"Austenland" by Shannon Hale

Genre: Chick Lit
Format: Kindle
Publication: August 10, 2010 by Bloomsbury
Cover Rating: 3/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined. 

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen—or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It’s all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?


My Thoughts: The premise to this book held so much potential! I went into it knowing it was going to be a cutesy, fluffy, romantic comedy, and I was okay with that. But I was still let down! While yes, this IS a cutesy fluff novel, it felt like the author just slapped some characters on a page without bothering to try to make them "real" for the reader. I had a hard time relating to Jane and I felt like her Austen obsession was just an excuse for A) Wanting someone as hot as Colin Firth in "breeches" and B) to believe in "love at first sight". However I pushed myself to keep reading it because I thought SURELY this gets better... and it did. At least, a little.

I really enjoyed the idea behind the story, but as so often happens, I didn't love the way it was executed. Not even the charming Mr. Nobley could change my mind. I'm still holding out hope though that the movie will surpass the book.


My Rating: