A Most Natural Consequence by Heather Moll

 

If you could be character from a book for one day, who would you be and why?  Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice would be at the top of my list.

Elizabeth Bennet has traveled to Ramsgate with her mother and sisters, Kitty and Lydia, for Kitty’s health.  While in Ramsgate, they befriend a quiet girl, Georgiana Darcy, visiting the seaside with her governess. Georgiana’s brother, Fitzwilliam soon shows up to visit his sister and meets the Bennets for the first time.  When it appears that one of their sisters have run away with Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth and Darcy try to save them only to realize they now need to marry for propriety’s sake.  Will the two be able to fall in love after marriage?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel is a variation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

·       It was a stressful week last week and ending my day with A Most Natural Consequence by Heather Moll each evening was both enjoyable and stress relieving.

·       Elizabeth and Darcy are vividly drawn and detailed. I enjoyed their interactions and chemistry.  All the characters felt very true to Austen’s original creations.

·       I loved the slow burn build up of the romance between Darcy and Elizabeth.  It was fun to see them become friends and to see that friendship turn to love.

·       There was open door romance at the end, and it felt earned after the build-up of the relationship.

·       The tropes in this novel were forced proximity, forced marriage, and slow burn.

·       The Bingleys visiting Netherfield is at the end of this novel.  I enjoyed this variation.

·       Darcy is straightforward on Wickham’s flaws.  Wickham is a terrible man.  It was hard to believe that anyone would want to marry him knowing the truth.

·       Elizabeth decides to act independently and take matters into her own hands on an issue that leads her into trouble that threatens her and Darcy’s relationship.  I was very annoyed at Elizabeth during this section of the book.

Favorite Quote:  “The qualities of her mind were equal to those of her heart and her person.  He respected her for her personal charms and for her cultivated understanding and refined taste and lively mind.  Bot those qualities and attractions had ascendancy over his heart and went far deeper than respect and admiration.” – How romantic!

Overall, A Most Natural Consequence by Heather Moll was a very engaging Pride and Prejudice variation and historical romance.  It’s a book to savor read to bring yourself to another world.

Book Source:  Review Copy from author Heather Moll.  Thank-you!

Under the Netherfield Mistletoe by Abigail Reynolds

 

Do you hang up a mistletoe in your home?  My kids make sure ours is up over our staircase every Christmas.

Elizabeth Bennet is searching for mistletoe at Netherfield when she meets Georgiana Darcy who has come with her brother to Netherfield to escape from the Christmas season and mend her broken heart.  As Elizabeth and Georgiana’s friendship grows, Darcy and Elizabeth find that their feelings and chemistry does as well.  Will these two end up together for Christmas?

My thoughts on this book:

·       I love Regency Christmas stories and must enjoy at least one every year!

·       This is a cute Pride and Prejudice variation.

·       It’s a short novella length which is perfect for the holidays.

·       I loved the Gardiners and their children in London.  It was a fun family and wonderful to see the Darcys get to know them.  I also enjoyed that Darcy had been childhood friends with Mrs. Gardiner’s brother.

·       Georgiana’s growth throughout the story was a joy to read about.  I was happy that she was able to finally stand up for herself.

·       I loved the sparks and chemistry between Darcy and Elizabeth – especially under the mistletoe!

·       This was a clean romance.

Overall, Under the Netherfield Mistletoe by Abigail Reynolds was a sweet Pride and Prejudice Christmas variation and romance.  It was a fun read for the holidays!

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com.

Requirements for Love by Heather Moll

 

What do you think is the most important requirement in a relationship?  For me, I think honesty is high on the list.

Elizabeth Bennet is visiting her Aunt and Uncle in London. Her sister Jane is hoping to reunite with Charles Bingley, a young man she had fallen in love with who has left the neighborhood before an expected proposal.  Elizabeth slips on ice after being jostled by some young men and hurts her ankle.  A kind gentleman that witnesses the incident takes her to his nearby cousin’s house.  His cousin is Mr. Darcy, a man that Elizabeth is prejudiced against.  Will these two grow to a better understanding while she must stay as his place for two weeks?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Requirements for Love is a Pride and Prejudice variation.  The characters are true to Austen’s creation and were a joy to read about. 

·       I loved the romance.  It was great having Elizabeth and Darcy in a forced proximity in the same home.  They slowly got to know each other and work through the prejudices that they had.  There was great character development.  I loved the banter between Elizabeth and Darcy.

·       Darcy had to carry Elizabeth from room to room which was very romantic.

·       Georgiana and Elizabeth strike up a great friendship.  Georgiana helps Elizabeth write up a list of requirements for what she needs in a husband.  Georgiana is excited to help matchmake.  Darcy invites over some eligible friends but realizes when one seems to be a match that he may having feelings for Elizabeth himself.

·       Darcy also shares his requirements for a wife.

·       This was a nice story to read with low angst during a very busy time in life for me!

·       Requirements for Love was a very well written novel. 

·       I didn’t realize that forearms could be so sexy until I read this book.  Elizabeth highly admires Darcy’s forearms when he has his sleeves up. 

·       This was a clean read with a slow burn and forced proximity romance.

Overall, Requirements for Love by Heather Moll was a delightful Pride & Prejudice variation and a lovely Regency romance.  I really liked the set-up of the story and thought it was an interesting point for a variation. It was like reading another Jane Austen novel.  I enjoyed it.

Book Source:  Thank-you to author Heather Moll for a review copy of this novel as part of the Book Tour. 

 

Without Undue Pride by Heather Moll

 

What is the last book that you read in one sitting?  I started Without Undue Pride and read it in one sitting.  I haven’t done that for a while – but I could not put this book down!

Elizabeth Bennet has met the dashing Colonel Fitzwilliam while visiting her Uncle and Aunt Gardiner in London.  They have a whirlwind romance and are quickly married before Colonel Fitzwilliam must go overseas as part of the Napoleonic Wars.  The Fitzwilliam family is not happy about Colonel Fitzwilliam’s “unsuitable” marriage, but his cousin, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, is his only family member that does attend his wedding.  He promises to be friends with Elizabeth.  After Colonel Fitzwilliam is killed in battle, a pregnant Elizabeth is set adrift in the world with no one to help her.  Mr. Darcy steps up to help his best friend and cousin’s widow.  Will love bloom after such tragedy?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I LOVED this variation.  It was such an interesting twist.  I was intrigued throughout the novel with Elizabeth’s tragedy and wanted to know what exactly happened to her while she was overseas with Colonel Fitzwilliam.  It was a painful story that she was finally able to tell Darcy over time.

·       The characters all felt true to their original characterization in Austen’s novels.  The only question I had was, would Mr. Bennet really leave Elizabeth widowed, pregnant, and alone in Spain?  I know he didn’t like to exert himself too much, but he did go to London to look for Lydia.  I pondered this through the novel.

·       The growing love between Elizabeth and Darcy was so romantic.  I loved the slow build to a couple of steamy chapters at the end.  The friends to lovers and mutual respect between them was the type of relationship everyone should have.

·       After all that happened to Elizabeth in Spain, she has trust issues.  Every man in her life has let her down, and in Regency England, woman do not hold any power.  Elizabeth has a hard time being able to trust a man after this and clings to her independence.  I did want to shake some sense into her a couple of times, but I could understand her point of view.

·       I like how Darcy was portrayed as a kind and considerate man, but also that he knew he had faults and worked on them.  Colonel Fitzwilliam had made him promise to try to be a better person and to put himself out there socially.  Darcy considered that almost his dying wish.

·       I don’t want to spoil the plot, but there is some definite peril in this novel and Darcy must come to the rescue.

·       The cover of this novel is beautiful.  I showed it to my JASNA Northwoods book club on Sunday and they all liked the cover as well.

Overall, Without Undue Pride by Heather Moll was an intriguing and unique Pride and Prejudice variation.  I enjoyed the romance, plot, and characters.

Book Source:  Review copy from author Heather Moll as part of the Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Pride and Prejudice in Space by Alexis Lampley

 

Have you ever not been able to finish a book?  If so, why?

I unfortunately was not able to finish Pride and Prejudice in Space despite multiple attempts.  I love Pride and Prejudice and science fiction so I thought this would be the perfect book for me.  Alas, it did not capture my attention as there was not any world building.  Instead, there was text straight from the original Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen interspersed with a bit of interstellar travel.  Why are the humans of the future speaking in Regency jargon and having balls in space?  I don’t know!  It didn’t quite make sense to me.  The illustrations were beautiful, but I was hoping for an engaging and unique Pride and Prejudice variation set in space and did not find it.

This was my "crazy" variation read for the November JASNA Northwoods Book Club.

Book Source:  Review copy from NetGalley. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Stranded with Mr. Darcy by Lin Mei Wei

 

Do you like castaway stories?  I always have with my favorite being the Swiss Family Robinson.

Mr. Darcy proposed to Elizabeth Bennet at Hunsford and was rejected.  He now finds himself in the awkward position of being with her as they journey with the new Mr. and Mrs. Bingley to Italy.  A storm takes their ship off course and Mr. Darcy and Lizzie find themselves stranded on a desert island.  Will they make it off the island?  What will society say about such a situation.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Stranded with Mr. Darcy was the July pick for the JASNA Northwoods book club.  Those of us that read it enjoyed it but agreed that it could have been trimmed down.  The story seemed to drag at times.

·       I love castaway stories and Pride and Prejudice variations.  This was a fun combo of two genres that I enjoy.

·       I enjoyed that Darcy had a lot of survival skills.

·       Elizabeth and Darcy grew to know each other as they worked to survive.  They cuddled together in the night to share body heat, but surprisingly, nothing more than that occurred.

·       The story slowed down for me when they were rescued.  There is a storyline with a cousin that is Mr. Darcy’s heir that seemed strange.  The cousin did not want Mr. Darcy to marry as he would lose his inheritance.  I don’t know why he would assume that Mr. Darcy wouldn’t marry.

Overall, Stranded with Mr. Darcy was a fun Pride and Prejudice variation with a castaway twist.

Book Source: Kindle version purchased through Amazon.com.

Rising Courage by Heather Moll (Book Tour) and GIVEAWAY!

 

Have you read any books that feature kidnapping?  The book I always think of that featured kidnapping was The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney, which I read in middle school.  I always enjoy the suspense of kidnapping, and especially enjoy when the main character escapes and is able to return home.

Rising Courage is a Pride and Prejudice variation which asks the question, what if Elizabeth and Darcy were kidnapped after his first proposal?  How will forced proximity alter their romance?

My thoughts on Rising Courage:

·       I love that instead of reading a response letter from Darcy after her refusal of his first proposal, she learns everything directly from him while they are held hostage.

·       I REALLY loved the forced proximity.  I felt like they really got to know each other better than a typical couple would during Regency times.

·       The romance was tender and romantic.  The novel does get steamy.

·       I chuckled when I realized that of course Lady Catherine was the cause of all the problems.

·       I thought it was an interesting side note that Darcy didn’t use sugar due to the slave trade and I loved learning about his bees and beekeepers.

·       I enjoyed the action in this novel as well, although I was worried about what the kidnappers would do.  It was thrilling.

·       I enjoyed the child Kirby in the story.  He had a difficult life, and I liked the humanity that both Darcy and Elizabeth showed him.

·       Author Heather Moll has a great writing style and really captures the personalities of Elizabeth, Darcy, and other Pride and Prejudice characters.  I especially like the inside jokes that Elizabeth and Darcy had with each other.

·       Elizabeth makes a decision towards the end that I did not agree with, but I did enjoy the suspense.

·       Isn’t the cover of this novel beautiful?  I love it.  Darcy is very dreamy.

Overall, Rising Courage was an enjoyable romantic suspense story with a great forced proximity storyline.  This is a great read for all lovers of Austenesque fiction.

Book Source:  Review copy from author Heather Moll as part of the Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Loving Miss Tilney by Heather Moll (Book Tour and GIVEAWAY)

 

What secondary character from a favorite novel would you like to see get their own story?  I was so excited to read this novel where Eleanor Tilney from Northanger Abbey finally gets her own story.

Loving Miss Tilney starts at the point where Catherine Morland has been thrown out of Northanger Abbey by General Tilney.  Eleanor also sees her beloved brother Henry leave to follow Catherine.  She decides that she can no longer stand to live with her father General Tilney.  He whisks her away to a house party and she decides she will find a rich husband among the gentleman attending the house party.  Complicating matters is that her second cousin, Philip Brampton is also attending the house party.  Eleanor loves Philip, but he is unacceptable to her father because he does not have money.  How can Eleanor find happiness for herself?

I enjoyed both Eleanor and Philip as characters. I loved how they enjoyed the same things and had great conversations.  Eleanor and Philip had such great chemistry too.  They had a very passionate kiss after an argument about the choices Eleanor had for the future.

It was hard to see Eleanor looking for another husband with Philip right there, but it was also understandable with the limited choices that women had at that time.  It made me really think again about the impossible situation that many women found themselves in during that time period where marriage was your only option, and you had no choice of your own. 

I liked that Philip was a mathematician.  I love it when math, science, or engineering show up in novels.

General Tilney is one of Austen’s best villains and he is really brought to life in this novel.  He would be a very difficult man to live with.  He doesn’t appear to care for his children except for how their success reflects onto him.

Heather Moll’s writing really brings the Regency world to life.  I have enjoyed her novels in the past.  I really liked that this book was a Northanger Abbey variation.  I have always wondered about what happened to poor Eleanor and this book gives the reader the details.  As much as I love Pride and Prejudice variations, I love to read variations for her other novels as well.

I would say the steam level is medium as there is one steamy scene in this novel.

Book Source: Review Copy from author Heather Moll.   Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the book tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

About the Author

Heather Moll writes romantic variations ofJane Austen's classic novels. She is an avid reader of mysteriesand biographies with a masters in information science. Shefound Jane Austen later than she should have and made up forlost time by devouring her letters and unpublished works,joining JASNA, and spending too much time researching theRegency era. She is the author of An Appearance of Goodness, An Affectionate Heart, Nine Ladies, and Loving Miss Tilney.

She lives with her husband and son, and struggles to balance allthe important things, like whether to clean the house or sit down and write.

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About Loving Miss Tilney

SHE’S FORBIDDEN TO WED A NOBODY.

HE’S NOTHING IN SOCIETY’S EYES. WILL THEIRDESPERATE SCHEMES BACKFIRE BEFORE THEY FINDA WAY TO BE TOGETHER?

Northanger Abbey. Eleanor Tilney can’t bear her lonely life any longer. Distraught when her tyrannical father throws her friend out of the house because the girl lacks an inheritance, the long-suffering general’s daughter decides anything is better than a future all alone. So in a frantic bid for freedom, she puts aside her tender feelings for a man of no standing to pursue a wealthy husband.

Philip Brampton understands that fortune is against him. And he tries gallantly to bury his distress and support his lonely beloved, even after she starts pursuing an arrogant buffoon. But when he catches the fellow about to kiss her, their resulting harsh words cause a heartbreaking rift.

Stiffening her spine in a world that refuses to acknowledge her value, Eleanor attempts to navigate the impossible situation without quashing her desires. And though his shy nature abhors a scene, Philip braces himself for a confrontation with her cruel and abusive patriarch.

Do these childhood sweethearts have any hope of achieving lasting happiness?

Available in paperback, audiobook, and ebook.

Published on August 1, 2023 by ExcessivelyDiverted Press

194 pages

book link: https://mybook.to/LovingMissTilney

Loving Miss Tilney RAFFLECOPTER SWAG GIVEAWAY

The giveaway is open from 08/01/2023 12:00am EST through 08/12/202312:00am EST. Giveaway is open worldwide.

One winner will be chosen at random and notified via email on August 12, 2023. Winner has 24 hours to reply and claim their prize or another winner will be drawn.

Entrants must leave a comment on the blog, tweet about the blog post, or subscribe to Heather Moll's newsletter to enter. Entrants can leave a comment at every blog and tweet once a day.

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