Review on: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

Rating: 4/5

Almost everyone who has read Pride and Prejudice, or any of the other Jane Austen books has dreamt of being in the story of their favorite characters. That’s what happens in this story when one day Courtney, a modern-day Austen addict, suddenly wakes up to find herself in Jane Austen’s England, in the body of a young English woman named Jane Mansfield.

Courtney finds herself confused in her new world, especially after hearing from “her” friends and family that she had fallen from her horse and had probably temporarily lost her memory. She knows she doesn’t belong in that time, and can clearly remember herself living as a modern American citizen, yet memories of the girl whose body she’s suppose to be claiming, arises every now and then which makes her Courtney wonder who she really is. Is she Courtney, or is she becoming Jane Mansfield? Throughout the story, the main character struggles with who she really is, and how she is suppose to act in her present England.

In the story, Courtney meets Charles Edgeworth, the man courting Jane and whom Jane had declined. Courtney becomes close to Charles as the story progresses, but later on, memories from Jane begin to confuse her and her feelings. Courtney knows Jane feels something for Charles, but at the same time, she knows that Jane is telling her to keep away from him. Eventually, Courtney finds a diary of Jane’s that  reveals a lot about Jane and why things are happening the way they are.

An interesting read, I was thoroughly amused with the story of the book. Like all time traveling stories go, it is always a plus to include into the book, the lifestyles of the present time into which the character is thrown. I was very glad to read Courtney’s modern-day reactions to her mother, friends, and environment, as she struggled to fit into a society she was clearly not born into. It was also quite comical to see how Courtney seemed aloof at times, especially towards Charles.

What made the story interesting too was how Courtney reacted to Charles, in a way that reflected that she was both one and two personalities in one.

The thing I found most lacking in the story though was a stronger presence of other characters. Also, the ending, felt very lacking. Indeed, the epilogue was a nice read, but as to how the ending eventually moved into it, was something that the ending did not meet. Also, I wish I could have seen more conflict between Courtney’s present-day needs and Jane’s time. But then again, that’s just me.

A very interesting read. A good way to while away the time~