Unfortunately I think I was the wrong audience for this book. I'm a big fan of Jane Austen and love learning about the history of how people lived in different times, so I thought that this book with a botany focus would be a great fit for me. Unfortunately, I think that this book is better as an object than as something to read.

The book is divided into sections, beginning with a lot of info about Austen, and then context, informations, and activities for flora that would be found in various locations in regency life, with quotes from Austen to contextualize the choices of plants that are included. Unfortunately, though there were many illustrations, most of the entries didn't have corresponding illustrations, and some of the illustrations didn't obviously correspond to a specific entry. The plants were often a very incidental part of the quotations referenced, and the author reuses one of the quotes (to talk about two different plants that are both referenced) without acknowledging that it was something we had seen before.

The transitions between information to activities within sections also didn't make a ton of sense. They came in different orders in different sections and I couldn't figure out why they were ordered as they were. My favorite part was the glossary at the end where the author defined common garden terms of the regency era and there were a lot of illustrations to explain what the terms meant.

I was reading a digital copy of the book so I can't speak to the physical experience, but based on other reviews and the attractive illustrations, I do think this is likely a nice book for a gardener who likes to read to keep on a coffee table to be flipped through, but I do not recommend it to be read as a text.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing for the advance review copy.

this was such a beautiful/cozy read!!! I love every single thing about this book!! the colors, the language used, the art style, the topics, the fonts, literally every single thing!!! which wasn't expected to be honest as I don't love Jane Austen's books that much. If you love plants, cozy slow-paced books, Jane Austen, and Illustrated books, you'll definitely love this!

An adorable illustrated coffee table book! It would make the perfect gift for lovers of florals, Jane Austen, or both. While taking you through the history of horticulture in the Regency era and the many references to foliage in Austen's books, you can also expect to find a variety of garden-esque crafts to help transport you to Southampton, Bath, or Chawton. Though some of the crafts are a bit less practical, and you may not feel enticed to read the entire book in one sitting, it's a great display piece. One that you can return to for a little bit of English-countryside joy whenever you wish.

The pictures are beautiful and I am going to love having this as I read through Emma this month. I also really love the projects. Perfect for a person who loves gardening, reading and Jane Austen. When this comes out, I might have to get a physical copy because it’s so gorgeous!

This is a well-researched, carefully written, and beautifully illustrated book of the gardens in Jane Austen novels. This would make an excellent gift for a Jane Austen fan or a gardener alike. The instructionals and recipes are fabulous. The book even includes a recipe for homemade sloe gin.

If you like Jane Austen, gardens, flowers, and bringing the 3 together, then this book is definitely for you.

A unique, stunningly-illustrated feast for the eyes and an amazingly well-researched, fascinating, and organized horticultural compendium. Austen fans will wallow delightfully through the pages of Molly Williams' loving ode to Jane.

Whether presenting brief histories of shrubs, trees, and fruit mentioned in Austen's works or chronicling where the plants shown were originally cited, it's all here—plus a whole lot more. For crafters and gardeners, there are multiple, detailed instructions for "cultivating" Jane—shaping a topiary, creating pomanders, growing potatoes in grow bags or strawberries in baskets—for starters. A helpful glossary appears in the back of the book. Did we say the illustrations are stunning?

Even if you're neither an Austen fan nor a gardener, the sheer beauty of this book will make it a cherished addition to your library. Five stars.

This was a delightful way to spend a lazy Wednesday. Part trivia, part history, part instructional, this book is a great way to get some bite sized bits of knowledge about the natural world Jane Austen lived in. The illustrations are lovely and there are more than a few I would love to have framed.

I am a big Jane Austen fan and I absolutely adored this book!! The illustrations, the details, and of course the information about plants and gardening was not only fascinating but captivating.