Secrets in the Snow

Please Note: I received an ARC Copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not change the opinions of my review in any way.<br /><br />I wanted to love this book. I hate writing negative reviews. Since I adore Jane Austin (and most anything having to do with her), reading this "novel of intrigue and romance" was painful. I have argued with myself over whether or not to even write any review at all. But I feel part of my role as a reviewer is to help people steer clear of works that are a waste of time. This gives me no joy to do this, but here it goes.<br /><br />The story starts out pleasant enough, with Jane Austin being the house guest of one of her brothers. Deep in reading, she is unobserved in the library when her brother gets news that their cousin, Eliza, is suspected of being a spy for the French. Jane is incredulous as she has just invited Eliza for a visit. Realizing the War Office has used Jane to lure Eliza into a trap, Jane sets out to warn her cousin. A tale of intrigue? That would have been fun. But when a murder is introduced into the story, the narrative goes from riveting to ridiculous. As an avid fan of Jane Austin and the Georgian era, I found the manners and actions of this book to be insulting.<br /><br />One of the joys of reading a Jane Austin book is her keen observations on the manners of her time. There were strict rules of conduct between men and women that had consequences. Yet there are so many situations in Secrets In The Snow, by Michaela MacColl, that would never happen that I wonder if the author has researched the time period at all. At one point in the story, Jane discovers a body in the snow. She runs to get her brother (plausible) but then works with him and a male visitor to solve the crime. <br /><br />Not in a million years would the males of a house let a female be involved in anything that serious. The moment she would have told them, the men would have promptly told Jane to leave it to the men to deal with and shoo her out the library door. It would not have occurred to a man of that time to think a woman was even capable of rational thought, let alone treat her as an equal! They would also have immediately felt it was their duty to shield Jane from any potential scandal that could taint her marriageability in the future. <br /><br />The book would have been much better if Jane had been told not to interfere, and then solved the murder with the added impediment of needing to be stealthy. That would have been much more interesting and true to the era.<br /><br />There are also several scenes between Jane and a character named Tom that would never happen. No woman would ever walk alone with a man, hold hands with a man, or drink alcohol alone with a man without ruining her reputation. And she would not allow a man to kiss her without, "Will you marry me?" escaping his lips first. These may seem like quibbles, but these action are so out of place, that they make the whole story seem comical.<br /><br />I also feel the attempts at foreshadowing future novels such as Pride and Prejudice to be insulting. Heaven forbid that Jane could be creative on her own. No, she has to get "inspiration" from Tom. He just happens to have five sisters (P &amp; P), suggests improvements for Sense and Sensibility, and even tells Jane one day she could make a living out of writing her little stories. Um, that would have been offensive to a woman of Jane's social class.<br /><br />The resolution of this murder mystery is also a farce. Since it is not my policy to write reviews with spoilers, I will not say who did the deed. But, besides being painfully obvious, several people cover up for the murderer. With her strong religious beliefs (her father was a clergyman), Jane would never be tempted to help someone get away with murder.<br /><br />If you are a Jane Austin fan such as me, do not waste your energy on reading this book. I know the author must have worked hard and I respect anyone who has completed a book and gotten it published. But I truly wish she had stayed true to the time period.

3.5 stars<br /><br />If you are like me, when I first stumbled upon this, and you expect a novel form of the movie, <i>Becoming Jane</i>, I am telling you now: THIS IS NOT THAT!<br /><br />So. Good take aways... let's see. I want a Tom Lefroy:) The book starts off oh-so promising, and Jane is a pretty sufficient main character, all tho, everything kinda just goes down hill around the 3/4 marker (characters, plot, development etc.)<br /><br />The ending, as heart-wrenching as it is, is so incredibly abrupt! ....then again, the whole last 80 pages are abrupt-_- <br />The beginning was pretty damn strong, and I couldn't wait to see how the rest of this "novel of intrigue and romance" played out. Sadly, the execution starts getting choppy, as well as speeds up therefore a lack of detail forms, and the characters get less unique. Merp:/

I was taken with the fun of a mystery starring none other than Jane Austen as a nineteen year old sleuth. The author took some liberties, but in essentials allowed the reader to enter the world of a younger Jane Austen who is on the cusp of bigger things including writing her brilliant works.<br /><br />Secrets in the Snow is set in the midst of Jane's daily life. There are family visits and local engagements. Jane already is touched by her family's situation and how that affects her. She is under some pressure to marry and to marry well even though she yearns to write her stories and if she marries to marry for less practical reasons than her livelihood.<br /><br />So she is eager to be distracted by the suspicion of treason leveled on her flamboyant cousin, Eliza, and the mysterious man who trails her. Jane is intent on proving Eliza's innocence even while figuring out the mysterious happenings around her cousin. The mystery is not difficult to solve, but there are a few delightful twists.<br /><br /> In the meanwhile, her friend and neighbor, Mrs. Lefoy, insists Jane help entertain the lady's nephew from London, Mr. Tom Lefoy. Tom is Jane's match in wit and intellect and she starts to wonder what a future with such a man might be like, but then a murder has her setting thoughts of romance aside. I enjoyed the repartee between this pair. They are antagonistic at first and then seem a good pairing. But all along, I wondered if the author would stay true to the elemental facts of Jane's life in regard to Tom Lefoy or go into an alternative story that changes the known outcome. I'll leave that part a secret.<br /><br />Now, I usually do not bring up editing concerns particularly when I am reading an advanced reader copy, but I feel that this one was more raw than most I read. There were editing issues that made it difficult going at times and I hope were cleaned up in the finally copy. Thoughts and sentences would end in the middle at times along with the usual grammar and spelling errors so maybe check some reviews of the finished copy to make sure if editing errors are a big issue for you.<br /><br />The overall story is light and quickly read. It lightly touches historical authenticity, but there is enough so that the reader is not pushed beyond believeability. It was great getting Jane amongst her family and friends. I was particularly taken that the author included scenes with her brother George. This is touted as a young adult book and I would agree that it is suitable for that age group, but I didn't ever feel like I was reading a Young Adult book so I would recommend this to those who want a light cozy mystery involving the life of a young Jane Austen.<br /><br />I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

<i>You've given me the seed of a story. Who knows what it will grow into?"</i><br /><br />What a fun story. Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors, so to read about her life - even fictionalized - is just a fun book all around. Add in espionage and a murder mystery and you have me hooked.<br /><br />I loved Jane's sassy words, sharp judgement and fun humor. She was a force for sure from page 1 and I loved imaging her in this world. I also loved the slight nods at almost all her words as you see her glean ideas for her books from her adventures.<br /><br />I also loved the small view into her brothers, sister, aunts and other country neighbors. Their parties and interactions were lovely to wonder about. I completely enjoyed this quick story.

<br />Arc Provided by Chronicle Books<br /><br />I think I received an arc that was not quite ready for public reading: only that, would explain some mistakes regarding a character's age. Hope that got fixed in the final copy.<br />As for the plot itself, it never caught my interest. I am a huge Austen fan, and the Jane Austen in this book never shone. She was surly, reckless, and she did things who did not conform to the age she lived in. The author should have payed more attention to that. Calling strangers on a first name basis was a huge NO back then.<br />And that was when I DNF' ed this.<br />Better just watch "Becoming Jane".

I loved this easy enjoyable read. I would definitely read another book by this author.

2.5⭐️<br />This could’ve been a lot worse, but it was far <i>far</i> from good. Probably one of the most forgettable books I’ve ever read.

A good read for hard-core Austen fans and an introduction for teens who haven't read her works. I love that it isn't just a rewrite but an original story set in a believable Jane Austen world. She incorporated all the elements of my favorite Austen heroines and created characters I'd like to know. The mystery was easily solveable, but the character's reactions were not. I hope she does more featuring Jane Austen as a character!

I should know better. I’m disappointed in 98% of the books I’ve read that use Jane Austen as a character, or that are spin-offs of her books. <br /><br />Stephanie Barron’s delightful, well-written mysteries starring Jane herself have also spoiled me for any other attempts at creating such a scenario. That Jane Austen is the Jane I picture. This one, sadly, is not. In fact, I can genuinely say that I didn’t enjoy the portrayals of any of the historical figures in this book, and the amount of artistic license taken is pretty huge. The mystery itself was implausible, easily solved, and just silly. Oh, and rushed. This felt like a novella rather than a full-length novel. <br /><br />Bland and forgettable overall. The best parts were the quotes from Jane Austen’s novels at the beginning of each chapter. That’s harsh, I know. I hate to be that critical, but it’s true.

Somewhere between "it was ok," and "I liked it."<br />As a light mystery, this was fun and a good in-between book. I don't really think it needed to be a "Jane Austen Mystery," however. It felt like Jane Austen was thrown in to try to drum up interest in the book. This would have been fine as just a Regency mystery.<br /><br />That said, I am curious about Jane Austen's personal life so I ordered a biography to read soonish.