Hello, sweet friends! It has been quite the month for cover reveals – each of them so wonderful to unveil and admire! And guess what, we have one more cover reveal to share this month! And this one may be a bit of a surprise for you! Did you know that Rose Servitova, the lovely author who wrote an epistolary novel between Mr. Bennet and Mr. Collins that we adored, is releasing a new book that spotlights one of Jane Austen’s minor works?! 😯 After loving The Longbourn Letters we are so excited to see more from Rose Servitova!
~ Book Description ~
THE WATSONS by Jane Austen & Rose Servitova is the tale of four sisters as they seek security, love and happiness in a world where the most important decisions affecting their lives, are not always theirs to make. It is a book about relationships, freedom and personal empowerment.
After a fourteen year absence, Emma Watson, presumed heiress, is returned penniless to her family. As she becomes reacquainted with her sisters, she sees how their future prospects hinge on the health of their clergyman father and the humour of their brothers.
At the first ball of the season, Emma draws the attention of the party from Osborne Castle thus unleashing a series of events which see Emma’s choices clashing with those around her and the fall-out which occurs as a result. How does she appease the wrong she has committed in others’ eyes without creating a greater one in her own?
And without further ado….here is the big reveal!!!
(expected release date: October 20th)
Oh yes!! A continuation for The Watsons! 😍
I am fond of the characters of this fragment and I cannot wait to spend more time with them! 🙌🏼
Such a beautiful cover, I love the details of the pencil sketch and the aged paper texture. 📜
Ooh! I wonder about the “fall-out” and who it is with?! Sounds like some interesting twists and turns are afoot! ⁉️
What do you think, friends? 🤔
~ From the Author ~
Thank you Meredith for giving me this opportunity to explain a little about the cover of THE WATSONS.
The image used by the designers is from the 1800s and entitled Study for Vicomtesse d’Haussonville by artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.
My premise for using this image is that it portrays the heroine, Emma Watson, perfectly. The ‘sketch’ of a woman reflects how, in history, women were usually only partially visible, had a limited say in their own lives, were not ‘fully’ taking up space by reaching their full potential – deprived as they often were of financial independence or an equal standing in political, economic or social life. The soft but steady gaze of the lady in the cover reflects her strength and hope, as well as ours, that a happy life and tale unfolds.
~ Excerpt from The Watsons ~
“Do not speak to me of suitors and attempted dalliances at inns. That dreadful Solomon Tomlinson has called to the White Hart on three separate occasions to divine our movements so that he may prey on my sister. What a nuisance he has become! There lives a tribe of cannibals in the Lesser Antilles to whom I would dearly love to introduce him.”
“Oh, John, I am sure you misrepresent the man.”
“No, I do not. I have it from the proprietor of the inn, who takes great pleasure in laughing at my vexation and mocks me with ‘Imagine having Solomon Tomlinson as a brother-in-law. What a dreadful thing.’ To which I say, ‘Not as dreadful as having a Mr Shaw as a brother-in-law, I can assure you. Do you have a sister, perchance?’”
The general laughter put Emma a little more at ease and encouraged Mr Shaw to continue.
“Miss Tomlinson, however, is a pleasant young lady although her laugh sounds like three-dozen suits of armour thrown down a staircase.”
“I do not think Mr Tomlinson is as attentive to his sister’s interests are you are, brother.”
“I agree. What does he know of going about the country chaperoning his sister?”
“Oh John,” said Louisa amused.
“Well John had much rather wake up in John’s own bed. He had much rather sign over half of John’s fortune to his dear sister and look at the view from his own window every morning instead of following her about the country and would do so, if John was not afraid that she might marry a fool.”
“You give me no credit.”
“My dear, had I known what one was contending with in Solomon Tomlinson, I would have marched you straight back to Chichester. Have pity on me Louisa, at my age I hardly have the energy for hiding my sister in closets and wardrobes. Why, one moment of unsupervised conversation, with a little silliness or boredom on either side and there we are at an engagement. Wedding bells and a honeymoon to the coast, before we know it.”
He stood up and moved over to where Elizabeth was tidying away the tea items. Pouring and handing him the last remaining cup, Elizabeth said, “Tea, Mr Shaw? There is nothing like tea for comforting the soul and making social creatures of us all. There is nothing like tea for loosening the tongue.”
“A complaint, I sincerely believe Miss Elizabeth, which has never afflicted you in your entire life.”
“It greatly depends on the topic, sir. You, for example, speak much of marriage for one who makes every effort to avoid it.”
“Yes, it is much like sickness, rain and nuisance women, in that regard, the more one tries to avoid them, the more one seems to attract. I must learn to speak less on the subject and perhaps then I shall have some peace.”
“No, sir, please do no such thing. For then you might speak on more endearing subjects and appear in a better light. It would greatly upset me to find you all ease and pleasantries, for I have put great effort into forming my current opinion of you and it would upend all my work thus far. We would be a very dull party if each of us were full of niceties. You had best stay as you are.”
“My word, Miss Watson, but you do enjoy giving me a taste of my own treatment of others. I shall endeavour not to disappoint you and will begin at once. This is the most dreadful tea I have ever tasted. It is too cold, too strong and too sweet.”
“As was my intention, sir. Now if you will excuse me.”
With that, Elizabeth handed Nanny, who had just entered the room, the tea things and moved back over to her sisters by the fire, with Mr Shaw following her movements all the while. Up to this point in his life, he had never met his equal for wit, openness and sarcastic social commentary and had ever looked down upon his company, wherever he went, as being far inferior to himself in its ability to observe and entertain. But here was the beautiful Elizabeth Watson – fearless in her approach and dumbfounding in her astuteness and though he had not admitted it to himself as yet, he was thoroughly captivated.
Ooh! I like this portrayal of Elizabeth Watson! While her age and yearning for another share some similarities with Anne Elliot, her clever and sweet maneuvering in this excerpt remind me of another Elizabeth…I can’t wait to see more of Elizabeth and Emma Watson! Thank you for sharing this enticing excerpt and your love cover with us, Rose! We wish you all the best with The Watsons!
You can preorder The Watsons now!
~*~
Connect with Rose
~ About Rose ~
Irish woman, Rose Servitova, is an award-winning humour writer, event manager and job coach for 
people with special needs. She has published widely and is currently shortlisted in the WowWomenOnWriting essay contest. Her debut novel, The Longbourn Letters – The Correspondence between Mr Collins & Mr Bennet, described as a ‘literary triumph’, has received international acclaim since its publication in 2017. Rose has made author appearances at literary events and festivals in Ireland and the UK, including the Jane Austen Festival in Bath. She has been interviewed on national television, regional radio stations and in print and online media. Rose curated Jane Austen 200 – Limerick, a festival celebrating Limerick’s many links to Austen while nodding at its extensive Georgian heritage through literature, architecture, screen, theatre, fashion, talks and, of course, tea!!
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Rose generously brings with her 3 signed paperback copies of The Watsons for me to give away to 3 lucky winners! (Note: prizes will be dispatched October 31st)
To enter this lovely and generous giveaway, leave a comment, question, or some love for Rose! 💕
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Rose!
- This giveaway ends September 27th!
I look forward to reading another Watsons finished novel, enjoyed them all so far. And I like the cover
Thank you so much. I have only read one other myself. I’m quite nervous!
Beautiful cover!! I am sure Jane, herself, would approve. I enjoyed the excerpt, and will anxiously await the release. Thank you for the chance to win a copy. Best to you on your new book.
Mary, thanks so much for your kind words. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Welcome back Rose! Congratulations on this new release, and I love the contemplative look on the woman’s face on the cover. The excerpt certainly has my attention. Thank you for a chance at the giveaway!
Hi Carole, I remember you from last time. Thanks for popping in and taking the time to write your kind words.
Congratulations Meredith on an excellent cover reveal for a truly wonderful book – please don’t count me in the draw, I just wanted to share my excitement over this stunning and dramatic cover.
Anyone who loves reading Austen and Austenesque fiction will want to preorder this book which I was so privileged to read early on. Among many things, I loved the heroine and her spirit, Rose’s infamous wit, the many side plots, the easy and distinct characterizations, and the parlour game of trying to figure out where Austen stopped writing and Servitova picked up.
Congratulations Rose!!
Natalie. Such praise as this! Have you any compassion for my poor nerves? Thank you so much for all your kind words and support. Rose
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing in our celebration of this lovely cover, Natalie! I was so excited to see YOUR own cover reveal last week and learn more about The Jane Austen Society – what a stunning cover and exciting new release!
I’m so happy to hear your high praise for Rose!
The cover does remind one of an aged document…lovely and fragile. Enjoyed the excerpt and Elizabeth did remind me of that other Elizabeth. Would enjoy winning a copy. Thanks for the chance to do so.
I’m so glad to see this book will be released soon! Rose is an excellent writer, and I wish her much success.
I remember your kind words before and thanks for popping in today to add to them. You’re very kind. Rose
Hi Sheila, thank you for the compliment. I love the cover myself (and I also love Elizabeth). Thank you
Beautiful cover- it’s sounds brilliant Rose. I’m a huge Jane Austen fan.thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity to win a signed copy. All the best with your new book I’ll look forward to it’s release
Oh Lizzie, how lucky are you to be a Lizzie! Thank you so much. Rose
I must say that it sounds very interesting!
Thanks Brenda, I hope it will be enjoyed by Austen fans.
The writing style is very unique and has Jane Austen’s spirit, which I think is already a given! I love continuations of Jane Austen’s fragments. I’d love to read it one day 😀
Thank you Sara. That is very high praise indeed! Rose
Oh, I liked the excerpt and am eager to read more. Thanks for sharing it with us.
The cover is lovely. Your description and why you chose it are excellent and fitting for that time. It is a captivating cover.
Thanks for hosting yet another fantastic cover reveal, Meredith.
Thanks for the opportunity to win a signed paperback Rose. It would be a treasure to have. Best wishes on your upcoming release.
Oohh, what a lovely excerpt, this looks to be brilliant! And a beautiful cover to boot. 🙂
Thank you so much Anniina, I am so glad you enjoyed the excerpt.
Thank you so much Janet. Your approval means the world to me. Rose
Thank you so much for sharing your enthusiasm and support for Rose and her new release, Janet!!
Congratulations Rose. I look forward to reading The Watsons. I really enjoyed your Longbourn Letters. Your affinity to Austen’s style is remarkable. Best wishes for its success.
Laurel Ann, your praise is the best of praise. Thank you so much. Rose
What a lovely cover, plus a continuation of The Watsons!!! What a splendid way to begin my day!! 😀
Thank you, Rose!!
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Hi Susanne, I’m so honoured to have the audacity and daftness to even attempt completing this book. It’s been great fun. Thank you for your comments.
Interesting cover! Best wishes for a successful release. Cheers!!!
Thanks Kirk, so much, for dropping by and your words of encouragement. Rose
Excellent cover and crackling dialogue, Rose!
Lona, high praise indeed! Thank you so much, Rose
Captivating and lovely giveaway.
Thank you so much Anne for your kind words. Rose
Who doesn’t love a character who can out manuever everyone to get her way? I love everthing about this book and can’t wait to read.
Wonderful Pamela, thank you so much. Rose
Thank you Rose for sharing your story with us. Our JASNA NY Capital Region meetings will be focusing on Jane Austen’s Other Works this year. IT would be wonderful to have a copy of your book to add to our conversations.
Hello Nancy. I met some wonderful JASNA folk in Cork, Ireland this year. Well, I love the topics you are focusing on this year (I’m all for adding to your conversation!!) Thanks so much for taking the time to drop by too! Rose
I am not familiar with the story/characters. Since it is mentioned here, it picqued my interest. Thank you for the post Meredith. Thanks for the chance to win this book
Hello Buturot! Thanks for your curiosity. I had not even known of the existance of The Watsons for most of my Austen-fandom-life. So delighted to find that there was more to discover than just her six wonderful published novels. Thank you for taking the time to write in! Rose
It is definitely worth checking out, The Watsons is a family of 4 daughters and 2 sons, where the mother has passed away, the father is an ailing clergyman, and the youngest daughter was sent to live with a wealthy aunt at the age of 5. I like having another Jane Austen story about sisters.
I am so excited about this I am practically gibbering!! A version of The Watsons with respect for women and banter! And I love the cover–not the ordinary idea. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on The Watsons and it will always be the Austen work closest to my heart. I can’t wait to read this book and would love to be entered in the giveaway.
Abigail, I have never met anyone who wrote a thesis on The Watsons. I am scared of you reading it as you must be quite the expert!!! Thank you for popping in and for your enthusiasm.
The cover is striking. Congrats on your new release.
DarcyBennett – thanks so much for your very kind praise. Rose
If it’s anything like the Longbourne Letters I look forward to reading it. Rose has a great wit dovetailing nicely with Ms Austen’s
Hello Eithne! Thanks so much for the compliment x
Absolutely adore the cover, beautiful! And thoroughly enjoyed the excerpt, cannot wait to get my hands on it. Congratulations Rose !
Thank you Roseanne. Thanks for all your support and kind words. Rose
The cover and your explanation work well. I look forward to the story after enjoying your previous works. Thanks for the giveaway and for not using Rafflecopter.
Cheers Betty. I really appreciate your kind words.
This sounds marvelous and I LOVE the cover.
Mary, thank you so much. Rose
Oh happy day! I love that she wrote a new continuation of The Watsons. The excerpt has me eager to see how she makes it progress and how her Emma got herself in a tangle.
Congrats to Rose!
Thanks so much for your enthusiasm, Sophia Rose. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Rose
Well done, Rose! The above excerpt is fascinating and definitely hooks the reader into wanting to read on. I love your explanation for the choice of art for the book cover – how what is left to us of women from the past is often only a snippet of their voice, filtered or presented through the lens of another (often male). Jane Austen gave her characters their whole voice, full of nuance and full-bodied, and I believe you are carrying on her tradition!
Hello Melissa! Well, I’m only carrying it on in a very small way in comparison to the work you do! Thanks so much for popping in here! Talk soon
Thanks for a chance to win a copy. Enjoyed the excerpt and look forward to reading the rest of the story. Unique cover, it is lovely.
Thank you so much Stephanie. Rose
Oh this new book sounds soooo good. Mr Shaw, thoroughly captivated!! I think I will be too with/by this story, thanks for a chance to win!!
Charlotte, thank you so much for your enthusiasm. Rose
I so enjoyed the excerpt ! => There is nothing like tea for comforting the soul and making social creatures of us all. Beautiful writing Rose, I hope to get the chance to read the whole story !
Hi Jo’s daughter, Well I certainly enjoyed writing this scene! Thank you, Rose
I’ve never actually read the Watsons! I guess I need to pick it up. I love the cover and the excerpt! Congratulations-I can’t wait for the release!
Leah, thank so very much. I had not read it either until I decided to complete it!!! Thanks, Rose
What a great idea for a story & such a pretty cover ! I enjoyed learning more about your new book & have added it to my wishlist 😀
Thank you so much Silvia! I’m blushing. Rose
Congratulations! Great cover! Looking forward to reading it! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Claire. Much appreciated. Rose
OMG!!! So stinking happy to see a continuation of the Watsons!!!
Gorgeous cover and tantalising excerpt! Looking forward to it…but fingers crossed in the meantime for the giveaway! Thank you Rose
Hi Danielle, thanks so much. I’m delighted to be putting it out in the world. I promise that the characters are great and that there’s a few laughs thrown in. Rose
I have never read a Watsons continuation (nor the original fragment by JA), but this sounds quite intriguing. I hope to read it. I just saw that the planned release date is just a day before my birthday – I’ll be sure to remember it 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway chance!
Well then Agnes, your birthday is very close to my husband’s birthday. Thanks for your response. I don’t believe many people have read The Watsons so I hope they will like this one. Thanks, Rose
I really love the cover, and the excerpt is very enticing. Best of luck with the launch of your new book, Rose.
p.s. It’s been soooo long since I read The Watsons, I can’t remember anything about it. Good Grief. But your book sounds great!
Thanks Michelle, your comments have bouyed me up today. Thank you, Rose
I’ve not read The Watsons as I’m working my way through the Austen novels I have still to read. But the synopsis sounds intriguing and the cover looks amazing.
Nina, I hope you get around to The Watsons once you’ve finished with the others.Thanks for your kind words. Rose
I’m sure I will and you are very welcome Rose ❤️
I’m sure I will and you are very welcome Rose
Wonderful excerpt. Love the cover. Congratulations!
Thanks so much Becky. Rosex
I haven’t familiar with The Watsons but Rose’s novel sounds enticing. I’m delighted that you choose to write a continuation of Jane Austen’s abandoned manuscript. The excerpt is charming too. I can’t wait to be introduced to the cast of characters and the plotline.
Congratulations! I love the cover.
Thanks so much Mabel
I can’t miss this one. It’s a lovely cover. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Thanks so much Suzan!
Hi everyone. Thanks so much to Meredith for hosting the cover reveal and for organising the competition. Books will be sent when released at end of October. Thank you all, Rose