Jane Austen and JA Regency Award

Editorial Review:

Howarth exudes English correctness with witty sharp dialogue and country dialect of a bygone age. She writes compelling narrative and dialogue, and the author's knowledge of the era and regional places are brought to life in vivid colour. While arranged marriage plots are somewhat of a cliché in the historical romance genre, there is a dark ominous sense of foreboding to this novel. Loose rumours the hero killed his first two wives is left hanging in the air, and the title *Reluctant Duchess* is paramount. The knowledge her husband has a mistress crushes sweet naive Liliana’s self-esteem. Her reaction is refusal to let him break through her protective shield. She locks her emotions away and rebels when personal loss strikes without warning. This event is the turning point which shakes her husband from stupendous belief she is immune to his presence. At the same time his closeted world is turned inside out. His inner court is less of his making while those of his train exert power and influence at his expense. Although the duke wields a strong personality it is obvious he has drifted and lost direction after the mysterious death of his second wife. To avoid plot spoilers it is vital to stop here, apart from saying his second wife’s death haunts the novel throughout and re-enters the story with a shocking tale of abduction, murder, and incest. Ms Howarth is hereby granted a Jane Austen Regency Award for this page-turning Regency murder mystery.   

Bear in mind this has steamy romance and bawdy language.  

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Editorial Review:

When all is said and done, there are JAFF authors who readily lapse into familiar phrases and scenes from Jane Austen’s most famous novel. Ms Everly instead stretches boundaries and blends Austen with her own imagination and dares to suggest Mr. Darcy suffers from a neurological difference. In this P and P variation Miss Elizabeth Bennet becomes a little futuristic to her time [Aspberger and Kanner], but let’s not quibble over medical straws. Ms Austen indeed portrayed Darcy as socially deficient when out of his comfort zone, and mild Aspberger Syndrome could excuse his brusque mannerisms. Elizabeth Bennet was depicted as observant to faults in other people throughout Jane Austen’s tome, and remained completely ignorant of her own imperfections. Ms Everly’s well written novel shines a light on Elizabeth’s unique understanding of individual differences and perspectives, a considerate aptitude she sorely lacked in the original story. While history tells of children and adults hidden away in attics or placed in asylums [Bedlam], Jane Austen had a lesser mentioned brother with unusual traits who resided in the shadows. Thereby, Elizabeth’s young cousin inspires cognisance to the pattern of his mannerisms, and Darcy the puzzle is solved piece by piece. Ms Everly writes with flair and confidence in her subject matter with an eye to detail and research. Therefore a Jane Austen Award is bestowed for this unusual Pride and Prejudice Variation.

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