A SUMMER ENGAGEMENT Fun Fact

October 21, 2013 |

While we’re discussing books about interesting wives…

… one of the proposed titles for my second stand alone novel, aka The Victorian Novel, was The Collector’s Wife. Imogen, the historical heroine, is married to an antiquarian, who collects her along with his various medieval objets d’art. What I loved about that title was the nod it gave to the mid-Victorian mania for collection and classification– something that makes its mark on Imogen’s life.

In the end, though, we went with A Summer Engagement, since that spanned both the modern and historical elements of the story: summer 2009, when my modern heroine goes to clear out her great-aunt’s house near London, and summer 1849, when a Preraphaelite painter is hired to take the historical heroine’s likeness.

Which title do you like better?

Posted in Summer Engagement

13 Comments

Jenny Harvard on October 21, 2013 at 5:11 pm

I LOVE “The Collector’s Wife”! It really grabs you and makes you want to know what/whom he is collecting… “A Summer Engagement” promises intrigue and probably a little romance thrown in for good measure. 😉 Can’t wait to “read another Willig” as my hubby says. I always get through them too quickly and then have a tortuous wait for the next one…I do re-read in between but there’s nothing like a new adventure. 🙂

Christine on October 21, 2013 at 5:12 pm

I definitely like A Summer Engagement better. The Collector’s Wife could easily be misread as something like The Collector Wife, or Collection Wife, or something weird that would imply a guy who collects wives.

Elizabeth Lefebvre on October 21, 2013 at 5:13 pm

A Summer Engagement, the Collector’s Wife sounds… kind of morbid.

Christine on October 21, 2013 at 5:15 pm

Between your post and mine, I’m now picturing a room full of wife bodies or something.

Reply
- Elizabeth Lefebvre on October 21, 2013 at 5:58 pm
  
  YES! That’s what I think too Christine!
  
  Reply
  - Am7 on October 22, 2013 at 12:18 am
    
    A Retelling of Bluebeard?
    
    Reply
Lynne on October 21, 2013 at 11:36 pm

I’m with you ladies…Collector’s Wife is just a bit creepy. Plus, there are so many new books out using “wife” or “daughter” as part of the title. Summer Engagement is just fine.

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Deanna Greene on October 21, 2013 at 5:28 pm

Oooh!!! I have to say I LOVE “The Collector’s Wife,” especially knowing the reason behind it!!

That said, I don’t think “The Summer Engagement” loses anything either. Both are good!

Sheila on October 21, 2013 at 7:25 pm

I like “The Summer Engagement”. After all , we have “The Time Traveler’s Wife”, “The Aviator’s Wife”, and “The Collector”, so I think in this case the publisher is right. Let’s just see what the cover will be !