Howdy Bookies, I am back with yet another review of something Jane Austen related. A few weeks ago I read First Impressions by Charlie Lovett; a book that questions the true authorship of Pride and Prejudice. What bought me to this book was the fact that I had read and LOVED Lovett's The Bookmans Tale last year. This book was definitely not a disappointment. Basically the books main character Sophie Collingswood is an Austen fan, and general book lover. She gets caught up in the mystery of the murder of her beloved uncle and a mystery involving her beloved Austen; with a bit of romance and danger added in. What I really loved about this book, like Lovett's other novel, is that the characters are 100% relatable. Sophie is everything you love in a bibliophile; she is intelligent, well read, overly protective of books, and quick on her feet. Sophie comes from a seemingly well to do family that had a long history of publishing in its blood. However, her father is not a fan of books, or even reading. He finds the family library to be unnecessary, basically it is a waste of space and since most of the books are first editions of collectables they can be sold off to the highest bidder. The only person standing is his way is Sophie's beloved Uncle. Who won't allow his brother to sell even one book in the family library. Sophie's uncle is the reason she loved books; he is the reason she is found of old books and behind her as she studies Library sciences at Oxford. So when he suddenly is found dead in his flat Sophie just can not seem to accept the cause of this demise. She is determined to prove that someone murdered him; in fact, the quest almost costs her her life.
What I really loved about the book was that it bounced back from Sophie's time period to the regency period, in which, Austen lived. Lovett writes in Austen's voice so beautifully that it made me feel like I was re-reading one of my favorite novels. He made Austen come alive in a way that I have never seen other authors do. Another thing that was extremely impressive was the balance of innocent romance and suspense. There was just enough romance to make you swoon and enough suspense to keep you up at night wanting to finish the book in one sitting. I am happy to say that I took my time reading this book so that I could throughly enjoy it. It was the well developed characters and the artful balance of romance and suspense that lead me to give First Impressions 5/5 stars on Goodreads.
I definitely see this book becoming one I give away to fellow Austen fans.
Favorite Quotes:
"A bibliophile raised in a family that does not know the word...that's me"
(it was this moment that let me know Sophie was set to be my literary BFF of the moment)
"A good book is like a good friend. It will stay with you for the rest of your life. When you first get to know it, it will give you excitement and adventure and years later it will provide you with comfort and familiarity. And best of all, you can share it with your children or your grandchildren or anyone you love enough to let into its secrets"
"Let me ask you this, Miss Austen. Are you able to prevent yourself from writing?"
"Indeed not. I find that my stories will not cease to crowd all other thoughts from my mind until I have committed them to paper"
"...Then, Miss Austen, let there be no doubt about it - you are a novelist"
"It is only when we attach happiness to those things which are worldly and unimportant that our lives become corrupted"
For more information of this book go to www.goodreads.com
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