Happy Monday, friends! I can’t think of a better way to start my week than celebrating the cover reveal for a beloved author’s upcoming release. And that beloved author just happens to be Joana Starnes, and her upcoming release (if you haven’t already heard) is The Journey Home to Pemberley! Which will be released in 3 days!! Woot woot! 🎉 Joana is sharing, not only her lovely cover, but a fabulous book trailer she put together too! We hope you enjoy!!! 🤗
~ From the Author ~
Hi, Meredith! It’s so wonderful to be here this morning. Your beautiful site has always been such a happy place for me, and oh my goodness, I love the awesome new look! Huge thanks for welcoming me at Austenesque Reviews today for the cover reveal of The Journey Home To Pemberley.
This book has had a bit of a journey too, and it began in the Lake District several years ago, when I came across this amazing scenery:
Not far behind, there was an old country inn. In some form or another, an inn had stood on that spot for hundreds of years. So, what if Elizabeth and Mr Darcy were to come across each other there, while a storm was brewing? What if Mr Darcy was caught in the storm and his horse threw him off? What if he had the best care and attention he could have possibly dreamt of? What if Elizabeth had the opportunity to see a different side of him? What if they had the chance to talk – talk properly, without interruptions? What then?
I hope you and your readers will like a glimpse into our favourite couple’s Journey Home To Pemberley:
Would you like a closer look at the cover?
And without further ado….here is the big reveal!!!
(expected release date: September 12th)
Such a lovely cover, isn’t it? 🤗
I absolutely adore the use of actual scenery from the Lake District and how it relates to the story. Joana goes to some amazing places, doesn’t she? 📷
Also, I need to go to the Lake District…next trip to England! It is happening! Such gorgeous, rugged scenery. 🏞
I do enjoy this portrait for Mr. Darcy – I especially like the look in his eyes. Part longing, part admiration. 😍
What do you think, friends? 🤔
~ Book Description ~
A chance encounter in the wilds of the North brings more joy to Elizabeth and Mr Darcy than either of them dared hope for. But her world is rocked by blow after blow – and the truth would only cause him pain. ‘I must be cruel only to be kind’ is Elizabeth’s guiding precept, and she chooses her path. Yet time, circumstances and new acquaintances teach her she had made a terrible mistake.
How can she regain what she had lost and rebuild a future with the only man she will ever love, but for whom disguise of every sort is his abhorrence?
~ Excerpt From The Journey Home To Pemberley ~
Last month I posted some scenes from the first three chapters. Huge thanks to everyone who stopped to read them and wrote such wonderful comments in response!
The last excerpt left Elizabeth guarding Mr Darcy’s feverish sleep. If you can’t remember how that came about or you haven’t come across those excerpts yet, you can find them here.
Now, I think Mr Darcy has been in a fever-induced stupor and/or deep sleep for long enough, don’t you? 😊 And he’s not the only one who had better gather his wits about him:
* * * * * * * *
Elizabeth awoke to the cosy sensation of her head resting on a warm cushion – not at all soft, but pleasantly warm. She could not tell what had awakened her. Nor could she tell where she was. In a very dark room lit only by what seemed to be the glow of embers, she noted when her eyelids fluttered up ever so briefly, only to drop again, conquered by fatigue and the comfortable darkness.
The scrape of wood on wood and the thud of a log settling in the grate amid the hiss of flying sparks came to suggest that a similar noise might have awakened her; so, satisfied with the answer to one question, she idly pondered on the other. Still, she did not open her eyes, nor raise her head from the warm cushion – not even when it occurred to her to wonder why she was sleeping in that strange position, almost as if she were half out of bed. The rhythmic sounds underneath her ear were a puzzle too. She might have easily taken them for heartbeats, Elizabeth mused, only to be distracted by something rough and prickly grazing her forehead. The next sensation was a great deal more pleasant – delectable, in fact. Rather like soft lips on her brow.
It was only then that realisation hit at last, and she sat bolt upright with a violent start. She instantly discovered that she was not the only one who had been brought so abruptly to her senses – or rather, that her sharp movement must have jolted Mr Darcy out of sleep – when she heard him rasp, “What the devil? Who goes there?”
Elizabeth swallowed hard and was compelled to give him the sole fitting answer – which could only be the truth.
“Sh-sh. All is well. ‘Tis I – Elizabeth,” she whispered.
She could not speculate what his response would be. She lacked the time to reflect on that and, dulled by sleep, her wits were sluggish. But she could not have anticipated his reply anyway. It came in the form of an odd sound, half sigh and half snort, followed by a gruff, “Do not toy with me, woman. I am in no fit state to put up with it.”
The sheer absurdity of his singular remark – and indeed the absurdity of their situation – got the better of her, and Elizabeth could not suppress a chuckle.
“Probably not,” she concurred, mild amusement in her tones, and at that the dark shape beside her suddenly shuffled up, and she heard Mr Darcy rasp again:
“Your voice! Who are you?”
She did not repeat her answer but only said, “We need some light,” both because it was true and because he had given her enough reason to believe that the sound of her voice would serve as sufficient confirmation of her identity.
She could not remember if there was a tinderbox at hand, nor spare candles for that matter, to replace the one that had burned out, so she left her seat to cautiously make her way around the foot of the bed towards the other side and stoke the fire instead. She could not tell where the log basket was either, but she crouched by the fireside and felt around until she found it and likewise the bellows. It was easy work to add a few logs and coax the bellows into doing its office. Air hissed out, making the embers glow, and before long new flames leapt up, illuminating the small room – and her countenance.
“Good God! It is you!” Mr Darcy whispered.
She glanced towards him then, and their eyes met. The fresh wave of self-consciousness did not catch her unawares when she felt it surge within – she was prepared for it. She had imagined she was likewise prepared for what Mr Darcy’s first look of recognition would convey: shock, no doubt, and very likely his own self-consciousness and profound discomfort.
She learnt her error in one astounding second – when wild joy flared in his eyes instead. Pure, unadulterated joy radiated from impossibly dark eyes to spread over his countenance and brighten it like a flash of lightning.
* * * * * * * *
Sometimes, flashes of lightning seem to work in Mr Darcy’s favour in this book (and this is one of those occasions 😊).
But as for other bolts out of the blue…
The Journey Home To Pemberley is due for release on 12 September 2019 and despite the bolts out of the blue (or because of them), I hope you’ll enjoy seeing the story unfold.
Oh Joana! What a scene! I love that Elizabeth is tending to Mr. Darcy’s care and I cannot wait to see where they go from here! Thank you so much for sharing your lovely cover, your fabulous book trailer, and this tempting excerpt with us today. We wish you all the best with your new release of The Journey Home to Pemberley! I really cannot wait to read this one!!!
~~~
Connect with Joana
Blog ❧ Facebook ❧ Twitter ❧ All Roads Lead to Pemberley
~ About Joana ~
Joana Starnes lives in the south of England with her family. Over the years, she has swapped several hats – physician, lecturer, clinical data analyst – but feels most comfortable in a bonnet. She has been living in Georgian England for decades in her imagination, and plans to continue in that vein till she lays hands on a time machine.
She is the author of eight Austen-inspired novels: From This Day Forward ~ The Darcys of Pemberley; The Subsequent Proposal; The Second Chance; The Falmouth Connection; The Unthinkable Triangle; Miss Darcy’s Companion; Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter and The Darcy Legacy, and one of the contributing authors to the Quill Ink Anthologies (The Darcy Monologues, Dangerous to Know and Rational Creatures). They are all available at Amazon in Kindle and paperback, and some in Audible too: Joana’s Amazon Page.
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
As always, Joana has generously brought with her some fabulous goodies to be given away in conjunction with her visit today! These lovely prizes include:
- four Kindle copies of The Journey Home To Pemberley
- two Audible codes to listen for free to your choice of Stevie Zimmerman’s exquisite productions of my other books already available in audio format (Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter; Miss Darcy’s Companion; The Falmouth Connection; The Subsequent Proposal; The Unthinkable Triangle and The Darcy Legacy)
- a set of delightful chocolates from Josephine’s Cameo Collection – the ‘Lizzy Cameo Brooch’ and ‘Mr Darcy’s Chocolate Pocket Watch’ (due to rules and regs, currently the chocolates can only be sent to UK participants, but the rest of the Giveaway is international).
To enter this lovely and generous giveaway, leave a comment, question, or some love for Joana! 💕
- The Giveaway is open until 15 September 2019.
Thanks for coming to have a peek at the cover and huge thanks again, Meredith, for hosting me today!
It is such a pleasure to have you visit, Joana! I am thrilled to share such a special post and so excited about your upcoming release of The Journey Home to Pemberley – I think we all are ecstatic that it will be here soon!! Congratulations!
I try and keep away from excerpts so I have no idea what this book is about but as it is written by Joana it will be good
Thanks so much for the kind words about my books, Vesper, and for stopping by for the cover reveal!
All the best!
I love your books Joanna. I can’t wait for the release. I started to read the first chapters but decided to wait for the book so I don’t have to stop reading. Thanks for the opportunity to win and for all the pleasurable reading you give to us.
Mary
Thank *you* Mary! I know what you mean, Ginna and I were chatting about this earlier. I’ve been known to stay up till dawn because I just couldn’t put the book down, so I can see why excerpts can be rather tricky 🙂
Hope you’ll like the full story. Best wishes, good luck in the giveaway and thanks for joining in the cover reveal fun!
Congrats on your latest book, Joana! I’m beyond excited to read it! Lovely cover, too. ❤️
I’m so glad you like the cover and that you’re looking forward to reading the book, Pam! Thank you!!
The cover is lovely. I like that you used your own photos! The book trailer is very well done, I can’t even imagine how many hours you put into that. Thank you for the opportunity to win one of your books however, even if I don’t win, I’ll pick it up – love all of your books
I had such fun putting the trailer together, Lynn. Huge learning curve, but great fun. And then of course I couldn’t stop tweaking. Can’t help it, I’m a tweaker. Can’t say it took me a solid weekend, but I did tweak it on & off for days 😀 The fonts, the timing of each slide so that they fit better with the sound track, the background images… I’m so glad you like them! Most of them are ever-so-lucky free-to-use finds. I only took the Lake District photo.
Thanks for stopping by to have a look at the trailer and the cover and extra special thanks for the kind words about my books. I’m so happy you liked them. Hope you’ll like this one too. Have a good week and all the best!
I love this cover. I wouldn’t mind visiting there! Thank you for the giveaway and can’t wait to read the book!
I hope you have a wonderful time in the Lake District if you go there, and best of luck in the giveaway!
Thanks for visiting!
Are you putting it up for preorder because so far I own all of your books on kindle.
Thanks for asking, Tina, I’m so glad you have all my other books on your kindle. I hope you’ll like this one when it comes out. It’ll be released on 12 Sept (and I hope the little cogs will start to turn quickly once I click the buttons). I should have put it on pre-order for a smoother process, but I can’t bear the thought of not being able to tweak for 2 weeks prior to release 😀
Joana, I cannot wait! So very happy your muse stopped being obstinate, my friend. Blessings on your release!
Thanks so much, Anngela! I guess it was only fitting that the muse was obstinate and headstrong, but I’m so glad she decided to play ball in the end :D. Blessings to you too, my dear friend, and thanks again for the wonderful words!
Love the excerpt and the video was awesome. Love all of your books Joanna and look forward to this next one. Jen ♫
I’m so happy you loved the excerpts and the video, Jennifer! Thank you!! I did have a great time making the video. Tweaking is so addictive, but such fun :))
Thank you for hosting yet another lovely cover reveal, Meredith! Joana, the cover is lovely as always. I also think it is awesome that you keep your “Darcy” for most of your covers. The excerpt is delicious! Oh My, be still my heart! 🙂 I’m thrilled to have another awesome book by Joana Starnes to add to my collection! I had been anxiously waiting!!! 🙂 Best wishes with your new release!
Oh I love this Darcy, Janet! The stock’s not in keeping with the fashion, but that’s fine, the rest is SO Darcy!! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I first made this gentleman’s acquaintance :))
I’m so happy you liked the excerpts and the cover. Best wishes and huge thanks for everything!
I failed to mention the trailer! That was awesome! I love trailers. Maybe one day I will attempt one.
They’re great fun to make, Janet! It took me a while to figure out how the software worked, and for some reason I just couldn’t save the video for a while, but I got there in the end. The devil was in the manic tweaking to get the slide change-over & the music to fit just so, but even the manic tweaking was fun. Best of luck and enjoy when you attempt it!
Thank you for checking out Joana’s cover, Janet! You know how much I love doing these posts! It’s been quite a season for new fabulous release!
I’m so excited to read this book!
Thanks so much, Tina! I’m so glad you’re looking forward to it. I do hope you’ll like it!
The photos of that countryside are beautiful. Wish I could visit there. Loved the trailer…how can anyone resist wanting to read this book? I did and it is a 5+ tale for me. I just might read it again very soon before posting my review when the book is released. Joana writes in the most beautiful prose. Her command of the English language is such a treat to read. There are some very gripping scenes…my heart ached for Darcy in particular. Ignorance is not bliss!
Best wishes for the release’s success, Joana.
I so wish you could visit here, Sheila! Huge thanks for your ever so kind words, I’m over the moon that you liked the ARC so much.
Poor Darcy 🙂 . Elizabeth was supposed to have a difficult time in this book, not him (makes a change from my ‘let’s torture Darcy’ antics) but I should have known that what distresses her hurts him too. You have such a way with words! “Ignorance is not bliss.” That was so beautifully put!
Thanks again, Sheila, and all the best!
This books sounds absolutely wonderful–as are all Joana Starnes novels. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to win one of your prizes.
Thank *you* for the kind words about my books and for coming over to have a look at the trailer and the cover. I hope you’ll like this book too. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for taking part.
I love the cover! One look and it’s perfectly obvious who the author is . I love this scene as I love the whole book. I got so emotional while reading it! Frustration with Elizabeth a couple of times – not listening to my advice even when I shouted at her! Tearful during some scenes (I’m not giving away whether they were happy or sad tears!)
Darcy is so romantic and passionate and despairing and joyful (in no particular order ) Such a fabulous book!
Thanks for sharing this reveal Meredith, I hope you suffered no hurricane damage?
I can just picture you giving Elizabeth what-for, Glynis :))) . Poor Lizzy! And your poor blameless Kindle too! You should’ve voice-messaged me on Fb and shouted at me 😀 , that might have done the trick. Well, maybe next time 😉
Thanks ever so much for reading and for all your wonderful words about the book, and huge thanks again, Meredith, for hosting me and for setting the post up so beautifully with the added links and everything! You’re both SO kind, and I’m so happy that Jane brought is together!!
Hi sweet Glynis! No hurricane damage here! I love what you shared about your experience reading this story. I will probably laugh when I get to the parts and imagine you yelling at Elizabeth! And I especially love how you describe Darcy!! *sigh* I know we are in for such a treat with Joana’s Darcys!
Hugs to both of you ladies!!
Oh how lovely! I love the video, too! But the excerpt…swoon. Can’t wait to read this one.
Thanks, Brigid! I’m so glad you loved the video and the excerpt and that you’re looking forward to reading the book. Same here about the Chance Encounter in Pemberley Woods. The premise is so delicious and OMG that book cover!! Can’t wait to come up for air and treat myself to your debut release!
Love the cover, the trailer, and the excerpt, Joana! Your Darcy has become part of your brand. Every time I see him, I think, “Oh, good! It’s a new book from Joana!” Can’t wait to read it!
Thanks ever so much for this, Jan, deeply appreciated!! Your lovely comment makes my heart glow, just like words of praise from a very dear and highly valued teacher, since your exquisite writing was one of the reasons I fell in love with JAFF. (I think I say this every time, but I can’t help it any more than I can stop tweaking 🙂 ). Hope your muse keeps you very, very busy. I can’t wait for another gem from you!
I agree! I feel that same sense of anticipation!
Love the cover and look forward (and slightly fearful 🙂 🙂 🙂 ) to another excellent Joana Starnes book!
LOL Lory. Slightly fearful – yep, it’s like they say, ‘Be afraid, be very afraid’ 😀
But it works out in the end, no worries. It has to, that’s the beauty of JAFF.
Thanks and best of luck with your writing!
Congratulations! The photos are wonderful and the book a real treasure.
I’m so happy you liked the post, Ruth! Thank you!!
I love it! I hope to one day see those sites too. And Meredith, you will love this story—I was lucky to read an early manuscript. It’s wonderful!
Oh, you have to book yourself at least for one night at the Kirkstone Pass Inn, Christina! It’s nothing like the old chrcoal drawing that inspired me. It’s gorgeous and welcoming, the food is superb, and they have a Darcy suite complete with four-poster bed and everything. And Mr B will *love* the hiking possibilities!
Thanks again for the thumbs up and your wonderful words about the manuscript! I’m so happy you liked it!
Gah!!! I know I will because it is Joana, but hearing you say it makes my excitement quadruple!
I have been waiting impatiently for another Joana Starnes story and I am doing a jig! Love the trailer, the cover and the excerpt and can’t wait to read the rest. Joana never disappoints!
Thanks so much, Brenda, and right back at you 🙂
I love your writing! Hope you have many more treats in store for us.
Hill? My salts! Hill? Gracious that book trailer was amazing and soooo tantalizing! The cover is just lovely and the Lake District is exquisite! I have to get there! I read the first chapter but have decided to wait for the book to read the rest. Since you are the ‘Queen of Angst’, I can only imagine what torture you will be putting them both through. Congratulations and thank you for a chance at the giveaway !!
I do hope you’ll come over here sometime soon, Carole! I’d love to meet you face to face. Huge thanks, you always have such wonderful things to say about my books! I hope you’ll like this one too. And yes, keep the salts handy, that’s a very good notion, my lady :))
Thanks again for coming to have a look at the trailer and the book cover, and for leaving this lovely comment that put such a huge smile on my face!
What a wonderful preview! I’m eager for this release! I cannot wait!
Ooops, sorry I’m so late, Marie! Thank you, I’m so glad you liked the preview!
Best wishes and thanks for stopping by to watch it!
I’ve enjoyed following your excerpts of The Journey Home To Pemberley, and find your book trailer equally enticing. Love the cover!
Tell me please, is there to be an Audible version of this book? (I so hope the answer is yes, and soon!)
Oh dear, I missed your message too, Beverly! So very sorry about that! I think a couple of messages filtered through a little later than the ones below, and I didn’t scroll back from the top to check. My apologies!
Thanks for following the posts, I’m so glad you liked the excerpts, the book trailer and the cover!
I’d love to release The Journey Home To Pemberley in Audible too, and I hope it can be done. If you don’t mind me contacting you by email or Messenger, as soon as I know something I’ll keep you posted. All the best,
Joana
I feel the same as Vesper. I’m not going to read the excerpts, because I will be frustrated that I can’t read the whole book. But since this book is by Joana, I know I will enjoy it, once I get a hold of it.
Thanks for the terrific giveaway. If we are allowed to express a preference, I would prefer not to have audible, because I much prefer to read my books.
The cover is wonderful! I especially like the floral watermark (?) at the top.
I know the feeling, Ginna. If I like a book, I tend to devour it in a matter of hours. Thanks for the kind words aboy my other books, I’m so happy you liked them! So glad you liked this cover too! The swirling climber was another lucky find. It looks a little like a vine because of the tendrils that reach out, take hold and won’t let go. A bit like Darcy’s fascination with Elizabeth 🙂
Thanks for stopping by for the cover reveal and best of luck in the giveaway!
Thanks for the great writeup! This book sounds so interesting. I will wait to read anything as I too wish not to get too engaged without the full book. I am also not an auditory “reader”.
Hope you’ll like the book when you get to read the full story, Erna. Thanks for stopping by for the cover reveal and good luck in the giveaway!
I love all of Joana’s works, but I don’t like installments. So I gathered my whole patience and decided to wait! And now the waiting has an end!!! I am looking forward. And this is the most perfect Mr Darcy of all the covers <3 Now, take a rest and enjoy life 🙂
Doris
So very sorry, Doris, that I didn’t think of scrolling through the messages back from the top, so I missed yours, Beverly’s and Marie’s. Thanks, I’m so glad you liked the cover! I think this young and handsome gentleman does justice to Mr Darcy 🙂
I know what you mean about installments, it can be tricky to wait from one to the next. I hope you’ll like the full story when you read it. All the best and thanks for stopping by for the trailer and the cover reveal!
Congratulations on your new book. I have all your other books, so I definitely need to read this one. I love the cover!!! The Lake District seems fitting for the background. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
Thank *you* for reading the post and for taking part in the giveaway, Mary. I’m so glad you like the cover. The valley was quite a sight when I took that picture. The low clouds made for such an awe-inspiring scenery! I can only imagine it must have been even more awe-inspiring to people who had to travel in slow-moving carriages and could not escape the storm by jumping into a cosy, warm and fast car. Having said that, I think I’d rather have the horse and carriage any time 🙂
Thanks for reading and best of luck in the giveaway!
Breathtaking setting and I do love the premise of them being forced into close quarters where understanding can happen. Sounds terrific! Congrats to Joana on a gorgeous cover and story!
I love this premise too, Sophia! I do love it when they tread on eggshells around each other, then finally bite the bullet and *talk*. Huge thanks and all the best!
This cover is beautiful!
I’m glad Joana used the usual Mr. Darcy picture, and that she decided to use one of her own pictures, she does go to beautiful places all over England, and her pictures are always incredible (I bet she waits for one hour at each place to make sure no one appears in her photos).
The excerpt is also amazing and one of my favourite scenes in the entire book 🙂
LOL Rita “I bet she waits for one hour at each place to make sure no one appears in her photos.” Yep 😀 . And it drives my family crazy!
I’m so glad you liked the cover and the excerpt! Huge thanks again for everything and I hope you’ll be able to come back to the UK soon!
Seending Joana some Love. The excerpt is amazing Love it. Wish the best for yer.
I’m so happy you liked the excerpt, Patricia. Thank you!! Wishing you all the best too. Have a great start of the week and a beautiful and relaxing autumn!
I am so delighted with this opportunity! That sneak peek has me wanting to read more for sure, and i, too, love the inclusion of an actual location on the cover. Cannot wait for this one!
It’s such an amazing location, Christina! Even in this day and age, with a modern road running through it. I’m so glad you enjoyed the sneak-peak. I hope you’ll like the full story too. All the best and thanks for stopping by for the cover reveal.
The cover makes me want to go to the Lake District even more than I did before! 🙂 Congratulations on the new book!
I hope you go soon, Lucy! Thank you and best of luck in the giveaway!
Congrats on your new release! It sounds wonderful. Thanks for the giveaway.
Thank *you* darcybennet and best of luck!
Congratulations. So enjoyed Darcy’s response to Elizabeth’s presence. Looking forward to the next scene.
I’m so glad you liked this scene! Thanks for reading, Patty, and best of luck in the giveaway!
I’m so excited!!! I love it when we get a new book from Joanna. And I’m already hooked on this one. 🙂
So glad this one caught your eye, Rachel 🙂
I hope you’ll like the full story. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for stopping by for the cover reveal.
I am always thrilled to see a new release from Joana. Love the excerpt!! I definitely look forward to reading.
Thanks, Becky, and I hope you’ll like it. All the best and good luck in the giveaway!
Oh,Joana I adore the cover and that music-what is it? I got goose bumps listening and watching the video I cannot wait to read this
It’s such a perfect piece, Sharon! It’s called the ‘Wedding Invitation’ by Jason Farnham. I’m pleased with how the quotes came out, but that glorious music makes all the difference, I think. Without it, the trailer would’ve been just a slideshow.
I’m so glad you liked it and that you’re looking forward to the book. Hope you’ll like the full story too. All the best and thanks for following the posts!
Hey, Joana. Congratulations on the cover reveal. It is beautiful. I love this story and look forward to the launch. I wish you all manner of success. Have fun. Thanks to Meredith for hosting [say hello to your Mr. Bingley]. I don’t do audio so don’t include me in the drawing. Blessings, my dear.
And the very same to you, dear Jeanne. Huge thanks for the wonderful words and warm wishes, you’re ever so kind! Wishing you a beautiful autumn and all the best!
My pleasure, Jeanne! It is always a joy to host Joana and what a thrill to learn about her new story!
Love the cover and can’t wait to read your book!
Thanks Lily, I’m so glad you liked the cover! All the best and thanks for stopping by to have a look 🙂
Congrats on the new release. Can’t wait to read it. I don’t think I’ve ever read a JAFF that had ODC meeting in the lake country.
So wonderful to hear that this might be a new premise for you, Colleen. I hope you like where I went with it 🙂
Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for coming to read the cover reveal post!
Thank you for sharing your lovely cover and the wonderful trailer with us, along with a final excerpt!! I am hoping to win an e-copy of your newest publication, Joana!! The chocolates are lovely, but I live near San Diego, so none for me. (They look too beautiful to eat!)
My husband and I visited the Lake District during our three-week foray to England as a college graduation present from my grandparents. We spent time in Kent, London, Cambridge, Oxford, Stratford, Warwick, the Lake District, and Nottingham. I wish we could have stayed–I have never felt more at home anywhere than in England!! My mother’s family hails from the Isle of Man where many Quayle families still reside in Ramsey (where the Star of India, a San Diego landmark, was built) while my father’s family left Britain for the Colonies in 1767.
Congratulations on your new release, Joana!! 😀
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
The chocks look gorgeous, Susanne! Josephine is such an artist! That exquisite cameo brooch, I’d much rather wear it than eat it. But I’m guessing it wouldn’t be such a good idea, so I’ll try to be sensible about it 😀 .
Your family history is so fascinating and you’ve been to so many parts of Britain! I think we spoke a little about your trip before, but I didn’t realise it was so long and it took you to so many different places. What a wonderful graduation present!
I wish you could have stayed too 🙂 . Hope you’ll visit again soon.
Thanks again for following my posts and for leaving these beautiful comment. Best wishes and hopefully speak again soon!
Congratulations on your latest book, Joana! It looks like another winner!
Thanks, Kelly, I’m so glad you like the premise. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for coming to the cover reveal!
Oh I cannot wait! Pretty sure I have ALL of Joana’s books. 🙂 Thanks for sharing the excerpt, and for the giveaway!
Thank you, Leah! Best of luck in the giveaway and I hope you’ll like the book when it comes out.
Ah, the Lake District scenery really is stunning. The trailer, oh my, it’s just dripping with angst! Had we any doubt? The cover is beautiful, I knew you liked using paintings images for your covers, but after a closer look at the new cover something clicked and I went back to study the previous covers. You used the same Darcy and Elizabeth in four previous books! I’m so dense. I just realized it today.
Well, I tried hard to avoid reading more of the excerpts when the first started appearing, but couldn’t resist. And today’s was beautiful. Oh, I would love to win either the ebook or audible, I still don’t have Legacy in audio format, but whether I win or not I’ll be picking it up very soon.
I wish you the best ever launch, and the best success with this new book.
Thanks ever so much, Michelle! I’m so happy you liked the cover, the excerpts and the book trailer.
I do love those portraits, both of them. She’s so very much like Lizzy, and I think the handsome gent does justice to Darcy, despite the stock that rather belongs in Old Mr Darcy’s generation. But that’s a minor detail, and his good looks more than make up for his fashion choices 😀 .
Huge thanks for your wonderful words and for reading the posts, and I hope you’ll like my new book too. All the best and have a lovely autumn!
I am always amazed at the breadth of JAFF authors, I always seem to find a new one that I haven’t yet read. I am also astounded at the great variation of stories, plots, sub plots etc and who is with who and who has a different name and or a different role. Joana, I truly look forward to adding your book to my favourites. Thank you for an opportunity to win one if your wonderful prizes.
Thank *you*, cbbsadventures, for stopping by to read the post and for leaving this wonderful comment. Isn’t JAFF fabulous, with all the avenues that are begging to be explored, and all the twists and turns that take our favourite characters on new paths to their happily-ever-after! I can’t imagine growing tired of the genre, there’s such a wealth of stories out there! I hope you’ll like mine too. Best wishes and good luck in the giveaway!
I have yet had the chance to read any of your books, but after watching your trailer I look forward to reading this book and others written by you. I love Jan Austen, and enjoy reading different adaptations. I am happy I happened on this review. Wish you the best in the release of your book.
I’m so glad you saw the trailer and liked it, Gretchen! Many thanks for the good wishes, and if you read my latest book or one of my other ones, I hope you’ll enjoy it. Best regards and good luck in the giveaway!
OK, I was ready to read the excerpt but reading so many comments about the video I watched it.
I LOVED the music! It glued everything together. Especially these passionate quotes.
The one where she sees him “vulnerable and alone”… sigh-worthy.
I’m afraid by his –I guess it’s his– “you put us both through hell, and for what?” there will be a lot of torment for the couple and the poor reader alike but I guess that is what I’m looking for. 😉
Good luck with the publication!
I’m so glad you watched the video and that you liked it, Alexandra. The music was the luckiest find ever! It soars so beautifully and dramatically! Without it, the trailer would’ve been just a slide-slow 🙂
So happy that you liked the “vulnerable and alone” quote! As for the “You put us both through hell…”, yes, that was Darcy’s (and poor Lizzy gets the blame for my misdeeds 😀 ). I just couldn’t help stirring in some trouble, but all I can say is ‘Think cake’ 😀 . Lots of people told me that, after all the heartache and drama, they’d love to read about the sweet HEA too rather than see the story finishing abruptly, once the major conflict was resolved. So this book is meant to be like a Victoria sponge cake (or a piece of death-by-chocolate 😀 ) : sweet layer of courtship at the bottom; dark angst in the middle and another sweet layer of HEA on top. I hope you’ll like the layered cake with a nice, hot cuppa :))
All the best and thanks for coming to join the fun at the cover reveal!
I have my spoon ready for this delicious death-by-chocolate creation. And I like my chocolate dark. 😉 (The only problem is that now I desperately need a cup of coffee…)
I know the feeling, Alexandra, I need to grab a cup of coffee too. I’d love a slice of cake to go with it, but alas…
What a beautiful cover! Loved the video. Looking forward to reading this one, as i have with all your books <3
Thank you, Claire! I’m so happy you have all my other books and that you loved the trailer and the cover. I hope you’ll like the full story too. All the best and thanks for reading!
So looking forward to release day! Wishing you every success with this latest book, Joana. And Happy Birthday to you!
Huge thanks, Regina, you’re so kind! Much, much appreciated!!
The video hooked me! The words and the visuals captured my interest. I have read the previous blog posts, and Joana’s books never disappoint. Thank you for your generous giveaway.
I’m so glad you liked the video, Eva! It’s all thanks to the red kites 😀 . We have some red kites flying over our area (they look a bit like the osprey in the image I used, but with reddish feathers). So they gave me the idea for that slide, and then it rolled from there. One weekend in August while my family were away camping for 2 nights I stayed up pretty much till dawn making slides and searching for the right music. I’m so glad the video turned out well and captured some of the spirit of the story, and I hope you’ll like the full story when you read it. All the best and thanks for following the posts!
Great trailer and cover! As I’m relatively new to Jaff I have read only one of your books and loved it. I have 3 more waiting on my kindle and I’m sure I’ll love this one too
Great to hear you’re new to JAFF, Sophia! There are so many treasures for you to discover! Have a wonderful time exploring Alladin’s cave and thanks for stopping by to read this post. I’m so glad you liked one of my books, and I hope you’ll like The Journey Home to Pemberley too. Have a good week and all the best!
I didn’t need this post. It only increases the torment I’ve felt since reading your first exquisite chapter – the strength of that attachment which, in spite of all my endeavours, I have found impossible to conquer. However I am greatly relieved my suffering will now be rewarded by the release on Sept 12 and the ability to have this griping tale at hand.
i always love your books. Thank you for the chance at the giveaway.
Gripping, not griping, of course. Note how Jane Austen’s words rise to every occasion.
This is wonderful, Beatrice! Oh yes, Jane’s words rise to every occasion. I loved your message, thank you!!
I’m so glad you’re looking forward to the book and I do hope your suffering will be of very short duration. I am sorry to have occasioned pain to anyone. It is natural that obligation should be felt and (unlike some :D) I do feel the deepest gratitude, and I thank you for your kind forbearance. [In modern parlance, I’ll click those buttons as soon as I can :D].
All the best and I hope you’ll like the book!
Of course 🙂 To my eternal embarrassment, in one of my books Elizabeth had shinning eyes for a while :D. Love, flowers, hugs & my deepest gratitude to my editors, proofreaders and beta-readers for catching mood-killers such as a pair of shinning eyes 😀
Thanks again, Beatrice! Loved the chat!
I treasure your reply (replies) to my comment(s). Thank you! <3
Thank *you*, Beatrice! My pleasure!!
Sounds so intriguing, and I’m sure it will be great as are all of Joana’s books. I loved the trailer and the cover as well. Thanks for the generous giveaway, I’d love to win a copy of the book as I have all of Joana’s audiobooks.
Thanks so much for the thumbs-up, Kate! I’m so glad you loved the trailer and the cover. Hope you’ll like the book too. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for following the posts!
A new book from Joanna is always a treat!! Can’t wait for this one. She’s my favorite JAFF author. Love following her and seeing the gorgeous photos she shares.
Thanks so, so much for this, Sarah!! You’re so kind! I’m over the moon that you like my books and my ‘looking for Jane Austen’s England’ photos! Best of luck in the giveaway and hope you’ll like the new book too.
Oh Joana the trailer is exquisite and I adore the cover! I am so looking forward to September 12th – I’m clearing my Mammy calender that evening – no ironing, mending, washing, cleaning et cetera. I am sending my Mr Darcy off for his evening ride (or a trip to the pub whichever takes his fancy) and I am curling up with a sneaky glass of red to enjoy! Congratulations!
Curling up with a sneaky glass or red sounds like a marvellous idea, Roseanne! I’m a bit late joining you, but cheers!. Ah, the joys of ironing, mending, dishwashing and whatnot. We blink and we’re back at square one and we have to do it all over again (which is why I never post pictures from my house 😀 ). I’m ever so glad you loved the trailer and the cover! Thank you for reading all the posts and leaving such wonderful comments! Have a lovely and relaxing evening and all the best!
I am with you there. Love the serene look of this Lake district and Mr FD’s expression. Thank you for this excerpt. had been following the story since Ms Starnes started sharing it. I hope Mr FD is conscious enough to remember this moment . LOved the way FD’s expression was described ” wild joy flared in his eyes instead. Pure, unadulterated joy radiated”. It says it all….
Thank you for the excerpt
Oh, he’ll remember, Buturot, no worries about that :))
I’m so happy you loved that scene! There’s a counterpart later in the book (I’m sure you’ll know which one I mean when you get to it).
Many thanks for following the posts from the start! All the best and good luck in the giveaway!
Yay, so excited to read another new Joana Starnes book! Congrats on your newest release, I can’t wait to read it!
Loving the new look to your blog too Meredith!
Thank you, Dung! It’s not the Triangle sequel (I’m still so behind with that!!) but I hope you’ll like it 🙂
Isn’t the new look gorgeous? I’ve always loved Meredith’s blog from the day I found my way to it by wonderful chance back in 2013, and what a happy place it’s been every day!
I’m so glad you’re still blogging with the same passion, Meredith, and huge thanks again for hosting me!
Hugs and see you both soon [in RL, fingers crossed, but if it’s got to be just online for now, I’ll take it :)) xx].
I am so very glad you found AR and that we have known each other all these wonderful years!!
Thank you, Dung! We are enjoying it too! It felt like time for a change!
So excited for this one!
I’m so glad! Thank you, I hope you’ll like it.
(I *love* your user-name BTW :))) ).
Cruel to be kind? Oh my! What a lovely excerpt, and a swoon-worthy cover. Nice!
Thanks, Janis! I’m so glad you liked the excerpt and the book cover!
I think I have a couple of her Kindle books. Great giveaway.
Best of luck in the giveaway, Michelle, and thanks for taking part!
Congrats!! I need a day to read this now! I can’t wait to dive in!
Thanks, Leah! I hope you’ll like it!
Wow, what a beautiful cover! I had read the excerpts and was waiting for more. Thanks for supplying us with an amazing excerpt, Joana. I like the joyful expression on Darcy when he saw that it was Elizabeth who tended to him and keep him company. And thanks for the generous giveaway too.
I’m so glad you liked the cover and the excerpts! And the look on Mr Darcy’s face :))
Best of luck in the fiveaway and I hope you’ll like the book.
Thank you Joana. I have read several of your books and enjoyed them all so far(even though loyal readers know you enjoy causing some pain, too.) I have not kept up with the excerpts but I know it will be as good as your previous works and the excerpts in the trailer promise the same.