First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austin by Charlie Lovett

This book weaves two stories of past and present. The past is about the friendship between Jane Austen and a clergyman, who is her best constructive critic and supporter of her work. The present is about a young British woman whose love for books was instilled in her by her uncle.

Both stories have a great sense of humor and the appropriate language for the time period.

The result is an engrossing tale wrapped around the love of writing, reading and collecting old books.

There were some moments in the present story that one could question if that was believable. Also, the claim that Jane Austin might have been a plagiarist was a stretch and I can see how some fans of Jane Austin might be offended by this. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book.

Overall, this is a quick and easy read. There is something endearing about this story. I’ve always loved books and Jane Austin, but now I appreciate them even more.

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