The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Are you reading any books for the Halloween season?  I was happy to recently read The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub.  It combined two of my favorite things – Halloween and Pride and Prejudice.

Lydia Bennet is the seventh daughter of the seventh daughter.  She has powers that are not shared by the rest of her family, except for her Aunt Phillips who is able to guide her as she grows into a young witch.  This novel tells Lydia’s background and then retells the story of Pride and Prejudice from her point of view. 

I thought this novel was very fun.  I loved that it was told from Lydia’s first-person narration through a manuscript she is writing to Lizzy to explain everything.  It is very funny and in character for Lydia. I was delighted to find out that Kitty Bennet is actually a cat and George Wickham, is literally a handsome devil or demon.  To me, it seemed like the entire novel was really about the love that Lydia had for her best friend and sister, Kitty, and the sacrifices that Lydia made to ensure her happiness.  Taub really captures Lydia’s voice.  A few of my favorite quotes:

“I suppose if this were a proper book, I’d begin it something like, ‘Miss Lydia Bennet, youngest of five daughters to a father hopefully entailed, had few advantages in life, but not too few to squander.’”

“La!  Imagine what Lizzy would do if she knew I made that spot on her chin pop back out whenever she vexed me.”

“This is the part, I suppose, where the novel would wrap up with a tidy boring moral, so I will say this: Love your best friends.  Forgive your worst friends.  Remember, always, not to judge people too hastily, for everyone is living out the story of their own, and you only get to read the pages you appear on.”

I was delighted to find out in the author’s note that she used real history, myths, and folklore for the novel.  I also loved that Miss Lamb from Sanditon is a character in this novel.  I always find her an interesting character and love her addition to the story. 

I laughed out loud when I read the first line of the acknowledgements, “Guys, I did so much damn research for this book.  I could write a 10-page bibliography.”

Overall, I thought this was an inventive, unique, and fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice perfect for reading during the Halloween season.

Book Source:  Review copy from Grand Central Publishing as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

QUICK FACTS

·       Title: The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch

·       Author: Melinda Taub

·       Genre: Historical Fantasy, Austenesque Fiction

·       Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 3, 2023)

·       Length: (400) pages

·       Format: Hardcover, eBook, & Audiobook 

·       ISBN: ‎978-1538739204

·       Tour Dates: September 25 – October 9, 2023

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

A "wildly inventive and utterly addictive" (Julia Quinn) witchy reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, told from the perspective of the troublesome and—according to her—much-maligned youngest Bennet sister, Lydia.

In this exuberant retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves, Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat; Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would one expect from a demon? And if Mr. Darcy is uptight about etiquette, that’s nothing compared to his feelings about magic. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that for a witch, promises have power . . .

Full of enchantment, intrigue, and boundless magic, The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, has all the irreverent wit, strength, and romance of Pride and Prejudice—while offering a highly unexpected redemption for the wildest Bennet sister.

 

PRAISE FOR THE SCANDALOUS CONFESSIONS OF LYDIA BENNET, WITCH

• “Funny and fierce as Lydia Bennet herself, this book mixes witchcraft lore with Austen’s story to make its own unique magic. I’ll never look at Kitty the same way again…” ―Claudia Gray, author of The Murder of Mr. Wickham, a Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney Mystery
• “Taub’s wit and creativity shines through. . . A delight for both Austen lovers and fans of magical adventure stories.” ―Kirkus Reviews

·       “Wildly inventive and utterly addictive. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm now 100% Team Lydia.” ―Julia Quinn

 

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | PUBLISHER | BOOKSHOP | BOOKBUB |    GOODREADS

 

AUTHOR BIO

Melinda Taub is an Emmy and Writers’ Guild Award-winning writer. The former head writer and executive producer of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, she is also the author of Still Star-Crossed, a young adult novel which was adapted for television by Shondaland. (She also wrote that thing about the Baroness in The Sound of Music that your aunt likes.) She lives in Brooklyn.

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | X (formerly known as Twitter) | GOODREADS

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

Do you keep in touch with your high school friends?

I live in a different state now, but I keep in touch with my best friend Jenn.  I wish I had more time to keep in touch and actually see more of my high school friends in person.  I’m grateful for social media to at least be able to keep in touch that way.

Spells for Forgetting is my first book by Adrienne Young, but it won’t be my last.  This tale was set on an island off the cost of the state of Washington.  The people on the Island make their living from tourism associated with an orchard owned by the Salt family.  After a devastating fire and the death of a teenage girl, Lily, August Salt and his mother left the island forever in a cloud of suspicion.  Now fourteen years later, August has returned to buy his mother and tie up lose ends.  He once again meets his high school love, Emery.  Emery has stayed on the island and tried to move on.  She can’t forget August and also can’t find out what happened to him.  Now that he has returned, what will Emery do with life?  Who killed Lily all of those years ago and who started the fire?  What other secrets does the town hold?

I loved the atmosphere and setting of this young adult novel.  I also always love a second chance romance novel.  The spells in this title are some slight magic that happens in the novel.  Old spell books are passed down through families on the island.  I would call this a mystery young adult novel with a hint of magical realism.  I guessed some of the ending, but not all of it in this novel.  It’s told from mostly August and Emery’s perspectives with a few other islanders thrown in. The action mostly takes place in the present, but it also flashes back to the past before the fire and death.

Review Copy from Netgalley.  Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling

 

Do you have any sequels you are looking forward to?

I loved the Ex Hex last year and was excited to see the follow-up novel, The Kiss Curse was being published this year. 

Gwen Jones lives in Graves Glen Georgia and runs a store that sells witchy items to tourists with her mom and cousin, Vivi.  She has a wonderful talking cat named Sir Purrcival and has started to help and tutor some “baby witches” from the local college.  Gwen’s life changes when Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow moves to town from Wales and sets up a competing store.  Gwen had a run in with Wells in college and has always considered him handsome, but snooty.  Now that he is in town, will the two kill each other in their rivalry or will something else develop?    Why do Gwen’s powers seem to be decreasing and what does her old college acquaintance, Morgan, arriving back in town have to do with it?

This book is light hearted magical fun in the vein of Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus, or Bewitched.  It really is a good book for the Halloween season.  The romance is the enemies to lovers trope, which is one of my favorites.  The spice in this book is hot.  I liked that the book focused mostly on their relationship, but I did like the comedy provided by the baby witches and Sir Purrcival.  Wells’s hairy brother Browen also made an appearance and I’m hoping that means he will get his own book next year.  The book ends with excitement and some action due to the mystery of Morgan and Gwen’s disappearing powers which led to a good ending.  I enjoyed this one!

Book Source:  The Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

Threads of Magic by Monica Fairview

What would happen if Darcy and Elizabeth lived in a magical world?  Threads of Magic picks up right where the first novel in the series, Dangerous Magic left off.  I would recommend reading Dangerous Magic first.  It’s been about a year since I’ve read it and it took me a bit to remember the details and get back into the story.  Once I was back in though, I couldn’t stop reading this story!

The French have attacked the Mages’ Hall with a giant fireball, but Elizabeth was able to connect with others and stop the attack.  Unfortunately that has left Bingley and the two others as a walking shell.  Unable to verify that the attack took place, people are wary of Elizabeth and think her type of magic is dangerous.  Darcy and Elizabeth are newlyweds but must learn to work together to make their Twin Janus powers stronger.  In order to hide from the French, the Mages lease Netherfield Hall.  Soon, Darcy and Elizabeth realize there is an enemy within their, and it is bound and determined to get rid of them.  Who is the enemy on the British side? Will they be able to determine who their French prisoner is and why they were attacking?  Will Bingley be restored to normal?

I love this fantasy world and the inventive tale.  I really liked the action and the mystery of who was after Elizabeth and Darcy.  I love that we get to see some of our favorite characters, in a new way.  Fairview is great at writing Austen characters, and they stay true to their source characters.  I really love how Elizabeth and Darcy had to focus on building their relationship.

Favorite Quotes:

“There was something particularly poignant about having Bingley immobile in a ballroom.  Bingley loved dancing, and the glittering crystal chandelier about him seemed to mock his inertness.”

“That was what marriage was about.  A lifetime of possibilities together.”

“People believe what they choose to believe. Evidence has little bearing on the matter.”

“You always think the best of people, even when evidence points to the contrary.”

Overall, Threads of Magic by Monica Fairview and the Dangerous Magic series is a great new magical Regency fantasy series starring some of the best characters from literature.

Book Source:  Review Copy from author Monica Fairview.  Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

 

Title:  The Book of Magic

Author: Alice Hoffman

Narrated by:  Jennifer Ehle

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 52 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank-you!

 Are you a fan of the Practical Magic series?  I’ve enjoyed the series and love Alice Hoffman’s novels.  The Book of Magic takes place chronologically after Practical Magic but is the fourth book in the series.  This story brings together many of the characters we’ve been reading about in the series.  Aunt Jet, Aunt Franny, Uncle Vincent, Sally and Gillian, and Sally’s children, Kylie and Antonia are all in this novel.  The novel starts out reacquainting the reader with the various characters and the history of the family. 

 Sally has never told her daughters that they are witches or about the Owens family curse on love.  Kylie falls in love with her childhood sweetheart.  Just after declaring their love, he is involved in a horrific accident.  Kylie decides it is up to her to remove this curse and bring him back to life out of his coma.  She embarks on a journey that takes her back to England where her ancestor Maria Owens was from originally.  As her family embarks on a journey to save her, will they be able to break the family curse once and for all?

 I enjoyed the conclusion in the series, but I am also a little sad that it has ended.  The story seemed to meander at times, but I was happy to see all of the characters and pieces of the story from previous novels comes back together again.  I love the characters and I love Hoffman’s style of writing. 

 Jennifer Ehle narrated the audiobook and did a wonderful job.  Jennifer Ehle was Elizabeth Bennet in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice.  I have loved her work as an actress, and I didn’t realize she narrated audiobooks now.  She did a wonderful job giving a voice to each character. 

 Overall, The Book of Magic was the perfect conclusion to the Practical Magic series.

Dangerous Magic (A Pride and Prejudice Variation) by Monica Fairview

What is your favorite retelling of a classic tale?

In an alternate Regency era, England is in a war with France and losing.  In order to project England, Elizabeth Bennet is plucked from her family at their country estate at Longbourn and brought to the Guild Hall in London.  Once there she is expected to marry and bond with the powerful Royal Mage, Fitzwilliam Darcy.  She has always hoped to marry for love and is unhappy over this forced union.  Will Darcy and Elizabeth fall in love?  Will they be able to bond and protect England?

 I enjoyed this new spin on a classic tale.  Monica Fairview understands and perfectly writes the characters from Pride and Prejudice.  It’s amazing reading how true they are to their original characters, but in this new magical setting.  The story was unique, but familiar and I really enjoyed it.  I was just sad it ended but was pleased to see that this is the first in a series and there will be a Book 2 of Jane Austen’s Mages.  I look forward to it. 

I also loved the reimaging of some of the side characters, in particular Caroline Bingley.  I thought it was interesting that the book focused on “bloodlines” and how many people were obsessed on being of noble pure blood in order to be the best Mage.  It seems like Mr. Darcy would think along these lines, but he is friends with the Bingleys.  I liked this and how Elizabeth in turn defies everyone’s expectations of her.

Overall, Dangerous Magic is a fun magical reimagining of Pride and Prejudice.  I loved the story and the characters!

Book Source:  Review Copy from author Monica Fairview.  Thank-you!

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

 

Title:  Magic Lessons

Author: Alice Hoffman

Read by:  Sutton Foster

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 13 hours and 26 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank-you!

 I have enjoyed Alice Hoffman’s novels for the last twenty years.  She writes a bit of magic into each of them.  Practical Magic was the first novel I read by her.  I enjoyed the prequel to Practical Magic, Rules of Magic, that came out a few years ago.  I was delighted to discover that this year she had published a prequel to both of those books about Maria Owens, the ancestor who is discussed in both of those novels.  Magic Lessons was a great historical fiction novel and if I’m honest, it’s my favorite of the Practical Magic trilogy.  It finally answers the questions, who was Maria Owens and what is the curse that has followed the family throughout time?

 Maria Owens was a foundling in England born with a gift in the 1600’s.  Luckily, Hannah, another woman with the gift of magic found her and raised her as her own.  After tragedy strikes, a young Maria sets sail for the new world.  While on an island in the Caribbean, she falls in love with a stranger.  After finding she is with child, she travels to Salem, Massachusetts to find him and tell him about their child.  What does she find that causes the curse to be cast?

 I enjoyed this entire story of Maria and her daughter Faith.  I loved the look into the 17^th century and how women were called out as witches for being different or for basically being healers for the times.  Maria and Faith are actual witches who have a magical gift, but the women who were killed in both England and the United States were killed for being different or as scapegoats.  Maria is a strong woman who did what she wanted to do, which was frowned upon at this time.  Women were not supposed to question men or live on their own.  I also liked the overall theme that Maria often thinks about, “what you set out into the world came back to you threefold.”  Whenever you do something good or something bad, it will come back to you again threefold.  It’s a powerful motivator to make sure you are doing good in the world.  I also loved the overall love story in the novel. 

 I love Hoffman’s use of language in her novels and beautiful descriptions.  Sutton Foster was a great audiobook narrator and I enjoyed listening to this story.

 Favorite Quotes:

“When you fall in love like that, time doesn’t matter. This was the secret he told Maria, the last words he ever said. What belonged to you once, will always belong to you. Be grateful if you have walked through the world with another’s heart in your hand.”

 “Likely it was true that the flaws you saw in other women you didn't notice in yourself.”

 “No one knows where time goes, all the same it disappears.”

 “It was always best to step into the future while it was still waiting for you.”

 Overall, Magic Lessons is a magical look into the 17^th century and the start of the Owens curse.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Blood and Bone is a young adult fantasy novel.  Orisha was once a land of magic, but an evil king has destroyed the maji and the source of their power.  White hair marks the diviners, those that were born to become maji, but can not now that their power source is gone.  Zelie Abedola is one such diviner who vividly remembers the death of her powerful mother.  Amari is a princess and daughter of the cruel king.  After seeing the evil that her father can inflict, she escapes the castle with a relic that can bring back magic to all of the land.  Once she runs into Zelie, these two unlikely foes are on a path to help restore the power of the maji.  On their trail is Amari’s brother, Prince Inan, who has his own secret to battle.  Will Zelie and Amari succeed?

I enjoyed this action adventure.  There was star crossed romance and also a great ethical question, is it actually good to bring magic back to the land?  Does magic harm more than it helps?  Does it give too much power to individuals that can wreak havoc on the rest of the civilization?  I thought it was very interesting to ponder.  This novel also had a great cliff hanger ending and I can’t wait to read this next one in the series.  The novel was told through first person perspective and switched between Zelie, Amari, and Iman’s view points.

The only downfall for me to this story was that I read it billed as the “next Harry Potter.”  I’ve complained about this before on my blog.  That sets up certain expectations and when a novel fails to meet those expectations, it makes you disappointed in it, even though it was a good book.  I liked this book on its own merits.  It is not Harry Potter and I wish I wouldn’t have read that quote before reading it!

Favorite Quotes:

“Duty isn’t enough when it means destroying the girl I love.”

“Two days without her.  In her absence, the ocean air hangs heavy.  Every breath whispers her name.”

Overall, Children of Blood and Bone is a great young adult fantasy action adventure novel and I can’t wait to read the second novel in this series!

Book Source:  Birthday gift from my best friend Jenn.  Thank-you!