Several years ago I read Shannon Hale's Austenland, the story of a young woman with an obsession for Mr. Darcy who lives out her dream at a Jane Austen theme park. I expected The Austen Escape would be similar escapist fare. I was pleasantly surprised to find some twists in this story to make it a little less predictable. The best part of the book was that our heroine, Mary, is an engineer by profession, well-regarded by her colleagues. It is refreshing to follow a woman of intelligence through the twists of her life. Naturally she lacks self-confidence and makes some obviously wrong decisions as the story unfolds, but without these blunders, we would have no drama, would we?
The setting in Bath at the grand estate of Braithwaite House with all the trimmings of Regency England is pure delight for Austin fans. Although I have read all the works of Jane Austin, I admit some of the allusions to the behavior and personality of particular characters I found unfamiliar and even tedious. (There is a brief description of the major characters at the front of the book which I should have read more closely), It did not however, prevent me from enjoying the story of Mary who had her own Pride and Prejudice to overcome.
The aspect of this book that makes it more than a Regency Era escape is the conflict between Mary and her best friend Isabel. It is Isabel who has persuaded Mary, against her better judgment, to accompany her on this trip back in time. For Isabel it is research for her doctorate, for Mary it is an escape from tensions at work. When Isabel loses her memory and believes she is truly a gentlewoman of the Regency period, it is time for Mary to examine her own past and make life-altering decisions. Business consultant Nathan, the man who is Mary's Mr. Darcy, was not as strong a presence as I would have liked. In fact he was quite bland, but with no other man as competition, it was obvious it would be Nathan with whom Mary would reach an understanding.
Reworking classics of literature seems to be author Katherine Reay's specialty and I am anxious to see what she does with a few more of my favorites.

Reay is an excellent writer. This is probably one of my favorite novels by her.

Katherine Reay has the uncanny ability to weave classic literature into her own narratives, writing page-turners that will leave you thinking. Her first two novels were fantastic and it feels like she's back in her stride with The Austen Escape.

Mary and Isabel have a friendship that often resembles a sibling relationship. Their complicated past gets even more complicated when a charming man gets stuck in the middle. Add in a dream trip to Bath where the pair masquerade as Regency era ladies and you've got the basic plot of this enjoyable novel.

The Austen Escape explores friendship, self-discovery, and how to heal from a painful past. Perfect for any Janeite or someone looking for a clean, lively romance.

The Austen Escape ment well, but wasn't the book for me. It was a bit too verbose at times, and had trouble getting to a point or climax. I loved the concept of a new "Austenland" vacation novel, but it lacked the clever banter, charismatic characters, and insightful moments that made Austenland so mesmerizing.

This is a fun read for Jane Austen fans as it visits many favorite characters and stories, while interweaving familiar tropes in the main modern-day story as well. The idea of a sort of “Jane Austen” theme park-like is a fun one, and those details played well. One of the biggest strengths of the story was the way the author gave us a glimpse into the way an engineer’s mind works, and in laymen’s terms, helped us see that it is different from the way non-engineers think. It was especially interesting to see these characteristics in a female character, and my favorite “Mary moments” were those that truly let us see her different perspective, especially from the “average” Jane Austen fan. At times, it did feel there were too many conflicts and misunderstandings, and I got frustrated with some of the characters and situations, but overall, the story had a few unexpected developments that captured and held my attention. The attention to detail in descriptions will warm the hearts of many Austen fans, and it is fun to see how timeless many of the basic concepts in Austen stories are—even Austen characters and situations could be frustrating at times! I would recommend The Austen Escape to Austen fans who want a little bit of Austen in their present-day romances.

The Austen Escape was a perfect escape for anytime or place! Mary is an engineer at a small tech company. Isabel is in graduate school and writing a thesis on Jane Austen retreats. Mary and Isabel, go to an immersive Jane Austen themed retreat, and both characters end up realizing life altering truths about themselves. Change is never easy. Mary and Isabel each find themselves drawn to love while at the retreat. Mary and Nathan's interest in each other really forced Mary to learn to stand up for what is important and also to forgive past mistakes. It was fulfilling to watch Mary adjust and grow in her profession as well as in her relationships with Isabel, her dad, and Nathan.

I thought that making the main character an engineer was a fantastic idea, but in the end, I didn't find her to be very interesting as a character. I thought that the beginning of the book was a bit slow- everything with her work and the guy she liked... and then her friend... it just dragged on for me. I didn't fall in love with any of the characters, and that disappointed me. I hope to read another of Katherine Reay's books to see if this was a one-off for me.

So The Austen Escape is told from Mary Davies point of view.  Mary has a job she loves, although she is dealing with some career frustrations.  In addition she has a real crush on her colleague Nathan, not that she's brave enough to do anything about it!  So when her lifelong friend Isabel convinces her to accompany her to England to immerse herself in a Regency Jane Austen themed experience, she finds herself going despite her misgivings.

I chose to read this book based entirely on it's title - I am a real lover of Jane Austen's work, and am therefore always keen to read anything based on her novels, characters and the time period.  I was not disappointed.  There were references to characters and Austen quotes dotted throughout this novel.  In fact it highlighted that I really need to re-read more of her novels, rather than just my annual read of Pride and Prejudice.  Anyway, back to The Austen Escape...

I enjoyed all of the characters within this novel, but particularly Mary.  I found her character flaws to be realistic, and I enjoyed going with her on her journey to both self-discovery but also to really seeing her friend Isabel and why she behaves the way she does.  The novel touches on mental health issues, which is something I actually would have preferred a little more of as it is a topic that we should all be talking about.  The book was ultimately about Mary working out what she really wants from life, something we all need to be encouraged to do at some point in ours lives.

So, in summary this book has Jane Austen, dressing up in Regency period gowns, friendship, love and self-discovery.  What more can you want from a novel?!

Out on the 7th November 2017, go and pre-order your copy now!

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📖

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Reay's works are always thought-provioking, inspiring the reader to look within themselves. Hers are not light, bright, fluffy, chick-lit tales; rather they are deep, sometimes painful journeys to make. I delay the journey until I know I am strong enough to travel the path with her characters ... the journey is worth it. The journey stays with you. Reay's book are not quickly forgotten.

Imagine being transported backward in time to Jane Austen's world – a place to revel in the wearing of beautifully detailed Regency clothing, taking in the elegant custom of afternoon tea and the blisses of domesticity. All this, yet with our 21st-century real-life messiness. The Austen Escape is a story about friendship and forgiveness. It is a tale of a modern-day romance complete with dashingly handsome, chivalrous heroes who rush in to do their rescuing. “I have enjoyed every moment with you." Who wouldn't want their modern-day hero say that?!

I love and respect Jane Austen as a literary figure but I have a confession to make – I haven’t read any of her books. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried! I’ve started Pride and Prejudice many times but haven’t gotten past page 30. Sigh.

That being said I love the Regency period so the idea of a “real” manor vacation is exactly my thing. I like the way it was handled, too – technology is put into the background but not shunned all together. A vacation spot that confiscates cell phones probably wouldn’t be popular, you know? The days are filled with as many Regency activities as the guests can handle with chances to tap out when needed. The pragmatism kept any nitpicking part of my brain at bay.

Even with the interesting setting the characters take center stage. People grow and change and everyone is fleshed out from the leads down to the manor maid. While Austen is discussed a lot over the course of the story I felt like I was able to keep up. Some references went over my head but it didn’t get in the way of the story. Needless to say, Austen fans will have more to dig into. The writing is solid but not stylistically notable, and the plot pulled me through no problem.

The more you love (and know) Austen the more you’ll get out of The Austen Escape, but even if you’re a relative know-nothing like me you can enjoy the ride.

Stalled in a project at work, Mary Davies agrees to go to Bath, England for an Austen Escape when her best friend, Isabel, invites her. Though at first it’s a little odd to put on the persona of a fictional Austen character, she soon begins to enjoy it, interacting with the likes of Mrs. Jennings, who hopes to play matchmaker, and many other beloved characters. When Isabel loses her memory and really believes she’s part of Austen’s world, Mary is at a loss for what to do, but help comes from an unexpected source.
I loved the focus on Austen’s works and enjoyed seeing how people interpreted various characters. It sounded like great fun….minus the tightening of the corsets. As people immersed themselves in their characters, they learned more about who they are in real life. It was fascinating and satisfying to see Isabel and Mary grow and change.
If you enjoy Regency England and Jane Austen, I think you’ll really enjoy this book and other Katherine Reay books. I’d highly recommend them.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Other Katherine Reay books:
A Portrait of Emily Price
The Bronte Plot
Dear Mr. Knightley
Lizzy and Jane

This book had a great mesh of regency period meets 2017, love, drama and friendship. The storyline has a playful plot that includes the ultimate vacation of living like Austen for a time plus all the amenities and also incorporates boy and friendship drama. Reay did a wonderful job of including multiple characters from Austen's books, weaving them in to fit the story line. One doesn't need to have read all the Austen books to understand the story but it definitely helps. Overall a fun, light, "pull-you-in" read.

As every book lover knows the best compliment I can give this book is that I stayed up far too late last night reading this book. I kept trying to put it down but one more chapter kept going until I reached the very end. This is ironic considering I wasn't sure about this book because it had a very disjointed start. If you are reading a sample and considering whether or not to buy this book give it until Mary has lunch with her dad which will hopefully be included in the sample. The author does such a wonderful job describing this quirky loving father and their relationship that I started to think there could be something here. If you have only a passing idea of Austen don't let that deter you from this book. I am a book lover who has never read her books. I have seen the contemporary movies and some of the miniseries but I really only have a vague idea of some of the stories aside from Pride and Prejudice. I'm sure readers with more of familiarity with the characters would enjoy it even more but it's definitely not required. At the heart of the book is really the modern day relationship between two very different women but most of all it centers on Mary and who she is. Despite having something of a dark undertone given the circumstances this was a fun book. Mary was a wonderful character who you couldn't help but root for and want more of. I did have some minor issues with the book, like acting as if a child would adore a stranger who was mean to her and forgiving something awful too quickly. I definitely recommend this book and I'm excited to check out her other novels.

From the cute cover and charming description, I was expecting far much more than this novel actually delivered.
It's a charming tale of a Jane Austen-themed vacation taken by two friends who have a complicated past - the dynamic between Mary and Isabel was certainly my favorite aspect of the novel & I wish there had been greater focus & fallout when secrets come to light and long-standing grudges are addressed on the trip. As it is, it's just sort of there... and pushed aside for a rather bland romance.
Still the overall atmosphere of the book was charming, and I would recommend for any Austenites!

I love how Katherine Reay mixes modern with Jane Austen. I love the references to Jane Austen's novels, that make me want to go and read the classics. This book is filled with relationships between friends, forgiveness and dreams. I loved how close Mary is to her father and how they share a love of tinkering with gadgets and how creative they both are. Of course there are always things you would change if you were writing the book, but for the most part, I really liked The Austen Escape. Keep writing Katherine Reay, I love your books!

I am a sucker for all things Austen related and was so happy that this book did not disappoint.

The Austen Escape was very clever in its method to encompass and reference as many Austen characters as possible in a plausible and realistic manner. The backbone of the story involved a get away to an 'Austen role play experience' with two estranged best friends; subdued Mary and dominant Isabel. As their past and present history weaved itself throughout the book and their personalities compared to namesakes within Austen's world - it really helped to bring to life their issues as we readily rooted and sympathised where necessary. There was also an unexpected twist that really helped to make the story its own.

It's such a small thing but I love that the protagonist Mary was so smart (she's an Engineer) and her knowledge was more than a surface level description; it seeped into all aspects of her life.

The novel barely scratched the surface with the secondary characters, and definitely took the easy way out by simplifying conclusions to problems that should have been more complicated. However due to the overall lightness of the book it is something that was easily forgiven. Some of the conclusions left me without closure, and by not ending in the location where the bulk of the story took place, it gave the illusion the story was being dragged out.

For the non-Austen's don't be put off as the characters referenced from Austen's works offer a subtle nuance to the overall tone of the novel whose themes revolve around friendship, romance and escapism.

A fun and quick read.

4.5 Stars

The Austen Escape was not the first book i read by this author, it turned out that i previously read "The Brönte Plot" and enjoyed it a lot. It was not the reason for choosing this book though, i honestly did not make the connection quickly. It is simply that i can't resist any story that has Jane Austen and her books as a theme, that comes with a risk of course and i have been disappointed before.
But not this time. I LOVED this one.

Mary, an industral engineer, embarks into a journey back to the Regency period, in a manor in Bath reliving the stories of Jane Austen, with her childhood best friend Isabel. It was a long way to come from Texas and not an easy one for a "pragmatic" engineer. Both Mary and Isabel had a complicated and grief-filled past and they had no idea how this escapism esperience was going to change both of them and make them see each other like never before.
I though this book will be just fun. But it was more than that. All the dressing up, the pretend, even the choice of characters for each of the guest showed their personality and exposed the fragile sides of them, most of all for Mary and Isabel.

There are many things i loved about this book starting with the house. As the story was told by Mary, and being an engineer, she was bound to see it differently from other characters and i liked her way of perception, i mean who would notice the wiring otherwise? I loved the story of the house, the way it was organized, it felt more than just a place, especially when we get to learn more of its story by Gertrude, the housekeeper.
The characters were a very interesting combination, i liked that it was not only about "young couples", the old married couple, the child Clara, added something special to the story.

And the best two points for me were: One, that for a change the story did not have the usual Mr Darcy and Lizzy that i found in so many similar books. I liked the fact that the characters chose various personas, and some that were not the focal point of Austen books like Mrs Jennings, Margaret Dashwood even the characters from Northanger Abbey. Also the fact that Persuasion was mentioned much more than any other Austen book, i liked this because it is my favorire book.
The second point is Nathan, a very interesting character. I mean a man who really knows Jane Austen, the details about the characters and even getting the difference between the two Ferrars brothers. Now, that's a keeper. I was half in love with him by the end of book.

As in Persuasion, this story was about clearing misunderstanding and second chances and i enjoyed it a lot. I am now tempted very much to get to all the other books by Katherine Reay, that should be a real treat for me.

Two childhood friends reconnect and take a two week dream vacation to England. Staying at an eighteenth century home, they take a step back in time in a Regency immersion experience, and find themselves in a complicated situation. An insightful story, rich in details, told through Mary's first person perspective. Recommend skipping the synopsis on this one, and just diving in as I did, savoring the story as it unfolds.

"Jane Austen understood people and she was funny...Across two hundred years, I [Mary] recognized her characters in the here and now. She wrote about people I knew."

Good, well-developed, complex characters with relatable struggles made this an interesting read, especially with the group at Braithwaite House in Bath. The descriptions of the scenery, people, and interactions made it feel like a real Regency book in parts, except with a contemporary group. They were like the characters plucked from the Austen books, complete with a few tender, sweet affections growing between some couples. No overt discussions of faith, but themes of genuine friendship, compassion, betrayal, grief, forgiveness, and family lend inspiration in parts.
I felt for Mary with all she goes through, and cheered as she overcomes her difficulties at work and with Isabel, picking herself up, and taking back "her best self", especially with her music. Learning to forgive and see her friend through eyes of compassion was inspiring; most of us give up on relationships that are difficult like that one. It demonstrated to me what a true friend looks like.

Recommend this to readers who enjoy character driven stories with classic references. An enjoyable contemporary story with some clean romance. The index of all the Austen characters was very helpful in the beginning, and a nice reference while reading. 4.5 stars

4.5 stars for a truly enjoyable Austen escape.

The plot centers around the faltering relationship of two friends since childhood, Mary and Isabel, and one complicated love interest, Nathan. A bit slow to start, we learn that Mary's engineering position at WATT, a tech company, is on thin ice as the company appears to be moving in a new direction. Nathan is the consultant hired by WATT and may have an agenda of his own. Since a vacation is long overdue for Mary, she decides to finally accept Isabel's free two week trip to Bath, England for a costumed Austen-style experience.

Full disclosure: I have yet to read any of Jane Austen's novels. I am, however, familiar with her literary style and plots. This did not stop me from fully enjoying the storyline due to the author's fluid writing and distinguishable characters. The beginning also lists a brief description of the Austen characters that will be talked about throughout the book and role-played by the guests at Braithwaite house. This is a nice touch and can easily be referred back to if needed.

Upon arriving at Braithwaite House, the pace begins to accelerate. The grandeur of the house, the period clothing, and the excitement of role-playing quickly got my attention and held it. Between Mary's naiveté and Isabel's fragile psyche and sometimes unscrupulous machinations, I could not put the book down and was turning pages well into the night.

The development of the secondary characters gave well-placed depth to the story, especially Mary's dad, the other hotel guests, and Gertrude, Braithwaite's house manager. While the very ending may be predictable, the pleasant twists and turns along the way were not. This once in a lifetime trip stirs up memories, pleasant and painful, while the opportunity to immerse yourself in a different time and place, even if only for a little while, brings unexpected results for Isabel, Mary, and even Nathan.

I highly recommend and look forward to reading more from this author.