Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict (edition 2009)

This book was even worse than the first one. This book follows the adventures of Jane Mansfield of regency England as she is thrust into the body and life of Courtney Stone, a 30-something living in Los Angeles in the early 2000s. While in Jane's life, Courtney had gone to parties, learned to sew, avoided parents, etc. In Courtney's life, Jane fails to pay the bills, quits Courtney's job, and gets married to someone who thinks she is Courtney. That's quite a lot to do when one is the guardian of someone else's life. Jane somehow magically knows how to do lots of things, including: a) use a computer to surf the internet and look things up on Google, b) drive a car through the streets of Los Angeles, including knowing where people live and how to get there, c) swim in the ocean, and d) use a TV and DVD player to watch movies . All of this is explained away by something called "cellular memory" in which each cell of Courtney's body remembers how to do those things. *Insert retching noises here*

At the end of the second book, Jane is still happily living in Courtney's body, fucking with her life. So, they don't switch back? What's the point in "fixing" someone else's life and having someone else "fix" yours if you never switch back?? I'm not sure how that is supposed to work.

This book was mildly interesting while I was listening to it, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. ( )

This book was exactly what I expected: fun! Actually, I was quite impressed by the amount of detail Rigler put into her book: everything from language mannerisms, to technological discoveries and reactions to customs and habits - she does a great job at creating an authentic experience which is both believable and amusing right down to the amnesia and reincarnation phenomena. There were definitely a few lapses which throw off the reader (Jane is, apparently, a fast learner). However, these are fairly rare. I also liked the parallel of eras regarding views toward marriage: not much changed it would seem and certainly not to advantage of women. A light heart-warming tale. ( )

Uninspiring and not even qualified to be a companion to JAA #1, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict lacks plot, believability, and character development. Just stick to the first book! ... please read the full review at: http://tipsyreader.com/books/reviews/book-review-rude-awakenings-of-a-jane-auste... ( )

I loved the first book in this sequence. This one was very disappointing and hard to engage in. Much more fun to "travel" from the present to the past (as in the first book), than the other way around (this book). Nevertheless, Rigler does a passable job attempting to do so; she just doesn't quite pull it off. ( )

Several years ago, while working at $corporate_bookstore, I came across Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler which promised a fresh perspective in the Jane Austen paraliterature canon. I had been burned before by authors who use Austenmania as the foundation for their work, usually bogging themselves down by trying too hard to emulate Austen instead of just using her or her work as inspiration. What I really adored about Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict was that it didn't seem to fall into the same tangles and missteps as other Austenesque inspired novels - the writing was contemporary and not fake-Georgian/Regency era, the story was well paced, the background was well researched, the comedic errors were indeed funny and above all else, I really liked the heroine Courtney Stone.

I could also, which is hugely important when writing chick-lit, relate to the heroine's experiences and I could identify with her. This is really where Rigler excelled: She wrote chick-lit without making the heroine vacuous or implausible and she stayed (more or less) true to Austenesque style, which is where 90% of Austen regenerators fail.

One of the advantages of working in a bookstore is that you usually have your finger on what is going in the world of books and publishing much sooner then the general public, which was fantastic for me since I could keep atop on my Austenesque paraliterature better than the Austen blogging world. But not having worked at $corporate_bookstore since January of 2009, I've not been as diligent as finding new authors and books as I used to, in any genre. Thus when finding out Rigler had written a parallel novel, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, to tell Jane Fairfax's side of the story, I was intrigued and hopeful: If Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict was fabulous, how much more awesome would be Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict?

The answer is: Not so much.

If you haven't read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, here is a quick recap: Courtney Stone, 21st century Angeleno, finds out her fiance is cheating on her and breaks up with him. Stone's passion is everything Austen (natch) and after days of obsessive reading/watching/listening, she smacks her head while drunk in a pool and wakes up in Georgian era England (Austen's period) in the body of Jane Fairfax. Courtney has her own personality/memories, she also must contend with the memories of Jane Fairfax. Hilarity, anachronisms, misunderstandings and love ensues (obvs). While Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict concentrated on 21st Courtney's story, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict would tell of 19th century Jane Fairfax in the wilds of L.A. The premise then, is that while Courtney fixes Jane's "life," Jane too must fix Courtney's "life."

Supposedly hilarity, anachronisms, missteps and love ensues. Everyone goes home happy.

While I liked the idea and the concept, the executiion was not as well done as Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Rigler tries too hard to bridge the misunderstandings of a 19th century girl in a 21st century, but the whole thing fell apart for me.

I thought Rigler could have had a lot of fun with this, but the situations and problems she throws Jane in seem to be too conceptualized and trite. (Jane stumbling about as she learns about electricity/modern living for. everything. little. thing was stifling at best.) What I wanted, and what the premise foreshadowed, was a young woman who had been oppressed for years, finds her own voice and freedom. Instead, she falls into the same trap as every other damned heroine in chick-lit in the end; SHE MARRIES THE FUCKING MAN! What would have worked is having Jane/Courtney come into her own, find her own footing, become a 21st century woman, make her passion (drawing) into a career. She doesn't - she flounders for a few weeks, has everything taken care of for her by a man (just as in her past "life") and learns nothing about freedom or independence. Wasn't the point for Jane to fix Courtney's life, thus by ensuring "Courtney's" ability to stand on her own two feet and becoming her own person?

I was also confused as to what moral message Rigler was attempting to give here, because surely if she is attempting to project that Jane/Courtney is understand that things are different in the 21st century (as such Courtney/Jane discovers about 19th century in the first book), so are the mores of women. But Rigler doesn't do that, instead she just throws in some proto-feminist crap, makes weak arguments for/to about the sexual life of today's woman and then drops it. What the hell?

I adored Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict because of all the reasons I stated at the beginning of this review, but the Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict was nothing more than a huge mess. Rigler could have a had a lot of fun with this book by using Jane/Courtney to give a fresh perspective of 21st century life via a 19th century set of eyes and instead, it's a muddled piece of vacuousness with unbelievable and creepy characters1. Also, the leading man? Wes? Man has no balls or spine. But he DOES come from money, so obviously this fixes everything.

If you want fun, read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and forget that the second book exists. I think Rigler has a lot of talent, so I'm hoping Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict is not indicative of her future works. If so, well, she needs to find another shtick because this 21st century girl won't be buying.

1. Deepa creeped me out -- I didn't find her to be "helpful" or "guiding" Jane towards the answers, for surely, that is what she was supposed to have been doing. Again, another character whose life was made simpler by a divorce from a man with money - how fitting. Rigler seems to be saying here, then, that the only way to true happiness is to marry a man with money. Because obviously, our sister suffragettes struggle for over 200 years means shit. ( )

This was better in a some ways then the first, but worse with the addition of elements it did not need. Too many elements overwhelmed what started with a good premise and causes the book to end with a slugfest of trying to turn pages fast enough to the conclusion with is the same as her first novel.

How did we get here again? Through the explanation, inadequately, of the paranormal, in such a way that you further do not believe what has happened. Let us have our regency transplant, and the Jane Mansfield joke was a mistake in the first book, trying to survive without an unexplainable fortune teller. Let us have our Regency transplant have no connection to another book and the plot elements from that weaving, unexplained unless you read the first book, in.

Our Heroine has enough on her plate to make a good story. Finding out their way in 2009. Resolving that all whom she knew is gone. She need not make an entirely new friend for a plot device, if her body that she inhabits has friends which are entirely new to her.

Our Heroine need not be forced into work for an ogre without any understanding, for her friends knowing that she has no idea how anything works should know she must be watched and taught. Nor the juvenile, body memory device that the author employs here and before, allow our heroine to get into a car. Sure it is going to work. Totally unbelievable, better the scene where she tries it and almost kills herself.

In all I am glad I read it so I can write this review. I can discuss at length so many more of reasons that this book could have been a contender, and falls short. Even if it were to appeal to the Janeites, as a story, the holes make it a once only. ( )

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict is a light romp through the world of contemporary romance for Austenite, Jane Mansfield. She tries devilishly hard to assimilate in California 2009, and does very well. By the end of the book, she's not only dumped a cad and bagged babe, but successfully traded lives with her modern day counterpart for good. All's well that ends well . . . I only wish there had been an unexpected turn of events or a bit more drama. I enjoyed the book but it hasn't left a lasting impression. ( )

Really fun story. I think the author did a great job of describing her view of electronics and changing society. I enjoyed watching Jane come to grips with the modern world. This definitely wrapped up the loose threads left from the first book. I would still like some more explianation on the 'hows', but I'm also ok with just enjoying.

Now I would like to know more about Deepa's experience with the fortune teller... :) ( )

A sweet story that I enjoyed very much. The main character's journey from Jane to Courtney held my attention and I finished the book in two days. I recommend it for Jane Austen fans. ( )

So we all know what happened to the real Courtney... and if you don’t, check out my review here. But what happened to Jane Mansfield? Well, we get to find out in this parallel story to last year’s favorite - Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.

Jane Mansfield, a gentleman’s daughter from Regency England who inexplicably awakens in Courtney’s body in present day L.A. And although her apartment may be smaller than a dressing closet - she is enthralled by the lights that burn without candles, machines that wash bodies and clothes, and that ever entertaining glossy rectangle in which tiny people perform scenes from her favorite book - you guessed it, Pride & Prejudice. As Jane comes to terms with her new life she goes from one hilarious situation to the next... from meeting Courtney’s friends, job and the mess her love life (or lack thereof) is in.

Ms. Viera Rigler is one funny gal - there were parts where I found myself laughing out loud over. I found it uproariously funny that Jane/Courtney wakes up in this whole new world and ends up wearing a wedding gown - since it was the only suitable thing to wear... I mean just the thought of it still tickles me. The transition for Jane is much harder than it was for Courtney. Who in 1813 could envision all the technology we have and take for granted in our day to day lives in the 21st century? I enjoyed this just as much or even more than I did Confessions. I will suggest that you read Confessions first - only because you get to meet Courtney and get more inside information on who Jane is or was in 1813.

This was a fun, light read with plenty of laughs and a wonderful message. I certainly enjoyed it and recommend to all - not only Jane Austen lovers. ( )

Slow start. Author seemed to be trying to write like Jane Austen, but with her own spin... didn't quite hit it. It had a Jane-esque ending, though. ( )

Excellent sequel to the first. Seeing what happened on the other side, this book completes the story that was started in Confessions. Actually, I found this book more entertaining that the first because this scenario would be so much more confusing. For anyone that is a fan of Austen's works, these books are fabulous. ( )

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict is the complementary story to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. In that first book, Courtney Stone, a 32 year old from the year 2009, wakes up in 1813 Somerset, England in the body of Jane Mansfield, daughter of a gentleman. Rude Awakenings tells what happens to Jane, who wakes up in Courtney’s body in 2009. The books can be read independently but probably flow better in order.

Both young ladies, rabid fans of Jane Austen, wished for different lives, and both hit their heads at the same time. Thus, we presume, some sort of cosmic Karma has enabled this switch. Like the movie “Back to the Future,” these books focus on the humorous confusions that result from dislocations in time. Coming to 2009 from 1813, there is plenty to astound a person, from televisions, computers, telephones, cars, and airplanes to the astonishing change in manners and morality, especially for a young woman. And there is no shortage of opportunity for satire either. One uproarious passage has Courtney’s friends take her to a therapist; after Jane/Courtney goes on about how she is really someone else from the year 1813, lost in the future, and doesn't know how to get back, the therapist says: “Soooo… how do you feel about that?”

Courtney, ostensibly recovering from a severe concussion, finds herself attended to by Wes (the best friend of her ex-fiance), old girlfriends Paula and Anna, and a new girlfriend Deepa (who speaks with a reassuring English accent). She also finds herself reluctantly feeling responsive to the importunings of the ex, Frank, whom everyone (including Courtney) now recognizes as a scumbag.

It is Anna, who is into “new-age crap” as Paula calls it, who gives Courtney the most to think about when she says:

"I believe that each of us has the power to create heaven or hell, right here, right now.”

Reflecting on this later, Courtney, always the Austenophile, says:

"Each of us has the power to create heaven or hell, right here, right now. I do not know how I have come to be in this time, in this place, in this body. But I do know that any place where there are six novels by the author of Pride and Prejudice must be a very special sort of heaven.”

When Courtney expresses angst about how to understand what has happened to her, her friend Deepa takes her to see a fortune teller, who turns out to be the same one she saw as Jane back in 1813. The woman tries to teach her that knowledge about ourselves and others is structured by preconceptions. To truly know someone, you need to be open to fresh perspectives. That is to say, like Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice, one must let go of ones' pride and discard ones' prejudices, not only to know others truly, but also to know ourselves and our true desires.

She also teaches Courtney not to be intimidated by the nature of 21st Century relationships. Even if someone has loved before, it doesn’t preclude loving again:

"When you unite with your true love, it will be as if he is your first, and you his. In the eyes of love, there is no past.”

But can Jane/Courtney somehow reconcile her knowledge of who she really is with her new persona, and overcome the mistakes of both of those lives to make a new beginning? Or will she get cold feet and go back, with the help of the fortune teller? In short, will she create a hell, or can she create a heaven?

Evaluation: I liked this book much better than Confessions, in part because this story tended to tie up the lose ends left by the first story (and I do like all the ends tied!). It was also fun to see Jane/Courtney’s reaction to all the modern conveniences (such as toilets!) and watch her figure out how to use them. And looking at such modern wonders (electricity!) through Jane’s eyes helps you appreciate them so much more!

I envied Jane for having the opportunity to create a new life as Courtney, combining their personalities to make a kinder, better Courtney and a looser, more compromising Jane. It's sort of like having a rewind button but with an editing capability. What a lovely premise! ( )

Hello, everyone. My name is Lauren, and I am a Jane Austen addict. (All chime in with a staggered "Hi Lauren.")

I was not aware that there was so much Jane Austen-related time-traveling fiction. I suppose it is only to be expected. After all, what Janeite wouldn't want to travel back to the Regency era, even if only for a day, and meet some reasonable facsimile of Darcy or Knightley or even a Willoughby? It's okay to admit it. With the recent release of the BBC miniseries "Lost in Austen," that desire has, I'm sure, become more of a desperate need. And that series is, I find, the closest thing that I may compare these books to.

But instead of two women stepping through a threshold in a bathroom, into fictional England (and Amanda forever resigning herself to a life inside of a book), here one soul seems to stretch itself out across the ceaseless expanse of seamless time, reverse its polarity, and contract over our story. As a result, a 32 yr old from Los Angeles who hits her head in 2009 ends up switching bodies, accents and cellular memories with a 30-year-old British woman in 1813. Some sort of shape-shifting gypsy seems to be at the root of the issue, but the fact is they've both hit their heads in their respective centuries. This has to be fate.

The two novels are meant to be read back-to-back and in order. So read Confessions first. If you reverse it, you'll be completely lost and probably somewhat disappointed. Let the story tell itself, don't go seeking answers by trying to read them in-tandem. If you do that, not only will you confuse yourself, but you won't get the answers you're looking for. Best to wait until you've finished both.

In Confessions, we follow our modern Janeite (Courtney Stone) who has been dropped into the body and living of a Jane Mansfield. Whilst there, we're treated to a good deal of historical "behind the scenes" business of everyday life in 1813, making it a great deal similar to that bit of fluff I read last week, What Would Jane Austen Do?

But it's not the same. At first, getting into Courtney's head was kind of disheartening because she seemed so much less educated than Laurie Brown's heroine. The way she thought and conversed was much more "idle-movie-watching-Janeite" than "fanciful-book-reading-Janeite" and I almost put the book down. But as she began to remember her host's life and as she started fumbling through her relationships, I took pity on her. She began to try and make amends with Jane Mansfield's would-be-fiance, and I started to realize how very like Amanda Price she was, except that Jane Mansfield is no fictional character with a script to be carried out. This plot is much more reliant on the presence of fate and of free will. Once Courtney/Jane begins to exercise that free will, she's much more likable.

As for Jane Austen, since she hasn't written this script, one wonders where she will turn up - and whether she is only a host, herself, for this proverbial literary Star Trek convention. In Laurie Brown's book, the heroine agrees to go back in time with the promise of potentially meeting Austen. In these novels, those for whom fate stretches time have no choice and no motives in trading places, but in a way the outcome is similar. For Courtney, she does in fact run into Jane Austen and scares the poor woman with her talk of novels that have not been published and knowing that she is the lady authoress, and foretelling all sorts of fame for the poor spinster who only wished to buy gloves that afternoon. For Jane Mansfield who - as you may have guessed - is now residing in Courtney's body in 2009, her introduction is a little different.

In Rude Awakenings we follow poor Jane Mansfield whose very first morning in 2009 is spent in more confusion than a newborn. Of all places, quiet country Jane has been dropped into Los Angeles. Poor girl. Jane is quite a different Austen fan. Being from 1813, there are only 2 Austen novels published - Pride & Prejudice, and Sense & Sensibility. So when she arrives in a land where there are 6 full-length Austen novels, and countless film representations, one imagines it is quite as fulfilling as meeting Austen, herself.

In a way, I enjoyed Rude Awakenings more. That could be because I already had the backstory of the first book and wasn't feeling my way around 2 characters as I had to in the first one. But even taken out of the context of these particular novels, Jane Mansfield is already of an age. She's period - so her reactions to the world are a little more predictable, and even then, a little more interesting. In "Lost in Austen" we don't really see how Amanda adapts to Georgian England. We get that she does, but were it not for Darcy, she would have gone back home and brushed her teeth and enjoyed the 21st century. But we do see Elizabeth Bennet embrace her modern life quite well.

And I think in a way that's why Jane's stumbling around 2009 was more interesting - she has very few memories from Courtney (in the beginning at least), but there's a great deal to be said of cellular memory. Courtney's had a computer for probably 15 years. Her keyboard memory is, well, key. Jane doesn't even need to look at the letters when she steps into this host, because it's all, uh, spelled out for her. And with that, she has the world at her fingertips. Anything she wants to know, she can find it on the internet. Would that the internet had existed in 1813 - Courtney might have had an easier time of things. Cellular memory of embroidery and dancing can only get her so far.

The humor of the second book made its writing feel superior to the first. It's much funnier watching Jane stumble around as Courtney and finding out what vodka is, than it is to watch Courtney, in Jane's lithe and well-balanced body, fret about the sanitary conditions of Bath. It's understandable, it's just not really funny. We also don't really understand the outcome of the first book until the very end of the second. What will happen to Courtney and Jane? What about the memories they've still not regained? Will they be able to change back to their own bodies, their own time? Do they even want to? What about Courtney's ex-fiance Frank? Will things ever get settled with him? And what of our shape-shifting gypsy? The novels took me a day apiece to read. Even if you don't read that fast, they're worth picking up.

Special thanks to Gevalia Coffe from Gevalia Kaffee. I fell asleep writing this blog last night and woke up to all sorts of repeated rows of letters and misspelled words. Fortunately, Gevalia sent me a little sample of their signature blend, and even more fortunately I own a french press. I only dozed off once this morning while typing this all out. Yay coffee.

Lauren T. Cartelli
www.theliterarygothamite.com ( )

This was an entertaining concept. What would it really be like if one were to be transplanted out of one's own time? The romance was nice, and the obsession with Jane Austen was fun. But mostly the appeal lies in the "fish out of water" situations. ( )

In a reversal of time travel, Jane Mansfield moves from the 19th century into Courtney Stone's present day life. Trapped in this modern day, Jane is exposed to the remainder of Jane Austen's work (and loves them as much as the rest of us), learns about cellular devices, and finds that men and women associate alone? Shocking!

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this 19th century character, with the actions and behaviors of a time long gone, learn about the wonderful freedoms of this modern era. I won't lie. I like it when the "time traveler" focuses on the exciting new positives of where they live, and not the traumatic, negative social differences they see. This particular story did just that, in showing how Jane became enamored with not just the things of this modern era, but the people as well. And somehow along the way, it seems Jane learns that a person's heart, regardless of time period, will always be the most important factor in finding true love.

Overall, I found this my favorite of Rigler's two novels. ( )

Sequel to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Fun, light read. I enjoyed the tie ins to Jane Austen books.

Sequels or prequels can be a tricky thing. When the first book is well received, readers have an expectation that the next book will be just as good, perhaps even better. An author venturing into such territory takes a great risk. Laurie Viera Rigler took an even bigger risk as her primary demographic is Jane Austen fans. As one myself, we can be a demanding, unforgiving bunch with very high expectations. After all, any author willing to take characters (and beloved ones, at that) that Ms. Austen created herself, or make Ms. Austen directly or indirectly the subject of their book must be prepared to be compared to Ms. Austen in some fashion.

I adored Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. I will say that I am a somewhat obsessive freak over time travel - - the idea, stories about it - - and you have read my profile, you know that I have a fascination with Jane Austen fan fic and sequels. Confessions (and Rude Awakenings) fit both molds for me. Ms. Viera Rigler made a wonderfully relatable heroine - - Courtney - - and her details of Regency life were a delight to read.

I was thrilled to hear of a follow up novel and Ms. Viera Rigler does not disappoint. Rude Awakenings is a fun romp of a read - - joining Jane Mansfield, who manages to find herself in Courtney’s body, while Courtney s ostensibly in hers. The problem - - and fascination - - being that Jane is from 1813 England and is now in present-day Los Angeles. Her shock, awe and fear over our daily necessities like cars, televisions, phones and electricity is humorous and humbling. Of particular joy to me was Jane’s thrill over finding out not only the author’s name of her favorite book (Pride & Prejudice) but that she had written five more completed novels during her lifetime. Not only did Jane have to navigate a thoroughly modern world she had no experience with but also had to pick up Courtney’s life with her friends, co-workers, a job, problems with her mother and a recently broken engagement.

Rude Awakenings was a worthy follow-up to Confessions, answering questions posed and left unanswered in the first book. Readers should be pleased not only with Jane’s dilemma but also with a bit of further information given about Courtney as well as more character development for Jane herself.

This book was so good, such a fun read, that I raced through it in about two and a half days (and weekdays, while working). I would recommend it for all Jane Austen fans, fans of the Regency era or other historical fiction and especially anyone who has read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. ( )

So far, I don't like this one as I did the first in the series. The main character seems just a little too accepting of the idea of time travel and the 21st century. About halfway through....
Didn't get a lot better. Don't know if it was me or the book, but I finally gave up ( )

Great companion novel to the earlier Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. This time, we get to see what happened to Jane Mansfield while the 21st century Courtney Stone is occupying her body back in 1813. Jane is transported to Courtney's LA life, where living is much more fast-paced than her days at home. I think the future would be much harder to get used to and Rigler did a wonderful job with Jane's language and shock at things like dressing yourself and exposed legs. ( )

If you read and enjoyed Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler you will be sure put her latest offering, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, on your list of books to read this summer.

Jane Mansfield had long lamented the confinement and restrictions of her life as a gentleman’s daughter in nineteenth-century England. Practically every facet of her life was controlled by someone other than herself. The clothes she wore, the people and places she visited (properly escorted, of course), the food she ate and her own behavior was under scrutiny lest Jane be deemed “improper” which usually translated into “unmarriageable.” Imagine her surprise and utter confusion to awaken one morning as Courtney Stone, living in a small apartment in suburban Los Angeles in the twenty-first century. Almost everything has changed – even the face in her mirror – except for the love of Jane Austen’s books that Jane and Courtney share.

Of course, the premise is far fetched but the adventures of Jane as Courtney are humorous and well done. Imagine a Rip Van Winkle storyline but instead of a twenty year gap make it an almost 200 year chasm. Jane is obviously befuddled by life in 2009. Most intriguing is the glass box where small figures are performing scenes from her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. Other machines produce music, wash clothes and heat or cool food. Lighting is achieved without candles; the air in a building is cool and comfortable as opposed to the heat outdoors. Clothing provides a constant source of anxiety for Jane; a lady would never be seen with her arms and ankles exposed, let alone wear trousers or a bathing suit. In between the confusion of modern life is Jane’s love life dilemma. She has confusing memories of her friend Wes and her ex-fiancé Frank, both of whom have purportedly betrayed her. Nineteenth-century staid morality meets twenty-first century sexual freedom; what’s a girl to do?

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict parallels Rigler’s first novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict in which the protagonist finds herself transported to Jane Austen’s world. Both are excellent examples of “chick-lit” novels that are well written and entertaining without being offensive or crude. Rude Awakenings is clever fun and the perfect summer read for all of you Jane Austen addicts. You know who you are… ( )

I let myself read over 100 pages, just to be sure I could not possibly be as wrong about a book as I was about this one. But no, the dialogue doesn't get any better, the writing doesn't improve, the characters stay ridiculous, and the premise remains utterly stupid. The best part of the book? The fabulous cover, with a woman in Regency dress holding an iPod. Quite cheeky -- but take my advice and stop there. The book reads like the worst kind of novel, completely pedestrian and sophomoric. ( )

After reading the first book, [Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict], I was so hoping that we would get to see the other side of the switch. I was not disappointed!

I could not put this book down once I started it. I was intrigued from the beginning as to how Courtney/Jane was going to adjust to modern life. I think the description of Jane and her first encounter with the television and the Pride and Prejudice movie is my favorite bit.

A really fast, great read. I would recommend it to any fan of Jane Austen. ( )

With Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, Laurie Viera Rigler offers a satisfying conclusion to the parallel storyline that engaged readers in Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Confessions, you may recall from my review, explores what happens when Courtney Stone, a devotee of Jane Austen’s writing, awakens in Regency England, inhabiting the body and circumstances of Jane Mansfield.

As much as I enjoyed Confessions, I found Rude Awakenings to be even more of a creative feat. In Confessions, Courtney had the relative advantage of traveling back in time - she had at least a passing knowledge of what to expect in her new place in time. Jane (as Courtney) faces hundreds of wildly fantastic new experiences that are beyond her imagination.

The author provides a sharp contrast between the two worlds by using first person present-tense point of view for the entire narrative. Jane thinks and talks with the mannerisms and vocabulary of her well-to-do English upbringing; she quickly realizes that she must adapt a more contemporary tone. Rigler also employs a lot of humor, as Jane tries to understand this strange new world.

Rude Awakenings has an intriguing love triangle to follow - actually more of a “love hexagon” if you consider two women and four men, with 200 years, the Atlantic Ocean, and all of North America between them.

The men are minor characters compared to Jane’s starring role. She learns bits and pieces about Courtney’s history from Wes and Frank as well as a handful of female friends. Ultimately, though, Rude Awakenings focuses on the choices Jane makes, guided mainly by her centuries-old ethos.

While Jane Mansfield walks in Courtney’s shoes, literally and figuratively, she realizes that her actions may affect Courtney’s future, if and when they are returned to their original settings. She takes to heart the well-spoken advice of a curious friend who understands Jane’s unusual predicament; Rigler peppers the novel with such timeless wisdom, including Jane’s realization that

Whether or not Jane is able to keep to her principles, and what potentially life-altering decisions she makes for both herself and Courtney, are revealed in this delightful novel that reads like a modern-day fairy tale with a moral that holds true across the ages.

The many themes provide discussion fodder for book groups, and fans of Jane Austen’s novels may be especially amused by both the direct and more subtle references to the author and her work. Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict stands strong on its own, but do read Confessions first for the two views of the story.

full review at www.sheIsTooFondOfBooks.com
She Is Too Fond Of Books ( )

Life has gotten a little strange for Jane Mansfield: she's woken up in a cramped apartment in Los Angeles, wearing frighteningly little clothing; her beloved maid Barnes is nowhere in sight; all sorts of strange appliances and glowing boxes are around her, producing very curious noises; and an incredibly good-looking, decidedly ungentleman-like man is tending to her monstrous headache, which he says is the result of whacking her head against the bottom of a pool.

Oh -- and it's 2009.

When Jane fell off her horse on her father's estate in England, the year was 1813. Heartbroken and battling to get out from underneath her mother's meddling thumb, Jane had wished for another life -- a new chance in a new time. And after her nasty spill, her wish has been granted.

The modern era is a complete and total mystery to Jane, filled with cars, cell phones, iPods, the Internet, television and film adaptations of Jane Austen's work on boxes with moving pictures (ooh, Colin Firth!). With the help of friends Paula, Anna and Wes, Courtney's former friend and current ally, Jane-as-Courtney begins to piece together how in the world she may have come to find herself in L.A. -- and in the body of blonde, petite assistant Courtney Stone, a woman whose problems, heartbreaks and indecisions Jane has now inherited.

This sequel to Laurie Viera Rigler's Confessions Of A Jane Austen Addict follows Jane as her friends come to grips with her funny way of talking -- Regency dialect, you know, just without the British accent -- and her complete inability to understand any sort of technology. At first chalking up her confusion to the concussion she's suffered, they slowly begin to realize that Courtney has changed. And it's all thanks to Jane.

Though I enjoyed Confessions very much, I have to say that I loved this novel even more than Rigler's debut. Her observations on modern relationships, technology and friendships were spot-on, and I absolutely loved discovering the things we take for granted anew through Jane's eyes. Contraptions like cell phones and computers are alien to her, and the descriptions of them are often hilarious. How often do we stop and think how strange it is that we're sitting in front of little glowing boxes right now, tapping out sequences of letters to pull up information from anywhere on the planet? Once Jane discovers the wonders of Google, there's no turning back. It's a magical feeling!

The development of Jane's friendships with Paula and Anna was really fun, as were her interactions with philandering ex Frank and good friend Wes. The romance felt believable, and I thought her descriptions of modern courtship were particularly astute . . .and thought-provoking.

Overall, an incredibly entertaining, interesting and fun look at our world through the eyes of a Regency woman, and a wonderful treat for Jane Austen fans. References to our favorite author abound, and a love of all things Austen -- and Mr. Darcy -- is just one of the many things Jane discovers she shares with Courtney. Now I want to go back and re-read Confessions, if only to spend more time with funny, perceptive Jane. ( )