Monday 6 July 2015

Blog Tour Review: A will of Iron - Linda Beutler



Only days after his disastrous proposal, the untimely death of Anne de Bourgh draws Fitzwilliam Darcy and his cousin Colonel Alexander Fitzwilliam back to Rosings Park before Elizabeth Bennet has left the neighborhood. Their return finds Rosings swathed in mourning. In death, Anne is revealed as having lived a rich life of the mind, and she plotted rather constantly to escape her loathsome mother, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Anne’s journal—spirited into the hands of Elizabeth and Charlotte Collins—holds her candid observations on life and her family. It also exposes her final, and sadly fatal, means of outwitting her mother. Anne’s Last Will and Testament, with its peculiar bequests, sends Lady Catherine into a tailspin and throws into turmoil every relationship amongst the Bennets, Darcys, Fitzwilliams, Collinses, and even the Bingleys! Was Anne de bourgh a shrewder judge of character than Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzilliam Darcy combined? 

 My thoughts:

Edit. I will no longer recommend this book. Seems the author thinks I am an embarrassment, and she had someone attack me on twitter for dare giving her a 3. Oh I should be stoned 

This one sure took the story for a spin.

Lizzy never leaves because Anne dies. And oh my, Anne's diary tells quite the story. She was a very busy lady, and how she hated her mother! But then that was deserved cos Lady Catherine was evil.

But yes the failed proposal is still there...*doom*

Darcy was Darcy, aww Darcy. 
Colonel Fitzwilliam, I was quite taken by him in this book. He is such a nice man.

So you all get that Darcy and Lizzy gets another chance. He gets to prove himself, she gets to see him in another light.

But! There is something else going on. Something sinister. Something that made me go all 0_0

Oh and then there is Anne's will, quite the lady as I said.

All the usual players do show up. There will be happy endings (that they have to work for), and I enjoyed this one. I smiled, I felt suspense and was happy to see it all work out. 

Kindle Edition, 246 pages
Published June 30th 2015 by Meryton Press
Pride and Prejudice variation
For review

Author Bio:
Linda Beutler is an Oregon native who began writing professionally in 1996 (meaning that is when they started paying her...), in the field of garden writing. First published in magazines, Linda graduated to book authorship in 2004 with the publication of Gardening With Clematis (2004, Timber Press). In 2007 Timber Press presented her second title, Garden to Vase, a partnership with garden photographer Allan Mandell. Now in 2013 Linda is working with a new publisher, and writing in a completely different direction. Funny how life works out, but more on that in a minute.
Linda lives the gardening life: she is a part-time instructor in the horticulture department at Clackamas Community College, writes and lectures about gardening topics throughout the USA, and is traveling the world through her active participation in the International Clematis Society, of which she is the current president. Then there's that dream job--which she is sure everyone else must covet but which she alone has--Linda Beutler is the curator of the Rogerson Clematis Collection, which is located at Luscher Farm, a farm/park maintained by the city of Lake Oswego. They say to keep resumes brief, but Linda considers Garden With Clematis her 72,000 word resume. She signed on as curator to North America's most comprehensive and publicly accessible collection of the genus clematis in July 2007, and they will no doubt not get shut of her until she can be carried out in a pine box.

And now for something completely different: in September 2011, Linda checked out a book of Jane Austen fan fiction from her local library, and was, to put it in the modern British vernacular, gobsmacked. After devouring every title she could get her hands on, she quite arrogantly decided that, in some cases, she could do better, and began writing her own expansions and variations of Pride and Prejudice. The will to publish became too tempting, and after viewing the welcoming Meryton Press website, she printed out the first three chapters of her book, and out it went, a child before the firing squad. Luckily, the discerning editors at Meryton Press saved the child from slaughter, and Linda's first work of Jane Austenesque fiction, The Red Chrysanthemum, published in September 2013. Her second work of fiction, From Longbourn to London was published in August of 2014.

Linda shares a small garden in Southeast Portland with her husband, and pets that function as surrogate children. Her personal collection of clematis numbers something around 230 taxa. These are also surrogate children, and just as badly behaved.

Links:


Buy Links

Blog Tour Schedule:

7/6: Review at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell 
7/7: Guest Post & Giveaway at More Agreeably Engaged
7/9: Review at Wings of Paper
7/10: Guest Post & Giveaway at So Little Time… 
7/11: Review at Half Agony, Half Hope
7/12: Excerpt & Giveaway at My Jane Austen Book Club 
7/13: Review at Songs and Stories
7/14: Review at Austenprose
7/15: Guest Post & Giveaway at Babblings of a Bookworm 
7/16: Review at Margie's Must Reads
7/17: Excerpt & Giveaway at Best Sellers and Best Stellars 
7/18: Guest Post & Giveaway at My Love for Jane Austen 
7/19: Excerpt & Giveaway at The Calico Critic 
7/20: Review at Diary of an Eccentric

49 comments:

  1. Wow. I never knew so many P&P variations/retellings existed! I don't think I will ever tire of reading about Mr. Darcy:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Another P&P retelling? Wow. I think you ar ethe Queen of these. This one certainly doesnt' sound light and fluffy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh this sounds like a cool P & P fan fiction! Must check it out. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I didn't realize it was a retelling. Oh I do tend to enjoy P&P retellings. Glad this one was good.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Who is Anne in the books again?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hahaha Anne dies. That is sad, but I am glad someone went there and put the poor chit out of her misery.
    But this sounds reaaaaaaally good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know! People always saves her, she is sick after all, let her die

      Delete
  7. Glad you liked it. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello. Seems like a nice read, nice of you to share.

    ReplyDelete
  9. it's always great to have a good retelling like that

    ReplyDelete
  10. Looking forward to reading this

    ReplyDelete
  11. It's always a relief when a retelling of a classic is well executed! Darcy really is so socially awkward...thank goodness he has Fitzwilliam and Bingley to help him along.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Poor guy, he would get nowhere without them!! :)

      Delete
  12. Interesting P & P retelling from what I gather :) You sure know how to pick them, Linda <3

    ReplyDelete
  13. Definitely an interesting take on the traditional P&P!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am bitter now about it. The author is unhappy about my rating so I wont recommend it anymore

      Delete
  14. Ooo the sinister aspect has me curious!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am bitter now about it. The author is unhappy about my rating so I wont recommend it anymore

      Delete
  15. This situation is too bad. I consider a 3 star review a recommended one too. 3 stars just means it's not so fabulous I have to reread it.

    And your review is intriguing. It's makes this book sound like the sort of thing I'd at least pass along to a friend who loves Pride & Prejudice retellings and fanfic, if not get myself. But not now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All books can not be re-reads. That does not mean you enjoy them that much less. A 3 for me is good, but yes like you say, maybe not re-read ready ;)

      I sadly enjoyed the book. Now, sour taste in my mouth

      Delete
  16. I saw that there was a situation with an upset author on Facebook. Now that I know it is this book, I wont touch it. This is a reasonable and fair review. I get more brutally honest as I get older and they would call for my beheading if they are upset by this review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can be brutally honest too. And that is what upset me. I enjoyed this book. It made me freaking laugh, and then this

      Delete
  17. Am I missing something?? There isn't anything negative in this review and I would have certainly given it a try based on your review - yet thanks to the author/friend response I won't read anything by either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is what's mindboggling! I wrote a positive review about a book I like and then they tell me my review is shit, and that I should do it better when I gave such a bad rating...i LIKED IT

      Delete
  18. Well, she sure sounds like a crazy cat lady. Not like I have anything against cats. Nice, cute review, not a mean bone in it! Some people, eh? Hugs xxx

    ReplyDelete
  19. So sorry you had to deal with that, especially since you did like the book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's what sucks. I liked this, and then they tell me the review is shit...thanks

      Delete
  20. This woman is ridiculous. I'm sorry she was so rude to you. I have to say I'm happy overall leaving the Bennett's story finished so I won't be reading it.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I enjoy reading different perspective on P&P. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great review! Don't let the haters get you down. Nothing wrong with a 3 star review!

    ReplyDelete

Contributors

Copyright © 2008-2020 Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell All Rights Reserved. Proudly powered by Blogger

  © Blogger template Starry by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008 Modified by Lea

Back to TOP