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Jane Austen #4
Northpointe Chalet: A Contemporary Retelling of Northanger Abbey
Northpointe Chalet: A Contemporary Retelling of Northanger Abbey
When a lively group of customers visit Kathy Moore's cafŽ, new friendships--and romance--ensue. When she learns of a mystery in their past, Kathy takes on the role of amateur detective, but will her digging do more damage than good?
When a lively group of customers visit Kathy Moore's cafŽ, new friendships--and romance--ensue. When she learns of a mystery in their past, Kathy takes on the role of amateur detective, but will her digging do more damage than good?
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Debra White Smith
66 books107 followersDebra White Smith is a seasoned Christian author, speaker, and media personality who has been regularly publishing books for over a decade. In the last twelve years, she has accumulated more than 55 books sales to her credit with more than 1 million books in print. Her titles include such life-changing books as Romancing Your Husband, Romancing Your Wife, The Divine Romance: Developing Intimacy with God, the The Lonestar Intrigue fiction series, and The Jane Austen fiction series.
As a woman of God, Debra is committed to the highest standards of integrity and to spending hours a week being still before the Father, staying in tune with Him, and listening for His voice of direction in all she does. This commitment to romancing the Lord, coupled with her lifestyle of devouring, analyzing, and dissecting the Word of God has allowed God to bring about a miracle of deliverance and healing in Debra's spirit, mind, and soul. Debra holds a double Ph.D. from the toughest schools in the world. The first Ph.D. from the "School of Hard Knocks" and the second, from the "School of Very Hard Knocks." Aside from that, she holds an M.A. in English from the University of Texas.
Along with Debra's being voted a fiction-reader favorite several times, her book Romancing Your Husband was a finalist in the 2003 Gold Medallion Awards. And her Austen Series novel First Impressions was a finalist in the 2005 Retailer's Choice Awards. Debra has been a popular media guest across the nation, including Fox TV, The 700 Club, ABC Radio, USA Radio Network, and Moody Broadcasting. Her favorite hobbies include fishing, bargain-hunting, and swimming with her family. Debra also vows she would walk 50 miles for a scoop of German chocolate ice cream.
As a woman of God, Debra is committed to the highest standards of integrity and to spending hours a week being still before the Father, staying in tune with Him, and listening for His voice of direction in all she does. This commitment to romancing the Lord, coupled with her lifestyle of devouring, analyzing, and dissecting the Word of God has allowed God to bring about a miracle of deliverance and healing in Debra's spirit, mind, and soul. Debra holds a double Ph.D. from the toughest schools in the world. The first Ph.D. from the "School of Hard Knocks" and the second, from the "School of Very Hard Knocks." Aside from that, she holds an M.A. in English from the University of Texas.
Along with Debra's being voted a fiction-reader favorite several times, her book Romancing Your Husband was a finalist in the 2003 Gold Medallion Awards. And her Austen Series novel First Impressions was a finalist in the 2005 Retailer's Choice Awards. Debra has been a popular media guest across the nation, including Fox TV, The 700 Club, ABC Radio, USA Radio Network, and Moody Broadcasting. Her favorite hobbies include fishing, bargain-hunting, and swimming with her family. Debra also vows she would walk 50 miles for a scoop of German chocolate ice cream.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
November 29, 2008
I love Northanger Abbey, so was looking forward to this story. However, the book doesn't stick very closely to the heart of the Jane Austen story.
In Northanger Abbey, our heroine is naive and sheltered, longing for adventure and her idea of what adventure is has been formed by the thrill and horror novels she loves. Her instincts warn her against those who only wish to use her, yet she doesn't pay attention and is duped in some of her friendships. In Northanger Abbey, our hero is well-educated, kind, and has a teasing humor. He is flattered by her open admiration, interest, and trust.
Yet in Northpointe Chalet, the author changes all that. Our heroine is scatterbrained, wildly outgoing, and can spot the bad guys a mile away. There are no innocent questions or excuses from her made for other's bad behavior. Instead, she's the one issuing the warnings to the numbskulls who can't see the scheming going on! Our hero is still well-educated, but emotionally jerks our heroine around quite a few times and lacks much humor at all.
What I love about Northanger Abbey is watching a fanciful, imaginative young woman who wants to live one of her exciting novel's stories slowly coming to realize that life is more than storybook. By the end she has matured into a level-headed woman our hero really can love for herself. Northpointe Chalet was a good enough story in itself, but the main characters really don't grow very much nor are that admirable or honorable. This time I feel that the author has missed the heart of Jane Austen's story.
In Northanger Abbey, our heroine is naive and sheltered, longing for adventure and her idea of what adventure is has been formed by the thrill and horror novels she loves. Her instincts warn her against those who only wish to use her, yet she doesn't pay attention and is duped in some of her friendships. In Northanger Abbey, our hero is well-educated, kind, and has a teasing humor. He is flattered by her open admiration, interest, and trust.
Yet in Northpointe Chalet, the author changes all that. Our heroine is scatterbrained, wildly outgoing, and can spot the bad guys a mile away. There are no innocent questions or excuses from her made for other's bad behavior. Instead, she's the one issuing the warnings to the numbskulls who can't see the scheming going on! Our hero is still well-educated, but emotionally jerks our heroine around quite a few times and lacks much humor at all.
What I love about Northanger Abbey is watching a fanciful, imaginative young woman who wants to live one of her exciting novel's stories slowly coming to realize that life is more than storybook. By the end she has matured into a level-headed woman our hero really can love for herself. Northpointe Chalet was a good enough story in itself, but the main characters really don't grow very much nor are that admirable or honorable. This time I feel that the author has missed the heart of Jane Austen's story.
February 10, 2015
I really love Debra White Smith but I have come to realize I need to stop reading modern adaptations on Northanger Abbey. No one understands Catherine like Jane. I just love the original so much. Sorry :(
Read
October 6, 2020DNF @ 29%
November 29, 2020
What a fun, updated version of a Jane Austen classic! It made me want to read the inspiration again, but the strong faith elements and modern twist were done very well. The main character was delightfully quirky, and I loved the bookstore setting.
April 18, 2007
Based on Northanger Abby by Jane Austen. It's a modern version with Christian Perspective. LOVE IT.
Kathy Moore owns a book shop in Colorado. She loves mystery books of any kind - leads to a very over active imagination that leads her into some crazy situations.
All of the books in this series I would recommended for sure....I re-read this one a lot.
Kathy Moore owns a book shop in Colorado. She loves mystery books of any kind - leads to a very over active imagination that leads her into some crazy situations.
All of the books in this series I would recommended for sure....I re-read this one a lot.
July 7, 2010
The stories in this Christian series re-telling Austen's books generally work for me, but this one did not. The lead character was just too unbelievable with her attitudes, and I felt the author was trying too hard.
August 11, 2015
Best of the Debra White Smith series of modern day adaptations of Jane Austen stories. This was of Northanger Abbey. Really enjoyed.
June 29, 2023
It was good enough that I will read another one in the series, but I don’t think I’d read this one again (I’m a chronic re-reader, for context).
The story was reminiscent of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen- just enough to follow the 10,000 foot view of the story. In some ways, I appreciated the loose accuracy to the original in that it gave some excitement at new plot points. In the character development and traits, I did not appreciate straying from the original.
Catherine is not a flighty, sporadic, over-emotional woman like Kathy. She is very steady, honest, and extremely innocent, again, unlike Kathy. Don’t get me wrong, Kathy was engaging and spunky- but NOT Catherine. My interpretation from Northanger Abbey was always that Catherine saw Tilney as a good friend until she lost his trust. Only then did she see him as a lost love. In this story, Kathy sets her romantic and marital gaze at Ben Tilman from the very start. She is constantly frustrated at her thwarted attempts to woo and impress him. This frustrated me as I saw it as an assault on Catherine’s good name. This Kathy was spineless at times-allowing Ron to touch her non-consentually and coerce her to do things she did not want to do. Kathy is like a typical modern female main character: bold, quirky, and lovable. She is nothing unique. Catherine is innocent, kindhearted, and has the character and a development arc I’ve never seen in anything else.
Ben was a flighty people-pleaser who I loved immediately, but was constantly frustrated by. I liked the pastoral angle as it gave Ben a reason to be overly concerned with what others thought of him. I did enjoy his character growth and him beginning to stand on his own two feet. Tilney being one of my favorite Austen men, I did like Ben. He was sweet and thoughtful, but a bit less strong and caring than Tilney. The author did a better job with his retelling than with Catherine’s.
Overall, if you take this book as its own story, it’s like a Hallmark film: cute, clean, and a bit cheesy. If you take it as an Austen retelling, it misses the mark in the most important areas.
Content Rating: 0 chili peppers- squeaky clean
Trigger warning: suspicion of murder; familial abuse; antiquated marital viewpoints and gender roles
The story was reminiscent of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen- just enough to follow the 10,000 foot view of the story. In some ways, I appreciated the loose accuracy to the original in that it gave some excitement at new plot points. In the character development and traits, I did not appreciate straying from the original.
Catherine is not a flighty, sporadic, over-emotional woman like Kathy. She is very steady, honest, and extremely innocent, again, unlike Kathy. Don’t get me wrong, Kathy was engaging and spunky- but NOT Catherine. My interpretation from Northanger Abbey was always that Catherine saw Tilney as a good friend until she lost his trust. Only then did she see him as a lost love. In this story, Kathy sets her romantic and marital gaze at Ben Tilman from the very start. She is constantly frustrated at her thwarted attempts to woo and impress him. This frustrated me as I saw it as an assault on Catherine’s good name. This Kathy was spineless at times-allowing Ron to touch her non-consentually and coerce her to do things she did not want to do. Kathy is like a typical modern female main character: bold, quirky, and lovable. She is nothing unique. Catherine is innocent, kindhearted, and has the character and a development arc I’ve never seen in anything else.
Ben was a flighty people-pleaser who I loved immediately, but was constantly frustrated by. I liked the pastoral angle as it gave Ben a reason to be overly concerned with what others thought of him. I did enjoy his character growth and him beginning to stand on his own two feet. Tilney being one of my favorite Austen men, I did like Ben. He was sweet and thoughtful, but a bit less strong and caring than Tilney. The author did a better job with his retelling than with Catherine’s.
Overall, if you take this book as its own story, it’s like a Hallmark film: cute, clean, and a bit cheesy. If you take it as an Austen retelling, it misses the mark in the most important areas.
Content Rating: 0 chili peppers- squeaky clean
Trigger warning: suspicion of murder; familial abuse; antiquated marital viewpoints and gender roles
July 10, 2020
A fun, quick read.
Here's the deal: it's not a perfect Northanger Abbey retelling. I think she got the whole gothic loving bookish girl who imagines her world in a new place steeped in mystery and intrigue right. The author changes some things in the plot, but I think she got to the main heart of the story, anyway. Some things that bothered me a teensy weency bit, but not enough to ruin my enjoyment, was Kathy ought not know that she was being unsubtle about liking Ben; the whole blow up when she searches the room because Ben should have been the one to find her, not his dad; and Kathy not being naive enough when it came to Liza and Ron.
But I really enjoyed the humor, and Kathy getting so lost in her books delighted my bookish heart.
I can totally see myself reading this again!
Here's the deal: it's not a perfect Northanger Abbey retelling. I think she got the whole gothic loving bookish girl who imagines her world in a new place steeped in mystery and intrigue right. The author changes some things in the plot, but I think she got to the main heart of the story, anyway. Some things that bothered me a teensy weency bit, but not enough to ruin my enjoyment, was Kathy ought not know that she was being unsubtle about liking Ben; the whole blow up when she searches the room because Ben should have been the one to find her, not his dad; and Kathy not being naive enough when it came to Liza and Ron.
But I really enjoyed the humor, and Kathy getting so lost in her books delighted my bookish heart.
I can totally see myself reading this again!
June 8, 2021
Living the stories we have read
It was a dark and stormy night, a mysterious stranger knocks at the door, his hair was soaked from the downpour, she was alone in a new town... Curiosity, passion, trust, boundary setting are tested and presented as aspects to consider in life. Finding the one that you want to spend the rest of your life with is a two-party process with give and take. Can the relationships survive what seems to be the insurmountable?
It was a dark and stormy night, a mysterious stranger knocks at the door, his hair was soaked from the downpour, she was alone in a new town... Curiosity, passion, trust, boundary setting are tested and presented as aspects to consider in life. Finding the one that you want to spend the rest of your life with is a two-party process with give and take. Can the relationships survive what seems to be the insurmountable?
July 13, 2024
I've read this several times and enjoyed it each time, despite the consistently cheesy writing at times. Some sentences, about the main male character's jacket smelling like an enchanting mix of masculinity and taco sauce, are definitely cringe. I also thought the heroine's absent-minded behavior was a bit over the top. But this book still holds happy memories for me and a special place on my shelf.
February 8, 2025
What a fun book! The main character is silly and chaotic, but it makes the book fun and unpredictable. I haven't read Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, so I can't compare. But, I struggle reading Austen's books because she has so many extra, unnecessary words! (The product of being a serial writer.) This was just an enjoyable story with some deep insights sprinkled in. I'd like to think the storyline is similar to Austen's work.
December 14, 2021
So this is more of a 2.5 starts. I've never read Northanger Abbey so I can't compare the two books, but the language in this book was very florid - distractingly so. Also, it felt like the whole book was about religion, which again, I don't know that is how Jane Austen originally wrote it, but it felt weird.
December 4, 2023
Even though Jane Austen's books are the best, this series is the perfect companion read to every Jane Austen novel. I have read the retelling for Emma, Pride and Prejudice, and now Northanger Abbey and have enjoyed each one . Debra White Smith represents all of Jane's characters with precision and accuracy. Full of humor and fun.
October 12, 2020
Overall a great story. The main character was a bit too immature and foolish to really like..although I guess Catherine Moreland was that way too. And the ending felt rather rushed. But I did enjoy the story.
May 15, 2022
I liked this retelling of Northanger Abbey. The author did a great job of capturing the idea of letting your imagination get the better of you. It was a fun read.
When you let fiction
Bleed into your real life, it
Can be dangerous.
When you let fiction
Bleed into your real life, it
Can be dangerous.
August 6, 2023
Meh?! I’ve enjoyed the other books in this author’s series of retelling of Jane Austen’s works, but this one not so much. Northanger Abbey is probably my least favorite Austen work, so I’m sure that didn’t help.
June 10, 2026
The Austen series
If your a jane Austin fan you'll love this engaging characters,contemporary situations,issues of faith and intricacies of love in Debra white smith updated retelling of Austen's endearing stories.
If your a jane Austin fan you'll love this engaging characters,contemporary situations,issues of faith and intricacies of love in Debra white smith updated retelling of Austen's endearing stories.
October 9, 2018
I really enjoyed this. I want to own a bookshop in a small town one day.
December 10, 2018
Very enjoyable! Funny, too.
February 1, 2019
Better than expected - main character incredibly endearing - but didn't like perpetration of purity myth.
December 31, 2019
💜 3.5 ⭐️’s This is my version of a Hallmark movie — predictable but charming. 💜
June 28, 2020
Not my favorite of Smith's Austen series, but still cute and clean.
January 25, 2022
Liked this book, One I did not like. Great story, could not put it down.
February 5, 2022
Northpointe Chalet by Debra White Smith – I think updating Northanger Abbey proves it’s not as timeless as some of Jane’s work, but it’s still cute! Happy Reading!
July 26, 2023
A Jane Austen retelling of Northanger Abbey.
April 4, 2025
I'm not sure why I finished this one to be honest
January 22, 2026
This book is like reading a Hallmark movie. Entertaining, but predictable. A romance
July 14, 2016
I liked this book and loved the fact that Kathy was a strong brave girl for her age of taking off and starting a career away from home and owning her own business. Book store I could just imagine myself running a bookstore and thinking how much fun it would be and that it was in an old building and the friendships she found in this little town. She was funny and was a believable likeable character. Recommend it for a fun easy read. Enjoy
August 8, 2008
This was a fun book to read. Not real deep - one of those for when you just want to relax, read a good book and not have to think too hard! :) The girl's imagination was way overactive and that drove me crazy but overall the book was good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews