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All My Tomorrows
NOTE: This title has been replaced with an updated and expanded edition entitled THE PROUD AND THE PREJUDICED.
For headwriter Alice McGillicutty, the past year has had enough drama. Her mother passed away, her last relationship ended in disaster, and now poor ratings are catapulting her long-running soap opera toward cancellation. For comfort and creative inspiration, she begins reading The Edge of Darkness, an old melodramatic paperback she found among her mother's belongings.
When scandal rips Hollywood bad boy Peter Walsingham off the tabloids and into her studio, Alice doubts the small screen is big enough for his ego - or his entourage.
In their battle of pride and prejudice, will Peter's vanity and arrogance compel Alice to write him out of her script, or can she find a role for him in All My Tomorrows?
For headwriter Alice McGillicutty, the past year has had enough drama. Her mother passed away, her last relationship ended in disaster, and now poor ratings are catapulting her long-running soap opera toward cancellation. For comfort and creative inspiration, she begins reading The Edge of Darkness, an old melodramatic paperback she found among her mother's belongings.
When scandal rips Hollywood bad boy Peter Walsingham off the tabloids and into her studio, Alice doubts the small screen is big enough for his ego - or his entourage.
In their battle of pride and prejudice, will Peter's vanity and arrogance compel Alice to write him out of her script, or can she find a role for him in All My Tomorrows?
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2012
28 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 31, 2016
3.5 stars
There are many events and/or lines in this novel which are easily identified as being takeoffs from JA’s canon. For example: the initial insult from Peter Walsingham, a popular and handsome movie screen actor who is brought in to fill out the remainder of his contract on the daytime soap opera All My Tomorrows. “If you have issues with the script,” Jack said, “why don’t you discuss them with the head writer. I’m sure she–” With a humorless laugh, Peter said, “I doubt she could write her way out of a paper bag.”
Then there is Rich - the “Wickham” here: telling lies about Peter and then seducing Giselle, one of the actresses on the show, when she is disappointed in love by Jack, whose ear has been filled with opinions about the reasons for her attraction for Jack. (Sounds a bit like Jane and Bingley, doesn’t it?)
In this modern day take off the story is set on stages in Hollywood and LA but has side trips to New Orleans and then to Napa Valley. Peter is a divorced man with a small daughter who is rumored to have had one affair after another, and those are believed to be the reason for his divorce. He is not always on the set but Alice, the script writer, seems to ironically run into him time after time and the spark of their physical attraction cannot be denied. However Alice refuses to be one of his “bimbettes”, resisting the lure of a one night stand. “Is she his Matterhorn? Does he just want to plant his flag in her?” Alice opines.
This book is an expansion by this author of her story, All My Tomorrows, which I also read and reviewed. Although this expanded story is easier to follow I must reiterate that there were times I found myself having difficulty remembering just who had which role. Besides the primary set of characters are the actors in the “romance” novel, Edge of Darkness, which Alice picks up and reads from time to time for ideas. That book is such trash and has such a poor ending one has to want to throw it against a wall as did Alice. But it does take up some page space within the main story line.
Peter has no problem acting out his passion for Alice but as with Darcy he is reticent with his words. As soon as he touches her and we are expecting declarations of love or a falling into bed together the moment is interrupted and he walks away. And she/we don’t know what is going on. Is he playing her for a fool? Is he just trying to show her that he can make her “fall for him” as have so many others according to the gossip pages and the rumor mills?
Then we are treated to a conversation held in a bar over the pulsing sounds of music as to the top ten list of guitarists. And Maggot Brain - what? I have no idea what that was all about as I am not “up on” guitarists but it seems that the message in the words made a real connection between Peter and Alice.
The script for the daytime TV drama became a farcical soap opera in itself. Due to actors’ contracts or their illnesses or their disappearance or even their relationship with the script writer, their parts took on divergent roles and not just one or two actors were up in arms. Failing ratings has much to do in the ideas put on paper.
This was completely different from any modern day take off of P&P I have read to date. I was not as happy with this as I was with the author’s Pulse and Prejudice. But you may find it to be your cup of tea.
There are many events and/or lines in this novel which are easily identified as being takeoffs from JA’s canon. For example: the initial insult from Peter Walsingham, a popular and handsome movie screen actor who is brought in to fill out the remainder of his contract on the daytime soap opera All My Tomorrows. “If you have issues with the script,” Jack said, “why don’t you discuss them with the head writer. I’m sure she–” With a humorless laugh, Peter said, “I doubt she could write her way out of a paper bag.”
Then there is Rich - the “Wickham” here: telling lies about Peter and then seducing Giselle, one of the actresses on the show, when she is disappointed in love by Jack, whose ear has been filled with opinions about the reasons for her attraction for Jack. (Sounds a bit like Jane and Bingley, doesn’t it?)
In this modern day take off the story is set on stages in Hollywood and LA but has side trips to New Orleans and then to Napa Valley. Peter is a divorced man with a small daughter who is rumored to have had one affair after another, and those are believed to be the reason for his divorce. He is not always on the set but Alice, the script writer, seems to ironically run into him time after time and the spark of their physical attraction cannot be denied. However Alice refuses to be one of his “bimbettes”, resisting the lure of a one night stand. “Is she his Matterhorn? Does he just want to plant his flag in her?” Alice opines.
This book is an expansion by this author of her story, All My Tomorrows, which I also read and reviewed. Although this expanded story is easier to follow I must reiterate that there were times I found myself having difficulty remembering just who had which role. Besides the primary set of characters are the actors in the “romance” novel, Edge of Darkness, which Alice picks up and reads from time to time for ideas. That book is such trash and has such a poor ending one has to want to throw it against a wall as did Alice. But it does take up some page space within the main story line.
Peter has no problem acting out his passion for Alice but as with Darcy he is reticent with his words. As soon as he touches her and we are expecting declarations of love or a falling into bed together the moment is interrupted and he walks away. And she/we don’t know what is going on. Is he playing her for a fool? Is he just trying to show her that he can make her “fall for him” as have so many others according to the gossip pages and the rumor mills?
Then we are treated to a conversation held in a bar over the pulsing sounds of music as to the top ten list of guitarists. And Maggot Brain - what? I have no idea what that was all about as I am not “up on” guitarists but it seems that the message in the words made a real connection between Peter and Alice.
The script for the daytime TV drama became a farcical soap opera in itself. Due to actors’ contracts or their illnesses or their disappearance or even their relationship with the script writer, their parts took on divergent roles and not just one or two actors were up in arms. Failing ratings has much to do in the ideas put on paper.
This was completely different from any modern day take off of P&P I have read to date. I was not as happy with this as I was with the author’s Pulse and Prejudice. But you may find it to be your cup of tea.
June 7, 2013
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Austen-Inspired Original, Modern-day Adaptation
TIME FRAME: Modern-day
MAIN CHARACTERS: Alice McGuillicutty (Elizabeth), Peter Walsingham (Darcy), Rich Dover (Wickham), Giselle (Jane/Lydia)
INTRODUCTION:
Yes...this is a Pride and Prejudice inspired novel that takes place on a soap opera set. Yes...there is plenty of melodrama, but it isn't overdone or cheesy. And, yes...even if you aren't really into daytime dramas and over-the-top romance novels (I'm not a fan of either myself) you will find much pleasure and enjoyment in this clever and inventive adaptation! I sure did!
WHAT I LOVED:
- The Story within a Story: Head writer for the sinking soap opera, All My Tomorrows, Alice finds some much needed inspiration from the pages of one of her mom's old romance novels, The Edge of Darkness. Interspersed throughout the main story are complete chapters of the romance novel Alice is reading. The Edge of Darkness was dramatic, gripping, and intense! I greatly enjoyed the story-within-a-story and I thought Colette Saucier did a marvelous job of implementing this creative storytelling tool. In addition, I enjoyed witnessing how Alice was implemented or borrowed bits from the novel when working on the scripts for AMT.
- The Hollywood Hierarchy: How ingenious of Colette Saucier to relate the class division of nineteenth century England to the Hollywood industry and all of its prejudices, distinctions, and expectations. Isn't it sometimes assumed/expected that celebrities will date or marry other celebrities? Doesn't working on soap opera bare a similar low-class stench and association that working in trade did during Jane Austen's time? Aren't some highly-paid and famous actors known to possess some arrogance and selfish disdain, like a certain gentleman who has ten-thousand-a-year? (btw – I'm well aware that these generalities do not apply to all celebrities!)
- Brilliant and Subtle Parallels: I liked how neither the characters nor the plot are exact carbon-copies of the original. The overall storyarc is similar and there are commonalities in character personalities and situations to be discovered. (I loved that the Wickham character was cast as priest in the soap!) Some parallels are obvious like Peter's insult towards Alice, their misconception of each other's feelings, and a deceitful character feigning innocence. But others are more creative and subtle. I especially liked discovering the more hidden parallels like Laday Catherine's visist to Elizabeth.
WHAT I WASN'T TOO FOND OF:
- What Are You Thinking Alice?: This is only a minor complaint...but I wish we got to spend some more time in Alice's head. Her feelings for Peter are so conflicted and so drastic that it would have been interesting to hear more of her thoughts. In addition, I would have loved to learn what she thought of The Edge of Darkness while reading it – we know how she felt at the end (believe me, I felt the same way, Alice!), but some reflections before that would have been great!
WARNINGS:
Some intimate bedroom scenes
Some profanity
CONCLUSION:
In the mood for an absorbing drama with unpredictable twists and intense romances? Originative, unique, and remarkable – All My Tomorrows is a Pride and Prejudice modern adaptation you do not want to miss!
TIME FRAME: Modern-day
MAIN CHARACTERS: Alice McGuillicutty (Elizabeth), Peter Walsingham (Darcy), Rich Dover (Wickham), Giselle (Jane/Lydia)
INTRODUCTION:
Yes...this is a Pride and Prejudice inspired novel that takes place on a soap opera set. Yes...there is plenty of melodrama, but it isn't overdone or cheesy. And, yes...even if you aren't really into daytime dramas and over-the-top romance novels (I'm not a fan of either myself) you will find much pleasure and enjoyment in this clever and inventive adaptation! I sure did!
WHAT I LOVED:
- The Story within a Story: Head writer for the sinking soap opera, All My Tomorrows, Alice finds some much needed inspiration from the pages of one of her mom's old romance novels, The Edge of Darkness. Interspersed throughout the main story are complete chapters of the romance novel Alice is reading. The Edge of Darkness was dramatic, gripping, and intense! I greatly enjoyed the story-within-a-story and I thought Colette Saucier did a marvelous job of implementing this creative storytelling tool. In addition, I enjoyed witnessing how Alice was implemented or borrowed bits from the novel when working on the scripts for AMT.
- The Hollywood Hierarchy: How ingenious of Colette Saucier to relate the class division of nineteenth century England to the Hollywood industry and all of its prejudices, distinctions, and expectations. Isn't it sometimes assumed/expected that celebrities will date or marry other celebrities? Doesn't working on soap opera bare a similar low-class stench and association that working in trade did during Jane Austen's time? Aren't some highly-paid and famous actors known to possess some arrogance and selfish disdain, like a certain gentleman who has ten-thousand-a-year? (btw – I'm well aware that these generalities do not apply to all celebrities!)
- Brilliant and Subtle Parallels: I liked how neither the characters nor the plot are exact carbon-copies of the original. The overall storyarc is similar and there are commonalities in character personalities and situations to be discovered. (I loved that the Wickham character was cast as priest in the soap!) Some parallels are obvious like Peter's insult towards Alice, their misconception of each other's feelings, and a deceitful character feigning innocence. But others are more creative and subtle. I especially liked discovering the more hidden parallels like Laday Catherine's visist to Elizabeth.
WHAT I WASN'T TOO FOND OF:
- What Are You Thinking Alice?: This is only a minor complaint...but I wish we got to spend some more time in Alice's head. Her feelings for Peter are so conflicted and so drastic that it would have been interesting to hear more of her thoughts. In addition, I would have loved to learn what she thought of The Edge of Darkness while reading it – we know how she felt at the end (believe me, I felt the same way, Alice!), but some reflections before that would have been great!
WARNINGS:
Some intimate bedroom scenes
Some profanity
CONCLUSION:
In the mood for an absorbing drama with unpredictable twists and intense romances? Originative, unique, and remarkable – All My Tomorrows is a Pride and Prejudice modern adaptation you do not want to miss!
December 18, 2012
I loved this unique book! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with two different stories going on simultaneously. When I started reading All My Tomorrows, I thought The Edge of Darkness was the name for the soap opera in the story, but no, it’s the name of the book the main character, Alice, is reading in the story. The cool thing is you get to read the story also!
Where to begin first? Since it begins with The Edge of Darkness, I’ll start there. It’s a dark tale about a girl named Lexie who loses her parents in a house fire and she and her brother, Tad, go to live with a friend of the family. Set in the 60s, Tad gets drafted and is sent to Vietnam to fight in the war. In the midst of tragedy Lexie falls in love, only to have it ripped away from her. It’s a gripping tale, one that I was really drawn into!
In All My Tomorrows, we meet Alice who is a writer for the soap opera, All My Tomorrows. When movie star Peter Walsingham wants out of his primetime show, the network would only agree if he finishes out his contract on daytime TV, as a sort of punishment. Coming on set with his entourage, Peter looks down on the cheap furnishings, and right away manages to insult Alice’s writing ability. Hearing his insults, Alice sees him as an arrogant movie star and dislikes him.
The beginning of the book seems to be heavier into The Edge of Darkness, and I was starting to wonder where the connection to Pride and Prejudice was, maybe because the main characters are not called Elizabeth and Darcy. As the story started shifting more towards All My Tomorrows, I began to see the parallel. I have to admit, I really didn’t know what this story was about before reading it, except that it was a modern day Pride and Prejudice placed in a soap opera setting.
I did have fun trying to place the Pride and Prejudice characters with the characters of this story. Although not exactly the same, I could place some of them, like I saw Giselle as a combination of Lydia and Jane. It’s not so much just their personalities, but also their story lines, which blended into one. I know that sounds like a crazy combination, but it works in this story!
A problem I had with reading both books is that I would be reading along, deeply engrossed in the storyline when it would switch to the other story. I don’t know if I just wasn’t paying attention to the page breaks, but it would surprise me and my head would have to switch gears.
I really enjoyed this story! Saucier’s sense of humor is sprinkled throughout the story and her apparent dark-side make this a fabulous read!
I was provided a copy of All My Tomorrows for my honest review.
I would give this a mature rating for sexual content and mild language.
Where to begin first? Since it begins with The Edge of Darkness, I’ll start there. It’s a dark tale about a girl named Lexie who loses her parents in a house fire and she and her brother, Tad, go to live with a friend of the family. Set in the 60s, Tad gets drafted and is sent to Vietnam to fight in the war. In the midst of tragedy Lexie falls in love, only to have it ripped away from her. It’s a gripping tale, one that I was really drawn into!
In All My Tomorrows, we meet Alice who is a writer for the soap opera, All My Tomorrows. When movie star Peter Walsingham wants out of his primetime show, the network would only agree if he finishes out his contract on daytime TV, as a sort of punishment. Coming on set with his entourage, Peter looks down on the cheap furnishings, and right away manages to insult Alice’s writing ability. Hearing his insults, Alice sees him as an arrogant movie star and dislikes him.
The beginning of the book seems to be heavier into The Edge of Darkness, and I was starting to wonder where the connection to Pride and Prejudice was, maybe because the main characters are not called Elizabeth and Darcy. As the story started shifting more towards All My Tomorrows, I began to see the parallel. I have to admit, I really didn’t know what this story was about before reading it, except that it was a modern day Pride and Prejudice placed in a soap opera setting.
I did have fun trying to place the Pride and Prejudice characters with the characters of this story. Although not exactly the same, I could place some of them, like I saw Giselle as a combination of Lydia and Jane. It’s not so much just their personalities, but also their story lines, which blended into one. I know that sounds like a crazy combination, but it works in this story!
A problem I had with reading both books is that I would be reading along, deeply engrossed in the storyline when it would switch to the other story. I don’t know if I just wasn’t paying attention to the page breaks, but it would surprise me and my head would have to switch gears.
I really enjoyed this story! Saucier’s sense of humor is sprinkled throughout the story and her apparent dark-side make this a fabulous read!
I was provided a copy of All My Tomorrows for my honest review.
I would give this a mature rating for sexual content and mild language.
December 24, 2012
As most Austenprose readers will know by now, I’m a big fan of Pride and Prejudice variations, what-if’s, and retellings. In fact, if you look at the scope of Jane Austen fan fiction that I read it’s almost entirely comprised of Pride and Prejudice inspired novels. A recent addition to this group that I adored was Colette Saucier’s Pulse and Prejudice (review is here). After reading this I couldn't wait to see what else she had in store, and I was excited to find she’d written another P&P influenced novel entitled All My Tomorrows which promptly was added to my to-read list. I’m also a huge sucker for the melodramatic romance novel, so when I read further into All My Tomorrows’ plot and discovered it was about a soap opera AND a melodramatic romance novel….well my heart did a little flutter of excitement.
The head writer at a storied and long-running soap opera entitled “All My Tomorrows”, Alice McGillicutty has enjoyed steady success until the show’s ratings have recently begun to plummet. Desperate for a way to save the soap from inevitable cancellation if ratings do not improve, Alice begins frantically searching for inspiration, even reading the old and crazy melodrama “The Edge of Darkness” in the hopes that it will spark new ideas. Meanwhile, fate intervenes when controversial Hollywood star Peter Walsingham comes to Alice’s studio. He signs on to “All My Tomorrows” due to contractual obligations after his character is killed off in his previous project. Unfortunately for Alice, however, Peter’s ego seems to be larger than the studio can hold, and the two butt heads immediately. In this tale of Peter’s pride meeting Alice’s prejudice, can the two manage to work together to save the show or are they destined for cancellation?
One of the great things that Saucier has accomplished with this work is how she managed to modernize the story and include so many of my guilty pleasures as well! I was so impressed by the way that Saucier created a book (“The Edge of Darkness”) within All My Tomorrows. It was a wonderful, melodramatic addition to the work, and goodness, do I love a melodramatic novel. It’s something about the way in which these works weave an over-the-top love story with a great plot that makes me want to keep turning the pages. Returning to the book at hand, All My Tomorrows, it was evident that the more serious tone of this main work was meant to balance the melodrama of “The Edge of Darkness”. It did this perfectly. All My Tomorrows has solidified the thoughts I had after reading Pulse and Prejudice, in that Saucier is a master storyteller. Her ability to keep the reader engaged throughout both works, even though they are contained within the same novel, is fantastic. Additionally, the character development was phenomenal, Peter (Darcy) is throughout the shining example here. His total transformation from pretentious jerk to kindhearted, thoughtful, selfless man is not only believable, but an honest portrayal of Austen’s true vision. The subsequent supporting characters were all visions of genius as well. This, combined with the excellent storytelling, engaging plot, and melodramatic addition made for a read I won’t soon forget.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://wp.me/p18lIL-1ol
The head writer at a storied and long-running soap opera entitled “All My Tomorrows”, Alice McGillicutty has enjoyed steady success until the show’s ratings have recently begun to plummet. Desperate for a way to save the soap from inevitable cancellation if ratings do not improve, Alice begins frantically searching for inspiration, even reading the old and crazy melodrama “The Edge of Darkness” in the hopes that it will spark new ideas. Meanwhile, fate intervenes when controversial Hollywood star Peter Walsingham comes to Alice’s studio. He signs on to “All My Tomorrows” due to contractual obligations after his character is killed off in his previous project. Unfortunately for Alice, however, Peter’s ego seems to be larger than the studio can hold, and the two butt heads immediately. In this tale of Peter’s pride meeting Alice’s prejudice, can the two manage to work together to save the show or are they destined for cancellation?
One of the great things that Saucier has accomplished with this work is how she managed to modernize the story and include so many of my guilty pleasures as well! I was so impressed by the way that Saucier created a book (“The Edge of Darkness”) within All My Tomorrows. It was a wonderful, melodramatic addition to the work, and goodness, do I love a melodramatic novel. It’s something about the way in which these works weave an over-the-top love story with a great plot that makes me want to keep turning the pages. Returning to the book at hand, All My Tomorrows, it was evident that the more serious tone of this main work was meant to balance the melodrama of “The Edge of Darkness”. It did this perfectly. All My Tomorrows has solidified the thoughts I had after reading Pulse and Prejudice, in that Saucier is a master storyteller. Her ability to keep the reader engaged throughout both works, even though they are contained within the same novel, is fantastic. Additionally, the character development was phenomenal, Peter (Darcy) is throughout the shining example here. His total transformation from pretentious jerk to kindhearted, thoughtful, selfless man is not only believable, but an honest portrayal of Austen’s true vision. The subsequent supporting characters were all visions of genius as well. This, combined with the excellent storytelling, engaging plot, and melodramatic addition made for a read I won’t soon forget.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://wp.me/p18lIL-1ol
July 24, 2012
I love it when an author brings a Jane Austen novel into a modern setting. Colette Saucier was so creative in marrying the original Pride and Prejudice story with a soap opera and its players providing the setting and the characters.
The plot follows the high points of the original P&P plot while adding to that some of the author's own take on the story and characters. The characters were fresh and engaging while familiar to me. I was really rooting for everyone involved to have a satisfying resolution (with the exception of the Wickham character).
The story begins when Alice, the main scriptwriter on the soap 'All My Tomorrows' learns that a big name TV and movie actor, Peter Walsingham, has reluctantly joined the cast due to the studio who owns his contract. Sparks fly between the two as attitudes and misunderstandings abound.
Just so you are aware, there is a second story interwoven with Alice and Peter's story. At first, I was a bit confused at the switches between stories and thought that I would add an explanation so others can avoid the confusion. The secondary story about Lexxie is separate and its connection to the story is that it is the book that Alice is reading. It was an interesting addition and I was as engaged in Lexxie's story as I was with Alice's.
So- for all the Austenesque readers who like seeing the novels with modern twist and contemporary elements, I recommend you giving this one a try.
The plot follows the high points of the original P&P plot while adding to that some of the author's own take on the story and characters. The characters were fresh and engaging while familiar to me. I was really rooting for everyone involved to have a satisfying resolution (with the exception of the Wickham character).
The story begins when Alice, the main scriptwriter on the soap 'All My Tomorrows' learns that a big name TV and movie actor, Peter Walsingham, has reluctantly joined the cast due to the studio who owns his contract. Sparks fly between the two as attitudes and misunderstandings abound.
Just so you are aware, there is a second story interwoven with Alice and Peter's story. At first, I was a bit confused at the switches between stories and thought that I would add an explanation so others can avoid the confusion. The secondary story about Lexxie is separate and its connection to the story is that it is the book that Alice is reading. It was an interesting addition and I was as engaged in Lexxie's story as I was with Alice's.
So- for all the Austenesque readers who like seeing the novels with modern twist and contemporary elements, I recommend you giving this one a try.
December 27, 2017
3.5*
Dear Reader,
I found the premise of this story very interesting and the various parallels between it and Pride and Prejudice very well done.
Alice,a scriptwriter for a soap drama, encounters none other than movie star and heartthrob Peter W. when he joins the cast.
Having cast aspersions on her writing ability,they are immediately and inevitably at variance with each other for much of the book.
Despite their initial dislike of each other however,they cannot deny the chemistry that exists when in each other's realm.
Alice,worried that he seeks to add another notch to his bedpost,and quite unsure of his feelings for her,is unwilling to have a relationship with him,while he fights his initial attraction to her.
Adding further fuel to the fire is Rich,an actor who has 'history' with Peter and seeks to poison his fellow cast members' minds against him.
Will Alice and Peter find their HEA like the actors in the soap,or will their reticence cost them a potential life of love and happiness?
I really liked the main part of this book and loved the interactions between Alice,Peter, Rich,Giselle and Eileen.
However,what I found a little disconcerting was the inclusion of the book,Edge of Darkness,which Alice was reading.
I found this mini story hindered the flow of the main story and added unnecessary confusion as I had to constantly remind myself which character was speaking and refresh their specific details in my mind.
I question the necessity of including this mini story as I think the book,as a whole,would have been a more enjoyable read if it had not divided the reader's attention and taken the spotlight off Alice and Peter and their simmering romance.
In this way,the various threads would be embedded more seamlessly,leaving the reader more satisfied with their story and safe in the knowledge that our protagonists got the HEA they so richly deserved.
Dear Reader,
I found the premise of this story very interesting and the various parallels between it and Pride and Prejudice very well done.
Alice,a scriptwriter for a soap drama, encounters none other than movie star and heartthrob Peter W. when he joins the cast.
Having cast aspersions on her writing ability,they are immediately and inevitably at variance with each other for much of the book.
Despite their initial dislike of each other however,they cannot deny the chemistry that exists when in each other's realm.
Alice,worried that he seeks to add another notch to his bedpost,and quite unsure of his feelings for her,is unwilling to have a relationship with him,while he fights his initial attraction to her.
Adding further fuel to the fire is Rich,an actor who has 'history' with Peter and seeks to poison his fellow cast members' minds against him.
Will Alice and Peter find their HEA like the actors in the soap,or will their reticence cost them a potential life of love and happiness?
I really liked the main part of this book and loved the interactions between Alice,Peter, Rich,Giselle and Eileen.
However,what I found a little disconcerting was the inclusion of the book,Edge of Darkness,which Alice was reading.
I found this mini story hindered the flow of the main story and added unnecessary confusion as I had to constantly remind myself which character was speaking and refresh their specific details in my mind.
I question the necessity of including this mini story as I think the book,as a whole,would have been a more enjoyable read if it had not divided the reader's attention and taken the spotlight off Alice and Peter and their simmering romance.
In this way,the various threads would be embedded more seamlessly,leaving the reader more satisfied with their story and safe in the knowledge that our protagonists got the HEA they so richly deserved.
August 5, 2015
I received this book free from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I love any adaption of a Jane Austen book, "Pride and Prejudice" being a favorite. This ebook version of Collette Saucier's book "All My Tomorrows," is an expanded edition of her original story. In any case, I actually enjoyed this book. Alice McGillicutty is the head writer for the daytime drama (aka soap opera) "All My Tomorrows," and the show is losing ratings fast. Enter Peter Walsingham, the "savior" who is going to turn the tide for the show. Right away the animosity is apparent between these two, and one cannot help but get swept into their world. The reader is able to pick up pretty quickly which characters are supposed to be their Austen counterparts. So while Alice is living her modern twist on "Pride and Prejudice," she is reading a "romance" entitled "The Edge of Darkness" purely for educational purposes, so that she can get inspiration for writing for the show. Alice and the reader are both reading this romance and Alice seems to be onto something using this book as fodder for her soap, because the novel itself reads like a soap opera! Spoiler Alert: When Alice gets to the end, and the main character in the novel, Alexandra, has reached her breaking point, and Alice turns the page expecting more, but there's nothing else, just a blank page, Alice is livid! She throws the book across the room and screams "Where's my happy ending?" If "The Edge of Darkness" were an actual book on my shelf, I would have done the exact same thing! As Alice states: "This book is definitely NOT a romance." OMG I laughed so hard! Long story short, after many setbacks and misunderstandings, Alice and Peter do get their happy ending, just like Elizabeth and Darcy, so no worries. As for poor Alexandra, if this were an actual soap, she would have woke up the next day and realized it was just a dream, ha ha!
July 4, 2012
Saucier creates a unique twist with her newest novel using a book-within-the-book to engage the reader. Very Shakespearean! It was interesting to see how the book Alice was reading influenced her actions in her own life. Speaking of Shakespearean, the book feels very much like a drama--witty dialogue and quick action.
I loved this modern adaptation of Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. The way Saucier melded the Victorian story into the modern setting was genius. The characters parallelled Austen's originals so well, however, still maintained their own identity in today's world. Excellent job there. I also enjoyed a certain satire with the setting of the soap opera set, including the drama and melodrama that surrounds romantic relationships. Who hasn't felt like they were in a soap opera at one time or another when falling in love?
I usually prefer a bit more imagery/description. On the other hand, there are no SLOW moments which tends to happen when authors delve into lengthy, flowery prose. None of that here. As a matter of fact, the flow of writing was very Austenesque in style. I read the book quickly and closed it with a smile on my face. If you're heading to the beach or to the pool, this is the perfect book to bring with you. Happy reading!
I loved this modern adaptation of Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. The way Saucier melded the Victorian story into the modern setting was genius. The characters parallelled Austen's originals so well, however, still maintained their own identity in today's world. Excellent job there. I also enjoyed a certain satire with the setting of the soap opera set, including the drama and melodrama that surrounds romantic relationships. Who hasn't felt like they were in a soap opera at one time or another when falling in love?
I usually prefer a bit more imagery/description. On the other hand, there are no SLOW moments which tends to happen when authors delve into lengthy, flowery prose. None of that here. As a matter of fact, the flow of writing was very Austenesque in style. I read the book quickly and closed it with a smile on my face. If you're heading to the beach or to the pool, this is the perfect book to bring with you. Happy reading!
March 12, 2015
"The Proud and the Predjudiced," by Colette Saucier, is unusual, unpredictable and very good. I couldn't put it down. I was skeptical about the back and forth between the main story and the book the main character was reading, but the transitions were smooth and it wasn't confusing or cluttered at all. This book is well-written and fun.
August 16, 2014
3.5/5.0
Peter and Alice have a fun and feisty relationship. Peter does a lot of subtle chasing while Alice obviously keeps her distance.
Full review in March 2013 issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Peter and Alice have a fun and feisty relationship. Peter does a lot of subtle chasing while Alice obviously keeps her distance.
Full review in March 2013 issue of InD'tale Magazine.
April 9, 2016
A novel within a novel, on the set of a soap opera. I enjoyed both stories, absolutely hated one ending, but loved the other. Even caught myself following the plots on the soap! All the different story lines were handled well, and sometimes even influenced each other, which worked as well.
January 26, 2018
This is definitely one of the more creative writers I have read. Her plots are unique and engaging, it doesn't feel like anything else I have read. The writing style is rather unique for the P&P genre but the passionate exchanges was fabulously well written...
Alice is a head-writer for a soap and the story was a bit confusing in the beginning, until I figured out she was reading a book... I can see the meaning behind putting this story inside the story as it had influence on both her writing and the choices she made. I was not fond of it initially, mainly because the book she was reading was not very well written and it was a bit tedious to stick with it and not speed read through those parts but I believe it paid off in the end.
Daytime drama doesn't give you much credit in Hollywood and when the movie star Peter is more or less forced on the show, he makes his sentiments known. Alice overhear his remark and the game is on. Although the framework from canon is present, the content is entirely different...
Peter is a frequent visitor in Alice's office as he has a lot of opinions on the script.
An 80's night on town shows Alice's vivacious side and a crew party shows off Peter as an Alfa male. Rich, the new guy on set is the "Wickham" of this story that Alice initially falls for albeit not very deeply. He will make some havoc though...
There were misunderstandings and misconceptions in true P&P style with a modern twist.
I did not love this story but I believe it's the kind of story that grows on you and I might just love it if I reread it... It reminded my of the movie "Magnolia" with Tom Cruise which I initially didn't like but have since watched countless times and now I love it.
This is not fluffy romance but more food for thought kind of book.
Alice is a head-writer for a soap and the story was a bit confusing in the beginning, until I figured out she was reading a book... I can see the meaning behind putting this story inside the story as it had influence on both her writing and the choices she made. I was not fond of it initially, mainly because the book she was reading was not very well written and it was a bit tedious to stick with it and not speed read through those parts but I believe it paid off in the end.
Daytime drama doesn't give you much credit in Hollywood and when the movie star Peter is more or less forced on the show, he makes his sentiments known. Alice overhear his remark and the game is on. Although the framework from canon is present, the content is entirely different...
Peter is a frequent visitor in Alice's office as he has a lot of opinions on the script.
An 80's night on town shows Alice's vivacious side and a crew party shows off Peter as an Alfa male. Rich, the new guy on set is the "Wickham" of this story that Alice initially falls for albeit not very deeply. He will make some havoc though...
There were misunderstandings and misconceptions in true P&P style with a modern twist.
I did not love this story but I believe it's the kind of story that grows on you and I might just love it if I reread it... It reminded my of the movie "Magnolia" with Tom Cruise which I initially didn't like but have since watched countless times and now I love it.
This is not fluffy romance but more food for thought kind of book.
August 8, 2012
This is a modern day retelling Pride and Prejudice (P&P). I never get tired of reading them in all of their avatars. It's always interesting to see what the author will do with it. I really like how Colette Saucier took P&P and made it her own. There are no siblings here for Alice (Elizabeth)or Peter (Darcy), making it unique. Alice is the head script writer on a sinking soap opera and Peter is the glamorous movie star. Another difference is Peter's back story; it's much more modern. He comes with a child and ex-wife! When reading P&P we can allow our imaginations to run away with us regarding the chemistry and passion between Elizabeth and Darcy. Here it's a conflagration. All in all, this a very unique retelling of P&P. If you're a fan of Austen fiction, don't pass on this one!
October 22, 2022
I really enjoyed this story (Great characters, lovely dialogue, similar to OG P&P in all the plot points but deviates anough to be entertaining) with two exceptions. First, all the names in this book are awful. I always dislike when the characters get different names and I have to guess who is who, but in this variation the names are especially ridiculous.
The second drawback was The Edge of Darkness nonsense, in a word: WHY?
I kept waiting for a connection between the two stories, even a flimsy link, maybe something about Alice's mother (an interesting angle that was barely touched) or an engaging back story (we don't know anything about Alice's past), maybe a foreshadowing for her future as a writer, something, anything... alas it was weird, boring and wholly unconnected to the main story.
P&P variation: 5 stars.
The Edge of Darkness: 0 stars.
The second drawback was The Edge of Darkness nonsense, in a word: WHY?
I kept waiting for a connection between the two stories, even a flimsy link, maybe something about Alice's mother (an interesting angle that was barely touched) or an engaging back story (we don't know anything about Alice's past), maybe a foreshadowing for her future as a writer, something, anything... alas it was weird, boring and wholly unconnected to the main story.
P&P variation: 5 stars.
The Edge of Darkness: 0 stars.
Read
March 28, 20133.5 Stars
Reviewed for InD'Tale Magazine
http://www.indtale.com/reviews/all-my...
Reviewed for InD'Tale Magazine
http://www.indtale.com/reviews/all-my...
May 18, 2013
Some versions of P&P get a bit predictable, but not this book. Loved it!
November 5, 2012
A fun romantic novel, and great easy read for a trip or rainy day.
April 16, 2015
Good Retelling of a Classic This is another retelling of the classic Pride and Prejudice. Since I'm a huge fan of the original, I'm always up for reading authors' fresh retellings so I can compare them. In this version, Alice McGillicutty is the heroine. She's the head writer for a daytime soap opera. When their ratings take a nose dive and they are in fear of being cancelled, the show gets saved by a big-time actor Peter Walsingham, who is being forced to finish out his studio contract on the show. Right from the beginning, the two clash on every point, especially with the interference of others.I really liked this retelling. I thought the author did a great job of putting the main characters in this story. She did well with including the main secondary characters and not trying to overcrowd this new plot by sticking in every single person. I LOVED the names she used for some of the characters. The only thing I didn't care and am still not 100% was the secondary story that Alice was reading. It didn't seem to have much point and wasn't very good. If I were Alice, I never would've bothered past the second chapter, although I loved her reaction to the ending. I'm glad the author didn't disappoint.
Merged review:
**I received an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review
This is another retelling of the classic Pride and Prejudice. Since I'm a huge fan of the original, I'm always up for reading authors' fresh retellings so I can compare them.
In this version, Alice McGillicutty is the heroine. She's the head writer for a daytime soap opera. When their ratings take a nose dive and they are in fear of being cancelled, the show gets saved by a big-time actor Peter Walsingham, who is being forced to finish out his studio contract on the show. Right from the beginning, the two clash on every point, especially with the interference of others.
I really liked this retelling. I thought the author did a great job of putting the main characters in this story. She did well with including the main secondary characters and not trying to overcrowd this new plot by sticking in every single person. I LOVED the names she used for some of the characters.
The only thing I didn't care and am still not 100% was the secondary story that Alice was reading. It didn't seem to have much point and wasn't very good. If I were Alice, I never would've bothered past the second chapter, although I loved her reaction to the ending.
I'm glad the author didn't disappoint.
Merged review:
**I received an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review
This is another retelling of the classic Pride and Prejudice. Since I'm a huge fan of the original, I'm always up for reading authors' fresh retellings so I can compare them.
In this version, Alice McGillicutty is the heroine. She's the head writer for a daytime soap opera. When their ratings take a nose dive and they are in fear of being cancelled, the show gets saved by a big-time actor Peter Walsingham, who is being forced to finish out his studio contract on the show. Right from the beginning, the two clash on every point, especially with the interference of others.
I really liked this retelling. I thought the author did a great job of putting the main characters in this story. She did well with including the main secondary characters and not trying to overcrowd this new plot by sticking in every single person. I LOVED the names she used for some of the characters.
The only thing I didn't care and am still not 100% was the secondary story that Alice was reading. It didn't seem to have much point and wasn't very good. If I were Alice, I never would've bothered past the second chapter, although I loved her reaction to the ending.
I'm glad the author didn't disappoint.
April 16, 2013
This is a modern version of Pride and Prejudice set in the USA. The Elizabeth character, Alice, is a writer for a soap opera and the Darcy character, Peter, is a successful actor who is drafted in to Alice's soap for a short time. Their relationship gets off on the wrong foot when she overhears him making snide comments about the quality of writing in soaps. Throughout the story Alice is reading a melodramatic romance novel, the text of which is directly in this book as she reads it and she uses some parts of this as inspiration for the story.
On the whole I enjoyed this book. One thing I particularly liked was the fact pretty much all the main points of P&P are in there, such as there is a 'Netherfield Ball' event, the Wickham character says that the Darcy character took away his living etc etc. Some books that sell themselves as modern versions of Pride and Prejudice are often not as close as this one. I also liked the bits in New Orleans (the Hunsford bits from P&P). The bit where he meets up with her to explain things (the bit where Darcy gives her the letter in P&P) is just lovely.
The main downside of this book for me was the story she's reading within a story. It's not good, and I know it's not supposed to be but it doesn't make it any better to read! I think I would re-read this book but skip those bits, for me they didn't add much at all to the story and I very much disliked the protagonist in the book she's reading as well, she's unbelievably selfish! It took me out of the story and I would have preferred more development of the Alice/Peter relationship instead, I mean he likes her but whereas in P&P you can see it building, it's a bit more out of the blue here.
On the whole I enjoyed this book. One thing I particularly liked was the fact pretty much all the main points of P&P are in there, such as there is a 'Netherfield Ball' event, the Wickham character says that the Darcy character took away his living etc etc. Some books that sell themselves as modern versions of Pride and Prejudice are often not as close as this one. I also liked the bits in New Orleans (the Hunsford bits from P&P). The bit where he meets up with her to explain things (the bit where Darcy gives her the letter in P&P) is just lovely.
The main downside of this book for me was the story she's reading within a story. It's not good, and I know it's not supposed to be but it doesn't make it any better to read! I think I would re-read this book but skip those bits, for me they didn't add much at all to the story and I very much disliked the protagonist in the book she's reading as well, she's unbelievably selfish! It took me out of the story and I would have preferred more development of the Alice/Peter relationship instead, I mean he likes her but whereas in P&P you can see it building, it's a bit more out of the blue here.
March 28, 2015
The Proud and the Prejudiced was a take it or leave it story for me. I liked it, but it was not a love it kind of read, in my opinion. Much of my view comes from the fact that I found the pacing to be a bit slow at the beginning. I had to strongly encourage myself to keep reading and to push through (I did this only because other reviewers all but guaranteed that the story would get better...and it did). I must say, however, that as a reader, I do not want to wait until one hundred pages in to grab hold of the relationship between the protagonists.
I enjoyed reading The Edge of Darkness along with the main story. While I found the dual story approach to be peculiar, to some degree, the two stories did ultimately draw me in.
I found this story to be a rather loose translation of Pride and Prejudice. There were certainly key aspects tucked into the folds of the story which paralleled the original, however, many liberties were taken, some seemingly out of context. I definitely applaud the author for her creativity and for her courage to craft a story such as this.
Rating: 3/5
Recommend: +/-
Audience: Adult
Status: M
Chemistry/Intensity: Yes
Conflict/Drama: Yes
HEA: Yes
A complimentary e-copy of this title was made available for review in exchange for an honest critique. I was not required to submit a positive review. The words I have expressed are my own.
I enjoyed reading The Edge of Darkness along with the main story. While I found the dual story approach to be peculiar, to some degree, the two stories did ultimately draw me in.
I found this story to be a rather loose translation of Pride and Prejudice. There were certainly key aspects tucked into the folds of the story which paralleled the original, however, many liberties were taken, some seemingly out of context. I definitely applaud the author for her creativity and for her courage to craft a story such as this.
Rating: 3/5
Recommend: +/-
Audience: Adult
Status: M
Chemistry/Intensity: Yes
Conflict/Drama: Yes
HEA: Yes
A complimentary e-copy of this title was made available for review in exchange for an honest critique. I was not required to submit a positive review. The words I have expressed are my own.
July 6, 2012
I liked the modern spin on Austen's Pride & Prejudice, however, some back story on the main character would be most welcomed. Or, at the very least, a lead-in, preface or whatever that tied the two separate stories together. Why was Alice reading her mother's well-worn novel? Why was it Alice's mother's favorite? Who is Alice other than the head writer of a soap opera? Where did she come from? Just having these few elements would help readers identify with the character. With all that said, once I figured out what the author was doing (the flip-flopping between the actual novel that Alice was reading & Alice's story), I was able to move forward. Overall, I liked it. Recommend for a quick read book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2015
I read this when it originally came out as All My Tomorrows when Austenesque Reviews named it their favorite modern adaptation for 2013. I loved the original and couldn't wait to read this new edition with almost 10,000 more words and sooooo much more Pride and Prejudice!
There are several new scenes with Peter and Alice, which have really ramped up the sexual tension! For a modern update on Pride and Prejudice, I liked this even more than Bridget Jones's Diary.
There are several new scenes with Peter and Alice, which have really ramped up the sexual tension! For a modern update on Pride and Prejudice, I liked this even more than Bridget Jones's Diary.
February 27, 2023
This book contained three stories within it, though the first and third are given the most page time. I read this pretty quickly, or I think I would have been more confused with keeping these storylines straight.
- The main story of the book, where Alice is a head writer of a soap opera at risk of cancellation if the ratings don't improve, so a well known actor from a Primetime show (Peter) was brought in to finish out his contract.
- The plot of the soap opera Alice writes for with a good girl who needs some excitement to increase ratings, but not too much excitement to turn off the viewers who love her character.
- The plot of an old romance novel of Alice's mother's that she was reading for inspiration.
Things That Worked:
- The hierarchy of Hollywood, and how some actors and people in Hollywood see movies and Primetime as much higher brow than soap operas. This felt like an interesting way to portray the class differences from cannon P&P.
- Having Alice start out by overhearing Peter belittling the story of the soap opera when he first came on set without consideration that the people standing around him worked on the show was a perfect way to start out Alice's dislike of Peter. Things only grew from there when he didn't like the character he was to play or the storylines of the show, and wanted her to change both of them.
- The melodramatic book that Alice was reading seemed to serve to make what was happening in her actual life to feel more realistic by comparison, even though it had plenty of drama on its own.
Things That Didn't Work:
- I had a bit of a hard time keeping track of the actors and behind the scenes folks on the soap opera (though not with the story within the story, interestingly enough).
- I wish there had been more tie-in with the plot of the soap opera to what was happening in the real world. If there are going to be three stories in this book, they should all have a tie-in, otherwise, why do I have to keep these multiple stories straight in my head? I would have loved to see more situations of the Wickham character ironically cast as a priest in the show.
- Sometimes it felt like the author was just trying too hard to map the story from P&P in ways that didn't feel organic in this world, like how Lady Catherine's speech to Elizabeth was done. This character hadn't been introduced prior in the story, and what they were saying just didn't make any sense. Neither did the reactions of other characters to what they said. This whole part of the story felt like it was unnecessarily forced onto the modern adaptation in a way that just didn't work for me.
- It's harder to understand the situations where men just ghost on a woman they were having some level of relationship with in modern day and believing that they have strong feelings.
I think this story-within-a-story idea would work well with Northanger Abbey, since so much of that book is about how the main character is applying what she has read in novels to her real world experience. It just didn't feel like it had a ton of tie-ins to this particular story, outside of being inspiration for what Alice wrote on the soap opera.
- The main story of the book, where Alice is a head writer of a soap opera at risk of cancellation if the ratings don't improve, so a well known actor from a Primetime show (Peter) was brought in to finish out his contract.
- The plot of the soap opera Alice writes for with a good girl who needs some excitement to increase ratings, but not too much excitement to turn off the viewers who love her character.
- The plot of an old romance novel of Alice's mother's that she was reading for inspiration.
Things That Worked:
- The hierarchy of Hollywood, and how some actors and people in Hollywood see movies and Primetime as much higher brow than soap operas. This felt like an interesting way to portray the class differences from cannon P&P.
- Having Alice start out by overhearing Peter belittling the story of the soap opera when he first came on set without consideration that the people standing around him worked on the show was a perfect way to start out Alice's dislike of Peter. Things only grew from there when he didn't like the character he was to play or the storylines of the show, and wanted her to change both of them.
- The melodramatic book that Alice was reading seemed to serve to make what was happening in her actual life to feel more realistic by comparison, even though it had plenty of drama on its own.
Things That Didn't Work:
- I had a bit of a hard time keeping track of the actors and behind the scenes folks on the soap opera (though not with the story within the story, interestingly enough).
- I wish there had been more tie-in with the plot of the soap opera to what was happening in the real world. If there are going to be three stories in this book, they should all have a tie-in, otherwise, why do I have to keep these multiple stories straight in my head? I would have loved to see more situations of the Wickham character ironically cast as a priest in the show.
- Sometimes it felt like the author was just trying too hard to map the story from P&P in ways that didn't feel organic in this world, like how Lady Catherine's speech to Elizabeth was done. This character hadn't been introduced prior in the story, and what they were saying just didn't make any sense. Neither did the reactions of other characters to what they said. This whole part of the story felt like it was unnecessarily forced onto the modern adaptation in a way that just didn't work for me.
- It's harder to understand the situations where men just ghost on a woman they were having some level of relationship with in modern day and believing that they have strong feelings.
I think this story-within-a-story idea would work well with Northanger Abbey, since so much of that book is about how the main character is applying what she has read in novels to her real world experience. It just didn't feel like it had a ton of tie-ins to this particular story, outside of being inspiration for what Alice wrote on the soap opera.
March 23, 2017
This is for the updated version, The Proud and the Prejudiced.
November 27, 2017
3.5 stars. The book within a book was weird at first, especially trying to figure out if I needed to remember all the names and which relative did what. Not a big fan of the Darkness book, though.
October 17, 2020
Great pride and prejudice retelling one of my favourites, once I started reading I could not put it down!
October 11, 2012
All My Tomorrows
by Colette L. Saucier
Genre: romance
Soft cover, 240 pages
Published June 2012 by Southern Girl Press
setting: modern day Hollywood, CA
Alice McGillicutty is head writer for the struggling soap All My Tomorrows. When the cast & crew are called together for a meeting, she is expecting to hear that the network has cancelled them. Instead, the news is that film & TV star Peter Walsingham will be finishing his contract out with the soap. Peter is not a happy camper when he arrives on the set and makes no attempt to hide it. This increases the disdain that Alice has for him and she makes no attempt to hide it either.
Rich Dover is hired as a new actor and there is immediate tension between him and Peter. Rich claims that Peter had him fired from a movie set because he was jealous. Peter is glowering and silent. It hasn't taken long for Rich to charm his way with the cast & crew, so they tend to believe him. Misunderstandings and secrets abound.
This was an appealing plot and a different take on Austen's P&P. I enjoyed the novel within the novel, "research"-- I'll have to remember that excuse! The characters were likeable except for the baddie :) I absolutely loved the two scenes that I have quoted--total LOL!
If you love Pride & Prejudice, if you love romance, if you love a heroine who is a little snarky, you will love this book!
Colette L. Saucier is also the author of Pulse & Prejudice. All My Tomorrows is her second book.
profanity
sexual scenes
no blood, guts and gore.
I was not monetarily compensated for this review in any way. I won a free copy of this book by being randomly selected. All opinions are 100% my own.
by Colette L. Saucier
Genre: romance
Soft cover, 240 pages
Published June 2012 by Southern Girl Press
setting: modern day Hollywood, CA
Alice McGillicutty is head writer for the struggling soap All My Tomorrows. When the cast & crew are called together for a meeting, she is expecting to hear that the network has cancelled them. Instead, the news is that film & TV star Peter Walsingham will be finishing his contract out with the soap. Peter is not a happy camper when he arrives on the set and makes no attempt to hide it. This increases the disdain that Alice has for him and she makes no attempt to hide it either.
Peter crashed into her office with such violence the door hit the wall. "Are you out of your **mind?"
"Uh-Door. Closed. There for a reason." Alice had never seen him so angry before -not even on screen- with his eyes bulging and his nostrils flaring and his fist twisted around what must have at one point been the script - and it pleased her immensely.
Her calm manner only provoked him, and he threw the mutilated script on her desk. "Are you insane?"
"If you do not calm down, I will have to ask you to leave."
He turned away and ran his fingers through his hair, possibly pulling some of it out in the process. "This is spite, isn't it? Is this because of what I said about soaps and Giselle over at Jack's?"
Yes. "Don't be ridiculous." When he faced her again, she knew she was smirking, but she couldn't help herself.
Rich Dover is hired as a new actor and there is immediate tension between him and Peter. Rich claims that Peter had him fired from a movie set because he was jealous. Peter is glowering and silent. It hasn't taken long for Rich to charm his way with the cast & crew, so they tend to believe him. Misunderstandings and secrets abound.
His (Rich) eye's shifted back and forth and he furrowed his brow but then perhaps in anticipation of her admonishing him, relaxed and rubbed out the crease, but she (Alice) had no intention of reminding him.
"What you saw on the video was too many shots of tequila." (Alice said)
"I figured he (Peter)would have turned you against me."(Rich said)
"Really? And how on earth would he have done that?"
"By telling you things."
"What kind of things, Rich? What would he have told me that would have you so concerned?" She did not mean for the sweetness of her tone to comfort him, and she thought she must have succeeded judging by the blood coming into his cheeks and those telltale beads of sweat she had noticed on his lip before.
"Well, he has his own version of events, and I have mine."
"Then perhaps it is better for you both to keep them to yourselves."
He gasped out half a laugh. "Yes, well. I'm sorry it didn't work out between us. I hope you won't hold a grudge."
She stood, prompting him to do the same. "Of course not. If you and Giselle are happy together, it can only be good for the show." He nodded and turned to walk out, and then she added, "But if anything happens to her, remember - it is within my power to kill you."
This was an appealing plot and a different take on Austen's P&P. I enjoyed the novel within the novel, "research"-- I'll have to remember that excuse! The characters were likeable except for the baddie :) I absolutely loved the two scenes that I have quoted--total LOL!
If you love Pride & Prejudice, if you love romance, if you love a heroine who is a little snarky, you will love this book!
Colette L. Saucier is also the author of Pulse & Prejudice. All My Tomorrows is her second book.
profanity
sexual scenes
no blood, guts and gore.
I was not monetarily compensated for this review in any way. I won a free copy of this book by being randomly selected. All opinions are 100% my own.
January 11, 2015
Unfortunately, this was between a one and a two. It was one of my least favorite variations. I read her other book, Pulse and Prejudice, and it wasn't half as bad as this book.
It was another version where all the names were changed, and some of the characters were merged. For example, Lydia and Jane are the same person in this. That's just wrong.
So Elizabeth, or whatever she's called in this, Alice I guess, writes for a Soap Opera. Horrible career choice already for a character who was supposed to be ahead of her time. Elizabeth Bennet inspires me and makes us want to be a better person. Alice? A soap writer? As much as I would respect any writer...even one unpublished who is trying to break into the market, or one who has only self published, or...pretty much anything else...I cannot wrap my head around her being that lowly of a writer that she feels she needs to work on soaps. So much lost respect just in the premise.
Then they have another romance book going on throughout it, that Alice is reading. It was not written well at all...but that might have been on purpose. The author, who wrote the other parts much better, I guess was attempting to mimic poor romance novel writing. Unfortunately that just made it tough to get through. Those character's dialog was just sad and stilted.
The book picked up a little (not the stupid book in the book) which is the only reason this book isn't given one star. It certainly did not pick it up enough, however, to give it more than two. Alice is still not a good character, and Peter (yeah she thought Peter was a better name to give Darcy) isn't much better.
In the description of this book on this site, there are a ton of quotes giving it rave reviews.
Have those reviewers never read another P&P variation? Because they probably should.
Sorry Ms. Saucier - although I appreciate another modern telling of this story, and I did like Pulse and Prejudice - this was not your best work.
It was another version where all the names were changed, and some of the characters were merged. For example, Lydia and Jane are the same person in this. That's just wrong.
So Elizabeth, or whatever she's called in this, Alice I guess, writes for a Soap Opera. Horrible career choice already for a character who was supposed to be ahead of her time. Elizabeth Bennet inspires me and makes us want to be a better person. Alice? A soap writer? As much as I would respect any writer...even one unpublished who is trying to break into the market, or one who has only self published, or...pretty much anything else...I cannot wrap my head around her being that lowly of a writer that she feels she needs to work on soaps. So much lost respect just in the premise.
Then they have another romance book going on throughout it, that Alice is reading. It was not written well at all...but that might have been on purpose. The author, who wrote the other parts much better, I guess was attempting to mimic poor romance novel writing. Unfortunately that just made it tough to get through. Those character's dialog was just sad and stilted.
The book picked up a little (not the stupid book in the book) which is the only reason this book isn't given one star. It certainly did not pick it up enough, however, to give it more than two. Alice is still not a good character, and Peter (yeah she thought Peter was a better name to give Darcy) isn't much better.
In the description of this book on this site, there are a ton of quotes giving it rave reviews.
Have those reviewers never read another P&P variation? Because they probably should.
Sorry Ms. Saucier - although I appreciate another modern telling of this story, and I did like Pulse and Prejudice - this was not your best work.
September 13, 2012
Are you a fan of soap operas? If you are, this book is for you. All My Tomorrows is a very smart, comical and fast paced version of Pride and Prejudice.
Alice McGillicutty is a writer for the daytime drama, All My Tomorrows. With the ratings in the toilet, Alice turns to romance novels that her mother used to read. The current one she is drawing material from is The Edge of Darkness. To try to bring the ratings up during sweeps week, All My Tomorrows is bringing on a new actor to lure viewers. Peter Walsingham is supposed to be the answer to all their problems. Unfortunately he is known for being a pompous and very entitled celebrity whom Alice wants nothing to do with. She now has to rewrite plot lines and he is not working into her romantic scenarios for the show. Peter wants nothing to do with the actress/character that he is supposed to become romantically involved with on the show. He doesn't believe viewers will find his involvement with her realistic and wants to offer his input even though Alice does not welcome input from the actors on the show. The ultimate question is, can Alice and Peter get over being too proud to work out their differences and save All My Tomorrows?
Although this book was difficult to get into at first, it quickly picks up. I had a hard time figuring out which story I was supposed to be focusing on. There are two stories going on simultaneously since Alice is reading The Edge of Darkness, the reader gets to read certain excerpts right along with her. Once you are able to separate the two and keep each story line straight in your head, All My Tomorrows becomes a very enjoyable book that keeps you wanting more.
Alice McGillicutty is a writer for the daytime drama, All My Tomorrows. With the ratings in the toilet, Alice turns to romance novels that her mother used to read. The current one she is drawing material from is The Edge of Darkness. To try to bring the ratings up during sweeps week, All My Tomorrows is bringing on a new actor to lure viewers. Peter Walsingham is supposed to be the answer to all their problems. Unfortunately he is known for being a pompous and very entitled celebrity whom Alice wants nothing to do with. She now has to rewrite plot lines and he is not working into her romantic scenarios for the show. Peter wants nothing to do with the actress/character that he is supposed to become romantically involved with on the show. He doesn't believe viewers will find his involvement with her realistic and wants to offer his input even though Alice does not welcome input from the actors on the show. The ultimate question is, can Alice and Peter get over being too proud to work out their differences and save All My Tomorrows?
Although this book was difficult to get into at first, it quickly picks up. I had a hard time figuring out which story I was supposed to be focusing on. There are two stories going on simultaneously since Alice is reading The Edge of Darkness, the reader gets to read certain excerpts right along with her. Once you are able to separate the two and keep each story line straight in your head, All My Tomorrows becomes a very enjoyable book that keeps you wanting more.
January 12, 2015
I read this when it originally came out as All My Tomorrows when Austenesque Reviews named it their favorite modern adaptation for 2013. I loved the original and couldn't wait to read this new edition with almost 10,000 more words and sooooo much more Pride and Prejudice!
There are several new scenes with Peter and Alice, which have really ramped up the sexual tension! For a modern update on Pride and Prejudice, I liked this even more than Bridget Jones's Diary.
Merged review:
I read this when it originally came out as All My Tomorrows when Austenesque Reviews named it their favorite modern adaptation for 2013. I loved the original and couldn't wait to read this new edition with almost 10,000 more words and sooooo much more Pride and Prejudice!
There are several new scenes with Peter and Alice, which have really ramped up the sexual tension! For a modern update on Pride and Prejudice, I liked this even more than Bridget Jones's Diary.
There are several new scenes with Peter and Alice, which have really ramped up the sexual tension! For a modern update on Pride and Prejudice, I liked this even more than Bridget Jones's Diary.
Merged review:
I read this when it originally came out as All My Tomorrows when Austenesque Reviews named it their favorite modern adaptation for 2013. I loved the original and couldn't wait to read this new edition with almost 10,000 more words and sooooo much more Pride and Prejudice!
There are several new scenes with Peter and Alice, which have really ramped up the sexual tension! For a modern update on Pride and Prejudice, I liked this even more than Bridget Jones's Diary.
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