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Review – Midnight In Austenland by Shannon Hale

By Novelicious

This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.

Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce

9781408840153Charlotte is sick of being set up on blind dates by well-meaning friends after her divorce from James. She doesn’t feel ready to date other men and decides the best course of action is to take a break, so she books herself on a two week holiday at Pembroke Park. Time has stood still at Pembroke Park and it is continually 1816. Guests dress in the Regency style and must follow strict rules of etiquette under the watchful eye of Mrs Wattlesbrook.

Charlotte is hoping to rest and perhaps take part in a fairy tale romance for the duration of her stay, but is soon immersed in the mystery surrounding an old, spooky story of murder and ghosts. To occupy herself, Charlotte is determined to uncover the truth, but if she unearths too many secrets, she may find herself in danger.

I recently read and reviewed Austenland, which takes place before Midnight In Austenland, but I found it doesn’t matter if you haven’t read the first book as they follow different storylines. While Austenland introduces Pembroke Park and the main rules of the period, Midnight in Austenland is more of a mystery and is full of suspense and intrigue. I was glad when I learned Miss Charming was back as a guest as she was my favourite character in Austenland, but she only has a small part in Midnight In Austenland and I would have liked to have seen much more of her as I think she is a fantastic character with a lot of potential.

At the start of each chapter, there is a snippet from Charlotte’s life before Pembroke Park, chronicling her life with James and their divorce, but I don’t think they are necessary to the story. We know Charlotte is divorced and is still trying to get over her husband’s affair and I didn’t feel these snippets provided anything of importance beyond that fact, and it also intruded on the Pembroke Park story, slowing down the action, particularly as Charlotte became more and more entangled in the mysteries of the house. However, this would be my only criticism as I found Midnight In Austen to be a fun blend of romance, suspense and action, creating an enjoyable book.

8/10

Shannon Hale's Website

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    Filed Under: 8/10, Alternative Thursday, Jenni Cahill, Reviews

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