I liked the cover and thought the summary sounded interesting. However, I'm not sure it met my expectations. The pace was slow, and I found myself skimming some parts of the book. Things picked up a bit as the story went on, but it was still hard to really engage and take an interest in the characters. In comparison to parts of the book, the ending felt rushed.

It was a tale about second chance, and if you're a huge fan of Jane Austen, you may well enjoy it., though some parts were quite predictable.

So wonderful!

From a debut author (out 5/26), a fictional reimagining of how the Jane Austen Society came about, filled with the stories of its 8 founding members.

While it started a bit slow, I was eventually swept up into the joys, the heartbreak and the everyday lives of these men and women who shared a deep love and respect for the writer. Some of their stories even reflect elements of Austen’s books.

Beautifully written with some surprises and a very satisfying ending. A real comfort read. Highly recommend.

A big thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is “about a group of people traumatized to varying degrees, who come together over their shared love of books and of Jane Austen in particular.” I had a hard time putting this one down after the first half of the book which wasn’t holding my interest too strongly. I’m glad I read it to the end though. By the half way point I was invested in the characters and wanted to know what became of them. You don’t have to like Austen to like this book but it certainly helps.

This book was a lovely way to pass quarantine time! Author Natalie Jenner spins a purely fictional origin story for the Jane Austen Memorial Trust, set (mostly) during and immediately after WWII. She gathers a small cast of Chawton village characters, with their lives, loves, and broken pasts, and draws them together through their love of Austen.

I don't imagine anyone would be picking this book up in the first place without being a serious Austen-o-holic, so the frequent discussions and allusions and quotes shouldn't bother the intended audience. My only objection was that, unlike in a live book club, I couldn't violently argue with readings I didn't agree with and could only resort to making objections in my Kindle notes! But for every disagreement I might have, I also benefited from some new reading insights. Very fun.

Like any Austen book, this one gets tied up with marriages and bows, but who minds that, even though Jenner takes her characters down significantly darker roads at times? Wave that Austen-y wand and even drug addiction and bloody deaths can be overcome. Works for me.

Thank you to the publisher for letting me review this galley!

NetGalley Arc | If you are looking for a sweet and timely read about love, community, perseverance, and preserving one's legacy, you'll enjoy The Jane Austen Society. This new May 2020 book release is perfect for Jane Austen fans and if you devoured The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

You can find my complete review on The Uncorked Librarian: https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com/may-2020-book-releases/

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Natalie Jenner’s debut novel is a charming story about the universal language of literature and how it connects us. It’s set in the small town of Chawton, England, which was the final home of iconic novelist Jane Austen, just after the second World War. I am a huge Jane Austen fan (I’ve read every one of her novels, some of them twice), so I delighted in the Austen family history tidbits as well as the references to Austen’s novels. One would probably have to be an Austen fan to truly appreciate this book, but I think that everyone can appreciate its themes. I’ve long believed that books can bring people together and help them process the sometimes-harsh realities of life, and The Jane Austen Society exemplifies this. The book features a diverse cast of characters who find a united front in their love for Austen’s novels and desire to keep her family history alive in their small town, among them a young war widow named Adeline Lewis and her physician Dr. Gray, who is beating himself up for not being able to save her baby. Obviously this book becomes a little heavy and bleak at times, but it is overall hopeful and emphasizes the strength and importance of human connection.

The Jane Austen society is a character-driven novel that shows how Austen’s work has affected people of all ages and all facts of life, including a film actress and a laborer. The alternating third-person points of view might be confusing for some people, but I liked being able to see into all of the characters’ heads and learn about their life stories and their personal connection to Austen’s novels. Historical fiction fans will be excited to see this book when it hits shelves on May 26th.

Do you know those books that you can’t wait to finish to see what happens but you also don’t want to finish because you have become attached to the characters? Well, this is one of those books! The characters in this story had such depth and even when they did things I didn’t like, I still loved the character.
This story is set in post WWII England where two World Wars have caused so much pain in everyones lives, but they live on and struggle to find their joy again. The town of Chawton is where Jane Austen spent her last years and the residents of this town are split into those who love Austen’s works and those who only see the inconvenience of tourists to the town where Austen had lived. In this setting, a small group decides to set up the Jane Austen Society to give people a place to go to learn more about her stories and her life. Intermingled into the story are the complicated relationships between each of the characters in the spirit of a Jane Austen novel.
This book is definitely one that I would buy for myself to reread or buy as a gift for someone else. It is a very memorable story that will attach itself to you as though it were your own.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress and #Macmillan for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book for a fair review. #TheJaneAustenSociety

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

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is a charming and lovely read. It's impossible not to fall in love with this quaint little English village and its people described within. The village itself is the location of Chawton House once formerly the home of Miss Jane Austen. While the author's story is not the true narrative of the societies founding, she has created a beautiful, sweet story featuring austenesque style characters and written in similar fashion. In the Jane Austen Society, Jenner slowly but brilliantly introduces us to each character, flawed and traumatized by life’s circumstances but endearing non the less. I think this is what makes her story so compelling, the people are just like you and me. Real and vulnerable, in need of something that always seems out of one's grasp but which all Jane's characters seem to find in the end. Each member of the society sets out to celebrate and preserve the life and works of Jane Austen and in turn finds hope, healing and even love through their shared affection for all things Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy and Emma. For readers of Austen and fans of the Literary Potato Peel Pie Society, I think you'll find this one to be quite enchanting.

My review has been posted to Goodreads, Amazon, and my Instagram page Lost_in_a_book_reviewer

This is my new favorite book! I was so pleasantly surprised by this little gem. Perfect for Austen fans, but anyone would enjoy it. The setting is charming, the writing is wonderful, and the characters are well-developed and empathetic. I bookmarked so many passages in this lovey book.

Thank you so much to the NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. It will stay with me for some time.

In a world full of wonderful books, The Jane Austen Society stands out as a gem. This was a lovely and fulfilling read.

The title immediately caught my attention and both drew me in and made me a bit suspicious. There have been seemingly mountains of books that have been inspired by Jane Austen to some degree, and many times they disappoint. This one not only did not disappoint, but it exceeded my hopeful expectations. I am not certain that it is necessary to be an Austen fan to enjoy this book, but it added a special layer of delight to read this as a fan.

I loved the setting of this book, Chawton in the 1940s. It seemed freshly historical, if that can be a thing. It felt perfectly natural and comfortable to settle right into that world.

I also loved the author’s choice to use completely fictional characters and events within a historically accurate setting, and to not attempt recreating Austen’s writing style. Instead, the story unfolds in the most enjoyable and lovely way.

Ultimately, it is the characters and their individual traumas and situations, and their relationships that make this such a beautiful and fulfilling book. I treasured reading it. It brought out all of my emotions, including my all-important crying tears of joy and happiness at the end. I highly recommend this book!

I really enjoyed this book. Technically I didn't see any errors. For the most part the pacing was okay. I was shocked that a character lost a child. Obviously that story line was incredibly sad and dragged on a bit.

Goodreads Review:
If you are a fan of anything Jane Austen you will LOVE this book. I wanted to jump on a plane and go visit the society. It was fun trying to figure out which characters were following a Mansfield Park type story line and what characters were a bit Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and all the other books. However, the book isn't all light heartened chic lit. There are serious dramatic events mixed in, which had me in tears. Of course every Austen-esque book will end on a good note.

This is totally a work of fiction the only actual part of the story that is real is the town of Chawton and the house reputed to be where Jane Austen lived and wrote for part of her life. However, this book just sucks you in and the characters become totally real. There are some surprises and twists which is always fun. I felt like I was transported to post-war Britain and I could actually picture the village, the streets, the rolling hills of the countryside. The characters are all well realized. The plot well written. There is nothing short of superb about this book. I loved it.

I so wanted to love this book, hoping it would become a favourite. The premise was absolutely delightful in and of itself, but I feel the content fell a little short of what I had hoped for. Certain chapters were a bit tiresome and I found myself skimming pages rather than diving in headfirst. It took time to build up to - not excitement, exactly - but any sense of engagement with the characters or invested interest in their outcomes. The cadence of the dialogue also felt a bit off for me. It was an interesting take on a shared love for a beloved author, but unfortunately didn't make the cut as far as becoming a perennial favourite.

My thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary copy of this title via NetGalley. Opinions expressed are solely my own.

A beautiful novel full of amazing characters you will fall in love with reminded me of the chillbury ladies society a favorite of mine lots of interesting stories and different lives playing out and intertwining in surprising ways so enjoyable and easy to read

If you need a good escapist story, this book is perfect. For fans of historical fiction and Jane Austen. This is a fictional account of how the Jane Austen Society was formed, but more than that, this is the story of people from various walks of life can connect through the written word.

Jenner’s book is filled with charming and quaint characters. They are typical fictional English creations who are endearing in their own way. Throw in one or two Americans and the story is complete. What binds all these disparate people together is their devotion to Jane Austen. Not only do they read and reread Austen’s books, but they enjoy nothing better than talking about the author and her characters.

World War II is over and the world is moving on. Chawton is the small village where Austen lived and wrote. The locals, plus a few outsiders including an American actress, decide they want to create a museum in tribute to their beloved author. This may sound like a simple project but there are roadblocks that they must overcome.

To readers who are familiar with Austen’s books, many of Jenner’s characters are reminiscent of the very ones created by Austen. There is the long-suffering spinster who turned away a chance at love because of a domineering father, the rejected lover, an older man who is intrigued by an effervescent younger woman and the typical banter that brings to mind Emma and Knightly or Elizabeth and Darcy.

It isn’t necessary that one love Austen to read this book but to those familiar with the author’s writing, this will certainly have great appeal. The reference to the cottage in Chawton has personal significance since I have visited there myself and enjoyed walking in Austen’s footsteps. Jenner lovingly approaches Austen and her novels through a new and winning set of characters who will remind readers of some of Austen’s well-known figures. A wonderful story with memorable characters and an homage to a fabulous classic author who has impacted so many over the years.

Calling all jane Austen fans! Jane Austen herself would love this novel, written in her style, that takes a look at the people in the small town where she wrote her last three books. Widows, widowers, a famous movie star and other local characters come together to try to pay homage to Jane and save her legacy in their village. Just what I needed in these very strange and scary times.

This lovely novel by debut author Natalie Jenner imagines how a group of people who cherish the works of Jane Austen find each other and propose a special society to honor the beloved author in the small village of Chawton, Hampshire.

Any group couldn’t be as diverse in personality and circumstance than the ones who gather right after World War II. There’s a bachelor farmer, a country doctor, a respected solicitor, a young widowed teacher, a high school dropout, an Austen descendent from the Knight family, a Sotheby’s representative, and an American movie star. While some of the group have known each other since childhood, others meet serendipitously through their appreciation of Jane Austen’s works.

This is a life-affirming novel that is quiet and hopeful and pays great tribute to an author and her works with many quotable sentences and paragraphs about the power of literature. It is set apart from many Austen adaptations by its time period, plot, and cast and reminds me of one of my favorite novels about readers, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Highly recommended, especially during these discomforting times.

If you love Jane Austen you will find kindred spirits among the members of the Jane Austen Society. If you don’t know much about Jane Austen you will still find yourself among friends in this book. Each character starts out the book dealing with their own tragedy alone and in secrecy. It takes a common love to bring these characters together where they learn the power of community and figure out that life is better when you support one another.

On par with my adoration of reading books is my adoration of reading books about books. Books that talk about the classics, shed light on subjects I have or have not before thought or discussed, and are full of characters who share my same love of literature. This is one such book.

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this, grasping the different characters in different places on the same timeline. I suppose I read too many books that jump around in time that finding one that just jumps around in place seemed odd to me. But there were a lot of characters to keep track of and that sometimes felt overwhelming.

This was clearly written to carry the same or similar air as an Austen book; the characters all yearning for love but making infuriating choices and ignoring things that were right in front of them. By bringing all these characters together in one society, it's almost as if you are seeing Austen's own characters coming together, each with their own similar representation in this book.

That said, I didn't find the character's backstories all that intriguing. I loved how they came together and their discussions about Austen, but I didn't necessarily care all that much for their personal interactions or story arcs. I found these parts dragged.

At it's core, this book celebrates what is so beautiful about books; the conversations and bonds they create between people of all ages and stages of life who seem to have absolutely nothing else in common. Bringing together a motley crew in tribute to Austen's life, well what isn't to love about that and how does one not relate to it?