Regina Jeffers

In this Pride and Prejudice variation can Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy prevent the arranged marriage instigated by Sir Wesley Belwood between his nephew Colonel Fitzwilliam and his granddaughter Jane Belwood previously known as Bennet. A daughter from Mrs Bennet's first marriage. Do either Jane and the Colonel want the marriage or are there other options.
An entertaining and well-written story which thankfully other Bennet daughters stories were also told not just Elizabeth's. Though I would have prefered more time spent with Mary… (mehr)

review of
Regina Jeffers's Captain Wentworth's Persuasion
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - June 19-28, 2021

For the full review, go here: https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/1350340?chapter=1

"JANE AUSTEN'S Classic Retold Through His Eyes", the cover tells us. I only have 3 Austen novels in my personal library: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, & Emma so I reckon those are the 3 I read oh-so-long ago, say 49 yrs ago, when I 'discovered' Austen in my fledgling attempts to find English lit to read that I might not've been exposed to in school. I liked Austen, I thought she was a good social observer w/ a wry wit - presumably much like the main woman protagonist of her Persuasion, Anne Elliot. I picked up this bk b/c I found it interesting that someone wd take a novel & rewrite it from the perspective of a different character. I even went to the 'extreme' of watching a BBC version of Persuasion to get a feel for how the original novel's been treated. I didn't expect Captain Wentworth's Persuasion to be 'great' literature &, IMO, it isn't. Still, the author took the trouble to write it & that's worth something to me - I reckon she's seriously passionate about the material. For the most part, Captain Wentworth's Persuasion is a romance novel - I didn't really expect that. As such, it wasn't for me & I'm not likely to recommend it to anyone I know. My copy is also in large print, I didn't mind that, it's nice to give my eyes a break, to have them not squinting at tiny 8 point footnotes. This was one of the 8 bks that I took on yrs ago to read that just dragged on & on for me. Hallelujah that I finally finished it.

An opening paragraph says:

"This optimized ReadHowYouWant edition contains the complete, unabridged text of the original publisher's edition. Other aspects of the book may vary from the original edition."

In other words, the bk's been "Set in 16 pt. Verdana". Apparently ReadHowYouWant editions enable people to have bks republished "formatted and typeset to make reading easier". Interesting.

Even tho I haven't read Persuasion & have only seen the movie, I deduce that Jeffers has added to the original story. There's an intercutting between Wentworth & Elliot being married & the original story of things leading up to that marriage.

"Captain Frederick Wentworth recognized the danger of pursuing the retreating French sloop, but he also recognized the need to keep the French from reaching reinforcements and from taking English secrets straight back to Bonaparte. He made the decision to take the French vessel despite the fact that his wife traveled aboard The Resolve with him." - p 1

"Now, Anne gazed at her husband as he ordered her below deck, trying to protect her from the worst of the battle." - p 2

Those were the days, eh?, when a naval captain might take his wife w/ him on his warship when a war was on? But, like I said, this is a ROMANCE NOVEL.

"He lived for the adventure of the sea, but he was her Frederick, a practical man who had accomplished his dreams by organizing the chaos of his mind. She touched the weathered lines of his face with her fingertips before lightly brushing his lips with hers.

""You will be safe, my Love," he said as he cupped her chin in the palm of one large hand.

""Of course, I am safe," Anne insisted. You are the captain of The Resolve; we are all safe under your command." She took his hand in hers, kissing the palm before releasing him. "Now do what you must do, Frederick. I will be well." With that, she left him. She shivered when she saw him load his gun, knowing the strong possibility of hand-to-hand combat when the British boarded the sloop." - pp 2-3

I never thought of Austen as writing romance novels but after reading this it's easier for me to perceive her in that way. Nonetheless, Jeffers pushes the romance angle further in a way that doesn't seem in keeping w/ Austen's style.

"Frederick swallowed hard, forcing his desire for her away. When she became his, it would be through an honest proposal. His head made the decision, but his body fought him. He wanted Anne—wanted her completely—yet, he would not act on his desire; he would do the honorable thing." - p 28

In other words, he wants to fuck her brains out. But such straightforward satisfaction is neither the way of the world or the way of Austen's original of of Jeffers'.

""Last Russell was unable to convince Sir Walter? Did your friend object to our union also? It is of no consequence. We will continue without their support."

""I cannot," she said again, but this time he knew the words spelled doom.

""You cannot what, Anne?" he demanded.

"Tears sprang to her eyes as she lifted her face to meet his gaze. "I cannot ... I cannot marry you, Frederick." One lone tear trickled down her face." - p 51

Well how about a quickie for the road then?

""Anne?" The soft pleading of his voice brought her attention back to his face. Under the influence of the strong drug, Frederick could not work out how to open is eyes. "Anne," he murmured again. Clouded by the laudanum, Frederick's mind tried to concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time; he found himself drifting back into sleep, into nightmares. He dreamed of losing her—his Anne —and now he need to know she was here with him—in this room—guaranteeing the nightmares no longer plagued him." - p 80

Laudanum? Remember that? Opiated alcohol? It usta be all the rage. Heck, that's so passé in an era of oxycodone. & let's not forget SSRIs & Ritalin & Adderall & all the rest.

Anne reads poetry. Each chapter of Captain Wentworth's Persuasion begins w/ poetry, sometimes by Byron, including the 1st 2 chapters.

"When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheel and cold,
Colder they kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this.
- Lord Byron, "When we Two Parted"

""So beautiful." The words brought Anne's attention to the figure reclining lazily against the pillows. She sat reading a book of poetry as she tended his bedside. "Did you know I fell in love with you the first time I saw you in the mercantile? Your face—those delicately molded features and dark eyes—captivated me immediately. Somehow, I felt we understood each other. Odd, is it not?"" - p 111

Beware of that Byron guy. Did you know that his personal physician, Polidori, wrote a vampire novel inspired by Byron as a sexual predator? But wd Byron have been interested in Anne?

"Frederick grew less fearful of being in the same room with her. He treated Anne as everyone else did; she was a nonentity—she did not exist other than being part of the room decoration. In this manner, he could deal with her presence. Yet, as often as he tried to not let himself think of her, he foolishly succumbed nevertheless. It irritated him to see her treated as an afterthought in the minds of her family." - p 123

I don't think Jeffers exactly intended to write as if she were Austen, after all there's some content that wdn't've made it into Austen. I do think Jeffers wrote out of respect & love for Austen. Here're some sections that are on the obviously-not-Austen end of things:

"He pushed against the opening, forcing the skin together and squeezed the pus from around the stitches while Frederick gritted his teeth. "I will clean this with soap and water when we are finished. A tincture should heal it up soon enough. We will use leeches if we need to—if circulation becomes a problem." - p 155

""Lock the door, my Love, and come lie next to me."

"His words sent a shiver of excitement down her back. She turned to face him, worry if her eyes. "Frederick, we cannot. It is too soon.""

[..]

""Only your chemise, Anne." She reached back to undo the buttons of her gown, never taking her eyes from him. She let it drop from her shoulders to the floor before stepping out of it. Then she slipped under the blanket and turned into his embrace." - pp 158-159

Maybe this is tantric sex. There's plenty of curtailed ardor going on.

""Ctach me!" Louisa demanded as usual, once she climbed to the top of the stile. He did so, but tried to set her some distance away from him when her feet touched the ground again. She purposely clung to his lapels longer than necessary, and he gently removed her hands before offering her his arm. Before, he had welcomed her interest, but now he saw how he must find a way to curtail her ardor." - p 174

All I can say is that this Wentworth character must not be very horny.

"Contentment spread through him as he thought of finally having his own home—his own wife—his own children. Where would Anne fit into that picture? He never imagined anyone but her in his bed—at his side when he entered a room—taking meals at his table. Even after eight years only she stirred his soul." - p 192

Do you mean to tell me that no other woman ever brought his 3rd leg to attn?! He shd check whether he got killed in one of those wars he fought.

Now you might think that these characters are humble - but in the background there're always those people who actually do the work.

""So you went to Lyme?" Henrietta asked as she reached for one of the apple tarts brought in by a servant." - p 196

The novel goes backwards & forwards in time & I've deluberately left that intercutting w/o explanation until now.

"Anne pulled herself upright. "I preach patience and resignation, Captain, because I, too, suffered the pains of lost love, and I wish most desperately that someone had offered me such advice."

"Had her heard her correctly? Frederick felt his heart would break; his departure had hurt Anne as much as it had hurt him. He knew she spoke of their love, for, without a doubt, Anne had once loved him." - p 217

Now comes the big dramatic moment, a turning point. If I had a copy of the original handy I'd compare the 2 passages. But I don't.

"He put out his hands; she was to precipitate him by a half second. Lousia's body floating through the air in slow motion; her shirt tail and cloak spread out like angel wings. Frederick saw the horror overtake her face when she realized he could not catch her, and her body braced for the impact. The thudding sound reverberated as she fell on the pavement on the Lower Cobb and was taken up lifeless." - p 234

Well, let's not exaggerate, she wasn't exactly "lifeless".

Maybe the following fetishistic behavior explains Wentworth's curious lack of sex drive.

"In an impetuous move, he kissed the corner of the folded page before he sealed it with wax. His kiss would touch her fingertips as she unfolded the paper to read his message. Closing his eyes, he envisioned his lips caressing Anne's fingertips in a playful seduction. It was all he could do not to groan as the vision played across his mind." - pp 254-255

Readers of the original novel might remember that Frederick asked Anne to marry him when she was young & her family refused to permit it. Frederick went away heartbroken & joined that navy. 8 yrs later he was still in love w/ Anne but felt hopeless & uncertain about her affections.

""Why not renew your proposal now? Do you believe Miss Anne is indifferent to you?" Edward leaned back in his chair. He knew to let Frederick tell his story at his own pace.

""I created a quagmire. When I first went to Uppercross, I purposely entertained the attention of Miss Musgrove. I needed Anne to see how others wanted me, even though she did not. I played games for which I now must pay. Lately, I decided I still wanted Anne, but I knew I had to distance myself from Louisa Musgrove, before I could plead my case with Miss Anne."" - p 278

A more diabolical novelist might've had Wentworth deliberately missing catching Louisa in the hope that she wd die. This is a more civil novel. There are schemers afoot - but not our 2 heros.

""A very fine man indeed!" said Lady Dalrymple. "More air than one often sees in Bath. —Irish, I daresay. Do you know him?"

""No, I just know his name. A bowing acquaintance. Wentworth—Captain Wentworth of the Navy. His sister married my tenant in Somersetshire—Admiral Croft, who rents my Kellynch."

"Frederick's body turned first hot with anger and then cold with humiliation. Sir Walter did not even do him the courtesy of remembering him, the man who had asked for his daughter's hand." - p 317

& hence there's class struggle. Maybe the original was a precursor to D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterly's Lover. At any rate, romance is never far behind.

"Anne snaked her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers through his hair. "I believe I have heard this story before." She giggled as he kissed the sensitive spot between her neck and shoulder. "But," she gasped as his lips traced a line from her ear to the base of her neck, "I believe—it needs—retelling."" - pp 326-327

But the tantric postponement of satisfaction just drones on & on..

"Out of the corner of his eye, Frederick noted how outwardly composed Anne appeared, and he wondered how he must look to the others. The moment she walked into the room, he felt himself plunged at once into all the agitations which he had merely anticipated tasting a little before the morning closed." - p 360

& after the not-particularly-exquisite prolongation, on p 372, we finally get there..

""Please say that I am not too late."

"Anne released her hand from his, but she did so to trace the outline of his lips. "Yours is the face I see every time I close my eyes. It has been so for eight years—nothing you could say or do would ever change that."" - p 372

How about 'I contracted syphilis & gonorrhea from fucking my cabin boy in the Navy'?

But, no, Wentworth doesn't say that so everything's OK.. except that the frustration just rolls on & on, the society of the time is just too uptight. The endless decorum.

""This way, Captain." Anne motioned to a table with port, wine, lemonade, and champagne. Frederick followed her there; it was the closest he would come to being alone with her for the next few hours. "Champagne, Captain?" she said as she handed him a glass and took one for herself. "To us," Anne mouthed the words." - p 390

&, yes, goshdarnitalltoheck&tarnation&backagain, Anne's father finally OKs the marriage between the 2 protagonists, despite the class difference. & it only took 398 (large print) pages to get there. Was it worth the wait? Maybe for the ficitonal characters, I have my doubts about this particular reader.

""My friends and family," he began in his most pretentious tone, "it is with pleasure that I announce that our modest card party has become a momentous occasion. My daughter Anne has this day accepted the proposal of Captain Wentworth, and they wish you to share in their happiness."" - pp 398-399

But, hey!, they're still both virgins - if they were the hope of a species the species wd be long extinct.

"Suddenly, Anne broke away abruptly from the kiss; she was breathing heavily. When she had regained her breath, she said, "It is only a few more weeks, Frederick. I wish our first time to be perfect—with no regrets."" - p 413

How she's planning to make it "perfect" is beyind me - does she even know what an orgasm is?! & check out what was considered to be child-bearing age at the time:

""Frederick, I want children. Do you not want children, too? I am near eight and twenty; another year and I may not be able to bear a child!" Tears began to stream down her face again." - p 420

Shit, at the rate they're going, they won't even be able to find her vagina.

In general Jeffers tries to stick to historically correct detail. There is one strange touch, chapter 19 begins w/ a poem from a 20th century poet:

"Then you rose into my life
Like a promised sunrise.
Brightening my days with the light in your eyes.
I've never been so strong,
Now I'm where I belong.
—Maya Angelou, "Where We Belong: A Duet"" - p 428

Well, Angelou may be a 20th century poet but her poetry is more 19th century: the 2nd & 3rd lines rhyme, the 4th & 5th lines rhyme. No surprises there.

But what about the honeymoon, the wedding night? Will that have any surprises?

""I will be tender this evening."

"She paused before answering. "I know. —I am not afraid."

""Promise me," he began again. "Promise me if you are uncomfortable in any way you will tell me. I will not have you lie there and be only a vessel for my pleasure. That is not what love is." He kissed the top of her head. "I assume you had no one to speak about physical love?"

""I did—I did speak to your sister. Truthfully, much of what she said was shocking, but I am glad Sophia was so direct." She blushed at speaking so openly with him." - pp 453-454

They're hrs away from fucking for the 1st time & she's blushing about referring to physically intimate matters in an extremely oblique way. Did people like her ever really exist? Thank the holy ceiling light I was born in the mid-20th century. The 1st time I fucked was awkward but I was practically a natural-born porn star in contrast to these people. & Jeffers prolongs the frustration even more b/c Captain Wentworth is called back into the Navy so he & Anne get to spend their honeymoon in a war ship bound for fighting.

"Frederick spoke with regret. "I am sorry, Anne. You deserve a wedding trip to the Continent, instead of a few nights at a country inn before I drag you off to a crowded ship—and a war."" - p 455

Now if Jeffers really wanted to push the overkill button, when Wentworth gets wounded his balls wd be blown off. Thankfully, she didn't go that far. Jeffers did, however, throw in some author's touchs that weren't so dramatic.

"Despite having never once prepared her own meal, Anne became quite adept at imporvisation. Used to fending for himself, Frederick assisted her. Some of their fondest moments resulted from disastrous attempts in the kitchen. They would laugh hysterically in each other's arms, settle for bread and tea, and spend the night in passionate lovemaking." - p 476

For the full review, go here: https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/1350340?chapter=1… (mehr)

A remarkable romance, well-written and fascinating.

Lady Eleanor is not the typical Regency miss, she's reluctant to enter into any romantic entanglements. Her father's legacy is painful and persistent, as yet another shadow in the form of Sir Louis Levering attempts to confine her in the past forever.

Her one ray of hope is James Kerrington, the future Earl of Linworth. He doesn't care about her past, loves her passionately and is willing to root out all the evil in her life.

After a series of mishaps and some poor decisions, the two lover succeed in marrying and being accepted into society.

The subplot of The Realm, a secret society of which James is a member, is an excellent subplot and will probably provide the next bachelor for the series.

I wish this book had a better cover, instead of a portrait by Gainsborough. An Amazon of a lady emerging from the shadows would have been much better.… (mehr)