In this Persuasion sequel Elizabeth Elliot is the last of the sisters to be unmarried. Is it her time now. But who will she chose. Her cousin Elliot, and Rushworth are eager. A well-written, easy to read story.
I like this Elizabeth, which is a surprise. Now I will have to read the rest of this trilogy. ( )

Author's guest post at my blog:
http://bookfare.blogspot.com/2015/12/foodfic-please-welcome-laura-hile.html

Disappointing. A random recommendation prompted me to take a chance - I have never come across Laura Hile's continuations of Persuasion before, but the reviews were very encouraging. Unfortunately, Hile's style is more Heyer than Austen - she even sneaks in the curious 'gurgle' of laughter and 'dimpling' of cheeks that Heyer uses - and the dialogue strays back and forth across the Atlantic.

Character wise, I liked Elizabeth Elliot, Anne's beautiful but self-involved older sister from Austen's novel, and found her lively and funny - 'Upon my word, Elise! Penelope would never run off with a man. It isn't as if she's pretty. Who would have her?' - but the story, and Hile's mission to make Miss Elliot safe and likeable, soon drained the heroine of any spirit. Yes, Elizabeth is desperate to marry - especially after good but dull Anne becomes Mrs Wentworth - but would she really fall for the 'wealthy suitor masquerading as worthy servant' trick? The supporting cast are also reduced to caricatures - Mr Rushworth from Mansfield Park makes an appearance as a potential husband, whereas Caroline Bingley from Pride and Prejudice has become a novel-reading, vulgar ninny - and the whole thing regularly descends into farce. Perhaps I was expecting too much from a light and frothy Austen spin-off, but I like characters I can believe in and comedy grounded in a little historical accuracy - Hile might have been inspired by Heyer's playful characters, but she has sadly omitted her careful research of the Regency period. Needless to say, I won't be reading the rest of the series. ( )

If you have read any of my past reviews you know that I love Jane Austen. I am also a fan of sequels, what if , and variation stories that her fans have written. My favorite book by Jane Austen is Persuasion.
I gush every time I read the letter Captain Wentworth writes to Anne. Mercy's Embrace is a sequel to Persuasion. However this book is not about Anne but her older sister Elizabeth. I have to admit in Persuasion, Elizabeth was not one of my favorite characters. She is vain, rude, obnoxious and snarky. So why did I read this story you ask? I read it because I remembered the saying "Everyone has a story". I wanted to find out about Elizabeth Elliot's story.
Laura Hile picks up the story right after Captain Wentworth and Anne's engagement. She brings back all the beloved characters and introduces us to some new ones. Laura sticks to the characters original personalities. I think Jane Austen would be proud. The story line is good. Elizabeth is forced to make sacrifices due to her financial situation. She has the Elliot pride and is on the look out for a wealthy husband. Elizabeth finds a suitor but does not like him, much less love him. She forms an unlikely friendship with the charming Mr. Gill who is not at all wealthy or so she believes. Elizabeth starts to learn lessons in humility, prudence, patience and love. In this story you can start to see the evolution of Elizabeth's character. There are also some delightful surprises along the way. Elizabeth is friends with none other than Caroline Bingley. I have to say I was tickled to see the crossover. Laura Hile has done a wonderful job in this sequel to Persuasion. It has made me like and understand Elizabeth Elliot a little more.

Mercy's Embrace is a three part book series: So Rough A Course, So Lively A Chase and The Lady Must Decide. Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks when I review the next two in the series.

*My thanks to Laura Hile, Pamela Mogen and Wytherngate Press for providing me a copy of the Mercy's Embrace Trilogy to review. This in no way influenced my review. ( )