Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict is the sequel to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.

Here's the blurb of the book:

For Jane, the modern world is not wholly disagreeable. Her apartment may be smaller than a dressing closet, but it is fitted up with lights that burn without candles, machines that wash bodies and clothes, and a glossy rectangle in which tiny people perform scenes from her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. Granted, if she wants to travel she may have to drive a formidable metal carriage, but she may do so without a chaperone. And oh, what places she goes! Public assemblies that pulsate with pounding music. Unbound hair and unrestricted clothing. The freedom to say what she wants when she wants-even to men without a proper introduction.

Jane relishes the privacy, independence, even the power to earn her own money. But how is she to fathom her employer's incomprehensible dictates about "syncing a BlackBerry" and "rolling a call"? How can she navigate a world in which entire publications are devoted to brides but flirting and kissing and even the sexual act itself raise no matrimonial expectations? Even more bewildering are the memories that are not her own. And the friend named Wes, who is as attractive and confusing to Jane as the man who broke her heart back home. It's enough to make her wonder if she would be better off in her own time, where at least the rules are clear-that is, if returning is even an option.

In this book Jane Mansfield wakes up in the future, our present. She's a tad confused, and "Courtney" has a lot of friends that are willing to lend a helping hand in her time of need. They all think she's losing her mind. Not only does Jane have to get used to the newly found freedom but she also has to learn how to use technology. The best part is watching all her favorite Jane Austen books being acted out on a magical box.

It was an enjoyable read, a quick one too. I found Jane likable and interesting, but I found the secondary characters weren't as interesting as Jane. They all brought something different to the story, but it was truly Jane/Courtney story. It was her struggle with modern life, living independently, the knowledge that she wasn't going to see her father again, and understanding Courtney's memories and emotions.

It was definitely entertaining!

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler (4/5) Fiction; Published: Dutton Adult (6/09); 2009 100 + Reading Challenge (98);