This was a short, quick read. It was not a bad book, just different from what I was expecting, and didn't leave enough of an impression to make me want to keep it. I thought there might be a bit more mystery and suspense. Instead, the main character accepts fairly quickly that what she's being given is an original, unpublished Austen manuscript. She falls extremely quickly for the Mr. Darcy-like character, who is actually pretty two-dimensional. I would just call it light reading, no more. ( )

Purely for a fun read

Claire takes her sister's place at a Jane Austen discussion in Oxford.
She leaves behind her needy sister and seemingly dull boyfriend Neil for the week.

Almost immediately after arriving she meets James. He is handsome but almost unfriendly at first.

She also meets Harriet who claims to have an original Jane Austen story called First Impressions. It was an early draft of Pride and Prejudice where Elizabeth has a different love interest.

Despite always claiming not to get the Darcy appeal, the combination of James and First Impressions are making Claire seriously reconsider her doubts about Darcy.

It's an enjoyable read. I didn't want anything heavy here, I wanted a nice light read and this fits the bill. Some plot points you'll see coming and others you may question. Why would Harriet tell Claire about First Impressions, she didn't even know her?
I honestly didn't care :) it was a fun read and it fit expectations in my opinion.
( )

Can someone please write a good modern Jane Austen themed story for once? I'm tired of all these mediocre ones. ( )

This book had me captivated from the beginning. A bit of mystery and romantic allure. I loved the attraction Claire had for this brooding Darcy type. The subtle tensions kept me reading. I loved the underlying mystery of the old lady with the Jane Austen manuscript. Everything was fine until the end. The character had changed, saw her life in a different light, but for some reason, that didn't do it for me. I'm not sure what I wanted, but it was lacking in drama. Still a thought provoking read. It made me think. Intuitive types would love this. ( )

A short, quick read. Surprisingly thoughtful, especially considering I was expecting an entertaining but somewhat silly romantic novel. Can and should we reinvent ourselves given the opportunity? ( )