Hi readers! Who would like to take a short trip to Vegas today? Perhaps in the company of a modern-day Darcy and Elizabeth? Sounds so fun, right? I think so! I’ve never been to Vegas, but I think it would be a fun place to see and visit. Well, it looks like we can virtually travel to Vegas in Amy George’s latest release, The Sweetest Ruin! The lovely Amy George is currently on tour for this new release, and she is visiting today to talk about the similarities between Jane Austen’s Gretna Green
and Las Vegas! We hope you enjoy!
Gretna to Vegas
Good morning, Meredith, and thank you for hosting me at Austenesque Reviews for the launch of the blog tour for my newest release, “The Sweetest Ruin.” This story is a bit different from my first published story, “Second Impressions,” because it’s a modernization of Pride & Prejudice that has Darcy and Elizabeth initially meeting one another in Las Vegas, Nevada. I think that when JAFF readers hear the words Las Vegas as the setting of a JAFF story, their minds might also go to another place we dearly love to read about in JAFF; the scandalously romantic setting of Gretna Green in Scotland.
I thought it would be fun to share this post with your readers to draw some connections for them between these two settings as we launch the blog tour for “The Sweetest Ruin.”
Imagine you’re a parent. You have a lovely daughter or a handsome son. This child is impetuous, a little selfish, and lives in the moment. You find a note in this child’s bedroom and it simply says, “I’ve gone to….”
It doesn’t matter what the last 2 words are. You know they mean.
Your kid’s getting hitched.
Back in the 18th century, a little Scottish village called Gretna Green was on the fortunate end of a happy accident. Marriage laws in England were amended to change the age of consent for marriage. A couple had to be 21 and have their parents’ permission. For many young couples this would not do. Scottish laws were different; they required no such permissions. And Gretna Green happened to be situated on the road that came from London into Scotland.
Fast forward a couple of centuries later and you find yourself in the middle of another Gretna Green.
This time in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gretna Green (now Graceland Wedding Chapel), Wee Kirk o’ the Heather, and the Little Church of the West were all opened in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1940’s to take advantage of the state’s lax marriage license laws. No blood tests or waiting periods were required. A couple could arrive, buy their license and get married. The three chapels combined have hosted the marriages of hundreds of thousands of couples as the oldest operating chapels in the town. There are no statistics available for the number of angry fathers chasing down rogue daughters.
Quickie marriages can, obviously, strike fear in the hearts of many, like Fitzwilliam Darcy when he learns of Georgiana’s impending travels to what, for her, would have have been a very dangerous place. They can also be something magical, like for William & Elizabeth, in “The Sweetest Ruin.”
Gretna Green, Scotland, I think, has a bit of a different reputation than Vegas does.
Perhaps it is because I first learned of Gretna Green through P&P, it has tiny bit of danger associated with it. There were unscrupulous rakes trying to gain fortunes through marriage, panicked parents tracking down wayward, lovesick children, and ruined women looking for a way to become respectable once again.
Las Vegas has none of those connotations for me. (Although, yes, there are still unscrupulous men. I did listen to “Dirty John,” after all.) For me Vegas marriages are about the fun parts of love, the spontaneous moments that make us cherish our partners more. Vegas marriages are, of course, instant gratification, but they are also an immediate and attainable happily-ever-after.
Thanks so much for sharing, Amy! I feel silly saying this, but I honestly never made the connection between Gretna Green and Las Vegas before! I wonder if the old tag line “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” will prove true in your story! I can’t wait to find out! Viva Las Vegas!
About the Author
“Amy George is a middle-aged woman who got rid of her old lady/grown up and has since purchased an unreasonably small car. She refuses to listen to its radio at a reasonable volume, especially when the Beastie Boys or the Violent Femmes are playing. She lives in a small town in the Midwest where the bookstore and yarn shop are neighbors and most food is fried. Her household consists of a dog, a man, a hermit, and stubborn soap scum.
She has been writing since she was a child and ran the Hyacinth Gardens, a popular but defunct JAFF site.”
Fun fact: My birthday is January 30th so this is like a big birthday party.
Connect with Amy
Blog ❧ Twitter ❧ Facebook ❧ Goodreads
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GIVEAWAY TIME!
Meryton Press is generously giving away 8 ebook editions of The Sweetest Ruin in conjunction with this blog tour!! Woot woot!
Commenting on this post and entering through the rafflecopter widget on this blog enters you in a chance to win!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Meryton Press!
- This giveaway ends February 10th!
Click the above image to check out the rest of the tour!
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My thanks to Amy George, Claudine Pepe, and the lovely people at Meryton Press for making this tour possible!
Ooooh….Sounds like a fun book.
Ahh, I would love to win this book! 🙂
Congratulations on your release Amy! Having already read this I can tell the readers they are in for some fun! Best wishes on the release!
Congratulations on your release and best of luck with the blog tour!
What an interesting idea for a location! I’ve been twice but really only to use it as a jumping off point for other activities.
I’m with you Meredith, I’d never have made the connection either had it not been so clearly articulated here. To my mind Vegas is where people go for fun and lights and glamour, who meet their soul mate, usually while quite drunk and wake up married – at least that is how it seems to go in all the novels. I’d like to visit one day too, just to see the sheer audacity of the place 🙂
Thanks Amy for giving me another image of the place – I’m now seeing a quaint little chapel with an anvil out the front
I’m glad I’m not alone! It will be fun to see how this new scene will shake things up!
Congrats on the release. Thank you for the chance to win a copy!
sounds like a fun book
austenesque reviews
denise
A modern take on P&P with ODC meeting in Las Vegas? Sounds interesting! Yes,my curiosity is certainly piqued!
Best of luck with your new book,Amy!
Cheers for the generous giveaway!
Mine too! It will be interesting to see Darcy and Elizabeth in this setting!
Las Vegas is my hometown! I think this is such a fun and clever idea for a book! Congratulations on the release and happy birthday!
I look forward to this book’s release, as it sounds like my kind of modern. Have fun on the blog tour!
Congratulations on the release of your book, Amy. It sounds like a fun and interesting premise! Best wishes to you. As I’ve already said at the cover reveal, I love the cover! 🙂
Me too, Janet! It has a lot to look at!
It sounds like a great story! Thank you for the giveaway!!!
Congratulations, Amy!! I am crossing my fingers and hoping hard that I will win a copy of your newest release!! The cover is so eye-catching!!
Congratulations! I, too, never pictured Las Vegas as a Gretna Green either! Excellent use of a parallel. I have never been there either! The premise sounds like so much fun. Thank you for a chance at the giveaway!
Happy birthday for tomorrow, Amy!
I’ve been to both Gretna Green (love Scotland, which isn’t too far from us in Yorkshire) and Las Vegas (honestly wasn’t that keen on it) and I can’t imagine any two places looking less alike! But from the sound of it, appearances can be very deceptive as it’s the concept and function of the places that seem to be comparable.
This sounds a most intriguing modern variation of P&P. Good luck with the tour!
I too never made the connection but then I am remarkably obtuse!
I saw the cover reveal for this book along with the blurb and I was hooked! I bought it as soon as I found it (even before the image was available!) I absolutely loved it. I do really enjoy this type of storyline so it was a definite five stars! It is now on my ‘re read list.
Yay, Glynis! So glad to hear you enjoyed the story so much! It sounds like such a fun adventure!
Thank you so much everybody for the well wishes! I have a feeling this tour will be a hoot!
Congrats on your new release, Amy! We look forward to following your tour! 😉
So is it Georgiana who is running away to Los Vegas or will Darcy use the services of that city also? Do you know of this one on the Eastern coast? https://www.secretsoftheeasternshore.com/quickie-weddings-in-elkton/
My mother’s second marriage took place there.
Thanks for helping us launch Amy George’s new book out into the world. We are delighted to be here with your readers!
My pleasure! I’m very happy to take part in this tour. Thank you, again!
I’ve thought that about Vegas and Gretna Green, too. This sounds like a fun one. Congrats to Amy!
Thanks to Meredith for hosting this new book launch. To our author… thanks for the generous give-a-way and creating a way, for those of us who do not Tweet or Face, to still be able to use the Raftlecopter for the give-a-way. That was very nice. This story sounds like it will be a fun different read. I am anxious to read it. Blessings on the launch.
Happy to, Jeanne! Thanks for checking out Amy’s post! 🙂
I also didn’t make the connection between Gretna Green and Las Vegas. But The Sweetest Ruin sounds like a fun book to read. Happy birthday to you, Amy!
Love the cover! Interesting connection between Greta Green an Las Vegas.
Hmmm….Gretna Green and Vegas, definitely an interesting similarity! I will definitely pick up The Sweetest Ruin!
Happy birthday and congratulations on the release of your funny, romantic and highly entertaining book.
(I am not entering the giveaway as I already own the book.)
It sounds quite exciting. I cannot wait to read it.
Happy Birthday!
Your book sounds fun. Hope to rad it soon.
Thanks Meredith for hosting a giveaway.
Unique take on a beloved story!
Congratulations on your release and happy birthday! This book sounds like a very fun read. Thanks for the giveaway.
Sounds like an adventurous book! 🙂
Congrats on your latest release Amy! I’m looking forward to reading it!