Regret & Return: A Novel Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion

by Tracie Kluver Bezerra

Andie Elliot is a struggling single mother with a pompous pain of an ex-husband and memories of the love she gave up. Like Anne, the heroine of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, she is living a small and lonely life until a surprising coincidence invites her back out into the world — and into bloom.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

165 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 12, 2017

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Austen's Persuasion is one of my favorite books of all time, so I was intrigued to read this modern re-telling of that classic novel. It was a delight! Author Tracie Kluver Bezerra followed the storylines from the original, but put her own spin on them. In addition, the characters were likeable, the dialog snappy and the writing clear and crisp. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more of Ms Bezerra's work in the future.

[Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read! I thoroughly enjoyed this short novel. It was like staying up late with a friend telling me a story - and very well told at that!

Kudos to Tracie for publishing her work. They say it takes a reader to make a writer, and Tracie is both!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a long-time fan of the 2KnitLitChicks podcast. I am generally not a fan of self-published books, although I've read a few that were very good. When Tracie said she had published a novel I was skeptical but intrigued. First I read the "Look Inside" on Amazon. I enjoyed it enough to buy the Kindle book. Over the next couple of days I read it almost every chance I got, even though I was reading a couple other books. There were minor issues but they didn't distract from the story. The characters were attractive and sympathetic. To my surprised the dialog was very good - something that I think self-published authors rarely get right. All in all this was a fun and good read that I enjoyed very much and that far exceeded my expectations. Well done Tracie!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

Really good book. Strikes just the right balance between being inspired by Jane Austen and telling its own story. Hoping for another novel by one of my favorite podcasters soon.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regret and Return was a fun read. Had not read Persuasion in a long time so watched a couple of DVD via Netflix. Having just watch Persuasion added to the fun of reading the book. The book held my interest throughout. Good job Tracie!

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Tracie Kluver Bezerras debut book and I was really excited to read it. I loved it!
Jane Austen could not do better - wifes, ex-wifes, day-care, urban living, suburben...

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging

I read this in 2 sittings. The characters were engaging. I cared about their story. And the story was very well written.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can be a discriminating reader who sometimes dismisses new authors before even giving them a chance. Bezarra is one of the hosts of a wonderful podcast called, Two Knit Lit Chicks. I have "known" her for years, and have taken to heart her book recommendations that are always given at the end of the podcast. I knew she has been honing her writing skills, and I felt it was time to read a novel by her. Return and Regret turned out to be a wonderful read! I very seldom become so engaged in my reading that I cannot put it down. This was not the case with this book. The plot line was strong and the protagonist, Andie, was a character that many of us can relate. The biggest surprise, though, was Bezarra's dialogue. To
me this is one of the greatest challenges in writing. I appreciated the care and precision and authenticity of her characters' chats with one another. As one who loves Jane Austen's novels, I admit thatI had forgotten the plot line of Persuasion. My lengthy to-read pile of bookjs would not allow me to take a long break to read this novel. I found the movie at our local library and enjoyed an evening becoming reacquainted with Anne and Captain Wentworth. I had completely forgotten how annoying Anne's Family was! I appreciated that Bezarra used this novel as a springboard for her own, but was relieved that she made Regret and Return entirely her own.

[Humbledaisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by the classic Jane Austen novel, Persuasion, this is a tale of small town girl Andie Elliot as she discovers a second wind in her life, complete with new friends, a new love and a new outlook in life.

A single mother who feels as though she is fading into obscurity, despite raising a son she loves and working at a fulfilling job, Andie challenges herself to make small changes in her life, beginning with her neighborhood. Step by step, she takes on new responsibilities, makes new friends and even meets up with a former love. It's a surprising new world for Andie and her changing outlook makes for an sweet, realistic story.

[Stillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story inspired by Persuasion. It was very modern and the characters felt like people who lived down the street but it was so true to all the beats in the original story. I absolutely loved Andie, Marcus and Theo and felt they were fully realized as characters which really gave the story depth.

I knew Tracie was creative after listening to her on her knitting/reading podcast 2 Knit Lit Chicks and I'm so impressed with her writing. Thanks Tracie for publishing this and thanks Jane Austen for writing stories that are meaningful no matter the age.

[Ctrunek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - anticipating where the story would parallel Persuasion was part of the fun. I was interested in the characters - and found the modern counterparts of the concert in Persuasion, the note Frederick wrote to Anne Elliott, etc interesting.

Unfortunately, there were MANY typos and grammatical errors in the Kindle version - from page one through the last chapter- unless it was only my download that was messed up somehow. I reported all to Amazon so that other readers may have a nice read uninterrupted by those mistakes.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this for someone interested in Jane Austen FanLit.

The plot is very similar to Jane Austen's Persuasion, which it's admittedly inspired by. Very modern-day retelling. Fewer characters to keep track of, which can be a good thing.

If you read this book but have not yet read the original, this story should inspire you to get a copy to read. If you've already read the original, perhaps it makes you hungry to read it again.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Jane Austin's Persuasion years ago and wasn't sure how much of the plot line I would remember. It all came back as I tucked into this classic-inspired novel. Soon I stopped making mental comparisons and got involved in the storyline. The characters are well drawn and the pacing is good. I can't wait to read this author's next offering!

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this first novel by Tracie Kluver Bezerra. It is loosely based on Persuasion by Jane Austen, but the author created her own version of this story, setting it in current times and in her home area near Sacramento, CA. It was a slow start for me, but I got engrossed in it and couldn't wait to find out how it ended. I'm looking forward to this author's next novel.

[Jen B · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25*
I quite liked this modern adaptation. Andie's (canon Anne) background, family and past relationship with Theo (canon Wentworth) are different in details from canon, but the story all hangs together well. It held to the spirit of Persuasion while very successfully with this re-framing.
No need to be familiar with JA's version to enjoy this, it stands well on its own.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't stop reading

I'm usually a mystery reader so I was very surprised when I had to finish this in one setting. Well drawn characters and a quick pace had me hooked. Well done

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about this book on Paula Emons-Fuessele's podcast Knitting Pipeline. The author also has a knitting podcast, 2 Knit Lit Chicks. I thought this was very well written and a good adaptation of my favorite Jane Austen novel (Persuasion). Recommended!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, pulled me in and kept me interested to the end. Minor editing issues. Looking forward to more from this author.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story line. Definitely keep me interested as I wanted to find out what happened. I have to confess that I have not read Persuasion so I can't comment on that aspect.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!

OMG! I loved this book so much. Normally love stories make me want to choke the female lead but I love Andie. Tracey when are you writing another one???

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it and couldn't put it down. Fast read but a really good story. Would love to ready more from Tracie.

[Diane Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fun book. I highly recommend it. Whether or not you are a Jane Austen fan, you will enjoy this book! But if you are familiar with Persuasion, it's fun to find the similarities.

[Gayleywayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and light

This was an easy, quick, fun book to read. Perfect for summer reading by the pool or at the beach.