Mailbox Monday — July 14

Welcome to Mailbox Monday, the weekly meme where book lovers share the titles they received for review, purchased, or otherwise obtained over the past week.  It is now being hosted at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Here’s what I added to the shelves over the past few weeks:

For review:

Jane Austen’s First Love by Syrie James — from Berkley

Fifteen-year-old Jane Austen dreams of three things:  doing something useful, writing something worthy, and falling madly in love.  When she visits her brother in Kent to celebrate his engagement, she meets wealthy, devilishly handsome Edward Taylor — a fascinating young man who is truly worthy of her affections.  Jane knows a match between her and Edward is unlikely, but every moment she spends with him makes her heart race — and he seems to return her interest.  Much to her displeasure, however, there is another seeking his attention.

Unsure of her budding relationship, Jane seeks distraction by attempting to correct the pairings of three other prospective couples.  But when her matchmaking aspirations do not all turn out as anticipated, Jane discovers the danger of relying on first impressions.  The human heart cannot be easily deciphered, nor can it be directed or managed.  And if others must be left to their own devices in matters of love and matrimony, can Jane even hope to satisfy her own heart?  (publisher’s summary)

A Jane Austen Daydream by Scott D. Southard — from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

All her heroines find love in the end — but is there love waiting for Jane?

Jane Austen spends her days writing and matchmaking in the small countryside village of Steventon, until a ball at Godmersham Park propels her into a new world where she yearns for a romance of her own.  But whether her heart will settle on a young lawyer, a clever Reverend, a wealthy childhood friend, or a mysterious stranger is anyone’s guess.

Written in the style of Jane herself, this novel ponders the question faced by many devoted readers — did she ever find love?  Weaving fact with fiction, it re-imagines her life, using her own stories to fill in the gaps left by history and showing that all of us — to a greater or lesser degree — are head over heels for Jane.  (publisher’s summary)

Purchased:

Pies & Peril by Janel Gradowski

When Amy Ridley decided to compete in the Kellerton Summer Festival Pie Contest, the last thing she expected was to find the reigning pie queen, Mandy Jo, dead — a raspberry pie smashed on her face! Mandy Jo made fantastic pies, but she accumulated more enemies than baking trophies. But when Amy receives a note threatening her own life, she decides to do some investigating herself.

It seems that half the town has a reason to kill the mean pie queen, and Amy finds herself sifting through a list of suspects that’s longer than her list of recipes. Not to mention playing cupid for her love-shy best friend, fending off a baker intent on finding out her prize-winning culinary secrets, and ducking the deadly attentions of Mandy Jo’s killer. If Amy doesn’t find out who wanted the pie queen dead soon, her own goose may be cooked!

**Recipes included!** (publisher’s summary)

What books did you add to your shelves recently?

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