This was such a fun contemporary enemies to lovers romance book! I loved the wonderful nods to the work of Jane Austin. I also loved the side characters and banter between the two main characters.

What Would Jane Austen Do? opens with a remarkable first chapter that avid readers—especially fans of romance—are sure to enjoy. Maddy Shaw, a just-fired agony aunt, is a guest on a radio show along with Cameron Massey, a cynical and famously combative crime writer. The two get into a heated argument about their preferred genres in fiction, with him dismissing romance as formulaic fluff. Don’t worry, dear reader: Maddy made some excellent points and soundly won that argument!

From there, the novel follows Maddy’s next unexpected circumstance: She’s just inherited a house from her dad’s long-lost cousin Nigel. The catch is that she must live in the house for a full year before she’s allowed to sell it. So she does the logical thing and moves in. It’s in a small village called Cotlington, with a tight-knit community and—surprise!—an annual literary festival that Maddy must spearhead this year. In addition to planning a literary festival with only five months’ notice, Maddy also has a new lodger at her house: none other than Luke Hamilton, otherwise known as Cameron Massey, the grumpy crime author. Then there’s the mystery surrounding Cousin Nigel and the American band he was once somehow connected to back in the 1970s.

What Would Jane Austen Do? follows a few main threads, with an eclectic cast of characters causing a bit of mayhem for Maddy. Especially the ghost hunting! I enjoyed the secondary characters, with their distinctive personalities, and was enthralled by both the literary festival and the mystery surrounding Nigel. Bonus points for the rock ’n’ roll connection with the latter. Maddy’s frequent references to Jane Austen, her books, and quotes from those book were also a lot of fun. I can see the similarities between this novel and those classics, even with the updated time setting.

Of course, the romance between Maddy and Luke is also a treat. I do love when characters start off seemingly completely at odds with each other. How can someone as acerbic as Luke be redeemed? How can two such different people find common ground and affection? Will he have an arc similar to that of Mr. Darcy? I especially liked how Maddy put her agony aunt past to good use in helping Luke out of his writer’s block. And his dog Buster is a constant source of joy… and maybe a bit of a matchmaker himself!

What Would Jane Austen Do? is a delightful novel of a woman at a crossroads in her career and living situation. There’s neighborly community, literary references and a festival, a bit of mystery about an estranged relative, and an unlikely romance between total opposites. Kudos to the author for providing an HEA not reliant on marriage or kids. I’ll have to read Linda Corbett’s first novel, Love You From A-Z, as well as whatever she writes next. And until then, I’ll dream about following in Nigel’s footsteps and starting my own literary festival…

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

First things first, if you love enemies to lovers romance then this book is another to add to your collection. It’s a fun quick read with great characters and is just an enjoyable read.

What Would Jane Austen Do? By Linda Corbett is a pure delight for anyone who loves Jane Austen and/or romantic comedies. Maddy Shaw is a journalist who just lost her job. She is a lover of all things Jane Austen. She does her last interview with grumpy author Cameron Massey on Valentine’s Day. He is far from cordial. She discovers that she has inherited a country home , must stay for a year, and thinks she sees Cameron. Where will this take us?

This was the perfect read for me with lovely banter, Jane Austen quotes opening each chapter, sweet romance, and a touch of mystery and humor. Maddy like all Jane Austen heroines changes and grows throughout the story. Cameron brings in a touch of reality and transforms as well. I loved visiting Cotlington, England and imagined myself taking long walks into town and meeting the residents who were delightful and funny throughout the story. As a huge Jane Austen fan the references and quotes from her stories made this a fabulous story.

This delightful read will amuse you with the Austen references, great banter, and small town English setting. I highly recommend What Would Jane Austen Do by Linda Corbett.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

A witty and enjoyable read. A light romance with some far fetched plots but they actually fit well with the story. Heaps of eccentric and humorous characters with a lovely dynamic, A great lighthearted read.

Maddy, recently fired Agony Aunt, moves into the country manor a distant relative bequeathed her. She initially plans to sell up after the 12 months of obligatory residency are up, but, of course, Maddy falls in love with the small town, the quirky townspeople and her grumpy lodger.

It was all a bit superficial for me, Maddy finds out why she was fired from her job but never followed up on it although she had reason to, for example. I also missed chemistry between the two characters. They acknowledge each other, there's forced proximity and all of a sudden they are all loved up. The transition was too abrupt for me, especially on Luke's side (the lodger). Maybe dual POV might have helped here.

2.5 stars that I am rounding up to 3

Trigger Warnings
This book contains:
• Unfair work dismissal
• Death of a relative
• Mentions of drugs, and drug overdoses.
Characters
Maddy is an agony aunt columnist for a magazine and loves her job. It allows her to utilise her Jane Austen knowledge while helping people find their own happiness while maintaining her beloved city lifestyle.
Cameron (the pen name for Luke) is a crime fiction novelist and not shy about expressing his opinions. While he enjoys a very private lifestyle, his author self is constantly in the press as an antagonistic character (of which some previous experiences have exacerbated the image of an a-hole).
Storyline
Maddy and Cameron cross words in a live interview before unfortunately running into each other near the home Maddy has recently inherited. Due to the work being done at his home, he’s forced to lodge with Maddy while “working” on his next book. To which Maddy is able to provide some help with while also cleaning out her deceased relatives’ belongings, solving the mystery of his life and organising the local book fair.
Overall Thoughts
First off, I want to say what a great job Linda did acknowledging the fact that dogs can have nose sensitivities. I see dogs mis-represented so much, that although there are still touches of that happening in this book, the major one for this pup was talked about. I hope more and more authors can continue this trend so we can stop romanticising dogs to help dispel some of the incorrect “ideas” and “beliefs” people have about dogs just because of what they read and see in the media.
In terms of the characters and story though!
Both characters had their own real flaws that they were actively working through (even if it took some prodding and encouragement from each other) making them all the more real. Sometimes characters can come across as too perfect, or the flaws they’re given aren’t relatable making it hard to connect with them. But that’s not the case with these two.
The pace of their relationship was also something I enjoyed. It was definitely more of a slow burn in forced proximity thing rather than a quick turnaround in feelings. The whole book actually spans about 6 months with the epilogue being exactly a yr after the first chapter. So again, a really relatable experience while also just being fun to read.

I’m not a huge fan of Jane Austen, however this was super sweet, and a light read after a few heavier reads. What would Jane Austen do has some witty banter, although I didn’t particularly feel the chemistry between Maddie and Cameron overall. I’m

This book is the perfect addition to your beach/pool bag. It's filled with romance, comical situations, family mystery and intrigue, and witty dialogue. I enjoyed reading it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

As someone who loved anything Jane Austen, this book was made for me.
I really enjoyed it. The story was lighthearted and didn’t take itself too seriously.
If you’re into that, read this book!!

What a good question and proposition for the FMC. This book took me on a journey to a small English Village with some fun characters. Leaving open for a series or the stand alone. The long process for the MC’s to find their story had lots of pride involved. Good for fans of JA or just a good romcom.

Summary
Maddy writes a "Dear Jane" column, and is let go from her job. Living in London is expensive and without a job, she may need to move back with her parents. Then her dad's cousin Nigel dies and she finds out he left his country home to her, with the stipulation that she lives in it for a year. With a tiny stipend to help pay for household necessities, she needs a source of income, and another neighbor suggests a lodger. She does not expect the lodger is Cameron Massey, She finds out Cameron Massey, a best selling crime author, who she had tension with since they were on a radio panel together. Now Maddy is living in this mansion, running the local literary festival Cousin Nigel started and trying to figure out what's next for her, while also trying to figure out the truth behind Nigel's past and getting to know Cameron.

Review
I love Jane Austen. I went in mostly cold, knowing this was a romance and was somehow tied to Jane Austen. I was a little disappointed. Maddy's character was a little over the top with her obsession with Jane Austen. The Cousin Nigel mystery storyline was an interesting subplot. I do wish we had more closure with that though... why did he choose Maddy to leave the house to? I love an enemies to lovers and grumpy/sunshine trope, but this one seemed to lack depth and the usual tension/chemistry that I usually associate with a strong romance for those tropes. A cute and light story.
I will say, I LOVED quotes from Jane Austen books that started each chapter.

I love Jane Austen and this book really brought everything to life for me with the title, cover, and characters. I loved this book and all that it represents. I can't wait for the next read from this author.

Love is this. Perfectly written and kept me reading from start to finish! Thank you for giving me the chance to read in advance

Very cute lovely rom com.
Enjoyable cosy read with a group of eclectic villagers, a grumpy author and a lover of the classics, not forgetting Buster of course.
Would recommend

Delightful loose retelling of Pride and Prejudice featuring a sunny Janeite down on her luck and a grumpy crime author with writer’s block. Mandy and Luke navigate their relationship with humor and heart and each find something they weren’t aware they were looking for. Very enjoyable read, especially for Austen fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

This is an enjoyable, fun and lighthearted read which is perfect for fans of Jane Austen or romantic fiction.
I loved reading this book and I would definitely recommend it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this novel. It had a lovely storyline containing romance, a bit of mystery, countryside setting and a great bunch of neighbours. I loved the main characters Maddy and Cameron and also Buster the dog. I would definitely recommend it. I also loved the Jane Austen quotes and references to her novels.

A very charming and fun-to-read story about a journalist who finds out her column, Dear Jane, has been cancelled. Fortunately, she inherits a house. Unfortunately it is next door to an extremely cranky crime writer. This is a great "grumpy enemies to lovers" story. It is lighthearted and filled with Jane Austen references (although it is not necessary to be a Jane Austen reader to enjoy this book). I look forward to recommending this book.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't great either.