Loved this book! I was a little confused with the back and forth, until the storylines began weaving together, but that could have just been me and my attention span. I adored the story and the familiarity of the Austen world, reading about characters that have a common interest of mine!

I finished "The Jane Austen Society" right before the US premiere of "Sanditon" on PBS. There's another good Jane novel coming out this spring, "Miss Austen" by Gill Hornby, and it is certainly a pleasure to transport oneself to another time and place in this day and age!

"The Jane Austen Society" is a charming novel about a bunch of local Chawton people (with one exception) who want to create a place for Jane Austen lovers to visit. It's 1945, and people from all over have been finding their way to Chawton for decades to see that last place Jane lived and wrote. There's a sense of urgency--bits and pieces of Jane's legacy are being discovered and sold all over the world. Jane and her writing are front and center in the little town, with people re-reading her over the winter and stopping to discuss various points in one book or another over tea.

The characters are appealing, and, of course, they're living the stories without realizing it. Everyone has a favorite character, and why is that? The story comes to an end that is not surprising but is very satisfying.

~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader

I liked this book and the characters are well written but felt like I have read the book before - writer's voice is so similar to established authors that maybe the line between similar and replication has been crossed. Cast of characters is so similar to 'Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel' book.
So that said, it was a fun book and the characters were interesting. The book motivated me to read more about Jane Austen and her family, which is a compliment to the author.
Give that this is her debut book, I give 4 stars - hope she strengthens her voice in subsequent books.

Set in an English village just after WWII, this story does a good job of capturing the time and place and the small town nature. With only a few characters whose lives you learn a lot about through the lens of their conversations about Jane Austen's books and characters and their efforts to preserve the author's legacy. Even if <gasp> you're not an Austen fan who can't recite dialogues from your favorite characters, there is a lot to love in this well written, easy paced portrayal, with all the drama, twists and happy endings your heart desires.

What a fun book! I really enjoyed the characters and catching all the references to Austen's writing. So fun!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Jane Austen Society: A Novel by Natalie Jenner is based in a small village at the end of World War II. A group gathers in this area where Jane Austen last lived. It may have been decades since she lived with some relatives still there and the name Austen in jeopardy. They want to keep her home and the legacy she created as strong as ever. The Jane Austen Society is brought together by people wanting to help it happen. Even though they are an odd group they enjoy Austen’s work. Readers learn and experience the good and bad in the Society’s group. There are many references to Austen’s work as well as the time including classics, but even if you aren’t a fan you’ll still find interesting elements in this book. This is a well written book and I’d think great if you have a book club or other group that enjoys reading. It is also nice that it is set in a different time as other books talking about her work because it provides a different look at what people were feeling of her works at this time. This is a witty book with strong characters — Jane Austen would be proud, I think.

A small town that seems to be of no consequence is actually a cultural and historical landmark of the favorite novelist, Jane Austen. A group of people from vastly different backgrounds (a country doctor, an heiress, a movie star) come together soon after WWI to fight their own past and save the family home of their favorite author.

This was my first book of 2020 and my first five star as well. There have been many books that pertain to Jane Austen, but I loved that this was about the love of Jane Austen. You get to know these characters like they are real people and realize that you share a common bond of literature and life's hardships. There were some sweet romances but it didn't overwhelm the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who loves Austen but also loves reading and literature.

#thejaneaustensociety #netgalley

The Jane Austen Society is a group formed through their love of the Jane Austen novels. Based in Charon, UK where Jane Austen wrote her last three novels and the Knight family had their estate, this group decides to retain as much of the Jane Austen artifacts as they can.

The characters. Adeline Lewis, Dr Gray, Adam Berwick, Evie Stone, Mimi Harrison,
Andrew Forrester, and Frances Knight all intertwine to make a most interesting, riveting story of The Jane Austen Society. There is a long history between some of the characters, romances, and secret relationships. Amazing novel all because of the love of Ja e Austen.

This is a book for all true Jane Austen fans. What a wonderful story of disparate people eventually coming together because of their love of Jane Austen and all that her writings represent to each of them, and truly to us the reader. Who doesn't want to be a member of the Jane Austen Society? Please sign me up.

A group from a village in England form the Jane Austen Society to collect and create a museum of items belonging to Austen. This amusing story brings together a movie star, a doctor, lawyer, and even a maid, all lovers of the works of Jane Austen. The village contains a manor house and a cottage where Austen relatives reside, but the old man changes his will to spite his daughter, and the society must work together to save the cottage as a museum.

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid”

That is my favorite Jane Austen quote. I love her books. I loved her memorable characters. Elizabeth Bennet is always gonna be one of my favorite literature characters. And thanks to Colin Firth made me re-watch a million times of his version of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy ( When I saw him playing Mr. Darcy at Bridget Jones I just scream cried a lot!)

So of course I got volunteered to read anything about Jane Austen as a tribute of her achievements and amazing works. And I have to admit I enjoyed most part of the books. There are lots of characters (I think they are 12 and it makes you lose your concentration a little bit. Some parts bored me a little bit because of slowing pace and too many unnecessary details about characters’ daily lives) but I think I loved Jane Austen novels’ role and impressions at those characters’ lives more than the characters’ back stories and I loved their discussions about Austen books which were remarkable journey to her books and her unforgettable, well-rounded, splendid characters.

And yes, a movie star got threatened and sexually abused by Harvey Weinstein. (All right, I just want to check, you really read my review! I heard you! Of course Harvey wasn’t born yet andunfortunately there was no #metoomovement at this time) So she bought Jane Austen’s family mention from the auction and as soon as she reached the town, she forms a special literary group to honor this incredible author’s memory. A doctor, a teacher, a farmer and people from different background come together for their love of books and good literature, discussing about the stories, characters and how mush those books shaped their lives and meant for them.

The idea about special Jane Austen club (first rule of the club is only talk about JA books and second rule is the same!) and some of the characters were good. Interestingly when I read Dr. Gray’s part I imagined as Patrick Dempsey in my head. ( Yes, Meredith Grey, Derek Shepherd and those stylish amazing hair popped into my head. I wish my husband had them, too. And this is my cue to stop drinking.) I didn’t find it his and Adeline’s slow burn romance offensive or disturbing. Both of them lost their loved ones and their passion to the books helped them connect easily. They helped each other to ease their pains and fight against their grief. And yes, from the beginning, Dr.Gray saw the engagement ring at Adeline’s finger, it was so obvious that he didn’t like her relationship status.

Overall: Writing is good. At some parts, I lost my interest and wanted to skip some chapters but the parts about Austen books rekindled my love to her writing. The conclusion of characters’ stories are also satisfying. So this book is above the average and I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 and smiling with the memories of those wonderful books.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for sending me this heart felting, beautiful book’s ARC COPY in exchange my honest review. I truly and mostly enjoyed it.

This was an absolutely delightful and wonderful book. It's a wonderful story for any Jane Austen fan.

Lovely and reminiscent of Austen, debut author Natalie Jenner draws us into The Jane Austen Society. She takes us back to back to England after War World II in the quiet village of Chawton. We are introduced to 8 separate lives that are as different as night and day, so it seems. Can a beloved author, Jane Austen, be the answer to so many hearts? Each character was well developed and so brilliant in perception of Austen’s books, but so lost in their own ways. The novel brings Jane’s fans from the text and beyond, from years ago and from now, together. Can it be, a well thought out and sweet tribute? It is, I dare say.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not everyone in Chawton is thrilled that Jane Austen had been a resident and people still travel to see where she wrote her last books. Some villagers view the pilgrimage that readers make as a nuisance, after all, the woman has been dead for a very long time. Yet others in the village treasure the works that Austen left behind and band together to memorialize the author by saving her home and restoring it so that future visitors will have something to see.

This is a quaint story that keeps Jane Austen and her works alive for more than just those that live in or visit Chawton. Perfect for the Jane Austen bibliophile and anyone who wants to spend some time in the English countryside.

Light, enjoyable read. The story is a little slow with not much action but with nicely drawn characters and a rich sense of setting. I guess it's like a Jane Austen book, hmm. I enjoyed the book and would love to see this made into a movie. :)

My thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC via netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this enough to finish it but it's not something I would go out and buy myself. I think the best way to describe my feeling towards this book is that I would definitely grab it from a library but I wouldn't buy it for myself if I saw it. I enjoyed the writing but the plot just seemed to bore me at times.

The Jane Austen Society was an interesting read, I am an Austen fan who enjoys these 'extra' stories by more modern writers. The characters had personality and life and I could picture the town, buildings and people. The flow of the story wasn't consistent throughout the book. I give this 3.5 stars.

I honestly tried,, but I just couldn't get into this book. You need to be well read on Jane Austen to really love this book. The description said it compared to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, which I loved, but this book doesn't compare in my opinion.

I loved the premise of this book. I loved the mix of characters and their histories that often entwined. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. However, I did struggle to keep up with who was talking because the author switched point of views without warning. That made it much more difficult to enjoy but it was still worth the read and extra attention.

What a lovely read, and a great break for me from all the crime fiction I read. You probably don't have to be a Jane Austen fan to enjoy this book, but I certainly am and really liked it a lot!