I liked this book so much! A fan of Jane Austen myself, I was happy to read more about the places she lived in, and her life and novels.
I enjoyed seeing how the characters reacted and adjusted to the events in their lives. I also liked the author's humor. The final chapters managed to surprise and amuse me, giving this book a perfect ending.
I can hardly wait for more books written by Ms. Natalie Jenner!
Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an e-book copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book snuck up on me. As I was reading it, it felt a little slow and meandering and I kept waiting for it to get to the point. By the end, however, I was thoroughly engrossed and enamored with the characters (which is not unlike how I feel when reading Austen herself).

Conceptually, this sounded very sweet. In practice, I abandoned it after reading the first chapter. The writing is clunky and overwrought, and everything is just a little too awkward to make for smooth reading.

I became a Jane Austen fan when I read Price and Prejudice at 13. I thought this was just a book about a group who probably read her books and held parties. It's not. I loved the history of her family discussed. The characters in this book were well thought out. I found myself comparing them to Austen' s characters. The ending was not what I expected. I thought secrets would lead to a different ending. I was happy with the outcome. If you are an Jane fan, it is an enjoyable book. If you are not, this might make you curious.

Jane would love this story! With so many books recently written about the subject, it's hard to imagine something new and fresh. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find such engaging and charming characters within its pages.

The plot begins in the late 1930's. The villagers of Chawton are still recovering from the losses they experienced, both on a personal level and as a result of WWII.

The one thing they have in common, however, is the power of Jane Austen's books to heal their emotional wounds. The plot introduces several different storylines, and we develop a real connection with each and every one. I can easily imagine this becoming a movie!

What a lovely book! I can already imagine this would be a wonderful movie also. The author did a marvelous job of painting a picture of the village of Chawton. As an American like Mimi, I found myself, much like Mimi, enchanted by the village and the people who lived there. If you are a fan of Jane Austen, you may see mirrors of some of her characters throughout the book. If you're not, you'll still find a lovely story about a group of people working through various forms of grief and bonding over a love of Jane Austen.

This book was sweet and interesting, but I do wish it were a bit longer so the author could have dived deeper into some of the characters. While on the surface the book was about the appreciation of Jane Austen, it was the characters and their stories that really drove me to keep reading, and I would have loved to learn more.

I would (and already have) recommend this book to fellow Jane Austen fans, as well as readers of fiction in general.

There are a few books I would like to teleport myself into and The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is one of them. It follows 8 people and 7 of whom are traumatized by personal losses. They come together over their shared love of books, specifically that of Jane Austen. For a few hours or more they become mentally and spiritually transported into the times and worlds of Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma. The other three books (Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion) are honorably mentioned, too.

However, they are drawn to the characters of the three main books more. They find themselves re-reading their favorite ones over and over again and talk about the characters in them as if they were real; possibly because they remind them of either themselves or the persons of their affections. They seem to discover new information or clues each time they re-read them. They feel contend. It is as if Jane Austen had figured out life and understood what each of them is going through.

That is the genius of Jane Austen, creating ordinary people of everyday life and interjecting social commentary into them. Natalie Jenner brilliantly and effortlessly show how time has not changed when it comes to social issues affecting women living under patriarchal society and the matter of the heart. She mirrors her characters with that of Jane Austen’s.

The Jane Austen Society is a debut novel set after World War II, in a small village of Chawton, Hampshire—a place where Jane Austen settled with her mother and older sister in their brother Edward’s cottage in 1809, 4 years after their father’s passing and after having been moved around many times.

In The Jane Austen Society, Adam Berwick, a lonely, forty-six-year-old self-taught carpenter and farmer of Chawton, Hampshire, lost his older brothers in the battle in the Aegean Sea in 1918 and his father to the Spanish flu less than a year later. Adam loves Elizabeth Bennet and is annoyed with Fitzwilliam Darcy. He loves the way Lizzie speaks her mind with humanity, intelligence, and humor. He wishes he can be like her so as to assert himself against his overbearing mother. He sees Lizzie as a savior. Like her, he wants to save himself and save others. But at the end (not to spoil who he actually is), his love for Jane Austen and her books pushes him to save her legacy; thereby saving himself and other people in his society.

Mary Anne “Mimi” Harrison is a thirty-five, strong-minded Hollywood movie star. She had met and introduced Adam Berwick to Jane Austen, specifically the book Emma, thirteen years earlier when she came to visit the cottage of Jane Austen. She lost father to suicide. Realizing what men in Hollywood are like, she has been untrusting of them. As picky as she is, unfortunately, the man she falls for turns out to be a cad and a scoundrel. Mimi enjoys Sense and Sensibility. But Emma is her favorite character, bold and yet oblivious to her surrounding. At the end, her life mirrors that of Marianne in Sense and Sensibility. She has her heart broken by the seductive and persuasive Jack Leonard who uses her to get what he wants. It was her fellow members of The Jane Society who reveal what kind of person he is, much like John Willoughby. However, she is a strong and sensible enough person to walk away from that horrible relationship.

Adeline Grover’s favorite character is Emma who Dr. Benjamin Gray sees as high-spirited and selfish. But Emma is also confident and charismatic, which Dr. Gray sees in Adeline. Andrew Forrester and Dr. Gray were school mates who used to compete for the affection of Frances Knight, the “agoraphobic spinster” and only child of James Edward Knight, the descendant of Jane Austen. Though in love with their respective women, Andrew and Dr. Gray maintain their rigid and unyielding nature until it is almost too late.

I like how The Jane Austen Society pays homage to the genius author by incorporating 3 of 6 of her books into the characters of Adam, Mimi, Adeline, Dr. Gray, Andrew, and super passive Francis. Moreover, it takes place in Chawton, Hampshire, where the Great House as the backdrop. The environment does not appear to change much since Austen’s time.

I can see this novel turning into a movie.

‘The Jane Austin Society,’ is written in a similar mannerism as a Jane Austin novel. If you are unsure if you like Jane Austin's novels, you may have liked "Clueless" or "Bridget Jones' Diary," which were modern-day movies based on Jane Austin's novels. The Jane Austin Society was created by a group of local townspeople, to keep the legend of Jane Austin alive in the small town of Chawton, Hampshire. As you read the story, you will eventually learn there is an underlining purpose to the creation of the Jane Austin society. The eight members of the Jane Austin Society are (1) Adam Berwick: the creator of the Jane Austin Society, ironically a quiet and shy handyman that lives in a small cottage in Chawton with his aging mother. (2) Mimi Harrison: a famous Hollywood movie star, whose age is making her more of a Hollywood Legendary, therefore, Mimi escapes to Chawton. (3) Frances Knight: has hidden her whole life behind the walls of the Knight’s mansion. (4) Andrew Forrester: the town’s lawyer, who is intricately intertwined with the Knight family. (5) Evie Stone: the fourteen-year-old chambermaid, who is wise beyond her years. (6) Adeline Grover: a former school teacher, who recently lost both her husband and daughter in the small year. (7) Dr. Gray: the town’s doctor that copes with his wife’s death by taking prescription drugs. (8) Yardley: Mimi’s best friend and solicitor, who becomes a critical member of the Jane Austin society. Other relevant characters are Colin Knatchbull-Hugesson, the heir to the Jane Austin estate. James Knight, the France Knight’s father, a cruel and bitter man. Jack Leonard, Mimi’s finance, a Hollywood producer who would sell his mother to the highest bidder. ‘The Jane Austin Society,’ is a beautiful homage to the late Jane Austin.

A fun, heartwarming story about life in a small town that is perfect for a cold snowy day in front of the fireplace (or a warm sunny beach:) Something about this book and some of its characters reminded me of It's a Wonderful Life - it's a completely different story but it still made me think of that movie. It might be most enjoyable to those who have read Jane Austen's books and have a strong grasp of her characters but even without any prior knowledge of Jane Austen I think this story can stand on its own.

It's a bit confusing in the first few chapters; I was having difficulty following the different characters and timelines but if you keep reading it will all come together and make sense and it will have been well worth your time.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I found this book to be very interesting and captivating. I asked to get an advanced copy because I am a Jane Austen fan, but even those who are not fans of her would enjoy it, I believe, as it mainly centres on the lives of the people in the town of Chawton. It definitely had a lot of similarities to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, but not in a bad way at all. My only "complaint" is that a letter was talked about often that one of the characters had found and was written by Jane Austen. As far as I can remember, the contents of the letter were never shared, which was disappointing. Maybe I missed it and it was in there, but to have them allude to this letter and talk about how important it was, only to have it not written out at all (even at the very end of the book as an Epilogue or something) was frustrating. Otherwise I found it very charming and a diverting read.

I simply could not have enjoyed this book more. It’s not a book to be read quickly, but instead one to savor and read slowly with a cup of hot tea in front of a fire. The author’s passion for Austen shines through in the entire novel.

I enjoyed seeing how a group of people in a small English village (and a Hollywood movie star no less) come together over their shared love of Jane Austen to try and save and promote her connection to their village. Not only did I love seeing how Austen affected each of their own lives and how healing her works can be in personal tragedy, I loved seeing the dawning awareness that Jane Austen didn’t just belong to them but to the world. They began embracing the responsibility of that so completely.

I cannot wait to see what this author writes next. This book evoked the feel of reading an Austen novel, and I enjoyed getting to know each character in it. Lovely writing, excellently written characters, and a unique plot make this book one that I think will be very popular once it’s publication date arrives.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for my free digital copy.

Taking place after WWII, eight very different people join together to honor Jane Austen in Chawton where she lived for a time. It's a heartwarming story about love, grief and literature. It would be perfect for those who loved Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society as well as those who like Jennifer Ryan.

The Jane Austen Society is a fictionalized account of a group of people coming together to preserve the legacy of one of the world's greatest authors, Jane Austen. The story centers on the formation of a band of unlikely cohorts and their intertwined relationships. Old histories between the villagers is revealed and we watch and anticipate resolutions. One of the members has ties to old Hollywood and we see that cutthroat maneuvering took place then as now. Everyone struggles with life: grief, disappointment, rejection and fear. Their new joint mission provides opportunities for healing and rebirth. That is exactly what a good story gives us.
That being said, I felt a little let down by some of the storylines. The author does a fine job of drawing the characters and their conflicts, but seems to rush through the resolutions. The author also did an incredible job of research and she quotes liberally from Austen's books. However, I struggled to stay interested and was ready for the book to end. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable about Austen would feel differently, but I'm sad to say that while I was very excited to read this book, I ended up liking it, not loving it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Fans of Jane Austen's books might well enjoy this story about a group of second world war townsfolk who unite to preserve the small home and monuments that drew many visitors to the small town of Chawton, Jane Austen's final resting place.

I could see elements of Austen's stories played out in this novel. Bits and pieces of the plots of Emma, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice - all lent a hand in developing a few of the several characters' story lines. As I said at the outset, fans of Jane Austen's works might enjoy this decently written walk down memory lane. Many of the characters did not come across as real to me. I felt distanced from them because they were a bit one-dimensional. A fair amount of showing and not telling also was to blame for this, I think. For these reasons, I rate this a 3.5 out of 5.

Charming from the first sentence to the last! A captivating portrait of a town and a little cluster of wonderfully evoked characters enjoined in a mission to preserve something precious. No fan of Guernsey Potato Peel Society--or of Jane Austen--should miss this read.

Although a bit predictable, I really enjoyed The Jane Austen Society. Will write more later, but would definitely recommend!

A delightful book. Austin fans and anyone looking for a delicious read will adore Jenner's story. Other than the modern language, Austin could have written this herself.

*4.5 stars

If you adore Jane Austen, and quiet novels about life than this is perfect for you. This take place during WWII and shortly after, in one of the last places that Jane Austen lived, Chawton, England. You have a motley crew of characters: an American actress, a doctor, a lawyer, a teenage girl, a teacher, a shy field worker, and even a descendant of Jane's. They are all of different ages, wealth, some grieve, some are too shy, and some have big ideas, but they all have one thing in common: they love Jane Austen. They all want to keep her memory and works alive so they come together to forge The Jane Austen Society. You get conversations about Jane's stories, about the different ways of dealing with grief, about everyday conversations that happen in a small town, and maybe even some romance. I really enjoyed this story and the characters. All it does is feed into my love of Austen and desperately wanting to go England.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Exquisitely written historical fiction novel. The Jane Austen Society is a fictionalized account of the formation of the society by the same name and the preservation of the legacy of Jane Austen in Chawton. The novel follows a series of deep and troubled characters through several decades in the early to mid 20th century as they navigate the trials and tribulations of their lives while living in collective awe of their town's most famous former resident, Jane Austen. The lives of these seemingly disparate characters are intertwined by a love of all things Austen and they come together as if drawn, like moths to a flame, to preserve her legacy. The novel has a satisfying ending and will delight Jane Austen fans with the many references to her work. I could see this novel being incorporated into courses on historical fiction and/or Jane Austen.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for my honest review.

What a totally enjoyable read! Captivating characters, likable characters, beautiful setting that you can envision while reading. The Jane Austin Society has motivated me to now reread Jane Austin’s books. The references, throughout the novel, are so interestingly and intricately woven, into the lives of the characters. A pleasure to read such a well written and absorbing novel. I just loved it! Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.