The Jane Austen Project: A Novel

This book gave me all the feels!! I was very sorry to see this novel come to an end. It was exciting, entertaining, surprisingly sexy, and very creative.

I have been a Jane Austen fan my whole life, but it’s been many years since I read one of her books (or watched a movie adaptation). It was lovely to be re-immersed in her life. The novel plunges the reader into the sights, sounds, and smells of England in the early 1800s, and it’s even more interesting that we get to view this world from the eyes of foreigner who only has her research to guide her.

While the idea of two time travelers from the future (beyond 2017) going back to London in 1815 is a big concept, the author pulls it off convincingly. The story successfully meshes elements from different genres: historical fiction, romance, and science fiction. I loved getting both details of the imagined future as well as the past of the Austens. The time travelers also had to be aware of the fact that their actions in the past might create a change in the future (their present), a scary possibility which looms over their choices. The entire book felt like an “event”, extremely imaginative and well thought-out.

It was fun getting a modern point of view of the customs and morals of the early 1800s. Rachel, our main character, is a smart and realistic narrator who gives careful thought to her actions, yet makes human mistakes. I found her very relatable, and all of the secondary characters were fascinating and well-drawn. Overall, I was thrilled with this book!

I picked this up on a whim when I saw it at a bookstore. I am a huge Jane Austen fan- I've read all the books, seen all the film adaptions, and even went to the Jane Austen festival in Bath one year. If you are a Jane Austen fan, this is a solid read.

Parts I liked: I loved the premise: the idea of time traveling to meet Jane Austen. The descriptions of all the places brought back the memories I had of the trip to Austen festival I attended and the tour I went on. The places and history the author describes are spot on- she obviously did her research. I also thought the plot was fun- I'm a sucker for romantic twists and turns.

Parts I didn't like: The author didn't seem to think 100% through all the time travel pieces- there were so many loose ends- and not in the "I can't wait for the sequel to come out" sort of way. For example- what the heck was "the die-off"- why not just set the time travel piece a few years in the future from now? The last couple chapters did the same thing- they were just weird (I don't want to spoil anything).

So on the whole, I'm glad I read it. It was enjoyable, but not perfect read.

Very enjoyable time travel, back to Jane Austin's time. A couple of future people are sent back to find the lost letters of Jane Austin. The comparisons, the reality of life then and the futuristic was awakening to the characters and me. If was easy to fall into the world created by this author. Even more fascinating was the world the travelers came from, returned to and the changes that happened from their interferences and influences. So many changes, from so little time, it made me think about all the possibilities.
I picked this up wanting more Jane Austin, as a fan it's required. Check the fan manual. LOL. As I went along with this audiobook it became more about these two people and their lives so fluid. Jane, was more of a off to the side character to me. The author did an excellent job of making feel realistic. I would love to read more works from her.

There was a moment in the beginning of the book when a sentence made me stop reading and smile because I recognized a name and the sentence made me realize that the author has read my favorite book; Possession by A.S. Byatt. I will even quote the sentence: A statue of the poet Randolph Henry Ash, which had long stood in a traffic circle in Hampstead, had disappeared overnight, along with all records of its creation. The poet Randolph Henry Ash is one of the main characters in Possession and I thought this makes sense, someone has traveled back in time changed history so now we have no recollection of Randolph Henry Ash. The reason I thought so is that I think Randolph Henry Ash is one of the best poets ever, and he has never ever lived!

Anyway, I got a bit sidetracked by my love for Possession. Back to The Jane Austen Project. This book is fabulous, one thing that I truly loved with it was it really dealt with the consequences of traveling back in time, The changes it brings to the future. This is something that Rachel, the book's narrator ponders over during the books progress. How their presence will change history. Even smalls thing can have big consequences as the ending will show.

Rachel Katzman and Liam Finucane mission is to steal a manuscript from Jane Austen. But, befriending Jane has its consequences. Especially Rachel finds it hard to just play a role and try to find a moment to steal the manuscript. Rachel starts to like Jane, and as a doctor, she also starts to think about saving Janes life, but that would truly have consequences...

The Jane Austen Project is one of the best books I have read about time travel. I adore the beautiful cover and I found the story engrossing.

As a Jane Austen fan, I was eager to read this novel to see how the author brought Jane to the page. Would Flynn's Jane reveal the genius, and the person, behind one of my favorite authors? I was so gratified to see how vividly Jane came alive in this very entertaining novel. Regency era details, and the details of Jane's family and Jane herself, were clearly meticulously researched; Flynn uses her research and her keen eye for manners and relationships to weave these authentic details into a compelling story. A big part of the novel's appeal lies with the lead characters, Dr. Rachel Katzman and Liam Finucane. In her own world, Rachel is accustomed to traveling freely all over the world, practicing her profession as a doctor, and living her life with few restrictions. When she travels back to the Regency era, she can’t even go out without a male escort and faces many curbs on her freedom. Similarly, as an actor in his world, at first Liam seems to enjoy his new role as a wealthy gentleman immigrant from Jamaica. As the novel unfolds, he struggles to maintain his fictional role. While the novel focuses more on Rachel's and Jane's conflicts with the times as smart, educated women, I admired how the author also put Liam in situations that made me think about the conflicts men also faced in this society. This is one of those rare novels that manages to entertain me, teach me, and make me think more deeply about the past and the future all at the same time. Can't wait for Flynn's next novel!

This book is so much fun. It's a delightful what if? mashup of science fiction, historical fiction, and historical romance that is, perhaps most importantly, an homage to the works and life of one of the greatest writers in the Western Canon. And one of the things I most appreciated about this novel is that it doesn't attempt to adapt Austen's work, recasting timeless characters and plots in pale, poor versions of the original thing, but instead provides the reader with a glimpse into the world of Austen herself, the person and the writer. There are certainly echoes of Austen's plots, characters, and language, such as when Henry Austen proposes to Rachel, but Flynn does it with wit and near reverence. I did find the sensuality to be a bit too graphic, especially for a novel about a writer known for her subtleties, but at the same time, Rachel's frankness and lack of inhibition is an interesting study in contrasts to those who are familiar with Austen's work.

Rachel is a feisty, likable protagonist, and I was rooting for her and Liam the entire time. My biggest critique of the novel would be that the ending-- Rachel and Liam reuniting after traveling back to their present world-- feels so very rushed, especially after the detail the reader gets in order to set up the plot and the world of Regency England. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel.

All in all, this is a fresh take on Jane Austen, and it's interesting to see a progressive woman like Rachel trying to exist in an 18-century man's world, not unlike Austen herself, at least in Flynn's imaginings.

This book about going back to meet Jane Austen presents not only a rich view of Jane Austen and her world, but also offers a unique look at the idea of time travel itself. Time travel would have a ripple effect on all events in the future and that is one aspect that is rarely considered by time travel authors except in passing. In addition, this book spends a good deal of space discussing issues such as the lack of hygiene, medicine and conveniences a modern traveler would experience, something I have often considered. It is a must read for any Jane Austen can or a fan of the idea of time travel.

What a great debut! This one combined two favorites for me- time travel AND Jane Austen. What a terrific plot idea to send a present day scientist in the company of a pretty darn good guy to diagnose Jane Austen. Flynn is clearly an Austen fan girl and that's a good thing. The plot, the temp of the writing, and the general sensibility are all echoes of Austen. Some hard core Austen fans might not like this but it's a really good twist on the traditional. Rachel and Liam could not have expected things to turn out the way they do when they signed on for the project. They are terrific characters with great gumption and able to match wits with one of the cleverest women ever. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. This was a joy.

When deciding to read a novel, premise is king for me. With this novel, I picked it up and crossed my fingers based on the idea of time travelling and also recovering an unpublished manuscript written by Jane Austen. And thankfully, I really enjoyed it! The conflict was intriguing in this novel (what's a book without a good conflict?) as Rachel has to befriend Jane and her relatives in order to complete her mission, but of course, she forms real relationships which makes it increasingly difficult to do such, without betraying Jane. I also enjoyed the detailed look into 1815! Def recommend to those Jane Austen and historical fiction lovers out there!

I received a galley of this novel.

WOW is truly all I can say about this book. I loved every aspect of The Jane Austen Project. I am a huge Jane Austen fan and have read and reread each of her books too many times to count. I am not a fan of books that take Austen’s stories and redo them – making them about zombies, continuing the characters’ lives, etc., and I have mixed feelings about books that drop people into her stories. Thankfully, The Jane Austen Project does none of these things. Instead Kathleen Flynn creates an entirely new story that sends two time travelers, Rachel Katzman and Liam Finucane, back to Jane Austen’s time to meet her, locate a manuscript that she never published and bring it back to their futuristic time period. Trained and prepared by The Royal Institute for Special Topics in Physics, the pair successfully travel back to 1815 and begin the process of trying to fulfill the mission’s goals. As they attempt to insert themselves into 19th century life, Rachel and Liam quickly learn that while preparation for a project such as this is helpful, there are many aspects of everyday life in another era that cannot be anticipated. Moreover, as Rachel befriends Jane and her relatives, she finds it increasingly difficult to complete her mission without betraying her relationship with Jane.

There were so many things I loved about this book. The research and creativity that went into this story are truly mind boggling. The time traveling portion of the book is very well-done and thoughtfully depicted. Rachel and Liam hail from a technologically advanced future where time travel has been successfully attempted. The details relating to their preparation and training was fabulous. I also loved Flynn’s imagined futuristic society including the reemergence of Great Britain as the super power and felt she included enough information on this era to understand what it was like without detracting from the main story taking place in 1815-1816.
I reveled in the level of detail Flynn included about England in 1815 and learned so many fascinating items about that time period: customs, rules, and even what it smelled like. I truly felt like I could visualize so much of what she described. I am sure I will need to reread the book to absorb every last tidbit. The ending was superb; I cannot say very much without spoiling it, but Flynn outdid herself with the original, ingenious, and thought-provoking end to the novel.

I have not read a book I enjoyed as much as this one in a long, long time. For Jane Austen fans, it is a must read and will be highly entertaining for any reader. Thanks to Harper Perennial for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy anything about Jane Austen. I loved the idea of stepping into Jane's world. I was intrigued by the time travel aspect but I just didn't make sense to me. I may have missed a piece of the story while reading but I couldn't connect the relevance of time-traveling for Austen's work in the grand scheme of things considering the state of the world. I did love the romantic relationships though. There was just enough love throughout to keep the world spinning so to speak. Some of the dialogue felt a bit obsure between the main characters and mumbled on occasion with several of the other characters, but I enjoyed the novel regardless. I really think what was lacking in the novel could be made fantastic as a miniseries for sure!

The book was not bad, I’d give it 3.5 stars but there was just nothing that really made it stand out. I was hoping for more given the topic but it was just okay, kind of a bland story. I would not buy this book, borrow it from your local library.

Confession: I am not a Jane Austen fan. (I know, I know.) Thus, even though I had heard rave reviews of this book, I was a little worried that it might not be for me. Just a couple of pages in, those concerns were long forgotten! I was immediately drawn into Rachel and Liam's intricate mission, and their own complex dynamic. I so captivated by this book, in fact, that I spent an entire beautiful Saturday indoors and read it in one sitting. Kathleen A. Flynn is a remarkable writer, and the story (and backstory) unfolds subtly and organically. Highly recommend ... especially if you are (unlike me) an Austen fan!

Let me start by saying I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, but I don't always love the modern books that are based on Austen's books or life. Yet this book was oddly compelling. I'm not a big fan of science fiction, and wasn't sure what I'd think of The Jane Austen Project, and truthfully, it took me several chapters to really appreciate the book. But I did enjoy it quite a bit once I really got into the story. I really liked the historical detail as well. I saw that some reviewers didn't like the ending, but I thought it was great--very creative and thought-provoking.

I really enjoyed this book. It's an interesting premise: in a post-disaster world, two people travel in time to the latter part of Jane Austen's life to research an unfinished work and the illness that killed her. I found the sci-fi time-travel elements to be very vague, but that's not the emphasis of the story. The story is well characterized, and I really found myself caring about all of the main and secondary characters. I found the ending rushed. The climax raised some very existential questions (what do you do when your whole world changes around you), and I didn't feel that the author took as much time as she could have to explore them. However, it was a thoughtful and enjoyable read.

Book #1 Read in 2018
The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen Flynn

Rachel and Liam travel back in time to see if they can get their hands on Jane Austen's The Watsons. In theory, they should not do anything to alter history or their future world might be changed. Easier said than done. This book is a mix of science fiction, historical fiction and romance. I believe this book sets up a series. It was a good read.

As a professed Austen lover, I have sort of a love/hate relationship with the many novels that have been written either about Austen herself, or as continuations or reinterpretations of Austen's own novels. A lot of them are embarrassingly bad. I was intrigued with the premise of this book -- the idea of a future time in which time travel has been solved, and that there is a project designed to find a lost Austen novel and possibly uncover the cause of her death -- but what kept me up late turning pages were interesting and unexpected characters. I found I could never predict what was going to happen next, and was often moved by the complex layers of emotion as the time travelers grew closer to each other and to Austen and her family. A satisfying read.

Wow. Best book I read in 2017. If you love Jane Austen, this is enthralling. Rachel and Liam time-travel back from the future (years ahead of 2017) to 1815 to find Jane Austen and try to fit themselves into her life. I loved every page. Could've stayed in this book forever.

A well researched and imaginative look into Jane Austen's England, but the disapproval of the Austens at the deception practiced upon them because of the "research" of the two main characters pales in comparison with what the response of people of their sensibilities would have been to the deception between the main characters that is revealed in the ending. Is the reader to rejoice at this "happy" ending? At the successful outcome of such a deliberate, self-serving lie and betrayal? Was it Inserted to provide a final conflict to be overcome? For me, it spoils the whole book.

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to meet Jane Austen, this is your book! In a wonderfully intelligent literary time travel story, Kathleen Flynn envisions a (n optimistic) future in which literary conservation is so high in a list of priorities, cutting edge science is used to equip two time travelers to voyage to Regency England and rescue Jane's "lost" manuscripts. One of the lovely things about this novel is the way that the travelers' approach towards their Jane Austen mimics the structure and style of an Austen novel. We are kept waiting, rather deliciously long . . . but not too long, before the travelers get really acquainted with Jane. The nuggets of wit and irony abound even before we meet the famous author as the time travelers are also, among other things, literary scholars and they are easily seduced into the modes and manners of the period. A wonderful adventure and a must for Austen fans!

A very nice read. While I found the current reality of the world at the beginning a little bit hard to grasp, the Austen era London was delightful. I thought the challenges to remain aloof and not change the past was very believable. A light and enjoyable read for a rainy day.

Well written, intriguing, and complex, with characters that are trapped by their own sense of low self-worth, until they turn to each other. Enjoyable read for any Austen fan,particularly in the speculative thought that her scarcity makes her more valuable than had she been able to be more.prolific.

Since I love science fiction and regency novels, I thought I would really like this. It was engaging, but the ending felt abrupt and a little beyond belief. I won't give any spoilers for those that do read, but I thought the story did not live up to the concept.

I really hope there's a sequel. Or at least that Flynn keeps writing. Because wow. Fans of Outlander, Jane Austen, and every adventure story ever will love this book. I love the romance and the time travel, but I truly enjoyed the author's take on the consequences of time travel and what it would mean for history.

Having read Jane Austen’s novels more times than I can count, I look forward to reading anything “Jane Austen” (except the zombie thing). Still, this was so different that , at first , I wasn’t sure I would like it. Then it swept me away and I had trouble putting it down.

The first half of the book was very good. I love time travel stories and this one seemed intriguing. I am not a romance reader and that's what the book became. I was very disappointed in the last third of the book and especially the ending. It spoiled the entire book for me.

Kathleen Flynn’s smart and well-crafted novel, The Jane Austen Project, is a unique blend of historical fiction and sci-fi, complete with a love story. I particularly admire how Flynn portrays Jane Austen, a character with intelligence, savvy, and a keen ability to read others. The details in the novel make the setting and story vivid and real. This is a wonderful and interesting book, well worth the read.

I would give this five stars but the ending is abrupt and ambiguous. The characters of Rachel and Liam and well done and you really feel like you get to know the Austen family and Chawton but then you are let down. Be warned.

Bravo for a well written and page turning debut novel! I first was drawn to this new read because I love all things Jane Austen. I wavered a bit when I saw that it included time travel, which I do not enjoy reading about! But let me tell you when I got started I was so intrigued that I could hardly put it down! It was just a new and different take that included an intimate look into JA's life. Take a chance on this one! You won't be disappointed!

When I first saw this title I jumped for it. When I started reading it I found myself strangely reluctant-but reading further I was totally drawn in- far enough that I worried about how it would end. So, loved it.

Given the intriguing subject and premise of this book, I feel rather disappointed after finishing it. The story was unnecessarily wordy and lacked wit, the writing uninspired, and the turn of events utterly predictable.

I’m a glutton for time travel, regency and romance...so of course at a base level I would enjoy this book. I had zero expectations but found myself pleasantly surprised to want to know more about the characters. It goes without saying I’d like to have met Jane Austen...since the book makes her out to be so witty, dry and charming.

It's a historically accurate historical-fiction, so it's a fun read. That's it's strongest quality. The characters and larger plot points, which delve into science fiction are not as well developed. I liked it though.

Given the intriguing subject and premise of this book, I feel rather disappointed after finishing it. The story was unnecessarily wordy and lacked wit, the writing uninspired, and the turn of events utterly predictable.

I’m a glutton for time travel, regency and romance...so of course at a base level I would enjoy this book. I had zero expectations but found myself pleasantly surprised to want to know more about the characters. It goes without saying I’d like to have met Jane Austen...since the book makes her out to be so witty, dry and charming.

What a terrific and engaging novel! It is full of incredible dialog, rich characters, and a fast-moving plot that makes it hard to stop reading. The author manages to evoke Austen's distinctive style while still writing a novel that is both modern and original. It is a book for the Austen-lover and the sci-fi reader alike. Congratulations to Kathleen A. Flynn on this wonderful book!