Fall For You

The Jane Austen Academy Series #1

by Cecilia Gray

Lizzie knows Dante is a snob with a gift for pressing her buttons, and it's obvious to her that Dante thinks he's way too good for the Academy. But things are changing fast this year, and when Lizzie's quest to stop those changes blows up in her face, taking her oldest friendship with it, she has nowhere else to turn but to Dante, with his killer blue eyes, his crazy-sexy smile, and his secrets… Secrets Lizzie can't seem to leave alone, no matter how hard she tries…

PRAISE FOR THE JANE AUSTEN ACADEMY

Engaging characters, a gentle romance, budding friendships, and a payoff that is incredibly rewarding. —Indie Jane

Cute. Adorable. Genius. Amazing. I'm running out of synonyms... I loved all the friendships! Girl power! —Monique Morris, Goodreads

***

ABOUT THE JANE AUSTEN ACADEMY SERIES

Dive into the fabulous, fun lives of six Academy girls as their friendships are tested, torn, and ultimately triumph…

The last thing that the girls at the elite Jane Austen Academy need is hot guys to flirt with. But over the summer the school has been sold, and like it or not, the guys are coming. And it's about to turn the Academy—and the lives of its students—totally upside down…

The Jane Austen Academy series are modern retellings of Jane Austen classics set at a beachside California boarding school, complete with a reader's discussion guide for your book club, student group, or Jane Austen fan club.

Book 1: Fall For You (Lizzie— Pride and Prejudice )
Book 2: So Into You (Ellie— Sense and Sensibility )
Book 3: When I'm With You (Kat— Northanger Abbey )
Book 4: Suddenly You (Fanny— Mansfield Park )
Book 5: Only With You (Emma— Emma )
Book 6: Always You (Anne— Persuasion )

The Jane Austen Academy After the Academy, follow the villains and villainesses who left the Academy behind as they finally get their happily-ever-afters.

Book 7: Then Came You (Josh Wickham)—coming soon!

* * *

MORE PRAISE FOR THE JANE AUSTEN ACADEMY

A What's Hot Pick—RT Book Reviews

A unique twist on a classic… A compelling mix of action, drama and love. —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Retellings, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Teen

175 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 10, 2012

About the author

Cecilia Gray writes stories about first love, second chances, and forever friendships. She--much like her characters--resides in quite a few places.

Reviews

[Jasprit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Modern retellings tend to be the latest trend around these days. I’m always a little anxious about whether it will ruin my love for the original book. Pride and Prejudice is an all time favourite classic of mine. So when I saw Cecelia Gray was proposing an entire Jane Austen academy series re-telling my interest was piqued, I was a little worried too, what if I didn’t love it? What if it tarnished the feelings I associated with Jane Austen classic? I decided to risk it.

Lizzie has been attending the elite Jane Austen academy; it’s a school which has been owned by a family for generations and is renowned for its prestigiousness. It’s also Lizzie’s one way shot to Georgetown. But then new owners take over and place a obnoxious head mistress in charge who wants to ruin everything the Jane Austin academy represented and under the latest “new improvements” are for the first time allowing boys to enrol there. Lizzie is absolutely livid, first they’re allowing boys in, but obnoxious stuck up ones like Dante?

Fall for You was a fun easy read which I devoured in one sitting. Once I’d entered the Jane Austen academy I immediately formed a strong bond with the characters. I enjoyed how the constant crossed wires led to comical clashes between characters, how Lizzie continually tries to push for an us against them divide. I also enjoyed the banter between the groups, it really made The Jane Austen academy feel like a fun place to be around.

Lizzie Egmont just like Lizzie Bennett was brash, hot headed and even though she occasionally followed the rules, she would slightly manipulate them to her benefit. She was a hugely animated character, with all these big and beautiful ideas to save the school. But she was also hugely naive, she was quick to make assumptions about other characters and stick to them stubbornly. I guess in this way she reminded me of Lizzie Bennett, but in comparison she didn’t have a notch on her.

Dante was a whole new kettle of fish; I feel that we weren’t able to see much of his character as I’d hoped, but the side we did get to see of him I enjoyed. He was aloof, distant, brooding and secretive. I would have loved to be inside his head just to know what the heck he was thinking all the time. I liked his tender side we were able to see too, I think maybe because I hold Mr Darcy in such high respects that I thought Dante wouldn’t be able to compare to him. And I guess he didn’t. But I liked watching his character development through the story.

At times I completely forgot that I was reading a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice as the story did take on a completely different path, but I liked the twists and turns which were thrown our way.

Overall Fall for You was a funny sweet modern retelling of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. As I enjoyed this quite a lot, I’m quite tempted to try the rest of the series, to see Gray’s take on the rest of Austen’s books.

This review and more can be found on The Readers Den

[victoria_tonks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
This is the first book of the TJAA series - a modern P&P retelling which also (I think) introduces the characters we will meet in the next parts. It was a very pleasant, quick and easy read. I had fun learning about new high school incarnations of familiar characters. The first part was interesting enough for me to buy the next one - I guess I will go through all of them.

[Johanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Jane Austen fanfic bug bit me again … it's a problem I know. ^^
Fall for you is the first in a six book series called The Jane Austen Academy. The general idea, the six heroines of Jane Austen (the author leaves out Marianne Dashwood) all go the same school where their respective love stories unfold in one book each. Given the setting, be prepared for a lot of changes! The first book deals with arguably Austens most famous couple, Lizzy and Darcy (in this book Lizzie and Dante.
The Jane Austen Academy, till this point in time an all girls school, was sold and in consequence just became coed and Lizzie is not amused. Boys are loud and messy and the bigger competition for spots at prestigious spots at universities is bigger. The only upside? Lizzie is going to share her room with her best friend, Ellie... only she isn't. The new headmistress doesn't like Lizzie and denied her wish. Instead she is supposed to room with her 'enemy' Anne (yes, that Anne, and yes, her family formerly owned the school). And so the mess begins. She has to get along with a new roommate, while her best friend is growing distant, she is trying to figure out who the new owners of the school are so she can stop them from renaming the school, all while dealing with the annoying presence of boys … most importantly Dante.
So much for the plot.
Well, what can I say? I'm a sucker for Pride and Prejudice fanfic (also there is so much of it out there!!!! and so much is really awesome!!!) and I was in the mood for a contemporary interpretation. Unfortunately this one didn't really live up to my expectations.
I really liked the general idea. The academy (even if the name is cheesy) was a nice idea and having all the heroines interact as well. I didn't even miss some of the side characters (Neither Mr. Collins nor the Bennets or Bingleys make an appearance). Replacing the role of Jane with Ellie and Bingley with Edward worked fine. But there was just too much missing in terms of the plot!
Let's start with the most glaring problem. Darcy/Dante's insults … I understand the author is trying to depict him as not that bad, but this was going to far. Lizzie's reaction was completely ridiculous in terms of what he actually did. his first insult (the assembly one) is to say he isn't interested in her... yes, really. He doesn't call her ugly or stupid or impolite or obnoxious or anything of the sort, he just says to Edward he isn't interested. Well, big deal!!! It might shock her to learn that probably more than 99% of men aren't interested in her. That's not an insult! I would have understood her reaction if they had actually been close or flirting before that, but they didn't! They hardly knew each other! And the second insult (the one when he proposes/asks her out) was only slightly worse. He said 'I thought you were a snob' … which makes no sense really, but apart from that it's in the past. Again, he doesn't call her family impossible, he doesn't say being with her would be a step down for him or anything that would be really insulting. Even Lizzie's reaction to him advising Rick away from Anne doesn't make sense. She knows Anne broke up with Rick, she knows Dante advised him away from her so he wouldn't get hurt again. She knows all of this before he asks her out! Also, Rick isn't portrait in the way Bingley in the original is. At no point in the story does he seem like a boy who is easily influenced. So why is Lizzie pissed at Dante? So … in consequence, Lizzie's reaction to Dante and her hatred towards him makes no sense whatsoever. There isn't even the whole Wickham situation! There is a character by that name in the book, but he is of no consequence. He hasn't hurt Georgiana, he hasn't cheated Dante's family out of money. Dante and he actually don't even know each other … The only real problem/betrayal between Lizzie and Dante would be the fact that he kept the identity of the new owners from her while pretending to help her to figure it out. That was a huge, glaring problem for me and that really impacted my enjoyment of the book.

[Emily Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

As seen on Ed and Em's Reviews!

5/5 Stars!

I'd like to thank the lovely Cecilia Gray for giving me a copy of this novel to review!

This book? AMAZING. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down! Yes, it was THAT good. I couldn't believe it at first, how much I loved this book.

I'm a huge fan of retellings, especially ones of Jane Austen novels. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite story that gets retold and my favorite Jane Austen novel period. It's a great story and there are many ways it can be twisted to be made a modern story. Most of the Pride and Prejudice retellings that I've read have been amazing. This novel is no exception!

The author writes so realistically. I could feel myself in Lizzie's shoes. She's a great teenage character. She makes mistakes, questions them and regrets them later. She's stubborn and goes after what she wants. Lizzie was really relatable. She reminded me of myself in a lot of ways. The characters are all as realistic as Lizzie is. You could understand their emotions and their relationships were typical teenage romances.

Words can not do this book justice! It's addictive and mysterious and intriguing. Fall For You is also very different from other books like it. It was refreshing! It has drama, romance and the right amount of mystery. (Though the big reveal is pretty obvious, even if you haven't read the original novel. But it definitely doesn't take away from the plot!)

I loved this book. Loved, with a capital "L." I would give this ten stars if I could. I need the sequel now! I will definitely be reading more from this author!

Fall For You is a short, light read that young adult romance lovers of all ages will enjoy! You should go out and buy it as soon as possible!

[EZRead eBookstore · Rating 4 out of 5]

(watch the video review: http://vimeo.com/37763398)

Whether you’re a romantic or a Jane Austen fan, you can’t help falling for this book. And, stumbling into this series doesn’t hurt since it has a sweet landing with a familiar plot that acts as an old friend in new clothes.

Paying homage to Austen by using a school named after the renowned author, the characters are also being set up for stories similar to Austen’s classic couples. It’s almost as if these new characters of Cecilia Gray are living in Austen’s world, bound to live out Austen’s romances. It feels as if I’m reading my favorite books for the first time!

What’s great about the Austen books, particularly “Pride and Prejudice,” is that readers learn how easily it is to misjudge people’s characters without knowing their intentions, and Gray picks up on this theme perfectly. Lizzie finds she may be misjudging everyone around her, including herself. Her friend Ellie appears to be abandoning Lizzie; the new boy, Dante, appears to be a sexy overbearing snob. Does everyone at the school have a problem, or is Lizzie just being too judgmental?

Like Austen, the romance evokes as much sentiment as a newborn kitten, while the sexy tension is just as tame. All the more reason for Austen fans to enjoy this series. Gray’s style appeals to readers of the same taste.

For the continuing books, this reader is hoping for more parallels to other Austen novels. Right or wrong, waiting for the next book in this series has left me salivating.

- EZRead Staffer, Amelia


buy the eBook here: http://www.ezread.com/book.asp?EAN=97...

[Ceri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first in a series for young adults, set in a boarding school called the Jane Austen Academy (Jasta for short), which has just been taken over by new owners. The school year has just started and for the first time it's not just a girls' school. Lizzie is dead set against any changes to her beloved school, and she sets about finding out who the mysterious new owners. She is not having the best time on other fronts either; her closest friend Ellie is rooming with somebody else who Lizzie feels is trying to take over as Ellie's best friend and one of the new boys, Dante, seems to be annoying Lizzie at every turn.

As a book in itself I thought it was nicely written and entertaining, although too short, everything is resolved very quickly and there were various themes which I thought could have benefited from more development such as Dante and Lizzie's relationship, Lizzie and Anne's friendship, etc. If things had been expanded a bit more it would have been worth another star in my opinion.

As a Pride and Prejudice (P&P) retelling I thought it was less successful. Although there were bits which you could see were nods to P&P there were some things that I thought were too different - the chief of these was the character of Lizzy. For me, the P&P character I liked the best was definitely Lizzy and this Lizzie, while she has some admirable qualities such as independence and intelligence is not really all that likeable. She is quite jealous, bossy and has a massive chip on her shoulder about other people coming from better families than her. In P&P we know exactly what attracted Darcy to her but I am not sure what Dante found to attract him in Lizzie as we are just never told.

Also, because this is a series where Austen's works will be retold there were lots of characters from P&P who aren't in this at all, such as Bingley, Jane, the Gardiners, etc. The roles that they play are taken on by other characters, such as Edward (Sense and Sensibility Edward) here takes on the role of Bingley, to an extent, and also Col Fitzwilliam. I quite liked how this was done although was surprised that not much at all was done with Wickham, I wasn't sure what the point of having him was unless it was just to let the reader know that he couldn't be trusted with Georgiana.

Minor point: the cover picture doesn't correspond to the physical description of Dante, he is described as having blond hair in the book. Also, Rick (Captain Wentworth, Persuasion) is described as being hotter than Dante and I can't believe that could be true, surely Darcy should be the best?! :o)

I definitely intend to read more in the series and I would recommend this book to others as a quick read. One thing that is worth mentioning is that this is a very clean book, no sex scenes, and I think no swearing either that I noticed, you could give this to a young teen without worrying about the suitability of the content.

[Katy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - Not my favorite modernization of Pride and Prejudice but still not a bad book. It was cute and fun to read. However, I didn't like Lizzie as much as I loved Elizabeth Bennett. Elizabeth had made her fair share of prejudices and assumptions, but she was a charming character. In this book, Lizzie was kind of an annoying, sometimes mean, nosy "journalist." I say that in quotes because I hate it when authors write these stereotypical "investigative journalists" when that's not what it's really like. But overall, Lizzie just wasn't as charming as other modernized version of Elizabeth Bennetts I have read about.

I will give Gray props for trying to make the book stand out a bit by adding some other components to it - trouble with her best friend, an nemesis who isn't too bad, a mystery being the new school owners and the effort to stop them from changing the school's name. However, I felt Gray would have made them a bit more effective if she had developed those things a little more.

The whole thing with Ellie was like a sidebar. Yes, we don't want to give it the main focus, but at the same time, it was just a little weird thrown in there. Still, I know Gray was trying to set up something for book 2.

And there were a bunch of other questions that I had: why did Rick's mother like Lizzie so much (invitation to the party, asking her to sit by her at the meal)? It's not hard to guess early on who the new owners there, and it's explained later why they bought the school. But Gray didn't explain why they wanted to change the name of the school. Yes, the new owners have discretion, and yes, I'm sure Bergie has something to do with it, but what is it? For something that has such a huge part in the story, it's kind of left vague.

Not a bad read. I liked it enough. But compared to other modernizations to the classic, I don't think it really compares. Add another 50-100 pages to make a better developed story though, and Gray could easily have a really good book.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very eager to read this book and the rest of the series for that matter because it took Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice tale, dusted it off and brought it into the twenty-first century. It now takes the form of a YA Contemporary Romance that combines the new with the tried and true. I wasn't sure what to expect and was actually a bit nervous even while curiosity raged so I was delighted to discover that I liked it for the most part. It was fun to see how the story both followed the P&P script and deviated a little in ways that made sense.

Lizzy Egmont returns for her junior year at Jane Austen Academy to discover that change is in the air and in her book, its all bad. The school has new anonymous owners, her nemesis of a teacher is now the principal, and her bestie seems to be acting odd and withdrawn though that might be because Lizzy sold her out by trading their chance to room together to become the managing editor of the school paper. Then there is the bit she overheard with Anne about the school getting a name change which will just be the worst. However, the biggest travesty in her mind is that the all girls school is now infested with boys making up half of the school population. And none of the boys are half so infuriating as Dante, the arrogant hottie who has made his disdain for Lizzy and everything else clear. Between following her journalistic instincts to smell out a story about Dante's little sister, attempting a bit of matchmaking with Anne and Rick to get them back together, nosing out who the new owners are and teaming up with Anne to thwart Bergie, Lizzy has a full plate. So why do her thoughts keep drifting to Dante the guy who can't stand her and always stares at her?

The storyline was fun and light for the most part. This is no deep character piece or angst-ridden plot. Lizzy is the narrator and I have to say her voice, behaviors, thoughts and words were very believable for a teen of her age. Truthfully, she annoyed me at first. I wanted to laugh when she called another girl a drama queen because that was what I had been thinking about Lizzy from page one. She has this totally skewed view of everything, but I do applaud her tenacity, compassion and zeal. She has a lot of growing to do and I warmed to her when I saw her start to open her eyes and really see things clearly as the story progressed. I liked how the spotlight was on the friendships and other connections and that it wasn't just one of those numerous stories where the focus of the romance pushes everything else away. Speaking of romances, this story gives two romances for the price of one with that secondary one going on between Anne and Rick.

That brings me to the connection of this story and how it is loosely based on the original Pride and Prejudice. Lizzy and Dante's story line is obviously that of Lizzy and Darcy. Lizzy has the beginnings of attraction to Dante and a curiosity about him until his mannerisms and his snubs drive her away. Then later, when she softens toward him, his secrets put a huge wedge between them which is ironic because Lizzy's secrets put a wedge between her and her best friend too forcing Lizzy to reassess what really has her miffed about Dante. The only niggle I really have is that things were rushed a bit in the end and the end came abruptly for me. I'm going to take a wait and see about this since its a series and maybe the next books offer the closure and tying up of loose ends that I need.

As a YA, this is one that could be put safely into the hands of even the youngest teen as it is all sweetness with not a hint of language, violence or sex.

I would recommend this one to those who enjoy YA Sweet Contemporary Romance and those who enjoy Jane Austen novel retellings.

My thanks to Net Galley and Cecilia Gray for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Noémy · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I found this novel to be only on the "it's okay" side , I'm liking this concept so much I'm really having a hard time deciding whether to continue on with the series or not.

I think as a 1st installment, Fall For you was a pretty decent introduction. But then maybe that's all it was. A good opening into the lives of Jane Austen's major protagonists. As far as faithful retellings go, however, I can't objectively say this book was a good rendering of Pride and Prejudice. It had the misconceptions and miscommunication drama, the proud and misunderstood hero and a bit of the snark but Lizzie Egmont was no Elizabeth Bennet. She was judgmental, bossy and actually snobbish to the peers she didn't deem fit to embrace into her personal life and probably the most prejudiced version of any of the hundredth version of Lizzie out there.

I might be exagerating a little; after all, I have yet to read every P&P retellings in existence, but she was definitely my least favorite portrayal. The angst was a bit forced to. There wasn't much ground to Lizzie's hatred of Dante. So he was aloof around her. Said he didn't want to date her. They're teenagers I know, but these didn't seem like such offenses to me that she would hate him on sight without even trying to make him feel welcome into a totally new and foreign environment.

So, yes, I'm disappointed. In this story especially, because if you've ever followed my books-read list from last year, a good chunk of it was made out of P&P fanfiction, imagined sequels etc. To say that I'm a huge Darcy and Elizabeth's fan and shipper is a bit of an understatement. But I enjoyed the frienships between these girls and the idea to gather Austen's heroines into a school and have them befriend each other was pretty neat. I'm most curious about Anne's and Emma's story, which is no surprise considering that Emma and Persuasion are my second and third favorite JA's novels.

I'm in a bit of a jam here : could my love for these characters spur me on to download their stories onto my kindle?



To be continued.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is definitely more of a retelling than modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. If you're going into it expecting all the events of Pride and Prejudice to play out in a modern setting, then you're going to be disappointed.
The simple fact is, the characters are recognizable from Austens work, and there were some similarities between the events in Austens book, and in this one, but it's definitely been retold.
The most obvious differences are that characters who were in Pride and Prejudice, such as Lizzie's sisters, simply do not exist in this version, and right off the bat that makes this book a lot different to the one it's based on.
However, like I said, this is a retelling and it's only loosely based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

As a contemporary YA, this book just works. It has some really great characters throughout, and I actually really liked the way you have the main characters of Austens work all mingling together, it definitely makes for an interesting dynamic.
I felt that the story between Lizzie and Dante was really good, it gave a believable reason for there to be some animosity between the two of them, and they were both really good characters.
The one negative I have on the point of characters, is that because the book was so short, you didn't really get a tonne of character backstory or development. I wanted to know more about them, see more of them together and learning to like each other. It felt a bit rushed by the ending, and I was really enjoying their story, so I simply wanted more of it.

As far as the book as a whole goes, this was a fun, interesting book with some great characters. It's quick and easy to read, and it definitely made me want to complete the series. I read this book in one sitting, and I think it is the kind of book I would go back to and read again.
There were some fantastic moments in it, and had it been a bit longer and allowed the reader to invest more in the characters, I truly think that the cuteness and clever writing of this retelling, could have got a ten out of ten from me.
I would definitely recommend this book. It's fun, cute, and a great read for summer.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lizzie is 16 years old and starting her junior year at the prestigious Jane Austin Academy, an all girls boarding school, that is until this year, when the new owners opened up the school to boys. Lizzie is not happy about this at all, but at least she thinks she is going to be able to room with her best friend Ellie.....not. She ends up rooming with her former arch nemesis Ann, while Ellie rooms with Emma, the blonder than she pays to be class gossip. As editor of the school's newspaper, Lizzie is determined to make things right and expose the truth for her beloved school. What she doesn't count on is Dante Braxton, who is totally hot, but also snobbish and rude, but then Lizzie can come across that way herself. A weekend away ends up changing her opinion of Dante, but being the "investigative reporter" that she is, secrets threaten to destroy the budding relationship. Will love win out in the end or will secrets destroy Lizzie's school, future, and friendships?

Fall for You is a fun, quick read. Despite her somewhat self-centered beginnings, I really like the way Lizzie turned out toward the end. The relationship between Lizzie and Dante was really sweet, as they pushed past their own feelings and opinions and were able to see the truth in the situation they faced, and in each other. The supporting characters were really fun, and the guys in the story were also hot. I would have liked to see more about them, especially Dante, but this is a short story, and considering that, it is very well written. I loved seeing the relationship between the four girls mature and develop also, as Lizzie and Anne discover they don't hate each other as much as they thought, and Lizzie finds that Emma is really not that bad after all. I look forward to seeing where Cecilia Gray takes the next book in the series, So Into You. Overall, this was a really cute story and I would recommend it for girls as young as 12 on up to those of us who are still teens at heart.

[Abigail W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was actually so enjoying this book! It's such a fun, short read that you can finish in less than 2 hours. Aaaah I didn't really enjoy the ending though, it would have been better to extend it a little more but I guess that just means I have to read the others ;)

[Doris Ware · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this first book of a series. I'm really interested in the other books in this series. I read it on my kindle.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

[Kirby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always intrigued when I learn about a Jane Austen retelling, especially if it happens to be Pride and Prejudice since that's my favorite book by her, and sad to say, it's also the only one I've read up till now. I'm always even more excited when I find a young adult Pride and Prejudice retelling, and not only is Fall for You exactly this, but it's the first book in the Jane Austen Academy series, a six book series that each of which is a retelling from one of Jane Austen's beloved stories. I was both excited and nervous to pick this one up, as I've not always had the greatest luck with modernized Jane Austen retellings, but I went into it with open mind, and for the most part I was pleasantly surprised.

Fall for You focuses around our main character Lizzie, who attends an elite boarding school in California called The Jane Austen Academy, a school that's historically always been an all girls boarding school. However, that's all about to change this year as new owner's have taken over the school, and one of the first of many changes their bringing about is adding male students to the population. Lizze is not a fan of this drastic change, not because of the boy's so much themselves, but because she can't stand to see eveyrthing changing and falling apart at her beloved academy. She sets out on a mission to use her journalistic background to find out who the new owner's of her beloved academy and to expose their plans for changing the academy's structure.

Her mission doesn't go as planned however when she ends up inadvertently involving one of the boys, Dante, into the mix. Lizzie is turned off by Dante's ego, his selfish personality, and the way he tries to control his little sister's life. It was exactly guys like him that had Lizzie hesitant about boys being added to the school roster in the first place, and she can't see herself ever growing to accept this new change, especially as new details about him end up coming to light.

Fall for You was a lighthearted, easy read that I swept through in one sitting. I enjoyed it's humorous moments, it's setting of an academy named after the famous literary star, and the way that it stays true to Austen's beloved original characters and story. This actually would have been on its way to being a four or five star read for me if there had just been a little bit more to it. I loved what I did read, but just when everything was starting to really get going, and the reader was finally seeing more of Dante's personality and story, it quickly ended. It felt more like a novella than an actual novel, and as a result, there wasn't enough time to truly connect to any of the characters, especially that of Dante. The writing was spot on, the developing romance was adorable with its Pride and Prejudice vibes, and it was going in such a great direction that the ending was massively disappointing. I'm hoping it ended the way it did because more of the story will be revealed in the following novels, otherwise it will definitely feel like the reader is missing out on a lot of the story itself.

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed it, I will undoubtedly be recommending it to other Jane Austen fans, I just wish there had been a little bit more to the story. I'll look forward to continuing on with the next novel of the series, especially since the reader was already given a glimpse into a few of the others girls that will be featured as protagonists in some of the other stories.

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un romanzo di presentazione

Il romanzo, breve e scritto con stile fluido ma non piatto, come spesso accade ai romanzi per YA, soprattutto ai retelling austeniani per adolescenti, si apre col ritorno a scuola di Lizzie Egmont, per il suo penultimo anno di liceo.
Durante l'estate ci sono state delle novità: la scuola è stata venduta e i nuovi misteriosi proprietari hanno ammesso anche i ragazzi. E così le ragazze, abituate a dormire in camere singole, ora dovranno dividere i loro spazi con le compagne.
Malgrado Lizzie ed Ellie Dvorak (leggi Dashwood), la sua migliore amica, abbiano parlato per tutta l'estate di dormire assieme, a Lizzie viene assegnata d'ufficio Anne Escobar (leggi Elliot), la figlia della precedente proprietaria della scuola, che si deve adattare a vivere con le altre anziché nell'edificio principale come negli anni passati.
A Ellie viene assegnata Emma, una ragazza piuttosto civettuola che subito comincia a influenzare la dolce e sensibile Ellie.
Quando Lizzie va a parlare con la nuova preside, Katherine Berg (Lady Catherine de Bourgh), questa cerca di corrompere lei e Anne offrendo loro incarichi importanti: Anne organizzerà il comitato e la festa di benvenuto, come del resto ha fatto ogni anno (ma prima era la figlia della proprietaria, ora non lo è più), Lizzie sarà la prima studentessa del quarto anno a fare da caporedattore della Gazette, il giornale della scuola.
Pur essendo molto combattuta, Lizzie accetta l'incarico anche se deve sacrificare l'amicizia di Ellie: lei e Anne hanno sentito che i nuovi proprietari vogliono cambiare il nome della scuola e lei spera che la sua posizione importante di caporedattore del giornale possa influenzare gli studenti in modo che il nome resti invariato.
Negli anni precedenti Lizzie ha sempre guardato Anne con antipatia, forse una punta d'invidia, ma le due ragazze saranno molto avvicinate dall'obbligo di dormire insieme e dalla nuova complicità legata al mistero dei nuovi proprietari della Jasta e alla lotta contro le loro decisioni rivoluzionarie.
La preside Berg suggerisce a Lizzie di intervistare alcuni tra i ragazzi più famosi appena arrivati nella scuola. Tra questi ci sono Dante Braxton (Darcy), un brillante studente appena trasferito da Exeter, Rick Wright (Frederick Wentworth), un ex-studente dell'Accademia Navale che è tornato per prendersi cura della ricchissima madre malata e Josh Wickham un attore adolescente molto famoso.
La giovane Georgiana Braxton si presenta per chiedere a Lizzie di far parte della Gazette e quest'ultima, anche per indispettire Dante, che è molto protettivo nei confronti della sorella perché non vuole che sia delusa da un possibile fallimento, assume Georgiana e la mette subito a intervistare Wickham.
Lizzie cercherà per tutto il tempo di scoprire chi siano i nuovi misteriosi proprietari e proprio Dante sarà colui che la aiuterà maggiormente nella ricerca, malgrado le continue divergenze d'opinione e i continui scontri verbali.

Il personaggio di Lizzie non è fedelissimo all'originale di Jane Austen, dal momento che, pur essendo intelligente, indipendente e determinata, manca dell'ironia e autoironia della più amata eroina austeniana. Il tradimento verso Ellie in principio di libro, poi, lascia un senso di delusione: da un'eroina austeniana ci aspettiamo il massimo della lealtà. Invece, questa Lizzie, dopo aver venduto la compagnia dell'amica più cara per una carica nel giornale, non può permettersi di essere gelosa di Emma, no? E anche l'antipatia quasi invidiosa verso Anne all'inizio del romanzo non le fa molto onore.
Comunque l'espediente delle camere scambiate serve solo per presentarci ben quattro eroine in un sol colpo, per quello che, come ho detto nel titolo della recensione, è un romanzo di presentazione.
I personaggi secondari di Orgoglio e pregiudizio, infatti, sono ben pochi. A parte Georgiana e la preside Berg, mancano gli omonimi di O&P. E Josh Wickham non ha lo stesso ruolo del suo omonimo austeniano, anzi, lo troveremo più avanti nelle vesti di... John Thorpe! (nel terzo libro della serie, When I'm With You, retelling de L'Abbazia di Northanger).
Tuttavia, le circostanze di Orgoglio e pregiudizio vengono ricostruite utilizzando i personaggi a disposizione. E così Jane Bennet è Ellie per l'aspetto caratteriale e Anne per le situazioni (con il ruolo di Bingley ricoperto da Rick Wright, ovviamente). E l'amicizia tra Emma ed Ellie ci fa intravedere quella tra Harriet Smith e la stessa Emma, mentre il periodo di Elizabeth alla canonica di Hunsford diventa un weekend al lago a casa dei Wright.

La soluzione, prevedibile, arriva troppo repentina. Tutto si risolve in meno di due mesi. E poi? Cosa succederà a Lizzie? Tutti vogliamo sapere se verrà presa a Georgetown o se l'unico posto disponibile agli studenti provenienti dalla Jane Austen Academy sarà appannaggio di Dante. E vogliamo sapere anche come proseguirà la sua carriera nella Gazette, dal momento che la lasciamo in una situazione un po'... incerta.

È chiaro che ci aspettiamo che l'interazione tra le eroine ci farà vedere anche i futuri sviluppi di quelle la cui storia è stata già narrata... ma chissà cosa avrà deciso di fare la Gray.
Certo, questa conclusione un po' sospesa, quasi un cliffhanger, ci spinge a voler leggere i successivi romanzi della serie.
E infatti non vediamo l'ora di scoprire cosa accadrà a Ellie ed Edward in So Into You, il retelling di Ragione e sentimento.

Potete leggere la recensione completa QUI:
http://ildiariodellelizzies.blogspot....

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fall For You: A Modern Retailing of Pride and Prejudice
(Jane Austen Academy, Book #1)
by Cecilia Gray

Rating: 3.5
Review on behalf of AToMR Book Blog Tours

Genre:Young Adult | Contemporary Romance

To say Lizzie and Dante are polar opposites is the understatement of the century. He’s a snooty Exeter transfer with more money than Google. She’s a driven study-a-holic barely keeping up with tuition. It’s obvious that Dante thinks he’s way too good for Lizzie. And Lizzie knows Dante is a snob with a gift for pushing her buttons.

But things are changing fast this year at the Academy. And when Lizzie’s quest to stop those changes blows up in her face, taking her oldest friendship with it, she has nowhere else to turn but to Dante, with his killer blue eyes, his crazy-sexy smile, and his secrets… Secrets Lizzie can’t seem to leave alone, no matter how hard she tries…

Lizzie Egmont is determined to become the first Junior in Jane Austen Academy history to become the school's newspaper Managing Editor--even if it means reneging on a roommate promise with her best friend, Ellie Dvorak, as well as "[ruffling] some feathers" among the new school administration along the way. Yet, as promising as this year is for Lizzie's journalism career, the current enrollment of a male student body into a once all female academy and the new unpleasant/high-fashioned headmaster, Katherine Berg (a.k.a. Bergie) really makes Lizzie's blood boil. And, as much as she would like to admit that the impressive male population at Jane Auction Academy does not damper her spirits in achieving her Ivy League acceptance spot into Georgetown, a "mussy brown [haired]" boy, name Dante Braxton, does begin to cast a shadow on Lizzie's long-term goals.

Now, Lizzie is on a mission to expose the new proprietor in the first switch of ownership since 1873 and challenge their corrupt decision to change the school's name and tradition -- in Lizzie's term "the new administration's evil plans to destroy her beloved Academy." But, at what costs will her determination to closely follow the school's motto ("We Will Be Heard") by printing her findings as a feature in the Gazette effect her (and those close to her) future at Jane Austen Academy?

This series is a great hodgepodge of Jane Austen's beloved characters, for the reader is treated to a retelling of Austen's well-known characters as modern teenagers attending the same high school. Overall, it is quite enjoyable to witness how well their original tales become entangled in the current setting and to see all their blended interactions/struggles. I was most excited about the characters from my favorite Austen book Persuasion--the sweet-tempted Anne Escober, whose family just recently lost the Jane Austen Academy to new owners and Rick Wright, who has just transferred from the Naval academy and shares a secretive past with Anne. Then you have the chic, knows-everything-about-everybody Emma and nice, puppy-eyed Edward (from Emma). The blonde, Cali-girl Ellie Dvorak (from Sense & Sensibility) plays a prominent role as Lizzie's best bud. Lastly, if you are a fan of the Pride and Prejudice novel, you will recognize fellow characters like Josh Wickham and Georgiana throughout Fall For You--and some of their secrets might catch you by surprise!

All in all, be prepared for lots of teenage angst, sweet budding romance, and some self-centered (i.e. prideful) characteristics. But, if you enjoy modern classical stories, are an Austen enthusiast, and have a passion for the young-adult genre--you will find the Jane Austen Academy series to be a refreshing read!

Likes: Personally, I am a fan of classical remakes and found this book to have a very interesting and unique concept. I am even tempted to check out Anne and Rick's story in the series!

Dislikes: Lizzie could occasionally come off as fair or polite (ex. toward her newspaper staff) but mostly all her good traits were overshadowed by her dogmatic/unwavering actions and her dramatic egotistical mannerisms...almost annoyingly so! Sadly, she was not a very likable character for me and I did no find myself warming up to her tough outer shell throughout much of the book either. Basically, she was just too over the top for my taste!

Chapter One/Paragraph One: "Lizzie dragged her red suitcase behind her as she weaved through the crowded hallway searching for Ellie in the chaos that was the first day back in California at Jane Austen Academy. Or Jasta --rhymes with pasta-- as she and her friends affectionately called it, although affection had not been the sentiment of the day."

Favorite { Scene, Character or Setting }: Scene

"Want to play a game to make the ride go faster?" Edward asked.
"Yes!" Lizzie sat straight in her seat. "How about Truth or Dare?"
"Um, I was thinking more like Twenty Questions...or I Spy...."
"I'll go first," Lizzie said. "Dare."
"Um..." Edward's eyes darted around nervously. "I dare you to stick your head out the window?"
"No! I don't want to, which means we're back to truth, and I get to ask you a question."
"I don't think that's how--"
"Why is Rick avoiding Anne?"
Edward glanced around nervously. "Are you sure this is how the game works?"
"Don't be a sore loser, Edward," Lizzie pushed on. "I asked a question, now you have to answer it. Those are the rules. Why is Rick avoiding Anne? And don't pretend you don't know what I'm taking about."
"I wouldn't say he's avoiding her."
"Don't make me break out a thesaurus, Edward."

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story. Nice to read about teens who aren’t involved in sex, drugs, bullying, social hierarchy and suicidal tendencies. Strong young girls pursuing a great cause. Easy read.

[Sar Ah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good novel..

[Davide Bug · Rating 5 out of 5]

65

[Emily M · Rating 2 out of 5]

We're in homeschool burnout mode around here, so I downloaded some bublegum reading this morning instead of lesson planning for next week. So...I have read dozens (hundreds?) of JA fanfic stories, and I'm not at all opposed to the use of her stories as inspiration. Set it in a girls' boarding school? sounds fun. With teenagers? Okay. Have the characters from all the novels interact together? I've read fanfic where it worked. But not always.

The last P&P retelling I read followed the beats of the novel almost too religiously, and this one was on the opposite end of the spectrum--definitely a loose, free and easy rewrite. A P&P retelling lives or dies on the strength of its Lizzy and Darcy. Lizzie and Dante just didn't do it for me. Lizzie is not a good friend (her fierce allegiance to Jane is a huge factor in rebuffing Darcy in the source material, and here, she's totally a spaz to the Jane/Eleanor Dashwood character who is supposedly her BFF). There's potential with her absentee parents who don't seem to care about her accomplishments, but the facet of her personality isn't fully explored. Dante doesn't really have much of a character arc at all. He is kindof protective of Georgiana about twice, and that's it. Although I'm a mid-30s mom, I have been known to care deeply about teen characters in really excellent YA books. Not so much here.

With that said, there was nothing to hate. I appreciate books written for teens that aren't full of sex and cursing, and I did read the whole thing. I even read a second one, because I actually was more interested in Ellie's story than Lizzie's but thought I needed to read the first one to get the setting down. I have enjoyed some of Cecilia Gray's Heyer-like Regency stories for light escapist reading, and I think I prefer it when she's handling her own plot and not putting a spin on a beloved classic.

[Tabby - Shattered Hearts Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, two things caught my eye and made me sign up for the blog tour with this book.

1. I LOVE me some Jane Austin
2. The phrase - A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice

Well YES please! Really, who can turn those two things down? So naturally, I jumped at this with HIGH expectations of this book. While the story was freaking adorable and I totally saw where the author was coming from with some things, other things just felt.. off to me, making the book fall just a little bot short for me. I am pretty sure I can blame that more on myself, simply because I set myself up with those high standards with this book!

On one hand you have Lizzie. Headstrong, determined and out to get things accomplished. My kind of girl! She knows what she wants and she isn't afraid to go after it. Facing the new owners and the new lady running the school this year, NO PROBLEM! Despite the good things that come her way this year at school, she faced with more problems than she anticipated. Between the roommate situation, BOYS being allowed in a once ALL GIRL school, the distance looming between her and her best friend, Ellie, and trying to get proof of the new owners so they can be convinced that these changes are horrible, it's amazing this girl has time for anything at all!

On the other hand you have Dante. Here is a man of mystery if I have ever seen one and a hot and cold attitude to match. To say that him and Lizzie are opposites is an understatement. He goes through phases where he likes her, he seems to not be able to stand her, and then his entire being softens and he changes into a totally different person. I swear I would have whiplash if I were Lizzie! Alas, he is hiding something, a BIG something that will pretty much make or break and relationship that is in store for him and Lizzie.

Here is what threw me, the relationship itself. First they hate each other, then they are on speaking terms, then bad things happen and then BAM - they are together. It was like "oh wow, that just did NOT fit." Of course, I know other people who just LOVED this, so it may have just been me that it didn't work for lol. The only other issue I have with this story is that it was so short. I so wanted it to be longer. I felt that since it was short, that some parts of it were rushed. Things that should have been touched on more, weren't and everything was just kind of laid out in the last few chapters.

One thing I will say though, is that this doesn't stop be from reading the next book in this series, simply because I want to know more about Ellie. I will also say that I HOPE Cecilia writes a book about Anne! She intrigues me on so many levels, as does Dante's sister. Speaking of them, the side characters in this book are just as awesome as the main ones. They bring dimension to the story that gives you better insight to Lizzie and Dante.

[Amy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review..


O.k. I know this book has mixed reviews, but all that aside i generally like this book. It is a normal young adult book meant for middle school or early high school age. so, like us adults who dabble in these young adult book might find it boring or not liked.


This book starts off with an all girl boarding school. Lizzie was a journalist for the paper and was known to do whatever it took to print the truth. She had a enemy like all teenage girls named Anne. Her family owned the school, and she always got special privileges. Lizzie was looking forward to the start of her junior year. That was until someone else took over the school.
that is right the first all girls boarding school was taking on some boys! All of Lizzie first routine for her good luck was ruined by a bunch of guys. to add insult to injury she had to sit with Anne the whole bus ride to the school. The only thing she had to look forward for was that she requested to room with her best friend Ellie.
When she finally got to the school she noticed that the room names were wrong. She had to room with Anne! that was not possible. ( I personally found this very funny and couldn't wait to see what was in store) her best friend was roomed with a girl named Emma who Lizzie was threaten by because she could easily be replaced.! Now Lizzie decided that she was going to go against the rules and have Ellie room with her anyway. that was until Anne decided to go to the new head master. Lizzie was then blackmailed and was told by the headmaster if she went along with the new room assignments she would be the editing manager of the paper. that was not possible for a junior. now she had to lie to her best friend.

Anne and Lizzie decided to make the best of it and both started to work together. Lizzie found herself liking Anne and feeling sorry for her and what happen with her family. Ellie and on the other hand easily replaced Lizzie. Lizzie found Ellie and Emma at her favorite tree laughing and already planning lunch dates with guys. Now Lizzie felt alone.
she did what any girl would do and focused on her job. She was having a great time with the newspaper and now she had to interview a bunch of guys because it was part of her blackmail. there was a guy Dante that she couldn't stop staring at. He has a sister named georgina who wanted to be in the paper but he wouldn't let her. Dante made Lizzie's life hard for the first couple weeks that was until she used her journalism to its advantage. She got a invite to Dante's friends lake house. she was going to find out who the new owners where.

here is where the fun starts. Lizzie helps Anne with an old relationship at this weekend getaway. Lizzie was able to snoop around with the help of Dante who took it upon himself to help her. Lizzie and Dante started to get hot and heavy until the right back to the boarding school. Lizzie will find out a shocking secret and change everything about the school.
Lizzie will have to help the help of her friends to save Anne and her family's name at the school, and also fix a friendship that she ruined. Will all this journalism cause Lizzie to loose it all?

[Tabitha (Bows & Bullets Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is also available on my blog, Bows & Bullets Reviews

Lizzie is astounded to learn that this year, things at her precious school are changing. Not only are they doubling the population by adding boys to the formerly girls only school, but she has learned they also plan to change the name. The Jane Austen Academy is near and dear to her heart and she'll fight tooth and nail with every journalistic bone in her body to prevent such a disastrous change. She'd stay focused a little better if snooty Dante would quit distracting her. The fact that he is attractive as sin goes out the window every time he opens his arrogant mouth. Can she ignore him long enough to accomplish her goals or is she doomed to fall under his spell?

Lizzie is a pretty relatable character. She's struggling to hold onto tradition while the world around her moves on without really caring. Lizzie is determined to make them care. This year was supposed to be an easy year, rooming with Ellie, her BFF, but no such luck. Not only is she not roomie with Ellie, she is stuck with her nemesis, Anne and the headmistress blackmails her into staying there. Things look bleak at best, but she will make it work and she won't let her friendship with Ellie fade just because they can't room together or because Ellie's new roommate becomes fast friends with her.

Anne isn't as bad as Lizzie made her out to be. She's not really uppity or snobby at all, just quiet and diligent and completely in love with the Academy. I really like Anne quite a bit more and I'm ready for her story.

Dante is everything he is supposed to be in a Darcy reincarnation. He's snooty and quiet and kinda mean, but not really, just untrusting and unforgiving. Those are two traits I can relate to all too well, so I'm in no position to judge. I do think he is quite a bit overbearing with Georgiana, especially in this modern setting.

This is a Pride & Prejudice retelling. I love almost any incarnation of that story. I especially love the BBC mini series Lost In Austen, so it's clear I'm okay with changing the rules up a bit, as long as we remain faithful to the original tale in spirit. In that regard, this succeeds. I love the idea of taking the main characters from Austen's six novels and placing them in one story. Bravo Gray for a wonderful idea. Really, it's a promising start. My problem is it wasn't extremely well fleshed out. This novel is short, like less than 200 pages, and I feel like that isn't room enough to do a P&P retelling, much less add in characters from the other works and do it properly. Lizzie and Dante's story felt very rushed and a bit instalove-y, though the word love was never uttered.

But, despite my issues, the writing is good and the plot is interesting and it's very readable (a term I seem to use a lot lately). It feels like the first or second draft to a story that will be epic if we just add and edit a bit more. Get it to 300 pages and I'll probably fall in love with all the extras you've added. I do plan on reading the sequels because I feel this series has great potential and I want to see if it grows into more than what this one showed me.

****Thank you to Gray Life LLC for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review****

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I was given this book for free on a read-to-review basis.)
16-year-old Lizzie is a student at the prestigious Jane Austen Academy (Jasta), a school which has been her home for several years. Things are changing this year though as the school has been sold, and it’s new owners want to make changes.

The first thing to change is the student number – with double the usual number of students attending, the second change is that the new students will be male, drastically changing the atmosphere at the previously all-girl school.

Lizzie however is determined to set things right, a goal that she started working on before term even started by writing an inflammatory piece for the student newspaper, basically dissing the new owners and new developments at the school.

When Lizzie does arrive to start the new school year, she finds that her room sharing request has not been honoured, and instead of sharing a room with her best friend Ellie, she is sharing a room with Anne, the former school owner’s daughter. Complaining to the headmistress about this problem, Lizzie relents and accepts the new living arrangements when the headmistress offers her the opportunity to be the managing editor of the student newspaper, a job that Lizzie has been lusting after.

Still more changes are happening at Jasta though, and now Lizzie is on a quest to find out who the new owners are and to talk to them, and to stop the proposed name change of the school. What she doesn’t realise is how this crusade of hers will affect her relationship with her best friend Ellie, and her feelings towards the gorgeous Dante, one of the new students at the school who seems to be hiding some secrets of his own.


This book is a modern retelling of ‘Pride and prejudice ‘. Unfortunately though I haven’t read pride and prejudice yet so I’m not sure how alike the two books are! Irregardless of this I enjoyed this book. The main character Lizzie was ridiculously headstrong at times, and made some poor decisions too, but a lot of this was in her quest to become a journalist, so I have to let her off on that one. If she hadn’t of made the decisions she did she probably wouldn’t have been much of a journalist.

The story was paced nicely and well written, and held my attention all the way through. The characters were genuine, and although the storyline did seem to be a bit predictable in places it didn’t spoil it for me. Both fortunately and unfortunately, although we got some answers at the end of this book, the story wasn’t really finished. Fortunately this means that there must be another book to come, but unfortunately it means that we have to wait to find out the rest of Lizzie’s story!
Overall – an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to the next one!
7.5 out of 10.
(Book length: 2156 Kindle Locations)

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The full review is up on the blog, right HERE
Really like 3.95 stars

So cute and sweet I need to make an appointment with my dentist to check for cavities!!!

This book is so short! I read this one in a few hours and it was a very cute and sweet read. I haven’t read the original P&P so I have no comparison. However, this was sweet! The story and plot were fun to follow and I found myself really wanting to know who bought the school (although at one point you kinda figure out who it is! Although the reason behind it is totally heartbreaking!)

The characters are developed nicely, for being so short. I think if this book were longer it would have been a lot better. The relationships would have had time to stew and simmer longer and it wouldn’t feel so forced or rushed. However, Cecelia did a great job with character development within the shot pages!

I loved the supporting characters. I actually found Emma and Anne to be very interesting. Emma typical popular girl and gossip lover, was a nice breath of hilarity! I don’t tend to like the jibber jabber girls and ones that are all about popularity, but she won me over. I think it was her quick humor that won me over. And Anna was the typical bad/mean girl with deep rooted issues. But her ability to bond and show vulnerability with Lizzie was her saving grace.

Lizzie was a nice character to follow. This book is told in third person and but it mostly follows in Lizzie’s voice. The third person was a bit hard to follow at times. I think it would have been better in first person. I found myself confused at times but it was still a great read.

I found it funny that most of the characters had double letters in their names: Emma, Ellie, Lizzie, Anne, it was cute but also hard to follow with who was saying what.

Dante as a love interest was cute but a bit weak. I think that the length of the book is where the issue is and not with the boy. To go from a tough bad boy and standoffish to head over heals for Lizzie in 140 pages was a bit hard to accomplish but he was still cute and he had his golden moment at the end.

The story is well written and has a wonderful plot line. If it was longer I think this would have been a huge smash! I'm luck that she is a local author and I always love seeing that!!! And references to my hometown were spot on!!!

If you are looking for a quick contemporary read to fill an afternoon or if you are a faster reader, something to read while waiting for your car to get fixed or at a doctor’s office, pick this one up. I like it enough to see what else she will do! I hope that the next book is longer!

Favorite Quote
“I wished you’d warn me not to wear heels,” Emma called up the tree. “Who wears heels with silk pajamas?” Lizzie called down. “Kick them off!” p. 131

[Jakki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raise your hand if you love Jane Austen and cannot get enough Darcy, Wentworth, and Knightley. Author, Cecilia Gray, recognizes this obsession and delivers readers an appetite-whetting medley in her first young adult novel, Fall for You. Here we see Austen’s beloved heroes and heroines thrown together in the same high school.

Welcome to the Jane Austen Academy, better known as JASTA by its devoted students, a name that is meant to remind students that just like Jane Austen, they do not have to accept things the way they are, as change is on the horizon. From new owners, a new headmistress, male students in attendance, and now a possible name change, students are left wondering what other traditions will be changed.

Unwilling to let these changes slide without a fight, editor of the Gazette, junior Lizzie Egmont, is on a quest to stop some of the changes and uncover the mystery behind the new owners. Lizzie also struggles with personal changes. While she and her best friend Ellie drift further apart, Lizzie is forced to reconsider her resentment of the former owners’ daughter, Anne Escobar, and wonders if she may have misjudged Dante as well. Along with unearthing secrets Dante may be hiding, Lizzie must come face to face with feelings she may not want to admit.

In addition to these changes, old friendships are being tested and new ones are being formed. Here, Gray has captured the essence of teenage friendships : drama, jealousy, and camaraderie. I felt I had been transported back to high school. All the things that are important to teenaged girls: school dances, friends, boys, college admittance, popularity, and did I mention boys? are well captured in Fall for You. The author creates relatable, real characters while at the same time maintaining some of Austen’s main characteristics: Darcy/Dante is reserved and protective of Georgiana, Lizzie judges on first impressions, and Anne’s parents are making her decisions.

My only complaint is the many plot points. Even those with Lizzie and Dante seemed unfinished or under-developed. I felt Lizzie and Dante resolved their issues too quickly. Fall for You covers the first month of our main characters’ junior year. I am curious to know how much time each of the other five novels in the series will cover. While I enjoyed the story, I was left with many unanswered questions, leaving my head spinning. Even though this is my major beef with the novel, I will most likely be reading the rest of the series as my curious and hungry nature will not be satisfied until this story is neatly wrapped up.

Even though this is a young adult story, adults will find it an enjoyable, quick read, perfect for summer days.

(reviewed on www.indiejane.org)

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the idea behind this series is fantastic. A modern-day retelling of Jane Austen’s novels – with the characters from each novel being friends with each other! Fall For You, the first book in this new series, is Lizzie’s story. She loves the Jane Austen Academy and is horrified when the former-all girls school opens its doors up for male students. And that’s not the only change being made. Room mates and a headmistress who is more about the bottom dollar than the students is enough to drive Lizzie crazy. Not to mention Dante – a new student who has formed a less than impressive first impression on (and of) Lizzie.

Lizzie knows that she has to do all she can to save the Academy she loves before it’s too late – and Dante better not get in her way.

There’s a lot going on in this book and I think too much was attempted in such a small number of pages. We get introduced to the Academy, to the heroines, to the heroes and have a complete story all in less than a hundred and fifty pages. It didn’t completely work for me. I love the idea of Lizzie being friends with Ellie (Eleanor from Sense and Sensibility), rivals with Anne (from Persuasion) and not entirely sure of Emma (from Emma). It’s a fabulous idea. And the fact that they’re not all bosom buddies is even better! I strongly believe that not all of Austen’s original characters would be BFFs because of their fairly strong – or overly passive – personalities. I loved how well the story as a retelling worked considering it’s set in a boarding school and how well Gray substituted some of the original minor characters with what will be major characters in this series. I really thought it was clever.

Unfortunately I felt like Lizzie’s story wasn’t given enough room to really blossom. Her interactions with Dante were gorgeous. There’s one scene in particular where the tension between the two of them had me completely absorbed with their chemistry. But their relationship felt so sudden to me that I felt a little short-changed. Their scenes together were few and short. It needed to be bigger and more dramatic and just more. As Darcy and Elizabeth’s counterparts I knew they had to be together but I wanted to feel they’d earned their relationship as Dante and Lizzie within the bounds of this novel.

This is a fairly quick read and it was a fun one. I loved the cross overs with Austen’s original works and enjoyed seeing how Grey would integrate the stories. I was lucky enough to get review copies of the next two books in the series and I’m excited to see how Grey tackles Sense and Sensibility as well as Northhanger Abbey

3.5 stars

[Melanie Cusick-Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog where you can find my other reviews: http://melcj.wordpress.com/category/r...

Fall for You is a younger adult book, aimed at early teenage girls (I imagine). It is loosely based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and you know what? I liked it! After reading plenty of ‘heavier’ books recently, I was in the mood for something quick, easy and light – and that’s exactly what I got.

The story is set predominantly in the grounds of the Jane Austen Academy, a prestigious boarding school, which up until recently had been solely for girls. In this it reminded me of a modernised version of the Mallory Towers or St Clares books by Enid Blyton, which I loved as a child: who didn’t want to play lacrosse and have jolly tea parties on the pavilion with the other gutsy girls who filled the dormitories of those books? Maybe just me then. But Lizzie – our leading lady surprisingly enough – certainly had shades of this about her.

As a character I found Lizzie irked me a little in the first couple of chapters – she was a tad on the bitchy side and I just thought she was mean with Anne and Emma particularly. However, I also get that this was part of her character establishment – after all she needed to be a little snooty and judgemental didn’t she. Thankfully, she mellows out pretty quickly and in with some slightly Louis Lane style tendencies sets off to investigate the mystery surrounding the new owners who are making so many changes to her beloved Academy.

This was a little jaunt down memory lane for me in terms of reading as I don’t tend to do ‘girlie’ romance stuff very often. But the younger girl inside me who devoured Sweet Valley High books (please don’t judge me too harshly!) in her early teens and wanted to go to boarding school, really enjoyed this lightly fluffy, fun take on Austen’s book. It is well-written, with good dialogue and enough variety in the supporting characters that they have depth and interest. The main characters are only ‘lite’ versions of the originals – Georgiana, Dante and Lizzie being the most like their counterparts – and the events of Fall for You only pick up some key scenes from Pride and Prejudice rather than being a complete re-telling, which I think worked well for the story. Nice reflections of the original book, without trying too hard to replicate and mimic, which I think would have felt very contrived.

Overall thoughts: if you like a little romance, fluff and fun, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this! 3.5* 

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a new year at the Jane Austen Academy and Lizzie is already creating trouble. Her newspaper piece is all about the changes occurring at the school, mainly the addition of male students. Lizzie she has Ellie—her best friend and roommate—support, has already planned out more articles of ‘protest’, and she’s sure those articles will get her a spot in Georgetown. But upon arrival at school, all her plans crumble. Suddenly her roommate isn’t Ellie, it’s Anna her nemesis, the Headmistress bribes her into becoming editor of the school’s newspaper, and interviewing the newly arrived male students, and gorgeous, tall, serious, and icy-blue eyed Dante is her competition to get into Georgetown!

A light and quirky take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Cecilia Gray’s Fall For You is the perfect summer read.

I’m a big fan of Jane Austen’s work, so when I saw this was based on her work I knew I had to read it. This fun and short novelette kept my eyes glued to the page with Lizzie’s antics, and Dante’s sweet if abrupt kindnesses. Though this first book is about Pride and Prejudice, we also get to meet the other characters which are from the other Austen books, and it took me a while to get all the characters straight in my head. There’s a lot of them: Lizzie, Dante, Ellie, Edward, Georgina, Josh, Anne, Rick, and Emma. And I kept trying to figure out who was who and from what Austen book instead of just reading, but eventually I figured it out and dove right into the story.

The way Gray worked the themes of pride and prejudice into the story worked really well. Lizzie is fierce when it comes to journalism and she’s proud of her work, but her articles are quite mean sometimes. And she totally makes assumptions about Dante, before getting her facts right. Like in P&P their interest for each other is filled with little acts of kindness, and just plain sexy tension between them. Though I did like their romance, I just wish there had been more to it. Part of it, I think, its due to the shortness of the story.

On this same note, I must also applaud Gray’s idea of having all the Austen characters attending the same high school. The girls were just amazing, and fun, and I wanted to be their friends. One of my favorites scenes ever is the ‘tree scene.’ It’s even in the trailer, which you can check out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL36We.... If there’s one thing I know for sure is that I will be keeping an eye out for the other books in this series. I can’t wait to read So Into You, which is based on Sense & Sensibility!