While this book moved pretty slowly for me, it was a very good and intriguing story that mirrors a few of Austen's favorite plot elements.

I appreciated how well the story resolved, and the characters were believable and ring true.

Recommended for Austen fans.

Thank you to St. Martin's press and Netgalley for the complimentary review copy of The Jane Society. All opinions are my own.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is a fun fictional account of the beginning of the Jane Austen Society. The author combines factual places and fictional characters to create a story of friendship through a common interest. All of the characters are pretty much loners and most have always lived in the same town. They come together in order to preserve Jane Austen's books and memorabilia for future fans.

This is a very enjoyable and fun historical fiction that Austen fans should most definitely read. The characters each have their own problems but they are all passionate about Jane Austen. The book is about friendships and bonds. Some are old and some are new but everyone finds something they didn't even know they were missing.

General Fiction (Adult)
Historical Fiction
Release Date: May 26, 2020

I tried with this book, I really did. But I could not make myself enjoy it. It felt really flat and bland. I couldn’t attach to the characters. And while well meaning, I just couldn’t get into it.

In post-war England, a mélange of people are brought together by a shared love of Jane Austen.

It’s no secret that I love Jane Austen. Like so many others, she is one of my favorite authors and rereading her stories and finding new books about her is a comfort for me. I also love reading about post-war England. So I was immediately drawn to The Jane Austen Society.

I think the overall theme of this novel is how books bring us together. How they can change our lives. The power of literature, in that it can carry us through hard times and help us to learn more about ourselves. It was entrancing to see the way Jane Austen’s stories helped to forge friendships between the people who eventually became this novel’s version of the Jane Austen Society. Each were very different people, yet they all shared a deep love for this timeless author and it brought them together. It gave them a community at a time when they all needed it most.

Sitting there on the bench together, with no one else to confide in, Dr. Gray and Adeline felt a strange connection through these books.

That there might be a place where people were not constantly competing against each other for their very sustenance, but were instead helping each other survive through war and injury and poverty and pain, seemed as much something out of a Jane Austen as anything else she could have hoped to find.

That’s why she lasts, like Shakespeare. It’s all there, all of life, all the stuff that counts, and keeps counting, all the way to here, to you.

My only complaint is there were a few risqué moments, mainly between Mimi and Jack, and with these same two characters there was some language. These parts were small and sparse enough that I was able to overlook them and still enjoy the novel. If it hadn’t been for these things, this would have been a 5 star read for me.

Janeites, you must read this book. It’s not only a love letter to an author we all love so dearly, but it displays the resiliency of the human spirit beautifully. Right now, we could use that more than ever.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

What a delightful read this was and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story begins in Chawton, Hampshire in 1932 and go to 1947. Chawton is the home of author Jane Austen and the locals fuss because tourists come to try and get a look at where she lived and wrote her novels. The characters in this book all have had tragedies and problems in their lives but they are all drawn together because they all love reading and especially reading Jane Austen books. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this wonderful story that I had a hard time putting down. I have never read Jane Austen's books but I have several on my list now.

3.5 Stars.

Natalie Jenner really outdid herself with this novel. Her writing style genuinely reminded me of Jane Austen and at times, I found myself forgetting that it wasn’t an Austen written book (as silly as that may sound). This in itself is no small feat.

While I did find the storyline cute and lovely, I felt that it could have used a little more of a complex plot line.

I am a founding member of a book club and I may choose this to be a future selection because I believe it would be very well received in our group.

Source: I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

I am not sure where the story is going at first but everything fell into place and so The Jane Austen Society is formed. The men and women in the society have varied life experiences that led them to reading Austen’s books. One thing I love about this book are the conversations and arguments about Austen’s books and characters. They talked a lot about Pride and Prejudice and Emma. It was written in dialogues that makes me want to be there to discuss it.
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Though it is a historical fiction, there are some things in the story that are more apt for contemporary books. I like Frances Knight and Evie Stone's characters. They don’t talk much but their actions speak of knowledge and awareness of what’s going on.
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Jane Austen fans will surely enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Natalie Jenner, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book!

I love all things Jane Austen, I requested this book for the sole reason that Jane Austen is in the title. The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is a book that takes place during World War II in England in the village called Chawton which is known as the last home of Jane Austen. The Chawton Estate is owned by Jane Austen’s distant relatives and it is hitting hard economic times. Those who love and appreciate Jane Austen want to see her legacy, home and works preserved. So the people in the village come together to form a society to share and protect the words of Jane Austen.

This is such a sweet story. I can see it being a heartwarming movie. There are some emotional moments and those who read this book may want to be aware of sexual assault, child loss, and suicide triggers. The characters all go through hardships and lean on Jane Austen’s works to help them get through. My favorites were Dr. Gray and Adeline Lewis. They go through some of the most heart-wrenching experiences but still strive to help those around them.

The only issue I had with the story is that it has such a slow start. I was 38% into the book before it starts to pick up. Then the ending seemed to wrap up way too quickly. If the beginning was adjusted a bit, and the ending paced a bit better, this book would have received a perfect score. The storyline and the characters are so tender and heartwarming! I definitely recommend if you love all things Austen! I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is a charming book about a community that forms in a small English village where Jane Austen used to live. This community includes a laborer, an actress, and a doctors among others trying to preserve Jane Austen's property and further enhance her legacy. As a big Jane Austen fan, I was so excited to read this book.

This book is told from each of the different society members different POVs. While I liked getting to learning more about each individual character, I had certain favorite characters. I was most interested by Adeline and Frances' characters. The 1940's setting was also fascinating to read about and learning about the world following WWII really added to the story.

This was a wholesome, quick read for Jane Austen fans but also easy to understand for those who haven't read Jane Austen yet.

What I Didn’t Like:
-Show vs Tell. This one suffers from a lot of telling you what people are feeling or thinking instead of showing you in a way that lets you feel or experience it with them. The result is a rather dry book that feels slow.
-Boring characters. I wasn’t connected to any of these characters and didn’t feel anything for them. This made the romance subplots fall flat for me and kept me from becoming invested.
-Rehashing the books. I knew to expect a little Jane Austen fangirling in this one (hello, the title gave that away) but I didn’t feel like we needed the constant rehashing and discussing of the main characters. It’s cute once or twice but then it gets old.

What I Did Like:
-There is a small discussion about the way books used to be published. That was cool. It actually made me want to read something historic about publishing books in the 1800s.
-Setting. This one is set in Chawton, Hampshire, England in (mostly) 1945. The author did a good job presenting the setting and making it sound like a beautiful place.
-Theme. There are attempts at a message of “anyone can read anything” in this one. I LOVE that message. There are a few characters in this one who are Austen fans despite not feeling like they were her “intended” audience.

Who Should Read This One:
-Readers who adore Jane Austen and want to read a book about other Jane Austen lovers.

My Rating: 2 Stars. I’m not the world’s biggest Austen fan and this book was too problematic for me.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is a wonderful and heartwarming story. The vast majority of the story takes place in Chawton, Hampshire, Great Britain in the 1940’s. This is the village where Jane Austen spent time writing some of her very famous books. This is the type of village where everyone knows everyone, as well as, everyone’s business. It is a microcosm of society during the 1940’s after WWII. I would say that perhaps living in Chawton was like living in a goldfish bowl. So wisely and craftily is this author that the story feels like it mirrors a world that Jane Austen depicted so perfectly.

In Ms. Jenner’s story you will meet several families who live in this microcosm in addition to a Hollywood movie star who adores Jane Austen and want to play one of her characters on screen. The characters share an immense adoration of Jane Austen and who embrace their passion for her writing and form a literary society in her memory. The Jane Austen Society is an uplifting tribute to Jane Austen.

While this would be considered an historical romance novel I promised you it is not full of flirtations, trash or steamy sex. The feel of romance harkens back to Ms. Austen’s day. This is truly a story about love and of wanting to be loved. It also encompasses another selfless type of love in which loving others to the point of wanting what is best for them, even if it isn't for you. It is about understanding what deeply makes another person happy and understanding and appreciating their unique traits rather than their superfluous characteristics that others use to define them.

The writing was wonderful and impressive. Ms. Jenner is supremely talented in transporting the reader to a much simpler time. Each character is uniquely developed and you feel like you know them all. You find yourself cheering them on! This story pays tribute, a worthy one, to which I congratulate the author on her achievement. It is very well written and allows the reader to escape to a forgotten era which upon reflection would do the world good about now. I recommend this book highly and in true Austen style you will be supremely rewarded. Well Done!

Light, character driven, historical, beach read. The characters are pretty stock and nothing unexpected happens. The location of Chawton and much discussion amongst the characters of Austen's books were highlights.

***I received this book as an ARC on Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

I have heard a lot about this book in my reading groups and was anxious to get my hands on it and I was not disappointed.

The story is based in Chawton, England, and delves into the lives of several members of that community who are Jane Austen aficionados. A small group begins the Jane Austen Society in the hopes of putting together a small museum which tourists can visit and learn a little about Austen and her life. Throughout the story, there is plenty of background given on the characters that ultimately ties into Austen characters and the way people feel about them. There is genuine happiness at the way the story ends that it makes you want to know how their lives continue.

The Jane Austen Society takes place in the 1940's, in Chawton, Hampshire. Chawton is the type of cozy country village where everyone knows everyone, and one may sometimes feel as though they are living in a fish bowl . A group of eventual friends, brought together by a love of Jane Austen's literature. This book is full of references to Austens books and characters. This book is light and airy, and while I loved the world she was building, I felt that the ending was rushed, which took away a star from me.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Natalie Jenner has created a book that will make Jane Austen fans swoon! The Jane Austen Society takes place in Chawton, the small English village where Jane Austen lived out her life. The villagers are recovering from devastating loss of family and friends after World War II. The economy has changed and it looks like Austen's estate will be sold. A group of people join together to try and save the land and her legacy. Most of them come from the Village - the local doctor, a young widow, a farmer and a young American movie star fight the odds and become closer. The Society are able to overcome obstacles to their preservation work, as well as overcoming personal tragedies.

Of course Jane Austen fans will love this! So will anyone who enjoys a great book along the lines of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Jenner obviously did her research - she makes it easy to put yourself in Chawton, as well as in the middle of Austen's books. I appreciate the opportunity to read the ARC and hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

Very sweet story with plenty of Austen references. Well researched and written I look forward to more books from this author.

This was the first book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was different from anything I've read recently and really captured my attention. It was so well written and the characters were fantastic.

For those of us who are captivated by Jane Austen, this is a delightful find. Natalie Jenner has assembled such an interesting cast of fictional characters who come together very unexpectedly with a common purpose. They all are true believers in the magic of Jane Austen's writing and hope to preserve the charming cottage on the estate where she lived the last years of her life. The passage of time and the lack of urgency to preserve the cottage meant the unique impact of Jane Austen's legacy might disappear from the area. Precious few of her possessions still existed in the area of Chawton, the village where the estate was. By luck and chance, eight strangers somehow find one another and create the Jane Austen Society in order to preserve her legacy in the village.

When reading the novel, the reader is actually transported to a story within a story. Jenner has created characters and a plot that could mirror an actual Jane Austen novel. The continual confusion of intent plus biased judgements of others reads just like Pride and Prejudice. There are many references to various Austen novels, so it's a joy to see the people here behave in very similar fashion to Austen's most memorable characters.

Everyone is dealing with some sort of loss. The plot skillfully shows them come together in an attempt to bring honor to the legacy of Jane Austen, and at the same time, heal some painful wounds each has carried.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This story takes place in the little town of Chawton, England in the years just following WWII. This is the town that Jane Austen lived in during the last years of her life. What is left of her legacy is now owned by distant relatives who have no heirs. Together, some townsfolk who are each going through their own dramas-a doctor, a farmer and a young widow band together with a Hollywood starlet to form a society in order to preserve Jane Austen's family library and cottage. The story is completely fictional but felt so real. I got very involved in the small town dramas-each story and character was so relatable although at the beginning of the book, each character had issues that were kind of sad.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this story in return for my honest review.

What a lovely gem this book is. While I don't think that you have to be an Austen lover to enjoy it, it would certainly help. The prose it littered with references to Austen characters and places and as a fan it is really fun to come across them. It is a light and sweet but also interesting and it inspired me to revisit my Austen favorites again.