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Reviews
For features, interviews, and best-of lists, please click on "Press" on the left-hand menu.
Print and Broadcast Media
Audiofile
"It's easy listening to this funny, clever story.... Though it's difficult to hear this wonderful production come to a close, this time-bending story ends just as it should."
Full Article | Full Article at Audiofile
Baltimore Sun
"Go Read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict... A Los Angeles woman is transported back in time to Jane Austen's England, where ...a Darcy-like hero ...makes her forget all the other inconveniences."
Booklist
"Talk about an out-of-body experience. …This frothy take on literary time travel will appeal most to readers well versed in the celebrated author’s memorable characters and themes."
BookPage
"...a page-turner of a novel composed with remarkable assurance by a promising new author."
Boston Herald
"[Rigler] knows her Austen, and her heroine Courtney Stone lives it."
Choice Magazine
"A witty and enjoyable take on the structures and conventions of Austen's novels."
The Daily Reflector
"This story will hook you and keep you reading until the very end. Hooting with laughter at the differences in hygiene and the satire of social excesses, you will find yourself deeply involved..."
The Emporia Gazette
"...a seriously funny book that doesn’t take itself too seriously."
Full Article | Full Article at The Emporia Gazette
Good Housekeeping
"Read all the "sequels" and still want more? Try this latest riff, in which a 21st-century gal dumps her cheating fiance, only to wake up as an 18th-century lady with a romantic crisis of her own. Moral: Compared to ours, Regency-era plumbing was very bad, and its courtships very good."
Full Article | Full Article at Good Housekeeping
The Guardian
"highly diverting"
Full Article | Full Article at The Guardian
Historical Novels Review
"a terrific escapist read"
Full Article | Full Article at Historical Novels Review
The Independent
"Rigler adds her fun-filled share to Austen's "bit of ivory", showing her legacy to be alive and kicking in contemporary writing."
Full Article | Full Article at The Independent
Jane Austen's Regency World
"snappy, fresh and often laugh-out-loud funny"
JASNA News
"The heroine’s mental and physical crossings between the two time periods ultimately constitute a journey towards discovering her own identity. ... Although she briefly runs into Jane Austen herself, the heroine does not come into contact with any of Austen’s characters, so those who have grown weary of sequels need not fear this story. The novel offers readings of Austen’s works while covering timely topics, such as women’s position in contemporary society, in a very entertaining way. I enjoyed this thought-provoking romp through Jane Austen’s England."
Full Article | Full Article at JASNA News
Library Journal
"Janites will adore the underlying P&P story and romantic comedy tropes, while all readers will enjoy the honest, nitty-gritty details of early 19th-century life."
Full Article | Full Article at Library Journal
The Observer
"I spent a blissful day with it."
Full Article | Full Article at The Observer
Orlando Sentinel
"From the opening page when Courtney Stone wakes up in a strange bed to be confronted by a man and woman wearing clothes that look as if they were "cast-offs from the Merchant-Ivory costume department," the cleverness never stops."
Full Article | Full Article at Orlando Sentinel
Lansing State Journal
"Although "Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict" by Laurie Viera Rigler could easily be dismissed as a frivolous story about time travel with Jane Austin thrown into the mix to pull in readers, this novel is far better than that brief description."
Publishers Weekly (review of hardcover edition)
"…breezy debut novel.…Fans of the ever-expanding inspired-by-Austen-lit garden party will find a winner here..."
Full Article | Full Article at Publishers Weekly (review of hardcover edition)
Publishers Weekly
"a gratifying fix"
Full Article | Full Article at Publishers Weekly
Publisher's Weekly (review of audiobook)
"Cassidy is spot-on with Courtney's California accent, modern-day moaning about men, self-analysis and doubt, and sarcasm—and then, without missing a beat, flips easily into the proper, upper-class English tones of Jane..., her pompous, controlling mother, her desperate suitor and her sympathetic best friend."
Full Article | Full Article at Publisher's Weekly (review of audiobook)
St. Petersburg Times
"Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict takes the familiar arena of Austen's empire-waist muslin, afternoon tea world and tweaks it in a clever, cheeky way."
Full Article | Full Article at St. Petersburg Times
Social Life magazine
"You don’t have to be a rabid fan of Jane Austen to enjoy Laurie Viera Rigler’s entertainingly funny love story. A fun read that will thrust you into a world sans our modern luxuries. Can a single, contemporary city gal make it in a world of chamber pots and horse-drawn carriages?"
The Times of London
"...there’s even the occasional hint of subversive humour. Laurie Viera Rigler’s Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict leads the field here."
Full Article | Full Article at The Times of London
The Times-Picayune
"...a delightful comic romp: Modern readers are forced to consider life with chamber pots and without hand sanitizer and cell phones. And imagine what those "curative" waters at Bath really were like. Last, but not least, Jane Austen makes a cameo appearance that is pure pleasure."
Full Article | Full Article at The Times-Picayune
USA Today
"A devotee of all things Austen… discovers the reality of life in Regency England: rampant body odor, sexual and class repression and a style of medical care involving bloodletting.…Rigler does a perceptive job in contrasting the different eras. Despite the smells, little in Courtney's current lifestyle — including most of the men — can compete with the erotic charge of dancing in a candlelit ballroom."
Full Article | Full Article at USA Today
The Villanovan
"Instead of simply mimicking the brilliant 19th-century authoress, Laurie Viera Rigler's 'Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict' lives and breathes Austen - literally."
Full Article | Full Article at The Villanovan
Washington Post
"It is all rather silly but pleasant."
Full Article | Full Article at Washington Post
From the Blogosphere and Online Communities
About.com
"Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict is almost as addictive as a real Jane Austen novel."
Full Article | Full Article at About.com
About.com: Classic Literature
"Allow yourself to be transported back in time. Meet Jane Austen in the pages of this novel. It will be an experience that you won't soon forget."
Full Article | Full Article at About.com: Classic Literature
All About {n}
"a fun and witty novel...Jane Austen meets Quantum Leap."
Full Article | Full Article at All About {n}
The Argosy
"a dream come true for any Austen fan"
Full Article | Full Article at The Argosy
Ascent Aspirations
"If you want to have a pleasant break from our hectic and uncertain times you may want to immerse yourself in this novel. It will be, I'm sure, well-received by Jane Austen devotees looking for a literary 'fix.'"
Full Article | Full Article at Ascent Aspirations
The Austen Intelligencer
"Ms. Rigler knows her Jane Austen and sprinkles the book with loving references....This book is a fun, light, fluffy bit of 'chick lit' for any Janeite - a good read for a plane trip or a rainy weekend."
Full Article | Full Article at The Austen Intelligencer
Austenblog (1 of 2)
"[A] charming novel… Rigler writes beautifully…a light and deftly orchestrated visit to 1813."
Full Article | Full Article at Austenblog (1 of 2)
Austenblog (2 of 2)
"Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict takes your typical 'I want to live in that world' fantasy and injects it with the reality that no matter how horrible your real life might get, fictional fantasy worlds, even if they are based on real time periods, have their drawbacks, too."
Full Article | Full Article at Austenblog (2 of 2)
Austenprose
"Once you have begun on Courtney/Jane’s journey, you will be hard pressed to put it down."
Full Article | Full Article at Austenprose
Authorlink
"...sharp wit and saucy prose...Rigler’s quicksilver sense of the ridiculous and sharp eye for detail make Courtney’s tale a visual and sensory delight."
Full Article | Full Article at Authorlink
Barnes and Noble Review (by Eloisa James)
"adroit use of Jane Austen's time period...Rigler nimbly brings together Courtney's growing love for the Darcy-like Mr. Edgeworth with her acclimatization to place and time..."
Full Article | Full Article at Barnes and Noble Review (by Eloisa James)
Becoming Jane Fansite (1 of 2)
"...threaten your significant other that if he (I suppose, that will be he...) does not want to buy you the book, you will transport yourself to the Regency Period!"
Full Article | Full Article at Becoming Jane Fansite (1 of 2)
Becoming Jane Fansite (2 of 2)
"...I could not put it down; it is the ultimate feel-good, page turner....This novel had me laughing out loud constantly..."
Full Article | Full Article at Becoming Jane Fansite (2 of 2)
Blog Critics
"Charming characters, matchless plot-lines and a great Austen flavor make this debut a must-read."
Full Article | Full Article at Blog Critics
Book Club Girl
"I loved this book (my confession--I read this on submission and we were not ultimately lucky enough to publish it) and raced through it in one night, I was so eager to find out what would happen, would she stay in this world, would she be found out, could she stay in this world? And I found myself wondering what I would do."
Full Article | Full Article at Book Club Girl
Book Chatter and Other Stuff
"Toss this one into your beach bag and you won't be sorry!"
Full Article | Full Article at Book Chatter and Other Stuff
Book Loons
"...a fun read that would make an excellent book club choice, possibly in conjunction with a Jane Austen novel. It opens up a wide variety of great topics for discussion, such as the details of Courtney's time travel, as well as similarities and differences between 19th century writing about the 19th century, and 21st century writing about the 19th century."
Full Article | Full Article at Book Loons
Book Nymph
"one you will want to read over and over"
Full Article | Full Article at Book Nymph
The Book Studio (WETA-Public TV, Washington, D.C.)
"Rigler must have had as much fun writing this book as Jane Austen addicts will have reading it."
Full Article | Full Article at The Book Studio (WETA-Public TV, Washington, D.C.)
Book Room Reviews
"a charming, witty novel"
Full Article | Full Article at Book Room Reviews
Book Sense
"...luscious confection of a novel...enjoy the ultimate in luxury travel as you are transported via Courtney Stone, an archetypical 21st-century woman, to the elegant early-19th-century world of Austen’s novels."
Full Article | Full Article at Book Sense
Bookfan
"different and fun"
Full Article | Full Article at Bookfan
Booking Mama
"I am so glad that I read this book -- I thoroughly enjoyed it (and I didn't have to be a Jane Austen expert to appreciate it!)...a terrific selection for your book club..."
Full Article | Full Article at Booking Mama
Booksquare
"Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict captures the beauty of loving Jane while indulging in the ever-tantalizing “what if”"
Full Article | Full Article at Booksquare
Books and Movies
"a fun read - light and quick"
Full Article | Full Article at Books and Movies
Books and Bards
"it is as if bits and pieces of all of Austen's heroines are blended into a collage of a 21st-century woman, and in that revelation lies a reaffirmation of the timlessness of Jane."
Full Article | Full Article at Books and Bards
The Bookworm
"a very entertaining, very sweet read"
Full Article | Full Article at The Bookworm
The Buddha Diaries
"Venturing into the risky territory of nineteenth century English as a contemporary American whose native language is the vernacular of twenty-first century California, [Rigler] proves sure-footed amongst the booby-traps--and as a native English English speaker, I'm sensitive to the potential lapses. Her plotting, too, is nicely handled: the reader's attention is engaged by the story line throughout, and the ending--long anticipated, because we're kept wondering how our Courtney is ever going to escape her predicament--is astutely satisfying: it serves at once to resolve and deepen the mystery of Courtney's time-warp, and leaves the reader empowered to speculate on its meaning."
Full Article | Full Article at The Buddha Diaries
Chick Lit Club Author Picks
"Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict is my pick for 2008."
Full Article | Full Article at Chick Lit Club Author Picks
Coffee and a Book Chick
"Rigler's ability to fuse together the 21st century modern girl into the life and times of the 1800s was a fun jaunt down a lane in a world in Austen's time!"
Full Article | Full Article at Coffee and a Book Chick
Coffee Time Romance
"Ms. Rigler does an absolutely fantastic job!"
Full Article | Full Article at Coffee Time Romance
Conversations w/ Famous Writers
"...fabulous novel... a fish-out-of-water story with a twist."
Full Article | Full Article at Conversations w/ Famous Writers
Curled Up With A Good Book
"fascinating and entirely believable.... a delicious paradox."
Full Article | Full Article at Curled Up With A Good Book
Dallas Book Diva
"...well written, historically well researched, and takes the reader on a roller coaster ride."
Full Article | Full Article at Dallas Book Diva
Dear Author
"While I am tired of authors retelling Austen’s stories from endless different viewpoints and carrying on with the lives of the next generation of characters, I thought your clever working of the situations from her books into your book was great. After all, Austen was writing about the world she knew so it’s not surprising that those same circumstances would be encountered by anyone living in those times. I enjoyed watching Courtney grow as a person and delighted in her finally finding her own ‘Mr Darcy.’"
Full Article | Full Article at Dear Author
The Debutante Ball
"Now, I’m generally not a fan of time travel books, or books set in Regency England, but I could not put this book down. I was so hooked after my three hours at the beach that I snuck in a page at the two stoplights on the way home. In the pick-up line at my daughter’s camp. And plied my children with cookies and DVDs so I could finish it that afternoon. I love, love, loved this book."
Full Article | Full Article at The Debutante Ball
Dot Scribbles
"It has you laughing in many places whilst still offering you plenty to think about."
Full Article | Full Article at Dot Scribbles
The Egalitarian Bookworm
"a sweet, well-done time-travel piece that really explored the disadvantages to being a woman in the Regency era--oh yes, there were a plethora of those--without bursting the romantic bubble of Austen addicts everywhere (a tough tightrope to walk)."
Full Article | Full Article at The Egalitarian Bookworm
Examiner.com
"enjoyable and exceedingly addictive read"
Full Article | Full Article at Examiner.com
Film vs. Book
"Rigler lovingly takes all the best of Austen and treats it with the care and devotion only a true Austen fan could do. Look out for Austen's very own 'cameo' as our leading lady meets her idol face to face..."
Full Article | Full Article at Film vs. Book
Fruits de Mare
"I do hope that somebody has picked up the television or film rights to this story. It would make a wonderful Masterpiece Theatre episode. This is by far the best of the bunch..."
Full Article | Full Article at Fruits de Mare
Get Lit
"...a lot of fun to read."
Girlawhirl
"Girlawhirl will proudly admit it. She is a Jane Austen addict. No matter how many times she reads, and re-reads, the author’s classic’s like Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion, as soon as she’s done she just wants to start again from the beginning. And so does Courtney Stone, Laurie Viera Rigler’s 21st century girl who takes to vodka and Jane Austen to help heal her broken heart after a failed engagement in Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict…"
Full Article | Full Article at Girlawhirl
Historical-fiction.com (review of audiobook)
"The main character is very witty and just how you’d expect a modern woman to think and feel if thrust into a situation as Courtney was.... If you are looking for a funny, delightful read, I would recommend this book."
Full Article | Full Article at Historical-fiction.com (review of audiobook)
Jane Austen Today
"...the fans that adored Jude Devereaux's Knight in Shining Armor or the time travel movies Somewhere in Time, Kate and Leopold, and Big will definitely have a rollicking good time."
Full Article | Full Article at Jane Austen Today
Jane Obsessed With Jane
"a fun, light, guided tour through the early nineteenth century, as seen through the eyes of a disillusioned modern woman."
Full Article | Full Article at Jane Obsessed With Jane
La Grange Library Book Chat
"I have always wondered what it would be like to have lived during the Regency-era and find my own Mr. Darcy. This novel brought to life that fantasy."
Full Article | Full Article at La Grange Library Book Chat
Living Read Girl
"After reading this book, I'm certainly looking forward to [the sequel] and hopefully, more novels from Rigler."
Full Article | Full Article at Living Read Girl
Mischievous Muse
"I meant to read a few chapters before bed and ended up foregoing sleep, staying up all night, to read the book in one sitting. Whether you are a die-hard 'Austen addict' or just discovering Austen's world, this book is sure to delight."
Full Article | Full Article at Mischievous Muse
Mom Blog Network
"fun...also a sense of mystery"
Full Article | Full Article at Mom Blog Network
Monsters and Critics
"A light, entertaining read."
Full Article | Full Article at Monsters and Critics
Mostly Fiction Book Reviews
"Though I am not a fan of the phrase 'delightful novel,' Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict is exactly that.... filled with humorous observations and amusing characters"
Full Article | Full Article at Mostly Fiction Book Reviews
MSN
"charming and funny"
Full Article | Full Article at MSN
My Jane Austen Book Club
"Both very informative and highly entertaining. Perfect , amusing page turners."
Full Article | Full Article at My Jane Austen Book Club
Not Afraid of the F Word
"...a fabulous, fun book...combines this love of Jane, a fascination of that time period, a fed-up-ness with looking for love in today's world, and time travel in a book that's funny and sweet and will keep you curious until the very end."
Full Article | Full Article at Not Afraid of the F Word
Once Upon a Bookshelf
"highly enjoyable"
Full Article | Full Article at Once Upon a Bookshelf
Peeking Between the Pages
"hilarious...truly a delightful read for not only Jane Austen fans but others as well."
Full Article | Full Article at Peeking Between the Pages
Powell's Books
"In reading Laurie Viera Rigler's homage to her literary idol, I became an admirer of both her and the cult of Jane Austen."
Full Article | Full Article at Powell's Books
Random Jottings of a Book and Opera Lover
"hugely entertaining"
Full Article | Full Article at Random Jottings of a Book and Opera Lover
Read. Read. Read.
"Funny, addictive and it made me want to read some Austen... again."
Full Article | Full Article at Read. Read. Read.
Read. Read. Read. (Top Ten List)
"Time travel/body swap aspect is so funny to read about."
Full Article | Full Article at Read. Read. Read. (Top Ten List)
Redlady's Reading Room
"pure joy and fun"
Full Article | Full Article at Redlady's Reading Room
Romance Junkies
"captivating"
Full Article | Full Article at Romance Junkies
Romance Reader at Heart
"well written, often amusing...If you are a Jane Austen addict, then this book may be just the light read you've been looking for."
Full Article | Full Article at Romance Reader at Heart
The Romance Readers Connection
"...innovative and provocative historical novel... highly recommended..."
Full Article | Full Article at The Romance Readers Connection
Romance Reviews Today
"Jane Austen fans will be especially delighted with this unusual novel and its observations of Regency England by a twenty-first century female as she attempts to stay afloat in the ton."
Full Article | Full Article at Romance Reviews Today
Round Table Reviews
"Packed with humorous moments"
Full Article | Full Article at Round Table Reviews
Savvy Miss, “Best Beach Reads for Summer”
"If, like Courtney, Pride and Prejudice is your 'drug of choice,' Rigler’s book will be a perfect read for you this summer!"
Full Article | Full Article at Savvy Miss, “Best Beach Reads for Summer”
Scribbles
"It has you laughing in many places whilst still offering you plenty to think about."
Full Article | Full Article at Scribbles
She Is Too Fond Of Books
"The novel is as interesting and engaging to a Jane Austen novice as it is to a full-fledged fan."
Full Article | Full Article at She Is Too Fond Of Books
Single Title
"...one book you must not miss...a smiling good read."
Full Article | Full Article at Single Title
Suko's Notebook
"quite a fun book"
Full Article | Full Article at Suko's Notebook
Team Sugar
"Let me preface this by saying that normally I HAAAAATE Jane Austen knock offs. I have read a couple and hated them all. I am an avid Jane Austen fan and really want her integrity upheld, so the books that try to continue Darcy and Elizabeth's story and their like usually aggravate me. With that said, I would like to admit that, in this case, I am happy to be wrong. This book was sooooo good and worthwhile. It was really more than just a fun read."
Full Article | Full Article at Team Sugar
Third Place Blog (Favorite Reads of 2010)
"2010 may have slipped away into the past but the books we booksellers read and loved are still with us."
Full Article | Full Article at Third Place Blog (Favorite Reads of 2010)
Two Lips Reviews
"[S]imply a treat to read!"
Full Article | Full Article at Two Lips Reviews
What I'm Reading
"In smoothly elegant phrasing reminiscent of Austen, Rigler sets Courtney to unraveling the mystery of Jane’s complicated love life, not to mention the perplexing burp in time. ...Rigler’s magically scientific answers reveal why this homage is a cut above the usual Austen fan fare. "
Author Endorsements
Marisa de los Santos, author of LOVE WALKED IN and BELONG TO ME
"A rich, saucy lark of a book for all of us who have ever looked at our lives and marveled, 'How did I get here?'"
Judith Ryan Hendricks, author of BREAD ALONE
"By turns funny, thoughtful, romantic and suspenseful, this engaging story is as brisk and delightful as ‘taking a turn in the shrubbery’ in the company of a handsome gentleman. If you’ve ever fantasized about being a Jane Austen heroine, this is your book."
Masha Hamilton, author of THE CAMEL BOOKMOBILE
"I read this wonderful novel in a single sitting; Jane Austen fans will love it!"
Ellen Baker, author of KEEPING THE HOUSE
"Courtney's navigation of the delicate 19th century social scene and her attempts to figure out how to get back to her ‘real’ 21st century life make for a hilarious and affecting, all-around wonderful read."