Kate WatsonReseñas

I think I would've enjoyed this more if I didn't love Mansfield Park so much. This is a fairly thorough retelling, nailing many of the details that even the film adaptations have ignored, but in making it more modern, much of what I loved about Fanny and her character has been significantly downplayed and even lost.

Fanny Price is a non-entity, a convenient nothing, a plain, easily ignored girl taken on charity. And she's aware of it all the time...aware of her duty to her family, to contribute to their happiness if she can. And yet, when the time comes for her to cave to their expectations, she cannot compromise her own ethics. Because Fanny Price is also a stubborn, moral stick-in-the-mud possessing more wisdom than anyone wants to admit, and she trusts herself even when no one will listen.

I love that Fanny Price. Socially oppressed, ignored except when convenient, she nonetheless finds something of value within herself and refuses to relinquish it. Finley Price, on the other hand, is glossy and beautiful with social cachet in spades if she chooses to use it. A history of abuse has left her timid and unwilling to trust herself, and so she looks outward for approval and submits to others' expectations and needs like some kind of martyr.

I understand why Watson wrote her this way. It's a lot more complicated to write about societal pressure and marginalization today than it was in Jane Austen's time. (Though not impossible.) And so why not flip the source of conflict from external pressure to internal instability? But I wanted to read a Mansfield Park retelling with Fanny Price in it, not Finley. I wanted her wise and stodgy and plain and fighting for herself.

Every scene where Finley huddles deeper into herself, lets others make her choices for her, refuses to assert her beliefs, even gently; every scene when someone comments on her beauty and her charm and how many dudes want to date her; every scene when she patches together the life she's always wanted from the shards of her broken past, when she "finds" herself and "heals"...every scene I spent with Finley, I was imagining how it could've been with Fanny instead. And I missed her. In her own retelling, I missed her.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Flux books for allowing me to read and review “Shoot the Moon” by Kate Watson. What an insightful look at addiction. I can’t remember the last time I read a book that so deeply takes us into the numbing, heart-pounding world of brain-chemistry changing addiction, where just the mention of a trigger, a let-down during the course of the day, or just not having enough to DO can cause that itch to beg incessantly to be scratched. Kate Watson illustrated that so beautifully through Tate’s struggles and eventual management of his disease.

And the plotting and narrative of this was so nicely done. I loved the creativity in the characters of the Wolfs, of Alex, the angry daughter who is out to hurt everyone she touches, the toxic parents, the campaign pitting two relatives by marriage against one another that exposes all sorts of dirt. The mafia and the secrets that they hold and use. This was entertaining and brilliantly plotted. An entertaining treat from start to finish.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author.

Please excuse typos. Entered on screen reader.

SO S O CUTE AND PAINFUL IN THAT REPEATED MISSED OPPORTUNITIES WAY

If you are a fan of Rick Riordan, this will feel like a familiar world. Kali is struggling with the whole fate thing - as a cupid in training she is cynical and upset about the idea that fate controls everyone's actions. The story is funny and also serious.

I was completely charmed by Kate Watson’s debut. From her updated take on Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park to Finley Price’s backstory, I loved every minute of Seeking Mansfield. The first companion novel, Shoot the Moon, was a bit of a let down after the high expectations that the first book set.

When I saw that Off Script was returning to the formula of the first, I hoped the magic would return.
On the one hand, Watson returns to Jane Austen for inspiration and her focus on some of the secondary characters in the first book is a draw. On the other hand, it can be tough to meet the high expectations after a book that isn’t as well-received.

Yet, in Off Script, Watson manages to take a character who, on the surface appears fake, superficial, and self-centered, and makes readers change their minds about her before the finish of the book. Hang out with Emma long enough, and it becomes obvious much of her behavior is a reaction to her pain and disappointments (many of which come from the people she should be able to depend on the most).

It takes a while to get there, but the growing pains Emma experiences are worth the journey. Add in Liam, who doesn’t hesitate to speak his mind and offer correction where Emma’s behavior is less than stellar and all of the correlations you can make between this book and Austen’s Emma, and Watson has managed to create another story I thoroughly enjoyed.

Content warning: There are several instances of cursing throughout the book

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Where to start with this book? I should start with the fact that I do love stories about Gods and Goddesses. Their personalities, their whims, the fact that they're all powerful, it all wraps up into something that has me firmly invested in books revolving around them. So when Lovestruck appeared on my reading list, I was pretty darn excited. As a Cupid in training, and a reluctant one at that, I hoped that Kali and I would get along swimmingly. After all, who doesn't love a story about star crossed love?

I'm going to start with the honest fact that Kali and I didn't get along as well as I'd hoped. While I absolutely understood that this is a YA story, Kali's character felt really young to me. The fact that Kate Watson set Kali on a path that she wasn't 100% sold on, really touched my heart. I felt hopeful and anxious right along with her, as she tried to figure out how to get around her supposedly inevitable fate. However I also felt frustrated with her, a lot. Her attitude towards her friends, and her inability to see how selfish she was being, made me want to smack her more than a few times. I did feel like she ultimately learned and grew up by the ending, but Kali isn't an easy character to love. That might be rough for some readers.

Still, the story that Watson weaves around Kali's fate fueled dilemma is an excellent one. She perfectly weaves backstories for each of the Gods and Goddesses who are featured, without it ever feeling like something overwhelming. I loved watching Kali interact with all of them, and giggled quite a bit at the parent/child relationships in this book. It should be noted that there are also really excellent messages woven into the tapestry of this book. Watson touches on familial relationships, one-sided friendships, and (best of all, in my opinion) on what a real romance looks like. I can't count the number of times that I found myself nodding my head along with Kali's realizations that the relationship she was in might be toxic. Oh, to have read this book as a teenager.

Lovestruck also has its fair share of laugh out loud moments! The interactions between godly brothers and sisters had me cracking up. I love that these ethereal beings are just as silly and petty as all of us here on Earth. This book moves so quickly, and 300 pages all but flew by. Overall, I had a really good time with this book. It might read a little younger than I'm used to for YA, but it has a ton of heart. For that, I happily award it 3 stars.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I saw this modern YA retelling of my favorite Jane Austen novel I knew I had to read it. I'm in the minority of Austenites with Mansfield Park as my favorite Jane Austen novel so I knew this one wouldn't quite live up to my hopes for a YA retelling but I kept an open mind. I actually really enjoyed this one. There were a few times when the main characters - Finley Price and Oliver Bertram - got on my nerves a little but that can be explained by my love for the original Fanny Price and Edmund Bertram. Juliette Bertram is just as maddening as the character she is based on (Maria Bertram) and I still find myself drawn towards Harlan (Henry) Crawford. I would definitely recommend this YA Jane Austen retelling to my fellow Austenites who also enjoy YA novels.

Goodreads Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Finley Price has perfected two things: how to direct a world-class production, and how to fly way, way under the radar. The only person who ever seems to notice Finley is her best friend, the Bertram's son Oliver. If she could just take Oliver's constant encouragement to heart and step out of the shadows, she'd finally chase her dream of joining the prestigious Mansfield Theater.

When teen movie stars Emma and Harlan Crawford move next door to the Bertram's, they immediately set their sights on Oliver and his cunning sister, Juliette, shaking up Finley and Oliver's stable friendship. As Emma and Oliver grow closer, Harlan finds his attention shifting from Juliette to the quiet, enigmatic, and thoroughly unimpressed Finley. Out of boredom, Harlan decides to make her fall in love with him. Problem is, the harder he seeks to win her, the harder he falls for her.

But Finley doesn't want to be won, and she doesn't want to see Oliver with anyone else. To claim Oliver's heart—and keep her own—she'll have to find the courage to do what she fears most: step into the spotlight.

My Review:
I received a copy of this from the publisher in exchange for a review.

First off, I really like the cover on this book. It's really bright and eye catching. The book begins with Fin(ley), a sixteen year old girl, filling out her Mansfield theatre application. She lives with her godparents and their son, Oliver, the other point of view in the story. Her father, a celebrity and actor passed away, and her horrible mother is in jail. She feels like she owes her new family her life for helping her get away from the abuse of her mother.

Fin is a huge movie buff and loves plays. She's easily abused by people and doesn't really stand up for herself, though she should. You really get to know her really well and the characters in the book seem like they could be real people. Although they live next to celebrities, Harlan and Emma, they face their problems like real people would. I really enjoyed reading this book and devoured it in one night.

Honestly this book is amazing. As soon as I started reading it I knew I'd like it and I couldn't put it down. It follows the characters as they live their lives and spread their wings. They really change throughout the book and I'm happy for them, even though they're not real. The story is a breathe of fresh air compared to the other books I've been reading lately and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. It takes turns I never expected and I definitely recommend it.

Here's a link to the authors twitter, and another link to amazon where you can purchase the book.

https://twitter.com/katewatsonya

https://www.amazon.ca/Seeking-Mansfield-Kate-Watson/dp/1635830028/ref=sr_1_1?ie=...

Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
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