The blurb from the author’s website:
Part comedy, part love story, part time-bending social commentary, RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT is the story of Jane Mansfield, a gentleman’s daughter from Regency England who inexplicably awakens in the body and life of twenty-first-century Los Angeleno Courtney Stone. Jane had long wished to escape the confines of a life where she could not live alone or travel alone, and where her only career options were marriage or maiden aunt. But leaving 1813 England behind and awakening in a high-tech, low-morality world is not what she had in mind. Nor is Courtney’s tiny urban box of an apartment in Echo Park, complete with bars on the windows and graffiti on the gate. Gone are the rolling lawns and hovering servants of Jane’s family estate. Nothing—not even her own face in the mirror—is the same. The only thing that is familiar, and the only thing she seems to have in common with the strange woman in whose life she has mysteriously landed, is a love of Jane Austen.
The Short of It:
A light-hearted romp through present day society.
My Thoughts:
A lot of readers are calling this book a “sequel” but it is in fact a parallel storyline to Rigler’s first book, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. In Confessions, Courtney ends up in the 1800’s and hilarity ensues. This book tells us Jane’s half of the story as she experiences life in a modern day world.
I have to say that I did not enjoy this book as much as the first. I know! I am cringing as I type this but I think I know why. In this book, Jane has to learn how to live in OUR world. This includes working, paying bills, getting frustrated with technology, etc. Since I live that life now, it wasn’t an escape for me. Smart phones and DVD players just aren’t that exciting when you use them all the time. I want adventure! I want to go to another world and lose myself for a bit. I didn’t get that with this one just because of the nature of the story. It’s present day, hello!
With that said, I think that Jane’s story may have worked better if it had been integrated along with Courtney’s. It would have been a good mix of the past and the present. I know that when I was reading the first novel, I often wondered about Jane and what was going on in her world.
Overall, it did explain some leftover items from the first novel so if you are curious about the other half of the story, do pick it up but know going in, that it is slightly different in the telling since its focus is the here and now. I actually think the two together would make a really fun movie.
Book Chatter 
I just finished this one and have to say that I am glad I read it, since I tied up some loose ends from the first book.
I cannot, for the life of me correct the spacing issues on this post! UGH!!!
Forgive the lack of spaces.
I think both of these books sound like fun.
I can't wait to read this second one.
I'm looking forward to reading both books. I have the same issues with spacing issues in posts and it's nerve wracking sometimes. I have to fix it repeatedly to get it right. It is a blogger issue that is annoying and frustrating!
Sorry you didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one Ti. I really liked it. It was fun to see how someone would react in our society. It had me laughing quite a few times.
Sorry it was a bit disappointing for you, but I understand what you mean about wanting to escape in a book. I might give this one a try after I read the first book. Thanks for the honest review.
–Anna
Diary of an Eccentric