Review: Whatever Love Is - Rosie Rushton

Whatever Love Is by Rosie Rushton, published by Piccadilly Press in April 2012

Goodreads synopsis:
When Frankie Price goes to live with her wealthy cousins, she finds herself part of a social scene that she’d only read about in magazines.

Shy and overwhelmed, she retreats into her own passion: writing – pouring out her feelings into her short stories.

But when the entire family is rocked by scandal, and her mate Ned comes under the spell of the beautiful but manipulative Alice, Frankie realises that she has to fight for the life she wants.

Review:
This is a modern-day version of Jane Austen's classic 'Mansfield Park'.  It will introduce Austen to a whole new audience and for those that already love the original you'll want to rush off and grab your well thumbed copy for a re-read (which is exactly what I did!).  I really liked all the fitting quotes from 'Mansfield Park' at the start of every chapter which gave a tantalising glimpse of what lay ahead.

The setting has been updated to Thornton Parslow in Northampton, where our heroine Frankie Price goes to live with her rich cousins.  Frankie is head over heels in love with her cousin Ned but he doesn't seem to treat her as anything other than an honorary younger sister.  Although the heart of the story is Frankie's unrequited love for Ned, it is also about the importance of family, as well as containing a serious message about social issues. 

The storyline was engaging and even though I knew the plot from the original and guessed how some parts of the story were going to work out, I was still glued to the pages of this brilliant book.  I did think however that the ending slightly short-changed readers, as the resolution between Ned and Frankie was a bit rushed and over all too quickly.  All of that build-up and then no big romantic moment?! 

What's great about this series is that Austen may have been writing so many years ago but her stories still resonate with different generations and have so much relevance today.  Rosie Rushton has managed to provide a fresh twist and has given new life to Austen in her wonderful interpretation of a beloved classic.  I'm sad to see that this is the last book in the series because they've all been such great reads.

Review: Love, Lies and Lizzie - Rosie Rushton

Love, Lies and Lizzie by Rosie Rushton, published by Piccadilly Press in 2009

Goodreads synopsis:
What would happen if Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice was set in the twenty-first century? When Mrs Bennet inherits enough money to move to the kind of village she has always dreamed of, her daughters find themselves swept up in a glamourous life of partying and countryside pursuits. But Lizzie and her sisters soon discover that, beneath the very smart surface, lurks a web of intrigue and rivalries...

Review:
I haven't read anything by Rosie Rushton before but I picked this one up in the library because a) the cover is really pretty and b) it's described as a moder-spin on 'Pride and Prejudice' and as my other passion besides YA is 19th century literature, that definitely sounded like the sort of book I'd enjoy.  I'm pleased to say that I absolutely loved it and I'm going to make a point now of searching out some of Rosie Rushton's other books.  She's apparantly written several novels in the 'Jane Austen in the 21st Century' series so I'm excited to get my hands on the rest!  'Northanger Abbey', 'Sense and Sensibility', 'Emma' and my personal favourite 'Persuasion' have all been given the Rushton treatment. 

The story draws inspiration from 'Pride and Prejudice' but brings the literary classic up-to-date for a modern, teen audience.  One of the things I enjoyed the most about it was identifying all of the similarities and differences between the characters and who they're all supposed to be based on.  For example, Lizzie is now a young teenage girl who near the end of the book goes on a work placement to France to help out at a music therapy centre, unlike in the original where Elizabeth is on a touring holiday with her Aunt and Uncle.  Mrs Bennet is still a screeching social climber who wants the whole family to take their rightful place in the world among the upper echelons of society.  Jane is still the good, kind and considerate sister, while Lydia remains the livewire who becomes embroiled with George Wickham, the dastardly villain of the book.  They're all still looking for love but doing it the modern way now with emails, texts and phone calls.  No old-fashioned courting here then!

It's a credit to Rushton that she manages to make James Darcy as gorgeous, strong and silent and just as much a dark horse as the original Mr Darcy.  A difficult thing to do considering the latter is beloved by females around the world.  I was definitely rooting for him and Lizzie to hurry up and realise that they're perfect for each other.  I will also admit that I had a Darcy sized crush on him throughout and loved all the scenes building up to their romance. 

When a classic is as beloved as 'Pride and Prejudice' I imagine it must be a daunting task trying to do justice to it and yet craft something new at the same time, but Rushton's got it spot on!  Her take is fresh and modern and will appeal not only to Austen fans but also to those who like a good romance with a strong hero and heroine.  'Love, Lies and Lizzie' most definitely charmed me!