Persuaded

The Jane Austen Diaries #3

by Jenni James

Will he take her back, or fling her aside like she deserves?

Three years ago, Amanda made the biggest mistake of her life-she let her friends persuade her to reject the guy she loved. They were convinced he was a loser and wasn't good enough for her.

Now Gregory's back in Farmington . . . taller, stronger, hotter than ever, and worth millions. Those gorgeous girls who snubbed him before are now falling at his feet-and he's enjoying every moment of it.

Can he see past the pain Amanda caused him and give her a second chance? Or will she forever regret losing the only guy who truly loved her?

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Retellings, Chick Lit, Clean Romance, Contemporary Romance

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2012

About the author

CLEAN ROMANCE FOR TEENS:

*The Jane Austen Diaries*
Pride & Popularity (Aug 2011)
Persuaded (Aug. 2012)
Emmalee (Jan 2013)
Mansfield Ranch (Dec 2013)
Northanger Alibi (Feb. 2012)
Sensible & Sensational (July 2015)
Sand & Sun (2016)
The Wilsons
Queen Sydney

*Jenni James Faerie Tale Collection*
Beauty and the Beast
Sleeping Beauty
Rumplestiltskin
Cinderella
Hansel and Gretel
Jack and the Beanstalk
Snow White
The Frog Prince
Twelve Dancing Princesses
Rapunzel
The Little Mermaid
Peter Pan
Return to Neverland
The Forgotten Princess
The Princess With the Golden Touch
Little Red Riding Hood
(and more...)

MIDDLE GRADE READERS:
Prince Tennyson (May 2012)

EARLY READERS:

*Andy & Annie Collection*
A Ghost Story
Greeny Meany

WOMEN'S FICTION:

*Revitalizing Jane Series*
Drowning
Swimming
Crawling
Walking
Running
Soaring


CLEAN ROMANCE FOR ADULTS:

*Eternal Realm Series*
Eternity
Destiny
Divinity

Reviews

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. I’ve always loved Jane Austen’s Persuasionand was really looking forward to reading this retelling. I thought the author did a great job mixing the charm from the original Persuasion into this modern retelling. When Amanda was fifteen she allowed her friend to talk her into breaking up with her boyfriend Greg. Three years later and she still regrets her decision, especially when she learns he has moved back into town. He has changed a lot in the past three years and now even her friends, who don’t remember him from before, want to date him. He wants nothing to do with Amanda, but can’t seem to keep himself away. Persuaded stuck pretty closely to the original, which I liked, but was still its own story. I thought Amanda and Greg had good chemistry and had some nice moments together. I thought Amanda was a likable character, I felt bad that she had to sit back and watch Greg date her friends. Stupid boys. I also felt bad for Amanda because her friends and family never treated her very well. Even her best friend Kylie treated her badly. I also thought Greg’s parents, while nice, were kind of weird.

Anyway, I really liked the story and thought it was a lot of fun to read. I really love this series and look forward to reading Emmalee (another favorite of mine)this fall. If you love Austen then you should check out this fun series!

Content: Clean.

The Jane Austen Diaries
Pride & Popularity
Northanger Alibi
Persuaded
Emmalee (Fall 2012)
Mansfield Ranch
Sensible & Sensational

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, flirty read, but I think it would have had more impact if the characters had been older. It was a bit too teenager-y for me personally, but still a fun take on one of my favorite themes.

[Valentina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm Sorry... what the hell did i just read? I wasn't expecting to be absolutely fricking wowed by this book but seriously what even was that? i was expecting a good young-adult chick flick book. What i got was something that seemed to be written by a freaking twelve year old.

PLOT
So after this girl had no sense of individuality and didn't have enough courage to say 'hell no bitch i love this guy' when her friends told her to not go out with him.she carries on her life for three years being the same meek little mouse who never stands up for herself. Then the guy she loved comes back and every single second all we get is a description of how gorgeous he is and how in love with him she is. he decides to go with her best friend and after practically one week her best friend 'falls in love with him'. I'm sorry but am i the only one who was feeling that this book made no sense. I don't know if you know this Ms James but people cant fall in love with one another in a week. i'm just saying that's extremely incorrect. More people treat the main character like crap and she goes ninja on their asses... of course i'm kidding because poor little Amanda doesn't have the girl balls to actually stand up for herself. EVER. even when her best friend says that 'the only reason people talk to her is because they feel sorry for her'. I mean that is so NOT cool. Just me thinking this or what? But instead of saying anything of course Amanda just forgives her and keeps quiet. Then the bitchy best friend has an accident and the boy she is in love with says that he needs to stick by the bitchy best friend even though he cares for Amanda.Am i the only one who is still hung up on the fact that, quote 'he really cared' for her even though he's supposed to be in love with Amanda. is is just me who thinks WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK is wrong with these teens, do they not understand that caring for someone takes a long time and that these feeling do not go away in a flash. So anyway back to the story line that seemed to be written by a really high 12 year old. the best friend, even though she said she was in love with Greg, the terrible love interest in this story, gets engaged to someone else that she only knew for a couple of weeks. and then everyone lives happily ever after. Isn't that wonderful? (that was heavy sarcasm) i cannot believe i actually managed to finish this book it was so abysmal. I mean for a 10 year old it would be perfect but as a young adult book? HELL TO THE NO! this cannot be a young adult book and should not be in the class of REAL young adult books like vampire academy, city of bones and poison princess.

To make this book better I suggest:
1. Make Amanda's character go to the wizard of Oz because she really needs to get some courage
2. Just stop with the 'I love you's' because you cannot fall in love with someone that quickly its just impossible
3. Make the plot something that can be deemed as interesting and worth reading, which means not causing your readers to bang their head against a brick wall

Thank you Ms James for trying and if i was 6 years younger i would love this book but PLEASE put list this as a childrens book because it gives the wrong idea for teens who actually want to read a proper YA book.

[L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally posted here: http://living-a-thousand-lives.tumblr...

Minor spoilers

The Cover
I guess the model is pretty with fabulous hair? Is she lying on leaves? In any case, HUGE FACE! DO NOT WANT!

The Story
As you can see on the cover this book is part of The Jane Austen Diaries, in this case it’s a modern retelling of Persuasion with teenaged characters.
4 years ago Amanda rejected the boy she loved because her popular friends thought he was a loser and persuaded her to dump him. Soon thereafter said boy, named Greg, moved away with his parents. After 4 years his family returns as millionaires and Greg now goes by Gregory and is suddenly a hottie and all the girls fawn over him. He acts cold and indifferent towards her and rubs it in her face that he’s now very desirable and doesn’t have a thought left for her. (again, terrible blurb, sorry!)

The Protagonist
Amanda was a doormat. Plain and simple. To me she was a very, very weak character who let others decide for her and treat her like crap. Anne Elliot made a big mistake and followed her trusted friend’s advice and regretted that decision for years but to me she was never a weakling. She was really nice but still smart and head strong when she had to. Amanda however rejected a good friend for popularity and even then she regretted it immediately. The moment he left, she turned into a meak and insecure girl who lets her family and friends walk all over her without even thinking that there’s something wrong with their behaviour. Look, I’d understand if she was a chicken who’s afraid to stand up to people but she doesn’t even realize that she’s being treated like a doormat and that is where the problem is. She needed Greg to tell her that she was pretty and to give her a confidence boost, which is not a bad thing BUT the moment he was gone, the confidence was gone too and only returned when he started to love her again. And this right there is the wrong message to send to teenage girls. I can’t help but compare this to Measuring Up where the boy build up the girl’s confidence but also encouraged her to be able to stand up on her own and to believe in herself. In Persuaded, Amanda needs Gregory to protect and save her and I feel like her character never really grows or rather she doesn’t really have a character/personality. By the end the only thing she learns is that she shouldn’t listen to people’s advice on who she should love, she never learned to stand up to her family or anyone else for that matter. A weak main protagonist, who’s also a little bit of a Mary Sue, is one of the things I have a big problem with so this is a huge minus point for me.

The Heart Rate
Gregory was…tall. And hot apparently. He was supposed to feel betrayed by Amanda but still stood up for her and helped her every chance he got. He also started to date Amanda’s best friend Kylie, the same friend who persuaded her to dump him. I assume he did it to get back at Amanda, but to be honest, it just doesn’t line up with his character to date a girl he should hate, but we never see it, on the contrary it seems as if he really liked Kylie. Anyway, the romance was sweet I guess. It did make me feel a little warm and fuzzy inside whenever Greg helped Amanda but I don’t know if it was because their romance was that great or because of the residual feelings from reading For Darkness Shows the Stars, another (much better) Persuasion retelling. It’s probably the latter. The romance was insofar believable because you just know and expect it to happen. Greg is for the most part very one-dimensional and you don’t really get to know him that much beyond the fact that he’s rich, hot and a nice guy who’s protective of Amanda. Unfortunately this is not enough for me to call him a good love interest. I blame the first person narration and Amanda’s lack of personality.

The Good
- Jane Austen: I’m a sucker for everything Jane Austen and I’m always looking for retellings or variations (if they’re good or bad is another story)
- Greg’s parents: They were refreshingly nice and real, a little over the top but still sweet.

The Bad
- Characters: The main protagonists aren’t really fleshed out so it’s no wonder that the supporting characters are even more one-dimensional. I like most of them (except Kylie and Sydney (Amanda’s stepsister)) but that’s it. They don’t really serve a purpose and are mere props. Plus, I can’t help but trying to connect these characters with Jane Austen’s characters and they are NOTHING alike and totally mixed up. I know this is a retelling and only inspired by Persuasion but still, the fundamental feeling and characterstic should still be there.
- Plot: There were so many unrealistic moments here. Like why doesn’t Amanda know most of Kylie’s friends? Shouldn’t they have mutual friends? It seems as though before Greg’s return Amanda didn’t interact with anybody but Kylie. Then we have Sean, Greg’s cousin. He just appears out of nowhere in their town and Greg goes: “Sean? Sean Benally? Good to see you!…” This is not how you greet a cousin but a random classmate maybe. And why would you have to add your cousin’s last name? And wouldn’t he let you know he’s in town and why is he in town alone in a restaurant? We never find out. These were just a few examples of some random and contrived things going on here. Oh, and I kind of have a hard time pin pointing the age of most of the characters. We find out later that Greg’s 19 and another character is 21, but they all seem like 16 year olds to me…
- Corny dialogue: I had to skip whole pages at the end because I just couldn’t stand the cheesy dialogue.

The Rating
★★☆☆☆
I read a lot of fluffy young adult novels because sometimes you just need a light, fun read where you don’t have to think a lot. But this is probably one of those books I’m too old for. I think if I was a lot younger (like in Middle Grade), I’d probably love this. I give this 2 stars because despite it all I still wanted to finish this book and for Jane Austen.

[Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe it's because Persuasion is my second favorite Austen novel after Emma, but I really think Persuaded is better than the first two entries in this series, Pride and Popularity and Northanger Alibi. I'm impressed how once again the characters and story remain true to the spirit of the Austen original, yet at the same time get a refreshingly modern facelift. And there's also an interesting continuity between the books in this series, so I had some fun too pairing up the returning characters in this book with their Austen counterparts because the names are not at all obvious.

One thing I noticed straight away though is how different Amanda, a new character and the narrator here, is from Chloe and Claire. Chloe was really confident and Claire wasn't too bad either, so they were both a lot of fun in their respective books. Amanda on the other hand is rather neurotic and kind of insecure, so she has a tendency to over-narrate and reflect on her flaws. A lot of exposition, basically. But Anne Elliot in Persuasion is also a weaker character - she does give in to Lady Russell’s advice to reject Captain Wentworth, so Amanda's character and her second thoughts feel oddly appropriate and worked for me. The overall effect I guess is the tone here ends up being a lot more serious than in the previous books, but that's the nature of the story - and there are still more than a few lighter moments too, so no complaints from me.

I've had problems with a few other Persuasion adaptations in that Captain Wentworth basically turns into a huge douche, it's a fine line between being angry at being rejected and behaving like a jackass, but Greg was really well done here, just the right balance of distant coldness and forgiveness. Most of the plot's pretty faithful too, from the accident to the engagement to the letter (now email), but stretched out with a lot of really good filler that adds quite a bit of extra character to the characters, although maybe a little too faithful, the engagement here is just way less believable than the one between Louisa Musgrove and Captain Benwick - but come to think of it, I'm not sure how else to do it that makes sense. And of course it all ends in the same sugary way as the previous books.

My biggest surprise though is how well the previous books are interwoven into this one. Chloe has a cameo. Roger and Darlene are mentioned. And obviously Madison, Kylie, and Collin have big roles - it's really cool how they pull double duties as counterparts for both Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion characters. Although a few things also confused me, Madison being so friendly with Kylie at first sort of contradicts the first book and Alyssa seems to be missing. Oh, and I think this series is not in chronological order, Northanger Alibi seems to take place after this book, which was kind of unexpected. Really hope there’s a story behind that.

But anyway, I really like Persuaded. It’s one of the lighter Persuasion adaptations, but also one of the better ones. Can't wait for Emma next.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I can't even start telling you how much I'm loving this series of books. How can you not adore Jane Austen's concepts and with Jenni James recreating them and modernizing them my heart just soars some more. With the ups and the downs and the heartbreaking and oh I'm just feeling very much like a girl in one of Jane Austen's books. Which one, I haven't decided yet but I'm feeling it.

We meet Amanda at the beginning of the book where she is still in love with the guy she disappointed three years ago. She basically told him she didn't want to be with him because of what her friends were saying. He just wasn't cool enough. Well secretly she still pines for him and when he comes back in the picture and is better looking than ever and rich to boot, her friends are all over him. But she remembers the real him and she sees it there in him. She misses him.

When Gregory comes back home and now that his family is much more well off, Amanda's family can not say the same, turns out Greg's family is buying Amanda's house. So you can imagine her surprise when she sees him again. He tries so hard not to show interest in her, and his family is all about him finding someone special. He starts with her stepsister, who is as vain as they come. Then he moves on to her best friend, and she is just trying to help them out and make sure he's happy but still trying to hold back her feelings for him. She even sees a little hope that he will feel the same way too, but her friend is in love with him. Or at least she thinks she is in love with him.

They go out as a large group several times and during one of their off roading experiences something bad happens to her best friend. They are all there for her but still things have gotten more complicated all the while both Amanda and Gregory are playing the whole I totally want you but I can't and I won't admit it game. It's all very exciting and very Jane Austen, I loved it. Things progress between all the friends, some lives are changed but still will the truth ever come out that they love each other. You will have to read and find out.

You should really check out this series if you haven't already because it's well worth the read. It's quick, easy, fun, exciting and most o all based on Jane Austen with a modern twist on it. I can't wait to see the next book, it's going to be just as great. Thanks Jennie James for a really fun series. I really like the cover, something about that smirk on her face really makes me interested in wanting to pick up the book. It just suits the book perfectly.

[AmyFlo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book demonstrates why it's pretty much impossible to modernize Persuasion. For the Anne in this story rejects her Wentworth for the shallow reason of her friends not liking him? He's right to dust off his shoes and walk away. And what makes him wake up and realize he's always loved her? It's not the beauty of a well balanced temper vs. the flighty nature of a "strong will." I'm actually not sure what it was. He just seemed to love her again without any character growth on his part.
There are way too many teen-aged characters, none of them having any real specific personality to make them stand out. Also, they're a bit melodramatic. Falling in love after just a few encounters? I know this isn't reality, but it's no Disney movie either.
I did like the moment when Amanda played the piano as a release; that was well done. That others, even her snobby sister, were impressed was a nice moment.
I liked that the Mr. Eliot character wasn't a smarmy jerk. It was a nice change to just have another guy take an interest in the main character without any hidden agendas. The Louisa-aspect was pretty brutal and a bit heavy. And the end result left me saying "really? after that short a period?" At least in the original it took a few months to fall into place.
I will say that the book made me want to visit the southwest.
It's a pleasant enough adaptation, and if it gets its target audience interested in reading the real thing, then well done. And I enjoyed it more than some of the other adaptations, but like I said, it's so hard to update this story and not make the main character look like a complete ditz. Anne Elliot was noble and gentle and sweet. The modern Annes and Wentworths I've see just fall flat.

[Samia Ruponti · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars. well, I would have given it a 1 star, but I managed to finish the book, so .5 more.

the characters were completely flat. frankly, I couldn't even see Greg's attractiveness, except he was sais to be good looking. Amanda was a doormat, and not really that intelligent, it seemed to me.

there was a lot of unconnected and unnecessary scenes. the musical ability was completely unnecessary. I haven't read persuasion so I don't know if the author has specifically included it because it was in the original. also, the secondary characters were nothing but mere props. it didn't seem to me for a moment that they were friends. they were behaving as if they signed up for a package tour, where they had no control over who else was coming, so they decided to make the best of it.

may be if I were younger, I would have liked it, but it did not work for me at all.

[Avon Bernabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh. I love this book. The emotions it put me through.

Guessing. I kept guessing who Amanda will really end up with. There were so many complications along the way. The past. Kylie. The accident. Sean.
The accident was what really made me nervous though. I felt like losing hope that time. Plus that news of Sydney about the wedding.

Two different parents here.
Amanda's parents. How I despised their being conceited and their flinging Amanda's needs aside. I am not a fan of parents with favoritism and who's only concerned with socialization.
Gregory's parents. They are the parents everyone would want. Sensitive to their child's needs and knows what is really best for them. They don't really care about money even though they had lots of it.

Ohhh. And all their friends who're in the four wheeling each had a lesson to teach us.
Maddison and Carson. It's hard to control your feelings, even if you're already in a relationship. You don't know when you'll fall inlove.
Collins. Every talent must be given noticed. And you should be with people who appreciates you.
Kylie. There are people who falls inlove easily. But we shouldn't force ourself to anyone. We must set them free if we need to cause there is someone out there who's meant for us.
Gregory and Amanda. Too complicated. You'll have to read it ;)

One more thing, we must know when to follow our heart. It's not always that our friends and parents know what's best for us. We must not easily be persuaded. We must take a stand, especially if it's what we believe is right, and if it is what our heart says.

Come on everyone. This is a great read!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful story by Jenni James; I absolutely love the Jane Austen Diaries series. All four books out are by far my favorite reads this year. I received Persuaded and Emmalee as a Christmas present and when I got home Christmas evening I started reading Persuaded and didn't put down the book until I finished it in the middle of the night. I love the way Jenni uses the characters and events that Jane Austen did but turns them into a modern situations we can all relate to; like four-wheeling in Moab instead of a walk to the Cobb in Lyme. The character Amanda Ellis became an instant favorite of mine. She is just as nice and sometimes to a fault as Anne Elliott was. It’s the perfect classic tale of girl meets a boy, he’s geeky but she still likes him. She lets friends talk her out of being with him and breaks his heart. Big Mistake! He comes back years later and he’s hot, smart, and very successful... And he doesn't want to have anything to do with her. Amanda has to deal with the choices she made. I love that so many guys are into Amanda but she is completely clueless of her effect she has on them. The song "She doesn't know she's beautiful" kept playing in my mind as a theme song for this book. It is a great adaption and wonderful read.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this Jane Austen series!!! The modern re-telling of Persuasion was so much fun to read. The characters are great, as well as the twists. The only thing for me is I was trying to figure out how these characters fit in with the characters from the previous two novels--and they did!

Amanda went along with what her friends wanted her to do three years early and broke her crush's heart. Gregory moved away, but when his family moves back to town and buys Amanda's house (they had to sell, due to the economy), those old feelings come rushing back. Gregory has changed and has seemed to move on. Can Amanda get over him and do the same?

I thought this was a cute, fluffy, clean teen read and it was a lot of fun. I can't wait for the next two books to come out.

[Shanika AliC · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've resigned myself to the fact that this series will only be getting worst. I wanted to stab myself in the eyes for the duration of this book. When I started reading i expected a great romance.
The whole premise of this book annoyed me to no end. I hoped that the ending would redeem d whole plot but boy was I wrong :(
I had such high hopes. Can we get a do-over with this book please?

[Valerie Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Amanda!!!! She was surrounded by horrible horrible people! And she was treated so awfully! Greg was pretty great but I thought it was weird that he was willing to date this girls that treated him like crap before he was "so totally hot"

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love finding a captivating, clean, contemporary romance like this one! Persuaded is a sweet story of pain, forgiveness and enduring love. The premise sucked me right in! I will definitely be going back and starting with Jenni James' Jane Austen Diaries #1, Pride and Popularity!

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Three years ago Amanda was a cheerleader and friends with Gregory, though she wanted to be more. When he finally asked her to be his girlfriend, she let her friends influence her and she turned him down, breaking his heart. Unbeknownst to either of them, he was going to be moving the next day (yes, a little hard to believe), and she never saw him again.

Fast forward three years and Gregory’s family has moved back to town and there’s been a role reversal. Amanda’s family has fallen on hard times and is selling their house, while Gregory’s family is now super rich; add to that that the once kind of nerdy guy is now a gorgeous baseball player and Amanda, who never stopped feeling guilty or regretting her actions, also realizes she still has feelings for him, though she’s sure he hates her.

I won this book on Goodreads and, when I entered to win it, I hadn’t realized that I’d read one of James’ books before. If I had, I honestly don’t know if I would’ve entered to win it. I remember thinking the other book was a cute idea, but a little to juvenile, from the writing to the characters and their situations. I was hoping that this book might be a little better, but I was really disappointed.

There was no real depth to any of the characters and I never felt any tension between Amanda and Gregory; I never thought he was angry at or disliked her. And the story was more like a middle grade book. When Gregory first comes on the scene Amanda’s step-sister Sydney, asks him if Amanda has changed, while Amanda cringes out of sight. Apparently, Sydney always asks family or anyone who hasn’t seen Amanda in some time that very question and Amanda’s horrified because she knows the answer. Now, I’ve never read Persuasion (though I did read another retelling of it), so I thought there was something up with her that might make someone more shallow overlook Amanda, some twist that wasn’t in the other retelling that I read. Nope, nothing every came up. Then, random guys check her out and, gosh, Amanda just can’t believe it, even though she herself says she’s pretty, really pretty, when she smiles.

On a trip away with friends, including Gregory, she’s caught by them playing the piano and runs away thinking she’s such a freak and that her friends are now weirded out or scared by her. Huh? There were all these random things that I guess were supposed to make the reader feel for Amanda or think she’s such the odd man out, but I never thought that in the least. Then, when someone gets seriously hurt, Amanda basically makes the diagnosis and long term prognosis on the spot. Following that, there are jokes made about the girl’s condition (by adults, no less) that fell flatter than flat and Amanda’s own father shudders at the thought of one of his daughters being injured like that because of the affect on their looks. I know it was to show how shallow her parents are, but really?

If an author wants to write a book with no cussing, sex, drugs, whatever, that’s fine, but I hate it when he or she takes it so far in the other direction that it becomes goofy. If I had to read one more "Oh my gosh!", I’m pretty sure I would’ve been sick. Here’s another hurl worthy example:

“No I don’t.”
“Yes, you fetchin’ do!”
“Fetchin’?” I couldn’t help myself, I smiled. Dang. Greg always made me smile.”

Seriously? It made me wonder if Greg fell and hit his head.

As for the romance, there was a ton of insta-love and it was awful. One girl was practically in tears saying how much she loved a guy when she’d known him for a few weeks, tops, and they’d been on one or two dates. I didn’t find any of it the least bit interesting, which is also how I could sum up my feelings about this book. Pride and Popularity was an okay harmless, if slightly middle grade feeling, book, but Persuaded is one I can’t recommend and I’m definitely done with The Jane Austen Diaries.

[Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Young Adult, Modern Adaptation

TIME FRAME: Present-day

MAIN CHARACTERS: Amanda Ellis, Gregory Wentworth, Kylie Russell, Sydney Ellis, Collin Farnsworth

WHY I WANTED TO READ THIS NOVEL:
- It's part of a great series! The Jane Austen Diaries started in 201 with the fantastic Pride and Popularity.
- I love modern adaptations of Persuasion...and this one is a YA modern adaptation, something new!

WHAT I LOVED:
- Clever Modernizations and Updates: I thought this modern, YA retelling worked really well, I just love the creative ways Jenni James modified and revamped specific plot points and events from Persuasion! Instead of encountering each other after eight years and a rejected marriage proposal, Amanda and Greg meet again after three years and a rejected dating proposal. Instead of lacking wealth and connections, Greg is deemed unworthy byAmanda's friends because he is unpopular and uncool. Instead of taking a trip to Lyme where accident befalls someone on The Cobb, the gang of friends head to Moab and a terrible mishap occurs on their ATV excursion.

- Accessible Themes: Giving into peer pressure, feeling invisible, having regrets - these are all things teens and young adults (and adults) can relate to and understand. Not only do these themes relate well to the themes in Jane Austen's Persuasion, but they also teach valuable and important lessons to young readers.

- A Lovable Heroine: Amanda captures our hearts from the moment we meet her and witness the self-reproach and regret she has been living with for the last three years. She is such a sweet and endearing character, and like Anne Elliot, she is surrounded by selfish people who give her little love or value. I think what I liked most about Amanda, is how mature and selfless she is for such a young age. Amanda experiences a lot of pain and insults, and yet she remains kind, compassionate, and unresentful.

- Reoccurring Characters: I love how characters that were in Pride and Popularity like Madison (Charlotte Lucas), Collin (Mr. Collins), and Kylie Russell not only made appearances in this novel, but doubled as minor characters from Jane Austen's Persuasion. For example: Collin Farnsworth, who was the Mr. Collins type of character in Pride and Popularity played the part of a heartbroken Captain Benwick in Persuaded. What a creative way to unify this series!

WHAT I WASN'T TOO FOND OF:
- Kylie Russell: It seems that Kylie, Amanda's best friend, dips into the roles of Lady Russell and Louisa Musgrove in this adaptation. I must admit I wasn't too fond of Kylie because she was the main person who persuaded Amanda not to go out with Greg, and than three years later, she pursues Greg herself (acting as if she had no memory of him and his unsuitability three years ago). Plus she seemed a little unstable and overly-dramatic in her jealousy and possessiveness over Greg.

- Far Fetched: Some aspects of the story like, a teen having command of his parent's private jet to use (unnecessarily) on a date or a young couple of teens getting engaged after only a few weeks of dating felt a little hard to believe. I'm not saying that they are impossible, it's just situations like these kind of felt a little less realistic and accessible to the audience.

CONCLUSION:
I think this series is just phenomenal! Jenni James beautifully and skillfully translates the spirit of Jane Austen's novels and characters into a world that is relevant and identifiable to younger audiences. Persuaded is a well-crafted, inventive, and engrossing adaptation that Janeites can find much pleasure in and have no qualms about sharing with their younger friends and relations!

[L DelaRG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5

I'm on a bit of an Austen-inspired kick, having been watching The Lizzie Bennet diaries (which, though flawed, I do love) again.

Persuasion has to be my favourite Austen; I love the tension, angst and that need of wanting to be redeemed. That said, it is quite a hard book to modernise. Things that worked well in the original (Anne giving into her parents' demands not to be with someone they deem unworthy of her/them, Wentworth's letter declaring his love etc) don't translate so well here.

Though the book started off quite enjoyably, things started to unravel half way through. One of the problems was that characters weren't greatly developed. There was effort with Anne, whom I think is the hardest to develop. Without the right focus, Anne could come off as boring or even Mary Sue-ish. Amanda has talents of her own, but being entirely affected by Wentworth's/Gregory's choices don't translate quite so well here. Also, almost every guy things that she is beautiful and there's a lot of focus on her blushing modestly and apparently how rare that is in a girl!

Gregory comes off one-dimensionally; there's never any solid character development. And even though it's alluded that he's angry at Amanda, actually he was quite pleasant to her throughout and I actually missed the cold-shoulder his equivalent gives Anne in Persuasion. (For ice cold treatment, Kai does a perfect impression in For Darkness Shows the Stars). I also don't understand how Gregory can so easily date Kylie and not address the fact that she was one of the people saying that Amanda shouldn't date him.

The book follows the original quite closely as well as the 2007 adaption, so much so that it doesn't allow for much breathing time and everything seems rushed so that it can meet plot points from the original. For those looking for something with a bit more originality, this isn't the book for you, but for fans of the Persuasion looking for an easy-read modern adaption, this will do the trick. For me, it got a little unrealistic towards the end Gregory e-mailing Amanda his true feelings seemed very sudden and off kilter, and afterwards the cheesiness was upped a few notches, but I am glad I read this.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read Persuasion by Jane Austen I couldn't finish it. It was nothing against the writing, I love Jane Austen with all my heart, it was the heroine. I couldn't stand that Anne would leave the person she loved because her so called friends convinced her. I loved Elizabeth's sharp tongue and witty comments in Pride and Prejudice and Marianne's willingness to wear her heart on her sleeve in Sense and Sensibility, but I couldn't find one redeeming quality about Anne. So I put the book down.

Reading this retelling of Persuasion by the wonderful Jenni James I came to realize why I put the original down. Elizabeth, Marianne, Emma, and all of Jane Austen's other characters had qualities that I wish I had, while Anne had the quality that I actually possessed. We are both people-pleasers, and I couldn't stand to read about something that my foolishness may someday bring to pass. In this coming of age rewriting I was able to finally see the fault that I have, the fault that I never wanted to look in the eye. There were times when I personally wanted to throttle Amanda and times that I laughed and cried along with her, because in Amanda I saw myself. I saw the silly mistakes that I would have made myself and I realized that I am not someone I should be ashamed of. I shouldn't let others define who I am, I should define myself. Thank you, Jenni, for showing me my deepest fears and encouraging me to pick up Austen's famous novel again, this time not to be put down unfinished.

It boggled my mind that after three years of believing my life was over, it was actually just beginning. And all because of the love of a guy I foolishly let myself be persuaded to reject. Never again will I be persuaded to do anything I know in my heart to be wrong. Who knows? Next time, I may not get a second chance.

[Andrea M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This copy was provided by Goodreads first reads, (won) thank you!
Persuaded is a cute love story. Jenni did a good job with building a story that captures readers, and refuses to let go. I found myself immersed in the story—I literally had a hard time not reading it because I was anxious to see what happened at the end.
I have to agree with the synopsis on the back of the book: Amanda did make a mistake. She listened to her friends, and she let them influence her into a decision that she wasn’t completely comfortable with. Amanda is just way too nice, and she often went along with what other people wanted. Amanda’s friends in question, well, they should have just left things alone. As for her family, well, they were no better than the people she hung out with. Her father and stepmother were just…vain, and her stepsister was a spoiled brat.
The plot moved along quickly, and by the end I was really rooting for Amanda and Gregory. You could tell that they still liked each other. Some things were a little predictable, and other things got a little repetitive, but overall Persuaded was a good book. I do recommend this book to people who are fans of love stories, but if you like a lot of action, well, maybe this isn’t the book for you.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is perfect when one is looking for a fun, fluffy, clean read. Especially if you are like me and enjoy seeing how others adapt Austen into our modern world. James did pretty well with adapting the Persuasion story. I might have been more particular of what she did since Persuasion is my favorite Austen. But she got it--right down to "the letter." (ha ha) I was a bit annoyed to find her change a couple of things from the Farmington world she has created. (Didn't Amanda have a stepbrother instead of a stepsister? She did the same thing ink Book #2 when she changed Claire's age.) Happy for the "cameo" appearance of Taylor and Chloe.

This was a nice break from the re-reads and heavier things I am currently reading. It was also easy on my tired brain--totally my fault in not getting the sleep I need. But nothing like laying in bed all morning--a snowy morning at that--reading a fluff book. How I miss my summer and winter vacations as a child....

I'd give the book 4 stars, but that star would only be because it was the perfect thing for me to read with where my emotions were at the time (Remember: Sandy Hook).

[Sydney Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another amazing rendition of a Jane Austen novel. I am still amazed at how James is able to connect all of her books together and you can see your favorite characters from her other books. Sadly, this is the last one that I am able to get to at the moment. I CANNOT wait to be able to read Mansfield Ranch and Sensible and Sensational.

Why oh why on earth did Amanda let Gregory go? Kylie Russell makes another appearance in this book. Sad, I know. Amanda and Kylie have been friends since they were children, and Kylie believes that she knows everything. When Gregory comes back, however, Kylie doesn't realize it is the same guy she told her friend to stay away from before.

It was amazing to see the way that both Kylie and Amanda change throughout this book, probably more Kylie than Amanda, though. I am in love with all things Jane Austen, and these books just make me super happy. They are super fast reads, I mean, I have read all four of them in like three days.

[Xinyi Aw · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is amazing, I finished it in just one seating. This ks my first Jenni James's books and I absolutely love it. Be still my heart was what I have been chanting to myself when I was reading this! I could relate a lot to our main protagonist, Amanda, but of course I could never be as beautiful as her. She is definitely the first person that I have read from a book itself that has inspire me so much. I look up to her. Her change in terms of character development is not as large but overall it has lead her to bE more confident of herself especially when Gregory (swoon) promised her that he would remind her how beautiful she is everyday. I would definitely re read theism book again ! fIling to start checking out the other 2 books to this awesome 'Jane Austen Diaries' Looking forward to read them pence I get my hands on them!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

7/29/15 - I love, love, love this one. Love Greg...sigh Love how much Amanda grew in self confidence. I was surprised reading them back to back like I am that Kylie was in this one...I kept thinking, is this the same gal from P&P, yup she is, and still as mean as ever...

11/3/12-
I absolutely LOVED this retelling of Persuasion. Persuasion is one of my favorite movies and I just loved how Ms. James made it into a cute, fun, modern day retelling. I couldn't put it down. Loved the characters. I love this author's work!

Moral Note: Clean romance, clean language.

***If you haven't read these yet DO NOT read them in release order. Ms. James said they need to be read like this: Pride & Prejudice, Persuasion, Emmalee, Mansfield Ranch, Northanger Alibi, and Sensible & Sensational***

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like 'Northanger Abbey' can pass as silly since the main character is supposed to be silly, but this one, which is supposed to have a more mature romance (even if it is YA), is just painful for a non-YA to read. I think this series may be a good introduction for tweens to the true Jane Austen novels. The characters and story lines will be familiar already. But they are just pretty silly and feel super dumbed-down. The dialogue is one of the things that is so great about Austen novels and has remained timeless and classic while these feel really HS and will stay that way. And it bugs me that every single one (I know I've only read two) seem to be set in the same town, boring.

[Purcheria · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Eh...Meh...

I love Jane Austen's Persuasion. So much so that I will read almost any re-telling of it. Which explains why I picked this one up. It wasn't a bad book, just a tad too saccharine for me. I don't know, it just did not do much for me. There are many better versions out there. But I would recommend it to a younger YA crowd to introduce them to Jane Austen in some form.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Very emotional book! When Gregory returns to town three years after Amanda rejected him, they are both in for some surprises. Some of these characters are so unbelievable. The meanness, the competitive nature of the girls. In the end there are a few good surprises and happy endings. Very well written and I'm looking forward to reading more Jenni James books!!!

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I looved this book I was OBBSESSED it was AMZING I will DEFINETLY retread I loved it so many shockers and I could EXTREMELY relate to Amanda I loved this book oh my gosh I don't think I have ever loved a book this much!!!!!!:0

[Kim Brunson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the greatest specimen of writing in the world, but if you're in the mood for a brainless romance that you can burn through in an hour or two, this is the book for you. Hot guys and happy endings. What more could a girl ask for at 1:00 in the morning?

[LPR · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear.
I believe there is a way to adapt Jane Austen's Persuasion to a contemporary high school setting. I really do. I don't think it was the task that James was trying to complete that was the problem. I've seen the Trojan War (Troy High surprisingly good), Lysistrata (Shut Out highly reccommended), and Shakespeare (This is just an excuse to plug Exit, Pursued by a Bear which is a loose adaptation if ever there was one, but GOLLY GOLLY GOLLY is it good!) adapted amazingly to high school settings, and Austen is way more accessible and relevant than any of those other stories.
But is there a way that we could do this without creating the literal most cheesy thing that I have ever set my eyes on? I mean, I thought my cheese tolerance was high, but oh dear, not high enough to stomach this.
An Incomplete Itemized List (possible spoilers ahead, but friends, I'm too incredulous to care enough to sort them out from the non-spoilers)
- WE GET IT HIS EYES ARE BROWN
- SERIOUSLY WE GET IT
- BROWN EYES
- It starts bad and gets worse
- Intense and silly overuse of the word 'love'. Have you ever spoken to a teenager? Or a person in the twenty-first century? We DO NOT use love until … well I don't know until when, but we think about it a little first. Jeez. And no one falls in 'love' when they are fifteen. ewww. I mean, where was 'like like'. I wanted to cringe at absolutely ever single rendition of 'love' in this book. NONE of them were in the slightest justified. Plus, eww instalove. Ack it was terrible.
- And in the spirit of overusing words, the first physical description we have of the poor boy was his eyes were brown (900 TIMES WHY) his hair was blond and they were set against 'perfect features' which was 'striking'. A) ew please let us come to our own conclusions that he is perfect, that is not something you are to tell us B) it's not even descriptive? It's lazy writing. What are 'perfect features' what does that mean!
- What was the MCs name again? Oh yeah, Amanda. Sorry she's just super flat and forgettable and basically a no one for all the readers to pretend is them. Bad. Sad. Problematic? Her self esteem is based literally on a guy. I don't care if he's the perfect guy, that is not a good set up. I don't mean to get into every detail of the Persuasion adaptation, but Anne Elliot is not like this. Anne is likeable and she's been hurt and I honestly think it's important that she becomes a better person during the separation. I mean, Anne is not boring. and Anne is not silly and Anne is not stupid and Anne should know Wentworth better than this.
- Sorry, I realize this should be a new item in my itemized list of thirty years of disagreements. Persuasion is different than Austen's other works. It's essentially the second half or last third of a normal romance plot. This is the only point for which I give this book the slightest benefit of the doubt. Because the Amanda/Anne is already in love with Wentworth when the book starts, there is some excuse for the terrible cheese of the tingling and the heart stopping and the breath catching in her throat and, sure, even the 'perfect features' right from page one. Some excuse. I relent that this particular flaw may not be present in the other works in this series. The others might be slightly less awful on this account. Will I read them? Well 'slightly less awful' doesn't make it sound like it, but honestly this was such a gloriously painful and satisfying hate-read that I may do it just for the hate-read element. But seriously, only if I am temporarily devoid of all judgement and like, drunk or something. Anyway, there are a thousand reasons that Persuasion needs to be handled differently than a normal romance plot and it is a matter of complicated and carefully handled character growth and development and this book is waaaay too heavy handed to handle that kind of delicacy. There are so many reasons why what Anne does to Captain Wentworth is different from what Amanda (or any fifteen year old) does to or is capable of doing to Gregory (or any 15 year old boy) but there are ways this could work, and it doesn't. I am trying soooo hard not to be an adaptation purist but literally this stuff is at the VERY CORE of why Persuasion works and they have to be dealt with or you end up with an adaptation (like, idk, this one) that doesn't work AT ALL.
- I mean, why is it an email?????? I mean, I get it's a letter in Persuasion, but what in the plot made it necessary to be an email. He literally emailed her, told her to check her email, and then left the room. It didn't work at all and it was sloppy and weird.
- As long as I'm making an itemized list I may as well include freaking cheerleader stereotypes because omg that is my #1 High school setting book pet peeve. I could write a book about how irritating it is. PLEASE STOP.
- I mean, this book is appallingly teenagery. The worst. Every character is the worst teenager you have ever met plus some extra teenagery thrown in for good measure. I can't even say that these are those characters who shape their actual experience to what they have decided high schooldom and teenagerness should be based on them watching too much Disney Channel as children because that is an insult to Disney Channel. Disney Channel could not create monsters such as these.
- Love means trust. That's all. And you don't love someone if you don't know them well enough to see through their crap. This stuff works in Persuasion (barely, and only because it's done so skillfully and because person-to-person communication was so dictated by manners and such) and the reason it works are tossed out the window in this book.
- I mean, the boy was being so freaking transparent, she's silly for doubting any of it and she's freaking sillier for going out with his cousin
- item about how the other boy, Sean in this one and I-can't-remember in Persuasion, Mr Elliot, I think. Mr Elliot is a safe and sensible long-term choice in the eyes of everyone she knows and she's lucky to get him. That's the dynamic that makes Anne + Mr Elliot make sense in the book, why she would consider him when there's Wentworth RIGHT THERE being more or less transparent and adorable and prideful about his feelings. None of those dynamics were present with Sean, it just looked like she was the kind of girl who would lead on a guy when she was in love with another guy.
- Oh golly the dialog was so trite. No one talks like that.
- yeah the dialog was bad, but you know what else was bad? The rest of it. The narrative. The internal commentary. All of it. Just sentence to sentence it was poorly written, even if we threw out all the plot and character and adaptation flaws.
- Did you know that this book is titled 'persuaded' because the main character was 'persuaded' to do something? You didn't? well, there's no need to figure it out on your own, you smart reader, because James doesn't think you can and does literally everything short of coming right out and saying it so you don't miss the point.
- The totally obnoxious cameos from the characters that were apparently from James' other novel 'Pride & Popularity'. I mean, I get that it's a series and that I ignored that when I read this one, but by this point I was so irritated that everything about it was irritating.
- This book is a poster child for why I try to avoid anything billed as 'clean'. I mean, sure your brain remains clean of filth or whatever, 'but God, at what cost?' I mean, this is probably another reason I should have started with P+P, because I would have seen that cute little 'Author's Disclaimer' and would have run screaming. I can't even copy and paste it here because I hate it so much. Ew. plus then maybe I would have seen the top 1 star reviews and all the 'it's clean, but God, at what cost's and run screaming just as I should have. Oh the essays I could write about the stuff that calls itself 'clean' or the stuff that people call 'clean' before they say anything else about it, like maybe, idk, that it's good or of any quality or will make you into a better person? I could rant for 1000 words more just about this, just so you know, because OH how I HATE IT. Also, this book was like, in-your-face about it. Sydney, who is a purebred b****face, was quoted as saying both 'frick' and 'flip'. I'm sorry, but please just say something like 'she released a stream of foul language when she couldn't find her straightener'. Put it in the narrative! It doesn't have to be dialog! Oh gosh. I can't. I'm getting a little teary about how bad this book was. Help me.
- The other half of my 'clean' romance rant, but this one I've said so many times I have it streamlined into one sentence: Cheap romance is cheap romance, it doesn't matter if it is 'clean' or not, because it's cheap and I have no time for cheap romance, not when there are so many quality romances out there. (Please Read The Truth About Forever. The one beer and two f*** are worth the fact that it is a quality romance book. Please.)
- Okay we get it every boy in this book is literally surfer movie star gorgeous. Every girl could be on the cover of a magazine. We get it. Everyone in this parallel universe where fifteen is when you fall in love for real and really truly awful people express themselves by saying 'flip' is movie star beautiful. Congrats.
- Ew.
- This book is atrocious.
- I mean, it's kind of like… fanfiction? Like a poorly executed 'modern AU'. emphasis on pooooorly executed. And I have nothing against fanfiction at all.
- How did this get published?
- I literally had to make puking sounds when reading this book sometimes.
- I got to the point where the only way I was making it through is because I would read until one of the lines was worse than the rest and I would read it aloud dramatically to Caroline and we would laugh until we couldn't breathe.
- Please don't ask me why I finished it even though I hated it deeply from page one.
- Because I don't have an answer other than I was hate-reading it and I literally don't believe you if you say you've never hate-watched a movie or TV show. We've all done it. It's like a trainwreck you can't look away from because you absolutely must know if it gets worse (or if it possibly can get worse) ((It can))
- I, however, do not actually think every copy of this book should be burned. (and not only because I don't believe any book should be burned) I think this book is useful for two reasons that are kind of only one reason:
- You should read this book if you are 11 years old because you will not know any better and really it's not that terrible of a book if you haven't read anything like this before or if you are one of those 11 year olds who is just obsessed with the glorious myth of high school and teenagerdom, as most of us are.
- You should read or recommend this book to someone as sort of a gateway or crash course or way-more-interesting sparknotes to reading actual Jane Austen. Because I am a true believer that Austen's works are timeless and can appeal to anyone, but I am also a true believer that she can be a little inaccessible sometimes ( a lot of the times) and that the average person needs some help getting through her stuff. I always recommend watching the movie first, but if you find that inaccessible too, reading this might be a good step. Teaches who the characters are, you get a general feel for the plot, it could be good. I read Troy High before watching Troilus and Cressida in its entirety, and honestly, it helped, so this could help with that as well.
- Rant over. I need to go read something good now.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Misa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Persuasion is my favourite Austen's books after P&P, I've re-read it so many times and re-watched the Dramas so much more. When I found this book and knew that it was: a retelling of Persuasion in a much modern time, I had to read it as soon as possible.

I liked the writer style and it was very well retold but there was something about the main character "Amanda" that made want to scream "Defend yourself for god's sake!!"
I know that Austen's Anne had bad, stupid sisters with her self-centred father who were really unkind to her but she wasn't that naive to the point of looking kind of dumb! In this book with all what happened to Amanda, the girl would be very in need of mental help. First, her mom is not dead but abandoned her daughter and husband for another man when Amanda was 8 years old and it's okey for her! Second, her step-mom and step-sister are treating her like Cinderella and her father don't give her any importance, she doesn't exist for them but just to criticize. Then, there is her best friend Kylie who persuaded her not to go out with Gregory Wentworth at first because he was nothing & a nobody but after he came back richer and looking better, Kylie decided that he was hers to have and didn't care about Amanda's feelings and that was in addition to the bad way she speaks and behaves towards Amanda.
What is worst is that Amanda is cool with all the bad treatments towards her and even defend these people and wish them good. I was like are you kidding me?! Are you mother Theresa or something?! Even Cinderella got her revenge at the end plus her happy ending.

Anyway, somehow I liked this book because it was something new and easy to read even if the kindness of the heroine made her an easy target to harm for every evil character in the book.

I'm curious to read the other books and I hope P&P would be better.