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Austen in August - Two Mini Reviews


Love is a Battlefield (Games of Love, #1)Love is a Battlefield by Tamara Morgan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It was a really cute read, but I don't know if it impressed me enough to have me keep reading the series.  I originally decided to read it when I saw that Kate is a member of a Jane Austen Regency Reenactment Society (JARRS) and I just love Jane Austen (JASNA member!)

That being said there was just something about the story that didn't work for me and I can't even really put my finger on what it was, but there was just "something".  I feel like the problems the characters kept facing could have easily been solved with simple conversations, I tend to like when things are harder to solve and they really have to work at overcoming their problems.


The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern WomanThe Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman by Lori  Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As with any interpretation of an author's work, Lori Smith uses what we know about Jane from her letters and those of her family to advise us on how Jane might advise us to live our lives. She uses examples from the books and it makes a nice little, light advice book.

I have had one little problem with the book and it's kind of had me question some other information in the book.  Lori Smith writes "Compared to Austen, we are a generation of hopeless romantics, just waiting to catch sight of the right person and fall head over heels into lifelong happiness.  We may be surprised -- Austen wouldn't have any of that. Actually, she doesn't give us any successful stories of love at first sight. (45)" I think that's wrong, I think Jane and Bingley were a successful love at first sight relationship, and through a discussion on Facebook (CNJ-JASNA) we think there are more.

That being said, there was a lot of nice information and ideas that we could think about incorporating into our lives.


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