Jennieke Cohen

SPOILER ALERT:

it is safe to say I am 100% obsessed with Vicky and Tom.

In this classic enemies to lover’s scenario, these former best friends find their way back to each other (from hate to eventual love) through this well paced, well written historical fiction story. Vicky lives a well-off life, but wishes it were more like a Jane Austen novel, which she loves to read. Her sister suddenly appears at home, seeking separation from her abusive husband, Lord Dain. While her family tries to show more solve the legal issues involved in Regency Era separations, they instruct Vicky to marry, to save the family estate from falling into the grasp of evil Lord Dain. Her choices lie between the handsome rogue Mr. Carmichael and former childhood best friend Tom Sherborne. I loved watching Vicky and Tom begin to fall in love with each other as the novel progressed. I knew they would end up together but waiting for them to realize it was all the more fun as I continued reading. I liked the mystery element as well. Very much got Pride and Prejudice and Emma vibes the most from this novel, which are my personal favorite Austen novels. The author used quotes from different Austen novels at the start of each chapter, which I really liked as well. I also got a lot of The Viscount Who Loved Me vibes from this book, minus the adult spice of course.

Obviously this is YA so it reads the way a typical YA would, but this doesn't bother me, because I enjoyed every second of this novel. There were multiple perspectives, with Vicky and Tom's as the main perspectives, with Susie thrown in the mix a few times. For fans of Jane Austen, this book will be a wonderful read. I couldn't put it down.

Genre: Historical Fiction show less

Argh, what a frustrating book!

I don't know if it's that I do read a lot of historical romance, or that I have read a lot of Austen but this thing was neither fish nor fowl. Either: write a regency based novel that is actually historically accurate (uh, no, gently bred young women are not wearing breeches and repairing sheepfold walls on behalf of their father in this time period) OR write a book that gives basic lip-service to the trappings of the times and tells a great story regardless show more (*cough* gail carriger, julie quinn). This one got bogged down trying to do both, and honestly I just didn't like the characters very much or believe their motivations.

There's some cool modern feminist stuff going on in here, so if that's your jam, you might dig this. It just didn't do it for me. show less

Utterly delightful gender-swapped retelling on "My Fair Lady." It's obvious how much affection Cohen has for the original while wanting to make the relationships an equal partnership.

If you're a fan of regency novels, Jane Austen, and teenage romance you will eat this book up! Set early in the nineteenth century; this novel follows Vicky, a young well off lady who is disheartened that her life isn't more like a Jane Austen novel. She wants the romance and intrigue; instead she gets herself in laughably dangerous situations and her former childhood friend (now sworn enemy) seems to keep showing up at the right moment to rescue her. She can take care of herself, thank you show more very much! To make matters more complicated, her older sister is seeking a separation from her husband and in order to protect the family estate from her bully husband, Vicky must get married and do so quickly. Witty, charming, over the top, and so much fun. I hope the author writes more just like this. show less