The Events at Branxbourne Review & Giveaway

The initial chapter of The Events at Branxbourne is one of the best, if not the very best,  I’ve ever read! It is gripping, profound and heartbreaking… we don’t know how Elizabeth got to the point she is in this chapter, but we want to know! We want to know everything and we can’t stop reading until we do!

The events at Branxbourne take place in 1817 with an older version of Darcy and Elizabeth, who have changed due to the circumstances of live, but who remain the same in essentials. I always love to read books with older versions of these characters and Ms. William’s did not disappoint while developing them, she changed what had to be changed to be consistent with the plot, but kept true to Austen’s work giving us a story of second chances and hope for the lost love.

We don’t know exactly what happened after the Hunsford proposal because the events are only revealed later in the book, what we do know is that Elizabeth is now married to another man, Mr. Darcy remains single and they are neighbors in London which will obviously cause them to meet quite often.

When these characters reunite, they know there is no longer any hope for them, but that is not enough to erase a love as strong as theirs and they find themselves drawn to one another. With each encounter their feelings grow and even if this is an angsty book with a darker side, the reader will find many romantic moments between these characters which will become addictive. We keep hoping for the next moment to see what will happen, what they will say or even what they will not say. It is tantalizing!

The chapters shift between Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s POV which is an interesting approach because not only it intensifies the curiosity and interest towards the story but also because it allows us to get to know both characters better. It makes the book dynamic and it helps keeping the tone of it mysterious, dark and intense.

The secondary characters deserve a shout out too, namely Albert and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Not only they had an interesting story of their own, but their interactions with the main characters made this book a stout literary work. I enjoyed to see the openness and sincerity in the Colonel’s relationship with Darcy and the strange but evolutive relationship between Albert and Elizabeth. A few other characters like the flower girl are worth mentioning but my favourites were definitely these two.

The premise in this book is certainly different, but it’s not just that that grabs our attention from the beginning, it is Caitlin Williams’ writing. Her writing is exquisite, it is the kind of writing that is not taught, either authors have it or they don’t, and with a book that is this memorable and poignant Caitlin William has proven that she is an author born with an incredible talent. The writing in this book reminded me of the tone in Death of a Bachelor in The Darcy Monologues and is memorable!

With a magnetic pull that kept me emotionally invested from the first paragraph until the last one, The Events at Branxbourne is the best book I’ve read this year. It should not, and it cannot be missed. I highly recommend it to readers looking for a quality romance novel and I would give it 10 stars if I could!

You can buy The Events at Branxbourne at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

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The blog tour is almost over but there is still one extra stop at Mira’s Blog Obsessed With Mr. Darcy, don’t forget to visit it to see what she thinks of this book and for an additional entry on the giveaway.

June 2 /  Austenesque Reviews / Guest Post Launch & Giveaway

June 3 /  Of Pens & Pages / Book Review & Giveaway

June 4 /  Babblings of a Bookworm / Book Review & Giveaway

June 5 /  Just Jane 1813 / Book Review & Giveaway

June 7 /  From Pemberley to Milton / Book Review & Giveaway

June 8 /  Obsessed with Mr Darcy / Book Review & Giveaway

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For our giveaway, Caitlin Williams is offering a $100.00 Amazon gift card as a giveaway. To enter the giveaway please click on the following Rafflecopter link.

Readers may enter the drawing by tweeting once each day and by commenting daily on a blog post or review attached to this tour. Entrants must provide the name of the blog where they commented.

One winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter and the giveaway is international.

Good Luck everyone!

London Holiday

London Holiday started out as a light comedy novel but as I continued reading, it surprised me by becoming a tender and enchanting romance.

Nicole Clarkston has shown with this book an incredible ability to diversify her work maintaining a consistency when it comes to the writing quality and character development. The angst in this book is very low and London Holiday could not be more different from These Dreams, but it is equality good due to the quality of the dialogues, the tenderness of the scenes between Darcy and Elizabeth and the perfect pace and connection between all plots. These Dreams remains one of my all time favourite JAFF books but I believe the tone in London Holiday is much more consensual and will appeal to a bigger range of readers being a perfect romance between Darcy and Elizabeth.

Nicole Clarskton didn’t lose time with unnecessary secondary characters in this novel as it is very Darcy and Elizabeth centered, and as always her prose allowed us to see their feelings grow and to accompany them in this journey without any effort. The reader doesn’t need to be told what is happening in each of their hearts and minds, the reader is right there with the characters through the authors gripping writing, and not only knows what their are feeling, but also feels it in his heart as well.

The dialogues between Darcy and Elizabeth are witty and perfect in every way, everything is proper between them, and their flirting, when it happens, is natural and believable. They get to know each other and open their hearts and minds in a most tender way that the majority of readers will find irresistible.

Every piece of information and scene appears to fit perfectly in the entire story which seems to have been crafted with great care, and this is one day in Darcy’s life that no one will forget.

Nicole Clarkston did it again, she brought to her readers an effortless masterpiece that reveals how comfortable she is bringing Darcy and Elizabeth to life.

London Holiday is a most engaging and entertaining sweet romance that will easily touch your hearts, it will certainly appeal to the majority of readers and I highly recommend it! It was one of my favourite books this year, and it might as well be yours 🙂

 

You can find London Holiday at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

and on Kindle Unlimited

The Journey

I have to start this review by saying that The Journey is absolutely perfect! There isn’t one single aspect I disliked in this book, in fact my feelings are quite the opposite as I loved pretty much everything in it. If I could give it a 10 star rating I would, but as that is off the scale, let me say this is a solid 5 star book that will keep readers entertained for an entire day.

The beginning of The Journey is worthy of an Hollywood production. The first page is so exciting that it made me want to read more of the book, and as I continued reading it, I could not stop because the more I read the more I wanted to read. This book is probably one of the biggest page turners I have ever read in my life, I’ve read it twice and the need to continue reading non-stop did not abade the second time.

In this story, right after the Netherfield Ball, Elizabeth begins a journey to visit her relations in London in Mr. Bingley’s carriage with his sisters and Mr. Darcy, when they encounter  a band of highwaymen who threaten to abduct Elizabeth for their own amusement. Mr. Darcy immediately steps forward and offers himself as a hostage in her place, but when this is ineffective, he proclaims she is his wife in order to protect her. The highwaymen then decide to abduct them both to request a ransom, and this is how the most exciting and passionate journey begins.

Darcy and Elizabeth are forced to spend a lot of time together while confined in the room they are being held and there they learn more about each other and their own feelings, but that is not the entire story. The book will go beyond their abduction, and once they are back in society, they will be faced with very difficult choices that will keep the story as exciting as it was until this moment.

The dialogues in this book are witty and interesting and Mr. Darcy assumes the role of a protector than can only be described as the sexiest thing possible. He is the perfect gentleman in this book, but he is not perfect and by respecting his imperfections, Jan Hahn has mastered the art of creating the perfect Darcy. Plus, he is faced with jealousy in this book which is always a plus in a JAFF novel for me.

With this premise it comes as no surprise that Darcy and Elizabeth have many interactions with one another and that it allows them to slowly fall in love with one another, but the art in this book is that we are not just told by the author they love each other, we can see and feel it happening in the pages we are turning as if the pages themselves were pouring feelings.

I could feel my heart break into a million pieces at a certain point in the book and until this moment I cannot explain how it is possible for an author to convey so many emotions, and so intense, as the ones Jan Hahn created with mere words. I don’t know how a scene could be more perfect than the one that made me feel this way, and I have to congratulate Ms. Hahn on her mastery.

I love the connection Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth establish in this book and the fact that Darcy discovers about Elizabeth’s refusal of Mr. Collins proposal very early in the story. I always love books where that happens because I think it is crucial for Darcy to better understand Elizabeth and to speed up his admiration for her, also it could be the trigger for him to realize he could lose her to someone else, so adding this detail to the story made me love it even more.

The entire book is told from Elizabeth’s perspective but in the end we can see Darcy remembering what he felt or thought during the journey which was a sweet gift the author offered us.

The book is filled with angst, but after the turbulence Jan Hahn takes the time to show readers how blissful Darcy and Elizabeth’s lives can be. Nothing is rushed or out of place in Jan Hahn’s books and this is no exception. After a very angsty story, with many Darcy/Elizabeth moments, we are gifted with their happy reunion and can enjoy it for several chapters before it ends. We also get to know what happened to all the other characters in the book, which gives us some contentment when reading the last phrase.

I could not recommend this book enough for any reader looking for an exciting, romantic and passionate tale.

 

You can find The Journey at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.ca

A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity Review & Giveaway

I didn’t know the plot of A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity but from the moment I read its first page I knew I would love it. It turns out this book had all the ingredients I require to be completely immersed in the story: Darcy and Elizabeth love each other but can’t be together which creates the most delicious angst possible, their interactions are romantic and intense but bear that little taste of angst that I can’t resist, their feelings and belief in each other are stout, the secondary characters pull me into the story, the writing is incredibly good and the characters have several layers that make them real and believable.

I could go on, but maybe I should tell you a little of the story first. In this book Darcy and Elizabeth get engaged when they meet at Pemberley, but when Jane’s letters arrive announcing Lydia ran off with Wickham, Mr. Darcy isn’t there and not only Elizabeth doesn’t tell him what happen, but breaks off the engagement. The reasons behind this decision are not immediately disclosed and I loved the fact that when we do learn about them, they are not obvious.

The book starts at Netherfield, a year after these events take place and where the happily married Jane and Bingley receive several distinguished guests at their home with some matchmaking plans. Two of the guests are Darcy and Elizabeth who had not seen or heard of each other since the broken engagement. From this moment on the reader will go on an emotional  roller coaster ride that will not stop until the very last pages.

As much as I loved Darcy and Elizabeth in this book there were times when I really wanted to kill the Colonel, spank Georgiana or cheer for Anne de Bourgh which reveals how engaged I was in this story. In fact, the characters are a big part of why I loved this book so much. After reading a couple of books with superficial characters who are merely a caricature of what Austen created, it was refreshing to read something with a true character depth that makes me think and analyse the human behaviour.

I may have been influenced by my personal experience with the loss of my own father, but I felt Elizabeth’s internal struggles very real and with a depth I was not expecting to find.

Apart from the characters, I enjoyed Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship which is not only based on an incredible stout love but on trust and friendship making the story even more powerful, and even if the angst was at times almost unbearable, the Darcy/Elizabeth moments are definitely worth it.

A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity is gripping, character driven, intense and will for sure be on my 2018 favourites list. There were so many quotes I wanted to take from this book that at a certain point I had to stop doing it or I would not progress in the story.

This book is a page turner that I could not stop reading until the very end when Amy D’Orazzio surprised me once more with a very shocking disclosure. I highly recommend it for those who enjoy angsty story and are not afraid to wait for the HEA.

You can find A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity for sale or on Kindle Unlimited at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.ca

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Amy D’Orazio is a former breast cancer researcher and current stay at home mom who is addicted to Austen and Starbucks in about equal measures. While she adores Mr. Darcy, she is married to Mr. Bingley and their Pemberley is in Pittsburgh PA.

She has two daughters who are devoted to sports which require long practices and began writing her own stories as a way to pass the time she spent sitting in the lobbies of various gyms and studios. She is a firm believer that all stories should have long looks, stolen kisses and happily ever afters. Like her favorite heroine, she dearly loves a laugh and considers herself an excellent walker.

Amy D’Orazio’s Facebook Page

Amy D’Orazio at Meryton Press

Amy D’Orazio Goodreads Author Page

Twitter:  @AllAbtAusten

 

The blog tour is just beginning, so please do not forget to check the other stops and learn more  about this wonderful book:

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February 21 More Agreeably Engaged / Book Review & Giveaway

February 22 From Pemberley to Milton / Book Review & Giveaway

February 23 Austenesque Reviews / Guest Post & Giveaway

February 24 My Vices and Weaknesses / Excerpt Post & Giveaway

February 25 My Love for Jane Austen / Vignette & Giveaway

February 26 Babblings of a Bookworm / Book Review & Giveaway

February 27 Savvy Verse and Wit / Guest Post & Giveaway

February 28 Laughing with Lizzie / Vignette Post & Giveaway

March 1 So Little Time / Excerpt Post & Giveaway

March 2 Of Pens and Pages / Book Review & Giveaway

March 3 Liz’s Reading Life / Author Interview

March 4 Just Jane 1813 / Book Review & Giveaway

March 5 Diary of an Eccentric / Guest Post & Giveaway

March 6 Margie’s Must Reads / Book Review & Giveaway

 

8 eBooks of A Short Period of Exquisite Felicity are being given away by Meryton Press and the giveaway is open to international readers.

Readers may enter the drawing by tweeting once each day and by commenting daily on a blog post or review that has a giveaway attached to this tour. Entrants must provide the name of the blog where they commented and are valid until midnight ET on March 8, 2018.

Each winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter and announced shortly after the deadline.

To enter the giveaway click here.

Good Luck everyone!

One Thread Pulled – The Dance with Mr. Darcy

What if Elizabeth never heard Darcy’s slight at the Meryton Assembly? How would the story and their relationship unfold if this little detail was different?

Diana J. Oaks starts with this premise and adds small changes to the plot that make the outcome of this book very interesting. For example, Jane doesn’t get a cold when she goes to Netherfield, she hits her head when she falls from a horse, and Mr. Darcy shows a true concern for her health. Also, Mary falls in love with Mr. Collins and tries to conquer him with Elizabeth’s help, which creates the most amusing scenes and has extraordinary consequences, not only in the conquest of Mr. Collins, but also in the relationship between the Bennet sisters. These small changes in the story are one of the aspects I loved the most in this book as they make it unpredictable but agreeable to read with a believable story and characters that remain true to themselves.

The other aspect I absolutely loved about the book was the love story between Darcy and Elizabeth. Their love is realistic and believable but also sweet and passionate at the same time, it is touching but with some anguish making it halfway between the hot mush and the angst. The scene when Darcy and Elizabeth meet at Oakham Mount is an endearing and loving scene that exemplifies what I am saying, and it was probably one of my favourite scenes in the entire book.

One Thread Pulled is a very well written book with a great love story that will appeal to all readers. I highly recommend it and was only sad to reach the end and realise that there wasn’t exactly an ending as the story will continue with Darcy’s courtship on a second volume. But fear not dear readers, now you can follow up their story on volume two : Constant as the Sun: The Courtship of Mr. Darcy which was released in the end of 2016, a couple of years after I read volume one 🙂

If you haven’t read this book yet, you are luckier than me, you will have the pleasure of reading them both without interruptions.

You can find One Thread Pulled at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Collide

 

When I saw Van Gogh mentioned on the first line of Collide I knew I would like the book, but I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. Modernisations are not my favourite sub-genre and even though sometimes I like them, I seldom love them, but Collide was a page turner book that kept me glued to it for two whole days and that completely changed my perspective. I absolutely loved this modernisation!

In this North & South variation Maggie Hale leaves her small town of Hillstone to pursue her dream of becoming a contemporary dancer in Las Vegas and it is in Sin City that she will meet Jay Thornton, someone she will misunderstand but who will intrigue her more than she would like to admit.

In Collide each chapter is focused the point of view of each of these two characters, so we will get to know each one of them very well, and this is one of the highlights of the book for me. The way Melanie Stanford organised and wrote the book made it absolutely irresistible and readers will keep wanting for more and more. The fact that the point of view changes with each chapters makes it a very dynamic book and there is not one dull moment in it.

I loved the Vegas environment and how real these characters felt in their own little world. I could picture their every move and imagine each scene in my head, I felt transported into that reality and I don’t believe there is anything better in a book.

I wasn’t too sure about Jay Thornton’s character in the beginning, but those doubts faded very quickly as I started falling in love with his character. He is compelling, and I could feel myself being drawn to him with every page I turned. But to be honest, I loved all characters in the book, Nico was an excellent modernisation of Nicholas, and I loved how the author made his relationship with Jay so similar to the original, in fact, It is astonishing how well Melanie Stanford translated the original story into this new setting. Everything was put together with a lot of care, and every little detail seemed to flow in the right direction every single time.

Mrs. Thornton does not exist in this book, and I confess that only made it better for me, I never really like her character in North and South books and Jay Thornton’s family life was much more interesting and modern, it made me love him even more,

The relationship between Maggie and Jay is incredible, I felt sparkles between them every time they were together and even though the first time he sees her dancing Song of the Cage Bird is one of my favourite scenes, it doesn’t stand out so much in comparison to the others because they are all great!

Collide is definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year, and if I could give it a higher rating I would, I loved everything about it, the characters, the setting, the story, the writing… Every single aspect of this book contributed to it being a compelling, intense and wonderful book that I recommend to absolutely everyone, not just those who like North and South, but to everyone who likes a love story that carries along with it real life struggles. I’m sure most people will not have gone through the situations these characters went through as they are too extreme, but I could relate to their struggle to get a better life, Nico was the best example, but I could also relate to Maggie fighting for her dreams and for a career on something she likes and to Jay for fighting to get out of the loop kind of life he got himself into.

In short terms, bravo Mrs. Stanford! This is a book I will not forget anytime soon. Oh…and the cover is perfect for the story!!!

 

You can find Collide at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.ca

Haunting Mr. Darcy

In New Year’s eve, after returning from Netherfield to London, Mr. Darcy realises he is completely bewitched by Elizabeth Bennet. He starts comparing all other woman to her and in an attempt to forget her, he wishes to find a woman who meets all his standards of the perfect Mrs. Darcy and to see Elizabeth Bennet one last time.

At the same time, when returning from an Assembly in Meryton, Elizabeth wishes Mr. Darcy may wish something he will never have. A few minutes later, the carriage transporting Elizabeth and Jane Bennet has an accident and Elizabeth is left inconscient.

She wakes up in a beautiful library some time later and believes she is dreaming… until she sees Mr. Darcy. Then her worse nightmare happens and she realises she is in a spirit like manner and attached to none other than Mr. Darcy. On the other hand, he believes he is becoming crazy by seeing and hearing Elizabeth when no one else is able to. After some time and some disagreements, they agree they are neither crazy nor dreaming, but living something very real.

Elizabeth’s spirit is indeed bound to Mr. Darcy and he is the only one able to see or talk to her, but her body remains inconscient in Longbourn and we start wondering if she will ever get her soul and body together in one piece.

In this book Elizabeth is impertinent and witty just as she should be. No more and no less! Karalynne Mackrory did a wonderful job with her character, but she also designed a perfectly proud but charming Mr. Darcy. They are perfect and I fell in love with these characters as much as I fell for Jane Austen’s

I’ve read this book 3 times by now and I’m sure I will read it many more. It is one of the best JAFF books I’ve ever read, in fact, it made of my all time favourites list published a couple of months ago. I love it this much because it has a perfect balance of romance, tension, flirting and angst. Throughout the book we see Elizabeth getting to know Darcy in his intimacy and gradually falling in love with him, just as we see Darcy realising how Elizabeth’s wit, intelligence, good humour, compassion and good sense make her the perfect match for him. While this is happening we also see their failures exposed and their hurt feelings towards one another, we see their perfect reactions and we cannot avoid connecting to them

I’m convinced this book is a masterpiece and I have to congratulate both the writer and the editor for it. Books like this make me want to read non-stop 24/7. The author captures Elizabeth and Darcy’s feelings and expressions so intensely that his declaration of love literally took my breath away. The entire scene was pure perfection and I could clearly picture every single moment in my head.

The way these two characters connect is beautiful, and in this book the author creates the necessary scenes for them to feel angst, anger, disappointment, love and hope. By doing so, she didn’t need to explain the characters feelings in a cold, descriptive manner because we know exactly what they were feeling considering we are feeling it in our hearts as well.

Haunting Mr. Darcy is a rollercoaster of emotions. In one minute we are reading the most romantic scene we could imagine and before we know it we are dreading what may happen and suffering the characters sorrows in the most acute way. The easiness with which the author engages our emotions makes us completely glued to it, and readers will only be able to let go of this book once they reach the end, and some of them like myself, will not even be able to let go by then as the need to re-read it will definitely overcome them.

I found myself not wanting this book to end but at the same time I could not stop reading it until it was over. It is a MUST read JAFF book.

You can find Haunting Mr. Darcy at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

A Fair Prospect Vol. I, II & III

Hello everyone,

I read A Fair Prospect trilogy in 2013 and it immediately became one of my favourite books. But the story is told throughout 3 volumes and I had to wait some months before the release of the next volumes to finish reading it. So in 2014 before my first trip to Bath I decided to re-read all volumes to have the pleasure of reading the entire story without any interruption. But once again I failed to write a review, so this year I decided to re-read this story for the third time and actually write my opinion about it.

When I finished reading it this time I came to two conclusions: I will re-read it again and it continues to be one of my favourite books!

But why do I love it so much? Because Cassandra Grafton created one of the most passionate, well written and developed stories I have ever read! Many of the scenes she created are still very present in my memory and I cannot think of many of them without getting goosebumps.

A Fair Prospect begins at my favourite starting point for a JAFF variation: at the Hunsford proposal. This time the proposal occurs in the outdoors and just before a huge storm descends in Kent. Mr Darcy is the perfect gentleman and even if he is mortified and angry with Elizabeth’s refusal, he offers to take her home in his carriage, but when she is descending the carriage, something happens that will forever haunt her.

From this moment on, they will be forced to see each other more times than they would prefer, but I’m sure that janeites will never complain about too many Darcy/Elizabeth scenes 🙂

After Mr. Darcy delivers his letter to Elizabeth, they are forced to dine together at Rosings, and during that night we see Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth having some of the most intense scenes I’ve ever seen. Their dialogue in Lady Catherine’s room is something I’ll never forget. The eagerness Elizabeth has to tell him how wrong she was, and the pain he feels for her rejection are impressive. I was pulled into the story with this scene and I could not leave it ever since. I love books that make me feel something and this one certainly achieved that goal.

All the dialogues during that night are perfectly crafted, saying exactly what needs to be said, leaving what needs to be unsaid in the underlines, and having the beautiful power of being misconstrued by those hearing it.

It takes a true talent and mastery of the english language to be able to do what Cassandra Grafton did in this scene. It is even hard to express how perfectly the dialogues were created.

But what amazed me the most, was that this was not a one time occurrence, the entire book is perfectly crafted with little details coming into the story in the perfect time. Small incidents or words have major impacts in the story, and kept me turning page after page with a hunger for more that I don’t usually feel.

While the action on the first book occurs in Kent, the second volume will take us to London where the story progresses with Elizabeth starting to realise what is truly in her heart.

In this volume a new character appears and Darcy starts to believe he has some competition. I loved this part of the story as there is nothing better for me than a little jealousy in Darcy’s heart.

As the story progresses Darcy tries to give Elizabeth the space he believes she needs, but again fate will not help, and they will spend much time together. Their encounters, even when filled with misunderstandings, start to give Darcy some hope, but that hope will be ripped from him with a force of a tornado. I could hear the little pieces of Darcy’s shattered heart at the end of volume two and I could only hope that volume three would bring him a worthy reward.

With a broken heart Darcy removes himself to Bath, and it is in this romantic town the narrative in volume three will be developed.

Once again we will see plenty of Darcy and Elizabeth but in this volume we will see both of them pining for the other. They are both in love with each other, and they both believe their love to be unrequited. I love this scenario and the angst, but when Darcy believes Elizabeth is telling him she loves someone else, my heart broke into a million pieces. How devastated he must have been?

But fear not dear readers, the moment they come to understand each other’s feelings is equally intense, and so, so romantic!!! I think I held my breath and could only release it at the end of the scene! It was one of the best get together scenes I have ever read, and luckily for me it was extended through many, many pages  🙂 There are no words to express how beautiful and intense their love was in this story and the streets of Bath will always remind me of the desperate measures taken in this book.

A Fair Prospect is an introspective book with a slow paced story but with an intensity that will keep readers glued to it. It is overly romantic, all scenes between Darcy and Elizabeth are electrifying, their dialogues are breathtaking and the sequence of events beautifully formulated.

It remains one of my favourite books of all times and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Darcy and Elizabeth!

You can find this book at Amazon. com

A Fair Prospect: Volume I, II &III

A Fair Prospect: Darcy’s Dilemma

A Fair Prospect: Disappointed Hopes

A Fair Prospect: Desperate Measures

No Such Thing as Luck Review & Giveway

Hello everyone,

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but Nicole Clarkston’s debut book, No Such Thing as Luck, has a new cover. Janet Taylor is the responsible for the wonderful new design and when I heard about this makeover, I thought it would be a good time to post the review of the book. It is one of my favourite North and South fan fiction books after all, and I hadn’t reviewed it yet, so I thought, why not do it now that it has a new face?

No Such Thing as Luck was the first book I ever saw of Nicole Clarkston and it was because of it that I discovered she also wrote JAFF. I’ve read and loved her other two JAFF books (Rumours & Recklessness and The Courtship of Edward Gardiner) but this one will always have a special place in my heart because it is one of the best North and South fan fiction books I’ve ever read.

This variation takes place after Mr. Hales’s death and Margaret’s departure from Milton. Some months after these events Margaret receives a letter from Frederick telling her that Mr. Bell, who was visiting him in Cadiz, is terminally ill and would like to see her one last time. She decides to embark on a ship as soon as possible and as she is about to embark the Esperanza, she bumps into Mr. Thornton, who is also embarking on the ship to meet a business associate who may help him save the mill after the disastrous strike.

It is due to these circumstances that we will see the action of the book occurring on board of a ship, and as you may imagine, it is not difficult for people to bump into each other frequently when confined in a small space, so the duration of this trip provided us with plenty of scenes between Margaret and John 🙂

In fact, I believe it serves as a closure to the original story. Mrs. Gaskell’s rushed ending was a bit bittersweet for me as I would have liked to read a more slow-paced ending with our characters exploring and demonstrating more their love for each other. This book, being also a slow-paced story, despite the adventures in the end, gave me the satisfaction of seeing these characters profess their love for one another by words and behaviours during an enjoyable amount of time.

I believe nothing could be more perfect for these characters than the scenes Nicole Clarkston created on the ship. These were the most intense and romantic scenes I’ve seen of John and Margaret so far, and I wasn’t even done with this book and already wished the author would never stop writing tales of John and Margaret.

Nothing compares to the eager anticipation that Nicole Clarkston creates in the first chapters, followed by the overpowering joy of seeing John learning the truth at last.

Ever since his conversation with Higgins I could only hope to see him in Spain. I could only imagine what his reaction at seeing Frederick would be, and Nicole Clarkston gave me that satisfaction with this unique variation of North and South.

This John Thornton is one of the best, if not the best, John Thornton I have ever seen on a North and South fan fiction book. Nicole Clarkston made me fall in love with him all over again, he is gallant, protective, tender and strong. He is a combination of everything perfect and imperfect I would love to see associated to this character.

Margaret is true to herself, but in this book she already knows that turning down such a man was a big mistake considering she is aware her heart has been touched by him. As I love to read books when Margaret is already in love with John, this book was a delight to read.

Mrs. Thornton is also seen through a different perspective and even if she remains the same in essentials, we see a new side of her that allows us to get to know and understand the character better. Also, her reaction at seeing Margaret introduce herself when entering the court is priceless!!! (when you read it, you’ll understand, but I imagine many people would love to read this book just to have the pleasure of witnessing this moment).

No Such Thing as Luck is a riveting book full of romance between John and Margaret and I highly recommend it to anyone in need of a good romance. The first chapters captivate the readers hearts and souls and it will be hard stop reading after that.

 

You can find this book at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Nicole Clarkston would like to offer one copy of this book to my readers. All you have to do to enter the giveaway is comment on this post and share your thoughts with us. The giveaway is international and the winner may choose the book format. It will be open until the 3rd of April and the winner will be announced shortly after.

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Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey Review & Giveaway

Hello everyone,

Last year I devoured Darcy’s Hope: Beauty from Ashes in one day and the book caused such an impression on me that I considered it one of my favorites from 2016.

The only issue I had with the book was that the second volume, Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey, would only be available in January 2017 and I didn’t want to wait that long to read it.

I eagerly waited until I could read Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey, and when I put my hands on it, I was once again compelled to read it in one day. I simply could not stop reading this book, and that is because Ginger Monette has a fluid and enticing writing style that make her books true page-turners.

You don’t necessarily need to read Darcy’s Hope: Beauty from Ashes to enjoy Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey because even if this is a continuation of the story, readers will easily understand and get immersed in this new story, but the impact this second book will have is much different if you read the first, so I recommend reading Beauty from Ashes first.

Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey starts with Elizabeth receiving very disturbing news that imply she is part of a conspiracy of traitors who helped German officers escape from the Allies on the continent (if you haven’t read the blurb yet, the book occurs during the first World War). She knows that traitors are convicted to death and that people associated to them will most likely be shunned by society, so in an attempt to save her own life and protect Darcy she goes into hiding.

When Darcy discovers Elizabeth is missing, he understands the reasons behind this and does everything in his power to find her and let her know that the news she heard are not true, that she is safe from the malicious rumors and they can be happy together, but Elizabeth outsmarts him and assumes a new identity as a VAD nurse. She becomes Miss Juliet Thomas, the assistant of Dr. Scott, who is sent to work at Hartfield facility.

In the meantime, Darcy is obliged to remain in the continent and is send to the front. Being unable to find Elizabeth, he is devoid of hope, and in an altruistic and heroic act gets seriously injured in battle. He is then sent back to England and transported to Hartfield which belongs to his family. In this new hospital he will be under Dr. Scott’s care and in close proximity to Elizabeth who will be crucial to assist him in his recovery.

It is at Hartfield, close to Donwell Abbey, that our characters will face their biggest trial in life. They will suffer, despair, lose all hope and regain it once more; they will laugh, cherish each other and grow as human beings, and in the end, they will have their happy ending.

This book is simultaneously powerful, intense and beautiful. It is very hard for me to cry with a book, but on Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey tears came to my eyes as feelings consumed and pulled me into the story and the characters reality. The path both Darcy and Elizabeth take in this book is a dark one, and the tone is completely different from Beauty From Ashes. In this book the characters are more mature and the relationship they establish is not a passionate love/hate one, it is based on understanding, friendship, respect and perseverance.

I particularly liked the fact that Darcy never gave up on Elizabeth, and that she yielded to her feelings in the end.

Darcy and Elizabeth are central characters in the book, but there are several cameo appearances of other known characters such as Col. Brandon and Marianne Dashwood. The ones I loved the most were John Thornton and Margaret Hale from Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South. If you don’t love John Thornton yet, you will once you see how crucial he will be on Darcy’s life. I hope the author writes a Great War Romance based on John and Margaret’s POV very, very shortly 🙂 The stories intertwine in perfections and I would dearly love to see this romance through their eyes and experiences having Darcy and Elizabeth as mere secondary characters.

Summing up, Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey is full of depth, intensity and historical romance. It is incredibly well written and the development of the characters fears and war trauma is beautifully accomplished. I highly recommend it not only to JAFF readers but anyone who wants a good historical romance.

The Darcy’s Hope Saga is available for purchase on Amazon:

Amazon.com – Darcy’s Hope – Beauty from Ashes & Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey  

Amazon.co.uk –Darcy’s Hope – Beauty from Ashes & Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey 

To have a better idea of what this book is all about I would like to invite you read the blurb and the excerpt we brought you today 🙂

 

***Book Blurb***

1917. Amidst the chaos of WW1, Captain Fitzwilliam Darcy has won the heart of Elizabeth Bennet. Finally.

Then she disappears.

Still reeling from the loss, Darcy is struck by a battlefield tragedy that leaves him in a dark and silent world.

Sent to Donwell Abbey to recover, he’s coaxed back to life by an extraordinary nurse. A woman whose uncanny similarities to Elizabeth invite his admiration and entice his affections.

His heart tells him to hold on to Elizabeth. His head tells him to take a chance with his nurse.

But Donwell Abbey holds a secret that just might change everything.

Escape to the era of Downton Abbey in this enthralling stand-alone sequel* to Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes that includes appearances by John Thornton, Margaret Hale, Colonel Brandon, Marianne Dashwood, and descendants of George Knightley.

• May be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel, but readers may experience some minor confusions without the context of the mystery of Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes.
• Has a happy ending for Lizzy and Darcy.
• Romance is clean. Minor language and some recollections of graphic war scenes.

 

***Excerpt***

Elizabeth bolted from the chair. “Fitzwilliam, wake up!” She nudged his arm in the darkened room, but he continued writhing with great heaving breaths. “Captain!” She squeezed his hand, but he jerked it away, whimpering.

On impulse, she slid her arms under his shoulders and held him close. Instantly his thrashing ceased.

Gently rocking him, she massaged the unbandaged hair at his temple and whispered against his cheek, “It’s all right. Just a dream.”

He breathing slowed, but his body remained tense. “My ribs…hurt.”

She lowered him back to the pillow, then tapped on his hand, Try to relax. All right now?

“Mmm…. Water. And morphine.”

She squeezed his hand and poured water into the hospital cup. She touched the pill to his lips then offered the porcelain straw.

He swallowed. “Who are you?”

Elizabeth froze and closed her eyes. How she longed to tell him the truth, then brush a kiss on his lips, assure him of her love, and promise to stay by his side.

She took his hand and spelled, Miss Thomas.

“Thank you…Miss Thomas.”

Elizabeth sank into the wing chair and released a heavy breath. Could she bear to be so close and yet so far away from Fitzwilliam?

 

*** Author Bio***

Winner of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s 2015 “Picture This” grand prize, Ginger lives with her family in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she enjoys dancing on the treadmill, watching period dramas, public speaking, and reading—a full-length novel every Sunday afternoon.

Author Contacts:

Website: GingerMonette.com

Author’s Facebook: is here

Goodreads: here

Amazon: here

***It’s Giveaway time***

Ginger Monette would like to offer to three lucky winners ( open to US residents only) a tin of Downton Abbey Tea! All you have to do is click on the  Rafflecopter link below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

***Blog Tour***

Excited about this book? Follow the blog tour for more reviews, excerpts and information on Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey.

Feb 1  The Ardent Reader

Feb 2 From Pemberley to Milton

Feb 3 My Jane Austen Book Club

Feb 4  My Love for Jane Austen

Feb 5  vvb32reads

Feb 6  Just Jane 1813

Feb 7  Savvy Verse & Wit

Feb 8  Austenesque Reviews

Feb 9  My Kids Led Me Back to Pride & Prejudice

Feb 10 Babblings of a Bookworm

Feb 11  Obsessed with Mr. Darcy

Feb 12  Musings from the Yellow Kitchen

Feb 13  Half Agony, Half Hope

Feb 14  My Vices and Weaknesses

Feb 15  Diary of an Eccentric

Feb 16  Every Savage Can Dance

Feb 17  More Agreeably Engaged

Feb 18  The Calico Critic

Feb 20  Austenesque Reviews

Feb 21  More than Thornton

Feb 22  Margie’s Must Reads

Feb 23  Delighted Reader

Feb 24  Becky’s Book Reviews

Feb 26  Linda Andrews

Feb 27  Every Woman Dreams

Feb 28  Tomorrow is Another Day