Author: Rachel

Review – Elizabeth Bennet, Heiress to Rosings Park

February 21, 2023

Rachel

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Review – Elizabeth Bennet, Heiress to Rosings Park

Posted in Book Blogger

Elizabeth Bennet, Heiress to Rosings Park: A Pride and Prejudice Caprice

by JP Christy

Genres: Historical Fiction
Release Date: October 18, 2022
Pages: 385
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★★☆

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☆☆☆☆☆ – Did not finish
★☆☆☆☆ – Hated it
★★☆☆☆ – Disliked it
★★★☆☆ – Okay
★★★★☆ – Liked it
★★★★★ – Loved it
Read the full explanation of my book rating system.

Feeling estranged from her parents because they reject the future she wants for herself, Elizabeth Bennet visits her friend, Charlotte Collins, at the estate of Rosings Park, hoping it will be a refuge. However, when an unexpected death occurs at the estate, Elizabeth steps up to assist in the ensuing crisis. Very soon, she is embraced as a friend by the estate’s owners, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her daughter, Anne.

When Fitzwilliam Darcy visits Rosings Park, he is suspicious at first of Elizabeth’s unlikely friendship with the de Bourgh ladies, but he soon recognizes Elizabeth’s useful interventions and becomes intrigued by her—the least-romantic woman he has ever known.
A murder throws Rosings Park into turmoil, which results in Elizabeth becoming the mistress of the estate. Then, the forces behind the murder set their sights on her. Can Darcy keep Elizabeth safe and convince her they are fated to be together?

This variation is low on romantic angst, and high on desire and discovery. While there is no explicit sex, there are frank (but never vulgar) discussions between ladies and ladies, and there are conversations of flirtation and curiosity between ladies and gentleman. If you prefer an Elizabeth whose raison d’être is marriage to Darcy, you might not enjoy this Elizabeth, who wants Darcy and more.

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Pen Porn: 18111 Night Snow

February 17, 2023

Rachel

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Pen Porn: 18111 Night Snow

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉

At this point, I don’t even remember when I first saw one of Mr. Nakama’s snowflake pens. I think I already wanted one when I commissioned my Harley Quinn pen, and that was nearly 4 years ago now. Time flies.

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Series Review – Take Charge

February 14, 2023

Rachel

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Series Review – Take Charge

Posted in Book Blogger

Take Charge Series

by Shana Granderson A Lady
Genres: Regency England, Historical Fiction, Romance

Because there are six books in this series (thus far), I didn’t want to review each one separately. As a whole, the series contains the fun, lighthearted, happily ever after type of stories I love to read.

However, there are a few recurring items I’d like to mention now so I don’t have to repeat myself in each book’s review:

The extended families are too perfect. I can only assume this is because they are mostly of Ms. Granderson’s creation — either original characters or characters only briefly mentioned in Pride and Prejudice. But, the Fitzwilliam family, as well as extended Bennet and Fitzwilliam relations are all perfectly jolly, down-to-earth, unprejudiced people. Despite their elevated status, the parents only want their children to marry for love and are disappointed in Darcy when he forgets that his parents wanted the same for their children. They are all happy to welcome the Bennets into the extended family, without a question of their suitability, and those who are of an age with the Bennet sisters are happy to extend informality well before it would be considered appropriate given that they aren’t related.
Ms. Granderson doesn’t like Mr. Bingley. Most of his interpretations in this series are weak-willed and led astray — often to the point of ridiculousness — by his sisters. While he didn’t attend a finishing school — since those were for women — his time at Cambridge, as Darcy’s friend, and among the Ton should have taught him basic social rules. However, in several of the books in the Take Charge series, Mr. Bingley is either ignorant of them, or allows himself to disregard them in order to appease one, or both, of his sisters.
The proposals and acceptances feel fake. They are very wordy and seem perfectly thought out, even though the women’s answers, at least, are meant to be offered without much, if any, forethought. Even if I’d scripted my acceptance and practiced it regularly as a young woman, only needing to substitute in my future fiancé’s name, I don’t think I could have delivered such a long, perfectly articulate response to a marriage proposal. I also find the use of complete names — including any middle names — when proposing and accepting proposals to be odd.

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Monthly Pen Purchases: January 2023

February 10, 2023

Rachel

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Monthly Pen Purchases: January 2023

Posted in Fountain Pens

As I mentioned in my Pen Resolutions Tag and Reviewing My Purchasing Habits posts, I’m trying to limit myself to 36 pen purchases this year. I think that going through my purchases will help me keep on track. So, expect monthly updates on how I’m doing.

A secondary goal I had for myself was to not buy anything in January. My idea was to put January’s allotment toward March to augment my BWIPS “budget.” And I did great, until the 21st. Somehow, in the last 10 days of the month, I bought four pens.

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Series Review – Netherfield’s Duchess

February 7, 2023

Rachel

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Series Review – Netherfield’s Duchess

Posted in Book Blogger

Netherfield’s Duchess Duology

by Victoria Lynn

Genres: Literary Fiction, Romance, Literature and Fiction

My Rating: ★★★★☆

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Title: Netherfield’s Duchess: Book 1
Release Date: April 10, 2021
Pages: 268
Purchase from: Amazon

After the death of her spouse, the Dowager Duchess of Felton takes up residence in her property, Netherfield Park. Having met the Bennets on her previous visit to the estate, Lady Fetton decides that taking an interest in Mr. Bennets older daughters will help give her some purpose and distraction from her personal grief. Arriving with her guest, Anne de Bourgh and her godson, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, the Duchess soon fills up her guest rooms with the Bingleys, the Hursts and Mr. Darcy and his ward and younger sibling Georgiana. Her guests, the Bennets and Mr. Collins and the newly arrived militia all combine for matchmaking, madness and matrimony in this Pride and Prejudice variation.

Title: Netherfield’s Duchess: Book 2
Release Date: June 30, 2021
Pages: 254
Purchase from: Amazon

The fast paced conclusion to Netherfield’s Duchess takes our beloved characters from Hertfordshire to Scotland, from Derbyshire to Kent to London as our couples are forced to deal with plotting Lady Catherine and Wickham.

Rachel

10 Long Years

Posted in Personal

heal [ hēl ], transitive verb: to make free from injury or disease : to make sound or whole
Merriam-Webster

They say time heals all wounds. I disagree, I think time closes all wounds. After all, if you have a large scar, are you truly healed?

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Athena: (Almost) Halfway There

February 1, 2023

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Athena: (Almost) Halfway There

Posted in Cat

Phew! This should be my last Athena-centric post for a little bit. I look forward to some variety in my writing again, despite how proud I am of my recent posts.

This post is an overview of Athena’s first month of treatment. If you haven’t already, I suggest reading my post on her first week of treatment. If you want to dive deep into her story, check out her tag page.

Like the first week post, this one and future monthly updates will be in a journal-esque format. I intend to only touch on major/important events and updates, rather than what happens each day as I did in the first week post.

Rachel

A Break and A Favor

Posted in Cat, and Personal

I questioned writing this post because it seemed a bit over the top. But, this is my blog, and I can write about whatever I want.

Also, I could use a chance to write something easy. The recent Athena posts have been exhausting. The posts about her illness and FIP, especially, each required hours of research to turn veterinary and diagnostic reports into something understandable.

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FIP – A Straightforward Compendium

January 27, 2023

Rachel

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FIP – A Straightforward Compendium

Posted in Cat

com·pen·di·um [ kuhm-pen-dee-uhm ], noun: a brief treatment or account of a subject, especially an extensive subject; concise treatise
Dictionary.com

Like my previous post about Athena’s road to diagnosis, this post will be more technical. I’ve done my best to link to highly technical information — rather than include it in the text — in an attempt to make this more “readable.” Where I’m unable to easily link to the information, or when I have to use medical terms that don’t have a plain language equivalent, I’ve provided explanations through [def] (definition) links.

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Review – Mr. Darcy of Longbourn

January 24, 2023

Rachel

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Review – Mr. Darcy of Longbourn

Posted in Book Blogger

Mr. Darcy of Longbourn

by April Floyd

Genres: Historical British Fiction, Historical Regency Fiction, Regency Historical Romance
Release Date: March 15, 2019
Pages: 262
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

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What if Darcy and Elizabeth switched places? She would be the wealthy young lady of Pemberley and he the master of Longbourn. Elizabeth’s mother, Lady Fanny Bennet, wishes for all her daughters to marry titled gentlemen. Mr. Bennet agrees to a point, but he also thinks love should play a part in any match. In Hertfordshire, Elizabeth visits Mr. and Miss Bingley at Netherfield Park and meets Mr. Darcy at the Assembly. Get ready for some of your favorite characters to be flipped and flustered by this twist on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice! Lady Catherine is no longer a lady and the Fitzwilliams are in trade. Can gentleman farmer Darcy win the love of the spoilt and willful Elizabeth Bennet? A rose by any other name…

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Athena: Awaiting an Answer

January 20, 2023

Rachel

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Athena: Awaiting an Answer

Posted in Cat

This is the second installment (chronologically) in Athena’s history. If you haven’t already, I suggest reading the first installment on her life before she got sick.

Before We Begin

Be Aware: This post is rather different than usual as it serves a dual purpose. While I’m hoping that this account of how we got to a Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) diagnosis will be helpful and/or informative to others, I’m also providing this for transparency with regard to our GoFundMe campaign.

To hopefully help others on the road to an FIP diagnosis, I’m including some more technical information alongside my more typical plain language. I’ve done my best to link to the highly technical information for those who are interested, rather than include it in this post. When I have to use medical terms that don’t have a plain language equivalent, I’ve provided explanations through [def] (definition) links.

To address transparency, I’ve added an “accounting” section with an itemized list of the charges for each vet visit to explain the amount we requested. Perhaps that information may also help someone trying to determine if they can cover diagnosis and treatment because it is expensive.

NOTE: We live in the DMV — District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia — area, where the cost of living is rather high. Therefore the prices I include are almost certainly higher than they are in other areas of the United States.

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Review – Unmentionable

January 17, 2023

Rachel

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Review – Unmentionable

Posted in Book Blogger

Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners

by Therese Oneill

Genres: 19th Century World History, Etiquette, Victorian Era
Release Date: October 25, 2016
Pages: 309
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★★★

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Have you ever wished you could live in an earlier, more romantic era? Ladies, welcome to the 19th century, where there’s arsenic in your face cream, a pot of cold pee sits under your bed, and all of your underwear is crotchless. (Why? Shush, dear. A lady doesn’t question.)

Unmentionable is your hilarious, illustrated, scandalously honest (yet never crass) guide to the secrets of Victorian womanhood, giving you detailed advice on: What to wear Where to relieve yourself How to conceal your loathsome addiction to menstruating What to expect on your wedding night How to be the perfect Victorian wife Why masturbating will kill you And more!

Irresistibly charming, laugh-out-loud funny, and featuring nearly 200 images from Victorian publications, Unmentionable will inspire a whole new level of respect for Elizabeth Bennett, Scarlet O’Hara, Jane Eyre, and all of our great, great grandmothers. (And it just might leave you feeling ecstatically grateful to live in an age of pants, super absorbency tampons, epidurals, anti-depressants, and not dying of the syphilis your husband brought home.)

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Athena: Who Adopted Whom?

January 13, 2023

Rachel

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Athena: Who Adopted Whom?

Posted in Cat

Before I get started I want to note that, for the rest of January, Fridays will be “Feline Friday” as I share the Athena posts I have planned. Also, be aware that this post is rather long. It covers from November 2019 when we first met Athena up to October of 2022.

Alright, yes, my title for this post leans toward cliché, but it’s true. Athena definitely adopted us as her humans before we officially adopted her into our family. But, for you to understand, I have to look back a few years, to November of 2019.

We were in our garage when “MEOW! MEOW!”

“Oh, hello little one!” Jim spotted the adorable little furball first. “How are you?”

“MEOW!” The kitten couldn’t have been more than 6 months old. It was all black and puffed up, sitting next to the downspout by the garage door.

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Review – In Default of Heirs Male

January 11, 2023

Rachel

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Review – In Default of Heirs Male

Posted in Book Blogger

In Default of Heirs Male

by Jann Rowland

Genres: Classic Romance, Historical Regency Fiction, Regency Historical Romance
Release Date: May 19, 2021
Pages: 366
Purchase from: Amazon

My Rating: ★★★★☆

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Longbourn estate in Hertfordshire, home of the Bennet family, is entailed. Armed with this unfortunate knowledge, the females of the family have long lived with the threat of eviction from their beloved home should Mr. Bennet pass away before his time.

When the unthinkable happens, the Bennet ladies prepare to leave their home as the heir arrives to take control of his inheritance. Salvation comes, however, by the most surprising of news: Mrs. Bennet is with child.

While waiting for the child to be born, Elizabeth takes control over the estate, determined to save as much as possible in the brief season she has been given. Fortunately, the Netherfield party arrives, and the attentions of the new master of the estate bring them all to hope that Jane, at least, will achieve her heart’s desire.

But little does Elizabeth know she is also the subject of a gentleman’s interest, for Mr. Darcy sees her as an excellent woman who is eager to uphold the trust with which her father favored her. Despite his feelings, Elizabeth is slow to understand the love that might be within her grasp, as she struggles with her duty under the specter of the heir, who believes the Bennets have cheated him of his inheritance and will do whatever he can to ensure he gets what he believes is his.

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Pen Porn: Benu Talisman Ice and Snow

January 9, 2023

Rachel

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Pen Porn: Benu Talisman Ice and Snow

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉

I stumbled upon the Ice and Snow on Instagram. Although I thought I had finished with pen purchases for 2022, I had to have it. Between my love of winter and collecting the Talisman series pens that have shaped confetti — like the Wild Rose, Shooting Star, and Four Leaf Clover — there was no way I wasn’t going to pick one up.

As with other Talisman model pens, the Ice and Snow has its inspiration added to the material of the pen. This time, it’s Snow Quartz. According to the pamphlet that came with it, “snow quartz has an uplifting and kind energy and is typically used during challenging moments in life, when everything seems dark and grim.”

Rachel

Blog Review – 2022

Posted in Random Reflections

I’ve enjoyed these past two weeks of looking back at 2022 and looking forward to 2023. I’ll likely keep this same set of posts for future years, although perhaps not in the same order.

Like with yesterday’s Goodreads reading challenge post, I haven’t ever dedicated a post to my blog stats. So today, I’m fixing that oversight.

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2022 Goodreads Reading Challenge

January 5, 2023

Rachel

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2022 Goodreads Reading Challenge

Posted in Book Blogger

While I’ve meant to, I’ve never actually written a post about my Goodreads Reading Challenge activity. I’ve actively taken part in the challenge every year since 2018. Generally, I’ve been conservative with my goal. In 2022, I went fairly easy on myself, setting a goal of only 36 books.

Since I haven’t looked back at my reading in previous years — on my blog, at least — I want to provide a brief overview of the previous years’ challenges, too. After all, while I know many of my readers are here for the fountain pen posts, 32% of my blog content is related to books.

If you’re interested in what I thought of the books I read, you can take a look at my book review posts, or my Reviewed list on Goodreads. I don’t always review the books I read, and, even for those I do, they aren’t guaranteed to make it on here.

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Pen Resolutions Tag 2023

January 4, 2023

Rachel

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Pen Resolutions Tag 2023

Posted in Fountain Pens

I had a lot of fun with the Pen Resolutions Tag last year, so I’m doing it again this year. I’m also revisiting the resolutions I made last year to see how I did.

This idea was originally adapted from Theresa is Dead’s video: OH 2021… | BEAUTY RESOLUTIONS TAG video. The Beauty Resolutions Tag originated with Mel Thompson.

I’ll definitely revisit this again in 2024.

1. What is something you do regularly in your pen routine that you will try to stop?

Answer from 2022: Stop putting off pen cleaning. Did I do better? Nope. I keep forgetting to add it to my weekly spread in my notebook. And, if it’s not there, it doesn’t get done.

Answer for 2023: Since remembering to add pen cleaning to my weekly to-do list would get me to clean my pens, I need to get better at doing that. This is, at its core the same resolution I made last year, but I’m taking a different approach to see if I have more success.

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My Current Pen Wish List — Jan. 2023

Instagram 1-3-23. My Current Pen Wish List

January 3, 2023

Rachel

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My Current Pen Wish List — Jan. 2023

Posted in Fountain Pens

Once again, it’s time to revisit my wish list. I’ve bought some pens, decided against others, and found new pens I want.

I’ve kept the two-tier list structure: “Tier One” that I’m actively looking to acquire, and “Tier Two” that I’d pick up if there’s a good deal, or if the stars align perfectly.

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Reviewing My 2022 Purchasing Habits

January 2, 2023

Rachel

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Reviewing My 2022 Purchasing Habits

Posted in Fountain Pens

As should have been obvious in my Pen Collection post, 2022 did not go as I’d planned. My stated goal was to limit my pen purchases to 24 pens. I failed in that. Miserably.

However, I sold 17 pens last year, and none of them was purchased in 2022. So at least I’m keeping up my streak of zero same-year sales.

While I disposed of more pens in 2022 than 2021 (14), my purchasing skyrocketed from 42 in 2021 to 54 in 2022. That puts last year as the second highest purchasing rate since I started collecting. It also had the second highest net collection increase : 37.

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