Review & Giveaway: The Last Miss Phillips

In 1832, the era of Regency has already passed; and with it, the youth of Miss Catherine “Kitty” Phillips. Middle-aged and of modest fortune, she spends her days tutoring her nieces and nephew and her seasons shuttled between a dreary manor in Yorkshire and a London townhouse whose rooms hold associations both painful and pleasant.  

In contrast, the life of Hetta Harwick is that of marital eligibility despite age. Once the spoiled and petted daughter of a gentleman in financial straits, Hetta is now heir to a fortune and returning to England in her triumph. Wealthy, elegant, and stylish, her interest in the scenes of London are not what they seem.  

Unlikely as a friendship between the two women may seem, events soon place Kitty in the favor of the privileged Hetta. But whether this is in Kitty’s best interest remains to be seen, as the connection places her in situations that seem to challenge her image as a plain but respectable matron. And when a potential suitor–one far too young and handsome–enters the picture, rumors do begin to fly…

The Last Miss Phillips by Laura Briggs

I have always felt a kinship with Austen’s rebellious heroines. Their willingness to break with convention and broaden the definition of ‘accomplishment’ is refreshing and inspiring. The Last Miss Phillips features two such leading ladies. Catherine ‘Kitty’ Phillips is an unmarried woman of modest fortune on the cusp of middle age. Hetta Harwick, a lovely but unmarried woman also of a certain age, possesses a substantial fortune. Without any living relations to answer to, Hetta may (and does) do as she pleases. When the two women rekindle their old acquaintance, Kitty’s rather mundane existence takes a scandalous turn.

The similarities between Persuasion’s protagonist Anne Elliot and Kitty Phillips are apparent. Since I love Persuasion and the city of Bath where it takes place, I was excited to discover this parallel! Anne and Kitty both seem destined for spinsterhood, left to lead a life dependent upon the generosity of relatives. Like Anne, Kitty’s family takes her for granted. Kitty’s needs come second to those of her married and successful sisters, who are each raising large families. Kitty acts as nursemaid for her sister Louisa, teaching her children their lessons and helping her manage her bustling household.

This arrangement raises some interesting questions. In a society in which a woman’s identity, value and self-worth are inexplicably tied to her marriageability, the maintenance of a successful household and raising children, these two heroines have been left unsure of their role. What does it mean to be a single woman who will likely never marry? What options are available to women like Kitty, and how can they ensure their own happiness?

In addition to introducing the reader to two intriguing heroines, the novel is rich in period detail. The description of the charming little village of Beiberry Mile and its rigid social structure is both vivid and historically accurate. The author introduces the reader to a number of the village’s more colorful occupants, including the elderly but proud Mrs. Allgood, spunky Jack Littlewood and the handsome surgeon, Miles Turner. Mr. Turner’s chosen profession is a controversial one; 1832 was the first year that surgeons in England could legally perform dissections on unclaimed bodies.

I thoroughly enjoyed turning the pages and reading more about the budding relationship between Miss Phillips and the kind-hearted but controversial Mr. Turner. I felt that the author really got creative and allowed their relationship to develop through a series of unexpected and excited meetings. The story does occasionally get bogged down in the minutiae of the music that the characters play and compose, particularly during Herr Magnus Scheimann’s lengthy opera. However, it does give the reader insight into each heroine’s (and Herr Scheimann’s) state of mind. Playing and composing music allows the characters to express their most heartfelt emotions.

Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Miss Phillips, especially the contrast and friendship between heroines Kitty and Hetta. Who has not had a friend or acquaintance that their parents, or in Kitty’s case, her sisters, do not totally approve of? Reading this novel will make you smile, remind you of a friend who talked you into doing something you knew you probably shouldn’t do and have you rooting for the heroines from beginning to end.

4.5 out of 5 stars

*****

Laura Briggs has been a Jane Austen fan since she first fell in love with Sense and Sensibility at the age of fourteen. Since graduating college with a B.A. in English, Briggs has published several novels and novellas in both the traditional and indie writing worlds. She has co-authored one Austen continuation in the form of the Contemporary Romance Dear Miss Darcy and published a novella with Pelican Book Group titled Christmas With Miss Austen. Visit Laura online on Facebook.

*****
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Posted on May 29, 2013 by Jessica in Giveaway, Review 13 Comments

Breaking the Regency Rules: Freedom and Forbidden Romance in Historical Fiction

Jane Austen’s heroines knew how to break the rules when it came to romance. In fact, they pretty much decimated them, especially in the case of Lizzie Bennet. Lizzie who turned the social norms upside down when she refused one suitable proposal and then proceeded to reject– and later accept– the proposal of a certain eligible bachelor socially above her.

We as readers love to cheer on these heroines with their bold and independent spirits. No matter how unlikely their happy endings may seem to the world outside fiction, almost everyone can identify with their struggle to break free of the parameters society creates for themselves and their families.

When I decided to collaborate with fellow author Sarah Burgess for the Regency Rules Trilogy, I knew that Austen’s views on women and romance would play some role in developing the series. This was certainly true for Rules for Engagements, in which the heroine pens a handbook on courtship. She has no intention of ever using the rules herself, much less breaking them– until a fortune hunter threatens to steal the heart of a dear childhood friend.

Its sequel features an even bolder heroine with Marianne, who prefers a day in the woods to a night of ballroom dancing. The possibility of love comes to her from two very different admirers, leaving her uncertain which might best suit her independent ways– or if maybe she’s destined to be alone in the suffocating London society.

But the leading ladies in the trilogy’s final installment, The Last Miss Phillips, are really the ones who are forced to defy social parameters. Less light hearted than the previous novels, it explores the idea of how society shapes and limits a woman’s identity. More than just romance is at stake for its two heroines, whose journeys happen to intersect in a way that has life-altering consequences for both, but especially for the meek and mild Kitty Phillips.

Kitty watched her youth pass away with the last of the Regency era. Now, she’s middle-aged with a modest fortune, and no status beyond that of a guest shuffled between her married sisters’ households. So, of course, no one is more surprised than Kitty herself, when she becomes the focus of a romantic scandal in the quaint village of Beiberry Mile.

Just how scandalous is her scenario? On a scale of one to Lydia eloping with Wickham, it’s probably somewhere on the low end, except for the shock it creates for her socially-important London relations. Because not only is Kitty linked romantically with a surgeon ( an almost unmentionable trade to the genteel classes), but the gentleman in question is at least ten years her junior. And the fault of her predicament is partly due to the urgings of Hetta Harwick, the spoiled heiress who mysteriously favors Kitty with her friendship.

Readers of Rules for Engagements, will remember Hetta as a selfish coquette, and no doubt question her motives for befriending Kitty. But this story shows a new side of Hetta, via the flashbacks to her girlhood music training. Her slow-growing connection to her irascible voice and pianoforte tutor reveals more than one regret of choice in her seemingly cold heart.

The music comes to symbolize Hetta’s potential as both an artist and a person, especially in the scene where her tutor gives her the piece composed by the blind songstress. Taken from a true account, the tale of the Swedish harpist deformed by smallpox makes a stark contrast to Hetta’s perfect outward beauty. In its undertones, it’s a moment of self-realization for Hetta, who finds herself astonished by the humble harpist’s accomplishments, while realizing her own talent is wasted as a cheap parlor trick at dinner parties.

Moments like this, perhaps, explain the presence of Hetta in Kitty’s life, pushing her towards the less conventional path to happiness. And while the results seem disastrous for their friendship, as well as Kitty’s own heart, there may be a slim chance for happiness somewhere among the chaos.

The Last Miss Phillips is meant to be sort of a cross between Jane Austen and George Eliot, and I honestly enjoyed working with the historical aspect as much as the romantic ones. Researching the time period (and especially its world of music) was a fun way to add a spark of realism to the more fairytale aspects of the love stories. I hope readers will enjoy this tribute to the literary classics and will find something to relate to in is theme of the rebellious heroine– times two in this case.

*****

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Indie Jane in Guest Post, Indie Publishing 3 Comments

Review: Christmas with Miss Austen by Laura Briggs

If I had my way, it would be Christmas all year round. I get tingles down my spine when it comes time to decorate the tree and sing Christmas carols. I live for nights snuggled into warm blankets, clutching a mug of cider or egg nog, and watching awesomely cheesy Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies. All of those things fill me with a sense of overwhelming happiness.

So I was delighted to find those heartwarming movies that I devour distilled into book form in Laura Briggs’ lovely short tale Christmas with Miss Austen.

Julia Allen is a quirky artist in a small Massachusetts town. In her free time, she volunteers at a local historical landmark where she dresses up as Jane Austen and reads from a first edition of Northanger Abbey. (Can I have this job, pretty please?) One evening, she is caught late at work. As she rushes home in her costume, Julia bumps into a handsome stranger. But she does not stick around long enough to discover who it is.

Eliot Weston spends his time researching the history of books (so dreamy!). One late night, on his way home from the office, he bumps into a mysterious woman dressed like Jane Austen. The woman runs away so fast, Eliot is unsure whether he has really seen her… until he discovers that she’s dropped a valuable first edition of a Jane Austen novel.

Cue mistaken identity, a love that blossoms slowly and feels real, and two people who love the past but are ready to live in the present. Also cue some fun Jane Austen “inside” jokes in the form of the character’s names. Try to see how many you recognize!

Though it covers no startlingly new Austen ground, Christmas with Miss Austen is a well-paced and charming tale that is easy to read in one sitting.

So put on the Christmas carols, grab a mug of something warm, and get ready to feel your heart grow three sizes as you watch Julia and Eliot fall in love.

Five out of Five Twinkling Lights!

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Laura Briggs graduated from a Missouri liberal arts college in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Her passion for reading has inspired her to become a freelance writer and novelist. Ms. Briggs enjoys dabbling in several fiction genres, including romance, mystery, and literary.

Find Christmas with Miss Austen and more of her lovely books here.

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Kimberly Truesdale in Review 6 Comments