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claudiamacpherson's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Second World War has just ended, and the village of Chawton—where Jane Austen spent the final years of her life—is full of people facing grief and personal traumas. An unlikely group of eight characters is brought together by their shared love for Austen's novels as they try to protect the authoress' legacy.
3.5 stars
I honestly can't believe that I haven't seen a BBC miniseries based on this book yet because it has it all: post-WWII setting, an Upstairs, Downstairs-esque juxtaposition of characters, small town gossip, and, of course, romance. It was sweet, and I enjoyed the twists and turns the story took, though I found some characters and storylines a lot more interesting than others. As a fan of Jane Austen myself (obviously, why else would I have picked up this book), I usually enjoy romance storylines, but unfortunately these ones didn't do it for me.I personally do not like relationships with large age gaps (sorry, they just make me uncomfortable) so the relationship between Dr. Gray and Adeline felt weird, especially since I got fatherly vibes from him in the beginning. However, I did really like the Adam/Yardley pairing (but wish we got to see more of it!). It was fun to see how Jenner wove details from Austen's romances into her characters' stories, too! If you're looking for historical accuracy or a super deep plot, this book will probably disappoint you; but if you want a fun, sweet read, this is it!
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just my judgement of how happy the ending is because I always wish someone would tell me this before I read books):As all things Austen should be: happy endings for everyone! Except for the characters we don't like!
3.5 stars
I honestly can't believe that I haven't seen a BBC miniseries based on this book yet because it has it all: post-WWII setting, an Upstairs, Downstairs-esque juxtaposition of characters, small town gossip, and, of course, romance. It was sweet, and I enjoyed the twists and turns the story took, though I found some characters and storylines a lot more interesting than others. As a fan of Jane Austen myself (obviously, why else would I have picked up this book), I usually enjoy romance storylines, but unfortunately these ones didn't do it for me.
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just my judgement of how happy the ending is because I always wish someone would tell me this before I read books):
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Miscarriage, and Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, and Medical content
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