A fun, light read. I loved the academic setting and all the academic jargon.

“By the Book” by Julia Sonneborn is what happens when writers approach romance as a formula instead of an emotional journey. They study a well-shaped set of literary events, in this case, a time-honored classic like Jane Austen’s “Persuasion”, and throw their considerable energies into aping what they believe are the right rhythmic plot points. But while story and conflict are important, no clever plot ever replaced the appeal of relatable human feelings that connect readers, particularly women, to a tangible, substantive character who moves in an authentic way from true pain to satisfying redemption. 

Thanks to Austen, “By the Book” has an interesting plot. But “Persuasion”, which is the story of an aging, lonely woman who fears that her chance for marriage, love, and fulfilling life may have passed, is not about plot so much as feeling. Authors like Sonneborn who insist on plundering the literary petticoats of Austen often miss the very essence of what made the books’ appeal so enduring. These stories aren’t about story; they are about heart and soul.

This means that an effective, meaningful retelling of “Persuasion” would not simply recap the key story beats. Any story can explore what happens if a woman runs into her old flame. An Austen update should slice far deeper into the emotional flesh. We need a woman in crisis, in existential despair, about whom we care, with whose pain we relate. We need to feel and recognize her anguish. Austen’s Anne is at the end of her rope.

In contrast, Sonneborn’s Anne isn’t even at the end of her sandwich. Her supposed pressures, like finishing her book, are so external and artificial that they barely register with the reader. These are devices, not relatable human experiences, and they don’t substitute for the material matters of life and love that make a resonant novel. 

Sonneborn is a strong writer with a fluid command of language and comic timing. But the characters in “By the Book” lack significant human qualities that make me as a reader find interest or connection with them. They don’t come through as people, and at no point did I believe that Sonneborn believed in them as real people either. This was a writing exercise, and no doubt if Sonneborn spends more time cultivating her own ideas and less time mapping to a 200-year-old plot, her next set of characters will leap off the page and show the pain, longing, and life that makes some books last for centuries.

oh man.

sorry to say this was such a let down.

i love persuasion retellings. it's such a fantastic story and translates so well to a modern retelling. i gobble them up, they are my favourite after p&p retellings. i was so excited for this one and when i got approved from netgalley, i saved it until closer to the release date (and then went past it a few days, oops). then a friend didn't like it and i was worried but tried to go in with an open mind. unfortunately, i have to agree with my friend. this was a let down for me, and i am very sad about that.

i can't quite put my finger on why this didn't work for me.. i wasn't a fan of the writing, the story didn't seem to focus on adam and anne as much as i'd like, there's like a love triangle (wtf), the gay best friend's love life, her family issues.. it was all a bit much and took away from what should be the main focus of the story. the whole rick thing bothered me a lot.

the thing is, i like my retellings to be loosely based on the originals, i don't care if they deviate a little but i like the main story to hold true. this one didn't feel like that for me, and maybe if it wasn't specifically advertised as a persuasion retelling, i wouldn't care, but it just didn't sit right with me.

i always feel bad when i rate a book less than 3 stars, i am obviously not a writer though i can't imagine how hard it is to write a book and then have people tear it apart. unfortunately, there is no such thing as a book that everyone will love, we can't love every single book we read and this one just did not work for me.

Sweet bookish fun. The author definitely knows her 19th-century English authors, and she shows it with the main character/professor's knowledge, but it feels a little bit forced. Like "look at how much I know about this stuff!". The plot and characters of this little novel are charming and sweet, though. A perfectly lovely bookish escape.

I expected a good read when I picked up this book and that’s exactly what the author delivered. It isn’t an out-of-this-world amazing read but it isn’t all bad either. It is, what I like to call, an okay read.

By the Book is a retelling of Persuasion by Jane Austen. I wish I could give y’all a little insight on how much the story deviates from the original but I’ve never read Persuasion—I’m the worst when it comes to reading classics, sorry!
Anne is an English professor with a lot on her plate. For starters, she’s a college teacher. Then add the book deal she has to land in order to keep her job. Her father’s health is not doing very well. Her new boss is her former fiancé. And there’s an irresistible writer-in-residence who is apparently very interested in her. Naturally, things get a little out of hand and soon she’s in a whirlwind of rejection emails, romance and words.

I could never really get into this book. The writing is good, the story is good too but I couldn’t connect with Anne. I wasn’t too fond of her which made it very hard for me to keep my focus on her life and whatever was going on around her. I disagreed with some of the choices she took and it was just HARD to like her.

A thing that definitely disappointed me about this book is that it doesn’t have a lot of romance. It didn’t make me swoon or grin like a fool from the sweetness. (A bit of a spoiler ahead!) Anne and her former fiancé, Adam, rarely talk throughout the story so it put me off a little bit when at the end they got back together and said they loved each other. Like I said, I could count with one hand (maybe) all of the encounters they had and pretty much none of them where romantic.

Here’s something a really liked about this book. In order to give a little more insight in Anne’s life the author shows some emails Anne receives through the entire story, like rejection emails from publishers or emails from her best friend. I’ve never seen anything like that before and I think it is a very clever way of giving us a little more into a character’s life.

All in all, I was quite bummed because of the lack of romance but it was still a nice, beautifully written book. If you are looking for a fantastic romance story, this is probably not the right book for you. But if you want to pick up this book because you enjoy retellings/Jane Austen then I say go for it!

Thank you to Gallery Books for providing me with an advance copy of Julia Sonneborn's novel, By The Book, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- Anne followed her dreams instead of her heart, and now in middle-age, she is second guessing her choices. She has a doctorate in English Literature and is teaching at a prestigious liberal-arts college in Southern California, but Anne is stressed. She has an incredible amount of student debt and is on the cusp of losing her job, which is contingent on her securing a publication deal before the end of winter semester.

To complicate matters, Anne's former college boyfriend and former fiance, Adam, has accepted the job as president at Anne's college. Their break-up happened over Anne thinking that she had to choose between love or grad school. The couple's pride prevented them from talking out this misunderstanding and they had spoken since college. 

Can Anne figure out a way to pursue all of her dreams or will her previous bad decisions impact the rest of her life?

LIKE- By The Book is a charming story and quick read. I was drawn to it because it is labeled as a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. I love Austen and I've read Persuasion, more than once, but I guess I'm not as big of an Austen fan as I thought I was, because the actual story wasn't familiar enough for me to recognize it as a retelling. It did have Austen tones with regard to the relationship between Anne and Adam, their pride getting in the way and the general romantic overtones. The story has a very Austen type of character in Rick, a slick-talking writer that sweeps Anne off her feet, but who is of course, not the man he seems. Rick and Adam have an Austen style stand-off, where they each pursue Anne in their own way, but have a clear disdain for one another. 

Persuasion is brought up in a straight-forward way, as Anne's favorite book, a precious copy is given to her by Adam when they are first dating. Various writers are mentioned, via Anne's love of literature and her profession, so By the Book is made for book-lovers. You'll geek out over the references.

I loved the character of Larry, Anne's best friend at the college. He's the type of best friend that everyone should aspire to have in their lives and to be to others. He's awesome!

By the Book is a fluffy, enjoyable read. It's a great vacation pick, fast-faced and a story that will leave you with a smile on your face. I don't generally favor overly romantic stories, but this hit the right level of romance to melt my heart.

DISLIKE- Not a true dislike, but I need to explain the level of By The Book. I very much enjoyed it, but it's not they type of book that is likely to win-awards or will be life-changing. It's simply an entertaining read and there is nothing wrong with that!

RECOMMEND- Yes! I've already recommend this to a close friend who loves Austen. By the Book is romantic, and sweet story with likable characters.

Time to reveal a secret. I'm not a Jane Austin fan. By the Book is touted as a "retelling of Persuasion." I haven't read it. I've tried. I've tried many of Austin's books and just can't find the appeal. Keeping that in mind, I really have no basis to compare the two. I dove in without any expectations. 



Anne Corey is an English professor. She wants to become tenured, but to do so she must finish and get her book published. She has her friend, Larry, to help keep her sane. This proves to be especially important when the college's new dean turns out to be her ex-fiance.



As if it's not hard enough being this close to her ex, there's a new employee at the college who has his eyes set on Anne. She's just as taken by him, even if her ex keeps trying to warn her off. Anne is strong, determined, and wants to do what makes her happy. Teaching is what makes her happy, and that means she needs to complete her book.



There are touches of romance in this novel, but the bulk of the book is on Anne's quest to do what makes her happiest. There are other struggles along the way. Her father's health is changing, and she and her sister also have to balance his care with their lives. I sympathized with that aspect. I know what it's like.



The basis of this book is about one woman's strength and that a man does not have to define who she is. She's just fine on her own. I liked that message and loved that Anne was such a tough cookie. Along the way, you'll learn why she ended her relationship years ago and see where she goes from here. 



I did find that there were slow parts, but my enjoyment of Anne's character kept me reading. It's a lighthearted story that was perfect for staying in during the latest snowstorm to hit my area. Definitely, give By the Book a try.

This is such a girl book -- full of love, loss, and redemption.  About how at one point in your life you can overthink what you want, over read the advice that others have given you, and it is not until years later, that you realize that your destiny had always been standing there right in front of you.   

Apparently, this is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, which I have not read, so I cannot go on at length comparing the two, but I can tell you that the lead character, Anne Corey, is a teacher and lover of 19th century women’s novels and Persuasion is her favorite.  Thus setting up the tale of how Anne comes face to face with her college boyfriend after a 13-year break and then realizes that he is her new boss at Fairfax College.  A small liberal arts college in California that is surprisingly similar to one of the Claremont Colleges.  

With a threat of publish-or-perish hanging over her head, Anne is desperate to find a company that will take her manuscript to print before her deadline runs out, but this is only one of the dramas that are causing her to drink too much.  Her best friend Larry has found himself in a relationship with a married actor that is becoming a household name in a funky movie based on Jane Eyre, a visiting author is making his rounds through campus and honesty is not his forte.  Yet not all has befallen Anne when she receives a shocking call and must rush to the hospital for a final goodbye.

Like all women’s fiction, there is your usual happily ever after and a giant exhale when all is said and done.  You realize that there are certain characters that you are going to miss and certain characters that you will continue to role your eyes at since they fit the overused stereotype, but that is ok, you needed a weekend book that took your away and then left you with a smile.

Since this book had a lot of cliches, I'm starting with one: It had so much POTENTIAL, but ultimately fell short.

By the Book is based on Austen's Persuasion, which I adore. It takes one of the major plotlines of the book, a love thought to be lost found again, and puts in into a modern University setting. Anne is a teacher and Captain Wentworth becomes Adam Martinez, the college president. I was willing to look past Anne being an English professor who loves Austen and Bronte because the setup was well crafted but... it doesn't do its own premise justice.

You would think a romance novel inspired by Austen would have more romance, but there's hardly any development of the relationship between Anne and Adam. A major part of Persuasion is how the two main characters have changed over the years, but there isn't anything to indicate they have changed or matured muchl. 

Then there's the subplots and minor characters which are mostly boring. Larry is a stereotypical "gay best friend" and his storyline is tiresome. Anne's sister is also pretty stale. It was hard to be interested in much aside from Anne and Adam which the book doesn't have enough of.

What we do see of the past and future couple does work. There just needed to be more of it. A few tender moments doesn't give the reader enough to believe fully in their relationship. 

There are plenty of little pieces that were good which bumped this from a 1 star to 2. Their resolutions are poignant, but not enough to entirely save the book. 

Imitating Austen takes a lot of courage and I keep that in mind and mostly wasn't comparing to Persuasion. But when the prominent storyline fizzles out, it's hard not to be disappointed.

By the Book was just the lighthearted book I needed for a snowy day of reading by the fire. 

Racing against the clock to get tenured at the college in which she teaches, Anne Corey is a literature professor devoted to classic literature. When she discovers that the new president of the university is her former fiancée, she can’t help but feel distressed. Seeing him, Adam, brings up all the emotions: the desire to be loved, to follow your dreams (at what cost?), and the pain of loss. Anne perks up a bit when the sexy adventurer – and prize-winning author, Rick, becomes a writer in residence and lavishes his attention on Anne.

To bring reality to the story, there is the family challenge of Anne’s father’s declining health and dementia along with the ins and outs of managing life, students, and the rigors of academia.

My favorite relationship for Anne, though, is her best friend Larry. Another literature professor, Larry and Anne’s friendship reminds me why our friends are sometimes our family.

This book had just enough drama and just enough romance to be, as Goldilocks might say: Just Right. 

A debut novel by Julia Sonneborn, I’ll be adding her to my authors to watch list! A delightful read for a cozy weekend, a long flight, or the beach.

PS - I’ll confess: I’ve never read Jane Austen’s Persuasion, the book in which By the Book is loosely based on so I can’t speak to how she manages the re-telling.

Note: I read this book thanks to Net Galley, Gallery Books, and author Julia Sonneborn.

2.5 stars

I read this book immediately after I read Persuasion by Jane Austen, and that book I adored, but this one was kind of a let down. And no it's not because of unrealistic expectations or unfair comparisons.

For what it's worth, this book had a lot going for it - I loved the lead pair - Anne & Adam, and even the side characters - I especially adored Larry and his equation with Anne, the premise too was perfect, and so the stage, so to speak, was set for a wonderful modern day retelling of the much loved classic.

However, this book failed in the one area that it should have gotten right - the romance, it was under baked and for the most part missing. In fact this story was mostly (if not all) about Anne, there was very little of Adam in the book. 

And yes, even in Persuasion, there wasn't enough of Wentworth, but even though he wasn't appearing on the page as often as I would have liked him to, there was never a doubt in my mind that Anne was deeply in love with him, and he with her. Persuasion revolved around Anne and Wentworth's journey of forgiveness, understanding, acceptance and love.

In this book, it was actually the friendship between Larry and Anne that outshone everything else (at-least for me), and while I really enjoyed reading it, that's not what I want in a romance. Moreover, Anne spent 80% of the book getting cozy with another man (yeah, go figure!?!). And even though during the course of the story she kept mentioning past regrets regarding Adam, it just did not ring true, because her actions were never in sync with her thoughts.

In fact as I read more of the story, I couldn't shake off the feeling that the author was simply trying to copy the premise of Persuasion without putting any effort in actually making it believable.

I would have loved to see Anne and Adam pining for each other, and some good old romantic angst for the conclusion to be more gratifying. As things were, the climax seemed forced and rushed, and raised more questions than it answered.

All in All : This was a huge let down, and it is kinda frustrating because it was all right there - a great premise, wonderful characters you want to root for, a narrative voice that keeps you turning the pages, it had just so much going for it. And yet, it failed to deliver in the one area it should have shined in, because what is a romance novel without the romance?

-Shantala (Book Blogger at Shanaya Tales)

Just finished this ARC (thanks to #NetGalley) and while it bills itself as a modern re-telling of Austen’s Persuasion (which I haven’t read...YET), I didn’t get many “feels” from this. I didn’t really connect much with either H/h, they didn’t have much on-screen time together, and there were some random sidebars that seemed to be thrown in as “filler”. The ending was really sweet but rather rushed and abrupt. In the end I found myself wanting to have had more snippets from Adam and Anne’s past relationship and less of her colleague’s romantic woes. They were likable enough leads (especially Adam), but I didn’t get a very clear picture of them (either as individuals or as a couple). 3.5/5⭐️

By the Book ,is a retelling of Persuasion set in modern day California on a college campus. 

 Anne, our lead character, is attempting to become tenured but in order to do so she must publish a book.  Unfortunately for her, this is not an easy feat.  Especially when your ex-fiancé becomes the president of your college, your dad suddenly requires a move to an assisted living facility, and your best friend becomes embroiled in a life changing love affair.

I enjoyed reading about Anne's life and friends.  The situations she found herself in were realistic - although a bit frustrating at times.  I mean how do you not question Rick's swarthy charm?  He just didn't seem the most reliable soul - which I guess just goes to show that many times we see what want rather then what is.

Adam was an interesting character and I wish his character had been developed a little more - however he came across as a good guy who truly wanted what was best for Anne.

Larry - well he just cracked me up.  Anne has a true friend in him.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and think it is an entertaining retelling of Persuasion. 

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Gallery Books.  And while I appreciate the opportunity all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was attracted to reading By the Book for two reasons.  As a Jane Austen fan, I was eager to read it because it is a re-telling of Persuasion. Also, I enjoy riding my bicycle as another hobby, so the beautiful cover captured my attention. 

Anne Corey is a college English Professor on the tenure track when she is stunned to learn her first love and ex-fiance, Adam Martinez, was hired as the new President of her college.  The engagement fell apart when Anne put her career over Adam after being convinced by her college mentor to pursue her Ph.D. at Yale while Adam wanted to stay in California. Anne is now in a relationship with another professor, Rick, who doesn't like the new president at all, putting Anne in the middle of their conflict.  In addition to the storyline involving romance and the three main characters, the story is enhanced with scenes including Anne's hilarious best friend, Larry, who is in love with a movie star and Anne's struggles juggling taking care of her elderly dad , maintaining a relationship with her sister, and desperately trying to get a book published.  

I found the book to be an engaging and fun read but did feel that some parts could have been developed more.  Anne's character was developed well, and her trials juggling family, friends, and a career gave her dimension.  The relationship with Adam, however, could have been fleshed out more.  Adam wasn't developed as fully, and the interactions with him didn't leave me feeling that there was a romantic connection with him the author was trying to convey.  One small picky point that bugged me that wouldn't be a problem for others was that her tenure seemed to hinge completely on her getting a book published.  Although publishing is an important factor for consideration for tenure, it usually doesn't just hinge on one thing or that the publication has to be a book.  Since my husband is a tenured professor that just didn't sit comfortably with me.  Although Julia Sonneborn hasn't created a book at the level of Jane Austen, it is still an entertaining book with some humor and romance that I would recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The idea of this book was good, but I didn’t feel like it quite got there. The story line is jumpy, and there wasn’t as much character development as I was hoping for. Rick becoming a bit of a stalker at the end was strange, and Anne and Adam’s Love story seemed random since we didn’t get much backstory. Overall, this was okay with several missed opportunities.

A modern retelling of Austen's Persuasion.  Enjoyable book.

Although I really enjoyed reading this book and could not put it down, I have to say that this is not a romance but more of a fictional story of Anne’s life. I would have really loved to read more about Adam and Anne’s relationship, both past and even more so present. I adored Adam’s character and felt like I was cheated out of his story when it was wrapped up in the last chapter of the book. I also felt that Rick and Larry received much more book coverage than Adam and I could’ve read a little less about them and more about Adam. 

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

By the Book is a love letter to books and a love letter to book lovers. Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Julia Sonneborn examines regret and the things we would do for love if given a second chance.

Julia Sonneborn does something extraordinarily well in By the Book – she creates vivid secondary characters with fantastic backstories. All hail professor Larry and his huge poster of Keanu Reeves in his office! Some of the characters and the scenes just leapt off the page, pulling me into their world. Even though this book is fiction, you can feel the reality of Sonneborn’s true life experiences from working in academia influencing her writing.

The only complaint I had about the book was the pacing. Overall, for the majority of the book, the plot moves at a steady beat, pulling you further into the story, playing the cat cat and mouse game of “will they or won’t they.” However, about three-quarters of the way into the book, it feels as though the author was told to wrap up this delightful story ASAP, and we are rushed towards the ending. There is so much action in the last quarter of the book, but it lost some of its emotional weight just because of the rushed pacing.

Overall, By the Book was a light and enjoyable read. Fans of Austen will enjoy this modern Persuasion retelling. If you are looking for a good Valentine’s Day read, look no further!

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Although this book is based on Jane Austen’s Persuasion, I think its appeal lies more in its setting as a campus novel rather than as a homage to Austen’s work.

The author doesn’t attempt to match her source material in every detail, but the story is clearly modeled on Austen’s. In By the Book, Anne Corey is reunited with her former fiancée, Adam Martinez, when he becomes the president of the university where she works as an English lit professor. Even though Anne broke it off with him, she has never found someone who can replace him in her heart, and she has regrets about letting him go. Anne can’t tell how he feels about her, though, so she avoids getting close to him and spends time with another man instead. However, when Adam overhears Anne talking about how women experience heartbreak differently than men, he finally gains the courage to be open with her about his feelings.

Even though the book mirrors the plot of Persuasion, it doesn’t match the depth of Austen’s work. Persuasion has a much more poignant tone, because Austen’s Anne has much deeper regrets—she’s not only lost the man she loves but also, given her age, the possibility she may ever marry and become more than a spinster relative. Anne Corey, on the other hand, may be having man and career issues, but nobody these days considers a 32-year-old woman to be useless. So the story here is much lighter and more comic than Austen’s. Not that Persuasion doesn’t also have its humorous bits, because Austen can never resist the temptation to skewer the foibles of her characters, but none of her heroines would be caught dead threatening to “Bobbitt” someone. (Although some men they encounter would deserve it—looking at you, Wickham.)

Some of the humor in By the Book comes from the academic setting, and I think that’s what really shines in this novel. Sonneborn is an English professor herself, so she knows that world intimately. As someone who spent much of my life on college campuses (not as tenure-track faculty, thank heavens, because who needs that stress), I can attest that she’s pretty accurate in her description of campus life. I think readers who like campus novels will probably enjoy this book quite a bit.

It will also appeal to lovers of literature. Not only is the story based on an Austen novel, but this is the kind of book where the characters casually rattle off Oscar Wilde quotations or recite a poem by Yeats. Part of the plot revolves around a film adaption of Jane Eyre featuring vampires (why not, if you can have zombies in Austen), so readers get some Bronte, too, and there are plenty of mentions of other literary works as well.

So, while this book doesn’t have the emotional resonance of its source material, it’s still entertaining. I’d recommend it to anyone who looking for a light read with a bit of romance and a hefty slice of campus life.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.