What Would Jane Austen Do? by Linda Corbett #Review

 

What Would Jane Austen Do? is a warm and engaging romcom by Linda Corbett. It was published by One More Chapter on June 22nd.

It's a truth often acknowledged that when a journalist and Jane Austen fan girl ends up living next door to a cynical but handsome crime writer, romantic sparks will fly!

When Maddy Shaw is told her Dear Jane column has been cancelled she has no choice but to look outside of London’s rental market. That is until she’s left an idyllic country home by the black sheep of the family, long-not-so-lost Cousin Nigel.

But of course there’s a stipulation… and not only is Maddy made chair of the committee for the annual village literary festival, she also has to put up with bestselling crime author –and romance sceptic – Cameron Massey as her new neighbour.

When Maddy challenges Cameron to write romantic fiction, which he claims is so easy to do, sparks fly both on and off the page…

 My Thoughts

This is a book which lovers of Jane Austen will appreciate as there are so many allusions to her stories and characters within it. Maddy is a likeable character who is at the crossroads in some ways and ends up completely out of her comfort zone due to circumstances. Just as in Pride and Prejudice, first impressions prove to be misleading. Luke and Maddy hardly get off to the best start. Even the black sheep of the family, Nigel Shaw turns out to have some secrets in his past which lead his family to reassess their views on him. 

    The inhabitants of rural Cotlington are a varied and amusing lot. Even better than them is Buster, Luke's adorable dog. This gentle romance has plenty to make you smile. I loved the Austen quotes at the beginning of every chapter which were so appropriate to the forthcoming events. Maddy finds herself co-opted into the position of the chair of the literary festival which was the brainchild of Nigel. This fitted in so well with the story. 

In short: well worth a read

About the Author

Linda Corbett lives in Surrey with her husband Andrew and three permanently hungry guinea pigs. As well as being an author, Linda is a member and former Treasurer of Shine Surrey – a volunteer-led charity that supports individuals and families living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. For many years she also wrote a regular column for Link, a disability magazine, illustrating the humorous aspects of life with a complex disability, and she is a passionate advocate of disability representation in fiction. When not writing, Linda can be found papercrafting, gardening, or cuddling guinea pigs. What Would Jane Austen Do? is her second published novel.

You can follow linda here: Facebook  |  Twitter   |  Instagram  

Book links: Amazon UK  |  Amazon US

Thanks to Linda Corbett, One More Chapter and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources  for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

Check out the rest of the tour!