Hi readers, I’m excited to share another of my Austenesque Top Ten lists with you today!
While many Austenesque stories take place in the Regency era and many take place in modern times, there are a handful that are set somewhere in between. These stories take Jane Austen’s beloved characters and bring them to new time periods and/or settings. Sometimes these stories are referred to as ‘alternate universe,’ but I like to use the term – Retellings. Often times in these stories the setting feels like a character in and of itself. And I love seeing how authors immerse Jane Austen’s characters and the reader in these unique and diverse settings.
The amount of Austenesque Retellings (that are not modern-day retellings) published may be small, but many of them are such sensational reads I thought it would be fun to highlight my favorites!
Here are 10 fabulous Austenesque retellings that are so deserving of praise and recognition!
* These lists are based only on the novels I have read and reviewed on this blog and are my top ten favorites.
**These lists are subject to change.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(in alphabetical order)
1932
Author: Karen M. Cox
Type of Novel: Retelling, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“Ms. Cox’s writing style is captivating and charming. I love the time period she chose, the new predicaments she gave the Bennet family, and the intrigue she created about Georgiana.”
At the Edge of the Sea
Author: Karen M. Cox
Type of Novel: Retelling, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“I was utterly charmed and enthralled by this novel! Having read the other two superb Austenesque novels by Karen Cox, I knew I could expect a high-caliber story rich with dynamic characters, intelligent insights, and evocative prose. At the Edge of the Sea is a poignant and expressive love story that should not be missed!”
Darcy on the Hudson
Author: Mary Simonsen
Type of Novel: Retelling
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“If you are looking for an Austenesque novel with just the right amount of historical content, Mary Simonsen is an author you simply must check out. Mary Simonsen has proven numerous times over that she is quite proficient when it comes to entwining history and Jane Austen! I can’t wait to see where and when she will take us next!”
Darcy’s Hope: Beauty From Ashes (Great War Romance #1)
Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey (Great War Romance #2)
Author: Ginger Monette
Type of Novel: Retelling
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (for both!)
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“If you read my review of Darcy’s Hope: Beauty from Ashes, then you know already how I love so much of what the author began in this series – the beautifully constructed integration, the setting, the emotional journeys, the well-drawn characters. Well, Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey is just as well-written, action-packed, and emotionally turbulent as the first book. And once again, I found Ginger Monette’s premise and execution to be masterful”
I Could Write a Book
Author: Karen M. Cox
Type of Novel: Retelling
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“Perceptive and compelling, I Could Write a Book is a wonderful and worthy retelling of Jane Austen’s timeless tale. With eloquent style, grace, and insight Karen Cox has proven, once again, she can indeed ‘write a book!’”
Longbourn’s Songbird
Author: Beau North
Type of Novel: Retelling, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“Longbourn’s Songbird is a soulful and poignant Pride and Prejudice retelling that encompasses a much bigger story than Darcy and Elizabeth fighting and finding love. Emotive, deep, and sincere – this debut novel is well-deserving of all the praise and accolades it is receiving! I highly recommend!”
Mr. Darcy’s Mail-Order Bride
Author: J. Dawn King
Type of Novel: Retelling
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“Filled with rugged terrain, rough hardships, and rocky relationships – this unique and enthralling retelling of Pride and Prejudice is one that I thoroughly enjoyed! A perfect choice for readers who enjoy gripping western romance, and definitely my new favorite from J. Dawn King!”
Pemberley Ranch
Author: Jack Caldwell
Type of Novel: Retelling, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“I was enthralled by this remarkable and adventurous variation of Pride and Prejudice! I found it to be a spectacular integration of romance, war, history, adventure, and conflict. Not to mention a brilliant blend of Civil War prejudices and Jane Austen’s moral guidance. Mr. Caldwell is a skilled story-teller and his debut novel, Pemberley Ranch, is sure to entrance and excite lovers of history and the Old West.”
Undeceived
Author: Karen M. Cox
Type of Novel: Retelling, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“With her latest release, Karen Cox delivers an incredibly unique and riveting tale that brilliantly blends together action, high-stakes danger, espionage, history, and Jane Austen! I love the adventure and the time travel through history this story took me on! I cannot wait to see what Karen Cox writes next!”
Undercover
Author: Cat Gardiner
Type of Novel: Retelling, Mature Audiences
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
My Review I Add to Cart I Add to Shelf
“Communist schemes, sizzling chemistry, and solving crimes – Cat Gardiner’s Austen-Inspired noir mystery is an enthralling adventure that envelopes readers in the sights, sounds, and realities of another time and world. I loved the combination of intrigue, history, danger, and scorching-hot romance! Thank you, Ms. Gardiner for another supremely creative and engrossing tale!”
~~~
Thanks for checking out my list!
What are some of your favorite Austenesque Retellings?
This is my thirteenth Austenesque Top Ten list. You can find my other Top Ten lists HERE.
Wow, what a list, Meredith! And I haven’t read any of these! Think it’s time I started drawing up my Christmas list! 😉
Ooh! Yes, ‘treat yo self’! 😉
I’ve read four of those and the others are either on my kindle waiting for me to read them or on my wish list waiting for me to buy them!
I read and loved Undercover, 1932, Undeceived and Longbourns Songbird. All wonderful books.
I’m also waiting eagerly for Keeping Calm by Linda Wells which is set in WW2. This will be an epic when she finishes it – so much so I think I may need to buy a new kindle just to hold it all. I have no doubt at all that this will be another favourite.
I love your lists Meredith so thank you.
LOL! Awesome! I’m so glad to hear that you love so many of the books that I love! I am so glad to hear that Linda Wells’s new book is set in WW2, I really love reading stories from that time! Thanks for checking out my list and sharing your thoughts, Glynis! Hugs!
So many of my favorites on this list!
Yay! I’m glad to hear that! These stories are amazing, IMHO!
Thank you so much for including Undercover, Meredith! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the Noir-esque feel. It’s an honor to make your list and to be included among such wonderful books/authors.
My pleasure! I love stories like yours that take Darcy, Elizabeth, and the reader to a whole new world! It was my first noir-esque story and I thoroughly enjoyed it!!!
I read all but I Could Write a Book and I plan to read that also as I have loved all her other books. Loved all the books you listed. Thanks for sharing.
Yay! So glad to hear you loved these stories! I know you will love I Could Write a Book as much as I did!!! 😉
Darcy on the Hudson remains one of my very favorites in this style! There’s a couple of these I haven’t read and need to add to my list. Thanks Meredith!
Great choice! I really wish there were more stories like these, they are so incredibly well done!
Loved so many of those books!
I used to stick to Regency, but Christina teased me out from under the bonnet and urged me to read Beau North’s ‘Longbourn Songbird’ and wow, my first foray into retellings simply blew my mind!! I’ve always adored Colonel Fitzwilliam, but he’s beyond wonderful in this book. Can’t wait for your Col F in the new anthology, Beau!
And I can’t wait to read your Mr. W!
That is a great first retelling, Joana! If you enjoyed that one you have got to try the others too! They all are so exceptional in my opinion! 😉 I can’t wait to see more of Beau’s Colonel Fitzwilliam!
Ah! So glad you loved my Darcy’s Hope saga so much. I’m excited to announce that I’ll be rolling out an ebook that contains both stories in one volume next month!
You know I did! So much!!! Can’t wait to see what you write next!
Wow! I come up from the writing cave and see this – I’m simply, humbly gobsmacked, Meredith! Thank you – I’m so glad you enjoyed these books, and honored to be included in this company of authors on your Austenesque Retelling list 🙂 *Karen wanders around her kitchen in a daze 😀 *
You deserve it, Karen. Your books are priceless.
My pleasure, Karen, but it is me who needs to thank you! Your stories brought me such pleasure! I truly love them all (and that includes any not on this list!)
I’ve read six of them and they’ve all been amazing! The other four are on my TBR list – must try harder to get it under control (not a hope!).
Yay! I’m so happy to hear you thought that about the six you read! Well done to these authors that created such fantastic tales!
For your readers’ information: “At the Edge of the Sea” is out of print at the moment, except for a few used paperbacks from third party sellers. Hoping to bring it back into print in 2018, so please stay tuned, if you’re interested. Thanks again 🙂
I saw that, Karen. Thanks for the update! 🙂
What a fantastic list,Meredith!!!
Glad to say that I’ve read all but ‘Darcy on the Hudson’.
Although your other commentators haven’t added any other favourites,I would dearly love to add Regina Jeffers’ ‘The Road to Understanding’ and Cat Gardner’s ‘A Moment Forever’. These are simply fantastic stories that I highly recommend!
Thank you, Mary! I’m so happy to hear of a recommendation, thank you! I’ll be sure to check it out! I have read and LOVED Cat Gardiner’s A Moment Forever but didn’t include it in this list since it isn’t Austenesque. But it is definitely a fave! Perhaps my favorite from Cat!
1932 is one of my all-time favourites. It’s a pity there aren’t more books in this genre, it’s still mostly Regency or modern, not much of the in-between.
Yes! I agree! I would so love some more books in this sub-genre!
Karen has recently released a side-quel to “1932”–It’s Georgiana’s parallel tale titled, “The Journey Home.” Loved it too!
Wow! I’m gobsmacked, Meredith. This is the first of your lists I’ve been on and I’m beyond thrilled to be in company with authors I fan-girl over. Thank you very much.
It was a no-brainer for me! I love the new journey your book took me on! 😉 Thank you for writing it!
Love your lists, Meredith! Darn it. Roll eyes 😉 Well, you know how timid I have been about venturing out of the Regency, but I’m such a big fan of Caldwell, King and Simonsen, so I will be reading those…..already on my TBR. From recent reviews I’m really eager to read the rest of the list and discover what everyone else has already been enlightened with. You bring us such neat ways to enjoy Austenesque. Thanks as always.
Thank you, Michelle! Those are great choices to dip your toe into non-Regency stories with! Thank you so much for the very kind compliment! I very much hope to do that!
I’ve read four of these, and several more are on my Amazon WishList! I’ll have to scoot the ones listed here further up now that I have your recommendation. The Darcy Hope series is utterly amazing!! 🙂
I agree! I’m glad to hear you think as highly of it as I do! Hope you enjoy the other ones as much as I did!
I’ve read about half of them and have to agree that they can be wonderful! I’m especially fond of Beau North’s retro takes, both Longbourn’s Songbird and the lovely short story in the Darcy compendium that came out earlier in the year. Setting the same story (more or less) in a different time and place really challenges the writer to think about the core of the characters and the thematic basis of the tale–maybe that’s why these books tend to be emotionally satisfying.
Thanks so much, Abigail!
I agree, Abigail. I imagine it is challenging on many levels. The setting has more impact than I realize!
Excellent list! I have read most of these and completely agree. Now on to the ones I missed! 🙂
Thank you, Brenda! I’m so glad you feel the same!
Wow, I’m honored to see ‘Longbourn’s Songbird’ among your favorites! What an excellent list too!
It is! I love it so much! 😉 Thank you for sharing such a fantastic story with us!
What a fabulous selection, Meredith! There are a few I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading, but your lists always draw me into some new favourites and remind me of some I have to re-read.
Thank you, Suzan! I’m glad to share it with you and I hope you enjoy any new reads you try!
Great list Meredith!! Several I have, and several I have on my wish-list and several I’ve added to that list. Dang!!! I’ll never see the end of that list. But… thank you for several suggestions. Woohoo!! More books!!
Thank you, Jeanne! <3 I don't think we will ever run out of great Austenesque to read!
Love your lists Meredith! This one is no exception! I have read 8 on this list, Jack’s I have in paperback yet to read (though I’m reading his Crescent series, finished book 1 last night and I’m blown away by it…) and have the other two on my wishlist! Must say I do agree! Glad to hear that ‘By the Edge of Sea’ will be re-released next year!
Thank you, Carole! I’m so glad you enjoy my lists! And that’s great that you are enjoy the Crescent series! 🙂
fantastic list!
Thank you! 😉
I always enjoy your lists! But I especially love this one. So many of my favorites getting some well-deserved adoration. Love this!
Thank you, Christina! I’m so glad you enjoy this one! These books are very deserving of praise!
I agree with you, I love the Darcy’s hope saga and Undeceived!!!