Never Romance a Rake

Baron Rothewell lives a dark, shuttered existence by day, and a life of reckless abandon by night. Scarred by a childhood filled with torment and deprivation, Rothewell cares very little anyone or anything. His life on the edge of ruin suits him—until he meets a man who just might be his nemesis. The Comte de Valigny likes to play deeply and dangerously, but Rothewell’s recklessness is undeterred. Until one night when de Valigny wagers something just a little more valuable than gold.

Mademoiselle Marchand is a desperate woman in a strange land, and her pleading eyes seem to swallow Lord Rothewell body and soul—assuming he still has one. Now the baron must play his hand with the utmost care, for at last something meaningful is at stake .

Honestly, had I read this novel before the Quinn book, I would have quite possibly shut down this blog and abandoned romance novels altogether. I don't know what it is about this book. I just could not get into it, which is sad because I was looking forward to Rothwell's story ever since I first got a glimpse of him in the first book of the series. In NEVER ROMANCE A RAKE, he's depicted as a pathetic drunk with an ulcer, who thinks he has cancer. He never sleeps, eats nothing and basically looks like Christian Bale's character in THE MACHINIST. Hot!

He's on a death wish and living on the edge. He's a man of the night, bitter and guilt ridden because he boinked his brother's wife when he was 19. Of course, his brother and sis in law later died in a fire and he's been feeling guilty ever since. YAWN! Haven't I read this story before? And if I didn't, did I have to? Ugh...the story was awful. I've read stories about men slowly killing themselves. As a matter of fact, I read an exceptionally good one by Loretta Chase called LORD OF SCOUNDRELS. That was a masterpiece. The hero was likeable. This one here...not so much. I wanted him to die. That's how much I disliked his constant cries for pity (masked as tough guy talk, of course).

The heroine...I don't quite know why I disliked her. She was fine. She was smart, not a damsel in distress. I guess she just didn't make sense with him. She and the hero weren't compatible in the slightest. She was totally forgettable. I saw nothing exceptional with her depiction.

There was a shocking surprise at the end of the novel which wasn't even shocking. How about 100% predictable?

Overall, the book isn't terrible (ok..I already said it was awful...maybe it's a little terrible). It isn't amazing either. Like the heroine, the book is totally forgettable.

I'm shocked Carlyle wrote it. I had to look at the cover to make sure her name was actually on it. I can't recommend it.

The Lost Duke of Wyndham

Will the real Duke of Wyndham please stand up?

Jack Audley has been a highwayman. A soldier. And he has always been a rogue. What he is not, and never wanted to be, is a peer of the realm, responsible for an ancient heritage and the livelihood of hundreds. But when he is recognized as the long-lost son of the House of Wyndham, his carefree life is over. And if his birth proves to be legitimate, then he will find himself with the one title he never wanted: Duke of Wyndham.

Grace Eversleigh has spent the last five years toiling as the companion to the dowager Duchess of Wyndham. It is a thankless job, with very little break from the routine... until Jack Audley lands in her life, all rakish smiles and debonair charm. He is not a man who takes no for an answer, and when she is in his arms, she's not a woman who wants to say no. But if he is the true duke, then he is the one man she can never have...

I was starting to lose hope, after the fiascos which were the last two Bridgerton novels (hold your horses, Quinn fans, I love Quinn, too, but the last two were garbage!). Quinn's THE SECRET DIARIES OF MISS MIRANDA CHEEVER gave me much hope for a literary comeback and that hope was not disappointed.

I loved THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM and for the first time in a long time I actually want to keep on reading romance novels. I was definitely not in the mood for anything romance related for a while. When I first read about Quinn's new novel, I was initially reluctant to read it for fear THE SECRET DIARIES was merely a fluke incident. I was afraid THE LOST DUKE would be terrible, perhaps even as bad as IT'S IN HIS KISS (which I nearly ripped to shreds upon completion). However, I gave Quinn another chance and wow...she did not disappoint, not even close.

The hero is as romantic as they come and the heroine is right for him on so many levels. The novel is of the "love at first sight" variety with the hero knowing from the start that he wants the heroine as his for good. Of course, there's the struggle with emotion that is typical of any romance novel, but altogether I was not aggravated or displeased by it. Often times, writers take this too far and leave me exhausted and angry by the time they decide to unite the lovers for good. Not the case here. If you want love that is simple and without the five million ridiculous obstacles thrown in to fill in ten chapters, then THE LOST DUKE is for you.

The heroine's overly compassionate nature irked me at times, but overall I enjoyed the book immensely and look forward to its sequel, to be released October 2008.

Carlyle's Lady Sharpe

Lady Pamela Sharpe is everywhere in Liz Carlyle's most recent trilogy. Former heroine?

Coming Soon

Reviews for:

1. Loretta Chase's YOUR SCANDALOUS WAYS
2. Julia Quinn's THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM
3. Liz Carlyle's NEVER ROMANCE A RAKE.

Started an online journal, in case anyone's interested. See LOST IN WONDERLAND in the Links. Only two short posts so far, but I'm sure they'll increase at an alarming rate. I moved back in with my parents a few months ago, after being on my own since college. I have a feeling blogger won't be able to handle all the posts I'll end up writing. Enjoy!

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume

Oh my goodness. I'm not even halfway done with the first novel of the above series and I'm already thinking about the second. I simply cannot wait 'til October 2008 when the novel is released. Julia Quinn is one of the authors who got me hooked on romance. I'm so glad she's back writing amazing literature. Err....at least, I hope it's good. I was disappointed with the last two books in the Bridgerton series. This series sounds very promising though and the novel above...oh, dear. I can't stand it. I'm so excited. I hope to see it in stores before my trip to Central Europe (More to come about my trip later). I'm leaving September 12 and am praying for a miracle. I need to read this on the plane. I must I must I must! As you can tell, my excitement for romance is back. I was a bit disillusioned and not even remotely inclined to read a romance novel for a while. That and a series of personal tragedies brought my life to a stand still. Now things are slightly back to normal. But enough about me.....

Here's a little sneak peek into MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME from Quinn's website:

There went the bride...

Amelia Willoughby has been engaged to the Duke of Wyndham for as long as she can remember. Literally. A mere six months old when the contracts were signed, she has spent the rest of her life waiting. And waiting. And waiting...for Thomas Cavendish, the oh-so-lofty duke, to finally get around to marrying her. But as she watches him from afar, she has a sneaking suspicion that he never thinks about her at all...

It's true. He doesn't. Thomas rather likes having a fiancée—all the better to keep the husband-hunters at bay—and he does intend to marry her...eventually. But just when he begins to realize that his bride might be something more than convenient, Thomas’s world is rocked by the arrival of his long-lost cousin, who may or may not be the true Duke of Wyndham. And if Thomas is not the duke, then he’s not engaged to Amelia. Which is the cruelest joke of all, because this arrogant and illustrious duke has made the mistake of falling in love...with his own fiancée!

Ahhhh....I feel like a little kid. My stomach has butterflies already.

Back to Romance

Finally back to romance....currently reading Julia Quinn's LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM. I love it so far. I'm also planning a small shopping spree at my favorite used book store this week. Yay! Will post my review of Quinn's book once I'm done.

Has anyone read the latest Carlyle or Chase? I almost bought the books today but ended up putting them away and only getting the Quinn.

More Patience?

I'm trying not to be annoyed with Lorraine Heath, especially since I've always thoroughly enjoyed her novels but THIS angers me in so many ways. I'm livid. So when exactly will the new book in the Rose series be out? Why do I even care? I need to stop reading series books. Unfortunately, authors can't help themselves from writing them. I like the way Jenna Petersen and Julie Anne Long work; new books are constantly coming out. I seriously can't keep up with them. Trust me...this is a good thing.

And yes, I promised I would write more and haven't. I have a good reason...I haven't read any romance novels. I need to finish a Mary Queen of Scots bio and then I'm ready to take a dip once again into the waters of romance (ugh...I'm so cheesy).

True Romance of the Month: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

Just a couple of chapters and I will be finished with a biography on Queen Victoria. I never realized how lucky she was, in a period dominated by loveless marriages, to find a soul mate in her husband Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg Gotha. Theirs was a true love story that never really died, not even when he passed away at a young age, leaving Victoria a widow at 42.

I have to say that I was a bit shocked at how obsessed Victoria was with her husband. It was borderline unhealthy. She even blamed her son, Edward VII, for his death (Prince Albert was upset upon learning that his son had engaged in sexual activity with a woman of ill repute) and disliked having her children around initially because they got in the way of her having her husband all to herself. What a woman!

Heroines and Miscellaneous

I don't like heroines in their late thirties.

I've yet to read a novel in which said heroine is interesting. She's always screwed up in some way and incredibly self-righteous. Apparently, there were no feisty hot blooded women in their thirties back in the Regency or Victorian periods....only sulky frustrated virgins who made their men's lives a living hell.

This is just a rant. I'm currently debating reading the latest Mary Balogh and I hear the heroine is a dull piece of work. Makes me angry primarily because the hero is so dreamy (he's been featured in other Balogh novels).

I need to read a good romance novel. I've been immersed in historical biographies for the last month. My most recent read is a biography on Queen Victoria. Wow...incredible woman.

I need to revamp my TBR list. Hear Julia Quinn's latest is amazing and must must must buy the recent contemporary Kleypas, as well as catch up on all the romance news.

More to post this weekend, trust me!

PRINCESSES

I'm currently reading a historical biography on the daughters of George III; they are also the beloved sisters of the man known in romance novels as "PRINNY," George IV, who ruled the British Empire as regent until the death of his father.

George III had several daughters and could have easily married them off to gain political alliances during an exceptionally turbulent time in European history, yet he did not. The man was affectionate and loving, but soon became affected by a hereditary metabolic disease which left him in no place to make decisions. It was only when the princesses were older, their brother having taken over as regent, that they finally were able to break free. George III's tale is told well in the film THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE. He was, by all intents and purposes, mad! Terribly sad story.

While George III rejected suitor after suitor for his daughters (no one was good enough or he wanted to wait 'til a better political time), their mother didn't allow the women to even leave the palace. She wanted them with her at all times and had a fit whenever one of them wanted to go into London. The daughters wanted to marry and have children. The Queen would not allow it because it might upset their father and make him more mad. Gosh, it was awful! Talk about selfish!

I recommend the book if one wants to get an inside look at the court of the time. The book is filled with letters written by the princesses to their confidantes, lovers and teachers. Just be prepared to be angry for most of it and sad for the happiness denied the princesses. The princesses start out very hopeful for the future; they each dream of love and a happily ever after. The letters soon change tone and they seem almost resigned to their state. Most of them eventually married, although later in life. The story will tear you to pieces. The queen is not at all depicted in a positive light. What a absolute wench!

No More Patience

Frustrated and annoyed doesn't even come close to how I feel about the latest chapter of the PATIENCE saga, starring Lisa Valdez. Apparently it's not coming out anytime soon. I don't even know why I'm so surprised. I'm already picturing the "novel" as more a collection of post-its than completed manuscript. I don't know what's been going on with Ms. Valdez. It's a big mystery. We've heard the "writer's block" excuse and I'm starting to question even that. When a reader feels betrayed, it's hard to win them back as a fan. I will, if the book ever comes out, read PATIENCE but no longer do I feel excited and over the moon at such a prospect. Perhaps it's the fact that I'm older (I feel like it's been 20 years since PASSION was published) and I have different worries, priorities and excitement inducing stimuli....or perhaps...perhaps I'm so royally pissed up, that I want to subconsciously punish the author for leading me on and making me believe time and time again that I would "any day now" get to read her newest masterpiece because that's what I thought once upon a time.

When PASSION came out, the breath was knocked out of me, it was so good. It was like no other romance novel I had ever read. It gave me butterflies and sensations I only thought could be achieved in one's imagination. I expected the same from PATIENCE. Heck, there was even a steamy excerpt in the back of PASSION to give me a little taste of what was ahead. What happened to that? Do authors throw in excerpts of books that are no where close to being completed in their current novels? I don't understand how the publishing world works, but if that's the case, I'll refrain from reading them in the future. How about I do that here on my blog? Jot down a few sentences I've scrambled together through the years, tie them together and then announce that my novel will be coming soon to a book store near you. Of course, it will come soon. How soon really depends on your definition of the word SOON. My definition is WHENEVER SOME PUBLISHING COMPANY OFFERS ME A DEAL, which could be in 30 years. So yeah..just sit and wait...it'll come soon.

I'll also be a bit more wary next time I read an email or newletter update written by Ms. Valdez. She's been saying the book is in the works, getting its finishing touches, blah, blah, blah, for over 3 years now. Sure, Ms. Valdez, I completely believe you. Yeah, sure.

I don't know what kind of problems Ms. Valdez has had. Could be anything...a death in the family, divorce...whatever. My thoughts are with you. However, please refrain from giving your reader false hopes that they'll be reading the 2nd book of your trilogy (and that begs the question of when the hell the last novel, PRUDENCE, will be out) in this decade. I'm starting to think that this will never happen.

I hope Ms. Valdez doesn't come across this post and take it the wrong way. She should be flattered to evoking so much emotion from her readers. If she gets upset by any of the angry comments, she should really rethink her choice of profession. Getting angry fan mail, unflattering reviews are all part of the wonderful world of writing.

Oh...and by the way, what incited this post was a comment I received in another one of my posts attaching a letter written by Lisa Valdez, addressed to her fans. Thank you to ANONYMOUS! And yeah, I agree...WTF? Check it out:

April 30, 2008

Gracious Readers,

I had hoped to announce today (4-30-08) that the once and for all, never to be revised, re-written, re-analyzed, re-worked (except at Cindy's request) version of PATIENCE was turned in. Alas, I'm not quite there. However, I am VERY close. One day, I will talk more about the struggles with this book, and all the beginnings I wrote that weren't really the beginning. But for now, all I can say is that PATIENCE is more than a book, it's a virtue. And though you are likely as parched for PATIENCE as my sainted editor, I beg your indulgence for just a bit longer.As soon as I have at last released the final manuscript from what will, no-doubt, be my reluctant hands, I will post that I have done so. I will also post the moment I have a release date from Cindy.Also, as some of you are aware, my web-site went down temporarily. Unfortunately, I lost my whole address book. So, even if we've been in touch in the past, please join my Yahoo Group. Then, as soon as I have news I will send an announcement there first.Many thanks to all of you for your continuing support . . .

Ciao bellas, Lisa

Whatever...the ciao bella isn't going to make me less annoyed.

Sybil's blog has some pretty good commentary on the matter as well: http://goodbadandunread.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=ddcb89714b12932f28c0a986f94e5b73&s=lisa+valdez

I agree with Sybil 100%; Ms. Valdez is destroying her career. In any other profession, she would have been fired a long time ago.

Don't You...Forget About Me

Hello to whatever's left of my blog readership! I've been MIA for months primarily due to a death in the family and loss of any kind of willingness to read anything remotely romantic. I've missed blogging a great deal and will get back to it next week. I have to address the Lisa Valdez PATIENCE debacle, among other things. Readers have been pretty patient with Ms. Valdez. Honestly, at this point, I don't remember anything about her first novel, PASSION. Do I care whether the book will ever come out? Not anymore. Am I pissed for the run around? Yes...most definitely.

Carrot Top

Is Jacquie D'Alessandro's Avon's ugly red-headed stepchild or something? She's a great writer. Unfortunately, Avon's Art Department seems to enjoy giving her the shaft with deformed heroines that are far from pleasing to the eye (ok...I might be exaggerating, but they're not HOT). Is she being punished for something?

Kathryn Caskie just got to Avon and she's getting SEX basically stamped on her books!

Jacquie, if I were you, I'd demand some red covers and hotter heroines. Just a thought!

One at a Time, LADY!

I don't get it. What is UP with writers these days? I have to wait three flippin' years to read Book 2 of Lisa Valdez's exciting series about three sisters (still waiting; it's supposedly out in May 2008, but I'm not holding my breath. I've heard that one before). The first novel, PASSION, came out in July 2005. YES, this is no typo! 2005! I kid you not! PASSION was incredible but apparently, some tight wads' panties got a little too twisted and they started writing nasty letters to the author ripping her a new one for writing what they thought was porn...or I guess for not warning them that the book would contain some sex scenes. Yeah, I know. Sex scenes in a romance novel....what will they think of next?!?

These idiots gave Valdez writer's block. She couldn't write after that, took it personally and turned in her second book late! The book was delayed...quite a bit. NOW FINALLY (and hopefully) we'll get to read her new book in May. Hopefully, the judgmental pricks didn't ruin it for everyone and the story will be as good and sex-filled as PASSION (yeah, I want the sex DAMMIT!). I also hope Valdez will grow more of a spine and perhaps not participate in message boards talks (a lot of tight wads attacked her in ALL ABOUT ROMANCE boards). Write your book and take a vacation! Trust me, if Book 2 is as good as Book 1, you're as good as gold!

In addition (yeah, I'm full of advice today), Lisa Valdez should learn to update her website a bit more often. It's like she's fallen off the face of the earth. Is your book coming out or what? Her site hasn't been updated since May 2007. I know she's busy and all, but it would nice to know with CERTAINTY that her book is indeed coming out in May of 2008!!! PATIENCE is still showing up as a 2007 publication. Please update or you'll lose your fans NOT because you're untalented (BECAUSE YOU ARE AMAZINGLY TALENTED AND GIFTED...DON'T EVER STOP WRITING), but because your fans will simply FORGET about you. PRIMROSE, Book 3 of the series, will probably be published when I'm in my 50s (a long long long time away, trust me) at this rate.

But the post is not really about Lisa Valdez and the morons who apparently felt forced to read the sexually explicit book (if you don't approve with a book, put it away or return it to your local bookseller, ASSHOLE!), it's about Lorraine Heath and her need to start a new series without finishing another. Now, her recent Roses and Rogues series is nowhere close to being the amazing gift from God that her Texas series was (DESTINY, SPLENDOR...you ladies know what I'm referring to), but it's not terrible and I was looking forward to its end. Well, apparently, Heath is either having writer's block or her publishing house (Avon, duh!) wants to make sure she suckers in even more readers with a new series. I honestly have no clue. I can't seem to get any feedback on the avon boards. I'm annoyed...extremely annoyed. Do I have other things to do besides reading romance novels and being irritated at writers I don't know from Adam? YES! Does this mean I shouldn't be even slightly annoyed to have to wait forever for the conclusion of a series? NO!

WTF, people? Finish a series before you start a new one. I don't get it! Did you really have no ideas for the last book? Hmmm...why don't you just recycle the usual ones? It's not like romance novels lately are so groundbreaking or original. A good ruined horny debutante virgin story will do nicely. Just finish the series and then move on to the next! Baaaaaaaaaaaah!

If anyone knows what the hell is going on, let me know. I'm confused.

By the way, I'm ready to put a missing persons' ad out for Judith Ivory.

UPDATE: Ok...after a bit of thought, I have to say that I'd rather have a book...any book...by Heath waiting for me at the book stores than none at all. I guess I can wait for Roses and Rogues to end at a later date. I just really want to finish the series. If Heath doesn't have a story just yet, then I can move on and read the next series. See...I'm not that unreasonable, right?!? It better be good though!

North and South

Apparently, there's been much talk recently of BBC's NORTH AND SOUTH miniseries which I own, of course, and following which I became madly in love/lust with Richard Armitage (my new ideal man...sorry, Gerard Butler...you're out). It got me to thinking of the epic 80s' miniseries of the same name, starring Patrick Swayze, James Read and Lesley Anne Downe. I was a child at the time and I remember sneaking into the living room, wanting to watch the saga. My parents would always catch me, so I had to settle for watching the taped episodes on weekends.

Can anyone top the love stories depicted in this miniseries? To this day, my heart still beats strongly whenever I hear the theme music composed by the great Bill Conti. Check this one out on netflix or at your local video store. You won't be sorry! And just a word of advice, there's a North and South, Part 3, Heaven and Hell, out there. DO NOT SEE IT! Trust me...it's not worth it. To be honest, it destroys the rest of the miniseries. It was filmed in the 90s and contains characters never mentioned in the 80s series. It's terrible. I pretend it doesn't exist. You should, too!

Check out NORTH AND SOUTH, Book 1 and Book 2 only. Enjoy!!!

A Small Dose of Reality

Imagine having a friend who:

a) recently separated from her spouse,
b) has a major crush on a co-worker,
c) claims she wants to be alone to find herself, since she's never been alone,
d) spent NYE with the co-worker she wants to bang.

What would you say to her? Keep in mind she's still married. First she says she's going to be alone and focus on herself and then I find out she's meeting the new guy's friend. SHE'S STILL MARRIED!!! I love her to death, but she's saying one thing and doing something else. It's driving me nuts because she's not even divorced and I'm getting all self-righteous on her ass because her hubby is a nice guy (she just fell out of love) and I feel like she being totally disrespectful. I don't know how to talk to her. I don't want her to get hurt either. Yeah, I know these are her mistakes to make...her life, but I'm the one who has to hear her talk about this new guy and then in the same breath claim she's not dating him. Sure....yeah, right!

I want to help her. I know I can't. I do need to talk to her w/o saying something I will regret. How would you handle it?

Oh..and BTW that new Julianne MacLean book stinks as much as that crap by Dodd I read recently. Review to come!

Scandalous Again

I went to the used book store the other day, after a very painful trip to the dentist. I had loads of cotton gauze in my mouth and was still drooling when I headed over to the Romance Section. Oh, joy!

I left my list of books to buy at home, so I decided to wing it and immediately ran to the "D" section, where I proceeded to pick up two Christina Dodd novels. BIG MISTAKE. Dodd is a hit or miss for me. Unfortunately, this time she was a miss, a big miss!

SCANDALOUS AGAIN is a novel that is best left at the bottom of any reader's list. Actually, strike that...it shouldn't even be on your list. Remove it. Throw the book out. Don't donate it to charity. Please! Some people are unfortunate enough as it is. They don't need a bad book tainting their existence, too.

The premise is a very simple, if not overdone, one. Madeline De Lacy, the Duchess of Magnus is in a pickle. Her gambling, useless father has lost her in a card game to a rich American magnate. She immediately devises a plan to...well, honestly I have no idea. She forces her cousin, Eleanor, who supposedly looks exactly like her, to switch places with her. Eleanor will meet the American Madeline is now supposed to marry and Madeline will go off into the country to..again I have no clue. I might have missed this part during a yawn or something, but I have no idea why Madeline goes off into country and ends up in some criminal's house. No clue. Needless to say, she's an idiot and a bossy one at that. A bitch, if you will. A stupid bitch. She soon runs into her ex-fiance, whom she dumped for some lame ass reason (read - he gambled, won a fortune and she basically ripped him a new one in front of all of Almacks and dumped him). Gosh, I want to spit at my computer screen right now. The heroine was some piece of work, spoiled and a total drama queen. When I first read the back blurb, I thought perhaps she had broken off her engagement because she caught her fiance with some prostitute or society matron. WRONG! The excuse she gives for breaking off her engagement is so asinine, I could not respect her. I was shocked (well, not really) when the hero took her back. I would have made her fall in love and then dumped her...in a cold river...literally!

Book stinks...there's really no other, more eloquent way to put it. It's terrible.

What makes me angry is that the sequel, ONE KISS FROM YOU, is apparently just as horrendous. Oh, yeah, and I bought it, too. Bah! Never buy under the influence of novacaine!

I hated this book with a passion. I hated the heroine with a passion. The hero? Meh! Sexy, but what a complete moron to take her back!

DON'T READ THE BOOK, if you know what's good for you!!!

Fool Like Me

Have you ever purchased a book and left it on your book shelf to collect dust, all while purchasing other books and devouring them within seconds (and been left severely disappointed)?

Two years ago I purchased Judith McNaught's PARADISE. I didn't read it. Not even close. I put it away...on the bottom of my TBR trunk and left it there. I never thought of it. I'd pick it up every now and then. I even started reading it once and immediately put it down because I didn't have the patience to learn about the heroine's childhood.

I read it this weekend. I give you all permission to kick me. HARD. VERY HARD!!!

I chose to read Julia Quinn's IT'S IN HIS KISS before Judith McNaught's PARADISE.

Again, I ask you to KICK ME!!!

Readers, let me tell you...the title says it all. The novel is pure paradise. Never have characters felt more alive and real. A review will simply not do it justice.

Meredith Bancroft is an heiress with a domineering overprotective father. Matt Farrell is your typical boy from the wrong side of the tracks. They meet one night and fall in love instantly. What follows is Meredith giving her virginity to Matt on the first night, getting pregnant and marrying him within six weeks. The marriage is later destroyed through lies, deceit and manipulation. 11 years go by and they meet again, this time Matt is a millionaire and....

Well, I'll leave it at that. It may sound like your typical "poor boy falls in love with rich girl" story, but it's not. It's so much more and I beg you to read it, if you already haven't.

Read it. Trust me. Just read it. You won't be sorry!!!

Rewriting Jane

Do you approve of rewriting history for the sake of romance? Apparently, the writers of the new Anne Hathaway film, BECOMING JANE, clearly do. I never heard of the film until recently, when a friend of mine, a fellow Austen lover, mentioned a new film out on the life of the great 19th century writer. I immediately had to find out everything I could about it....and was left extremely disappointed and angry. The film covers the love story between Austen and a distant relation of hers; it goes as far as suggesting that he was the inspiration for Mr. Darcy and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE basically an autobiographical work. Da fa?!?! Who are they trying to kid? What angers me about this film is that many viewers will end up believing the half-truths it spouts out. It is not clear whether Jane Austen had a life altering love affair that led to the creation of one of the greatest literary works of all time. There is no evidence to suggest it, beyond a couple of references to the the gentleman in letters to her sister. However, the writers use their imagination and cleverly create one for her. Why?

I don't approve of rewriting history. It's tantamount to lying and I'm not one too keen on the art of deception.

I cannot help but feel deceived and cheated out of a true account of the life of such an amazing author...and a bit offended, as well. Why must a great love be associated with her? Is it not possible she didn't have one? Would that make her less complete as a woman?

I don't know...perhaps my disgust goes beyond a bit of fudging. Perhaps, I'm merely ticked that there is an underlying assumption that Jane Austen needs a lover in order to be interesting, so the writers decided to give her one. After all, I've yet to see any film about her simply as Jane.

Jane: the woman...alone.

I didn't see the film but I do hope the directors made clear that it was a fictional account of Jane Austen's personal life. I'm beyond sickened by this.

Will not see this film.

Skip School

If you're planning on reading the series' novels related to this book and haven't yet purchased it, do yourself a favor and don't bother. The stories are frustrating and boring....I don't even think the authors listed on the cover wrote them. There's no way. IMPOSSIBLE!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!