Tour page on Celebrate Lit
About the Book
Book: A Very Austen Valentine
Author: Robin Helm
Genre: Historical Romance (Regency), Religious and Inspirational
Release Date: December 29, 2018
Six beloved authors deliver romantic Valentine novellas set in Jane Austen’s Regency world. Robin Helm, Laura Hile, Wendi Sotis, and Barbara Cornthwaite, together with Susan Kaye and Mandy Cook, share variations of Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility, featuring your favorite characters in sequels, adaptations, and spinoffs of Austen’s adored novels.
Experience uplifting romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and poignant regret as these authors deftly tug on your heartstrings this Valentine’s Day.
I Dream of You by Robin Helm
Newly-married Elizabeth Darcy has a plan: to charm her too-busy husband into desiring her company as much as he did when he was courting her. A series of romantic dreams gives her just the push she needs to put that plan into action.
Sir Walter Takes a Wife by Laura Hile
Faced with a lonely future and finding himself strapped for cash, Persuasion’s Sir Walter Elliot manfully decides to marry again. But his careful plans go sadly awry! A lighthearted Valentine mash-up featuring two of Jane Austen’s worst snobs.
My Forever Valentine by Wendi Sotis
Jane and Charles Bingley have married, even though Miss Elizabeth Bennet remains certain Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy gave his best effort to keep them apart. After Mr. Darcy refused to stand up with Bingley and did not attend the wedding, she despises the gentleman more than ever and finds his company intolerable. How will she endure her visit to Kent if Mr. Darcy turns up everywhere she goes?
Pretence and Prejudice by Barbara Cornthwaite
A chance encounter with a handsome stranger forces Elizabeth to resort to subterfuge in order to discover his true intentions.
My Valentine by Mandy H. Cook
Little Charlotte was always determined and independent, traits which served her well as she battled a serious childhood illness and later as she took on Polite Society. Will those traits now deprive her of true love? Or would her lifelong Valentine win her heart?
The Lovers’ Ruse by Susan Kaye
In this Persuasion alteration, Anne is so altered by Wentworth’s love in the summer of 1806, she refuses to give him up when both her godmother and father try to persuade her. “The Lovers’ Ruse”follows Frederick and Anne through their whirlwind courtship and their secret engagement. When Wentworth returns for his Annie girl, the cat comes out of the bag.
Click here to purchase your copy!
My Review
As a reader and lover of Jane Austen and her works, this collection of six short stories whetted my appetite to reread the classics and watch a few Austen movies. The authors add a bit more depth to the familiar lives of beloved characters. I had never thought about Valentine’s Day or Valentines in the early 1800s, but these stories center around the love life of the participants through the words on Valentines or letters passing through their hands.
In this collection the reader meets Elizabeth and Darcy a year after their marriage when their love life needs a little attention. Then another story takes on the love entanglement of their daughter Charlotte years later. I love meeting their children! Two other stories concentrate on elements of ‘what if’ during their courtship. My Austen imagination soars believing the events transpired in real literature time.
The most humorous tale involves the courtship of Lady Catherine de Borough by the sometimes silly and awkward Sir Walter Elliot. I definitely now see Lady Catherine in a different light. The last tale involves the romance of Sir Elliot’s daughter with Frederick Wentworth of the navy.
Personally, I can never get enough of Austen! Thank you ladies for your creative imaginations and for sharing with all of the Austen fans.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
About the Author
Robin Helm’s books reflect her love of music, as well as her fascination with the paranormal and science fiction.
Previously published works include The Guardian Trilogy: Guardian, SoulFire, and Legacy (a guardian angel protects a supernaturally gifted girl), the Yours by Design series: Accidentally Yours, Sincerely Yours, and Forever Yours (Fitzwilliam Darcy switches places in time with his descendant, Will Darcy), and Understanding Elizabeth (Regency sweet romance).
She contributed to A Very Austen Christmas: Austen Anthologies, Book 1, an anthology featuring like-minded authors, in 2017, and A Very Austen Valentine: Austen Anthologies, Book 2which was released on December 29, 2018.
New releases for 2019 include More to Love, a standalone historical sweet romance dealing with body image; Lawfully Innocent, a historical U.S. Marshal romance book in the Lawkeepers series; Maestro, a historical sweet romance featuring a brilliant musician and his student; and A Very Austen Romance: Austen Anthologies, Book 3.
She lives in sunny South Carolina where she teaches piano and adores her one husband, two married daughters, and three grandchildren.
More from Robin
Do you love Historical romance, but avoid “those” covers like the plague?
Would you enjoy an anthology featuring six Valentine-themed novellas set in the Regency period written by Christian authors?
In A Very Austen Valentine, stories range from a young wife searching for a way to bring her marriage back to the way it was, to a laugh-out-loud courtship between Jane Austen’s worst snobs.
Misunderstandings, concealed identities, and romance abound.
There is even a sequel featuring the children of the Darcys and the Brandons.
Every reader will find something to love in this wonderful collection.
Blog Stops
Blossoms and Blessings, March 25
Christian Bookaholic, March 25
Blogging With Carol, March 26
Britt Reads Fiction, March 26
Reflections from My Bookshelves, March 27
For Him and My Family, March 27
Godly Book Reviews, March 28
Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 28
Emily Yager, March 29
Connect in Fiction, March 29
The Christian Fiction Girl, March 30
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 30
Moments, March 31
Mary Hake, March 31
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 1
Pause for Tales, April 1
Creating Romance, April 2
Book by Book, April 2
Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, April 3
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 3
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 4
Texas Book-aholic, April 4
janicesbookreviews, April 5
A Reader’s Brain, April 5
Just the Write Escape, April 6
Inklings and notions, April 7
The Becca Files, April 7
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away
Grand Prize: a $50 Amazon gift card
1st Place: An autographed paperback of A Very Austen Valentine: Austen Anthologies, Book 1
2nd Place: An autographed paperback of A Very Austen Christmas: Austen Anthologies, Book 2
3rd Place: A set of three ebooks – Reader’s Choice of any three of my books and
4th Place: a $5 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/ddfa/a-very-austen-valentine-celebration-tour-giveaway
So fun! I love Austen reimafinings 🙂 Great post!
This one was a fun one!
Marguerite, thank you for hosting us today — and for taking the time to read and review our anthology. I’m not quite sure how you do it all — teach, read, review, and WRITE. Tell you what, you’re giving Wonder Woman a run for her money!
Anyway, I’m glad you enjoyed our stories — and what can I say about my Sir Walter Takes a Wife? There is no excuse, save to say that I had WAY too much fun writing it.
Again, thank you. It is a pleasure to introduce my writing friends (anthology authors, who truly are my good friends, even though we met over the Internet 🙂 ) to your friends.
Hey, Laura! This was such a fun book especially your story! I will admit I laughed a lot. Thanks!
Me too, Marguerite. I had WAY too much fun writing Sir Walter and Lady Catherine.
Ha, I guess I said that already. Sounds like I might need to get off of spring break and back into the classroom, right? Anyway, it’s been encouraging to discover that readers enjoy my story. Truth to tell, I was a little scared to publish it in a Valentine anthology … because it is not all that romantic. 😀
Robin encouraged me. “But people love to laugh!” She was right.
I really want to read this book. It sounds fantastic.
It really was awesome and very entertaining….
Debbie, thanks for the kind encouragement. We think it has something for just about everyone.
Sounds good can’t wait to read this book.
I certainly hope to read more of these kinds of stories.
I’m excited to read this collection! Thank you for sharing.
Oooh this looks thrilling! Your review makes me want to read it! I have added it to my list now. I just watched The Jane Austen Book Club on Netflix and it was so great! Now I want to collect and read all of Austen’s books!
I’ve read all of them! It takes a while to get used to the writing style.
Thanks for the review and giveaway!
My pleasure!