Much Ado About Persuasion Kick-Off Package
About the Book
Book: Much Ado About Persuasion
Author: Barbara Cornthwaite
Genre: Historical/Jane Austen Retelling
Release date: May 3, 2022
Some duel with swords, others with ships. In love, however, they duel with hearts.
When Sir Walter Elliot, secret admirer of the Navy, invites officers to visit his estate, what could be more natural than for his two daughters to find themselves in love?
Elizabeth Elliot’s legendary, bitter pride clashes with Admiral Baldwin’s stubborn conceit until any hope of a match seems impossible. They say love conquers all, but does it?
All looks hopeful for Anne Elliot and the dashing Captain Wentworth, but when a cousin steps in and sets evil plans into motion, is their love enough to withstand the storm, or is it best to let the captain sail that ship… alone?
Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing meets Jane Austen’s Persuasion in this story about trust, disappointment, and disguises.
My Review:
I would never have imagined taking the characters from Jane Austen’s beloved novel “Persuasion” and matching them with Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”. When I first saw the publisher’s description for this book, I could not imagine how the two could successfully work together; but the selling point for me was that this book is written by Barbara Cornthwaite. I’ve been impressed with this author’s books in the past, and I’m glad I took a chance on this one. She has very skillfully woven the two storylines together. You don’t have to be familiar with either “Persuasion” or “Much Ado” to enjoy reading this new retake on those stories.
One of my main complaints about authors who attempt to take Jane Austen’s characters and place them in a different setting is that they don’t get the correct time period details or they change the characters’ personalities. I thought the author did a great job in both respects with this book. The dialogue fit the time period very well and flowed smoothly, and all the characters retained elements of their original personalities. There were a couple of scenes that I might have changed, but they still fit within the story.
If you like Jane Austen’s books, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with this retake on her classic story. Having read quite a few books that fall under the category of “Austen fan fiction”, I thought this was one of the best I’ve read of those books. I’m looking forward to reading it again and seeing what little details I might have missed the first time through.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Barbara Cornthwaitelives in the middle of Ireland with her husband and children. She taught college English before “retiring” to do something she loves far more; her days are now filled with homeschooling, trying to keep the house tidy (a losing battle), and trying to stay warm in the damp Irish climate (also a losing battle). She is surrounded by medieval castles, picturesque flocks of sheep, and ancient stone monuments. These things are unappreciated by her six children, who are more impressed by traffic jams, skyscrapers, and hot weather.
More from Barbara
I discovered Jane Austen in college when I was required to read Pride and Prejudice. This was in the dark ages before the famous adaptations, and I knew nothing about the storyline. In fact, I expected it to be depressing, probably because the title sounded similar to War and Peace. It was a delightful surprise to be charmed by the novel, and I went on to read all Austen’s other books on my own. Each of them have a special place in my heart. I love Emma so much that I wrote a two-book parallel novel for it (the George Knightley, Esquire series). I also have novellas based on Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma in the A Very Austen anthologies. This book, however, is the first thing I’ve written based on Persuasion.
Shakespeare I met in high school, and furthered my acquaintance with him in college. Much Ado About Nothing is, I think, my favorite of his plays (although there are several close contenders for the top spot). His grasp of character is unmatched, and his language, even after five hundred years, is striking.
Mixing the stories of these two authors has been great fun, and redeeming a couple of characters who didn’t learn anything from their mistakes in the original stories gives my version a spiritual twist. I hope you enjoy it!
Blog Stops
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 17
Texas Book-aholic, June 18
Miriam Jacob, June 18
A Reader’s Brain, June 19
Britt Reads Fiction, June 20
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 20
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , June 21
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, June 22
For Him and My Family, June 22
Inklings and notions, June 23
deb’s Book Review, June 24
Of Blades and Thorns, June 24
Locks, Hooks and Books, June 25
Connie’s History Classroom, June 26
Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen, June 26
She Lives To Read, June 27
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 28
Sylvan Musings, June 28
Labor Not in Vain, June 29
Back Porch Reads, June 30
Melissa’s Bookshelf, June 30
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Barbara is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
Thanks for the kind review, Patti! So glad you enjoyed the book. 🙂
Thank you for the review.
A Jane Austen retelling sounds like a great book for me to read, thanks for sharing it with me! Thanks, She Lives To Read, for sharing your review! Have a spectacular week!
This sounds like a good book and one I will enjoy.
this sounds like a great book
I often have an adverse reaction to “fan fiction” unless it is well done. This clever pairing of Austen and Shakespeare sounds like a winning combination.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! Much Ado about Persuasion sounds like a must read.