The Best Intentions (A Regency Romance) by Candice Hern

Posted on February 23, 2013February 18, 2013 by Wendi Sotis

It was a pleasure to become reacquainted with a minor character, Miles Prescott, from A Garden Folly, and get to know him better as a main character in this delightfully light and witty romance.

The Best Intentions (A Regency Romance)

by Candice Hern

Miles Prescott, Earl of Strickland, of Epping Hall in Northamptonshire, is reserved, conservative, and fastidious. His wife Amelia died two years ago, leaving him with two young daughters who he feels desperately need a mother. Having had a love-match with Amelia, Miles doesn’t believe he can fall in love again and wants a marriage of convenience the second time around.

Winifred also believes it is time for her brother to remarry. When she and her family travel to Epping for their annual, Winifred asks two of her husband’s cousins to join them, intending the widowed Lady Charlotte Abingdon for Miles.

Charlotte is a beautiful young widow, elegant and sophisticated—exactly what Miles wanted for his second wife as long as she gets along with his daughters.

Charlotte’s half-sister, Miss Hannah Fairbanks, is nineteen years old and so backward that she has not yet come out. Quite intelligent, she is more interested in architecture than putting herself forward on the marriage mart. In fact, Hanna has no interest in marriage at all and repeatedly tells herself that she doesn’t care that people think she’s still a child.

Almost immediately after their arrival, everyone in attendance assumes Miles and Charlotte will marry, but of course, all does not go as everyone expects 😉

I’m enjoying Candice Hern’s books so much that I’m sure I’ll be adding many more to my list for the Regency Romance Reading Challenge (Austenprose.com) before 2013 is done!

Attempting Elizabeth by Jessica Grey

Posted on January 26, 2013January 24, 2013 by Wendi Sotis

Have you ever become so involved with a story that you didn’t even want to stop reading long enough to eat or sleep? Yep, that’s what happened while I was reading Jessica Grey’s new release:

Attempting Elizabeth

Janeites everywhere will love this story! It’s been a long time since I’ve laughed this hard or this often while reading a book. The characters were alive, and I couldn’t help but connect with Kelsey on so many levels.

I had written up a description for Attempting Elizabeth, and even chose a couple of quotes that I absolutely loved, but I decided not to use them when I realized they gave away too much of the plot. The official description tells the perfect amount:

“Kelsey Edmundson is a geek and proud of it. She makes no secret of her love for TV, movies, and, most especially, books. After a bad breakup, she retreats into her favorite novel, Pride and Prejudice, wishing she had some of the wit and spirit of Elizabeth Bennett.

One night at a party Kelsey meets handsome Australian bartender Mark Barnes. From then on, she always seems to run into him when she least expects it. No matter how Kelsey tries, she always seems to say the wrong thing.

After a particularly gaffe-filled evening around Mark, Kelsey is in desperate need of inspiration from Jane Austen. She falls asleep reading Darcy’s letter to Lizzy and awakens to find herself in an unfamiliar place that looks and sounds suspiciously like her favorite book. Has she somehow been transported into Pride and Prejudice, or is it just a dream?

As Kelsey tries to discover what’s happening to her, she must also discover her own heart. Is Mark Barnes destined to be her Mr. Darcy? In the end, she must decide whether attempting to become Elizabeth is worth the risk or if being Kelsey Edmundson is enough.”

I was left with one question at the end, but I was able to answer it myself by opening my copy of Pride and Prejudice. I’m relieved to declare that all is still as it should be!

I’m sure I’ll be reading this again soon!

I’m counting this book toward the Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge (austenprose.com)

The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013

Posted on January 13, 2013April 30, 2013 by Wendi Sotis

hosted by Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose.com

2013 is the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and I’m joining the celebration at Austenprose.com.

Between January 1, through December 31, 2013, participants can read, listen to, or watch movie adaptations of Jane Austen’s novel, or choose from the multitude of variations, sequels, and re-tellings.

Really, this should be a breeze for fans of Pride and Prejudice, but since I’ve never participated in a reading challenge before this year, I’m going to start off slowly, choosing a participation level of Neophyte: 1 – 4 selections.

If you’d like to participate, head on over to Austenprose.com to sign up before July 1, 2013.

Decisions, Decisions!

There are so many, I’m having a little trouble figuring out just which novels, movies, or audio books to use for the challenge!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – not only am I reading it, but I’m typing the whole thing out on my website! Update: I’ve had a shoulder injury and can’t type for very long, so this is on hold. (I haven’t checked for typos yet, but I will eventually.) I have to save my typing time for my new story 😉
Pride, Prejudice, and the Perfect Match by Marilyn Brant – Review 1/19/13
Attempting Elizabeth by Jessica Grey – Review 1/26/13
Loving Miss Darcy by Nancy Kelley – Review 2/2/13
One Thread Pulled by Diana J. Oaks – Review 2/17/13
The Man Who Loved Jane Austen – Review 4/26/13
Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen – Review 4/30/13
I’ll be watching as many movie versions as I can lay my hands on.

I’ll update my list to include more as I read them.

Regency Romance Reading Challenge 2013

Posted on December 28, 2012April 30, 2013 by Wendi Sotis

I accept the challenge. Join me!

Since this is my first reading challenge, I’m not going to promise too much. I’m entering at the Disciple level, which means I will read 3 – 5 novels & short stories by Candice Hern.

I will probably end up reading more, but at the very least, I plan on reading: