An Accomplished Woman [Hardcover]

Jude Morgan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2009

A sparkling tale of wit and romance from a latter-day Jane Austen

As a young woman, clever, self-reliant Lydia Templeton scandalized Regency society by rejecting the county’s most eligible bachelor. Years later, although Lydia would prefer to avoid entanglements of the heart altogether, her godmother begs her to help her young ward make a suitable match. Though the prospect fills Lydia with horror, she can scarcely refuse, but things turn out even worse than she fears when her ward proves surprisingly tricky to manage and the confirmed spinster begins to suspect that her own heart may not be the closed book she thought it was.

Brilliantly written and observed, An Accomplished Woman is a delightfully accomplished comedy of manners.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Lydia Templeton is a rare woman who eschews convention and declares herself content, even joyful in her unmarried state. After all, she is an accomplished Regency woman approaching 30 who values knowledge and accomplishment. There is no man she wishes to attach herself to after declining her neighbor, the extremely eligible Mr. Durrant, who remains a good friend to her father. Her complacent life is thrown into an uproar when her beloved godmother asks her to accompany her ward, Phoebe Rae, to Bath in pursuit of a marriage match. While in Bath, Lydia forms strong opinions regarding Phoebe’s suitors. Mr. Durrant, who has come to Bath in pursuit of his own marriage, disagrees, and to Lydia’s surprise, nothing goes according to plan. Morgan captures the tone, style, and content of a Jane Austen novel while introducing her own delightful characters, which are sure to please Austenophiles. --Patty Engelmann

About the Author

JUDE MORGAN, who studied under Malcolm Bradbury and Angela Carter, lives in Peterborough, England.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (April 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312539665
• ISBN-13: 978-0312539665
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #519,091 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last, a JA follower worth reading!, September 20, 2009

By 

Elaine McCarthy "ECM" (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Accomplished Woman (Hardcover)

I picked this book up without much hope, having loathed every other Jane-imitator I've tried, but wow. Jude Morgan has not merely written a passable JA imitation, she has written a book that charms in its own right; it rings with wit, while also providing a story line that Regency fans will enjoy. Some of the characters are strongly reminiscent of JA; I recognized Mrs. Eldon and Lady Catherine DeBourgh, as amusing as ever. The heroine has some of the characteristics of both Elizabeth Bennet and Emma Woodhouse, but she is very much distinct from them, no mere faded copy. I highly recommend this to anybody who wants a good Austen-like (as opposed to Austen-rip-off) read.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As good as Jane's work, maybe funnier, August 5, 2009

By 

Old Latin teacher (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: An Accomplished Woman (Hardcover)

I don't quite understand why Jude Morgan/Tim Wilson/T.R.Wilson/Hannah March is not more popular. His writing is excellent. The stories themselves are good, but it is the writing that makes his books outstanding. This particular book, written in the style of a Jane Austen novel, is as perfectly executed as any she wrote. Not to mention that Jude Morgan's books have even more laugh-out-loud and tongue-in-cheek moments than Jane's did. (Perhaps he needs a better agent.) If you like this book, also try his INDISCRETION and A LITTLE FOLLY, two other comedies of manners written in the style of Austen.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A total pleasure and very close to Austen, December 29, 2009

By 

JerseyGirl "Bookworm" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: An Accomplished Woman (Hardcover)

I found myself laughing so many times during this story at the turns of phrase that Jude Morgan uses in "An Accomplished Woman". Really the dry wit in this story is just too too funny.

Not only is there humor in an "An Accomplished Woman", but there is a wonderful story and a number of twists and surprises in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and now I am out looking for other titles by this author.

Lydia Templeton is called upon to be a companion to her godmother's ward, something that Lydia really has no inclination to do. What transpires as Lydia tries to remain impartial to Phoebe Rae's various love interests kept me up reading late into the night.

The conclusion is fun and totally suprising. All readers will enjoy this humorous story which is so Austen like as to almost make you think she has returned to write for us now.