Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Patillo

This is the third book by Beth Pattillo that I have read, and I am glad it is her last!
While the other two books were lively and had aspects of the unpredictable, this
book was entirely predictable, if the reader is familiar with Pattillo's previous
works. Just like in her earlier books, she has a rivalry here between two men for
the affections of her heroine, named Emma Grant (not Douglas, as it says on the
back cover.) Adam is a friend from way before her failed marriage, and the other,
the sexy villain Barry, just keeps showing up whenever she has a task to
perform. In this book, Barry is also a professor who is eager to publish some lost
Austen letters. The last book of hers also had an evil publisher. Is she trying to
tell us something?

Another similarity to her previous novels, Emma is an American professor who
has come to England on Austen-related tasks. She meets with Gwendoleyn
Parrot, who is a member of a secret group called the Formidables, which is trying
to get Emma to solve a mystery about the great writer. Emma makes good
progress, and her travels around the country to some Austen novel locales like
Bath and Lyme, as well as the lively writing style of the author, are the highlights
of the book.

Emma's relationship angst is the weak link in this novel, however, and just as in a
previous book, the resolution to her man dilemma leaves the reader as frustrated
as the heroine must be. Emma realizes that she loves Adam in the end, but won't
stay with him. Why wouldn't a woman in love stay with the man she loves if he
loves her? I don't agree with Pattillo that the answer for the "modern woman" is to
move in with her parents to "find herself' first! It doesn't make sense, and that
weakness of character in the protagonist weakens the whole book. Yes, I like the
character of Emma Grant, but I think it may be Beth Pattillo's relationship angst
that comes out in the end. Any other woman with sense would realize the
marrying your best friend IS an Austen ending. So in summary, this book is an
easy read, but without a satisfying and charming ending, which I feel it needs.

Submitted by Gerti