Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

Listened to by joysann

Jane Mansfield (no, not that Jayne Mansfield) wakes in a strange room with a strange (and strangely dressed), handsome man telling her she’s suffering a head injury from diving into a swimming pool, assuring her that her memory will come back to her. Only she hasn’t lost her memory; she remembers very well that she fell from the side-saddle off her horse as she escaped the shame of witnessing Mr Edgeworth with a parlor maid. She gradually realizes her wish of escaping her life came true… she has become a different person in the far future, facing an unfamiliar world and scandalously different social mores.

I thoroughly took pleasure in listening to this clever, funny story blending the best of contemporary romance with the language and flavor of a Regency historical novel. I can only imagine the effort it took to adapt Miss Austen’s flowery manner of writing into a thoroughly modern creation. Laurie Viera Rigler did it with excitement, suspense, and delightfully good humor.