Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge

Title: Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility
Author: Hillary Manton Lodge
Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: A modern take on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, the Woodward sisters lose their home and tea shop in San Francisco and are taken in by relatives in Austin, Texas. Charismatic Sean Willis, who the sisters meet along the way, seems to charm everyone, but retired Marine, Callum Beckett is unimpressed. Celia, Jane, and Margot try to figure out life in a new city, to rebuild their tea shop and hope to figure out love along the way. 

My Thoughts

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Jane Austen. They also know that I love tea. My love for Jane Austen always makes me dubious of anyone who is claiming to modernize or use her novels to inspire their own. (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? I shuddered at the suggestion.) Despite my usual reservations, I saw that this novel was bringing my love of tea and Austen together, so I decided to give it a shot.
Lodge did an amazing job modernizing and adapting the storyline of Sense and Sensibility to make sense in the present day. It doesn't make sense for women in 2016 to be kicked out of their husband/father's home and only be able to live on their almost unlivable inheritance, most women now have jobs. Lodge took the parents out of the equation, had the kindly landlord pass away leaving the Woodward sisters to his heirs who were looking for much more money in a popular San Francisco neighborhood.
From there I was hooked. I just had to know how each major event from the story would be so beautifully adapted. Each time I saw a glimpse of Austen's storyline it was almost nostalgic and kept me so interested that even knowing what would happen didn't bother me. Seeing how this book would get there was such a fun adventure.
I particularly loved the thoughtful little touches the author added to make the novel her own. The chapters written from Jane's point of view began with a quote about tea. When written from Callum's point of view, the quotes were about Texas. Anytime there was a discussion about a particular dish, the recipe for that dish was given. I cannot wait to try some of them out!

I am so glad that I gave this book a chance, it was a delightful summer read.
I recommend this book for anyone who loves Jane Austen, tea, Texas, a good love story, or happy endings.


Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from Hillary Manton Lodge, visit her website linked above.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran

Title: Rebel Queen
Author: Michelle Moran
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: Sita, the eldest daughter of a family in a poor village in India, earns a spot as a member of the Rani's (queen) female guard. Life in Jhansi is much different than the village Sita grew up in and she has much to learn. Set in the mid-late 1800's the British are slowly colonizing the kingdoms in India. The Rani of Jhansi, Queen Lakshmi fights to keep the land she loves and protect her people.

My Thoughts
I haven't read much about India and did not know much about what it was like there in the mid-nineteenth century. The author uses Sita to provide insight into what it was like to be a woman in India at that time. Moran takes the time to make sure the reader understands the important aspects of family hierarchy, religion, and customs of the Indian people in a way that is not overwhelming and does not come across like reading an encyclopedia.
As you can see from the time of my last post, I flew through this book. I typically read a few chapters before bed, but I simply had to know what was going to happen to Sita and the people of Jhansi so I was reading every spare moment I had. 
This novel is based on a true story and Sita was really a member of  Queen Lakshmi's guard. Moran writes beautifully and perfectly fills in any gaps in the historical record to create an intriguing and relatable narrative that keeps the reader wanting more. It is amazing to read about strong women leaders in this kingdom during a time where most of India's women were not even allowed to be seen outside of their homes.
This book is a quick and fun read, and I recommend it for those looking for a book to read this summer!


Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from Michelle Moran, visit her website linked above.