The Austen Escape

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

When Mary Davies travels to Jane Austens Bath for a historical getaway, she expects a luxurious escape from reality. Instead she finds her friendship at a crossroads, her love life upended, and her heart on a journey she never expected.

Mary Davies finds safety in her ordered and productive life. Working as an engineer, she genuinely enjoys her job and her colleaguesparticularly a certain adorable and intelligent consultant. But something is missing. When Marys estranged childhood friend, Isabel Dwyer, offers her a two-week stay in a gorgeous manor house in England, she reluctantly agrees in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways.

But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes she lives in Jane Austens Bath. While Isabel rests and delights in the leisure of a Regency lady, attended by other costume-clad guests, Mary uncovers startling truths about their shared past, who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who now stands between them.

Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings arise, and dancing ensues as this company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation, work out their lives and hearts.

Admirers of Jane Austen, especially, will delight in the delicious descriptions and elegant prose as the protagonist is transported to the English countryside, taking readers along for the ride. Both cleverly written and nicely layered, Reays latest proves to be a charming escape! Denise Hunter, bestselling author of Lake SeasononThe Austen Escape

At once sophisticated and smart... Clever and classy... Whether for the first-timePride and Prejudicereader or the devotee with an ardent affection for all things Austen...The Austen Escapeis an equally satisfying retreat into the wilds of Janes beloved Regency world. In scenes brilliantly woven with Austens classic characterization, Reay goes beyond courtship and manners to explore modern-day scenarios, grappling with themes of brokenness and loss, the weight of decisions and consequences, and the anchor of faith through difficult circumstances. As amiable as an Austen novelist could bebut with a pen just as wittyKatherine Reay proves shes ready to become Jane to a whole new generation of women. KristyCambron, bestselling author ofThePaintedCastle

Wildly imaginative and deeply moving,The Austen Escapeis Katherine Reay at her very best. BillyCoffey, author ofSteal Away Home

The Austen Escapehas the remarkable ability to be both lighthearted and gripping. The dramatic elements are first rate, the characters even finer. Wonderful writing. Highly recommended. DavisBunn,bestselling author

• Sweet and thoughtful contemporary read
• Stand-alone novel
• Book length: 80,000 words
• Includes a discussion questions and an excerpt from Dear Mr. Knightley

Reviews

'Dripping with period detail but fundamentally a modern story, The Austen Escape is a clever, warmhearted homage to Austen and her fans.' * Shelf Awareness *
'Reay handles. . .scenes with tenderness and a light touch, allowing the drama to come as much from internal conflict as external, rom-com--type misunderstandings. . .Thoughtful escapism.' * Kirkus *
'Unlike many books written in homage to Austen, this is not a modern retelling of any of her stories, but rather a romp among contemporary Austen fanatics. Readers eager for anything Austen-related will enjoy this clean romance that explores the concept of escapism and what it may reveal about our real lives.' * Publishers Weekly *
'Reay's exquisite phrasing will resonate with readers and provide much fodder for pondering. . .this is a beautifully written novel and one to be savored and enjoyed.' * RT Book Reviews, 4 stars *
'Reay has written so many Austen-tangential novels, they almost make a genre. While three adapt Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma, The Austen Escape stands alone . . . What's interesting about Reay is the way she tests how far from canon new stories can get. Where Flynn's Jane Austen Project gave us time travel; Reay offers an Austen-triggered psychotic break. Such storylines reveal something Janites already know: Austen is infinitely adaptable.' * Vulture *

Author Bio

Katherine Reay has enjoyed a life-long affair with the works of Jane Austen and her contemporaries. After earning degrees in history and marketing from Northwestern University, she worked as a marketer for Proctor & Gamble and Sears before returning to school to earn her MTS. Her works have been published in Focus on the Family and the Upper Room. Katherine currently lives with her husband and three children in Seattle. Dear Mr. Knightley is her first novel.