Culture Cabinet

It is a truth universally acknowledged that many of the best love stories begin with two people who can’t stand each other. In What Would Jane Austen Do?, Linda Corbett gives us an addition to the genre of romance between a spirited heroine and a grumpy man who hate each other but end up falling in love. Not only does it have many of the best romance tropes – only one bed! a man who seemingly only loves his dog! forced proximity! – but our female main character is a huge Jane Austen fan, which makes it an even better read for fellow Austen fanatics.

Our heroine Maddy is an agony aunt, writing a “Dear Jane” column for a magazine in which people can address their queries to Jane Austen herself. She loves her job and her life in London, living in a flat with her best friend, until she’s suddenly fired. Luckily for her, she soon receives word that a relation she never knew, cousin Nigel, has passed away and left her his large house in the countryside.

She’s thrilled with her new inheritance but less thrilled to discover that, in the terms and conditions, she must live in the house for one year before she can sell it. However, it seems like good timing, thanks to her recently having been laid off. She’s in for yet another surprise – she has also inherited the title of chair of the literary festival of the small town, that her cousin Nigel used to run. Along with that comes an eclectic group of festival planners, none of whom seem to know how to throw the sort of festival that London-based Maddy expected.

And there’s one last wrench in all her plans. She ends up with a lodger in the house who needs a place to stay while his house is being renovated. It’s crime novelist Cameron Massey (real name: Luke), with whom she had a spat during a radio interview just before leaving London, over whether or not Jane Austen is still relevant and if romance novels are worthy literature. The pair are forced into close quarters, along with Luke’s adorable dog Buster, and must try to come to some sort of understanding between them.

Throw in a celebrity ghost hunter, a mistaken proposal, and Maddy’s growing love for village life, and you’ve got a very engaging romance read. I loved seeing Luke and Maddy come to understand each other better and especially enjoyed Maddy’s fervent defense of romance novels. The plot is perhaps somewhat predictable, as Maddy begins to reconsider whether she wants to sell the house at the end of the year and her and Luke slowly fall in love, but it’s a very enjoyable read.

The book gets its name from the fact that Maddy is a major Jane Austen fan and defender; she often wonders how Jane or one of her heroines would react to the situations in which she finds herself. Maddy and Luke’s romance also has faint elements of the beloved Elizabeth and Darcy love story, including her essentially telling him that he’s the last man in the world she could ever be prevailed upon to marry. It’s great fun for Austen fans to read, especially because each chapter starts with a quote from one of Jane’s books.

What Would Jane Austen Do? is an easy read, thanks to Corbett’s smooth writing. Despite utilizing many tropes of romance novels, she makes it all feel fresh and engaging – I really struggled to put this book down! I highly recommend the book to all fellow Jane Austen fans, and anyone who’s dreamed of suddenly inheriting a grand house in the English countryside.

I was given an ARC of this book by Net Galley, HarperCollins, and Austenprose PR in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.