Found this book in my latest Bas Bleu catalog:
An Accomplished Woman, Jude Morgan
Lydia Templeton is a rare woman who eschews convention and declares herself content, even joyful in her unmarried state. After all, she is an accomplished Regency woman approaching 30 who values knowledge and accomplishment. There is no man she wishes to attach herself to after declining her neighbor, the extremely eligible Mr. Durrant, who remains a good friend to her father. Her complacent life is thrown into an uproar when her beloved godmother asks her to accompany her ward, Phoebe Rae, to Bath in pursuit of a marriage match. While in Bath, Lydia forms strong opinions regarding Phoebe’s suitors. Mr. Durrant, who has come to Bath in pursuit of his own marriage, disagrees, and to Lydia’s surprise, nothing goes according to plan. Morgan captures the tone, style, and content of a Jane Austen novel while introducing her own delightful characters, which are sure to please Austenophiles.
Review: I picked this book up without much hope, having loathed every other Jane-imitator I've tried, but wow. Jude Morgan has not merely written a passable JA imitation, she has written a book that charms in its own right; it rings with wit, while also providing a story line that Regency fans will enjoy. Some of the characters are strongly reminiscent of JA; I recognized Mrs. Eldon and Lady Catherine DeBourgh, as amusing as ever. The heroine has some of the characteristics of both Elizabeth Bennet and Emma Woodhouse, but she is very much distinct from them, no mere faded copy. I highly recommend this to anybody who wants a good Austen-like (as opposed to Austen-rip-off) read.
