Persuading Annie [IMPORT] (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Cassandra Brooke stared across the Union bar at the rugby players, her Cruel Crimson lips pursed into a thin line..." (more)
Key Phrases: chief exec, New York, Jake Mead, Annie Markham (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Annie Markham is trapped in a fairy tale existence complete with a narcissistic family and a godmother, but her prince turns out to be a toad. At 19, Jake Mead was her true love until her godmother Susannah stepped in and Jake ran away. Now, seven years later, Annie's wealthy family is heading toward bankruptcy, and Susannah brings in the best consultant in England to rescue their London public relations agency. The wunderkind turns out to be Jake, who is out for revenge. Annie spends her time working, something unheard of in her family, and doing good deeds while trying to avoid Jake. Both Annie and Jake are actively seeking relationships, but their thoughts keep turning back to each other. Fun and interesting multidimensional characters populate this very charming story that proves that a prince cum toad can eventually turn back into a prince and rescue the princess from her relatives. A truly enjoyable read that should increase Nathan's popularity across the pond. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

"Irresistible moments ensure that Persuading Annie scores as entertainment." (Jane Austen Society of Australia ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Arrow; New edition edition (June 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099505770
• ISBN-13: 978-0099505778
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,585,138 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some Friendly Persuasion, May 22, 2004

By	R. Chaffey "beckahi" (Chicago) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Persuading Annie (Hardcover)

"Persuading Annie" is Melissa Nathan's reworking of Jane Austen's classic "Persuasion". It follows the fate of the Markham family - owners of a once prestigious PR firm that is fast losing money and sending the family into possible bankruptcy. Nathan has reworked Austen's central characters (Anne, her loopy father and sisters, and Captain Wentworth) into believable, vulnerable and often hilarious modern persons.

The story beings in 1994 when the youngest of the Markham daughters, Annie, believes herself to be pregnant at the age of nineteen. She is prepared to elope with her boyfriend Jake, when she discovers that she was only late, not pregnant. Jake doesn't stick around long enough to hear the truth of the matter and leaves Annie heartbroken and bitter before her years. Skip ahead seven years, when Jake re-enters Annie's life, as the only possible savior to her family's impending doom. He is hired on as a marketing consultant who can resurrect Markham's PR, but must contend with the perceivably bitchy Annie and his own feelings about what transpired between the two of them. And little did either Jake or Annie suspect that they would have to confront their emotions towards the other.

Melissa Nathan's prose is quick-paced, light-hearted and witty. Her characters come to life as their stories intertwine to follow the plotline of Austen's "Persuasion". At times there seem to be an overabundance of characters, but their fates are so intertwined with those of the main characters and every subplot is completed by the novel's end. "Persuading Annie" is a quick, enjoyable read; especially for Austen fans who wish there were more original Jane Austen material to read. Melissa Nathan's novels are a worthy substitute.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A modern reworking of Jane Austen's Persuasion, January 10, 2004

By	Kate (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Persuading Annie (Paperback)

Melissa Nathan, who previously wrote a modern version of Pride and Prejudice, take a stab at updating Persuasion in Persuading Annie.

Overall, Persuading Annie is a good chick-lit book. I found both Annie and Jake to be likable characters with a believable relationship, although the supporting characters can get a bit campy at times. Some of the adaptations Nathan makes to Persuasion (the Markhams own a large company rather than an estate, how Jake returns to Annie's life, the alley scene) were great, while others seemed to be a bit of a stretch. But the book is still funny and well paced.

Persuading Annie is an enjoyable book, although I prefer Pride, Prejudice, and Jasmin Field. Austen fans will get a kick out of seeing Persuasion's characters in a modern setting.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You won't need persuading to love this one!, January 3, 2006

By	Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Persuading Annie (Paperback)

Author Melissa Nathan continues her love of all things Jane Austen with an updated version of "Persuasion" with a couple twists to update it for the 21st century.

After a home pregnancy test reveals she is pregnant, Annie Markham is ready to elope with her boyfriend Jake. But family machinations have a way of rearing their ugly heads, as family friend Susannah plants seeds of doubt in Annie's mind (Annie is an heiress, while Jake is working class). When she suddenly gets her period and is in shock, a fight with Jake results in his leaving her, thinking that she lied to him.

Fast forward seven years. Annie still couldn't be more different then her two sisters, Katherine and Victoria, both of whom spend the family fortune as if it might disappear. Of course, the Markham family PR firm is finding itself in dire straights, and in need of a miracle. Enter management consulting whiz Jake Mead, the same Jake that shares a past with Annie. As Annie schemes to keep her distance from Jake, they do in fact run into each other (when she is not at her best, of course). He is still reeling that she dumped him without explanation; she cannot forgive him for walking out on her in her time of need. He reveals to his shrink that he does not want closure from Annie and her family - he wants revenge. Annie still feels a connection to her first love, but keeps the long-ended relationship a secret from her family, while they try to marry her off to the Markham CEO, and encourage Jake into a romance with the young sister of Victoria's husband.

Will either of them ever have the guts to be truthful about their feelings and revisit the pain of their youth? Nathan's excellent prose peppers a truly original adaptation of a classic novel, giving it a great contemporary flavor that is sure to grasp the reader's attention.