Midnight in Austenland (2012)

Charlotte has stopped feeling anything ever since her husband left her for another woman. She runs her business and takes care of her kids but she has closed down emotionally. The only thing that has made her feel a tiny bit of emotion lately is Jane Austen's novels. With this in mind she books herself a two-week vacation to Austenland in England. It is a full-immersion vacation where all aspects of modern society are left behind and you become a part of Austen's world. Actors have been hired to play certain roles and it becomes difficult to tell where the acting ends and real life begins. Charlotte even finds that one of the actors has been chosen as her particular love interest. The hostess does not allow anyone to fall out of character which is making it hard to figure out why the pop princess her daughter worships is one of the guests. The novelty of the clothes and activities keeps Charlotte's interest at the beginning but she soon finds herself trying to solve a mystery put forth by one of the actors. As she finds more clues, Charlotte realises that there may be an actual mystery to solve that is being covered up by the pretend world created at Austenland. The closer she gets to solving the mystery, the more trouble she seems to be causing which does not sit well with the other houseguests. This is a charming story of a woman in need of a break from her own life in order to find the woman she used to be. She lost herself after her divorce and Jane Austen just might be the one that helps her feel alive and fall in love again. (AR)

Austenland (2007)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a chicklit book in possession of references to Jane Austen, Mr Darcy or Pride and Prejudice will hardly be in want of readers. One of the most recent Austen-themed books, Austenland tells the tale of American Jane Hayes, who finds real men just don't measure up to Mr Darcy. A relative bequeaths her a trip to English country manor Pembrook Park, which caters for Austen-crazed women. Here guests don empire-waist gowns and bonnets and master Regency etiquette as they are romanced by actors playing gentleman. After her secret dalliances with the gardener, Jane (Miss Erstwhile) finds herself attracted to the Darcy-like Mr Nobley. Is this trip going to help Jane kick her Austen obsession forever?

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