The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet by Katherine Cowley

The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet is a mystery novel which starts shortly after Mr. Bennet’s death and is, therefore, a sequel to Pride & Prejudice. During her father’s vigil, Mary Bennet receives a mysterious visit from Lady Trafford, an unknown relative who offers to welcome Mary at Castle Durrington and assist in her education. Mary’s goal is to learn and prepare herself to become a governess, however, even before arriving at Castle Durrington, Mary starts learning a very different set of skills and accomplishments. Will Mary Bennet become a governess, or is she designed for a greater role?

This story starts at Longbourn, and I believe the author cleverly involved the reader in the tale by starting out with familiar characters and surroundings, making sure he was comfortable with the book, and moving the setting of the story and introducing new characters as a way to give the narrative the necessary vitality. I felt slowly and gradually pulled into an unknown and interesting reality where I would love to be myself.

The writing style was engaging and vivid, I could clearly picture not only the village, the beach and Castle Durrington while I was reading Mary’s explorations, but also to feel Lady Trafford’s disappointment, Fanny’s hurt feelings, Mr. Withrow’s disdain, and especially, how Mary was dealing with the loss of her father. I found it heartfelt and having been through this situation myself, I could easily relate with her.

I particularly loved to witness Mary’s character grow through the entire story. She started out as an intelligent but stiff and awkward lady, and even though her main characteristics didn’t change, as they never do in real life, Mary did try and succeeded to improve not only her accomplishments but also to tame her social inadequacies. I liked seeing how all her sisters helped her shape her responses, even from afar, as she used the best trait of each of her sisters, depending on what she needed at a given moment, as an inspiration to behave. Mary was able to replicate Jane’s gentility, Elizabeth’s wit, and even Lydia had a thing or two that was helpful to put in practice. As for Kitty, she helped in some other ways, and maybe we will be seeing more of her in the next book of the series. 😊 Above all, I loved how Mary was humbled towards the end of the book as she realized there is more to improve then what she initially thought of. 

I also enjoyed the mystery in this story because even if I knew where the story was going, I never knew how we would get there and how exactly things would turn out.

I though this book would have a bigger romance storyline, but in the end, I am glad it did not, as the lack of romance made it less predictable and more entertaining. Maybe I’ll see more of that in the next novel?

I also liked the original characters in this book, namely Lady Trafford and Mr. Withrow. I wouldn’t say they are likable characters, but they are very captivating, and I am looking forward to spending time in their company in the second volume of this book.

The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet is an engaging and captivating mystery that gives Mary Bennet the opportunity to grow and shine. It is a well written book that kept my attention from the beginning until the end and I highly recommend it to those who like good mystery novels and who feel Mary Bennet deserves to have her story told differently.  

You can find The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

and on Audible

 

Mr. Darcy’s Phoenix by Lari Ann O’Dell – Excerpt & Giveaway

Good Afternoon everyone,

I am very happy to welcome Lari Ann O’Dell at from Pemberley to Milton once more to share with all of you an excerpt of Mr. Darcy’s Phoenix. This book has fantasy flavor to it, so I hope you like the subgenre, it appears to be growing doesn’t it? I hope you all like what Ms. O’Dell decided to share with you, and don’t forget to apply to the giveaway for a chance to win this book 🙂

Thank you so much for visiting once more Ms. O’Dell and thank you for organizing the tour Janet!

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I’m so glad to be back at From Pemberley to Milton to talk about my new fantasy Pride & Prejudice variation, Mr. Darcy’s Phoenix.

One of my favorite things about writing variations is adapting the scenes from the original novel. When I started writing Mr. Darcy’s Phoenix, I started to think about which scenes I wanted to adapt and where I wanted to deviate from Jane Austen’s masterpiece.

What changes characters have magic? In this variation, Mr. Darcy is a powerful fire mage, he has a phoenix familiar named Dante, and he is master of Pemberley, which serves as a conservatory for magical creatures. He has a lot to be proud of. 

Elizabeth Bennet does have magical powers, but in the beginning of the book it does not appear that she has a water, nature, or fire affinity. She was educated at a prominent Seminary of Magic in London, and is considered to be very accomplished in Meryton.

One of my favorite early scenes in Pride & Prejudice takes place while Elizabeth and Jane are staying at Netherfield. It is the scene when the characters are discussing what makes an accomplished lady. 

In this scene, Mr. Darcy pays a compliment to Elizabeth when Caroline Bingley is trying to disparage her connections and accomplishments.

 

“All this she must possess,” added Darcy, “and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.”

Elizabeth doesn’t quite catch his meaning, and still thinks he only looks upon her to find fault. 

I knew I wanted to include this scene, but how was I going to adapt it to fit within the magical world of this variation? Along with the traditional ladylike accomplishments, I had to add magical ones such as being educated at a Seminary of Magic and excelling at spell work. Being in possession of an elemental affinity would have been added to Caroline Bingley’s list, but as she does not have one herself, she did not want to mention it, as it would make her seem less accomplished. 

Again, Mr. Darcy pays Elizabeth a compliment, this time citing both love of extensive reading and an appreciation for magical creatures and fay folk, and she still doesn’t take it seriously. But the big magical twist on this scene is that Caroline Bingley is sort of punished for her diatribe. Her napkin catches fire and Colonel Fitzwilliam, who is also staying at Netherfield, must use his water magic to douse the flames. But who caused the napkin to ignite; Mr. Darcy, the known fire mage, or someone else?

And now I will share the scene. I hope you enjoy how I adapted it!

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After dinner that evening, Elizabeth declined to join the Bingleys and Hursts in a game of cards. Mr. Darcy sat writing a letter and consulting some matter with Colonel Fitzwilliam. Elizabeth had a volume on magical aquatic creatures from her father’s library and settled into an armchair to peruse it.

“I say, Miss Elizabeth, why should you choose a book over a game of cards?” Mr. Hurst boomed. Elizabeth looked up, surprised to be addressed by the portly gentleman who had hardly bothered to say more than two words to her since the evening she had arrived at Netherfield.

Miss Bingley laughed. “My dear brother, Miss Eliza hates cards and prefers reading to all else, and it is not even a novel she has, but a musty old tome. Surely she is too much of a bluestocking to tolerate our conversation.”

Had Elizabeth cared for Miss Bingley’s opinion, she might have been offended. As it was, the detailed sightings of kelpies across England and Scotland were far more interesting than anything Miss Bingley might have to say. Still, Elizabeth could not allow a slight to go unanswered. “I deserve neither such praise nor such censure, Miss Bingley. I do not hate cards, and I take pleasure in a great many things, but I would not wish to spoil your even numbers. A fifth card player always crowds the rest.”

The others at the card table seemed to accept that answer, but Miss Bingley’s lip curled. It was then that Elizabeth noticed the conversation had caught Mr. Darcy’s attention. He glanced up from his letter. 

Miss Bingley seized on the opportunity to engage the gentleman’s attention. “Are you writing to dear Miss Darcy? Pray give her my compliments. I was just recounting to my sister that Miss Darcy had achieved full marks on her spell casting. I have never seen such talent in one so young, and her water magic is unmatched by any lady of our acquaintance!”

“I will pass along your compliments in my next letter,” Mr. Darcy said. “I have just finished the salutation, and I am sure I could not give your well wishes their due in a postscript.”

Elizabeth was surprised to hear such a remark from Mr. Darcy. Apparently he was in possession of dry humor, even if it was very slight. 

Miss Bingley did not seem to catch the sarcasm of his comment. “You are such a faithful correspondent, Mr. Darcy. Miss Darcy is very fortunate to have such a devoted brother. But I have always said that she is one of the finest young ladies of my acquaintance, and she is sure to take society by storm when she makes her debut.”

Mr. Darcy made no response.

“Charles, surely you must declare that Miss Darcy is in possession of all the finest accomplishments.”

Mr. Bingley appeared surprised to be drawn in to such a conversation. “I have yet to meet a young lady who is not called accomplished by society. It amazes me that they can have the patience to be as accomplished as they all are.”

Miss Bingley scoffed. “You cannot not believe that all ladies are accomplished!”

“They paint tables, cover screens, and net purses. They practice spell work. They sing, dance, and play for hours.”

Here, Mr. Darcy spoke, “Your list is comprised of common accomplishments, but it is lacking. The word is applied far too liberally. I cannot think of half a dozen ladies who I would call truly accomplished.”

Miss Bingley seized on the opportunity to agree with Mr. Darcy with great alacrity. “Indeed, you are correct Mr. Darcy. To be truly accomplished, a young lady must have been educated at a seminary of magic and excel at spell casting. If she is not blessed with magic, she must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, dancing, drawing, and the modern languages to deserve the word. And she must have an elegance of manner and must not gallivant through the standing stones, or the word will be half deserved.”

Elizabeth raised her eyes to Miss Bingley and longed to make a retort, but she would not allow the lady to bait her. Dante, however, ruffled his feathers in annoyance and cast a baleful look at Miss Bingley.

“To all this, she must add something more substantial,” Mr. Darcy said, “the improvement of her mind by extensive reading, and an appreciation of the magical world we inhabit. I could not call a lady accomplished who did not have an appreciation for the fay folk and the many magical creatures that reside in England.”

“Very well spoken indeed,” Colonel Fitzwilliam cried. “There are some in society that hold a disdain for the fay. I have met ladies who hold elves, nymphs, brownies, and all the rest in disdain, never realizing that the great households would not exist without the help of the fay folk.”

Miss Bingley frowned. “We must give the fay folk their due,” she admitted, albeit halfheartedly. “But I cannot declare that I have met anyone in Hertfordshire who deserves the word in the truest sense.”

Elizabeth kept herself from rolling her eyes at the comment, but only just. 

“Caroline, you are too severe upon your own sex,” Mr. Bingley said. “The ladies of the neighborhood are utterly charming and admirably accomplished.”

“I suppose we will have to agree to disagree, Charles. Surely, Mr. Darcy agrees with me.”

Mr. Darcy frowned, and Elizabeth watched in fascination as his hands clenched around the edge of the writing desk. Then, Mr. Hurst’s drunken voice mingled with a loud shriek, “Caroline, your napkin!”

And indeed, the cloth napkin had caught fire. Miss Bingley jumped from her seat and threw the cloth to the floor.

Colonel Fitzwilliam reacted quickly, waving his hand and summoning water to douse the flames. Elizabeth watched the scene with horrified fascination and a small touch of guilt. She thought of the incident at Longbourn, and of the boiling tea at Rose Cottage. Was this her doing? 

Her heart was gripped with a fierce anxiety. If she was somehow becoming a fire mage, she needed to know, so she could learn to control it. 

When the commotion died down, Elizabeth glanced back at the desk, only to find that Mr. Darcy had left the room.

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A phoenix brings them together. Will a curse keep them apart? 

When the hauntingly beautiful song of a phoenix lures Elizabeth Bennet to the Netherfield gardens, she has a vision of an unknown gentleman. He whispers her name with such tenderness that she wonders if this man is her match. Unfortunately, her gift of prophecy has never been exactly reliable. 

Mr. Darcy is a celebrated fire mage, the master of Pemberley, and the man from her vision. But he is not tender; he is haughty, proud, and high-handed. His insult of her during the Summer Solstice celebration makes her determined to dislike him in spite of her love for Dante, his phoenix familiar. 

After Mr. Darcy is called away by his duties, Elizabeth’s magic runs wild, and it is only their reunion at Rosings that offers her any hope of controlling it. They are drawn together by their love of magical creatures and their affinity for fire. But Elizabeth soon has another vision about Mr. Darcy, one that may portend a grave danger to his life. 

Can Darcy and Elizabeth overcome misunderstandings, curses, and even fate itself?

You can find Mr. Darcy’s Phoenix at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

and on Kindle Unlimited

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Lari Ann O’Dell first discovered her love of Pride & Prejudice when she was eighteen. After reading a Pride & Prejudice variation she found in a closing sale at a bookstore, she said, “This is what I want to do.” She published her first novel, Mr. Darcy’s Kiss, two years later.

Born and raised in Colorado, she attended the University of Colorado in Boulder and earned a bachelor’s degree in History and Creative Writing. After graduating college, she wrote and published her second novel, Mr. Darcy’s Ship. Her third novel, Mr. Darcy’s Clan, is her first supernatural variation, and she is working on two more fantasy variations. She is now back at school and pursuing a degree in Nursing. She adores her three beautiful nephews, Hudson, Dean, and Calvin. She enjoys reading, singing, and writes whenever she can. 

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There is plenty more to discover about this book, so don’t forget to check out the remaining blog tour stops 🙂

August 18 Interests of a Jane Austen Girl

August 19 Austenesque Reviews

August 22 Babblings of a Bookworm

August 23 My Jane Austen Book Club

August 25 From Pemberley to Milton

August 26 My Vices and Weaknesses

August 30 Savvy Verse and Wit

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Lari O’Dell is giving away 4 eBook copies of Mr. Darcy’s Phoenix. The giveaway is worldwide and will end at midnight central time, September 1st. To enter it click on the following link.

Good luck everyone!

Against Every Expectation by Paige Badgett

Marrying Mr. Collins gave Charlotte Lucas financial security, but it also brought her unforeseen difficulties that eventually changed her personality. Living with an abusive husband is proving to be a hardship, but Charlotte hopes that her friend Elizabeth’s visit will bring some comfort. Unfortunately, all her friend brings is the reminder that it could have been Elizabeth living in this situation and not Charlotte. The resentment she starts feeling however, is not towards her husband, but her friend who finds herself in the unlikely situation of being a houseguest mistreated by her hosts.

The only person who seems to be friendly to Elizabeth while she is visiting Kent is Mr. Darcy and during their daily walks, they develop stronger feelings for one another. Everything would have turned out perfectly were it not for the Collins’s meanness that comes in the way of a beautiful romance.

I loved the premise of Against Every Expectation, the changes in the story, and even in the characters. It is true that both Mr. Collins and Charlotte are a little out of character, and that may be a quibble for some people, but I liked that change because it was the driving force to an interesting story.

I also loved Lydia’s character and the sublime changes in her tale. It was remarkable to see how her actions are similar to the ones she has in Pride and Prejudice but for completely different reasons, and above all, it was very clever from the author to have her witness an unhappy marriage in which the man has all the power, as a means to teach her to revise her life goals. I believe this strategy was much more efficient then any conversation could have been and it was a detail I adored. 

Despite having a clever and diverting premise, I thought that this book told me more what the characters were feeling instead of showing it to me and that was a bit down putting because I would have loved to witness all the intense moments Darcy and Elizabeth could have lived, instead of being told what they were feeling.

I do understand the causes that let Charlotte to become so vindictive and I appreciated the  internal debates that we saw her having when she was about to commit any action that would be harmful towards Elizabeth,  but I was expecting her to feel more consequences for her cruel actions. I liked the fact that Mr. Collins got what he deserved, but Charlotte was very easily let of the hook in my opinion.

Against Every Expectations uses the Collins’s to show us the sad reality of women’s dependence upon man in the 19^th century, but at the same time, it uses Darcy and Elizabeth to show readers that true love based on respect exists and may conquer all. It is a Darcy and Elizabeth centric novel with the perfect length that I believe most readers will enjoy 🙂

 

You can find Against Every Expectation at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Audible and Kindle Unlimited

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Big Swamp by Kelly Dean Jolley – Excerpt & Giveaway

Good Afternoon everyone,

Today I am bringing you news about a different type of book. Instead of the usual Austenesque story, today we are sharing an excerpt of Big Swamp, a mystery set in southern USA, written by Kelly Dean Jolley and published by Meryton Press. This book caught my attention because of its setting as I am imagining it to be a dark small town mystery full of interesting characters whose lives I will love to follow. I have added it to my TBR and thought that even if this is not a JAFF book, you might be interested because it is published by Meryton Press, and well…the blurb does sound really good! And let’s not talk about the cover which is gorgeous!

Do you read other genres apart from JAFF? And if you do, are mysteries your thing? Let us know in the comments as you apply to the generous giveaway Meryton Press is offering. Thank you for visiting Mr. Jolley, I hope this is the first of many visits. 😊

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Entering Ford’s BBQ in the summertime resembles descending into Plato’s Cave, if the fire in Plato’s Cave were used to cook BBQ. It’s dark inside; they keep the blinds closed in the summer, proof against the heat, and the scent of BBQ not only fills the air, but it has sunk deeply into the walls, the booths.

Talbot once remarked that a sliver of the paneled walls would taste like chipped pork.

There’s a regular menu on one side of the seating area and a list of specials on the facing side. A line, always there near lunchtime, runs behind the first set of booths and turns left tocontinue between the first and second set. A few moments inside add cold to dark. I’ve never quite figured out how they manage to keep it so cold with the pit fire going constantly: air conditioning in the Inferno.

We join the line—it’s not too long—and Rachel gawks around. “Wow,” she whispers, leaning close to me, the light scent of her fruity shampoo contrasting with the heavy tang of the pork, “this is the South.” I nod.

The roomful of trucker caps and sleeveless shirts turns to stare at Rachel, a blue-eyed, blonde, blue-state beauty standing in a red-state, red-meat stronghold. Rachel notices the stares. “Do you think it’s my shirt?”

I laugh noiselessly. “Sort of.”

She looks down at the logo again and then back up at me. She blushes deeply enough for me to see it in the darkened room. “Oh.”

The stares finally die down. I order my usual chipped pork sandwich with plain potato chips when we finally reach the counter. Rachel asks the waitress to make it two. The clerk looks at Rachel, and the waitress’s face mixes sudden admiration, annoyance, and envy.

We take our receipt to a booth in the corner and sit down, Rachel across from me. I reach up and crack the blind, and streaks of sunlight decorate our table.

Rachel sighs. “This is nice.”

“Even in the shooting gallery?”

It takes her a minute to understand that I mean the stares and glances down again. She shrugs. “You get used to it.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You do. I’ve never known the struggle.”

She laughs quietly. “That’s because women stare more artfully.”

Chuckling, I ask: “‘Artfully’?

She grins. “I have spoken.”

So she has.

There’s a pause in our conversation, and the waitress calls out our order number. I get up and get it, stopping at the corner of the front counter to fill two Styrofoam cups with sweet tea.

I bring the tray to the table, and Rachel takes her share. She unwraps the sandwich and delicately lifts the top bun, looking under it. “Did I order the pickles and the slaw?”

“It comes on the sandwich. You have to not-order it.”

She nods and drops the bun. She lifts the sandwich to her mouth. I expect her to take an exploratory bite, but she dives into the sandwich, a mouthful. When she realizes I am watching, she puts her hand in front of her mouth. After a minute, her hand still in front of her mouth, her eyes wide, she says. “You were right. My Ford’s delicious. So, so good.”

Pleased, I unwrap mine and start to eat too.

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A Private Eye in a One-Eyed Place?

Ford Merrick is a softhearted detective in a sleepy southern town, Opelika, Alabama—a “one-eyed, blinking sort of place.” A provoking visit from beautiful Rachel Gunner complicates his work and his life. This stunning woman asks Ford to tail her uncle and discover what he is up to. Taking the case, Ford quickly finds himself swamped in mysteries: Who is Rachel’s uncle, and what is his secret business? Then there’s the mystery of an earlier death at Noble Hall where Rachel and her uncle now live. But the greatest mystery may be Rachel Gunner herself. Mired, Ford struggles to find his way, unearths tragedies old and new, and exposes his heart to a hard test.

You can find A Big Swamp at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

and on Kindle Unlimited

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Kelly Dean Jolley is the Goodwin Philpott Endowed Chair of Religion and Professor of Philosophy at Auburn University.  He lives in Auburn with his wife, Shanna, two dogs, two cats, too many books, and a collection of manual typewriters.  Beyond his academic publications, he has also published a book of poetry, Stony Lonesome.

Facebook Author Page

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There is plenty more to discover about this book, so don’t forget to check out the remaining blog tour stops 🙂

August 14 That’s What I’m Talking About 

August 16 My Vices and Weaknesses 

August 18 From Pemberley to Milton 

August 22 Elza Reads 

August 23 So Little time…

August 24 The Reading Frenzy 

August 26 Meryton Press Blog

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Meryton Press is giving away six eBook copies of Big Swamp by Kelly Dean Jolley. The giveaway is international. The giveaway ends August 29th at 12:00 AM Central Time. To apply to it, click on the following link. 

Good luck everyone!

Pride, Prejudice and Poison by Elizabeth Blake

Pride, Prejudice and Poison is a cozy mystery set in a modern small town in Yorkshire where the main character, Erin Coleridge, owns a bookshop. This story revolves around the local Jane Austen club, of which the main protagonist is part of, and it starts with a murder being committed during one of the clubs meetings. When some suspicions start to turn to Farnsworth Appleby, Erin’s best friend, she decides to take the investigation in her own hands and discover who the murderer is.

I loved the fact that this story took place in a small town, that it had a close connection to Austen’s aficionados and that a bookshop was part of it. I can never resist books about books or bookshops. However, when I started listening to the audiobook, there were so many new characters being introduced that it was not only hard to keep up with all of them, but also to connect with one in particular. As the story progresses, it becomes easier to distinguish the characters, especially for those listening to the audiobook because the narrator is able to give all characters different tones and accents, and I found Farnsworth  a funny character, but because it took me so much time to learn who the characters were, I ended up not connecting with any of them, not even with Farnsworth. That took away some of the pleasure I might have had reading the book if I had cared why and who killed Sylvia. I didn’t consider the mystery obvious as I didn’t guess who killed her, but I found myself not caring who did it either, which would probably be my main quibble with the story.

There are several Austen quotes in this book, as well as Austenesque details, such as the cats’ names and matching personalities, and I particularly liked how the many Jane Austen quotes connected to the plot. That was cleverly done, even if the quotes became a little too much over time.

There was also a romantic interest that started to get my attention, but it wasn’t developed as I would have expected. Maybe the author decided to only give us some hints of the romance to be able to properly develop it on volume two.  

Even though the tone of the book was one I enjoyed, with the small-town feeling, I was sometimes distracted with the dialogue tags the author used (such as she said), and I believe the book would have been better if they were reduced.

Summing up, Pride, Prejudice and Poison is a modern small-town mystery where readers will find many different and diversified characters who love Jane Austen above all else. It is a good fit for readers who like cozy “whodunit” stories with a taste of Austen.

Audiobook Narration:

Elizabeth Bennet’s Level

Justine Eyre did a great job with the varying accents and that was not an easy feat as there were many in this book. Overall, her narration was pleasant and I would recommend the audiobook version.

You can find Pride, Prejudice and Poison at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

and on Audible

 

Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Maya Slater

Mr. Darcy’s Diary is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice through Mr. Darcy’s eyes. The reader follows the story through diary entries that reveal not only Mr. Darcy’s perspective of events, but also scenes Jane Austen never wrote.  

I always love to read stories told from Mr. Darcy’s perspective because in Pride and Prejudice we only get to see Elizabeth’s prejudiced point of view, and we are never privy to Mr. Darcy’s dealings when he is not with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, however I found it hard to get into this story in the initial chapters because Mr. Darcy’s entries in his diary were very factual and transpired little emotion. The absence of feeling was something that bothered me, but as the story progressed, I started to understand the tone of the book, it wasn’t exactly lacking in emotion, it was simply told from a male point of view and my female bias was preventing me from liking it. Once I realized this, I started enjoying the book much more.

Although I loved the portrayal of the manly relationships in this book, and Byron did give it a much-needed animation, I found it strange for a character such as Darcy to be friends with a someone whom he witnesses raping a girl in the beginning of the book. I understand I cannot judge a book that takes places in regency with 21rst century standards, but I really do not imagine Mr. Darcy, who is a man of honor, to be friends with Lord Byron who is prone to debauchery and ungentlemanly behaviors.

I never thought I would say this, but I loved not only Caroline Bingley’s character in this novel, but also her relationship with Mr. Darcy. We are privy to many conversations between them in this book, and they gave me a different perspective not only of her personality, which is harder to judge based on this diary, but also their relationship. Caroline Bingley is not the villain we sometimes imagine her to be, and in this book, we can see how badly she feels about deceiving Jane, we see a side of her that Elizabeth Bennet never even allowed to exist, and I found that very interesting. There is always two sides to a story isn’t it?

I also loved the way Bingley was described and how he was seen coping with the loss of his love. It felt natural and real, and once more something we never really saw in Pride and Prejudice.

The truth is that after several chapters, and once I’ve accepted the tone of the book, it became increasingly interesting in my perspective, and I felt the will to pick it up and see what Mr. Darcy was up to. The only quibbles I had with this book were the emotionless tone of the diary entries and Darcy’s relationship with Byron, but those did not prevent me from finding enjoyment in many of the other nuances of the book.

I would recommend this book to those who like to witness Pride and Prejudice from different perspectives, and who are open minded towards different angles.

Audiobook Narration:

Elizabeth Bennet’s Level

Mr. Darcy’s Diary was the first audiobook I heard narrated by David Rintoul and I quite liked it, even if at times I wondered if the haughty  and cold tone I was associating with the diary entries were not produced by the narrator. Nevertheless, the author was quite good with the male voices and was also able to adapt to the female ones, so I would still recommend the audiobook version of the book.

You can find Mr. Darcy’s Diary at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

and on Audible

 

Captive Hearts by Kelly Miller

Captive Hearts is a sweet Persuasion variation where the path to second chances is easier and smoother. In this story Captain Wentworth returns to Anne Elliot’s life eight years after their separation, but he realizes much sooner than in the original story that he needs to fight for her. This realization will be the foundation of a low angst romance where love and trust are put to the test.

I found it surprising and curious that Mr. and Mrs. Darcy are visiting the Musgroves right in the beginning of the story and playing a somewhat important role in the development of the romance. I loved seeing these characters in the Persuasion setting, and especially seeing Mr. Darcy helping Captain Wentworth challenge his perceptions. We may even say that Mr. Darcy was responsible for the entire direction the tale took, which is a very interesting detail.

But the Darcy’s were not the major deviance from the original story in this book, Kelly Miller changed a very important element in the narrative when the characters are at Lyme, and I must say I absolutely loved this alteration! She altered a pivotal moment that changed the entire storyline, something we don’t usually see in Persuasion variations, which often struggle to deviate from the original.  After that exciting change, the story progresses slowly with not much happening in the lives of the characters, and the pace seemed a little uneven in the middle of the book because of this lack of action. However, even though I was a little put off with the mundane events in the characters’ lives in the middle of the book, towards the end there is an unexpected twist that refocused my attention and pulled me back into the story, so the pace picked up again.

One aspect I really enjoyed in this book was Sir Elliot’s character. I loved the fact that he was not simply portrayed as a vain person, Kelly Miller gave him depth, and that made him more likable and appealing, definitely one of the best aspects of this story 😊

Summing up, Captive Hearts is a very sweet and very low angst novel that is perfect for Persuasion fans who like to see Anne and Captain Wentworth together early in the story. The book has some interesting details that make it unique such as the events that occur in Lyme, Sir Walter’s character and the Darcy’s and I recommend it to readers who love Austen’s Persuasion.

 

You can find Captive Hearts at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

and Kindle Unlimited

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7th Blog Anniversary & Giveaway

Good Afternoon everyone,

This week was From Pemberley to Milton’s 7th year anniversary! I should have published this post a few days earlier on the exact birthday of the blog, but I guess this just shows what having a blog for such a long time looks like! Sometimes either our personal lives or our laziness takes preference over blogging, and I am ashamed to say that in this case it was the second option that took precedence.

But please do not be discouraged by my lack of commitment, this is actually one of my favorite posts of the year because it gives me a chance to analyze what I’ve been doing, and like I said last year, this has been an exciting journey with many adventures, great reads, and most of all, incredible new friends made along the way. I am still very happy to be able to keep this blog and be in contact with so many of you. In fact, this year I thought about celebrating the blog anniversary by writing a slightly different kind of post. Apart from sharing with you a few stats that demonstrate what I have been up to blog wise speaking, I decided to share as well all the good moments this blog has already given me 🙂

But let’s start with what I’ve read.

I have read 367 books since I started this blog in 2015, and 204 of them were JAFF variations! Variations were clearly my favorite sub-genre when I discovered Jane Austen Fan Fiction, and during the first years of this blog they were all I read. But with time, I started having the need to read something different, and discovered other sub genres.

I was a little surprised with the figures I obtained when preparing this post because I was expecting to have more secondary character novels read and especially more Different POV’s. As it turns out, the JAFF sub-genres I’ve read the most (apart from the variations which are not even in the graphic) are Sequels, which I personally do not love, Fantasy which I never thought I would like very much, and Modernizations which are becoming a favorite of mine. I was also surprised to see I’ve only read 11 paranormal stories, as this is a sub genre I would love to read more. 

The sub-genre I really want to read more in the upcoming months is Secondary Characters. I am loving more and more to read books that take different and unknown avenues through the secondary characters lives and personalities. I do love Darcy and Elizabeth, but after having read over 300 P&P books based on these characters, I crave for the novelty that is impossible to find in them. After all, their personalities are always the same no matter the situation authors put them, and sometimes I need something different and unexpected. The predictability of romances is also starting to tire me a little, I know they’ll meet, dislike each other (or Darcy will love Elizabeth and she will dislike him), fall in love, have some trouble in between and end up as a happy couple with a lot of children running around the house. If this was something I looked for when I started reading this genre, it is something that is becoming a little too repetitive for my taste, so I crave for different stories that will surprise me 🙂 

I also want to diversify the type of book I read because I want to put together my favorites lists of these sub genres, and for that I need to read more of them. I’ve posted a few favorites lists, but they are all concerning P&P Darcy centric novels, so I wanted to branch out a little. Is that something you’d be interested in? Which favorites lists would you prefer to see? And which sub-genre do you like the most apart from variations?

Since the 5^th of August 2015, I’ve published 760 posts including giveaway winners’ announcements, book deals announcements, etc., which I am considering under the Other Matters cathegory, but the majority of the posts I’ve published are obviously Reviews.

Even though I’ve read 367 books I’ve only reviewed 279 of them, that’s because I only review Jane Austen Fan Fiction books (I am starting to change that), and sometimes when I read very fast and do not take notes, I find it very hard to still write a review. Stories start to blend in, especially when I read them in eBook format, and I don’t have clear information to write proper reviews. I am trying sit down and write a review as soon as I finish one book and before I start another one, but sometimes all I want to do is read and not write reviews…so occasionally there are a few books I read and do not review.

I am currently reviewing an average of 5 books each month but I don’t know if I’ll be able to continue with this rythm, especially because I have not felt so much pleasure in reading lately as I used to, in part because of the predictability of the romance formula. I was thinking about changing things a little and start reviewing austenesque movies too, what do you think about that? 

What about the other type of post, are excerpts still your favourite? I have to admit that despite having more work with interviews, they are the type of post I enjoy the most to work on. I would also love to publish more My Jane Austen Road Trip posts, but for that I need to revisit the U.K and that will not happen before 2023, unfortunetly 😦

The 279 reviews are pertaining 147 different authors, but a few of them are recurring in my reviews, which indicates I really like their writting style 🙂 I’ve analysed this data last year, and even though the numbers changed, the authors I’ve reviewed the most remain the same. I think I may try to change this next year by re-reading and reviewing some older books from authors I love. Of course, this is not a list of my favourite authors, there are a few names I can immediately think of that are not on this list, but they have probably written less then 5 books. 

Are these authors among the ones you read the most too? Any others you absolutely feel I need to read? Should I diversify more? Or do you like reviews from authors you already know?

 

As I mentioned before, this blog allowed me to meet many amazing likeminded people, and that is probably the best aspect of this hobby, so this year I thought that instead of bringing you a post full of stats, I could bring you a few pictures of the some of the happy moments I’ve had in the last 7 years with fellow bloggers, talented authors, and incredible readers, many of whom have actually become friends 😊 

London, 2016 Author Elizabeth Adams, Author Joana Starnes, Blogger Sophie Lizzie Andrews (Laughing With Lizzie); Blogger Anita Darcy (My Vices and Weaknesses).

 

New York, 2016. Blogger Claudine Pepe (JustJane1816).

 

Bath, January 2017. Author Joana Starnes, Blogger Mira Magdó (Obsessed with Mr. Darcy).

 

Chawton, January 2017. Blogger Anita Darcy (My Vices and Weaknesses), Author Joana Starnes.

 

London, March 2017. Blogger Anita Darcy (My Vices and Weaknesses), Author Caitlin Williams, Author Elizabeth Adams, Author Joana Starnes.

 

Lyme Park, July 2017. Author Amanda Grange.

 

Stockport, July 2017. Fellow Reader Glynis

 

Winchester, July 2017. Editor Ellen Pickels, Author Lory Lilian, Author Andrea Catana, Author Joana Starnes, Blogger Mira Magdó (Obsessed with Mr. Darcy).

 

Winchester, July 2017. Author Cassandra Grafton.

 

London, 2017. Blogger Anita Darcy (My Vices and Weaknesses), Blogger Mira Magdó (Obsessed with Mr. Darcy).

 

Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee, 2018. Author Elizabeth Adams.

 

Lyme Park, March 2019. Glynis, Author Joana Starnes.

 

Washington D.C., 2022. Blogger Meredith Esparza (Austenesque Reviews).

 

Washington D.C, 2022. Author Elizabeth Adams, Author Victoria Kincaid (not present in photo).

 

Blogging, 2022.

 

Thank you all for being a part of this beautiful journey!

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To celebrate From Pemberley to Milton’s 7th anniversary I will be offering one ebook to one of my followers. The winner may choose any book I’ve reviewed in the past 7 years. You can check them out by author, by genre, or even check the entire list in JAFF Reviews or North & South Reviews. Navigate through the website, and let me know which one calls your attention and why 🙂 The giveaway is open until the 13th of August and I’ll announce the winner shortly after that. 

A Season of Magic by Sarah Courtney – Excerpt & Giveaway

Good Afternoon everyone,

I am very happy to welcome Sarah Courtney at from Pemberley to Milton to share with all of you an excerpt of A Season of Magic. Ms. Courtney’s last visit was one year ago, and at the time I had the pleasure to interview her and discover she has a particular soft spot for fantasy, so this book comes as no surprise. What about you? Do you like fantasy romances? Which type of fantasy do you like the most? If magic and powerful mages is your thing, you may like this one 😉

But I’ll let you read the excerpt so you can tell us what you think of it.

Thank you so much for visiting once more Ms. Courtney and thank you for organizing the tour Janet!

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Thanks so much for having me on From Pemberley to Milton! I’m so happy to share my newest book with you today, a fantasy variation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice called A Season of Magic.

In this fantastical world based on Regency England, elemental mages have both control over an element—fire, wind, water, or earth—as well as an individual talent. Elizabeth Bennet loves her element of fire, but she has also spent her whole life working with metal, which she can shape and manipulate without needing heat or tools. When she is finally permitted to attend the magical university, the Season, she will need both of her abilities as well as her own wit and determination to survive it.

You would think Elizabeth has enough to contend with. She and Jane are alone in the world, the children of notorious magical murderers. Her teachers dislike her and would love to see her fail. And Lord Matlock’s nephew, Mr. Darcy, can’t seem to keep his eyes off her. She knows he is probably reporting her every move back to his uncle and the Mage Council.

But on top of all that, Miss Lucy Steele and Miss Caroline Bingley see her as an easy target. The Season isn’t just a university for magic, after all—it’s also where most elemental mages meet their future spouses. Whether it’s out of anger for what her parents have done, or whether it’s truly because they see her as competition, their little pranks are a constant annoyance. Miss Bingley’s ability to manipulate fabrics is a constant threat to Elizabeth’s limited wardrobe.

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“Miss Bennet,” she said with a sneer, “while you may have nothing better to do than to pour over your books day and night, you may wish to see to it that you do not create enemies in the process.”

“Oh, I apologise,” Elizabeth said with false contriteness. “For some reason I was thinking that we were here to learn about magic.”

“How to use our elements, yes,” Miss Bingley hissed. “It is not as though history will be of any use. You had best be careful. You would not want to be thought a bluestocking.” Her eyes flickered downwards for a moment, and there was a gleam in them when she again met Elizabeth’s eye. “Or some country girl raised by foster parents who has never had a proper dress fitting in London.”

Suspicious, Elizabeth looked down. Her dress was no longer the simple green calico she had donned that morning. The green was light, almost grey, as if it had faded. The dress sagged at the waist and shoulders as if it had been made for someone larger and clumsily altered to fit.

“Goodness, does your maid not have time to alter your clothing, Miss Bennet?” Miss Bingley taunted. “It is just too, too bad. I suppose it takes her so long to remove the mud from your gowns and make you presentable that there simply is not enough time for adjustments.”

Elizabeth clenched her fists as she felt her face heat. “I warned you,” she said, controlling her fury.

Miss Bingley squealed and jumped back as her necklace fell from her neck and poured itself onto the floor in a little puddle of melted silver, the small emerald floating rather pathetically on top.

“My necklace!” Miss Bingley cried. “That was a gift from my brother!”

Elizabeth wondered what Mr. Bingley would think of the fate of his gift. “And I created many such necklaces to earn enough for my gown.” There was no point in hiding her metalwork or her connections to trade, as Miss Bingley already knew all about it. “If you are going to destroy someone else’s belongings, you had best look to your own.”

“How dare you!” Miss Bingley’s face was almost purple. She took a quick step towards Elizabeth, hand raised.

Elizabeth stumbled backwards when a man appeared behind Miss Bingley and grabbed the woman’s extended wrist. It was Mr. Darcy. He must have been watching them from the shadows.

“Miss Bingley,” he said firmly, using his hold on her wrist to place it on his arm. “Would you do me the honour of walking with me to ethics class?”

Miss Bingley gaped, her mouth opening and closing a few times before she snapped it shut. “Very well,” she said after a moment. Her eyes blazed at Elizabeth as she turned to go. “Clean up that mess, girl,” she called back just before they turned down the next passage and out of sight.

Elizabeth held out her hand. The metal leaped into her palm, and she stroked it with her finger, guiding it back into the shape of the necklace as it had been before as best as Elizabeth could remember of it. She had to bend down to pick up the emerald, as her metal powers did not affect gems, but she placed it into its original spot in the necklace before hardening the surrounding metal.

Perhaps she would leave it on Miss Bingley’s desk the next chance she got. Perhaps.

Or perhaps not.

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Everyone knows Elizabeth and Jane’s parents were magical murderers. But blood isn’t everything.

When the girls are forced to reveal their elemental magic, it does not matter to the Mage Council that they did so only to save lives. Their parents were traitors, and the entire magical community is simply waiting for them to descend into evil themselves.

The Council reluctantly admits Elizabeth to the magical university (and unofficial marriage market) called The Season, where she will learn how to control her powers. If she can keep her head down and avoid drawing any untoward notice, she might be able to graduate and finally be accepted as a fire mage.

But fading into the background will be difficult. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, nephew to Lord Matlock of the Mage Council and a student himself, is assigned to observe her and report any misstep. One mistake could send her back to her foster parents, the Bennets—or worse, to prison. Yet when that mistake inevitably comes, he stands up on her behalf. Could he be an ally instead of an enemy?

When pranks between classmates become something more dangerous—and potentially deadly—Elizabeth will be forced to depend upon her friends—including Mr. Darcy. There’s something terrible lurking beneath the surface of the Season, and it will take everything Elizabeth has to survive it.

You can find A Season of Magic at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

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Sarah Courtney loves to read fantasy, fairy tales, and Pride and Prejudice variations, so what could be more fun than combining them? She currently lives in Europe where she homeschools her six children and still manages to write books, which has to be proof that magic exists!

Blog: authorsarahcourtney.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.sarahcourtney.1/

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There is plenty more to discover about this book, so don’t forget to check out the remaining blog tour stops 🙂

July 28 Austenesque Reviews

July 29 My Jane Austen Book Club

August 1 From Pemberley to Milton

August 2 Savvy Verse & Wit

August 4 My Vices and Weaknesses

August 5 Babblings of a Bookworm

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Ms. Courtney is giving away one eBook of A Season of Magic to one reader at From Pemberley to Milton. If the winner is from the US and prefers a paperback, he/she may choose that instead of the eBook. The giveaway is open until the 6th of August, so don’t forget to comment to apply 🙂

The winner will be announced shortly after.

Good luck everyone!