Hi friends! I am so excited to have Laura Hile stop by and visit Austenesque Reviews today! I have been such a long-time fan of hers – I heartily recommend both the Mercy’s Embrace series and Darcy By Any Other Name if you haven’t them yet! And I am so thrilled that she has a new book that just released and it is about Charlotte Lucas and a sea captain!!! I’m already in love with the sound of it! 😍 Laura is here today to share with you an excerpt from her new release, So This Is Love, we hope you enjoy!
~ From the Author ~
So This Is Love began its life as an anthology story. These are always fun, as it’s easy to feature a secondary Jane Austen character and then take things over the top. Charlotte Lucas has long been a favorite of mine. Here was the perfect opportunity to send romance her way.
I tossed in all my favorite ingredients: an isolated house on the cliffs overlooking the sea, a crusty sea captain who is a lifelong bachelor, and delightful banter between him and the so-practical Charlotte.
That’s what we enjoy most about romances, right? The witty banter. This book has plenty of it.
The Captain’s wooden sailing sloop, moored in the bay below his house, is real. My family spent many happy years in the Flicka’s wooden world, before upgrading to a larger, more family-friendly fiberglass sailboat. Even so, when I watch the movie Master and Commander, I get a little homesick.
It soon became apparent that I had a tiger by the tail. So This Is Love grew at an alarming rate, both in length and depth. Even the characters went rogue. Novella? Certainly not. The Captain demanded a book, and who was Charlotte to argue with him? Who was I?
I’ll just add that because this was supposed to be in an anthology – without needing a specific book cover – I made the Captain as swoony as possible. He’s blond, and if you’re thinking Chris Hemsworth in Thor, you’re getting the right idea. My cover designer did her best to approximate him, but not many Regency models sport a sailor’s braid and a gentleman’s beard!
So This Is Love is meant to be a delightful, romantic “beach read” escape. I think you’ll enjoy it.
~ About the Excerpt ~
Mr. Collins is little more than a stranger when Charlotte Lucas agrees to marry him. This is a prudent choice, given her situation. But when Mr. Collins crosses the line, something in Charlotte snaps. How dare he be so familiar, so shamelessly forward! It isn’t as if he loves her!
Come with Charlotte as she breaks the engagement, is sent away to her father’s relations, and discovers a future that is vastly different from the one she envisioned.
Because “I am not romantic” is anything but true. Charlotte simply hasn’t met the right man.
In this story, she will.
~ Excerpt from So This Is Love ~
During a drive from her Uncle Allen’s home into town, Captain Jack Blunt learns more about Charlotte, no thanks to her talkative brother.
Captain Blunt turned to Johnny. “How did you like the reading group?”
“It wasn’t as bad as I feared, sir. Mind, we’d have got on better if Aunt Allen didn’t talk so much. I kept wanting to ask how that Mr. Primrose thought he could give up vicaring and become a farmer, not knowing anything about farming. If my father became a farmer, we’d starve.”
“And what do you know how to do?”
“The usual. Ride horses and shoot; play card games and climb trees, even if Mother does scold about my clothes. Dancing’s all right, but I’d rather play cricket.”
“And then there are your studies,” prompted Charlotte.
“Such stuff! Mr. Brooksby (he’s the curate) proses on about Latin and calculus and the History of the Empire. They curdle my brain.”
“I’ll let Flynn know about the calculus. You need to use what you’ve learned; Flynn will give you that. He’s a first-rate navigator. If there is a clear night, we’ll have the sextant out.”
“I would like that,” whispered Charlotte.
Of course Jack heard, being so near. He smiled an answer. To Johnny he said, “And what did you think of the Morland girls?”
“They ain’t near as bad as what we’re used to, sir. Plus, there were only three of ’em. There are five Bennet sisters, and Lydia’s the worst.”
“The loud one.”
“She used to be a fine, sporting girl, but when she turned fourteen, she became too good for us. I’m not even two years younger, yet now I’m scum.”
“Women can be cruel that way.”
“Once the officers showed up, there was no bearing with her. “‘Oh, Captain Blunt,’” piped Johnny. “‘You look so fine in your regimentals.’ She’ll say this even when you don’t, sir. She’s all about a red coat, Lydia is, which is the stupidest thing. Everyone knows militiamen haven’t a feather to fly with. Otherwise they wouldn’t be in the militia.”
“It’s the navy that defends the kingdom, not militiamen.
Charlotte said unsteadily, “They do drill sometimes; I think that means they march about. And I have heard them speak of practicing with guns. But most of the time they attend dinners hosted by our leading families, and take tea, and dance at assemblies and balls.”
“And drink like fish and gamble away what little they have,” added Jack. “Woe to the barkeep who does not keep an eye on his daughters.”
“Lydia’s not much better than barmaids,” said Johnny. “She’s pretty enough, like the rest of her sisters, but she cares nothing for what she says or does. She wears her dresses cut down to here”—Johnny drew a line on his chest—“and she’s like Charlotte, so that’s saying something.”
“Where is her mother in all this?”
“Her mother eggs her on, sir! She’s crazy about officers and sees no harm in it. Her father stays holed up in his library, mostly to escape the noise.”
“Upon my word.”
“Aye, sir. It’s all tipsy dance and jollity. That’s what my brother Richard calls it. I think it’s something he got out of a book.”
“Milton,” said Jack. “But you were saying?”
“Lydia sashays about, squealing and giggling and giving playful cuffs to the officers. And she bends over when she shouldn’t, without regard to—anything! I used to wonder what my mother meant by decorum; now I know. Lydia ain’t got any! One of these days, Miss Lydia might have a surprise. She’ll bend over low, and something will—ow!”
“That’s enough,” said Charlotte.
“Don’t cuff me! And don’t shush me neither. Especially as it was you who said—”
Charlotte gave Johnny’s knee another thwack. “Ow!”
“Children, children.” Jack turned to Johnny. “What did she say?”
“Johnny, don’t you dare!”
“Merely that if Lydia Bennet wasn’t careful at the card table, something might end up on the discard pile that wasn’t a playing card.”
Jack gave a shout of laughter.
Charlotte buried her head in her hands. Jack continued to laugh.
“My mother and sisters didn’t know what she meant, but Richard and I, we knew.”
Jack brought the gig to a halt. “Upon my word,” he gasped, wiping his eyes. “The discard pile!”
“Aye, sir, we laughed about that one for days. She sings Miss Elizabeth’s praises, my sister does, but she’s the clever one. Within the family circle, when she doesn’t care who hears. Never cross wits with Charlotte, sir. She’ll best you every time.”
“I am learning that.”
“Johnny,” wailed Charlotte, “for heaven’s sake, be quiet. You’re telling all my secrets. What will Captain Blunt think of me?”
“Too late for that, Lottie. As soon as you launched into shrewing at that highwayman, as he was robbing Sally Keith, Captain Blunt knew. He’s no cabbagehead.”
Yes, Jack knew, and this knowledge doomed any hope for romance. And yet, as long as he smiled at her in that delightful way, Charlotte did not care.
I cannot wait to spend more time with Captain Blunt…I love your inspiration for him! And I so admire everything about your gorgeous cover! I’m so glad this story took over and became a full-fledged novel…sounds like there is quite a bit of adventure in store! Thank you for sharing, Laura! ⚓️
~~~
~ Connect with Laura ~
Website ❧ Twitter ❧ Facebook ❧ Goodreads
~ About Laura ~
Encourager. Believer. Author. Teacher. Friend.
By day, Laura Hile teaches at a Christian school. By night—or rather, in the early morning when she can think! —she writes Jane Austen and Regency romance with laughs and happy endings.
The comedy Laura comes by as a teacher. There’s never a dull moment with middle school students!
She enjoys gardening (she is a weed warrior!), choral singing, and having coffee with friends.
Laura lives in Beaverton, Oregon, with her husband and a collection of antique clocks. One day she hopes to add a cat or three.
Other books by Laura Hile: Darcy By Any Other Name and the Mercy’s Embrace trilogy. She is a regular contributor to the A Very Austen anthology series.
GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Laura Hile generously brings ONE ebook copy of So This Is Love for me to give away to ONE lucky reader from this blog!
To enter this giveaway, leave a comment, a question, or some love for Laura!!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Laura!
- This giveaway ends June 29th!
Fun excerpt! Beautiful cover as well. I look forward to reading this!
Good morning, Pam!
Oh, the wonder of this cover. When the draft came in, I loaded it into my Kindle fire and set it up on the desk beside me as I taught online school. 😀 I love everything about the story’s setting, and the designer captured it perfectly.
Thanks for entering the giveaway.
Meredith, I’m thrilled to see Laura on the blog today! I read this tale over at Beyond Austen before it was published and it is so good. Laura has a great sense of humor and Cpt. Blunt is just perfect for Charlotte because he brings the best in her and she has a chance at love with a man who is worthy. Hang Collins! I love the character Laura created in Blunt and readers will enjoy seeing these two come together in a beautiful romance. Congratulations Laura on this new release.
Jennifer, you have cheered me on through this project … which, as you recall, I was not able to finish by summer’s end last year. Oh, the disappointment! Once I return to the classroom, my emotional energy for writing just disappears.
But online school gave me just enough time to get So This Is Love released in time for this summer.Let the new writing season begin!
Good luck in the giveaway! If you already have the eBook and win, Meredith can award it to a friend of your choice.
I want Charlotte to find happiness away from Mr. Collins so I’m all ready for Captain Blunt! 🙂
Good luck with the new release!
Alexandra
Hi, Alexandra! One swashbuckling “book boyfriend” is ready and waiting for you! 😀
Thanks for entering the giveaway.
Yay, Charlotte, for getting some backbone, but I do want to know what happened with Mr. Collins crossing the line with her. Charlotte deserves adventure and a man who adores her. This does sound like a great summer read. Thank you for the excerpt and giveaway.
Hi, Eva!
Okay, so included in the excerpt is an oblique reference to Charlotte’s lovely figure. Though without much affection for her, Mr. Collins spends his free time in Hunsford recalling this …
We give a big cheer when Charlotte isn’t having any and dumps him.
Good luck in the giveaway!
Enjoyed the excerpt and love Captain Blunt.
I love him too, darcybennet. 😀 Thanks for entering the giveaway.
I enjoyed the excerpt, and the cover is lovely!
I’m still smiling over the cover, coleen. It’s almost like a movie still, but from my imagination. Amazing.
Good luck in the giveaway!
What a fun excerpt!! And the cover–wow!!! I love the color of Charlotte’s dress!! The whole thing is perfection!! 😀
Congratulations on the launch of your newest book, Laura, from one teacher to another!! 😀
Warmly,
Susanne, who teaches online language arts to homeschooling families 🙂
Oh, I agree, Susanne. That blue is just wonderful. Thanks for entering the giveaway. Good luck!
Meredith, thank you for hosting me today. I wanted to give your followers a fun excerpt to enjoy.
Jack Blunt and Johnny are original characters, although Jane Austen did include this mention in Pride and Prejudice.
That’s Johnny all over.
So glad to see Laura has written another book! I loved the Mercy’s Embrace books & had hoped there would be more of them, but I’m just glad for anything from Laura’s pen! Thank you fit the giveaway opportunity as well!
Hi, Amy!
I tried for two summers to write a sequel to Mercy’s Embrace,. Alas, I simply could not capture the same sparkle and chemistry. I’m sorry.
However, if you enjoyed Admiral McGillvary, I think you’ll really like Captain Blunt. So This Is Love is a joyride of a Regency, pure fun and romance. It’s just the kind of escape we need sometimes.
Thanks for entering the giveaway!
I must have my share in this conversation! lol
I absolutely adore the idea of Charlotte finding real love with someone who is *not* Mr. Collins. And Oh! A sea captain like Wentworth to boot?! Who might just look like Chris Hemsworth?! Talk about swoon-worthy! I hope to read this story very soon!
This is the kind of story I like to read, Christina, with adventure and fun and plenty of sparkling banter.
Chris Hemsworth? You betcha. If our girl Charlotte is brave enough to give Collins the heave-ho, she deserves a man who is all that.
Good luck in the giveaway!
If Laura didn’t convince me, her excerpt surely did. Need this book! 🙂
I chose this excerpt for Meredith because this book really is a joyride of a Regency. “Get in, sit down, and hold on!”
It really is too much swashbuckling fun. Honestly? I marvel that I wrote it. 😀
Thanks for entering the giveaway.
I love all of Laura’s books for she never disappoints. I can’t wait to read this one!
Aw, thanks, Brenda. If you win the giveaway, I’ll gladly gift the eBook prize to one of your friends. Thanks for stopping by.
I see I am in a long list of people who want to win this book. Well, good luck to all in the drawing. Thanks to Meredith for hosting [hello to your Mr. Bingley]. Thanks also goes to Laura and her publisher for the generous giveaway. This was a fabulous idea for a book. Blessings on its success and I hope you remain safe and well.
Hi, J.W.,
For this book, I simply tossed in my favorite ingredients and character types — and to my astonishment, they combined well. Thanks for entering the giveaway. Good luck!
Charlotte deserves some happiness – let’s hope she finds it!
We all feel for Charlotte, especially since there have been many who faced a similar practical decision. It was a prudent choice, but oh the price she paid daily.
Good luck in the giveaway, Lois.
Your P&P works give me much pleasure, Laura. I look forward to reading this one. I like seeing Collins, Caroline, and Mrs. Bennet getting their comeuppance. Thank you.
I’ve probably made Mr. Collins a little worse than Jane wrote him, although no less arrogant and presuming. He is not a lead character in So This Is Love (in that he is in many scenes), but yes, the man does get what’s coming to him. Captain Blunt will make certain of that. 😀
Good luck with the giveaway, Betty.
Wonderful excerpt. Collins drives me crazy. I am looking forward to reading this variation!!!
Hi, Becky! Happy Saturday!
Collins is a maddening sort of man, yes. It did occur to me that Sir William Lucas is not the sharpest knife in the drawer either, so perhaps Charlotte thought she could manage Collins as husband. In this story, she won’t! 😀
Good luck in the giveaway!
Conf=gratulations on you rnew book!
Wow, that’s some description of Lydia (esp the sashaying!!)
Thank you for this excerpt and the chance to win a copy
Buturot, I teach fifteen-year-old girls, so it isn’t hard for me to write a Lydia. Or a Johnny Lucas, for that matter. 😀
Thanks for coming by to enter the giveaway. Good luck!
Your writing is fun to read. I love the idea of adventure and love for Charlotte,!
Here’s the thing, Xena. I write to entertain … myself! 😀 Fun for Charlotte, that’s what this book is about. Good luck in the giveaway.
Thanks for sharing a very delicious excerpt, Laura. I like the fun banter going on between Charlotte and Jack. I’m definitely happy that she ends up with a better man than Collins.
Luthien, thanks for coming over to read the excerpt. This is a fun romance, just the thing for escape from real life. Good luck in the giveaway!