Persuasion by Rebecca Jamison - Giveaway

Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale by Rebecca H. Jamison

I'm tickled to be on the launch tour of this fun novel that releases today! And what better day to review a romance book than on Valentine's Day? Stop by the other blogs on the tour. Don't forget to visit Rebecca's website for more news. 

I'm giving away an ARC copy of this wonderful love story.  All you need to do is follow my blog and leave a comment on this post.  If you want to spread the word about this giveaway you will earn another entry for each instance.  Just leave a separate comment for each instance. Winner will be selected at random and announced Friday, February 17th.  

When Anne broke off her engagement seven years ago, she thought she'd never see Neil Wentworth again. But when Neil's brother buys the house she grew up in, it seems fate has other plans in store, and Anne is woefully unprepared for the roller coaster of emotions that accompanies Neil's return. Fans of Persuasion will love this fast-paced, modern retelling of Jane Austen's most romantic novel.


Paperback, 240 pages Expected publication: February 14th 2012 by Cedar Fort, Inc.


Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale by Rebecca H. Jamison is based on Jane Austen's classic novel Persuasion and set in a modern-day Latter-day saint setting.  If you are like me and you have never read Jane Austen, don't be scared away, Jamison's modern retelling is current and you will have no trouble being drawn into Anne and her dilemma.

My favorite thing about Jamison's story is Anne's voice.  She is down to earth, a bit self-conscious and I found it a joy to read about the novel's happenings through Anne's eyes. Her personality and self-doubt make the fact that she thinks Neil could never love her again believable.

The first few chapters of Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale put me off a bit.  The opening scene did not interest me at all, had too much back story and after reading the book, it's my opinion that the first scene does not give a good representation of the rest of the story. I would have cut the first few chapters and sped up the action a bit.

Before each chapter is a journal written flashback.  I found them distracting and I'm not certain that they pushed the story forward or provided any benefit.  In fact, a few times I regretted having to slow down long enough to switch gears before seeing what happened in the current timeline.


The interactions between Anne and her family are fun and endearing.  One of her sisters is always trying to get Anne to take her kids and the other is a total ditz who just generally needs help.  Anne's parents aren't much better--divorced and flighty at best.  Anne is loyal to her family and this helps the reader understand why she could be holding on to the relationship she had with Neil.

After reading the story, I read about the plot of Jane Austen's Persuasion on Wikipedia. It was interesting to see the parallels and I am certain that fans of Jane Austen will enjoy the references that I, in my ignorance, missed. I did wonder, though, why Jamison used some exact names from the original story and other names were completely unrelated in her retelling.

I enjoyed the many interactions that bring Anne closer to Neil.  He is a worthy suitor for Anne who is transposed into a modern society where suitors are not always so, as evidenced by other characters in the book. Neil is kind, loyal, protective, capable and gentle--qualities any woman would look for in a man.

Whether you've read Austen's novels or no, be prepared to be swept away by Jamison's retelling of Persuasion.




Saturday Feb 18--Book Launch Party and Signing at Taylorsville Seagull Book 11-1 ( 5720 S. Redwood Road, Taylorsville)