Book Title : Jane of Austin
Book Author : Hillary Manton Lodge
My Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Publication Date : March 18th 2014
Can you believe the only Jane Austen book I have read was Pride and Prejudice?
I haven’t gotten the chance to read any of her other work especially Sense and Sensibility which this book is based upon and now I truly wish I had.
I love retellings so it’s no surprise I would pick this one up to read but – here’s my first but – as I have not read Sense and Sensibility first, I had no idea who is who or what the plot is based upon. I think it would have been more enjoyable for me if I did. So I fully blame myself for this one. *smacks own head!
Retellings aside, I found it to be a very enjoyable light read. It’s entertaining, its cute and its fun.
The books starts with Jane Woodward and her sisters escaping their father’s scandal by fleeing to Austin – Texas, to start anew and to re-open their tea-shop there. It wasn’t as easy as it sounded as they were faced with many challenges, whether it’s with the tea shop or their relationships along with falling in and out of love. The story is told through Jane’s POV and through the retired Marine, Captain Cullum Beckett, who you can’t help but admire. I don’t think I have hated any of the characters or got annoyed by. They were so real, so wonderful that it makes you wish you were living right there with them.
This would make the perfect summer read, or by the pool or even while you are getting your nails done.
I would recommend it <insert shrug here> but if you are not as big on chick-lit as I am, you’d find it mediocre and not as memorable. It’s just one quick fun read between intense ones.
I received this book from Bloggingforbooks and Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.
Africaanah's Book Blog 
Great review! I’m not too keen on chick lit so this is good to know! I’ll keep searching for that flawless retelling…if it exists. Also, I’ve nominated you for the Blogger Recognition Award https://theinkcollector.wordpress.com/2017/08/20/the-blogger-recognition-award/ 🙂
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Thank you so much! ❤️
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I was really excited for this book, because Pride and Prejudice was my first favorite classic book, growing up. In high school, I was OBSESSED with Jane Austen re-tellings and continuation stories, and to this day I jump at the chance to read contemporary Austen’s. Honestly, I have been pretty let down lately with the re-tellings being published. This and Eligible were both published this year, touted as re-tellings of Jane Austen”, but something about the way they are written just isn’t RIGHT. The authors are decent enough, and it should be flattering to Austen-ites that they would attempt to rewrite her stories, but they just weren’t up-to-par, in my opinion. The plot was way too forced. I guess I mean that it felt like the author was trying too hard to EXACTLY mimic the Pride & Prejudice plot line, but it doesn’t translate to modern day life in a credible way. People in 2017 just don’t speak that way. I just wish it had been more realistic to the era it was set in. But it was a great parallel to P&P. Thanks for sharing, was great to hear another opinion on the book!
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Oh I was disappointed with Eligible as well. The thing is those classics have a different vibes to them. You cannot recapture them with retellings. So I try to keep an open mind. Read it as a Contemporary Chick Lit and enjoy it as it is without comparison.
Thank you for your comment. Loved to hear your thoughts ☺️
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