But even if the whole world was against them, it would not matter. They were together—again. And this time they would remain together. Until dea...
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reviews
Aug 29, 2010
Janga
rated it: 
The purists among the Janeites will likely view Bespelling Jane as another sacrilege in the ever-growing field of Austen adaptations, parodies, and alternate texts, but Austen fans with a taste for the paranormal will find much to enjoy in this anthology that contains stories by an unlikely quartet: Mary Balogh, perennial favorite historical romance novelist; Colleen Gleason, author of the popular Gardella Vampire Chronicles, a series about a female vampire hunter in Regency England; Susan Kr
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Jul 02, 2011
Pamela
rated it: 
REVIEW COURTESY OF ROMANCE JUNKIES (reviewer pamelalynne):
ALMOST PERSUADED by Mary Balogh
As a child, Miss Jane Everett has a wild imagination, or so she is told. One day while visiting a neighbor, she tells a tale she believes to be true. Jane soon realizes she should have kept her thoughts to herself because she only brought pain and embarrassment to those around her. Her parents notify her that she must stop inventing stories. Not wanting to upset others or to have her More...
ALMOST PERSUADED by Mary Balogh
As a child, Miss Jane Everett has a wild imagination, or so she is told. One day while visiting a neighbor, she tells a tale she believes to be true. Jane soon realizes she should have kept her thoughts to herself because she only brought pain and embarrassment to those around her. Her parents notify her that she must stop inventing stories. Not wanting to upset others or to have her More...
Jun 25, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
Mary Balogh, Colleen Gleason, Susan Krinard, and Janet Mullany unite in Bespelling Jane Austen to provide both Austen and Paranormal fans a fantastically delightful treat in the form of four short stories. All four short stories are particularly enjoyable in their own right, but to have four such stories brought together in a single collaboration makes for lovely reading.
Instead of reviewing all four contributions separately, having always been a Emma fan, I thought it fitting to cont More...
Instead of reviewing all four contributions separately, having always been a Emma fan, I thought it fitting to cont More...
Jan 02, 2011
Chibineko
rated it:
I like Jane Austen & I like the supernatural, so I figured that this compilation would be something I'd be sure to enjoy. For the most part, it succeeded. For my review, I'm going story by story:
Almost Persuaded: I'm sad to say that this was easily the weakest story of the bunch. It takes quite a few liberties with the original story & not all of them good. The most noticeable one was a detailed sex scene that while being very steamy, stuck out like a sore thumb & didn't really fit in More...
Almost Persuaded: I'm sad to say that this was easily the weakest story of the bunch. It takes quite a few liberties with the original story & not all of them good. The most noticeable one was a detailed sex scene that while being very steamy, stuck out like a sore thumb & didn't really fit in More...
Jul 05, 2010
Stephanie
rated it:
With the popularity of both classic and time-shifted renditions of many Jane Austen works and the immense popularity of Paranormal Romance it was only a matter of time until Austen was altered with a dash of the supernatural. There have already been at least a couple of books with Miss Austen’s work re-done with werewolves or zombies. Like Clueless, most seem to use Austen’s novels as a base for comedic romance.
This is the first anthology I have seen with treatments of Persuasi More...
This is the first anthology I have seen with treatments of Persuasi More...
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Mar 09, 2011
Ana
rated it:
Bespelling Jane Austen / 978-0-37377-501-9
I've always been fond of Jane Austen, and I've enjoyed the paranormal Jane Austen novels that have been coming out of the woodwork; I felt that zombies was precisely what "Pride and Prejudice" was lacking the first time around, and I absolutely adored "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters". And while "Bespelling Jane Austen" looks at first glance to be capitalizing on all the hype, this collection of novellas is really qui More...
I've always been fond of Jane Austen, and I've enjoyed the paranormal Jane Austen novels that have been coming out of the woodwork; I felt that zombies was precisely what "Pride and Prejudice" was lacking the first time around, and I absolutely adored "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters". And while "Bespelling Jane Austen" looks at first glance to be capitalizing on all the hype, this collection of novellas is really qui More...
Nov 24, 2010
Heather
rated it:
I saw this at the library last week and just had to pick it up! The book contains four novellas based on.Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma. But all of the authors added a bit of the paranormal into the story lines.
The first one involves reincarnation and soulmates. Northanger Castles started off really fantastic, but the ending was too rushed and I just didn't see the chemistry there between the two leads. Blood and Prejudice takes place in present-time and it More...
The first one involves reincarnation and soulmates. Northanger Castles started off really fantastic, but the ending was too rushed and I just didn't see the chemistry there between the two leads. Blood and Prejudice takes place in present-time and it More...
Oct 18, 2010
Cyna
rated it: 
Bespelling Jane Austen is actually one of the first books we've gotten an ARC of, and holy shit I was thrilled. Jane Austen is my favorite author, and romance-book-ified Jane Austen stories with supernatural twists? SIGN ME UP. In more detail: Bespelling Jane Austen is a collection of four short stories written by four authors (Mary Balogh, Colleen Gleason, Susan Krinard, and Janet Mullany), each taking a theme and/or characters from one of Jane Austen's novels and giving it a supernatural twist
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Nov 16, 2010
*Babs*
rated it:
What if Austen had believed in reincarnation and vampires? Join four bestselling romance authors as they channel the wit and wisdom of Jane Austen.
Almost Persuaded
In this Regency tale of Robert and Jane, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh brings together former lovers who have seen beyond the veil of forgetfulness to their past mistakes, and are determined to be together in this life, and forever.
Northanger Castle
Caroline's obsession with Gothic novels winds u More...
Almost Persuaded
In this Regency tale of Robert and Jane, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh brings together former lovers who have seen beyond the veil of forgetfulness to their past mistakes, and are determined to be together in this life, and forever.
Northanger Castle
Caroline's obsession with Gothic novels winds u More...
Nov 19, 2010
Melindeeloo
rated it:
I am ashamed to admit it but this collection of short stories brought me to the realization that although I am constantly reading, I am a literary pagan - I haven't read many of the `classics'. So my review of Bespelling Jane Austen is purely of my impression of the collection as an avid paranormal romance reader and a lover of anthologies and not someone familiar with Austen's works - which may be either a good or bad thing - I can't say, since I don't know how well these re-imagined stories ho
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Dec 10, 2011
Mary
rated it:
This anthology gathers four paranormal versions of Jane Austen classics.
The first story by Mary Balogh was enjoyable. Her take on Persuasion with a reincarnation twist. It was a tender, emotional love story.
The second story was Colleen Gleason's version of Northanger Abbey.. the story was fun to read, but a bit slow. I wish that they had gotten to Northanger Castle sooner. The first 2/3 of the story was slow to me.
The third story was Susan Krinard's retelling of More...
The first story by Mary Balogh was enjoyable. Her take on Persuasion with a reincarnation twist. It was a tender, emotional love story.
The second story was Colleen Gleason's version of Northanger Abbey.. the story was fun to read, but a bit slow. I wish that they had gotten to Northanger Castle sooner. The first 2/3 of the story was slow to me.
The third story was Susan Krinard's retelling of More...
Aug 31, 2011
Erin
rated it:
I really wanted to like these stories, but they just didn't do it for me. They were OK--maybe even 2 1/2 stars. I felt like they could have been better written than they were, though. They felt rushed and not sufficiently developed, especially when it came to the believability of the romances.
The first novella in the book, "Almost Persuaded" by Mary Balogh, was very loosely based on Austen's Persuasion. Too loosely, which really was a large part of the problem. Jane Ever More...
The first novella in the book, "Almost Persuaded" by Mary Balogh, was very loosely based on Austen's Persuasion. Too loosely, which really was a large part of the problem. Jane Ever More...
Jan 16, 2011
Elvira
rated it:
A collection from four romance writers each taking their favorite Jane Austen novel and adding a paranormal twist. These stories fall right into line with popularity of remaking the classics with a zombie or vampire twist, though they thankfully do feel a need to follow faithfully the entire book, but instead take the main plot of each story and then revamp their own into short stories. The two stories that I found the most enjoyable were by writers that typically write in the Regency time perio
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Apr 02, 2011
Lindi
rated it:
If it hadn't been for the last story, "Little to Hex Her" by Janet Mullany, this would have been lucky to get 2 stars from me. I don't know why I succumbed and bought the stupid thing. But I do like speculative fiction and I do like a good bodice-ripper and I simply adore Jane Austen, even the fan-fiction. And here we have all three, wrapped up like a gyro. What could I do?
So Persuasion as a tale of reincarnation -- not bad, but trying to out-parody Northanger Abbey is just More...
So Persuasion as a tale of reincarnation -- not bad, but trying to out-parody Northanger Abbey is just More...
Sep 23, 2010
Katherine
rated it:
Bespelling Jane Austen is an anthology of four novella’s inspired by Austen’s novels with a paranormal twist. The first two are set in the 19th century while the others are present-day. Paranormal fiction is generally not my cup of tea but with so many Austen sequels delving into the realm I thought I should at least read one.
Almost Persuaded by: Mary Balough
Captain Robert Mitford and Miss Jane Everett have met before -several times. Each lifetime they’re destined to fin More...
Almost Persuaded by: Mary Balough
Captain Robert Mitford and Miss Jane Everett have met before -several times. Each lifetime they’re destined to fin More...
Sep 18, 2010
Marlene
rated it:
BESPELLING JANE AUSTEN takes four of Jane Austen's books and gives them a paranormal twist. From a reincarnation tale of lost love, to a vampire Darcy, and an Emma with witchy powers, BESPELLING JANE AUSTEN has a little bit of everything for the paranormal lover.
Mary Balogh takes the book PERSUASION and makes it a tale of reunited love in different lifetimes. In "Northanger Castle" Ms. Gleason takes the Gothic feel of NORTHANGER ABBY and adds vampires to the mix and More...
Mary Balogh takes the book PERSUASION and makes it a tale of reunited love in different lifetimes. In "Northanger Castle" Ms. Gleason takes the Gothic feel of NORTHANGER ABBY and adds vampires to the mix and More...
Oct 11, 2010
Rhianna
rated it:
A delight even for someone who has never read Austen. (4 stars)
I've never actually read Jane Austen's work. Isn't that the most blasphemous thing to say when opening a review of Austen-inspired short stories? Sadly, it really is the truth. I'm just not a big fan of Regencies so they just keep being pushed back on that list of "I really should read this" books I have. So please forgive me for reading and reviewing Bespelling Jane Austen with such ignorance of the source mate More...
I've never actually read Jane Austen's work. Isn't that the most blasphemous thing to say when opening a review of Austen-inspired short stories? Sadly, it really is the truth. I'm just not a big fan of Regencies so they just keep being pushed back on that list of "I really should read this" books I have. So please forgive me for reading and reviewing Bespelling Jane Austen with such ignorance of the source mate More...
Nov 20, 2010
Meredith (Austenesque Reviews)
rated it:
It is evident that Jane Austen and the paranormal genre make an inspiring and intriguing combination. In the last two years at least a dozen or so Jane Austen/Paranormal novels have been published, and the trend doesn't seem to be ending any time soon! Bespelling Jane Austen is a four novella anthology written by four diverse and skilled authors. Each novella infuses different elements of the supernatural world and is around 80-110 pages in length. These authors did a magnificent job of remainin
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Feb 18, 2011
So I'm reading this book that I just picked up off the general fiction shelves at the library.
It's supposed a compilation of short stories inspired by Jane Austen's best with supernatural elements added. I thought it sounded intriguing.
A sentence or two early on in the first story made me check the spine of the book to see if there was a 'romance sticker' there which our library adds for easy identification. Nothing but the Dewey Decimal System.
Only just now as I'm readin More...
It's supposed a compilation of short stories inspired by Jane Austen's best with supernatural elements added. I thought it sounded intriguing.
A sentence or two early on in the first story made me check the spine of the book to see if there was a 'romance sticker' there which our library adds for easy identification. Nothing but the Dewey Decimal System.
Only just now as I'm readin More...
Oct 20, 2010
CJ - You Carry On As If I Don't Love You
rated it:
TBP
However, the most interesting story was Collean Gleason's take on Northanger Abbey. The characters were similar to those by Austen, with very similar traits, but were different enough to be captivatingly manipulated with the confines of an adapted tale of a classic. Though I haven't read the Gardella series, it is an offshoot on the idea of Venators etc. And is referenced once or twice. Surprisingly this is my favorite in this collection.
The most romantic is Mary Balogh' More...
However, the most interesting story was Collean Gleason's take on Northanger Abbey. The characters were similar to those by Austen, with very similar traits, but were different enough to be captivatingly manipulated with the confines of an adapted tale of a classic. Though I haven't read the Gardella series, it is an offshoot on the idea of Venators etc. And is referenced once or twice. Surprisingly this is my favorite in this collection.
The most romantic is Mary Balogh' More...
Jul 15, 2011
Missie
rated it:
I liked three of the stories, with my favorite being "Northanger Castle"; it had the right tone of silliness which is necessary with making a classic author into a paranormal. By the same token, the "headline" story, "Almost Persuaded" was entirely too serious, and not paranormal, really. Maybe I just thought it was dumb because I don't believe in reincarnation, and the author was so serious about it. I also found the gratuitous name-changes in each of those two
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Nov 05, 2010
Janet
rated it:
I have not read the last two stories yet but I would give a ** stars to Almost Persuaded by Mary Balogh (one of her paler, more subdued heroines) & *** stars to Northanger Castle, humourous, sly and fun. I think this is the first I've read Colleen Gleason but I'd be interested in recommendations for other stories by her.
Still haven't finished this book but this is just not my cuppa. I really did not care for the Pride and Prejudice story. I don't consider myself a Jane Austen purist More...
Still haven't finished this book but this is just not my cuppa. I really did not care for the Pride and Prejudice story. I don't consider myself a Jane Austen purist More...
Sep 29, 2011
Krista
rated it:
Slightly uneven collection of Jane Austen-inspired tales. Balogh's offering, "Almost Persuaded," was a sweet tale of past-life lovers reunited (according to the author's note, the only paranormal element Balogh felt capable of working with was reincarnation). Gleason's "Northanger Castle" was a spin-off of her Gardella series, and Krinard's "Blood and Prejudice" reimagines Elizabeth and Darcy in modern-day New York (with Darcy as a vampire, sigh). Mullany's "
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Sep 28, 2010
Kimm
rated it:
Never let it be said that Jane Austen will go out of style. The steady stream of Austenesque novels shows clear evidence of this fact. Paying homage to our most beloved female author, storytellers crank out pages of dialogue and description designed to continue Miss Austen’s legacy: her characters. One shining and unique example is the recently released Bespelling Jane Austen. BJA consists of four short stories, each one taking a separate classic Jane Austen novel and rewriting it to include a h
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Jan 12, 2011
Cid
rated it:
It’s no secret I’m a huge Austen fan. I love rereading Jane Austen, I love the stories that put a twist on her classics so when I was given the chance to read Bespelling Jane Austen it was like an early birthday present to me.
Almost Persuaded – This is very losely based off of Persuasion; the story of a woman who meets the man she was persuaded to turn down in her youth and discovers she still loves him. Almost Persuaded is the story of reincarnation. The story moves quickly, and re More...
Almost Persuaded – This is very losely based off of Persuasion; the story of a woman who meets the man she was persuaded to turn down in her youth and discovers she still loves him. Almost Persuaded is the story of reincarnation. The story moves quickly, and re More...
Nov 09, 2010
Sumi
rated it:
It was really more of a 1.5 stars because while I didn't dislike the book, it was not as much as an 'okay' either. It was a clever idea. I like the idea of adding a paranormal twist to Jane Austen but the Persuasion story didn't even bother using the Persuasion character names and Emma was moved into the modern period. I would have preferred the Austen characters set in the Regency time period with the only change being the paranormal twist. The Pride and Prejudice version did that, but I think
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Oct 02, 2011
Carien
rated it:
Almost Persuaded by Mary Balogh
In this Regency tale of Robert and Jane, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh brings together former lovers who have seen beyond the veil of forgetfulness to their past mistakes, and are determined to be together in this life, and forever.
What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
A charming lovestory with a hint of the supernatural. Robert and Jane are two people you just can't help liking although I did want to slap Jane from time to time More...
In this Regency tale of Robert and Jane, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh brings together former lovers who have seen beyond the veil of forgetfulness to their past mistakes, and are determined to be together in this life, and forever.
What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
A charming lovestory with a hint of the supernatural. Robert and Jane are two people you just can't help liking although I did want to slap Jane from time to time More...
Oct 27, 2010
Megan
rated it:
Almost Persuaded by Mary Balogh- 3 stars. Historical romance. A reincarnation version of Persuasion. Good, but not great. I do have to admit that Ms. Balogh’s idea of reincarnation was a great idea for Persuasion, but it just came up a little short. Jane Everett and Captain Robert Mitford have loved each other for what they call “eternity” each in different lifetimes and they always look different, but the obstacles of getting married are almost always the same. Can they overcome Jane’s fa
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Nov 26, 2010
Laurel
rated it:
4 Austen inspired paranormal romances
Pairing the Jane Austen and paranormal genre’s is a clever concept that has seen some hits and misses over the last few years. Bespelling Jane Austen is a new anthology offering four novellas from romance authors Mary Balogh, Colleen Gleason, Susan Krinard and Janet Mullany adapting Austen novels with a supernatural spin.
Almost Persuaded, by Mary Balogh
Bestselling romance novelist Mary Balogh uses Persuasion, Jane Austen’s tender More...
Pairing the Jane Austen and paranormal genre’s is a clever concept that has seen some hits and misses over the last few years. Bespelling Jane Austen is a new anthology offering four novellas from romance authors Mary Balogh, Colleen Gleason, Susan Krinard and Janet Mullany adapting Austen novels with a supernatural spin.
Almost Persuaded, by Mary Balogh
Bestselling romance novelist Mary Balogh uses Persuasion, Jane Austen’s tender More...
Sep 18, 2011
Kat
rated it:
My review is posted on Joyfully Reviewed: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-revi...
“Almost Persuaded” by Mary Balogh - 2 stars
Jane Everett has always had memories of a life not her own, yet she has long convinced herself that she’s just imagining things. But when Jane meets Captain Robert Mitford, Jane knows she has known him, though they’ve never met. How is that possible?
Robert, too, recognizes Jane. He knows she is his soul mate; his other half that he has lo More...
“Almost Persuaded” by Mary Balogh - 2 stars
Jane Everett has always had memories of a life not her own, yet she has long convinced herself that she’s just imagining things. But when Jane meets Captain Robert Mitford, Jane knows she has known him, though they’ve never met. How is that possible?
Robert, too, recognizes Jane. He knows she is his soul mate; his other half that he has lo More...
