I always wanted to be a writer. I loved to read, and I loved the idea of being able to give other people the same joy I got from reading. But for a long, long time, I didn’t think I had any stories to tell. My husband disagreed. But I guess I wasn’t ready yet.
But then, politics got really divisive and, honestly, scary. I needed an escape from the news and daily barrage. So I went to my go-to comfort reads: Jane Austen’s novels. I started with my all-time favorite, Pride and Prejudice, then made my way through her other five novels. And when I was done? I still wasn’t ready to engage with the outside world. So I started looking for Jane Austen inspired books or Jane Austen adjacent books. Books like Austenland byShannon Hale and Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler. And that lead me to Pride and Prejudice variations.
I had no idea P&P variations existed, let alone how many there were. But once I did? I was hooked. They became my go-to read, my comfort reads.
And then one day, I pulled my head up out of a book and thought, “I want to do that.” And by “that” I meant, write a book based on Pride and Prejudice. I had always sort of wanted to. Every time I’d ever reread any of Austen’s novels I would always spend time imaging how to tell the story in a modern setting. But after six months of P&P variations? I was ready to actually do it.
And thus Of Love & Beer was born.
Which brings me to this blog. I thought it would be fun to share the books that got me here. So for the next little while, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on all the Austen-esque books I’ve read.
I hope you’ll find a new read you weren’t expecting!
Enjoy!
Amanda Darcy 🌸
