Captain Wentworth's Persuasion by Regina Jeffers

Received for review

Paperback:  377 pages
Publisher: Ulysses Press (11 Mar 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1569757763
ISBN-13: 978-1569757765

Insightful and dramatic, this novel recreates the original style, themes, and sardonic humor of Jane Austen’s novel while turning the entire tale on its head in a most engaging fashion. Readers hear Captain Wentworth’s side of this tangled story in the revelation of his thoughts and emotions. Wentworth initially suffers rejection and frustration because the titled Elliots do not consider him good enough for their daughter Anne. Despite her feelings for Wentworth, Anne allows others to persuade her to break off their engagement. Eight years later, when Wentworth returns from fighting against Napoleon’s army, the difficult years of war have reversed fortunes. Now it is he who is rich, having won many prizes in battle, while the Elliots are deeply in debt and in danger of losing their good name. Will Wentworth seek revenge by choosing another woman over his former love? Can he walk away from Anne, or will the memory of her lips and her touch capture his love once again?

A huge thank you to Regina Jeffers for sending me this for review.

Cover: A really suitable cover.  It actually reminds me of my copy Jane Austen's Persuasion and definitely has an authentic Austen feel to it,although it is not how I imagine Frederick Wentworth.

Plot: Jane Austen's Persuasion retold in Frederick Wenworth's perspective. 

I loved this book.  I am normally wary of adaptations but I thoroughly enjoyed Regina Jeffers book Vampire Darcy's Desire and knew I wanted to read more of her work, plus I am Persuasion obsessed, anything Persuasion related and I am there! Everything I could have wanted was covered in this book- Anne and Frederick's first meeting, their falling in love, her rejection, meeting again after eight years, falling in love all over again and then carrying on where Austen left off, everytime I re-read Persuasion I constantly wonder 'what happens next for Anne and Frederick', and now I don't have to wonder anymore because it was a perfect ending.
Jane Austen's heroes are some of the most loved in literature and yet they don't really have their own 'voice' but after reading Captain Wentworth's Persuasion I fell in love with him all over again.  In Persuasion he comes across as indifferent but really he's in turmoil and it was great seeing how he really reacted to being back in Anne's presence and the misunderstandings that prevent them from being together again and that love really is constant between them.
Carrying on the story was perfect and for me it felt like their story was complete, had come full circle.
Each chapter included a quote from various relevant poems and they were so well chosen you would think they had been written specifically for Anna and Frederick!
For me this has to be a 5/5 stars!  I loved everything about this book and I couldn't put it down, I was so absorbed I read it on the bus, in my lunch hour etc.  I would recommend this for all Austen fans and I will definitely be checking out Darcy's Passions: Pride and Prejudice Through His Eyes.