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Jane Austen #5
Amanda
"Amanda, "Book #5 in Debra White Smith's Austen Series, is a delightful contemporary novel set in Australia that captures the wit and humor of Jane Austen's "Emma."
Amanda is a bit bored--until she meets Haley and decides that with a little sprucing up, she would be the perfect wife for the local pastor. Amanda's plan is falling into place when she discovers that Haley is dating Roger...and Pastor Eldridge is seeing someone else. Not to be thwarted, she steers Haley toward newcomer Frederick West. But when Haley is attracted to Nathaniel, why is Amanda's heart suddenly anxious?
Readers will love this lively tale of plans gone awry, affection in unexpected places, and the power of faith and love.
Amanda is a bit bored--until she meets Haley and decides that with a little sprucing up, she would be the perfect wife for the local pastor. Amanda's plan is falling into place when she discovers that Haley is dating Roger...and Pastor Eldridge is seeing someone else. Not to be thwarted, she steers Haley toward newcomer Frederick West. But when Haley is attracted to Nathaniel, why is Amanda's heart suddenly anxious?
Readers will love this lively tale of plans gone awry, affection in unexpected places, and the power of faith and love.
324 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
42 people are currently reading
487 people want to read
About the author
Debra White Smith
67 books106 followersDebra White Smith is a seasoned Christian author, speaker, and media personality who has been regularly publishing books for over a decade. In the last twelve years, she has accumulated more than 55 books sales to her credit with more than 1 million books in print. Her titles include such life-changing books as Romancing Your Husband, Romancing Your Wife, The Divine Romance: Developing Intimacy with God, the The Lonestar Intrigue fiction series, and The Jane Austen fiction series.
As a woman of God, Debra is committed to the highest standards of integrity and to spending hours a week being still before the Father, staying in tune with Him, and listening for His voice of direction in all she does. This commitment to romancing the Lord, coupled with her lifestyle of devouring, analyzing, and dissecting the Word of God has allowed God to bring about a miracle of deliverance and healing in Debra's spirit, mind, and soul. Debra holds a double Ph.D. from the toughest schools in the world. The first Ph.D. from the "School of Hard Knocks" and the second, from the "School of Very Hard Knocks." Aside from that, she holds an M.A. in English from the University of Texas.
Along with Debra's being voted a fiction-reader favorite several times, her book Romancing Your Husband was a finalist in the 2003 Gold Medallion Awards. And her Austen Series novel First Impressions was a finalist in the 2005 Retailer's Choice Awards. Debra has been a popular media guest across the nation, including Fox TV, The 700 Club, ABC Radio, USA Radio Network, and Moody Broadcasting. Her favorite hobbies include fishing, bargain-hunting, and swimming with her family. Debra also vows she would walk 50 miles for a scoop of German chocolate ice cream.
As a woman of God, Debra is committed to the highest standards of integrity and to spending hours a week being still before the Father, staying in tune with Him, and listening for His voice of direction in all she does. This commitment to romancing the Lord, coupled with her lifestyle of devouring, analyzing, and dissecting the Word of God has allowed God to bring about a miracle of deliverance and healing in Debra's spirit, mind, and soul. Debra holds a double Ph.D. from the toughest schools in the world. The first Ph.D. from the "School of Hard Knocks" and the second, from the "School of Very Hard Knocks." Aside from that, she holds an M.A. in English from the University of Texas.
Along with Debra's being voted a fiction-reader favorite several times, her book Romancing Your Husband was a finalist in the 2003 Gold Medallion Awards. And her Austen Series novel First Impressions was a finalist in the 2005 Retailer's Choice Awards. Debra has been a popular media guest across the nation, including Fox TV, The 700 Club, ABC Radio, USA Radio Network, and Moody Broadcasting. Her favorite hobbies include fishing, bargain-hunting, and swimming with her family. Debra also vows she would walk 50 miles for a scoop of German chocolate ice cream.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 15, 2021
I really liked this modern retelling of Emma. The author hit all of the major plot points nicely, in a believable way. I think Emma translates well in modern adaptations. This is the second modern retelling that I’ve read and enjoyed.
January 1, 2018
Amanda is the contemporary retelling of Jane Austen's Emma and is one of Debra White Smith's Austen series. This series can be read out of order since each is based on a different Austen book.
It's been a lot of years since I read Emma, but Smith's retelling did bring it back. Although it did not go completely by the book, this modern spin on a classic tale was very enjoyable. Set in Australia, this definitely gave a modern spin to the retelling.
Amanda is busy running one of the chain of travel agencies owned by her father. But she definitely has time for her friends and most importantly matchmaking of which she tends to make a mess. She often drove me crazy as she tried to stick her nose in everyone else's business along with trying to control their lives while ignoring what's right in front of her.. Meanwhile her best friend Nate, who has been a friend since childhood, is struggling with his own romance problems. I thought Nate was a great hero and very patient with Amanda.
I did think that Smith showed a bit of an obsession with her characters always focusing on the physical looks of other people rather than the type of person they were. Otherwise a good read.
It's been a lot of years since I read Emma, but Smith's retelling did bring it back. Although it did not go completely by the book, this modern spin on a classic tale was very enjoyable. Set in Australia, this definitely gave a modern spin to the retelling.
Amanda is busy running one of the chain of travel agencies owned by her father. But she definitely has time for her friends and most importantly matchmaking of which she tends to make a mess. She often drove me crazy as she tried to stick her nose in everyone else's business along with trying to control their lives while ignoring what's right in front of her.. Meanwhile her best friend Nate, who has been a friend since childhood, is struggling with his own romance problems. I thought Nate was a great hero and very patient with Amanda.
I did think that Smith showed a bit of an obsession with her characters always focusing on the physical looks of other people rather than the type of person they were. Otherwise a good read.
January 9, 2021
I loved the book "Amanda"! It is a contemporary version of the classic Austen novel "Emma." It follows the plotline quite closely, yet adds some details that make it unique to the author. The book is focused on the main character Amanda, who is adamant about her perfect match-making skills, yet can't seem to realize the romantic match that is placed right in front of her. It follows her along with making matches, both with other people and with herself. I gave this a 4.5-star rating, as it was both entertaining and the author gave characters strong yet witty personalities. I would recommend this to anyone that is interested in short romantic novels, or anyone that wants to understand Jane Austen's classic story before reading the original novel. This book was a fun and uplifting read, enjoyable for anyone that is interested in romantic novels!
July 4, 2021
This is a modern day re-telling of the novel Emma by Jane Austen. Really liked some unusual twists and turns by this author. Like her whole Austen series. Own all but Possibilities. Getting soon.
November 29, 2008
If I hadn't been told that this was a 'modern retelling of Emma,' I would never have noticed a resemblance. It's a very tenuous connection. The movie "Clueless" stuck closer to the story as Jane Austen told it.
The reason I like Jane Austen's "Emma" is because Emma is so sure she knows what love is (for other people, mind you), that she doesn't recognize it until it hits her (and Mr. Knightly) hard at the end. I also love that her friendship with and scoldings from Mr. Knightly help her grow into someone worthy of that fine gentleman's love. In Amanda, Nate (Knightly) realizes that he loves Amanda from the start of the book and is frankly a wuss in how he handles it. Amanda is also interested in Nate from the start (though she tries to deny it) instead of realizing it only at the end. Also, Amanda doesn't grow up a lick in this book.
However, if you take this book on it's own and don't compare it to Emma, I'd say it's a very funny story and better than many Christian romance stories out there. I do find it silly that Amanda and Nate, these life-long friends, don't say, 'gee, I love him/her for their fine character qualities' more than once but obsess about their physical attraction throughout the book. I can understand focusing so much on the physical looks if you just met the person but isn't that a bit odd for life-long friends?
The reason I like Jane Austen's "Emma" is because Emma is so sure she knows what love is (for other people, mind you), that she doesn't recognize it until it hits her (and Mr. Knightly) hard at the end. I also love that her friendship with and scoldings from Mr. Knightly help her grow into someone worthy of that fine gentleman's love. In Amanda, Nate (Knightly) realizes that he loves Amanda from the start of the book and is frankly a wuss in how he handles it. Amanda is also interested in Nate from the start (though she tries to deny it) instead of realizing it only at the end. Also, Amanda doesn't grow up a lick in this book.
However, if you take this book on it's own and don't compare it to Emma, I'd say it's a very funny story and better than many Christian romance stories out there. I do find it silly that Amanda and Nate, these life-long friends, don't say, 'gee, I love him/her for their fine character qualities' more than once but obsess about their physical attraction throughout the book. I can understand focusing so much on the physical looks if you just met the person but isn't that a bit odd for life-long friends?
September 1, 2018
Une version contemporaine d'Emma qui est légèrement différente de l'original tout en conservant les grandes lignes. Dans cette version, Amanda est beaucoup plus sympathique qu'Emma. Par exemple, elle est plus chaleureuse et généreuse, dans cette version l'épisode Miss Bates n'existe pas, sans doute parce que la religion est encore assez présente sans être aussi envahissante que dans First Impressions
J'aime beaucoup la manière dont la relation entre Nate et Amanda est décrite et j'apprécie le fait que le père d'Amanda soit nettement moins pénible et tatillon que celui d'Emma (même si du coup, je ne m'y retrouve pas dans le personnage qui perd de sa saveur). J'aime beaucoup la relation entre Hayley et Roger aussi et je trouve que le tout est bien amené. Les sentiments d'Amanda pour Janet French sont également crédibles et l'histoire se lit avec plaisir
Ce que j'aime : la relation entre Amanda et Nate très réussie
Ce que j'aime moins : le fond toujours religieux de l'auteure. Les personnages qui sont tous édulcorés pour correspondre aux valeurs catholiques et qui du coup manquent de saveur
En bref : Une version sympathique d'Emma qui brille par la qualité de la relation entre Nate et Amanda mais qui édulcore parfois trop l'original
Ma note
7/10
J'aime beaucoup la manière dont la relation entre Nate et Amanda est décrite et j'apprécie le fait que le père d'Amanda soit nettement moins pénible et tatillon que celui d'Emma (même si du coup, je ne m'y retrouve pas dans le personnage qui perd de sa saveur). J'aime beaucoup la relation entre Hayley et Roger aussi et je trouve que le tout est bien amené. Les sentiments d'Amanda pour Janet French sont également crédibles et l'histoire se lit avec plaisir
Ce que j'aime : la relation entre Amanda et Nate très réussie
Ce que j'aime moins : le fond toujours religieux de l'auteure. Les personnages qui sont tous édulcorés pour correspondre aux valeurs catholiques et qui du coup manquent de saveur
En bref : Une version sympathique d'Emma qui brille par la qualité de la relation entre Nate et Amanda mais qui édulcore parfois trop l'original
Ma note
7/10
June 2, 2022
Skip This One ... She's Written Better Books
I really wanted to like this book ... read until Chapter 21 & then finally gave up. I read this author's "Possibilities" (Persuasion retelling) and loved it, but the characters & the storyline in "Amanda" (Emma) just never clicked with me. To be honest, I found myself getting bored. There were pages & pages of dialogue, etc. but not much action moving the story forward. And the Amanda character was particularly unlikable... selfish, self-centered, shallow, arrogant, narcissistic, etc. etc. and we're supposed to believe she is a Christian who goes to church regularly? And there wasn't anything quirky, funny, or endearing about her nor does she grow as a character. We only see her bad side, flaws & faults. Neither was there a character that she interacted with alot that balanced her out in some way. It is very difficult to have a really unlikable main character in a book & keep the book balanced were there are more of the fun likable elements to it than the unlikable elements (which makes it hard to read & connect to). I'm sorry but this book doesn't work well & I don't recommend it.
I really wanted to like this book ... read until Chapter 21 & then finally gave up. I read this author's "Possibilities" (Persuasion retelling) and loved it, but the characters & the storyline in "Amanda" (Emma) just never clicked with me. To be honest, I found myself getting bored. There were pages & pages of dialogue, etc. but not much action moving the story forward. And the Amanda character was particularly unlikable... selfish, self-centered, shallow, arrogant, narcissistic, etc. etc. and we're supposed to believe she is a Christian who goes to church regularly? And there wasn't anything quirky, funny, or endearing about her nor does she grow as a character. We only see her bad side, flaws & faults. Neither was there a character that she interacted with alot that balanced her out in some way. It is very difficult to have a really unlikable main character in a book & keep the book balanced were there are more of the fun likable elements to it than the unlikable elements (which makes it hard to read & connect to). I'm sorry but this book doesn't work well & I don't recommend it.
June 15, 2020
I think this would be a great read for the casual Austen fan or someone who enjoyed the average puff Christian romance. While the plot is based on Emma and follows it closely in a contemporary way, the characters and language lack Austen’s depth. Several parts at the end had me rolling my eyes. Even though I’m all about authentically incorporating faith based language in novels, the faith portrayed here felt unrelatable and perhaps superficial to me.
To be fair, I could discern that the book and I weren’t a perfect match from the first page, but I needed a casual read while I waited for other library holds to become available... and I did finish it quickly as opposed to abandoning it. So I’m not completely discounting its value and I really would recommend it to the right reader.
To be fair, I could discern that the book and I weren’t a perfect match from the first page, but I needed a casual read while I waited for other library holds to become available... and I did finish it quickly as opposed to abandoning it. So I’m not completely discounting its value and I really would recommend it to the right reader.
March 2, 2021
Eh. This book is... cute. That's about it. I didn't find the writing all that exceptional, the characters didn't have much depth to them, and I didn't feel that the Emma inspired plot worked well in this particular modern Australian setting. Some of the dialog felt immature. There's also a slight religious nod thrown in. That in itself doesn't bother me but it felt like an afterthought and didn't add anything to the story so it was just weird.
If you are a die hard Austen fan and love retellings, this is definitely cute and possibly worth your time, just don't be expected to feel blown away. It's a good book to read if you just need something light to pass the time and can't dedicate much brain power to reading complicated stories.
If you are a die hard Austen fan and love retellings, this is definitely cute and possibly worth your time, just don't be expected to feel blown away. It's a good book to read if you just need something light to pass the time and can't dedicate much brain power to reading complicated stories.
March 25, 2025
I read this series as a teenager, and very much enjoyed them. I decided to read this one again as an adult, thinking I would read the full series again.
But I am so frustrated with this book, I will not continue this experiment. Not only is the usage of "g'day" really annoying (like, this is seriously the only pronunciation of any word that tells us we are in Australia), but I have two other gripes with this book.
Firstly, for a book that claims to have Christian values, we sure have a few characters saying they will die if they are rejected, or they can't live in a world without this other person.
Lastly, Franklyn's casual suicide reference to 'slit his wrists' was extremely tasteless. Left a very bad taste in my mouth.
But I am so frustrated with this book, I will not continue this experiment. Not only is the usage of "g'day" really annoying (like, this is seriously the only pronunciation of any word that tells us we are in Australia), but I have two other gripes with this book.
Firstly, for a book that claims to have Christian values, we sure have a few characters saying they will die if they are rejected, or they can't live in a world without this other person.
Lastly, Franklyn's casual suicide reference to 'slit his wrists' was extremely tasteless. Left a very bad taste in my mouth.
June 8, 2024
Both as a twist on Jane Austen’s “Emma,” and as a story in itself, I found this book lacking. The Mr. Knightly character does not measure up at all to Austen’s wonderful hero. And even without that comparison, I found his anger, avoidance and treatment of Amanda disappointing for a “hero.” Amanda’s character wasn’t always likable either. I did enjoy the setting of Tasmania, though it seemed an odd choice for an Austen-inspired story. I think my favorite was Harriet’s modern counterpart. She struggled, learned and grew, while remaining likable.
October 23, 2020
I really enjoyed this modern, faith-filled take on Emma. I couldn’t quite keep up with which characters were inspired by which of the original ones, but it was an entertaining read when I stopped trying to force too many connections between the books. I liked the main character’s transformation and growth.
March 27, 2021
Will she ever learn?
You know the ever meddling type who thinks she knows better than all the rest. Amanda is a character with this belief. You see her caring and compassion and also her judging and plotting. Hopefully she will learn what love is and the benefits of hands off other people's choices.
You know the ever meddling type who thinks she knows better than all the rest. Amanda is a character with this belief. You see her caring and compassion and also her judging and plotting. Hopefully she will learn what love is and the benefits of hands off other people's choices.
December 9, 2023
This book took me so long to finish because I just could not get into it. It really has no plot and Amanda annoys me so much! The ending didn’t invoke any emotion. It would be a 1 star but i did really like Haley, Roger, and Nate. I would not recommend this book but I can see how some people would really like it.
January 18, 2019
I did really enjoy this. It was a really well done retelling. One thing that bugged me - Australians do not end conversations with g'day.
January 25, 2019
Cute and clean
Her writing isn't Jane Austen's, but I enjoyed the book. Appreciated that it was totally clean. A good read while feeling under the weather.
Her writing isn't Jane Austen's, but I enjoyed the book. Appreciated that it was totally clean. A good read while feeling under the weather.
March 14, 2019
This was a cute and clean retelling of Emma
February 5, 2022
Amanda by Debra White Smith – Emma and her matchmaking mania sweeps into modern Australia! Happy Reading!
August 20, 2022
This is a fun modern retelling of Emma. All of the characters were likeable and true to the originals. I’d recommend it.
Emma is the queen
Of matchmaking until she
Makes a match herself.
Emma is the queen
Of matchmaking until she
Makes a match herself.
Read
June 4, 2023Dnf only bc I already know the story
I thought it would be a bit diff
I thought it would be a bit diff
July 2, 2023
Good read, but the story starts too quickly with Nate’s feelings towards Amanda and then the whole rest of the book has you waiting on Amanda to return his feelings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2023
A Little bit too drawn out for me. More action needed.
April 2, 2024
Hokey, but I love a happy ending
August 24, 2024
I LOVE RODGER AND HALEY
September 28, 2025
Read this one on a sick day. It was fluffy, which is what I wanted. I didn't realize it was meant to be Christian fiction at first, and those elements seemed clunky. I enjoyed it for what it was.
July 12, 2023
1.5⭐️ Amanda is stupid.
December 13, 2023
It’s now 2 stars because I just kept thinking about all the things that I didn’t like about this book. I still love Haley and Rodger though
May 2, 2007
Based on Emma from Jane Austen:
Amanda is a bit bored—until she meets Haley and decides that with a little sprucing up, she would be the perfect wife for the local pastor. Amanda’s plan is falling into place when she discovers that Haley is dating Roger...and Pastor Eldridge is seeing someone else. Not to be thwarted, she steers Haley toward newcomer Frederick West. But when Haley is attracted to Nathaniel, why is Amanda’s heart suddenly anxious?
Readers will love this lively tale of plans gone awry, affection in unexpected places, and the power of faith and love.
Amanda is a bit bored—until she meets Haley and decides that with a little sprucing up, she would be the perfect wife for the local pastor. Amanda’s plan is falling into place when she discovers that Haley is dating Roger...and Pastor Eldridge is seeing someone else. Not to be thwarted, she steers Haley toward newcomer Frederick West. But when Haley is attracted to Nathaniel, why is Amanda’s heart suddenly anxious?
Readers will love this lively tale of plans gone awry, affection in unexpected places, and the power of faith and love.
August 7, 2010
Yes, Ms. Smith's writing quality is average. It cannot come close to comparing to the quality of Jane Austen's writing. But let's face it: whose can? Nobody's, in my humble opinion.
The thing that saved this book for me personally is simply that I am a sucker for a love story, and I really appreciate that it is clean. This book is like popcorn. It's not going to satisfy a hunger for good literature, but it's kinda fun for a diversion. I liked it enough to give her other "Austen" books a try, but this one is not worth a re-read.
The thing that saved this book for me personally is simply that I am a sucker for a love story, and I really appreciate that it is clean. This book is like popcorn. It's not going to satisfy a hunger for good literature, but it's kinda fun for a diversion. I liked it enough to give her other "Austen" books a try, but this one is not worth a re-read.
July 2, 2008
Another great one by Smith. Didn't like this one as much as her others in the Austen series but that's only because the plot was so well known to me. The whole time I was reading it, I was picturing the movies "Emma" and "Clueless" as they are also both based on Austen's Emma. I guess the reason I like the others in the series is b/c I am not familiar w/ the books by Austen that they are based upon (shame on me, I know).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews