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104th out of 229 books
—
365 voters
The Dashwood Sisters Tell All: A Modern-Day Novel of Jane Austen (Adventures with Jane Austen and her Legacy)
Sent by their dying mother on a tour of Hampshire, England, that follows in the footsteps of Jane Austen, Ellen and Mimi Dodge discover the secrets that nearly tore Jane and her sister Cassandra apart, and inspired one of the greatest love stories of all time.
Paperback, 260 pages
Published
April 1st 2011
by GuidepostsBooks
(first published March 25th 2011)
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Great fun - nourishing Jane Austen fans sense and romance readers sensibilities!
Following Jane Austen Ruined My Life (2009) and Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart (2010), Austenesque author Beth Pattillo presents the third book in the “Formidables Series,” The Dashwood Sisters Tell All. If you are wondering what “Formidables” are, besides being the thread that binds all three of these modern Jane Austen themed novels together, it is a clever play on Jane’s own stern moniker for herself and her sister Cass...more
Following Jane Austen Ruined My Life (2009) and Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart (2010), Austenesque author Beth Pattillo presents the third book in the “Formidables Series,” The Dashwood Sisters Tell All. If you are wondering what “Formidables” are, besides being the thread that binds all three of these modern Jane Austen themed novels together, it is a clever play on Jane’s own stern moniker for herself and her sister Cass...more
The Dashwood Sisters Tell All is yet another great book from Beth Pattillo. I loved Jane Austin Ruined My Life and Mr Darcy Broke My Heart so I jumped at the opportunity to read this one too. I actually think this one is my favourite of the Jane Austin series.
The Dashwood Sisters Tell All introduces us to the Dodge Sisters: Ellen and Mimi. The two are like night and day. Mimi is all about fun, romance, and all the finer things in life. Ellen is more practical and down to earth. She`s been hurt...more
The Dashwood Sisters Tell All introduces us to the Dodge Sisters: Ellen and Mimi. The two are like night and day. Mimi is all about fun, romance, and all the finer things in life. Ellen is more practical and down to earth. She`s been hurt...more
Beth Pattillo est l'un des premiers auteurs austeniens que j'ai lu et qu'on se le dise, je l'adore. Elle a généralement des idées originales, un sujet polémique à débattre et avec lequel je suis rarement d'accord, mais cela rend justement ses romans attrayants et différents. Malheureusement, ici, point de polémique (ou si peu!). Heureusement, cela reste du Beth Pattillo! Passée la première déception, et même si j'ai préféré ses précédents opus, j'ai quand même apprécié ce livre pleinement. J'ai...more
Ellen and Mimi Dodge are two sisters with personalities that do not mesh well together. Separated by several states, they've grown apart and their relationship has somewhat deteriorated over the years. But since it is their mother's last wish, Ellen and Mimi are traveling to England together to find an appropriate place to scatter their mother's ashes. Their mother, anticipating her death from cancer, prepared for her daughters to take a Jane Austen walking tour of Hampshire, England, which incl...more
My Comments:
This was a treadmill book and I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that good treadmill books are easy reads with fast-moving plots--nothing I have to think about too much and something that makes me want to keep reading rather that to save it for tomorrow. The Dashwood Sisters Tell All fit the bill perfectly.
Ellen and Mimi are sisters. Ellen is practical, Mimi is not. Both are in their 30's and single. They don't hate each other, but there is always friction when they are together....more
This was a treadmill book and I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that good treadmill books are easy reads with fast-moving plots--nothing I have to think about too much and something that makes me want to keep reading rather that to save it for tomorrow. The Dashwood Sisters Tell All fit the bill perfectly.
Ellen and Mimi are sisters. Ellen is practical, Mimi is not. Both are in their 30's and single. They don't hate each other, but there is always friction when they are together....more
Ellen and Mimi may be sisters, but they couldn’t be more different and are not particularly close. When their mother dies they agree to her last request and go to England for a Jane Austen Walking tour. While neither is a big fan of Austen’s, knowing how their mother loved her they attempt to learn something about her. When they arrived in England they discover their mother left them a diary that may have belonged to Cassandra Austen. While trying to decide what to do with this Austen treasure t...more
Beth Pattillo knows how to make me feel better in stressful times. The same happened while reading Mr Dracy Broke My Heart last year, I found relief and escapism in a well-written, all-delight modern Austenesque tale.
Beth Pattillo follows the same successful "recipe" she used for her previous work and the result is a delicious, tasty new novel, released at the beginning of this month and celebrating the bicentenary of Sense and Sensibility. What are the "ingredients" I recognized in The Dashwood...more
Beth Pattillo follows the same successful "recipe" she used for her previous work and the result is a delicious, tasty new novel, released at the beginning of this month and celebrating the bicentenary of Sense and Sensibility. What are the "ingredients" I recognized in The Dashwood...more
Sep 13, 2012
MASH
added it
Can't wait to read this next book in the series. I loved "Jane Austen ruined my life" and "Mr Darcy broke my heart!". Great stories and great covers.
Ellen and Mimi Dodge are sisters forced to travel together through England because their mother, a devoted Austen fan, makes it a requirement in her will. The sisters were to participate in a Jane Austen themed walking tour in Hampshire, then agree on the most appropriate place to scatter her ashes. Only then would the sisters be entitled to receive an inheritance.
The purpose of the tour was to hopefully bring the Dodge sisters closer together. They couldn't be more different. In Jane Austen ter...more
The purpose of the tour was to hopefully bring the Dodge sisters closer together. They couldn't be more different. In Jane Austen ter...more
This is probably where half-stars would come in handy - better than "okay" but not a full three-star experience. I have a love-hate relationship with this type of "fan fiction." Jane Austen remains atop my Favorite Authors list, and yet, I don't typically enjoy reading fiction that's either a continuation of one of her books or a "modern re-imagining" or "inspired by."
Patillo does a nice job of nodding to Sense and Sensibility, while creating her own characters, who experience some of the same s...more
Patillo does a nice job of nodding to Sense and Sensibility, while creating her own characters, who experience some of the same s...more
I thought this was going to be a cute story about sister bonding and family and it turned out to be pretty cliche and predictable. The story went quickly but that's because the dialogue is redundant and the characters are shallow. The plot is totally predictable and the sister bonding isn't even very good. The only interesting thing about this story is the random bits of Jane Austen trivia. The romantic love is forced and unbelievable - who really falls in love in a week anyway? Well, I mean som...more
The Dashwood sisters are to do a Jane Austen tour in England going to many places that inspired Jane herself in life for and for her books. The sisters are to do this tour as a request by their mother in her will in order for them to receieve what she has left them after her death. They cannot be more different, the sisters, and you really get to watch their relationship mature and rekindle through such a great book.
Beth Pattillo has written two books prior to this with a Jane Austen inspired ai...more
Beth Pattillo has written two books prior to this with a Jane Austen inspired ai...more
Well, this was definitely a cheesey, obvious-parody of Sense and Sensibility, but you need to read a little fluff now and again. Two sisters are in England on a tour of Jane Austen's life and history as part of a will fulfillment for their recently departed mother. The sisters are opposites, and are made out to be similar to Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Their story follows the Dashwood sisters' story quite closely, complete with a Willoughby character, a Colonel Brandon character, and an Edward...more
I read a book last month, Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Patillo. It was a fun, light, chicklit type of thing. I've just finished this book, The Dashwood Sisters Tell All by the same author. Both books are modern day with the JA themes. This one, clearly, uses Sense and Sensibility as influence and is about two very opposite sisters. It's easy to read, good fun, light and entertaining for summer.
There is a minor character from the first book in it and some similar themes, and some of the sa...more
There is a minor character from the first book in it and some similar themes, and some of the sa...more
Review originally posted on The Librarian Next Door:
The Dodge sisters – responsible Ellen and flighty Mimi – have never really been close, but their mother’s recent death has sent them on a walking tour of Jane Austen’s Hampshire. In order to receive their inheritance, they must follow in Austen’s footsteps and work together to figure out what to do with a priceless Austen artifact: the diary of Austen’s sister, Cassandra. Complicating matters even further are Ellen’s reunion with a long-lost co...more
Ellen and Mimi are fulfilling their mother's last wish by embarking on a walking tour of Hampshire, England. Their mother was a Jane Austen fan and her dying wish was for her daughters to walk the countryside that Jane herself had lived in.
Ellen and Mimi have never been close. Ellen is the sensible sister and Mimi has always been the flighty sister. Neither woman has been lucky in love. Ellen feels that she has always had to clean up Mimi's romantic disasters and Ellen herself lost the love of h...more
Ellen and Mimi have never been close. Ellen is the sensible sister and Mimi has always been the flighty sister. Neither woman has been lucky in love. Ellen feels that she has always had to clean up Mimi's romantic disasters and Ellen herself lost the love of h...more
This is the third book in this 'Jane Austen' series, and maybe my least favorite. Im not 100% sure. The first book was ok. But this one didn't capture my attention at all (like the second one). In fact I found myself getting annoyed. I didn't like the broken marriage part of it with Ellen's romantic lead Daniel, or the old old guy who is suppose to be the Coronel Brandon character. Needy needy book. No fun at all.
And I want to just lightly touch on how much I don't like the author messing with J...more
And I want to just lightly touch on how much I don't like the author messing with J...more
I loved this book. Definitely good for a light summer read. If you are somewhat of a Jane Austen addict, it is a good read. A good plot of sisters is intertwined without the overly affectionate and sappy sister junk. It was a more realistic approach to sisters relationships and how they develop, can fall apart and how they can always be put back together again. I loved Pattilo's other two Austen based books and this one was good. Being that I like Pride and Prejudice but love Sense and Sensibili...more
This was my first Austen inspired book so I had high expectations...but my thoughts are a bit mixed. Of course, it's fun to relive a beloved story; yet, the retelling is a bit too similar to the original for me. Obviously, set in the modern times gives it a new edge but I knew exactly what was going to happen the entire time I was reading - no fun! Ellen = Elinor, Mimi = Marianne, Colonel Tom = Colonel Brandon, Ethan = Willoughby, Daniel = Edward...and this is not at all a spoiler because the au...more
This is the third book in the loosely related Jane Austen series, and follows the schema of Sense and Sensibility. Ellen and Mimi are two very different sisters who are going on a walking tour of Jane Austen's England as a final request of their mother who has recently died. Ellen is surprised to find an old friend and unrequited love on the tour, while Mimi is charmed by local dandy, but is touched by the kindness of their tour guide towards her. Along as the Jane Austen expert is Mrs. Parrot,...more
Have I mentioned that I'm a fan of Austen-inspired fiction? No. Well, I am, and Beth Patillo's modern day stories of romance and family fufill my interests nicely. This latest story of sisters, Ellen and Mimi Dodge, who travel to England to say goodbye to their mother and find unexpected intrigue and love, is charming and entertaining. Ellen and Mimi put aside differences to come together as allies to rescue a family heirloom and each other from unhappiness, and in the process find love. A fun a...more
This is the second book by Beth Pattillo that I’ve read. The other was Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart. That one also had a Jane Austen theme and I enjoyed it as well.
These are delightful stories of modern-day people who have a connection to Austen. In The Dashwood Sisters Tell All, the two main characters are sisters and their mother, who recently passed away, was a great fan of Austen. She arranges a tour of the area where Austen lived for the two girls, who are loosely named for characters in one of...more
These are delightful stories of modern-day people who have a connection to Austen. In The Dashwood Sisters Tell All, the two main characters are sisters and their mother, who recently passed away, was a great fan of Austen. She arranges a tour of the area where Austen lived for the two girls, who are loosely named for characters in one of...more
The story of the Dodge sisters Ellen and Mimi is a light fun read. It is told alternately from Ellen’s point of view and Mimi’s. They are not close sisters by any stretch of the imagination and are only on the trip to England and on the Jane Austen tour because of their mother’s request looking for the perfect place to scatter her ashes. Their mother was an avid Jane Austen fan. The novel was amusing at times but certainly not in the calibre of Jane Austen. Good to amuse for an hour or so but fa...more
I really enjoyed this book. It was refreshing. The relationship between siblings especially sisters is a tricky one as I've watched with my own daughters. I loved the comparisons between Ellen and Mimi Dodge and Elinor and Marianne Dashwood...the questionings of how siblings interact. I loved the whole premise of visiting a place their mother was from with a couple different objectives. And I enjoyed the modern parallels of the girls finding or not finding romance and love with the characters of...more
Jan 31, 2012
Rebecca Huston
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
no one
Once again I am proved that novels based around Jane Austen that are set in modern times well and truly suck. The plot is a transparent rework of Sense & Sensibility built around two sisters in England trying to come to grips with their mother's death, with all of the attendant guilt. Blah, blah, blah. No sex, no passion, no sizzle, no nuthin'. Ok, I can forgive the no sex, but no passion? No fire? That's unforgivable. Two stars and not recommended.
For the longer review, please go here.
For the longer review, please go here.
If Jane austen interests you but you just can't connect completely connect to her novels, you will love this one. Beth creates such a wonder story with twists and turnes between sisters both in the present and far in the past, love, romance, theft, confusion... its one awesome novel... read it... you dont have to take my word for it, pick it up yourself, you will be telling all the ladies you know to read it too.
More like 3 1/2 stars. Cute, quick reading parallel to Austen's 'Sense and Sensibility.' I just had a hard time with the reluctance of Ellen toward her guy and Mimi sure jumped from guy to guy quick! And why were both sisters never married in their mid 30s? Ellen, yes, but not Mimi. And I figured out the hidden clue in the diary right away. Why didn't previous 'keepers' of the diary not get it? Kind of silly.
A big Jane Austen fan dies and directs her daughters to go on a grand tour of Jane Austen sites and pick a place to scatter her ashes. The daughters' personalities parallel the sisters in Sense and Sensibility... blah blah blah. A very light read, a little predictable, a little cliche, but overall, an enjoyable story. Alas, too short for the plane ride--good thing the scenery was pretty.
Not as good as Jane Austen Ruined my Life but still a fun Austen read. I love the Formidables and how they continue to appear in Pattillo's books. I felt the ending of this book was rushed and contrived though. I know the author is proving that Jane Austen's happy endings work out in real life but sometimes I think she tries a bit to hard.
Another good story by Beth Pattillo. I really liked this updated twist on Sense and Sensibility. Two sisters, Ellen and Mimi, are sent on a Jane Austen tour at the request of their Mother's dying wishes. A tale of romance, mystery, life changes, and rebuilding of family ties. Wonderfully clean read. I really like how the author throws in tidbits about Jane Austen's life. If you like Jane Austen you will enjoy Beth Pattillo's books.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Jane Austen Sequels: The Dashwood Sisters Tell All, by Beth Pattillo | 4 | 11 | Oct 29, 2012 09:22pm |
Mar 27, 2011 04:39pm
Mar 30, 2011 10:45pm