Because her obsession with Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice," is ruining her love life, Jane Hayes is delighted when she gets the chance to take a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women. - (Baker & Taylor)

Because her obsession with Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life, Jane Hayes is delighted when she gets the chance to take a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, where she hopes to meet a perfect Regency-era gentleman of her own. By the author of Princess Academy. - (Baker & Taylor)

For readers of Waiting for Tom Hanks and Well Met, a “gloriously satisfying” (Glamour) romantic comedy set at a Jane Austen fantasy resort from New York Times bestselling author Shannon Hale. Now a major motion picture starring Keri Russell and produced by Stephenie Meyer. - (McMillan Palgrave)

For readers of Waiting for Tom Hanks and Well Met, a “gloriously satisfying” (Glamour) romantic comedy set at a Jane Austen fantasy resort from New York Times bestselling author Shannon Hale. Now a major motion picture starring Keri Russell and produced by Stephenie Meyer.

Jane Hayes is a young New Yorker with a real romantic problem: no man she meets can compare to her one true love—Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort for Austen fanatics, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Dressed in empire waist gowns and torn between a sexy gardener and an actor playing the brooding Darcy role, Jane finds herself mastering the rules of etiquette and of the resort’s flirtatious games. But when it’s time to bid Austenland goodbye, can Jane really leave her fantasies—and the two men who’ve played into them—behind?

In this addictive, charming, and entirely delightful story, Shannon Hale brings out the Jane Austen obsessive in all of us.

Shannon Hale is the New York Times bestselling author of 30+ books for young readers including Newbery Honor winner Princess Academy, The Goose Girl, Book of a Thousand Days, Kind of a Big Deal, and graphic novel memoirs Real Friends and Best Friends. Her novels for the adult crowd include Austenland (now a major motion picture starring Keri Russell), Midnight in Austenland, and The Actor and the Housewife. With her husband Dean, she penned the bestselling series The Princess in Black and two novels about Marvel’s unbeatable Squirrel Girl. They live in Utah with their four remarkable children and two ridiculous cats. - (McMillan Palgrave)

Booklist Reviews

Suppose you're a huge fan of Jane Austen, and in particular Pride and Prejudice and in particular Colin Firth's portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the BBC adaptation, and nothing in real life quite measures up. And suppose your great-aunt's legacy to you is a three-week vacation at an Austen-themed resort. This is the situation in which Jane Hayes, New York graphic artist, finds herself. Pembrook Park is a kind of Austen Fantasy Island where the female guests are required to dress, speak, eat, and in every way conduct themselves like heroines in Austen's novels, with actors filling out the roles of eligible suitors. Jane, called Miss Erstwhile for the duration of her stay, tries to get used to corsets and other Regency amusements while sorting out whether the attentions of a Darcyesque Mr. Nobley, not to mention a good-looking gardener, are sincere or part of the show. A clever confection for fans of contemporary Austen knockoffs. ((Reviewed March 15, 2007)) Copyright 2007 Booklist Reviews.

Library Journal Reviews

In her first novel for adults, Newbery Honor Medalist Hale (Princess Academy ) puts an intriguing twist on Austenmania by writing about a Jane Austen fantasy camp tailor-made for Colin Firth obsessives looking for their very own Mr. Darcy. Jane Hayes has the history of bad experiences with men typical of all chick-lit heroines, so she's resigned herself to a life of clandestine viewings of Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version, of course). Her wealthy Aunt Carolyn discovers her obsession and leaves Jane a fascinating bequest: a trip to Pembrook Park, a Regency-themed retreat where actors play out women's romantic fantasies. Jane adopts the identity of Miss Jane Erstwhile, dons her corset and gown, and experiences life as a Regency lady. She falls for a gardener—a big no-no at the camp—while also finding herself strangely attracted to cranky, distant Mr. Nobley. The hijinks that follow are entertaining if predictable (especially for P&P Austen fans). An amusing trifle likely to please chick-lit readers and Austen aficionados who enjoy modern twists on the author's classic tales.—Nanette Donohue, Champaign P.L., IL