Member Reviews
What an interesting and unique read, I've loved it.
It was well constructed and beautifully written.
First line: Jane lay in bed, listening to the sounds only heard in a rich man’s house.
Summary: While visiting her brother, Jane Austen overhears that the War Office suspects her widowed cousin, Eliza, of being a spy for the French. Rather than let her brother spy on her cousin, Jane is determined to talk with Eliza and prove her to be innocent. However, while on the road she is stopped by a masked man who is looking for Eliza. The masked man is then found dead at the local parish church. With the help of a visiting gentleman, the rather pompous Mr. Lefroy, they set out to discover who killed this man and why before the War Office tries to place the blame on her cousin.
My Thoughts: While reading this I was reminded of the movie, Becoming Jane starring Anne Hathaway. This was a fun little young adult historical mystery. I read it in a few days and enjoyed the plot and how quickly it progressed. There were a few little twists and turns that were enjoyable. I learned a bit more about the life of Jane and her family. The author’s notes at the end gave some of the history of the family and what was true and not. Jane was sharp witted, intelligent and curious just like you would imagine her to be from reading her novels. Even though I am not a big Austen fan I found this to be entertaining.
Enjoy books that have lots of Secrets and things that keep you guessing as you read the story. Very interesting characters to follow along. This one is hard to put down. Good read.
What a fascinating story! I enjoyed it very much. Imagining a young Jane Austen was fascinating, and doing it in the genre of a cozy mystery - but the kind she might have written - was so intriguing. The mystery itself was good, but the big plot twist that I didn't see coming wasn't actually part of the mystery, which I also found unique. While I enjoyed this book, I just kept finding myself wanting more, especially in terms of character development - everyone felt just a little like a caricature when I wanted real characters. But it was good and definitely thought-provoking. I didn't really like the direction the plot twist took the ending and the morality it communicates. Otherwise, I would heartily recommend this as a nice, clean YA mystery. I do have some reservations though so I would encourage parents to give it a read first to decide if it's appropriate for your teen or young adult and decide how you want to discuss the decision that leads to the ending. (Sorry for being vague, but I didn't want to spoil anything.)
I enjoyed the “created” conflict amidst the historical facts of Jane Austen’s life. The societal norms are explained throughout the novel in casual incidents. I’m still hoping for a budding romance for Jane Austen despite the known truth she never marries. The author’s note clarifies fact from fiction; I was enthralled by how much was true. Recommended for YA, historical fiction fans, Austen enthusiasts, and those who enjoy societal novels. Light, quick read.
It was interesting to find out just how much of Secrets in the Snow is biographical to Jane Austen's actual life, so kudos to Michaela MacColl for going that deep in to the authors life! I found the first half of the book to be very interesting and fast paced, but the last half slowed down considerably and the ending is so abrupt that it sort of left a bad taste in my mouth. I did really enjoy the characterization of Jane and Mr. Lefroy, as well as the mystery component. 3 out of 5 wine glasses.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this title. Unfortunately, I was unable to get into it. I will not be posting a negative review on Goodreads.
I didn't review but would recommend to patrons at the library I work at.
Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to download this title before it was archived
As much as I had hoped to enjoy "Secrets in the Snow," it failed to capture my attention or hold my interest. Thank you for the opportunity to read. Unfortunately, this turned out to be not my cup of tea.
Definitely not what I expected, this book really was an interesting thriller that made me want to read more by this author!
This was a story about Jane Austen and her adventures in love, heartbreak, and murder. I thought the story was fun and interesting, however it did have its flaws. Some of them being that the time period would never allow a girl to investigate a murder alongside her brother and friend, even if she was the one who discovered the body, Another issue I had was the ending felt off. I was expecting something more from her relationship with Tom. One more thing is that the book had cousins marrying each other and that bothered me. I try not to review an arc for grammar but this one was just way to bad not to. There were sentences left unfinished and many errors in the typing. Overall I gave this a 2 out of 5 stars. I do recommend buying this book and I do not plan on rereading it.
Arc Provided by Chronicle Books
I think I received an arc that was not quite ready for public reading: only that, would explain some mistakes regarding a character's age. Hope that got fixed in the final copy.
As for the plot itself, it never caught my interest. I am a huge Austen fan, and the Jane Austen in this book never shone. She was surly, reckless, and she did things who did not conform to the age she lived in. The author should have payed more attention to that. Calling strangers on a first name basis was a huge NO back then.
And that was when I DNF' ed this.
Better just watch "Becoming Jane".