Was delighted to feature this outstanding debut in Zoomer magazine's Books section column on the essential reading list of early summer (online, as well as in the June print edition).

What a delightful book! The author brings eight people together, from very different walks of life, to form the Jane Austen society; their common bond, a love for the author.

Although I have not read any books by Jane Austen, I was easily able to follow along. The many references to her books sparked my interest in Jane Austen and I now Intend to begin reading her works.

I liked how much each of the characters cared for one another and their motives were not out of selfish ambition but to preserve the name and legacy of Jane Austen. Their loyalty and friendship towards one another remain one of my favorite aspects of this book.

While I've read and enjoyed most of Jane Austen's novels, I don't consider myself an Austen fangirl. I have bookish friends who are All.About.Austen. Here's my own Austen fan snapshot: My favorite Austen novel is Emma and the only Austen book I have yet to read is Mansfield Park.

I do love books about books and books about the love of reading. So, The Jane Austen Society was an appealing title to me. This book is a fictionalized account of the real Jane Austen Society which was formed in Chawton England in the 1940's. This book has a completely fictionalized cast of characters as part of the society.

In the years just after World War II in the quaint village of Chawton, Hampshire, England, a diverse group of people form with the mission to preserve the former home and belongings of Jane Austen. This group includes the local doctor, a descendent of the Knight/Austen family, a widowed school teacher, a bachelor farmer, a Sotheby's auctioneer, a lawyer, a maid from the Knight household and a famous Hollywood actress. These characters all have either a connection to Jane Austen or an appreciation of her novels.

I loved how the story shared the characters love of reading and in particular reading Austen. The novel is primarily set in the years 1945-1947 and we see the impact of the recent war on the people of the village of Chawton. The society members know their share of conflict and heartache and each are dealing with their own personal issues which are woven throughout the story.

I recommend this book to fans of Jane Austen and character driven historical fiction. Best read while sipping tea and curled up with a soft blanket. :)

3.5 Stars

If you are a fan of Jane Austin, this book will just delight you. It's a nice historical fiction read. There is a lot to enjoy with this group of Jane Austin fans. Their stories are emotional and intriguing.

It definitely gets off to a slow start, so it took a while to get into this one.

A charmingly, captivating debut. A diverse group of people come together because of their love for Austen. In the process, they find friendship, freedom and healing. The characters are well developed, and the depth of their brokenness is beautifully, and realistically, portrayed. The focus on all things Austen was pure delight, but you do not have to be an Austen fan to enjoy this book. The setting is captivating, the relationships are endearing, and the writing is well done.
I received a complimentary of this book from the publisher and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

“...one can always read Austen...And that’s exactly what Austen gives us. A world so a part of our own, yet so separate, that entering it is like some kind of tonic. Even with so many flawed and even silly characters, it all makes sense in the end. It may be the most sense we’ll ever get to make out of our own messed-up world. That’s why she lasts, like Shakespeare. It’s all in there, all of life, all the stuff that counts, and keeps counting, all the way to here, to you.”

TW: sexual assault, grief and death of loved ones, suicide (of a family member), drug addiction
I love Jane Austen, although I am still slowly working my way through her books, so I was extremely excited to receive an ARC of The Jane Austen Society. Especially since I have visited the Jane Austen House Museum in Chawton. I loved spotting all the references to the items that ended up in the museum, such as the writing desk, the topaz cross necklaces, Jane Austen’s ring, and her old piano. Like “I saw that in real life!”
The Jane Austen Society is about a group of people being brought together by a mutual love for books, especially Jane Austen’s, but they are also united by something else: grief. Each member has experienced some kind of loss, tragedy, or loneliness—-all of them are broken, and don’t really know how to heal themselves. What they do know, though, is that they love reading, and that through reading they get at least a temporary relief from their suffering and trauma. Although we consider Jane Austen to be one of the greatest English authors to ever live, her books went out of print shortly after her death, and until the 1940s there was only a plaque to memorialize her; no other public trace if the short years she lived in Chawton could be seen aside from the family house. Even many of the townspeople dislikes the idea of Austenite tourists, mostly American, poking around. But then a poor farmer whose family has been destroyed by WWII finds an old, Regency-era toy in a rubbish pile and thinks, what if this belonged to the Austen’s? Which leads him to wonder why the town has not tried to preserve her legacy, and eventually, it leads to the formation of the Jane Austen Society and Charitable Trust, bent in acquiring some of Austen’s possessions and the cottage she lived in to use as a museum.
The bulk of the story, though, is spent exploring the relationships between the original (although fictionalized) members of the society. An unlikely crew, the relationships that flourish from their love of Austen leads them to understand how to heal and recover, to give life and love a second chance. I loved almost every character, especially Mimi and her tenacity, and I have a soft spot for Adam and Evie too.
A lot of people have said if you liked The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society you’ll like this book, and I agree—-in fact I think you’ll like it even more! The relationships develop and run even deeper. You’ll quickly grow to love these flawed, hurting human beings—-Their drive to preserve Austen’s legacy, their learned compassion and empathy for one another, the impassioned conversations they have about Austen’s books. I just love it all. Poignant, tender, beautiful, and occasionally heartbreaking, The Jane Austen Society is a must-read for Austen fans!

Thank you to #NetGalley for an arc in exchange of an honest review.

I completely enjoyed reading The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner. I chose this novel for several reasons. Having read many of Jane Austen's works over my lifetime I often pick up novels that are related to her as a topic. Also we lived in England for three years and had the pleasure to travel around quite a bit. We have visited many of the locations mentioned in this book including Chawton and the Jane Austen house. This novel is steeped in many of the enduring qualities of Austen's works. Characters from a variety of walks of life who rely upon Austen's works to survive traumatic experiences. Through their shared love of Austen's works they embark on a journey to create The Jane Austen Society in hopes of establishing a museum. You do not have to be a Jane Austen fan to enjoy this well written novel.

Just after World War II, in the small village of Clayton, a group forms to save the final home of Jane Austen. One is a doctor, a young widows, a laborer, and a movie star all of whom love Jane Austen’s works. They form a society. Each character is wonderful and special. I loved this well written, fun novel and of course am a Jane Austen fan myself!

This book was so satisfying and entertaining. I literally loved every word and every single minute of my reading experience. I have chosen this as my summer book club pick and cannot wait to see what other book clubbers think. I am sure it will be a hit with them just as it was with me.

This charming story drew me in right away. I fell in love with the characters and very much wanted things to work out for them. All of the characters are dealing with loss in some way, from the widower to the war widow to the spinster. Drawn together by their love of Jane Austen they find comfort and community in a shared goal to preserve Austen’s legacy including her childhood home. So many times in my life I have escaped into books so the idea of books as a balm for grief resonates with me. Apparently after WWII Jane Austen books were recommended to shell-shocked soldiers to help them recover. I think that people find comfort in Austen’s stories because they feature very real characters with relatable flaws and they make real mistakes. This results in drama and chaos but somehow it all works out in the end. It’s a comfort to see that no matter how difficult circumstances seem there will be a satisfactory ending.

This is also an apt description of this book. The members of the Jane Austen Society face adversity and despite their many mistakes come out the other side with their own sort of happy endings If you are a fan of Austen and take joy in analyzing her characters then this is a must read. You will see so many parallels between the members of The Society and the characters in Austen’s novels. The characters in The Society mirror the characters they love so much but don’t realize it. They face similar dilemmas and respond with comparable actions. Although they see the Austen characters and their foibles and motivations so clearly they can’t see themselves through the same critical lens. It’s very amusing to hear them pick apart Darcy and Emma then unknowingly act in analogous ways. You will have fun recognizing the familiar roles!

While much of this story was sweet and delightful I have to admit that it also made me furious. A book is a success if it makes you feel things and this book made me feel very strongly. The whole inheritance issue just made me livid and I did not agree what occurred or with the decisions that were made. I think that because I’m an archaeologist and I believe very strongly in the value of artifacts and material culture I felt very connected to this part of the story. I could not fathom the choices that were made. Possibly I value historically important objects more than protecting the delicate feelings of other people which I admit is not very kind of me. I spent the last third of this book absolutely seething and wanting to pitch it out the window. I’m pleased that like an Austen story things mostly worked out in the end but it was killing me to get there and I truthfully didn’t feel content with the conclusion. I did appreciate the two characters riding on the hay wagon together at the end and I seriously hope it was suggesting they were lovers. That at least would make me happy!

While I’m not an Austen super fan I did find this story charming and engaging. I was not expecting it to be such an emotional roller-coaster and after finishing I feel seriously wrung out. I don’t expect that other readers will have the same level of exasperation with the decisions of the characters and I predict this will be a very pleasant read for most. I enjoyed it in general and it made me feel things so I count it as a success.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

For me, The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner was just ok. I’m not a huge lover of Jane Austen but I’ve read other “Jane Austen” fiction that I’ve loved so I’m always willing to give these stories a try. I did love the individual characters stories, some more than others. And I loved the setting of Chawton, England. Where this story left me lacking was all the references to the Austen characters. I’ve read 2-3 of Austen’s books and I haven’t loved any of them. So the characters constant discussions of the books and characters was quite tedious to me. The ending was good though.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the advanced e-copy.

I’ve fallen headfirst into this delightfully cozy read! 🌿 .
.
.
🌿The Jane Austen Society is set in post WWII Chawton, England, Austen’s quaint rural hometown. An eclectic group of characters band together to preserve and honor her history and end up proving that a shared love of literature can be life-changing. Each character endures loss and trauma and finds hope in their united rally for a heartfelt cause. .
.
.
🌿Truly it’s a love letter to Jane Austen fans and has many keen references to her works. If you loved The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Society this charming story is for you. An unexpected bonus is that it has me vowing to reread my vintage copy of Pride + Prejudice to further appreciate Jenner’s research while crafting this novel. (Remember how I recently shared that I never reread? Well I take it back, Austen is worth it!) Best enjoyed with a cuppa and a slice of pound cake. .
.
.
🌿What’s your favorite Jane Austen title? .
.
.
🌿 Available Tuesday 5/26! Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this copy in exchange for my honest review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

"...the key was to know whom one could trust to be there and when, in good times and in bad."

The Jane Austen Society is a novel by Natalie Jenner that takes place in the small town of Chawton, England around the end of World War II. Chawton is a real place, where author Jane Austen lived and wrote for awhile near the end of her life. In this book, we follow a mixed bag of the town's fictional residents (and a famous Hollywood star) who band together to try to preserve the history of Austen's time in the town. I wasn't sure I would like this book as I haven't read any of Austen's works myself (crazy, I know!).  However, I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't necessary to enjoying the story. I was able to relate to a few of the characters, and sympathize with some of their tragic back stories. It's a powerful and moving novel that explores the tragedies and triumphs of life, both big and small, and the universal humanity in us all.

Disclaimer: The quoted text is from an uncorrected proof of this book that I received from St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very cozy story which spans the time between World War I and right after World War II. To truly have a full appreciation of the book you really must be a Jane Austen fan. The author quotes a lot from her books including pride and prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma. Her main characters are very likable and she truly sets the stage for how life must have been in England during this time period.

I received this book from St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own. With simplicity and quiet dedication to elegant prose, akin to Jane Austen herself, Natalie Jenner writes of loss and love, society mores and the secrets we keep, all in a quaint English countryside setting. The book is gaining rave reviews so far and with good reason. I chose not to read reviews in advance so as not to be influenced. Thus, I was drawn in by the characters and the setting without prejudice. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It took me to post war Britain, to a time of great upheaval. The romance elements were indicative of Austen, clean and complicated by society, gender, wealth and familial relationships. The characters are easy to identify with and develop slowly over time. Each is an island until a common cause brings them together with a bond of friendship and love of Jane Austen.
Well written, this will be a welcome addition to the Austen library.

3 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

This is a good, quiet historical fiction that follows the stories of several people in a small English town just after the Second World War that are drawn together by their love of Jane Austen novels.

Jane Austen's final home was in the small English town of Chawton. Years later it's the home of a few distant relatives living on a diminishing estate. Several town people struggling with grief for different reasons join forces in an effort to preserve Austen's legacy and home. Through their love of her novels, and the inspiration they draw from them, they slowly begin to heal.

I also love Jane Austen novels and wanted to like this book, but it left me feeling just "meh". I'm glad I read it, but I won't remember much about it in a couple weeks. It was well-written, but didn't inspire me enough to get too invested in any of the characters. Despite the various tragedies that had befallen the characters, their pain seemed periphery to the story and wasn't as impactful as it could be.

It's an overall good book, but just not too memorable.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Jane Austen! This book had a lot of delightful Jane Austen stuff in it but the plot and characters fell a little short for me. The book started out a little too slow and not a lot happened until the end when suddenly there was a lot of plot stuffed in.

I've read a few Jane Austen books in my lifetime but certainly not all of them and I certainly don't consider myself a huge fan. Nonetheless, once I get past the character introductions (and the character interactions), which were a bit slow going for me, and got into the formation and meeting of the Jane Austen Society members, I really enjoyed this short novel. It makes me want to read more Austen, for one thing.

This book takes place mainly in the mid-1940's in the small village of Chawton. A number of villagers and a few others form the Jane Austen Society to preserve Austen’s former home. While there is much talk about Austen novels and Austen characters, I suspect this book and its characters would appeal even to others, like me, who don't think of themselves as Jane Austen fans.

I would recommend it. People, like me who loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, would likely love this one.

The Jane Austen Society is historical fiction set in post-war England, in the small town of Chawton. The main estate of the village has been in the Knight family for generations, and centuries earlier, became the home of Jane Austen’s brother and Jane herself.

But after World War II, the last remaining members of the Knight family are Frances Knight, a woman in her 40s who never leaves her home, and her ailing, elderly, unpleasant father. With Mr. Knight’s demise looming, the future of the estate is at risk — and if the estate passes out of the family hands, so too will the priceless objects and books that once belonged to Jane Austen.

The characters of the book all seem to have some sort of special connection to Jane Austen, her fiction, and her memory. Through their love of her fiction, the various characters find common ground, and ultimately band together to find a way to save the cottage that was once Jane’s home and to preserve the books that were an important part of her life.

As these people form the Jane Austen Society, we get to know them as individuals as well. There’s the widowed doctor who may be ready for love again, the young war bride who suffers unimaginable loss, the local farmer who never got to pursue his dreams of higher learning, and the teen-aged girl whose passion for Austen leads to some truly amazing discoveries.

And then there’s the outsider, a Hollywood star whose love for Jane Austen and her admiration of the author’s works and life inspire her to imagine a different sort of career and life for herself, other than being a property of the studios who want to make money off of her beauty — but only until she ages out of starlet status.

I enjoyed The Jane Austen Society and its characters, but I can’t say that I felt particularly invested. The story develops slowly, and it was only at around the midpoint that I started to feel any sort of excitement building.

This is a quiet sort of story, and it’s lovely to see how these very different group of people, all suffering and struggling to recover from loss after the war, find new purpose and connection through their love of literature. I really enjoyed all of their conversations about the meaning they find in Austen’s works, which characters they most relate to, and how the characters’ actions help them understand elements of their own life.

I wished for something more, somehow. It’s a sweet book, but just lacked a real oomph as far as I was concerned. I can’t quite put my finger on it. It was a nice read, and I didn’t mind it a bit, but I also couldn’t quite care very strongly about the stakes or how the various personal entanglements would all work out.

The Jane Austen Society is a good choice for fans of historical fiction, and of course, for fans of Jane Austen! And after reading this book, I’m feeling the need to go reread a little Austen myself… maybe Persuasion or Mansfield Park this time around?

I was very excited to receive an e galley of this title; I knew that I wanted to read this book from the moment that I learned of its existence. 

I have been reading a number of Jane Austen related works lately including Emma and The Other Bennett Sister.  Furthermore, this book looked like it would appeal to those who enjoyed The Chilbury Ladies Choir, Dear Mrs. Bird and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, all of which I read and enjoyed.  So...did the book live up to my hopes?


Yes, it did!


This novel tells the stories of a number of characters who were impacted by WWI and are living in the 1930s when the story begins.  The characters either live in Chawton or spend time there.  As savvy readers know, Jane Austen lived in this village. 


Each of the main characters has a compelling back story and all have struggled in some way.  Characters include a farmer, an actress, a very smart domestic worker, the owner of a home with ties to the Austens, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher and more.  Each is beautifully portrayed and is multi-dimensional. 


The characters are brought together through their love of Austen.  One of the pleasures of this book was the observations on Austen's works and the influence  and impact of her novels on the protagonists.  Another delight in the book is the way in which the village comes to life.


This book is not filled with the kinds of actions that one finds in thrillers.  Rather, it is a novel that takes its time.  Readers will find that they are amply rewarded for staying with this gently paced novel.  I recommend it highly.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.  Note that this is Ms. Jenner's first novel; I sincerely hope that it will not be her last!