Review: Ann of Avonlea intersects with Pride and Prejudice
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 12, 2013
If you take Ann of Avonlea and interpose it with Pride and Prejudice, you might get an idea of the circumstances and characters within this "madcap" regency romance. For good measure, add a little Amelia Bedelia as well. Penelope, the country bumpkin come to the city for her first Season, is the heroine of our story. If her capricious nature and antics don't make you laugh outright, at least you'll shake your head in amazement at the wacky escapades she gets herself into.Penelope needs to find a husband. Raised by a stepmother who hates her, she dreads even the thought of having to return home unwed.  So she has responded to her mother's friend, the dowager Blackthorne, to come stay with her in London while she is introduced to the "ton". But all seems to go wrong right from the moment she sets foot in the Mansion. For starters, she has brought along her pet goat. And within a few hours of arrival, alienated the Duke of Radclyff, the dowager's son.All Penelope's mischief is a delight to Lady Anne, the dowager's daughter, who was not looking forward to a boring new season until she meets the visitor. It became obvious from the first day of her arrival that Miss Fairweather was not ready for polite society. So starts a race against time to train the hapless Penny in all the ways she must behave while out in society. If only she didn't have a tendency to babble when she gets nervous!I loved this story. While the basic theme may be the familiar Cinderella story, the writing style is fresh, warm, and inventive. Kind-hearted Penelope is a person we grow to care about. Her mishaps demonstrate the author's creative ability, and there are a few interesting twists and turns in the plot. For a delightful read, I highly recommend this book.