Sweet, Austen-inspired treats, perfect with a cup of tea. Full of hope and ripe with possibility, beginnings and new beginnings refresh the spirit with optimism and anticipation. Four Days in April. Two letters. Four Days. Everything changes. After offering a most disastrous proposal of marriage and receiving a rebuke he will never forget, Fitzwilliam Darcy writes Elizabeth Bennet an equally memorable letter. What if she answers it with one of her own? Last Dance To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love. Mary was not. Nor was she fond of dresses or balls or parties, or any of the things most girls her age adored. With three sisters married, Aunt Philips insists she must be next. But is dancing essential to falling in love? Not Romantic Once burned is twice shy. Charlotte has no place for romantic notions or sentimentality. All she asks is a comfortable home and a man who is respectable and steady. But the only man she knows who fits that description pines for her best friend. Must she betray her friendship to pursue everything she has ever hoped for Sweet Ginger Harriet Smith has abandoned all hope of a home and family of her own and plans a future teaching for Mrs. Goddard. Things change with the arrival Rachel and Margaret Martin whose grumpy old bear of a brother might just have a taste for ginger. From the award winning author of Given Good Principles, Remember the Past and Mistaking Her Character, Sweet Tea short stories offer the perfect bite to transport readers back to the Regency era for the first days of new love.
Six time BRAG Medallion Honoree, #1 Best-selling Historical Fantasy author Maria Grace has her PhD in Educational Psychology and is a 16-year veteran of the university classroom where she taught courses in human growth and development, learning, test development and counseling. None of which have anything to do with her undergraduate studies in economics/sociology/managerial studies/behavior sciences. She pretends to be a mild-mannered writer/cat-lady, but most of her vacations require helmets and waivers or historical costumes, usually not at the same time.
She stumbled into Jane Austen fan-dom in the mid '90s with Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility film, having somehow graduated HS without ever having read Austen. It was only a short leap then to consume all of Austen's works, in all their various media forms. In the hopes of discovering more works by Austen, she stumbled into the fan fiction forums, which naturally led to asking 'What if...' herself. Twenty nine books later, she still asks that question.
She writes gaslamp fantasy, historical romance and non-fiction to help justify her research addiction.
I posted a review of Four Days in April when it was released separately so I won’t repeat the review. It can be found elsewhere.
Last Dance from 16% to 39% takes us to Mary Bennet’s thoughts, hopes and fears about Aunt Philip (with whom she is staying while Mama and Kitty are visiting one of the married sisters) maneuverings. Mary is poked and prodded not only for fittings of hand-me-down dresses but to also join in the gossiping groups of other young ladies, to join in the dances, to put herself forward and to get there before Maria Lucas, Mary King and others of Meryton Society. Uncle Philip has hired a new clerk, a Mr. Parris, who, in turn has enticed his cousin, Mr. Lacey, to buy and settle on nearby property and become a landed gentleman. Mary does have an edge here, in that as Mr. Philip’s clerk Mr. Parris and his cousin are invited to dinner a.s.a.p. and they become better acquainted. We observe as Mary receives notice and even as a dance is reserved for an upcoming ball. But we also watch as the one gentleman has a disfigurement and thus takes his place, a place Mary usually occupies, as a Wallflower. How do we judge a man’s worth?
Not Romantic from 39% to 68% is Charlotte’s story as you might have already realized from the title echoing her words to Elizabeth in P&P. But here we learn a very big reason as to just why she feels this way and, I, for one, can certainly understand where she is coming from, considering that history, her age and the era in which she lived. Charlotte is being a realist, BUT she also is wise enough when she sees an opportunity for, if not that a marriage only for love which Elizabeth Bennet wants, then, a way to have a home of her own and to be independent of her family. While her settling for this future may not be a GRAND romance we may breathe out a sigh of relief for how things finalized for Miss Lucas. In this vignette we read of Charlotte’s perverse internal thoughts on manipulating the vicar to more pleasing actions and then her condemnation of her “best” friend for not performing that service herself…How can Eliza be so neglectful as to not use her powers for the greater good?
In Sweet Ginger we read of Harriet Smith from Jane Austen’s Emma. This goes back to when Harriet is brought to Mrs. Goddard’s school and comes to know that Mrs. Goddard has a taste for ginger candies. Harriet is another type of ginger. We read as she has developed certain skills in anticipation of becoming a teacher (with no prospects) in the school. (This reminded me of Jane Eyre’s transition from student to teacher.) But we who know the JA’s story look for and find satisfaction when Margaret and Rachel….Martin are introduced as new students. As Harriet is the first to offer a kindness to them we are dismayed to then read of Belinda’s maneuverings. But do not despair, you know the story. And Maria Grace gives us a little epilogue, oh, so touching. And do you wonder if Robert is encouraging his wife to be best friends with Mrs. Knightley?
This book is nicely wrapped up with several short, sweet little reads of beginnings…and an ending.
I've already enjoyed other stories from this author so I was excited to see that she put together a nice short story collection that included a few characters who don't usually get the limelight.
In Four Days in April, the author explores what would have happened if Darcy didn't immediately quit Rosings after delivering his letter and if Lizzy had boldly decided to write him in return.
In Last Dance, Mary Bennet comes into her own and learns to be true to herself with the unwanted help of Aunt Phillips. And what a lovely surprise this brings.
Not Romantic makes Charlotte Lucas the heroine giving her a backstory and personality that I found engaging. And don't hit me, but I like Mr. Collins a little in this one. He had a little puppy dog cute going on alongside his moments of boorishness.
Sweet Ginger was adorable. I loved that Harriet Smith from Emma got her own story. She was a sweetie and I liked the innocent and gentle courtship with Robert Martin.
All in all, this was a bevy of adorable stories that left a smile on my face and warmed the heart. The attention to historical detail and development of character was well done and made these shorter stories have a good degree of depth. Austenesque lovers really need to read these.
I always enjoy these little books with a compilation of several stories Such a good way to attract new readers and reward regular readers by offering older stories at a bargain price!
I posted reviews of these stories separately on my blog:
Four Days in April
This Pride and Prejudice-inspired short story opens after Darcy’s failed proposal and imagines what might have happened had Elizabeth responded to his letter by writing him one. I love Grace’s writing, so I wasn’t surprised that I enjoyed it. I loved their conversation in Lady Catherine’s drawing room, where they said so much without saying much at all. It lives up to the promise that one can read it while enjoying a cup of tea, and while I was satisfied with the ending, I wouldn’t have minded it being longer.
Sweet Ginger
Inspired by Emma, this is the story of Harriet Smith, how she ended up at Mrs. Goddard’s school, and how she met Robert Martin and his sisters. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the Martins’ home life and especially how Harriet — so in need of a loving family — immediately fit right in. Grace shows readers how truly wrong Emma was in persuading Harriet to turn down Mr. Martin’s proposal. I was glad to see Harriet take center stage.
I really enjoyed the other two stories in this collection. Last Dance focuses on Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice as she is staying with her aunt Phillips in Meryton while the rest of the Bennets are in London. With three sisters married, Mary is floundering as her aunt tries to make her be someone she is not in order to attract a husband. I really enjoyed seeing Mary come into her own under the watchful eyes of two very different men.
Not Romantic centers on Charlotte Lucas from Pride and Prejudice and shows how a broken heart turned her into someone who could be content as the wife of Mr. Collins. I enjoyed how Maria Grace made Charlotte such a sympathetic character as you see her disappointed in love, understanding Mr. Collins, and watching him fawn over and be rejected by Elizabeth. I could almost believe that she found her happily ever after.
Four Days in April I love the twist in this novella. Darcy does not leave Kent after giving Elizabeth the letter, but encounters her at a dinner his Aunt gives that evening. I love the premise and Maria does a wonderful job with the encounter at the dinner. She leaves me wanting more of this story, but that is the problem with short stories, they very often. leave you wanting more.
Last Dance I am not a fan of the prim Mary Bennet, but Maria made her come alive. Her aunt, Mrs Phillips is pushing her to put herself forward just as her mother has. It was interesting getting into Mary's head and getting into her thoughts and feelings about the two men that she is in company with; The outgoing, popular,new small estate owner, Mr. Lacey or his quiet cousin, an apprentice to her Uncle Mr. Phillips, Mr. Parris. I really enjoyed getting to know Mary better this sweet short story.
Not Romantic Maria has done another wonderful job with a character I simply find ludicrous, Mr. Collins. It begins with Charlotte remembering an amiable man from her youth and her mother trying to match her with Mr. Bingley. I enjoyed how Maria filled in the missing parts of Pride and Prejudice that show what attracted Mr. Collins to Charlotte. I actually felt a little sorry for him, which I thought was an impossibility. Maria makes Mr. Collins seem human.
Sweet Ginger I very much enjoyed reading this story about the lesser known character of Harriet from Jane Austen's Emma. The story begins with Harriet being brought to Mrs. Goddard's school to be brought up and continues to where Mrs. Goddard sends her to dinner with one of the local families in Highbury whose 2 daughters also attend the school. Harriet figures she will remain at the school as a teacher.
Harriet's character is beautifully developed as a sweet, gentle, caring young lady. The kind of person I would hope my son would find to marry when he is ready.
This book was presented to me as a gift from the author.
I loved this collection of short tales. 3 are from P&P and one is from Emma.
Four Days in April. Features Lizzy & Darcy at Rosings. What if Lizzy replied to Darcy's letter following the disastrous proposal and then they spoke.
Last Dance features Mary Bennet in the time following her sisters marriages being forced to socialize in order to marry. Mary has to decide if she wants to pretend to be more like Lizzy or stay true to herself and marry for love.
Not Romantic features Charlotte Collins and delves into her reasons for marrying Mr. Collins. She finds him much less ridiculous than the Bennet girls opinions. We also learn of Charlotte's earlier heartbreak
Sweet Ginger is the Story of how Harriet Smith meets Mr. Martin and charms him and his family.
A compilation of short stories that delve into 1) what would happen if Elizabeth responded to Darcy's letter with one of her own 2) how does Mary end up married to her uncles clerk 3) how did Charlotte reconcile herself to a marriage without love and how Collins could have proposed to Charlotte so soon after being rejected by Elizabeth and lastly 4) how does Harriet Smith from Emma meet her future husband. #1 was a different take in pride and prejudice while the other stories could fit in with the originals.
These are cute, fun short stories about Lizzie & Mary Bennett, Charlotte Lucas and Harriet Smith. If you ever wondered how Charlotte ended up with Mr. Collins (what was she thinking?) then check out "Not Romantic" where Maria Grace offers a plausible story to fill in the gaps.
Four short tales, only the last one about Harriet Smith from "Emma" having any closure. Four Days In April is about the disastrous proposal at Hunsford parsonage, and a short period of time immediately following that brought some understanding to both Elizabeth and Darcy. The Last Dance is about Mary Bennett as the last daughter left unmarried, and Aunt Phillips' efforts to match her. Not Romantic is about Charlotte Lucas and her struggles with being considered a spinster. Sweet Ginger is about Harriet Smith from Emma, and her backstory.
I guess I was expecting sweet and romantic tales. Instead, each little story is quite angst filled, and the author seems determined to make us realize the very great hardships that these characters had in each of their individual circumstances. None of these stories are light and fluffy. I was particularly surprised by the Charlotte Lucas tale. Charlotte has always been portrayed as the loyal supporter of Elizabeth and Jane, and a source of cheer and sense for everyone. In this "slice of life" tale, she's quite bitter, world weary, cynical, and harbors very acrimonious attitudes about Elizabeth, Mrs Bennett, and many others who don't realize just how good they've got it.
It's always a pleasure to read a book that's well written and well edited. Maria Grace is certainly reliable in that respect. I recommend this collection of short stories, but be prepared for the rather sad and difficult backstories here. If you're looking for light and cheerful, this isn't it.
These are well written short stories that are new to me. They mainly deal with Pride and Prejudice characters except for the last which is from EMMA. While I enjoyed them, uncomfortable feelings arose during one of Mary and the one of Charlotte. Both women being overly pressured to find any man who needs a wife. It matters little if they suit ...The only requirements are he is single and still breathing! It was painful to hear Mrs Phillips and Lady Lucas denigrate these women who aren't as beautiful as Jane or as outgoing as Elizabeth. The constant wars in both the Colonies and with Napoleon had a devastating impact on the number of eligible men in England these it shows in the lack of eligible men who aren't in the TON.
This reader came here only for Four Days In April, the variation as to what happened between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet at Rosings Park after Mr. Darcy’s failed proposal. It is a well-written account of what would have happened if Elizabeth replied to Mr. Darcy’s letter and Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam did not leave Kent right after. It made this reader wanting for more. As for the other stories, this type of reader is not inclined to read variations when they do not concentrate on Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. So the three others were skipped.
They were 3-4 stories total. Or should I say, partial stories, as they all felt as if they ended in cliffhangers. The last one wasn't even about the Pride and Prejudice characters. The one focusing on Charlotte and Mr. Collins is my least liked one. The author made Charlotte a whiny, disingenuous person with hateful thoughts towards the Bennetts, esp Lizzy. The one that wasn't about Pride and Prejudice was the best of them, to be honest. Though still a bit confusing because it doesn't explain how the couple had been kept apart. It was more like a spoiler of sorts. It was free won't, only wasted my time not money. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
Delightful short stories that tease and will leave you wanting to hear more. Especially enjoyed Mary's story and the intriguing Mr. Parrish. Also quite clever is the 'what if' version of the Hunsford proposal. As I am making it a habit, I will add-- overall well-edited and proofread. Minor misses that don't get in the way.
I enjoyed them all and found them delightful. I liked the story about Mary Bennett who is one of my favorites. 3rd and 4th stories are great. Maria Grace is a great storyteller.
This is a hard one to review since it's four different stories. I really liked the first two but the the third and fourth not so much. They are all worth reading and I found some parts humorous and they were well written.