Set in Chawton — where Jane Austen lived while writing three of her famous books — right after the second World War, a group of eight people come together to create the Jane Austen Society. The characters have very little in common, but for their love of Jane Austen, but it’s enough for them to create their own community.
The first half of the book is slow. Perhaps if I was more in love with Austen generally, this part would have been more interesting, but it didn’t propel me to keep going, even though I liked the characters (even when I questioned their life choices.) But about halfway through, it picked up and the plot got more interesting, and then I didn’t put the book down again until I finished. I really wish the pace would have been consistent, but the second half made the first half worth it.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-galley of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.