My obsession with Jane Austen knows no bounds. Honestly, if you put a book in front of me and suggest that it has “Mr. Darcy vibes” chances are I’m going to read it. Heck, if the name Jane Austen is anywhere in the book, I’m probably going to read it. Hence my choice of What Would Jane Austen Do? By Linda Corbett.
The story is loosely based on practically every Austen book written. Differences of opinion, miscommunication, romance, intrigue, emotionally stunted men.
Our story begins in London where Maddy Shaw, a young woman who wrote an agony aunt column in a popular magazine called “Dear Jane” has just lost her job. On Valentine’s Day. On top of that, she had a scheduled radio interview she was to do. And that’s where she meets bestselling author Cameron Massey, famous for his police procedural mysteries. Massey is not a fan of romances and feels they are predictable. Big words from a man who writes mysteries which also follow a predictable outline. Of course they don’t get along. This comes into play later.
Maddy discovers that a cousin, the black sheep of the family, has passed and left her his house in the country village of Cotlington. With stipulations. She had to live there for an entire twelve months before she would be allowed to sell the property. If she turns it down, the property goes to Mrs. Myra Hardcastle. Maddy is without a job and cannot keep her part of her apartment in downtown London, so off to Cotlington she goes.
With the house comes a village full of colorful characters, a mystery of exactly who Cousin Nigel was and what he did to become estranged from his family. And an upcoming Literary Festive of which she has unwittingly become a part of. It also comes with a lodger, none other than Cameron Massey whose actual name is Luke Hamilton. And his dog Buster. And from there everything just happens.
If you like cozy British mysteries then the character table shouldn’t come as a surprise for you. The cast of characters in this village each have their own little quirks and foibles that make you like them very much. And watching Maddy and Luke dance around each other makes for an entertaining time. This book even had its foil in the form of Randall Jacobson from Ghostwalk, a popular UK ghost hunter series who arrived to investigate Maddy’s house. And who seems to know Luke aka Cameron.
This was a cute story, even if the mystery of Cousin Nigel and the villages preparation for the Cotlington Literary Festival was probably more interesting than the actual romance between Maddy and Luke. I was invested in Maddy’s story much more, her introduction to the village, her using her skills to investigate the mystery, learning about her family, falling in love with the village and the inhabitants and investing in their life, realizing that sometimes, the life you’ve dreamed of isn’t the life you really wanted or needed.
Speaking of festivals, with Spring around the corner, book fairs are starting to open their doors. Start investing in sturdy bags, my friends, because it’s time to start searching for those hidden gems!
Enjoy spring everyone, even if it is watching the rain pour down. That just means it’s the perfect time to curl up with a good book.
Mouse's Reading Nook 