This is a story of “a country doctor, an old maid, a schoolmarm, a bachelor farmer, a fey auctioneer, a conflict-averse solicitor, a scullery maid, and one Hollywood movie star.” Each one has a story of their own, a love for Jane Austen and a life shaped by pain and loss. Together they eventually form The Jane Austen Society to help preserve the life and writings of this iconic author. The setting is post WWII in a quaint village of Chawton, England. This is a charming book for any Jane Austen fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin Press for my copy.

I throughly enjoyed the debut novel by Natalie Jenner. Her characters were engaging and her descriptions are so vivid that you can picture each scene playing out in front of you as you read. As a longtime fan of Jane Austen, I truly believe that Natalie has done her memory justice, and has created an engage story that will be appreciated by all fans of Austen. This is a must read book, and will be on my list of summer reading recommendations for my readers on The Avid Pen.

A group of people get together by design in their pursuit of preserving and honouring Austen’s legacy. The life observations are keenly felt.

Some conventional Austenesque pairings are cleverly done, an unconventional one is my favourite however this by no means make it a historical romance. I really enjoyed the discussions of Austen characters by the protagonists, their different takes added perspective to my understanding of the beloved ones, whether main or secondary.

This is Austen nirvana.

Such a perfect little book with interesting characters who have little to do with each other than they adore their village, Chawton, Hampshire and its most important resident of yore, Jane Austen. It is really a book within a book because what if anything are the characters doing but paying homage to their heroine by living their lives “one step ahead of the characters and one step behind Austen”. The reader is reminded that writers like Austen and the Bronte Sister are meant to be read and reread and read once again. There is always something to be discovered, a parsing of a sentence, a thought, an emotion.

I loved this book with its devotion to its time, all things Jane Austen, and so much “thwarted energy” between the pages and among the characters. I find it so hard to believe that the author had such difficulty bringing this book into the public purview and hope it encourages others with Ms. Jenner’s love of subject and ability to convey that love to never give up.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of Natalie Jenner’s debut novel.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

I cannot express in enough words how much I adored this novel and made me love Jane Austen even more and certainly made me want to binge some Jane Austen!

This beautiful novel spans a great many years focusing on the small town of Chawton, where 150 years ago this was the final home of Jane Austen. Now, the regal home of Jane Austen has been passed down through various family members and is slowly becoming more and more dilapidated. With the last bit of the beautiful Austen thread seeming to wear away, a group of unexpected people become friends and allies in the pursuit to save her legacy; and in the process, they may even save themselves.

Such a beautiful and uplifting story of small town folks who may know of each other, but were never really friends and then a few strangers thrown in the mix, and in the end become a family. If you loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society then you will also adore this novel. This has seriously reinvigorated my love for this author and her novels that even today speak volumes about the strength of women and being able to be strong and live a good life without losing their spirit. I adored this and cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next.

This was a little slow for my taste. Austen fans will appreciate all the book references but other than that - it was just ok. This book has gotten rave reviews so perhaps I missed something - if you are a fan of Jane Austen, give it a try because you may love it.

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3.5 stars for charming historical fiction with enough Jane talk to help sustain a fan's interest and enough character-driven development to please readers of post-war period pieces. The little village of Chawton and the estate there (where resides the last of Jane Austen's relatives) are beautifully drawn, and the book is populated with a slightly quirky cast of characters brought together by village life, their love of Austen's writing, and their increasingly urgent need to help preserve something of her history there. I think the blurbs are correct that fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society would be pleased with this one as well. ⁣
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I felt like there were some pacing issues — the first half in particular progressed very slowly for me — and some realistic dialogue that was just a shade too realistic, tipping into vague at times. It was occasionally like listening from the next room and missing some of those important nonverbal elements that flesh out a full understanding of what's being said. ⁣
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Overall, though, an interesting premise and angle, solid writing, and an enjoyable read.
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Content notes: substance use, addiction, grief, loss of baby, sexual assualt⁣
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While this book moved pretty slowly for me, it was a very good and intriguing story that mirrors a few of Austen's favorite plot elements.

I appreciated how well the story resolved, and the characters were believable and ring true.

Recommended for Austen fans.

Thank you to St. Martin's press and Netgalley for the complimentary review copy of The Jane Society. All opinions are my own.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is a fun fictional account of the beginning of the Jane Austen Society. The author combines factual places and fictional characters to create a story of friendship through a common interest. All of the characters are pretty much loners and most have always lived in the same town. They come together in order to preserve Jane Austen's books and memorabilia for future fans.

This is a very enjoyable and fun historical fiction that Austen fans should most definitely read. The characters each have their own problems but they are all passionate about Jane Austen. The book is about friendships and bonds. Some are old and some are new but everyone finds something they didn't even know they were missing.

General Fiction (Adult)
Historical Fiction
Release Date: May 26, 2020

I tried with this book, I really did. But I could not make myself enjoy it. It felt really flat and bland. I couldn’t attach to the characters. And while well meaning, I just couldn’t get into it.

In post-war England, a mélange of people are brought together by a shared love of Jane Austen.

It’s no secret that I love Jane Austen. Like so many others, she is one of my favorite authors and rereading her stories and finding new books about her is a comfort for me. I also love reading about post-war England. So I was immediately drawn to The Jane Austen Society.

I think the overall theme of this novel is how books bring us together. How they can change our lives. The power of literature, in that it can carry us through hard times and help us to learn more about ourselves. It was entrancing to see the way Jane Austen’s stories helped to forge friendships between the people who eventually became this novel’s version of the Jane Austen Society. Each were very different people, yet they all shared a deep love for this timeless author and it brought them together. It gave them a community at a time when they all needed it most.

Sitting there on the bench together, with no one else to confide in, Dr. Gray and Adeline felt a strange connection through these books.

That there might be a place where people were not constantly competing against each other for their very sustenance, but were instead helping each other survive through war and injury and poverty and pain, seemed as much something out of a Jane Austen as anything else she could have hoped to find.

That’s why she lasts, like Shakespeare. It’s all there, all of life, all the stuff that counts, and keeps counting, all the way to here, to you.

My only complaint is there were a few risqué moments, mainly between Mimi and Jack, and with these same two characters there was some language. These parts were small and sparse enough that I was able to overlook them and still enjoy the novel. If it hadn’t been for these things, this would have been a 5 star read for me.

Janeites, you must read this book. It’s not only a love letter to an author we all love so dearly, but it displays the resiliency of the human spirit beautifully. Right now, we could use that more than ever.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

What a delightful read this was and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story begins in Chawton, Hampshire in 1932 and go to 1947. Chawton is the home of author Jane Austen and the locals fuss because tourists come to try and get a look at where she lived and wrote her novels. The characters in this book all have had tragedies and problems in their lives but they are all drawn together because they all love reading and especially reading Jane Austen books. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this wonderful story that I had a hard time putting down. I have never read Jane Austen's books but I have several on my list now.

3.5 Stars.

Natalie Jenner really outdid herself with this novel. Her writing style genuinely reminded me of Jane Austen and at times, I found myself forgetting that it wasn’t an Austen written book (as silly as that may sound). This in itself is no small feat.

While I did find the storyline cute and lovely, I felt that it could have used a little more of a complex plot line.

I am a founding member of a book club and I may choose this to be a future selection because I believe it would be very well received in our group.

Source: I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

I am not sure where the story is going at first but everything fell into place and so The Jane Austen Society is formed. The men and women in the society have varied life experiences that led them to reading Austen’s books. One thing I love about this book are the conversations and arguments about Austen’s books and characters. They talked a lot about Pride and Prejudice and Emma. It was written in dialogues that makes me want to be there to discuss it.
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Though it is a historical fiction, there are some things in the story that are more apt for contemporary books. I like Frances Knight and Evie Stone's characters. They don’t talk much but their actions speak of knowledge and awareness of what’s going on.
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Jane Austen fans will surely enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Natalie Jenner, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book!

I love all things Jane Austen, I requested this book for the sole reason that Jane Austen is in the title. The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is a book that takes place during World War II in England in the village called Chawton which is known as the last home of Jane Austen. The Chawton Estate is owned by Jane Austen’s distant relatives and it is hitting hard economic times. Those who love and appreciate Jane Austen want to see her legacy, home and works preserved. So the people in the village come together to form a society to share and protect the words of Jane Austen.

This is such a sweet story. I can see it being a heartwarming movie. There are some emotional moments and those who read this book may want to be aware of sexual assault, child loss, and suicide triggers. The characters all go through hardships and lean on Jane Austen’s works to help them get through. My favorites were Dr. Gray and Adeline Lewis. They go through some of the most heart-wrenching experiences but still strive to help those around them.

The only issue I had with the story is that it has such a slow start. I was 38% into the book before it starts to pick up. Then the ending seemed to wrap up way too quickly. If the beginning was adjusted a bit, and the ending paced a bit better, this book would have received a perfect score. The storyline and the characters are so tender and heartwarming! I definitely recommend if you love all things Austen! I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is a charming book about a community that forms in a small English village where Jane Austen used to live. This community includes a laborer, an actress, and a doctors among others trying to preserve Jane Austen's property and further enhance her legacy. As a big Jane Austen fan, I was so excited to read this book.

This book is told from each of the different society members different POVs. While I liked getting to learning more about each individual character, I had certain favorite characters. I was most interested by Adeline and Frances' characters. The 1940's setting was also fascinating to read about and learning about the world following WWII really added to the story.

This was a wholesome, quick read for Jane Austen fans but also easy to understand for those who haven't read Jane Austen yet.

What I Didn’t Like:
-Show vs Tell. This one suffers from a lot of telling you what people are feeling or thinking instead of showing you in a way that lets you feel or experience it with them. The result is a rather dry book that feels slow.
-Boring characters. I wasn’t connected to any of these characters and didn’t feel anything for them. This made the romance subplots fall flat for me and kept me from becoming invested.
-Rehashing the books. I knew to expect a little Jane Austen fangirling in this one (hello, the title gave that away) but I didn’t feel like we needed the constant rehashing and discussing of the main characters. It’s cute once or twice but then it gets old.

What I Did Like:
-There is a small discussion about the way books used to be published. That was cool. It actually made me want to read something historic about publishing books in the 1800s.
-Setting. This one is set in Chawton, Hampshire, England in (mostly) 1945. The author did a good job presenting the setting and making it sound like a beautiful place.
-Theme. There are attempts at a message of “anyone can read anything” in this one. I LOVE that message. There are a few characters in this one who are Austen fans despite not feeling like they were her “intended” audience.

Who Should Read This One:
-Readers who adore Jane Austen and want to read a book about other Jane Austen lovers.

My Rating: 2 Stars. I’m not the world’s biggest Austen fan and this book was too problematic for me.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is a wonderful and heartwarming story. The vast majority of the story takes place in Chawton, Hampshire, Great Britain in the 1940’s. This is the village where Jane Austen spent time writing some of her very famous books. This is the type of village where everyone knows everyone, as well as, everyone’s business. It is a microcosm of society during the 1940’s after WWII. I would say that perhaps living in Chawton was like living in a goldfish bowl. So wisely and craftily is this author that the story feels like it mirrors a world that Jane Austen depicted so perfectly.

In Ms. Jenner’s story you will meet several families who live in this microcosm in addition to a Hollywood movie star who adores Jane Austen and want to play one of her characters on screen. The characters share an immense adoration of Jane Austen and who embrace their passion for her writing and form a literary society in her memory. The Jane Austen Society is an uplifting tribute to Jane Austen.

While this would be considered an historical romance novel I promised you it is not full of flirtations, trash or steamy sex. The feel of romance harkens back to Ms. Austen’s day. This is truly a story about love and of wanting to be loved. It also encompasses another selfless type of love in which loving others to the point of wanting what is best for them, even if it isn't for you. It is about understanding what deeply makes another person happy and understanding and appreciating their unique traits rather than their superfluous characteristics that others use to define them.

The writing was wonderful and impressive. Ms. Jenner is supremely talented in transporting the reader to a much simpler time. Each character is uniquely developed and you feel like you know them all. You find yourself cheering them on! This story pays tribute, a worthy one, to which I congratulate the author on her achievement. It is very well written and allows the reader to escape to a forgotten era which upon reflection would do the world good about now. I recommend this book highly and in true Austen style you will be supremely rewarded. Well Done!

Light, character driven, historical, beach read. The characters are pretty stock and nothing unexpected happens. The location of Chawton and much discussion amongst the characters of Austen's books were highlights.

***I received this book as an ARC on Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

I have heard a lot about this book in my reading groups and was anxious to get my hands on it and I was not disappointed.

The story is based in Chawton, England, and delves into the lives of several members of that community who are Jane Austen aficionados. A small group begins the Jane Austen Society in the hopes of putting together a small museum which tourists can visit and learn a little about Austen and her life. Throughout the story, there is plenty of background given on the characters that ultimately ties into Austen characters and the way people feel about them. There is genuine happiness at the way the story ends that it makes you want to know how their lives continue.