Happy Thursday, dear friends!! I am delighted to share with you a special post from the lovely Joana Starnes today!!! Joana is such a dear friend and supporter to all in the Austenesque community (and everyones’ favorite companion for Jane Austen adventures in England!) and she has a new book coming out soon!! Woot woot! 🎉 Isn’t that just terrific news?! 🙌🏼
Joana is here to share the beautiful new cover for her upcoming release – A Timely Elopement – and an exquisitely romantic excerpt (which she knows is just the type of excerpts I love most to share!)
~ From the Author ~
Good morning, Meredith, and thanks for welcoming me here today for the cover reveal of my new book, A Timely Elopement.
The cover was made last December, and it’s been sitting on my hard drive, mercilessly taunting me. Well, this is it, cover, your taunting days are over 😊! The story is finally written, and this is the premise:
‘What if Mr Darcy’s first proposal was interrupted by a bearer of ill tidings? The worst tidings: an elopement! Ah, but whose elopement would allow Elizabeth and Mr Darcy to spend quite so much time together and overcome their prejudices and his stubborn pride?’
Some of you might already know that the answer comes up in the opening chapter of A Timely Elopement. And timely it is indeed, because news of it reaches Mr Darcy just as he was launching into the most insulting part of his proposal. Luckily for him, Colonel Fitzwilliam comes to interrupt him and let him know what has happened at Rosings in his absence:
“We have reason to fear that Anne has eloped. To own the truth, with Wickham!”
And with that, poof – Mr Darcy’s plans go up in smoke and his aunt is driven to distraction. Even so, I hope you’ll like Lady Catherine a little bit in this story. She is still very much her obnoxious self, but it’s thanks to her that, the night after the aborted Hunsford proposal, Elizabeth is a guest in…?
If you’re hoping that the answer is ‘in Mr Darcy’s house,’ then I’m pleased to say you’re absolutely right! Which brings me to the excerpt I would like to share. Over the years, I think I’ve made a habit of sharing one of the most romantic excerpts from my latest book whenever Meredith kindly hosted me on her blog. I love that tradition, so why break it? 😊. But firstly, let me sport with your patience and show you the cover:
And without further ado….here is the big reveal!!!
(Expected release date: 5 June 2020)
Oh wow, Joana, I love it! This is my new favorite! 😍
I love that there are three parts to this cover, such a lovely combination of what this story is about. 📖
“Your” Darcy is handsomely featured on this cover as always. 🎩
I quite love the cottage picture used, the floral growth all around it is charming! And I love the carriage image…it builds such anticipation! 🖼
What do you think, friends? 🤔
And now the romantic excerpt at last! We are in Miss Darcy’s sitting room, well after midnight. Mr Darcy has returned from his long ride in search of Miss de Bourgh and found his sister still awake – and chatting with Elizabeth! Even better, Georgiana wanders off eventually, in search of her secret stash of macaroons…
A Timely Elopement
Excerpt from Chapter 4
… and for the first time since their fraught encounter at the Hunsford parsonage, Elizabeth found herself alone with Mr Darcy.
How strange that the experience should unnerve her so! He had never unnerved her. He had antagonised her, aye, and vexed her on more than one occasion. But she had never felt so ludicrously discomfited by their tête-à-tête, nor so acutely aware – even without looking – that he was watching her. Staring at her.
He had always stared. And she had always laughed it off – had laughed at him too, under the thinnest veneer of civility. Now she could only laugh at herself for her foolish unease and the bizarre sensation that her every nerve was tingling. And then he spoke, and the warm softness of his whisper perturbed her all the more.
“Will you not look at me?”
She did. There was nothing to it. Or so she thought, until she met his eyes. Yet his next words were incongruously prosaic.
“How was your journey?” Mr Darcy wished to know.
“Fine. It was absolutely fine.”
“And my aunt? I hope she was not too difficult.”
“No, she was not.” Not too difficult, anyway.
The corner of his lips curled up into that sort of incandescent smile which had flustered her within seconds of his arrival.
“I have never found myself quite so much in Lady Catherine’s debt – nor Lord Malvern’s, for that matter. I thought that, if I had very good luck, I might catch a glimpse of you at my uncle’s house tomorrow. Amid half a dozen people laying plans and talking all at once. Not for a moment did it cross my mind to hope for anything like this. Yet here you are – and it makes amends for everything: for this wretched day, for the frustrating affair at Hunsford. I wonder if you can imagine what joy it is to see you in my home. I wish you never had to leave.”
Elizabeth blinked – once… twice – and said nothing. The reversal was uncanny: she, lost for words – he, more communicative than ever. Uncanny and bordering on the alarming. Finding herself lost for words was a profoundly alien sensation. She did not like it in the slightest.
At her continued silence, he said softly, “I see I am making you uncomfortable. I should beg your pardon for speaking too freely. But I have longed to speak my mind for a fair while. And it is a vast relief to do so.”
Elizabeth dropped her gaze. Now was the time for her to speak her mind – have the conversation she had come to town for, or at least make a beginning while his sister was out of the room, and let Mr Darcy know that he ought not follow her to Longbourn.
A deep furrow creased her brow. It would be easy work to speak her mind, if her mind were not in such a hopeless muddle. She had come to town – and found a great deal more than she had bargained for. Had seen a side of him she never knew existed. Countless new facets, rather. New – and intriguing – and more than a little pleasing. And above all, she had seen him in his home. No ceremony. No reserve. No trace of the despot she expected. Not his sister’s keeper, but her whole world; her protector and succour. The manifest affection between the pair of them gave new depth and meaning to the fact that he had chosen to trust her with Miss Darcy’s damaging secret. And seeing what he was to someone he loved gave substance to the avowal that he admired and loved her.
Somewhere in the course of this extraordinary day, he had ceased to be the last man in the world whom she could be prevailed upon to marry. What else he had become or stood to be, she could not tell. But before she could even begin to apply herself to that particular subject, she had to speak her mind in one regard – and ask one crucial question. So she looked up and spoke:
“What of the strong objections to my family? I expect they apply to me as much as Jane.”
She had caught him off guard, it was plain to see. The warm glow in his eyes gave way to discomfort.
“Oh,” he said, shifting in his seat. He ran his hand over his chin and drew the obvious conclusion: “Fitzwilliam told you.”
It was not a question, but she answered it nevertheless. “Yes. This morning, on our walk. Yesterday morning, rather,” she amended, remembering that it was past midnight – in the first hours of a brand-new day. Yet even as she said so, Elizabeth found it hard to believe that her conversation with Colonel Fitzwilliam had taken place no further than the previous morning. Somehow, it seemed a long time ago.
“I see,” Mr Darcy said and stood. With a terse, “Excuse me,” he spun round and made his way into his sister’s chamber, leaving Elizabeth wide-eyed and baffled, staring after him.
Yet he returned in mere moments. He carefully closed the door behind him and rejoined her by the fire. But this time he sat closer, in the wing-chair that had been his sister’s, and leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
“I asked Georgiana to give us some time. I hope you do not mind,” he said, and reached for her hand. He clasped it between both of his as he resumed, “I am sorry that you have been informed of something which, viewed in a mistaken light, may have given you uneasiness. I wish Fitzwilliam were not so loose-tongued,” he muttered, eyes narrowed in vexation.
“You must not blame your cousin. He named no names. The inference was mine,” Elizabeth replied crisply as she withdrew her hand.
Mr Darcy grimaced. “May I know what he said?” he pressed on, his displeasure scarce abated.
Without preamble, she gave him what he asked for. “That you congratulated yourself on lately saving a friend from the inconveniences of a most imprudent marriage. On account of very strong objections against the lady, as he put it.” She made no effort to attenuate the bitterness of the reproach, nor strip away the note of sarcasm from the words that followed: “I wonder that you should have endeavoured to make such a mystery of it. I rather imagined that disguise of every sort is your abhorrence.”
“It is,” Mr Darcy confirmed grimly. “I had no intention to conceal any of this from you, nor claim that I did not rejoice in my success once I had persuaded myself to keep my distance from Longbourn, and urged Bingley to do likewise. But I wish you had heard everything from me, not in this roundabout and careless manner. Damn Wickham! And, frankly, damn my cousin too,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “If I had the chance to say my piece at the parsonage, you would have gained a clear understanding of my reasons.”
The arrogant assumption, so reminiscent of his Hertfordshire persona, and above all the stark admission that he rejoiced in his success, could not fail to provoke her. So Elizabeth shot back, “If you had the chance to say your piece at the parsonage, I would have refused you.”
His shock was readily apparent. A good many seconds passed in frozen silence, until he finally asked, “Why?”
Elizabeth gave an irritable little shrug. Yesterday, in Kent, she could have presented him with a well-ordered set of reasons. Not much was left of that neat arrangement now. A host of revelations had jumbled nearly everything she thought she knew of him. Longstanding grounds for dislike had been shown up as a web of distortion and deceit, and would henceforth inspire not contempt but compassion. Other causes for complaint had been nudged out of place by his sister’s account of him, and were now blurred – softened – altered. But she was not about to tell him that; not when, clearly, his pride had not been softened. So she answered his question with another:
“Does it matter? After all, a narrow escape from objectionable circumstances should give you further reason to rejoice.”
“I might have thought so at one time,” Mr Darcy soberly acknowledged. “But not any longer,” he declared with no little emphasis. He sought her hand again, and his tone grew earnest when he resumed in a soft, persuasive manner that made him sound nothing like himself. “I was about to say that my rejoicing was short-lived. Keeping my distance was a hollow victory. There was no joy in it. Quite the opposite. I missed you. And all efforts to remind myself of my objections to some of your relations were of no use at all. I found that improprieties were easily forgot when they were not immediately before me. But the same could not be said of you. Much as I tried, I could not forget you. In fact, I could scarce put you out of my mind for longer than one waking hour at a time,” he said, shocking her with the unreserved avowal.
It was not the sort of thing a prideful man would say.
Elizabeth bit her lip and left her hand in his, even as she chastised herself for finding his words gratifying. She should know better. Words were cheap. […]
‘Men!’ Elizabeth inwardly scoffed in exasperation. They had all the freedom in the world to come and overset a quiet, unsuspecting neighbourhood; spark involuntary admiration and the flare of attraction with their fine bearing and their handsome features; blast favourable impressions with uncivil remarks or, worse still, give rise to expectations with unguarded displays of partiality – and then vanish, never to be seen. Until recently, that is, when Mr Darcy had burst into her peaceful existence yet again, by turns to vex, astound and mystify her.
What was she to make of his avowals? And what store was she to set by them?
When he suddenly disrupted her train of thought with a most inopportune, “Would you tell me now why you might have refused me?”, Elizabeth’s exasperation got the better of her. It was this more than anything that prodded her into retorting, “What reason had I to accept you, apart from your notable estate in Derbyshire?”
He flinched, and a shade of the old hauteur crept into his eyes. It rang in his voice too, when he retaliated, “I would have thought that ardent admiration and regard might count for something.”
Elizabeth dropped her gaze to their hands – still joined. She had offended him, and was rather sorry for it. She softened her voice when she replied, “They generally do. Or at least they should. But until yesterday you gave no sign of either.”
“No sign!” Mr Darcy exclaimed in disbelief. “I could scarce tear my eyes away from you whenever we were in company together.”
“You fixed me with dark and brooding stares. I was convinced you looked only to find fault.”
“Nothing was further from my thoughts! Besides, there is no fault in you for me to find.”
“I thank you for this pretty speech, but no one is a picture of perfection. Least of all myself. For one thing, not long ago you were of the opinion that my greatest defect is the propensity to misunderstand.”
Darcy’s lips twitched. “Ah, that. I think you will find it was ‘to wilfully misunderstand.’ And, by your own admission, I was right,” he teasingly observed.
Elizabeth could not forbear a chuckle and darted her eyes heavenward in mock despair. “It is a matter of great astonishment to me that you can be so infuriating even when you are flirting. Pray tell me, how do you achieve that feat?”
“I fear I cannot say. I have not had a great deal of experience in that regard.”
“In being infuriating? I find that very hard to credit.”
“No, that comes naturally, I am told. I was speaking of not having had much experience in flirting.”
She arched a brow, quite taken with their game of quick-fire banter, and no less with his jocular manner. So she gave him his due:
“From what I saw of late, that comes naturally too.
“Thank you. I am glad to hear it,” Mr Darcy chuckled softly, and said nothing further. Instead, he stroked her hand, then raised it to his lips and brushed a light kiss on the back of her fingers. “With the risk of being censured for boasting,” he added with an unapologetic smile, “I will point out that I was right about us too.”
“Were you? In what way?”
“This – you and I – the repartee – the connection – the spark, if you will – is just as it should be,” he said, making her wonder if he spoke thus because he had sensed her pulse quickening in response to his ministrations. Either way, he continued, “In this, we are well-matched, regardless of our different stations in life and the irksome trouble we can expect from our relations. Admittedly, mine will present less of a challenge now. There will be no more talk of family obstacles or marrying for duty. As for your relations’ improprieties…” He shrugged. “As I said – easily forgot. Besides, at this point I would be the worst sort of hypocrite to cast aspersions, since my cousin’s elopement is so much worse.”
Elizabeth might have bristled at the mention of their different stations in life, had she not seen the evidence for herself. His elegant townhouse. His uncle’s imposing mansion. His uncle’s fashionable guests – a far cry from the populace of Meryton. She did not bristle. In good conscience, nor could she agree that Miss de Bourgh’s false step was worse than Lydia’s hoydenish ways or her mother’s ill-breeding. Miss de Bourgh – an heiress with a sheltered upbringing – had been deceived by a practised seducer. What excuse did her mother and sister have? None at all. They deserved to be censured – and her father likewise, truth be told, for not curbing their excesses. But Jane did not deserve any censure of the kind. There could be no objections to her – she was all sweetness and goodness. And if Mr Bingley could be so easily persuaded to abandon her – if he had not understood her worth, but walked away and never looked back – then he did not deserve her. In time, Jane might find someone who would see her for the jewel that she was. Perhaps, after a fashion, Mr Darcy had done her a favour.
Elizabeth raised her head to share some of her reflections – the ones pertaining to Miss de Bourgh, at least – only to find him leaning closer and his eyes burning into hers.
“I am not in the habit of going back on my word,” Mr Darcy began with the greatest urgency, “but given everything we have already said tonight, we have gone too far beyond equivocations. I promised I would wait until this wretched business of Anne’s is set right, but I cannot. Not once I learned that you might have refused me. And yet you said that admiration and regard do count for something. So where does that leave us?”
* * * *
Where, indeed 😉? I hope you’ll enjoy finding out.
And now it’s…
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Joana has generously brought with her some fabulous goodies to be given away in conjunction with her visit today! These lovely prizes include:
- 3 Kindle copies of A Timely Elopement
- 2 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; The Darcy Legacy and The Journey Home to Pemberley.
To enter this lovely and generous giveaway, leave a comment, question, or some love for Joana! 💕
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Joana!
- This giveaway ends June 4th!
- Please enter this contest with just one name and one entry, multiple entries will be disqualified.
~~~
Thanks for coming to read the excerpt and have a peek at the cover, and huge thanks again, Meredith, for hosting me today!
Thank you, Joana, for sharing all the beautiful cover and a swoon-worthy excerpt from A Timely Elopement! You are so good at tantalizing us…you gave us just enough of a taste to have us begging for more!! I wish you all the best with your upcoming release of A Timely Elopement!! 🥰
~ Connect with Joana ~
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~ About Joana ~
Joana is the author of ten Austen-inspired novels and a contributor to the Quill Ink anthologies. All her novels are available at Amazon in Kindle and paperback, and some in Audible too: Joana’s Amazon Page.
I loved your previous books and look forward to this one!
Thanks, Theresa, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I hope you’ll like this one too!
Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for stopping by.
Lovely except and premise. Is it the promised story with less angst and less torturing of Darcy? I love when they have a chance to resolve past misunderstandings without Darcy’s disastrous proposal. But as it’s a Joana’s book, I’m sure there will be enough obstacles to endure a bumpy ride. I’m happy that the release day is so close, I can’t wait. Thanks for a chance to win a copy. ❤️
That’s the one, Kate! (Or at least that’s the plan).
Sorry I just found your message! Thanks for checking out the excerpt, and I hope ODC’s carriage ride is just about bumpy enough 😉
Darcy doesn’t seem to have improved his character
Early days, Vesper. This is just 6 hrs or so after his Hunsford proposal. He’ll get there in the end 😉
Thanks for reading and best of luck in the giveaway!
Joana is one of my favorite authors. I have read most of her books, if not all, twice and some in Audible. Don’t include me in the giveaway.
You’re so kind, Sheila! Thank you! I’m so happy you like to read the kind of stories that I like to write. All the best and stay safe!
Thank you for sharing your talents with us.
Thank *you* Sheila for all your wonderful support!
Every excerpt I read is better than the previous one! Can’t wait to read this book!
I’m so glad you think so, Pam! Thanks for coming to read this excerpt too, and I hope you’ll like the full story! Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks again for the thumbs-up 🙂
Yay! Can’t wait for this book. A new Joanna Starnes book is always a treat, and this excerpt was lovely.
Thanks, Sarah, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for reading!
This excerpt was so good! Joana’s books are always an automatic purchase for me.
I love the cover! I also love these stories that allow Elizabeth to witness a different side to Darcy before she refuses. I can’t wait to see the dynamics between Elizabeth and the rest of Darcy’s family. Thank goodness I won’t have to wait too long to read the rest.
Joana, congratulations on the release of what I am sure will be another fantastic story!
Thanks, Dara! I’m so happy that you like my books and that you enjoyed this excerpt too! I know what you mean, I also love scenarios where Elizabeth gets a better understanding of Darcy sooner than in canon. But somehow I haven’t managed to write many along those lines. An unreformed Darcy is hard to write. (I think that’s mostly because I forget he’s still supposed to be insufferable and I imagine him saying and doing nice things, rather than still coming scross as a stuck-up prig 😀 ).
Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you’ll like the dynamics and the rest of the story. Have a lovely weekend and best of luck in the giveaway!
This cover is gorgeous! And I loved this excerpt. I have had the fortune to read an advance copy of this (thank you, Joana!) and I can tell you, Meredith, this is as amazing as any of Joana’s backlist! The inventive twists are a welcome surprise and absolutely believable! I loved this! Loved. What delicious angst. Perfect interaction with Georgiana, the colonel, and so many sweet heart pounding moments for Elizabeth and Darcy. LOVED THIS! Just the fix I needed!
You’re so kind, Christina! Thank you!! I’m SO happy it hit the spot 🙂
Have a good weekend, stay safe, and thanks again for all your wonderful support!
I love Elizabeth’s realisation that Darcy is Georgiana’s whole world! Sigh! I love the way her opinion of him is improving! Sigh! I just wish he could keep to flirting with her and not belittling her (admittedly mostly deserving) family! I absolutely love this story and Darcy’s realisation of his mistakes (often helped by the Colonel!)
I love this cover Joana! Perfect!
Please don’t enter me in the giveaway!
“I love Elizabeth’s realisation that Darcy is Georgiana’s whole world!” Thanks so much, Glynis. I’m so happy you loved that! The Fitzwilliam Darcy whom Georgiana knows and loves, who could possibly resist him?
LOL It’s testament to his amazing ability to put his foot in his mouth that Elizabeth hasn’t started melting yet 😀 .
Huge thanks again for your kind words, have a good weekend and stay safe!
Love the new cover design. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Tamara, and best of luck in the giveaway!
Spectacular cover! I can’t wait to read. Please do not include me in audible, just the eBooks. Congratulations Joana!
Thanks, Jen! I’m so glad you like the cover. Have a lovely weekend and all the best!
The ‘Queen of Angst’ has done it again! A ‘timely elopement’ indeed! I love when Darcy smiles and Elizabeth is completely discombobulated! The cover says it all and it is just perfect! Please do not enter me in the giveaway.
Thanks, Carole, you’re too kind!! I hope I kept a lid on the angst this time. At least that was the intention 😉
LOL poor Lizzy, faced with ‘Hunsford Darcy’ at 6 in the afternoon (or 3 o’clock, or 4, depending on what dinner hours Lady Cat keeps) and hey presto, by midnight there comes *The Smile* and *The Look!* ‘Discombobulated’ is the perfect word for it 😀
Thanks for reading and for your wonderful support!
Congratulations, Joana! The cover for “A Timely Elopement” is eye-catching, and the excerpt left us wanting more! Best wishes for your new release!
Thanks for reading, Kelly! Best wishes to you too, and lots of inspiration!
I love the cover and the excerpt! Cannot wait to read it all. Congrats on another interesting take on our dear couple, Joana.
Thanks so much, Brenda! Looking forward to the next treat from you. Take care and all the best!
Wonderful! Can’t wait to read.
I’m so glad you liked it, Jenny! Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for visiting.
Riveting excerpt, lovely cover!!
Many thanks, Lara! Thanks for stopping by to see the cover and read the excerpt. Best of luck in the giveaway!
This looks amazing, as always! Cant wait for the audio to come out!
There will be an Audible version as soon as possible, Heather, and I hope you’ll like it. Many thanks for your support and for visiting today!
It’s a beautiful cover and that excerpt has me dying for more! I’m sure this book will not disappoint. Thank yo !
Thanks so much, Wendy! I’m so glad you liked the cover and the excerpt. I hope you’ll like the full story too. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for stopping by.
Lovely tri-part cover, Joana and delightful interaction in this scene between Darcy and Elizabeth. Cannot wait for release day; hope it’s soon!
Just over a week, Regina (fingers crossed!).
I’m so glad you liked the cover and the excerpt!! Thanks for stopping by and best of luck in the giveaway!
I always eagerly anticipate your stories, Joana. Thank you..
Thank *you*, Betty! I hope you’ll enjoy this one too. All the best and thanks for reading!
Dear Joana, your new book sounds amazing! Though I personally would have been tempted to go after Georgiana in search of those macaroons. It was a fabulous thing to stay behind with Mr Darcy, what a powerfull excerpt, I really enjoyed it 😀 I don’t have an ereader or listen to audiobooks, but I am really curious about this story! Best of luck to you 🙂
I’m so happy you liked the excerpt, Charlotte! So sorry there’s nothing for you in this giveaway! I’m hoping to have the paperback ready too asap. But in the meantime, I hope you saw the macaroons recipe in one of my other posts:
https://austenvariations.com/coming-soon-macaroons-and-a-giveaway/
Since we didn’t go after Georgiana to sample some of hers, maybe you’d like to bake some macaroons? Thanks to Debbie Brown and her daughter-in-law Sarah, there’s an update right at the end of the post, which brings the delightfully & maddeningly vague recipe into the modern world.
Best wishes, thanks for reading and happy baking!
Fantastic excerpt, can’t wait!
Thanks for reading, Colleen, and best of luck in the giveaway!
I can’t wait to read more! It is rare for something to suck me into a story so quickly but now I must know what happens next or what lead up to this excerpt
I’m so glad you liked the excerpts, Danielle, and that you’re intrigued about the rest of the book. I hope you’ll like the full story when you’ll see it unfold. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks again for this lovely message!
I have several of your books and have enjoyed them all. I look forward to reading this one as well. I think i am most excited to see that the excerpt came from chapter 4 and not chapter 24. It always feels so rushed when D&E declare themselves at the end of the book and only have a couple of chapters to figure out how such declarations will affect their futures. So, I look forward to how E responds to this chapter 4 excerpt, and how Darcy will attempt to improve her opinion of him, or….whatever you have in store for us.
So wonderful to hear you’ve enjoyed some of my other books! Thank you!! I know what you mean about Chapter 4 vs 24. In some ways, it’s so hard to watch them going through difficulties in chapter after chapter, and then we can only bask in a few pages of sweet harmony at the end. I tried to write more HEA chapters in my previous book, The Journey Home to Pemberley. Both Elizabeth and Mr Darcy declare themselves in Chapter 16 (in fact he’d already done that earlier), and then there are 5 more chapters and a short epilogue too. Some readers liked that, others thought the book was too long, which is a very valid point too because unthreatened happiness can become boring (even Mr and Mrs Darcy’s 😀 ). I hope you’ll enjoy what happens in ‘A Timely Elopement’ between Chapter 4 and ‘The End.’ Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for reading!
Oh my. I’m not sure that I have read a JAFF in which Anne has run away with Wickham, so this will be a rather unique premise for me. Thank you for allowing me to enter the contest for the e-books, but please do not enter me for the audibles. Thank you!
Thank *you* for following the posts. I’m very glad this is a unique premise for you, and I can’t wait to hear what you think! Best wishes and good luck in the giveaway!
Lovely cover and swoon-worthy excerpt!! Congratulations Joana on your new book.
Many thanks, Cynthia! I’m so happy that you liked the excerpt. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for reading!
Beautiful, beautiful cover– the Joana Starnes trademark image along with action!
What am I to do when I want to read the story….NOW!?!!!
Thank you, both, for my giveaway–see no more impatient-reader’s-tantrums, even though I barely restrain myself.
Take care of yourselves!
I do love that gentleman, Alexandra! And his physique lends itself beautifully to ‘Let’s torture Mr Darcy’ kind of stories 😀 . I think I’ve been good and didn’t torture him this time, but *he* tortured me and kept trying to come acrcoss as openly affectionate, kind, friendly, not at all prideful and desperately in love. It was a struggle to remind myself that he needs to work his way towards that, learn many lessons, slowly mend his ways. (The number of times I had to re-write a scene because he was behaving too well too soon 😀 ). Thanks for your lovely message and sorry about the wait! Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks again for reading!
Oh, how delightful. Meredith, [hello to your Mr. Bingley] once again you get the enviable job of hosting a new cover reveal. You listed all the qualities that I was going to mention so I will let your comment stand. Joana is a favorite author of mine… love you, Joana, and I own all her books.
Joana, I was leaning into my reading device just as you cut off the excerpt. Grr! That was so swoon-worthy. Heavy sigh! I will need either my salts or my fan… perhaps both. That was such a romantic Darcy. Sigh! Yeah, that was good. Blessings on the success of this work. Since I don’t do audio [can’t walk across the floor and chew gum at the same time]… don’t include me in the audio. Stay safe my friends and healthy.
Thanks so much for your wonderful meassage and all your support, Jeanne! You’re ever so kind and I’m over the moon that you like my books (and that this one had you leaning into your reading device 😉 . BTW, I hope you found your salts and your fan in time – bad, bad me for causing you to need them!! 😀 ).
I hope you’re still comfortable and cosy. Blessings to you too, stay safe and keep well!
Don’t include me in the giveaway, Joana. When it launched I had to grab it. I couldn’t wait. Blessings on its success.
So where does it leave them???? I love how they were having an honest discussion and in Georgianna’s sitting room no less. One could say that they have been compromised. The cover is lovely. It is always good to see the same Mr. Darcy on. your covers. George Wickham is traveling in style if that is Anne’s carriage. Thank you for the excerpt and giveaways.
SO compromised, Eva!! Luckily, so far only Georgiana knows and she’s not telling, otherwise they’d be in *heaps* of trouble.
I’m so glad you like the cover. I do like to include the same Mr D (just in case I haven’t said so yet 😀 😀 ). And LOL, yes, Wickham must be truly lording it!
Thanks for stopping by to see the cover and read the excerpt. Take care and best of luck in the giveaway!
So love ODC honest conversation. Congratulations on this newest book release. I look forward to reading it.
Hi, Patty!
I’m so glad you like this kind of scenes! They’re my favourite too – ODC speaking frankly and making an effort to get on the same page. Our dear Mr D has a few more chapters to catch up with, but he’ll get there in the end. He’s a fast reader, and a fast learner too 😉 . Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for taking part.
Joana, I am absolutely thrilled that your new book is to be released. I love your writing so very much. The excerpt makes me very much forward to the first opportunity to read the book – hopefully in one go. Thank you!
Huge thanks for the wonderful words about my books, Dorothee, I’m so happy you like my writing style!
I think for once it won’t be too hard to read one of my books in one go – this one gets to the point rather more quickly than the others 😉 . Thank *you* for your support and best of luck in the giveaway!
The cover is lovely. I am looking forward to reading this new book, as I have loved all your previous books.
I’m so glad you like the cover and that you’re looking forward to the book, Lynn! Thanks and I hope you’ll like it. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for visiting!
Oh my goodness, the suspense! I love when they speak openly to each other. Talkative Darcy is always so enlightening. Anne and Wickham is a pairing I’ve never considered. Looking forward to this story!
Oh, Katie, we do love a talkative Darcy, don’t we? 😉 . Especially when he had held himself in check for long enough, and every hidden thought is ready to come out. I hope you’ll like the story when you see it unfold. Thanks for visiting today and best of luck in the draw.
I I love the book just reading the excerpts! Thank you for the giveaway!
Thank *you*, Cheryl, for reading the excerpts and for taking part in the giveaway. Best of luck!
Wonderful cover and the excerpt had me anxious for more! Thanks for another wonderful story, Joana. Looking very forward to reading it!
I’m so happy you liked them, Jan. Thanks for reading, best of wishes and lots of inspiration!
The cover is gorgeous…the beautiful cottage, the action if the carriage being pulled by the horses, Darcy…and the excerpt. How did she end up at Darcy”s house, their private discussion, and I cannot wait to find out how they reach their HEA. Thank you for the give away.
Thank *you*, Debbie, for this lovely message and your wonderful support! I’m so glad you like the cover and the excerpt. All the best and thanks for stopping by!
Beautiful cover!!! Wow! Love it. Looking forward to the release of your new book!
Thanks so much, Joan! Thanks for coming to have a look and best of luck in the giveaway.
Your excerpt is delightful! Cannot wait to read the full book. Good luck with the launch of your new book.
I’m so glad you liked it, Sue! I hope you’ll like the full story too. Thanks for visiting and best of luck in the giveaway.
Sounds so good! Can’t wait to read it!!
Thanks for reading and best of luck in the giveaway!
I cannot wait to read this book. I absolutely love all your books.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you!! I hope you’ll like this one too. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for visiting.
Thank you for revealing your amazing cover, Joana, along with a tremendous excerpt and a generous giveaway opportunity!! Congratulations on the launch of your most recent novel!! Yay!!! 😀
I wish you all success with the release of your newest book!! 😀
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Huge thanks for your wonderful support, Susanne! I’m so happy that you liked the excerpt and the cover. Thanks for stopping by to have a look and best of luck in the giveaway!
Yay! I have read and re-read all of Joana’s books, and I cannot wait to read this new one. Keep them coming, Joana! You are such a talent! And thank you in advance. I can’t wait.
Oh dear! So sorry Paige! I just noticed that new messages had appeared higher up in the thread. Huge thanks for your support and your wonderful words. I’m so glad you liked my other books. Hope you’ll like this one too. Best wishes and best of luck in the giveaway.
I was going to leave a comment anyway once I saw this so the giveaway is just a double bonus, but I have recently read several of Joana’s books and LOVE them. And this one looks amazing! I can’t wait.
I’m so happy you loved my books, Laura! I hope you’ll like this one too. Huge thanks for your wonderful message and best of luck in the giveaway.
Congratulations on your new release Joana! I look forward to reading it. Best, LA
Many thanks for your kind message, Laurel Ann! Best wishes and stay safe!
The excerpts are intriguing so, I’m looking forward to the book’s publication.
Thanks for reading and for taking part in the giveaway! Best of luck!
Loved the cover design. Glad you have stuck with the same Darcy on the cover. Can’t wait to read the finished article
I’m so glad you loved the cover and ‘the Darcy’, Sarah! Hope you’ll like the finished article too. All the best and thanks for chaching out the post!
Joana, I have read and enjoyed every book you have written, and this looks like another winner
Thanks, Robin, I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed my other books! I hope you’ll like this one too. Thnaks for stopping by to see the cover and read the excerpt and best of luck in the giveaway!
This sounds so good. Congrats on the release!
Thank you! Have a lovely weekend and best of luck in the giveaway!
Joana, The Subsequent Proposal is one of my all-time favorite JAFF books! Can’t wait til 6/5 to give this one a try–I love the premise and the parts teased so far. Meredith, I always get great suggestions for my next JAFF book to read from your blog! Thanks so much!!
Thanks, Joann! It’s wonderful to hear that The Subsequent Proposal is one of your favourites, and I’m so glad you liked the premise for my next, and also the excerpts. I hope you’ll like the full story too. Thanks for visiting and best of luck in the giveaway!
Such an intense scene! I love it!
Thanks, Melanie Rachel! Best wishes and lots of inspiration!
Lovely cover and great excerpt! Looking forward to read your new book, as alwasy!
Lory Lilian, I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for reading and all the best.
Oh man, I CANNOT WAIT to read more. I have read some of your other books and this one seems just as lovely. You have a great balance of narrative and dialogue, blending commentary into the action of the scene. I love it.
Huge thanks for the kind words about my books, Sarah! I’m so glad you enjoyed them, and that you liked this excerpt too. Thanks for visiting and good luck in the giveaway!
Well, well, that is quite a what if-er! Ah, exquisite cover, too!
Thanks for the thumbs-up, Sophia Rose! I’m so glad you like the cover and the premise!
I look forward to reading the rest of this book since I’m a big Joana Starnes fan. Thanks for hosting her, Meredith!
Thanks so much, Suzan! I hope you’re safe and well. So sorry we didn’t get to meet up when you were over here. Goodness knows when we might have another opportunity, but I hope we will.
Best wishes and lots of inspiration!
Again you taunt us with the macaroons, Joana! :-O
I’m very eager to read this book. Thank you for the giveaway. If one is allowed a preference, I am only interested in an ebook.
LOL Ginna. Sorry about the macaroons! Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for putting your name in the hat.
As always I cannot wait to read the rest of your story. Will we have to wait until the end to see “where it leaves” our dear couple? Your books are favorites. Thank you so much for the giveaway opportunities and using KU. I appreciate your consideration of your readers.
Thank you! I’m so glad you like my books. I’d say this one isn’t quite so angsty (= I don’t torture poor Mr Darcy as much as I usually do 😉 ). I can’t wait to see what you think of it. Thanks for reading and best of luck in the giveaway.
I guess now there is two of your books I still haven’t read. Can;t wait to put this in my Kindle list. Beautiful cover.
Thanks for putting this on your TBR list, Maria, and I hope you’ll like it when you get to it. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for taking part.
I adored “The Journey Home to Pemberley”, so I am sure I would enjoy another book from Joana! This one sounds very intriguing – and makes me wish there was more so i could know if Elizabeth confronts Darcy about Jane and Bingley!
I’m so happy you enjoyed ‘The Journey Home to Pemberley’, Christina! Thank you!! I’m so glad you found this excerpt intriguing. I hope you’ll like the full story too, even if…
(beware, tiny spoiler, still time to look away 😉 )
…even if Elizabeth doesn’t like Bingley much in this particular scenario.
I’ve read & greatly enjoyed “Mr. Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter, and would love to win “A Timely Elopement.”
I’m so glad you liked ‘Mr Bennet’s Dutiful Daughter,’ Lois. I hope you’ll enjoy ‘A Timely Elopement’ too.
Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for taking part.
Joana, un grand merci for giving us another one of your scintillating and exceptionally written books during the lockdowns. Looking forward to reading avec plaisir next week!
I hope you’ll enjoy it, Léa Christine! Thanks for following the posts and reading the excerpts and best of luck in the giveaway!
Lovely cover, Joana. Look forward to reading the rest of the story. I also love this Darcy. He knows what he wants and is going after her. 🙂
I’m so glad you like it, Gianna! Thank you! LOL he’s very determined so far, and pretty much on a diferent planet 😀 . But, as always, he’ll get to where he needs to be in the end.
Oh, he does have an incandescent smile! Can’t wait to read it. Love the cover, Joana!
He really does! Thanks for visiting, Sharon, and I hope you’ll like the book.
Oh my. What a cliffhanger of an excerpt! I look forward to reading the book.
Hi Liz! Thanks for reading the excerpt! Best of luck in the giveaway and I hope you’ll like the full story too.
Oh, what a swooning excerpt! Very romantic and promising of more delights ahead. But I do wonder from where the Angst would come if we have such lovely scene already in chapter 4, and Wickham is exposed and Lady Cathrine has more important things to care about than to meddle with Darcy’s life (at least it might seem so) … I can’t wait to find out more about this new variation! And I have not yet read or even heard about a plot where Wickham elopes with Anne 🙂 Thank you very much for the excerpt and giveaway!
I’m so glad you liked the excerpt! Thank you! Well, the one thing I didn’t do this time is have a romantic scene in Chapter 4 and then totally rip the rug from under Mr Darcy’s feet in Chapter 10, like I did in ‘The Journey Home…’ 😉 . This one is nowhere near as angsty as my last (the lockdown must have mellowed me 😀 ), but Mr Darcy can still be trusted to make things difficult for himself. Hope you’ll like the story when you see it unfold! Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for reading.
Lucky Mr.Darcy! He won’t suffer too much in this variation :)))
Indeed! At least that’s the plan 🙂
Hmm … intriguing. I look forward to reading the context of this excerpt!
Thanks, Janis! Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for visiting.
I love your books Joana and I’m so looking forward to reading this one. Stevie Zimmerman is a wonderful narrator of your audio books. She does a great job with all the character voices. Thanks so much for the giveaway.
I’m so happy you enjoyed my other books, Leslie! Hope you’ll like this one too. Oh, Stevie Zimmerman is wonderful! Each and every one of her productions are 100% swoon-worthy! Perfect voices, lots of emotion, and the characterisation is superb.Thanks for reading & listening, and best of luck in the giveaway!
Lovely cover.
Wonderful excerpt–what a way to leave us dangling…
denise
Thanks for reading, Denise! I hope you’ll like the full story. Best of luck in the giveaway and thanks for taking part.
Congratulations on your new book. Thank you for the excerpt. (Mr Darcy is very eloquent in this excerpt 😉
Thank you for the chance to win.
Thank *you* for following the posts and best of luck in the giveaway!
This cover is beautiful Joana!! You did a great job! I think it is your best cover so far, and we can tell you’re getting pro at it!
I love that you always use the same Darcy picture and palette of colours, it gives your covers a unique touch that we associate with you 🙂
Best of luck with this new release! I have no doubt it will be a success 🙂
Thanks so much, Rita!! I’m really really fond of this Darcy (just in case I haven’t mentioned that yet 😉 ). I’m so glad this cover just clicked. It was fun to make last winter when the weather was all cold and miserable, and imagine Elizabeth and Mr Darcy falling in love in the spring, Take care, all the best and here’s to a better summer next year!
I’m so happy to have a new Joana Starnes book available soon! I love the cover for everything you said about it, Meredith. And the Excerpt, one word: Swoooooon! I have gushed over Joana’s book so many times here on your blog, Meredith, I sound like a ridiculous broken record, but yes I’m gushing over the new one already! Count me out of the very generous giveaway, I have all the audios so far and Joana’s books are an auto buy for me. I hope it gets into the hands of someone who isn’t so familiar with or needs a new book from Joana desperately and has blown their book budget already. 😀
Best luck on this new release Joana, blessings in everything you do. And thank you, Meredith as always for hosting the cover reveal.
Huge thanks for your beautiful message, Michelle, you’re ever so kind!! I’m over the moon that you liked my books so much. Blessings to you too, and best wishes from across the miles! Have a lovely weekend and lots of wonderful things coming your way!
Fabulous cover Joana, I obviously approve of the chaise! Congratulations!
Thrilled that you approve, Hazel! I can’t wait for another one of your talks. They’re so great and so new every time. Thanks and all the best!
That was a heart-stopping end to the excerpt. Can’t wait to read your book!! You are definitely a favorite author. Have read all your books. Thank you for the giveaway.
Thanks so much for your wonderful words, Mary! I’m so glad you like my books and that you enjoyed the excerpt too. Thanks for stopping by to read it and best of luck in the giveaway.
This excerpt is just intriguing. I loved every second of it. You can just feel the tenderness in these paragraphs. I have to say I can hardly wait to read the novel. Thank you for sharing with us.
Thank *you* for reading, Suzan! I’m so happy you loved it. I hope you’ll like the book too. Best wishes and thanks again for this lovely message.
You are such a tease Joana! So excited for your latest release! Love the cover, I second Meredith’s comment about the three part cover ~ that Mr. Darcy looks familiar…
He does, doesn’t he? 😉 Thanks, Dung! Take care and hope we get to meet again sometime!
I am so excited that you have another book coming, Joana! I can hardly wait! The excerpt was awesome, but I expected nothing less! The cover is lovely! I think it is great that you always have the same Mr. Darcy!
Thanks so much, Janet! Your covers are superb, so I’m so glad you like this one.
I hope you’re safe and well. Best wishes and hugs from across the miles 🙂
What a beautiful looking cover, Joana. Did you design it by yourself?
I’m glad that Darcy and Elizabeth had a heart-to-heart conversation. It definitely clear things up a little regarding their feelings. I can’t wait to see how their relationship progress from there.