I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend
Written by Cora Harrison
Narrated by Alison Larkin
3.5/5
()
About this audiobook
Bestselling novelist Cora Harrison’s light historical romance in the form of a secret diary was inspired by real life events in the Austen family and will delight Jane Austen fans everywhere. When fifteen-year-old Jane Austen’s shy cousin Jenny comes to stay, their evenings are a blur of beautiful dresses, balls, gossip and romance; their days are spend writing about them—Jenny in her diary, Jane in her witty first attempts at fiction. When Jenny falls utterly in love with a handsome naval officer who better to help her than Jane herself, already an expert in love and relationships? With Alison Larkin’s delightful narration, you’ll feel yourself transported to 1791, meeting Jane Austen at age 16, and experiencing what life was like in that long-ago time.
This delightful, meticulously researched novel is followed by an afterword about the actual people and events on which the novel is based, including Jane Austen’s disabled brother, George and the whirlwind courtship of Jane (Jenny) Cooper.
Cora Harrison
Cora Harrison has written over 50 book for adults and children, including the Burren mysteries. She lives near the Burren in the west of Ireland. coraharrison.com
Related to I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend
Related audiobooks
The Importance of Being Emma Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJane & Me: My Austen Heritage Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Writing Jane Austen: A Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Northanger Abbey | Persuasion: With the History of England and Poems Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEmma Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lady Susan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Letters of Jane Austen Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnder the Greenwood Tree Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHowards End Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJane on the Brain: Exploring the Science of Social Intelligence with Jane Austen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Victorian Women Writers Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCamp Austen: My Life as an Accidental Jane Austen Superfan Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Pride and Prejudice (Unabridged) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cranford Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Jane Austen Collection: Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Persuasion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Song for Summer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMansfield Park (Unabridged) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Jane Austen Dating Agency Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Memoir Of Jane Austen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Professor Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Persuade Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Persuasion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLady Audley's Secret Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mansfield Park: with opinions on the novel from Austen's family and friends Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Madensky Square Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Northanger Abbey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Tree of Heaven Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Royalty Romance For You
An Offer from a Gentleman Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Queen Charlotte: Before the Bridgertons came the love story that changed the ton... Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Viscount Who Loved Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Duke and I Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Romancing Mister Bridgerton Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Red, White & Royal Blue: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pack Up the Moon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To Sir Phillip, with Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To Swoon and to Spar: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When a Scot Ties the Knot: Castles Ever After Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Scales and Sensibility Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To Have and to Hoax: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5First Comes Scandal: A Bridgerton Prequel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Master Of None Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To Love and to Loathe: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Duchess Deal: Girl Meets Duke Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Smallest Man Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Accidental Countess Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Like Heaven Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Too Suitable Duchess Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What Happens in London Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wallflower Wager: Girl Meets Duke Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Twelve Days of the Duke's Disguise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jack of All Trades Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cruel Heir: A Steamy Enemies To Lovers Romance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Something Fabulous Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sleeping with the Enemy: The Soldier's Forbidden Lover Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ladies Most...: The Collected Works: The Lady Most Likely/The Lady Most Willing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend
44 ratings6 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I absolutely adored this book, from start to finish. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourites so I was really interested to read the author's take on young Jane. Everything about this book was just lovely... from the gorgeous cover to the writing that flowed really well. I enjoyed all the characters and really felt like I got to know them. The book was charming, witty and just fun to read. I loved the story of Jenny and Jane- they were both portrayed excellently. I was also glad to see the author's note at the end as I had definitely been wondering what was true and what the author made up, and it was nice to know.
For more of my reviews and recommendations, visit my blog: here - Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I didn't like the picture of the Austen family that this presented, so I didn't finish it.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I found this book to be slow and the characters to be dull and not compelling. I didn't find that it resembled a Jane Austen book at all.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5very cool :)
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The story talks about Jenny Cooper, a poor orphan girl and Jane Austen’s cousin, who for a short period of time begins living with the Austen family. There, she will find out what friendship, love, and beautiful dresses are. When I first heard about this book, I was really curious, because I’m a huge fan of Jane Austen’s novels. Especially, I was excited to meet Jane Austen as a main character of a story, instead of a writer. And I wasn’t disappointed.The story is really sweet, sometimes a little predictable, but really nice and easy to read. Sometimes I felt I was reading a book by Jane. I really enjoyed learning more about Austen’s life, especially when she was a teenager, and learn things about her, that I didn’t know. I highly recommend this book to all people who likes Jane Austen, and want to know more about her, and to those who enjoy fiction books with a little of truth on it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Based on historical characters and events from Jane Austen's girlhood, this novel does a better job than most to evoke the feel of a Jane Austen novel. The story begins with Jane and her cousin Jenny at a strict boarding school. Jane has fallen ill with a fever, and the headmistress refuses to notify Jane's parents. Jenny slips out late at night to post a letter to Jane's mother. On the streets of Southampton she is nearly accosted by some unsavory characters, but finds a protector in gallant naval captain Thomas Williams. Jenny's mission is successful, the girls are removed from the school, but Jenny's secret fear is that Captain Williams will mention seeing her on the streets late at night, thereby ruining her reputation. Of course, Jenny will probably never see Captain Williams again . . . or will she?This novel in diary format, with accompanying sketches, does a good job overall of maintaining the feeling of the period. The author takes some liberties with characterization and ages of characters, and downplays Jane's closeness with her sister Cassandra in order to highlight her friendship with Jenny. The story is lighter fare than novels by Austen, but will certainly be enjoyed by teens who have read those works, as well as readers who enjoy historical romances.