Jane in Love

October 19, 2020
What Givney’s debut lacks in style compared to the works of Jane Austen, its eponymous heroine, it makes up for in its infectious enthusiasm. At 28, Jane is acutely aware that if she does not secure a husband soon, she will face the financial uncertainty and shame of spinsterhood. When her latest marital prospect ends in disaster, Jane turns to a mysterious London matchmaker and abruptly finds herself transported to present-day Bath, landing on the film set of an adaptation of Northanger Abbey. Though bewildered by the technology and customs of this new time, Jane is relieved to find a true friend in the romantically-challenged Sofia Wentworth, the film’s star, and an unexpected affection for Sofia’s kindhearted brother, Fred. But as Jane realizes true love, her books begin to disappear from shelves, forcing her to choose between the past and the present. Givney’s clever plot suffers from awkward pacing and stilted prose, particularly apparent in the lackluster dialogue of Jane herself, but there is no doubt that the real love story here is for Austen’s enduring literary legacy. Readers will come away eager to rediscover Austen’s books.