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literallykalasin's review
3.0
This is a charming beach read. Imagine Jane Austen is alive and well today. Well, not really "alive" per se. More like undead. And not really "well"; she cannot seem to get another book published. Anyway, she's around.
Just like her heroines, Jane Austen needs to navigate the myriad problems of modern women with aplomb. Such issues as: dealing with men; running a successful business; and how to keep your secret identity as a blood-thirsty vampire under your hat -- the usual problems.
Just like her heroines, Jane Austen needs to navigate the myriad problems of modern women with aplomb. Such issues as: dealing with men; running a successful business; and how to keep your secret identity as a blood-thirsty vampire under your hat -- the usual problems.
gaderianne's review
2.0
I just didn't buy into this book...and before you ask...yes I do think it is possible to buy into a cheesy vampire chick lit novel. Just not this one.
The premise is a cute one. Jane Austen is a vampire who owns her own bookstore and is tired of all the Austen mania. (Oh and scores of other great literary figures are also vampires including the infamous bad boy poet who turned Jane against her will.) However , if I had to read one more time how disgruntled Jane was about not being able to collect royalty checks I was going to throw this book in the fire. (Once was enough.)
The main problem was that it just wasn't believable. When Jane, for example, came out to her co worker, the co worker was all...oh cool, la, la, la. Really? Jane's head was in the clouds, she didn't seem like she had a head on her shoulders, and she had no common sense. I just don't think that could be Jane Austen.
Then there was the ending. I won't spoil it beyod saying...really? You couldn't at least write an ending instead if just abruptly ending in order to sell the second book?
It may seem like I hated this book. I've read worse and in parts it was amusing. However, there wasn't enough there to keep me interested.
The premise is a cute one. Jane Austen is a vampire who owns her own bookstore and is tired of all the Austen mania. (Oh and scores of other great literary figures are also vampires including the infamous bad boy poet who turned Jane against her will.) However , if I had to read one more time how disgruntled Jane was about not being able to collect royalty checks I was going to throw this book in the fire. (Once was enough.)
The main problem was that it just wasn't believable. When Jane, for example, came out to her co worker, the co worker was all...oh cool, la, la, la. Really? Jane's head was in the clouds, she didn't seem like she had a head on her shoulders, and she had no common sense. I just don't think that could be Jane Austen.
Then there was the ending. I won't spoil it beyod saying...really? You couldn't at least write an ending instead if just abruptly ending in order to sell the second book?
It may seem like I hated this book. I've read worse and in parts it was amusing. However, there wasn't enough there to keep me interested.
acethirtynine's review
4.0
I wasn't sure I would like this book. I fact, I bought it mostly because I had a gift certificate for Barnes & Noble. I am happy to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was well written, entertaining, and funny.
dorian_gray02's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
thriftygeek's review
5.0
This was a good book one of my favorite off beat Austen related books. Never would have imagines Jane as a vampire. It has to "bite" seeing all the royalties you could get for your work and things inspired by it and can't.
catpingu's review
2.0
Honestly, if I'd read this while I was still in my elementary school years, I would have liked it better. Now, as an adult and having read real soul-consuming literature, I can only see this as a light-hearted comedic "what-if" scenario. Jane Austen's a vampire, ...
I like how it makes fun of contemporary icons like Stephen King ("a wordy man"), The Lovely Bones, Gwyneth Paltrow ("a celebrity who named their child Apple"), etc. So we can't take it too seriously, but I had been expecting a lot more because it took me so long to read it sooooo that's where my bias is playing in this rating. I don't intend on finishing the trilogy.
Spoiler
Lord Byron, and Charlotte BrontëI like how it makes fun of contemporary icons like Stephen King ("a wordy man"), The Lovely Bones, Gwyneth Paltrow ("a celebrity who named their child Apple"), etc. So we can't take it too seriously, but I had been expecting a lot more because it took me so long to read it sooooo that's where my bias is playing in this rating. I don't intend on finishing the trilogy.
bookish_reads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
margaretkearney's review
5.0
A brilliant read.Full of wit,laugh out loud moments and loads of refences to other similar genre books.Highly recommend.Shall definitley pick up the sequel.
bibliophilelinda's review
3.0
This book was a goodreads giveaway gift.
Review: The book has a cute and, at times, witty chick lit story but is certainly not the best or brightest book on the shelf. Jane Austen is alive today, but as a vampire named Jane Fairfax, and running a small bookstore in a backwoods town somewhere in New York State. She's written a wonderful new book, but has received 116 rejection notices from various publishing firms, despite the fact that the Austen craze is still going strong. Anyway, one publisher finally accepts the manuscript and Jane must deal with her newly growing fame. Simultaneously, a local contractor in her town is trying to court her, despite her protestations (she's afraid her "condition" might scare him off). Meanwhile, the vampire who turned her, the charismatic Brian George, who actually turns out to be Lord Bryon, comes back to reclaim her love. This all inevitably leads up to Jane having to reveal her "condition" to her assistant bookstore keeper and her love interest, while trying to promote her book and fend off the increasing persistence of Lord Bryon's declarations of love. Also, the story throws a little of the Bronte vs Austen drama in the mix. I enjoyed the guest appearances of famous authors, but this book felt crafted from the same mold as the rest of what I call "Wal-Mart" stories: quickly written stories published at precisely the height of a particular subject craze (the subject in this instance being the Austen-turned-into-horror-stories fad) and lacking that special uniqueness characteristic of great novels. In addition, the ending was so obviously left open for a sequel, which is also promoted at the end of the book, as to be ridiculous. I mean, really, why does this story need to be made into a series? In my opinion, another way to milk money out of a fad.
Review: The book has a cute and, at times, witty chick lit story but is certainly not the best or brightest book on the shelf. Jane Austen is alive today, but as a vampire named Jane Fairfax, and running a small bookstore in a backwoods town somewhere in New York State. She's written a wonderful new book, but has received 116 rejection notices from various publishing firms, despite the fact that the Austen craze is still going strong. Anyway, one publisher finally accepts the manuscript and Jane must deal with her newly growing fame. Simultaneously, a local contractor in her town is trying to court her, despite her protestations (she's afraid her "condition" might scare him off). Meanwhile, the vampire who turned her, the charismatic Brian George, who actually turns out to be Lord Bryon, comes back to reclaim her love. This all inevitably leads up to Jane having to reveal her "condition" to her assistant bookstore keeper and her love interest, while trying to promote her book and fend off the increasing persistence of Lord Bryon's declarations of love. Also, the story throws a little of the Bronte vs Austen drama in the mix. I enjoyed the guest appearances of famous authors, but this book felt crafted from the same mold as the rest of what I call "Wal-Mart" stories: quickly written stories published at precisely the height of a particular subject craze (the subject in this instance being the Austen-turned-into-horror-stories fad) and lacking that special uniqueness characteristic of great novels. In addition, the ending was so obviously left open for a sequel, which is also promoted at the end of the book, as to be ridiculous. I mean, really, why does this story need to be made into a series? In my opinion, another way to milk money out of a fad.