Seeking Mansfield

A smart modern adaptation of Mansfield Park. The characters had depth, especially the Crawfords, who were surprisingly likable (until they weren't). I loved Uncle Thomas and Aunt Mariah. And of course, Oliver :)

Wow. 5 brilliant stars.

Mansfield Park is my least favorite Austen novel (kind of a relative term for this Austenite), but I just adored this adaptation of it. Finley is the modern Fanny Price we all need. And Oliver was just so, so swoony.

Full review to come closer to publication.

**Review may be tweaked closer to posting date

Seeking Mansfield is a modern retelling of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I will admit it right now: I did not read Mansfield Park, but I did see the movie, and therefore, had an idea of the story going in. Watson did a fine job with this tale. There is this essence of the original story, but it is also a story wholly her own.

Finley and her best friend, Oliver, were passing their time together. They were happy filling their days with homework on the roof, tours in Old Town, and movie marathons of terrible films. Then one day, they have new neighbors, and these new neighbors happen to teen movie stars, Harlen and Emma Crawford, who immediately shake up Oliver and Finley's norm.

The sad stuff first. Finley was taken in by her godfather after her father's death and her mother's inability to properly care for her. I will not reveal more of the details here, because I want you to get the full impact of what happened to Finley. Knowing this background made me really appreciate the growth Finley experienced.

There were so many couplings going on here. Initially, we knew that there were feelings brewing between Finley and Oliver. Once the Crawfords enter the picture, Emma showed an interest in Oliver, and Harlen took a liking to Finley. In-between all this, Juliet, Oliver's sister, attempted to ensnare Harlen even though she was dating Raleigh. Whew! So many romantic entanglements. I loved it!

Our heroine, Finley, has a love for the theatre that runs ocean deep. She had a vast knowledge of the theatre and its inner workings, but kept most of that to herself. Her talents are slowly revealed, and she begins to believe she can earn a place in the prestigious Mansfield Theatre Youth program. Finley was such an easy MC to root for. There was a lot brewing under the surface there. At first glance, I thought she was a little wallflower, who let people take advantage of her. I believe I yelled, "She is not your Cinderella!!!, " at one point. As the story progressed, Finley grew stronger. She began to believe in herself, and she began to rely on herself. As she began to see herself differently, so did others.

Oliver was quite the swoon worthy hero. He was there for Finley when she was at her lowest point, and he was very dedicated to encouraging her to go after everything her heart desired. He wanted her to realize her full potential and was just such a dedicated friend. I wish I had an Ollie in my life.

Emma and Harley were interesting. I did not immediately like either of them, but they grew on me. I especially grew to love Harlen. He was quite the charmer. There was tons of great banter between Harlen and Finley. She seemed quite a suitable foil for him, and it was fun to watch that relationship blossom.

This was a fine debut from Ms. Watson. Her writing was very pleasant and set an appropriate tone for the story. I easily flew through this story due to the good pacing, great characters, and easy nature of the writing. I look forward to reading more of Watson's work.

Overall: a smile-inducing story of healing and self actualization with a great love triangle and a peek into the world of live theatre.

This book was everything I could want in a contemporary romance book. I couldn’t even tell that it was the author’s debut novel.

The characters were masterfully created in that they all had flaws and yet were likable at the same time. I loved how you could see the growth in multiple characters throughout the novel but I especially loved the growth in the main character Finley Price. I found myself conflicted throughout the novel with who I wanted Fin to be with. I could see her and Oliver making a good couple but I also liked her with Harlan. I went into this book knowing that she had to end up with Oliver in some way, because that’s the way it is with novels like this. But I couldn’t see how I would be ok with that as I really liked Harlan and the way he changed her. The author, Kate Watson, pulled it off beautifully though. It was such a believable way for everything to work out and it did so in a way that didn’t alienate any of the characters too much and left it possible for me to still like them.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Will update with links to where I posted my review online closer to the release date.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE retellings, and I LOVE anything about movies and the theater, so this book was perfect for me.

Seeking Mansfield is a modern YA retelling of Mansfield Park, which is not my favorite Austen tale, but this was a lovely retelling. The scenario (set around some teenagers in the community theater circuit) was really a clever way of adapting one of Austen's most antiquated plots. It was sweet and romantic and dramatic. While it did get a little overdramatic from time to time in the dialogue, it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the story. I love the cast of characters, all very relatable. I love that there are a couple of positive female/female friendships (and I'd like to see more of those). And it was nice to see that Austen's work holds up over time.

Review to come on Goodreads, my blog (possibly), and Netgalley.

Some thoughts:

I was not expecting to enjoy this at all. I honestly requested this on a whim. I had no expectations of it and didn't give it much thought. When I started reading it there were a few times I thought I would DNF this book. Due to the love triangle, and Finnely's past. I was convinced that this was going to be very dramatic. I find myself enjoying the dialogue between the characters so I kept reading on. Man am I glad I did.

Definitely recommend to everyone who reads.

An enjoyable YA retelling of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. If you love Jane Austen, Jane Austen re-tellings and Young Adult literature you are going to enjoy Seeking Mansfield by Kate Watson. I'm a fan of all of the above. Ideally I'd probably give Seeking Mansfield 3.5 stars instead of 4. I enjoyed the book very much but didn't love it, mainly because it almost too dutifully followed the original work.

In this version of Mansfield, the drama unfolds in modern day Chicago, with Finley Price living with her Godparents and their kids. She of course adores Oliver, who in this version, clearly loves her. The two can't quite find their way toward being more than friends though, and this allows Emma and Harlan Cartwright to step in and sweep the two up into romance. Lots of angst and drama ensue.

I did enjoy watching Finley find her voice and her spine, and I loved how the author incorporated the theater world within the story. If you've ever read or seen a film adaptation of Mansfield Park you'll recognize all of the characters and know exactly how things will end, but it's a pleasant read non-the-less.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley for review.

Seeking Mansfield was a great debut book by author Kate Watson. The pace was good and most of the characters were easy to like. I knew that I should want Oliver and Finley together, but for half the book, I was actually liking Harlan and Finley more. But that changed as he became more controlling. Finley was much better as she became more confident later in the book. Nora and Juliette were impossible to like, but Emma was fun.

I am a major sucker for modern retellings of classics - especially Jane Austen ones. So when I saw this book, of course, I was going to request it, especially when I saw that it had elements of theatre and acting in it. And let me tell you. I ABSOLUTELY ADORED this book. Major congratulations to the author for crafting a book that aligned itself with the original and at the same time brought it forward to the 21st century without any hints of awkwardness.

Finley- I really enjoyed reading about and reading from Finley's perspective. Her voice and character, in my opinion, is a step up from the original Fanny (though I still love Mansfield Park and Fanny ;) ) The author has successfully created a dynamic and complex character, through her experiences, and the unique viewpoint and tone used throughout it. Personally, I find that when I can step into a character's shoes and connect with the character on a level that it physically hurts when they are hurt, it means that the author has done a pretty freaking good job. So again, congrats to the author on that.

Ollie-I definitely appreciated the dual perspective within this book and I think it gave a nice touch to the storyline; being able to see and feel what he was thinking throughout just brought up the fact that the story isn't just about Finley/Fanny, but also about the other characters, and the fact that they are both so oblivious to each other's feelings gets so frustrating (in a good way) and creates a nice dynamic between the two of them. Personally, I really enjoyed hearing both their perspectives when they started to drift apart and when Finley started hanging out a lot more with Harlan and when Ollie started dating Emma, as it created a level of complexity to this particular relationship.

The other characters - the author, overall did a great job with the rest of the characters, especially Harlan and Emma. However, if I were to be a bit nitpicky, I would've loved to see more of the relationship between the two of them. I don't know if that's just me, but I would've loved to see them more together, not just bantering but the real closeness and relationship between them.

Overall, an amazing job to the author, this book hit in all the right places and is possibly one of my favourite books from Netgalley. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and give an honest review on this beautiful book.

First, a huge thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of a book that basically killed me dead with all the feels.

Second, do you like angsty swoon? Like ALL THE ANGSTY SWOON? Then this book is for you!! I can't even properly describe the amount of feels I had while reading this book.

I'll write more when I read a properly published version (oh you bet I'll be buying a fancy published copy of this book and rereading it fortnightly).

Kate Watson, you're my hero.

This book is fantastic. I loved reading Finley's story about life after tragedy. At first I assumed that Finley was a Cinderella character, with an adopted family that doesn't appreciate her and an evil aunt, but her story was much more complex than that. Finley's story shows how tragedy can color our world and make us feel and see things differently than when the world is spinning back on it's axis.
When famous actors move into the apartment upstairs the Bertram family becomes friends. After wearing her down over a few months, Finley and Harlan start dating much to, Finley's best friend, Oliver's dismay. Oliver has held a candle for Finley for years, but after all Finley has been through he didn't want to take advantage of the broken girl living upstairs.
Over the course of the book, Finley realizes what's most important to her and the kind of person she wants to be. This story is light-hearted at times and distrusting at others, but overall, this is a great compelling read about the difficulty life presents you sometimes.

Having loved Mansfield Park, this was fun to read and compare. The author did a great job of bringing that classic into a modern day era. The storyline was good, though at times it seemed there were too many problems, especially with Finley. It was a little strange the way she obsessed about keeping her father a secret and then all the abuse her mother gave her, it just didn't seem to mesh well. Overall it was enjoyable and brought back good memories of reading Mansfield Park for the first time.

Austen fans, dive in! Watson's take on Mansfield Park breathes new life into the original, and I ate up every word. Add this to your TBR list. You won't regret it!

"Seeking Mansfield" is a fun read. The writing flows really well and Finley is a good lead with an interesting backstory and it's easy to root for her. Watching her coming into her own is really satisfying. The only reason why I didn't rate the novel wit five stars is that the male characters got on my nerves at times. Oliver is nice enough and a rather sympathetic characters but his possessiveness did get tiring at times.
Still, this is a great modern adaptation of Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park" and an interesting read on its own.

I enjoyed this book SO much more than I expected to! And I knew I was going to like it, so essentially I LOVED IT.

A modern retelling of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, Seeking Mansfield follows Finley Price, and her journey to following her passions, and figuring out who she wants to be. To put it very simply. There's a lot more going on under the surface of this book, particularly touching on a lot of family issues and abuse.

I really loved the character arcs in this book, particularly of course with Finley. Her childhood experiences really started to define how she saw herself, and how she believed others saw her, and seeing her progress through that and coming out the other side was special. Seeing her grow throughout this book, and seeing how hard the people she loved tried to make her believe just how special she is was a joy to read.

This book certainly had a lot of swoon moments, it was hopelessly romantic! But also such a wonderful glimpse into the theatre world, especially in Chicago. I had such a great time reading this, it was the sort of book where I tried to squeeze in a couple of pages everywhere I went. I will definitely be getting a physical copy of this book - I loved it!

Seeking Mansfield is about Finley Price, who lives with a family friend after her actor father died and her mother went to jail for abusing her. She lives with Oliver, who is secretly in love with her. Their dynamic is interrupted when the Crawford siblings move in next door. Oliver starts to fall for Emma while Harlan tries to win over Finley, who is convinced that he is nothing but trouble. But Finley starts to realize that she is in love with Oliver.

I really liked Seeking Mansfield. I was sucked in from the first few pages. The writing isn't the most impressive, but I couldn't stop flipping through the pages because of the characters. This book alternates chapters between Oliver and Finley but I loved reading from Finley's perspective the most. She is basically an orphan who is still recovering from her traumatic childhood with her mother. Finley is still working on being okay in the spotlight and struggles with the generosity of her adoptive family. She was just so interesting to read about and her emotions just came off the page vividly for me. I loved reading about her relationships, especially with Harlan. Finley's character growth as a result of her relationship with Harlan and Emma was so fascinating.

I was a tiny bit annoyed with Oliver sometimes though. He was just quite wish-washy. In one paragraph he would be like, I LOVE Finley, but then would be like, but Emma is beautiful and lovable. I get the purpose of this, but by the end of the book, I wasn't completely convinced about Oliver's affections.

Anyways, I really liked Mansfield Park. It was everything I wanted in a contemporary retelling of a Jane Austen: it had a LOT of drama, some really powerful messages and interesting characters. I would recommend it if you're looking for YA retellings of Jane Austen.

Mansfield Park is my least favorite and least read of Jane Austen's novels. I know the storyline but have never really loved the characters. This retelling was great. It hit most all the plot points of the original story while bringing it into an updated modern setting and circumstances. I actually really liked Finley and could see how she got caught up in the admiration from Harlan, after spending so much of her life avoiding attention, while still holding on to her love for Oliver. I thought it was very well done and loved that the relationship with Harlan wasn't a mistake but a stepping stone to finding her voice and truly figuring out what she wanted.

A modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. This is such a convoluted plot it is hard to summarize, but here it goes. Instead of being shuffled off by an impoverished family, Finley Price is living with her godparents after her famous actor father died in a car crash and her mother took her disappointment out on Fin under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The Bertrams have been kind to her, and her old brother Liam, but she is understandably damaged and never wants to take their kindness for granted. She continually pushes aside her own goals and wishes for the sake of others. Like the application for Mansfield Theater’s summer program that’s been sitting on her desk forever, which she keeps putting off completely filling out because she lacks confidence in her own skills and is afraid to ask her Uncle Thomas if she can apply. It seems like too much to ask of him when he’s already done so much for her. Oliver thinks differently. Oliver is the middle Bertram child and her best friend. Oliver wishes Fin would stick up for herself more and realize her potential. But Fin doesn’t let many see her real self. She’s too insecure and damaged. Fin is most herself when with Oliver or Liam. She’s also comfortable with Mrs Bertram, and Fin often cares for her when her fibromyalgia flares up. Ok, she’s also comfortable with Oliver’s older brother, Tate, a sarcastic flirt who is supposed to be part of the family law firm but is only just keeping his gambling and partying out of his dad’s notice, but he’s hardly ever around. The youngest Bertram, Juliette, barely acknowledges Fin. Juliette is dating the son of Senator Rushworth, baseball star Raleigh Rushworth, and Finley isn’t sure if it’s just for the popularity or if Juliette actually cares somewhat for Raleigh. The Bertrams’ lives are forever changed when famous movie stars Harlan and Emma Crawford arrive to stay with their Aunt and Uncle Grant next door. Fin is convinced Harlan is a shallow, selfish jerk, but then he starts to surprise her. Oliver falls for Emma despite himself, and possibly to make himself not think about Finley romantically. The Crawfords arrival certainly shakes up all of the Bertrams’ lives. The summer starts to take shape in ways different from what anyone envisioned. But there’s nothing like a series of crises to help everyone see each other and their relationships more clearly.

This was fantastic! Kate Watson did an impeccable job adapting Mansfield Park to a modern day Chicago setting. In fact – dare I say it – I think she maybe improved on Austen’s original tale. No offense to Austen. I really like Mansfield Park. Fanny is a refreshing change from most of Austen’s other heroines. Not everyone is as bold or confident as Emma or Elizabeth, and Fanny provides a sympathetic, shy and insecure heroine many can identify with. We know the strong women are going to win the day, but it's nice to see the shy and less secure rise up and surprise herself and her world by becoming a strong woman in a different way. What perhaps Watson improved on is giving that insecurity an understandable cause for a modern audience. Fanny’s issues had much to do with cultural mores and expectations and an upbringing modern readers can’t as readily imagine. But we can imagine someone being horribly damaged and literally scarred if they had gone through what Finley Price did with her physically abusive, addict mother. It makes Finley not seem as wishy-washy and wimpy as Fanny can come across to a modern audience. Watson also made Mrs Bertram a much more likable character. Suffering from chronic pain and actually caring about your family is much more acceptable than just being in a laudanum-induced haze and showing more affection to your dogs than children. Even Harlan and Emma were a bit more likable than the original Crawfords – though they still had their definite flaws. The problems Uncle Thomas is dealing with are much more palatable for a modern audience in making him a lawyer working on a case. And what may have been the most challenging part of adapting the book to a modern setting – the integral part a play the characters are going to put on for their social circle – was admirably adapted and woven in by giving Finley a believable obsession with theater that goes along with her love for her deceased father, and making Harlan and Emma actors in a theater production at the beginning, and then having Finley and Harlan part of a community production later. There’s the added perk then of having a story that appeals to the oft-neglected theater crowd of teen readers out there. Even though I knew how the original love story played out and how this one was likely to play out, Watson still managed to make me feel highs and lows with Finley and Oliver. It was artfully done, and a great homage to Austen. Overall, a very satisfying, clean and enjoyable contemporary romance that should appeal to young adult contemporary romance fans whether they liked the original or even (perish the thought) if they have no idea who Jane Austen was. Hand it to Austen fans, hand it to theater buffs, hand it to contemporary romance fans, and none of them should be disappointed. Definitely purchasing for our school library.

A cute, modern-day take on Mansfield Park, Jane Austen‘s classic novel of one girl’s struggles in dealing with the rich, who may or may not have her best interests at heart.

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In Seeking Mansfield, Finley Price (the modern-day counterpart of the original Fanny Price) is satisfied with her life. She lives in Chicago with the Bertrams, who had taken her when she was younger, because of some horrible, past experiences. Finley, though, manages to occupy her time by working on whatever may help her attain her dream of joining the prestigious Mansfield Theater, and all with the help of her best friend, Oliver Bertram (Edmund).
But then comes the arrival of Emma and Harlan Crawford (Mary and Henry Crawford), famous teen movie stars, and the Bertram’s new next-door neighbors. With their arrival comes the beginnings of new relationships – like that of Oliver and Emma, and Harlan and Juliette Bertram (Maria Bertram).
While this all puts a strain on Finley’s friendship with Oliver, his and Emma’s relationship only seems to be growing for the better.
But then there’s the matter of Harlan and Juliette. It doesn’t take long for his attention to turn to the quiet Finely, who is not at all interested in him, and he decides to challenge himself being having her fall in love with him. Of course, with her continued disinterest in him, he ends up falling in love with her for real, and does manage to eventually win her over.
As time goes on, Finley’s relationship with Harlan reveals part of him that Finley finds herself uncomfortable with, thus leading her to wonder if maybe he’s not the right one for her…no, that person just might be closer to home.
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Though Mansfield Park is not the most popular of Austen’s books, I always held a special place in my heart for Fanny Price and Edmund Bertram, both the bearers of quiet, kind, and caring demeanors.

But when it comes to Finely and Oliver being their modern-day counterparts…I had a bit of a hard time with them.
I liked Finely, since she seemed to play her role as the virtuous, sensible heroine well enough; but when it comes to Oliver…I just couldn’t find myself liking him all that much. Honestly, he is very similarly written to Edmund, that it stands to reason, if I liked Edmund, I’d like Oliver, right?

Nope.

Somehow, Edmund’s traits didn’t seem to translate well in this modern representation of him. While Edmund’s romance seemed so innocent and sweet, Oliver’s romance with Emma just seemed to come across as a lustful teenager, who never really seemed to see Emma and her annoying, shallow nature.

If you hadn’t already figured, I wasn’t a fan of Emma, nor Harlan, and nothing the two did could change my mind.

Actually, I’ll admit that I disliked most of the characters in this book, but that could really just be a testament to to how well Kate Watson has written them, so that they really invoke the mannerisms of a snobbish upper caste. So in that sense, they’re written so well, that I really disliked them.

I’ll say that I did like the idea of Finley’s parentage being written differently than that of Fanny’s, and felt it did give the story some added intensity that did make for a more interesting turn of events when they were drawn upon.

Finally – super late, I know – I figure I should say that if you’ve never read Mansfield Park, then you might really like this book and all of it’s cute, romantic feelings. You’d also be able to look at this with fresh eyes. In my case, I had read the original, so I couldn’t help but do a lot of comparing, which didn’t really work out in this books favor, in my case.

In conclusion, though this wasn’t exactly my favorite book, I won’t not recommend it, because as I’d previously said, this is a cute book, so you just might ending up liking it more than I did.

I love a good Jane Austen re-telling and I haven’t read any based on Mansfield Park, so picking this book up was a no brainer. It’s been such a long time since I read Mansfield Park that I can’t really comment on how faithful it is to the source material. I do know that the basic structure of it is similar and reading this made me really want to go back and re-read Mansfield Park.

I really liked both Finley and Oliver. I loved their friendship and how they always supported each other. I loved the slow burn romance between them, too. We get both of their POVs throughout the story. Normally when we get dual POVs and find out that both characters have feelings for each other that they think are unrequited it drives me crazy. It often takes away a lot of the tension. However, I really enjoyed getting both perspectives here. I think that I could have ended up disliking Oliver a bit without his thought process of how he was justifying his actions. Instead I thought he was pretty adorable, even if he frustrated me at times.

I loved “uncle” Thomas and how the parents in this book were present. There were consequences for bad behavior and guidance when needed. I thought the other side characters – Harlan and Emma Crawford (Hollywood actors and new neighbors) and Tate and Juliette (Oliver’s brother and sister) were all fairly well developed, though I would’ve liked a little more of Oliver’s siblings. From what I remember of the Crawfords from Mansfield Park I thought Harlan and Emma were really well done, though maybe a little more likable here (but don’t worry, not that likable).

I thought the writing was kind of addictive. Even though it was a pretty character-driven plot and the pace was a little on the slow side, I just didn’t want to stop reading it. My only real complaint is that it got a little too teen-angsty for me at times.

Overall, I really enjoying Seeking Mansfield. I liked the characters and the romance and the message of self-worth and standing up for yourself. It was an easy and addicting read. Though I thought the middle of the story dragged a little bit with too much teen angst, it did pick back up and I really enjoyed it. I think fans of Mansfield Park would be happy to read this re-telling, as would YA Contemporary fans.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

This is a cute and quirky retelling of Mansfield Park, placing Finley and the Bertrams in the world of theatre. I love all the pop culture and theatre references.
The duel narrative allowed us to see the actions of the characters from two different and interesting povs. There is some diversity through this story and it looks at mental health in a fairly positive way, Finley in the end uses what has happened to her as a strength. There were also some poignant remarks made in reference to growing up.
Mansfield Park was the first Austen book I tried to read an it didn't go well. Luckily I read the rest of her work an came back to it. Seeking Mansfield will delight those who have read Austen's work and will inspire those who haven't.

When I saw this modern YA retelling of my favorite Jane Austen novel I knew I had to read it. I'm in the minority of Austenites with Mansfield Park as my favorite Jane Austen novel so I knew this one wouldn't quite live up to my hopes for a YA retelling but I kept an open mind. I actually really enjoyed this one. There were a few times when the main characters - Finley Price and Oliver Bertram - got on my nerves a little but that can be explained by my love for the original Fanny Price and Edmund Bertram. Juliette Bertram is just as maddening as the character she is based on (Maria Bertram) and I still find myself drawn towards Harlan (Henry) Crawford. I would definitely recommend this YA Jane Austen retelling to my fellow Austenites who also enjoy YA novels.

If you know me at all, you probably know about my love for Jane Austen. So, of course, when I saw a YA retelling of one of her novels on Netgalley, I immediately requested it! I’ll admit that Mansfield Park is my least favorite of Austen’s novels, but I thought Watson did well with this retelling. Her modernization of this story– a story (and, especially, a heroine) many people have trouble relating to– was done so cleverly, with nods to the original text sprinkled in here and there.

I’ll go ahead and say this up front: Seeking Mansfield is “angsty” YA at its finest. There is SO MUCH drama, and the relationships between characters comprise pretty much the sole focus of the book. This definitely kept me reading, though! I never mind a little drama (probably because I was an incredibly dramatic teenager, haha). The story is told through two POVs… which, I’ll be honest, I didn’t really care for. Oliver’s POV felt a bit unnecessary. It didn’t detract from the story, but I didn’t feel it added much, either, especially since Finley seemed to have twice the amount of POV chapters as Oliver. Anyway, Seeking Mansfield follows Oliver and Finley’s family, the Bertrams, after famous Hollywood siblings Harlan and Emma Crawford move in next door to them for the summer. Just like in the source material, the Crawfords’ arrival in their neighborhood completely upends life in the Bertram family. The four become fast friends, and relationships begin to develop messily among them.

One of the main critiques of the original Mansfield Park I see time and time again is that the heroine, Fanny Price, is unlikeable and weak. Therefore, I was particularly interested to see how Watson would build the character of Finley in Seeking Mansfield. Finley ends up living with the Bertrams following the death of her famous movie star father and her mother’s subsequent alcoholism and abuse. I will say, I felt hesitant at first, because Finley begins the novel incredibly shy and insecure (she is also dealing with PTSD as a result of her mother’s abuse), but she undergoes tremendous character growth over the course of the book. She finds herself and realizes her potential.

As far as relationships, this book features a rare love triangle that I actually think worked well. Nothing, and I mean nothing, keeps me reading a book or series like a love triangle I’m truly invested in, lol. I think it worked for me because it was about change and growth, rather than about a girl trying to choose between to guys she’s in love with. Even though the author pulled off the love triangle, I will admit I preferred one person over the other. Oliver and Finley’s chemistry felt very stagnant. At the beginning of the book, it held promise, but they rarely interacted on the page once the Bertrams became entangled with the Crawfords. I actually liked Harlan and Finley together, and I felt that Harlan’s character flaws at the end of the novel, though unforgivable, came out of nowhere. I WAS ROOTING FOR HIM. WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR HIM.

There are so many characters in this book, y’all. I loooved seeing Finley’s relationships with the Bertrams, especially her Uncle Thomas, evolve over the course of the book. All of the Bertram siblings, as well as Finley’s brother, Liam, had an interesting family dynamic. As for Harlan’s sister, Emma, I never cared for her. She does have her redeemable moments, and she’s a good friend to Finley, but overall, she lacked depth. This is a critique I have of most characters in Seeking Mansfield. Because there were so many different characters, and they were all entangled in some way, the characterization of all of them felt lacking.

One thing I loved about this book was the focus on theater. Harlan and Emma originally move to Chicago to star in a Shakespeare production there. Finley, Liam, and Oliver are all obsessed with theatre and movies, as well. Finley’s dad was a famed actor of stage and screen, and Finley is also in the process of applying to a prestigious theater program and directing a local community theater production. I got the sense that, for all these characters, the theater felt like home for them, and this is a feeling I definitely share.

Overall, though the plot felt a bit clunky and the characterizations felt a bit lacking, I did enjoy Seeking Mansfield. I sped through it. I would recommend it to any Austen fan, anyone who loves the theater, and anyone who enjoys romance-focused contemporaries!

Have you read Seeking Mansfield? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, do you plan to pick it up?

SEEKING MANSFIELD is an expertly crafted work full of romance, family, and life’s tough throws. But what makes this book stand particularly high on the scale is its unwavering and undeniable grounding in reality. From complex characters to twisting plot lines, this story is one that will captivate you with both its enchanting reaches and its gritty roots.
-Pooled Ink Reviews

I was drawn to this book because of this singular cover and the title ,and because I am a fan of Jane Austen and had not read any retelling of the classic Mansfield Park. And I can say that the writer did not disappoint in her debut. With a fluid and dynamic writing, she was able to maintain the personality of each character of the original book in a modern way and setting everything in a delicious young adult plot.

Finley went to live at the home of her father's best friend Mr. Bertram after her father died. She is a shy and broken girl who is passionate about theater having the dream of studying at the famous Mansfield Theater but think she is not capable of such a feat. She and her best friend Oliver are inseparable and he is her great enabler. The two are inseparable and have many things in common. Oliver is kind and caring, he does everything to be always close to Finley and thinks the girl is much wronged and left out by his family.

With the arrival of new neighbors, the pair of famous teens Emma and Harlan Crawford, the dynamics of Oliver and Finley's friendship will change. Everybody is enchanted by the arrogant and disguised Emma and Harlan and they end up perceiving the harmony between Finley and Oliver and they are willing to do everything to separate these friends.

Finley begins to gain strength, realize the potential she has and fight for her dreams. Kate Watson writes in a crescendo and just like in Jane Austen's book, the ending is very good by leading the family to face the problems they has and to become more united.

I'm a young adult fan and this one took me on a roller coaster of emotions between rage access and romantic sighs of love.
Highly recommended.
5 / 5stars
Kisses, Myl

WOW! This book was excellent. It was seriously everything I had been wanting in a contemporary lately. It was cute, without being too cutesy. It was real, without being too real. It was gut wrenching, but not all the time. It was a little bit of everything rolled into one. I ate this book up in just a few short sittings because I simply couldn't get enough. I was completely lost in the world of Finley and Oliver and the things they navigated each and every day. From the absurd to the 100% real, I was all in all the time.

Mansfield Park is a Jane Austen novel that I have struggled to finish. I am known to pick it up and put it down quite regularly. Kate Watson breathed fresh air into this story and made it something all levels of Austen lovers can enjoy. She made a fierce main character who is trying to find herself in the mess of her life. She made a male character that respected the female character in ways I hardly ever see, but we also saw the struggle of him wanting to protect her and shield her from everything. We got to meet the bad boy movie star that I honestly couldn't help but make heart eyes at (I just kind of loved him and hated him at the same time).

Watson throws us deep into Finley and Oliver's world and we, as readers, get so caught up in the drama. I am a notorious love triangle hater, but I couldn't help but be totally consumed by all the romantic happenings in this book. I didn't know who was best (though I had ideas and thoughts) and I had zero clues as to how it would end up. There is friendship, betrayal, heartbreak, and lots of family drama that constantly has the reader turning the page. I was so consumed by this novel and am so glad I was able to read it. I cannot wait for it to be out in the world for other readers to experience.

If you are any level of a Jane Austen lover (from slight appreciation to obsession) then I highly suggest you pick this book up!

Full review will be posted on my blog, Midwestern Book Nerd, on Thursday May 11, 2017.

In this modern retelling of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen we follow both Finley Price and Oliver Bertram-- their thoughts and actions. Finley finds her voice as well as the ability to see her real value in the Bertram family. Ollie, well, he discovers how to get over his feelings for Finley... or at least tries to for the majority of the story. We all know how that ends, right?

In the original telling of this tale I went back and forth between cheering Fanny on and abhorring her timidity, that wasn't at all how I felt about Finley. All the way through I cheered her on--feeling for her as she navigated speaking up for what she really wanted and no longer fearing being seen.

I struggled right along with the characters in their feelings for one another, with the love triangle-mess that happens all the way through the book. It is hard to tell how Finely, Emma, Harley and Ollie will land relationship wise and part of me, even knowing the storyline in it's original formatting, wanted Finley and Harley to end up together--they really seemed to be better for each other. Watson does the transitioning nicely. Bravo, it isn't easy to write one affection being moved to another well but she did it.

I was impressed with this retelling of Mansfield Park.

Thank you to NetGalley! I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this modern-day retelling of Mansfield Park, it was very sweet and well written! Although love triangles are not my favourite storyline it worked well in this story. Also the slow burn romance was great! It's a very fun read with great characters, definitely recommend!

Seeking Mansfield by Kate Watson will be released on May 16, 2017 by Flux. I must admit that I fell in love with this book and the characters after reading a few chapters. Kate Watson has a style of writing that makes this young adult novel hard to put down. I did read this book in one sitting because it is the type of book you want to know what happens between the characters. Finley and Oliver are the two main characters with the story being told from both points of view. I like how the story tells both sides because it adds to the story so much more. Finley is a typical teenage girl who has survived many hardships with the help of Oliver. When her dad was killed in a car wreck by a drunk driver she is forced to live with her godparents who are Oliver’s mom and dad. Oliver is just the person to help Finley with her past demons and with his helps she faces her biggest fears. This books theme deals with loss, hope, love, and family. I also liked how the supporting characters in this book play just a big part in the plot line. I am hoping for a sequel to this novel and look forward to reading more of Kate Watson’s work. I highly recommend this book.

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchanged for an honest review. This however, did not effect my opinions. Every opinion below is my own.

Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way...

Seeking Mansfield is a cutesy contemporary about a girl (Finley, or Fin for short) who has lost a lot of things in life and slightly lives the life of a modern day Cinderella. She currently lives with her dad's best friend and his family including his (cute) son, and evil daughter. And the one thing she really wants out of life is to go to the ball prestigious theater academy, and be an assistant director. But, her calm and calculated life change for the better and worse, when two teen actors move across the street from her.

But, the romance...

You have Harlan, a HOT actor.

And Oliver, the boy she's known all her life.

I really loved how Ms. Watson showed the differences between two kinds of love. How one can be controlling, and one can just lend a helping hand. But she also didn't make Finley feel sorry for her sometimes steamy romance. Just confused. Which is understandable.

One thing I really loved about Seeking Mansfield is that it was more than just a typical teen romance novel. It was a book full of lessons that young adult readers can learn from and grow from. Everyone can relate to Fin in some way shape or form. Everyone has lost something, or has felt inadequate, or nervous about stepping outside of your comfort zone. And that's what makes this book so real. The author mentions several times how the main character needs to stand up for herself, but also makes it obvious that it's okay to have help from those who love you.

"It's okay to let someone else do the fighting for you sometimes."

Another theme that is incorporated very well, is how people are not always black and white, or good or bad. Sometimes people are a little of both, and it's important to remember that.

One thing that kind of irked me the wrong way, was the way the other characters treated Juliette, Oliver's sister. Juliette is mentioned several times as an uncaring teenager, who's only concern is the way she looks to other people. She and other characters even mention how she's only using her boyfriend since he may become a pro baseball player. But, in the end she is also mentioned as being too smart for her own good. And I really think this book would benefit greatly from a sequel, not just for her benefit, but to see the growth of other characters as well.

I would highly recommend this to any fans of Anna and The French Kiss or Love and Gelato as these two could be cousins of Seeking Mansfield .

Plot: 5/5
Character Development: 4/5
Character Diversity 2.5/5
Cutesy Feels: 5/5
Possibility of ending book slump: 4/5
The Feels: 4/5


Blog post run date: Friday, 5/12 @ 12:00 PM EST

I am a fan of all things Jane Austen, including her lesser-loved novels. Novels such as Mansfield Park.

Therefore, there’s always a slight trepidation when I read something that is a modern-day take on one of my favorite author’s stories. But I have to say, there are several people doing these extremely well these days. And Kate Watson is right there in the mix.
In the same vein as the Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Emma Approved, Kate Watson takes a classic, beloved story and makes it better, more relevant for 2017.
Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. Finley Price is so much more likeable than Austen’s Fanny Price. Finley’s painful, tragic past makes you want only the best things for her. Harlan Crawford is never quite likable enough to be good enough for Finley, either.
I also loved that readers get Oliver Bertram’s perspective in this book. You get to see his motivations behind his treatment toward Finley. And his journey to acceptance that he’s in love with her.
With the perfect mixture of pop culture and classic literature, Kate Watson delivers a stunning debut. And I, for one, am thrilled to know she’s already got a companion novel to this one in the works for 2018.


Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Finley Price is in love with her best friend Oliver, but doesn’t have the self confidence to see that he also loves her. A victim of child abuse, Finley has a tough time speaking up or being the center of attention. She lives on the fringes of life, trying to contribute as much as possible to Olivers family who has taken her in after her father dies and her mother is incapable of raising she and her brother. When two famous teenage actors move in next door, Finley watches Oliver fall under the spell of Emma, and is forced to spend more time with Harlan, Emma’s brother, than she’d like. Added to that teenage friction is the fact that Finley’s father was a famous actor, and that industry is in her blood. Seeking Mansfield uses the situation of teenage love and pain as an engine for Finley to grow within herself, face her fears and go after the life she wants, which is an admission to prestigious Mansfield Theater.

I was totally surprised by the depth in what looked at first glance to be a lighthearted romance. Finley has a lot of inner demons she needs to work through so at times this book was pretty dark. The storyline revolved around alcohol, physical abuse and broken hearts, but the story did balance those dark moments with laughter, a loving brother, and solid friendships. Her relationship with Oliver changed very slowly and I’ll admit that I got a little impatient with how the author used misdirection to make us believe that they had moved on from their feelings. Finley had suffered so much up to the start of this book, that once I found out her back story I just wanted to see her happy. Harlan, as her love him/hate him relationship didn’t ring true, so I had trouble buying into it, but he was a fun character to read, and an integral part to how Finley grew in this book. For that reason I’ll forgive this author the time she spent on that plotline. This novel is the first book in the series, so I can only hope the next one follows Finley on her education at Mansfield Theater, because she was a fascinating character and I want to know more about her!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review, and it was honest!

I would like to preface the review with the fact that I haven't read the original Mansfield Park but I am familiar with the plotline. Now, Seeking Mansfield is a modern retelling of Mansfield Park, and on the whole I was very much impressed with it. It takes the storyline of MP and gives us Finley, a parental abuse survivor who is living with her godparents and throughout the book, learns what it means to stand up for herself and where to allow people to support you. It retains much of the original storyline, and involves a complicated love rhombus or something, and is a good retelling.

Finley's situation with her godparents is such that she feels indebted to them, and always thinks first of their comforts than her own. Now, with the exception of their daughter and the aunt, they are all good to her and protective about her. But the aunt - yeesh! She is a terrible woman, and constantly makes Finley feel like an orphan. The star siblings, Emma and Harlan are snobbish but charming, but kind of controlling, which Oliver and Fin, respectively, take some time to understand. Both of them have feelings for each other but run's into the respective siblings' arms because they think it is a safer choice. In case of Finley, specifically, Harlan brings out a different, more confident side of her, but ultimately she can't take his betrayal. The story delves into relationships and how they change a person, and to what extent leaning on someone is healthy, and when protectiveness becomes suffocating.

The writing is fluid, and shifts well enough between the two perspectives of Finley and Oliver. The author also spends good amount of time building up the relationships and showing how it worked and how it did not. It touches upon PTSD, addiction, and morality in relationships, as well as how intense family can be. Recommended, especially, for contemporary fans and Austenites alike.

Finley has spent the last few years living with her godfather and his family in Chicago after her famous father's death. She has been taking care of them and thinking of herself as nothing even though Oliver keeps trying to make her feel like she deserves to have some of the things she wants. It is a slow love story, and a story about her finding her voice.

The only failings in the book are about Oliver constantly wanting people to see Finley and in his essentially wanting to change what she is. Finley is a selfless and loving introvert and she is strong and can be what she wants to be. Some people are happy in their shell. Respect that. Other than that little irritation, this book was wonderful.