Madness in Meryton – Excerpt & Giveaway

Good Afternoon everyone,

How are you today? Can you believe July has come to an end? I did a lot of different things in July, but I still can’t believe that half of the summer has already past. I just hope August will move at a slower pace so that I may enjoy more beach reads 🙂

Today I am very happy to welcome once more author Jayne Bamber at From Pemberley to Milton. The last time she visited I was completely amazed by the cover of her book Outmatched, and this time it was the premise of her new book that captivated me. Madness in Meryton is influenced by Groundhog Day, and in it Elizabeth will relieve the same day over and over again. It is not the first time I see this premise on a P&P variation, but a Groundhog Day novel is always different and irresistible! At least for me, because  I am a sucker for Groundhog Day stories 🙂

Jayne Bamber decided to have Elizabeth repeat the day after her and Jane’s removal from Netherfield and I need to tell you, I am eager to read this story!!! But before I do read and review it, I’ll leave you an excerpt where Mrs. Bamber proves that alternative pairings are also her specialty 😉

Enjoy, and don’t forget there’s a giveaway 🙂

Thank you for visiting Mrs. Bamber, and the best of luck with this new release.

 

When Jane and Elizabeth Bennet return home from Netherfield, two days of heavy rain confine them indoors with their unruly younger sisters, a mother in perpetual need of smelling salts, and the tedious Mr. Collins. When the rain clears, the ladies from Longbourn and the gentlemen from Netherfield are drawn to Meryton by the excitement of Market Day, setting in motion a series of significant events.
That night, Mrs. Phillips hosts a card party for officers of the local militia, where the charming Mr. Wickham tells Elizabeth his shocking history with Mr. Darcy, a man who has only given Elizabeth offense since coming to stay with his friend Mr. Bingley at Netherfield.
The next day, the same thing happens again.
And again, the day after that – and so on, for what begins to feel like an eternity. Elizabeth takes increasingly drastic measures to further the budding romance between her beloved sister Jane and their handsome neighbor Mr. Bingley. Along the way, she arranges improvements in the lives of all of her family, in a effort to end the relentless redundancy that only she seems aware of.
As Elizabeth’s frustration turns to madness, she soon realizes that her inexplicable dilemma is somehow connected to a certain officer and a certain gentleman of her acquaintance….
Elizabeth must forge unlikely alliances and devote her considerable wit to the task of achieving a perfect day for those she holds dear, while facing familiar Fitzwilliam friends and foes, as well as all the mortification and delight of falling in love.

.

 

 

 

You can find  at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

 

 

 

 

---

.

 

Hello, readers! It is a treat to be back at From Pemberley to Milton with an excerpt my upcoming release, Madness in Meryton. This is my sixth novel, and has proved to be the wildest ride yet – Groundhog Day meets Pride & Prejudice.

The day being repeated is the day that Elizabeth Bennet meets George Wickham and hears his slander of Mr. Darcy. There are plenty of romantic moments between Darcy and Elizabeth over the course of the story, but as many readers already know, I LOVE alternate pairings, and this time around I have pushed the envelope with my side characters, as you shall see in the excerpt below…. 

***

Richard knew he would need to prepare for what was to occur that evening, but there was something else he wished to do first. It was probably folly, but he was like a moth to the flame.

Caroline was on the swing again, and he crept up behind her as he had done the day before – she was crying again, and this time he rather pitied her. “Miss Bingley?”

She spun around and looked up in alarm. “What do you want?”

He shrugged. “Pleasant company.”

Caroline gave him a delightfully rude look. “If you are come to laugh at me, I beg you would go away.”

“I am not,” Richard replied, offering her a handkerchief. “I do not think so ill of you – perhaps you also need some pleasant company. May I sit with you?”

“I cannot think why you would wish to, but it does not matter,” she said bitterly, dabbing at her eyes.

She had not actually said no, and the swing was wide enough to admit two, so Richard sat beside her, obliging her to slide over and make room for him. His feet planted on the ground, he gave the swing a gentle nudge, and for a moment they sat in silence, swaying together. 

Caroline offered him his handkerchief back, but he pressed it into her hand. “Keep it. Every lady must have some memento of her admirer.”

“Do not tease me.”

Richard leaned closer as he looked at her. Her hair was even messier than it had been the last time, but he feared that if he reached out to touch it she would flee. Caroline Bingley was beautiful even when she was vexing – and very vexing when she was beautiful. Seeing her in such a state was disarming, but he could not let the moment pass. “Tell me why you are crying.”

“I am not crying,” she hissed.

He gave her a playful eye roll. “I have never understood why you dislike me – but I had not imagined you thought me stupid.”

She laughed in spite of herself and shook her head. “Nobody ever does.”

Richard smirked. He was daft indeed where she was concerned. “So, which of the two engagements are you not crying about? Does your brother’s choice give you pain – or Darcy’s?”

Caroline ignored him and leaned against the rope of the swing, staring out into the distance as tears slid down her cheeks. “We should never have come to this wretched place. What a horrid nightmare.”

“Such an opinion of country life will hardly endear you to a man of property,” Richard observed. Still she made no reply. “I wonder, Miss Bingley – you were so determined to have Darcy – what will you do now?”

She drew in a sharp breath and wiped at her face before turning to gaze at him, her head tipped sideways with a hint of challenge. “Colonel, I have no idea why you would say such things.”

Richard leaned closer to her, wishing to affect the same magnetism upon her that she aroused in him. “Because, I wish to discover what is going on behind those pretty blue eyes.”

His face was inches from hers, but Caroline did not recoil – she tipped her chin up, moving her mouth a little closer to his as she whispered, “If you kiss me, I will hit you very hard.”

A sly smile crept across his face. “Worth it.” He closed the distance between them, and gently brushed his lips against hers for a brief moment. Her body was very still, but her lips moved against his for just long enough to excite him – and then she sprang to her feet and slapped his face before running away. It stung a little worse than he had expected.

---

 

Jayne Bamber is offering one ebook copy of Madness in Meryton to my readers. To apply to it please click on the Rafflecopter link.

Good Luck everyone!