This was an incredible read. As a firm believer in the basis of Jane Austen as the premise for any good novel, I loved the intricate ways that bits of Jane Austen's novels were woven throughout the story, while creating new and dedicated characters that struggled to keep her alive. I particularly liked the discussions where they simply talked about what they liked about the books--it was though I were there.

I was hoping to see a more give-and-take relationship similar to the one of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet or Mr. Knightley and Emma Woodhouse--I think that when you have "Jane Austen" in the title, it does drum up those expectations. However, I thought this was a small issue and I am sure it will join so many other beloved tributes to Jane Austen in history.

I really enjoyed this book. Technically I didn't see any errors. For the most part the pacing was okay. I was shocked that a character lost a child. Obviously that story line was incredibly sad and dragged on a bit.

Goodreads Review:
If you are a fan of anything Jane Austen you will LOVE this book. I wanted to jump on a plane and go visit the society. It was fun trying to figure out which characters were following a Mansfield Park type story line and what characters were a bit Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and all the other books. However, the book isn't all light heartened chic lit. There are serious dramatic events mixed in, which had me in tears. Of course every Austen-esque book will end on a good note.

This is totally a work of fiction the only actual part of the story that is real is the town of Chawton and the house reputed to be where Jane Austen lived and wrote for part of her life. However, this book just sucks you in and the characters become totally real. There are some surprises and twists which is always fun. I felt like I was transported to post-war Britain and I could actually picture the village, the streets, the rolling hills of the countryside. The characters are all well realized. The plot well written. There is nothing short of superb about this book. I loved it.

I so wanted to love this book, hoping it would become a favourite. The premise was absolutely delightful in and of itself, but I feel the content fell a little short of what I had hoped for. Certain chapters were a bit tiresome and I found myself skimming pages rather than diving in headfirst. It took time to build up to - not excitement, exactly - but any sense of engagement with the characters or invested interest in their outcomes. The cadence of the dialogue also felt a bit off for me. It was an interesting take on a shared love for a beloved author, but unfortunately didn't make the cut as far as becoming a perennial favourite.

My thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary copy of this title via NetGalley. Opinions expressed are solely my own.

A beautiful novel full of amazing characters you will fall in love with reminded me of the chillbury ladies society a favorite of mine lots of interesting stories and different lives playing out and intertwining in surprising ways so enjoyable and easy to read

If you need a good escapist story, this book is perfect. For fans of historical fiction and Jane Austen. This is a fictional account of how the Jane Austen Society was formed, but more than that, this is the story of people from various walks of life can connect through the written word.

Jenner’s book is filled with charming and quaint characters. They are typical fictional English creations who are endearing in their own way. Throw in one or two Americans and the story is complete. What binds all these disparate people together is their devotion to Jane Austen. Not only do they read and reread Austen’s books, but they enjoy nothing better than talking about the author and her characters.

World War II is over and the world is moving on. Chawton is the small village where Austen lived and wrote. The locals, plus a few outsiders including an American actress, decide they want to create a museum in tribute to their beloved author. This may sound like a simple project but there are roadblocks that they must overcome.

To readers who are familiar with Austen’s books, many of Jenner’s characters are reminiscent of the very ones created by Austen. There is the long-suffering spinster who turned away a chance at love because of a domineering father, the rejected lover, an older man who is intrigued by an effervescent younger woman and the typical banter that brings to mind Emma and Knightly or Elizabeth and Darcy.

It isn’t necessary that one love Austen to read this book but to those familiar with the author’s writing, this will certainly have great appeal. The reference to the cottage in Chawton has personal significance since I have visited there myself and enjoyed walking in Austen’s footsteps. Jenner lovingly approaches Austen and her novels through a new and winning set of characters who will remind readers of some of Austen’s well-known figures. A wonderful story with memorable characters and an homage to a fabulous classic author who has impacted so many over the years.

Calling all jane Austen fans! Jane Austen herself would love this novel, written in her style, that takes a look at the people in the small town where she wrote her last three books. Widows, widowers, a famous movie star and other local characters come together to try to pay homage to Jane and save her legacy in their village. Just what I needed in these very strange and scary times.

This lovely novel by debut author Natalie Jenner imagines how a group of people who cherish the works of Jane Austen find each other and propose a special society to honor the beloved author in the small village of Chawton, Hampshire.

Any group couldn’t be as diverse in personality and circumstance than the ones who gather right after World War II. There’s a bachelor farmer, a country doctor, a respected solicitor, a young widowed teacher, a high school dropout, an Austen descendent from the Knight family, a Sotheby’s representative, and an American movie star. While some of the group have known each other since childhood, others meet serendipitously through their appreciation of Jane Austen’s works.

This is a life-affirming novel that is quiet and hopeful and pays great tribute to an author and her works with many quotable sentences and paragraphs about the power of literature. It is set apart from many Austen adaptations by its time period, plot, and cast and reminds me of one of my favorite novels about readers, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Highly recommended, especially during these discomforting times.

If you love Jane Austen you will find kindred spirits among the members of the Jane Austen Society. If you don’t know much about Jane Austen you will still find yourself among friends in this book. Each character starts out the book dealing with their own tragedy alone and in secrecy. It takes a common love to bring these characters together where they learn the power of community and figure out that life is better when you support one another.

On par with my adoration of reading books is my adoration of reading books about books. Books that talk about the classics, shed light on subjects I have or have not before thought or discussed, and are full of characters who share my same love of literature. This is one such book.

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this, grasping the different characters in different places on the same timeline. I suppose I read too many books that jump around in time that finding one that just jumps around in place seemed odd to me. But there were a lot of characters to keep track of and that sometimes felt overwhelming.

This was clearly written to carry the same or similar air as an Austen book; the characters all yearning for love but making infuriating choices and ignoring things that were right in front of them. By bringing all these characters together in one society, it's almost as if you are seeing Austen's own characters coming together, each with their own similar representation in this book.

That said, I didn't find the character's backstories all that intriguing. I loved how they came together and their discussions about Austen, but I didn't necessarily care all that much for their personal interactions or story arcs. I found these parts dragged.

At it's core, this book celebrates what is so beautiful about books; the conversations and bonds they create between people of all ages and stages of life who seem to have absolutely nothing else in common. Bringing together a motley crew in tribute to Austen's life, well what isn't to love about that and how does one not relate to it?

I have no doubt this book will find many ideal readers. Alas, I am not among them. It was a bit ponderous and low energy for my tastes — but I can certainly imagine customers to whom it might appeal.

This book is a love letter to Jane Austen and her works. I loved the parallels between Jane’s books and some of the characters, for example Frances & Andres’s history being like “Persuasion”. I did get a little bored with Mimi’s aging Hollywood actress storyline. Other than that, I enjoyed the book. I think it would have been a different experience if I had not read Jane’s books, as there are a lot of references to the books and characters. Having read her books though, I was able to understand all the references

ARC provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Oh my goodness, this book was so wonderful! While it took me a bit to get into the swing of it, once I did it was such a fun and beautifully touching read!

So what is this book about?

The world has been ravaged by two world wars in a handful of years, and the effects can be seen everywhere. In the tiny village of Chawton, England, this is no different. People's fathers, brothers, and husbands were lost, and everyone feels the deep pain. But Chawton has its own little joy, and that is a strong connection to author Jane Austen. In this little town, we see the lives of multiple villagers come together through their love of her works. From a small town doctor, a young pregnant widow, a recluse heiress, a lonely farmer, a young maid, and even a Hollywood actress, the likes of Jane Austen fans are vast and varied. As we follow these ordinary people's lives post-WWII, we see how loving Austen's works helps them heal, and how they find friendship and love amongst the company of the new Jane Austen Society, created to preserve her legacy.

This book is told in alternating POVs between multiple characters, giving life and breadth to all of their stories as well as their own particular love for Jane Austen's works. It is the unique, well-developed stories that make this book as amazing as it is, and what's even better is seeing these stories come together so beautifully by the end of the book.

What I found to be particularly charming was each characters' journey and relationship with Austen's works, as each character has favorite works, related to different characters, and had different struggles that the books helped them through. The small debates and discussions and debates between the characters about the intricacies of Austen's works was very in-depth. If anyone knows anything about these books, it was these characters (and by extension, the author!), so much so that I felt I was learning as much as I would in an English Literature class, but in a fun way!

Each character in this story was so well developed, and their stories were amazingly deep. The author wrote such amazing, strong and sassy women that Austen would surely appreciate, as well as romantic, if albeit hard-headed and unaware of their affections, men that fit right into her repertoire as well. One of my favorite characters was Adeline. A headstrong teacher hellbent on teaching all women's literature in this tiny village, she absolutely embodies the feminism that the 1940s was sorely missing. Even as she went through such tragedy throughout the book, her whip-smart humor and sass rivaled Elizabeth Bennett at many times. In fact, so many of these characters had an Austen character that they were similar to, a touch that added such a sincere and unique aspect to this book.

At the end of the day, this book was about post-war trauma, love, and the power that books have to heal us and bring us together. In a time such as this, this book was a healing balm to my soul. Would 10/10 recommend for all readers!

I have said this possibly a million times, but I love historical novels. I really like Jane Austen and I was intrigued by the idea of people coming together--bonded over their love of books!!--to save Austen's legacy and estate. But this book was not quite what I anticipated, and I already know I'm in the minority.

I really struggled to get past the first few chapters, and I likewise struggled to identify with the characters. The writing and characters themselves felt very flat, and I couldn't for the life of me feel invested in their problems. At a point, it also felt like there were two competing narratives: there was the small town with the schoolteacher and the doctor, and the big American movie star. And honestly, only one really interested me.

As characters bonded over their love of Jane Austen--you know, the whole fun part of the book I was looking forward to--they sounded so . . . pretentious. Listen. I was an English major. I argued obscure points of literature for four years, analyzing and interpreting small lines of text. I probably still do it without realizing. But I don't want to *read* a novel of characters competing to be the biggest intellectual. I wanted to smack every character when they started spouting their interpretation of Emma or Pride and Prejudice.

Sigh. It's definitely a matter of personal taste, but this is a hard pass from me.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy to read and review!

I really enjoyed this charming multi point-of-view story about different characters who were brought together first by Jane Austen's literary work, but that'st just the surface of their connection. Mostly centered in the town where Jane Austen lived, the likable characters come together to create a Jane Austen society when her home and legacy are threatened, but in forming their group, they become a support system for each other. A doctor, a widow, a movie star, and others might not seem to have a lot in common, but themes of loss and healing, growth and change bind them together.

The love of literature and the power it has to bring people together are explored in this lovely read set just after World War 2 in a small English village where Jane Austen once lived. Villagers and a Hollywood actress combine efforts to save the home where she lived and thus the village. Also, themselves along the way.

Where are my fellow Jane Austen fans? This book is perfect for you!

Summary

In the mid-twentieth century, a farmer in the small English town of Chawton decides he would like to preserve Jane Austen's memory in a way more tangible than a statue or a plaque. An unlikely group of people—a doctor, a school teacher, a house girl, a movie star, and a few others—join him to form The Jane Austen Society, an organization dedicated to the preservation of Jane's legacy.

Review

The Jane Austen Society is a wonderful read, especially for Austen fans. It's heartwarming to see this group of people bond over their love for an author and eventually their love for each other. The book displays what community means and how people can help each other through their struggles and victories.

I loved this book for the characters but also for the setting. Jenner gives a glimpse into village life in England after WWII, and her writing paints such a lovely picture of Chawton and the surrounding countryside. We get to see how both world wars have affected the characters and what their lives look like in the aftermath.

The narrative is also written quite like an Austen novel, which adds even more appeal for Austen fans. The story involves class differences, marriage plots, and inheritance struggles. And, of course, what would an Austen novel be without some swoon-worthy romance? This book does not disappoint.

The only reason I didn't give the book five stars is that I felt it ended too abruptly. I just want more of these characters.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication Date: May 26, 2020

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGally for the ARC!

It’s just after WWII and eight lives are on a collision course in Natalie Jenner’s THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY. Readers and lovers of the works of Austen are in for a rare treat as they become immersed in the lives of the well-developed and intriguing members of the FIRST Jane Austen Society.

Among the diverse cast of characters are a movie star, a farmer, a maid, a doctor, and a young widow just to name a few. While all are from different walks of life and possess varying levels of wealth, they are all intent on purchasing and preserving a cottage in the town of Chawton, England where their beloved and prolific Jane spent her final years.

Love, lies, intrigue, selfish motives and long suppressed desires are exposed as the eight band together in their love of all things Austen in an attempt to fulfill their dream of preserving Austen’s legacy for future generations. While in pursuit of their ultimate goal the group engages in discussion of the work revealing to not only the characters in the narrative, but to the reader as well, the clever way in which Jane disclosed the trials and tribulations of her own life through her writings.

Aficionados of the Austen novels will not only fall in love with Natalie Jenner’s group of characters but with Ms. Jenner’s light, magical touch as she allows you to see, to feel and to think.

"The Jane Austen Society" is a must read for lover's of all things Austen, and fans of historical fiction. The story is set in the English countryside, in the small village of Chawton. Austen fans will recognize this village as the final home of the great author, where she revised, and wrote her novels. We follow the lives of a farmer, a doctor, a spinster, a lawyer, a widow, a teenager, and a movie star whose lives become intertwined because of their love of Jane Austen's novels. Despite loneliness, tragedy, and the aftermath of both World Wars, this group bans together to save the Chawton Cottage and ensure that is rightfully remembered for years to come. This is based on the real Jane Austen Society that still operates to this day.