Charlotte Kinder is a good woman. She is kind. She is dependable and hard working. When her husband leaves her she puts up very little fuss and just let's her emotions turn numb. After all that does make it easier when she thinks about her ex's new wife Justice. But suddenly she fears that she will never feel anything at all. What was the last thing that made her feel anything? Not the blind dates her friends and co-workers keep shoving her into, that's for sure. Now that she thinks about it the last good feeling she can remember comes from reading Jane Austen's books as it happens. So she goes in search of more of this feeling and finds herself on her way to Pembrook Park, England, and a full immersion into the world of Austen. Soon her heart is beating, and thrills are running through her. But is it from the actors paid to faun upon her? Or a dangerous secret lurking somewhere through the park, nesting in secret rooms. Who can Charlotte trust in a world of make-believe? Is she so caught up in things she can't tell fiction from reality, or will she rise up to be the Austen heroine she always wanted to be?
This novel is a somewhat sequel to Hale's previous book Austenland, somewhat being that it had reoccurring characters from the first and continues to take place at Pembrook Park. Other than that it is pretty unique with a brand new main character and a new story of intrigue.
I really liked this novel and sped through it. Again I was enchanted by Hale's writing style and her character's narration. It was really a hoot to read and I found myself giggling throughout. The story was also interesting with much more action than the first and a whole new set of interesting quirks to explore. I really liked this because though Hale is revisiting a world she has already led the reader through, she doesn't try to tell the same story. She is mindful that we as the reader know what's going on here and therefore dips in and changes things up in a way I might not have expected but thoroughly enjoyed. Charlotte as a narrator is fresh and very different from the previous narrator Jane. I found that I really liked Charlotte more and it lent me more interested in the story. Charlotte has spunk, and though she struggles with finding and accepting this part of herself, she gets there eventually.
I wasn't as impressed with the romantic plot in this one. It wasn't uninteresting and I definitely didn't find it a chore to get through. However I was more impressed with the female camaraderie in this story. I felt like I was seeing the friendship that was alluded to in the movie Austenland turning up here rather than in the book the film was based off. Charlotte and Miss Charming really hit it off and there is some definite friendship between them. It was refreshing and fun to learn more about Miss Charming and I liked seeing more of her in the story.
All in all I'd say this is another great Shannon Hale story and highly recommend it to any Austen fans.
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