The Dashwood Sisters' Secrets of Love by Rosie Rushton was the first one. This is a modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility. The basic commonalities were there. Three sisters and a mother try to survive life in poverty after the death of Mr. Dashwood. All the while, each sister is trying to 'catch a man.' It was a cute story, filled with British pop culture and slang. However, some of the plot lines seemed blurred when compared with the original. Oh well, nobody can write Austen like Austen! :)
Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford was the second book. This author might just be a genius when it comes to marketing strategies. In today's publishing market, a combination of Jane Austen and vampires is a sure hit! Anyway, this book has Jane Austen, now under the name of Jane Fairfax (from Emma), running a book shop in modern day up-state New York and struggling to publish a novel she's been working on for over two hundred years. Imagine Jane Austen not being able to publish a book! Jane was made a vampire by an infamous poet from her day and she's been trying to live a normal life since then. This was a fun book!
The Watsons and Emma Watson are actually two books in one. Jane Austen began writing The Watsons before she died. Her nephew published it, but its only a few chapters long. It tells the story of Emma Watson who's been living with her aunt for 10+ years but is now returning to her father's home because her aunt's new husband doesn't want her around. Emma's father is ailing and she and her sister, Elizabeth, have to take care of him. In Austen's beginning, she sends Emma to an Assembly, where she meets Mr. Howard, the presumed male lead. Not much else happens before Austen's work ends.
In Emma Watson, Joan Aiken takes over the story and finishes it. She does a fairly good job with the writing, although its clearly not Austen. I liked the story she created, for the most part, and the new hero, Captain Fremantle, is awesome! My only big objection is the ending. She ends the book when Captain Fremantle arrives in Epsom and doesn't let him speak to Emma. Austen would never approve! Oh! Also, Aiken adds a post script in which she flatly states that Emma and Captain Fremantle send their children to be raised in Elizabeth's home. That doesn't fit whatsoever with Emma's character or Austen's style.
Jane Austen once wrote, "How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!" I suppose it could be argued that the whole Jane Austen market is based on this premise; that people will read these spin-offs and sequels because they're related to Austen, and that's all. Well . . . they're right! We're all predisposed to love these books because, as someone once said, 'a little Jane Austen goes a long way.'
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