Love Never Fails in Austenesque Lovers TBR Pile Reading Challenge 2016

Apr 09, 2016 Debbie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle-unlimited, jaff

This is the third 5-star book I've rated by Jennifer Joy, who continues to prove herself to be quite the proficient!

This story begins before Bingley & company ever come to Netherfield. Elizabeth is devastated, as her father has suddenly died. Her mother becomes furious when she refuses to marry Mr. Collins, but even securing the Bennets' immediate future at Longbourn isn't sufficient motivation for her to accept that repulsive man's proposal. Elizabeth does everything she can to keep the remain This is the third 5-star book I've rated by Jennifer Joy, who continues to prove herself to be quite the proficient!

This story begins before Bingley & company ever come to Netherfield. Elizabeth is devastated, as her father has suddenly died. Her mother becomes furious when she refuses to marry Mr. Collins, but even securing the Bennets' immediate future at Longbourn isn't sufficient motivation for her to accept that repulsive man's proposal. Elizabeth does everything she can to keep the remaining family together, but Mrs. Bennet makes other arrangements, taking all choice away from her. Elizabeth and Jane are sent to live with the Gardiners in London. Her sister easily fits in there, but Elizabeth feels useless and trapped.

Mr. Gardiner has a slight connection to Mr. Bingley and his sister Caroline, who are dealing with their eccentric aunt and desperately seeking a companion to keep her out of trouble. Elizabeth impulsively volunteers, finds herself in the strange position as a faux "niece" to Lady Rutledge, and the tone of the book lightens considerably from that point on.

Mr. Darcy, meanwhile, has a guilty conscience regarding the plight of the Bennets for some mysterious reason and does his best to help them from a discreet distance. He is surprised when he encounters Elizabeth at the Bingleys' and then continues to be thrown into her company at social events with the unpredictable Lady Rutledge. At first, he believes he watches out for her because he feels responsible for her and her family, but he eventually realizes that he is in love with her.

Just throw canon out the window as you read this, with the characters in decidedly different situations than in the original Pride and Prejudice. Mrs. Bennet changes after her husband's death, showing less grief than Elizabeth finds acceptable, but she actually blossoms in her independence due of the absence of the belittlement she experienced daily from Mr. Bennet. Lydia is more childlike but her mother demonstrates more firmness in disciplining her. Jane and Mr. Bingley keep missing opportunities to meet each other, so their first encounter doesn't occur until fairly late in the book. Caroline fills the role as the most obvious antagonist throughout the story, aiming to marry Mr. Darcy, as usual, though at times she shows signs of cracks in her snooty facade. Colonel Fitzwilliam appears frequently, usually at Darcy's side, and he and Elizabeth find the humor in every shared situation.

The new character, Lady Rutledge, is just delightful. She takes a definite shine to Elizabeth and seems to have some master plan at work despite the apparent insanity of some of her activities. For example, beware when she serves tea because the sugar bowl seems as likely to contain salt as it does sugar!

I found this very entertaining, with a good balance of drama and comedy with even a hint of mystery.

I have two small criticisms: First, Bingley seems predisposed to fall in love with Jane even before meeting her. I think the concept of him preferring a country-bred young gentlewoman to a London socialite is great, but he seems fixated on this woman he's never met. Second, I have a little trouble with the pairing Colonel Fitzwilliam ends up in; just can't see that relationship working out, although I can understand his reasons for it.

Those are relatively minor plot points, though, and the rest of the time characters have easily understandable motivation to act the way they do, especially Elizabeth and Darcy. It's a sweet romance with an unusual plot. Loved it! ...more

18 likes · Like · see review

Apr 07, 2016 Sheila Majczan rated it it was amazing

Well done. Lady Rutledge = a Lady Catherine with the wisdom of a sage and the manipulative skills of a diplomat! And here I am in tears at a proposal – everything a young lady could want and definitely not that of Hunsford! (Are there too many exclamation points?) Then Darcy’s secret gift for her at the end…it just had to be that way, so I am not surprised…but pleasantly satisfied.

Yes this story rates five stars. It kept my attention. It provided a tale not told before. And it didn't need to cha Well done. Lady Rutledge = a Lady Catherine with the wisdom of a sage and the manipulative skills of a diplomat! And here I am in tears at a proposal – everything a young lady could want and definitely not that of Hunsford! (Are there too many exclamation points?) Then Darcy’s secret gift for her at the end…it just had to be that way, so I am not surprised…but pleasantly satisfied.

Yes this story rates five stars. It kept my attention. It provided a tale not told before. And it didn't need to change the behaviors of our dear characters to provide us with entertainment. Part way into the tale we meet a Bingley relative, a Lady Rutledge, Aunt Lavinia, and now watch as she steals the show.

The book description sets the outline for us: Mr. Bennet has died after a trip to Hunsford – why we are not told initially. After being allowed some months to mourn Mr. Collins arrives and Lizzy does as we would expect, knowing our Lizzy from canon. So now, Mrs. Bennet works without consulting any of her family to settle matters as to who will reside with whom. She divides up her daughters as to where she thinks each most likely to find marriage. (No, she has not allowed that goal to be lost, despite reduced circumstances.) Oddly, or maybe not, she and Lydia take their own apartment. (That seemed like a disaster waiting to happen.)

But this story focuses on Elizabeth, who is feeling very unneeded, very unfulfilled, in her residence with the Gardiners. And then she is almost (?) pushed into accepting a situation as a companion. It was with a smile that I read the various reactions in the room as this played out…even Caroline had a reason to befriend Elizabeth in order to make this happen. As she takes on this position, she is cast as a long lost niece in order to maintain her standing in society. So Elizabeth now is thrown into the society of the Bingley family as well as that of Darcy as they travel in the same circles. Reading of Darcy’s observations and interactions with Elizabeth and even Caroline kept my interest as each has a different sense of propriety. Richard Fitzwilliam steps in to counter certain maneuvers and is cast in a role I have not read of him in before.

Certain events are highlights as we travel along: reading the advertisements, a surprise pairing for an “affectionate lady”, an excursion to the Vauxhall Gardens with a balloon ride and a “drama-queen” almost paying the ultimate price to gain her share of the attention. The other shoe does not drop in this story so I am expecting the next book to tell us of Bingley’s goal to find a country bred lady.

This is a book that I would recommend to all those who continue to love, as I do, a well written JAFF romance…and this one did give us those moments without intruding into ODC’s privacy. ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Apr 19, 2016 Mary rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016-books

Dear reader,

From the moment you begin this tale you are confronted with a new and stark reality.

This is mirrored not only in the storyline itself but in the carefully chosen words that are used and serve to give the reader a verbal 'wake up call',a proverbial 'dash of cold water on the face' to make you aware that this book,this writing is new,fresh and needs to be taken seriously.

I loved it!!!

I adored Darcy,empathised with how events seemed to spiral out of control for Elizabeth, laughed at t ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Apr 07, 2016 Eliza Baum rated it liked it

Shelves: austenesque-challenge-2016, austen-and-austenesque, library-kindle-unlimited

More like 3.5 stars, but there was something about it that kept me from being able to give it 4 stars. There were a lot of things I liked a great deal, like the way that Darcy and Elizabeth slowly got to know one another, but I felt like there were a lot of little things that were never developed up to their full potential.

(view spoiler) ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Apr 05, 2016 Anji rated it it was amazing

Shelves: e-book, z-2016-austenesque-challenge, beta-proofread, austenesque-regency, austenesque-pride-and-prejudice

LOVE NEVER FAILS by Jennifer Joy

This non-canon story opens, sadly, with the funeral of Mr. Bennet. Elizabeth and two of her sisters are watching from a hiding place nearby as women weren't supposed to attend. Fitzwilliam Darcy is also an observer and believes he has a guilty secret that the Bennet ladies know nothing about.

With Mr. Bennet dead, the six women now have very little income and, if unknown cousin Mr. Collins so chooses, they're also homeless. Jane becomes ill and so Mr. Collins prop ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Nov 22, 2016 Sara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: jaff

Listened on audible on 2nd read and still enjoy this book. Very different from cannon buy engaging.

8 likes · Like · see review

Apr 11, 2016 Rita Deodato rated it it was amazing

https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...

The first chapter of Love Never Fails was a true surprise for me. I have read almost every book Jennifer Joy has published, and for that reason I am quite familiar with her writing, but the tone of this latest release is very different from her previous works and her writing versatility surprised and amazed me.

In this book Mr. Bennet dies before the Meryton Assembly occurs and the first scene is at his funeral. I was immediately drawn to the environment, t https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...

The first chapter of Love Never Fails was a true surprise for me. I have read almost every book Jennifer Joy has published, and for that reason I am quite familiar with her writing, but the tone of this latest release is very different from her previous works and her writing versatility surprised and amazed me.

In this book Mr. Bennet dies before the Meryton Assembly occurs and the first scene is at his funeral. I was immediately drawn to the environment, the story and the characters. There is an intensity and sadness in these first chapters that transported me into the book and I could not stop reading, it felt as if I was compelled to do so. I have enjoyed many, many scenes in the book, but the first scene was definitely my favorite as it was the one that marked me the most.

Of course the characteristic humor in Jennifer Joy’s writing is still present, namely in the comments Mrs. Bennet makes about Elizabeth’s marriage prospects. I really laughed when she said ”Lizzy shall marry whomever she pleases, so long as she marries. With her being so choosy, I tough it best for her to have a wide selection from which to choose”, but there is also a deeper and insightful component in her writing that I truly loved.

With Mr. Bennet dying before the Meryton Assembly, the storyline changes and the first encounter of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is quite different. They meet at Oakham Mount, there are no words exchanged, yet everything is said through their eyes and their actions. I would describe this encounter as perfect! We can feel the intensity of this scene as if we were living it, and if you are used to read my reviews, you know there is nothing more I like then a book that has the ability to make me feel.

Love Never Fails is in my opinion, one of Jennifer Joy’s most romantic books. Apart from the initial chapters, the scene where Elizabeth hurts her ankle is one of my favorites. I felt she and Mr. Darcy connected in a very intimate way. They shared a moment that was not only very important for both, but also private, shared between them and no one else.

Considering the events, Elizabeth is not her joyful self, but her character remains very much the same. She still refuses Mr. Collins, and after so many variations where Elizabeth sacrifices herself to save her family, knowing that she would still refuse Mr. Collins in these reduced circumstances is refreshing. I never believed Elizabeth to be so altruist to the point of marrying him to save her family, so this choice felt very natural to me.

I have also enjoyed Mrs. Bennet in this book, especially in the months following Mr. Bennet’s death. She was not hysterical as usual; she was her true self but in a state of mourning, she was still invested in marrying her daughters but is a less hysterical and more organized and reasonable fashion.

Love Never Fails is a story of hope in a better future, of believing that love is worth waiting for and that it will come, sooner or later. The best example of this is Mrs. Bennet, who was also entitled to her prince charming :)

I enjoyed this book very much and I’m curious to see how Jennifer Joy’s writing will evolve in her next novel.

...more

6 likes · Like · see review

May 31, 2016 Don Jacobson rated it liked it

A lot of fun, although folks are moving off-stage way too much and leaves you guessing at times...not in a good way. Also, Darcy's infatuation with Elizabeth begins in an utterly improbable way. Lady Rutledge is a hoot! The puppet mistress could do so much more. Hope we see other stories featuring her character. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 07, 2016 Teresita rated it it was amazing

Shelves: jaff

A beautiful story of loss and survival

After the death of her father, Elizabeth struggles to keep her family together...

She has to learn to live with regret and to stand by herself, and Jennifer takes us along in a wonderful and original trip of discovery and acceptance.

Marvelous!!

2 likes · Like · see review

May 10, 2016 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing

Love Truly Never Fails

Oh this book caused so many sighs, oohs, and awws . What a wonderful book! An interesting non-canon plot which made the movie in my head so worth watching. A must read!

Like · see review