#Review: What Would Jane Austen Do? by Linda Corbett @lcorbettauthor @0neMoreChapter_ @rararesources #blogtour #newrelease #romance #JaneAusten #RespectRomFic

I’m delighted today to be helping launch the blog tour for What Would Jane Austen Do?, the second novel from Linda Corbett, and sharing my review. Published by One More Chapter, it’s now available as an ebook (just 99p for kindle) and in paperback via Amazon in the UK and US, with the audiobook to follow on 31st August. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading copy (provided via netgalley).

Having met Linda at the RNA Awards party, it was a real pleasure to share a review of her debut novel, Love You From A-Z, published in June last year (and, I’ll just mention, also just 99p for kindle) – a thoroughly lovely read with a heroine who really captured my heart and such a different and well-told story (you’ll find my full review here). Mind you, the first thing I said to Rachel when she told me about Linda’s new book was “aren’t there any guinea pigs?” – I loved Snickers in her last book! So no, there really aren’t any guinea pigs this time – instead, a story with a premise I really couldn’t resist…

It’s a truth often acknowledged that when a journalist and Jane Austen fan girl ends up living next door to a cynical but handsome crime writer, romantic sparks will fly!

 

When Maddy Shaw is told her Dear Jane column has been cancelled she has no choice but to look outside of London’s rental market. That is until she’s left an idyllic country home by the black sheep of the family, long-not-so-lost Cousin Nigel.

 

But of course there’s a stipulation… and not only is Maddy made chair of the committee for the annual village literary festival, she also has to put up with bestselling crime author –and romance sceptic – Cameron Massey as her new neighbour.

 

When Maddy challenges Cameron to write romantic fiction, which he claims is so easy to do, sparks fly both on and off the page…

Unceremoniously – and rather unexpectedly – dumped from her regular job as an agony aunt, her column “Dear Jane” drawing on the wit and wisdom of Jane Austen, inheriting a country pile from distant cousin Nigel might be something of a life-saver for Maddy. Hoping to put it straight on the market, she’s rather horrified to find that a condition of the inheritance is that she must live in the house – in the quintessentially English village of Cotlington – for a year. It’s ok though, Nigel’s left some money for running costs – but nothing like enough, and that means she’ll really need to get a lodger.

And that’s how crime writer Cameron Massey (real name Luke) – escaping building work at his own house in the village – ends up staying in one of her many spare rooms and struggling with his latest book in her library. Their paths have crossed before – a clash over the merits of romantic fiction (Maddy’s passion) while recording a podcast, and a particularly grumpy encounter over his escapologist dog Buster. And as if his constant presence isn’t bad enough – and it might just be that there’s a ghostly presence too – it seems Nigel was a leading light in organising the annual village literary festival, held in the house’s garden, and that Maddy is expected to step in and take his place.

Light and lovely, this book was an absolute delight. At first, Maddy’s not a particularly sympathetic character, but I soon began to feel for her through her trials and tribulations – and the enemies to lovers storyline that develops between her and Luke, helped by Buster’s interventions and with obstacles from the past along the way, was so beautifully handled. There’s an unfolding – and very intriguing – mystery about Nigel’s past, and how the black sheep of the family managed to afford his home in the country and become such a well-loved benefactor to the village community. And that community really is simply wonderful – full of characters who wouldn’t be out-of-place in Austen’s Regency world (with more than a nod too, I thought, to the Vicar of Dibley), with plenty of laughs (the night of ghost-hunting was just wonderful) and a few touches of real poignancy along the way.

Each chapter starts with a Jane Austen quotation, appropriate to its content – and, should you be a fan, you’ll spot a lot more rather familiar character traits and subtle references along the way, really cleverly done. I also liked very much the whole premise of the clash between the dismissive crime writer without a romantic bone in his body and the staunch defender of romantic fiction – lots to identify with there for the reader. And I really must mention just once more the fantastic Buster – such a character, his every appearance just adding to the joy and laughter to be found within the book’s pages.

I really enjoyed this one – sheer fun from beginning to end, beautifully written, and with a real touch of originality. Very much recommended by me!

About the author

Linda Corbett lives in Surrey with her husband Andrew and three permanently hungry guinea pigs. As well as being an author, Linda is treasurer for Shine Surrey – a volunteer-led charity that supports individuals and families living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. For many years she also wrote a regular column for Link, a disability magazine, illustrating the humorous aspects of life with a complex disability and she is a passionate advocate of disability representation in fiction. When not writing, Linda can be found papercrafting, cross stitching, or cuddling guinea pigs. Love You From A-Z was her first published novel.

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