Joint Discussion: The Jane Austen Project

Hello all! Carole and I will be discussing "The Jane Austen Project" by Kathleen A. Flynn. I am in red and Carole in orange.

Author: Kathleen A. Flynn

Title: The Jane Austen Project

Genre: Historical Fiction, SciFi, Time Travel, Romance, Fantasy

Pages: ebook

Published: May 2nd 2017 

Where I Got It: Library

London England, 1815: Two travelers—Rachel Katzman and Liam Finucane—arrive in a field, disheveled and weighed down with hidden money. They are not what they seem, but colleagues from a technologically advanced future, posing as a doctor and his spinster sister. While Rachel and Liam aren’t the first team of time travelers, their mission is the most audacious yet: meet, befriend, and steal from Jane Austen.

Carefully selected and rigorously trained by The Royal Institute for Special Topics in Physics, disaster-relief doctor Rachel and actor-turned-scholar Liam have little in common excerpt their extraordinary circumstances. Circumstances that call for Rachel to stifle her independent nature and let Liam take the lead as they infiltrate Austen’s circle via her favorite brother, Henry.

But diagnosing Jane’s fatal illness and obtaining an unpublished novel hinted at in her letters pose enough of a challenge without the convolutions of living a lie. While her friendship with Jane deepens and her relationship with Liam grows complicated, Rachel fights to reconcile her true self with the constrictions of 19th century society. As their portal to the future prepares to close, Rachel and Liam struggle with their directive to leave history as they found it…however heartbreaking that proves.

Ok, so this was different. Time travel where they are so prepared, so rich too for that matter. I liked that. No rambling through time being silly. These people knew their stuff.

Yes. I loved that aspect. They came there prepared with training and money and a mission. How intriguing!

Of course, going back to find a book is really silly lol

Someone rich probably paid for it and wanted those manuscripts. A huge JA fan! LOL I also think they were hoping for more info on her. The book was the cherry on top.

Probably. Cos to go back for a book, and to see why she died so young. When there are other things they could do! But then they wanted not to make a mark.

I love JA as much as the next person. But there are so many other things and people I would want to go check out and solve those mysteries first. And they had to expect they were changing history. Any sort of time travel would. Just buying something at a store could impact history. Just being a body there goes against history. I will say the ending did confuse me a bit. Time travel books always do. LOL

Yes, what if they buy that book that X was meant to buy to study and then X never studied and never invented Y. Butterfly effect or whatever.

The end end? I hope for happy.

The ending was confusing for me. LOL Especially when they were all talking about this version and that version. It boggled my mind which always happens when it comes to time travel and changes in timelines and the like. Oooo the Butterfly Effect. Draws me bananas. But I really think the author did a good job with the whole time travel aspect.

Ugh, yes, the whole timeline was whaat? How, I, what? But I hope for happy if you know what I mean. Just cos things change they do not change.

Yes, I liked how she did it. If only you know, if only.!

Time travel is a mess. If I were to do it I would want to be invisible. I would just want to be there and observe. Not messing up any timelines for me!

However, I would be tempted to want to meet Jane Austen. I am curious about what her real character is. If she was how she was in this book, I would have a hard time liking her. She seemed a little bipolar.

I was not a fan, but then she saw too much, and when you are a time traveler then other people should not see too much. She had that wit and she was dark, not someone I want to be friends with, but someone that I can appreciate.’

Yes. I really feel she did embody the artist role. So I think the author did well in showing Jane. She was dark and witty and her moments she just wanted to be left alone. The tortured artist and she probably hated the fact she couldn’t and wouldn’t publish under her own name. It would annoy me not to get the credit I deserved but during this time it was unseen for a woman to be a novelist.

Yes, I’d be angry, but then, she expected it too, but she would still resent it. Brooding artist fits well. Oh Jane.

I think the author did well at depicting her.

I was so bummed by Edward. He seemed soooo sweet and nice. But then he wasn’t. I was so sad! But I guess every story needs someone to play the villain ;)

I am sorry! I know you liked Edward when I opened my big mouth, oops! I liked Henry, even though at even at the end I was not sure about his feelings.

Not your fault about Edward. The scene in the library made me hate him. What a jerk! And what makes me even madder is the fact he was fake nice to them. SMH! Be a man and question them to their faces.

But fake nice was all the rage then.

Psst, we need to wrap it up, the pizza is done!

Ok, so we talked Jane, time travel aspect. What about the actual time travelers? U said you did not really care for Liam

True, true. But still. I guess I was deceived and I am hurt ;)

Oh dear! PIZZA!

I did not care for Liam. He got better near the end. But I think she deserved better. I can’t explain it, but he rubbed me the wrong way.

Yeah, I did not care for Liam that way. But Liam there, eh, sure that worked. I did like her, she tried to fit in.

I feel like her motives were pure and she actually really liked Jane and wanted to be her friend and try and save her. I do feel the romance between Liam and her felt forced.

It came out of nowhere. I was not a fan

I wasn’t either. It felt so forced and so dangerous especially since they are acting as brother and sister. Ummm...how in the world would you explain if someone caught you???? It was so awkward. Plus he has a fiance at home! Sure he wants to break it off with her, but still.

Yes fiance at home and omg if someone had caught them. Awkward as F! More than awkward. Run them out of town weird

That is a way to change history. You get caught making out with your “brother” (even tho he really isn’t) and you become a legend. LOL That would be in the gossip papers. SMH. Use your brain people!

Keep it in your pants people!

Idiots! Sighs.

Anything more to add? Sorry, I am ALL over the place today

LOL. I totally get it. While you were gone I started a load of laundry

But overall, I liked this book. I think it was a good choice. I didn’t have any major issues except for how slow it was. Slow narrative, but I get it. They are getting established and I feel like the author did it on purpose since all books by Jane Austen and the other old writers had a slow-moving plot. The end was okay...confused me with all the Butterfly talk mumbo jumbo. Not amazing, but I liked it.

Yes, it was very slow, but I liked it. Sure it took me a while to get to that enjoy part. Nothing happened, but then Henry came and Jane came and I wanted to know how it all would end.

Endings! Ha, but you know maybe she will write another one...maybe we should hope for that

I wouldn’t mind reading more! I do want to see what happened to them next. I also want to read the book that Jane Austen “wrote” about them. That would be a fun tale!

I hope she writes more then. I’d read it. SHe did talk about the Brontes

Yessss maybe that is a spoiler. Maybe the duo will go solve the issues of the Brontes ;) Change history again. I would read that for sure.

The end?

Yess, the end. I need to do chores ;)

About the Authors

Carole and Blodeuedd have been blogging a long while now. The last couple of years the epic duo have been discussing books, watching movies, and even wetting the pen and sharing their stories with the worldwide web. They both love cats, chocolate, and a good story.

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in August 14 2015 and Truly, madly viking by Sandra Hill

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog  and That’s What I’m Talking About.

Join in :D

Sat, 1 h bike
Sun, 1 h bike, 7 km bike
Mon, 13 km bike
Tue, 9km bike, 1 h berrypicking
Wed, 4 km bike, 1 h berrrypicking
Thu, 22 km bike
Fri, 10 km bike

If you wanna know, it was bilberries we picked :)

As for this second pic, you know I like the woods and this photo was taken by plane by a photographer who lives in my "village". It shows my favorite woods to the left, I live in the middle of the picture ;) And you can check out more of his, Patrik Forth's photos on Instagram 

.....................................

When a tenth-century Viking's ship blows off course, he finds himself in the twenty-first century and in the arms of a successful and beautiful American psychologist.

My thoughts:

So yes this one was enjoyably, but omg way too much silliness.

Jorund the viking gets transported to Texas, the year 2000. Jorund, this mighty viking, learned Saxon on his travels. Good for him. And when he comes to Texas everyone understands him...and he understands everyone. For real. I mean seriously! If I met him and he spoke Saxon to me I would not understand him. If he spoke Norse to me I would not understand that.  It has been a 1000 years. It's not like they all had a degree in anglosaxon. Languages change. But ok, maybe he was really smart and picked up an entire new language in seconds.

*big eyeroll*

So sexy nekkid viking shows up. Maggie the shrink takes care of him. He is all flirty (at the mental hospital) and hi-jinks can begin. I did like that. It was so silly. He thought she was a prostitute. He did not understand this world. She thought he was crazy (and still liked him, hmmm.) Her twins wants a new daddy and they all lived happily ever after.

And omg there are SO many viking books! But why do the women go back in time (no toilets!) and the viking men gets to come here? More fun? Ugh, no toilets.

Conclusion:

So yes it you want silly and fun then this is the book. 

Cover

By Thor no

Mass Market Paperback, 391 pages
Published December 31st 2000 by Love Spell
Viking II #2
Contemporary romance /timetravel romance
Own

3 Reviews in 1: Rebekah Turner, Jill Myles, Penny Watson

Lora Blackgoat, smuggler and mercenary, has been lying low after a job gone bad made her a laughing stock in the industry. When a childhood friend turns to her for help, Lora leaps to restore her reputation and starts hunting a killer who is stalking the gas-lit streets.

She never expects that her path will lead her to the Order of Guides, a sadistic militant religious organisation - or to Roman, a deadly and dangerously attractive half-angel warrior who also hunts the killer.

When Lora discovers that the killer has broken fundamental laws of magic to enter the city, she also uncovers a conspiracy that leads back into her own dark past.

My thoughts:

I am going to try for really short, I know I say that sometimes, but, ok really short:

1.) Reasons you chose this book

The cover looks kick-ass, and it was free.

2.) Reasons you liked or disliked this book

It was a pretty cool world, even if the world was never really explained. So I guess some sort of other dimension to our world and there were humans and otherkin...yes I would have liked to know more about the world. Anyway, cool heroine, a hunt for a killer and a good premise.

But maybe it was because I read it over a month, I was never really hooked. Still good.

3.) Reasons you are recommending this book

If you like UF in another world.

Cover

I'd like a head still cool

ebook, 331 pages
Published November 14th 2012 by Escape Publishing (first published November 13th 2012)
Chronicles from the Applecross #1
Urban fantasy with other genres in there
Own

When a car accident takes Leah Sunderland's life, she finds herself in dire need of divine assistance. Her fairy godmother comes to the rescue, but her help comes with conditions. As a fairy godmother, the only assistance she can offer deals with (you guessed it) fairy tales. To win a second chance at life, Leah must play out the tale of The Little Mermaid.

Armed with a mermaid tail and nothing else (not even a voice!), she has one month to make a nobleman fall in love with her, or else she'll die permanently. But the nobleman she must seduce is a hard, fierce warlord who thinks she's a spy and the mistress of his enemy.

Can she win him over before the thirty days are up? Or is she in danger of losing her heart as well as her life?

My thoughts:

A fun sexy novella,

Characters:

Leah, goes from our time to Medieval times, and becomes half mermaid thanks to a spell. Poor girl can't speak either when out of water. So that causes some issues.

Royce, honestly creepy at times, sure he is always nice, but the things he says. But then times, the situation, I got it. But...ok anyway I got over it and wanted them together.

A fast romance as if she does not get him to love her she dies. Throw in a an evil lord who wants the castle, the spell that makes her crave the water and some sexy times and this is what you get.

Fun!

Cover

It works for me

Kindle Edition, 174 pages
Published August 28th 2011 by www.jillmyles.com
Once Upon a Time-Travel #3
Time-travel romance
Own

City slicker Ami Jordan was just dumped by her back-stabbing boyfriend, has no job prospects, and can't find a decent cup of coffee in the entire state of Vermont. The last thing she needs is a sexy, bearded lumberjack complicating her life. Even if he’s smart, talented, and has the hottest ass she’s ever seen.

Tree house builder, environmental champion, and Bulldog owner Marcus Anderson has no patience for flatlanders with an attitude. But when landscape designer Ami Jordan shows up at his log cabin, he suddenly develops a hankering for a high-maintenance city gal. Now his house looks like a jungle, his recycling is in disarray, and his libido's on fire. 

He's a lumberjack in love.

My thoughts:

Ok I might just understand the author's beard obsession now ;) She sure makes Marcus sound so hot *wipes away some drool*

Ami and Marcus are both great characters. There is lust, there is playing and I believe that they fall for each other.

A bit of hot monkey sex on the porch.

A bit of humour.

And you have a "lumberjack" and a city slicker falling for each other, but then having to have to decide also what they want. So insert a tiny bit of drama and then this is the cake you get ;)

Oh and the new cover is soooooo much better. I have to show it to you guys.

Cover

Yeah no, but the other one is good

Kindle Edition, 114 pages
Published September 2012 by Penny Watson
http://www.pennywatsonbooks.com/lumberjackinlove.htm
Lumberjack in Love #1
Contemporary romance
Own

Review: Rude awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict - Laurie Viera Rigler

Genre: Contemporary romance/time-travel/JA
Pages: 304
Published: 2010
Publisher: Plume
Source: Borrowed
In Laurie Viera Rigler's first novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, twenty­first-century Austen fan Courtney Stone found herself in Regency England occupying the body of one Jane Mansfield- with comic and romantic consequences. Now, in Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, Jane Mansfield awakens in the urban madness of twenty-first-century L.A.-in Courtney's body. With no knowledge of Courtney's life, let alone her world-with its horseless carriages and shiny glass box in which tiny figures act out her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice-Jane is over her head. Especially when she falls for a handsome young gentleman. Can a girl from Regency England make sense of a world in which kissing and flirting and even the sexual act raise no matrimonial expectations?

My thoughts:

This was a cute book that I just breezed through. Honestly I just opened it and then suddenly I had read it. I think I needed an easy book that was all sweet and fun.

And we all know I love Jane Austen. And in this one a woman called Jane Mansfield loves the author too. I do like a fellow Janeite. But the best part was of course that Jane is from 1813 and wakes up in another body in 2009. What is a fridge? A Computer? Why do women wear so little clothes? She must be ruined since she called of a wedding, and so forth. I liked the funny things how this poor woman tries to cope with our century because it sure is a different century.

And there is romance on the horizon, perhaps....

Jane finds herself. Still I did feel a bit sad because she gave up everything, just as Courtney did (the person she is now). Did they not miss their homes and family? And how about the person who seems to like Courtney? Because Jane is not Courtney. Anyway even with those questions I still liked it, and I sure would like to read the first book where Courtney from 2009 wakes up in 1813. Now that would be fun to read about.

Conclusion:
The verdict then; it is cute and easy.

Cover:
Fits

Review: Somewhere my lass - Beth Trissel

Published: 2010

Pages: 235, ebook

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

Review by Anachronist

I got this book free of charge from the publisher via Blodeuedd in exchange for a fair review. That fact didn't influence my opinion in any way.

Summary (from Amazon.com)

This book is the second in Beth Trissel's Somewhere series, although it can be easily read as a stand-alone.

Neil MacKenzie's well ordered life turns to chaos when Mora Campbell shows up claiming he's her fiance from 1602 Scotland. Her avowal that she was chased to the future by clan chieftain, Red MacDonald, is utter nonsense, and Neil must convince her that she is just addled from a blow to her head--or so he believes until the MacDonald himself shows up wanting blood.

Mora knows the Neil of the future is truly her beloved Niall who disappeared from the past. Although her kinsmen believe he's dead, and she is now destined to marry Niall's brother, she's convinced that if she and Neil return to the past, all will be right. The only problem is how to get back to 1602 before it's too late. 

The balance of the present and future are in peril if she marries another, and the Neil of the present will cease to exist. An ancient relic and a few good friends in the future help pave the way back to the past, but will Mora and Neil be too late to save a love that began centuries before?

What I liked:

I enjoyed the most all these modern references to Star Wars, Matrix, Star Trek, Indiana Jones and other films and serials. It was a very nice addition to a time travel romance this book really is. Especially that the main heroine here is Mora, a girl from the 17^th century transported magically into the present. I know next to nothing about Highland dialects, but I loved Mora's ranting and raving and she sounded pretty authentic to me. When Neil had her taken to the hospital and she misunderstood just about everything, it was pretty funny, as it was when she asked how the lights were kept on and Neil said gas and she thought he meant the kind you got in your stomach.

What I didn’t like:

The plot to stop the super-evil MacDonald guy (which I instantly connected to the famous fast food restaurants’ network, truly nefarious company) was a bit outlandish and predictable. The MacDonald loomed over the story but hardly in a shape of a three-dimensional, fully fledged baddie – in other words I wish there had been more of him or at least a lot more explanation about him.

What’s more there weren’t a lot of good secondary characters to make the story really engaging apart from Fergus, Neil’s best friend and a nerdy oddball, carrying always a lot of strange gadgets (even those weird sporks!). I think the narration occasionally relied on him too much to move it along or to get Mora and Neil out of a difficult situation. Also I must admit the explanation of the origin of all gadgetry became tedious after some time. Honestly, plenty of people know in what movies light sabers were used and by whom, no need to explain obvious all the time.

Finally I must admit I don’t like time travel books because usually such a premise creates more problems than fun – you are left with a sense of futility because sooner or later the story takes a loop returning you to the starting point. Accordingly I wasn’t wild about the ending of this novel – not really. It left too many questions unanswered.

Oh and I noticed the editor tended to have a trouble with spelling the word `ambulance’ now and then.

Final verdict:

If you like paranormal romances with hunky Scots and high-tech gadgets this is a book for you – not very long, entertaining and even fluffy from time to time. If you are, like me, an enemy of fluffiness and romance – give it a pass.

 /anachronist