Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin’ Cornbread + Giveaway

Random Retro ReRead

A lively Southern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, featuring Lucy Crawford, who is thrown back into the path of her first love while on a quest to save her beloved family home.

Lucy Crawford is part of a wealthy, well-respected Southern family with a long local history. But since Lucy’s mother passed away, the family home, a gorgeous antebellum mansion, has fallen into disrepair and the depth of her father’s debts is only starting to be understood. Selling the family home may be the only option—until her Aunt Olympia floats the idea of using Crawford house to hold the local free medical clinic, which has just lost its space. As if turning the plantation home into a clinic isn’t bad enough, Lucy is shocked and dismayed to see that the doctor who will be manning the clinic is none other than Jeremiah Chevy—her first love. 

Lucy and Jeremiah were high school sweethearts, but Jeremiah was from the wrong side of the tracks. His family was redneck and proud, and Lucy was persuaded to dump him. He eventually left town on a scholarship, and now, ten years later, he’s returned as part of the rural physician program. And suddenly, their paths cross once again. While Lucy’s family still sees Jeremiah as trash, she sees something else in him—as do several of the other eligible ladies in town. Will he be able to forgive the past? Can she be persuaded to give love a chance this time around?

My Review:

published in 2014

Austen in the South with Hathaway’s unique spin has been reading nirvana for me. And I do believe that Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin’ Cornbread is my favourite of the three. I just loved Lucy and Jem’s story even though it was angst riddled to the very end…or maybe because it was. Carefully plotted and flawlessly executed, every precious word built up sights and sounds and smells and oh, so many emotions in my mind. A total escape read — so much so that it was surreal to be jarred out of it when real life got in the way.

If I never get my blood pressure down, I’m blaming Lucy’s family. I was foaming at the mouth over some of their antics. Gah! I wanted to shake that girl for capitulating so many times. All that Southern breeding has made her a tad too biddable. 

Stalwart Jem, hurt by past rejection but still drawn to the girl who broke his heart. There is something about a sensitive hero who struggles to stay on an even keel. These two have such history — and it goes way beyond personal. Their past is cluttered with societal expectations, class consciousness and even racial prejudice. The heart of this story is the hero and heroine’s willingness to create something enduringly beautiful from the shards of their shattered pasts.

Reviewer’s sidetone: I love Mary Jane Hathway’s storytelling and I thought she’d stopped writing but I did a google dive and have discovered that she has published more books, including a cozy mystery series! Eeeeppp!!! I just ordered the first one.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy and is available to any reader, any where — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin’ Cornbread, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 22 2025.

22 thoughts on “Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin’ Cornbread + Giveaway”

  2. I read this series years ago and just loved them. Would love a chance to read this one again. paulamarys49ATgmailDOT com

    I will google her also!

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. WOW! I mean – WOW! “Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin’ Cornbread” sounds past amazing! It is positively a book I could see me telling the world to stay away because I’m reading this one from beginning to end. Sounds like the book you’d say one more chapter and then I’m turning out the light only to find you just finished the book just as the alarm goes off.

    Thank you for bringing this book to my attention (since my head must have been in the clouds for the past 11 years) and for the fabulous chance to win a copy!

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  6. Any book with cracklin cornbread in the title HAS to be good and your review proves that this is so! As a young farm bride, I was introduced to cracklins and to adding them to cornbread. We no longer farm and I don’t have ready access to real crackings so this is a pleasant memory! Thanks for sharing,

    Connie

    cps1950ATgmailDOTcom

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. I have an affinity for books with quirky titles. They always make me want to find out more. I’m intrigued by Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin’ Cornbread.

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