None But You/For You Alone...Review

About the books:
Eight years ago, when he had nothing but his future to offer, Frederick Wentworth fell in love with Anne Elliot, the gentle daughter of a haughty, supercilious baronet. Sir Walter Elliot refused to countenance a marriage, and Anne's godmother, Lady Russell, strongly advised Anne against him. Persuaded by those nearest to her, Anne had given him up and he had taken his broken heart to sea. When Jane Austen's Persuasion opens in the year 1814, Frederick Wentworth, now a famous and wealthy captain in His Majesty's Navy, finds himself back in England and, as fate would have it, residing as a guest in Anne's former home. Now, it is the baronet who is in financial difficulties, and Anne exists only at her family's beck and call. For eight long years, Frederick had steeled his heart against her. Should he allow Anne into his heart again, or should he look for love with younger, prettier woman in the neighbourhood who regard him as a hero?

Captain Frederick Wentworth, lately returned to England from a distinguished naval career fighting Napoleon, had re-visited the scene of his romantic defeat of eight years previous at the hands of Miss Anne Elliot to find his former love a pale, worn shadow of herself. Attracted by the lively young ladies in the area who regarded him as a hero, he had ignored Anne and entangled himself with Louisa Musgrove, a headstrong young woman who seemed all that Anne was not. Now, because of his careless behaviour and Louisa's heedlessness, his future appeared tied to her just at the moment when it had become painfully clear that Anne was still everything he truly wanted. In honour, he belonged to Louisa, but his heart was full of Anne. What was he to do?

Persuasion is one of my favorite Jane Austen novels.  Anne Elliot is my favorite heroine and I adore Captain Wentworth.  The idea of knowing Captain Wentworth's thoughts was very appealing.  That the book cover contained an endorsement from Pamela Aiden persuaded me to pick these up. I loved Pamela Aidan's take on Mr. Darcy, but these books completely miss the mark. 

I can't picture this Captain Wentworth.  While None But You captures his voice better than For You Alone, this man is not Jane Austen's captain.  This man references that while he visited prostitutes, he thought about Anne.  And, when Anne finally accepts him, this Captain Wentworth has no problems running away with her and getting married in some inn and spending his honeymoon night with her in the sordid room left vacant by the inn's working girl.  This is wrong on so many levels.

If you want to read about Captain Wentworth, read the original  Persuasion and draw your own conclusions as to his actions and frame of mind.  Don't bother with this drivel.

Thanks to my local library for having copies I could borrow and not buy.

Read 5/11

*
1/5 Stars

Comments

  1. Oh, this makes me sad! I have the first of these two, and since I have always loved Persuasion, I looked forward to reading these. Now, I'm a little nervous. Thanks for such an honest review!

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