Lydia Bennet's Story: A Sequel to Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Odiwe

Like most women, I enjoy Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice, and not just for the images of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy it brings to mind.  Since I enjoy the story so much, I am typically eager to read any new books that tell more of the Bennet/Darcy tale.  I've purchased many and borrowed just as many from my mom, who is responsible for this aspect of my character.  Imagine my surprise then, when browsing the ebooks online, to find Lydia Bennet's Story:  A Sequel to Pride and Prejudice available for free.  It is on Barnes and Noble for free here, Kobo is also free here, and Amazon here.

This is not exactly a sequel, as it begins during the story of Pride and Prejudice.  It tells Lydia's side of things from the time that Elizabeth is visiting Charlotte Collins and Jane is with their aunt and uncle in London.  To see Lydia's logic behind her choices makes for a new and different twist on the classic.  Odiwe's novel continues beyond the marriage to Wickham and on in the future, continuing the stories of the rest of the family as well.  This is worth reading if you enjoy Pride and Prejudice.

I will point out that Ms. Odiwe tried to write in a style similar to that of Jane Austen, but she was unable to completely achieve that goal.  While remaining completely clean, she was not able to be as completely innocent as writers in Austen's time were.  However, most of these incidents of impropriety were from Lydia herself, which is appropriate given her character.  One other observation is that, when mentioning locations, Odiwe wrote out the full name, as opposed to Austen and her contemporaries who would use the first letter followed by a line (H--).  While nice to have the full name to read, I found I missed the discretion of the original.  That's a personal preference, though, and had no bearing whatsoever on the novel itself.

Overall, I would encourage you to download a copy of Lydia Bennet's Story:  A Sequel to Pride and Prejudice while it is still free.  Much like Pride and Prejudice can be read at any time, this can also be read and enjoyed just about anywhere.  I have classified it as a vacation book because it is light and silly and has romance and comedy, but is serves as a mental vacation on it's own.  I will warn you, though, once you read this you will want to pick up your copy of Pride and Prejudice and read it again!  (it's available for free from all the major ebook sites:  Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Amazon.)

I hope you enjoy this one; please let me know what you think!

Allyson

Ladies and Gentlemen... The Redeemers, by Michael Scott Miller

Sometimes I come across a book listed in the free section of Kobo that is a Smashwords Edition.  This makes me wary.  These are the books that are self-published.  They are written by unknown authors and are available for free or almost free download.  Occasionally they will pop up on Lulu.com and you can order a printed copy for $10 or so.  I'm glad I took the chance on this one.

I read the description of Ladies and Gentlemen... The Redeemers and it sounded promising.  A story about a group of has-been and wannabe musicians trying to make it big was something I could appreciate since I enjoy going to hear up-and-coming bands play live.  This book has heart.  It's funny, it's sad, but most of all, it's real.  It's a story of hope, a story about a leap of faith, and a story about letting nothing stop you from your dreams.  It's a tale of redemption.

Unlike the other books I've read lately, this book has no spirituality or religion in it.  It has some mild language, but not much.  (I think I counted 5 curse words in the entire 71,000 words. *thank you Smashwords for the word count.*)  Overall, this is a clean book.  It's a fun story.  This is a book a man or a woman could read and enjoy.  I read the book in one night (which isn't saying a lot, I know).  I didn't want to put it down.  I was rooting for Bert to get the band together and to make it big.  This book was written so well that I became emotionally invested in the characters.

I will definitely be looking for more of Michael Scott Miller's writing.  I urge you to download a copy of Ladies and Gentlemen... The Redeemers.  The Smashwords website has several download types available for free here.  Just find the one that works with your reader.  Let me know what you think of it!


** per the author, there is a printed version of the book available here on Amazon.  Thanks for the information, Michael!

Allyson

Fools Rush In, by Janice Thompson

Last night's book was another cute, flirty comedic romance.  It was also very clean and had more emphasis on Christianity/spirituality than the others I've read so far this year.  Best of all, like many of the others this year, it was a free download on both Barnes and Noble and Kobo.  Click here to find it on Barnes and Noble's website. 

Fools Rush In is the first book in Thompson's Weddings by Bella series.  If the other books are as delightful as this, I will certainly check out the rest of the series!  Bella and her family are Italians who first lived in New Jersey and have landed on Galveston Island, Texas.  One of the family businesses, a wedding chapel and reception area, has just been handed down to Bella, who decides to branch out and offer themed weddings.  This story follows her as she plans her first big wedding and tries to avoid all the mishaps along the way.

The story is sweet, slightly predictable but not in a bad way, and is laugh-out-loud funny.  Several times I found myself reading passages aloud to Dave because they were so entertaining.  This is certainly a book I would share with a girlfriend and one I would suggest for a vacation.  It's a fun, easy read.  The 330+ pages fly by.


Please, let me know what you think of Fools Rush In or any of the other books in the Weddings by Bella series.

Enjoy!

Allyson