Reviews

2X Rereading for Jane Austen Book Club. I absolutely LOVE this book! How it gets why so many of us find comfort in Jane Austen.

1X It is a truth universally acknowledged that if a book has Jane Austenove in the title I will read it. This one did not disappoint! Perhaps succeeds with me, because setting is Chawton. Having had the chance to visit a couple of years ago, I could see this book come to life. The Village, The Cottage, The Big House, The Gardens, and The HaHa are brilliantly incorporated within this story.

Loved the characters! Adam with his overbearing mother. I could definitely hear my mother saying the same thing his did: "You read too much. You read her too much." I would love to read the story of how his Epilogue came to be. Evie who judged people on their response to her favorite Pride and Prejudice. "If they failed to enjoy or -even-worse finish the book, she wrote them off just as dismissively." The ongoing Team Emma vs Team Lizzie "I'll take Lizzie over Emma any day."

I listened to on Audible. It's beautifully read by Richard Armitage. I ordered a print copy for my Forever All Things Austen Shelf because it's destined to be favorite comfort read.

It's a book for people who love books, especially Austen. It understands the comfort of rereading your favorite books: "But one can always read Austen." and the quiet rebellion of reading if you grew up in a difficult situation and that you can literally be Saved by Jane Austen.

brooklyneden's review

Go to review page

It wasn’t super engaging and there were lots of references to Austen’s works that I didn’t get

morgob's review

Go to review page

5.0

This was an incredibly comfy book. I was looking for something a bit lighter in-between big fantasy reads, and this was perfect. I absolutely loved all of the characters (except Jack, of course) and it definitely had a happy ending. Plus, it's about Jane Austen readers! What's not to like? I thought the story was fun, entertaining, a bit suspenseful, and definitely just the right amount of cheesy for its purpose. I even enjoyed Mimi, even though I didn't think I would. My favorite characters were Dr. Gray and Adam. They were both just so sweet and, you know, it's not every day you meet a man who loves Jane Austen. It definitely rekindled my love for Austen herself and made me want to read the remaining two books of hers I haven't gotten to yet. What I liked most about this book was its message on loss and grief. It primarily is a story about a group of people who have all experienced loss, the most recent at the hands of the two world wars. It tells a story of an England a bit torn up from the wars, but it also is a story about finding life again after it feels like you'll never truly live again. These people in particular chose Austen to help them on their way, her books providing just enough of an escape while doling out witty lines and happy endings all around. I would definitely put this on my list of comfort reads, right alongside The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and A Man Called Ove.

lindsaymay92's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

linzo49's review

Go to review page

It was just so boring and hard to get into.

laurenpat's review

Go to review page

4.25

This was so cute! Great if you’re a fan of Jane Austen. I got choked up at the end.

More...