Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature's Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart

Jane Austen Mysteries #11.5 - Jane and the Gentleman Ro

by Adriana Trigiani (Editor), Jo Beverley, Margaret Sullivan

Stories Lauren Willig • Adriana Trigiani • Jo Beverley • Alexandra Potter • Laurie Viera Rigler • Frank Delaney & Diane Meier • Syrie James • Stephanie Barron • Amanda Grange • Pamela Aidan • Elizabeth Aston • Carrie Bebris • Diana Birchall • Monica Fairview • Janet Mullany • Jane Odiwe • Beth Pattillo • Myretta Robens • Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway • Maya Slater • Margaret C. Sullivan • and Brenna Aubrey, the winner of a story contest hosted by the Republic of Pemberley
 
“My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” If you just heaved a contented sigh at Mr. Darcy’s heartfelt words, then you, dear reader, are in good company. Here is a delightful collection of never-before-published stories inspired by Jane Austen—her novels, her life, her wit, her world.

In Lauren Willig’s “A Night at Northanger,” a young woman who doesn’t believe in ghosts meets a familiar specter at the infamous abbey; Jane Odiwe’s “Waiting” captures the exquisite uncertainty of Persuasion ’s Wentworth and Anne as they await her family’s approval of their betrothal; Adriana Trigiani’s “Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane” imagines a modern-day Austen giving her niece advice upon her engagement; in Diana Birchall’s “Jane Austen’s Cat,” our beloved Jane tells her nieces “cat tales” based on her novels; Laurie Viera Rigler’s “Intolerable Stupidity” finds Mr. Darcy bringing charges against all the writers of Pride and Prejudice sequels, spin-offs, and retellings; in Janet Mullany’s “Jane Austen, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!” a teacher at an all-girls school invokes the Beatles to help her students understand Sense and Sensibility; and in Jo Beverley’s “Jane and the Mistletoe Kiss,” a widow doesn’t believe she’ll have a second chance at love . . . until a Miss Austen suggests otherwise.

Regency or contemporary, romantic or fantastical, each of these marvelous stories reaffirms the incomparable influence of one of history’s most cherished authors.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Anthologies, Historical, Chick Lit

445 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2011

About the author

Join Adriana Trigiani and the great authors and luminaries of our time on the YOU ARE WHAT YOU READ PODCAST! Available wherever you listen to podcasts: https://linktr.ee/adrianatrigiani

Beloved by millions of readers around the world for her "dazzling" novels (USA Today), Adriana Trigiani is "a master of palpable and visual detail" (Washington Post) and "a comedy writer with a heart of gold" (New York Times). She is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books of fiction and nonfiction, including her latest, The Good Left Undone- an instant New York Times best seller, Book of the Month pick and People's Book of the Week. Her work is published in 38 languages around the world. An award-winning playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker, Adriana's screen credits include writer/director of the major motion picture of her debut novel, Big Stone Gap, the adaptation of her novel Very Valentine and director of Then Came You. Adriana grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she co-founded The Origin Project, an in-school writing program serving over 2,700 students in Appalachia. She is at work on her next novel for Dutton at Penguin Random House.

Follow Adriana on Facebook and Instagram @AdrianaTrigiani and on TikTok @AdrianaTrigianiAuthor or visit her website: AdrianaTrigiani.com.

Reviews

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounding up. An anthology of 22 Jane Austen-inspired short stories, an eclectic mix of straight sequels/epilogues to JA novels, ghost stories featuring JA or her characters, modern stories with a JA connection, and a few other types of stories tossed into the mix. This was on a $1.99 Kindle sale, and I'm kind of a sucker for Jane Austen fanfic even though I usually end up being underwhelmed in the end. But this one has the fact that it's published by a traditional publisher going for it, the stories are written by some authors with chops, and the GR ratings (at least from the Austen fans) are mostly thumbs up. So I bit on it, and in the end I thought it was well worth my time and money.



The intro, quite humorously (at least for me) mentions that before the 1995 P&P miniseries (in which Darcy so famously appears in a wet shirt, giving thousands of fans heart palpitations even though that scene isn't in the original book) there was very little Austen fanfic. Since then, helped along by the Internet and the rise of self-publishing, the genre has exploded, for good or bad.

Off we go! **Spoiler alert for pretty much every Jane Austen novel**

4 stars for "Jane Austen's Nightmare": Jane records in her diary a distressing dream in which she is wandering the streets of Bath, repeatedly accosted by various characters from the novels she's written, beginning with Marianne from Sense and Sensibility. Marianne has a bone to pick with Jane:

"All the other heroines in every one of your novels end up with the man they love, except me. You marry me off to a man nearly twice my age! How could you do it?"

In fact, nearly every character she runs into has a bone to pick with Jane, even the ones, like Emma and Elinor, that she thought she treated well. Then Jane gets stalked by a gang, including Mr. and Mrs. Elton, General Tilney, Lucy Steele and other villains and buffoons, with pitchforks and torches in hand ... It's quite amusing if you're familiar with Austen's various novels and their characters.

2.5 stars for "Waiting": This one is an epilogue to Persuasion, as Captain Wentworth takes on the chore of asking Anne's father for her hand in marriage, and other post-engagement events occur. The writing is fine, but I just didn't really see much point to this meandering tale.

3 stars for "A Night at Northanger": A modern investigative reporting crew for the TV show Ghost Trekkers arrives at Northanger Abbey to see if they can spot any ghosts or supernatural activities. While they interview Mr. Tilney-Tilney on camera, strange things start to happen. Then crew member Cate meets an apparition in her bedroom, where there's an old cedar chest, and they have a rather amusing chat.

4 stars for "Jane and the Gentleman Rogue": Jane Austen tangles with Lord Harold Trowbridge, noted Corinthian and despoiler of maiden hearts, a lovely French lady, and a fashionable nobleman who may be spying for Villeneuve.

5 stars for "Faux Jane": A very amusing and well-written story about a modern couple, Charles and Nicola Scott, and their run-in with an actress who's being taken by some con artists. Charles knows there's no such thing as a first edition of Pride and Prejudice signed by Jane Austen (or worse yet, a signed first edition of Persuasion, which was published posthumously) ... but Charles really has no intention of getting involved in something that's not his problem. Nicola, though, has other ideas. This one really tickled my funny bone, and tied in nicely to the theme of P&P in the end.

3.25 stars for "Nothing Less than Fairy-Land": Another epilogue type of story, this one for Emma. Mr. Knightley is moving into Hartfield, the Woodhouse home, but Emma's father, old Mr. Woodhouse, is having more trouble with it than either she or Knightley expected.

Mr. Woodhouse sat huddled next to the fire, his knees and shoulders wrapped in blankets. Anyone who set eyes on him could be forgiven for thinking that Mr. Knightley was forcing himself abominably on them in Hartfield, rather than performing an extraordinary sacrifice.

Emma finds herself torn between father and husband - but Emma, characteristically, manages to come up with an idea. The author isn't afraid of showing the shortcomings of Emma and Knightley as well as Emma's father, which messed with my HEA expectations a little (and made me want to knock a little more sense into Emma, who takes her duty as a daughter much too seriously).

2 stars for "Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane": A letter written by Jane Austen to her niece ... as if Jane were living in our day. Some nice advice, but the magical transportation of Jane to modern times seems to be for the sole purpose of giving her the chance to lament how tweets, emails and texts have replaced the fine art of handwritten letters.

3.5 stars for "Jane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss": Elinor Carsholt, a 35 year old widow, has been left in dire financial circumstances by the accidental death of her financially careless husband a year ago. Now she and her daughters live in a cottage on the handsome, 31 year old Sir Nicholas's estate. Perhaps Sir Nicholas is interested in Elinor's 16 year old daughter Amy? Elinor has mixed feelings about this, and hates accepting charity from him or anyone else. Jane Austen herself makes a brief guest appearance in this charming story.

3.75 stars for "When only a Darcy Will Do": Elizabeth, a modern American young woman living in London and attending university, is trying to earn some money by dressing up as a Regency-era lady and offering Jane Austen-themed walking tours. It's not working very well ... until a man dressed as a Regency gentleman shows up, introduces himself as Fitzwilliam Darcy, and asks for her tour. We learn a little bit about Jane Austen's life in this meet-cute story.

4 stars for "Heard of You": In another epilogue to Persuasion, Anne and Captain Wentworth are visiting with Admiral Croft and his wife Sophy, Wentworth's sister. Wentworth is persuaded to tell the story of how he helped Croft and Sophy come together, back when Wentworth served as a young midshipman under Captain Croft on the ship Viper. This story mostly focuses on Wentworth's life as a 15 year old midshipman, with just a touch of romance, but it's an interesting and well-researched story (they talk about eating rats at sea!! o.O).

3.5 stars for "The Ghostwriter": Sara, an aspiring author, is distraught when her live-in boyfriend Charles suddenly disappears from her life, leaving behind only a letter that says he can't compete with her love for Darcy. Perhaps the ghost of Jane Austen can help? Jane the Ghost's personality is rather abrasive and no-nonsense, actually, but intelligent and insightful, and it's rather funny seeing her take Sara to task for idolizing Darcy. The plot element relating to Sara adapting a lost book for publication was off, though (it's still plagiarism even if Jane's ghost didn't think so, unless credit is given. Humph.) But the ending was funny.

2.75 stars for "Mr. Bennet Meets His Match": Basically this is the story of how Elizabeth Bennet's father met and romanced the girl who would become Mrs Bennet. A nice-enough story, but knowing their relationship and characters later in life from P&P sucked all the joy out of this story for me. I did appreciate the discussion of entailment:

... when the inheritance would leap over wives and daughters like a capricious frog and pass to the nearest male relative. This admirable arrangement was devised by men, who reasoned sagaciously that women had no need of a roof over their heads as they were protected from the elements by their charming bonnets.

Also worth the read for meeting Mr Collins' avaricious parents.

5 stars for "Jane Austen, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah": This hilarious story is about Julie, a young teacher in 1960s England, who has to supervise three Beatles-crazy high school girls during after-school detention. They get into a crazy discussion comparing characters in Sense and Sensibility to the Beatles, debating, for example, whether George Harrison is Edward Ferrars or Colonel Brandon. Julie learns something about her own life and romantic relationship as well from their discussion. Insightful as well as funny.

4.5 stars for "Letters to Lydia": Charlotte's younger sister Maria writes letters to her friend Lydia from Hunsford Parsonage, where she and Elizabeth Bennet are visiting with Charlotte and Mr Collins, and are occasionally graced with an invitation to Lady Catherine's mansion. SO FUNNY seeing Elizabeth and Darcy from Maria's point of view! And this story has a few interesting twists to offer to P&P, shedding a possible new light on some of the events in P&P.

I narrowly observ'd Lizzy's Face during dinner. Aware of our Scrutiny, she forc'd herself to partake of a hearty Meal. If I had but lately renewed my Tyes with my Lover, I could never have taken two Helps of Black Pudding. She is a magnificent Actress.

Or maybe it's all just Maria's vivid imagination.

2.5 stars for "The Mysterious Closet: A Tale": A quirky modern-day story in which Henry from Northanger Abbey shows up as a sexy ghost. The ending is so illogical that it deflated the whole story for me, like a collapsed souffle.

2.5 stars for "Jane Austen's Cat": Auntie Jane amuses her nieces by retelling some of her stories with the characters turned into cats. It had some amusing moment but didn't amount to much overall.

2.75 stars for "Me and Mr. Darcy, Again": So this appears to be a 4-years-later sequel to Me and Mr. Darcy. It probably would work better for someone who's read that novel. Darcy shows up as a ghost, helping Emily with her love life problems (another relationship that's having major issues).

4.5 stars for "What Would Austen Do?": Told from the point of view of high school aged James Austen, who's trying to find out who he is while surrounded by other students that he calls zombies (those who wear Kabuki makeup and black lipstick), vampires ("two kids with their incisors capped with fangs"), and werewolves. When James decides, as a result of a English country dancing class he took during the summer, that proper dressing and manners is his real persona, the principal and guidance counselor at his school are actually alarmed, thinking he must be on drugs or something because he's deviating so far from the norm.

So I get perp-walked to my locker, past the zombs and the vampires and the werewolves, and they all sort of orbit in, and Mr. Oakes goes, "Don't you have somewhere you should be?" so they lurch and waft and lope off.

A solid story that has both humor and insight into human behavior, and some great comments on Austen's novels from a high school boy's POV.

3.5 stars for "The Riding Habit": A P&P epilogue, in which Darcy and Elizabeth, now married, are in London for the season, planning Georgiana's coming out ball. Darcy decides it's time for Elizabeth to learn how to ride a horse. Elizabeth is highly dubious, not to mention she's beginning to wonder - based on London society's snootiness - if Lady Catherine was right in saying that Elizabeth would never be accepted by society.

4 stars for "The Love Letter": In this modern take on Persuasion, Mark is a new doctor about to finish his residency, when a page from an old novel is mailed to him in one of his own self-addressed stamped envelopes that he had used to hunt for a job in his specialty. The page contains a certain love letter written by a man to the woman he had loved and lost years ago and resented for many years. As Mark tracks down the novel and reads it for the first time, he sees many parallels to his own life and a past relationship. A very good story; I just felt like it needed to be a little longer and more in-depth.

3 stars for "The Chase": For a real change of pace, we have this nautical adventure of Captain Francis Austen, Jane's brother. The author comments in an end note that this story is based on historical fact. If I didn't know it was true, I'd say it's a far-fetched story! Somewhat interesting, but with all the naval battle details and no whiff of romance, it just wasn't quite my cuppa tea.

3 stars for "Intolerable Stupidity": In this sort of screwball fantasy, there is a mysterious court of law, presided over by Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who runs the courtroom with an iron fist. The case at hand: a lawsuit against everyone who's written an Austen fanfic story or made an Austen movie. Fitzwilliam Darcy himself testifies that Austen fans (many of whom are in the courtroom as spectators) keep throwing cold water on him, causing him discomfort as well as a perpetual cold. The plot is thickened by a romantic attraction between the lawyers for the plaintiffs and the defendants.

Overall, there are a few gems in this collection as well as several others that are well worth reading if you're an Austen fan. Just don't go throwing water on Darcy or offending Jane's ghost.

[Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

SOME HIGHS AND SOME LOWS

Rating and reviewing anthologies is always super hard, because there will always be certain stories that you like more than others. I certainly struggled with rating this anthology, as there doesn't seem to be any stories that really stand out to me. There were none that I loved and none that I hated. I am having a hard time even remembering any of them. So I decided to go with a safe rating of 3 stars.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After 11 years of looking for this book and finding it nowhere, I'm pleased to say I finally got my hands on a copy thanks to Kris.

Like most collections of short stories, some of these stories are stronger than others. The ones I liked I REALLY liked and plan to re-read. The ones I didn't like I felt meh about. And I'll take that—I'd much rather feel meh than hate a story.

This is a nice combination of short stories all loosely set around the theme of Jane Austen. Some of the stories are continuations or alternative POVs from Austen's own stories. Others are modern day re-tellings or interactions with Austen's characters.

I LOVED "What Would Austen Do?" and I want that full-length novel. Let me know who I need to bribe to get a copy.

"Jane Austen's Nightmare" sucked me in but I also particularly liked:
"A Night at Northanger"
"Jane and the Gentleman Rogue" (I went and downloaded further Stephanie Barron books)
"Nothing Less Than Fairy-Land"
"Jane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss"
"When Only A Darcy Will Do"
"Heard of You"
"Letters to Lydia"
"The Mysterious Closet: A Tale"

Worth reading if you love Jane Austen related spin-offs. The whole collection felt self-aware and good fun and now I have a few more authors for my to-read shelf.

[Les · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like the ultimate box of chocolates of Jane Austen inspired stories. Now I will admit I didn't love everyone of them completely but there are enough choices that if you don't love nuts or caramels there are plenty of butter creams and jellies.

For what ever reason my favorites were the Northanger Abbey modern versions each of which involved very different ghosts. A Night at Northanger
The Mysterious Closet

Regency
Jane Austen's Nightmare which has her challenged by various characters.
Jane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss
Jane and the Gentleman rogue
Modern versions
Intolerable Stupidity which is the last story and truly the funniest.
The Ghostwriter
Jane Austen, Yeah Yeah yeah
Me & Mr. Darcy Again
Faux Jane
When Only a Darcy will Do
What Would Austen Do (YA)

P&P Variations
Mr. Bennet Meets his Match
Letters to Lydia which has that artful Maria Lucas unintentionally pushing the plot of P&P via her letters to Lydia.
The Riding Habit where the newly married Mrs. Darcy must content with her first real London Season as well as Georgiana's coming out

Emma
Nothing Less than Fairy-land

[Shannon Winslow · Rating 4 out of 5]

The strength of this book as a whole - its impressive variety - constitutes its only weakness for the individual reader. While there's bound to be something that appeals to every taste, the corolary is also true. Not all the short stories in this collection will appeal to any one person. And that's okay. Although we may all love Jane Austen, we probably love her for different reasons. This book delivers a prime example of the wide-ranging ways today's authors interpret the essence of her work. That diversity never ceases to amaze and entertain me.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of Jane Austen-inspired short stories. It was published in 2011, so many JAFF-lovers who discovered the genre after that (like myself) may not have come across it.

There are 22 tales, and they're quite diverse. Regency, modern, paranormal, humorous, serious, in a courtroom, in a classroom, JA book-inspired, JA life-inspired...it's a veritable cornucopia. I recognize some author's names, while others are new to me, but the quality of the writing is uniformly excellent. A short bio of the author follows each story. They're perfectly edited and proofread, too; I didn't notice a single error in the entire book.

I particularly appreciated that these are SHORT stories. I'd say the average length is about 20 pages. I was reading it during a hectic week, and it was nice to be able to pick it up and read an entire story or two during the brief breaks in my activity.

Content is clean. Highly recommend!

I received this book as a gift from the editor with no promise of a review, favorable or otherwise.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an anthology of stories edited by AustenProse's Laurel Ann Nattress. The stories are inspired by Jane Austen, her family, her writings and her attitudes towards life and love. Most of the stories are written by Austenesque authors and other romance writers. One story is written by a contest winner.

The first story "Jane Austen's Nightmare" follows Jane into the depths of a dream in which she is confronted by her characters. Some of her characters are angry at her portrayal of them and others are happy. I really didn't like this story very much. It felt more like literary criticism than fiction. I felt sorry for Jane Austen to be thus confronted by her own creations.

"Waiting : A story inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion" by Jane Odiwe fills in the blank between the final action of Persuasion and the conclusion. I liked reading this story about Anne and Frederick waiting for Sir Walter's blessing while they reflect back on how they met and fell in love. I think Jane Austen would have imagined the story like this. Anne and Frederick have long since been my favorite Austen couple and this story makes their romance all that much sweeter and more enjoyable.

"A Night at Northanger" by Lauren Willig parodies ghost hunting shows and Northanger Abbey, which itself makes gentle fun of gothic novels. Since Ghost Hunters is one of my favorite TV shows and Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors, this story is my favorite of the bunch. It made me laugh a lot and roll my eyes a bit but I think the author intended it to be a gentle parody like Northanger Abbey. I highly recommend this one for those practical minded individuals who have enough sense of humor to laugh at their guilty pleasures.

"Jane and the Gentleman Rogue: Being a fragment of a Jane Austen mystery" by Stephanie Barron fills in the gap between her Jane Austen mysteries up to that date. Jane finds herself associating with the nobility in the company of Lord Harold, helps uncover a spy and is tormented by her own heart. Given what happens in the novels, this story is bittersweet. It doesn't work on it's own but having read the rest of the series and gone back to read this one, I enjoyed it much more. Read this if you liked the novels and loved Lord Harold.

"Faux Jane" by F.J. Meier is a take on The Thin Man movie series. Nicola Scott and her beloved husband Charlie Scott have a brush with celebrity as they discover a young woman in love is attempting to appease her new mother-in-law to-be with a first edition signed copy of Pride and Prejudice. The problem? There is no such thing as Jane Austen wrote anonymously. The married couple, along with their disreputable uncle must work together to solve the mystery. I had high hopes for this story being a huge fan of the movies. The names are taken from the movies but that's about it. What I loved about Nick and Nora is that she never gets jealous, unlike Nicola. I couldn't like Nicola or Charlie in this story. They both acted like idiots. The mystery is unusual and figured out too quickly and introduces too many characters for a story of this length. Perhaps it would have worked better as a longer novel. This is my least favorite story in the collection.

"Nothing Less Than Fairy-Land" by Monica Fairview is an additional chapter of Emma dealing with Emma and Knightley's early married life. Not all is rosy in Highbury thanks to the constant demands of Mr. Woodhouse and Knigtley's estate duties. While I'm sure this story is realistic, it's a bit sad and I prefer to leave the story where it ended with everyone happy.

"Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane" by Adriana Trigiani imagines a letter by a contemporary Jane Austen to her niece on the occasion of her niece's engagement. Aunt Jane offers advice on love and happiness. This letter is very long and boring. It feels more like the Trigiani is sharing her views with her daughter or someone younger. It is also not edited very well as the name of Anna's fiance changes halfway through. This is Trigiani's first attempt at publishing Austenesque fiction and she should stick to her usual romantic melodramas or find another format for her idea.

"Jane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss" is a new story by one of my favorite Regency romance authors. This story is about a widow Elinor Carsholt who is struggling to care for her young adult daughters after her husband's death. The new estate owner, Sir Nicholas, is kind and attentive. Elinor is uncomfortable with his attentions, believing them to be charity. As Christmas approaches and the two families spend more time together, Elinor thinks her teenage daughter has been unduly influenced by Miss Austen's novels to think above her station. Can true love really cross class lines? Miss Austen has some advice for Elinor and her daughters that may solve the problem. This is a very sweet story by one of the masters of the genre. It lacks her usual passionate style, thankfully, and sticks to the heartwarming style of a typical Regency Christmas story. The story is a little slow and confusing but is sweet and happy at the end. This is my second favorite story in the collection.

"When Only a Darcy Will Do" by Beth Pattillo is set in contemporary London. Our heroine offers a bootleg Jane Austen tour to bored tourists. She thinks she's going crazy when she spots Mr. Darcy in the crowd and he asks to take her tour. Is he for real or is she hallucinating? This is a sweet story that could be about any one of us. I enjoyed the take on Pride and Prejudice and the contemporary twist worked quite well. This is definitely one of my favorite stories.

"Heard of You" by Margaret C. Sullivan tells the story of Admiral and Mrs. Croft, my favorite secondary characters of any of Austen's novels. When Frederick Wentworth was a young midshipman his sister Sophie was a teacher at a girls' school. They exchanged frequent letters which caught the attention of the ship's bully. Captain Croft was kind and sympathetic and longed to know more about Sophie. The rest as they say is history. I adored the Crofts and their relationship and this story is true to Austen's portrayal. It's a very sweet and soft romance. I loved it as a supplement to Persuasion and wish Jane Austen had thought of it!

"The Ghostwriter" by Elizabeth Aston borrows many elements from her previous book Writing Jane Austen. A contemporary writer with writer's block receives a visit from a mysterious visitor who helps revive Sara's career and helps her solve her romantic dilemma as well. I really didn't like this story. I couldn't relate to Sara except for the writer's block. I found her whiny and self-centered and the whole ghost plot stretched by credibility beyond belief because it was meant to be taken seriously. I'm more intrigued by the twist at the end.

"Mr. Bennet Meets His Match" by Amanda Grange is a prequel to Pride and Prejudice telling the story of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Mr. John Bennet is the only son of a minor gentry family. If John never marries the estate passes to a distant cousin who no one can stand. Miss Jane Gardiner and Miss Mary Gardiner are two lively girls from the village dreaming of romance. Their parents are dreaming of social climbing. The young ladies catch the eye of young Mr. John but only one catches his heart. This story is true to the portrayal of the Bennet parents in the original novel. He is indifferent to anything except books and she is silly. Jane and Mary are just like Kitty and Lydia. I am not overly fond of this story. I feel sorry for Mr. Bennet and would like to think that their relationship was more substantial in the beginning.

In "Jane Austen, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" by Janet Mullany a teacher in a girls' school in the 1960s attempts to teach her students about Jane Austen through their understanding of The Beetles and comes to an understanding of herself and her own relationship. This is one of the darker, more somber stories in the collection. The girls are funny and just like any teenage girl with a celebrity crush. The story would be better if it was longer so the characters could be fleshed out more. There's little motivation for the main character's actions in this brief space. I found this story interesting though and liked it well enough.

"Letters to Lydia" by Maya Slater is a fun take on Pride and Prejudice from Maria Lucas's point-of-view. She writes to Lydia Bennet with all the enthusiasm and exclamations of her tender years. This is a cute story. If you can stand Lydia, Kitty and Maria's youthfulness you will enjoy this different viewpoint.

In "The Mysterious Closet" by Myretta Robens a young woman comes to stay at an old Gothic inn and discovers a mysterious closet that leads her to a handsome man and every expectation of happiness or unhappiness for surely she has dreamed up her true love. This story is one after Catherine Morland's own heart however, I found it too strange, especially the unusual ending. If you can swallow your disbelief and enjoy passionate (but clean) romances you'll like this one.

The premise of "Jane Austen's Cat" is very similar to Trigiani's story except it's told in story format. In the summer of 1813 brothers Edward and Charles and families are in residence at the Great House. Jane is busy writing Mansfield Park. Her writing is interrupted by a visit from two of her nieces. Anna, already grown, is unsure of herself. She enjoys writing horrid novels but would like to be a serious novelist like Aunt Jane. Anna's little sister Caroline doesn't care for romance, she would like Aunt Jane to tell her a story about a cat like her pet Tyger. Aunt Jane tells the tale of Mansfield Park in a simplistic way using cats as the main character. It's a cautionary tale for Anna sharing lessons on writing and on love. I liked this quiet story. I think it could have actually happened. Jane Austen was a devoted aunt and enjoyed telling stories. She was a keen observer who had much advice to offer on life and love and knew how best to deliver it.

In "Me and Mr. Darcy, Again . . ." by Alexandra Potter, a contemporary young woman and her best friend are off on a girls only trip to London. Last time she was in London for a Jane Austen tour, she met Mr. Darcy. Then she found a real boyfriend in Spike but he hasn't been there for her lately and she's both dreaming of and dreading meeting Mr. Darcy again. When she does, it leads to unexpected results. Not having read the novel Me and Mr. Darcy, I feel like I missed a huge part of the story. This short story is more like an epilogue to the novel I suppose. I liked the message but the fantasy element just isn't my thing.

"What Would Jane Austen Do?" by Jane Rubio and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway is the most surprising story in the collection. A fourteen year-old boy has gotten in trouble at school - not for the usual reasons but because of a change in behavior that has resulted in James becoming gentlemanly! James's mother was on his case to do something with his summer so he signed up for a country dancing class at the library thinking it was country western line dancing. Instead he discovered that country dancing is the style of dance done in Jane Austen's day. At first James is not impressed but the more he gets to know the other dancers, especially the beautiful Cathy, the more he enjoys himself. With some help from his mom, a devoted Jane Austen scholar, he develops an understanding of the human heart and an appreciation for nineteenth century manners that helps him stand out in the treacherous high school world. This is such a cute story. I could picture everything that was happening in my mind and felt very engaged in the story. I adored young James (where was he when I was in High School?) and wanted him to succeed. James's voice is wry and a little old for his years which may turn off some readers. The author bio says they are developing this story into a full length novel. I can't wait to read it. The ending left me hanging a bit. I hope mothers make their sons read this story for the world needs more boys like James!

"The Riding Habit" by Pamela Aidan is a continuation of Pride and Prejudice. The Darcys are in London for the peace celebrations of 1814 and Georgiana's come out. Mr. Darcy is extraordinarily happy. He has a thriving young heir in the nursery and his Elizabeth by his side to love him and guide Georgiana to womanhood. His only regret is that his beloved Elizabeth does not ride. He hits upon the grand plan to teach Elizabeth to ride. Elizabeth has her hands full planning Georgiana's debut. She hardly has time for herself, let alone time to learn to ride. She's determined to please her beloved and show him she belongs in his world by learning to drive. A near tragedy results in the moral of the story. This is not Pamela Aidan's best story. She gets inside Darcy's head very well but I think she lacks understanding of Elizabeth. A story about riding turns into a self-confidence tale that while realistic, I do not think would happen given what we know about Elizabeth. The story didn't captivate me the way Aidan's Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman novels did but fans of her writing and of Pride and Prejudice will certainly enjoy this story.

"The Love Letter" by Brenna Aubrey is the winner of the short story contest. It's a contemporary take on Persuasion. Dr. Mark Hinton receives a mysterious message in the mail quoting from some unknown book. His quest to find out which book leads him to reflect on his lost love Justine and face to face with the lady once again. This story is rather sad. The forces that separated the main character and his love are more dramatic and of course contemporary than in the original. The story is more bittersweet as a result. It didn't appeal to me because of the contemporary setting and the plot dragged on in flashback before suddenly and randomly turning back to present time then came to an abrupt ending. I enjoyed some of the other stories in the contest a lot more than this one.

"The Chase" by Carrie Bebris is something different from her. Instead of a gothic mystery, this story follows Jane Austen's brother Francis on board his ship The Petterel in pursuit of a French ship. The subject matter of this story is quite unusual and frankly, quite boring. If you enjoy nautical stories and British Navy stories like Horatio Hornblower and Master and Commander, you would probably like this one.

"Intolerable Stupidity" by Laurie Viera Rigler is also a new theme for this author. It resembles the first story in this anthology as Jane Austen's characters appear outside the pages of their books. In this story, The Court of Intolerable Stupidity, presided over by Judge Lady Catherine de Bourgh pits the young untried lawyer Fitz Williams against super star advocate for the plaintiff Tawny Wolfson. The defendant claims that so-called literary works have cause grave and irreparable harm to the plaintiffs who only wish to continue living their lives as their creator intended. What does this mean? Well, it means that Andrew Davies and other screenwriters and novelists who write and rewrite Jane Austen's novels are intolerably stupid. Mr. Darcy appears dripping wet and complaining of living constantly with a cold and being the object of obsession of many hysterical women. Wolfson vows to burn every Creator-inspired work she owns when she wins the case but Fitz Williams discovers a secret that he could use to win this case. Will he let his infatuation for Tawny bring him down or win the case of a lifetime? This story raises some issues that I don't think need to be dealt with in a short story anthology. Though I agree that most Jane Austen inspired creations are intolerably stupid, this story IS one, so what does that say about Laurie Viera Rigler? It's all in good fun I suppose. I'd rather read a fun and frivolous story than literary criticism.

Overall, I expected more from this anthology and many of my favorite writers. I think by and large the stories failed to live up to my expectations. Like all anthologies, some stories were suited to my taste and others weren't. There were some fabulous stories in the contest that would be better suited to this collection than some of the ones which were included by well-known authors.

[Elin Eriksen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthology

Jane Austen made me do it is a collection of over twenty short stories by renowned authors.

Jane Austen's Nightmare, Syrie James
An intriguing story where Jane Austen herself wandered the streets of Bath, encountering some rather displeased characters.

Waiting, Jane Odiwe
A delightful peek behind the scene of how Captain Wentworth and Anne delivered the news of their betrothal to her family.

A Night at Northanger, Lauren Willig
A contemporary ghost story where a group visit Northanger Abbey and get what they came for. The ghost was a surprise though...

Jane and the Gentleman Rogue, Stephanie Barron
Jane Austen encounters a mystery.

Faux Jane, F.J. Meier
A contemporary story about the faux signed first edition of PnP.

Nothing less than Fairy-land, Monica Fairview
A debacle arises when Mr Knightly moves into Hartfield. Loved it!

Love and best wishes, aunt Jane by Adriana Trigiani
Homage to the art of the written letter.

Jane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss, Jo Beverly
A second chance at love, story.

When Only a Darcy would do, Beth Pattillo
A cute modern twist to meeting Mr Darcy.

Heard of You, Margaret Sullivan
Mr and Mrs Wenthworth spend a cosy evening with the Admiral and his wife, telling a story about Captain Wentworth's dabble in matchmaking.


The Ghostwriter, Elizabeth Aston
A contemporary story where a Janite meets with Jane Austen's ghost.

Mr Bennet Meets His Match, Amanda Grange
Mr Bennet gets reflective on the wedding day of his most deserving daughters.

Jane Austen, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Janet Mullany
Young girls discussing S&S and the Beatles

Letters to Lydia, Maya Slater
A collection of letters from Maria Lucas to Lydia Bennet with a revelation.

The Mysterious Closet: A Tale, Myretta Robens
A contemporary twist on Northanger Abbey.

Jane Austen's Cat, Diana Birchall
I visit with Jane Austen and her family.

Me and Mr Darcy, again... Alexandra Potter
A contemporary paranormal where Mr Darcy helos Emily with her relationship with Spike.

What would Austen do, Rubino and Rubino-Bradway
A contemporary story where James is in trouble at school for being too polite. Many quotes from JA's works.

The Riding Habit, Pamela Aidan
A delightful tale of Darcy teaching Elizabeth to ride. Loved it!

The Love Letter, Brianna Aubrey
Contemporary romance inspired by Persuasion.

The Chase, Carrie Bebris
A skirmish at sea for Jane Austen's naval brother Francis Austen.

Intolerable Stupidity, Laurie Rigler
A court case before judge Catherine de Bourgh where fanfiction is tried.

Rated: Chaste.

[Eliza Shearer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 starts rounded up to 5
Jane Austen Made Me Do It is a gem of a book, perfect for Jane Austen fans who like variety. As the title suggests, it's an anthology of Jane Austen-inspired fiction and it embraces a wide range of settings, genres and themes. The quality of the editing work is superb; I found all stories to be really enjoyable, which is rare in compilations. I tend to prefer novels to short stories, but this compendium is a joy to read and I readily recommend it to all Janeites keen to explore new voices.

[Anna]

Jane Austen Made Me Do It is a collection of 22 stories inspired by Jane Austen. Edited by Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose, this anthology features an assortment of authors best known for their Austenesque novels, including Stephanie Barron, Laurie Viera Rigler, Amanda Grange, Syrie James, and Beth Pattillo. Jane Austen Made Me Do It is the perfect book for readers who want to try a sequel or retelling of an Austen novel or those who simply want to enjoy the fact that so many authors share their passion for one of the most beloved novelists in English literature.

I’d like to highlight my favorite stories in this collection. In “Jane Austen’s Nightmare” by Syrie James, author of The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, Jane dreams she is walking the streets of Bath, where her characters confront her about how she has portrayed them. Elinor Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility) and Fanny Price (Mansfield Park), for instance, lament that they are too perfect. In “Jane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss” by Jo Beverley, Elinor, a young widow in her 30s, prepares to celebrate Christmas with her three children and is frustrated with having to accept gifts of charity from her deceased husband’s cousin, Sir Nicholas Danvers. When she encounters Jane Austen, who is considered by Elinor to be the authoress of “dangerous” novels that fill the heads of young girls with fantasies about marrying above their station, she learns about a mistletoe tradition that gets her hoping that she might have a second chance at love.

In “When Only a Darcy Will Do” by Beth Pattillo, author of Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, a troubled American graduate student in London hopes to earn some money by hosting Jane Austen walking tours and realizes her Mr. Darcy may have been right in front of her all along. In “Heard of You” by Margaret C. Sullivan, author of The Jane Austen Handbook and editrix of AustenBlog, Anne Wentworth hears the sweet story of how Captain Wentworth played matchmaker for his sister, Sophy, and Admiral Croft. “What Would Jane Austen Do?” by Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway, authors of Lady Vernon and Her Daughter, tells the story of a teenage boy who, under the influence of his mother and a girl from a summer dance class, enjoys Austen’s novels and stands out from the zombs, vampires, and werewolves roaming the school halls by displaying perfect manners, much to the chagrin of the principal.

“The Love Letter” by Brenna Aubrey, the winner of the Jane Austen Made Me Do It short story contest, is a beautiful retelling of Persuasion in which a medical student faces the woman who rejected his marriage proposal six years ago. And finally, “Intolerable Stupidity” by Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, puts the Austenesque authors and filmmakers on trial…with Lady Catherine de Bourgh as judge and the opposing attorneys acting out their own version of Pride and Prejudice.

The stories in Jane Austen Made Me Do It have a little something for everyone — mystery, ghosts, humor, and Regency and contemporary romance. They feature Austen’s characters, Austen herself, Austen’s relatives, and even modern-day characters somehow affected by Austen and her novels. While I found some stories more entertaining than others, there was enough variety that I was never bored and didn’t skip a single story. Nattress did a wonderful job gathering these stories, and I would love to see her create another anthology just like this one.

Review posted on Diary of an Eccentric

I received a free copy of this book for review.

[Aneca · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was asked to review this book I was very excited. I love Jane Austen's books and I just can't resist reading sequels and spinoffs because I love revisiting the characters.


Jane Austen Made Me Do It is an anthology including many different stories. There are contemporary stories and historical ones. There are sequels and there are spinoffs. And there are stories about Jane Austen and her family. The fact that the stories are so varied makes it easy to appeal to readers, there's something for everyone. Maybe no one will love all of them but we will all find some to love.


I, happily, found a few. Even if historicals are my favourite genre I have also enjoyed some of the contemporaries. That has clearly something to do with my Jane Austen favourite. Stories connected or influenced by Persuasion are much more appealing to me.


The success of an anthology such as this also resides in the author's ability to write short stories. Not everyone can craft a well strutured story in a smaller format but some of the stories in this anthology are definitely winners. Without further ado, here are my favourites:


Jane and the Gentleman Rogue by Stephanie Barron
A regency mystery well done and interesting enough to make check out Barron's other boks that have Austen has chief detective. I wonder if the ain character in this storyappears in one of the others.


Jane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss by Jo Beverley
A lovely short story, set in Austen's time and written in traditional regency style. Lovers of regency romance have a small gem in this one.


Heard of You by Margaret Sullivan
I love to know what happens to interesting secondary characters and the Crofts (Persuasion) really deserved a story of their own.


Faux Jane by RJ Meiers
What happens when a couple decides to untangle the mystery of how a snobbish actress decides to buy an "autographed" Austen book, how an english lord lets himself be conned to save her.


The Love Letter by Brenna Aubrey
A second chance story set in modern times and from a male point of view. I rather liked it's connection to Persuasion.


You might not enjoy the same ones I did but you will definitely find some stories to love. A must read for Jane Austen fans!

[Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

OVERVIEW:
In this magnificent anthology, twenty-four praiseworthy and skilled authors take up their pens to pay homage to one of the most adored and beloved authors of all time. United by their love for Jane Austen, these authors composed stories that are well-crafted, enchanting, and compelling. With stories averaging around twenty pages each in this compilations, plus a section of Jane Austen quotes and discussion questions, this comprehensive tome is sure to fill up many hours of enjoyable reading!


MY READING EXPERIENCE:
There are several types of Austenesque stories to be found in this anthology, the most popular being stories that are Austen-Inspired (eleven stories). These stories don't necessarily pertain to or involve characters from a Jane Austen novel, yet they have some link, whether it is in theme, subject, or plot that connects them to Jane Austen. Another type of story found in this anthology are Vignettes (five stories), short scenes that could have been written by Jane Austen. The third category I labeled Jane Austen and Her Family (five stories) which includes tales where Jane Austen or someone from her family is the main character. There was one story, “Intolerable Stupidity” by Laurie Viera Rigler, that was so wholly unique that I couldn't place it in a category!


While reading, I gave each story a rating on a scale of 1-5, 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest. Here is the breakdown for each rating: 5 stars (fourteen stories), 4 stars (five stories), and 3 stars (three stories).
My average rating was: 4.5!


To continue reading, go to: http://janeaustenreviews.blogspot.com...

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you pick up the right book at the right time, and that's just what happened for me with this book. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it.

With any anthology, I would expect to like some stories more than others—and I did—but there was hardly a dud in the bunch. They were all excessively diverting.

I also appreciated that the stories were relatively clean: a little language and a few references here and there but nothing nasty. Thank you.

[Laurie Rigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so much fun writing my story, reading contest entries for the short story contest (winner got published in the book), and reading descriptions of my fellow authors' contributions that I cannot wait to read the book! It promises to be a diverse and fascinating collection of stories from a diverse group of authors connected by their love of Austen.

[willaful · Rating 4 out of 5]

The introduction to this collection of short stories made me uneasy. Movies, t.v., Darcy getting dripping wet -- there seemed to be very little about Jane Austen’s actual words. I wanted to read stories inspired by her books, not by wet t-shirt night Colin Firth.

Happily, “Jane Austen’s Nightmare” by Syrie James cheered me up immensely and was a great start to the collection. Rather than a sequel or retelling, it’s a first person narrative by Austen herself about unexpectedly meeting some of her characters... who have a few choice words for her about how she portrayed them. It’s very funny, with some affectionate bite to it.

Adriana Trigiani pens a charming fictional letter of life advice from Austen as she might write it if she were alive today in “Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane.” “I lament the loss of letter writing in our time. I cannot imagine that a tweet or a post, an email or a text, will provide the great thrill of receiving a letter, written by hand. There is so much to learn about a person from their handwriting, and even more in the depths of the words one chooses to express himself.”

“The Ghostwriter” by Elizabeth Ashton visits the sharp-witted and sharp-tongued spirit of Austen upon a young woman whose lover has left her because he can’t compete with fictional Mr. Darcy. How satisfying to see a sentimental image of Austen dashed by a ghost saying things like “‘Pull yourself together. Your tears have made your complexion blotchy, and your nose is running. Do you often cry? If Charles sees you like that, I’m not surprised he’s left you.”

Ghost-Austen also gives a fascinating insight into some of her characterizations, claiming to have based Lizzy on her beau Tom Lefroy and Mr. Darcy on herself: “Had I been born male instead of female, and in affluent circumstances, I would have been just such a man: reserved, proud, and clever. And no doubt have made some woman’s life a misery. Put him out of your head, or at least leave him on the page where he belongs and, as you say today, get a life.” I don’t know if this is an original idea from Ashton (though Googling leaves me thinking that Tom Lefroy was far more like Mr. Wickham than Mr. Darcy.) but either way, I love it. I think the story pulls a few punches, but it was sharp, and the ending made me laugh out loud.

What’s an Austen-inspired collection without an epistolary story? “Letters to Lydia” by Maya Slate cleverly retells the last half of Pride and Prejudice though the eyes of a minor and quite clueless character, who unwittingly affects the outcome.

The most innovative story in the collection is “Jane Austen, Yeah Yeah Yeah!” by Janet Mullany. I expected a historical from Mullany and it is -- but set in the 1960’s rather than the Regency, where a young teacher helps her students learn to appreciate Sense and Sensibility by showing how it relates to their lives. In the process she makes discoveries about her own life and what she really wants.

The rest of the collection is a mixed bag of sequels, prequels and ghost stories. Some work and others don’t quite capture what they’re aiming for. My most frequent complaint was abrupt, unsatisfying endings. The romantic stories, oddly enough, were the most disappointing -- perhaps because there just isn’t enough room in the short story format to do justice to romance as Austen would do it, with great care and attention to character and detail. But I was genuinely moved by "The Love Letter," winner of a contest to be included in this book by currently unpublished author Brenna Aubrey, in which Persuasion influences a young doctor to try again with his own lost love.

Overall I enjoyed this very much. The writers clearly know their Austen -- many have written other books in a similar vein, or nonfiction about her -- and there are only a few moments that twanged as wrong. Best of all, unlike some Austen-inspired fiction there’s no attempts to portray her classic characters getting it on... and only one dripping wet faux Darcy.

(Reviewed from an e-arc courtesy of netGalley.)

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Austen made me do it. Made me do what? Mostly made me have a lot of fun reading this collection of short stories inspired by her works!

Jane Austen Made Me Do It, the book, is a collection of short stories inspired by the life and works of Jane Austen. Of course. The collection was edited by Laurel Ann Nattress, and features stories by a host of writers from Stephanie Barron to Lauren Willig.

I read most of the Jane Austen oeuvre during my interminably long commuting days, which means I listened to it on audio. I enjoyed them immensely, but I'm not obsessive. I say this because the stories in JAMMDI fall into two categories, the ones that require detailed knowledge of particular Austen works, and the ones that use Austen's life and works as jumping-off points.

The stories that used Austen as inspiration were ones I particularly enjoyed. You might even say I found a couple of them, well, inspiring.

In "The Ghostwriter," by Elizabeth Aston, Jane's ghost comes to the aid of a 21st century author who has spent much too much time admiring Mr. Darcy and not nearly enough energy on her own love life or on her sagging book sales. Jane's apparition leads Sara to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, an unpublished manuscript by one of Jane's contemporaries that will be a shot in the arm for her dying career. While Sara copy-edits the found manuscript, Jane fixes up her love-life for her.

"The Chase," by Carrie Bebris, is about how Jane's brother Francis received his commission as Post-Captain, based on Francis own logbooks. This story was as vivid a recreation of a naval battle as any of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin series.

My favorite was the story by Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway titled "What Would Austen Do?" A high school student whose mother is a Jane Austen aficionado has saddled him with the name James Austen. Mom may even have married Dad just so she could snag the Austen last name! The story starts with poor James getting hauled into the school principal's office and being accused of becoming a drug user. Why? Because he's been exhibiting unusual behavior. What unusual behavior? He's become polite and mannerly to his teachers. He wears khakis and button-down shirts to school. And he has strange paperwork in his locker. With numbers on it, and weird words like "arming" and "inside hand" and "ECD".

If you want to find out what "ECD" stands for, you have to read the story. It's worth it.

Escape Rating B: Because this is an anthology, it's a mixed bag. There were a couple of stories I absolutely adored. "What Would Austen Do?" being at the top of the list. The ones that required really deep knowledge of Jane Austen's works were not as much fun for me. Collections like this are classic instances of the principle "your mileage may vary".

The stories that used Jane Austen as a springboard were the best ones. The attempts to out-do or re-do her work fell a little flat. The stories that took flight from her, most of those were terrific.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each one of these short stories was inspired by Jane Austen or her works, in some way paying homage to the “soother of every sorrow”—with original stories about the characters in her books, modern day influences, or even Jane herself. Some of my friends here on GR will recall that certain ode to Jane Austen *cough* that I wrote awhile back. Needless to say, I understand where all these writers are coming from concerning their infatuation with the queen of regency romance.

I did take notes while reading, but I was long-winded and don’t have time now to transcribe it all. So, the highlights will have to suffice. My favorites were “The Riding Habit,” “Jane Austen, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!,” “What Would Jane Austen Do?,” "Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane," “When Only a Darcy Will Do,” “Mr. Bennet Meets His Match,” and “Letters to Lydia.” These stood out because they brought something fresh to the genre of inspired-by fiction for Jane Austen and her world. I especially can’t wait for the full-length novel of WWJAD.

Overall, a very fine compilation.

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to rate the book on the average of how I felt about all the stories, though obviously some I really liked, some I didn't, and some I didn't really read due to supernatural content. Here are the stories I liked. The others, you can assume I found either dull, saccharine, or problematic in some way.

Jane Austen's Nightmare, entertaining enough story about Jane dreaming that her characters come to life and either reproach her or thank her for the way she made them.

Jane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss, a cute bit of Regency fluff just barely connected to Jane Austen.

When Only a Darcy Will Do, contemporary story about a university student trying to make some money by hosting her own Jane Austen walking tour. She only gets one customer, a guy dressed as Mr. Darcy. Cute little reveal about who he is.

"Letters to Lydia", letters from Maria Lucas to Lydia. If you ever wondered what Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship looked like from the outside, this is kind of fun, and fills in a couple of speculative gaps in the plot.

"What Would Jane Austen Do?" Surprisingly, best story in the book. A high school boy decides to take a country dancing class over the summer to please his mom, finds out it's English country dancing, and gradually realizes he's having an awesome time. When school starts, his parents get called to talk to the principal, who is worried that their son is headed for trouble or maybe is on drugs, since he's regularly wearing a necktie, holding the door for his teachers, and addressing everyone with polite civility. (It's a pretty funny scene.) The takeaway from the story is a refreshing commentary on not being embarrassed about the things you like even if no one else seems to understand.

[Lynn Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology is a real mixed bag for me. As one might expect, there are plenty of Austen sequels in here. There are also some original, Austen-inspired stories. I have to admit that I tend to prefer the latter to the former. While some of the stories in this book were a bit blah for me, there were several that made me glad I gave this book a try.

The anthology starts off strong with "Jane Austen's Nightmare," in which Syrie James imagines Jane Austen confronted by some of her fictional creations. This vivid, clever story was a good read.

Other stories I enjoyed include:

"A Night at Northanger" by Lauren Willig- This one is an Austen-inspired ghost story. Set in the modern day, this tale of ghost hunters has a clever twist.

"Jane Austen and the Mistletoe Kiss" by Jo Beverley- I loved this gentle, warm Christmas story. A penniless widow finds love in Chawton- and of course there's a cameo appearance by the Austen sisters.

"Jane Austen, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" by Janet Mullany- Set in the 1960s, this tale of a young teacher discussing Sense and Sensibility with students is clever as Austen's characters are compared to the Beatles. However, it stayed in my mind because of the effect Austen's characters and their choices had on everyone in the story. I only wished the story had been fleshed out more; it was a bit too short.

"The Love Letter " by Brenna Aubrey- Oh my goodness, this Persuasion-inspired tale is the most moving of the entire collection. I don't want to give away the plot, but it's a must read.

[Seanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the short stories were definitely worth the read. I have such a soft spot for anything Persuasion these days, so those stories about Anne and Wentworth were probably my favorite. One "ghost story" also entertaining, but overall nothing spectacular. Nice for a lighthearted read.

[Romancing the Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Robin
Ebook provided by NetGalley

Who would have thought that a book containing short stories centered on the works of Jane Austen could be so utterly entertaining? Each one is an inspiration to Jane Austen and how strong she made her characters. Each one is able to definitely stand the test of time. Characters that even when taken today and developed into new stories still stand strong on their own.

From the first we are drawn into the lives of Ms. Austen and her characters. In Jane’s Nightmare by Syrie James, we find the characters attacking Jane so to speak and letting her know what she did wrong in developing their personalities. As she dreams they each let her know whether they are to perfect, need a little more backbone or whatever they say that their flaws are. She realizes that she should have made them more real. It is rather funny how characters become so real that you find yourself talking to them all the time. Past and present ones even.

Each story as it relates to Ms. Austen’s stories in some way let us see how much she writes a part of herself in some way into each character. In, A Night at Northanger by Lauren Willig, for instance; Jane is not compared to Ms. Bennett but to that of the proud Mr. Darcy.

Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane by Adriana Trigiani, let’s us imagine what it would be like to get life advice from Ms. Austen if she were to write us a letter today. It was refreshing to read letters in a day and age where letter writing has become a lost art form and has given way to an email or a text. Something to think about and maybe give writing letters another chance.

The Ghostwriter by Elizabeth Ashton, we get the chance to visit with a sharp-witted and sharp-tongued spirit of Austen, who pulls no punches. Ms. Austen’s spirit let’s a young woman whose lover has left her because he can’t compete with fictional Mr. Darcy, hear things only a best friend can say to you. It was wonderful that the ghost of Ms. Austen just came right out and told her that she needed to “pull herself together”, “her tears made her face blotchy”, and “her nose was running”. Things you need to hear and only hear from a really good friend. This very witty and charming story found me laughing out loud.

One of my favorites is, Jane Austen, Yeah Yeah Yeah! By Janet Mullany, where we find ourselves in the 1960’s and detention; as a young teacher helps her students learn how to appreciate Sense and Sensibility by aptly applying it to their lives. While helping the students she how something that was written a long time ago and still apply to today, she finds herself discovering things about herself and her own life.

Another favorite on mine was: What Would Austen Do, by Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway. In this we find that even boys can find charm and help in reading stories by Ms. Austen. This story had a very clever way of letting the reader know that it is okay to be different.

The collection ended with, Intolerable Stupidity by Laura Viera Rigler; in which she takes us into the courtroom with Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. Poking fun at the way Mr. Darcy is perceived differently by each person that reads his story in Pride and Prejudice. He complains about being wet all the time, vampire teeth and everything else that people have interpreted into his character over the years. Recently Colin Firth coming out of the lake wet, which Mr. Darcy himself would never have done. It just wasn’t heard of in his time. The vampire teeth were just a scare tactic and not real. He wouldn’t draw blood from his neighbor’s, would you? Aunt Catherine as the judge is perfect as she is appalled by the unsavory ways that he has been portrayed.

I could write something about each story but that would just ruin it for you.

Overall I loved this collection allot. Each and every contributor understands and loves the work of Ms. Austen. Jane Austen Made Me Do It; is a very clever collection of short stories written a wide array of genres and subjects that take us from gothic romance to fantasy. We find Jane herself along with many of her more recognizable characters in each story. Each story is unique but when added makes every person wanting to be a Jane Austen follower.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves Jane Austen. Even if you never read anything written by her this collection makes you want to go out and read her classic stories, and fall in love all over again.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this from LibraryThing's Member Giveaway – Many thanks.

Partly in celebration, I take it, of the bicentenary of Sense and Sensibility comes this collection of Austenabilia. There are twenty-two stories commissioned for this book which center on Jane Austen or her characters in some way – a wide variety of ways, from what has to be admitted to be fan fiction to insertion of Jane or her ghost as a player in the cast to largely unrelated stories that barely brush the subject at hand. The general premise makes me a little uneasy; would Miss Austen have approved of impertinent strangers jumping her characters through new hoops, much less using her as a character? Perhaps she would. But given that a big part of the little I know about her involves her desire for privacy, I seriously tend to doubt it. It's a matter of respect for the author, for the person. (I seem to be one of the only people bothered by this… which is nothing new.)

One note to writers who may one day be included in future Jane Austen-themed anthologies: please, for the love of God or whatever else you love best, do not - ***do not*** - make your first line any form of play on "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." I'm begging you. It's for your own good as well as the reader's – please. There are half a dozen stories in this collection that use it - all right, two, but it seemed like half a dozen - and … really. Refrain.

The cover, I feel, is not a great design. What is close-to obviously meant to be a French memo board (French!?) with cartes de visites tucked into the ribbons just reads from a distance as two deep pink X's crossing out the female face and the cover itself, cluttered with off-white rectangles. Even though only nine of the contributing writers (23, including the editor) were given a place on the cover, it makes for a crowded image.

I admit to being a little perturbed that the book's official website mentions an enhanced eBook edition; I feel a bit slighted. I can't find detail about what the enhancements might be, though.

Putting all of that aside, taking the stories individually as stories … well, as is usual for an anthology, there's a little bit of everything, good and bad and indifferent.

Reviews of the stories are on my blog - https://agoldoffish.wordpress.com/201...

On the whole, the lesson I take away from this collection is multi-leveled. Be very judicious (and respectful) in using a real historical personage as a character, and the same goes for another person's fictional creations. If you do so you must take off from very solid ground: apart from the obvious, don't make random crap up, because it will only make you look foolish. And don't under any circumstances begin with any "truth universally acknowledged".

[Vic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read: Loved This Anthology

One regret I have in my busy life is the lack of leisure time I have for reading. Right now there are four stacks of books on the floor of my office, all waiting to be read. So many books! So little time. Given my schedule, I am glad I set aside the required hours to read 'Jane Austen Made Me Do It', an anthology of Jane Austen-inspired stories by published Jane Austen sequel authors and edited by Laurel Ann Nattress.

I rarely read anthologies front to back, but flit here and there, landing instead on a story with an intriguing title or by a favorite author. In this instance I began with Stephanie Barron's tale of 'Jane And the Gentleman Rogue: Being a fragment of a Jane Austen mystery'. I am so glad I did, for it prompted me to linger longer over dinner and read another short story. Beth Pattillo's 'When Only a Darcy Will Do' was a delight, as was Margaret C. Sullivan's 'Heard of You', which I read just before going to bed. The list of authors in this anthology is impressive: Pamela Aidan * Elizabeth Aston * Brenna Aubrey * Stephanie Barron * Carrie Bebris * Jo Beverley * Diana Birchall * Frank Delaney & Diane Meier * Monica Fairview * Amanda Grange * Syrie James * Janet Mullany * Jane Odiwe * Beth Pattillo * Alexandra Potter * Myretta Robens * Jane Rubino & Caitlen Rubino Bradway * Maya Slater * Margaret Sullivan * Adriana Trigiani * Laurie Viera Rigler * Lauren Willig.

I've always enjoyed reading anthologies. They allow one to pick and choose on a whim, and finish a story in a short space of time. Anthology stories serve as literary versions of amuse bouches, those tasty bites served at the start of dinner. Even the most the discerning reader is bound to find selections and authors they will love. (Or discover a new author!)

I favored some stories over others, but won't share them with you for the simple reason that some of the stories I disliked received rave reviews on other blogs. Anthologies appeal to a variety of tastes, and I found it remarkable how many in 'Jane Austen Made Me Do It' captivated me. If you decide to purchase this book, I can guarantee that you will discover new authors and stories that you will want to reread.

This is due, no doubt, to the hard work that editor Laurel Ann Nattress put into the project. As a blogger, I can't imagine how much of her time was spent in contacting the authors and working with them, overseeing a contest for an unpublished author (the honor went to Brenna Aubrey), working with her publishing house in editing the stories, and now publicizing the book. I tip my hat to Laurel Ann for overseeing this ambitious and very worthwhile project, for this is her first book. This is why I gave 'Jane Austen Made Me Do It' five out of five stars!

Vic, Jane Austen's World and Jane Austen Today

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published by: Ballantine Books

Pages: 464

Genre: Fiction, General & Historical Romance
The Dame's View:
Will it be enough to say that I wish this book had gone on and on just like a Jane Austen novel?

Laurel Ann Nattress has achieved a coup in this first of her books. Who could have imagined that so many "mash-up" short stories would have been released about Jane Austen's novels and her characters? I'll bet the great Jane wouldn't have. And, I'll bet she's having a delighted laugh over this one because it's by far the best of the best in concept and expression of any books like it.
Fun, luminous, entertaining, in the original sense; meaning a time when a book was meant to entertain before television and video games, "Jane Austen Made Me Do It.." is the book of this literay season that you'll want to give your best friends, your daughters, neices and mother. I'm getting copies for Christmas gifts.

How on earth Ms Nattress ever chose from what had to have been a mountain of fabulous entries, because those that made it are the finest of the finest, I have no idea. With writers such as Stephaine Barron, Janet Mullany, Lauren Willig, Margaret C. Sullivan...and I could go on, I just can't fathom who was left out!

These stories are about nightmares, ghostly visitations, visits from Austen characters, ideas and imaginations mixed with readings of Jane's books and more. Short stories that lead one into another until you want to grab the orginal books and thumb through them to laugh or cry again at the characters and Jane Austen quotes. And, Jane is quoted with such majesty here.

What more can I say except this is a book great fun to have in your Austen collection. And I know anyone who's read this review so far, by this lackluster blogger, has a Jane Austen collection.

5 tearoom nods

Deborah/TheBookishDame

[Yvann S · Rating 3 out of 5]

“‘You made us too perfect’ said Elinor”

This is a collection of short stories inspired by Jane Austen, all never-before-published. Unfortunately, for many of them, that is for a good reason. The start to the blurb rather gives away why:

“My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” If you just heaved a contented sigh at Mr. Darcy’s heartfelt words, then you, dear reader, are in good company.

I thought I could keep an open mind about fan fiction. It lasted as far as the second story; I rather liked the first, a nightmare of Jane’s in which she finds herself in Bath, meeting all of her characters – Marianne is incensed that she was portrayed as so emotionally useless, Elinor and Fanny that they were too perfect, Lizzy and Jane are delighted with the husbands she gave them. Another very clever episode was an exchange of letters between Lydia Bennet and Maria Lucas (Charlotte’s younger sister) – two very minor characters in the novel and the retelling from their perspective was amusing, if somewhat predictable.

After that, there were rather too many re-imaginings; I wasn’t that happy with the idea of pursuing the characters of P&P after their wedding in Death Comes To Pemberley (review to come soon), but most of these stories reinforced all of my snobby ideas about fan fiction – one-dimensional, far too many dared to set themselves from Jane’s perspective, and everyone wants to get with Darcy (WHY??? He may have £10,000 a year, but not even Colin Firth made him attractive!).

I know that there are fan fiction fans out there, and to them I heartily recommend this volume. It is a diverse and yet entirely Austen-focussed collection.

I just don’t get the point.

[Della Tingle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of 22 Jane Austen-related short stories. Some are historical fiction; many are fantasy. I enjoyed reading this collection, but there were only a few that I really thought very good. Those are “Mr. Bennet Meets His Match” by Amanda Grange, “Letters to Lydia” by Maya Slater, and “Intolerable Stupidity” by Laurie Viera Rigler in which Lady Catherine is a judge! 👩‍⚖️ 🤪🤪🤪

“How would she live in a world without sequels, continuations, or adaptations?” (422). Well, I hope I never have to find out! 🤪

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this for the Stephanie Barron story featuring her version of Jane Austen as a detective. And that's the only one I've read so far. I don't intend to read the others until I read the rest of Austen's bibliography.

The Barron story is good, but not a mystery, so that was disappointing. It's a fine, quick adventure though and I enjoyed that it takes place early enough in Barron's series that it features a character I didn't think I'd get to read about again.

[Emily D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a Janeite, or Austenite, or whatever the term is, and I love her works and the movies and shows based on them, and once in awhile derivative fiction. I'm not a huge fan of fluffy romance in the modern way of telling though so most of the stories in this collection bored me. They focused too much on a curve of the neck or a stray wisp of hair or a longing for some sorry average chap with a puppy dog look. A few stories that I enjoyed were "Mr. Bennet Meets His Match", "Letters to Lydia", and "What Would Austen Do?". I tended to like the ones that had more substance and that stuck closer to the feel of the original works.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably 3.5 Stars. Goodreads, when will you add a half start option?

This was an enjoyable read. So w stories were better than others. My two favorites were:
What Would Jane Austen Do and The Love Letter.

[Isobel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection is okay. The only story I really liked is Lauren Willig's Northanger Abbey story. Don't recommend.