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Jane Austen's Diary
Austensibly Ordinary
Steamy, funky, and thoroughly modern, Austin, Texas isn’t much like the gardened country estates of Jane Austen’s work. But there might be a few similarities in its inhabitants…
Cate Kendall is no stranger to daydreams of brooding men and fancy parties—after all, she teaches one of her beloved Jane Austen novels in her English classes every year. But as for romance or adventure in her own life, the highlight of most weeks is Scrabble with her cute coworker, Ethan, and he draws the line at witty banter. But Cate is ready for a change. When she finds a mysterious journal that seems to have a link to the soul of the great Jane Austen herself, she knows it’s her chance. And she grabs on with both hands…
Before she knows it, Cate has invented an alter ego with an attitude, attended some seriously chic soirees, and gotten tangled up with a delicious mystery man. And she’s uncovered enough unexpected secrets about Ethan that her Scrabble partner has taken to brooding looks and unfathomable silences. It’s a positively Austenite predicament, and Cate is sure she’ll land in hot water and heartbreak—but maybe not with Jane herself to guide her…
Cate Kendall is no stranger to daydreams of brooding men and fancy parties—after all, she teaches one of her beloved Jane Austen novels in her English classes every year. But as for romance or adventure in her own life, the highlight of most weeks is Scrabble with her cute coworker, Ethan, and he draws the line at witty banter. But Cate is ready for a change. When she finds a mysterious journal that seems to have a link to the soul of the great Jane Austen herself, she knows it’s her chance. And she grabs on with both hands…
Before she knows it, Cate has invented an alter ego with an attitude, attended some seriously chic soirees, and gotten tangled up with a delicious mystery man. And she’s uncovered enough unexpected secrets about Ethan that her Scrabble partner has taken to brooding looks and unfathomable silences. It’s a positively Austenite predicament, and Cate is sure she’ll land in hot water and heartbreak—but maybe not with Jane herself to guide her…
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
5 people are currently reading
1493 people want to read
About the author
Alyssa Goodnight
8 books184 followersAlyssa Goodnight also writes as Stephanie Graves and has a new mystery out in December: OLIVE BRIGHT, PIGEONEER.
Alyssa Goodnight is the author of the Jane Austen's Diary series (AUSTENTATIOUS, AUSTENSIBLY ORDINARY), a romance with a touch of magical realism, JUST SAY YES, and a Regency historical, UNLADYLIKE PURSUITS. Her books have been mentioned in FIRST for Women, Woman's World, and Entertainment Weekly.
Alyssa is a Texas girl who dreams of British accents (and gets her fix watching Acorn TV and Masterpiece Mystery). Keep up with her on her website at alyssagoodnight.com
Or visit her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Alyssa Goodnight is the author of the Jane Austen's Diary series (AUSTENTATIOUS, AUSTENSIBLY ORDINARY), a romance with a touch of magical realism, JUST SAY YES, and a Regency historical, UNLADYLIKE PURSUITS. Her books have been mentioned in FIRST for Women, Woman's World, and Entertainment Weekly.
Alyssa is a Texas girl who dreams of British accents (and gets her fix watching Acorn TV and Masterpiece Mystery). Keep up with her on her website at alyssagoodnight.com
Or visit her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
October 14, 2013
I really wanted to like this book. I really wish I did, but wow, is the main character hard to like and that is a problem.
Do you ever wish you could have been a critical reader, editor or someone else who might have helped an author? That is how I feel, that someone somewhere should have told her to rein it in and stay focused.
This book has the concept of a fun idea, but it is so completely lost in nonsense that has nothing to do with anything and I think the author actually lost sight of her main plot somewhere along the line. It feels like she didn't find her own heroine and hero interesting enough to hold up the story so she tossed in such a bunch of nonsense that it feels like she just threw in anything to fill up pages and see if any of it worked. Mostly, it didn't. Some good editing and some better characterization would have helped tremendously.
These are the superfluous story bits: ghost hunting, her mother's cougarosity, thinking herself a superspy/superhero, the school board member's affair(although the conclusion was kind of fun), Cat Kennedy(for gosh sakes, what kind of adult does this?).
Cate believing the clues were about matchmaking was clunky and awkward as the clues were so obviously about her and nothing else. I didn't even understand how she could be reading them and thinking that they were about other people. She seemed a bit of a dim bulb.
I think the one aspect that actually worked was the Ethan mystery so maybe this should have been based more on Northanger Abbey instead of Emma which truly did not work.
In Emma, yes, the title character is misguided and at times a bit silly, but she doesn't assume a secret identity just to shake things up. Cate tries out the guise of Cat and why she couldn't simply try out a different style and amp up her boring personality a bit without lying about every detail of her life and flirting outrageously is not really explained. I never understood her fixation on the flirty man she met since how would she ever have a real relationship with him if she told him nothing about herself. Note: if it is a made-up personality, then whomever she aimed that flirty charm at will not actually know her since she lied about everything. How can she think this will lead to anything and yet she does. Did Emma make up an alter-ego, did Lizzie Bennett? I don't like ridiculous main characters. Yes, it is chick-lit and so a laugh here or there is great, but really I don't like reading about a nitwit.
When she had bedded the nice guy, who admits she has been in his thoughts for quite a while, she then immediately(literally, the man is barely out the door and the sheets haven't even cooled off) calls the flirty man in hopes of I don't even know what. A date? Sex with him since she has already taken the nice guy for a test drive? I don't get her motivation and I was very bothered by that. I didn't understand what the author was even trying to say.
Cate seems very shallow and silly and not worth the time and effort the nice guy has put forth.
She hurts him, then instead of apologizing, she just acts like it never happened. I hoped he wouldn't forgive her and would instead find someone worthy of his attention. She does spare a moment to think that she might need to fix things with him, but hopes she can also get up close and personal with flirty man. What is wrong with this woman?
Cate makes the observation that someone is a Willoughby and that Elizabeth Bennett recognized a Willoughby when she saw one, but Elizabeth never did. She never saw a Willoughby since he didn't appear in Pride and Prejudice. Wickham appeared in P&P and Willoughby was in Sense and Sensibility with Elinor Dashwood. This really bugged me as Cate is an English teacher, an Austen fan and this made her appear even more stupid than I already thought she was. She loves P&P and she would certainly know Willoughby isn't there. Badly done.
I was so excited when I saw that there was going to be another book with the magical Jane Austen journal as a centerpiece, but I was completely disappointed. I don't know whether I'd read another installment from this author or not. This one was not fun, at all. Sorry.
Do you ever wish you could have been a critical reader, editor or someone else who might have helped an author? That is how I feel, that someone somewhere should have told her to rein it in and stay focused.
This book has the concept of a fun idea, but it is so completely lost in nonsense that has nothing to do with anything and I think the author actually lost sight of her main plot somewhere along the line. It feels like she didn't find her own heroine and hero interesting enough to hold up the story so she tossed in such a bunch of nonsense that it feels like she just threw in anything to fill up pages and see if any of it worked. Mostly, it didn't. Some good editing and some better characterization would have helped tremendously.
These are the superfluous story bits: ghost hunting, her mother's cougarosity, thinking herself a superspy/superhero, the school board member's affair(although the conclusion was kind of fun), Cat Kennedy(for gosh sakes, what kind of adult does this?).
Cate believing the clues were about matchmaking was clunky and awkward as the clues were so obviously about her and nothing else. I didn't even understand how she could be reading them and thinking that they were about other people. She seemed a bit of a dim bulb.
I think the one aspect that actually worked was the Ethan mystery so maybe this should have been based more on Northanger Abbey instead of Emma which truly did not work.
In Emma, yes, the title character is misguided and at times a bit silly, but she doesn't assume a secret identity just to shake things up. Cate tries out the guise of Cat and why she couldn't simply try out a different style and amp up her boring personality a bit without lying about every detail of her life and flirting outrageously is not really explained. I never understood her fixation on the flirty man she met since how would she ever have a real relationship with him if she told him nothing about herself. Note: if it is a made-up personality, then whomever she aimed that flirty charm at will not actually know her since she lied about everything. How can she think this will lead to anything and yet she does. Did Emma make up an alter-ego, did Lizzie Bennett? I don't like ridiculous main characters. Yes, it is chick-lit and so a laugh here or there is great, but really I don't like reading about a nitwit.
When she had bedded the nice guy, who admits she has been in his thoughts for quite a while, she then immediately(literally, the man is barely out the door and the sheets haven't even cooled off) calls the flirty man in hopes of I don't even know what. A date? Sex with him since she has already taken the nice guy for a test drive? I don't get her motivation and I was very bothered by that. I didn't understand what the author was even trying to say.
Cate seems very shallow and silly and not worth the time and effort the nice guy has put forth.
She hurts him, then instead of apologizing, she just acts like it never happened. I hoped he wouldn't forgive her and would instead find someone worthy of his attention. She does spare a moment to think that she might need to fix things with him, but hopes she can also get up close and personal with flirty man. What is wrong with this woman?
Cate makes the observation that someone is a Willoughby and that Elizabeth Bennett recognized a Willoughby when she saw one, but Elizabeth never did. She never saw a Willoughby since he didn't appear in Pride and Prejudice. Wickham appeared in P&P and Willoughby was in Sense and Sensibility with Elinor Dashwood. This really bugged me as Cate is an English teacher, an Austen fan and this made her appear even more stupid than I already thought she was. She loves P&P and she would certainly know Willoughby isn't there. Badly done.
I was so excited when I saw that there was going to be another book with the magical Jane Austen journal as a centerpiece, but I was completely disappointed. I don't know whether I'd read another installment from this author or not. This one was not fun, at all. Sorry.
January 28, 2013
I mentioned at the end of my quirky little interview with Alyssa that this book is perfect for those looking for a good time.
Um.
That sounds like something you'd find written on a bathroom wall.*
I don't mean that kind of good time. (Probably.) I mean, Austensibly Ordinary is super fun and engaging; the tone and voice were excellent, the main characters were lively, and Alyssa's writing was cheeky, flirty and hilarious. No matter the plot, no matter if the word "romance" makes you cringe, I think characters you connect with are what sell a book - people will put up with just about anything when the characters are lively and engaging, and Cate absolutely is. Exactly what you want when you're looking for a good-time book. And a romance that doesn't take itself too seriously is certainly something I look for, and it's rare that I find it, so that sorta makes me want to sing its praises.
And speaking of things rarely found in romances that makes me want todance around like a fool sing praises, this actually kept me guessing, which is INCREDIBLY rare for me in general, but especially in anything of the romance variety. It's almost unheard of. (I mean, a romance that actually surprised me on multiple occasions? WHAT IS THIS WITCHERY?) Now, some of these surprises might stretch credibility a little too far for some readers, but really, for any absurdities or lack of believability in the story, I never - not once - cared. Like, for real, at all, couldn't have cared less because I was enjoying myself. This book is just too damn fun to be bothered by any plot points that might usually give me pause, or any obvious wish-fulfillment. And isn't that was this type of book is all about anyway? It's a Jane Austen adaptation, for god's sake - of course there's a healthy dose of wish-fulfillment. But this isn't the cheesy, eye-rolly kind; it's the mmmm, why didn't any of my teachers look like Ethan Chavez? kind - Cate's adventures as her alter-ego, Cat Kennedy,** are the pinnacle of conscious wish-fulfillment, and it was delightful.
One of the things that surprised me was that this has a tinge of magical realism to it, but not in the traditionally weighty way. There's no grandoise meaning; I also hesitate to call it paranormal, or anything like that, though those elements are there. But Goodnight uses a soft touch with these elements; they're a means to an end and a way to enhance the fantasy of the story, but they're not the focus, and so the story doesn't get bogged down in them. At its heart, this is just a good old fashioned romance, pulling in Jane Austen's Emma to great effect, but balancing it with a good dose of pop culture and - of all things - spy fic, and tying it together with a pretty magical realist bow. It's ridiculous how well it all works. (I mean, Jane Austen and Alfred Hitchcock? And it somehow makes sense together? Again, WHAT IS THIS WITCHERY?) All of this adds to the lighthearted, quirky tone of the story, but beyond that, it makes the book appeal to a broader audience, kind of pulling everyone in along the way, and I liked that.
All in all, the book is peopled with interesting, fleshed-out characters, a good sense of place (Austin, TX), a fun mash-up of elements, and a fantastically fun voice. And the healthy dose of supah-sexah doesn't hurt, either... Highly recommended for fans of Austen adaptations, fun contemporary romance, or those in need of a good funk-breaker book.
*For a good time, call Alyssa Goodnight. Or maybe call Cate-as-Cat? Definitely call Ethan; so say the ladyparts.
** Yes, I know . It adds a whole other layer of hilarious to read about the sassy exploits of a character who shares a name with someone you know... Though I'm sure Kat would approve of Cat's sass.
Um.
That sounds like something you'd find written on a bathroom wall.*
I don't mean that kind of good time. (Probably.) I mean, Austensibly Ordinary is super fun and engaging; the tone and voice were excellent, the main characters were lively, and Alyssa's writing was cheeky, flirty and hilarious. No matter the plot, no matter if the word "romance" makes you cringe, I think characters you connect with are what sell a book - people will put up with just about anything when the characters are lively and engaging, and Cate absolutely is. Exactly what you want when you're looking for a good-time book. And a romance that doesn't take itself too seriously is certainly something I look for, and it's rare that I find it, so that sorta makes me want to sing its praises.
And speaking of things rarely found in romances that makes me want to
One of the things that surprised me was that this has a tinge of magical realism to it, but not in the traditionally weighty way. There's no grandoise meaning; I also hesitate to call it paranormal, or anything like that, though those elements are there. But Goodnight uses a soft touch with these elements; they're a means to an end and a way to enhance the fantasy of the story, but they're not the focus, and so the story doesn't get bogged down in them. At its heart, this is just a good old fashioned romance, pulling in Jane Austen's Emma to great effect, but balancing it with a good dose of pop culture and - of all things - spy fic, and tying it together with a pretty magical realist bow. It's ridiculous how well it all works. (I mean, Jane Austen and Alfred Hitchcock? And it somehow makes sense together? Again, WHAT IS THIS WITCHERY?) All of this adds to the lighthearted, quirky tone of the story, but beyond that, it makes the book appeal to a broader audience, kind of pulling everyone in along the way, and I liked that.
All in all, the book is peopled with interesting, fleshed-out characters, a good sense of place (Austin, TX), a fun mash-up of elements, and a fantastically fun voice. And the healthy dose of supah-sexah doesn't hurt, either... Highly recommended for fans of Austen adaptations, fun contemporary romance, or those in need of a good funk-breaker book.
*For a good time, call Alyssa Goodnight. Or maybe call Cate-as-Cat? Definitely call Ethan; so say the ladyparts.
** Yes, I know . It adds a whole other layer of hilarious to read about the sassy exploits of a character who shares a name with someone you know... Though I'm sure Kat would approve of Cat's sass.
February 11, 2013
I don’t intend to give away the ending but I do want to comment on some things that happened in the book so feel free to stop reading after the next section in order to avoid any spoilers.
I honestly really wanted to like this book for a couple of reasons. I’m a big Jane Austen fan and have read other Austen inspired books so I was open to this one's concept. Also, I won this in a Goodreads giveaway so that made me happy and set me on the right mood. I’m sure other people will find it a cute read but unfortunately, I didn’t really like it much.
Basically, there was just way too much going on here: a love triangle, an alter ego, a CIA agent, a mystical journal, ghost hunting, matchmaking, and a little too much information on cougar love. Ick.
In all honestly, I could have stopped reading halfway through the book. (BIG SPOILER HERE.) I could not believe Cate would call another guy (I forget his name) after sleeping with Ethan. Who does that? She lost me in that moment. Speaking of the other guy, which I will call Frank since he is supposed to be the Frank Churchill of this story, I could not believe his (secret) fiancé would let him flirt (and date!) other women right in front of her. What was the point of that again? I must have glossed over it in my annoyance. Who does that? I know it’s based on the situation in Austen’s Emma but who would do that in real life?
And finally, are we really not supposed to know that the mysterious messages Austen sends Cate are about Ethan? I’m not sure. Speaking of Ethan, was there really a point in him keeping his CIA job a secret? Not sure about that either.
I know that one of the reviews on the cover of the book says “sexy” but there is really not much sex going on. It all happens behind closed doors (for those of you interested).
I ended up giving it two stars only because I’m sure other people might like it. It just wasn’t for me.
I honestly really wanted to like this book for a couple of reasons. I’m a big Jane Austen fan and have read other Austen inspired books so I was open to this one's concept. Also, I won this in a Goodreads giveaway so that made me happy and set me on the right mood. I’m sure other people will find it a cute read but unfortunately, I didn’t really like it much.
Basically, there was just way too much going on here: a love triangle, an alter ego, a CIA agent, a mystical journal, ghost hunting, matchmaking, and a little too much information on cougar love. Ick.
In all honestly, I could have stopped reading halfway through the book. (BIG SPOILER HERE.) I could not believe Cate would call another guy (I forget his name) after sleeping with Ethan. Who does that? She lost me in that moment. Speaking of the other guy, which I will call Frank since he is supposed to be the Frank Churchill of this story, I could not believe his (secret) fiancé would let him flirt (and date!) other women right in front of her. What was the point of that again? I must have glossed over it in my annoyance. Who does that? I know it’s based on the situation in Austen’s Emma but who would do that in real life?
And finally, are we really not supposed to know that the mysterious messages Austen sends Cate are about Ethan? I’m not sure. Speaking of Ethan, was there really a point in him keeping his CIA job a secret? Not sure about that either.
I know that one of the reviews on the cover of the book says “sexy” but there is really not much sex going on. It all happens behind closed doors (for those of you interested).
I ended up giving it two stars only because I’m sure other people might like it. It just wasn’t for me.
January 31, 2013
Austensibly Ordinary is the second book from author Alyssa Goodnight. It picks up the travels of a magical journal, once owned by Jane Austen herself. In this second book we meet Cate Kendall. Cate is as frustrating of a character as Emma ever was. I love her good intentions, but they are incredibly misguided. If I were to put my psychoanalytic hat on, I would say she is projecting her needs of love and a committed relationship onto every single person around her.
Cate decides to play matchmaker with her mother, all of her female friends and even her best friend Ethan. It was incredibly fun to puzzle out which character in this book matched with a character in Emma. Although that meant I knew what was going to happen to each character (in general)- it was completely enjoyable to rediscover the Emma story in a new way.
Ethan. Man. Alyssa Goodnight really knows how to write male characters that make the reader weak in the knees. He is handsome, dashing, and Cate is completely oblivious to him. I loved the passion that the two shared and honestly wanted to give Cate a beat down for hurting Ethan. The author gave a satisfying ending that left me with a warm and gushy feeling.
I have read both Austen books now from this author, and I have to say- I am hooked. I am pretty sure she could write a car manual and make it a fun, breathless read! Austensibly Ordinary is sweet, flirty, fun and I can't get enough of Cate and Ethan. I will be holding out for a TV show, a movie, SOMETHING! I also will be counting down the days until I can get another book from Alyssa Goodnight in my hands. She is a very very talented lady! (It takes alot to get this prude to gush like a middle schooler, after all.)
Cate decides to play matchmaker with her mother, all of her female friends and even her best friend Ethan. It was incredibly fun to puzzle out which character in this book matched with a character in Emma. Although that meant I knew what was going to happen to each character (in general)- it was completely enjoyable to rediscover the Emma story in a new way.
Ethan. Man. Alyssa Goodnight really knows how to write male characters that make the reader weak in the knees. He is handsome, dashing, and Cate is completely oblivious to him. I loved the passion that the two shared and honestly wanted to give Cate a beat down for hurting Ethan. The author gave a satisfying ending that left me with a warm and gushy feeling.
I have read both Austen books now from this author, and I have to say- I am hooked. I am pretty sure she could write a car manual and make it a fun, breathless read! Austensibly Ordinary is sweet, flirty, fun and I can't get enough of Cate and Ethan. I will be holding out for a TV show, a movie, SOMETHING! I also will be counting down the days until I can get another book from Alyssa Goodnight in my hands. She is a very very talented lady! (It takes alot to get this prude to gush like a middle schooler, after all.)
February 2, 2013
4+ stars
This book surprised me in more ways than one. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it at first... it doesn't easily fit into a single genre, and the storyline is very creative, mixing Jane Austen, ghosts, Emma, Clueless, Hitchcock, big secrets, secret identities, and 3-letter government acronyms all in one story! It isn't boring, that's for sure!
Cate is a likeable high school English teacher who lives in a converted garage in her mom's backyard. She's a huge Austen fan, and like many, pines for her own Darcy - a man's man who can sweep her off her feet into a lifelong romance. Problem is, as many of us have found out (either personally or from other books), Mr. Darcys aren't around every corner just waiting for us to stumble into them.
One of Cate's best friends is Ethan. They have a standing Sunday Scrabble night + dinner. She tells him about every guy and every date, and he always finds something wrong with all of them. Cate feels as if she's become too predictable. So when she gets an invite to her friend's Halloween party (sort of a themed culinary rave for yuppies), she decides to go. The theme is Hitchcock, and Cate decides to take on a persona - Cat Kennedy, modeled after Eve Kendall in North by Northwest. But Cate doesn't want to tell her mom, Ethan, or even Courtney, her other bestie. She wants to try it on first. Besides, neither of them is going to the same party.
BTW, this Pop-Up Culture party thing sounds fab! Wish there was something like it that I could go to - what fun!
Of course, we find ourselves in a new-fangled Emma/Clueless plot... with a twist. See, Cate stumbled across a mysterious journal at a favorite eatery - it was just hidden underneath the parking lot picnic table. Turns out, this journal belonged to Jane Austen! Right?
This is where the serious suspension of disbelief comes in... and it's where the book almost gets weird. Except it's still very entertaining. So go with it, like I did. See, when Cate decides to use it as her own journal and writes about her feelings and the party and Ethan, well... later the journal seems to erase all but a few word, leaving cryptic messages like "at times the answer is hidden in plain sight". Cate goes with it all, not asking too many questions; sure, she investigates a bit. But mostly, she decides that Jane Austen is speaking to her through the journal, dispensing advice. At first, Cate takes this to mean that she should become a matchmaker, like Emma. And she tries several matches, like her mom and a history teacher and Courtney and Ethan.
But somehow, the messages always seem to come back to Ethan. On a ghost-hunting trek with Courtney at a local hotel (don't ask), Cate seems to encounter Jane Austen's ghost! Yep, while asking questions and writing down the answers, Cate notices that once again, a cryptic message is left behind - one that points to Ethan.
During the course of this story, Cate also realizes that she doesn't know that much about Ethan. In the 2 years she's known him, she's never been to his house until now? Huh? And she's never noticed that he simply doesn't talk about himself? It's not until he tells her that he'll be away for an entire week and won't give an explanation that Cate gets curious. And tries to pin him down, still only getting cryptic answers. Yeah, I got a little tired of all the cryptic saying and answers, too. Poor Cate!
But... you have to keep reading to figure out the happy ending, even if you know Emma and Clueless, it'll surprise you.And it's clean - while there are "encounters", they're always alluded to without details. Not prudishly, but simply private. It's up to your imagination.
Fun, fluffy, fantasy, romance... with Jane Austen thrown in for good measure. What could possibly be back about that?
Apparently, there's a "first" book, Austentatious that tells about the previous journal's owner. And that gal's more like me - she approaches the journal more scientifically... I'm going to check it out.
This book surprised me in more ways than one. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it at first... it doesn't easily fit into a single genre, and the storyline is very creative, mixing Jane Austen, ghosts, Emma, Clueless, Hitchcock, big secrets, secret identities, and 3-letter government acronyms all in one story! It isn't boring, that's for sure!
Cate is a likeable high school English teacher who lives in a converted garage in her mom's backyard. She's a huge Austen fan, and like many, pines for her own Darcy - a man's man who can sweep her off her feet into a lifelong romance. Problem is, as many of us have found out (either personally or from other books), Mr. Darcys aren't around every corner just waiting for us to stumble into them.
One of Cate's best friends is Ethan. They have a standing Sunday Scrabble night + dinner. She tells him about every guy and every date, and he always finds something wrong with all of them. Cate feels as if she's become too predictable. So when she gets an invite to her friend's Halloween party (sort of a themed culinary rave for yuppies), she decides to go. The theme is Hitchcock, and Cate decides to take on a persona - Cat Kennedy, modeled after Eve Kendall in North by Northwest. But Cate doesn't want to tell her mom, Ethan, or even Courtney, her other bestie. She wants to try it on first. Besides, neither of them is going to the same party.
BTW, this Pop-Up Culture party thing sounds fab! Wish there was something like it that I could go to - what fun!
Of course, we find ourselves in a new-fangled Emma/Clueless plot... with a twist. See, Cate stumbled across a mysterious journal at a favorite eatery - it was just hidden underneath the parking lot picnic table. Turns out, this journal belonged to Jane Austen! Right?
This is where the serious suspension of disbelief comes in... and it's where the book almost gets weird. Except it's still very entertaining. So go with it, like I did. See, when Cate decides to use it as her own journal and writes about her feelings and the party and Ethan, well... later the journal seems to erase all but a few word, leaving cryptic messages like "at times the answer is hidden in plain sight". Cate goes with it all, not asking too many questions; sure, she investigates a bit. But mostly, she decides that Jane Austen is speaking to her through the journal, dispensing advice. At first, Cate takes this to mean that she should become a matchmaker, like Emma. And she tries several matches, like her mom and a history teacher and Courtney and Ethan.
But somehow, the messages always seem to come back to Ethan. On a ghost-hunting trek with Courtney at a local hotel (don't ask), Cate seems to encounter Jane Austen's ghost! Yep, while asking questions and writing down the answers, Cate notices that once again, a cryptic message is left behind - one that points to Ethan.
During the course of this story, Cate also realizes that she doesn't know that much about Ethan. In the 2 years she's known him, she's never been to his house until now? Huh? And she's never noticed that he simply doesn't talk about himself? It's not until he tells her that he'll be away for an entire week and won't give an explanation that Cate gets curious. And tries to pin him down, still only getting cryptic answers. Yeah, I got a little tired of all the cryptic saying and answers, too. Poor Cate!
But... you have to keep reading to figure out the happy ending, even if you know Emma and Clueless, it'll surprise you.And it's clean - while there are "encounters", they're always alluded to without details. Not prudishly, but simply private. It's up to your imagination.
Fun, fluffy, fantasy, romance... with Jane Austen thrown in for good measure. What could possibly be back about that?
Apparently, there's a "first" book, Austentatious that tells about the previous journal's owner. And that gal's more like me - she approaches the journal more scientifically... I'm going to check it out.
December 9, 2012
Yet again the universe rewards more for not writing an author off after one uninspiring experience. In preparation for reading this, I read Goodnight's first book to which this is a companion, Austentatious. While I did enjoy reading Austentatious, I really wasn't wowed by the book either, and had assorted issues therewith. Goodnight has improved so much, and Austensibly Ordinary turned out to be an utter delight from start to finish.
Since I read predominantly for character, a heroine can make a big difference. Though I didn't dislike Nicola, I didn't relate to her particularly either, though. Cate Kendall, though, I love. She's sassy, silly and completely ridiculous. Where Nicola spent much of the book endlessly considering the scientific possibilities of the journal, Cate takes things much more at face value. Plus, Cate's funny and a little bit crazy. Her character came through much more strongly. Not only that, but I got a much better feel for her family and friends as well, which gave the novel a broader impact.
Another wonderful change from Austentatious to Austensibly Ordinary is that I think the Austen references have been much more pertinently used than before. Austensibly Ordinary loosely retells Emma, using the matchmaking subplots to full comedic effect. While this does make the story more predictable, I have no problem with that whatsoever, since shock value is not what readers go to Austen retellings for. Mostly, we go for clever allusions to Austen, which I found in spades here.
The common thread weaved through these two books is a magical journal, a bit of magical realism, supposedly possessed by the spirit of Jane Austen. When a person writes an entry in the journal, "Jane" erases all but a few words, leaving a pithy, vague, fortune-cookie-fortune sort of message for the reader. These pieces of advice nudge the heroine in the right direction eventually, but they're so vague that the heroine generally takes some major detours along the way, much like Jaye does in episodes of Wonderfalls. While Cate does use and very much enjoy the journal, she does not obsess over it the same way that Nicola did. Taking a step back and leaving the journal as a fun little aside from time to time was the right choice in my opinion.
Like Emma, Cate makes some really stupid romantic decisions along the way, perhaps even dumber ones. However, you're so much in Cate's head that, even though you want to shake her, you can understand why she had to see a particular situation through. Basically, she's confused and a lot of things change that she was in no way prepared to handle. Also, I did not mind her action as much because she did act, coming up with plans to make her way through confusion, rather than whining about her inability to decide. I like my heroines proactive.
The romance here really worked for me. Cate's Mr. Knightley is nerdy deliciousness. I mean, seriously, sign me up for one of those. *waits* There relationship has a firm foundation and is one that I can really imagine lasting, rather than some sort of instalove disaster doomed to imminent failure. Also, these two have mad crazy sexual tension that comes out of nowhere and I love that. The scene when they first get together consists of much swoon. Though a departure from Austen's format, I liked that the novel didn't end immediately after the couple managed to find their way to one another.
If you liked Austentatious, you're sure to love Austensibly Ordinary. If you didn't or were on the fence, I still think it might be worth your while to give Goodnight another chance. I deem Austensibly Ordinary to be a delightful romance, with Austen-y goodness and a bit of fantastical silliness.
Since I read predominantly for character, a heroine can make a big difference. Though I didn't dislike Nicola, I didn't relate to her particularly either, though. Cate Kendall, though, I love. She's sassy, silly and completely ridiculous. Where Nicola spent much of the book endlessly considering the scientific possibilities of the journal, Cate takes things much more at face value. Plus, Cate's funny and a little bit crazy. Her character came through much more strongly. Not only that, but I got a much better feel for her family and friends as well, which gave the novel a broader impact.
Another wonderful change from Austentatious to Austensibly Ordinary is that I think the Austen references have been much more pertinently used than before. Austensibly Ordinary loosely retells Emma, using the matchmaking subplots to full comedic effect. While this does make the story more predictable, I have no problem with that whatsoever, since shock value is not what readers go to Austen retellings for. Mostly, we go for clever allusions to Austen, which I found in spades here.
The common thread weaved through these two books is a magical journal, a bit of magical realism, supposedly possessed by the spirit of Jane Austen. When a person writes an entry in the journal, "Jane" erases all but a few words, leaving a pithy, vague, fortune-cookie-fortune sort of message for the reader. These pieces of advice nudge the heroine in the right direction eventually, but they're so vague that the heroine generally takes some major detours along the way, much like Jaye does in episodes of Wonderfalls. While Cate does use and very much enjoy the journal, she does not obsess over it the same way that Nicola did. Taking a step back and leaving the journal as a fun little aside from time to time was the right choice in my opinion.
Like Emma, Cate makes some really stupid romantic decisions along the way, perhaps even dumber ones. However, you're so much in Cate's head that, even though you want to shake her, you can understand why she had to see a particular situation through. Basically, she's confused and a lot of things change that she was in no way prepared to handle. Also, I did not mind her action as much because she did act, coming up with plans to make her way through confusion, rather than whining about her inability to decide. I like my heroines proactive.
The romance here really worked for me. Cate's Mr. Knightley is nerdy deliciousness. I mean, seriously, sign me up for one of those. *waits* There relationship has a firm foundation and is one that I can really imagine lasting, rather than some sort of instalove disaster doomed to imminent failure. Also, these two have mad crazy sexual tension that comes out of nowhere and I love that. The scene when they first get together consists of much swoon. Though a departure from Austen's format, I liked that the novel didn't end immediately after the couple managed to find their way to one another.
If you liked Austentatious, you're sure to love Austensibly Ordinary. If you didn't or were on the fence, I still think it might be worth your while to give Goodnight another chance. I deem Austensibly Ordinary to be a delightful romance, with Austen-y goodness and a bit of fantastical silliness.
January 31, 2013
Allow me to first start off by saying that as a high school English teacher, this book did wonders for me. First off our main character, Cate Kendall, is a high school English teacher. Secondly, this book is an allusion to one of the greatest authors of all-time, Miss Jane Austen herself. This is a book full of magical realism as our main character finds a magical journal that changes her life entirely. This journal is supposedly possessed the spirit or soul of Jane Austen. Jane reads the entries that people write in the journal and erases most of the message while leaving a tiny snippet that forms a small type of inspirational message. This was an interesting concept for me and I loved, loved, loved the thought of communicating with Jane from the other side!
Cate Kendall was an excellent and inspiring heroine. She was sassy, confused, clumsy, and quirky. I loved her from the very first page. Not to mention we share the same profession. I also loved her relationship with her co-worker, Ethan Chavez. They shared weekly scrabble/pizza and beer nights in which I really got to see the inside of their relationship and watched a completely new Cate reveal herself. When Cate was around Ethan I felt as if we were back in high school and watching some brand new crush between two young, naïve high schoolers. Ethan was just as charming as Cate, and was definitely a catch. I loved their little flirtatious moments and secretly prayed that something would transpire between them. Now whether it does or not, I will not tell you.
Fans of Jane Austen will love this book and I highly recommend giving it a try. Cate is, of course, modeled after a beautiful and intriguing Austen heroine: Emma. Like Emma, I questioned Cate a lot and enjoyed watching her come into her own and really discover her inner beauty and stop sweating the small stuff. It is always inspiring to me to read heroines that are grown, functioning adults, but feel like they are young adolescent teenage girls. Cate was not afraid to make mistakes and usually did not realize she was making them until after the fact. There were several allusions to Jane Austen and her famous published works which I loved. It was not overdone and Goodnight puts just the right twist on Austen’s thought-provoking romances.
***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review***
Cate Kendall was an excellent and inspiring heroine. She was sassy, confused, clumsy, and quirky. I loved her from the very first page. Not to mention we share the same profession. I also loved her relationship with her co-worker, Ethan Chavez. They shared weekly scrabble/pizza and beer nights in which I really got to see the inside of their relationship and watched a completely new Cate reveal herself. When Cate was around Ethan I felt as if we were back in high school and watching some brand new crush between two young, naïve high schoolers. Ethan was just as charming as Cate, and was definitely a catch. I loved their little flirtatious moments and secretly prayed that something would transpire between them. Now whether it does or not, I will not tell you.
Fans of Jane Austen will love this book and I highly recommend giving it a try. Cate is, of course, modeled after a beautiful and intriguing Austen heroine: Emma. Like Emma, I questioned Cate a lot and enjoyed watching her come into her own and really discover her inner beauty and stop sweating the small stuff. It is always inspiring to me to read heroines that are grown, functioning adults, but feel like they are young adolescent teenage girls. Cate was not afraid to make mistakes and usually did not realize she was making them until after the fact. There were several allusions to Jane Austen and her famous published works which I loved. It was not overdone and Goodnight puts just the right twist on Austen’s thought-provoking romances.
***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review***
April 29, 2013
Loved, LOVED this book! A HUGE Texas-sized five stars from me. This is the second book by the author in her Jane Austen series that is set in my town, Austin. While I really liked the first book, this was a 1000x better than that one. This is a stay-up-until-3am- even-when-your-son-has-a-8:30am-Saturday-soccer-game kind of book, and I loved how wonderfully romantic and beautiful she made Austin and Austen. :) They even go to Torchy's Tacos! And a wedding on the rooftop of Whole Foods! And hunt ghosts at the Driskill! Adding to that, the author has taken a modernized 'Emma,' thrown it into a blender with a couple of great Hitchcock films, and combined it with a mysterious journal once belonging to Jane Austen who offers advice to its new owner, along with a few ghosts inhabiting the Driskill (including Jane herself) and given us a great romance and a great novel. Despite the fact that the lead character commits a fairly egregious sin half-way through the novel, I still somehow forgave her for doing it, even if it was badly done, Cate. Badly done, indeed. Ethan and Cate were amazing, and the book was such a fantastic mesh of my interests that I can't help but wonder if the author is a pen name for some of my friends.I love how she combines Austen and Austin, and throws in a great mystery and romance. And scrabble. :)
July 17, 2013
Couldn't get past the first 100 pages. It was so painfully obvious where this story was going to go, and there wasn't enough character development in those first few pages to get me interested in *how* that particular ending would work out. Main character (Cate, took me a minute to remember that) was dull, obtuse, and one-dimensional. I suppose maybe I could be interested in how she finds the man of her dreams, simply because if *she* can find love, then surely there's hope for me too. But no, I just don't care about her at all.
January 17, 2014
I couldn't finish this book. I made to page 60, but never cared at all for the main character. I couldn't get past the writing either. The prose was very juvenile and it felt like the book was written by a 15 year old. Cate, the protagonist, is an 20-something high school English teacher with a love for 19th century British literature. I'd somehow expect her to be able to come up with better descriptors than "totally awesome!"
February 4, 2013
4.5 First I should confess that I love Jane Austen and I actually read this on the eve of Pride and Prejudices two hundred year anniversary. It just amazes me that it’s been around and loved by so many for so long. Alyssa Goodnight’s Austensibly Ordinary was an absolutely delightful modern day romance with an Austen twist that had me giggling aloud and falling in love with the characters.
The tale takes place in Austin, Texas where we meet the delightful, funny English school teacher Cate Kendall. She teaches about her beloved author Jane Austen and is very much a fangirl. Like all of us she dreams of meeting her Mr. Darcy. Her life is anything but adventurous and in fact the highlight of her week is playing scrabble with the deliciously handsome Ethan; her best friend and a fellow teacher. They share witty banter and tease about friends with benefits but it never really goes any farther until Cate finds a mysterious journal and decides to create an alter ego in search of the adventure she seeks. The tale that unfolds is hilarious, romantic and heartwarming.
I adored Cate and found her attempts with her alter ego hilarious. She adores Austen and daydreams about the type of romances the characters in her book experiences. I loved watching her discover things, get into mischief and trying to uncover clues. Ethan is smexy, can speak French and keeps a lot of secrets which makes him oh-so-mysterious. The banter between them had me squealing with delight and I love the path the author chose for them. Cate’s Mom was an absolute hoot and I so enjoyed this crazy woman. Cate’s friend the ghost-hunter made me giggle as did Cate’s wild and crazy sister. All of the characters had depth, were well rounded and I enjoyed them all.
Goodnight weaved a delightful tale with just a touch of paranormal magic that I adored. The journal and its impact on this tale, its secrets and messages had me flipping the pages at a dizzying pace. All of the references to Austen and her characters thrilled me, and made me realize all over again why I am a fangirl. The romance was complicated, sweet and felt very genuine. There was no insta-love; there was a little competition but no triangle. *thank you* As soon as I finished I looked for more books by Goodnight about the journal and was delighted to find; Austentatious the first book regarding the journey also set in Austen. I so hope she writes more. Since I had no idea this was not a standalone you will have no difficulty reading them out of order.
I want to thank Kensington Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
The tale takes place in Austin, Texas where we meet the delightful, funny English school teacher Cate Kendall. She teaches about her beloved author Jane Austen and is very much a fangirl. Like all of us she dreams of meeting her Mr. Darcy. Her life is anything but adventurous and in fact the highlight of her week is playing scrabble with the deliciously handsome Ethan; her best friend and a fellow teacher. They share witty banter and tease about friends with benefits but it never really goes any farther until Cate finds a mysterious journal and decides to create an alter ego in search of the adventure she seeks. The tale that unfolds is hilarious, romantic and heartwarming.
I adored Cate and found her attempts with her alter ego hilarious. She adores Austen and daydreams about the type of romances the characters in her book experiences. I loved watching her discover things, get into mischief and trying to uncover clues. Ethan is smexy, can speak French and keeps a lot of secrets which makes him oh-so-mysterious. The banter between them had me squealing with delight and I love the path the author chose for them. Cate’s Mom was an absolute hoot and I so enjoyed this crazy woman. Cate’s friend the ghost-hunter made me giggle as did Cate’s wild and crazy sister. All of the characters had depth, were well rounded and I enjoyed them all.
Goodnight weaved a delightful tale with just a touch of paranormal magic that I adored. The journal and its impact on this tale, its secrets and messages had me flipping the pages at a dizzying pace. All of the references to Austen and her characters thrilled me, and made me realize all over again why I am a fangirl. The romance was complicated, sweet and felt very genuine. There was no insta-love; there was a little competition but no triangle. *thank you* As soon as I finished I looked for more books by Goodnight about the journal and was delighted to find; Austentatious the first book regarding the journey also set in Austen. I so hope she writes more. Since I had no idea this was not a standalone you will have no difficulty reading them out of order.
I want to thank Kensington Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Read
November 3, 2017Alyssa Goodnight’s latest novel, Austensibly Ordinary, is a sort of sequel to Austentatious, but it can be read on its own since it follows a different set of characters. As in Austentatious, the novel centers on a magical journal through which Jane Austen dispenses advice, rearranging the words poured out by the journal’s current owner into vague one-liners.
This time, the heroine is Cate Kendall, a high school English teacher who invents a sexy siren alter ego, Cat Kennedy, to add some excitement to her life. Much of her life revolves around teaching Jane Austen novels and playing Scrabble every Sunday night with her best friend and fellow teacher, Ethan. After finding the old journal in a picnic table, Cate’s life is suddenly chaotic as she tries to navigate two personas and have some fun with Jake, whom she met at a Halloween party while acting like Cat and thinks might be her Mr. Darcy.
Meanwhile, all the classroom talk about Jane Austen’s Emma has Cate believing that the Gypsy Jane of the journal is encouraging her to play matchmaker, a sort of modern-day Emma Woodhouse. She starts thinking of potential matches for all the single people in her life…but what about Ethan? He knows all of her secrets, but he won’t tell her any of his. When Gypsy Jane’s advice starts hitting too close to home, Cate’s more confused than ever. How does a girl choose between a Darcy and a Knightley?
Austensibly Ordinary is sexy and fun and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon immersed in a contemporary romance with Austen’s fingerprints all over it. I really hope Goodnight revisits the journal in another novel because I can’t get enough of Fairy Jane, Gypsy Jane, whatever kind of Jane! Her heroines are believable, best-friend material, and her heroes are just as charming and irresistible as Austen’s. I really enjoyed the first book, but I loved the characters in this one even more — and the Emma references made it hard to put down.
Goodnight’s books are perfect for Austen fans, especially those willing to believe that a wise yet playful matchmaker Jane Austen is out there somewhere working her magic. And today being the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice makes it the perfect day to celebrate a beloved author who continues to delight readers with her insight into human relationships. Austensibly Ordinary proves that Austen’s stories are timeless, with relevance even in a society much changed from Austen’s time.
Review posted on Diary of an Eccentric
I received a free copy of this book for review.
This time, the heroine is Cate Kendall, a high school English teacher who invents a sexy siren alter ego, Cat Kennedy, to add some excitement to her life. Much of her life revolves around teaching Jane Austen novels and playing Scrabble every Sunday night with her best friend and fellow teacher, Ethan. After finding the old journal in a picnic table, Cate’s life is suddenly chaotic as she tries to navigate two personas and have some fun with Jake, whom she met at a Halloween party while acting like Cat and thinks might be her Mr. Darcy.
Meanwhile, all the classroom talk about Jane Austen’s Emma has Cate believing that the Gypsy Jane of the journal is encouraging her to play matchmaker, a sort of modern-day Emma Woodhouse. She starts thinking of potential matches for all the single people in her life…but what about Ethan? He knows all of her secrets, but he won’t tell her any of his. When Gypsy Jane’s advice starts hitting too close to home, Cate’s more confused than ever. How does a girl choose between a Darcy and a Knightley?
Austensibly Ordinary is sexy and fun and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon immersed in a contemporary romance with Austen’s fingerprints all over it. I really hope Goodnight revisits the journal in another novel because I can’t get enough of Fairy Jane, Gypsy Jane, whatever kind of Jane! Her heroines are believable, best-friend material, and her heroes are just as charming and irresistible as Austen’s. I really enjoyed the first book, but I loved the characters in this one even more — and the Emma references made it hard to put down.
Goodnight’s books are perfect for Austen fans, especially those willing to believe that a wise yet playful matchmaker Jane Austen is out there somewhere working her magic. And today being the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice makes it the perfect day to celebrate a beloved author who continues to delight readers with her insight into human relationships. Austensibly Ordinary proves that Austen’s stories are timeless, with relevance even in a society much changed from Austen’s time.
Review posted on Diary of an Eccentric
I received a free copy of this book for review.
March 4, 2013
I read the first book Austentatious, when it first came out and I fell in love with the magical love story and that mysterious journal from none other than Miss Jane Austen herself. I thought it was such a cool idea to have Jane Austen giving advice through a journal, so I jumped all over this book when I got the opportunity to read it. And guess what? I think I liked it even more than the first one, if that is even possible! This book seemed a bit spunkier and I really liked the dynamic between the two main characters.
Cate, and her alter ego Kat, are so spunky and fun. I loved her banter and witticisms. Plus Ethan knows how to push all of her buttons and that is just so much fun to sit back and watch. I really got a kick out of seeing the two of them interact with each other. Cate and Ethan are both teachers and they are also good friends and scrabble buddies. I thought it was hilarious how Cate’s mom kept popping up. She was quite the character. (You will see what I mean when you read the book)
As soon as Cate found the journal and got her first response, my excitement about the book doubled because I remembered how much I loved Journal Jane’s responses. And Cate totally took them to heart and she started to step outside of her shell. It was more like a giant leap out of her shell, actually. She became a total bombshell over night. And oh man, the first time Ethan saw her as Kat, was priceless. I loved his reaction.
Austensibly Ordinary has plenty of little surprises up its sleeve for the readers. We find out some secrets about a few characters that certainly caught me off guard. There may even be some ghosts creeping around in the book. I love Alyssa Goodnight’s writing style. She creates books that never fail to grab my interest. I love the way magic is woven in through the journal, but the rest of the book is contemporary. Its real life with a dash of magic. Which I think makes everything more interesting. Let’s put it this way, If I could I would be hopping a plane to Austin, TX right now to track down this journal. I could use a little Jane Austen wisdom in my love life!
4.5/5
February 12, 2013
Cate Kendall, a high school English teacher living amongst the weird in Austin, Texas is desperately searching for some excitement in her life... Between teaching, playing Scrabble with her colleague/close friend, Ethan Chavez, and living in the garage apartment of her mom's house, Cate feels her life seriously needs to be rewritten. Cate pines for some adventure, some mystery...for some thrilling subplots to enter her life. When a “magical” journal, a new man, and a new persona infiltrate her life during the very same week, you might say that Cate got exactly what she wished for...
“I was starting to have a bit of trouble trying to keep track of all the little subplots in my own life. It was almost as if I was in the middle of an Austen novel, and while exhausting, it truly couldn't have been more thrilling.” - page 89 Austensibly Ordinary
With a magical journal that dispenses cryptic messages and a glamorously sexy vintage wardrobe at her disposal (which I am seriously jealous about), Cate is ready don her new alter ego/secret agent persona named Cat Kennedy – a Hitchcock blond/spy out on a mission to find a possible Mr. Darcy and uncover the unknown secrets of her best friend, Ethan Chavez. When her magical journal starts dispensing cryptic messages in the form of romantic advice, Cate makes the assumption that these valuable nuggets of wisdom aren't for her (of course they aren't, Cate...) She believes that the romantic advice is for her friends and family, and that it is her mission to play matchmaker with them!
To continue reading, go to: http://janeaustenreviews.blogspot.com...
“I was starting to have a bit of trouble trying to keep track of all the little subplots in my own life. It was almost as if I was in the middle of an Austen novel, and while exhausting, it truly couldn't have been more thrilling.” - page 89 Austensibly Ordinary
With a magical journal that dispenses cryptic messages and a glamorously sexy vintage wardrobe at her disposal (which I am seriously jealous about), Cate is ready don her new alter ego/secret agent persona named Cat Kennedy – a Hitchcock blond/spy out on a mission to find a possible Mr. Darcy and uncover the unknown secrets of her best friend, Ethan Chavez. When her magical journal starts dispensing cryptic messages in the form of romantic advice, Cate makes the assumption that these valuable nuggets of wisdom aren't for her (of course they aren't, Cate...) She believes that the romantic advice is for her friends and family, and that it is her mission to play matchmaker with them!
To continue reading, go to: http://janeaustenreviews.blogspot.com...
February 3, 2013
Set in Texas in a city that is filled with a magic unlike any other city, it’s Austin. This amazing story starts out with our heroine, Cate Kendall, an English teacher who loves anything and everything by Jane Austen and our hero, Ethan Chavez, a computer geek with secrets, playing scrabble. After two years of playing this game every Sunday with her best friend Ethan, she decides she needs excitement in her ordinary life. Cate plots and schemes to create an alter ego or a secret life and no one, particularly her Mother and Ethan are to find out about this.
While enjoying a friendly meal at the local taco trailer park with Ethan, Cate bumps, the picnic table, and a mysterious journal is found.
Inside the journal, it says, “…I dedicate to You the following Miscellaneous Morse, convinced that if you seriously attend to them, You will derive from them very important Instructions, with regard to your Conduct in Life.” This is the catalyst that changes Cate’s life. Cate decides to use this journal for her alter ego perception.
She writes in this journal and the next day everything is gone but a few words. Our heroine uses these gleaners, and abruptly her ordinary life is no more.
The adventures of Cate throughout this book were a delight to read. She tries her hand at match making, deals with her Mother turning into a cougar and her young boyfriend, ghost hunting at the hotel Driskill, and Ethan with benefits. Then there’s her butinsky sister who helps her in a time of distress.
I absolutely enjoyed the influence of Jane Austen in the story. I found the story engaging and the conversations between the characters stimulating. Well done, Ms. Goodnight!
While enjoying a friendly meal at the local taco trailer park with Ethan, Cate bumps, the picnic table, and a mysterious journal is found.
Inside the journal, it says, “…I dedicate to You the following Miscellaneous Morse, convinced that if you seriously attend to them, You will derive from them very important Instructions, with regard to your Conduct in Life.” This is the catalyst that changes Cate’s life. Cate decides to use this journal for her alter ego perception.
She writes in this journal and the next day everything is gone but a few words. Our heroine uses these gleaners, and abruptly her ordinary life is no more.
The adventures of Cate throughout this book were a delight to read. She tries her hand at match making, deals with her Mother turning into a cougar and her young boyfriend, ghost hunting at the hotel Driskill, and Ethan with benefits. Then there’s her butinsky sister who helps her in a time of distress.
I absolutely enjoyed the influence of Jane Austen in the story. I found the story engaging and the conversations between the characters stimulating. Well done, Ms. Goodnight!
April 17, 2013
Maybe I should create a category for "Skimmed." I thought I would love this book - the Austen references, romance, high school teacher. I was even willing to suspend belief with the magical journal that left messages. But I was not a fan of the obsession with creating the Hitchcock girl alter ego. It was just...wierd. (And I assume this girl is in her 20s. Are people in their 20s really obsessed with Hitchcock? Do they know who Hitchcock is?) Then there was the ghost hunting, the cougar mom, secret CIA spies, cheating father of one of her students. It was all too much. I started skimming because I knew from the very first chapter who she would end up with and was just curious to see how that relationship panned out.
But I think the hardest part for me was how frustrated I was with the main character. Not only the whole alter ego thing, but the fact that she thought the messages from the magic journal were meant for her to start matchmaking others, not meant for her. Please. I just wanted to slap her and tell her to join reality. She doesn't deserve who she ended up with.
But I think the hardest part for me was how frustrated I was with the main character. Not only the whole alter ego thing, but the fact that she thought the messages from the magic journal were meant for her to start matchmaking others, not meant for her. Please. I just wanted to slap her and tell her to join reality. She doesn't deserve who she ended up with.
May 7, 2013
Gah ... Maybe 2.5 stars, I don't think I can bump this up to 3 even though I managed to read it all.
I knew going in that this is just one more derivative Jane Austen novel, but there have been a few good ones amidst all the dross. Sadly, this is not. The plot is messy (as in, is there a plot?), at one point Cate (fem protagonist) spills the beans that she's going to a Hitchcock-themed party to Ethan (male protagonist), then refuses to tell him where she's going only a couple of pages later. EDITOR!!!! And you know, 'cause going to a theme party on Hallowe'en is *so* daring. *facepalm*
I don't particularly care for either protagonist, the book is based on Emma, which is my least favourite novel (only successful adaptation in my mind has been Clueless), Cate is a particularly stupid and childish protagonist (which is somewhat fitting for the whole Emma basis, but even Austen can't make me enjoy that novel) and is generally a sloppy mess of storytelling. Definitely do not need to go back and read the first of these books.
I knew going in that this is just one more derivative Jane Austen novel, but there have been a few good ones amidst all the dross. Sadly, this is not. The plot is messy (as in, is there a plot?), at one point Cate (fem protagonist) spills the beans that she's going to a Hitchcock-themed party to Ethan (male protagonist), then refuses to tell him where she's going only a couple of pages later. EDITOR!!!! And you know, 'cause going to a theme party on Hallowe'en is *so* daring. *facepalm*
I don't particularly care for either protagonist, the book is based on Emma, which is my least favourite novel (only successful adaptation in my mind has been Clueless), Cate is a particularly stupid and childish protagonist (which is somewhat fitting for the whole Emma basis, but even Austen can't make me enjoy that novel) and is generally a sloppy mess of storytelling. Definitely do not need to go back and read the first of these books.
March 9, 2013
I just loved this book. It is a refreshing departure from the typical girl-gets-trapped-in-Jane-Austen's-England. It makes me want to read Emma all over again... in fact, I think I will. A few days later... and I just read Emma and then re-read this one. actually enjoyed it even more with Emma fresh in my mind. I hope she writes one based on Sense and Sensibility.... P&P is done to death. I think I'll read S&S again soon.
May 22, 2013
I'm kind of embarrassed to admit it, but...I liked it. I'm a sucker for the fall-in-love-with-your-best-friend romances, even though the whole magic journal/ghost thing was kinda...hokey. And even with the fade-to-grey on the intimate scenes, there was a little more leading up to it than I like to read in that regard...I do prefer my light hearted romances squeaky clean. But it was kinda fun. And different for Austen fan fiction.
July 23, 2014
2.5 stars. I wouldn't read it again so that's why I didn't go for 3 stars. This book was okay but I have to agree the main problem is the lead character. She's kind of all over the place and her theories at the beginning of the book are sort of crazy. I much preferred Austentatious
November 9, 2012
Who wouldn't want to find their Mr. Darcy! And who hasn't thought about what it would be like to have an ultra sexy alter ego. I really enjoyed this book.
I received a copy of this book from GoodReads FirstReads and Goodnight. Thank you.
I received a copy of this book from GoodReads FirstReads and Goodnight. Thank you.
November 17, 2012
This book definitely sums up the wishes of young/old women everywhere--to find their own Mr. Darcy. I absolutely loved it. It had the perfect combination of cheese and awesomeness. I would definitely suggest every lady read it.
September 4, 2013
I really wanted to like this. The premise was cute and should've been engaging, but the characters were two-dimensional at best. I found it very difficult to connect with Cate/Cat as she seemed very juvenile and oblivious in an irritating way. The plot got lost in the details a lot of the time.
December 5, 2012
I too am a Austen fan and a family member recommended this book to me. I am glad she did. I really enjoyed it.
April 9, 2013
The ghost of Jane Austen writes relationship advice in a magic journal. Really. Can reading a book make you stupider? I can't believe I read the whole thing.
May 4, 2013
I wanted to like this book, but Cate was unlikeable, and it was a bit of a slog to get through.
January 27, 2014
Cute but ultimately unmemorable. No great plot excitement, aside from the rather silly premise.
April 12, 2013
4.5 out of 5 stars
Article originally posted on Mina's Bookshelf http://minadecaro.blogspot.com/2013/0...
Several media events have been planned this year to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's masterpiece and literary darling Pride And Prejudice, from a set of commemorative stamps featuring her published work to several festivals and European tours of her hometown and film locations. Be it an accurate screen adaptation or a literary parody, scholars, screenwriters and novelists keep paying homage to this legendary forerunner of the romance genre: the British queen of the 'happily-ever-after' and unrivaled master of fictional match-making passes down her legacy and inspires modern takes of her most popular trope: the perils of misconceived romance.
In the second installment of the Jane Austen's Diary series, romance author Alyssa Goodnight guides her young heroine in her quest for Mr. Right, with the help of a journal that can magically channel Jane Austen's spirit and dispense troubled lovers with little relationship advises. The charming but mischievous Wickham, or the brooding and honest Mr. Darcy (Pride And Prejudice)? The handsome but shallow Churchill, or the solid and reliable Mr. Knightley (Emma)? The dilemma is always the same, even for a modern day high-school English teacher, whose obsession with British literature fictional characters impairs her judgement in matter of men and makes her blind to true love, "until [she catches] a flash of the man behind the charm and he's not quite the gem [she] imagined."
Bookish and "Darcy-obsessed" Cate Kendall leads a very tame and uneventful life: the highlights of her weeks are the Scrabble Sundays she has been spending, for the past two years, playing word games with her geeky friend and collegue, Ethan. Although a charismatic and "debatably sexy" guy, Foreign Languages teacher Ethan Chavez lacks the 'Darcy factor'. He is rather a 'Mr. Knightley', a clean-cut and clever friend, their relationship is too much of a camaraderie to evolve into a romantic connection. How easily one person's misconception about another can beguile a young and unexperienced heart...Ethan will prove to be 'hero material' more than Cate ever fathomed. He has more secrets up his sleeves and more charm under his computer geek looks than she ever imagined.
Not a conventional romance novel, Austensibly Ordinary features a twist of magic realism, comedic overtones, and a flourish of literary references that Austen's fans may easily appreciate. I breezed my way through snappy dialogues, saucy plot, and lively pace of this 1st person POV narration: told by the perspective of our sassy heroine, Goodnight's novel is a tantalizing friends-to-lovers tale, intriguing to the point of making me crave more of Cate and Ethan's interactions. Minor subplots and secondary characters playing as foils in a comedy of manners, in fact, steal part of our lead couple's thunder. It would be nice to revisit Cate and Ethan's characters in the next installment of the series. All in all, a perfectly enjoyable, light-hearted, 'austensibly ordinary', modern love story.
Article originally posted on Mina's Bookshelf http://minadecaro.blogspot.com/2013/0...
Several media events have been planned this year to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's masterpiece and literary darling Pride And Prejudice, from a set of commemorative stamps featuring her published work to several festivals and European tours of her hometown and film locations. Be it an accurate screen adaptation or a literary parody, scholars, screenwriters and novelists keep paying homage to this legendary forerunner of the romance genre: the British queen of the 'happily-ever-after' and unrivaled master of fictional match-making passes down her legacy and inspires modern takes of her most popular trope: the perils of misconceived romance.
In the second installment of the Jane Austen's Diary series, romance author Alyssa Goodnight guides her young heroine in her quest for Mr. Right, with the help of a journal that can magically channel Jane Austen's spirit and dispense troubled lovers with little relationship advises. The charming but mischievous Wickham, or the brooding and honest Mr. Darcy (Pride And Prejudice)? The handsome but shallow Churchill, or the solid and reliable Mr. Knightley (Emma)? The dilemma is always the same, even for a modern day high-school English teacher, whose obsession with British literature fictional characters impairs her judgement in matter of men and makes her blind to true love, "until [she catches] a flash of the man behind the charm and he's not quite the gem [she] imagined."
Bookish and "Darcy-obsessed" Cate Kendall leads a very tame and uneventful life: the highlights of her weeks are the Scrabble Sundays she has been spending, for the past two years, playing word games with her geeky friend and collegue, Ethan. Although a charismatic and "debatably sexy" guy, Foreign Languages teacher Ethan Chavez lacks the 'Darcy factor'. He is rather a 'Mr. Knightley', a clean-cut and clever friend, their relationship is too much of a camaraderie to evolve into a romantic connection. How easily one person's misconception about another can beguile a young and unexperienced heart...Ethan will prove to be 'hero material' more than Cate ever fathomed. He has more secrets up his sleeves and more charm under his computer geek looks than she ever imagined.
Not a conventional romance novel, Austensibly Ordinary features a twist of magic realism, comedic overtones, and a flourish of literary references that Austen's fans may easily appreciate. I breezed my way through snappy dialogues, saucy plot, and lively pace of this 1st person POV narration: told by the perspective of our sassy heroine, Goodnight's novel is a tantalizing friends-to-lovers tale, intriguing to the point of making me crave more of Cate and Ethan's interactions. Minor subplots and secondary characters playing as foils in a comedy of manners, in fact, steal part of our lead couple's thunder. It would be nice to revisit Cate and Ethan's characters in the next installment of the series. All in all, a perfectly enjoyable, light-hearted, 'austensibly ordinary', modern love story.
January 29, 2013
Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading Blog
In Austensibly Ordinary, Alyssa Goodnight gives another young Austin lady a chance to find love with a little help from a magical journal that produces advice from Jane Austen herself. (The first is Austentacious.) This time, we have a Cate — a gal in her mid- to late-twenties who would rather throw back a beer and play Scrabble with her best friend/colleague, Ethan, than take part in the Austin nightlife.
Cate is also a total romantic and lover of all things Jane Austen. She believes in the ultimate of happily ever afters and dreams of the perfect guy. You know the type that probably doesn’t exist? Yep, that one. But on one particular Sunday night, she decides it’s time to make things happen in her life and embrace her wild side. She was going to say yes to every opportunity! She was going to look sexy! She was going to turn on the charm with the males!
Say hello to Cat Kennedy, Cate’s secret identity. That only makes one appearance really. But for Cate, that’s one appearance enough to make her feel like she’s fully tapped into all that is sassy and saucy about Cat. I, on the other hand, did not feel the same way. In fact this was the beginning of short-lived subplots that seemed to crash and burn in Austensibly Ordinary. And not because they weren’t interesting or intriguing. But there were just too many crammed into one book.
Add in the mysterious journal that Cate finds at a taco place, the ghost hunts, the matchmaking, and it’s all a little too much. (Although if I was chatting daily with a historic author I may have lost my head a little bit too?) Sluggish pacing due to dense passages and lack of dialogue made this a slower paced read and things didn’t start to pick up until halfway through the book when Ethan and Cate’s chemistry seemed to fire up.
And when I say fire, I mean like lots and lots of flames. Because Ethan was a catch. Despite the fact that he was pretty secretive about his life, he was funny, smart, sweet, and had some major biceps. I couldn’t read fast enough just to see what would happen between these two because the tension was unbelievable. In fact, I was silent yelling: CATE! PAY ATTENTION! SCRABBLE IS MORE FUN WHEN YOU ARE MAKING OUT WITH ETHAN.
Whew. See? I got caught up in the moment.
Truthfully, it’s been awhile since I had a little Jane Austen in my life and Cate’s great affection for the writer convinced me I need to pick up one of her works really soon. (I have a pretty copy of Emma burning a hole in my bookcase right now.) Even more wonderful was the utter love expressed for Austin. The author obviously has much affection for the city, and I loved how she worked one particular landmark into the ending — it was perfection.
So while Austensibly Ordinary was not the smoothest ride for me, I could see how Austen + Austin fans alike could get a kick out of it.
In Austensibly Ordinary, Alyssa Goodnight gives another young Austin lady a chance to find love with a little help from a magical journal that produces advice from Jane Austen herself. (The first is Austentacious.) This time, we have a Cate — a gal in her mid- to late-twenties who would rather throw back a beer and play Scrabble with her best friend/colleague, Ethan, than take part in the Austin nightlife.
Cate is also a total romantic and lover of all things Jane Austen. She believes in the ultimate of happily ever afters and dreams of the perfect guy. You know the type that probably doesn’t exist? Yep, that one. But on one particular Sunday night, she decides it’s time to make things happen in her life and embrace her wild side. She was going to say yes to every opportunity! She was going to look sexy! She was going to turn on the charm with the males!
Say hello to Cat Kennedy, Cate’s secret identity. That only makes one appearance really. But for Cate, that’s one appearance enough to make her feel like she’s fully tapped into all that is sassy and saucy about Cat. I, on the other hand, did not feel the same way. In fact this was the beginning of short-lived subplots that seemed to crash and burn in Austensibly Ordinary. And not because they weren’t interesting or intriguing. But there were just too many crammed into one book.
Add in the mysterious journal that Cate finds at a taco place, the ghost hunts, the matchmaking, and it’s all a little too much. (Although if I was chatting daily with a historic author I may have lost my head a little bit too?) Sluggish pacing due to dense passages and lack of dialogue made this a slower paced read and things didn’t start to pick up until halfway through the book when Ethan and Cate’s chemistry seemed to fire up.
And when I say fire, I mean like lots and lots of flames. Because Ethan was a catch. Despite the fact that he was pretty secretive about his life, he was funny, smart, sweet, and had some major biceps. I couldn’t read fast enough just to see what would happen between these two because the tension was unbelievable. In fact, I was silent yelling: CATE! PAY ATTENTION! SCRABBLE IS MORE FUN WHEN YOU ARE MAKING OUT WITH ETHAN.
Whew. See? I got caught up in the moment.
Truthfully, it’s been awhile since I had a little Jane Austen in my life and Cate’s great affection for the writer convinced me I need to pick up one of her works really soon. (I have a pretty copy of Emma burning a hole in my bookcase right now.) Even more wonderful was the utter love expressed for Austin. The author obviously has much affection for the city, and I loved how she worked one particular landmark into the ending — it was perfection.
So while Austensibly Ordinary was not the smoothest ride for me, I could see how Austen + Austin fans alike could get a kick out of it.
November 8, 2013
English teacher Cate Kendall dreams of one day finding a good guy. An Austen-worthy guy. While she's waiting, she decides her life needs little more excitement, so by night she adopts an alter ego - the far more daring Cat.
Her good friend and Scrabble partner, Ethan, doesn't quite know what to make of Cate's transformation into Cat. But then, Ethan's got secrets of his own, and if he's not willing to open up to Cate, why should she? Before you can say "What the...?" a mysterious old notebook that seems to have some connection to the spirit of the great Jane Austen herself is added into the mix. Cate's life has officially become a whole lot more interesting.
I had a really difficult time describing this book, especially without anything spoilery - so be warned, here they come!
Let me try it a different way - what do you get when you combine:
a) An old, blank diary that may be channeling the spirit of Jane Austen,
b) A best friend who might be a secret agent,
c) Ghost hunters,
d) An alter ego who goes to mysterious, swanky soirees & flirts with strange (really strange) men?
A whole lot of weird fun, that's what! Austensibly Ordinary doesn't even try to be a sensible story. At least, I hope it wasn't trying for serious, because there was absolutely no chance of that. I have very mixed feelings about the novel. Everything was strange, and nothing made sense, but it was kind of fun in spite of itself.
This was without a doubt the most ridiculous romp of a book I've ever experienced. If you're looking for a super fast read that's a little bit Austen and a whole lot crazy, it's definitely a memorable ride.
Her good friend and Scrabble partner, Ethan, doesn't quite know what to make of Cate's transformation into Cat. But then, Ethan's got secrets of his own, and if he's not willing to open up to Cate, why should she? Before you can say "What the...?" a mysterious old notebook that seems to have some connection to the spirit of the great Jane Austen herself is added into the mix. Cate's life has officially become a whole lot more interesting.
I had a really difficult time describing this book, especially without anything spoilery - so be warned, here they come!
Let me try it a different way - what do you get when you combine:
a) An old, blank diary that may be channeling the spirit of Jane Austen,
b) A best friend who might be a secret agent,
c) Ghost hunters,
d) An alter ego who goes to mysterious, swanky soirees & flirts with strange (really strange) men?
A whole lot of weird fun, that's what! Austensibly Ordinary doesn't even try to be a sensible story. At least, I hope it wasn't trying for serious, because there was absolutely no chance of that. I have very mixed feelings about the novel. Everything was strange, and nothing made sense, but it was kind of fun in spite of itself.
This was without a doubt the most ridiculous romp of a book I've ever experienced. If you're looking for a super fast read that's a little bit Austen and a whole lot crazy, it's definitely a memorable ride.
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