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flowersofquiethappiness's review against another edition
4.0
I admit that the title is what first caught my eye. Anything to do with Persuasion is bound to! :) But the story within was delightful enough to capture my interest and keep me "turning" the pages on my kindle. It's not a rewriting of, but more based on, Ms. Austen's original. How exciting would it be to time travel back and actually speak with Ms. Austen herself? That's precisely what the heroine of this story gets to do! And how the time travel works doesn't fully make sense, but who cares? With simultaneous romances going on, one in real life and one in Austen's time period, the cute and fun is enough to make me happy to suspend my disbelief. With our heroine doing a balancing act between two worlds and two handsome, but confusing gentlemen, as well as getting to converse with Jane and her family, and trying to figure out what's real and what's not, life's a little busy. Ms. Odiwe's characters are so much fun! If you enjoy Austen sequels, then I would certainly recommend this one. Time travel and Jane Austen make a fabulous combo! :)
lifeand100books's review against another edition
5.0
What do Jane Austen, time-traveling, "Captain Wentworth", and a pair of white gloves all have in common? They're all major parts of Jane Odiwe's newest novel Searching for Captain Wentworth, a time-travelling tale that puts us smack dab in the middle of Jane Austen's life!
Sophie Elliot is in a bit of a slump, to put it mildly. Her boyfriend has cheated on her, with her best friend, no less. Totally distraught, she can't focus on the book she is attempting to write, and is quite depressed indeed. So, in order to help her recuperate and focus on her writing, her great-aunt gives her the keys to the family townhouse in Bath. She is shocked to learn that the home is located right next to the former home of none other than Jane Austen herself. She is not alone, however, as she meets a somewhat mysterious man in the townhouse named Josh Strafford. After Strafford drops an old glove, Sophie grabs it in order to return it to him. Instead of simply picking up the glove, something extremely unexpected happens. She finds herself transplanted into the body of her namesake, in Jane Austen's time! She is able to live out her wildest dream as she befriends Austen and experiences life in Regency-era bath. She soon becomes caught in the dizzying travel between these two eras separated by 200 years. She learns more about Austen than she ever thought possible. What will become of Sophie now that this magical transformation has occurred? What will happen with Josh once she tells him about the magical properties his glove seems to possess?
Right off the bat I was impressed with this book. I loved how Odiwe was able to make Austen herself personify traits that fit all of her heroines. She had the wit of Elizabeth, the matchmaking skills of Emma, the lost love like Anne, etc. I personally like to believe that Jane truly did have traits from all of her heroines. Knowing her characters so well and then believing they're little parts of Jane herself makes me feel closer to her work for some reason. (Any one else feel this way??) Also, can I talk about Charles Austen and Josh for a second? What wonderfully male creations Odiwe has invented. They were both written with such superbly gentleman-like characteristics that I couldn't help but swoon over them. Overall, Odiwe fleshed out each character quite well, with my opinions on them matching what I thought Odiwe would want to happen, making the story progress that much faster and drawing me in more.
Finally, I have to give Odiwe a lot of credit for her inspiring words throughout the work. I was touched by several quotes, my personal favorite being: Time is but a shadow; Too slow, too swift, but for those who love, time does not exist. How amazing is that? It's all too true in our society today. It makes the maxim "take time to stop and smell the roses" all that more important, as we are constantly bombarded by stimuli and fail to take in the importance of the people and places around us. Between the exquisitely written story and intriguing characters, I was hooked from cover to cover. Even if time travelling books aren't normally your style, I'd suggest that you still give this a try. After all, haven't we all wanted to be Jane's best friend?
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-1Ar
Sophie Elliot is in a bit of a slump, to put it mildly. Her boyfriend has cheated on her, with her best friend, no less. Totally distraught, she can't focus on the book she is attempting to write, and is quite depressed indeed. So, in order to help her recuperate and focus on her writing, her great-aunt gives her the keys to the family townhouse in Bath. She is shocked to learn that the home is located right next to the former home of none other than Jane Austen herself. She is not alone, however, as she meets a somewhat mysterious man in the townhouse named Josh Strafford. After Strafford drops an old glove, Sophie grabs it in order to return it to him. Instead of simply picking up the glove, something extremely unexpected happens. She finds herself transplanted into the body of her namesake, in Jane Austen's time! She is able to live out her wildest dream as she befriends Austen and experiences life in Regency-era bath. She soon becomes caught in the dizzying travel between these two eras separated by 200 years. She learns more about Austen than she ever thought possible. What will become of Sophie now that this magical transformation has occurred? What will happen with Josh once she tells him about the magical properties his glove seems to possess?
Right off the bat I was impressed with this book. I loved how Odiwe was able to make Austen herself personify traits that fit all of her heroines. She had the wit of Elizabeth, the matchmaking skills of Emma, the lost love like Anne, etc. I personally like to believe that Jane truly did have traits from all of her heroines. Knowing her characters so well and then believing they're little parts of Jane herself makes me feel closer to her work for some reason. (Any one else feel this way??) Also, can I talk about Charles Austen and Josh for a second? What wonderfully male creations Odiwe has invented. They were both written with such superbly gentleman-like characteristics that I couldn't help but swoon over them. Overall, Odiwe fleshed out each character quite well, with my opinions on them matching what I thought Odiwe would want to happen, making the story progress that much faster and drawing me in more.
Finally, I have to give Odiwe a lot of credit for her inspiring words throughout the work. I was touched by several quotes, my personal favorite being: Time is but a shadow; Too slow, too swift, but for those who love, time does not exist. How amazing is that? It's all too true in our society today. It makes the maxim "take time to stop and smell the roses" all that more important, as we are constantly bombarded by stimuli and fail to take in the importance of the people and places around us. Between the exquisitely written story and intriguing characters, I was hooked from cover to cover. Even if time travelling books aren't normally your style, I'd suggest that you still give this a try. After all, haven't we all wanted to be Jane's best friend?
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-1Ar
kinx128's review against another edition
4.0
On my goodness, what a lovely and entertaining book! I fell hook, line and sinker for this story. I think it is every Jane Austen fan’s fantasy to travel back in time to meet her and try to discover her secrets. Did she fall in love? Why didn’t she marry? Jane Odiwe has written an amazing tale of time travel, love and Regency Bath that one cannot forget.
Sophie is a very sweet character. She begins the story with a broken heart. You watch her heal and grow as the story evolves. The best part about Sophie is that she is able to meet and develop a close relationship with Jane Austen. Jane is witty, fun-loving, and a tease. You can see it all in your mind as your read it. Sophie and Jane try to have a very honest relationship at a time when it is difficult for women to speak their true thoughts. I really enjoyed the bond that developed between them.
I loved how Ms. Odiwe wove so many of Jane’s novels into this story. You could identify which character in the book matched with an actual Jane Austen character. Jane, herself, seemed a mixture of all of her heroines; Anne, Mariane, Emma, and even Fanny. The Elliots in this story even matched the nasty Elliots in Persuasion. I loved it!!
Of all of Jane Austen’s books, Persuasion is my favorite. When I first saw this title, I knew I had to read it and I’m so glad I did. It is so magical and romantic and such a joy to read. My recommendation is to just accept the magic, don’t question it. That way you will really enjoy this book.
Sophie is a very sweet character. She begins the story with a broken heart. You watch her heal and grow as the story evolves. The best part about Sophie is that she is able to meet and develop a close relationship with Jane Austen. Jane is witty, fun-loving, and a tease. You can see it all in your mind as your read it. Sophie and Jane try to have a very honest relationship at a time when it is difficult for women to speak their true thoughts. I really enjoyed the bond that developed between them.
I loved how Ms. Odiwe wove so many of Jane’s novels into this story. You could identify which character in the book matched with an actual Jane Austen character. Jane, herself, seemed a mixture of all of her heroines; Anne, Mariane, Emma, and even Fanny. The Elliots in this story even matched the nasty Elliots in Persuasion. I loved it!!
Of all of Jane Austen’s books, Persuasion is my favorite. When I first saw this title, I knew I had to read it and I’m so glad I did. It is so magical and romantic and such a joy to read. My recommendation is to just accept the magic, don’t question it. That way you will really enjoy this book.
albionscastle's review against another edition
5.0
Going into this novel I felt some trepidation at the plotline. The time traveling glove and all that could gave gone very badly. However the author's style is charming and engaging and I was almost instantly hooked. The charming downstairs neighbor who I pictured as a British Josh Groban and Austen's charming brother were heroes worth swooning over. Our heroine's mixed feelings and observations are a delight and I felt her pain in knowing what the future would hold. All in all an enjoyable read.
good_quiet_kitty's review against another edition
3.0
I appreciated this approach to the Jane Austen adaptation genre, but the narration was rather clunky and the romance never clicked for me.
drcopeland's review against another edition
4.0
Great Twist on a Favorite Austen Story
This was a sweet time travel twist on Persuasion. If you love Austen and Persuasion you will love this book.
This was a sweet time travel twist on Persuasion. If you love Austen and Persuasion you will love this book.
carmenna's review against another edition
3.0
Searching for Captain Wentworth è un romanzo di ispirazione austeniana che richiama la storia di Persuasione e che fa dei viaggi nel tempo la sua caratteristica principale.
Protagonista è Sophie Elliot, una giovane donna che si trasferisce momentaneamente a Bath, nella vecchia casa della sua prozia, per guarire dalla ferita di un tradimento e per dedicarsi finalmente alla stesura di un libro di respiro austeniano.
Lì conosce il suo affascinante vicino, Josh, e, proprio grazie a un guanto bianco perso da questi, Sophie si ritrova a viaggiare nel tempo, vestendo i panni della sua antenata Sophia, vissuta circa 200 anni prima. Nella nuova realtà fa la conoscenza addirittura di Jane Austen e della sua famiglia, stringendo un legame speciale con il fratello della scrittrice, Charles, malvisto, però, dai familiari di Sophia, troppo attenti alla condizione sociale di una persona, piuttosto che al suo vero valore.
Il romanzo ci suggerisce quindi che, in realtà, la storia di Persuasione richiami molto da vicino quella di Sophie e Charles, nonché quella di Jane Austen, che, non potendo realizzare il suo sogno d'amore, provvide a confezionarne uno per la sua eroina Anne.
Il libro è molto ben scritto, e l'autrice descrive con dovizia di particolari la città di Bath, riuscendo a renderci partecipi della storia sia quando questa è ambientata nel presente, che nel passato.
Di solito preferisco non leggere romanzi i cui personaggi siano realmente esistiti, ma in Searching for Captain Wentworth Jane Austen e i suoi familiari sono davvero adorabili.
E' invece la storia in sé a non essermi piaciuta molto: non sono riuscita ad empatizzare nemmeno per un minuto con Sophie, ed il fatto che fosse divisa tra due uomini, uno nel XXI secolo e l'altro nel lontano XIX, mi ha fatto più volte chiedere quali fossero le intenzioni dell'autrice sul futuro amoroso della protagonista.
Il finale è lieto per molte ragioni, eppure mi sono chiesta dove finissero alcuni personaggi quando altri prendevano il loro posto (come Sophie che veste più volte i panni della sua antenata vivendo la sua vita).
http://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.it/2016/03/searching-for-captain-wentworth.html
Protagonista è Sophie Elliot, una giovane donna che si trasferisce momentaneamente a Bath, nella vecchia casa della sua prozia, per guarire dalla ferita di un tradimento e per dedicarsi finalmente alla stesura di un libro di respiro austeniano.
Lì conosce il suo affascinante vicino, Josh, e, proprio grazie a un guanto bianco perso da questi, Sophie si ritrova a viaggiare nel tempo, vestendo i panni della sua antenata Sophia, vissuta circa 200 anni prima. Nella nuova realtà fa la conoscenza addirittura di Jane Austen e della sua famiglia, stringendo un legame speciale con il fratello della scrittrice, Charles, malvisto, però, dai familiari di Sophia, troppo attenti alla condizione sociale di una persona, piuttosto che al suo vero valore.
Il romanzo ci suggerisce quindi che, in realtà, la storia di Persuasione richiami molto da vicino quella di Sophie e Charles, nonché quella di Jane Austen, che, non potendo realizzare il suo sogno d'amore, provvide a confezionarne uno per la sua eroina Anne.
Il libro è molto ben scritto, e l'autrice descrive con dovizia di particolari la città di Bath, riuscendo a renderci partecipi della storia sia quando questa è ambientata nel presente, che nel passato.
Di solito preferisco non leggere romanzi i cui personaggi siano realmente esistiti, ma in Searching for Captain Wentworth Jane Austen e i suoi familiari sono davvero adorabili.
E' invece la storia in sé a non essermi piaciuta molto: non sono riuscita ad empatizzare nemmeno per un minuto con Sophie, ed il fatto che fosse divisa tra due uomini, uno nel XXI secolo e l'altro nel lontano XIX, mi ha fatto più volte chiedere quali fossero le intenzioni dell'autrice sul futuro amoroso della protagonista.
Il finale è lieto per molte ragioni, eppure mi sono chiesta dove finissero alcuni personaggi quando altri prendevano il loro posto (come Sophie che veste più volte i panni della sua antenata vivendo la sua vita).
http://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.it/2016/03/searching-for-captain-wentworth.html
jenniferd3's review against another edition
3.0
If you had asked me to rank this in the first half of the book I would have given it 2 stars. I almost did not make it to the second half. But my love of Persuasion made me continue reading and I am glad I did. There were some sections of the book, especially in the beginning that I felt could use some serious editing and these almost made me put the book down. These instances became fewer and farther between and I really enjoyed the scenes that took place in the past. A good read for fans of Persuasion.
magathac's review against another edition
4.0
Totally implausible, but absolute fun. If you've ever read Persuasion and tried to imagine yourself within its pages, this is the book for you.
vesper1931's review
3.0
Sophie Elliot visits the family home in Bath, which is next door to the home of Jane Austen in the early nineteenth century, to help get over a broken romance. The story is from Sophie's point of view as she meets the downstairs tenant and the finding of a white glove which transports her to Regency Bath. There she meets the Austen family - how close is Persuasion to the life of Jane and Sophie.
I enjoyed the parallel romance in modern day and Regency, and liked the characters which made it a satisfying read.
I enjoyed the parallel romance in modern day and Regency, and liked the characters which made it a satisfying read.