Persuasion follows Anne Elliott as its Heroine.

Anne is 27, lost her mother as a teenager, is middle daughter to a pompous father and has been in love with Mr Wentworth for about a decade. In the usual Austen style, love is thwarted at first by family restrictions.

We travel a great deal of the South of England in this novel, visiting Lyme, Bath, the seaside, the countryside and the city.

This is a romance, at the end of the day, that is what you get. There is a silliness which comes from Ann's younger sister Mary and indeed their father Sir Walter Elliott. Just the right amount of pomp, pride and superiority. There are characters who are 'good' alongside the scoundrels as well.

The characters build in this novel. You get to see how Anne's temperament and qualities have built over her lifetime, learning a little more about the family and their lifetime as it goes along. Alongside this there is her relationship with one of her mother's friends, Lady Russell. Mary's in-laws also figure heavily and have a significant role to play in Anne's love life.

One thing i love about all Austen novels is that there is always a happy ending. Unlike Bronte novels, where the is a lot more bleakness, Austen always leaves you with hope. Someone comes off badly, but they generally deserve it!

I have read this novel, watched the ITV version and also listened to it on audio CD. I have to say that the Audio CD has been by far my favourite. The characters build, the scenery is set, and it is all very addictive.

Pride and Prejudice remains my personal favourite. There is something about it that captivates me. However, this is certainly a very close second.

I personally don't think Austen is an easy read. I think her characters are in-depth, they aren't shallow like some romance novelists. This makes the stories believable, if a little optimistic! Austen wrote this shortly before she died. If you've never read a Jane Austen novel, what has been keeping you? You could do worse than start with this one.