Promises & Perceptions

by Rachel Elizabeth Cole

For Isabella Dearborne it's the first ball of the season and she is eager to dance with handsome Mr. Harrison--if only he'll ask her. But when her elder sister, Amelia, rudely spurns her suitor, Mr. Croswell, Isabella dutifully steps in and takes her place. Soon, Isabella begins to see that neither gentleman is quite what she imagined at the beginning of the evening.

Promises & Perceptions is a short story of 4200 words or about 15 pages in the inimitable style of Miss Jane Austen.

15 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2014

About the author

Rachel Elizabeth Cole loves bunnies, tea, autumn, and working in her pyjamas. She lives just outside Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband, their two sons, and two very spoiled house rabbits.

Along with children's books, she also writes literary women's fiction and chicklit. Her short stories have appeared in literary magazines both online and in print.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short, sweet little love story. It is not historically accurate, and at less than twenty pages, there is no room for character development or an elaborate plot. I feel like it would be a nice basis for a longer novel.

I enjoyed it for the half hour it took to read it, but I'm not sure that I would recommend it to someone to purchase, given its length.

A free copy of this book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Tabby Shiflett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Jane Austen period romance in less than twenty pages. It's lighthearted, sweet, and comical; but with the short length, you don't get the development of story and characters that most readers want. However, this story would be interesting in a serial magazine or as the beginning of a romance. It's got potential but it's just not long enough.

LT Member Giveaway

[Cathy Geha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gifted to me through LibraryThing this Regency Romance short story was in keeping with the period, deals with the idea of finding a husband for three sisters and the fact that sometimes who we think we want might not be the one we really want. A quick read for anyone that wants to read a short quick simple story.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually finished this a couple of days ago. I was given this on LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. I didn't find it all that much like Jane Austen but found it to be a cute short story. It i an easy and fast read. There was not enough space to develop the characters or plot more though. I would love to see this expanded in a full novel. It definitely has potential.

[Chevoque Chevoque · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is beautiful and I quite enjoyed it. It is very short, but it still tells a lovely tale, I actually would've liked more of.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute Regency short story. A bit of fun. Reminds me of Jane Austen's juvenilia.