REVIEW: The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen

Review by Christina Boyd

I remember first reading The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen when Ada Bright and Cass Grafton first published in 2016. Now rereleased and re-edited under the direction of ebook publishing powerhouse Canelo, I am delighted to reread the novel.

The premise:

When a time travelling Jane Austen gets stuck in modern-day Bath it's up to avid Janeite Rose Wallace to save her… because she's the only one who knows that Jane exists!

Rose Wallace’s world revolves around all things Austen, and with the annual festival in Bath—and the arrival of dishy archaeologist, Dr Aiden Trevellyan—just around the corner, all is well with the world…

But then a mysterious woman who bears more than a passing resemblance to the great author moves in upstairs, and things take a disastrous turn. Rose’s new neighbour is Jane Austen, whose time travel adventure has been sabotaged by a mischievous dog, trapping her in the twenty-first century.

Rose’s life is instantly changed—new home, new job, new friends—but she’s the only one who seems to have noticed! To right the world around her, she will have to do whatever it takes to help Jane get back home to write Rose’s beloved novels. Because a world without Mr Darcy? It's not worth living in!

The story is paced at a slow burn, thoroughly setting up the relationships between all the players, building the mystery of the Austen-styled woman in the garden, and about halfway in, the story takes off at a jackrabbit pace. I have read time travel novels before—Outlander, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, The Man Who Loved Jane Austen, By Time Divided—but at first read, had not realized that this story was leading me there. Wow—just wow! What a story. Fabulous concept. Solid research. Totally relatable characters. And still makes me—more than ever—want to visit Bath during the Austen Festival.The unrequited love was touching and the longing felt believable. I was captivated by the women's friendships—rang very true to me. This is a great story that I'm glad I took the time to re-revisit. Now just to make time to revisit Bath!

Rated: Chaste for some kissing and affection