It is such a clever idea to take a character who was known to be a friend of Jane Austen and write a novel about them. Anne Sharpe was governess to Jane's niece. Using letters and correspondence from the time as her research, Gill Hornby has created a delightful novel exploring how Anne ended up as a governess and how her friendship with Jane and her siblings came about and developed. More widely it effectively reflects on the position of educated unmarried women in society at the time..
As a Jane Austen fan who has read a lot of novels exploring the lives of the characters in her books, I really like Gill Hornby's books which are based on the real life of Jane and her circle. Godmershan Park is well written and an excellent addition to my collection. Thank you.

Ok so I intensely resent this trend of authors scraping every detail from Jane Austen’s life and books and rewriting or framing a story around it, often without actually understanding anything about her work, her life of the history of the time. BUT I can never stop myself from reading the results. Most of the time I’m angry and disappointed, but sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised. I was the latter with this one. It was an interesting angle and Jane and Anne’s friendship was well known – and disapproved of by Jane’s relatives since there may have actually been a romance going on! This was a quiet enjoyable read.

I’m a huge Austen fan, I’m even named after the titular heroine, so of course I wanted to read this. I must admit I went into it with a very optimistic attitude, but thankfully the book didn’t disappoint.

It’s well written, obviously well researched, and captures Austen’s voice. A real comfort book, I’d thoroughly recommend it to any Austen fans!

I love books that shed light on little-known figures of history, and this is no exception! This slow burn completely immersed me in the Austen household and served as a delicate and thoughtful tribute to Jane and Anne's friendship. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you for the ARC!

Gill Hornby’s ‘Godmersham Park’ is a well-researched enjoyable immersion into the lives of Regency women, and one or two men! She focuses on the story of the governess to Jane Austen’s niece Fanny, one Anne Sharp, who becomes a good friend and particular correspondent of Jane Austen.
Whilst Hornby fictionalises Anne’s early life, as soon as she steps down from the carriage and into the impressive entrance hall of Godmersham Park to take up her duties, all is very much based on actual events.
The reader cannot help but sympathise with Anne. She is portrayed as an intelligent girl always concerned that her origins may be exposed, who, nonetheless, refuses to allow her precarious position as governess to entirely preclude her true identity. Hornby shows us time and time over how Anne belongs nowhere: sometimes fawned over, sometimes bullied and often ignored, she can never feel secure in her position. Whilst the exploration of the position of the nineteenth century governess is nothing new, the author really does allow her readers to appreciate the precariousness of such a role.
Thanks to Hornby’s writing skills, the reader becomes thoroughly immersed in Anne’s world. A little-known story in the vast library of Austen biography and all the better for being told.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

A perfect book if you’re a fan of Jane Austen’s books. It’s a charming easy read but I felt for Anne, as she always seemed to be on the outside looking in at the family and terrified that she would never be accepted. I’m glad that the author gave an account of her life after Godmersham Park..

Out June 23, you’ll be transported to January 1804 when Anne Sharpe arrives at the titular estate to take up a position as governess to Fanny, a young woman on the cusp of adolescence. Anne isn’t altogether thrilled at her new role, but resigned, given her circumstances. Her mother is no longer there, her father is AWOL and she needs an independent income if she wants to make her way in the world. Fortunately, the Austen family (yes, linked to that famous writer Austen) are keen to welcome her, and she gradually becomes more intwined with the goings-on. No better is this witnessed than after the arrival of Jane Austen to the park, here with her mother and sister on holiday, and she truly brings Anne into her own, revealing her writing skills and building a friendship that will last a lifetime. You’ll feel for Anne as she struggles between neither fitting into the ‘upstairs’ or ‘downstairs’ of the house and the fact that there’s some truth to the plot adds to reader enjoyment.

This isn't the type of book that I would ordinarily buy, so many thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book in return for an honest review. Having read this book I have to say I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It certainly wasn't a face-paced book, and at times I did wonder where the story was going, but in true Austen-style it provided a rich picture of the Godmersham household, the issues of class that were so prevalent in Austen's time, and of a very different lifestyle to that enjoyed by most of us today. The fictional story itself was, at times, rather sad - the main protagonist, Anne, clearly did not have an easy life. I was pleased to see, therefore, that at the end of the text the author had provided details of Anne's life after her period at Godmersham Park, which suggest she went on to have a successful life, if not necessarily a happy one. This is a book that I will definitely recommend to those of my friends who like Austen's books.

For any Austen fans, this is well worth a read. The author, in my view, really captures Jane's voice well through the letters sent.
If you are looking for a gripping plot, this isnt for you. But if you are interested in sweeping yourself to a different time period and just immersing yourself, this is a gentle read.

A comfort if you are suffering from Bridgerton withdrawal symptoms.

What a charming book! It was a lovely change of pace from the books I’ve been reading lately and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It’s the ultimate tribute to the lifelong friendship between Jane and Anne. Henry too with his lack of propriety was a brilliant character. However, just like Anne, Jane will forever be my favourite Austen! Her personality sparkled throughout the book. Gill Hornby has done a brilliant job at displaying the wit and irony that is always evident in Austen’s novels.

It was an immersive read and the setting and characters felt authentic. It perfectly highlighted the place of women in society in the 19th century and how, through no fault of their own, these women often found themselves at the mercy of men and their employers.

I enjoyed the section at the end where the author reveals what happened to these real-life characters and where the story had come from. The headache cure sounded horrendous so I was horrified to read that this was a real procedure that Anne had to endure.

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading more by Gill Hornby.

Thanks so much to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy of Godmersham Pakr by Gill Hornby.

I was so enthralled by this novel which gives a back story to a real-life person that doesn't have a lot of information out there about them. I'll admit, I'd never heard of them.

I was so invested in Anne's story and her conversation with her auntie Jane Austen throughout the novel. Sometimes I just love a bit of historical fiction and this was the perfect pick up for that. I was so intrigued by every single chapter and couldn't wait to get to the next.

However, as someone who isn't a massive fan of this genre I did find it a bit tedious. I needed to sit down and really want to read it. I would go days without it...

I did love it by the time I finished it but it was a bit of a heavy read.

Anne Sharpe is a first time giverness, employed by the Austen family at beautiful Godmersham Park in the Kent countryside.
She has turned down marriage to an older man after her father's death, and given up her comfortable London life, driven by the need to earn her living.
She likes twelve-year- old Fanny Austen who she is to teach, but her relationship with her employer is more tricky. She doesn't fit in with the servants pr the family and initially is shunned by both.
Then dashing Henry Austen and his sisters Jane and Cassandra come to stay and everything changes. USed to being the poor relation Jane and Anne become friends.
This is a lovely story of friendship and love, based on a real diary written by Fanny Austen, Well worth a read for Jane Austen fans and lovers of costume dramas and historical novels as well.

A delightful book. Very evocative of the era, a real mixture of history and imagination. It is scary to realise quite how dependant women were on the charity of the men around them, even if they thought they were able to earn a living. I really enjoyed reading how the realationships developed between the female characters that were thrown together by circumstance, and unable to control their own destinies.

This is a charming book. The style will appeal to any fans of Jane Austen.

Lovely descriptions of members of the Austen family and of Anne Sharp's time with them. I thought some of the episodes were a little outlandish (the headache cure!) until I read the afterword and found that this was a real episode.

Very readable and enjoyable.

Utterly absorbing…. Fans of Pride and Prejudice and Emma will enjoy this touching story! Such a wonderful book. Utterly unique, exquisitely crafted and quietly powerful. Top marks on a remarkable book!

This is an interesting take on the life of Jane Austin’s larger family. Would thoroughly recommend for all Jane Austin fans.

This was a delight to read. The setting was authentic as was the writing. The author manages to write about the period, without any gaffes, and yet it is not difficult to read.

The fact that it is based on a true story, is a bonus. Jane Austen does appear, but our interest is all with Anne Sharpe. How she negotiated her way in the world, her interests and relationships.

Also make a great present, as it can appeal to those who like history, literature or the place of women in society.

I absolutely loved this book and was completely absorbed by the story of Anne Sharp,who was governess to Jane Austen’s niece,Fanny. Based on Fanny’s diaries and the letters between Anne and Jane Austen,it tells the story of the two years Anne spent at Godmersham Hall ,and of the friendship which continued for the rest of Jane’s life.It has a lot to say about the treatment of women ,and particularly of unmarried women, at the beginning of the 19th century.It’s beautifully written in the style of Jane Austen,and is a delight from start to finish.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

Firstly I have to say I loved this book. Written in the style of Jane Austin but centred on a friendship she had with Anne Sharp. Anne finds herself having to earn her living as a governess following the death of her mother and abandonment by her father. She find employment with one of Jane Austin's wealthy brothers.
How very prim and proper they were in the 18th/19th century, although underneath runs passion.
Well worth a read.

In 1804 Anne Sharp is forced to leave the life she knows, after the death of her mother, and to take up a position as a Governess to the Austen family in Kent. We follow her as she struggles to manage her changed circumstances and to find her place between both upstairs and downstairs, learning who she is as an independent woman and making lifelong friendships along the way.

Gill Hornby brings to life real people – Miss Sharp and the Austen family – in an immersive, very ‘Jane-like’ historical fiction with a hint of mystery and a whole lot of heart.

Jane herself is a truly likeable character, both in the extracts from her letters and her developing friendship with Anne.

The story addresses the challenges faced by women at the time (both for Anne and the Austen women themselves) of household politics, class imbalance, the issue of marriage and the impact of men’s actions on their circumstances.

I saw a quote from another reviewer that ‘Jane would love’ this book and I couldn’t agree more!