Customer Reviews

Possibilities (The Austen Series, Book 6)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As a Jane Austen addict, I've read many variations of Jane Austen's work including several sequels and retellings. I was beginning to despair of finding any with a good clean story line that didn't include graphic sex. I enjoyed this series so much I'm sorry to see it end.

If you are new to this series, it is a re-write of all Jane Austen's novels in modern times with a Christian undertone. This one of the best ones, in my opinion. It was a very gripping read. The main charachter Allie starts off in love with the gardener of her father's plantation. She works along side hime and has a degree in horticulture. Her family is very rich, the gardener Fredrick, is not. Well the two talk about marriage and then Allie goes and talks to her Aunt Landon, who has been a second mother to Allie since Allie's mom passed away. Aunt Landon was not happy with Allie's choice in men and persuaded her that if she ever got engaged to Fredrick the family would be most unhappy with her and she may be cut out of her aunt's will.

So Allie, not wanting to disappoint her family does not marry, Fredrick.

10 years later he reappears in her life. She feels sad, miserable, lonely, pathetic and he feels bitter, hurt, but still love for her.

Other great characters join the mix and the question is will Allie and Fredrick get back together?

Read the book to find out, there are many obstacles for them to overcome and many miscommunications that just make the book a real page turner.

I loved this series and recommend it to anyone who loves Jane Austen and Christian literature.

Debra White Smith continues her series of contemporary retellings of Jane Austen novels with a fresh look at Persuasion. Possibilities tells the story of wealthy Allie who regrets her decision of a decade past to reject the proposal of the family's yardman Frederick Wently on the basis of social prejudice.

Frederick reenters Allie's life after sacrificial service in the war in Afghanistan as a pilot. Allie's family fortunes have waned due to the indulgent lifestyle sought by her father and sisters and Frederick harbours bitterness stemming from Allie's rejection of him in the past. Both Frederick and Allie must search their hearts to determine if forgiveness and acceptance will take precendence over heartache and disdain.

While traditional fans of Jane Austen's work may balk at reading such a book, Ms Smith will no doubt convert many with her emphasis on looking at the heart and rising above inane social restrictions that continue to influence us today.

Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (1/07)

I can't remember if I've ever read "Persuasion," the novel by Jane Austin that this contemporary version is based on. But I know I've seen various movies by the same title and most readers will be familiar with the storyline of two lovers pulled apart by demanding family members who think they know what's best.

Allie is set to accept Frederick's proposal until her meddling aunt convinces her that family, social class and the amount of money in one's bank account are more important and that Frederick, the yardman, will never amount to anything. It seems that plantation families in Georgia still think they are all that! As the reader, I wanted to shake Allie by the shoulders and say "Wake up! Do what makes you happy."

The story continues ten years into the future where, of course, Frederick and his family members have improved their standing in the community and Allies' family is sinking fast. Both lovers continue to pine for each other relentlessly, but don't realize how much until they meet again under interesting circumstances. The plot thickens as they say, and it seems that the two will never actually hook up despite their best efforts.

Each character introduced adds another layer to the story. Landon, Allie's aunt, comes on strong with a thick Southern accent. I had to reread the first few pages to figure out what "fathah" was. Once I got it, the device blurred into the background as the story took over. Speaking of Allie's father, Richard Elton, I could have kicked him for being so unaware of everything about his family, including his mounting debt. Allie's sisters couldn't have been more different than their practical, selflessly-devoted sister. Sarah serves the role of the cheerleading best friend to Allie's suffering soul, when no one in her own family performs up to par. Several characters get in the way of Allie's happiness and a few even try to swindle what's left of the family fortune. You'll enjoy meeting each of them.

I can't imagine giving up someone I loved, but I suppose women do it all the time. Or they put up with other things, like bad marriages, for the good of others. Then there is the selfishness that some of the other characters display. I don't want to give away the conclusion, but there is a scene on an airplane that twists the plot so tightly you can't envision how Allie will come out on top.

I appreciate that although "Possibilities" is categorized in the Christian genre, it isn't overly obvious when reading it. Values are discussed, but no one should feel uncomfortable if they don't happen to be of any religious persuasion. Also listed in the romance category, it is not a Harlequin-type read with ripping bodices, but a contemporary, adult love story that is enjoyable. I stayed up late a few nights because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Evidently the author, Debra White Smith, has written a series of books based on Austen's novels. I can't wait to try another one. Maybe I'll even take a look at the original novels instead of renting the DVDs.

Received book free of charge.

Allie wanted to marry Frederick. Unfortunately he's the gardener and she's a rich society girl. Advice from her family tells her to reject him, which she does. Ten years later, her family is in debt. Frederick is now a war hero with military honors. However he hasn't forgotten how Allie rejected him. Now the two must face each other again bringing back memories of rejection and lost love. A modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion.

I haven't read Persuasion yet (I know, the horror!) but I did recently see a BBC version on Masterpiece Theater this past week. I enjoyed the story very much and even more so because I had just finished this modern retelling of it. It's a light read that romance readers are sure to enjoy. Even if you have no clue who Jane Austen is, the story is written for the romance lover in mind, perfect for a cozy afternoon read. While I did enjoy the story, there were a couple little things that really bugged me while reading. The main distraction was the overly exaggerated Southern talk from Landon. I didn't see the need to write her dialogue in this fashion, honestly it looked like poor English. It would have been more easier to just say that she was from the South and left it as that. The other little irk that got me (and it happens quite a bit in Christian fiction) is when age differences are discussed, 10 year age differences are always declared as "I'm nearly old enough to be your father!" With all the huge age differences between couples these days, this type of comment is very annoying and seems to be quite dated. Also while it would have made sense for Anne Elliot to not be able to do anything because of what her father and society demanded of her in the 1800s, it's quite different for Allie. It's the 21st century and she can't get a job at 35 because her father says no? Unfortunately for me, this was my least favorite book of the series. While I like the Persuasion story very much, it just did not seem to ring true to a modern setting. Allie comes off too much as a pushover who cannot make up her own mind at all even more so than Anne did in the original book. So my final verdict is as a romance story it's a wonderful read, as a modern retelling of a great classic a little tweaking in some places would help out a lot.

Luckily, I read Possibilities before I read First Impressions (Smith's modern version of Pride and Prejudice). If it had been the other way around, I may have not read Possibilities. Possibilities follows the twists and turns of the Austen original, including Frederick's alliance with an "injured" lover he was using to get Allie's attention. The subtle ways that Smith gets the two lovers together is reminiscient of the original. The religious overtones are not as "in your face" as the previously mentioned First Impressions, a fact I appreciated because Jane Austen's comments on religion, politics, etc., were always done in a very subtle manner. Austen lovers will be satisfied by this adaptation.

If you absolutely must buy this book simply because you are a fellow Austen-aholic and must read everything Austen-esque... then may I urge you to pick it up at your local library. Not worth any money.

The characters were without texture. The storyline was too much "telling" not enough "showing". I ended up not caring a wit about any of the characters. I had the feeling as if Smith was just trying to crank out the book and stopped enjoying the story telling part of it.

The entire series was pretty bland and unimaginative, but this book by far is the worst of them all.

This one, along with "Reason and Romance", are the two weakest installations of Ms. Smith's Austen series. While the plot is pretty good, one of Ms. Smith strengths, the characters and language in "Possibilities" are just painful.

It takes a genius to write a Southern accent phonetically without being irritating. Your average author should just let the reader know the characters are from the South and leave it there. Not only is the Southern dialect really bad in the dialog, it's also inconsistent -- just when you actually begin enjoying the plot, an ill-timed "Southern" word is thrown in. Awful, awful writing, and not made up for with fairly good characters. You don't at all care if they end up together or not!!

This writer is an amateur and to say that that the book is based on Austen's Persuasion is a true slight to Austen's writing. This book was so silly and so poorly written that I found it hard to read. I kept at it since I did not have anything else to read at the time. But do not waste your time, it is just not that good.