Sophia Rose Reviews - Family Portraits by Pamela Lynne, narrated by Brigid Lohrey

Today Sophia Rose is Reviewing Family Portraits by Pamela Lynne, narrated by Brigid Lohrey
Enjoy!

Family Portraits by Pamela Lynne, narrated by Brigid Lohrey

#2 Dearest Friends

Historical Romance

Publisher:  Pamela Lynne

Published:  4.26.21

ASIN:  B093C6ZHHD

Time:  9 hours 4 minutes

Rating: 5

Narration: 5

Format:  Audible

Source:  Author

Sellers:  Amazon/ Audible

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Blurb: 

In Dearest Friends, Pamela Lynne drew complex and interesting characters who joined Darcy and Elizabeth on their road to happily ever after. But, what happened after ‘the end’? Did Lydia survive her time at Rosings? Did Jane find fulfillment as Mrs. Bingley? Did Mary and Sebastian adhere to duty or allow their hearts to lead them? Follow the Fitzwilliams, Bennets, Gardiners and Darcys through portraits of their lives at two, five and ten years after the Darcys’ marriage. Their canvas is studded with heartbreaking loss, new beginnings and, through it all, the indelible bond of family.

 

Sophia Rose's Review:

Dearest Friends was a very special book for me. I adore Austenesque variations/sequels and encountering new to me authors. I was enchanted by that book, but felt there was more to the ongoing story of the extended family group of characters. The author picked up her pen once again and satisfied her readers with the latter half of the story.

I listened to Family Portraits as a re-read and was once again transported into a heartwarming family saga that spanned many years taking in heartaches, laughter, and a shot at romance for the younger adults in the family.

Blending epistolary and narrative formats, the large cast of family pose many delightful plot threads that run separate, weave together, and pull apart several times. The reader has to stay on her/his toes to keep up as scenes change and many characters are involved in this story as the family has grown larger with each marriage. The pacing varied, but matched the situation as characters' went through conflicts or times of growth.

I was much relieved to get a resolution for an emerging star-crossed couple from the last book and see several figuring out marriage and life.  I had to laugh whenever the Fitzwilliam brothers or even Richard and Anne were in a scene.  They made it sparkle with banter, spice, and a sense of family.

Brigid Lohrey continued as duology narrator and delighted me once again with her cast of voices, emotions, and all around charming storytelling.

This was a book that doesn't take the practiced approach to the way a novel usually reads, but was a decade long update into the P&P family's lives. I loved going along through all those years with them. This is a book that must be read after Dearest Friends as it is a closely-tied sequel. Both are ones I would recommend to the Austenesque fan who enjoys a strong deviation from the original path and a creative twist to the individual characters. I look forward to more of what this author has to offer in the future.

 

Author Bio:

Pamela Lynne grew up in the American South, surrounded by Southern Gothic works by Faulkner, O'Connor and the like. These authors helped shape her evolving mind and continue to influence everything she produces as an adult. It was a Regency-era wit from across the Atlantic, however, who lit a life-long interest in 19th Century England.

Pamela cites Jane Austen as her primary literary influence and she delves into the darker aspects of Regency life in all her novels, most particularly in the upcoming Granville Legacy Series, where she explores the bonds of family and what it costs to break them.

Dearest Friends: A Jane Austen Inspired Novel, Pamela’s debut work, won the Independent Publishers 2016 IPPY Awards Bronze Medal for Romance.

Pamela currently lives in the rolling hills of Tennessee with her husband of more than a decade, four kids, two cats and one very blond dog. She is still a Marianne hoping to grow into Elinor, or Clairee from Steel Magnolias.

 

 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/pamelalynne1

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AlexisLynneBooks

Sophia’s Bio:

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

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GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13418187.Sophia_Rose