Liked this one so much I ordered a physical ARC from a friend for another friend! A very great book for those who enjoy Jane Austen, reading clubs, or light historical fiction.

This book is every bit as cozy and charming as the quaint English countryside town in which it’s set. The author’s love for Austen shines through brightly, and the passages in which her protagonists engage in lively literary debates about their favorite characters or the meaning behind certain plot lines were hands down the highlights of the novel for me.

I will say, though, there isn’t a ton that actually happens in this book. I usually wouldn’t mind that, but I found myself looking down and realizing I was 70% done and still waiting for it to feel like it had truly gotten started.

This is definitely one I think you have to be a serious Austen fan to enjoy, since both the dialogue and characterizations rely so heavily on references to her material…but if that’s you, I would recommend it as a fun and comforting novel that will almost certainly make you want to go reread your favorite(s)!

I received an advance reader's edition of "The Jane Austen Society" from the publisher. I hate to admit that I have never read a book by Jane Austen but I do know who she is. This debut novel by Natalie Jenner was a wonderful introduction to Jane Austen and the impact her books have on our literary history. It is about a group of villagers who took their love and passion for Austen's books and turned it into friendships and love and healing. Each of the characters had their own painful pasts but their mutual interest in preserving a part of Austen's legacy bring them together on a mission to establish a society and keep their village's collection of Austen treasures local.

Loved the book. People who loved the novels written by Jane Austen came from all walks of life - a young war widow, the doctor, the farmer, the movie star, a young servant, among others.

I am still thinking about different quotes by different characters in the novel with insights into the novels and characters created by Jane Austen.

Fans of the Jane Austen Book Club and the Guernesy Literary Potato Pie Society will love this novel.

Fans of Jane Austen revel in Natalie Jenner's #TheJaneAustenSociety. Marrying historic Chawton with Austen's background, her novels come to life. Perfect for Janeites or historical fiction readers, Jenner creates a society rooted in Jane's beloved Chawton. Cleverly crafting Austen's text to influence Jenner's characters, Jane's protagonists provide them instruction to living life.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early read in exchange for an honest review. As a former English major and admirer of the classics, I felt connected to the story. Most writers attempt a modern-day telling, historic encounter or depict the author's.work. Jenner's novel pens all three with humor, articulate prose and memorable characters.

I know what you’re probably thinking – another Jane Austen book? And normally I would agree. But The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is not just another Jane Austen tribute book, I promise.

The story begins in the early 1930s as fans of Austen’s work come from far and near to visit Chawton, her final home before her death. The townspeople accept these visitors as just another part of their life, albeit an at-times annoying one. The narration then jumps to 1945, after the war has ended. When the future of Chawton becomes threatened, a small group of locals, plus a Hollywood actress and an auctioneer, come together to save the estate and preserve Austen’s legacy.

The Jane Austen Society was not quite what I expected when I saw this book on NetGalley, but it was very charming, with the quaint English village as much a character as the ragtag group who spend hours discussing Austen’s books, comparing Emma to Lizzy and debating plot points of the books. I especially enjoyed the parts where they argue about Darcy. The language of the book is very reminiscent of Austen’s herself.

There is of course some romance but it’s not the focus of the book, and I would consider this a clean book with no sex scenes. Each of the characters is also dealing with their own issues – the farmer battling demons from the war, the widower country doctor who believes he will never love again, the young teacher whose life has not turned out the way she’d always dreamed. There’s also a plucky teenager who saves the day in an unexpected manner.

If you’re wondering if you need to have read all of Austen’s work to enjoy The Jane Austen Society, I would say the answer to that is not really. I have read Pride & Prejudice many times, and also really enjoyed Emma. I read Sense & Sensibility long enough ago that I remember very little of it, and I DNF’d Persuasion. There were some references I didn’t get, but it didn’t take away my enjoyment of this charming novel.

The Jane Austen Society is based on the true story of the townspeople who created the Jane Austen Society and the Jane Austen House Museum, which still stands today, though the characters are not based on anyone who really lived at that time, with a few exceptions noted in the Historical Note at the back of the book.

A wonderful read! This book definitely makes me want to travel to the village of Chawton.
A bit slow in the beginning but the pace definitely picked up. Written in typical Austen style, it felt familiar and easy to read.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this story.

I rate books on how they make me feel and how much do I think about the story when I'm not reading and long after I have finished the book.

I have kept thinking about the people of Chawton, their lives and even though I know they are all fictitious what happened to them after the book ended. Reading this book made me want to go to Chawton, to walk the lanes, look around the village, go to the church. I felt for these characters, I caught myself talking to them, while I was reading. To me that is the mark of a really good book!

I look forward to reading more books from this author, if she can draw me in again, to another village, to other lives, then she is a good writer!

Just after the Second World War, the residents of the sleepy village of Chawton seem to be languishing. When Adam suggests forming a society to preserve the final home of Jane Austen, he doesn't realize how a mutual love of Jane Austen will change the lives of the townspeople. While the initial chapters felt disconnected, once you get into the narrative, Jenner pulls you into a delightfully predictable story with a tidy happily-ever-after. I will admit, that even though I'm an Austen fan, I found the characters' endless discussion of her works to be rather tedious.

4.5 stars. What a wonderful read! Set just after World War II in the small town of Chawton, England (the final home of Jane Austen), a diverse group of characters — including a browbeat spinster, a widower physician, an American movie actress, a teacher and a farmhand — have one thing in common: a love for Jane Austen and the aspiration to save her home and legacy. To that end, they eventually band together to form The Jane Austen Society and work to save the remaining books and antiquities from the house where Austen last lived and to create a museum in her honor. Each of these characters, however, deals with his/her own private struggles, traumas, and misfortunes along the way.

Written in somewhat Austen’s own style (which I found to be extremely engaging and beautifully done), this novel is replete with many themes that stand out in Austen’s novels, particularly unrequited love. And, as in most of Austen’s works, the “ending” for each of the main characters is wholly satisfying, albeit fairly predictable. While it is not necessary that a reader love Austen to appreciate this novel, any Austen fan (or even one who is only somewhat familiar with her writings), should find this novel delightful. I found it completely charming and was utterly absorbed in every aspect of it!

I liked the cover and thought the summary sounded interesting. However, I'm not sure it met my expectations. The pace was slow, and I found myself skimming some parts of the book. Things picked up a bit as the story went on, but it was still hard to really engage and take an interest in the characters. In comparison to parts of the book, the ending felt rushed.

It was a tale about second chance, and if you're a huge fan of Jane Austen, you may well enjoy it., though some parts were quite predictable.

So wonderful!

From a debut author (out 5/26), a fictional reimagining of how the Jane Austen Society came about, filled with the stories of its 8 founding members.

While it started a bit slow, I was eventually swept up into the joys, the heartbreak and the everyday lives of these men and women who shared a deep love and respect for the writer. Some of their stories even reflect elements of Austen’s books.

Beautifully written with some surprises and a very satisfying ending. A real comfort read. Highly recommend.

A big thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is “about a group of people traumatized to varying degrees, who come together over their shared love of books and of Jane Austen in particular.” I had a hard time putting this one down after the first half of the book which wasn’t holding my interest too strongly. I’m glad I read it to the end though. By the half way point I was invested in the characters and wanted to know what became of them. You don’t have to like Austen to like this book but it certainly helps.

This book was a lovely way to pass quarantine time! Author Natalie Jenner spins a purely fictional origin story for the Jane Austen Memorial Trust, set (mostly) during and immediately after WWII. She gathers a small cast of Chawton village characters, with their lives, loves, and broken pasts, and draws them together through their love of Austen.

I don't imagine anyone would be picking this book up in the first place without being a serious Austen-o-holic, so the frequent discussions and allusions and quotes shouldn't bother the intended audience. My only objection was that, unlike in a live book club, I couldn't violently argue with readings I didn't agree with and could only resort to making objections in my Kindle notes! But for every disagreement I might have, I also benefited from some new reading insights. Very fun.

Like any Austen book, this one gets tied up with marriages and bows, but who minds that, even though Jenner takes her characters down significantly darker roads at times? Wave that Austen-y wand and even drug addiction and bloody deaths can be overcome. Works for me.

Thank you to the publisher for letting me review this galley!

NetGalley Arc | If you are looking for a sweet and timely read about love, community, perseverance, and preserving one's legacy, you'll enjoy The Jane Austen Society. This new May 2020 book release is perfect for Jane Austen fans and if you devoured The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

You can find my complete review on The Uncorked Librarian: https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com/may-2020-book-releases/

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Natalie Jenner’s debut novel is a charming story about the universal language of literature and how it connects us. It’s set in the small town of Chawton, England, which was the final home of iconic novelist Jane Austen, just after the second World War. I am a huge Jane Austen fan (I’ve read every one of her novels, some of them twice), so I delighted in the Austen family history tidbits as well as the references to Austen’s novels. One would probably have to be an Austen fan to truly appreciate this book, but I think that everyone can appreciate its themes. I’ve long believed that books can bring people together and help them process the sometimes-harsh realities of life, and The Jane Austen Society exemplifies this. The book features a diverse cast of characters who find a united front in their love for Austen’s novels and desire to keep her family history alive in their small town, among them a young war widow named Adeline Lewis and her physician Dr. Gray, who is beating himself up for not being able to save her baby. Obviously this book becomes a little heavy and bleak at times, but it is overall hopeful and emphasizes the strength and importance of human connection.

The Jane Austen society is a character-driven novel that shows how Austen’s work has affected people of all ages and all facts of life, including a film actress and a laborer. The alternating third-person points of view might be confusing for some people, but I liked being able to see into all of the characters’ heads and learn about their life stories and their personal connection to Austen’s novels. Historical fiction fans will be excited to see this book when it hits shelves on May 26th.

Do you know those books that you can’t wait to finish to see what happens but you also don’t want to finish because you have become attached to the characters? Well, this is one of those books! The characters in this story had such depth and even when they did things I didn’t like, I still loved the character.
This story is set in post WWII England where two World Wars have caused so much pain in everyones lives, but they live on and struggle to find their joy again. The town of Chawton is where Jane Austen spent her last years and the residents of this town are split into those who love Austen’s works and those who only see the inconvenience of tourists to the town where Austen had lived. In this setting, a small group decides to set up the Jane Austen Society to give people a place to go to learn more about her stories and her life. Intermingled into the story are the complicated relationships between each of the characters in the spirit of a Jane Austen novel.
This book is definitely one that I would buy for myself to reread or buy as a gift for someone else. It is a very memorable story that will attach itself to you as though it were your own.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress and #Macmillan for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book for a fair review. #TheJaneAustenSociety

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

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner is a charming and lovely read. It's impossible not to fall in love with this quaint little English village and its people described within. The village itself is the location of Chawton House once formerly the home of Miss Jane Austen. While the author's story is not the true narrative of the societies founding, she has created a beautiful, sweet story featuring austenesque style characters and written in similar fashion. In the Jane Austen Society, Jenner slowly but brilliantly introduces us to each character, flawed and traumatized by life’s circumstances but endearing non the less. I think this is what makes her story so compelling, the people are just like you and me. Real and vulnerable, in need of something that always seems out of one's grasp but which all Jane's characters seem to find in the end. Each member of the society sets out to celebrate and preserve the life and works of Jane Austen and in turn finds hope, healing and even love through their shared affection for all things Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy and Emma. For readers of Austen and fans of the Literary Potato Peel Pie Society, I think you'll find this one to be quite enchanting.

My review has been posted to Goodreads, Amazon, and my Instagram page Lost_in_a_book_reviewer

This is my new favorite book! I was so pleasantly surprised by this little gem. Perfect for Austen fans, but anyone would enjoy it. The setting is charming, the writing is wonderful, and the characters are well-developed and empathetic. I bookmarked so many passages in this lovey book.

Thank you so much to the NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. It will stay with me for some time.

In a world full of wonderful books, The Jane Austen Society stands out as a gem. This was a lovely and fulfilling read.

The title immediately caught my attention and both drew me in and made me a bit suspicious. There have been seemingly mountains of books that have been inspired by Jane Austen to some degree, and many times they disappoint. This one not only did not disappoint, but it exceeded my hopeful expectations. I am not certain that it is necessary to be an Austen fan to enjoy this book, but it added a special layer of delight to read this as a fan.

I loved the setting of this book, Chawton in the 1940s. It seemed freshly historical, if that can be a thing. It felt perfectly natural and comfortable to settle right into that world.

I also loved the author’s choice to use completely fictional characters and events within a historically accurate setting, and to not attempt recreating Austen’s writing style. Instead, the story unfolds in the most enjoyable and lovely way.

Ultimately, it is the characters and their individual traumas and situations, and their relationships that make this such a beautiful and fulfilling book. I treasured reading it. It brought out all of my emotions, including my all-important crying tears of joy and happiness at the end. I highly recommend this book!