Review: As a Jane Austin fan, I couldn’t pass this up! The story isn’t about Jane, but it’s about her characters and the plots of all her books are cleverly woven into a modern tale of a young woman who is searching for herself. Elizabeth has always been called Beth, much to her chagrin. As a Jane Austin fan, she’d much rather be called Lizzie, so when she leaves for college, she takes the opportunity to reinvent herself. I liked Lizzie – she’s determined, frank, fun, and yet fragile. And she wants to fall in love with the perfect Jane Austin hero, which means each male she comes in contact with immediately ‘becomes’ one of the heroes. The results, often enough, go hilariously wrong. People, as Lizzie soon discovers rarely fit fictional molds and even more rarely follow the plots of a Jane Austin book. The title, Jane Austin Lied to Me, is a good summary of what Lizzie finally concludes – but not without a good deal of laughter and tears, heartbreak, soul-searching, and in some cases, embarrassment. I must admit, my favorite part of the book was when Lizzie misunderstands her professor’s interest in her homework, but there was also the best friend turned possible suitor, the Darcy namesake, and the boy who was always there but never noticed. The book was great fun, I highly recommend it to everyone, and it’s a must-read for Jane Austin fans!
