Monday, March 25, 2019

"A Very Austen Valentine" by Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, Barbara Cornthwaite, Mandy H. Cook, & Susan Kaye-- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveway

About the Book

A Very Austen Valentine Book CoverBook: A Very Austen Valentine
Author: Robin Helm
Genre: Historical Romance (Regency), Religious and Inspirational
Release Date: December 29, 2018
Six beloved authors deliver romantic Valentine novellas set in Jane Austen’s Regency world. Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, and Barbara Cornthwaite, together with Susan Kaye and Mandy Cook, share variations of Pride and PrejudicePersuasion, and Sense and Sensibility, featuring your favorite characters in sequels, adaptations, and spinoffs of Austen’s adored novels.
Experience uplifting romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and poignant regret as these authors deftly tug on your heartstrings this Valentine’s Day.
I Dream of You by Robin Helm
Newly-married Elizabeth Darcy has a plan: to charm her too-busy husband into desiring her company as much as he did when he was courting her. A series of romantic dreams gives her just the push she needs to put that plan into action.
Sir Walter Takes a Wife by Laura Hile
Faced with a lonely future and finding himself strapped for cash, Persuasion’s Sir Walter Elliot manfully decides to marry again. But his careful plans go sadly awry! A lighthearted Valentine mash-up featuring two of Jane Austen’s worst snobs.
My Forever Valentine by Wendi Sotis
Jane and Charles Bingley have married, even though Miss Elizabeth Bennet remains certain Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy gave his best effort to keep them apart. After Mr. Darcy refused to stand up with Bingley and did not attend the wedding, she despises the gentleman more than ever and finds his company intolerable. How will she endure her visit to Kent if Mr. Darcy turns up everywhere she goes?
Pretence and Prejudice by Barbara Cornthwaite
A chance encounter with a handsome stranger forces Elizabeth to resort to subterfuge in order to discover his true intentions.
My Valentine by Mandy H. Cook
Little Charlotte was always determined and independent, traits which served her well as she battled a serious childhood illness and later as she took on Polite Society. Will those traits now deprive her of true love? Or would her lifelong Valentine win her heart?
The Lovers’ Ruse by Susan Kaye
In this Persuasion alteration, Anne is so altered by Wentworth’s love in the summer of 1806, she refuses to give him up when both her godmother and father try to persuade her. “The Lovers’ Ruse” follows Frederick and Anne through their whirlwind courtship and their secret engagement. When Wentworth returns for his Annie girl, the cat comes out of the bag.


My Thoughts
I have not read any adaptations or extensions of any of Jane Austen's works before. I found this collection to be delightful. The glimpses as what the lives of some of her characters might possibly be like was fun. I liked how little bits of the original stories were pulled in to tie them together. I thought it was fun when characters from different stories were brought together. Having alternate story lines for existing stories is intriguing. Most of these authors were new to me, which is a good way to get to know more authors and their style of writing.

About the Author

robin helmRobin Helm’s books reflect her love of music, as well as her fascination with the paranormal and science fiction.
Previously published works include The Guardian Trilogy: GuardianSoulFire, and Legacy (a guardian angel protects a supernaturally gifted girl), the Yours by Design series: Accidentally Yours, Sincerely Yours, and Forever Yours (Fitzwilliam Darcy switches places in time with his descendant, Will Darcy), and Understanding Elizabeth (Regency sweet romance).
She contributed to A Very Austen Christmas: Austen Anthologies, Book 1, an anthology featuring like-minded authors, in 2017, and A Very Austen Valentine: Austen Anthologies, Book 2 which was released on December 29, 2018.
New releases for 2019 include More to Love, a standalone historical sweet romance dealing with body image; Lawfully Innocent, a historical U.S. Marshal romance book in the Lawkeepers series; Maestro, a historical sweet romance featuring a brilliant musician and his student; and A Very Austen Romance: Austen Anthologies, Book 3.
She lives in sunny South Carolina where she teaches piano and adores her one husband, two married daughters, and three grandchildren.

More from Robin

Do you love Historical romance, but avoid “those” covers like the plague?
Would you enjoy an anthology featuring six Valentine-themed novellas set in the Regency period written by Christian authors?
In A Very Austen Valentine, stories range from a young wife searching for a way to bring her marriage back to the way it was, to a laugh-out-loud courtship between Jane Austen’s worst snobs.
Misunderstandings, concealed identities, and romance abound.
There is even a sequel featuring the children of the Darcys and the Brandons.
Every reader will find something to love in this wonderful collection.

Blog Stops

Emily Yager, March 29
Moments, March 31
Mary Hake, March 31
Pause for Tales, April 1
Creating RomanceApril 2
Book by Book, April 2
The Becca Files, April 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away
Grand Prize: a $50 Amazon gift card
1st Place: An autographed paperback of A Very Austen Valentine: Austen Anthologies, Book 1
2nd Place: An autographed paperback of A Very Austen Christmas: Austen Anthologies, Book 2
3rd Place: A set of three ebooks – Reader’s Choice of any three of my books and
4th Place: a $5 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/ddfa/a-very-austen-valentine-celebration-tour-giveaway

"A Very Austen Valentine" is available in paperback:
  • Series: Austen Anthologies (Book 2)
  • Paperback: 477 pages
  • Publisher: Independently published (December 7, 2018)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1731382324
  • ISBN-13: 978-1731382320
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches


and in Kindle edition:
  • File Size: 3780 KB
  • Print Length: 479 pages
  • Publication Date: December 29, 2018
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B07L6SR1RJ


I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was given for my review.

14 comments:

Robin Helm said...

Hi, Becky.

Thank you so much for hosting us!

This is such a lovely post.

Robin Helm

Laura Hile said...

What Robin said!

Becky, thanks so much for featuring our book. I'm so glad you enjoyed our stories.

We refer to the "A Very Austen" series as "books that friendship built" -- because it's true. How blessed we are to have found friends -- on the Internet of all places! -- who are also talented writers.

Laura Hile

Dianna said...

Jane Austen is my favorite author. I don't often read spinoffs, though.

Emma said...

This sounds like a fun collection of stories!

Julie Waldron said...

I've never read Jane Austen but they sound like great books.

Robin Helm said...

Hi, Dianna, Emma, and Julie! So glad to see you here. Good luck in the giveaway!

Robin

Debbie P said...

This sounds like a really fantastic collection of story and I can't wait to read them!

Philip Hilton said...

Wow Excellent your blog post. thanks for sharing..

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Robin Helm said...

Thank you all for your wonderful comments!

Caryl Kane said...

This collection sounds wonderful! Thank you for sharing.

darcybennett said...

I love anthology collections and am a fan of all of the authors. Thanks for the giveaway!

Michelle said...

Becky, I love the cover of this book. Your review sounds delightful.
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Laura Hile said...

Caryl and darcybennett, thank you for the kind encouragement! :)

Good luck in the giveaway.

Laura Hile said...

Michelle, thank you! We love this happy cover too.