Change of Heart by Tina Marie Noel

Change of Heart by Tina Marie Noel

In this Pride and Prejudice re-telling, Lady Catherine would be well and truly within her rights to say that Elizabeth had used her female guile and accoutrements to turn Darcy's head.

She flirts outrageously and use double entendres, stroking Mr Darcy's snooker cue while telling Mr Darcy she likes to play with his stick.

This is definitely not an Elizabeth that Jane Austen would have liked and some might say it slips into the category of housewife porn. But this elizabeth does the impossible, she changes Lady Catherine's heart as well.

Lady Catherine even coming to the defence of Elizabeth with a serious dressing down to Caroline Bingley and her friend for this alone the book has to be worth reading. because, let's face it wouldn't we all love to give Caroline Bingley a verbal slap around the face and who could  possibly do it better that the totally acidic Lady Catherine DeBourgh. yes this is smutty but at least it is entertaining smut.
Masses of fumbling and heaving breasts.

Even Jane gets a bit naughty and that is very out of character.

Murder at Rosings by Joann Louise

Murder at Rosings by Joann Louise

If you can get past some very iffy grammar and my personal pet hate words like critters instead of creatures, also there are no Vultures in England, not now and not 200 years ago. It would be far better to have had the aptly named "murder of crows" sharing the where abouts of the victim.

OK rant over. 

There is plenty to entertain:

Lady Catherine by her mismanagement and overbearing personality has set the scene for the disasters that befell Rosings Park. 

Unfortunately Elizabeth Bennet gets mixed up in the murder plots and comes face to face with the murderer.

Once he knows she has seen his face her life is in mortal danger.

Thank goodness then that Mr Darcy will move Heaven and Earth to protect his Elizabeth.

And, that's not going to be an easy job as the body count rises.

Whilst dealing with the terrible situation at Rosings Park he is not let off  the hook from sorting out Lydia and Wykham. The poor man is harried from all sides but being Fitzwilliam Darcy was never going to be easy and he is the hero of the day when the tale brings him between the killers knife and Elizabeth.

This is the first Murder mystery set at Rosings That I have read, it makes a change from Pemberley.

Dreams and Expectations by Wendi Sotis

Wendi Sotis - Dreams and Expectations

Well this version of Pride and Prejudice has everything plus a whole lot more!

As Lady Ann lies dying she gets young Darcy to promise to marry well.

On his mothers death her sister, Lady Catherine De Bourgh makes sure Darcy understands that marrying well is marrying her own daughter, Anne.

So, when he meets and falls head over heels in love with Elizabeth he is unable to tell her how much he loves her as his mothers death wish has too strong a hold on him.

Once again Wendi Sotis relishes making Lady Catherine into the vilest of villans, she is so evil in this story and her evil  henchman is non other than Mr George Wickham.

There is treason and ruination, there are smugglers and Lady Catherine is the mastermind of them all.

There are so many interesting twists and sub plots in this story you are left grieving with Darcy and Lizzy as they both pine for each other.

You follow Jane as a really rotten Caroline Bingley makes sure she is also in the same boat.

Poor Charlotte is tied to an even more repulsive Mr Collins than Jane Austen dared write.

Don't let the simple covers of these books put you off, you don't need an expensive glitzy cover to make an interesting entertaining read.

This story goes right through to a modern day Lizzy and Darcy which I feel would have been better saved for another book.

Thank you Wendi for another entertaining read, I hope there is more on the way.

Promises by Wendi Sotis

Wendi Sotis - Promises

I really loved this story, it's so full of energy and misunderstandings.

Darcy and Elizabeth meet as children and the bond between them grows strongly as the years pass.

By the time she is sixteen  Darcy is totally devoted to her and he proposes to her.
Although she is willing, Mr Bennet won't give his consent until she has had a season and turned 17.

Now this is where all the disasters, skullduggery and misunderstandings set in.

Leaving each feeling abandoned by the other and on her 17th birthday Lizzy has to face the fact that Darcy is not coming to claim her hand.

Three years on and Darcy and Elizabeth meet at the Mereton Assembly. Can their love heal the terrible wounds that have been inflicted.

Once the truth is known who will stop the wicked plans of Lady Catherine and Lord Matlock.

Such an engaging tale that had me rooting for Lizzy and Darcy and wanting to slap Catherine around the chops and stamp on her brothers toes.

A really good read full of interesting twists and turns you will it enjoy it I am sure. I am enjoying Wendi Sotis Books very much and am there for on to the next one with anticipation of more delightful entertainment.

Matter of Trust by P.O.Dixon

Matter of Trust by P.O.Dixon

The Shades of Pemberley

Another P.O. Dixon what if, and again an excellent read.

It's full of deviations and twists and turns, these turn the original story of Pride and Prejudice around and send it off in a completely new direction.

This variation has Darcy being told by his Father on his death bed that George Wickham is a Darcy. But, he dies before he can explain how they are related. Darcy thinks the worst, that they are probably half brothers which is why he has kept bailing George out and kept scandal from his door.

We also have the return to Pemberley of Alexandra, younger sister to Darcy's father who has been out of the country for twenty plus years and has some big chips on her shoulders. She moves back into Pemberley and is determined to be the mistress of the house and  rides rough shod over the newly wed Elizabeth Darcy.

Darcy and Elizabeth have married hastily after an incident with Wickham at the Netherfield Ball causes Mr Darcy to guard Elizabeths honor by announcing their engagement.

As you can imagine this changes the plot in so many ways......

I will say no more of the plot as you need to read this book for yourself and find out what happens to poor Lizzy. Now she has Lady Catherine and Lady Alexandra looking down their very aristocratic noses at her.

P O Dixon's Blogspot: Matter of Trust

podixon.blogspot.com/p/matter-of-trust

The Only Way by Ola Wegner

The Only Way  by Ola Wegner

A Tale of Pride and Prejudice

This story starts with Mr Darcy’s proposal at the parsonage in Huntsford. Elizabeth refuses him soundly only to be told that evening that her beloved Father,  Mr Bennet has had an accident and died.

She is totally grief stricken and who is there to comfort her? Mr Darcy.

This is a Darcy who really can not take no for an answer He is proud and very high handed and as far as he is concerned Elizabeth is his fiancee, especially after she has wept all over his shirt. 

Once he announces it to his Aunt, Lady Catherine, Lizzy has no choice but to flee the parsonage with Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam,To escape Her Wrath.

On reaching her Uncle’s home Darcy points out that there is no other way, she has to marry him as she is now compromised.

Can his kindness to her bereaved Family win Lizzy over,or is she tied to a man she hates.

The  story that follows is a good one with lots of emotion and interesting turns. I  thoroughly enjoyed it.

Sadly, the copy I downloaded on my Kindle had loads of missing words and mistakes which did diminish the reading pleasure, although I think this was a preview version (at the time called 'No Other Way') so hopefully it should not be an issue in the finally edited version.

That aside I do recommend this book to you. Ola Wegner is a natural story teller and you do care for her characters even if like Lizzy you would like to hit this Mr Darcy at times.

Pride and Prejudice: A Royal Disposition by Amy Cecil

Pride and Prejudice: A Royal Disposition by Amy Cecil

This is Amy’s first book and it’s a great start. Her story deviates a lot from the original Pride and Prejudice but manages to keep the characters fairly true to the story. 

Elizabeth is adopted by the Bennet family, she thinks she is an orphan and that Mr Bennet is her Uncle. 

But the title of the book suggests her origins are rather more lofty. Enter the younger brother of the dissolute Prince Regent. Fredrick the Duke of York and of Albany, 2nd Son of George III equally into womanising  gambling and over indulgence of all kinds, this is Elizabeths true father.

This story of love found and then lost, his forced marriage to a Prussian Princess against his will runs alongside Elizabeth’s as she meets and then falls in love with Darcy.

All the usual baddies are there to make sure the path of true love does not run smoothly.

Mr Collins bitter at his rejection by Elizabeth, Lady Catherine determined to  rip the lovers apart and almost succeeding and of course the dastardly and devious Mr Wickham just as evil as usual.( if not worse add Blackmail to his sins).

Poor Darcy has a very hard time getting Elizabeth to agree to be his Wife, after a promising start,  it all goes horribly wrong.

Pick up this book and immerse yourself in Darcy and Elizabeth’s romance.

North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris

North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris

(or The Shades of Pemberley)

A Mr and Mrs Darcy Mystery

Just as good as Pride and Prescience and another great Elizabeth and Darcy Whodunnit.

Another Jane Austen Sequel for  your enjoyment

Drawing the characters from Northanger Abbey into the lives of those at Pemberley in a very alarming and unfortunate way.

A pregnant Elizabeth while moving her mother in laws desk to suit herself finds a letter from Lady Anne Darcy and addressed to Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcey, which leads to a treasure hunt and so much more.

One of the down sides is, it highlights Lady Annes death due to childbirth and makes Darcy overly protective and nervous about Elizabeth.

The characters from both books are blended beautifully and the only problem I have with this book is that I want to read more, and I don’t have the other two! Suspense and Sensibility and The Matters at Mansfield, so, it looks like I am due another trip across to Singapore to try and get my hands on them. If they are as good as the two I have read it will be well worth it.

I still can’t get the image of poor Elizabeth too pregnant to run away being stuck in the house with Lady Catherine, her Mother and Lydia, the stuff nightmares are made of.

I recently did a self portrait for fun and I can’t help thinking I would make an excellent Lady Catherine. I will put the picture on here and see what you think, it’s quite scary, I look like you would not win a verbal sparring match with me, but, really I am a pussycat.

Interview With An Author – Regina Jeffers

Interview With An Author – Regina Jeffers

Regina Jeffers Website

1) Your own favorite Austen character and why?

Regina:  I have lived with and loved Mr. Darcy since I was twelve years of age. It is not likely that I would desert him now. I think the act that solidified my admiration for Darcy was that out of respect for his father, he kept Wickham’s miniature displayed at Pemberley. He does not possess the implacable resentment of which Elizabeth accuses him. He is a man of honor.

2) Your Favorite Austen book?

Regina:  Needless to say, Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book – although I have a strong preference for Persuasion, as well.

3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?

Regina:  Matthew Macfadyen has been my favorite actor long before he played Darcy in 2005. I took a liking to him in Perfect Strangers and in Warriors. Actually, his smile at the end of Wuthering Heights caught my attention before he had leading roles.

4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?

Regina:  I have said this previously in another blog. It is terrible to say. I easily imagine certain actors taking on the roles of the characters in my books, but I never imagine certain actresses assuming the lead roles. I see them as ordinary women – with foibles and flaws.

5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?

Regina:  That is a difficult question to answer. I have “different” favorites at different times in my life. As a young teen, I marveled at the ingenuity found in Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days. In college, I took a liking to Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary. My mother and I read Ronald Joseph’s trilogy The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory together. I love it for sentimental reasons. While in college, my son took Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and made me a book with his pictures instead of those from the original illustrator. 

When I taught school, I loved teaching Chinese Cinderella (Adeline Yen Mah), The Songcatcher (Sharyn McCrumb), Welcome to Vietnam (Zack Emerson), Heroes (Robert Cormier), The Little Foxes (Lillian Hellman), God’s Favorite (Neil Simon), Dark of the Moon (Howard Richardson) and The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien). Each had an important message.

6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaptation?

Regina:  I refuse to argue which is the better version of Pride and Prejudice; both have their redeeming qualities. My preference is Persuasion 1995. It comes the closest to what I saw in my head when I first read Austen’s work.

7-8) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be? Why have you chosen them?

Regina:  

Henry Tilney – Having spent 40 years in the public classrooms of three different states, Tilney’s teacher-ish qualities appeal to me. Catherine is but 17 years of age. I am used to dealing with those of a like age. I could share my insights with him.

Charles Bingley – Mr. Bingley represents the rising middle class. He is from a “respectable family in the north of England. I would choose him for his affability. With Mr. Bingley, conversation would never lapse. Plus, I feel a certain affinity with the man. His family worked hard to rise to a better way of life.

Mr. Knightley – This man most consistently maintains the image of a “gentleman” among Austen’s characters. He converses well and is not averse to doing so with those below him in both social and economic situations. He is sensitive to the needs of others. Possibly, Henry Tilney might learn something from Mr. Knightley on how to handle immature young ladies.

Fitzwilliam Darcy – I would like an evening to match wits with Mr. Darcy – an evening when he was not focusing his energies on Elizabeth Bennet. I would enjoy “capping” one of his caustic remarks with one of my own.

(Oh, my Goodness! It would be four gentlemen and I. How outrageous!!!)

9) Which character would you like to play in a film?

Regina:   I am certain that I would fit none of Austen’s characters. I am a lead, follow, or get out of my way type of person, which would send me in the direction of Lady Catherine, but I am too romantic to be like the great lady.

10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not).

Regina: In October 2012, Ulysses Press will release Christmas at Pemberley, which is a festive holiday novel in which personal rivalries are resolved, generosity rediscovered and family bonds renewed. That will be followed by a P&P mystery after the first of the year. 

I am self-publishing the next two books in my Realm series. These follow The Scandal of Lady Eleanor and are entitled A Touch of Velvet and A Touch of Cashémere. I hope release them on eBook later next week, along with a novella about Adam Lawrence from The Phantom of Pemberley.

More from Regina

And Here

And Here

A Big Thank You To Regina.

If you are an Author and would like to Be Included In ‘Questions To Authors ‘- Click on the Questions To Authors link at the top of the page and go for it! 

Pride and Prejudice Hidden Lusts by Mitzi Szereto

Pride and Prejudice ~ Hidden Lusts by Mitzi Szereto

Mr Bennet shook his head, Lydia was a lively headstrong girl prone to a breathiness of speech amd a most perculiar fondness for raising up the hem of her gown...

As I have stated previously in reviews I have no problem with sex in my books, But, I know some of you do so this might not be for everybody.

So all of those who like me enjoy some rollicking, shirtlifting, britches stretching fun then here it is.

Pride and Prejudice Hidden Lusts is actually a bit of a misleading title as the lusts are far from hidden they jump right up at you, just like the rock hard manhoods of so many of the male characters.

Mitzi Szereto  follows the original story line but endows each of the characters with their own quirks of fancy and sexuality with no shortage of imagination.

Indeed the story opens with Mr Bennet delighting in his newly acquired sketches of a pony girl complete with tack and tail but nothing else.

That’s pretty tame compared with Caroline Bingley and Lady Catherine, if you want to know how naughty they are you will have to wait until the 1st of July (2011) is released, you should definitely pre-order a copy if you like a good giggle and can cope with this no holes barred (or utilized) tale.

My Husband certainly enjoyed the benefits of me reading this book 

There is also a chance to win a copy of this book on Mitzi’ Website 

Mitzi’s weblog is HERE.

You can read an interview with Mitzi HERE:

* This review is based upon a PDF version of the book that I received in advance from Mitzi. I accepted this on the basis that I was free to write a genuine review *

Loving Mr Darcy by Sharon Latham

Loving Mr Darcy by Sharon Latham

Journeys Beyond Pemberley

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Continues...

This is book two and carries straight on from where ‘Mr & Mrs Fitzwiliam Darcy’ left off.

This is another large book at 425 pages and it’s full of romance, cuddling, kissing and Mr & Mrs Darcy taking every opportunity to make love.

They leave Pemberly to visit Herefordshire, where they recall many of the events of their courtship.

Lizzy persuades Jane that sharing a bedroom with her husband is a must, which makes for even greater harmony for the residents of Netherfield.

Elizabeth arrives in London to smoothly slide into society, charming all before her, except, of course Lady Catherine, who blows into town the minute Darcy is away on business and is her usual vile self, causing Elizabeth a fair amount of heart ache.

There are some good social details on the ton of the day, but the gooey bits still totally swamp the story with passages like; ‘together they rose, passion growing to incomprehensible levels. Finally falling over a cliff of mindless, spiritual jubilance, they merged and were transported to a place of replete fulfillment’,

As in the last book the main excitement in the story does not happen until the penultimate chapter, almost an after thought.

Despite so much ‘soppy-ness’, I am growing to like the characters and she has introduced some interesting new players particularly Uncle George and his friend a Spanish Doctor, who have returned from India together.

Georgina and Anne de Bourgh are both developing nicely as the story unfolds with more romance destined for their future.

Sharon Latham seems to be a very sentimental and romantic lady, she must be lovely to know. I am now starting book three of the series; The Darcy Saga: My Dearest Mr Darcy (An Amazing Journey Into Love Everlasting).

http://www.sharonlathan.net/

Darcy’s Temptation by Regina Jeffers

Darcy’s Temptation by Regina Jeffers

A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Following on directly from the story in Darcy’s Passion all is pretty much bliss for the Darcy’s, until……..

Darcy leaves his Elizabeth at Pemberly to go and check out a threat to his beloved sister.

He is set upon and left for dead, a crazy but  engaging plot then ensues when he is rescued by a mad woman. I don’t want to give anything away but she makes Mrs Haversham seem sane by comparison.

Elizabeth is pregnant and holding the fort while Darcy has vanished.

Lady Catherine gets to be as evil and nasty as only she could be threatening and brow beating Elizabeth in Darcy’s absence. She, even purposely hides the knowledge of Darcy’s whereabouts when she finds out from Mr Collins where he is.

Unfortunately he is not the same man on his return.

This story has many highs and lows and at one point I was actually in tears (I am rather soppy). There are plenty of good sub plots with Kitty and Georgina both building their new relationships with the men in their lives.

The scene in this book where Wickham tried to make a move on Pemberly while Darcy is absent s priceless and gave me great pleasure.

So for Regina Jeffers books I say yes, yes and please give us more.

I don’t want to give away any of the story line so you need to get your selves the books and read them.

http://www.rjeffers.com/

Mr Darcys Decisions by Juliette Shapiro

Mr Darcys Decisions by Juliette Shapiro

A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Well this poor book got a drenching as soon as I started it, my kitten Bingley (I thought he had a lovable warm personality hence the name) has a thing about water and no sooner do I put my water down on my bed side table than he has knocked it over and is paddling in it, he also paddles in the shower and the fish bowls.

So having had my water glass emptied all over my book I had to read it in a very crinkly and soggy state.

This is an interesting book, the author stays true to the style and pretty faithful to characters but manages to come up with some new angles that really work very well with the original story.

The Wickham story is quite clever, she also has the contempt of Lady Catherine and Caroline Bingley bringing them together in their spite and condescension.

Juliette Shapiro manages to fit so much into one year, covering every single sister and all the other characters from Pride and Prejudice.

She is another lady that likes happy endings.

If you have read any of my past reviews you will know that I hate my bad guys and girls turned into saints, I like my baddies to be bad. But, Juliette has managed it in such away that I actually felt alright about a bit of redemption, I must be getting soft.

This book was in small print but was gripping and most enjoyable so well worth putting on the reading glasses.

I sincerely hope her four Grandchildren don’t keep her too busy to write more books as I would like to know where she would take all the Sisters in their new relationships and the independence of Anne De Bourgh.