He understood her and was willing to offer respect in a way her father never had. There was much about him that reminded her of Wentworth.
Anne and her husband loved one another. Could she love the colonel, and he her? Did it matter, though?
Compatibility and friendship were far more significant concerns. Those were the things that would last.
(from Snowbound at Hartfield)
Maria Grace’s new novella, Snowbound at Hartfield, is a delightful mash-up of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Emma, told from the alternating points of view of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Elliot.
A blizzard finds Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, and Mr. Bennet stranded in Highbury on their way to the colonel’s newly inherited estate, Listingbrook. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and her father, Sir Walter, are traveling to visit their Dalrymple cousins when they are caught in the storm. Fortunately, Darcy runs into an old friend, Mr. George Knightley, and he invites both groups to stay with him, his wife Emma, and her father at Hartfield.
It’s not long before Colonel Fitzwilliam and Miss Elliot, having briefly met a few months prior, begin a careful assessment of each other, as spending several days at Hartfield with happily married couples and irritating fathers take their toll. Both have been hurt — the colonel by the war, Elizabeth by her cousin and her best friend — and they begin to understand one another in a way that only people with their own baggage and their own ghosts can. But can they get past these obstacles and learn enough about each other to build a foundation for a lifetime of happiness before the snow melts and they go their separate ways?
I couldn’t wait to read Snowbound at Hartfield because I love Grace’s writing and was curious how she would combine the characters from my three favorite Austen novels, and I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed. I love Austen-inspired tales that put the secondary characters front and center, and Grace’s take on Colonel Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Elliot was spot on, in my opinion. A haunted, scarred Fitzwilliam embarking on a new life after his military career seemed authentic, as did an Elizabeth Elliot crushed by the betrayal of her friend, the marriage of her two younger sisters, and her diminishing prospects for marriage as she nears 30.
I also loved seeing a Mr. Bennet amused by Sir Walter and Mr. Woodhouse, and I laughed out loud several times as he baited the status-conscious baronet. It was also entertaining to see a friendship develop between Mrs. Darcy and Mrs. Knightley and see them both happy in their marriages.
Snowbound at Hartfield is my favorite in Grace’s series of Sweet Tea novellas and short stories, with plenty of romance and humor to balance out the more serious aspects of the plot. It was fairly short but satisfying, and I savored it over a period of a few days because I didn’t want it to end.
Disclosure: Snowbound at Hartfield is from my personal library.
I think having Mr. Bennet in the same place as Sir Walter and Mr. Woodhouse would be so fascinating!
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Oh, it was delightful! I know you’d enjoy this one!
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High praise that this is now your favorite Sweet Tea novella. I am so glad the mash-up of the three stories was a good one. Can’t wait.
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I hope you love it as much as I did. I really enjoy all of Grace’s works, but some stand out more than others.
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Sounds like quite the mix
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Yes, but somehow it really works!
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Anna,
This must be quite captivating! I like the sound of this Sweet Tea novella. 🙂
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It is! I really wanted to rush through it because I was enjoying it so much, but I forced myself to savor it because I’d been anxious to read it since Grace posted chapters on her blog.
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I do hope the Colonel and Elizabeth get an opportunity to know each other better,form a positive opinion of the other and decide that their future felicity lies with none other than the person Fate has happily introduced them to!
I’m glad you enjoyed this book so much!
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And for a novella, Grace does a really great job developing the characters and their relationship. I think you’d enjoy it.
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I really enjoyed this, love stories about the Colonel, and Elizabeth Elliot was a suprise
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My thoughts exactly! Glad to hear you enjoyed it as well.
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The story sounds delightful.
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It was! I think you’d really enjoy it.
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[…] « Review: Snowbound at Hartfield by Maria Grace […]
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Lovely review for a lovely tea time tale from Maria Grace! I too so enjoyed it!
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I’m so glad to hear it, Carole! Thanks for checking out my review.
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I followed this as a WIP up until the, maybe, the last 3 chapters. I keep meaning to go back and read the ending. I found it difficult to make an emotional connection with Elizabeth Eliot. Thanks for sharing.
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She definitely grew on me over the course of the book. I hope you get a chance to finish it.
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