Such a great read. Interesting characters and being close to Austin, one that I really liked off the bat. Who says covers don't sell books (but great stories make us stick with it!).

This book exceeded my high expectations and was well worth the wait! Front and center in this story is a sisterly trio that won me over from the first page. The relationship Jane shares with her older sister Celia and younger sister Margot is grounded by a rare variety of unconditional and sacrificial love refined and strengthened by hardship and shared grief. I love them!

Through financial uncertainty, new adventures, and heartbreak, these quirky and loveable characters have earned a place among my all-time favorites! I’m so excited to dive into Lodge’s Two Blue Doors series and eagerly anticipate future books as well!

I requested the opportunity to read this book through the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.

This book is a very well done modern retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. Celia and Jane Woodward open a tea shop after their mother dies, their father is involved in a scandal at work, and he leaves the country for Montenegro. Unfortunately, their money-grubbing landlords force them to leave their space after the original landlord dies, so they move to Austin, Texas with their younger sister Margot. Celia breaks up with her long-time boyfriend before they move because of their father's reputation. In Austin, they move into a small house on their cousin's property and begin looking for a place to open their tea shop. Jane meets the man of her dreams, but is he too good to be true? Can these sisters finally find happiness after so many things have gone wrong? Will they ever feel at home in Austin?
I loved this book. Since I have read all of Jane Austen's novels, I could trace the parallels easily, and everything that happens makes sense. I appreciated the fact that the author created a modern story that remains fairly close to the original story. The recipes that were included were also a nice surprise. Reading this book definitely made me hungry - the descriptions of tea and food were very vivid. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Jane Austen's works (and tea!).
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.

The three sisters have lost their mother to an accident. Their father has embezzled money and has to flee the country, the three young women lose their home and have to start again, only to lose their home another time and having to move to distant relatives to Austin, Texas.

Jane, the middle sister, has a passion for tea and for music. She is shy of people and does not connect to other people as easily as her two sisters.

Callum is a war hero. He hasn't had an easy life and returning from active duty isn't always easy for him.

Amidst the love story is the story of the three sisters that try to make sense of life, try to overcome the obstacles that have been thrown into their life paths.

A wonderful story, with wonderful writing.

Can you believe the only Jane Austen book I have read was Pride and Prejudice?

I haven’t gotten the chance to read any of her other work especially Sense and Sensibility which this book is based upon and now I truly wish I had.

I love retellings so it’s no surprise I would pick this one up to read but – here’s my first but – as I have not read Sense and Sensibility first, I had no idea who is who or what the plot is based upon. I think it would have been more enjoyable for me if I did. So I fully blame myself for this one. *smacks own head!

Retellings aside, I found it to be a very enjoyable light read. It’s entertaining, its cute and its fun.

The books starts with Jane Woodward and her sisters escaping their father’s scandal by fleeing to Austin – Texas, to start anew and to re-open their tea-shop there. It wasn’t as easy as it sounded as they were faced with many challenges, whether it’s with the tea shop or their relationships along with falling in and out of love. The story is told through Jane’s POV and through the retired Marine, Captain Cullum Beckett, who you can’t help but admire. I don’t think I have hated any of the characters or got annoyed by. They were so real, so wonderful that it makes you wish you were living right there with them.

This would make the perfect summer read, or by the pool or even while you are getting your nails done.

I would recommend it <insert shrug here> but if you are not as big on chick-lit as I am, you’d find it mediocre and not as memorable. It’s just one quick fun read between intense ones.

I received this book from Bloggingforbooks and Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts: From the very first page there was a strong Sense and Sensibility vibe. Lodge had done an excellent job retelling this classic story in a whole new way. And I especially liked the way Lodge was able to bring a deeper focus on the relationship between the sisters. This was something that I felt like was missing more from the classic version.
There were times when the characters were a bit too perceptive for my liking but other than that it was a delightful read from start to finish.
One of the highlights were all the recipes Lodge added into the story. There are a couple that I’m looking forward to trying out.
Jane of Austin isn’t a Christian novel but it is a clean one. The difference is that the characters never focused their lives on God or sought Him out when in trouble. However, there wasn’t anything damaging to the Christian faith either. I feel comfortable recommending it to my friends.

Rating and Recommendation: I’m giving Jane of Austin 5 stars and I recommend it to those who enjoy clean contemporary fiction or Jane Austen retellings.

~I received a copy from Blogging for Books through Net Galley. I was not compensated for my review. All thoughts are my own.

This modern twist on Sense and Sensibility started slowly for me, but as the story moved on to Austin, TX, and the sisters begin meeting the cast of characters there, it gained momentum. It was fun to read the contemporary story with the original in mind. The modern story holds its own, but benefits from the structure of the Austen original.

I enjoy Southern fiction a lot! Throw in some Jane Austen references and overtones and I'm in reader heaven. Jane of Austin had all of that and more.

The author is new to me so I chose the book solely on the title. It was a good choice. It's light enough for a summer read but has enough depth to make you keep turning the pages. If I see the author's name on the cover of another book I will definitely pick it up.

Jane of Austin is the type of book that you want to read on a veranda, Sipping tea and enjoying the summer breeze.

The book is about three Sister's Celia, her younger Sister jane and Margot.. At the start of the book tragedy befalls the sisters and they have to lean on each other to support each other .. skip forward 8 years and yet another tragedy has occurred and they have to move from CA to texas.. with their life and tea shop in tow.. where they meet some a chivalrous stranger, a long lost cousin with a pack of dogs and a marine veteran with is own demons to battle

This book has a colorful nod to sense and sensibility as well as some delicious recipes at the end of each chapter .
I read this in one sitting
Hillary Manton Lodge's writing style is fresh and meticulously researched as well full of pop culture references.
She is a pleasure to read

i don't think i have ever read a S&S retelling, so I was excited for this one. I totally missed it was 'christian fiction' when i requested it though, if i had noticed it, i would not have requested it. i almost returned it without reading it but decided to give it a go. and i'm really glad i did! it wasn't overly religious and really the only references were talking about praying for things and one guy wanting to go to seminary. definitely not like other christian fiction i have read before. so i think that's really good of the author not to alienate people who won't relate to that. all that being said, this book was cute, and it was funny, and i liked it. i didn't love it though and it was missing the oomph, like i didn't really feel the emotions the characters were. that could be because i know the story, but whatever. regardless i don't want to come across like i hated it, definitely didn't. if you could give half stars it would be 3.5. thanks netgalley!

A lovely modern-day retelling of Sense and Sensibility, told from younger sister Jane's perspective. In this story she falls for the magnetic musician, all good looks and charm while the injured war hero admires her from afar. The tea shop that the sisters are trying to open is a charming detail that reminds of Austen and there's a host of other quirky and catty cast members to enjoy as well. Recommended!

I saw this in the hands of a couple readers I follow and was intrigued (I'm adore Jane Austen but am not a purist), so I was happy to see it available through Blogging for Books.

For me, Jane Austen retellings always have the potential to be too similar to the original (Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope) thus boring, or too convoluted that they miss the appeal of the original (The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine ). Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility was the perfect fusion of contemporary and classic with a fun Southern twist. Here are a few things I loved about Hilary Manton Lodge's reimagining of Sense and Sensibility:

I'm not always a fan of quotes to start chapters, but these were diverse, contributed to moving the plot along and alternated in subject depending on the narrator of the chapter (clever!).

The author is a foodie and she includes a few recipes scattered throughout the novel. They were actually things I'd like to make. Plus, her use of food in the novel is tastefully done, not excessive.

Sweetly romantic AND clean.

The 10 discussion questions included at the end went beyond plot-points.

The cover is lovely - I might have to buy the book because it would look good on my Jane Austen shelf :)

After their father's business scandal, Jane and Celia Woodward find themselves without a home and with a younger sister to take care of. So they start a tea shop that does very well for years, until the new landlord of their shop ups their payment to higher than they can afford. With nowhere else to go, the sisters decide to start over in Austin, Texas with the help of their mother's cousin.

As you may have guessed from the title - Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility - this book is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. Of course the author HAD to put them in Austin, Texas, to make the pun. But I still like the title, and the cover is absolutely stunning.

Jane, the younger sister, is the main character. She is a lovable individual, snarky and sarcastic but passionate and deep. She and her love interests - the overlooked ex-soldier and the chivalrous Texan - take center stage. They are well-developed and enjoyable to read about. Several of the others seemed like static characters, and their personalities were played up to make them quite humorous. A few of them could have used more depth, and yet, adding depth to some would have taken away the lightheartedness of the tone.

I can't say much about the plot. It is a retelling of a classic! I loved the original, and I love this modernized version.

As a note, in between many of the chapters there are recipes for whatever food or drink was served within the previous chapter. Tea is a major theme is the book and shows up frequently in recipe form. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, so I can't speak on how good they are, but I love the idea of tasting what the characters taste. It adds one more of the five senses into the story.

I enjoyed Jane of Austin and recommend it to fellow Jane Austen fans.

I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I did not receive compensation.

Hillary Manton Lodge writes books that are a feast for the senses. Jane of Austin takes tea drinking to a whole new level. She also outshines me in the baking department too. I keep wishing that Hillary would put out a cookbook so that all her recipes are in one place. I would be first in line to buy it.

Jane, Celia, and Margot are sisters who lose their home when their father loses his job amid a scandal. Celia loses her job soon after and Jane has to quit school for lack of money. The only thing left to do is to start a tea room with baked goods to go with the teas. When the landlords of the tea room decide to evict them, Celia and Jane decide to move to Austin, Texas, where they have a cousin willing to take them in. Part of the deciding factor is Celia's breakup with her boyfriend.

On the road to Austin, the canopy blows off their truck and Sean Willis stops to help. He catches Jane's eye just as Jane catches his. I guess every book needs a Sean to counteract the goodness in Jane and her sisters. Sometimes the villains don't appear to be villains--looks can be deceiving.

Arriving in Austin about the same time as the sisters is Callum Becket, a dedicated Marine who lost a leg in the Mid-East and is coming home to figure out life. They all stay with the sisters' cousin, Ian, a kind man with a welcoming family and lots of money.

Hillary has written this book in alternating first persons with Jane and Callum narrating the plot. She has given an interesting look inside brewing tea to extrude the best flavors and matching teas to pastries with the best flavor profiles. Like mixing the tea blends and the pastries, there is a lot of trial and error in mixing the people. And in brewing the perfect cup of tea, there must be patience in getting the flavors of the characters to rise and bring their aromas to bear in the plot.

My one criticism is that the end of the book seems a bit rushed and too many things happen at once. I would not have minded a longer book to more fully develop the denouement. Still this is a five-star book, with two thumbs up, and a nicely brewed cup of tea.

My thanks to Waterbrook/Multnomah for allowing me to read and review this book. And to Hillary Manton Lodge, keep the great books coming.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book! I had seen it promoted on social media by a favorite author of mine, so I was looking forward to reading it. Being my first book by this author I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I have not read Sense and Sensibility before, so I did a little research to understand the plot it was intended to "remake". Though set in the present day, I found this book to be timeless in the sense that I didn't notice a lot of references that would date the story. I thought this added to the quaintness of the story and loved all of the tea related aspects. Plus, the author introduced me to a new band whose music I have really been enjoying! I highly recommend this book for a fun and cute read.

Just a few years after their father’s business scandal shatters their lives, Jane and Celia Woodward find themselves forced out of their San Francisco tea shop. The last thing Jane wants is to leave their beloved shop on Valencia Street, but when Celia insists on a move to Austin, Texas, the sisters pack up their kid sister Margot and Jane’s tea plants, determined to start over yet again.

But life in Austin isn’t all sweet tea and breakfast tacos. Their unusual living situation is challenging and unspoken words begin to fester between Jane and Celia. When Jane meets and falls for up-and-coming musician Sean Willis, the chasm grows deeper.

While Sean seems to charm everyone in his path, one person is immune – retired Marine Captain Callum Beckett. Callum never meant to leave the military, but the twin losses of his father and his left leg have returned him to the place he least expected—Texas.

In this modern spin on the Austen classic, Sense and Sensibility, the Woodward sisters must contend with new ingredients in unfamiliar kitchens, a dash of heartbreak, and the fragile hope that maybe home isn't so far away.
All in all, it was a sumptuous and engaging, gentle and sweet story of love, life and family.

I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Hillary Lodge, but it will not be my last. This is the story of three sisters and their journey from the Bay Area to Austin when they have to restart their lives again. One sister is running, the other is trying to keep up, and the third is still in high school. The story is also the story of two heroes: one truly heroic and the other almost an anti-hero.

Jane owns a tea shop with her sister Celia, and one day she'll finish school. Right now keeping her sisters together is what matters, even if that requires a move across the country to Austin. Since her dad's fall from grace, her life has been about creating a stable environment for her younger sister. Then they lose their lease; hence the move. Things don't go very well, but they do find themselves surrounded by a small community of family and a couple friends. There are interconnections between the characters that touch all areas of their lives.

I'd tell you more, but no spoilers. Instead, this is a story perfect for readers who love a book that will pull them in with rich relationships. The recipes are almost with the cost of purchase alone. I cannot wait to try a few of them!

I love Jane Austen, y'all, but I have a real love-hate relationship modern-day retellings of her novels. I've read some that were great, and others that I couldn't even finish. Sometimes they're a little over-the-top, or just try to hard to match the original story, so that it doesn't even make a lot of sense. So, I was a little bit skeptical when I read about Hillary Manton Lodge's book Jane of Austin, but I was also intrigued.

Sense and Sensibility is a great novel, but I think it's overlooked many times in favor of the more popular Pride and Prejudice (my personal favorite). Sense and Sensibility is a story of two sisters, Marianne and Elinor Dashwood, who lose their fortune and all prospects when their father dies. They both face many trials in love. The romantic Marianne falls in love with a rake, and subsequently gets her heart broken. The stoic Elinor won't admit her true feelings for the young man she loves. I was so curious to see how this story could translate into the modern day.

Jane of Austin turned out to be amazing! I honestly loved it from the first page. It is a "novel of sweet tea and sensibility," but it doesn't try so hard to stick to the original story that it gets crazy. It also isn't modernized so much there are uncomfortable scenes that would make Jane Austen roll over in her grave! Jane of Austin is a book that I would recommend. It won't offend Austen lovers, but you also don't have to be an Austen lover to like the book. It's a great read all around.

Jane and Celia Woodward have already had to start over once. Their father was caught up in some illegal activities, and they lost their home and the lives they knew. They opened a tea shop in San Francisco to allow them to keep their younger sister, Margot, with them and in her school. Over the next few years they turned the shop into a successful business. But when their landlord dies and his nephew inherits their property, they have to make more changes. They decide to relocate their shop to Austin, Texas, where they'll live in a guest house that belongs to their cousin, Ian. Life in Austin is more difficult than they imagined. They haven't even arrived at their destination when they run into some trouble, and are rescued by Sean Willis. Sean is handsome, charming, rich, and plays guitar in a semi-successful band. Jane falls for him almost immediately. She finally seems on the track to happiness. Callum Beckett is also a guest of the Woodward's host. He's just been discharged from the military after losing his leg in combat. He notices Jane, and cares for her, but he believes she deserves better than him. But, just like Sense and Sensibility, he'll be there to help her pick up the pieces when Sean turns out to be not quite what Jane first thought he was.

This book weaves a wonderful modern story from a classic tale. I was honestly amazed at how well Hillary took details from Sense and Sensibility and totally modernized them, without making the story feel fake or overdone. I was curious about how she would tackle the issue of Lucy Steele and Edward Ferrars. It was a difficult aspect to modernize, but she did it wonderfully! Also, I didn't know how she would handle the time when Marianne got lost in the rainstorm and got deathly ill afterwards. Again, she handled it perfectly, and the story flowed naturally.

The characters in Jane of Austin are somehow totally original, yet they are mirrors of their classic counterparts as well. Obviously, times and traditions are much different now than they were in Austen's day, and it can be difficult to translate events from then to now. Some of my favorite characters from the original include Nina, the modern-day version of Mrs. Jennings. I thought she was just as nosy and outspoken as her Austen counterpart, but a bit softer and kinder, too. I loved Phoebe in the modern-day role of the Dashwood's sister-in-law, and Lyndsay in place of Lucy. I also liked the modernization of Colonel Brandon's ward from Sense and Sensibility with the character of Lila. Really, every character was great.

It's pretty obvious that a lot of research and careful planning went into writing Jane of Austin. The result is a book you won't want to miss. Whether you're a lover of Austen's books, just like to watch the movies, or have never heard of Jane Austen before, I think you'll enjoy it. It will at least make you want to watch every Austen movie, mini-series and documentary every made! Now, if you excuse me, I have a date with Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and Kate Winslet.

Happy Reading!



I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own, and a favorable review was not required. This post contains affiliate links.

THE GOOD
The Title

First off, anyone who knows me well enough knows I am a big fan of Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice never gets old, but Persuasion will forever be my favourite. This title, JANE OF AUSTIN, had me chuckling more than once. Even without looking at the novel’s summary, I knew immediately where the inspiration came from, and I love it. Not only that, but you know it’s a retelling too, based on the fact it is most definitely not set in Regency England.

Retelling

To take a classic and twist it to make it your own is tricky. The idea is to be subtle and unique, but still let the bits that made the original work shine through. I think Lodge did this very well. I’ve read Sense and Sensibility a few times, so the parallels were easy to pick out. But the story itself was fresh, the characters endearing, and the troubles modern and somewhat relatable. I even had a little jaw-dropping moment, which took me by pleasant surprise. It stands well on it’s own.

There are some notable diversions from the original format. For one, in Austen’s novel, the three sisters move with their mother after their father dies and leaves them with nothing. Lodge tweaks it so that the father merely abandons them after getting caught up in a little bit of fraud trouble. The two older girls, Celia and Jane, take on the role of matriarch instead, which I really appreciated. That role also allowed them to flourish as characters who have an actual purpose in life that isn’t solely to marry well and be happy in that, something Austen couldn’t quite deliver.

Format

Further taking a step away from Austen’s original, Lodge relays the story through the POVs of Jane and Callum, the Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon refreshes respectively. I’m not usually keen on alternate POV novels, especially when you don’t expect it to happen. You know, you read through the entire page of the second chapter and wonder why on earth this woman is shaving her beard before you figure it out. That said, Lodge made it clear at the start of each shift who we were looking at, and it was easy to follow after the initial jarring.

THE BAD (AKA Needs Improvement)
Recipes

Can I just say how annoyed I was by the amount of recipes that randomly showed up at the end of chapters? I understand what Lodge is trying to do, but honestly, the second I saw a three page recipe for how to make loose leaf tea, I nearly put the book down. I didn’t read a single one, blowing through each one to get back to the story I was enjoying. Frankly it was a waste of time and space. If they one hundred percent needed to be there, I’d rather they be placed at the back in an appendix, or else removed entirely and published in a separate novella. If I want a recipe for scones, I’m going to go to the fifty cookbooks my mother hordes, or the trusty internet, but not this.

Theme

I also got a little frustrated towards the end with the overwhelming focus on tea and Texas. It’s one thing to have a theme throughout, and another to give the main character a goal and a passion. It’s a whole other ball game to blow it out of proportion and make her seem strange and unrelatable with it. At times it just felt like Jane’s only thought process was “Tea. Tea. TEA! … Cake.” I like tea, as much as the next person. I refuse to drink coffee, so tea is my go to. However, it does not consume seventy-five percent of my thoughts. I do not have spare tea leaves pouring out of my ears. And I do not preach and act superior to all those who simply dunk a bag in hot water. Also, every chapter started with a quote about tea or Texas. Or both. Didn’t read a single one either. Considering it’s a retelling, I really wish Lodge had put in quotes from the book she was actually retelling. A little snippet of where we were in the reimagining compared to the original would have added a lovely element.

THE ENTICING

Overall, the book was quite enjoyable. I would most likely never have picked it up myself in a bookstore, but I really liked this book. It was well-written and stood on it’s own. I’d probably even read it again, so there. The part that had me reading on the most was the relationship between the sisters. Celia and Jane have such a rapport and unconditional support for each other that you could practically feel the love between them jumping off the page. It made the book all that more endearing. They had my sympathy and support by the end of the first chapter.