Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen—or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It’s all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

PRAISE

“Allow me to direct you to the best Austen tribute since Karen Joy Fowler’s The Jane Austen Book Club: Shannon Hale’s clever and imaginative Austenland… Hale’s charming first book for adults is chick lit with soul. Though there’s a laugh on nearly every page—Hale, like Austen, is adept at subtly skewering the ridiculous—there’s also the more serious story of a woman learning the difference between fantasy and reality, and discovering that real life can be better than your dreams. Is there a better message for a summer read?”—Bookpage

“Cheeky irreverence…For all her breezily amused tone, Hale treats Jane and her fellow park ‘clients’ with affection, and she shows that the Janes of today are as likely as the Darcys to shy from commitment.”—Los Angeles Times

“A charming world that provides an entertaining diversion from the hustle and bustle of modern life.”—Calgary Herald

“A clever confection for fans of contemporary Austen knockoffs.”—Booklist

“Austen addicts will love...”—Kirkus Reviews

“Endlessly charming…An intriguing setup and abundant wit.”—Publishers Weekly

“Likely to please chick-lit readers and Austen aficionados who enjoy modern twists on the author's classic tales.”—Library Journal

“Darcy-obsessed Jane Hayes is fantasizing her life away when her great aunt Carolyn tries to snap her out of it by sending her on a three-week visit to a Jane Austen fantasy camp. Tantalizing, funny, absolutely satisfying, and surprising to the last page, this delicious confection will be devoured by die-hard Austen fans.”—Linda Hillegass, Lee Booksellers, Lincoln, NE

Shannon Hale is the award-winning author of the young adult novels The Goose Girl, Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Princess Academy, a New York Times bestseller and a Newbery Honor Medalist. She is an avid Austen fan and admirer of men in breeches. She lives with her husband and two small children in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Check out Shannon's website at www.shannonhale.com