ABOUT THE BOOK
“She is tolerable, I suppose, but there is rather too much of her to tempt me.”
Overhearing Mr. Darcy’s rude dismissal of her shocks and mortifies Elizabeth Bennet to the core.
She is living her worst fear, and it galvanizes her into action.
Soon, the gentleman cannot keep his eyes from her, but can she forgive his thoughtless judgment of her appearance and character?
Especially since he faces a worthy competitor for her attention?
Who will win the lady’s hand, along with the right to love her through thick or thin?
Release Date: February 12, 2019
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES
I Dream of You in A Very Austen Valentine
MY REVIEW
So, I love Pride and Prejudice, and I love retellings. However, I’m sad to say that I did not love More to Love...
Robin Helm’s story takes Jane Austen’s well-known characters, but alters their story by centering the conflict around Elizabeth’s weight and Darcy’s rude comment. The premise is an interesting one, but fails to maintain the P&P tension and instead, delivers a run-of-the-mill, cheesy romance. (Had the characters been any other than Elizabeth and Darcy, I likely would have enjoyed it more because I would not have had the same expectations.) Add in some inconsistencies (like, given similar situations, why is Elizabeth compromised, yet Jane is not?) and ill-paced (and -placed) Wickham drama (plus a cover that confused me about Elizabeth’s apparent weight), and More to Love is not the story for me.
Still, I can admit that More to Love has entertaining moments I enjoyed, and I admire the attempt to play with a classic, well-loved storyline. If the premise intrigues you, I definitely recommend reading a few more reviews—plenty of readers have enjoyed the story more than I did.
★★
I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Previously published works include The Guardian Trilogy: Guardian, SoulFire, 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.
GUEST POST FROM THE AUTHOR
Have you ever been judged on the basis of your appearance – what you weigh, how you dress, how you wear your hair or do your makeup? I am a professional dieter, and I have been on all of them. I lose, and I gain it back. I know the lengths a woman will go to after she overhears remarks about how she looks, so I relate to Elizabeth in More to Love in a way that’s a bit beyond my comfort zone.
Another aspect of this book which is personal is that I chose to base a supporting character on a wonderful, Christian lady at my church (with her permission). Mrs. Donna Bailey has been a constant encouragement to me in regards to my writing. She often gives me beautiful sugar cookies she painstakingly decorates with holiday themes. Mrs. Bailey is the housekeeper and dessert cook at Longbourn, and she helps Elizabeth through thick and thin, so to speak.
GIVEAWAY
To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away
Grand Prize: a $25 Amazon gift card
1st Place: An autographed paperback of A Very Austen Valentine: Austen Anthologies, Book 2
2nd Place: An autographed paperback of More to Love
3rd Place: A set of three eBooks – Reader’s Choice of any three of her books
Enter below, and be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway.
TOUR SCHEDULE
This book sounds like a wonderful read.
ReplyDeleteI've never read a book based on Jane Austen's books, so that in itself would be interesting.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteSounds good.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning! Thank you for the book description.These tours are great and we have found some terrific books so thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteThanks for providing your review on this book. It is good to hear some things that a potential reader might not like.
ReplyDeleteHallie, Thank you for sharing your honest review!
ReplyDelete