Book Review | All Stirred Up | By Biranne Moore

My thoughts

Narrative and Plot

All Stirred Up is the retelling of the Jane Austen novel, Persuasion. Now, I haven’t read Persuasion yet, but the book definitely had an unmistakable Jane Austen vibe to it. Be it the characters, the settings or the theme. All Stirred Up is entertaining even if you haven’t read the original. It might remind you of the Victorian era setting of a Jane Austen novel for sure. Susan and Chris and their predicaments are the same even in the modern era. Relationships are complicated no matter what the century is.

The plot is engaging and adequately paced. The whole Edinburgh setting gives it a character of its own and to someone cooped up at home during quarantine, it gives you the touristy experience which is something I love about books in general.

Characters and Conflicts

The characters are all well fleshed out and remarkable. This is expected since it is a retelling. But adding the modern conflicts makes them relatable to someone who is not familiar with the original story and still care about them. The weight of history and regrets and love is unmistakable from the start. And the characters are quite sensible and realistic in the way they deal with it. Add a gossip blogger to the mix and things get spiced up.

One of the things, I love about All Stirred Up is, it chose to stick to the original story. This I can tell, because even though in each other’s orbit the main characters don’t meet in person well into the book and that creates a kind of longing and rooting that only the Victorian novels can demand. The story definitely recreated that magic, especially with the first meeting of Susan and Chris.

The  ensemble of characters only helped move the story forward. It would have been lovely to see more of the sisterly bond. Or maybe that’s just me who loves reading about siblings. And last but not the least, this is the perfect book for snacking and reading if that is your thing. The presence of good baking and rich Scottish cuisine is bound to raise your appetite.

Conclusion

All Stirred Up is your comfort reading. It is soothing, pleasant and romantic like a nicely baked bread. With the Edinburgh backdrop, good food and a heartwarming romance, you don’t need much persuasion to pick this up.  

About the Author

Disclosure :  1) I received an e-ARC of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.            

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