The Lady and the Lionheart by Joanne Bischof
It was the 1890s circus setting that first made me want to read this one, because I've always been drawn to circus/carnival stories. And this one did not disappoint. I loved Charlie Lionheart, the lion tamer, and his faith, and the sacrifices he made to keep his little niece safe. And I loved watching Ella's cautious friendship with him grow into something deeper. This is a heartwarming and sweet romance. (Thank you, Ashley, for recommending this one!)
The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow
First lines: "It is a sad fact of life that if a young woman is unlucky enough to come into the world without expectations, she had better do all she can to ensure she is born beautiful. To be poor and handsome is misfortune enough; but to be penniless and plain is a hard fate indeed."
Who knew Mary Bennet could be so interesting? She's one of Jane Austen's duller, less memorable characters, but Hadlow has done an excellent job of turning her into a very sympathetic heroine of her own story. (Thank you, Cath, for your review, which made me want to read this one in the first place.)
Happy Reading!
Curious about both of these, especially The Other Bennet Sister. I don't know when it happened, but I've become a big fan of novels that spin-off from minor characters in well known novels.
ReplyDeleteWhen they're done well they're a lot of fun to read. I thought Hadlow managed to make Mary a more interesting character while still keeping her pretty true to Austen's original vision. I didn't always agree with her choices, but I enjoyed the story overall.
Delete"To be poor and handsome is misfortune enough; but to be penniless and plain is a hard fate indeed." Poor Mary! Hope she got her own happy story here. :)
ReplyDeleteShe did get her happy ending...though it took her awhile to get there. (The second half could have used a little editing imo.)
DeleteI don't remember much about Mary from P&P. All the focus was on Elizabeth, Jane, and Lydia. Mary was overlooked. Glad she finally got her story! :)
ReplyDeleteMary's not a memorable character. She was always playing the piano and reading. But she got to come out front and center in this one.
DeleteThe Bennett Sister seems like an interesting spinoff and the cover is a bit beseeching !
ReplyDeleteIt ended up being a pretty interesting book.
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed both of these. Charlie Lionheart sounds like a great character!
ReplyDeleteI really loved Charlie Lionheart! And I love that circus/carnival setting, too. :D
DeleteThe Bennett one sounds great! Nice to see a dryer character get some love.
ReplyDeleteI liked seeing how Hadlow brought her to life.
DeleteThe Lady and the Lionheart sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI really loved the relationship between the two main characters.
DeleteThese both sound fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI liked both of them for very different reasons. :D
DeleteI listened to a book that had Mary Bennett as the main character and I absolutely hated her so I've been a bit prejudiced against her ever since. I should give her another chance and try this book!
ReplyDeleteMary's not really a likable character in the original Jane Austen book either, which made me hesitate a little about reading this one. But Cath liked it so much she convinced me to give it a try. And I'm glad I did.
DeleteGlad you liked The Other Bennet Sister, Lark, it's one of the best Austen spin-offs I've read.
ReplyDeleteHadlow did a very good job of turning Mary into a complete and complex character.
DeleteBoth books sound like lovely reads!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed them both. And I have been commenting on your blog, but I think my comments have been falling into spam. Or disappearing into some blogger limbo. ;D
DeleteApologies, I'd been MIA for several weeks and posted about it on my blog. I have added comments to posts. Thanks for mentioning it.
DeleteI loved The Lady and the Lionheart!! It was SO good!!! I have not read the other one.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading more of Bischof's novels because this one was so good. :D
DeleteThese do sound like good summer reads.
ReplyDeleteMy small foray into historical fiction this summer...which I do enjoy reading, but don't ever seem to prioritize any more.
DeleteLark, I'm so happy you enjoyed The Lady and the Lionheart. It's one of my all-time faves. Charlie's such a great leading man, and I loved the circus setting. It really came to life. :D
ReplyDeleteI loved Charlie! What a great character. And that circus setting is always a huge draw for me, too. :D
DeleteI can see I'm going to have to find a copy of The Other Bennet Sister.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get a chance to check it out.
DeleteHi Lark, The Other Bennet Sister sounds really good. I loved Pride and Prejudice but I read it so long ago I forget who the other Bennet sisters were. And Elizabeth Bennet takes up so much of Pride and Prejudice that I would like to know about Mary Bennet and how she felt about things.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see the story through Mary's eyes, that's for sure.
DeleteThese both sound great! I read one really interesting book that created a whole different life for Mary (Pride & Prometheus) -- it was fascinating!
ReplyDeleteThat does sound good. I'll have to check it out. :D
DeleteBoth of these books sound interesting. I like it that the first book has the 1890s circus setting. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's such a fun setting!
DeleteI have always avoided spin offs or rewrites of established novels, but ... the one about Mary Bennett does interest me.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting take on the familiar story. I thought it could have been a little shorter, but overall I liked it.
DeleteOh the Other Bennett Sister definitely sounds interesting. That's a pretty cover too. Glad you enjoyed these!
ReplyDeleteI did like both of these. I wouldn't have read either one if other bloggers hadn't recommended them. :D
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