Austenland (Austenland #1)

Summary:

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?  (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)         

Review:

This book was fun and light-hearted, I really enjoyed reading it.  I saw the movie first and adored it.  I would even go as far to say it’s a rare situation where I actually liked the movie better than the book though the variances between the two were minor.

If you are a Jane Austen fan, this will be a very fun book.  If you haven’t read Jane Austen, this would still be a light chick-lit book with a happily ever after.  Jane is on the hunt to “cure” herself of her fantasy, but finds herself stuck in the middle of one.  I think the author does a fantastic job merging the old with modern day sensibilities in a way that had me laughing out loud.  I’d highly recommend this book to anyone as a beach read.

Rating: 5 stars!

Who should read it? Austenites and folks looking for a solid chick lit book.

Want to read the whole series?

• Midnight in Austenland (Austenland #2)