What Would Jane Austen Do? by Linda Corbett (HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter)

The novel What Would Jane Austen Do? will appeal to everyone who likes a nice romance with a dash of old mysteries, quirky neighbors, beautiful countryside, dogs, cupcakes, and literature.

Maddy Shaw is forced to go outside of the London rental market after learning that her Dear Jane column has been terminated. She finds out about the death of long-lost cousin Nigel, the family's black sheep, and learns that his gorgeous country home was given to her in his will.

There is, of course, a condition, she has to live one full year in a house. Maddy is appointed chair of the committee for the yearly literary festival in her community, and now she also has to put up with bestselling mystery writer and skeptic of romance Cameron Massey as a new neighbor.

Sparks flare both on and off the page when Maddy challenges Cameron to write love fiction, which he believes is so simple to do.

Engaging and fun, Corbett's writing captures the spirit of Austen while giving it a contemporary spin (of Pride and Prejudice). The pace is steady, with a good mixture of humorous passages, romantic tension, and literary allusions that keep readers interested throughout.

The several Jane Austen quotations that were included at the beginning of each chapter are nice additional touch to the novel.

A cozy and heart-warming read.

3/5