Review: A Little Folly

Title(s): A Little Folly

Author: Jude Morgan

Date started: January 1st, 2016

Date completed: January 12th, 2016

This novel was pitched to me as a good Jane Austen-style regency novel. Um, no! It was more like all of Jane Austen's characters crammed into one book.

The story revolved around a brother and sister whose extremely overbearing father's death left them with sudden freedom. They resolve to start living and exploring life out from under the oppressive influence of their father. The brother throws himself into London society and the expected threat of social scandal ensues.

The characters and plot lines were just too similar to Austen to make this story enjoyable to me. Felt like a rip off. I'll just compile a brief list off the top of my head:

-Their deceased father was reminescent of Fanny Price's uncle in Mansfield Park.

-Louisa was a strange combination of Elizabeth Bennett, Fanny Price, and Catherine Morland.

-Sophia Spedding was a flirtatious Kitty-like character that ran off to elope with an ex-soldier

-Mrs. Spedding was super shallow and reminded me at times of Mrs. Bennett.

-Pearce Lynley was a thinly disguised Mr. Darcy. He was proud, uptight, and tried to advise the main characters how to live their lives. In the end he stoops below his social level and marries for love.

-Pearce's younger brother, Francis, was a Wickham-like character and eloped with Sophia.

-Eversholts scheme to entrap for money reminescent of the Crawford siblings scheming in Mansfield Park

-Mr. Tresilian works to undo the possible scandal that Louisa's brother created (even paying a large sum of money) to make sure he could marry Louisa. Borrowed straight from Pride and Prejudice.