Hello friends! Wondering why it has been so quiet in my neck of the woods these past few days? My apologies for not being very present on my blog this past weekend but Mr. Bingley and I went on a little getaway to the Dominican Republic (again)!!
As some of you may remember, Mr. Bingley had minor back surgery earlier this March and before that he was living with back and leg pain for almost a year and a half. We said when he was finally all better that we deserved a little vacay to celebrate.
Well, we knew the surgery was a success (although we had a bit of trouble with the recovery – meds) and at his two month check-up, Mr. Bingley was given the clean bill of health! My poor dear has been so through so much I asked him where he’d like to go to celebrate. He picked Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (which is where we went last year!) because he felt it was the most relaxing and beautiful place we have been to. I was not sorry to return and we had a perfect 5 days together!
Here are some pictures. Aside from relaxing and eating in beautiful surroundings we went horseback riding, zip-lining, played a lot of pool volleyball, and did some paddle-board yoga! But a lot of those pictures are on our other camera and since we only got in late last night I don’t have them on my computer yet (sorry!)
What about you, friends? Any fun travels this month or special things you are celebrating?
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Want to know what Austenesque fun I’m getting into this month?
…here is what’s on this month’s
Austenesque Agenda:
~ TO REVIEW ~
~ TO READ AND REVIEW ~
~ YOU CHOOSE! ~
Regency Reads!
A couple months ago I found both these lovelies at our biannual library book sale and I am itching to give one of them a try! Which one do you want me to read – Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson or A Lady at Willowgrove Hall by Sarah E. Ladd? To vote comment below!
~ FEATURED AUTHORS VISITING THIS MONTH ~
Melissa Belle – July 8th
Joana Starnes – July 13th
Jeanna Ellsworth – July 25th
I’m so happy July is here! I’ve got a lot to look forward to!
What are you looking forward to this month?
Hi Meredith, the photographs of your holiday look lovely and I am sooo glad Mr. Bingley has had the all clear and you had a lovely holiday together. I too have just returned from holiday. We went to Derbyshire (my all time favourite place in the UK ) and visited Kedleston Hall, Calke Abbey and Sudbury Hall (again!!!!).
Looking forward to your interview with Joana Starnes and your review of unwilling by Elizabeth Adams. I read the Houseguest and would highly recommend it. I choose Edenbrooke as my vote!
Hi Michelle! Thank you so much for your kind words! I love hearing about your holiday!! You could never get tired of revisiting places you love no matter how many times you’ve been, right?
I enjoyed the Houseguest, too! Really liking Unwilling (reading it now!) 😉
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 1 / Willowgrove – 0
You will love both Edenbrooke and Lady of Willowgrove Hall! I also really enjoyed Hope For Mr. Darcy! Can’t go wrong with these reads!
Awesome! I’m really looking forward to reading all three!! Edenbrooke and Lady of Willowgrove Hall are new authors for me!
No travels other than Wrigley Field for the fourth of July. The cubs won and there was an awesome tribute to our country and service men and women. I tend to travel through the pics and eyes of our JAFF friends. Have read 5 of the above mentioned and it looks like you are in for some fun! So happy you had a great trip. Jen Red ♫
That sounds fun, Jennifer! Sounds like they had a nice celebration and that’s great that the home team won! 🙂 Nice!! You are on top of your reading, my friend! 😉
I’m so glad Mr Bingley is back feeling in tip-top shape and that you had a glorious time in the DR. I loved seeing your photos on instagram. How gorgeous! I have no travel plans but I am house sitting for my brother while they go away for a week. So I’ll have cable TV! Haha
“Austen’s Independence Day” is a new one for me, so I can’t wait to see what that’s all about. I’m about to update my JAFF spreadsheet and fix it to show only the ones I own and/or have read. I used to list all of them that I could find but there’s been such an explosion of JAFF indies and new authors [yay!] that lately I can’t keep up!
Thanks, Monica! We are so relieved he has no pain! I made a point to take more pictures this time since last time I didn’t have my phone with me to much. 🙂 Hope you are enjoying the house-sitting and cable! 😉
I really liked Austen’s Independence Days it was a lot of fun! I’ll be sharing an excerpt for the story tomorrow and my review on Monday. 🙂
I know what you mean about the explosion! I find it a challenge to keep up with the lists I have on my blog, never mind making personal spreadsheets! LOL!
Oh, you have the best cover for passport! Marvelous photos! I wish Dominican Republic was not so far-far away from my place:) Look forward to your July posts, especially review of Unwilling. As for the readers’ choice read, I would like to vote for Edenbrooke.
Thank you, Oloore! Mr. Bingley found it for me, on zazzle I think. 🙂 I hope you get to go to the Dominican Republic, it is really beautiful there!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 2 / Willowgrove – 0
I love your photos…my favorite…lovers’ kiss! So very happy “Mr. Bingley” is all better and that you could have a special time to celebrate such. I have not read Unwilling so will be interested in hearing what you have to tell us about that. I vote for Edenbrooke.
Haha! Thank you, Sheila! I like that one too! I was trying to have us recreate a pic we did like that 10 years ago with a regular digital camera (before selfies were a thing). It was amazing because it came out perfect on the first try. This one…even with seeing the shot on the screen took several tries! LOL! 😉
I’m enjoying Unwilling right now, I look forward to comparing thoughts with you when you read it!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 3 / Willowgrove – 0
Stunning photos! So pleased to hear Mr B is fully recovered and that you had a wonderful time revisiting somewhere so special!
We’re off to England (again) next week! A few days in beautiful Bath with close friends followed by a family wedding in Suffolk should be a lot of fun; then we head to Lake Como in Italy for a rest (like you, a revisit to somewhere we fell in love with last year!)
Joana Starnes’ new release is one of my planned holiday reads!
Thank you, Cass! It was one my goals to get some real good shots on this trip…pictures are my favorite kind of souvenir! 😉
Yay for your travel plans! Sounds like such a fun trip! Italy! Wow! Lake Como must be beautiful, I hear about so many people going there! 🙂 Hope you have the best time, Cass!! And enjoy your holiday reads!
I am so glad Mr Bingley is recovered and that you enjoyed the break. Your photos are amazing – what a beautiful place! I have read Darcy vs Bennet and Unwilling both great books and I have just bought Miss Darcy’s Companion which will be my next read. (I’m just re reading Memory by Linda Wells for the ????th time – just started book 2).
I would suggest Edenbrooke as your next read unless you have read the first 2 books in the other series and ate desperate to now read Willowgrove Hall.
Thank you, Glynis! It was a so great to be surrounded by such beauty! I loved it! I’m glad to hear you thought Darcy vs Bennet and Unwilling were great reads! I’m enjoying Unwilling!! Looking forward to seeing where it goes!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 4 / Willowgrove – 0
PS – Willowgrove is part of a series? I didn’t know that!
Just so proud that Mr. Bingley is doing so well. The pictures are so beautiful that I want to visit! You both deserve a break but we are so happy that you are back. I love the reviews coming up for I have read several of the books and can’t wait to see what you think. I have no idea which of the two books to choose for I haven’t heard of them, but the book covers really are outstanding.
Thank you, Brenda!! I hope you get to visit the DR! It is definitely one of our favorite vacation spots! Now we need to discover some more! 🙂 I love period covers, don’t you? It’s an interesting coincidence how both books feature that back of a dress!
So glad you enjoyed your holiday Meredith. I’m looking forward to my few days away in September. I’m going to the Jane Austen Festival in Bath with my daughters. I pick Edenbrooke for you to read. I read it last year and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thank you, Teresa! It was a lovely getaway! 🙂 How awesome that you are going to the festival and sharing the trip and fun with your daughters! I bet it is such a great experience! 🙂
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 5 / Willowgrove – 0
Delightful pictures and a well deserved vacation! So glad Mr. Bingley is well recovered. I would love to try that zip-lining! Your line-up for this month looks great. I have read ‘Change of Legacies’, ‘Unwilling’ and ‘Hope for Mr. Darcy’. I do so want to read Victoria Kincaid’s book plus her newest one is out as well! I have Joana’s book on my Kindle so I will be reading that one this month along with a few others. I vote for ‘Edenbrooke’ as I have it on my wishlist and would love to know your opinion on it.
Thank you, Carole! <3 It felt great to celebrate making it through all the challenges we did! 🙂 Ziplining was a lot of fun, I hope to do more of it! This time I traveled backwards a lot more than I traveled forwards though! Great to hear that you enjoyed so many of the books I'm planning on reading! I know how you feel, Edenbrooke has been on my wishlist for 2 years and I'm really wondering how I will like it! 😉
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 6 / Willowgrove – 0
I’ve enjoyed seeing your vacation pictures post on FB as you guys enjoyed your trip. Glad Mr. B’s back is in good shape now. We know what that is like as my darling had to have back therapy and finally surgery two years ago. Next week, we head off for some camping with the tribe so looking forward to that.
Looks like you have some fun reads and guests stopping by. I vote for Edenbrooke.
Have a lovely July!
Thank you for all the kind words, Sophia! I hope you have a great time camping and getting away from it all! 😉 It’s fun just to break up the regular routine, isn’t it? We never done any camping…don’t know how well we’d do! LOL!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 7 / Willowgrove – 0
Hi Meredith, I’m very glad Mr Bingley is in good health again and the fact both of you have enjoyed some relaxing days in such a beautiful country. The pictures are amazing! The colors of the sky are overwhelming and the pool is so refreshing! . In my case I’ll have to wait to Augoust to enjoy the beach! LOL 🙂
I vote for “Edenbrooke”: I haven’t read any of them but I like the title. I’m curious about Elizabeth Adams and Joana Starnes ‘ s books. Happy July!
Thank you, my friend! You and me both! It is such a relief because when we visited DR last year it was a completely different story!
August will be here before you know it! I hope you get to enjoy a lot of beach time!! 🙂
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 8 / Willowgrove – 0
Delighted to hear Mr. Bingley is back in top form! Am adoring the cover of Unwilling and looking forward to hearing more about it. Dunno either of the books in the poll, but I’ve heard good things about Edenbrooke so maybe that.
Thanks, Abigail! I’m just glad Mr. Bingley doesn’t have to fight the pain anymore! I love the cover for Unwilling too and I’ve heard so many others compliment it as well! It definitely is eye-catching, but also simple. 🙂
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 9 / Willowgrove – 0
Edenbrooke is an all-time favorite for me. You must read it!!
Woot! That is great to hear!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 10 / Willowgrove – 0
Wow! That seems like a heavenly place! So happy you both enjoyed your short vacation! 😉
As for the books, I’ll vote for Edenbrooke. It’s lovely and I’m sure you’ll love the hero! 😀 I haven’t read A Lady at Willowgrove Hall but if I’m not mistaken, it’s book number 3 of a series, so you may want to read the other books first.
Thank you, Maria! It is definitely great to take a double days off to relax and then come home and get back to work! 🙂
Thanks for the heads up about Willowgrove! I didn’t realize it was part of a series! And I’d definitely prefer to read them in order! I think it will work out though, since the vote is very much one-sided!! 😉
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke –1 1 / Willowgrove – 0
You’re welcome! LOL! 😀
It is a good thing that I, for one, post reviews; I just looked and I did read Edenbrooke and liked it so let’s see what opinion you have on it.
Ah! I know what you mean! It’s hard to keep track (especially with how much you read!) 😉
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 12 / Willowgrove – 0
Your trip looks amazing! I am glad you were able to get away and that Mr. B is doing better! I loved Edenbrooke and think you will really enjoy it!
Thank you, my friend! We love to travel, hopefully we will continue to do more of it!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 13 / Willowgrove – 0
So happy for you both!! Wonderful to hear that Mr Bingley is in top form again!
Your holiday pics are amazing and the pair of you look gorgeous. What a sweet lovers’ kiss 🙂
Looking forward to being your guest, Austenesque Reviews is such a happy place! Thanks for having me. Looking forward to your reviews too. I read Jeanna’s book and loved it and I’ve started reading ‘Unwilling’ and can’t put it down. So sweet and poignant and beautifully written! You’ll love it, I’m sure.
The Regency reads have stunning covers, both of them, they look so appealing! Poor Willowgrove though, I’m tempted to vote for it just to nudge it up from zero 🙂
All the best and have a wonderful summer!
Thank you, my friend! 🙂 I’m so excited to have you visit again, Joana! And I’m very pleased you find AR a happy place! I did love Unwilling and I’m glad to hear you did too! I’ll be sharing my review next week. 😉
It definitely looks like there is a decided favorite with this vote! Very interesting!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 Edenbrooke – 13 / Willowgrove – 1
Yay for Mr. B’s recovery and your vacation! Thanks for sharing the lovely pics! I love getting to take so many armchair vacations. 🙂 Hope you’re enjoying July and I vote for Edenbrooke. Looking forward to your reviews. Happy reading!
Hi Reina! Thanks so much for stopping by!! Armchair vacations are definitely fun!!! I love learning about other places! 😀 July has been great (busy, but great) so far! I hope you are having a good month too!
Thanks for voting! Edenbrooke – 14 / Willowgrove – 1
Looks like a great time. We haven’t been to DR in 3 years. I’d love to go back. We are going to Kauai in a week with our granddaughter and great-grandson. Taking a couple books or my kindle but not sure I’ll read at all with a one year old. Zip-lining after back surgery? That went ok? Our daughter wanted us to go but I have bad knees. Sounds amazing but not sure I could do it. I’m glad mr. B is doing great now.