Hi friends! The lovely Linda Gonschior is visiting Austenesque Reviews today! And you know what that means – it means she has a new book coming out soon! I adored Bitter Mournings and the touching tale of being open to love. And I am so excited to learn more about Linda’s upcoming release which sounds like a light and amusing tale! Linda is here to share her beautiful cover for Handsome Men are Habit Forming! We hope you enjoy! 🤗
Thank you, Meredith, for graciously hosting the cover reveal for Handsome Men are Habit Forming! I think the title conveys this is not an angst driven story, and the lovely cover art captures that, too. P&P is filled with handsome men, officers, young wealthy gentlemen, and young ladies who prefer them that way.
Through much of the book, Austen leaves us curious about Miss Georgiana Darcy. We do learn she is about the same age as Lydia Bennet, that she nearly eloped with Mr Wickham and that her brother is devoted to her. When Elizabeth is verbally sparring with Wickham following his marriage to Lydia, she refers to Miss Darcy as having ‘got over the most trying age’.
That got me wondering what she might have been like a year earlier than we meet her. Was she a restless and impatient 15-year-old? Shy and introverted? Proud and haughty like her brother? What about that ‘true Darcy spirit’, wanting to have her own way? It seemed an excellent plan to explore that idea with Darcy bringing her along to Netherfield, and Elizabeth Bennet taking a shine to her, while nurturing her own misconceptions about Mr Darcy, of course.
I had a lot of fun keeping Darcy on his toes; one eye on his sister, while the other kept straying to Elizabeth Bennet. Then there are Miss Bingley’s ever-present attentions, and finally George Wickham added to the mix. How is Darcy to juggle it all? And what does it mean for Bingley’s budding romance with Jane? One cannot forget Lady Catherine, either. She must have her share in the conversation!
Susan Adriani has once again designed a wonderful cover. Unlike the sombre image for Bitter Mournings, this story required a lighter and amusing feel to clothe it. Most of Handsome Men takes place over the winter months and she chose a very fitting background for the wraparound. The front cover image is equally clever, and I love the scrolling font of the title. I had no preconceptions of what the cover might look like, but Susan surely captured the easy and lighthearted nature of the tale.
This is not just a simple, happy story. There are warm romantic moments and some drama, as well as a surprise or two, and a sprinkling of humour to top it off. After all, keeping Darcy on his toes is one thing. I like to keep readers on their toes sometimes, too.
~ Book Description ~
If this is what it is to be in love, I no longer wonder at the dreadful poetry that emanates from a lovesick heart!
FITZWILLIAM DARCY HAS his hands full. His younger sister, Georgiana, is at that trying age, keeping secrets and testing his authority. Wanting to keep an eye on her after the events at Ramsgate, Darcy takes her along to visit his friend Charles Bingley at Netherfield Park in Hertfordshire. Alas, his desire for harmony is disrupted by too many unexpected visitors and too many moments spent in company with the intriguing Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
AS DARCY’S HEART IS drawn to the lovely lady from Longbourn, Georgiana avidly encourages their mutual interest—but is she sincere in promoting her brother’s happiness or merely hoping to distract him from her own mischief? The arrival in Meryton of an unrepentant George Wickham, eagerly greeted by Georgiana, only deepens Darcy’s concern.
WITH SO MANY WORRIES to occupy him, Elizabeth Bennet could be the friend and confidante Darcy sorely needs—and much more. Will she return his love, or will their families’ interference and competing interests get in the way? And who is the mysterious couple meeting secretly and planning their future together?
And without further ado….here is the big reveal!!!
(expected release date: November 28th)
A beautiful etching brought to life! I’m wondering if it is a Brock or Thompson illustration, but I can’t seem to place it. 🖼
I love the coziness of this cover and scene – the comfortable looking room, the homey details, the snow. 🏡
I love the idea of exploring Georgiana’s character more and bringing her to Netherfield! 👒
Great title – Meryton does seem to have an influx of handsome men at the moment! 😍
What do you think, friends? 🤔
~~~
About Linda
Linda Gonschior has entertained the art of writing since elementary school but never allowed it to
come to fruition until Pride and Prejudice lured her into deeper exploration of characters, relationships and ‘what ifs’. Writing is not the breadwinner, however, as she has a day job and many other interests that compete for attention and time. Still, she has managed to squeeze in several dozen stories – long and short – and there are many more in the ‘incomplete’ folder on the computer. As retirement looms on the horizon, some may be dusted off to evaluate their potential to entertain those who share a fondness for Jane Austen’s characters and don’t mind straying a little off the beaten path.
Amongst her accomplishments Linda counts raising a son, stage managing live theatre productions, flower gardening, and website administration, but not netting purses or painting screens.
~~~
GIVEAWAY TIME!
The lovely people at Quills and Quartos are offering 3️⃣ ebook copies of Handsome Men are Habit Forming to 3️⃣ lucky readers who comment on today’s post!
To enter this giveaway leave a question, comment, or some love for Linda below.
- This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you, Quills and Quartos!
- This giveaway ends October 24th.
~~~
You can preorder Handsome Men are Habit Forming now!
My sincere gratitude to Linda Gonschior and the wonderful people at Quills and Quartos for putting this special post together!
A beautiful cover and the story sounds intriguing! Congratulations on your new addition
A beautiful cover can’t wait for it sounds like a great story
Thank you, Wendy! I hope you enjoy as much as I had fun writing it. 🙂
I’m wondering what we don’t see behind that door! Looking forward to reading this.
Hahah! I don’t think there is enough room for another gentleman to be hiding behind it, but it’s an interesting thought!
Thank you! The snowy scene on the back cover makes me smile whenever I look at it. 🙂
Stories where Georgiana comes in earlier in the plot are a favorite of mine. It’s always interesting to see how others have interpreted her, since we really don’t have all that much info about her. Nice cover!
I agree. Georgiana has a lot of potential that is not explored in JA’s original, so we can let our imaginations run free in so many directions.
What a beautiful cover! The premise looks fun and I’m sure it will be a great read. Congratulations on your new book and thank you for the giveaway!
Thank you, Laura, and good luck on the giveaway!
Love this cover … It reminds me of covers and pictures inside books in the 1930’s and 40’s when I was a child. So nostalgic! The story sounds interesting too, can’t wait to read it.
Yes, the simplicity of the scene, yet there are still details in the fabric and the sewing basket, and the colour choices definitely take one back to an earlier time. Thank you, Mary!
Oh dear, poor Darcy! Trying to protect a reluctant Georgiana from Wickham, apparently failing to stop himself from falling for Elizabeth, struggling to foil Caroline’s machinations and seemingly having to deal with Lady Catherine! Hardly a relaxing break! Low angst? Perfect! I’m definitely looking forward to this one.
Darcy can never stop himself from falling for Elizabeth, can he? He struggles in vain, as we all know. Of course, that’s half of the fun!
The cover is beautiful and the story sounds intriguing and different! I can’t wait to read it!
Thank you, Melodie! Exploring those secondary characters when JA gave us so little information is always an exciting adventure.
Love the cover and the excerpt!
Thank you! 🙂
Looking forward to this book!
Thanks Lesley! I hope you enjoy it!
A lovely cover with a fun book title to go with it. I love cover reveals – fun for myself but I always imagine how exciting it is for each author to get to such a day!
It is exciting! Covers do influence me a lot when book browsing, I must admit. It is doubly exciting to read that others love the artwork, too!
I wonder what Darcy has walked into! What can Georgiana be hiding?
Oh, but perhaps it’s Elizabeth. Or maybe another handsome man? 😀
What a cute cover! I love the line art.
The more you look, the more details you see!
Love the cover!
What you don’t see here is the back cover, where the snowy scene continues. All sorts of little figures engaged in winter activities! It is really cute!
I’ve often wondered about Georgiana too. The book sounds like a lot of fun. I love the cover. You can sense that the woman in it might just be up to no good. Haha
Congratulations Linda!
Thank you, Lucy! The incident at Ramsgate is such a major event in JA’s original, but we really only hear it from Darcy’s pov in the letter. There is a lot of room for speculating!
I’m on the “hoping for low angst team” and am intrigued by the blurb. Maybe, just maybe, Elizabeth will see through Wickham’s lies and be a help to Georgiana and thus her brother. Guess I’ll have to read it to find out! Congratulations on publishing a new work.
There are some who live for angst, and some who do not. This one is definitely lighter fare, so I think you will be pleased. Thank you, Jeannette!
Lovely cover! I can’t wait to read the book.
Thanks Donna!
An unrepentant Wickham but yet a Georgiana eager to rekindle the relationship. Didn’t she learn the first time? I love the title as handsome young men are indeed habit forming! Congratulations, Linda, on another P&P adaptation!
Thank you, Linda! Do young women at that trying age learn from their mistakes? Hmmm….
It’s a quaint and cozy cover, however not what I was expecting from the title. I thought we might see a man or two in uniform! I like stories that involve Georgiana. She is usually portrayed as shy but helpful in bringing Darcy and Lizzy together. Can’t wait to see what her ulterior motives are. It seems Darcy will have his hands full in this one. Sounds fun!
Darcy does have his hands full! You’ll need to look inside for the man or two in uniform. 😀
A great cover and blurb. I like the idea of giving Georgiana a more 3-dimensional character. Please enter me in the giveaway!
Thank you, Coleen and good luck in the giveaway!
Love the cover and the book’s premise. Thank you for the giveaway! Beast wishes and congrats on the new book release.
Thanks Robin! 🙂
Interesting. Premise – I can’t wait to read it!
Thank you!
Love the cover and looking forward to reading your new book!
Thank you, Cath!
It’s a quaint cover, gives a sense of the period. I am interested on how you got to the title of the book.
Congratulations on your new release. It sounds intriguing!!
Oh my… it was so long ago I do not recall. Chalk it up to my twisted sense of humour and perhaps a period of writing silly fluff. 🙂 Thanks, Sam!
Looking forward to the book! The cover is lovely and definitely to my tastes
Thank you, Emily! It is a sweet cover and certainly in keeping with the style of the story.
Ooh, looks like Georgiana was an eager participant at Ramsgate and not an innocent girl led astray! That is always an intriguing storyline to me (though I’ve yet to explore it myself, lol). This is another book to add to my TBR hoard — and what a lovely cover!
Of course, there are always two sides to a story. Where would the fun be if we can’t veer off the path and take the road less travelled? 😀
A novel concept, Georgiana is in Hertfordshire! This is a plot I will have to read about. Intriguing cover too!
Yes, there are many reasons she might accompany Darcy into Hertfordshire, but there is always one main idea. That need to protect her after what happened at Ramsgate. In the original version, we don’t know where she ended up, but it wasn’t with her brother. Most presume she’s with their uncle, the Earl.
Ah, but such fun to bring her along to Hertfordshire and test Darcy’s fortitude when there are so many handsome young men in the vicinity, and one very distracting young lady.
Linda, Happy Cover Reveal Day! I am so glad that you love your cover, and that so many readers here at Austenesque Reviews are loving it, too. (The illustration is by Hugh Thomson.)
I absolutely adore the premise of your book. I am a huge fan of low-angst stories, especially with a splash of humor added into the mix. I’m looking forward to reading it.
Susan, thank you for the wonderful cover and your comments on the story! There are so many aspects of the cover art the fit into the story itself. 🙂
This sounds very intriguing and opens the possibility for a really interesting read.
Thanks Donna!
The cover looks great…very true to the period. Can’t wait to read what a “naughty” Georgiana is up to!
Heh! Girls of that age can be so trying.. and naughty. 😀
A new book by Teg!!! I can’t wait – this looks like so much fun! xoxo
Thank you, Gail! 🙂
Wow,the cover is beautiful! I’m looking forward to reading this.
Thanks, Cyndy! I am happy to hear you and so many others love the cover art, too.
Very intriguing cover – I like the soft colors and the vignette. It draws you in -my curiosity is aroused. This is what a good cover should do.
Totally agree. A good cover draws me in to learn more about the book, no matter the genre.
The cover starts to tell its own story, you wonder what she is doing and then you can pick up on the other details. I enjoyed Bitter Mornings and look forward to this story
Thank you, Glory! Each time I look at the cover I see something new. The expression on the young lady’s face, her curls, the reflection in the mirror, the portrait on the wall, the little figures in the winter scene below.
Lovely cover! Gently appealing. Thank you! Looking forward to the full story.
It does have a gentle feel to it. Soothing colours and the playful font of ‘Handsome Men are’. Thanks for your comments!
Good luck with this release. Thanks for a chance to win a copy. I look forward to reading it even if I don’t win a copy. Great cover…very different from most in JAFF.
Thank you, Sheila! Indeed, Susan captured the spirit of the story quite nicely with this cover.
I am intrigued! Which handsome man is this, arriving at an inopportune moment? Has Lady Catherine given instructions about exactly how those chair bows should be tied? What is the correct etiquette for a greeting when one encounters a lady kneeling on the floor? Please give me the answers to these questions and all the others I am dying to ask.
LOL! Could it be Bingley? Maybe Darcy? I am certain Lady C would have something to say about the proper way to tie bows. I leave it to your imagination regarding the etiquette for the situation as portrayed, but it will certainly be influenced by the relationship between the two. 😉
Love the cover! And I look forward to reading the book!
Thank you, Steph!
As usual with your books, I am looking forward to reading it. Thank you for sharing your creative talent.
And thank you for offering KU.
Thank you for your lovely comments!
What a beautiful cover and a fun excerpt. If I were Darcy I would have gone to check the seating arrangements as soon as possible…
😀 And miss Elizabeth’s entrance?
I am also on the “low angst team”, so maybe this will be my next P&P story? It curtainly sounds intriguing! Congratulations on your book!
Thank you, Audny!
The cover is very eye catching with the illustration and winter scene. Yes, Darcy must always be kept on his toes!
He becomes too dull without some unexpected excitement. LOL!
Hi Linda,
It’s so great to hear from you on Austenesque Reviews. Your variation for your new novel sounds very enticing for me to read more. The cover art is just beautiful. Congratulations on your latest novel. –Leslie
Thank you, Leslie! It is nice to hear from so many readers, too. 🙂
Sounds promising, I look forward to reading it!
I hope you enjoy it! I had a lot of fun writing it. 🙂
Sounds like such a fun book and the title is the best. Thanks for the giveaway!
I did get a little cheeky with the title. Good luck in the giveaway!
What a beautiful cover. I would love to own a copy. I will definitely being a reader of this variation.
I can’t wait to find out what the young lady is either looking for or hiding in the upholstery! Congratulations on your latest book.
Many a young, affectionate heart, separated from Mr. Wrong, go flying back into his arms at the first opportunity! What a fun place to start from, I am intrigued, Linda. Congratulations on your book and the cover.
I loved Bitter Mournings and Handsome Men sounds so intriguing! It’s on the wish list now. 🙂 Kudos on the great cover, love those old illustrations. I am a big fan of exploring just about any supporting character’s personality and development and Georgiana is one of my favorites. I’m really looking forward to reading this one.
Congratulations on getting a second book out this year, Linda. And let me say how much I am hoping a lot of dusting off of those old starts does happen in good time. And thank you for offering your books on KU.