This novel is such a treat for Austen lovers! Katherine Reay is one of those authors whose books I feel like I can relax into and enjoy at a leisurely pace—a surprisingly difficult feat for rabid readers such as myself, who tend to give themselves literary indigestion more often than not! I haven’t read all of her novels yet, but she seems to excel at bringing introverted characters to life; characters who would normally be quite happy in supporting roles, even in their own stories, but who have suddenly had the spotlight turned on them. And she makes them deeply interesting, at least to me, as she challenges them and brings them out of their comfort zone.

Rather than reimagining an Austen plot, Katherine Reay has based this novel on an idea explored in Mansfield Park: It is often in role playing that we reveal (or discover) our true selves. In a more subtle way, it also explores Jane Austen’s characters—not so much what they did as who they were; their personalities and their motivations. As Mary realizes at one point: “Jane Austen understood people . . . Across two hundred years, I recognized her characters in the here and now. She wrote about people I knew.” And all of this happens in a setting I could only dream about: A country estate in Bath where people are able to pay (quite a lot, mind you!) for the experience of pretending they are in a Jane Austen novel. Clothing, accommodation, entertainment, leisure, conversation, food, everything. I was in heaven!

Given the allusions to Jane Austen, this was a story rich in subtext, and I absolutely adore stories that have that kind of depth to them. And yet, I think this would still be an enjoyable read, even if you aren’t all that familiar with Austen’s works and the themes in them. Mary and Isabel have a complicated friendship that has played a large role in shaping Mary’s sense of who she is—as demonstrated by Isabel’s nickname for her: sidekick. Mary has also been struggling at work, both operating in the environment created by her new boss, and developing her pet project ‘Golightly’: self-contained augmented virtual reality glasses to rival Microsoft and Apple, but in a slimmer format. And to top it all off, she has a crush on Nathan, the business consultant who’s been working with their CEO over the last year; a man who will soon be leaving for the next consultancy job, and in whom she has seen no evidence of any regard for her beyond friendship.

She’s tired. She does want to escape. And ironically, it is in escaping that she is forced to confront these issues head on.

Although it isn’t the focus of the story, I can't conclude this review without saying that the romance was deliciously sweet—in a 'less is more' kind of way. I could easily lose my heart to a guy like Nathan.

A thoroughly delightful read.

The Austen escape is a pure delight. Filled with allusions and inside jokes from Jane Austen's work, this contemporary romance is sure to please readers of all ages.

I enjoyed reading this book. I liked all the Jane Austin referecence. I think that it was a good setting. I wish I was able to participate in a Jane Austin story reinactment. Katherine Reay does an amazing job at describing the setting and the character's. I found myself able to picture exactly what was going on. I found the character's interesting and full of depth. Both Mary and Isabelle needed to work through things to become free and fully the person the Lord wanted them to be. I liked that there was a bit of romance throughout this story. I felt like some of the comments hinted at a backstory that was implied but not elaberated on throughout this story. All of it did come to a satisfying conclusion and the backstory was explained at the end.

I recommend this book to my family and friends
I received this complementary copy from NetGalley for my honest review.

This book is not like your typical Austen-style book. It doesn't try to be a modern version of any Austen classic; instead, it takes the Austen characters and analyzes them through the pretense of an Austen-themed costume weeklong getaway. I loved the concept behind it: strangers sign up to live in a manor that is set up in the Regency era, and each person chooses a character from Jane Austen's novels and pretends to be them for the duration of their stay. It's the kind of adventure I would want to do! I really loved Mary's character; she was one of the most realistic characters I have ever read about. The thoughts and feelings she has are ones I could relate to, and her actions make a lot of sense. She isn't overly dramatic and doesn't live in her own fantasy world; she is a quiet character who has her unique strengths and weaknesses. Mary was the kind of character I could envision as my friend because she was just so real! I also loved all of the other cast members of this novel, and how each played their part in telling this story. I thought that Isabel's memory loss could have been done better (it was a little wishywashy in its appearance and disappearance and just didn't have as strong of an explanation as I would have liked) but this did not detract from the novel's story. The romance was done very nicely in this novel; again, it was not too dramatic and the misconceptions that occurred here were ones that I could see happening in the real world. I guess what I loved about this book so much was that it was so realistic and plausible that I could easily fall into the story and believe in it. All in all, I had a great time reading this book and would give it a solid 4/5 stars!

Loved this series by this author. The book was amazing. I highly recommend it

I wish I could say I loved this one but I never even made it to England with the characters. I felt like I was slogging through, waiting for something to happen, for them to FINALLY get to the story but gave up after it dragged on too long to get there. As a librarian that orders tons of books and talks about them all day...a book has got to get right to it to make the cut. This one fell flat for me. I have too many other books to read to continue one that "gets better later".

Isabel wants to go to Bath, England, to experience two weeks of living like a character in a Jane Austen novel. Not only does she want to do this experience, she also wants her best friend, Mary, to go with her. Mary's work is somewhat at a standstill and her immediate supervisor is trying to get her fired. In Mary's mind, there is no better time to make the Austen Escape.

After they reach Bath, something happens to turn Isabel's world upside down, and she reacts the only way she knows how. She retreats into a world only she knows, and confuses the others who are on the escape.

Katherine Reay has written a soul-tugging book that grips the reader from the very first words. There is a bit of darkness to the plot, but it is not overwhelming, and it does have its lighter moments.

Katherine creates characters whose struggles mimic real life struggles every reader can relate to. By setting this book in Bath, the reader gets a peek into another well-loved author's life and works, as well as a look into the life and times of the beloved author. Some of the customs included changing clothes multiple times a day to suit the various activities of the day.

The book is a deep read, but it is completely intriguing. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a custom-made dress befitting Jane Austen herself.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.

If you have always been an avid Austen reader and always dreamed of going on one of those trips where you get to live out a favorite Austen book or even to time travel to Jane Austen's England then you would greatly appreciate The Austen Escape. In Katherine Reay's newest novel, we meet Mary and Isabel, two lifelong friends who have issues that have dodged them all their lives. When an opportunity to travel to Bath and immerse in an Austen experience comes along, Mary reluctantly agrees. What the trip uncovers for both Mary and Isabel will greatly affect how they perceived the past and how they traverse the future.

I like Ms. Reay's books very much especially because the Austen novels forms a pivot from which the plot evolves, not necessarily an adaptation but more of how these novels affect the characters themselves. In The Austen Escape it takes it a little bit further by making the characters of Mary and Isabel immerse themselves in Jane Austen's time in Bath. Told from Mary's point of view, this trip becomes a sort of burden for her since she was plainly coerced into coming by Isabel, a lifelong friend who always knows which buttons to push to get her way. But as the story develops, we get glimpses of the dynamics of their friendship, how Isabel's lifelong devotion to Austen evolve because of Mary's mother and how self destructive Isabel has become and how Mary has stopped going for what she wants because of her mom. This book is definitely has everything in it, a little bit of romance as well. But it definitely is a book with strong character development as the main story line. It runs through a gamut of emotions but it will definitely satisfy readers with its strong ending, a happy one at that.

This was one of the better Austen-inspired novels I've read. The characters had relatively complex back-stories and the homage to Austen was thoughtful, not fluffy.
The story begins with Mary, an electrical engineer working at a tech start-up in Texas. She's in the midst of developing a passion project of hers, a set of augmented virtual reality glasses called Golightly, which would rival Microsoft and Apple, but just can't quite get off the ground. I was pretty impressed with the narrative surrounding her project, as it felt like a plausible innovation and a significant part of the plot. I was pleased that the author built up a plot that involved more than just Austen shout-outs and didn't jump immediately into that kind of fan gratification.

Meanwhile, Mary is holding at arm's length a man that she's terribly attracted to--Nathan, the temporary consultant at her company. His time is just about up at the company and he and Mary clearly have some kind of connection, but they're not getting any forwarder in their friendship. Mary's feelings on this subject are very relatable...a little messy, a little frustrated, a little scared.

When Mary's childhood friend Isabel invites her to go on a two-week Jane-Austen-style retreat to Bath, England to help Isabel finish her doctorate degree, she resists the idea at first. She's not all that much into Austen. Also her relationship with Isabel is complicated. These factors made for an original setup. She is not a gushing devotee looking for an escape, and her storyline involves way more than finding romance. She's also got to face issues that she's grown up with but never really resolved.

When Mary finally accepts the invitation, she starts reading her way through Austen. She's somewhat familiar with the canon, but now she finds unplumbed depths to it and really starts to enjoy the characters and the sharp insights. This created a nice balance once she finally reaches Bath. She looks on the whole experience with the eyes of an outsider, but she can also start to appreciate Austen's brilliance and appeal.

Once she's there she meets the other guests who've come to experience the Regency life. They're all nice people, including a very sweet older couple. Their immersive Regency experience is not stilted or absurd; they play at it with a good grace, but never to the extreme of looking like a bunch of loonies trying to escape real life. They're all very genuine throughout.

So. Now that Mary is where she is supposed to be (for the plot, that is) things can start to happen. Isabel goes into a dissociative psychological state, something she does as a defense mechanism when extremely stressed out, and Mary starts to discover and ponder things about their relationship. Then Nathan veers back into her life.

Mary's reactions to things toward the end of the book created extra drama that felt manufactured and did put me off a bit. But things wrapped up well, and overall I can say that this is a thoughtful and enjoyable read, with some lovely writing in certain passages too. It's got some substance to it, and I recommend it.

I love Jane Austen adaptations, so when I heard about this one, I had to get it!

I really liked this story. It had some great twists. There were a few moments when my mouth dropped open, I was so surprised.

I loved how they were from Austin, Texas. It was a subtle reference to Austen that I didn’t pick up on at first, but it was a cute addition.

I also really liked the Austen references. It made me feel connected with the characters, like having an inside joke. There were also a variety of ages of characters, from a couple in their eighties to an eight-year-old girl. This variety was great because it gave the opportunity to show many different Austen characters, such as Mrs. Jennings and Margaret Dashwood.

This story reminds me of Austenland, so the story wasn’t too original. But I still enjoyed it. I recommend this story for all Austen lovers!

Not really my thing. As such, I decline to offer a full review.

I didn't expect to enjoy this book so much. It was a surprise from the beginning to find a modern day story with an Austen theme. The story carried me along smoothly, the characters faced their problems with true Austen realism. Really an enjoyable read. This was my first experience reading author Katherine Reay, it will not be my last.

There are so wonderful details about the characters that I found I really got to know them from the very first page. The main characters, Mary and Isabel, are friends with quite a history together. While Mary grew up in a loving home with caring parents, Isabel’s dad is neglectful and absent for the most part. Isabel has so firmly entrenched herself into Mary’s family, that at times Mary feels jealous and is upset. Mary’s mom gave Isabel her prized collection of leather-bound Austen novels because it was Isabel who shared her love of Austen. On the other hand, Isabel is jealous because of all that Mary has, that she doesn’t.

While Isabel appears manipulative, as the book goes on and I learned more about her home life, I ended up feeling sorry for her. She tried so hard to be in charge because of how uncontrollable her life seemed, and she wanted so much to be part of a caring family. I loved how the author brought all of those details out, and helped me to see it through her descriptive writing.

The setting and details were well done. I hope to read more books by this author, and I also plan to pick up some Austen novels.

While it is published by Thomas Nelson, it is not a Christian book; however, I love that it is a good clean book, without the sex and cursing so common in just about secular book on the market.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Really not sure what to make of this book, perhaps I was not in the right timeframe that I ended up skipping lots.

Usually I devour stories that I love this much, but there’s just something about Katherine Reay’s writing that makes me want to pause and deliciously savor every. single. word. This story was so good I think I might have changed my mind about which of her books is my favorite! But I suppose it’s to be expected considering how big a fan of Jane Austen I am, huh? ;) This story is DELIGHTFUL. And glorious! Well worth your time, my friends.

At its heart is a friendship. I am always blown away by how Ms. Reay seems to have such a clear understanding of how to write relationships between characters which depict the real, messy, and complicated emotions that we human beings deal with. Our relationships with the people around us aren't always easy, and so, likewise, Mary and Isabel's friendship is struggling mightily when we first meet them. The problems between them are barely understood by either, yet as they are forced into constant proximity, Mary begins to realize there is so much more to the story than just what she's seeing and experiencing. Thus by getting a change in perspective, it allows her eyes to truly be opened to her own abilities and flaws. And the growth that begins to transpire as the story builds to the climax is so beautifully written!

From the very first page, I instantly liked Mary. I understood so many of her emotions and inability to fully express them properly. I related to the fact that she feels so very much! But Isabel, on the other hand? She isn't nearly so likeable. Yet that did not deter me from wishing to see these two friends restored, somehow, because, of the many things Ms. Reay excels at, taking seemingly unlikeable characters and infusing them with humanity and heart (even if hidden deep) is certainly one such! Isabel seems to have the setup of a villain in the story, yet we understand that she isn't one. Don't get me wrong, she really does make some awful choices and acts pretty terrible several times, yet there was just something intriguing about her that made me want to change my mind. Consequently, I spent so much of her time on the page simultaneously wishing she'd go away, yet wanting to understand her better! :D

Then there's Nathan. Ah, my heart! I was so pleased whenever he'd show up. Watching he and Mary tiptoe around each other is super adorable! Especially when they stop tiptoeing and finally begin being honest. Let's just say there was many a swoonworthy moment! ;) Yet for all the cute he brings, he is also a catalyst for change. He brings abrupt change to Mary and Isabel's relationship, as well as causing Mary to begin to understand herself better. In fact, they both challenge each other in all the best (and sometimes uncomfortable) ways! I can truly root for a couple who inspire each other to growth within themselves. Their relationship balances so well between the adorable and the complicated and messy.

One of the most fascinating things about Ms. Reay's writing is her innate understanding of people. I always seem to relate to her characters, even when we have completely different tastes and opinions! Somehow I always see bits of myself in them, or even of real people I know. She interprets real life so well that we instantly connect and relate! Plus I had several instances where I had to reread certain passages numerous times, just to allow the beautiful words time to really sink into my heart. Whenever that starts happening, I know the book is truly something special!

I read and reread so many paragraphs, I was thoroughly swept up into Mary's life and dearly wishing such an Austen-themed experience actually existed! I fell in love with the sweetness of the romance, and not to mention the side characters...! Oh, how could I forget how much I adored Benson and Moira and Gertrude! Especially Gertrude. I loved how one true conversation with her created this instant connection that was a refuge for Mary during some distressing moments. So true of real life, how some people we just feel a kinship with immediately.

All this to say that I clearly have FEELINGS for this wonderful story! I can say nothing else but that you should read it immediately! Don't wait, don't hesitate, just read it. I can't imagine you being disappointed. :)

**I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love all things Austen related and considering I've enjoyed all of Reay's previous works, I knew this would be no exception.
The Austen Escape was simply delightful.
We've got a cast of extremely well-developed characters, sweet romance and have I mentioned the setting? Oh man, I just wanted to hop on a plane to England the entire time I was reading this..still do actually.

I'd definitely recommend this if you're a Jane Austen fan!

Katherine Reay knows just how to draw me into her books. I’m an Austen fan, but I don’t have a lot of time or spare brain cells for heavy, ponderous prose. Ms. Reay weaves my favorite Austen story lines into a modern tale that provides just enough intellectualism to pique my interest, just enough romance to make me smile, and more than enough character development to keep me wanting more.

In this latest book, engineer Mary Davies goes on an adventure of a lifetime when she spends a few days in England at an Austen-inspired Regency manor where all the guests are playing parts from Austen’s books. Mary is able to get out of her engineering mind and gain insights and wisdom into many perplexing situations in her life.

The novel was fun escapism! I couldn’t stop myself from reading, and while I was sorry to see it end, I was very satisfied with the resolution the characters gained in their lives. I look forward to Ms. Reay’s next book!

I gratefully received this book as an eARC from the author, publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Mary Davies is an industrial engineer in Austin, Texas. She’s happy with her job and her life, although she wishes there was a bit more going on with cute, funny consultant Nathan. Then Mary’s childhood friend, Isabel, offers her a trip to England, for a two-week immersive stay in a Regency-style manor house, where everyone will be living as Jane Austen characters. Mary wants distance between her and her beautiful, manipulative, vindictive friend, but finds herself agreeing.

At first, the experience is fun, as Mary meets a group of people all pretending to be her favorite characters, but then Isabel wakes up one morning really thinking she is her chosen character, and with no memory of reality. Mary finds herself dependent on strangers as she waits for Isabel to regain her memory. Then Mary realizes she and Isabel’s lives are more entwined than she thought, and must decide if she’ll let her pain go and move on with her life, or hold it against Isabel forever.

I loved this book! This is my first (but not last) Katherine Reay book, and I loved the voice, the characters, and the setting. An immersive Jane Austen vacation? Yes, please! (I do love Austen.). Mary is such a complex character, given to spur-of-the-moment impulses and jumping to conclusions (That’s my own personal form of exercise, too.) Her friendship with Isabel is fraught with tension bordering on anger, and the relationship is vividly portrayed on the pages of this novel.

(Galley provided by Thomas Nelson via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

I always enjoy a good Austen inspired book and I love this author. I did receive an early edition e book on NetGalley, but I assumed I’d love the book, so I waited to read it until I had a physical copy.

Mary and Isabel have known each other so long that they are basically non-blood related sisters. Their relationship is not without drama.

Mary is in the process of attempting to pull away from Isabel but finds herself pulled in when Isabel asks her to go along to Bath, England for an Austen inspired getaway.

Mary is very hesitant to go. Things are bad at work, her crush may soon be out of the picture, and she’s not sure she can deal with nonstop Isabel drama for two straight weeks.
But Mary’s dad strongly encourages her to go. He cares for Isabel like a daughter and he thinks the trip would be good for them both.

Not long after arriving, things get interesting. While everyone is dressed in vintage clothing and pretending to be characters from Austen’s novels, Isabel starts to think this is her real life.

Mary is forced to take control of the situation and it causes her to make some decisions about her crush, her job and her friendship.

I loved the setting.
I loved the descriptions of the clothing and the house, even the interactions between the “Austen characters”. Also, it was a lot of fun to have the love stories thrown into the mix. What is an Austen story after all, without a great love interest :)