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The Jane Austen Marriage Manual
by
Kim Izzo (Goodreads Author)
Katherine Shaw--"Kate--" is happy with her life. She has supportive friends, a glamorous magazine career, and a love of all things Jane Austen. But when she loses her job, her beloved grandmother falls ill and a financial disaster forces a sale on the family home, Kate finds herself facing a crisis that would test even the most stalwart of Austen heroines.
Friends rally rou...more
Friends rally rou...more
Paperback, 372 pages
Published
April 12th 2012
by Hodder and Stoughton
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Ehh. As in, not great, but not bad either. I am a big Jane Austen fan, which drew me to this novel. Kate, our heroine, has a gambling addict for a mother, a contract-to-contract-job, and a grandmother she loves. When her contracts suddenly dry up, her grandmother dies, and she finds out her mother gambled away their home, Kate understandably freaks out. As an over 40 single, jobless woman, she concocts a plan, falling back on the premise Jane Austen lays out in her novels: trying to make an adva...more
Truly one of the worst books I have ever had the misfortune to read and I have read some bad ones. To have Jane Austen's name attached to this travesty is an insult to anyone who has read the brilliant Jane Austen and I am sure she would be insulted to have her name attached to this in any way, shape or form. An inane, ridiculous book of unlikeable characters, contrived situations and funny? Ah absolutely not. As someone who loves light, silly novels (I loved Bridget Jones whom this is often com...more
Please see my full review at www.choicebookreviews.net, and check out other reviews and great suggestions!
I'm not really read up on Jane Austen, but nowadays anyone with an internet connection or a T.V can claim expertise with all the movies, T.V specials and such out there. I am no expert, but I am acquainted with her work and the various themes she uses.
Besides, many books follow the same path as Austen, she didn't invent this genre of bottled love, marrying well and such, so I treated this bo...more
I'm not really read up on Jane Austen, but nowadays anyone with an internet connection or a T.V can claim expertise with all the movies, T.V specials and such out there. I am no expert, but I am acquainted with her work and the various themes she uses.
Besides, many books follow the same path as Austen, she didn't invent this genre of bottled love, marrying well and such, so I treated this bo...more
May 23, 2012
Katieeoh Lacanlale
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
american,
chic,
dystopian,
fashion,
friends,
friendship,
faith,
engrossing,
funny,
god,
life,
love,
love-story,
loyalty,
realization,
retelling,
romance,
sweet,
teen,
young-adult,
women,
chic-lit,
hollywood
One word to describe this book: ENTERTAINING.
Okay let’s face it, this is a Bridget Jones meets a modern day Pride and Prejudice, The Jane Austen Marriage Manual is probably one of the most enjoyable ‘chic lit’ books I’ve read in a long time.
It focuses more on how to compare our generation now to the time in the 1800’s where it’s mostly people live a Jane Austen novel. It’s very particular that when you’re a girl, you only wait to grow older and find a husband to satisfy your needs. Well, nowaday...more
Okay let’s face it, this is a Bridget Jones meets a modern day Pride and Prejudice, The Jane Austen Marriage Manual is probably one of the most enjoyable ‘chic lit’ books I’ve read in a long time.
It focuses more on how to compare our generation now to the time in the 1800’s where it’s mostly people live a Jane Austen novel. It’s very particular that when you’re a girl, you only wait to grow older and find a husband to satisfy your needs. Well, nowaday...more
This novel follows Kate, who has just lost her job and needs to get her hands on some cash quickly to help support her family. She embarks on a journey to learn if the ways of Regency times still hold true: that it's better to marry for money than for love and that marrying was all about position.
As you can imagine, this is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice with some Emma and other Austen novels thrown in. There are some highs and lows in the storytelling. First of all, Kate is hard to l...more
As you can imagine, this is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice with some Emma and other Austen novels thrown in. There are some highs and lows in the storytelling. First of all, Kate is hard to l...more
Aug 22, 2012
Jennifer Conrad
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
austen-rewrites,
chick-lit
What a wonderful modern remixing of Austen's novels!
The author cleverly made the main character, Kate, someone whom you sympathized with, loved, and disliked all at the same time. She's very complex, being a sentimental, strong-headed woman who tries to marry for money in order to save her family, ensure stability in her life, and prove a point.
What I liked about this story is that it didn't follow Pride and Prejudice to the letter. In fact, there were times when it was clear that Kate and her s...more
The author cleverly made the main character, Kate, someone whom you sympathized with, loved, and disliked all at the same time. She's very complex, being a sentimental, strong-headed woman who tries to marry for money in order to save her family, ensure stability in her life, and prove a point.
What I liked about this story is that it didn't follow Pride and Prejudice to the letter. In fact, there were times when it was clear that Kate and her s...more
Kate is a freelance journalist, who has just lost her job in the recession. With bills to pay and about to be made homeless, Kate is in serious need of money. Never mind, that she is nearly 40, never been married. So when, Kate is offered an assignment to travel around the world to prove that a woman only needs a wealthy husband, Kate accepts the challenge.
Kate is very funny, smart and independent woman. Because her grandmother, mother and sister were unlucky in love, Kate assumes the same, with...more
Kate is very funny, smart and independent woman. Because her grandmother, mother and sister were unlucky in love, Kate assumes the same, with...more
Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope. The fact that has Austen's name even attached to it makes me want to hurl a little bit. The beauty of Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, and so on lies, for me at least, in Austen's ability to portray people and the nuances of human interaction. This novel bears no parallel in response. The female lead is a train wreck, and I couldn't find it in me to feel any sympathy for her due to her actions. There was a spot of sympathy in the momen...more
I didn't quite connect with this book as much as I want to. Probably the reason for that was because of the age gap between Kate (the heroine) and me. At 22, I'm still in that age where I seek true love and real happiness rather than weighing the pockets of a prospective suitor. I mean, yes, it would be nice if the man you're going to end up with has the means to spoil you and support you but still I would want to be able to spoil and support myself as well. Be that as it may, I can see where K...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
When this book arrived in the post as soon as I opened it I instantly loved the cover of the book, it would definitely be one that would catch my eye on the book shelf, but then I read the title of the book The Jane Austen Marriage Manual and I was a little hesitant to start reading this book as I am not a fan of Jane Austen, well to be completely honest I am not really a fan of classics at all (sorry!) None the less I decided to give it a try.
We meet our main character Kate Shaw who is about to...more
We meet our main character Kate Shaw who is about to...more
Is it a truth universally acknowledged that a woman of forty, with nothing left to lose, could commit random acts of desperation against her normal sensibilities? Meet Kate, the heroine of Kim Izzo’s debut novel, who is considering marriage for money and is charged to write a feature magazine article on just that:
“Let me get this straight. I’m to write about finding a rich husband, at forty, as a guide for women, as though nothing’s changed since Pride and Prejudice was published?”(P 28
)
In The J...more
“Let me get this straight. I’m to write about finding a rich husband, at forty, as a guide for women, as though nothing’s changed since Pride and Prejudice was published?”(P 28
)
In The J...more
Mr. Darcy bleibt zum Frühstück ist ein Buch von Kim Izzo. Es ist am 21. Januar 2013 im Goldmann Verlag erschienen. Das Buch umfasst 448 Seiten. Das englische Original The Jane Austen Marriage Manual erschien am 12. April 2012 bei Hodder & Stoughton.
Inhalt
Katherine ist kurz vor dem Vierzigsten hat eigentlich alles, was sie braucht: einen tollen Job, gute Freunde, einen Partner und die komplette DVD-Sammlung von Jane Austen. Doch dann kommt alles anders. Erst lässt ihr Freund sie sitzen und ve...more
Inhalt
Katherine ist kurz vor dem Vierzigsten hat eigentlich alles, was sie braucht: einen tollen Job, gute Freunde, einen Partner und die komplette DVD-Sammlung von Jane Austen. Doch dann kommt alles anders. Erst lässt ihr Freund sie sitzen und ve...more
I'm a sucker for all things Austen, so will always grab one when I see it on the shelf not really caring about whether it's recommended or not.
Loved the awakening when the character realizes what bothers her about her mother's behavior is that it is her own. The players getting played is always fun, too. The casual sex makes it less recommendable. It was enjoyable to see how the attitudes towards money-lack or abundance, permeated how they saw everything. I enjoyed seeing the typical Jane Austen...more
Loved the awakening when the character realizes what bothers her about her mother's behavior is that it is her own. The players getting played is always fun, too. The casual sex makes it less recommendable. It was enjoyable to see how the attitudes towards money-lack or abundance, permeated how they saw everything. I enjoyed seeing the typical Jane Austen...more
It’s Bridget Jones meets a modern day Pride and Prejudice, The Jane Austen Marriage Manual is probably one of the most enjoyable ‘chic lit’ books I’ve read in a long time.
Desperate to make ends meet and grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother, journalist Kate Shaw accepts a freelance job to write an article about the realities of snagging a rich husband in today’s struggling economic climate. Initially, Kate is reluctant to take on the article- she’s always been a Jane Austen fan but she pr...more
Desperate to make ends meet and grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother, journalist Kate Shaw accepts a freelance job to write an article about the realities of snagging a rich husband in today’s struggling economic climate. Initially, Kate is reluctant to take on the article- she’s always been a Jane Austen fan but she pr...more
I wanted to like this book, as I seem to be obsessed with all Jane Austen related books right now. But I didn't.
The thing is, I hate reading anything or watching a movie that makes me feel bad for another person. Do you remember the movie, "There's Something About Mary?" I was so uncomfortable watching that movie. I felt so bad for Ben Stiller's character. The zipper scene did me in and I refused to watch the rest of the movie. That's how I felt about this book. The main character was a train w...more
The thing is, I hate reading anything or watching a movie that makes me feel bad for another person. Do you remember the movie, "There's Something About Mary?" I was so uncomfortable watching that movie. I felt so bad for Ben Stiller's character. The zipper scene did me in and I refused to watch the rest of the movie. That's how I felt about this book. The main character was a train w...more
Happily adding to my Canadian authored Reading Challenges..
and Roof Beam Readers Austen in August ~
Canadian author, Kim Izzo offers a very contemporary JA P&P variation, complete with a delish Mr Darcy and full doses of laugh out loud humour.
About to turn forty, never married, Kate queries her friends, "Do you think I'm too old to marry well?" Thus begins a year long experiment as Kate pursues her answer.. and her story for the fashion magazine editor who contracts the article. Kate's adven...more
and Roof Beam Readers Austen in August ~
Canadian author, Kim Izzo offers a very contemporary JA P&P variation, complete with a delish Mr Darcy and full doses of laugh out loud humour.
About to turn forty, never married, Kate queries her friends, "Do you think I'm too old to marry well?" Thus begins a year long experiment as Kate pursues her answer.. and her story for the fashion magazine editor who contracts the article. Kate's adven...more
As seen on: Bookosaur
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an educated individual in possession of a good literary appetite must be in want of the next Great American Novel. With The Jane Austen Marriage Manual, an Austen-inspired romantic comedy, author Kim Izzo proves otherwise. That's right, dear reader, I'm here to tell you that it's 100% okay to set aside your copy of Moby-Dick and not just read, but enjoy what Red Online calls "the ultimate martini-fuelled chick lit read."
Kate Shaw,...more
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an educated individual in possession of a good literary appetite must be in want of the next Great American Novel. With The Jane Austen Marriage Manual, an Austen-inspired romantic comedy, author Kim Izzo proves otherwise. That's right, dear reader, I'm here to tell you that it's 100% okay to set aside your copy of Moby-Dick and not just read, but enjoy what Red Online calls "the ultimate martini-fuelled chick lit read."
Kate Shaw,...more
I would rate this at a 2.5 to 3 stars, and only because the ending got considerably better than the first 3/4s of the book.
Another modern Jane Austen fans falls into the depths of despair about her life story. Kate is a beauty consultant/freelance writer at a magazine and is asked to write a piece: Is it possible to find happiness marrying for money over love?! What results is a more materialistic, narcissistic read. The plot was incredibly see-thru and I was really annoyed with the stupidity o...more
Another modern Jane Austen fans falls into the depths of despair about her life story. Kate is a beauty consultant/freelance writer at a magazine and is asked to write a piece: Is it possible to find happiness marrying for money over love?! What results is a more materialistic, narcissistic read. The plot was incredibly see-thru and I was really annoyed with the stupidity o...more
If Elizabeth Bennett were thirty and seven, having just lost her employment, and rights to the Longbourn house, would she be so quick to return Darcy’s scorn?
If Elizabeth Bennett were facing the biggest financial ruin of her life, crisis of epic proportions, would she be so quick to turn down Collins’ marriage proposal?
The Jane Austen Marriage Manual is far from a Pride and Prejudice re-telling. Here, you will meet Katherine Shaw; a woman who’d test your patience, will get your blood pressure ri...more
If Elizabeth Bennett were facing the biggest financial ruin of her life, crisis of epic proportions, would she be so quick to turn down Collins’ marriage proposal?
The Jane Austen Marriage Manual is far from a Pride and Prejudice re-telling. Here, you will meet Katherine Shaw; a woman who’d test your patience, will get your blood pressure ri...more
Synthesizing all of the tenets of Jane Austen’s heroines, Kim Izzo’s heroine tests out the theories…women of a certain age must want a husband, a wealthy one…happiness in marriage is a choice…The heroine, Kate, newly unemployed, facing additional financial disaster created by her family, dealing with the loss of her beloved grandmother, plunges herself into the lives of the obscenely rich to find a wealth husband. While some of the adventures had little interest to me (boorish behavior of the ob...more
A fun read, entirely predictable, frothy and fun. almost-40 Kate loses everything, her beloved grandmother, her home, her job and her fella. She decides to write a freelance article on marrying for money, the old fashioned way of doing things using methods that were popular in Jane Austen's day. She pretends to be titled and spends her last bit of savings hanging out with the jetset in Palm Beach, St. Moritz and London, trying to snag a wealthy man whom she's trying to steal from his young girlf...more
The book started out with the main character having to deal with quite a few hardships--- losing her job, grandmother, house and facing 40(!). These could have all been character-building moments but instead Kate turns into a very unlikable character in order to move the contrived plot along. We never get any insight into her thoughts as she spirals down a road of douchiness and is an ass to her friends and family in her quest to become a gold digger. Which makes it very hard to believe the male...more
Apr 23, 2012
Giselle at Book Nerd Canada
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc,
from-publishers
Understand that this novel isn't a retelling of any of Jane Austen's novels, but a lovely story of Kate who finds herself without a home, a steady job and most importantly to her, a husband. When her editor comes up with a story, The Jane Austen Marriage Manual is born. Her goal is to find a husband to marry for financial security. Along the way she finds out what she's willing to give up for money.
I stumbled upon this book via Twitter when Harper Collins asked if anyone was a Jane Austen fan. I...more
I stumbled upon this book via Twitter when Harper Collins asked if anyone was a Jane Austen fan. I...more
Feb 23, 2013
Aimee
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
chick-lit,
jane-austen
I LOVED THIS BOOK. Was it predictable? Yeah, it turned out exactly like you thought it would. Does that matter? NOPE. I love Jane Austen. She's brilliant and amazing and without her words I would be a lesser person. That being said, I love stories that focus on her writings (ignoring "Days and Nights at Pemberly"). This is a great book. The characters were easy to relate to and likable, the wonderful Jane was referenced throughout the book, and I read half of it in one night. I couldn't put it d...more
Reading this book never bore me. Not even the slightest.
The plot was amazing, and it feels like you're a part of the protagonist's roller coaster life in life. At 40, Unmarried and near to be broke,I can imagine many ladies I knew in real life who same the share fate. Her search for "real love" aka "marrying a rich man to suffice her financial needs" was all true. We cannot deny the fact that nowadays, all we search for is money, money, and money.
Sadly, the ending left me hanging. It wasn't stat...more
The plot was amazing, and it feels like you're a part of the protagonist's roller coaster life in life. At 40, Unmarried and near to be broke,I can imagine many ladies I knew in real life who same the share fate. Her search for "real love" aka "marrying a rich man to suffice her financial needs" was all true. We cannot deny the fact that nowadays, all we search for is money, money, and money.
Sadly, the ending left me hanging. It wasn't stat...more
I almost made it halfway through this book before I finally gave up. The title is catchy and that big "Jane Austen" on the cover lured me in, but I kept waiting for the Austen connection and found that I'd been tricked. When the story turned sleazy and into another I-will-lie-to-get-what-I-want-but-it-will-really-complicate-everything-and-I'll-regret-it stories, I decided I have much better things to do with my time. Maybe it gets better in the 2nd half. I really hope so for the sake of those wh...more
I enjoyed this book. I enjoy most things that have a reference to Jane Austen. Kate wants what all women really want deep down. To be loved, adored and cared for and if it happens to come with monetary benefits, so much the better. But it is interesting how Kate sets her sights on the man she believes to be her Mr. Darcy and he turns out to be her Wickham; while the one she believes to be the poor Wickham turns out to be her Mr. Darcy. It was an interesting twist written well by Kim Izzo. The on...more
I went into this book thinking it was going to be your typical chick lit type book: light and fluffy and very cute but Izzo has proven me quite wrong with my assumptions. While this book does have some of the elements of a chick lit novel it also delves a little deeper than most chick lit than I have read. It shows the value of relationships with others but not just romantic relationships. The main relationships in the novel are not the romantic ones; they are the relationships between siblings,...more
May 17, 2012
Andrea (Cozy Up With A Good Read)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-own
Originally published on Cozy Up With A Good Read
I was asked to read and review this book after there was a poll on Twitter about people who love Jane Austen (I still continue to reread her books). When I read the synopsis for this book it sounded so cute I just had to read it. I have to say Kim Izzo definitely delivered in this story. It was such a cute and funny read, but there were also a lot of emotional parts to the book (I actually found myself crying at parts). I definitely felt like this...more
I was asked to read and review this book after there was a poll on Twitter about people who love Jane Austen (I still continue to reread her books). When I read the synopsis for this book it sounded so cute I just had to read it. I have to say Kim Izzo definitely delivered in this story. It was such a cute and funny read, but there were also a lot of emotional parts to the book (I actually found myself crying at parts). I definitely felt like this...more
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“You've got to rely on people. I know you're hurting because of all the bad things that have happened to you, but in order to live, truly live, you've got to feel pain, you've got to trust, and you've got to love.”
—
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