The Austen Escape was a fun book. I found it charming and a little whimsical. I didn't like it as much as Dear Mr. Knightly, but it was still a good one. Main character Mary, of Austin, Texas, reluctantly goes to stay in a manor house in Bath for two weeks with her until now estranged childhood friend, Isobel. Isobel loses her memory and believes she is really in Regency England. What follows is a fun romp with never a dull moment. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Ever have a novel just leave you feeling wow??? this is the second novel I've read by Katherine and again I'm in awe!! I read her first one cause it was sent to me from a book review site...but this time it was all my choice to review it.
I love that even though its a contemporary novel Jane Austen is woven through out it. I'm gonna admit something...I've only actually read pride and prejudice(maybe 4-5 times....but still) I've watched a couple movie adaptations of a couple other of Jane's books but haven't actually read them. So I didn't know all the characters mentioned as well as I probably should have. That being said I was able to follow the story(even when they were on their get away and being characters from different novels)
This really was a great book definitely recommend others reading it!

I received a copy of this from the publisher, all opinions are my own

I honestly could tell by the writing of the first 2 chapters that it wouldn't be a good fit for our box and had to put it down. I may read it again in the future!

I am a Janeite, so I hold any book that claims to have anything to do with Jane Austen or her books to a pretty high standard. The Austen Escape was a true delight to me. Although the book reminded me a little of Shannon Hale's Austenland, this book is nothing like that one. On the surface, the book seems to be about outgrowing childhood friendships and Mary trying to decide who she really is. But the book goes much deeper than that. It started off a little slow for me, but then I found it impossible to put down. I will definitely be reading more of Reay's work.

This book was an awesome way to start the New Year. I absolutely loved it, and I'm not sure I will be able to explain all the reasons why but I will for sure give it a go.

I have a weird thing when it comes to engineering and seriously admire those who do it. I feel this way because I don't have the brain for it and what they do is kind of akin to magic to me so this was perfect for me.

Mary Davies is so awkward when it comes to realizing what is going on right in front of her, and to be honest I am much the same. Some days I wouldn't see a naked human if they danced in front of me wearing a party hat. She would probably notice that, but rather awkwardly. The guy likes you, girl. Get on it. 

Regency England. The Bath area remains one of my favourite places to this day and I haven't been there since I was 18 years old, and have been many places since. Twelve years later and I'm still as in love with that area and Austen, and Austen-esque romances as I ever have been. This book brings to life that setting and that time, and all the complications that could come with it, but none of the inconveniences. 

I want to go to a place like this, that allows you to experience those novels and that time, hopefully with less drama. But god, the drama in this book was utterly delicious, as was the bit of scandal.

Also, I never see anything wrong with someone finding their backbone and growing as a character, which this novel has in spades. I will definitely be looking into more of Katherine Reay's writing as this was wonderful.

Mary Davies is crazy intelligent and intensely focused yet endearingly insecure. Mary's patience and compassion are her greatest virtues and especially when it comes to spending an extended period of time with her friend Isabel (bless her heart). She has a bit of a workaholic streak so joining Isabel for a literary escape is just what she needs to step back, refresh, and reevaluate.

Oh, the shenanigans! Y'all are going to love the variety of secondary characters in Mary's workplace and her fellow literary escapees. Readers don't need to be Austenites to enjoy this story (especially with the handy starter guide provided) but I would imagine those who are mega fans of Jane Austen will especially appreciate the many references.

This book is going on my all-time favorites shelf. I highly recommend this story!

I requested the opportunity to read this book through the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.

DNF i should not have requested this, sorry netgalley. thanks anyway. i did not enjoy this author's other books, though her titles, covers and blurbs always suck me in - they simply do not deliver for me. something is missing. i don't like her writing and i don't like the religious aspects. i do not know if this book is better in that regard, i just couldn't get into it and gave up after a few chapters. sorry.

Liked the use of lots of Austen elements in the story; it wasn't a retelling of any of her stories but the characters all had traits of different Austen characters. Also, it highlighted Bath as a location very well and I liked how the contrast of Bath and Texas played as the backdrop for the sometimes complicated relationships playing out in the plot.

I love Jane Austen's novels and mixed with a bit of modern thinking and humor, I had high hopes for this book. Luckily, my expectations were met!

Katherine Reay is one of my favorite authors, and, mixed with Jane Austen, is an absolute delight! While this one isnt my favorite of hers, I really enjoyed the references to Austen's novels and the character development.
I would definitely recommend!

DNF @33%
I'm not rating this book because I haven't finished it.
I believe this read wasn't for me. I'm a huge fan of Jane Austen so it pains me but this is too slow. I first stopped at 5% into the book because I wasn't hooked. Weeks later I picked it up again, determined to get through with it and I stopped at 14% because nothing really happens. I picked it back up again because I read reviews that says the beginning is slow but it starts getting interesting after. Now 33% in and I can't continue. I feel like the story is not for me. I enjoy the references to Jane Austen's books, and I get that it deals with relationships, between friends and parents and I guess Mary's character is interesting in how she learns about herself during this first part. I like her. But there are too many unnecessary details and it's spoiling the read for me.
Maybe I'll pick it back up later but for now I can't. I tried but really can't. It's just not a story for me, or maybe just not at this time. I know I won't enjoy it right now.

I am a huge Austen fan and was looking forward to "escaping" into this book, but it all felt a little clumsy and a lot too unrealistic for me. Despite this I'm a fan of Reay and hope her next book is an original story that has nothing to do with Austen.

a fun journey through the world of Jane Austen
I'm thinking the reason why it took me so long to read this book ... but I know : it was that I took the book for the title and when I read the synopsis I saw that it had a certain love triangle, but think about a repentance, I should have left my prejudice about love triangles and get delighted with the plot .... What a wonderful and beautifully constructed book, clearly presenting all the research care the writer had.
In this delightful chicklit, Katherine Reay presents characters very well characterized with a light and fun story about trust, self-confidence, fighting for what you want and love, l only didn’t like Isabel and her selfish behavior.
Nathan is an enchanted prince, sweet and gentle and I loved how he knew how to dialogue and present his ideas in the end. I loved the Jane Austen quotes used in the scenes that were all about, I loved the walks in the Jane Austen scenery and I really loved the presentation part of each character at the beginning of the book.
A different book from everything I've read and surprising.
I only missed an epilogue with a little more of the characters.

When Mary Davies is offered the chance to go to a luxurious Jane Austen escape in a manor house near Bath by her best friend Isabel, she is reluctant to leave. However, her father persuades her and she is having problems at work and with the man to whom she is attracted, so she seizes the opportunity after all.



Although the manor is beautiful and they like the other people, the 'sharp edges' of their friendship start to get in the way. Isabel's troubled childhood led Mary's parents to help her, and Mary has often felt jealous. She also envies Isabel's attraction for men. Isabel even reminds her of the vain, sly and amoral Isabella in Northanger Abbey - not an ideal person to have for a friend! During the holiday, she discovers even more about the real Isabel, leading her to re-examine her life, her values, and what is truly important.



This is a moving and charming love story, but although I loved the way that Katherine Reay cleverly references Jane Austen stories and uses Jane Austen quotes in the novel, I didn't like it as much as some of her other books. I am not sure whether I would read it again.



I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars - I really liked the concept and thought Ms. Reay did a good job of pulling the storyline off. Likeable characters and a nice setting made this an enjoyable read.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

A clean Austenesque romance. This book has some similarities of Austenland by Shannon Hale, but it takes a step further by immersing the reader, and not just in a surface Austen world of Regency. Very Enjoyable!

I'm a big fan of Pride and Prejudice and the world that Austen describes in her books in general, so this book was a lovely way to go back to that world and see it through the author's and our more modern eyes. I liked the main character and loved that she was an engineer and technical minded, which made her see the escape in Bath to Austen's world in a more prgamatic way to begin with but as she has to deal with unexpected incidents and people she realises that she could actually learn a lot from Austen and her writing, and apply them to her own life.
I really enjoyed the book, although there was a bit too much romance but the characters were actually quite sensible and realistic than I normally come across in fiction.. I would recommend this book as an easy read to an escape of your own and I look forward to seeing what else the author has written.

I’ve read and enjoyed all of Katherine Reay’s books, some more than others (isn’t that always the case?). I am an Austen fan, so I was looking forward to reading The Austen Escape. But after meeting Isabel and the other characters I suspect I’m less an Austen fan than someone who has read all her books a few times. “Fan” is apparently short for “fanatic”, and these characters are fanatics. They know their Austen.

But The Austen Escape will be fun even for those readers like me who can’t find an appropriate Austen quote for every situation. (I’ve even refused to even watch the Keira Knightley version of Pride & Prejudice, because no one can top Colin Firth’s Darcy). Once the characters arrive at Braithwaite House, they not only dress in Regency costumes but take on the identities of Austen’s characters.

This has the potential to get confusing. However, the novel starts with a useful summary of all the main Austen characters mentioned in the book—which I glossed over, and shouldn’t have. If I’d been reading a paper copy rather than a Kindle review copy, I’d probably have been flicking backwards and forwards to keep up. As it was, I also glossed over some of the identities the characters took on, and focused on Isabel and Mary.

Mary is an intelligent and competent woman, an engineer with a small start-up in Austin, Texas, designing I didn’t understand what (but it didn’t matter). I liked her passion for her work, and her quirks such as using electrical wire to tie her hair back. She’s facing conflict at work from a new boss who wants to professionalise and systematise her workplace. She doesn’t exactly jump at the offer of a two-week all-expenses-paid first-class trip to Bath, England, with her best friend, but she does agree to go.

The story lost impetus for me at this point. I’d enjoyed seeing Mary in her home environment, even with the conflict from her boss, and the not-conflict from her avoiding the consultant she had a crush on. But when they got to England, there were a couple of things which made me lose interest.

Isabel lost her memory (really, that’s a spoiler. But it’s in the book description so blame them, not me), Mary receives a phone call, and the story picked up again … and kept going full tilt until the finish. I loved the end—so much I read those last few chapters three times. The end definitely made up for the middle, and it had all the aww! factor required for a romance.

I enjoyed visiting Bath through Mary’s eyes—she didn’t have the parking problems or the disinterested husband I had when I visited. Mary also didn’t have the jetlag most of us experience after trans-Atlantic flights.

One maybe-complaint is that The Austen Escape is published by Thomas Nelson, so some readers may pick it up expecting Christian fiction. It isn’t. I didn’t notice as I was reading, but there was no faith aspect to the story—something which in hindsight seems odd, as Austen was a minister’s daughter and church played a major role in the lives of several of her characters.

On the other hand, Austen was never overt about her faith in the way many readers expect of modern Christian authors. In this way, Reay reflects Austen, and I’m sure many readers will see that as a good thing.

Overall, recommended for Austen fans and Katherine Reay fans. That should pretty much cover most people. Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Engineer Mary Davies is having a difficult year. She loves her work, designing new tech at a young startup in Austin, Texas, but her new boss's demands are stifling her creativity. Her favorite project got cancelled, she's worried about getting fired, and her crush seems to be going nowhere. And then, at the worst point--or is it just in the nick of time?--her father encourages her to take her friend Isabel up on her offer of a trip to England. 

Isabel is trying to finish her doctoral thesis on Jane Austen and has planned a two-week trip to Bath and an immersive Austen experience. While Isabel and Mary were at one point as close as sisters, they have grown apart as they grew older, and Isabel wants to try to make things right. But soon after they arrive in Bath and begin their Regency experience, she becomes dissociative and truly believes that she is living in the time of Jane Austen. Her pain and fear takes her over, and it's like her recent memories were wiped out. Mary is left in a foreign country to try to take care of her friend as best she can. Although everyone else in the experience are helping as much as possible, it is up to Mary alone to break through to Isabel and bring her back to reality. 

Katherine Reay is known for her love of classic literature. Her previous novels--Lizzy and Jane, Dear Mr. Knightley, The Bronte Plot, and to a lesser extent The Portrait of Emily Price--refer heavily to many classic British novels. The Austen Escape clearly plays on her love of Jane Austen, referring to characters and plots of several Austen novels and films. It's not necessary to have read all of Austen's book to enjoy this novel, or even to have read any of them. Although I can't promise you won't be grabbing up some of Jane's best works when you've finished. 

One thing I particularly enjoyed in this is the description of the English countryside and Bath in specific. It's been many, many years since I got the chance to visit Bath, but everything she said about it reinforced my memories of the trip and made me want to go back for another visit. And even back then, after the start of the Jane Austen Renaissance but before its height, Jane Austen was a popular selling point to the tourists and a frequently dropped name. At the time I knew of her, of course, but I hadn't yet fallen in love with her work. It would be magical to go back and see it through her beautiful eyes now. 

Katherine Reay's The Austen Escape is a delightful diversion from day-to-day drudgery. It's fun and heartfelt and deals with the challenges of friendship and mental distress in a caring and compassionate way. I strongly recommend you read it with a cuppa, a warm blanket, some tasty snacks, and your best friend just a call or text away. You may need a hug when it's over. 



Galleys for The Austen Escape were provided by Thomas Nelson through NetGalley, with many thanks.