I love Austen so was interested to see how Regency Bath and several well-known Austen characters would be woven around the story. It was an easy read, I think I read it in a couple of days. Overall I enjoyed it, but not as much as The Bronte Plot. I didn’t like the twist where Isabel lost her memory, it seemed a little far-fetched, and Mary was just so silly, I really wanted to give her a good shake! I enjoyed the last few chapters where the action was a little faster paced.

Overall a great read and a fun take on the small world of Jane Austen. I can’t wait to re-read my favourite Jane Austen novels again after reading The Austen Escape. I should mention that if you’ve never read an Austen novel you shouldn’t be put off by the title, it’s still a fun read.

I have read several Jane Austen related fiction and have found most to be entertaining light reads.
Katherine Reay's book, The Austen Escape is no exception. What I liked about the book is how Reay tied her main characters, Isabel, Nathan, and Mary to the famous Austen characters that I've known and loved for years. Her strength is the character creation, characters with backstories that are fairly well developed. The story shows hardships, character building, and the challenges of relationships, which parallel many of the plot lines of Austen's novels. I gave this book 3.5 stars as I thought the book lacked some originality.

Cute story in the Jane Austen vein! Fans of romance, sweetness, and adult friendships will enjoy this one.

An excellent read, that is a delight to the genre. Highly recommend.

3 1/2 stars.

This author is not very consistent for me. I've read one of her books that I absolutely loved, another that was only so-so, and this one is I'm having trouble rating.

I liked the setting and the premise (sign me up for an Austen immersive vacation!), so that was fun to read.
I had a really hard time with Mary's relationship with Isabel, her "best friend". I won't say more, but it really irritated me. Isabel is a very annoying character, to say the least.

Nathan was awesome. I really liked him, but I would have liked to read more scenes between him and Mary. I didn't feel like there was enough.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to Austen and KR fans.



I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really like Katherine Reay’s novels. This a great book to read under a warm blanket on a rainy day, especially if ice cream is involved.
The main character, named Mary, is an engineer working in a cubicle in Texas leading a safe and predictable life. She has one of those friends we might have all had at some time in our lives. They might be considered a little toxic, but have been in your life for a long time. Her friend, Isabelle, had a rough childhood and spent a lot of time growing up with Mary and her family. I loved the strong relationship Mary has with her father.
Isabelle invites Mary to go with her on a trip to Bath, England to an all-inclusive Austen fan club resort (similar to in Shannon Hale’s book Austenland). Mary is hesitant to go since she feels herself pulling away from the effort of the friendship, but her Dad talks her into it. Once they get there that’s when everything changes. Deep secrets and feelings come out. Relationships are strengthened. Life is forever changed. How far are you willing to go to be a good friend?
There is a sweet, clean romance mixed in as well, but with the deeper topics I wouldn’t consider it a fluffy read.
I would recommend this book if you love Jane Austen and enjoy reading a book under a blanket with ice cream.

I really loved the premise of this novel, as an Austen fan it definitely appealed to me, and the relationship between Mary and Isabel promised to be something to really get my teeth into, but I found the execution fell a little flat. There were quite a few plot points that made you take a lot on faith, but didn't feel very realistic, which made me fall out of love with the book as a whole, and the potential of the Mary/Isabel relationship didn't feel that it came fully to fruition in the telling of it. This was a charming read, and made me dream of an Austen escape of my own, but it lacked the heart that I really wanted to find.

I am a huge fan of Katherine Reay's novels - The Bronte Plot is a favorite! So, I was super excited to have the opportunity to read her latest book, The Austen Escape. I just knew that I would be in for a treat, especially as the book would be Austen-centric. And I do love me some Jane Austen.

Mary's life is pretty good. She enjoys her job as an engineer. She has friends. She has a crush. And she likes living in Austin, TX. Except, something seems to be missing and she just doesn't know what. An old friend from childhood named Isabel proposes a trip to England. Two weeks on an estate - what more could she want, right? Did I mention that the estate is Jane Austen obsessed - as in, its a retreat where you get to experience life as if you were in a Jane Austen novel. How fun does that sound? Well, it would be a hoot, if Isabel didn't lose her memory. Yep, Isabel experiences some sort of medical mishap that has her believing she is actually living in a Jane Austen novel - like, she believes that is her real life and identity. Talk about Mary having her hands full, eh? Instead of enjoying a two week vacation, she is now tasked with taking care of an estranged friend in a house full of strangers in another country - Whoa, Nelly!?

The Austen Escape is chock full of delightful surprises: a bit of mystery, some romantic entanglements, and infused with Austen references throughout. Its truly a fun read! I found it to be the perfect book to escape into on a rainy day. I just loved getting lost in Mary and Isabel's story - friendship can definitely be complicated and dramatic at times. Plus, reading about England was pure bliss for me - I love all things British!!

I would happily recommend this book to fans of Reay and anyone looking for their next great read - you will fall in LOVE with The Austen Escape!!

While I’ve never been a big fan of these Austen-esque, almost immersion-type tales, this one drew me in. The writing was entertaining & exactly the lighter-but-still-good we all relish sometimes! Thanks to nethalley & Nelson for the ARC opportunity!

‘The Austen Escape’ is neither what I expected nor what I wanted for my afternoon distraction. It was, however, pleasant. I rarely fall for Austen adaptations, despite my longing to love tributes to the author as much as I love the original author’s work.
Despite my not loving it, I’m convinced the lacking falls on my reading and not Katherine Reay’s writing. The novel takes serious items to task, much as Ms. Austen herself did and manages to do so rather well. Mary and Isabella, as well as the other cast of characters, are developed nicely. I did find myself cheering for Mary more than Austen’s own characters of the same name, thanks to Reay for actually liking a Mary character. All-in-all ‘The Austen Escape’ is a book I can comfortable recommend, but not one I’m likely to revisit.

Overall, I liked this book, but some parts better than others. The books starts out slowly, establishing characters and explaining why the book is about a trip to a Jane Austen themed vacation. That frame story that takes place in Austin, TX was the part that I didn’t enjoy.

What was great was the Jane Austen themed vacation, and not just for the vicarious tourism, though I did enjoy that a lot. It was in the Austen vacation that characters were their best selves, and their most interesting. The references to Austen’s work in this book were well done and revealed a lot about the characters. I *loved* that about the book. That was the part that got me going and I finished a book that had sat unread for weeks in just 2 days.

If you are looking for a story that will interact with the characters and themes of Jane Austen’s books, this is a good one, once you’ve made it through the frame story. Don’t give up, it was worth it.

Just by the title alone, my attention was already captured. Like all readers, I too am curious and enamored by Jane Austen's works. Who wouldn't, right? I haven't read a lot of Miss Austen's books. So far, I've only read Pride and Prejudice. I have wish to read more of her books, especially after reading this book. It got me curious about the other characters in her books mentioned here. I would try to include her books in my TBR this year.

Have you seen the movie of Keri Russel, Austenland? This book is a lot like the movie. The characters here traveled to Bath, England to immerse in all things Austen. Wear costumes, play a character of Austen's in her novels and get to live in a mansion which is like a set in the time of Austen's stories. This is a different kind of vacation. A getaway from the daily stress and grind and live in Austen's world and characters for a week or so and forget about modern day troubles.

The main character in this book is Mary Davies. She's a very talented and creative industrial engineer. She works in a company she loves and she loves her job even more. She's also enjoys working with the adorable, hilarious and intelligent consultant at their office who also seemed to be taken with Mary. Everything seems to be working out with Mary until her pet and most beloved project failed. The costs and the failure of that project is threatening Mary to lose her job. One other thorn in her side is her childhood best friend ,Isabel who had invited her to go on a two-week vacation to Bath, England. This vacation may be what Mary needs in order to relieve some stress at work and probably put some things into perspective.

I really enjoyed the story. Mary Davies is one very lovable character. I think I can relate to Mary in many ways. She's a nerd but a very impressive nerd with her talent in creating gizmos and gadgets. I also love her special talent of creating animals and stuff from electrical wires. She is a modern inventor and she loves what she's doing. Mary reminded me of my frustration of wanting to be an engineer. Deep within, I always wanted to be one. A computer engineer. I am tech-savvy and how I ended up in Accounting is a story which I might have told in one of my posts here. Maybe, in my next life, I could be that or I can still be one. It's never too late for anything, right? Anyway, I love Accounting too. Thinking back, I also couldn't think of not having done that.

The other important character here is Isabel. I honestly hate her just by the descriptions and the stories Mary has related about her. She has not been a good best friend to Mary but she had her moments too. And once you get a picture of Isabel's life, you will feel sorry for her. The same way Mary's Mom and Dad had taken in Isabel like a real daughter, you too will feel like making allowances for Isabel's very unforgivable flaws. In the end, at least she found her spot and eventually got out from under her father's claws and was able to live a life of freedom. Freedom to be herself and be happy. By end of the story, I still did not love Isabel but I came to understand her character more. She represents a lot of real persons in my life. Some I am still friends with to this day and some have been a part of my life and have done me some torment of some kind. Hopefully, like Isabel, they too will find happiness so they would stop making other people as miserable as they are.

Nathan, a.k.a TCG. I just love him. He might just be the guy I want to have in real life. He's sensitive, smart and caring. The thing I love about him the most is that fact that he wasn't sure if Mary even feels the same way about him. In a way, he's clueless and that is so cute for someone who works as consultant who's supposed to be so intelligent and smart and should be able tnotice nuances about people. I guess, not all nuances because he never read Mary's signals clearly and the same goes for Mary too. Good thing, these tow was finally able to get everything cleared out. I think they complement each other.

There's a lot of very memorable parts in the story. I would never forget the part when Clara said, "Sense and Senseless" instead of Sense and Sensibility. That really cracked me up. Also the part about Mary pointing out that Austen hated Mary's. She hated Mary's the same she hated Bath. That was a very smart observation and realization which made me more curious to actually read all of Austen's stories with Mary's in them. I can relate to Austen. I too have a name or names I would associate with a mean person. I did meet a few people with the same name and they proved to be different so, they are exemptions to that.

The story pointed out a lot of truths about relationships and human nature. I had to nod my head a lot of times in agreement to a lot of the statements. There were also some that hit like cold water on the face. It hurts to accept but they're true. The same way Mary felt about a lot of realities and realizations that dawned on her brought about by her stay in Bath.

I love the book and I'm sure I'm going to start looking for books of Katherine Reay. I need to read more of her books, the same way I felt I've missed a lot not having read a lot of Austen. With that said, obviously I'm giving this book 5/5 wire animals. In a lot of ways, I can relate to Mary. I felt I could just be her in this story. There are a lot of similarities especially about the work. And I felt the same disappointment and sadness when it dawned on Mary that Austen did not like Mary's and what all the Mary's represent to her. Whether, they'd be the characters in her book which are representations of maybe real persons in Austen's life. Knowing that her namesake may have done Austen some injustice or grave ill, somehow affected Mary the same way as if she shares some blame. I had one co-worker who honestly told me that he didn't like my name. He said my name reminds him someone or some not so nice experience. I appreciated his honesty. It wasn't that he did not like me but I understand what he meant. He's uncomfortable that I remind of something he doesn't want to be reminded of. I too don't like my name. If I were given the chance, I would have named myself something else. This story also reminded of the animated story by Disney "Home on the Range". It's about farm animals, cows to be exact who had banded together to save their farm "Little Patch of Heaven". I really love one of the songs on the OST "Will the Sun Ever Shine Again". So, this story reminded me of a lot of different things and it's very honest and real, even if a lot of metaphors and things about Austen are used in here. It is a very relevant story which examines a lot about the different relationships we have. Just as Austen's stories are like a study on human behavior and human nature, this story too tackled that subject. I am so fortunate that I found this book and Miss Reay. Thank you again, Netgalley.

No one wants to be third choice, even if they couldn't care less about being any choice.
- Katherine Reay, The Austen Escape -

With each novel, Katherine Reay proves her craft and place on my all time favorite authors shelf. Her stories explore so much depth within the relationships of her main character(s), more than just a story of romance, friendship, or family alone. They portray real people with struggles and insecurities and, most importantly, a season of growth. Her main character is ALWAYS greatly changed between chapter 1 and “the end”, and I’ve often found the same is true of myself, the reader, as I’m subtly changed, encouraged, and influenced by Katherine’s story.
Like Katherine Reay’s previous stories, The Austen Escape is full of literary references and general Jane Austen fun (like traveling to Bath and dressing in period-appropriate clothes!). It is not a retelling but candidly acknowledges the similarities between the characters and Austen’s own, like Mary’s friend Isabel sharing qualities with Isabella of Northanger Abbey, comparing Mary to Catherine of the same, and nods to all of Austen’s other works, too. Because of all the references, I think The Austen Escape would be best enjoyed by someone familiar with Austen’s works or main characters (if only through movie adaptation form).

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I could talk about so many elements of this story and why I connected with it, but I will simply state that it is a story of the intricacies of life: how friendship, work, dreams, relationship, family, and even hobbies are interconnected and form the identity of a person. These little things make up the big picture and determine how a person responds when faced with challenges. For Mary, she experiences a season of growth because of challenges to her comfort zone and what she believes to be true about the people around her. A few eye-opening events (and timely encouraging relationships — I’m talking about Nathan and his swoony Austen nerdiness here) spur her to recognize the beauty and opportunity right in front of her.

Jane Austen wrote about people and their need to connect on some level – from friendship to family camaraderie to romantic relationships. Katherine Reay captures the same drive in her characters, using the same timeless lens of connection, to show a heart-level story of individuality and friendship.

More little things I loved about The Austen Escape:

Nathan <3, a fitting hero
The juxtaposition of modern and old elements: Mary’s work vs the frill and formality of Austen’ s world
How neither Jane Austen, HER characters, nor Mary quite “fit in” with the expectations of their environments
Red velvet cupcakes, sticky toffee pudding, bubble gum
Nicknames and what they reveal
Absolutely ENDEARING secondary characters like Gertrude, Moira, Grant, and Clara
Little wire animals and skittle contraptions
All the love for books and music
All the Jane Austen talk — especially when Persuasion is hinted
Thank you to the author and publisher, Thomas Nelson, for the complimentary review copy of this novel. This is my honest review.

I was lucky enough to be given an advanced review copy of this way back last summer – but because it didn’t fit into a category for my 2017 Reading Challenge – and I was still optimistic of completing it – I didn’t get around to reading it until now!! I’m hoping this doesn’t count as a strike against me on the wonderful Netgalley!!

Anyway – enough of my soul searching – here’s the blurb:

“Falling into the past will change their futures forever.Mary Davies finds safety in her ordered and productive life. Working as an engineer, she genuinely enjoys her job and her colleagues-particularly a certain adorable and intelligent consultant. But something is missing. When Mary’s estranged childhood friend, Isabel Dwyer offers her a two-week stay in a gorgeous manor house in England, she reluctantly agrees in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways.But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes she lives in Jane Austen’s Bath. While Isabel rests and delights in the leisure of a Regency lady, attended by other costume-clad guests, Mary uncovers startling truths about their shared past, who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who now stands between them.Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings arise, and dancing ensues as this company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation, work out their lives and hearts.”

I was concerned – a bit like when I read Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld – that my lack of recent Austen reading would count against me as I wouldn’t pick up on the clever intertwining of old and new storylines and nuances in the characters etc – but I decided not to stress about that and just get on with reading it as a standalone book.

I also didn’t look into the author or publishing house before starting to read this (a mistake I won’t make again) – I was still at the stage of being delighted and honoured to have been permitted to read a book before it was officially published to decide if I should read it or not!!

I found this book soooooo dull. It was boring from start to finish (but I did finish it as I hate to be beaten by a book)

The American style of writing annoyed me (why is it necessary to miss out words like ‘of’?) and the descriptions of Bath I found very poor (admittedly it’s a city I’ve been to lots – but I would question if the author ever had).

It was just soooo boring.

About half way through a friend pointed out this was published by a Christian publishing house subsidiary of Harper Collins. I have to say that you wouldn’t know that from the content itself – it’s not preachy at all – but there is a definite absence of sex, drugs and rock & roll. Not that I’m saying those are pre requisites for a good book – in fact my book of 2017 Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine doesn’t contain any of them – but it was just so lame. The most risque element was a ‘shoulder bump’. I also felt the writing style was dull and insipid.

I persevered – but only because I don’t like to not finish a book (despite me saying I would not be beholden to any books this year!!)

I am unsure who I would recommend this to. It was too modern for my Nan in it’s content – and not sure of anyone else who would appreciate such nothingness.

But – it has taught me to be more circumspect about what I accept to read going forward!

Thanks Netgalley for the advance review copy – and for the life lesson!!

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*
Well.... This book certainly didn't change my life but it's definitely cute. I liked the main character, and the love interest, as they seemed pretty three-dimensional.
It was a bit disappointing in the Austen aspect, as the title seemed a bit misleading. I thought they would immerse themselves fully in Austen, but that did not happen (except her friend).

This book was okay. It was well written if a little slow in places, especially the start, but the characters were good and the plot interesting enough. It wasn't outstanding but it was a nice read.

Sit down, grab some tea because it is cold outside and when anyone discusses Austen it is always better to have tea in hand.

I read this book in about a day and a half. Katherine Reay's "The Austen Escape" is a charming romance novel set in modern times. Isabel and Mary have been friends since childhood, but things have been strained in their relationship as they've grown into adulthood. Mary took a job working in a flourishing tech job while Isabel is working on her doctoral thesis on Jane Austen.

Isabel's father is angry that is taking her so long to finish her degree, so he pays for Mary and Isabel to go to a two week immersion into Jane Austen's world in an old manor house in England. There, the guests are fitted with the proper attire and encouraged to take on the roles of someone from Austen's novels.

Unfortunately, Isabel suffers a relapse a sort of hysteria while there, and truly believes she is Emma from the novel. A kind, gentle war veteran named Grant takes a special care for Isabel while Mary contacts Isabel's old doctors to figure out what to do.

As one would expect from any Jane Austen novel, Reay introduces confusion, miscommunication and more into her book. I liked it for its romance parts and the history, as Reay has done her work. My only complaint is that the book is sort of slow to start, and I almost put it down because of it. I'm glad I didn't, but the beginning wasn't a real attention grabber.

When I first heard about this novel I knew I had to read it. Jane Austen is my favorite author, and there are so many times I wish I could just escape into one of her novels. I’ve told my husband several times that it would be so fun to dress up in 18th century clothing and go to a Regency-era ball (it will happen one day!). This is essentially what happens to Mary in The Austen Escape, although she is not as thrilled with the idea since she has barely even read any Austen novels (*gasp*). Her best friend, Isabel, however (and if you’ve ever read Northanger Abbey, red flags should be going up now), is an Austen scholar, and persuades Mary to come on the the Austen vacation with her.

The Austen Escape combines characters and plot lines from each of Jane Austen’s novels, which makes reading it a fun scavenger hunt for any Austenite. However, if you’re not as well versed in Austen as Mary’s frenemy Isabel is, there is a handy character guide included at the beginning of the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed The Austen Escape, but not as much as I had anticipated. I wanted to like this novel more, but I felt that the characters were a bit flat, which made it hard for them to feel real. Although they each possessed believable motives and desires, they didn’t react to one another in realistic ways, which took away from the tension and suspense that would have made the novel more enjoyable. To make up for this, the author added drama between Mary and her love interest, which did feel a little forced and unnecessary; however, it was a sweet romance.

The Austen Escape is for readers looking for a lighthearted, clean romance, especially one that revolves around the world of Jane Austen.

Do you love Jane Austen’s writing? Then you will enjoy this new offering by author Katherine Reay. This Texan Anglophile English-major librarian loved it! Mary Davies is a young tech engineer at a firm in Austin, Texas. As the novel opens, she has hit a roadblock. To quote the novel: “Chapter 1 : “How can I help?” The world stilled. It wasn’t the first time I wondered how one voice, one presence, could quicken the air and simultaneously stop all motion. Nathan. I offered a stiff and awkward smile as he propped himself against my desk. His knees bent and touched mine as he handed me a Starbucks cup. “Thank you.” I sipped and rolled my chair back a few inches to break contact. A clear head requires distance. “You can’t. An engineer is only as good as what she designs and . . . my project is a failure.” The technology and math worked. The science worked. The breakdown was in the design. In the subjective, not the objective—it was in me. Nathan nodded—a long, slow motion. I knew that look. He was trying to think up a plan, and if this had been another time or place, or I’d been another girl, I’d have hugged him for the effort. But I was ready to pay the price.” What is Mary designing? Something awesome! To quote the novel: ““Golightly” was my pet name for it—a pair of glasses I’d started dreaming of years before the technology caught up with my imagination. One Friday night, when I was about twelve, my mom introduced me to Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Audrey Hepburn’s iconic character, Holly Golightly. I watched that movie dozens of times, mesmerized. I’d never seen a woman more beautiful. And although I missed much of the story in those early years, I caught the drama, the ukulele, and the sunglasses. I’d made my own ukulele out of cardboard and string, and now I’d moved on to the sunglasses. They weren’t as glamorous as Hepburn’s, but mine did more than shield the eyes from UV rays. My Golightly glasses were self-contained augmented virtual reality glasses that embedded interactive 3D images.” Mary has a lovely father with a big heart who likes to invent things just like she does. Her mother, who loved Jane Austen novels, is deceased. Another main character in the story is Isabel, Mary’s friend since elementary school. To quote the novel: “Isabel had joined our second-grade class three weeks into school. With her bright blue eyes, gorgeous black curls, and lilting British tones, she had every girl salivating to be her best friend. At lunch on that first day Missy Reneker, the most popular girl in the class, with her Guess jean shorts and gladiator sandals, pushed me off me the bench to sit with the new girl. Isabel, without missing a beat and wearing the coolest Beatles T-shirt ever, grabbed my arm to pick me up and said, “Mary sits next to me.” That was it. Best friends. Even now, looking across this table twenty years later, I had to admit . . . It was pretty much the best day of my childhood.” Isabel, who is ignored by her often absent father is taken under the wings of Mary’s parents and learns to love Austen so much that she is working on her doctorate with a dissertation entitled Refined Escapism: The Twenty-first Century Appropriation of Jane Austen. Isabel is human and has treated Mary with kindness as well as some jealousy in the past. She invites Mary to join her for the “trip of a lifetime”—a costumed Austen-style adventure in Bath, England that she plans to incorporate into her dissertation. Even though she has reservations about the trip due to Isabel’s kind/unkind behavior in the past, Mary’s father urges her to accept Isabel’s offer so the story moves to Bath, England. If you have not read Austen, the story at this point will not be as engaging as it will to someone who has, but they will still enjoy it. I loved the literary references and allusions to characters and plots in the novels. And, Reay does include a descriptive list of those characters and novels at the beginning of the book. I feel compelled to share yet one more excerpt from the novel just because it is so beautifully written. Mary decides to reread Austen in preparation for the trip. “I grabbed my keys, headed for my clean car and for BookPeople on Lamar. After rifling through the entire Austen selection, I chose its only copy of all Austen’s novels in one volume. It was huge and heavy and smelled like leather. The woman at checkout turned it over and over in her hands. “You can get these for free on an e-reader. They’re in the public domain.” “I know and I probably will, but I love books. The weight. The smell. The bigger the better. It’s a shame Encyclopedia Britannica doesn’t print all those encyclopedias anymore. Weren’t those the best?” The woman sighed the equivalent of a Whatever and rang the sale. I patted the book’s dark green cover as if to soothe any hurt feelings. I’d gone over the top with the whole Encyclopedia Britannica thing, but books—heavy books—meant something to me and, at well over a thousand pages, this one was larger and heavier than my most meaty college textbook. I already loved it. My mom had always insisted on paper, and because she couldn’t do much but read, people gave her books. She loved them all—and the heavier, the better. She said they felt like blankets resting on her lap. Our house growing up was filled with electrical wires, brothers, and books. So purchasing a large book in her honor was only right. I spent the rest of the afternoon and well into the early hours of Monday morning reading. Mom had first introduced me to Jane Austen in the seventh grade. She wasn’t well that year and we spent much of our time together with me reading aloud. Pride and Prejudice was first, Emma next. But eventually I had my own reading to do for English classes, so my indoctrination into Austen’s remaining novels was postponed. The Austen I remembered was not the Austen I encountered now. That Austen was staid and challenging. And I’m sure my slow pace and mispronunciations must have driven my mother crazy—words like reverie and supercilious. She never mentioned it, though, or let her smile waver—Austen and I were her delights. Mom’s devotion to those novels made sense to me now. Jane Austen understood people, and she was funny. Being an engineer, analytic and literal, I knew I was probably still missing nuances and subtleties and most of her brilliance, but what I caught was captivating. She wrote with such precision that a single phrase evoked an emotional response. She elicited laughter, warmth, and even a sense of awe. Across two hundred years, I recognized her characters in the here and now. She wrote about people I knew.” This review has gone on long enough, so I will compel myself to stop quoting passages from the book and let you read it for yourself to discover what happened to Mary and Isabel in Bath. Thank you Katherine Reay for another delightful novel and thank you Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this novel.

This character-driven book almost felt like a coming-of-age story except the heroine is already an adult. However, she is stunted in many ways and her breaking point happens when the one thing she is good at--her career as an engineer--starts a downward spiral. Her passive-aggressive best friend, Isabel, shows up and offers her a chance to get away to England for a 2 week Austen escapist experience. For me, the story started a bit slowly but my interest picked up once Mary and Isabel arrived in England. Isabel is not a likable character. On one hand she is fiercely devoted to Mary but on the other hand, she is manipulative and can sabotage her, too. Eventually, you learn why she is the way she is and can feel sorry for her. There is an underlying tension in their friendship that Mary glosses over until she cannot any longer. I enjoyed seeing Mary grow in every way during her Austen experience. It's clear the author must have done a lot of research for this book--everything from engineering-related topics to Regency England to fishing lures and even to bats! Ms. Reay has a beautiful way of putting words together to describe a feeling or a setting. I admire how she not only included Austen stories but also explained what Austen was trying to say through them, too. I think if I hadn't read any of Austen's novels, I would not have understood or appreciated this book as much. There is a romantic love-interest for Mary but the focus is really on her journey of self-discovery. Mary, and all the other guests, eventually learn that play-acting actually showed their truest selves (which circles back to Austen's conclusion). One thing that surprised me, considering this was published by a Christian publisher, was the lack of spiritual content. Maybe I missed it but this book could have easily been published by a general fiction publisher. That was a little disappointing but I guess that is how this publisher leans. Overall, I really enjoyed this escape into Austen's world and was captivated by the author's writing--4.5 stars.
* I received this book free of charge from NetGalley.