Liz (Bent Bookworm)
Written on Feb 17, 2019
An English professor struggling for tenure discovers that her ex-fiancé has just become the president of her college—and her new boss—in this whip-smart modern retelling of Jane Austen’s classic Persuasion.
Anne Corey is about to get schooled.
An English professor in California, she’s determined to score a position on the coveted tenure track at her college. All she’s got to do is get a book deal, snag a promotion, and boom! She’s in. But then Adam Martinez—her first love and ex-fiancé—shows up as the college’s new president.
Anne should be able to keep herself distracted. After all, she’s got a book to write, an aging father to take care of, and a new romance developing with the college’s insanely hot writer-in-residence. But no matter where she turns, there’s Adam, as smart and sexy as ever. As the school year advances and her long-buried feelings begin to resurface, Anne begins to wonder whether she just might get a second chance at love.
Funny, smart, and full of heart, this modern ode to Jane Austen’s classic explores what happens when we run into the demons of our past...and when they turn out not to be so bad, after all.
- ISBN10 1501175181
- ISBN13 9781501175183
- Publish Date 6 February 2018
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Simon & Schuster
- Imprint Gallery
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 384
- Language English
Reviews
llamareads
Written on Feb 1, 2018
“How could I explain to her that this—this office filled with books, this job at Fairfax, this life of the mind—had cost me more than I’d ever expected? I hadn’t dated anyone in years, my student debt was the size of a mortgage, and my job could easily be eliminated at a moment’s notice.”
Anne, is, perhaps, not exactly happy with her life. While she’s a professor at a small liberal arts college in southern California, she’s got a ridiculous amount of student debt, an uncertain career future if she can’t get her manuscript published, screwed-up family relationships, and a nonexistent love life. Still, the start of a new school year is something to be happy about – until she finds out that the new college president is her ex-fiancé Adam. Adam seems to have it all together – a prestigious job that caps off a so-far excellent career, handsome looks, and a cute dog – while Anne, well, “she was only Anne,” to quote Austen. Hurt by his seeming inability to recognize her, Anne takes up with the charming Rick, a writer-in-residence. The reader, of course, knows the relationship is doomed, but I was amused by the ways Ms. Sonneborn found to display his unworthiness, including the fact that he specifically tells Anne that he doesn’t like Austen – he calls her books “oldfashioned chick lit,” while Anne’s favorite book is Persuasion. I found this a bit tongue-in-cheek but it gave the characters permission to use some of the more out of the modern vernacular lines.
Besides Anne’s romantic life, there’s a few other subplots: her BFF Larry’s on-the-down-low romance with an up and coming actor (in a Jane Eyre with zombies movie, no less), her and her sister’s attempts to cope with her father’s worsening health, her rocky relationship with her father and sister, and her need to get her manuscript published so she can get tenure. I thought all the subplots worked amazingly well to reinforce the points of the main plot, though I will admit that I adored Larry and any scene he was in. There’s some particularly hilarious emoji conversations that I absolutely died over. I mean, look at this scene from early in the book, when they’re discussing Adam:
“'Boo. That’s too bad. I don’t like it when people are too perfect. What is it with this guy? He’s got the fancy degrees, the high-powered CV, and he’s good-looking, too! I mean, why do some people get all the cookies? I want some cookies, too!’
‘Larry, you’ve got plenty of cookies on your own,’ I said, rolling my eyes. ‘I mean, give me a break, you’re a tenured professor with a PhD from Harvard. What more could you want?’
‘Oh, a personal life, maybe. Or some more hair would be nice,’ Larry said, pretending to pout. ‘I just want more cookies.’”
I adored the setting of this quasi-New England college town in southern California, the ridiculousness of departmental meetings and alumni fundraising (GO WOLVERINES!!!), and all the other details that go along with being a professor a small liberal arts college. What I really loved, though, was the ways Ms. Sonneborn found to modernize Persuasion.
In the original novel, Anne was persuaded against marrying Capt. Wentworth because he had no money and no family connections, and therefore wasn’t a suitable match for someone of her stature. In this novel, Anne’s persuaded against the marriage, partially, by her respected advisor, who in a sort of annoying backwards view of feminism makes her believe that if she marries, she’ll have to give up her dreams of graduate school and being a professor, and settle instead for – GASP – being a mother or kindergarten teacher. I thought this was a masterful way of updating the reasons against the relationship, because I’m sure any woman alive today can sympathize with the dueling desires of having a career and a family, and feeling like they’re making a mediocre showing at both. I also adored the updated version of the reconciliation, with Adam overhearing Anne talking about not giving up on love, even when a relationship is in the trash, and the letter Adam writes her where he finally declares his feelings for her. I’ll certainly admit to crying when he breaks out the famous “I have loved none but you” line.
I’m still crunching over the fact that they made Adam, basically, an illegal immigrant – his mother moved them to America from Guatemala when he was a child – so he is, in essence a DREAMer. It felt a bit too politically on-the-nose, but I do admit that it’s a genius way to try to portray the differences in standing between the two families that would have been more easily understood in regency England.
“'I keep wishing I could go back in time and change things . . . that maybe everything would have turned out differently if I’d just paid attention more, listened, understood the signs. Do you know what I mean?’
‘I do,’ Adam said. He looked troubled.
‘I don’t know why I do this,’ I said, laughing bitterly. ‘I can’t help myself. I must be a masochist.’”
My one big complaint was that in the original novel, when they meet again, Capt. Wentworth is still angry with Anne for the broken proposal years ago. In this version, it’s obvious – to the reader, at least – that Adam still has feelings for Anne, and things just conspire against them having it all out in a conversation. I think there was still a satisfactory amount of tension without that, and I can understand why Ms. Sonneborn would chose to change that – the way it works in the original book always made me feel that Anne needed to “earn” Capt. Wentworth’s love – and this way the blame of breaking of the engagement seems to fall equally on Anne and Adam.
Overall, this is an enjoyable and hilarious retelling of Persuasion. If you’re not all up on your Austen, then I think this would still be some pretty fun chick lit. There were some bits left unresolved, so I’m hoping for a sequel starring Larry!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Sam@WLABB
Written on Jan 31, 2018
When I first read the synopsis for this book, I thought I was signing on for a second chance romance, but really, this was more women's lit to me, because the focus was so solidly on Anne coming to terms with her past decisions and trying to gain control of her life.
"I suddenly felt faint. My former fiancé was my new boss."
Anne, a 30-something college professor, was at a critical time in her fledgling career. Her contract was coming to an end, and she needed to get a book deal or lose her position. At the same time, she was dealing with an aging parent, never ending bills, and the return of her one-time epic love, Adam. Coming face to face with her past, has her reflecting on her current life circumstances and questioning her previous decisions.
I really liked Anne. She was very down to earth and relatable. She also had a fantastic sense of humor. I really enjoyed her narration, commentary, and self-reflection. I absolutely adored Larry and thought him and Anne formed a perfect friendship. He definitely filled the role of quirky sidekick, and he did it well. Anne was funny, but Larry was hilarious. He side plot, was amusing, and a besotted Larry was a ton of fun too. There were also all those tangled webs of relationships that are ever-present in novels, such as Austen's. It was quite a web Sonneborn wove, and it did its job, leading me down certain paths of thought and making me laugh.
I liked the way Sonneborn wove the flashbacks into the story. The placement was thoughtful, and fit nicely with the present-time events giving us a little insight into why Anne was making the decisions she was making. Some of these flashbacks really broke my heart. When I read about past Anne&Adam, I was totally shipping them, and I was eager to find out what led to the demise of their relationship. With each part of the past that is revealed, I understood Anne more and more.
I loved the ending. I was wearing a big, stupid grin and had tears in my eyes, but I do wish it wasn't as rushed. It wasn't that it was not satisfying, I just wanted more, which is never a bad thing.
Overall: A fun retelling, which I am filing under "makes-me-happy", because it did.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS