This is my first time reading anything in author Shannon Hale’s Austenland series, but it totally appeals to the Jane Austen obsessed nerd in me. The people in this book go on vacation to a historic estate in the English countryside, and proceed to dress up and act like people from… well, a Jane Austen novel, of course! All I could think when I started this book, was how much I would freaking LOVE to actually do that. This is the second book in the series, but this book can be read as a stand alone without any confusion.
Publisher Description: “When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests’ Austen fantasies.
Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn’t sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside’s mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte’s heart be a sign of real-life love?
The follow-up to reader favorite Austenland provides the same perfectly plotted pleasures, with a feisty new heroine, plenty of fresh and frightening twists, and the possibility of a romance that might just go beyond the proper bounds of Austen’s world. How could it not turn out right in the end?”
This is a cute light read. Total chick lit. The whodunnit murder mystery was a little over the top. If you read this style, you know that is pretty typical. Charlotte’s unexpected romance, was sweet and nice, but honestly, it didn’t do a lot for me. Truthfully, for me the appeal of the story was the whole Austenland experience, because as I stated before, I am a huge Jane Austen nerd. I was reading this book and daydreaming dragging my husband to England for a similar vacation experience for the sole purpose of escaping from formal “balls” to have assignations in the garden. So in that respect it was fun to read about Charlotte’s assignations, and watch her come into her own as she tries to catch a killer. If you are a fan of all things Austen, this is worth a read.