Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Review: Reflections by Linda Gonschior


In her debut novel, Linda Gonschior gives readers a conflict filled and emotionally driven modern Pride and Prejudice adaptation.

Reflections begins when Elizabeth Bennet tours Pemberley with her friends, rather than the Gardiners, months after Darcy’s rejected proposal. After enjoying a most pleasurable day together, Elizabeth realizes Darcy has changed and just how much of her heart he possesses. But what’s a good story without conflict and a good Wickham/Lydia scandal? Thus begins the misunderstandings that drive the plot.

I always enjoy a story where the main characters face acute internal struggles. Gonschior does not disappoint here. Before either address what is really in their hearts, Darcy and Elizabeth each believe their connection to the Wickham/Lydia debacle is what has driven the other away. As opportunity and time pass, Darcy and Elizabeth find themselves suffering from self-imposed heartache. Elizabeth moves to Manchester under the guise of attending college while her true reasons are her attempts to run away from the pain and to keep her skeletons securely in her closet. Darcy’s solution is to fist drink, then bury himself in work.

The internal pain our star-crossed lovers suffer during the three years they are apart is tangible. Each believes staying away and shutting out others, especially Charles and Jane Bingley, will make the pain and memories fade. I couldn’t help feeling torment and empathizing with Darcy and Elizabeth as even these years later they remain haunted by the delightfully torturous memories of their time together at Pemberley.

I was pleased with Gonschior’s minor character development. Here, Charles Bingley is perceptive and insightful. When it comes to Darcy and Elizabeth, Charles knows there is something there that both are too stubborn and prideful to face. Readers also get to experience Jane’s unwavering support and concern for her most beloved sister. Summoning their inner Emmas, Charles and Jane work to bring the couple back together; however, can Elizabeth and Darcy overcome their myriad of misunderstandings, learn to open up and follow their hearts?

The only trouble I had with Reflections was in the falling action. Once Darcy and Elizabeth finally resolve their conflicts, the book dragged. I found myself skimming the last sixteen or so pages as I felt it could have been concluded much sooner with the same effect.

Overall, Reflections is a unique modern that can draw you in with all the emotions, inner struggles and misinterpretations of a great drama or soap opera. 

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Review copy provided by publisher, Meryton Press 

13 comments:

  1. Sounds like a wonderful story. Can never have enough D&E.

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    1. Thanks, Mary! You are correct. One cannot have enough D&E! ;)

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  2. Thanks for sharing another one of your insightful reviews, Jakki! I hadn't heard of this novel, but you've definitely piqued my interest -- thank you :).

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by, Marilyn! :) Glad you enjoyed the review and I was able to pique your interest! :)

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  3. I liked this one, too, though I think the version I read online has a bit of a different timeline. It began with E already in Manchester (2 or 3 yrs later) and the things before that were mentioned in flashback. I don't think we got much look at their separate struggles, particularly Darcy's, before they met up again. She did have some other stories that were off-shoots of this one so she probably combined them. I look forward to reading it again. Great review, Jakki :)

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    1. Hi Monica! Thanks! Gonshior has the book divided up into sections. There is about a 14 page prologue that cover E's time at Pemberley, then the opening several chapters that cover the same year (what you must have read as a flashback) and then the last part, and majority of the book, the present which is 3 years after E&D's time at Pemberley. Overall, it was an enjoyable book, and I see she is writing a sequel to Reflections as well.

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  4. Oh, I'm glad its pretty good. I got it with the big Meryton Press freebie event the other day.

    Thanks for sharing your review, Jackie!

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    1. I also got this on my Kindle the other day during the sale. I love having both paperback and ebook copies. If I want to look for a particular passage, I find it much easier to do on my Kindle, but prefer the feeling of and reading a paperback.
      Hope you enjoy the book, Sophia Rose! :)

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  5. Thanks for the review, Jakki. I, too, got it for my kindle while it was free a few days ago. Lookning forward to reading it. And I love the sound of Bingley in this one!

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    1. Katrin, I can just imagine your excitement at discovering that the Meryton Press books were also free on Amazon.de!! Hope you were able to stock up! :)
      Yes, I enjoyed Gonschior's Bingley! I hope you do too!

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  6. So nice of Meryton Press to offer it free last week - I downloaded 5 books!

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    1. Yes, it was very kind of MP! I downloaded a few too! Love being able to have a book on my Kindle and paperback! Hope you enjoy them, Angie! :)

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  7. I hadn't heard of this one. It sounds really good, even if it dragged a bit toward the end.

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