Review: 'The Jane Austen Marriage Manual' by Kim Izzo (2012)

Katherine Shaw—Kate— is happy with her life. She has supportive friends, a glamorous magazine career, and a love of all things Jane Austen. But when she loses her job, her beloved grandmother falls ill and a financial disaster forces a sale on the family home, Kate finds herself facing a crisis that would test even the most stalwart of Austen heroines.

Friends rally round, connecting her to freelance gigs, and presenting her with a birthday gift— title to land in Scotland—that’s about to come in very handy. Turns out that Kate’s first freelance assignment is to test an Austen-inspired theory: in the toughest economic times is a wealthy man the only must-have accessory? What begins as an article turns into an opportunity as Kate—now Lady Kate—jet-sets to Palm Beach, St Moritz and London where, in keeping company with the elite, she meets prospects who make Mr. Darcy look like an amateur. But will rubbing shoulders with men of good fortune ever actually lead her to love? And will Kate be able to choose between Mr. Rich and Mr. Right?

After reading Kim Izzo’s wonderful novel ‘My Life in Black and White’ (check out my review here), I couldn’t wait to pick up her other book, ‘The Jane Austen Marriage Manual.’ As a big Jane Austen fan, I had already heard of this novel, but never actually managed to read it. During my summer holidays this year I went to Bath for a couple of days, and it definitely inspired me to pick up a novel with a bit of Austen in it. So, after admiring the cute pink cover of ‘The Jane Austen Marriage Manual’ and reading the interesting blurb, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in this story!

Sometimes you simply have one of those weeks, and that is exactly what happens to Katherine Shaw (known as Kate to the people around her). After losing her contract-to-contract job within the glamorous magazine world and the death of her beloved grandmother, things turn out to be even worse when Kate finds out that due to her mother’s gambling addiction, they are forced to sell the family home. Thanks to a good friend and her love for anything Jane Austen, Kate ends up with a freelance assignment to write an article about the modern-day dating market: is the solution to any female’s trouble a wealthy husband at her side (in line with Austen’s famous novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’)? Even though it begins as a job, it quickly turns out to be the perfect solution to Kate’s own problems. While travelling to fabulous places like Palm Beach, St. Moritz and London, Kate starts searching for her own Mr. Darcy. But in the end, does money really bring happiness, or will love still conquer all?

I loved the Austen element that was included in this novel. Back in Austen’s time it was indeed money that came in first place, before love, when it came to finding a suitable husband. This changed over the years, but it might still be a wise business investment to secure your future by marrying a rich man instead of marrying out of love. I really liked how Kate decides to explore this idea, and how the reader can experience how she struggles between following her mind or her heart. The fabulous locations with all the rich and glamorous people definitely added to the entertainment value of the novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Kate’s adventures in these places. She is a great heroine; smart, independent, persistent (Jane Austen would have definitely approved!), and I found myself laughing out loud every now and again while reading about some of the funny situations she managed to get herself in.

The novel gives us not one, but two handsome bachelors to dream about. On one side, we have charming older millionaire Scott Madewell, who is a taken man but definitely the perfect target for Kate and her experiment, and on the other side we have Griff Saunderson, the manager of a large estate that has been turned into a B&B, who turns up every single time Kate finds herself in trouble. The book includes a great mix of characters, both male and female, and this really made reading the story even more fun. As an Austen fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the parallels between Kate and Elizabeth Bennet (the main character in ‘Pride and Prejudice’), which is why I would definitely recommend this book to any person familiar with Austen and her work. However, even if you’re not a Jane Austen fan, Kim Izzo’s novel is a well-written, entertaining and romantic story that deals with a question we all ask ourselves at one point or another: does enough money guarantee happiness, or is love simply powerful enough to help you through anything?

Rating:9/10

 

September 2013 release: 'Another Way to Fall' by Amanda Brooke

 

What would you do if you could write the story of your life?

 

After battling a brain tumour twenty-nine year old Emma thinks she is in the clear, but her world comes crashing down around her when she is told her fight was in vain, and there is nothing more the doctors can do.

 

Realising that she won’t now have time to achieve the things she dreamed of, Emma decides to write her perfect life in a story. She imagines all the things she would have done, the places she would have seen, the husband she would have shared her life with and the family they would have raised. And, mysteriously, as she writes her story, she starts to notice that some of her dreams seem to be coming true.

 

Now with a real love in her life, and her fading hope burning brighter, reality and fiction start to become blurred. As she writes their life-long love story Emma dares to believe that anything is possible, but can she really change her fate?

 

Don't you just love the cover of Amanda Brooke's upcoming novel 'Another Way to Fall'? I adore it, so gorgeous! This story promises to be a real tearjerker, as the blurb already shows signs of lots of emotions and heartbreak. I can't wait to get my hands on this novel (it's released on the 12th of September) and I have a feeling any chick lit fan out there will not want to miss out on this one!

 

Click here to pre-order 'Another Way to Fall' on Amazon now! 

Review: 'The Outline of Love' by Morgan McCarthy (2013)

Persephone Triebold has grown up in the strange desolation of the Scottish Highlands, raised by her anxious father and memories of her dead mother. Inexperienced in the rules of friendship, sex and love, Persephone takes the opportunity to replace uninhabited mountain ranges with city life and leaves to study for a degree in London.

Parties, new friends and the polluted splendour of the capital intoxicate Persephone at first, but fail to supply her with the grand passion she wants. It's only when she meets the literary star Leo Ford, a former singer who has become a celebrated writer, that she finds someone she can love. Though Persephone succeeds in entering Leo's circle of friends she finds him to be as elusive as he is sought after. And she becomes increasingly curious about the incident in his past of which no one ever speaks...

One of the great things about being a book blogger is receiving review copies from publishers for books you probably would not have known about otherwise or would not have picked up in a shop yourself. ‘The Outline of Love’ is one of those books. Thanks to the lovely people at Headline (thank you, Veronique!) I received a review copy of this novel in my mailbox, and at first I wasn’t entirely sure whether this would be a book for me. I really like the front cover, especially the pretty silhouette of London in the background, but I wasn’t too sure about the description. However, it’s important to step out of your comfort zone every now and again, especially when it comes to reading, so I decided to give it a go.

At the centre of ‘The Outline of Love’ we have PersephoneTriebold, who has been raised by her father in the desolate Scottish Highlands. Persephone can’t wait to get out of the mountains and start a new life in the exciting city of London, where she will go to study for her Management degree. As soon as Persephone arrives in London, she quickly finds herself living the typical student life: annoying roommates, new BFF’s, parties, boys... But somehow, Persephone is missing something. Something she had already been missing in Scotland and had hoped to find in a place like London. Then she meets Leo Ford, former lead singer of a famous band and now a renowned author, and Persephone finds herself completely captivated by him. Everything in her life starts to revolve around Leo and how she can possibly secure a place in his circle of friends, or perhaps even more... However, Leo is not your average man and it doesn’t take long before Persephone finds herself lost in his mystery and secrets.

There were definitely some elements in this novel that spoke to me. I liked the setting: the contrast between the rural Scottish Highlands where Persephone grew up, and her longing for a life in a city like London. I have also always had a weakness for Greek and Roman myths, so I really liked the idea of retelling the myth of Persephone and Demeter and using it as a parallel storyline. However, I didn’t find myself warming to Persephone, no matter how hard I tried. She seemed a bit empty; I was expecting strong emotions, but instead it felt like she constantly remained on the surface. Because of this, I found myself losing more and more interest after each page. At the end, some events managed to grab me, but once again I was disappointed by the way Persephone dealt with it all.

Morgan McCarthy’s writing is one of a kind; thoughtful, detailed, and not like anything else I have read before. Her descriptions of the setting are incredibly realistic and I could easily imagine myself sitting in Persephone’s house in London, or in the middle of the Scottish Highlands. It certainly does not seem like this is only her second novel. Though there was a nice plot, a good basis to start with, I did not enjoy this novel as much as I hoped I would because I felt it lacked emotion and it didn’t manage to grab me. I’ve read some amazing reviews of Morgan McCarthy’s first novel, ‘The Other Half of Me’, and from those reviews it already became quite clear: you either love McCarthy’s style or you don’t. ‘The Outline of Love’ is a thoughtful and well-written novel, which might capture the interest of other readers, but unfortunately not mine.

Rating:6,5/10