Midnight in Austenland

I love that this was more mystery than romance, and we got to visit Austenland again with a different sort of main character. I hope Shannon Hale writes more, maybe exploring different sorts of stories, but all with this role playing Austen-era juxtaposed over modern women.... ahh, i had a lot of fun reading this.

The concept of a place like Austenland is a thrilling idea--I'd love to give it a go! And the story had promise. But the story-telling style didn't hold my interest. Throughout the book, I found myself saying, "Oh, come on! Let's just get on with it!" I just couldn't "feel" the main characters enough to invest myself in book. It took four weeks to get this one down. Austenland, the first in this series was more to my liking. And, yes, I would read a third book in this series if one were to come out. But I would hope for a better developed story.
Miss Cindy

Another woman at a crossroads in her life spends a role-playing vacation in a fantasy Regency-era setting...
Some familiar faces reappear, and new characters emerge. This episode is a bit darker and less frivolous than the first, but, as in Austen's own tales, we still trust things will work out for the best for our heroine.
I enjoyed it and am hoping there will be more stories set at Pembrook Park.

This is a great compliment to the first austenland! Hale really was able to make another fabtastic romance but with cleverness and twist. I finished it in a two days. I was sighing from all the wonderful Zings!!

I thoroughly enjoyed Austenland and was happy to find the "sequel." It's a fun read and I did get caught up in the mystery. I did read other reviews before purchasing the kindle edition which criticized the murder-mystery sub-plot, but I thought it was a good twist to the romantic element. I hope that there are more Austenland books to come!

Lovely story, adorable writing. The middle gets a bit wrapped up in the mystery and I would have liked more romance, but it's very, very readable and has a wonderful heroine one can identify with. I'd recommend it.

I picked up this book not knowing anything about it. There were a few surprises and that was a fresh change. By books end, I was left uplifted, happy, and yet feeling a little disappointed. A quick read. I'd probably not recommended it only because I would feel bad to also disappoint someone with a somewhat silly story maybe not worth their time.

Midnight in Austenland: A Novel by Shannon Hale has a wonderful blend of humor and suspense. And, of course, just to make it a bone fide gothic novel, the heroine is unsure of her sanity and sexual appeal. This was a lot of fun and I was wondering about her sanity as well...

Love Shannon Hale, and loved this book. . . I won't go into details about plot since others have done that for you, but want to say I really liked the first Austenland book, but I LOVED this one. I laughed out loud several times--Charlotte's inner voice was hilarious. It's not a heavy book, just a light and fun read.

Every Austen fan's dream is to become a character in her stories. This is a great twist of modern and Austen-times. No wonder they made a movie out of it (which is a really good adaptation of the book).

I read the first book, Austenland, and have to say that I did enjoy the self-deprecating humor of that book. It was very funny, fast paced, and the romance in Austenland was on point without being too salacious. I don't know the author personally, but my sneaky suspicion is that she is a Mormon, so without pissing any people off with a spoiler.....
The romance in Midnight in Austenland was lukewarm at best. I felt like I was reading a teen novel, not a book for adults. I had heard this was more adult than the last book, but alas, I was very disappointed with how little action actually went down. I was very glad I purchased it at the reduced price of 3.99 rather than the 9.99 price previously advertised. I would have been foaming at the mouth had that been the case. Now, I am a huge fan of Regency romance, with its chaste romances and social mores. It's nice to escape to another time and place....BUT....why, oh why would a divorced woman in her late 30's constantly complain about how her husband not only cheated on her, but is now living with another woman, yet will not allow herself to indulge in an adult sleep over? Shannon Hale could have left things to the imagination without making the more prudish reader blush at the insinuation. Hell, even that maid got more sex than she did in the entire book!
Charlotte's character is thus more often than not a sort of holy fool that you love to feel sorry for as she bemoans her miserable life while making fun of herself and her surroundings. She evolves as she develops a backbone, but for someone who is afraid of old mansions, she sure loves walking around in them in her nightgown at midnight chasing murderers. Really??? I will admit that the humor in the book is very good, and was one of its more redeeming qualities, but for what I expected from hearing it was a book for "adults", I was very disappointed. Lastly, if I ever find myself in a mansion where a murder occurred, I would pack my crap and be out of there in 2 seconds, even if I had to swim naked across a moat of piranhas and lug my suitcase with my teeth. I wouldn't stay on for 10 extra days just so I could have more Earl Grey tea, blood sausage and country dancing. Just saying.....

Liked the first Austenland a lot. Was not excited about recurring character Lizzie in this book. Not as good as the first, but a vacation distraction book. I wish the men characters had been developed more.

This book did NOT disappoint. Hale's fast paced book has it all--mystery, action, wit, humor, & romance. I couldn't put it down until I had finished it. My kids kept wondering why I was laughing. I can't wait to reread.....

A very good book. Delightful light read. A quick read with some interesting twists and turns. I don't typically like mysteries or romance novels and this is both but different enough to hold my attention.