Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Blog Tour: The Jane Austen Marriage Manual by Kim Izzo

Publisher: Harper Collins Canada
Publishing Date: April 24th, 2012
Genre: Adult Fiction, Chick Lit
Pages: 320 pgs
ISBN: 9781443407236

Rating: 5 stars


Summary from Goodreads
Katherine Shaw—Kate— is happy with her life. She has supportive friends, a glamorous magazine career, and a love of all things Jane Austen. But when she loses her job, her beloved grandmother falls ill and a financial disaster forces a sale on the family home, Kate finds herself facing a crisis that would test even the most stalwart of Austen heroines.
Friends rally round, connecting her to freelance gigs, and presenting her with a birthday gift— title to land in Scotland—that’s about to come in very handy. Turns out that Kate’s first freelance assignment is to test an Austen-inspired theory: in the toughest economic times is a wealthy man the only must-have accessory? What begins as an article turns into an opportunity as Kate—now Lady Kate—jet-sets to Palm Beach, St Moritz and London where, in keeping company with the elite, she meets prospects who make Mr. Darcy look like an amateur. But will rubbing shoulders with men of good fortune ever actually lead her to love? And will Kate be able to choose between Mr. Rich and Mr. Right?


My Review: 
I went into this book thinking it was going to be your typical chick lit type book: light and fluffy and very cute but Izzo has proven me quite wrong with my assumptions.  While this book does have some of the elements of a chick lit novel it also delves a little deeper than most chick lit than I have read.  It shows the value of relationships with others but not just romantic relationships.  The main relationships in the novel are not the romantic ones; they are the relationships between siblings, parents, and friends.  That is what I liked most about this novel.  
This book is about Kate, or should I say Lady Kate, who is trying to deal with turning 40 but also with the loss of her grandmother (who was more like a mother to her).  Not only does she lose her grandmother but she also loses her house and her job all at once.  This prompts her to try to find a man in the style of Jane Austen: to marry rich.  Kate starts off not really believing in this idea of marrying for money but as time passes she really begins to believe that this scheme could actually work.  
I loved reading about Kate's shenanigans in Palm Beach, New York and overseas and I found myself laughing out loud at many moments in the novel.  While for a good portion of the novel, Kate may come across as shallow and money hungry to others, I found her endearing.  The essence of her character never really changes even going through all the things she does and that is one thing I adore about this book.  Too often, characters change personalities entirely in other novels and I love that Kate stays true to her personality throughout the story.  
My hat goes off to Izzo for her beautiful writing and her rich characters.  I loved, loved, loved this novel and I give it 5 stars.  It is something that I needed after reading a horrific dystopian novel and I am so happy to have been given this novel for review.  

No comments:

Post a Comment