Paperback, 320 pages
Published
November 7th 2017
by Thomas Nelson
Source: Borrowed from the library
After years of following
her best friend’s lead, Mary Davies finds a whimsical trip back to
Austen’s Regency England paves the way towards a new future.
Mary Davies lives and works in Austin, Texas, as an industrial engineer. She has an orderly and productive life, a job and colleagues that she enjoys—particularly a certain adorable, intelligent, and hilarious consultant. But something is missing for Mary. When her estranged and emotionally fragile childhood friend Isabel Dwyer offers Mary a two-week stay in a gorgeous manor house in Bath, Mary reluctantly agrees to come along, in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways. But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes that she lives in Regency England. Mary becomes dependent on a household of strangers to take care of Isabel until she wakes up.
With Mary in charge and surrounded by new friends, Isabel rests and enjoys the leisure of a Regency lady. But life gets even more complicated when Mary makes the discovery that her life and Isabel’s have intersected in more ways that she knew, and she finds herself caught between who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who stands between them. Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings play out, and dancing ensues as this triangle works out their lives and hearts among a company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation.
Mary Davies lives and works in Austin, Texas, as an industrial engineer. She has an orderly and productive life, a job and colleagues that she enjoys—particularly a certain adorable, intelligent, and hilarious consultant. But something is missing for Mary. When her estranged and emotionally fragile childhood friend Isabel Dwyer offers Mary a two-week stay in a gorgeous manor house in Bath, Mary reluctantly agrees to come along, in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways. But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes that she lives in Regency England. Mary becomes dependent on a household of strangers to take care of Isabel until she wakes up.
With Mary in charge and surrounded by new friends, Isabel rests and enjoys the leisure of a Regency lady. But life gets even more complicated when Mary makes the discovery that her life and Isabel’s have intersected in more ways that she knew, and she finds herself caught between who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who stands between them. Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings play out, and dancing ensues as this triangle works out their lives and hearts among a company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation.
My Review: 4 StarsI wanted a tale that mimicked another book with a similar premise--a jaunty trip to England to delve into all things Regency, with little side romances blooming up among the flowers. This story was entertaining and took some interesting turns, but wasn't what I was expecting..and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Although the more I think about it, this book does have characters patterned slightly after beloved book characters.Mary is walked all over by crazy Isabel and tied to her in inexplicable ways, yet she just can't break free. Isabel is the victim of neglect and only wants to be loved and accepted for who she is, going to extreme lengths to feel even a glimpse of those desperately longed for feelings. Nathan is amazing, but too vague in his Texas interactions with these two best friends, leaving a messy situation to be dealt with. However, the events gave way to a charming story that definitely entertained.This author has a unique way of drawing classics into her contemporary offerings, giving them a slight depth, with good lessons and messages, mingled with fun.Content: mild romance; vague talk of past neglect.
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