Review: Austenland – Shannon Hale

Hi, guys! I’m finally being able to post all the reviews that I owned you from my Instagram promises :) This time, I’m talking about Austenland, from Shannon Hale <3

 

Jane Hayes is a 30 and some years old woman and lost her hopes in love. She had 12 serious boyfriends in her life before until the book starts and all those relationships ended pretty bad for her. She had a deep love for Jane Austen’s works, especially for Pride & Prejudice (and who doesn’t? LOL), so she dives a little farther into Austen’s world at each boyfriend that she lost, to the point she wants to give up on men.

One fine day, she discovers that a relative of hers who knew about her current situation had left her a three weeks trip to Austenland in her will. The place was a kind of resort of Jane Austen in England and, while there, people would have to behave like the English society of 1816, in manners and rules. After thinking very carefully, Jane decides to give it a go.

At first, Jane was sure that the experience would only increase her obsession. The dresses, the actors playing gentlemen, everything screamed that she couldn’t do that. Moreover, when she’s introduced to the actor that held Mr. Darcy’s style (each actor in the house was inspired by one of Austen’s heroes), she knew she was a goner. In the middle of her mental confusion, she starts a “forbidden” affair with Theodore, the gardener, to try to calm down and go back to the real world for a while during the insane 24-hour role-playing game.

The days go by and Jane starts to change. Her romance with the gardener turns out to be not what she expected and she embraces her painter side, way forgotten in her life. Jane also starts to accept better her limitations and flaws, including her obsession. It’s a very impressive process to the character: it’s the small things that shows her changes, slowly, freeing her from herself. Even with difficulties, Jane leaves Austenland as new stronger woman.

My expectations with this book weren’t high, but I really loved it. It’s a contemporary romance with lots of comedy and no vulgarity at all, with brilliant dialogues. Jane and Mr. Nobely’s discussions are amazing, just like Jane’s thoughts and actions… I really got involved with her character in this sense of falling in love with the man’s mind before his body, just like she does with Theodore and Mr. Nobley. I highly recommend this book, it’s very funny with a breathtaking end :D

That’s it! Thanks for reading and this was my favorite of June so far and second favorite of 2015! Did you already read it? :)