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Jane and Austen
Meet Jane and Austen. First there's Jane—an impractical, starry-eyed wedding planner; if love can’t match what she’s read in a book, she doesn’t want it.And then there’s Austen—a pragmatic, logical-to-a-fault financial consultant; even if he were interested in someone, he wouldn’t know.The two have one thing in they can’t leave each other alone. Jane believes that if Austen could just experience a fairy tale romance, he would secretly love it. And Austen’s pretty sure that if one of Jane’s beloved heroes escaped from the pages of her dog-eared novels, she’d run and hide.Both are about to be proven right. When the rivals are called on to help a friend plan the biggest wedding of the year, an entire resort full of colorful wedding guests descends upon them—many sharing uncanny similarities to characters in a Jane Austen novel. It doesn’t take long before Jane gets everything she thinks she wants. After all, too much of a good thing can’t be all that bad, right?But when Jane’s life turns upside down, the only one she can turn to is Austen; though he’s got his own troubles of the heart…and she's afraid that he's enjoying them more than he should.
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2014
116 people are currently reading
1048 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Fowers
37 books970 followersUSA TODAY Bestselling Author, Stephanie Fowers loves bringing stories to life, and depending on her latest madcap ideas will do it through suspense, fantasy, historical, contemporary, and of course... romance, romance, romance. Presently, she lives in Salt Lake where she's living the life of the starving artist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
August 28, 2014
I love chick lit, and I love Jane Austen, so I had high expectations for this book. Unfortunately, they were not met. Before I purchased it on Kindle, I read some of the reviews and they were all positive. Several reviewers claimed that this book made them laugh out loud, and I love a good rom com. I didn't laugh out loud once. I spent most of the book being annoyed.
The character development in this book is severely lacking. I'll focus on the relationship between Jane & Austen, since that's the point of the book. It is underdeveloped and flat. The reader is told, right at the beginning, that Jane is in love with Austen. And that's it. There is no fleshing out of WHY she is in love with Austen. She just is and the book goes from there. Austen meanwhile comes off as a flirt who doesn't think flirting means anything and he scampers off to Boston without a second thought for Jane. When he returns, Jane is still in love with him but we're even more confused as to why, since he didn't bother to communicate with her at all for almost 8 months. Jane's love for Austen apparently stems out of the fact that he is attractive and amazing to her, though I could never understand why. Jane has all these men fawning over her throughout the story, and I get that she was supposed to be the Jane Austen heroine...but it would have mad ea huge difference if we knew more about her and could understand WHY all these men are fawning over her. All I got was that she was attractive and a so-so event planner.
This book was also confusing and much longer than it needed to be. There were far too many characters and far too much happening all at once. Jane ran from one bizarre situation to the next, with none of it making any sense. Chick lit like this is predictable and the author's attempts to make it less predictable just made the book confusing and heavy.
Do yourself a favor - skip this one and read Jane Austen in stead.
The character development in this book is severely lacking. I'll focus on the relationship between Jane & Austen, since that's the point of the book. It is underdeveloped and flat. The reader is told, right at the beginning, that Jane is in love with Austen. And that's it. There is no fleshing out of WHY she is in love with Austen. She just is and the book goes from there. Austen meanwhile comes off as a flirt who doesn't think flirting means anything and he scampers off to Boston without a second thought for Jane. When he returns, Jane is still in love with him but we're even more confused as to why, since he didn't bother to communicate with her at all for almost 8 months. Jane's love for Austen apparently stems out of the fact that he is attractive and amazing to her, though I could never understand why. Jane has all these men fawning over her throughout the story, and I get that she was supposed to be the Jane Austen heroine...but it would have mad ea huge difference if we knew more about her and could understand WHY all these men are fawning over her. All I got was that she was attractive and a so-so event planner.
This book was also confusing and much longer than it needed to be. There were far too many characters and far too much happening all at once. Jane ran from one bizarre situation to the next, with none of it making any sense. Chick lit like this is predictable and the author's attempts to make it less predictable just made the book confusing and heavy.
Do yourself a favor - skip this one and read Jane Austen in stead.
September 4, 2014
This book was a lot of fun. I'm a huge Jane Austen fan and have read all her books. I know some of her stories much better than other one. I easily saw some of the parallels and was oblivious to others.
The first few chapters of this book are really confusing. We are thrown into the story and there are way to many people, places and names dropped on us all at once. It made my head spin but I'm glad I stuck with the story cause I ended up really enjoying it. The story did settle down some as it went on but the whole story was faced paced and jumped all over the place from one story line to another. I wished we had a little more of just the main 3 couples or 4 couples and a little bit less of everyone else. Including so many characters from so many different novels ultimately detracted from Jane & Austen's story where I wished the author had spent more time.
There is a little guide at the back of the book that matches up the characters in this story with the characters from Jane Austen's books. A few times when I was confused I wish I had realized it was there although it is "spoilery" so ultimately I'm glad I didn't read it until the end.
This is a clean read that I can recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance. It has a young adult feel to it even though technically it would be classified as New Adult or Romantic Comedy due to the age of the characters.
Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book
Content: Clean
Source: Review copy from author
The first few chapters of this book are really confusing. We are thrown into the story and there are way to many people, places and names dropped on us all at once. It made my head spin but I'm glad I stuck with the story cause I ended up really enjoying it. The story did settle down some as it went on but the whole story was faced paced and jumped all over the place from one story line to another. I wished we had a little more of just the main 3 couples or 4 couples and a little bit less of everyone else. Including so many characters from so many different novels ultimately detracted from Jane & Austen's story where I wished the author had spent more time.
There is a little guide at the back of the book that matches up the characters in this story with the characters from Jane Austen's books. A few times when I was confused I wish I had realized it was there although it is "spoilery" so ultimately I'm glad I didn't read it until the end.
This is a clean read that I can recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance. It has a young adult feel to it even though technically it would be classified as New Adult or Romantic Comedy due to the age of the characters.
Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book
Content: Clean
Source: Review copy from author
January 16, 2015
AUDIO BOOK Review
A contemporary story set against the back drop of an older, shabbier family-run hotel on a San Diego beach filled up with people and staff gathered for a big wedding. In the midst of it all is a 'stars in her eyes' hopeful romantic and a prosaic guy who is none too impressed with romance when it comes with sighs, meet-cutes and 'moments'. The twist? All the characters are caricatures from straight out of Jane Austen's six completed novels. Okay, now you're talking. I settled in for some fun with this one.
I'm really not sure how to summarize this one since there is so much going on. Suffice to say, it was a hodge-podge of scenes and situations with the main theme being a clash of ideals. Jane promotes romance as the end all be all of life, but unfortunately the young guy, Austen, she is crushing on sees her as friend material- time stamped summer friend material in that 'fun while it lasted' type of situation. Austen leaves to pursue a career on the other side of the country without a backward glance and Jane is left bewildered and disillusioned a bit.
Fast forward six months and now the hotel is hosting the wedding for Jane's friend, Taylor, and British wealthy businessman, Chuck Bigley. The staff and Jane are working feverishly to have things set up, Austen returns out of the blue to help his parents by doing the books for the hotel and gets roped into helping with the wedding, and finally the guests start to arrive. And, then it begins...
Jane is left racing around putting out fires, dealing with quirky guests and impossible situations all the while arguing with Austen over their opinions of romance and learning in tough ways that maybe Austen has a point about her idea of romance are best left to the books and movies. Things crazily come to a boiling point and then blow. Will Jane be able to pick up the pieces.
Now, my thoughts...
Honestly, I felt it was dizzying, sometimes irritating or humorous, but only mildly enjoyable. There were some good things going on- The madcap moments particularly when the parents got into their sniping or the mischievous Harry flirted and pulled his pranks. The friendly camaraderie scenes. The fun of figuring out which character matched with their Austen novel counterparts and seeing a few favorite novel scenes tucked in here and there. Even some of the big mess moments that Jane got herself into. Unfortunately, it wasn't all good. It suffered from too much of a good thing and not enough of the right things. The huge cast of characters, their development and their stories were all great, fun, interesting, etc, but they only managed to bury the main story of Jane and Austen so that their romance wasn't developed enough to convince me they had a romance. There were a couple of good solid scenes for them, but that's true of Jane and her other guy interests too.
And just a warning that patience is needed when it comes to the heroine- at least for possible readers like me. Jane drove me nuts. I know she was supposed to be this hopeless romantic that doesn't really get romance and I got it that she is a comedic role too, but I never really wanted to laugh nor did I feel amused by her 'meet cutes' and 'moments'. I didn't often sympathize with her and many times just wanted to shake her until her teeth rattled for being so clueless. The author led things in a way that allowed the reader to work out all the secrets and relationship twists long before poor blind Jane does so I got impatient waiting for her to catch up. I will concede that the girl isn't mean spirited and she has a huge heart. She also had the good taste to fall for the worthy guy too.
The narrator had a tough job in that she must have had about twenty characters to keep sorted as things moved quickly in a scene and also from scene to scene. It would have been a huge feat to get it perfect. I felt that most of the character voices are more like caricatures of themselves if that makes sense. For instance, Taylor always sounds like she's hyper-ventilating even when she is just quietly sad or hurt or angry. It was distracting and it drowned out the story sometimes.
All in all, I really do think Austenesque lovers will have a good time with this montage of the novels in a modern story and the sweet romance means it will have wider appeal to even a young adult audience. I felt it took on too much leaving a not so tight plot, but it still managed to offer a madcap series of events that were entertaining.
A contemporary story set against the back drop of an older, shabbier family-run hotel on a San Diego beach filled up with people and staff gathered for a big wedding. In the midst of it all is a 'stars in her eyes' hopeful romantic and a prosaic guy who is none too impressed with romance when it comes with sighs, meet-cutes and 'moments'. The twist? All the characters are caricatures from straight out of Jane Austen's six completed novels. Okay, now you're talking. I settled in for some fun with this one.
I'm really not sure how to summarize this one since there is so much going on. Suffice to say, it was a hodge-podge of scenes and situations with the main theme being a clash of ideals. Jane promotes romance as the end all be all of life, but unfortunately the young guy, Austen, she is crushing on sees her as friend material- time stamped summer friend material in that 'fun while it lasted' type of situation. Austen leaves to pursue a career on the other side of the country without a backward glance and Jane is left bewildered and disillusioned a bit.
Fast forward six months and now the hotel is hosting the wedding for Jane's friend, Taylor, and British wealthy businessman, Chuck Bigley. The staff and Jane are working feverishly to have things set up, Austen returns out of the blue to help his parents by doing the books for the hotel and gets roped into helping with the wedding, and finally the guests start to arrive. And, then it begins...
Jane is left racing around putting out fires, dealing with quirky guests and impossible situations all the while arguing with Austen over their opinions of romance and learning in tough ways that maybe Austen has a point about her idea of romance are best left to the books and movies. Things crazily come to a boiling point and then blow. Will Jane be able to pick up the pieces.
Now, my thoughts...
Honestly, I felt it was dizzying, sometimes irritating or humorous, but only mildly enjoyable. There were some good things going on- The madcap moments particularly when the parents got into their sniping or the mischievous Harry flirted and pulled his pranks. The friendly camaraderie scenes. The fun of figuring out which character matched with their Austen novel counterparts and seeing a few favorite novel scenes tucked in here and there. Even some of the big mess moments that Jane got herself into. Unfortunately, it wasn't all good. It suffered from too much of a good thing and not enough of the right things. The huge cast of characters, their development and their stories were all great, fun, interesting, etc, but they only managed to bury the main story of Jane and Austen so that their romance wasn't developed enough to convince me they had a romance. There were a couple of good solid scenes for them, but that's true of Jane and her other guy interests too.
And just a warning that patience is needed when it comes to the heroine- at least for possible readers like me. Jane drove me nuts. I know she was supposed to be this hopeless romantic that doesn't really get romance and I got it that she is a comedic role too, but I never really wanted to laugh nor did I feel amused by her 'meet cutes' and 'moments'. I didn't often sympathize with her and many times just wanted to shake her until her teeth rattled for being so clueless. The author led things in a way that allowed the reader to work out all the secrets and relationship twists long before poor blind Jane does so I got impatient waiting for her to catch up. I will concede that the girl isn't mean spirited and she has a huge heart. She also had the good taste to fall for the worthy guy too.
The narrator had a tough job in that she must have had about twenty characters to keep sorted as things moved quickly in a scene and also from scene to scene. It would have been a huge feat to get it perfect. I felt that most of the character voices are more like caricatures of themselves if that makes sense. For instance, Taylor always sounds like she's hyper-ventilating even when she is just quietly sad or hurt or angry. It was distracting and it drowned out the story sometimes.
All in all, I really do think Austenesque lovers will have a good time with this montage of the novels in a modern story and the sweet romance means it will have wider appeal to even a young adult audience. I felt it took on too much leaving a not so tight plot, but it still managed to offer a madcap series of events that were entertaining.
September 23, 2014
While this book wasn't completely up my street - I am not one for contemporary stories - it was still an enjoyable read with many laugh out loud moments! It was a real comedy of errors!
It was well written on the whole but you do have to concentrate! It is very fast moving and there are a lot of characters to keep track of, particularly in the first few chapters when they are all introduced to us. Luckily, there is a glossary of the characters at the back to remind us if we do forget or get confused between characters.
The main characters, Jane and Austen, were pretty relatable. I am very much like Jane, a hopeless romantic wanting her own storybook romance, and from my (limited!) experience most guys I have come across have not a romantic bone in their body, just like Austen does not! Their relationship has many ups and downs but the journey each of them experience through the story was interesting to read.
As to the other characters there are too many to go into details of them all, as I usually do, but I have to say that the author was very clever in the way that she incorporated as many characters from all of Jane Austen's novels as she could, and the way in which she twisted the storylines and events we know from the novels was not as you expect - I had no idea who was going to end up with who! It does mess around with beloved characters and their stories and who they should be matched with, however, this didn't bother me as much as it could have given that they are NOT the characters from Jane's novels, and also 1. all the names are slightly different, and 2. this is set in the modern era! The references to Jane Austen's novels was also very clever and fun to spot while reading.
As I said, this wasn't my favourite type of story, but it was good for a laugh, as things got very out of hand and times and you couldn't help but laugh (or cringe!) for poor Jane, and poor Austen who gets dragged along for the ride!
The fast paced nature of the story meant you had to be alert to keep up with the events and situations and match making which is going on, but it also meant this story never dragged! This story would be enjoyed by someone who likes a good laugh and needs a light hearted, fun, easy read. Jane Austen fans would also enjoy the clever and fun links to her novels, especially those who enjoy her stories being applied in some way to the modern day.
It was well written on the whole but you do have to concentrate! It is very fast moving and there are a lot of characters to keep track of, particularly in the first few chapters when they are all introduced to us. Luckily, there is a glossary of the characters at the back to remind us if we do forget or get confused between characters.
The main characters, Jane and Austen, were pretty relatable. I am very much like Jane, a hopeless romantic wanting her own storybook romance, and from my (limited!) experience most guys I have come across have not a romantic bone in their body, just like Austen does not! Their relationship has many ups and downs but the journey each of them experience through the story was interesting to read.
As to the other characters there are too many to go into details of them all, as I usually do, but I have to say that the author was very clever in the way that she incorporated as many characters from all of Jane Austen's novels as she could, and the way in which she twisted the storylines and events we know from the novels was not as you expect - I had no idea who was going to end up with who! It does mess around with beloved characters and their stories and who they should be matched with, however, this didn't bother me as much as it could have given that they are NOT the characters from Jane's novels, and also 1. all the names are slightly different, and 2. this is set in the modern era! The references to Jane Austen's novels was also very clever and fun to spot while reading.
As I said, this wasn't my favourite type of story, but it was good for a laugh, as things got very out of hand and times and you couldn't help but laugh (or cringe!) for poor Jane, and poor Austen who gets dragged along for the ride!
The fast paced nature of the story meant you had to be alert to keep up with the events and situations and match making which is going on, but it also meant this story never dragged! This story would be enjoyed by someone who likes a good laugh and needs a light hearted, fun, easy read. Jane Austen fans would also enjoy the clever and fun links to her novels, especially those who enjoy her stories being applied in some way to the modern day.
February 15, 2015
The rating here was a rally tough call, there were elements of the book that I severely disliked but they are balanced out by my love of Jane Austen. It was a delight seeing all those characters in a modern setting. I am one of those people who know everybody before they had to be spelled out. Yup, I am an Austen-o-phile!! I even had the Northanger Abby and Mansfield Park references with ease!
The whole book is a single narrative, all from Jane's POV, problem is Jane is not always likeable. She has some seriously annoying traits. Very needy and kind of clingy, I tend to like more Girl Power in my heroines. She was obsessed with being in love and having a romance, which fit her Emma tendencies. I was beyond annoyed with her suggestion that she was a b!tch because she did not respond to texts from a guy she wasn't interested in, Lord forbid!! That was a part of the plot I could have done without.
It is a clean romance, just a few kisses. It is also light on the actual romance. For a Rom Com it was lacking in the courtship moments. The hero, Austen, is anti-romance and doesn't show his cards until the very end. More than once I had to wonder if he was even interested.
I did enjoy the overall story and seeing some happy endings for all those lovely characters I have long adored. It is a fresh spin on Ms Austen's works, which was surprisingly engaging.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Andrea Emmes, who is terrific! I can imagine it was difficult keeping Jane from going nasal and whiny, her character's personality certainly warranted an annoying tone. Thankfully, Ms Emmes keeps Jane light and sassy. She has a wonderful pace and keeps the energy flowing throughout the read. Terrific job with keeping all those voices distinct and dynamic.
Overall, I was entertained and enjoyed the read. I am not sure if I enjoyed it more for its own merits or the delicious nods to Jane Austen. In the end does it really matter?
The whole book is a single narrative, all from Jane's POV, problem is Jane is not always likeable. She has some seriously annoying traits. Very needy and kind of clingy, I tend to like more Girl Power in my heroines. She was obsessed with being in love and having a romance, which fit her Emma tendencies. I was beyond annoyed with her suggestion that she was a b!tch because she did not respond to texts from a guy she wasn't interested in, Lord forbid!! That was a part of the plot I could have done without.
It is a clean romance, just a few kisses. It is also light on the actual romance. For a Rom Com it was lacking in the courtship moments. The hero, Austen, is anti-romance and doesn't show his cards until the very end. More than once I had to wonder if he was even interested.
I did enjoy the overall story and seeing some happy endings for all those lovely characters I have long adored. It is a fresh spin on Ms Austen's works, which was surprisingly engaging.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Andrea Emmes, who is terrific! I can imagine it was difficult keeping Jane from going nasal and whiny, her character's personality certainly warranted an annoying tone. Thankfully, Ms Emmes keeps Jane light and sassy. She has a wonderful pace and keeps the energy flowing throughout the read. Terrific job with keeping all those voices distinct and dynamic.
Overall, I was entertained and enjoyed the read. I am not sure if I enjoyed it more for its own merits or the delicious nods to Jane Austen. In the end does it really matter?
September 1, 2015
No. Just NO. This book was the worst book I've read all year. Thankfully, I read it for free and didn't have to pay for this rubbish.
First of all, Jane: could there be a more annoying 'heroine'? I mean, honestly, I had no idea why she was in love with Austen. The author never explained it. She spent the entire book complaining. She's also incredibly dense.
Every character was flat. There are so many it's difficult to keep track, and the reader has no time to get to know anyone. They all came off as awful, annoying people. I also never understood why Austen liked Jane. That, along with several other things (random napkins with writing on them, anyone?) was never explained.
There's virtually no plot. A plot tries to exist, but there is just so much nonsense going on at once, it just fizzles out.
I wanted to like this book. I love Jane Austen and I enjoy tributes to her. I liked the premise: love/relationships aren't like romantic books or movies. But, this just did not work. I won't give anything away, but the scene where Jane's leaving the church & heading for the Jeep was the dumbest scene I've ever read. Ever.
First of all, Jane: could there be a more annoying 'heroine'? I mean, honestly, I had no idea why she was in love with Austen. The author never explained it. She spent the entire book complaining. She's also incredibly dense.
Every character was flat. There are so many it's difficult to keep track, and the reader has no time to get to know anyone. They all came off as awful, annoying people. I also never understood why Austen liked Jane. That, along with several other things (random napkins with writing on them, anyone?) was never explained.
There's virtually no plot. A plot tries to exist, but there is just so much nonsense going on at once, it just fizzles out.
I wanted to like this book. I love Jane Austen and I enjoy tributes to her. I liked the premise: love/relationships aren't like romantic books or movies. But, this just did not work. I won't give anything away, but the scene where Jane's leaving the church & heading for the Jeep was the dumbest scene I've ever read. Ever.
July 15, 2014
I'm sort of mixed review on this one. This book was entertaining, for sure. There were lots of funny moments and witty dialogue that I really enjoyed. But, it was so hard to settle into this book. It just didn't give me time. It felt crazy fast. The main character literally runs from one crazy moment to the next. There were a LOT of characters and sometimes I had trouble keeping them straight. Many were introduced quickly and I never had time to invest in them. This book would probably be better played out as a movie. I'm thinking of the movie "The Importance of Being Earnest" here. That's kind of what this book reminded me of.
If you have never read Jane Austen's books, you will be completely lost here. The author uses character names and personalities from many Austen books that you would need to know to best understand this book.
It was clean though, which I really appreciate. It made me smile, many times, and that is worth a whole lot.
If you have never read Jane Austen's books, you will be completely lost here. The author uses character names and personalities from many Austen books that you would need to know to best understand this book.
It was clean though, which I really appreciate. It made me smile, many times, and that is worth a whole lot.
July 8, 2014
Madcap fun.... as one of the characters says "it's like playing Where's Waldo with Jane Austen".... a mashup of Austen plot points and wild misunderstandings with two of the worst matchmakers in literature since Emma herself! Loved it!
July 7, 2020
Jane, a too stupid to live 24-year-old event coordinator intern at a San Diego area resort known as ... wait for it... North Abbey has a massive crush on the owners' son Austen. Austen has big dreams in Boston and doesn't believe in romance. Jane is crushed when he leaves without a romantic moment like in Jane Austen movies. Jane is a hopeless romantic and believes in true love, even 8 months later when her boss, Taylor Weston, turns into bridezilla planning her own society wedding to Chuck Bingley. Austen returns to declare there's no such thing as romance like in the movies and Jane Austen is FAKE. Jane bets him that if he tries courting a woman he'll like it. Austen bets Jane that if she finds her Jane Austen movie moment, she'll hate it. Chaos ensues as the wedding party and guests arrive and Austen tries to warn Jane that life is not a Jane Austen movie and Taylor may not be entirely happy. Jane insists it's just normal nerves turning her friend into Bridezilla. When Jane attracts no less than 5 suitors, most of whom match up to characters in Jane Austen novels, she begins to believe she's cursed! Will Taylor get her happy ever after? Will Jane end up with hot rock star Will Dancey, flirtatious Henry Crawley, angry naval officer Captain Redd Wortham, creepy Colin Minster or Austen?
WHO CARES?????????????????? Jane is TSTL, Taylor is TSTL, the men are douchebags except for Austen. Austen comes across as a douche at first but then he becomes the voice of reason. It takes Jane WAY too long to realize she's in mashup of all the Jane Austen stories. She's too focused on forcing her life to be like a romantic comedy. She misses the point of Jane Austen's books entirely. At first I thought she had only seen the movie versions made out to be romance movies but then she mentions the books so it seems she's read them. Let's get one thing straight-Jane Austen did not write romance novels or chick lit. She wrote social satire and if stupid Jane bothered to read the books enough to understand that many of her favorite quotes are tongue in cheek. She doesn't understand that Darcy is a snob and not a swoony hero. Jane finally misses Austen's character completely. He's Mr. Knightley! The best friend who tells off the heroine when she's being dumb. I liked Austen a lot.
All the cutesy Jane Austen character references and plot situations made my eyes roll like they were going to fall out of my head. This story is completely silly. Jane doesn't deserve Austen so he should get going while he can and avoid her like the plague. I almost didn't finish the book but I was curious where it was going. If you know Austen, you can predict the plot.
Jane is supposed to be 24 though and she acts much younger. Austen does as well. The story would have made more sense set in high school without the wedding drama.
This is not for the intelligent, sensible reader over the age of 16. I probably would have loved it when I was much younger.
WHO CARES?????????????????? Jane is TSTL, Taylor is TSTL, the men are douchebags except for Austen. Austen comes across as a douche at first but then he becomes the voice of reason. It takes Jane WAY too long to realize she's in mashup of all the Jane Austen stories. She's too focused on forcing her life to be like a romantic comedy. She misses the point of Jane Austen's books entirely. At first I thought she had only seen the movie versions made out to be romance movies but then she mentions the books so it seems she's read them. Let's get one thing straight-Jane Austen did not write romance novels or chick lit. She wrote social satire and if stupid Jane bothered to read the books enough to understand that many of her favorite quotes are tongue in cheek. She doesn't understand that Darcy is a snob and not a swoony hero. Jane finally misses Austen's character completely. He's Mr. Knightley! The best friend who tells off the heroine when she's being dumb. I liked Austen a lot.
All the cutesy Jane Austen character references and plot situations made my eyes roll like they were going to fall out of my head. This story is completely silly. Jane doesn't deserve Austen so he should get going while he can and avoid her like the plague. I almost didn't finish the book but I was curious where it was going. If you know Austen, you can predict the plot.
Jane is supposed to be 24 though and she acts much younger. Austen does as well. The story would have made more sense set in high school without the wedding drama.
This is not for the intelligent, sensible reader over the age of 16. I probably would have loved it when I was much younger.
August 23, 2017
What an absolute disaster. Any self respecting Austen fan would be appalled trying to wade thru this mumble jumble of a plot, that contains almost every person from her books, including locations. Try to put that into a modern day hotel in San Diego, and imagine all the characters acting like High School kids and the end result is this book. Pity, there were a few moments when I thought perhaps it was going to redeem itself, but then low and behold the author reminded us again AND again how uncanningly alike all the characters were to Austen's. Wow, you don't say!
If you want a modern Austen 'pull-a-part' done right, then read this. New from Julie Wright. "Lies Jane Austen Told Me". Super great! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
If you want a modern Austen 'pull-a-part' done right, then read this. New from Julie Wright. "Lies Jane Austen Told Me". Super great! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
October 24, 2015
Cute book!! I loved the Jane Austen twists. It was fun to
Read.
Read.
Read
May 2, 2018DNF-ed at 9%. I really like the concept of this and that it has characters based off of all of Jane Austen's books, but I just couldn't get into it. It's been almost 2 weeks since I started this and haven't picked it up in awhile, so I'm giving it up.
June 26, 2018
Shockingly good!!
This book!! I wanted to applause when I finished it! It was hysterical! And lovely! The vallet scene was AMAZING. The characters were spot on. I want expecting to love this book but I was happily wrong!!! A must read for Austen lovers!! And wonderful HEAs !
This book!! I wanted to applause when I finished it! It was hysterical! And lovely! The vallet scene was AMAZING. The characters were spot on. I want expecting to love this book but I was happily wrong!!! A must read for Austen lovers!! And wonderful HEAs !
July 11, 2015
4.5 stars
First of all, when I began reading this and came upon all the names and places which are take-offs from Jane Austen’s six novels, my thought was, “This is too cutesy”. As there were so many I began to write them down. If you are reading this in kindle there is a glossary explaining the names and who they are taken from in canon after the end of the story. It is not easily accessible as you are reading. The glossary does not explain all the places. But if you are familiar with JA’s novels you can very easily make the connection, i.e., North Abbey/Northanger Abbey, Brightin Beach/Brighton, Kellynch Hotel, Lambton Marketplace, Lucas Lodge, Netherfield House, Norland Courtyard, Pemburkley Hall, Rosings House, etc. I did not find it hard to keep up with those. And some of the character’s shouted out with their behaviors just exactly upon whom they were based. After all, Colin Minster’s leeching onto Jane is just so “Mr. Collins”.
The author’s purpose was not immediately clear: however at about 60% of the way through the story the two protagonists have an AH HA moment when they put together all the names, their characteristics and their histories from canon. Although Jane is the ultimate romantic, her friend, Austen, (the owners’ son and an accountant) is very much a concrete thinker. He sees things in black and white while she sees the moon and the stars and is very much a mishmash of both Emma (the matchmaker) and Catherine Morland whose head is diverted by all the Gothic novels she has read. Austen does know the story of P&P as his previous girlfriend made him watch the 5-hour DVD. But he doesn’t buy Jane's theories…at first, and he also is sending so many mixed messages with body language and with verbal innuendos that one wonders when/if they are going to have their own “moment”. And then there are the women fawning over him: Junie and Anne Marie, to be specific. But at one point, DeBurgy, Dancey’s PR Manager, states that Jane is leading on five men on her own…Austen tries to determine who they are all.
We read this story from Jane’s POV. We know she has a crush on Austen but has “written him off” as he moves from his parents’ North Abbey Hotel, set on the beach in San Diego, to take a position in Boston. Jane’s mentor, Taylor Weston, the ultimate event planner, has trained Jane to take over as she has met her perfect guy, Chuck Bigley, through Em’s Matchmakers and is traveling to London to meet him. When she comes back for her perfect wedding she puts Jane is charge. And here Taylor turns into the Bridezilla of the year.
When the best man, Will Dancey, Rock Star, comes to town we read that Jane mistakes him for the parking valet they ordered when employee, Fred Tiney, seems to have disappeared. This becomes a comedy as she has him parking cars and telling him that this is what Taylor wants…he thinking of his friend, Taylor, and doing her a favor, while Jane is just explaining that this is what the boss wants. He warms to her as she is treating him as a normal guy while she is taken aback by his good looks and charms. He asks her to run off to Vegas with him and if that isn’t OK at least promise to go for a ride with him when everything calms down. The Wedding is a week-long event with breakfasts, bachelor and bachelorette parties, etc. planned. (OK, here I am getting mixed signals: the book is Jane and Austen so they are supposed to have a HEA but we see Will Dancey…Fitzwilliam Darcy, if ever I saw one – dark, brooding, rich, popular, with women chasing him, coming onto Jane. Where is the author going with this?)
This story is fast paced and there are many misunderstandings and angst and lots of tears, not to mention flirting and jealous looks between wedding guests. Then there are the parents…with daggers drawn and purse strings pulled tight.
I found this a very interesting and different modern take-off on Jane Austen’s books and characters. The author used a lot of imagination. All-in-all I would say she was very successful in giving us a diverting tale, which may keep you in suspense right up to the end. This is a very sweet tale so you can lend it to your daughter or your grandmother.
First of all, when I began reading this and came upon all the names and places which are take-offs from Jane Austen’s six novels, my thought was, “This is too cutesy”. As there were so many I began to write them down. If you are reading this in kindle there is a glossary explaining the names and who they are taken from in canon after the end of the story. It is not easily accessible as you are reading. The glossary does not explain all the places. But if you are familiar with JA’s novels you can very easily make the connection, i.e., North Abbey/Northanger Abbey, Brightin Beach/Brighton, Kellynch Hotel, Lambton Marketplace, Lucas Lodge, Netherfield House, Norland Courtyard, Pemburkley Hall, Rosings House, etc. I did not find it hard to keep up with those. And some of the character’s shouted out with their behaviors just exactly upon whom they were based. After all, Colin Minster’s leeching onto Jane is just so “Mr. Collins”.
The author’s purpose was not immediately clear: however at about 60% of the way through the story the two protagonists have an AH HA moment when they put together all the names, their characteristics and their histories from canon. Although Jane is the ultimate romantic, her friend, Austen, (the owners’ son and an accountant) is very much a concrete thinker. He sees things in black and white while she sees the moon and the stars and is very much a mishmash of both Emma (the matchmaker) and Catherine Morland whose head is diverted by all the Gothic novels she has read. Austen does know the story of P&P as his previous girlfriend made him watch the 5-hour DVD. But he doesn’t buy Jane's theories…at first, and he also is sending so many mixed messages with body language and with verbal innuendos that one wonders when/if they are going to have their own “moment”. And then there are the women fawning over him: Junie and Anne Marie, to be specific. But at one point, DeBurgy, Dancey’s PR Manager, states that Jane is leading on five men on her own…Austen tries to determine who they are all.
We read this story from Jane’s POV. We know she has a crush on Austen but has “written him off” as he moves from his parents’ North Abbey Hotel, set on the beach in San Diego, to take a position in Boston. Jane’s mentor, Taylor Weston, the ultimate event planner, has trained Jane to take over as she has met her perfect guy, Chuck Bigley, through Em’s Matchmakers and is traveling to London to meet him. When she comes back for her perfect wedding she puts Jane is charge. And here Taylor turns into the Bridezilla of the year.
When the best man, Will Dancey, Rock Star, comes to town we read that Jane mistakes him for the parking valet they ordered when employee, Fred Tiney, seems to have disappeared. This becomes a comedy as she has him parking cars and telling him that this is what Taylor wants…he thinking of his friend, Taylor, and doing her a favor, while Jane is just explaining that this is what the boss wants. He warms to her as she is treating him as a normal guy while she is taken aback by his good looks and charms. He asks her to run off to Vegas with him and if that isn’t OK at least promise to go for a ride with him when everything calms down. The Wedding is a week-long event with breakfasts, bachelor and bachelorette parties, etc. planned. (OK, here I am getting mixed signals: the book is Jane and Austen so they are supposed to have a HEA but we see Will Dancey…Fitzwilliam Darcy, if ever I saw one – dark, brooding, rich, popular, with women chasing him, coming onto Jane. Where is the author going with this?)
This story is fast paced and there are many misunderstandings and angst and lots of tears, not to mention flirting and jealous looks between wedding guests. Then there are the parents…with daggers drawn and purse strings pulled tight.
I found this a very interesting and different modern take-off on Jane Austen’s books and characters. The author used a lot of imagination. All-in-all I would say she was very successful in giving us a diverting tale, which may keep you in suspense right up to the end. This is a very sweet tale so you can lend it to your daughter or your grandmother.
October 5, 2014
Is it dangerous to believe in for storybook romances and happily ever afters?
Jane, an event coordinator at North Abbey, a charming resort in Southern California, is a hopeless romantic who is still waiting for her storybook romance to happen. For awhile she thought her co-worker Austen would become the real-life hero of her dreams. But when he leaves to take a new job in Boston and does not leave with a romantic declaration of love in the rain, Jane realizes, quite painfully, that his regard for her was in no way equal to hers for him.
Eighth months later Austen returns, just as Jane’s biggest and most elaborate event is about take place. Taylor Weston, Jane’s closest friend and mentor is about to marry Chuck Bigley, a man she met through an online dating site called “Em’s Matchmakers.” And they are celebrating in style with a weeklong extravaganza that has Jane up to her eyeballs with work, preparation, and bridezilla drama. Through this event Jane and Austen are often thrown together and they can’t help but constantly debate with and antagonize each other. But when both characters start to feel like their own lives are playing out like a romantic novel, they put their differences aside and try to survive this baffling and turbulent week.
What a endearing and madcap romantic comedy of errors this novel is! I absolutely loved the premise – two opposite sides of the romantic spectrum constantly debating and trying to prove each other wrong. With such an extravagant wedding and a number of trying wedding guests, this tale was full of action, drama, and chaos! There is plenty going on, so be prepared for a fast-paced and exciting ride! I found it easy to keep up with the fast pace and thoroughly enjoyed going from one calamity or conflict to the next.
In a very unique way Stephanie Fowers pays homage to Jane Austen with the reconstruction and updating of many of her characters. The whole cast of characters is made up of a collection of Jane Austen characters from her six major novels. I had such fun discovering which personality each character resembled – sometimes it was not so obvious! I also love how romance blossomed between some characters unexpectedly and how new couples were formed (different from the couplings in Jane Austen’s novel). What fun! While this may be a large number of characters to follow and keep track of, I found their personalities so distinct and well-drawn that it was easy to distinguish them. My only complaint would be that some characters did seem to exaggerate just a tad and their actions sometimes were just a little over the top.
By far though, my favorite characters are Jane and Austen – the diehard romantic and the ever-practical unromantic. I love how they were both concerned for their friend Taylor and her unhappiness, and would often get in heated debates about romance, relationships, and reality. Jane, is adorable with her theories of how romance is made up of “meet cutes” and “moments.” She definitely is similar to Catherine Morland in regards to her imagination and firm belief of novels representing reality. And Austen, with his lecturing, cautions, and disabusing Jane of her romantic notions, strongly echoed Mr. Knightley to my mind! I was especially entertained by his rant on how romantic comedies and storybook romances feed you lies (as well as his spontaneous binge-watching of Jane Austen movie adaptations!)
I was “excessively diverted” with this novel! It constantly kept me on my toes, I was never sure of who was going to end up with who and where each persons’ hearts were leaning. Full of surprising twists, engaging characters, and an abundance of “moments” – this novel is a must read for all hopeless romantics!
Jane, an event coordinator at North Abbey, a charming resort in Southern California, is a hopeless romantic who is still waiting for her storybook romance to happen. For awhile she thought her co-worker Austen would become the real-life hero of her dreams. But when he leaves to take a new job in Boston and does not leave with a romantic declaration of love in the rain, Jane realizes, quite painfully, that his regard for her was in no way equal to hers for him.
Eighth months later Austen returns, just as Jane’s biggest and most elaborate event is about take place. Taylor Weston, Jane’s closest friend and mentor is about to marry Chuck Bigley, a man she met through an online dating site called “Em’s Matchmakers.” And they are celebrating in style with a weeklong extravaganza that has Jane up to her eyeballs with work, preparation, and bridezilla drama. Through this event Jane and Austen are often thrown together and they can’t help but constantly debate with and antagonize each other. But when both characters start to feel like their own lives are playing out like a romantic novel, they put their differences aside and try to survive this baffling and turbulent week.
What a endearing and madcap romantic comedy of errors this novel is! I absolutely loved the premise – two opposite sides of the romantic spectrum constantly debating and trying to prove each other wrong. With such an extravagant wedding and a number of trying wedding guests, this tale was full of action, drama, and chaos! There is plenty going on, so be prepared for a fast-paced and exciting ride! I found it easy to keep up with the fast pace and thoroughly enjoyed going from one calamity or conflict to the next.
In a very unique way Stephanie Fowers pays homage to Jane Austen with the reconstruction and updating of many of her characters. The whole cast of characters is made up of a collection of Jane Austen characters from her six major novels. I had such fun discovering which personality each character resembled – sometimes it was not so obvious! I also love how romance blossomed between some characters unexpectedly and how new couples were formed (different from the couplings in Jane Austen’s novel). What fun! While this may be a large number of characters to follow and keep track of, I found their personalities so distinct and well-drawn that it was easy to distinguish them. My only complaint would be that some characters did seem to exaggerate just a tad and their actions sometimes were just a little over the top.
By far though, my favorite characters are Jane and Austen – the diehard romantic and the ever-practical unromantic. I love how they were both concerned for their friend Taylor and her unhappiness, and would often get in heated debates about romance, relationships, and reality. Jane, is adorable with her theories of how romance is made up of “meet cutes” and “moments.” She definitely is similar to Catherine Morland in regards to her imagination and firm belief of novels representing reality. And Austen, with his lecturing, cautions, and disabusing Jane of her romantic notions, strongly echoed Mr. Knightley to my mind! I was especially entertained by his rant on how romantic comedies and storybook romances feed you lies (as well as his spontaneous binge-watching of Jane Austen movie adaptations!)
I was “excessively diverted” with this novel! It constantly kept me on my toes, I was never sure of who was going to end up with who and where each persons’ hearts were leaning. Full of surprising twists, engaging characters, and an abundance of “moments” – this novel is a must read for all hopeless romantics!
July 6, 2014
4.5 stars, rounded up.
This book was hilarious and adorable. It has quirky but likable characters, who don't always make the stupid choice just because it will add drama to the book (a pet peeve of mine with a lot of romance novels). Fun Jane Austen references are scattered all over the place.
More than anything, though, I love Fowers' sense of comedic and romantic timing. I've read several of her books, and she consistently manages to make me laugh aloud.
This book wasn't life-changing for me, which is why I give it 4.5 stars instead of 5, but I definitely recommend it to any of my friends who like romantic comedy. It's a step above most of the romance fare I've read in the last couple of years.
This book was hilarious and adorable. It has quirky but likable characters, who don't always make the stupid choice just because it will add drama to the book (a pet peeve of mine with a lot of romance novels). Fun Jane Austen references are scattered all over the place.
More than anything, though, I love Fowers' sense of comedic and romantic timing. I've read several of her books, and she consistently manages to make me laugh aloud.
This book wasn't life-changing for me, which is why I give it 4.5 stars instead of 5, but I definitely recommend it to any of my friends who like romantic comedy. It's a step above most of the romance fare I've read in the last couple of years.
May 30, 2015
Pure romantic genius with delicious banter. The best non-Jane Austen Jane Austen book I've ever read. Quirky, philosophical, and intellectual at the same time while being a light, fun read. I absolutely loved how Fowers infuses the story with so many of Jane Austen's characters and plots, yet puts her own twists on them for a playful, refreshing read. I listened to the audio version--and I have to say, I LOVED this narrator. Andrea Emmes is amazing with the different voices and inflections, placing the humor right where it is needed. All together the perfect narration for this amazing book!
August 11, 2014
Loved it! Great writing, clever, witty, romantic, and just plain fun. Highly recommend!
May 28, 2015
Shallow, silly only read 3 chapters and couldn't go on.
February 2, 2015
"There are two kinds of people in this world. Jane fans and Jane haters. I'm a fan. You're a hater. I get it." ~Jane, Jane and Austen
Isn't that the truth? I'm a reformed Jane hater. When I first tried to read Pride and Prejudice when I was thirteen I found it incredibly dull with no action or real plot. I had tried to read it a few times since then, but it wasn't until I watched The Lizzie Bennet Diaries web series on YouTube that I really got into that story and Austen's other works. (By the way, if you're an Austen fan and haven't watched LBD, I highly recommend it. It's so good!)
Since then, I can't hardly get enough Austen. That's why I picked up Jane and Austen; it looked like a nice, fun read, which was what I had wanted, with a nice Jane Austen spin. Admittedly, I went in expecting it to be kinda dumb and corny. Let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. The characters, though not terribly complex, were much more three-dimensional than what I was expecting, and there were definitely a few plot twists I found surprising (and some not so much.)
Things I liked about Jane and Austen:
1) All the Jane Austen references
Okay, I sort of went over this earlier, but I really enjoyed all the references to names, characters, places, etc. from Jane Austen books. It was quite fun to try to figure out who was who, and although I got some of the characters right, I completely missed others (although in my defense, I haven't read quite all of Austen's novels.) I think my favorite reference was the dating site Em's Matchmakers. That made me laugh.
2) Jane
As far as heroines go, Jane is alright. She's much better than some I've read, but she's no Lizzie Bennet or Emma Woodhouse. I liked and agreed with her ideals as far as dating went, and I liked how hard working she was and her positivity. I also liked that she was flawed. She sometimes jumped to hasty conclusions about people, and once in a panicky moment totally through a friend under the bus to save her own skin. That being said, I couldn't exactly understand how so many different guys liked her.
3) Austen
The more I think about him as a character, the more I like him. Oftentimes in romance novels and even novels in other genres guys do not act like guys, they act how girls wish guys would act. Austen did act like a guy I think, and several times he reminded me of guys I know. He could be brash and reprimanding and say some insensitive things, all of which make for a good character and a good love interest. Too many heroes in today's books are too perfect to be believable, and Austen definitely wasn't. Even though they say differently in the book, Austen kinda reminded me of Mr Knightley from Emma, because of how pragmatic and logical he was, and how he was always getting on Jane for her crazy ideas.
4) The lack of a love triangle
As long as they're well written, I don't mind love triangles. That wasn't exactly the problem with this book. It was more like a love pentagon, featuring Jane juggling the affections of not just two, but five other guys. I guess that would make it a love hexagon then. Overall though, I have to say it was fairly well done. The varied nature of all of Jane's beaus made it entertaining to read, and surprisingly never got too redundant. It still escapes me how all these guys like Jane, but I find myself asking that same question in a lot of books.
5) The lack of language/inappropriate content
I know that doesn't bother a lot of people, but it bothers me. I found it refreshing how clean this book was.
6) This book was self aware
In most modern adaptations of classic books, the characters in it are blissfully unaware that their lives are paralleling a piece of literature, even if they reference other books that the same author wrote. Not so in this one. I liked how Jane kept noticing the similarities between what was happening in her life and what had happened in the pages of Jane Austen's novels. I would've thought she was kinda stupid if she hadn't. At one point, she said "It's just really creepy, Austen. I feel like I'm in a novel." I love near misses with the fourth wall like that.
Things I Didn't Like About Jane and Austen:
1) Confusion
It's not that this novel was an extremely cerebral read, it's just that sometimes things weren't explained clearly, like where or when they were. Some of the chapter breaks were unclear on when they picked back up, which was discombobulating and pulled me from the story to try to figure out what was going on.
2) Character growth
This was one of the bigger negatives of the book for me. Jane at the beginning of the novel was basically Jane at the end of the novel, with the exception of a man on her arm and maybe a bit more life experience. She had faults and she made mistakes, but I didn't really feel like she grew from them. It seemed like she just briefly apologized for a few things she did and then was just let off the hook. One of the many things I love about Austen's novels is that her characters grow. Emma Woodhouse is a completely different and better version of herself at the end of Emma, and I think that might be why it's my favorite Austen so far. I found that disappointing, and I wish that it had been a bigger aspect in Jane and Austen.
3) This quote
"All my favorite heroes in Jane Austen movies had that accent; it was why girls everywhere couldn't get enough of them." I adore British accents, but that is NOT why I like Austen heroes so much. I like them because they are realistic. They act like real people and make mistakes and love girls who are just as imperfect as they are with their whole hearts. Sure, the accents are a plus, but saying that's the whole reason why we like them is ridiculous, and I'm sure I speak for many when I say that.
4) The phrase "you're not like other girls"
Okay, this one is a little nitpicking, but I saw it in here a few times I think. It's just a bit cliche, and I've heard it used a lot before, so it kind of gets on my nerves.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to any Austen fan who wants a fun romance.
Isn't that the truth? I'm a reformed Jane hater. When I first tried to read Pride and Prejudice when I was thirteen I found it incredibly dull with no action or real plot. I had tried to read it a few times since then, but it wasn't until I watched The Lizzie Bennet Diaries web series on YouTube that I really got into that story and Austen's other works. (By the way, if you're an Austen fan and haven't watched LBD, I highly recommend it. It's so good!)
Since then, I can't hardly get enough Austen. That's why I picked up Jane and Austen; it looked like a nice, fun read, which was what I had wanted, with a nice Jane Austen spin. Admittedly, I went in expecting it to be kinda dumb and corny. Let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. The characters, though not terribly complex, were much more three-dimensional than what I was expecting, and there were definitely a few plot twists I found surprising (and some not so much.)
Things I liked about Jane and Austen:
1) All the Jane Austen references
Okay, I sort of went over this earlier, but I really enjoyed all the references to names, characters, places, etc. from Jane Austen books. It was quite fun to try to figure out who was who, and although I got some of the characters right, I completely missed others (although in my defense, I haven't read quite all of Austen's novels.) I think my favorite reference was the dating site Em's Matchmakers. That made me laugh.
2) Jane
As far as heroines go, Jane is alright. She's much better than some I've read, but she's no Lizzie Bennet or Emma Woodhouse. I liked and agreed with her ideals as far as dating went, and I liked how hard working she was and her positivity. I also liked that she was flawed. She sometimes jumped to hasty conclusions about people, and once in a panicky moment totally through a friend under the bus to save her own skin. That being said, I couldn't exactly understand how so many different guys liked her.
3) Austen
The more I think about him as a character, the more I like him. Oftentimes in romance novels and even novels in other genres guys do not act like guys, they act how girls wish guys would act. Austen did act like a guy I think, and several times he reminded me of guys I know. He could be brash and reprimanding and say some insensitive things, all of which make for a good character and a good love interest. Too many heroes in today's books are too perfect to be believable, and Austen definitely wasn't. Even though they say differently in the book, Austen kinda reminded me of Mr Knightley from Emma, because of how pragmatic and logical he was, and how he was always getting on Jane for her crazy ideas.
4) The lack of a love triangle
As long as they're well written, I don't mind love triangles. That wasn't exactly the problem with this book. It was more like a love pentagon, featuring Jane juggling the affections of not just two, but five other guys. I guess that would make it a love hexagon then. Overall though, I have to say it was fairly well done. The varied nature of all of Jane's beaus made it entertaining to read, and surprisingly never got too redundant. It still escapes me how all these guys like Jane, but I find myself asking that same question in a lot of books.
5) The lack of language/inappropriate content
I know that doesn't bother a lot of people, but it bothers me. I found it refreshing how clean this book was.
6) This book was self aware
In most modern adaptations of classic books, the characters in it are blissfully unaware that their lives are paralleling a piece of literature, even if they reference other books that the same author wrote. Not so in this one. I liked how Jane kept noticing the similarities between what was happening in her life and what had happened in the pages of Jane Austen's novels. I would've thought she was kinda stupid if she hadn't. At one point, she said "It's just really creepy, Austen. I feel like I'm in a novel." I love near misses with the fourth wall like that.
Things I Didn't Like About Jane and Austen:
1) Confusion
It's not that this novel was an extremely cerebral read, it's just that sometimes things weren't explained clearly, like where or when they were. Some of the chapter breaks were unclear on when they picked back up, which was discombobulating and pulled me from the story to try to figure out what was going on.
2) Character growth
This was one of the bigger negatives of the book for me. Jane at the beginning of the novel was basically Jane at the end of the novel, with the exception of a man on her arm and maybe a bit more life experience. She had faults and she made mistakes, but I didn't really feel like she grew from them. It seemed like she just briefly apologized for a few things she did and then was just let off the hook. One of the many things I love about Austen's novels is that her characters grow. Emma Woodhouse is a completely different and better version of herself at the end of Emma, and I think that might be why it's my favorite Austen so far. I found that disappointing, and I wish that it had been a bigger aspect in Jane and Austen.
3) This quote
"All my favorite heroes in Jane Austen movies had that accent; it was why girls everywhere couldn't get enough of them." I adore British accents, but that is NOT why I like Austen heroes so much. I like them because they are realistic. They act like real people and make mistakes and love girls who are just as imperfect as they are with their whole hearts. Sure, the accents are a plus, but saying that's the whole reason why we like them is ridiculous, and I'm sure I speak for many when I say that.
4) The phrase "you're not like other girls"
Okay, this one is a little nitpicking, but I saw it in here a few times I think. It's just a bit cliche, and I've heard it used a lot before, so it kind of gets on my nerves.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to any Austen fan who wants a fun romance.
February 13, 2023
This book is a comfort novel in the way you rewatch super cheesy hallmark movies on a lazy weekend afternoon. I got it as an audible daily deal, so I’ll listen to it like once a year. Short and sweet, but nothing amazing
January 28, 2015
AudioBook Review:
Stars: Overall: 3 Narration: 3 Story: 3
I’m a fan of Austen’s work, so this mash up of situations and circumstances pulling from her published works looked fun, and a chance to sample yet another Austen-inspired story.
Jane is out of university and working as an intern to the events planner at North Abbey, a B & B turned upscale resort. For me, Jane is almost a picture perfect caricature of Emma: a bit obsessed with her ‘vision’ of how things should be, obsessed with romance for romance’s sake, completely ignoring the realities. It was a bit of a ‘getting used to” period for Jane’s overly enthusiastic proclamations of her ‘devoted romanticism”, which while passably believable all seemed to be gleaned from film school director’s notes; dressing her characters with Regency era clothing, reverting to a moderately-accurate approach of mannerisms, while pulling some tragically teen-aged dialogue and situations into her daydreams. It was hard to see her as a functional adult with the screaming daydream moments that felt very juvenile.
Austen is the son of the couple that owns the North Abbey, and wants to be off working in finance rather than hospitality. Friendly and open with Jane, Austen is the ultimate bean counter: rather clueless about body language cues, with a strong pragmatic streak. He and Jane had a comfortable friendship that Jane had built into a major romance, second-guessing his every move and romanticizing every moment. When he heads to Boston for a job opportunity, she is utterly despondent and convinced her love has walked away. She’s back and forth about him and her feelings, and never quite ‘settled”.
Back and forth between the two, mixing in several secondary characters that appear quickly with little introduction and various levels of impact: it is often a bit of a crush trying to keep them all straight. With the constant twists trying to name characters as ‘stand ins’ for characters from Austen stories, the Fower’s references and character-mixing are clever. Lighthearted, exceedingly fast paced and some embarrassing situations that are cleverly detailed, the story is a light moment, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the ride.
Narration is provided by Andrea Emmes, and while I applaud her attempts to assign voices and approaches to each character, there were some issues that were distracting and inconsistent. Jane’s voice felt real and appropriate, and her simple pacing changes to indicate Austen’s voice were solidly performed. But the inconsistent application of British accents for both Chuck and Dancey as well as simple mispronunciations: parentses for parent’s, guyses for guy’s and furlise for Für Elise were major issues for me, more disruptive than the often overly saccharine squeak-toy voice for Ann Marie and the breathy, almost shrill voice for the supposed “star event planner” Taylor. A heavily interactive story with lots of dialogue and quick switches, I can’t help but wonder if a performance that wasn’t quite so focused on defined characters would have been a smoother listen.
Despite all of this, the story was amusing, and went quickly, keeping me intrigued as I followed along through the wedding week that was the major focus of the story. From fairly straightforward if not entirely logical, the story becomes a soap opera-esque series of miscommunication, dramatic events near farcical moments: as if Fower is in on some cosmic joke that only Jane Austen knew as she penned her stories and poked at her characters.
I received an AudioBook copy of the title from the narrator for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Stars: Overall: 3 Narration: 3 Story: 3
I’m a fan of Austen’s work, so this mash up of situations and circumstances pulling from her published works looked fun, and a chance to sample yet another Austen-inspired story.
Jane is out of university and working as an intern to the events planner at North Abbey, a B & B turned upscale resort. For me, Jane is almost a picture perfect caricature of Emma: a bit obsessed with her ‘vision’ of how things should be, obsessed with romance for romance’s sake, completely ignoring the realities. It was a bit of a ‘getting used to” period for Jane’s overly enthusiastic proclamations of her ‘devoted romanticism”, which while passably believable all seemed to be gleaned from film school director’s notes; dressing her characters with Regency era clothing, reverting to a moderately-accurate approach of mannerisms, while pulling some tragically teen-aged dialogue and situations into her daydreams. It was hard to see her as a functional adult with the screaming daydream moments that felt very juvenile.
Austen is the son of the couple that owns the North Abbey, and wants to be off working in finance rather than hospitality. Friendly and open with Jane, Austen is the ultimate bean counter: rather clueless about body language cues, with a strong pragmatic streak. He and Jane had a comfortable friendship that Jane had built into a major romance, second-guessing his every move and romanticizing every moment. When he heads to Boston for a job opportunity, she is utterly despondent and convinced her love has walked away. She’s back and forth about him and her feelings, and never quite ‘settled”.
Back and forth between the two, mixing in several secondary characters that appear quickly with little introduction and various levels of impact: it is often a bit of a crush trying to keep them all straight. With the constant twists trying to name characters as ‘stand ins’ for characters from Austen stories, the Fower’s references and character-mixing are clever. Lighthearted, exceedingly fast paced and some embarrassing situations that are cleverly detailed, the story is a light moment, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the ride.
Narration is provided by Andrea Emmes, and while I applaud her attempts to assign voices and approaches to each character, there were some issues that were distracting and inconsistent. Jane’s voice felt real and appropriate, and her simple pacing changes to indicate Austen’s voice were solidly performed. But the inconsistent application of British accents for both Chuck and Dancey as well as simple mispronunciations: parentses for parent’s, guyses for guy’s and furlise for Für Elise were major issues for me, more disruptive than the often overly saccharine squeak-toy voice for Ann Marie and the breathy, almost shrill voice for the supposed “star event planner” Taylor. A heavily interactive story with lots of dialogue and quick switches, I can’t help but wonder if a performance that wasn’t quite so focused on defined characters would have been a smoother listen.
Despite all of this, the story was amusing, and went quickly, keeping me intrigued as I followed along through the wedding week that was the major focus of the story. From fairly straightforward if not entirely logical, the story becomes a soap opera-esque series of miscommunication, dramatic events near farcical moments: as if Fower is in on some cosmic joke that only Jane Austen knew as she penned her stories and poked at her characters.
I received an AudioBook copy of the title from the narrator for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
April 6, 2021
Did not finish,because I did not find a single character even likeable!
March 18, 2015
I read / listened to this book in audio format via audible.com. I always go for the audio books whenever possible as the narrators tend to breath life into the stories, thus giving them a heart beat. Audio books also let us work, drive, walk, do chores and many other things while we read hands free.
What a great book! This story is fun & delightful. This book is about a young girl Jane and her BFF and on again off again boyfriend Austen.
Jane is a young romantic at heart. Jane has always been infatuated with the books written by author Jane Austen. While preparing her best friends wedding at a local hotel, Jane can't help comparing everything that happens to Jane Austen books. Even the people coming to the wedding are inverted names of characters from Jane Austen books. Jane can't help but get the feeling her entire life if coming out a book. I found many places to laugh in this book. Jane is constantly trying to convince Austen that everything happening at her friend Taylor's wedding is coming out of Jane Austen books too! Travel along with Jane and Austen as they compare real life to the books she read.
The author Stephanie Fowers did a great job writing this book. The plot had me right away and I even found so many parts to laugh along with Jane. The narrator, Andrea Emmes did a wonderful job with her multiple voices and accents in this story. The delivery was flawless and the Brit accents were awesome!
What a great book! This story is fun & delightful. This book is about a young girl Jane and her BFF and on again off again boyfriend Austen.
Jane is a young romantic at heart. Jane has always been infatuated with the books written by author Jane Austen. While preparing her best friends wedding at a local hotel, Jane can't help comparing everything that happens to Jane Austen books. Even the people coming to the wedding are inverted names of characters from Jane Austen books. Jane can't help but get the feeling her entire life if coming out a book. I found many places to laugh in this book. Jane is constantly trying to convince Austen that everything happening at her friend Taylor's wedding is coming out of Jane Austen books too! Travel along with Jane and Austen as they compare real life to the books she read.
The author Stephanie Fowers did a great job writing this book. The plot had me right away and I even found so many parts to laugh along with Jane. The narrator, Andrea Emmes did a wonderful job with her multiple voices and accents in this story. The delivery was flawless and the Brit accents were awesome!
July 21, 2016
This was a cute little romance, not espetacular and very cliché, but still a light and fun read. I like how Stephanie Fowers adapted Jane Austen's novels and even the places where they are set into this book and the characters. Some were pretty obvious, but others I only realized when the book revealed. I also liked that some of the characters personalities were mashed, it gave them a more realistic feel.
Jane was a little bit annoying and sometimes had no sense of pride and preservation (unlike many of her beloved characters), but she was funny and loyal. Austen sometimes got on my nerves, he was clueless about the other characters feelings (especially Jane's) and was even a little cold and dismissive. And, although they are not listed as adaptations of characters, I thought that Jane reminded me a lot of Emma, from Emma, with her romantic personality and her matchmaking "skills" as well as the fact that she tried the entire book to do what she thought was right, only to complicate herself and others further. She was less proud and know-it-all than Emma herself, but I got the vibe, especially because of the whole "the romantic & the cynic" couple. Austen was clearly Mr. Knightly for me - all logic and reason, except when it comes to Jane/Emma.
Overall, a nice and quick book. As a Jane Austen adaptation addict, not the best one, but still nice in between heavier and dense books.
Jane was a little bit annoying and sometimes had no sense of pride and preservation (unlike many of her beloved characters), but she was funny and loyal. Austen sometimes got on my nerves, he was clueless about the other characters feelings (especially Jane's) and was even a little cold and dismissive. And, although they are not listed as adaptations of characters, I thought that Jane reminded me a lot of Emma, from Emma, with her romantic personality and her matchmaking "skills" as well as the fact that she tried the entire book to do what she thought was right, only to complicate herself and others further. She was less proud and know-it-all than Emma herself, but I got the vibe, especially because of the whole "the romantic & the cynic" couple. Austen was clearly Mr. Knightly for me - all logic and reason, except when it comes to Jane/Emma.
Overall, a nice and quick book. As a Jane Austen adaptation addict, not the best one, but still nice in between heavier and dense books.
September 29, 2014
They were destined to be together for you see...
their names were Jane and Austen.
And to top it all off they both worked at the North Abbey.
But sad as it is Austen was very logical and wanted out of the North Abbey leaving Jane behind with a broken heart.
Jane, ever the romantic, moved on with life taking the job to plan her best friends wedding.
Her best friend is Miss Taylor Missy Elizabeth Weston who is marrying Chuck Frank Bigley.
Can you see where this story is going?
When Willard Dancey shows up at the North Abbey as a wedding guest Jane just knows that romance in the books is much better than the romance of today.
Working with bridesmaids Bertie, Bella Thorne, and Mary Musswood proves to be a challenge to say the least.
Now add in the other wedding guests: Captain Redd Wortham, Harry Crawley, Eddy and Elly MaFarey, and BeBurgy...
And the workers at the North Abbey: Junie Bennet Fairchild, Ann-Marie Dashner, Freddy Tiney, and Colin Minster...
And you have the makings of a truly FANTASTIC TWIST on every book Jane Austen ever wrote.
So what happens when Austen suddenly shows up as another wedding guest?
LOVED. LOVED. LOVED. THIS. BOOK!
I laughed and sighed and fell in love with the characters!
A MUST-READ for every girl who believes in love and happy endings!
their names were Jane and Austen.
And to top it all off they both worked at the North Abbey.
But sad as it is Austen was very logical and wanted out of the North Abbey leaving Jane behind with a broken heart.
Jane, ever the romantic, moved on with life taking the job to plan her best friends wedding.
Her best friend is Miss Taylor Missy Elizabeth Weston who is marrying Chuck Frank Bigley.
Can you see where this story is going?
When Willard Dancey shows up at the North Abbey as a wedding guest Jane just knows that romance in the books is much better than the romance of today.
Working with bridesmaids Bertie, Bella Thorne, and Mary Musswood proves to be a challenge to say the least.
Now add in the other wedding guests: Captain Redd Wortham, Harry Crawley, Eddy and Elly MaFarey, and BeBurgy...
And the workers at the North Abbey: Junie Bennet Fairchild, Ann-Marie Dashner, Freddy Tiney, and Colin Minster...
And you have the makings of a truly FANTASTIC TWIST on every book Jane Austen ever wrote.
So what happens when Austen suddenly shows up as another wedding guest?
LOVED. LOVED. LOVED. THIS. BOOK!
I laughed and sighed and fell in love with the characters!
A MUST-READ for every girl who believes in love and happy endings!
August 8, 2014
If you love Jane Austen, you should read this book!!
Jane loves all things romantic. From the meet-cute to the moment, she wants the romance. Austen is practical and doesn't have a romantic bone in his body. He is also Jane's best friend. Jane was hurt by his disinterest in her once and does not want to be hurt by another rejection by Austen but she just can't stay away.
They are thrown together for a mutual friend's wedding. Jane is the event planner. Austen had just returned to his family's hotel. Jane is suddenly surrounded by romance (including five suitors) and many, many characters from all of Jane Austen's novels.
With more misunderstandings and matchmaking than any of Jane Austen's actual novels, this book was a fun read. Matching the characters in the original books and seeing how Stephanie Fowers incorporated everything was a fun adventure. And, of course, true love still wins.
Jane loves all things romantic. From the meet-cute to the moment, she wants the romance. Austen is practical and doesn't have a romantic bone in his body. He is also Jane's best friend. Jane was hurt by his disinterest in her once and does not want to be hurt by another rejection by Austen but she just can't stay away.
They are thrown together for a mutual friend's wedding. Jane is the event planner. Austen had just returned to his family's hotel. Jane is suddenly surrounded by romance (including five suitors) and many, many characters from all of Jane Austen's novels.
With more misunderstandings and matchmaking than any of Jane Austen's actual novels, this book was a fun read. Matching the characters in the original books and seeing how Stephanie Fowers incorporated everything was a fun adventure. And, of course, true love still wins.
October 19, 2015
Wow, what a cute story. I devoured it in 24 hours. I was SO appreciative to get my hands on a good romance that didn't have any explicitly uncomfortable scenes. Jane and Austen were the cutest thing--and I thought their characters were really developed! The opening to this story is strong and spot on. I could tell from the first page the author has a strong voice.
My only issue with this was, ironically, the Jane Austen fan fiction. About midway through the book, out of nowhere Jane becomes paranoid that "her life is a novel." It was a plot point from the blue for me. But plot is the only thing I can use to take away a star. Fabulous, cute story with strong characters, drama, and witty dialogue.
My only issue with this was, ironically, the Jane Austen fan fiction. About midway through the book, out of nowhere Jane becomes paranoid that "her life is a novel." It was a plot point from the blue for me. But plot is the only thing I can use to take away a star. Fabulous, cute story with strong characters, drama, and witty dialogue.
June 7, 2015
Super cute romantic comedy pitting a hopeless romantic Jane against the man she loves—the most logical, unromantic Austin. I was a little greedy and read this within 24 hours of starting the addicting story. The characters are funny, and the links to Jane Austin’s stories are hilarious. There are so many characters from Austin stories that have so much resemblance to real life characters in the wedding party (that this story is based around of another pair of characters)—from similarity of names to how they act. I loved the author’s narration; she penned an amazing story that pulled at my heartstrings and brightened my day.
July 4, 2018
Wow, where you begin? I thoroughly enjoyed the similarities and the distinct differences between the characters in this novel and those matching characters in Jane Austen's works. It was so fun to think I had things figured out, only to be proved wrong with a better outcome!
The witty banter between the main characters was so delightful. The secondary characters brought the sass, the charm, the evil, the embarrassment, and so much more. I would love to see this on the big screen!
The steaminess factor in this would be hot PG-13 in my opinion. Lots of kissing to be had that's for sure. Although fortunately we aren't told everything that happens.
The witty banter between the main characters was so delightful. The secondary characters brought the sass, the charm, the evil, the embarrassment, and so much more. I would love to see this on the big screen!
The steaminess factor in this would be hot PG-13 in my opinion. Lots of kissing to be had that's for sure. Although fortunately we aren't told everything that happens.
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