A review by storytimed
Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal

2.5

Can you tell that I was very hyped over the greatness of Milk & Honey and raced through most of the series? Unfortunately, at this point I'm sort of running out of steam
There are two more books left but idk if I want to read them really
In this one, Kowal returns to Austen with Jane bringing Melody out for a London Season! They then also get involved in conspiracies as Jane tries to discourage the attentions of unsuitable suitors, one of whom is (gasp!) Irish Catholic 
I do like the emotional point of this book, which is about Jane grappling with her own prejudice and how she's dismissed and misunderstood her sister over the years (for one, Melody's always complained of migraines and Jane was like, oh you're faking it like mom, but turns out that Melody actually needs glasses and she has migraines from straining her vision!)
Oooh got distracted but: I didn't love the actual, like, plot? It engages with the Luddite and labor movement of the time, but although she really does have good intentions, I don't think Kowal actually has the range to have her upper-class white British heroine get inspired by the Plight of the Downtrodden
For example, one of the members of the Guild of Coldmongers is a young Black boy who idolizes the Vincents. After being saved by them once, he's tragically killed as part of a protest and then never mentioned again lmao