Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Blog Tour for The Jane Austen Marriage Manual by Kim Izzo

Publisher: Harper Collins Canada
Pages: 336
Received: Received from Harper Collins Canada in exchange for honest review

Release Date: April 27, 2012
Buy From Amazon.ca / Buy From Chapters.ca

Goodreads Synopsis:

Katherine Shaw—Kate—is happy with her life. She has supportive friends, a glamorous magazine career, and a love of all things Jane Austen. But when she loses her job, her beloved grandmother falls ill and a financial disaster forces a sale on the family home, Kate finds herself facing a crisis that would test even the most stalwart of Austen heroines. Friends rally round, connecting her to freelance gigs, and presenting her with a birthday gift— title to land in Scotland—that’s about to come in very handy. Turns out that Kate’s first freelance assignment is to test an Austen-inspired theory: in the toughest economic times is a wealthy man the only must-have accessory? What begins as an article turns into an opportunity as Kate—now Lady Kate—jet-sets to Palm Beach, St Moritz and London where, in keeping company with the elite, she meets prospects who make Mr. Darcy look like an amateur. But will rubbing shoulders with men of good fortune ever actually lead her to love? And will Kate be able to choose between Mr. Rich and Mr. Right?

My Review:

I was asked to read and review this book after there was a poll on Twitter about people who love Jane Austen (I still continue to reread her books). When I read the synopsis for this book it sounded so cute I just had to read it. I have to say Kim Izzo definitely delivered in this story. It was such a cute and funny read, but there were also a lot of emotional parts to the book (I actually found myself crying at parts). I definitely felt like this book was a modern day Pride and Prejudice, which made it that much better in my books.

Kate was an interesting character, who definitely went through a lot of hard times before coming on to this opportunity to write a very interesting article. Kate is a character that many readers can connect with in different ways. Watching as she goes through disaster after disaster (I definitely know that feeling myself), Kate does what she can to keep herself and her family afloat. (I also enjoyed that Kate uses books as an escape from her life, seriously the best thing to do!) That was the thing I adored about Kate, she doesn't go looking for her "Mr. Darcy" purely for selfish reasons, she wants to help her family through the tough times as well.

Kim made this book so much fun to read. Not only was there an abundance of humorous situations throughout the story but there were a lot of emotional situations placed throughout as well. I definitely connected with those emotional situations. It made the book seem more real to me as a reader. I could feel myself blushing for Kate at some of the scenes, knowing how much I hate being in the spotlight and her having everyone's eyes on her as she tries to come up with stories. The character of Kate definitely has quite an imagination and it's amusing to she her come out of everything.

What really made this book work for me was that it was like watching Kate finally grow up (even though she is 30 when the book starts). Readers really get to watch as Kate grows up in her own way, she learns a lot about herself and learns that not everything necessarily revolves around money (though it's nice to have). Kate definitely becomes a different person by the end of the book.

I also really enjoyed that Kate got to travel the world to learn her lesson. You follow Kate from Palm Beach to Switzerland and to England. I love books where you get to see different places, I feel like I was travelling with her to these different locations.

This is a book I recommend for those who enjoy a fun, light read (and quick). Also for those who enjoy a great chick lit novel (great cute romance throughout).


Interview with Kim Izzo!

Welcome Kim, and thanks for stopping by! What is your favourite Jane Austen book?
K: Thank you for inviting me! This one is easy, Pride & Prejudice!

Who was your favourite character to write?
K: I would say Fawn Chamberlain, the 50-something rich woman with a heart of gold and a purse with even more gold! She was fun.

Where is your favourite place to write?
K: It depends on my mood! I have a large picture window next to my desk in my home office. It overlooks green space which is lovely and my desk is antique which inspires me. But I also like to take my laptop to my sofa and stare out the window from there.

My favourite question, what is your favourite book of all time?
K: This may surprise everyone but it is Appointment in Samarra by John O'Hara

You can follow Kim on Twitter
Or on Facebook
Check out her website as well here: http://kimizzo.com/wdp/

2 comments:

  1. This is such a great review! I was reading about it earlier and feel like it kind of sounds like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days! But better! Definitely on my to-read shelf =).
    I also loved your questions! It's so much fun seeing where authors actually sit down to write. Fabulous review and interview =).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great review! I adore EVERYTHING Jane Austen related so I'm definitely adding this to my TBR shelf :) It definitely sounds like its the perfect mixture of humour and personal growth!

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