Giving Up On Jane Austen and Mr. Darcy!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Contemporary Romance, Austen-Inspired
SETTING: Present-day California
MAIN CHARACTERS:
- Emma Pierce: A savvy and intelligent CMO who has decided to renounce Jane Austen after years of waiting for a Mr. Darcy or Mr. Knightley to cross her path and being disappointed.
- Blake Hampton: Emma’s wealthy and handsome boyfriend who she catches entertaining one of his female work colleagues at his family home.
- Lucas Hampton: Blake’s younger brother who Emma meets minutes after breaking up with Blake, and then again later, when he is hired as a consultant by Emma’s boss to work closely with her on their expansion to the East Coast.
WHY I WANTED TO READ THIS:
- The title immediately drew me in – I do love anything and everything Jane Austen related!
- One of my all-time favorite Regency Romances, Edenbrooke, was published by Shadow Mountain Publishing – I was eager to read more from this company!
WHAT I LOVED:
- Our Modern-Day Heroine: I found a lot to like about Emma Pierce, she is a Jane Austen fan (so already we know she is awesome!), but beyond that I admired how she is professional, strong, super competent at her job, and kind-hearted towards everyone she meets. I appreciated the fact that Emma was a romantic who wishes for an Austen-like romantic HEA, and yet at the same time she is turning pragmatical in her view of love and romance because of the dearth of Austen-like heroes that have crossed her path.
- A Tangled and Tricky Love Triangle: After a break-up with one brother it is a serious no-no to fall for the other brother…no matter how much you feel a strong connection with him!! Add to the fact that this other brother is extremely honorable, loyal to a fault, and constantly trying to convince Emma of how great her ex is. The delicateness and seemingly impossibleness of this situation had me completely engaged in this story. Is Emma just on the rebound from Blake or are her feelings for Lucas genuine? Even if Emma was available to date would Lucas keep his distance out of respect for his brother?
- A Good Balance: I appreciated how this story touched upon some more serious and challenging situations such as child abandonment, homelessness, and drug use. I liked that these characters faced some adversity in their lives and how they overcame their tragic and difficult pasts. And I liked how Ms. Wright balanced these sad situations and childhoods with the worthy and supportive Hampton family. Mrs. Hampton is amazing!
- A Very Worthy Hero: With his abundance of admirable qualities – compassion, generous spirit, steadfast loyalty, selflessness, and amiable charm – Lucas Hampton is a hero I easily fell in love with. I loved his devotion to his family and his gallant manner towards Emma. He isn’t the embodiment of any one Jane Austen hero, but readers will recognize some qualities he shares with Mr. Knightley and Colonel Brandon, in my opinion.
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
- Relationship with Jane Austen: I must admit I am a bit disappointed with Emma’s relationship with Jane Austen. She says she is renouncing Jane Austen even before she breaks-up with Blake and finds out about his lady guest. Why renounce Jane Austen if she has a boyfriend she loves and is expecting a marriage proposal from? And I’m afraid I didn’t agree with Emma’s logic that she could “break-up with Jane” and still read and watch Pride and Prejudice. How is that a break up? You would think with such a provocative title, Emma’s issues with Jane Austen would be rather centric, but they really only made an occasional appearance. Lastly, I’m not usually one to comment on spelling, but it irked me to see Bennet spelled with two T’s so many times in this story. Grrr.
CONCLUSION:
Lies Jane Austen Told Me combines a lot of elements I enjoy from Jane Austen’s novels – engaging and worthy characters, misunderstandings and mistaken judgements, and a heroine who undergoes an emotional journey of self-discovery. This sensitive, sweet, and entertaining story will be sure to delight fans of contemporary romances!
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GIVEAWAY TIME!
The kind people of Shadow Mountain Publishing have kindly offered to give away 1 paperback copy of Lies Jane Austen Told Me to 1 lucky reader in conjunction with my review.
To enter this giveaway, leave a comment below!
- This giveaway is open to US residents. Thank you, Shadow Mountain Publishing!
- This giveaway ends December 29th!
I love the cover!! And the story sounds cute.
It is! And I agree about the cover!
What a delightful and captivating feature and giveaway. Thanks.
Thanks for checking it out, Anne!
I have to admit that the cover and the topic makes me want to read it! 🙂
Me too! Definitely a draw!
Cool cover. Live th mix of regency and modern.
I agree! I love the split!
Thank you for the honest review. I have wondered about this book. I am always a little hesitant with modern themed Jane Austen mixes. It does sound interesting and I love the cover.
Thanks for checking out my review, Sagan! It is always great to see a character who loves and reads Jane Austen. I find I can easily relate to and like that kind of heroine.
Loved your review Meredith and I loved that cover. The modern part gave me pause… but her willingness to dump Jane Austen… that could be a deal breaker. If… if I win… I will read it. If I don’t… we’ll see. No problems either way.
I love how we can discuss a turn of a phrase in a book and that is the deciding factor in whether we will read it or not. See how protective we are of our dear Jane!!! I’d fight tigers for you my girl!! Or a recalcitrant child who doesn’t know what is good for her. Wow! Where is my Peace and Joy for the Season. I guess I’ve sent it to all of you all. Blessing everyone… Peace and Joy in the manner in which you celebrate this time of the year. Have a Happy New Year everyone.
Thank you, Jeanne! I agree the cover is very fun and unique!
Haha! Love it! You are ready to set this character straight! How dare she try and dump Jane! 😉
If it’s not too presumptuous, I’ll pass on the paperback giveaway. But there are a couple of things you said in your review, (good one, Meredith) that make me want to read it. Some of the serious issues, which you said were handled well, and the honorable Hero. You will usually say so if a character is portrayed being too perfect, so I’m assuming that aspect isn’t over the top. I thought the cover was clever.
You know me well, Michelle! Yes, Lucas was wonderful and I loved him, but yes, he also has flaws – which makes him more realistic and likable, IMO. 😉 Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Sounds like quite the intriguing premise!! I’d love to read it!
Best of luck in the giveaway, Susanne!
Oh, I also loved Edenbrooke. Hmm, I’m usually not as excited about modern day adaptations, but this one sounds interesting.
Yay for an Edenbrooke fan! It definitely was an interesting read!
I do like triangle stories but your review seems to say that Lucas keeps pointing out how good his brother is so is he in love with her? Then why is he pushing her towards another man? I did read and like Edenbrooke. So I find myself in the same position as Jeanne…if I win I will read it, if not…we’ll see. I just have too many books waiting already. Thanks for your honest review, Meredith.
Lucas is as conflicted as Emma. You can tell he feels a connection with her, a strong connection and admiration. But he feels so strongly for his brother that he doesn’t think he should do anything about his feelings. Especially if his brother is wanting to be with Emma. Thanks for checking out my review, Sheila!
This looks so fun! I was intrigued by the title. Thanks for the chance to win.
Becky
Best of luck, Becky!
Lies Goerge Wickham told me…
LOL! So true!
A big Jane Austen fan. Jane Austen inspired novels are intriguing. ‘Lies Jane Austen Told Me’,seems relatable, and I would love to read it!
I love Jane Austen Inspired novels. It is always so fun to read about characters that love Jane Austen themselves!
I, too, really appreciate your honest reviews. I, too, love the title and cover, and preemptively concur, grring, over excessive t’s in Bennet. I would love to win, and see how I fee about the book as a whole. Thank you, and Merry Christmas!
Thanks for checking out my review, Karylee! My issues may not be yours, so I definitely encourage you to check it out! It is a fun story!
Oh, this book sounds like such fun! I was drawn by the cover and, of course, the title. Thank you for the giveaway.
I thought it was a very fun read! Hope to see more books like this from Shadow Mountain!
It sounds like it has good possibilities.
denise
Absolutely! Best of luck, Denise!
Thanks for the great review, as always! I was given this book as a gift recently but had not heard about it so I had not put it too high on my TBR list but now I am looking forward to reading it sooner rather than later!
Since I have a copy please exclude me from the giveaway. 🙂
Oh yay! Someone knew what to get you! 😉 Definitely a fun read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, Danielle!
Wonderful review. I have been curious about this book.
Thank you, Becky! I appreciate you checking out my review!
I’d like to try it out!
Awesome! Best of luck, Michelle!
Looking forward to reading it.
Great! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
This is a book I’d like to read. However, I do not understand the cover for a contemporary period novell.
I think the cover is trying to represent Emma’s decision to break away from Jane Austen’s ideology of love. Glad you are interested in this story!