beloved characters and furthered their family lines, deftly encompassing many years without sacrificing continuity or readability. And the beautifully romantic ending makes this one my favorite of the collection.
The Lovers’ Ruse by Susan Kaye
This final novella centers around Persuasion and alters the course of Anne and Frederick’s relationship to a much earlier understanding, acting as almost a prequel to Austen’s original before it diverges when he returns to sea. I liked the different way this story played out and getting a much larger portion of the story from his perspective rather than just Anne’s.
I recommend this collection, especially for fans of Austen. While they could easily be read and appreciated as standalones, they have much greater depth of characters and backstory if the reader is familiar with the original works. These novellas are a great way to snatch some reading time when life gets hectic and a quick escape is the perfect remedy.
I received a review copy of this book through Celebrate Lit, but was not required to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are both honest and my own.
A very Austen Valentine
A collection of stories. A way to discover authors you have not read before.
The first story “I dream of you” was a very cute one. Married for a short time but Darcy is busy working all the time. So she dreams of better things. The second one “Sir Walter takes a wife” I enjoyed how Walter courted Lady Catherine. The rest of the stories I didn’t much get into. I am sure it was just me. I encourage everyone to read them all. If you enjoyed any books about Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in the past you will enjoy this collection.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write an positive review. This is my own opinion.
The book is filled with stories of love and romance set in the Jane Austen era. I love the variety of authors and how each story gives readers a taste of amazing writing from six talented authors. I did have a hard time with the book because the stories were not in chronological order and I was quite confused. One of the stories was a bit too long and could have been shortened. For a reader who has read Jane Austen books may find this collection hard to follow.
I Dream of You by Robin Helm
I loved this story because it reminded me of two people courting. Elizabeth wants to make sure her husband always wants to be with her. She dreams of romance and times shared with her husband. Those dreams become a reality in a way when she finds ways to share time with him and keep the romance alive in their marriage. It’s a sweet story of love and devotion between two people.
Sir Walter Takes a Wife by Laura Hile
Sir Walter is certainly a person of judgment. He looks down on those that are not up to his standard and I had to laugh as he thought a prominent woman was coming by his table perhaps to chat with him. Maybe he should be a bit more friendly and less stuck up. His desire to have a wife is not exactly romantic, but he thinks he is a catch. Sir Walter has his eyes on Lady Catherine and is so sure she will be smitten with him. Their letters back and forth are funny as each tries to be cordial. I liked the story and was intrigued by who Sir Walter would end up with.
My Forever Valentine by Wendi Sotis
This story was fun to read and I adored Elizabeth. Looks like there is some matchmaking going on and I was interested to find out who would get Eliabeth’s attention. I am finding that this book is chocked full of delightful characters and I love the time period. Elizabeth will have her hands full when two scheming people try to play cupid for her.
Pretense and Prejudice by Barbara Cornthwaite
This story had a bit of intrigue in it that I really enjoyed. It’s hard to determine just who to believe when Elizabeth and Darcy meet. Why would Darcy present himself as a Reverend? Is he hiding something? There is talk among people that there are French spies among them. Elizabeth is certain that the Reverend she met is a spy and is beside herself. The story was good and I liked the mystery surrounding the characters. I liked the part about the characters talking about lying and how “honesty is is the most important of the virtues.”
My Valentine by Mandy Cook
Right away I knew I was going to like Charlotte. She is a bundle of en energy at four years old. I liked how she wanted to have friends and be outside playing. I could feel her longing for a normal childhood. What child at four years old wants to play piano and be stuck inside a lonely house? Her antics were fun to read and I liked how her mother and father adored her. When Charlotte contracts an illness the house is in an uproar. Charlotte has never been sick before and her illness is very concerning. Oh my that child is full of mischief even when sick. I laughed when I read that she wanted to sip drops of water from a thimble. The story moves forward to when Charlotte is a young woman. It is a mystery who has sent her a valentine since she was five. I loved how the author slowly introduces us to a grown up Charlotte who finds her valentine in a most delightful story.
The Lover’s Ruse by Susan Kaye
This is a true love story in which everything seems to be against the couple who is in love. Anne’s family does not think Frederick is right for her. As they begin to see each other it becomes harder for them to be apart. I loved how deep their love for each other was and how it hurt to be apart. When Frederick gets his orders to ship out it becomes hard for the couple to think about anything else but being together. The ending is wonderful and I loved the spunk Anne showed her family as they continued trying to talk her out of marrying Frederick.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.