Austenland - Shannon Hale

My Jane Austen kick continues! This is the story of Jane, a quirky New Yorker who is gifted a fantasy trip to "Austenland" where she gets to pretend to live the life of someone similar to a Jane Austen character during Regency times. The "vacation" lasts about three weeks. Jane's trip is a fun escape, but she also uses the trip to try and prove to herself that romantic men like Mr.Darcy of Pride & Prejudice are not worth pining over and fantasizing about. There are several comedic moments (Mrs.Charming's attempt at proper British is hilarious with her "what-whats" here and there), and there are some surprising romantic twists and turns in the plot (and fun make-out sessions, too). The characters in this story aren't who they seem to be, and I was a bit confused by some of them at times. The author was able to pull the story together nicely at the end, and, even though the ending seemed liked it was put together quickly, it was a good one. I recommend this to anyone looking for an enjoyable, fast read...and I don't think Jane Austen fans will mind this bit of fluff.