I requested this book ten years ago, and am no longer interested in reading. Thank you for the opportunity.

Ten years ago I received a copy of this book and interviewed Syrie James, the author. I loved the book and discussed Syrie's reason for writing the book and how she was able to "talk" like Jane Austen.. Not only was the plot original at that time, but I felt immersed in Austen's live. Most books I receive from publishers for review, I share most books I receive from publishers with my blog readers to free up shelf space, but I have kept this one. That's how much I like it.

It's hard to undertake the style of Jane Austen, and I wish authors would stop trying. I wanted to love this, as I've loved other works by Syrie James but this one just didn't grab me and keep me interested. Syrie also sounds nothing like Jane Austen, so this was a disappointment in that regard.

while I didn't enjoy this as much as Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte, I believe that is borne of my personal preference of Bronte over Austen. James does well at presenting her obvious knowledge and passion for Austen while never letting the book slip into far fetched or unbelievable territory. She respects her muse and she presents her well.

"The minute I saw the letter, I knew it was hers. There was no mistaking it: the salutation, the tiny, precise handwriting, the date, the content itself, all confirmed its ancient status and authorship…

Samantha McDonough cannot believe her eyes--or her luck. Tucked in an uncut page of a two-hundred-year old poetry book is a letter she believes was written by Jane Austen, mentioning with regret a manuscript that "went missing at Greenbriar in Devonshire." Could there really be an undiscovered Jane Austen novel waiting to be found? Could anyone resist the temptation to go looking for it?

Making her way to the beautiful, centuries-old Greenbriar estate, Samantha finds it no easy task to sell its owner, the handsome yet uncompromising Anthony Whitaker, on her wild idea of searching for a lost Austen work--until she mentions its possible million dollar value.

After discovering the unattributed manuscript, Samantha and Anthony are immediately absorbed in the story of Rebecca Stanhope, daughter of a small town rector, who is about to encounter some bittersweet truths about life and love. As they continue to read the newly discovered tale from the past, a new one unfolds in the present--a story that just might change both of their lives forever."

Syrie James had some success with her Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte lost memoirs, and here she is, hopefully back in stride with those.