Tag Archives: Jane Austen

Review: I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Connor

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I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner

I Shall Never Fall in Love
Hari Conner
HarperAlley
Published November 19, 2024

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About I Shall Never Fall in Love

George has major problems: They’ve just inherited the failing family estate, and the feelings for their best friend, Eleanor, have become more complicated than ever. Not to mention, if anyone found out they were secretly dressing in men’s clothes, George is sure it would be ruination for the family name.

Eleanor has always wanted to do everything “right,” including falling in love—but she’s never met a boy she was interested in. She’d much rather spend time with her best friend, George, and beloved cousin Charlotte. However, when a new suitor comes to town, she finds her closest friendships threatened, forcing her to rethink what “right” means and confront feelings she never knew she had.

Inspired by Jane Austen and queer history, I Shall Never Fall in Love shines a light on what it means to be true to yourself and rewrites the rules for what makes a happily ever after.

My Review

Elisabeth at The Dirigible Plum recommended this book during a KidLit chat recently, and I immediately requested a hold on it through my library. After reading Renegade Girls: A Queer Tale of Romance and Rabble-rousing by Nora Neus, I craved more historical graphic novels, so this fit perfectly into that need for me.

I didn’t spot the connections to Pride & Prejudice and Emma by Jane Austen right away, but once I saw the parallels, I found them delightful. There are certain scenes that can’t help but call to mind moments from Austen’s novels. I love that.

I also loved the evolution of the characters, especially Ellie and George. At the start of the book, Ellie assumes that she simply doesn’t want to marry anyone. As the story progresses, she begins evaluating her feelings more closely and discovers that she has romantic feelings for someone unexpected.

George always seems to walk this tightrope line in which they know they’re unusual and make uncompromising choices regardless of societal norms. At the same time, they hide parts of themselves that they worry are “too much” or too far outside the expectations of others. As they find a supportive community, they grow more comfortable being their true self.

The romances develop in such a sweet way, too. I loved Charlotte’s romantic story, and especially the backstory about her family and their desires for her. Ellie’s romance really shows the giddiness that comes from finding your person, someone who truly sees you and being able to celebrate that wholeheartedly.

If you like regency-era fiction and graphic novels, don’t miss this fabulously fun story.

Content Notes for I Shall Never Fall in Love

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
I think there’s a brief reference to drinking alcohol, but nothing on-scene, if I’m remembering right.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed this book from my library. All opinions are my own.

Review of Sense and Sensibility and Happy Birthday Jane Austen

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Sense and Sensibility
Jane Austen
Puffin Books
Published February 13, 2024 (Orig. 1811)

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About Sense and Sensibility

Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby, she ignores her sister Elinor’s warning that her impulsive behavior leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her.

Through their parallel experience of love– and its threatened loss–the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love.

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

Today (December 16) is Jane Austen’s birthday. She was born 249 years ago on this day in 1775 and was the seventh of eight children in her family. Sense and Sensibility was Austen’s debut novel and was first published anonymously.

Her books have inspired many movies and reimagined stories, including Northranger by Rey Terciero, The Jane Austen Murder Mysteries by Tirzah Price, and For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund.

My Review

It took me far too long to read what is perhaps arguably Austen’s most sister-focused novel, which is only weird considering how much I love sister books. As I’m writing this, I’ve only ever read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, so I don’t know how her other four novels are structured. This one follows both Marianne and Elinor’s points of view in a narrative that often keeps both girls’ thoughts and actions close at hand. Pride and Prejudice, by contrast, focused almost exclusively on Elizabeth Bennet’s point of view.

What Happens to Those Wild Women

A few things about this book stand out to me as very interesting. One is in the way that Austen treats characters who behave differently than the roles the society of the day expects. For example, Marianne doesn’t hide her emotions or her affection for a particular man. For much of the story, her strong feelings about ideas and people determine how she behaves, even when that behavior departs from the norm.

Two very minor characters, who never appear on scene, have babies while unmarried. In one case, the woman lives a hard life and dies of an illness. Someone cares for her at the end of her life. The second person, a girl of fifteen, is abandoned by her lover, but cared for by a family member who does not appear to blame or shame her for her situation. Instead, the family member blames the lover who abandoned her. Even the lover’s family blames him for leaving her. I found this interesting since so often historical stories focus on women being shamed and “ruined” when they behave outside of the conventions of their society and often consequences seem to ignore the men involved.

The story still generally reflects the values of its time. For example, Marianne and Willoughby treat one another familiarly, which people take to mean they are secretly engaged. A man declaring his intention to marry a woman without social standing or fortune is cut off from his inheritance. Another man is cut off from his inheritance for not marrying a young woman who has had his child.

Subtle Storytelling

I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve seen the movie version of Sense and Sensibility so many times, but I found the storytelling in the book to be a little more subtle than I expected. Sometimes, what constituted a pivotal moment would be related in a sentence or two. For example, Marianne becoming ill after her walk through wet grass to continue grieving over a lost love begins a pretty intense chain of events. But it’s kind of related in passing.

I found myself having to read closely in several passages because the specific words Austen used to convey emotional progression really mattered. I didn’t mind this, but it’s something that we’re not used to doing with modern fiction.

Conclusion

Pride and Prejudice is still a favorite of mine, but having read Sense and Sensibility convinces me that I need to read more Austen. I love the idea of publishing a review of one of her books to remember her birthday, so maybe I’ll keep that up until I’ve read all six of her novels.

Content Notes for Sense and Sensibility

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to love and marriage.

References to sex outside of marriage. Two young women have babies while unmarried. In one instance, the girl’s lover has abandoned her, even after promising to return. Neither of these women appear on scene.

Spiritual Content
One character becomes a clergyman at a small parish.

Violent Content
Very brief (like, one line) reference to a duel fought between two men who both survive.

Drug Content
References to social drinking.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: A Matter of Murder by Tirzah Price

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A Matter of Murder (A Lizzie & Darcy Mystery #2)
Tirzah Price
Storytide
Published November 11, 2025

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About A Matter of Murder

The thrilling conclusion to the Lizzie & Darcy Mysteries duology, following Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy from the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series!

A Bingley family curse looms over Lizzie’s sister and Darcy’s best friend—but are the dark forces at work supernatural or human?

Lizzie Bennet’s beloved sister Jane has just married Darcy’s best friend, Bingley, and the Bennet family and Darcy are paying the newlyweds a visit at Bingley’s family home, Netherfield Park. It doesn’t take long for their country retreat to turn into an investigation, though, when a long-dead body is discovered stuffed up the parlor chimney.

The locals are convinced that Netherfield is cursed, but Lizzie and Darcy know better than to believe in such nonsense and are determined to uncover the truth about what happened to the mysterious man in the chimney. But as they dig deeper into the history of Netherfield Park, they find that danger is waiting for them around every corner. Soon enough, they’re forced to consider if the curse might have some merit to it, or if there’s something—or someone—far more sinister behind their near brushes with death….

This duology closer is a daring and delightful conclusion to the chronicles of supersleuths Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy!

My Review

More cozy mysteries featuring Jane Austen characters! Yet again, I find that this book arrived in my life at just the right moment. It was a joy to read this. The writing is smooth, so I flew through the pages. The characters are engaging, and the setting enjoyable.

If you’re a stickler for your historical fiction *sounding* like historical fiction… the writing here might feel too modern for you, especially if you are looking for something written more like the original work. But if you simply need more adventures with Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy at the helm, you definitely want to check out this series.

This is the second book in the “Lizzie and Darcy Murder Mysteries” duology, so if you’re new to this story universe, start with Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price, which is part of her “Jane Austen Murder Mysteries” series. (Sense and Second-degree Murder is still my favorite!) From there, you’ll want to pick up In Want of a Suspect, which is book one in the spin-off duology.

I especially love that the author offers Charlotte Lucas, who is a biracial woman in this reimagining of the story, an alternate, happier romance. I will always love the original story and respect Charlotte’s pragmatism, but I love that this story offers her the happiness she deserves.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity a few times. I love Georgiana Darcy’s response to this.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
References to attending Anglican church services. At one point, a character wonders whether another is. *gasp* a Catholic.

Violent Content
Mr. Darcy discovers a body (sort of a mummified skeleton) in the fireplace flue. He examines the clothes and personal items the murder victim carried as well as noting evidence of a head injury. (Later, characters briefly recount a recap of what happened to this person.) A heavy object falls from above, seriously injuring someone. Someone kidnaps a character and holds two people hostage in exchange for another’s cooperation. Someone fires a handgun at another person. References to someone being sentenced to hanging. (Not shown on scene.)

Drug Content
Adult characters drink alcohol occasionally. One character appears drunk at a funeral.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

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Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
Puffin Books
Published February 13, 2024 (Orig. 1813)

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About Pride and Prejudice

Though her sisters are keen on finding men to marry, Elizabeth Bennet would rather wait for someone she loves – certainly not someone like Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, whom she finds to be smug and judgmental, in contrast to the charming George Wickham.

But soon Elizabeth learns that her first impressions may not have been correct, and the quiet, genteel Mr. Darcy might be her true love after all.

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

Today (December 16) is Jane Austen’s birthday. She was born 249 years ago on this day in 1775 and was the seventh of eight children in her family. I read once, in A Most Clever Girl by Jasmine A. Stirling, that when the king asked Austen to write a fluffy romance novel for him, she refused.

Her books have inspired tons of movies and reimagined stories, including Northranger by Rey Terciero, “The Jane Austen Murder Mysteries” by Tirzah Price, and For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund.

My Review

I read this book for the first time in high school– and hated it. The next year, my sister read it and loved it. We watched the BBC version of the movie multiple times that summer, and I ultimately decided to give the book a second chance.

That second reading, I fell in love with the story and especially the wry, clever observations that Austen slips into her descriptions of various characters. Thanks to some persistent insomnia, I decided to revisit this familiar story via audiobook this year. I listened to it more than once.

I love the arc of romance between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, but I think I love the quirks and absurdities woven through the minor characters just as much. The way that both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have to learn things about themselves, their expectations of others, and the judgments they make about others before they can truly find happiness is unforgettable.

And the banter! Haha. The sharp jabs back and forth between Elizabeth and Darcy or either of those and other characters definitely keep me coming back to this book. I also love that Jane, Elizabeth’s sweet, beautiful sister, shares deep truths with Elizabeth that challenge her ideas and values.

At this point, other than The Secret Garden, this is probably the classic book that I’ve read the most. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I read it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
All characters are white and British.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A man convinces a fifteen-year-old girl that she should elope with him. One young woman runs away with a man and lives with him for a time while unmarried. There’s a lot of worry about how this choice will impact not only her reputation but the reputations of the other women in her family. During the time the story was written, these were real concerns that could make life hard for a woman.

Spiritual Content
One character is a clergyman.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
References to wine.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: Manslaughter Park by Tirzah Price

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Manslaughter Park (Jane Austen Murder Mysteries #3)
Tirzah Price
HarperCollins
Published June 27, 2023

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About Manslaughter Park

In this queer retelling of the classic novel and third book in Tirzah Price’s Jane Austen Murder Mystery series, Mansfield Park is the center of a deadly accident (or is it?). Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper.

Aspiring artist Fanny Price is an unwelcome guest at her uncle Sir Thomas Bertram’s estate. It’s his affection for Fanny that’s keeping her from being forced out by her cousins Tom and Maria and nasty Aunt Norris, back to a home to which she never wants to return. But then Sir Thomas dies in a tragic accident inside his art emporium, and Fanny finds evidence of foul play that, if revealed, could further jeopardize her already precarious position.

Edmund, her best friend and secret crush, urges Fanny to keep quiet about her discovery, but Fanny can’t ignore the truth: a murderer is among them.

Determined to find the killer, Fanny’s pursuit for justice has her wading into the Bertram family business, uncovering blackmail, and brushing with London’s high society when Henry and Mary Crawford arrive at Mansfield Park with an audacious business proposal. But a surprising twist of fate—and the help of local legends Lizzie Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy—brings Fanny more complications than she ever expected and a life-altering realization about herself she never saw coming.

My Review

I’ve never read MANSFIELD PARK by Jane Austen, so I read this reimagining or story inspired by the original without much in terms of expectations or comparisons to the original. I read a brief plot summary online to orient myself in the story, but I’m not sure how much of it I really absorbed.

It seems like a lot of background and plot elements are different in this book from the original story– such as the Bertrams having a business buying and selling artwork. I liked that the book included some exploration of the business of being an artist or an art dealer. Since the original story focused on themes of morality and moral principles, I thought that exploring those in the context of art as a business was an interesting way to shape the story.

As with SENSE AND SECOND DEGREE MURDER, I really enjoyed the storytelling. I found this to be a pretty quick read and a fun one, too. I like that the author also brought some queer representation into the story, and I definitely enjoyed the cameo appearances of Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.

All in all, I’d say this is an entertaining murder mystery and a great summer read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
The major characters are white. Fanny and a few minor characters are queer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls and a boy and girl. Fanny also overhears two couples kissing– two boys and, later, a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Fanny witnesses her uncle tripping before a fatal fall down the stairs. She notices a puddle of blood on the floor afterward and blood smudged on his glasses. A man kidnaps a woman, ties her hands, and gags her after threatening to murder her.

Drug Content
Fanny’s father is an alcoholic. References to social drinking.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of MANSLAUGHTER PARK in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Sense and Second-degree Murder by Tirzah Price

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Sense and Second-Degree Murder (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #2)
Tirzah Price
HarperCollins
Published April 5, 2022

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About Sense and Second-Degree Murder

When eighteen-year-old aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood discovers her beloved father slumped over the desk of his office study, she knows his death means dire straits for the Dashwood women. To make matters worse, an outdated will entails his estate—including Norland & Company, the private investigation firm where her younger sister Marianne worked as her father’s partner and protégé—to their half-brother and his haughty wife, who waste no time in forcing the Dashwoods out of their home and into a cramped apartment on London’s Barton Street.

But before they go, the Dashwood sisters make a startling discovery that points to foul play, and the killer might be family.

Obviously, the girls must investigate. It could be dangerous; it could ruin their reputations; and most importantly, it won’t bring back their father. But if the Dashwood sisters can combine their talents and bring their father’s murderer to justice, it may bring them all some comfort—and it might even lead to love.

Three of Jane Austen’s classic novels receive a murder mystery makeover in this romantic and thrilling three-book series that’s perfect for fans of THE LADY’S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY and STALKING JACK THE RIPPER. In SENSE AND SECOND-DEGREE MURDER, aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood and her sister Marianne, a budding detective, work together to solve the mystery of their father’s murder.

My Review

From the first page, I was excited about the way the author captured the spirit of the characters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. I loved Marianne’s willfulness and passion and Elinor’s keep-it-together practicality. I found it easy to get carried away by the pursuit of the mystery of who murdered their father, especially in the midst of the Dashwoods being forced from their home and struggling to navigate their grief over their father’s sudden death.

The only character that I felt got really shortchanged in the story was Mr. Brandon (Colonel Brandon in the original). He doesn’t play much of a role at all other than as a past client of Marianne and Elinor’s father until late in the story. And even then, he doesn’t really play much of an active role in the story. He’s more of a convenient guy to have around? A good resource for the investigation. A guy who knows how to treat a bullet wound. So that was a bit disappointing, since he’s a favorite character of mine. I can understand why the story was told that way (the murder is really the central plot, not romance), and I like other things about the story enough that it wasn’t a deal breaker for me by any means.

SENSE AND SECOND-DEGREE MURDER is the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series that I’ve read so far. They definitely don’t have to be read in order, as the only connection that I noticed was a one line reference to the law office in PRIDE AND PREMEDITATION.

All in all, I think this is a clever remix of the classic story, and I loved reading it. I think readers who enjoyed MY LADY JANE or ONE FOR ALL by Lillie Lainoff should absolutely check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Elinor and Marianne believe their father was murdered. Before his death, he and Marianne investigated other murders. One scene shows a building catching fire. A woman shoots someone fleeing the scene.

Drug Content
Several characters use laudanum or similar substances.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of SENSE AND SECOND-DEGREE MURDER in exchange for my honest review.