Persuade Me by Juliet Archer, 368 pages
(Series - Darcy & Friends)
A modern retelling of Persuasion by Jane Austen, this story fills in the blanks where Austen left off ... if her book was set in modern times. The characters remain, for the most part, untouched - at least in personality if not occupation. Mary Musgrove is still her annoying self except that instead of being a hypochondriac she is an alcoholic who views Ann as the woman Mary's husband wants. (That whole Ann & Charles affair goes one step further than Austen's Persuasion did). Mrs. Clay becomes the fake French accent Masseuse named Cleo instead of the widowed daughter of the Elliot's lawyer ... a character I really enjoyed because she was so comical. Admiral and Mrs. Croft are just Mr. & Mrs. Croft - two retirees who decided to open up a nursery. Benwick is still a lover of poetry, but instead of his fiance dying before they could become married, she has run off with another man. That irritated me just a little, but again, the author was trying to modernize the story. The Musgrove family remains intact albeit a little more annoying. As long as you read this book with an open mind and understand that a lot had to change to make it a modern retelling, you will enjoy this read.
