Written by: Lainey Bancroft
Friday, September 25, 2009 12:00 AM 

ACCORDING TO JANE is not to be missed! And you don't have to take my word for it. Dozens of eager friends and fans are lining up to celebrate ACCORDING TO JANE, "Kensington Books, October 2009 ~Winner of the 2007 Golden Heart Award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements (It's a story about pride, prejudice & the pursuit of the perfect guy...)"

Check out Pamela Cayne's  Marilyn Brant Week. And make sure to go by Marilyn's fun blog  and see all the links that lead you to interviews, reviews and contests.

What better way to kick off a weekend than to grab a great new read and celebrate the debut release of a talented author and a really nice lady! The official release date is September 29th, but you don't have to wait--and you shouldn't!--head to Amazon and pre-order your copy today.


Confession time. In the midst of the me-grims I suffered the end of last month and beginning of this month, I opened up my mailbox and Marvelous Marilyn had sent me an ARC of ACCORDING TO JANE. .My first ARC ever! Plus, you all know how I love to get mail--especially wonderful surprise mail like this. I was touched (and tired and fragile enough) to get misty. BUT, because I like Marilyn so much--and wanted desperately to like her book--I set ACCORDING TO JANE aside. I didn't want my foul mood and exhaustion to color my impression of the story. What a mistake! Little did I know ACCORDING TO JANE is light, lively and feel good enough that if I'd opened it the day it arrived it would have cured my foul mood.

Ellie Barnett, Marilyn's main character, is bookish and quirky, but not in an annoying or tiresome madcap way, just in a fun, engaging, every-gal sort of way. Jane Austen takes up residence in Ellie's head. Sort of an imaginary friend/dissaproving guardian angel who attempts to guide Ellie through dating mishaps with wit and wisdom. I'm not a real Jane Austen groupie (matter of fact, I'm a little baffled at the sudden resurgence--I know--ducking and running from you Austen fanatics) but Marilyn does a bang-up job of combining Ellie's hip, modern voice and attitudes with Ms Austen's old-school sense-and-sensability-style voice.

Marilyn seamlessly takes us from Ellie's awkward teen years, when she first had her heart broken by Sam Blaine, who Jane has sternly cautioned is Ellie's Mr. Wickham, into Ellie's adult dating disasters in her search for her very own Mr. Darcy and the ellusive happily-ever-after.

ACCORDING TO JANE has some fabulous, laugh out loud scenes, along with some poignant parts that make all the anxiety and angst of high school seem like it was just yesterday. Jane is a constant for Ellie throughout, and of course Sam Blaine pops up at the least opportune times in Ellie's life. Ellie and Sam actually remind me of Anne and Gilbert from my beloved Green Gables days, and that's one of the highest compliments I could give a book!

Hmm, think I'll drag out Anne and give her another read, Jane Austen, too...Just as soon as I reread ACCORDING TO JANE. I love the Q & A with Marilyn in the back of the book and the wonderful tribute she offers. Marilyn Brant is at the top of the Ones-To-Watch list and as far as I'm concerned, she's achieved exactly what she said she wanted to in her tribute. You'll have to buy the book to see what I mean.

Get your copy today!

Trackback Print

Tags:

Categories:

Location: Blogs Lainey Bancroft's Blog

Your name:
Your email:
	(Optional) Email used only to show Gravatar.
Your website:
Title:
Comment:
Security Code Enter the code shown above in the box below
Add Comment   Cancel