Caroline – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Hello everyone,

Did you ever think about what was Miss Bingley’s reaction to Darcy’s engagement? Can you imagine what it must have been like to realise everything she fought for during the last years of her life had been for nothing? What about her future? Did she ever get married? Or ended up an old spinster? Did she let go of her feelings of superiority towards the Bennet sisters?

Sue Barr clearly thought about all these questions and wrote a delicious novel describing Caroline Bingley’s life after the double engagement of Darcy and Bingley 🙂

I was never a fan of Caroline Bingley, but lately I find stories about her quite interesting and Sue Barr definitely made me want to read more about Caroline. In fact, there is so much potential about Miss Bingley’s character that I wonder why we don’t have more stories about her, Sue Barr clearly saw all this potential and used it in an exceptional manner.

Caroline is a romance whose main character is Caroline Bingley but it isn’t just a book about a secondary character of Pride & Prejudice, it is a book about second chances, lessons learnt and personal growth. This story tells us how Caroline took the news that shattered her life and how she moved on, but also how others continued to view her and react to her actions. These two aspects made the book very real because life makes us who we are, it shapes our behaviours and personalities, and some events may alter us into someone else, but it doesn’t erase who we were and the perception others have of us. That perception will only change if we change ourselves and if our new behaviours are different from what they used to be, and that is what happens to Miss Bingley in this book,she is brought to life as an imperfect human being who is forced to grow with life’s blows.

But as I mentioned earlier, this is a romance, so it’s not all about inner growth. Caroline’s love interest in this book will be Lord Nathan..err..I mean Mr. Kerr..or shall I say both? Let’s just say you would never picture Caroline with someone with this profession, but neither would you imagine someone with this profession exactly like him. I did like to know why he chose it though, it made me understand why someone with that background and personality ended up as a vicar. He is a charming man, and should I say too good for Caroline? Or is that my prejudice speaking? He is indeed an interesting character and I loved his interactions with Caroline but I would have prefered for them to have a different ending… don’t worry, there is a HEA, I would just prefer it if it wasn’t so perfect.

If you want a secondary character story which is fast to read and a page turner, this book is for you! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it between two ODC books 🙂

You can find this book at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

And if you want to know more about it, you still have the blurb and an excerpt below.

 

 

Whatever happened to Caroline Bingley after her brother and unrequited love interest married a Bennet sister? Join me in this story of redemptive love and the healing of broken dreams.

Caroline Bingley, beyond frustrated with her brother, Charles and Mr. Darcy both proposing to the Bennet sisters, dreads their upcoming nuptials. For three years, her sole focus has been on attaining a marriage proposal from one Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, only to be foiled by a country miss with ‘fine eyes’.  Adrift and not sure of her place in life, she meets the mysterious and devastatingly handsome Lord Nathan, who equally vexes and intrigues her.

Lord Nathan Kerr, third in line to a Dukedom, had a well-earned reputation as a Rake. He cast all that and his noble title aside to become Mr. Darcy’s vicar in Kympton, finding contentment in leading his small flock and doing the Lord’s work. His plan for a quiet, country life is thrown into upheaval when he meets the fiery Miss Bingley. Can he reconcile his rising desire for the spoiled miss with how a vicar’s wife ‘should’ behave?

 

 

Good day, Rita, and thank you for hosting this excerpt post for my latest release, Caroline, Pride & Prejudice Continued… Book One. Today, I am sharing a post that reveals a slightly different side to Caroline, where we learn a little about how she discovered her own passion for music. I hope your readers enjoy this glimpse into Caroline.

“Thank you, Miss Bingley. Would you like to play something as well?”

“I’d love to. Do you have any requests?” Out of habit, she looked toward the fireplace where Darcy stood with the Duke. Odd how she still deferred to him, even when she knew he held no regard for her, if he ever had at all.

“Do you know Mozart?” The dulcet tones of Lord Nathan made her stomach quiver. He was standing not more than three feet from her.

She nodded and took her seat.

“Do you need any sheet music, Miss Bingley?” Georgiana asked.

“No thank you, Miss Darcy. I’ll play a piece I’m familiar with.”

Lord Nathan escorted Georgiana back to her seat while she settled at the pianoforte, cleared her mind and began to play Eine Klein Nachtmusik. As her fingers flew over the keyboard, she heard the music exactly as she had the first time she attended a concert with her father in Edinburgh. In her mind violins and cellos kept perfect harmony, transporting the music to unheard of heights.

To think, Caro, Mozart t’was but a boy when he wrote this music. Can you believe he started writin’ when he was a wee lad, three years of age? There’s nothin’ you can’t do if you set your mind to it.

Her father’s rough northern accent held awe at what was achievable and she’d never forgotten that night. It changed her whole life and from that moment, music was her passion.

When she finished to polite applause and took a seat in a nearby chair, Louisa took to the pianoforte and played and sang a popular piece. She didn’t have a strong voice, but it was enjoyable. From her vantage point across the room, Caroline watched as Lord Nathan conversed with Georgiana. He bent his head in conversation with her, his broad shoulders turned slightly toward her. He intrigued her greatly, this man of mystery. He was exceedingly handsome, to be sure, but other than that she knew nothing about him. Not a whisper of where he’d been for the past three years.

Georgiana’s soft laugh brought her attention back to her and Lord Nathan. She longed to have him give her the same undivided attention. Evidently sensing her study of him, he shifted his gaze toward her. Quickly she looked down, but almost against her will, she raised her eyes and found him watching her intently. She couldn’t look away, although her mind and senses urged her to. As if he knew her thoughts, like words being displayed on parchment, his mouth quirked at one corner and he inclined his head.

Her face flamed and prickles of heat threatened to turn her cheeks an unbecoming pink. As a precautionary measure, she snapped open her fan. The gold pomander on her wrist swayed with each flick of her wrist, setting off a pleasant aroma of her favorite rose water. She allowed the familiar scent to soothe her. It wouldn’t do for Lord Nathan to know he discomposed her.

 

Sue Barr resides in beautiful Southwestern Ontario with her retired Air Force hubby, two sons and their families. She’s also an indentured servant to three cats and has been known to rescue a kitten or two, or three…in an attempt to keep her ‘cat-lady-in-training’ status current. Although, she has deviated from appointed path and rescued a few dogs as well.

Sue is a member of Romance Writers of America and their affiliate chapter, Love, Hope and Faith as well as American Christian Fiction Writers.

For more information about her other books, visit her website: http://www.suebarrauthor.com/ of follow her on the below social media:

Facebook , Twitter , Goodreads, Pinterest

 

If this review enticed you and you liked the excerpt, please follow the blog tour for more information on this book. This is just the second stop and there is still much, much more to come 🙂

March 12 / My Jane Austen Book Club/Launch Post & Giveaway

March 13/ From Pemberley to Milton/ Book Review & Excerpt & Giveaway

March 14/ More Agreeably Engaged/Author Spotlight & Giveaway

March 15/ Every Savage Can Dance/ Excerpt Post & Giveaway

March 16/ Just Jane 1813/ Guest Post & Giveaway

March 17/ Babblings of a Bookworm/ Vignette Post & Giveaway

March 18/ My Love for Jane Austen/ Excerpt Post & Giveaway

March 19/ Every Savage Can Dance/ Book Review & Giveaway

March 20/ Austenesque Reviews/ Guest Post & Giveaway

March 21/ My Vices and Weaknesses/ Book Review & Giveaway

March 22 / Savvy Verse & Wit/ Guest Post & Giveaway

March 23 /Diary of an Eccentric/Book Review & Giveaway

March 24/ So Little Time…/ Excerpt Post & Giveaway

March 25/ Obsessed with Mr. Darcy/ Book Review & Giveaway

March 26/ Of Pens & Pages/ Book Review & Giveaway

 

Sue Barr is offering in this blog tour several copies of Caroline and some goodies as well!!!

Three winners will receive a paperback copy of “Caroline” and a Jane Austen Journal and three separate winners will receive an ebook copy of this book. All you have to do is click on this link and enter the giveaway through Rafflecopter.

All giveaways are open to international winners, so good luck everyone 🙂