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The Reluctant Baronet
After the events narrated by Jane Austen in Mansfield Park, Tom Bertram has mended his ways and settled diligently to assisting his father in the administration of the family estates. When Sir Thomas dies some years later, and the full responsibility devolves upon the new Sir Thomas, he cannot welcome it. The obligations are irksome and difficult; he must forgo his remaining pleasures. But in spite of himself his love life catches up with him, adding to the confusion but ultimately setting him free to a happiness he feels is quite undeserved.
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First published April 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 19, 2021
Jane Austen's Mansfield Park ends with a little summary round of circumstances in which each of the cast of characters are left and it was a good place to stop. But, for curious minds like my own, there was a bit of wonder to see what comes after the major resolutions were to be had. Author, Jane Gillespie, happily offers readers a sequel for some of the minor characters from Austen's original and I happily took it up to see how she imagined it all to continue.
The Reluctant Baronet picks up the story of Tom Bertram, the new and very reluctant baronet, who may have learned to sober up and take life seriously, but is by no means interested in burying himself in the country and pouring over estate books. He tries, but his interests are still the theater with his brother in law, John Yeats, and Town. He is restless and can't seem to settle, but he does respect his cousin Susan's calm management of Mansfield Park and has an interest in getting his widowed mother out of the mopes.
In London, John and Julia Yeats (nee Bertram) are comfortably well off and caught up in managing a theater while their daughter is coming of age and looking to kick up her own larks. Julia doesn't approve her daughter's interest in acting and the players at the theater so is pleased to welcome her daughter's penniless, but genteel friend to come stay with them and guide her.
The young woman seems to only care that her dead brother's poetry be published so he gets the recognition in death that he didn't in life. Even the interest of wealthy Mr. Rushworth doesn't distract her though she most definitely distracts him when Tom tries to interest his ex-brother in law into investing in the theater.
By a series of events, life and love takes surprising turns for all involved.
The Reluctant Baronet took it's time establishing all the characters and their backstories and then seemed to meander a bit as the story unfolded. I confess that I felt the lag and was easily able to set it aside though I did want to finish and enjoyed the ending as something very different from other sequels and variations on this story. That said, there is a goodly part of this story that left me scratching my head. For the longest time, I had no idea why the poet's sister was even in the story or why she had a lead role. She eventually has a romance, but there wasn't much lead up as far as I could see. I felt that the reader is simply told something is so rather than given much evidence of it especially since her love interest was not interested in her much of the time and she didn't seem to notice anyone around her until late in the story.
However, in the end, I liked this enough to want more of the author's other Austenesque stories and, I thought her pairings in the sequel and the way she wrote the characters as well as her writing style for this period quite good. Recommended for those who want a gently-paced sweet low angst sequel story.
The Reluctant Baronet picks up the story of Tom Bertram, the new and very reluctant baronet, who may have learned to sober up and take life seriously, but is by no means interested in burying himself in the country and pouring over estate books. He tries, but his interests are still the theater with his brother in law, John Yeats, and Town. He is restless and can't seem to settle, but he does respect his cousin Susan's calm management of Mansfield Park and has an interest in getting his widowed mother out of the mopes.
In London, John and Julia Yeats (nee Bertram) are comfortably well off and caught up in managing a theater while their daughter is coming of age and looking to kick up her own larks. Julia doesn't approve her daughter's interest in acting and the players at the theater so is pleased to welcome her daughter's penniless, but genteel friend to come stay with them and guide her.
The young woman seems to only care that her dead brother's poetry be published so he gets the recognition in death that he didn't in life. Even the interest of wealthy Mr. Rushworth doesn't distract her though she most definitely distracts him when Tom tries to interest his ex-brother in law into investing in the theater.
By a series of events, life and love takes surprising turns for all involved.
The Reluctant Baronet took it's time establishing all the characters and their backstories and then seemed to meander a bit as the story unfolded. I confess that I felt the lag and was easily able to set it aside though I did want to finish and enjoyed the ending as something very different from other sequels and variations on this story. That said, there is a goodly part of this story that left me scratching my head. For the longest time, I had no idea why the poet's sister was even in the story or why she had a lead role. She eventually has a romance, but there wasn't much lead up as far as I could see. I felt that the reader is simply told something is so rather than given much evidence of it especially since her love interest was not interested in her much of the time and she didn't seem to notice anyone around her until late in the story.
However, in the end, I liked this enough to want more of the author's other Austenesque stories and, I thought her pairings in the sequel and the way she wrote the characters as well as her writing style for this period quite good. Recommended for those who want a gently-paced sweet low angst sequel story.
June 24, 2014
Having read the book, I quite comprehend his reluctance.
June 5, 2025
The Reluctant Baronet is a sweet sequel to Jane Austen's Mansfield Park.
This is the fifth novel I have read by Jane Gillespie and as with the others, the story centers around some of Austen's minor characters. In this novel, readers are reintroduced to Tom Bertram, the eldest son of the Bertram family at Mansfield Park. This book begins several years after Mansfield Park, just after Sir Thomas Bertram dies and Tom finds himself stepping into the role of baronet.
The transition from London bachelor to the owner of a countryside estate is not an easy one for Tom. As the story develops, he is supported by a cast of familiar characters, including his sister Julia and her husband John Yates, his mother Lady Bertram, his former brother-in-law James Rushworth, and Susan Price (Fanny's younger sister who takes on the role of Lady Bertram's companion at the end of Mansfield Park). Unlike some of Gillespie's other novels, this novel's main plot is centered around romance, two in fact, and I did appreciate that it was less predictable than other romance novels that I've read.
This is not my favorite book by Jane Gillespie, but I did enjoy reading it. The story starts off slowly, so it take a little bit of time to get into, but I found that to be the case with Mansfield Park as well. It has several other similarities to Mansfield Park - some of the characters are passionate about the theater; the two female love interests are both serious, dedicated to their families, and steadfast in their values (much like Fanny Price but to a lesser degree); and there is unrequited love which reminded me so much of Fanny's feelings for Edmund in Mansfield Park.
There is one odd detail in this book that slightly irritated me. As mentioned in Mansfield Park, the Bertrams own a plantation in Antigua, and in this novel Tom has to decide what to do with it. However, the author uses "Antigua" and "Jamaica" interchangeably on multiple occassions, suggesting that she and the editors didn't understand that these are two separate countries. It led to some confusion for me because I kept getting confused about where Tom was intending to travel.
The Reluctant Baronet is a quiet Regency romance that takes readers from London's townhouses to the beautiful English countryside and a village in the moorlands. If you love Mansfield Park then this may be a book you'd enjoy. I'd also say that fans of Georgette Heyer might like this book.
This is the fifth novel I have read by Jane Gillespie and as with the others, the story centers around some of Austen's minor characters. In this novel, readers are reintroduced to Tom Bertram, the eldest son of the Bertram family at Mansfield Park. This book begins several years after Mansfield Park, just after Sir Thomas Bertram dies and Tom finds himself stepping into the role of baronet.
The transition from London bachelor to the owner of a countryside estate is not an easy one for Tom. As the story develops, he is supported by a cast of familiar characters, including his sister Julia and her husband John Yates, his mother Lady Bertram, his former brother-in-law James Rushworth, and Susan Price (Fanny's younger sister who takes on the role of Lady Bertram's companion at the end of Mansfield Park). Unlike some of Gillespie's other novels, this novel's main plot is centered around romance, two in fact, and I did appreciate that it was less predictable than other romance novels that I've read.
This is not my favorite book by Jane Gillespie, but I did enjoy reading it. The story starts off slowly, so it take a little bit of time to get into, but I found that to be the case with Mansfield Park as well. It has several other similarities to Mansfield Park - some of the characters are passionate about the theater; the two female love interests are both serious, dedicated to their families, and steadfast in their values (much like Fanny Price but to a lesser degree); and there is unrequited love which reminded me so much of Fanny's feelings for Edmund in Mansfield Park.
There is one odd detail in this book that slightly irritated me. As mentioned in Mansfield Park, the Bertrams own a plantation in Antigua, and in this novel Tom has to decide what to do with it. However, the author uses "Antigua" and "Jamaica" interchangeably on multiple occassions, suggesting that she and the editors didn't understand that these are two separate countries. It led to some confusion for me because I kept getting confused about where Tom was intending to travel.
The Reluctant Baronet is a quiet Regency romance that takes readers from London's townhouses to the beautiful English countryside and a village in the moorlands. If you love Mansfield Park then this may be a book you'd enjoy. I'd also say that fans of Georgette Heyer might like this book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews