Happy Monday, friends! Do I have a special cover reveal to share with you today!! A Match Made at Matlock is fantastic new Pride and Prejudice tale co-written by 4️⃣ authors – Jan Ashton, Julie Cooper, Amy D’Orazio, and Jessie Lewis! I know I am not the only one who is extremely elated to see these four beloved Austenesque authors working on a project together! Such an amazing idea! And how fortunate for us readers!! 🤗
I’m so grateful to author Amy D’Orazio for stopping by to share more about this exciting project, and I’m so very honored she is sharing the gorgeous cover of A Match Made at Matlock here with us today. We hope you enjoy! ❣️
~ From the Authors ~
Meredith we are so appreciative to be here at Austenesque Reviews and so excited to show the cover for this project, which has been almost two years in the making!
A Match Made at Matlock has definitely been a labor of love. I know for me personally, its been a long-held dream to write a book the same way some of my favorite authors do. I love, for example, the work of Beatriz Williams, Karen White, and Lauren Willig—a long standing collaboration that had produced some of my favorite historical fiction (The Glass Ocean, The Forgotten Room). It’s been literally a fantasy of mine to do a project like that and I was super excited when my mega talented author friends Jan Ashton, Julie Cooper and Jessie Lewis agreed to come along for the ride.
So the first important thing for the reader to know is that this is not an anthology. It’s a tale of four couples at a house party working out various romantic problems amid various diversions and entertainments. The other important thing for the reader to know is that while this is a sequel (mostly) to Pride & Prejudice, Darcy and Elizabeth’s story is only part of the tale—each of the couples has a full story arc so to speak, woven in and around the others. We have given canon a tiny, end-game twist for Darcy and Elizabeth, and that is that while Mr Bennet permitted Jane and Bingley to marry, he forced Darcy and Elizabeth into a long engagement, so readers can consider that all the events of Pride & Prejudice have occurred up until that point.
I hope everyone has as much fun reading it as we did writing it! I was truly sad when we were done because it was just such a good time!
Thanks go to the incredibly talented James Egan for our beautiful cover as well as Stevie Zimmerman for narration.
~ Book Description ~
VISCOUNT SAYE, CLEVER, HANDSOME AND RICH, is startled one wintry day by the news that his beloved, Lillian Goddard, is to become engaged to another. Unwilling to lose her, he quickly plans a party at his ancestral estate to woo her away from her suitor. Twenty ladies and gentlemen respond to his invitation, eager for a fortnight of revelry in Saye’s inimitable style.
FITZWILLIAM DARCY, AT LAST ENGAGED to his beloved Elizabeth Bennet, finds himself stymied by her father. Mr Bennet has consented to the engagement but forces them to endure a prolonged courtship, with too much time spent apart. Getting Elizabeth to the house party is only the first in a series of frustrations and challenges that confront them. Will their love and attachment prevail?
GEORGETTE HAWKRIDGE HAS ALL THE FINEST QUALITIES of a lady of fashion. Alas, she has fallen in love with a decidedly unfashionable man, an affection they have kept well-concealed. Two weeks is a long time to hide, however, and the truth of what they mean to one another—and the man her suitor really is—must eventually emerge.
COLONEL RICHARD FITZWILLIAM ATTENDS his brother’s party with no thought for anything but time among friends; after all, he is too poor to marry, an idea that rankles, particularly when he must watch love bloom around him. Then he meets Sarah Bentley, a pretty, wealthy girl with a predilection for admiring the unlovable; but will he know his heart before it’s too late?
AMID MASQUES AND MARVELS, love will abound; attachments will be formed, tried, and tested, and one couple’s engagement will come to an end. For all who heed the summons, it will be an unforgettable fortnight at Matlock!
And without further ado….here are the big reveal!!!
(expected release date: April 4th)
I’m so in love with this cover – and I can’t decide which aspect of it I love the most! (Or which set of characters I am most eager to spend time with!) 😍
I love the soft shades of purples, pinks, and golds, the details along the spine, and the woman’s playful and intelligent look. 📖
I am not at al surprised to hear about Saye engaging in some schemes and machinations – he is too much! 😏
I’m all eager anticipation for this house party at Matlock! I know it will be everything that is exciting and entertaining! I can’t wait to vicariously attend! 🤗
What do you think, friends? 🤔
A Match Made at Matlock is available for pre-order!
~~~
GIVEAWAY TIME!
The lovely people at Quills and Quartos are offering 3️⃣ ebook copies of A Match Made at Matlock to 3️⃣ lucky readers who comments on today’s post!
To enter this giveaway leave a question, comment, or some love for this Fab Four!
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Quills and Quartos!
- This giveaway ends April 4th
~~~
What a killer combination of authors!!
Thank you!!
Ohhh, this cover is absolutely beautiful! I love the light and soft rose and lavender tones. One of the best covers I’ve seen. It’s simply gorgeous. I love the left side panel and the lovely frame around the title. The couple is perfect. I was so happy to read the ARC and am just waiting patiently to post my 5+++ star review. I hated to see the book end, as Amy said, so there’s an easy solution to that—these four ladies must do another collaboration in the future. I’m just wild about this book. It’s brilliant in every way.
So good to hear that you enjoyed it Marie! I hope others will like it too!!
I agree completely, Meredith, with the cover comments. What an exciting collaboration of writers, too, as I like the idea of each one writing about one couple. It will be interesting to see how the stories intertwine. Really, Mr. Bennet, I am all astonished that Mrs. Bennet didn’t insist to marry her least favorite daughter to a man of ten thousand a year off ASAP.
Thank you E! It was so much fun and yes, Mr Bennet is certainly in trouble with his wife for this trick!!
I can not wait to read this book, especially with so much talent beinng poured into it. Should be good
We had many giggles and good times while writing and I hope our readers do too!
WOW! Love it! I agree with you Meredith! The lady on the cover has a secret she wants us to find out about! Don’t enter me in the giveaway as I will be buying the paperback!!
Thank you so much Carole! I will admit, it is certainly a beautiful one to have on the shelf, and so far I only have the version with the ugly gray stripe PROOF across the front haha!
OMG! What a party! I’ve said before that the thought of an engagement coming to an end is very worrying because as far as I know the only engaged couple is Darcy and Elizabeth? I’m afraid in that case the only way I can countenance the end of their engagement is if they are married!
Such a talented cast of authors? A definite must read and I love that cover.
I can’t give any spoilers but all I can say is nothing too angsty happens so you should be safe!! Thank you Glynis!
The cover is awesome–a perfect combination of colors. the look on “her” face keeps me guessing as to what she is thinking. Congrats to these fabulous authors for publishing a new work.
Many thanks!!
I’m eager to read this
Thank you!
Oh my goodness! The cover is gorgeous, the story…I can’t wait to read it! This book looks absolutely wonderful from every angle. Congratulations to all for amazing authors!
Thanks LAura!
I’d love to be in with a chance, as these authors are all well-known and well-respected. Thanks!! Yours, Alice (McVeigh)
Thank you, Alice! We had a blast writing together!
Beautiful cover! Looking forward to reading this one!
Hope you’ll like it, Cat.
Beautiful cover indeed – the left lacy side is so elegant!
And which of the couple’s should that be? Mischievous glance, bold enough to hold hands … I have my suspicions
Can’t wait to read it!!
I am confident it can’t be anything but wonderful with this quartet !!
We know Saye is a bold one…but all of them are pretty mischievous! Thanks, Mihaela!
Such a romantic looking cover! Love the “ribbon” along the side. Gives it a very vintage feel.
These authors did a fantastic job collaborating and producing a fine and fun story!
Isn’t it so pretty? We were blessed to have such a lovely designer! I’m glad you thought the story funny too (despite the pretty cover).
This cover is stunning! I cannot wait to read this book! Congratulations!
Thank you, Paige!
Such a gorgeous cover and great authors. I’m looking forward to reading it. Congratulations on the release.
Thank you Kate! We hope you enjoy it!
The cover is gorgeous. Thanks for the new story. I love Saye. I look forward to reading of his schemes that will help him and others to find and keep their loves.
Thank you! I will freely admit that I fell a bit in love with Saye too while I was working on this project – you’re going to enjoy getting to know him just like the other characters do 🙂
Such a lovely cover with a tantalizing story from some of our favorite authors. Can’t wait to read it!
Thank you Luisa!
This sounds amazing… and the cover art is beautiful. Well done. Adding it to my reading list right now!!
Thanks so much! We hope you’ll love it!
I love this story! Highly entertaining. That cover is gorgeous!
Thank you Katie! The cover designer really did us proud 🙂
Very beautiful cover!
Thank you so much Adriana!
Love the cover! Such a great combination of extremely talented authors. Can’t wait to read after reading the little bit I did. Great job!!!
We can’t wait for you to read it, Marsha! It’s been a long time to keep it secret
Lovely cover and can’t wait to read this – such a great collaboration of authors.
It was certainly fun to collaborate. And a great honour to work with the authors of some of my absolute favourite JAFF stories ever!
The cover is beautiful, and I love all of these authors! Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.
Aw, thanks, Robin!!
Well, beautiful cover, amazing descripton of the storyline and from 4 aurhors, here named as fab four. And don’t forget Viscount Saye, who is known for his wit in another story. I like him very well, not so much like Mr. Darcy, but he’s worth to read his story to claim his ladylove.
Saye is a hoot, isn’t he? We would never wish him to replace Darcy, of course, but he adds such a kick to every story! Thanks so much
This cover is SO pretty.
Loved the cover! I hope I get lucky because this story sounds really interesting
Thanks so much for your interest!
Beautiful, simply beautiful. I love everything about that cover. I also love the character Lord Saye. Isn’t that amazing how an author can create someone so fantastic that we look forward to seeing their name on the page. I love his interactions with his younger brother and with Darcy. And our dear girl, Elizabeth, always meets him toe-to-toe, which he loves. We have waited sometime for him to win his Miss Goddard. I look forward to reading this. Yeah!! Congratulations to all the authors on the launch of this work. Good luck to all in the drawing for this amazing book.
Thanks, Meredith, for this cover reveal. You do an excellent job sharing with us. You know we love you for all that you do… right? Blessings, everyone. Happy Spring.
It was great fun watching Saye interact in his own inimitable way with Darcy, Fitzwilliam, and Anderson. I’m so happy you’re looking forward to reading this!
Oh, and we are in total agreement that Meredith is excellent!!
That truly is a beautiful cover! I love the obvious chemistry between the couple. Even in still form, it’s clear how much they care about each other.
I agree! Thanks so much!
What a beautiful cover. I like the ornate left side and the foggy background, as well as the other realistic details of the picture. I can’t wait to read this book. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
Did each author write about one couple’s story and then you put them all together, or did you go about this a different way? I always wonder how team-writing works.
It definitely took a ton of collaboration to put the couples together. While each chapter is told from the viewpoint of a single couple, there is so much interaction that I would say there’s probably not a single chapter that doesn’t have more than one author’s input and assistance!
Love love love that cover! Wow! So intricately detailed. The novel itself sounds absolutely fascinating. I don’t believe I’ve ever read one with that plot line. Thank you authors for broadening our horizons. I’d love to read it.
Thank you so much Suzan!
I have been reading the excerpts posted on the Q&Q emails. Today’s was so funny and it left me excited for release day! Congratulations on the new book to all four of you!!
Thank you! I’m so glad you found it amusing, we all did a LOT of laughing.
Beautiful cover and especially love the expressive eyes of the “Lizzy”. all the authors are on my Top Ten Writers list and the excerpt is tantalizing! Cannot wait!
Aw, thanks so much Cheryl!
I was hooked when I saw Saye was in the book! The cover is lovely and I’m eagerly anticipating reading this.
Saye is a definite hooker! *Snort*
Thank you so much!
What a gorgeous cover, the synopsis and author collaboration sounds phenomenal!
Thank you so much!
The cover is so gorgeous, I was lucky to be able to read this book in advance.
I loved every minute of my reading.
Not entering the giveaway.
How very wonderful to hear! Can’t wait to read your review!!
Gorgeous cover! I’m looking forward to reading the book. Congrats to Amy, Jessie, Jan, and Julie!
Thank you so much Lucy!!
What an amazing cover and I love the idea (and authors) behind the book!! I can hardly wait to read this and am looking forward to what Saye comes up with this time
Saye has a ton up his superfine sleeves!! Thank you!
The colors are scrumptious, and the authors are fabulous. Congratulations to all – I so look forward to reading this!
It’s lovely to be able to share it with our fellow Austen lovers at last!
This has to be a fantastic book as I am a fan of all the authors involved.
And we are a fan of all our readers. Thank you!
Loving the cover and intrigued by the story. Sounds like an interesting house party. Looking forward to reading it.
Interesting, outrageous, ostentatious … and occasionally moving. Hope you enjoy it!
Love the cover! Love the authors! Love the excerpts I’ve read online. Can’t wait to read the whole book!
Can’t wait to hear what you think if the whole thing Cath!
I love Viscount Saye. He always seems to bring with him a bit of mischief. I’m looking forward to reading his story plus the other three. Knowing the authors, and being familiar with their work, I can only say it is bound to be a great read! The coquettish look on the cover has me thinking could this be Elizabeth?
It was great fun seeing how some of these new characters reacted to Saye, Darcy, and Fitzwilliam’s unique friendship. It took some longer to acclimatise than others!
Oh my goodness, I am so ready!! This is definitely going to be a book I curl up with a good cuppa tea and tell everyone in the house to shove off, and not bother me while I’m reading! I can’t WAIT!
Ahhh that’s lovely to hear. Hope reading it gives you as much pleasure as writing it gave us!
beautiful cover
Thank you!
What a beautiful cover! I love all the soft pastels. I have loved every book I have read by each of these authors, so I’m looking forward to reading this one too!
It was a real pleasure getting to collaborate and share writerly ideas with three such wonderful authors, Cyndy. I hope you enjoy our offering as much as I enjoyed the creation of it!
Wowser the expectation on this book will be huge.
I look forward to reading this one over and over again . What a gang of powerful imaginations to pool.
I will pre order too sweet
Cheers from Aus to all the authors and to you Meredith hope you are all well and continue to remain so.
Terri
We’re certainly all anticipation to share it with everyone at last! Thanks Terri 🙂
Wow!!! Looking forward to this book made by 4 great authors. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
Thank you – and best of luck with the draw!
Oh I can’t wait for this!! So glad to hear that Stevie is narrating the book. With these four amazing authors I can already tell it will be fantastic! Oh and to see what Saye is going to do
Poor Darcy lives in dread of what Saye will dream up next to challenge his dignity. Fitzwilliam takes his brother’s antics in his stride. Poor Anderson has something of a baptism of fire getting used to Saye’s ways. I hope you enjoy watching them all ride the tide 🙂
A beautiful cover! I wonder who the couple is? And why is she looking back?
She is looking at you, Audny, daring you to come to the house party with her and join in the fun 😉 (I hope you will!)
Finally!! What a beautiful cover, it looks like a painting. Love the colors, very romantic. So excited to read this, Saye has his say!! So excited to get to read hus story. And all the adventures of Darcy and Lizzy, Can’t wait to see how they outsmart Mr. Bennet. And the Colonel, he needs some love too! Thanks ladies!
Aw, the colonel definitely needs some love–especially with Saye as his big brother! Thanks, Charmaine!
I’ve always thought that it has to be difficult for 2 people to write a book together. I can’t imagine how 4 people could do it! I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the results.
Well, confusion was definitely part of the process–it’s tough to keep linear storylines and tiny details top of mind amongst four writers thousands of miles apart. But it was a blast, with lots of laughter and fun getting everyone’s stories told! We hope you’ll enjoy it!
I greatly look forward to reading this. The cover is absolutely gorgeous!
Thank you so much!
Ooooooh, that look – love it(!) – well done, Amy D’O!!!!!
Wow what a beautiful cover and such a unique story with four wonderful writers!! I look forward to reading this. Thanks so much for the giveaway. –Leslie
We appreciate your interest!
The authors sold it for me…they are all so fun to read. Looking forward to this book!
Thanks so much Cassandra!
The cover uses one of my favorite color combinations, and I’ve enjoyed books by several of the authors (the others are still in my tbr pile – I imagine I’ll love them too!).
We hope you’re able to enjoy this one! Thanks!
The cover is absolutely beautiful and stunning to look at. I don’t know about you but it reminds me of the P&P Marvel Comics since I think they have the same colour scheme if my memory is right. The cover stands out from the recent Austenesque releases so it is easy to remember. Kudos to the designer for a job well done! I am excited for the release next week.
We were all so pleased with the cover, agree it’s brilliant! Thank you!
With the author line up, how could this not be a must read? The cover is gorgeous! Congratulations on the release. I look forward to reading!!!
Appreciate your kind words BeckyC!
My goodness, what an incredible line-up of authors. Oh my gosh what a lush cover! If I hadn’t known anything about the authors already the cover would cause me to look twice, and check it out. That cover designer is going to be in great demand now.
I can’t wait to read this. And I haven’t read any excerpts, because once I knew the barest minimum of info regarding the authors and the premise I didn’t want one tiny reveal to spoil it for me. Just knowing my crush Lord Saye was a main character in the story….I was sold (and sighing.) Congratulations Jan, Amy, Julie and Jessie. I believe your book launch will be a huge success.
That’s super sweet, Michelle, thank you! I’m sure Saye – and the big D man – will make the wait worth while 😉
What a pretty cover and an intriguing sotryline. Looking very much forward to it!
Thank you, Katrin. We hope you enjoy it!
I find so many great JAFF books to add to my TBR hoard here! And yes, the cover is just lovely. Looking forward to his one!
Huge congrats! OMG what a stunning cover! And the premise is delicious. Can’t wait for this book! Please don’t enter me in the giveaway, I just wanted to stop by and leave some love for ‘A Match Made at Matlock.’
I really love the design on this book. One question: is the paperback available or only ebook? Sorry for being late responding, but I’ve finally found time to do it *stifled giggle*