My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park by Cindy Jones

Jul 22, 2012 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: jane-austenesque, chick-lit, all-other-fiction, fun-reads

I was drawn into the book right way and it was fun. I wasn't looking for another author like Jane Austen because you will just be left disappointed. I do enjoy books written by other Jane Austen fans and that is what I expected when I found this one. It was refreshing that the author focused on Mansfield Park and not Pride & Prejudice. (Don't get me wrong I love P&P) It's interesting that a lot of people struggle with Fanny Price as a heroine I understand why but then I realized I could...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Lydia Laceby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-women-s-fiction

Originally Reviewed at Novel Escapes

My Jane Austen Summer was a unique tale full of…well, Jane Austen and even managed to contain a paranormal aspect. A story of moving on and growth, this novel was slow to start for me as I found the main character, Lily, slightly over-depressive at first, but eventually I grew eager to find out her fate.

Lily Berry moves half way across the world to escape her crumbling life. She lost her job, her boyfriend just dumped her, calling her needy along the way, and...more Originally Reviewed at Novel Escapes

My Jane Austen Summer was a unique tale full of…well, Jane Austen and even managed to contain a paranormal aspect. A story of moving on and growth, this novel was slow to start for me as I found the main character, Lily, slightly over-depressive at first, but eventually I grew eager to find out her fate.

Lily Berry moves half way across the world to escape her crumbling life. She lost her job, her boyfriend just dumped her, calling her needy along the way, and she is still grieving her mother’s death while her father has already moved on. Lily always finds solace in Jane Austen’s works and when the opportunity arises for her to join a Jane Austen festival as an actor in England, she doesn’t flinch or waste a second making the arrangements, even though she she’s barely acted in her life, nor can she afford the trip.

I am not a huge Jane Austen fan and look forward to hearing what Kathryn thinks of this one because she’s much more interested than I am. This, however, did not hinder my enjoyment of the story too much and I grew eager to find out Lily’s fate and enjoyed watching her find herself and begin to change her life in direction she wants it to take.

It did take a while to warm to Lily’s character and it probably wasn’t until I was halfway through that I started to have much more interest in her as opposed to the unique characters she meets along the way. At times I wanted to shake her, especially when it came to her roommate, but she gradually changes her ways in time.

The ending wasn’t typical and not exactly what I expected, but I enjoyed it none the less. Not entirely predictable, I liked how Lily grew in her role at the institute, her self discovery and growth and enjoyed her little shadow’s antics. I wasn’t sure exactly whether all her issues were resolved, but I think that’s the fairy tale ending I’m usually looking for and this one’s right on the money for real life. Not everything ends up picture perfect in My Jane Austen Summer, but is a work in progress, which is exactly what we see here.

I look forward to reading more from Cindy Jones!(less)

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Dec 22, 2011 Emily rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: awful, boring, chick-lit, couldn-t-finish, england, fiction

I try really hard to finish a book. Even books that aren't all that appealing to me once I start reading them, I still try to finish them. Because I always think, "well, maybe it'll get better," or I just feel guilty because I know how hard authors work to get a book published, I feel like I want to give them their due. There's also the whole, "well I've already bought it, I might as well get my money's worth out of it." But this one...I just couldn't.

All I wanted for my Christmas break was to f...more I try really hard to finish a book. Even books that aren't all that appealing to me once I start reading them, I still try to finish them. Because I always think, "well, maybe it'll get better," or I just feel guilty because I know how hard authors work to get a book published, I feel like I want to give them their due. There's also the whole, "well I've already bought it, I might as well get my money's worth out of it." But this one...I just couldn't.

All I wanted for my Christmas break was to find a mindless, romantic, chick-lit book to get lost in, and the synopsis of this book made it seem like the perfect fit - typical set-up: American girl gets dumped, loses job, feels like life is falling apart so she picks up and goes to England for a Jane Austen lit festival. What's not to love? Surely there'll be plenty of Jane Austen references, surely she'll find a man by page 20 and it takes place in the English countryside. What's not to love?

Um, all of it. It's dreadful from page one. First of all, it starts out with her driving by her ex's house for the upteenth time, and then she has this really awkward encounter with him and his new squeeze IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE, which even made me feel embarrassed and uncomfortable for her, and not in a good way. Lily Berry, the main character, has no appealing characteristics. I couldn't relate to her at all. She just came across as pitiful, dreadful, dull, and sad. And her Jane Austen obsession and desire to be in her own novel borders on creepy-need-to-see-a-psychiatrist-stat status. I thought that maybe if I just stuck with her until she got to England, it'd get better, but no. It didn't. There was so much going on, I'm not even sure I realized how she even got to England. Something about Elizabeth Banks was a no-show so since Lily acted in high school she got to go and be an actress? Wait, what just happened?

And I finally skipped to the end, and when I read she basically ends up in the same place as when the book started - alone and in a bookstore - I gave up. No romance? No thank you.

This book did not give me the warm fuzzy's I was hoping for in a chick-lit. Instead it left me feeling annoyed and frustrated that I spent even $10 on it and now it's just wasted space on my Kindle.

Ugh. Back to the bookshelf.(less)

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Jul 26, 2011 Sheila Espineli rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I found this book in Target and it was one of those impulse buys I almost regretted. While I found it amusing being a big Jane Austen fan, I thought that the book had some issues and I don't think the central heroine was as likeable as I believe she thought she was. And honestly, I tried not to hold her liking of Fanny Price against her! In fact, I think that because of reading this book, I actually like Fanny Price more than I had previously (which is surprising to me).

I guess I should explain...more I found this book in Target and it was one of those impulse buys I almost regretted. While I found it amusing being a big Jane Austen fan, I thought that the book had some issues and I don't think the central heroine was as likeable as I believe she thought she was. And honestly, I tried not to hold her liking of Fanny Price against her! In fact, I think that because of reading this book, I actually like Fanny Price more than I had previously (which is surprising to me).

I guess I should explain briefly about Fanny Price...she is my least favorite of Austen's female protagonists, mainly because she is so passive and a "goody-two-shoes." Then again, she is probably closer to how most women acted in a dependent situation in Regency England, while someone like Elizabeth Bennet is almost a fantasy, though a delightful and entertaining one. Mansfield Park, while not the most engaging of Austen's novels, is certainly one that generates a lot of debate, and that intellectual debate is interestingly depicted here, though it was still hard for me to imagine how this live Austen festival actually worked. I can't imagine that people were happy spending money watching actors perform lines from Mansfield Park...I would rather go see the Sleep No More production currently in Manhattan.

The premise of this novel was interesting (the protagonist, Lily Berry, escapes a bad relationship and job to work, sort of, for a Jane Austen festival held at a manor house in England) but the execution was poor. Unfortunately, I read this while also reading George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series where his gift for character development just continues to astonish me as I progress through each volume...it's an unfair comparison, but it made me see how Jones was trying too hard to give Lily Berry (ugh her name made me cringe too) some character depth, when Martin's characterization appears effortless in comparison. The various subplots were too much...the Elizabeth Banks story literally went nowhere and apparently served as a plot device to provide Lily a wardrobe as well as put one of her treasured keepsakes in jeopardy. Honestly, her "stalking" of her ex and her obsession with her late mother's funeral made her seem creepy rather than someone I wanted to get to know more...not that every character should be likeably perfectl but the author could have presented her neuroses in a more subtle manner, in my opinion. And a vampire novel?! How unoriginal - the parallel was too obvious and was another element that took me out of the story.

I did get more than I expected out of this impulse read, but at the same time it left me wishing for more...there was potential, but it got too bogged down in the conventional and obvious details. Oh well...(less)

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May 18, 2011 Nadia rated it 1 of 5 stars

I don't want to be negative, but this book is not delightful. It is 'trying' - as in, it tried my patience. Generally, I like to read books that are Austen inspired - such as Austenland by Shannon Hale (such a fun read!) - however, this particular book did not have any of the charm or wit that I expected it to have. Instead, I found myself reading a book that was lacking in everything. The writing was okay, the characters were dull and the plot was rather messy.

The story is basically about Lily...more I don't want to be negative, but this book is not delightful. It is 'trying' - as in, it tried my patience. Generally, I like to read books that are Austen inspired - such as Austenland by Shannon Hale (such a fun read!) - however, this particular book did not have any of the charm or wit that I expected it to have. Instead, I found myself reading a book that was lacking in everything. The writing was okay, the characters were dull and the plot was rather messy.

The story is basically about Lily, who has been dumped by both her boyfriend and job. She is desperate to rekindle her romance with her ex, but he has moved on and wants her to stop driving by his house every night to spy on him. As far as work goes, she decides to ask Vera, the owner of her favorite bookstore, for a job - apparently there is this literary festival that she is ready for (whatever that means). And so, we find Lily en route to work in England (after having paid for her own flight); once there, well things get a bit confusing. Does Lily even have a job with Vera? More importantly, does Vera even know what is going on with the literary festival? Its all rather confusing. Of course, Lily always manages to find ways to stick around England, while at the same time seems to be finding herself (which was the whole point of going to England). Scattered throughout the book are literary references, which is always a bright spot (probably the only bright spot in this case). Oh, and did I mention the imaginary Jane Austen? Yeah, Lily has an imaginary friend, who happens to be Jane Austen - I'm not even going to touch that one.
Overall, I just did not connect with this book. I had to force myself to finish it and am just happy to be done with it. This is a book that I think only Austen fanatics might possibly enjoy, but even then I'm sceptical about recommending it. However, I will mention that I have read loads of positively glowing reviews about this book, so who knows - maybe, I'm just one of the few people who didn't get it. (less)

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Apr 13, 2011 TinasBookReviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Everyone who is a fan of or knows Jane Austen's history has at some point realized the melancholy of her stories and the sadness that encompassed her real life. So its no surprise while this was a well written and light read, it also captured the aura of a truly sad Jane Austen romance, giving readers a modern day character with language and setting surrounded by that desperate haunting thing. In that way I was left a little heartbroken for Lily, during the story her character does experience ma...more

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Feb 13, 2011 Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Three losses in her life....the loss of her mother, the loss of her job, and the loss of her boyfriend. What else could happen, hopefully something good? And something good did happen....Lily was going to London for the summer to participate in Literature Live. How would she afford it? She wasn't sure, but she had to attend and would think of some creative way to make the money she needed for the plane fare.

When Lily arrived at Newton Priors, she had no place to stay since she wasn't in the elit...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Sheyla rated it 1 of 5 stars

Lily Berry is escaping to a Jane Austen revival. She has had multiple losses. Her mother passed away, her father is in a relationship way too soon, her boyfriend dumped her while her mother was ill and told her she was needy. She looses her job because she is reading instead of working.
When she gets to England she has no job at the beginning and uses one of the rooms that was assigned to another girl. When Bets her roommate finally shows up, she is not considerate of Lily's personal belongings....more

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Jan 02, 2012 April rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, jane-austen, modern

Narration is unclear in some parts. For example two love scenes where I was left wondering what had just happened? Was it imaginary or real, rather clumsily written. I liked the protagonist, a young girl trying to make a new life for herself while not falling into the patterns of her past. Too many plot points: old boyfriend (a little obsessive about him), the Literature Live acting, raising money for Literature Live, a secret love in the attic with a soon-to-become priest writing a vampire nove...more

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May 22, 2013 Aloonee rated it 3 of 5 stars

My Jane Austen Summer: a season in Mansfield Park, written by Cindy Jones is a chick lit novel about a bookish woman, Lilly Berry, who goes on an Austen-inspired journey to Jane Austen literary festival in England. Lily has always wanted to fit in but after losing her mother, getting fired from her job, breaking up with boyfriend and having her dad marry his gold digger girlfriend, she decides to go to a place where can reinvent herself and connect with others. In the rich and promising world of...more My Jane Austen Summer: a season in Mansfield Park, written by Cindy Jones is a chick lit novel about a bookish woman, Lilly Berry, who goes on an Austen-inspired journey to Jane Austen literary festival in England. Lily has always wanted to fit in but after losing her mother, getting fired from her job, breaking up with boyfriend and having her dad marry his gold digger girlfriend, she decides to go to a place where can reinvent herself and connect with others. In the rich and promising world of Mansfield Park reenactments, Lily find out that she is not the only one who is craving to live in a novel. Filled with enthusiasm—but not acting skills—Lily is not embraced by most of the Janeites (devotees of Jane Austen). However, this doesn't stop her from meeting a charming actor, trying to control an impossible roommate, having her imaginary Jane Austen follow her around and all the while struggling with dark family secrets. Lily is trying to find the courage to be the protagonist of her own story.

Overall, I quite liked reading this delightful and imaginative novel and I connected to a lot of things in this book. There were many different characters in this book but what amazed me the most was how Jones was able to manipulate the book into making so many characters three dimensional. This allows the reader to see how everyone has an individual voice and how Lily stands out between all these characters. Another interesting thing I loved was how Jones illustrated the simplest relationship to the most complex relationship with ease. For example, I understood that Lily’s relationship with Vera is simple because Vera is just trying to help her get a part in the reenactments. But what is amazing is her relationship with her imaginary friend, Jane Austen, who follows her around and reflects a part of her. Considering all these examples, I would suggest this book to a person who understands reading and is a big reader (especially a Jane Austen reader) because someone who is not into reading would never connect to this book as to a person who knows what it’s like to read and love a book. I think that would be the only requirement needed to be interested in this book because as long as you like to read and like to feel a special connection with a book then the reader will have no problem while reading this book. All in all, My Jane Austen Summer by Cindy Jones was a very interesting read and it definitely captured my attention.(less)

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Jul 19, 2011 Jaclyn rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, chick-lit

I did not like this book very much. I thought the premise had a lot of potential, and was really excited about it when I bought it, but the story just dragged on and on and never went anywhere for me. I was terribly disappointed in the ending (on so many levels), but not at all surprised, considering how utterly pointless the rest of the book had been anyway.

I can see how the author was trying to recreate a modern day Fanny Price in Lily, and I do believe she succeeded. HOWEVER, two things on th...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Molly rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Molly by: TLC

Shelves: book-review

I absolutely adored this charming novel! I still have yet to read an actual Jane Austen novel, but LOVE these books that include her like this along with her characters. Cindy Jones' writing and creation of this unique novel is great and captivating. It was full of characters there were both likable and, of course, some that were not so likable. But, all together, this plot line was quirky and engaging!

Now, I'll admit. The first chapter of Lily's story, and her stalking her ex boyfriend, well,...more

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May 14, 2011 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mixed feelings, but overall, I liked it. I liked that she kept engaging with the idea of "my Jane Austen." Didn't like the abundance of romances -- that seemed contrived and unrealistic.

Some of the best stuff is at the end of the novel, in the author's questions and answers section.
She discusses her inspiration for the book (the awful Jane Austen Book Club by Fowler). "I imagined the book that I wanted to read: The Jane Austen Book Club, relocated to Howard's Ed, narrated by an American Bridge...more

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Apr 15, 2011 Staci rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Staci by: TLC Book Tours

Shelves: tlc-tour-2011, 2011-reads

My Jane Austen lurked in the fringes, but it would come to nothing. In an effort to explain my bad behavior with Sixby, I'd told My Jane Austen, I don't know how to have a relationship with a man. With my father never home, and my mother unhappy most of her life, my entire knowledge of happy relationships came from books. You raised me, Jane. So forgive me this mistake. I know what I did was wrong.
*[p. 256]

My Thoughts:
From the excerpt above we glean from the story that Lily, the protagonist, l...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Wallace added it

Shelves: historical-fiction, review-copy

Type: {Beach Read: fluffy, mindless, easy to read}
Rating: {Eh: Not my favorite, but fine enough to finish the book}

Why You’re Reading It:
- You read everything Jane Austen related
- You’re looking for a unique happy ending

What I Thought:

Jane Austen spin-offs can be very, very fun. Most are light and can be categorized as chick lit. It’s readers chose the genre to get lost in a world that no longer exists, to possibly glimpse Jane Austen haunting the pages, and mostly for happy endings (of which Au...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Rebecca rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned-in-2012

Such are the vagaries of the Kindle collection at my local public library that I actually thought I was checking out a nonfiction book when I requested "My Jane Austen Summer." You know, a "year in the life" of an actual person who was living out a Jane Austen obsession? So I stuck with it for a while, marveling at the author/narrator's self-professed incompetence and worse (stalking her ex-boyfriend, fired from a job over a missing $90,000 -- really, just fired? Not prosecuted and sent to jail?...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Bette rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 09, 2011 Marcie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was completely intrigued by the title of this book: My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park. I love Jane Austen and this sounded like the book for me. This isn't your typical Jane Austen inspired fiction though. I have to say it wasn't quite what I expected either. Not that that's a bad thing. The main character in this novel is Lily Berry. She has recently lost her job, boyfriend and her mother. All of these events in her life turn her world upside down. She becomes a bit stalkerish...more I was completely intrigued by the title of this book: My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park. I love Jane Austen and this sounded like the book for me. This isn't your typical Jane Austen inspired fiction though. I have to say it wasn't quite what I expected either. Not that that's a bad thing. The main character in this novel is Lily Berry. She has recently lost her job, boyfriend and her mother. All of these events in her life turn her world upside down. She becomes a bit stalkerish towards her boyfriend. Her friends and family try to convince her to get help for her erratic behavior. Lily keeps up the premise that all is well when she decides to sell everything she owns to go to England for the summer to participate in a festival that reenacts Jane Austen novels. Lily's character was very frustrating in the beginning. She had a lot of issues going on. She acted out a lot and her friends and family urged her to get help. I was in total agreement with them. However I was sympathetic to the reasons behind her reactions. Lily also has a love for all things Jane. Lily feels connected to Jane in a way I think all Jane Austen lovers or Janites can relate. Jane Austen novels have a way of connecting with people of all ages. We all have our own favorite novel by Jane. Our own favorite heroes and heroines from these novels. I don't think the Jane Austen experience is the same for everybody either. She means something different to each of us. Lily views Jane this way. Jane Austen is real to her, actually she's more real to Lily than to most. Jane Austen is a ghost like figure in Lily's life. She's always there approving and disapproving of Lily's actions. She flutters around, sits in corners while making lists. I love the lists. Jane is as much a character as Lily is. In fact I would venture to say Jane is Lily's conscious and she needs one.
Lily desperately wants her life to be like a novel. So much so that it's not good for her. Her trip to England promises to be a new beginning for her far away from her troubles. Lily leaps from the frying pan into the fire. Her time in England is not what she expected it to be. She is forced to deal with some of the issues she left back home and new ones that pop up. This book's theme seems to be 'you can't run away from your problems'. Although Lily's character kind of bugged me in the beginning, I enjoyed watching her character change and develop over the course of this book. There were no easy fixes and Lily had a lot of things to learn. I liked that this book didn't focus on romance but on the life journey we all take. This was an enjoyable read. This is not your average Austen inspired novel but it's worth reading.
I can't really blame her for wanting to slip away into a novel. I've often thought it would be great to visit Mr. Darcy at Pemberly at times.(less)

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May 15, 2012 Tracie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Blech. The main character had an imaginary Jane Austen that followed her everywhere. And at one point took over her and began speaking. Weird. And some of the plots and subplots were undeveloped and added and dropped at the author's leisure, it seemed.

PS I have not received a single Goodreads email for almost 2 months!! It said my address was bounced and needed to be verified. Um, I haven't changed my email address in 10 years! Has this happened to anyone else? I have missed Goodreads--I need t...more

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Apr 30, 2011 Bluerose's Heart rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, not-clean

I'll admit I haven't read any of Jane Austen's books. I've tried at least 3 times to read Pride and Prejudice, but I don't think I ever made it halfway through. I adore most of the movies and Jane Austen spin-off books. I've saw the movie, Mansfield Park, and I didn't love it. I assume from watching the movie that it would be my least favorite book of the 6. I DO want to read them, and am determined to do so one day!
My Jane Austen Summer revolves around the book Mansfield Park. IF I had read the...more I'll admit I haven't read any of Jane Austen's books. I've tried at least 3 times to read Pride and Prejudice, but I don't think I ever made it halfway through. I adore most of the movies and Jane Austen spin-off books. I've saw the movie, Mansfield Park, and I didn't love it. I assume from watching the movie that it would be my least favorite book of the 6. I DO want to read them, and am determined to do so one day!
My Jane Austen Summer revolves around the book Mansfield Park. IF I had read the book, I might possibly have enjoyed this one more. I don't know. But, I didn't like this one at all. I hate to say this, because it is a debut novel, and more than any other books, I really want to like a debut novel. Unfortunately, though, that wasn't the case with this one.
I didn't like the main character. I didn't connect with her, or really sympathize with her, and I should have!! Throughout the book, though, there's mention of how most people either love or hate Fanny Price. Maybe that was suppose to be the case with Lily? I don't think Fanny put herself in the positions that Lily did, or seemed to have mental problems like Lily, either. Don't get me wrong, if I was going through some of the things Lily did, I'd have problems, too. BUT, she was portrayed as stalker-like, needy, nosy, and desperate for love. I guess I like my heroines to be a bit stronger. I'm not convinced she was really changed at the end...if I can call it an anding. Of all the characters, Omar is the only one that I half-way liked.
I just had a really hard time getting into the book. If I hadn't commited to reviewing it, I probably wouldn't have finished it.
But again, keep in mind that I haven't read Mansfield Park or I may have liked My Jane Austen Summer. It's actually gotten great reviews from lots of others.

Was it clean??
It very easily could have been, but NO, it is not a clean read. Pretty much all of the "minor" words of profanity are used, along with the "f" word 3 times. There's also a couple of "sex" scenes. One you have to pretty much read between the lines to know it's a sex scene and the other was just so weird, I didn't know what to think about it. There's also mention of alcohol a few times.

*I was provided an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Apr 29, 2011 mari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chic-lit, fiction

Do you consider yourself a Janeite? Have you read every Jane Austen novel so many times that you know Lizzy, Emma and Maryanne almost as well as your real life friends? Perhaps you feel more connected to the author than her characters?

Well, for Lily Berry, Jane Austen is more of an imaginary friend who offers advice about life and romance. Lily is guided by her friend as she gets to spend a summer in England re-enacting Mansfield Park, a great opportunity to escape the reality of her recent loss...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Mirah W rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had higher hopes for this novel but it wasn't a total disappointment. I thought it captured the undercurrent of sadness and loss that's hiddeb within each of Jane Austen's novels but usually overshadowed by the happy lovers getting together in the end. I thought the story meanders sometimes without really going anywhere and it took away from the focus. There was a lot going on in Lily's life that we only learn about through little tidbits given away throughout the novel...at one point I was su...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Wendy E. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-arcs

Lily just wants to live in a novel. They are predictable and safe, unlike life. When her mother dies and her boyfriend dumps her, she decides stalking him is no longer worth it, sells all her stuff and buys a ticket to England. She hooks up with the owner of her local Indie to act in and work with Literature Live which is reenacting Mansfield Park, her favorite Jane Austen. She soon discovers the heirarchy of academics, actors and volunteers involved with the production and struggles to carve ou...more

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May 15, 2013 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

This books could have been great. A really fun concept, very similar to Austenland. Things got a little weird with her fake friend Jane Austen. She just kind of popped out of no where. The sex scenes were bizzare. I don't like graphic descriptions so that was a plus, but I had no idea what was going on. If anything! The second scene, I read over and over. I just couldn't figure out if the fellow was "making love" to her dress or what. No one was overly likeable in this story. Not sure how religi...more

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May 25, 2011 Audrey rated it 3 of 5 stars

This novel wasn't what I originally expected. It follows protagonist, Lily Berry, a woman reeling from a host of deep disappointments, emotional scars, and relational issues, who escapes to England for a Jane Austen Literary Festival. Hoping to lose herself in a novel-like setting, the experience in Austen-land falls closer to real life than the predictable storyline she knows. Can she break the vicious cycles of her choices and learn to survive in the real world, or will she always be stuck rep...more This novel wasn't what I originally expected. It follows protagonist, Lily Berry, a woman reeling from a host of deep disappointments, emotional scars, and relational issues, who escapes to England for a Jane Austen Literary Festival. Hoping to lose herself in a novel-like setting, the experience in Austen-land falls closer to real life than the predictable storyline she knows. Can she break the vicious cycles of her choices and learn to survive in the real world, or will she always be stuck repeating mistakes like a stagnant character?
Pros: I liked the idea of a Jane Austen Literature Festival taking place all summer in a historic England mansion. Volunteers and workers wear Regency costumes. There are lectures, plays, tea-theatres, and balls. Sounds great. And of course, there are plenty of references to Jane Austen and her novels, in particular, Mansfield Park, which is this year's Literature Live's novel of choice. There are debates over whether Austen meant to make slavery references in Mansfield. Which brings me to both a pro and a con: If you've never read Austen, some of the book's content might be dull and/or confusing. If you love Jane Austen and have a pretty good grasp on her history, you'll probably also love all the details thrown in here. And I'm guessing most people who pick up this book will fall into that second category, but if all you've ever done is watch the Kiera Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice, you might want to read up on your Austen, or at the very least, read Mansfield Park.

Cons: Lily "sees" Jane Austen out of her peripheral vision. She's kind of like an imaginary friend that keeps her company and silently communicates her approval or disgust of Lily's behavior. Lily refers to her as "My Jane Austen," meaning, she envisions Jane Austen the way she wants her to be, based on "knowing" her from her novels. Maybe this shouldn't be a con, but it was a little strange.
Lily makes a lot of unwise relationship choices. I was a little surprised by some of the content. I understand she is dealing with a lot of baggage and hurt, but beware this is not your chaste Jane Austen novel.

Overall, it was okay. There were parts I liked and parts I didn't. I appreciate all the research the author put into it, but I guess it failed to meet my expectations of a comfy, cozy Austen story.

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Sep 06, 2012 Jacki rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, suggested-to-me

A good friend of mine suggested this to me, so I read it. I could NOT get through it. I don't know if it's because I was having a few depressing days while I read this, but it was so hard to finish. I kind of feel bad for not liking it since my friend did, but oh well. Lily reminds me of another friend I have who needs a man to feel happy. This type of person annoys me. You should be able to be happy on your own (hello, friends!!). Nothing in Lily's life seems to be going right, so she goes to t...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've known Cindy for years as a neighbor and a fellow parishioner. Having known of her long-time efforts to write a novel and her passion for Jane Austen for years, I eagerly awaited the release of her first novel. I intentionally waited to read this one until summertime.

It's a nice little book about a woman from Dallas looking for adventure - and finding it - at a literary festival in England. I appreciated many of the Dallas references and even some of the hidden lore from our own parish. The...more

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May 28, 2011 Mina rated it 3 of 5 stars

It is pretty easy for me to identify with a character who longs to live in (or hide in) a novel. Especially a Jane Austen novel. I really get it!

Even so, this book was a slow start for me. I didn't really like the main character, Lily, from the beginning, and to be honest, I couldn't really even figure out who she was supposed to be. Her actions seemed inconsistent. But I did finally get pulled into the story, if a little irritated by it at times. Jones redeemed herself in the last two chapters,...more

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May 04, 2011 Elisha (lishie) rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wasn't too fond of this book... It was too chic lit for me to be fair but I thought it would be a tad smarter than it was since it's a Jane Austen based novel. Sure the author interjected some smart literary comments here & there but overall, I felt it dumbed down Jane. Most readers would know simple English colloquialisms but the book defined them for Lily (in effect, the reader). My favorite part of the book was the Preface- a synopsis of Mansfield Park. Least favorite? One line in the e...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Becky R. rated it 2 of 5 stars

My Jane Austen Summer started out like a great, yummy read. Lily Berry has just broken up with her boyfriend, is feeling completely out of sorts, and turns to an opportunity to travel to England to participate in a Jane Austen festival to save her from her mess of a life. What's not to love about that kind of premise? I know I'd love to run off to England to find myself and to revel in Jane Austen a bit more! Although I thought she was kind of a weepy, pathetic mess at the beginning, I could see...more My Jane Austen Summer started out like a great, yummy read. Lily Berry has just broken up with her boyfriend, is feeling completely out of sorts, and turns to an opportunity to travel to England to participate in a Jane Austen festival to save her from her mess of a life. What's not to love about that kind of premise? I know I'd love to run off to England to find myself and to revel in Jane Austen a bit more! Although I thought she was kind of a weepy, pathetic mess at the beginning, I could see that it was a good set up for us to watch the evolution of a character from nauseating sap to a confident woman. Somehow, I can't really say that happened. Even now, I'm not sure that Lily Berry is a changed woman, with more confidence. In fact, once she left the U.S. and we establish the core group of people she is around in England and get to know their stories, it all started to run in way too many directions without resolutions that I was looking for.

One thing that really confused me was the introduction of a Jane Austen-like ghost that often showed up when Lily was doing certain things? It took me awhile to realize that she really was talking about a non-speaking ghost-like figure, and not just an internal, "What would Jane Austen do" sort of query. It just felt strange, and I'm not sure that we needed a ghost Austen to propel the story in any way. Also, there were too many odd conflicts. Had we focused on two or three of them, the story might have felt much more driven by a compelling character story. As it stands, having the money issues, ex-boyfriend/lacking esteem issue, crazy roommate issue, ghost Austen issue, dead mother and lousy dad issue, quiet new guy she liked issue, wanting to act issue, the festival losing money and wanting to help issue, and so on and so forth were just too many to follow. You would just get into one of these, and the story would switch gears. It was just a bit too much, and I genuinely wanted to see how one or two of these were resolved, but not all at once. In fact, I don't know that any of these were resolved, but just lived through. Let's be honest, if you introduce love interests, you generally like to see the heroine of the book either completely get over them or find someone else who is better than the first guy. At the end of the book, I had to flip back to make sure I read things correctly, because I wasn't sure what happened.

In the end, the book seemed to be more about character development than resolution. We're all a work in progress, but I suppose I just wanted more resolved and settled by the end. I really loved the premise and even liked the subtlety of the writing, which reminded me a bit of Austen's tone, but with the idea of an Austen themed novel or even Mansfield Park take, I expected a stronger connection to the main character and a romantic resolution that felt satisfying. Overall, with the Austen themes and personal issues of the main character, I wanted it to work, but it somehow lost me by the end.(less)

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title link	preview: My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8585921-my-jane-austen-summer?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348084698l/8585921.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8585921-my-jane-austen-summer?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park by Cindy Jones[/url]

My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park

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