Winning a Reluctant Heart

Jane Austen wrote six romantic novels all of which have been constantly in print for about 200 years. A number of other authors have been successful as writers of romantic novels but probably none have matched Austen's success. There seems to be something about Jane Austen's approach to romantic novels that no-one has been able to match. Perhaps it is a worthy goal for any writer of a romantic novel or even a short story to attempt to capture Jane Austen's magic. The current effort of a romantic story involves a heroin named Mary Jones who is as attractive as was Jane Bennet and as skeptical of marriage as was Elizabeth Bennet. There is some question of whether Mary Jones or any fictional character can display the strength of character exhibited by Jane Austen's heroines, and do so successfully, in a story set in 21st century America.