Book Description
Following on the heels of Mr. Darcy's Daughters and The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy, Elizabeth Aston delivers an irresistible new novel set in the world of Jane Austen.
After being disowned by her family, Cassandra Darcy -- the artistic eldest daughter of Anne de Bourgh (and granddaughter of the infamous Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mr. Darcy's cousin in Pride and Prejudice) -- strives to make a living by painting. But struggling to succeed in bohemian London turns out to be the least of her worries! To begin with, there are the unwelcome advances of a certain Lord Usborne, and then there are the letters bequeathed to her by a friend -- highly compromising letters written by Princess Caroline that her husband, the Prince Regent, would very much like to possess. In league with Lord Usborne, the prince enlists the services of Cassandra's cousin, Horatio Darcy, who is a lawyer, to track down the missives. When Horatio's investigation leads him straight to Cassandra, he initially disapproves of her lifestyle until he finds himself utterly charmed by it -- and particularly by her. Romance may prove elusive, however, as social obstacles and the efforts of a vengeful Lord Usborne conspire to divide the two would-be lovers.
Another delightful chapter in the adventures of Aston's spirited Darcy daughters, The True Darcy Spirit is a treat for Jane Austen fans everywhere.
Download Description
Following on the heels of Mr. Darcy's Daughters and The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy, Elizabeth Aston delivers an irresistible new novel set in the world of Jane Austen. Another delightful chapter in the adventures of Aston's spirited Darcy daughters, The True Darcy Spirit is a treat for Jane Austen fans everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
Forgettable and laughable.......2007-01-02
I bought this book to read during work (caregiving involves lots of sitting around) because I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and felt there may be an interesting story behind the rest of the family. Boy was I wrong!
The plot was pretty forgettable. I just finished the book today and already can't remember half of what happened in the beginning. The characters, with the exception of Cassandra, were two dimensional. The "romance" portion of the book was laughable at times (the two main characters hardly said two words to each other when the fell into each other's arms and proclaimed their love). In fact, a plot beyond "Downtrodden girl narrowly averts becoming a mistress" was pretty weak.
All in all, there are much better novels to be read out there. Unless you're stuck somewhere with this as your only reading option, I'd opt for something else.
Looking for a better read?.......2006-11-13
Austen-improvisers can keep trying, but I've yet to read anything really worthwhile by any of them. If you enjoyed this story of an independent, talented young woman living in a historically difficult time, I'd recommend just about anything by Judith Merckle Riley. Historical detail and well-drawn, completely original characters put her books at the top of my list of favorites.
An excellent view on the plight of women in English Society.......2006-10-24
Cassandra is a young woman who is cast adrift in London at a time when young women with out a family or reputation were very vulnerable to being abused and taken advantage of by society and then condemned and shunned by the same people who created the young woman's misfortune in the first place. Fortunate to have talents that would led her to self sufficiency and keep her from becoming a woman of the streets, our heroine is befriended by her cousin Camilla who helps her find her place in London. The book tells more about society's unforgiving and bigoted attitude towards women of that day than a love story. In fact the relationship between Cassandra and Mr. Darcy seems and after thought and unbelievable, rather than the reason for the novel. Still I enjoyed it very much and look forward to more by this author
Somebody get this woman a copy editor!.......2006-07-01
This author has no idea how to use punctuation. She strings sentences that were never meant to go together into a hodge-podge of confused clauses separated by a tangle of oddly-employed commas.
Now, let me re-write that paragraph Elizabeth Aston-style.
This author has no idea how to use punctuation, she strings sentences that were never meant to go together into a hodge-podge of confused clauses, separated by a tangle of oddly-employed commas.
Gaah! The characters and plot of "The True Darcy Spirit" were enjoyable and even charming at times, but the book suffered badly from Ms. Aston's extremely odd style of punctuation. It drove me half nuts. If you are not a grammarian, it might not bother you as much, in which case the book is a solid, entertaining historical romance. However, Jane Austen it is not - Ms. Aston makes no attempt to recreate Austen's style (or even her subject matter, to a great extent), opting instead to just borrow characters. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it's good to know before you read it that it is simply a run-of-the-mill historical romance, not a re-creation of the Austenian world.
A New Story In the World of Pride and Prejudice.......2006-03-22
Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' ends with the story just begun. Elizabeth Aston has picked the story up and now has written three additional stories set in the 'Pride and Prejudice' world.
This is not the first time that a newcommer has continued a story. For instance there have been many Sherlock Holmes stories since he retired to Sussex Downs where Conan Doyle left him raising bees.
The important thing about such 'in the world of' books is not that the new author is trying to copy the original. Instead you need to view this book as an original work by a different author. She simply borrowed the characters and the setting of the original book and continued the story in her own way. After all, you can't get any more Jane Austen to read, this makes a good replacement if you view it as that.
As for this particular book, the story is kind of predictable, an evil step-father, a botched elopement, an abandoned girl left penniless in London. But she's a Darcy girl with the spirit to overcome and ... well you can go on from here. It's a nice read.
Average customer rating:
- not perfect but still a good story ...
- A good read ..
- A Sweet Romance
- So -so
- AWESOME
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Almost a Bride
Jane Feather
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Feather, Jane | ( F ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
( F ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0553587552
Release Date: 2005-03-29 |
Book Description
In this spectacular new romance from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Jane Feather, fate deals one stubbornly single young woman and one deceptively heartless man a shocking hand in a high-stakes bet. But is love in the cards?
Jack Fortescu gambles to win, and this time his prize is not only his rival’s lavish mansion but everything in it–
including the man’s beautiful sister! But when it comes to games, Jack has met his match. . . .
Left homeless by her brother’s escapade, Arabella Lacey has two appalling choices: pack her bags–or agree to marry the lunatic who’s taken over her house. Why would such a handsome–and outrageously wealthy–man want such an unromantic arrangement? Arabella intends to find out, and have a little fun in the process at Jack’s expense . . . literally. As Jack discovers that his reluctant bride is no ordinary beauty, he feels a stir of admiration, among other emotions, that wasn’t part of the bargain. Now he’s the one with everything to lose. . . .
Download Description
Jane Feather was born in Cairo, Egypt. She began her highly successful career after she and her family moved to Washington D.C. in 1981. She now has over eleven million books in print.
From the Paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
not perfect but still a good story ..........2007-07-29
An enjoyable story with a slow start but over all very satisfying climax. I loved that Arabella wasn't in the first flush of youth but a mature woman who saw the benefits of a marriage of 'convenience' which was exactly what Jack initially offered.
She's stubborn and clever and makes a challenging and likable heroine. Something every good romance novel needs.
I was not, however, so fond of Jack. He really didn't treat Arabella that well. He was always being broody and going on about how horrible it was for him without thinking of what he was putting Arabella through.
This was ultimately redeemed in the epilogue where we finally see that he really does love Arabella.
I finished this novel feeling warm and fuzzy- which is how you should feel. Although a little rough around the edges this is a good book. Perfect for staying inside on a rainy day.
A good read .........2006-12-18
I enjoyed reading this book and felt it was well researched. The vocabulary was delightful in that the author used what was common in those times. So many authors shy away from the language even when trying to make everything else authentic.
I liked the passion of Jack and Arabella. I think the one thing that bothered me was that Jack changed his stripes too quick for my tastes. It just felt off and I would have preferred that he returned to his "wicked ways" and then worked through his feelings AFTERWARDS instead of coming to all the miraculous conclusions before doing anything.
Arabella was a bit too accepting of the truth as well but I can forgive that. She held no love for her brother but I would think that even if you don't love or like someone they are still family.
It sounds like I didn't like the book but that is far from the truth. I did enjoy it and I liked that the "happy ending" was tempered by a bit of real life sadness. It felt good to know that everything didn't work out perfectly.
I read this over a period of a couple hours and wanted to keep reading, despite being tired. :)
A Sweet Romance.......2006-09-18
Almost a Bride
by: Jane Feather
Reviewer: Pamela Ackerson (author of Home of the Braves trilogy)
A Sweet Romance
This story is right up to par along with the rest of Ms. Feather's novels. A feisty heroine, Arabella, and a revengeful hero named Jack clash and play witty games with each other. Kick your feet up and enjoy, from the very first pages with him winning an estate and all it's contents to the last page where ... (no I am not going to spoil the ending) ... you smile in satisfaction, Almost a Bride is one of the better historical romances available on the shelf. It is a delightful story immersing the reader into each scene, a romance to keep you turning the pages until the very end. Definitely a book to read.
So -so.......2006-06-10
I have read a few of JF's books. As some reviewers had mentioned, her books are "hit" or "miss". When she had a "miss", it is just too painful to read. "Almost a Bride" is an almost "miss".
Both the hero and the heroine are so unlikeable. They are both manipulative.
One other thing that distracted me while reading this book is the form of address. Since Jack was a duke, one must address him as "His Grace" or "Your Grace", not "my lord" or a simple "duke". One would think JF had mastered that by now after so many novels she had written.
AWESOME.......2005-11-29
Loved, loved this book! I generally have loved all the books by Jane Feather that I've read - this one was one of the best. The hero was yummy, and heroine had so much charm, backbone, and gumption. The two of them had so much chemistry they fairly sizzled. I did feel that the part of the story where they go to France veered away from the general direction of the story, but all in all a very satisfying read. Had elements of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" in it, which was great. Loved it.
Customer Reviews:
AN ENJOYABLE READ ----.......2007-06-23
As I can tell -- only "Almost A Bride" by Cheryl St. John is related to characters in the author's other books --- the inclusions round out the story quite well.
I don't buy too many of the 3/1 books as, complete as the stories are they are too short for me --- I only need them to round out other related stories of said authors.
The stories are very enjoyable - and worth reading.
Wed Under Western Skies.......2007-02-07
Abandoned by Carolyn Davidson
Elizabeth is traveling on a wagon train when it is suddenly attacked by Indians. The people that she is traveling with have run or been killed. Elizabeth is knocked out during the confusion and is left for dead. She wakes and is alone until Cameron Montgomery and his brother Joe arrive at the scene and rescue her.
Cameron takes Elizabeth to his wagon to care for her. Pretty soon Cameron is making his intentions for Elizabeth known but how can they have a future together when she doesn't even remember her last name or if there is a husband waiting for her?
In Abandoned, Cameron's quick claim on Elizabeth seems natural and romantic while Elizabeth's initial reluctance is understandable. Abandoned is a charming story where with faith, Cameron's and Elizabeth's strife is changed to love.
Almost A Bride by Cheryl St. John
Charmaine Renlow is the only unmarried woman her age in town and her beau, Wayne Brookover, doesn't seem very inclined to ask for her hand.
Jack Easton is working with Charmaine on building a float for the town's Founder's Day celebration. Jack feels he is an outsider to Charmaine's high society ways. He doesn't fit in, nor does he want to.
Charmaine and Jack find themselves drawn to each other though and Jack ends up teaching Charmaine a lesson that changes her life for the better.
Charmaine and Jack are wonderful together. I was so happy with the way things worked out for them. Charmaine is a good woman, and Jack is a good man and father. Almost A Bride is a fine story with several likeable characters in it.
His Brother's Bride by Jenna Kernan
Nathaniel Justice's brother Jacob has died, leaving him the task of honoring his request to marry his wife Clara. This request requires him to care for Clara's daughter Katherine as well.
When they first meet, Clara is very nervous and unsure of what kind of man Nate is, and Nate is drunk. He's not sure he is a good enough man to care for a fine woman like Clara. After all, he is a saloon owner with a troubled past, but Clara has secrets of her own. Soon, Nate and Clara discover that they need each other to put their pasts behind them for good.
His Brother's Wife has a stirring storyline. Clara's plight and Nate's feelings of inadequacy kept me eagerly turning the pages. Their passionate and heartfelt emotions are very moving. I enjoyed this story very much and look forward to reading more from Jenna Kernan.
Wed Under Western Skies contains a trio of romantic stories. Abandoned, Almost a Bride, and His Brother's Wife are stories to warm your heart and stir your emotions. The western backdrop and interesting characters in Wed Under Western Skies, make these quaint stories a pleasure to read.
Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Sweet reads!.......2006-11-02
What a lovely trio of stories!! I've been a Cheryl St. John fan for years, and loved Almost a Bride as much as the rest! And I so enjoyed being introduced to Davidson and Kernan's stories!
Good Short Read!.......2006-07-29
WED UNDER WESTERN SKIES is a good easy read. ABANDONED is a good tender story of one woman finding her destiny with her rescuer. In my opinion, ALMOST A BRIDE is the best story of one gal with perfect ideals finding the true love she always dreamed about. HIS BROTHER'S BRIDE is a pleasant story of a woman with a tarnished past finding love with her deceased husband's brother who has a stained soul.
Short and sweet stories, quick and easy to read.
Almost A Bride by Cheryl St. John.......2006-07-26
I have been waiting and hoping that Ms. St. John write about Charmaine Renlow who was an important character in her book Sweet Annie. When this book came out I was giddy with excitement because I finally got my wish! I was not disappointed ... well a little ... only that the story was way too short and should have been a full book on its own. The ending I felt was rushed. Other than that I really enjoyed it! If you liked this story, I would recommend you also read Sweet Annie. Sweet Annie is one of favorite books. Another wonderful book from this author is Joe's Wife.
The other two stories Abandoned, by Carolyn Davidson was a good read. His Brother's Bride by Jenna Kernan ... I did not like the story ... sorry. If I could rate these three books separate, the results would be Abandoned a 4; Almost A Bride 5; and His Brother's Bride would be 0 or 1.
Customer Reviews:
Patricia McLinn pens a page-turning story!.......2001-07-30
Matty Brennan would do anything to save the family spread...even marry the man who broke her heart six years ago. Of course, it's a marriage in name only, and of course it has nothing to do with any lingering feelings for her childhood flame. Dave Currick has no idea why it's so important that he marry Matty in name only, but he says yes because he'd do just about anything for Matty.
A marriage of convenience that's not overly convenient as it forces Matty and Dave to confront feelings from the past even as they look toward the future. The question is, what will that future hold for their marriage?
Patricia McLinn is a talented storyteller whose easy writing style and compelling plot will sweep you away.
Deep emotion and loop holes -- Recommended.......2001-05-31
Dire financial and legal problems lead Matty Breenan to a desperate solution. Determined to save the Flying W ranch following the death of her great-uncle, Matty proposes marriage to Dave Currick. Never mind he broke her heart six years ago when he unexpectedly ended their affair. If he agrees, marriage to Dave, in a round about fashion, qualifies Matty for a grant that has the potential of saving the ranch.
In the three weeks since she returned to Wyoming, Matty has pointedly avoided him; now, she's suddenly proposing. Dave has no idea why Matty wants to marry him except that in some inexplicable way her reason ties to her effort to save the Flying W. Dave's convinced she won't follow through, but, if playing along lets him back in Matty's life, then he's game. So game that he finds himself married. When he learns she didn't need him, but his address, Dave's anything but thrilled. Nevertheless, he's also determined to see Matty's efforts to save her ranch succeed, whatever he must do.
Patricia McLinn finds an innovative motive for a marriage of convenience in ALMOST A BRIDE. With her characteristic flair, these powerful characters and their emotional intensity keep the pages turning. Indeed, the mix of miscommunication, deep emotion and loopholes creates a delightful read. Recommended.
Average customer rating:
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Almost A Bride
Jane Feather
Manufacturer: Bantam Dell Pub Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000NUZA02 |
Average customer rating:
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Almost A Bride
Maura Mcgiveny
Manufacturer: harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0373108036 |
Average customer rating:
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Almost a Bride
Manufacturer: Bantam Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739450662 |
Average customer rating:
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Almost A Bride (Silhouette Desire, No. 717)
Raye Morgan
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
Silhouette Desire | Series | Romance | Subjects | Books
Regency | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0373057172 |
Customer Reviews:
Not so good for Animorphs.......2006-01-03
I didn't think it was a good book, it was kindof boring, sorry. It did show cat instincts good though and we got into the mind of a cat.
Get inside the mind of a cat.......2005-11-11
What I like about reading the Animorphs is getting into the mindset and body of another animal. In this book, they morph into a cat, and I think my cat would be very satisfied with the depiction. Even I feel like I learned a few things about cat behavior. Otherwise, I don't think the story advanced much from the first book. It was a lot of recap. On to book #3.
"The Visitor".......2005-03-02
'The Visitor" is the second book in the animorph series. It is about 5 kids: Rachel, Casey, Marco, Jake, and Tobias. They call themselves the animorphs. The can morph (change) into anything they want when they concentrate.
In the book an evil alien Yeerk slug takes over the body of the kid's vice-principal, Mr. chapman. Mr. Chapman has a cat named Fluffer and Rachel morphs into a cat that looks just like Fluffer to spy on him. Chapman figures out that it isn't his real cat! Then a big fight starts between the evil aliens and the animorphs. To find out who wins the fight, read "The Visitor".
I thought the book was okay. I liked that when they morphed into animals they told how it felt so you can kind of imagine yours being that animal. I thought some parts were a little confusing though. I think that if the author put some pictures in the book it would have made it easier to understand.
"The Visitor".......2005-03-02
'The Visitor" is the second book in the animorph series. It is about 5 kids: Rachel, Casey, Marco, Jake, and Tobias. They call themselves the animorphs. The can morph (change) into anything they want when they concentrate.
In the book an evil alien Yeerk slug takes over the body of the kid's vice-principal, Mr. Chapman. Mr. Chapman has a cat named Fluffer and Rachel morphs into a cat that looks just like Fluffer to spy on him. Chapman figures out that it isn't his real cat! Then a big fight starts between the evil aliens and the animorphs. To find out who wins the fight, read "The Visitor".
I thought the book was okay. I liked that when they morphed into animals they told how it felt so you can kind of imagine being that animal. I thought some parts were a little confusing though. I think that if the author put some pictures in the book it would have made it easier to understand.
It's All About The Cat's .......2005-03-02
After reading "Animorphs:The Visitor" I was more intrested in the Science Fiction genre. What made me like this book was that it involved my favorite animal the cat.
Rachel (the main character) has to morph into a cat in order to spy on her friends dad that is planing to kill all of the animorphs. As rachel is pretending to be the family's cat she is caught doing un-catlike things.
Though this book was full of exciting things and good facts it had many boring parts. At the beginning of the book I thought it was very slow and started to get interesting in the middle of the book.
I thought this book was one of the better Animorphs books that I've read and would be a great any cat lover.
Book Description
A study of John Howard Yoder's writings on community, social issues, pacifism, and the church.
Book Description
Dr. Geisler's methodical study explains each Old Testament book and illuminates their historical, cultural and Christological backgrounds. Maps, charts, and photos also provide further clarification.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Introduction to the Old Testament.......2007-03-23
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book during my seminary days and plan to use the book for a class I will teach as an adjunct instructor at a local community college.
The book is succinct, contains valuable information, and is very reasonably priced (certainly compared to educational publishing authors who sometimes have a decidedly more secular worldview).
The book's basic format is as follows for each Old Testament book:
1. Introductory information.
2. Who wrote the book.
3. When, why, to whom was the book written.
4. Doctrinal and Christological purpose of the book.
5. What the book is about.
6. Basic content of the book with a focus on particular chapters.
7. Study questions at the end of the chapter.
The book will help anyone who wants an introduction to the Old Testament instead of an intensive detailed study. Again, the price is also very reasonable compared to other publishers.
Read and enjoy. Highly recommended!
Excellent, Christological, Apologetical and thorough survey.......1998-12-03
I have a couple of Old Testament survey books and have seen many but this is definitely the best one of them all. Dr. Geisler approaches the Old Testament from a uniquely Christ-centered point of view. The whole ouline of his survey is based on Christ the substance of the OT shadows. He divides the OT in mainly 4 parts, the books of the Law: The foundation for Christ. The books of History: The preparation for Christ. The Books of Poetry: THe aspiration for Christ and the books of Prophecy the expectation of Christ. He follows the same excellent system of studying each book starting with the author (here he uses his excellent apologetics skills), then when they were written, to whom and also the historical, doctrinal and Christological purpose of the book. Thereafter he divides the book into main parts and begin his systematic survey of it. I highly recommend this book to any Bible student and also to the average Christian seeking to obtain a good understanding of the OT and it's message for us today.
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- Things that Fall from the Sky
- Those Who Save Us
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- Tony Hillerman: The Leaphorn & Chee Novels: Skinwalkers, A Thief of Time, Coyote Waits
- Too Far to Go
- Ulterior Motives (Sun Coast Chronicles Series #3)
- War Trash
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- When Nietzsche Wept: A Novel of Obsession (Perennial Classics)
Books Index
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The Second Mrs. Darcy: A Novel
Mr. Darcy's Daughters : A Novel
Darcy & Elizabeth: Nights and Days at Pemberley (Pride & Prejudice Continues)
These Three Remain: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman
Mr. Darcy Presents His Bride: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
![4 Book Set of Romance "Here Come The Grooms Sagas"; Almost A Bride [Runaway Brides], Lazarus Rising [Reluctant Grooms], Marriage Go Round [Western Weddings], Marry Sunshine [Wanted Spouse]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Ek8ix46AL.jpg)
