Pleasant but Under-developed Austen-Inspired Romance
Anne, a junior professor desperate for tenor, finds out her ex-fiancee is the new president at her university. Between her old feelings returning for Adam, the kind of wild and totally sexy famous author she is dating, her best friend dating a closeted actor, her looming contract deadline, and her ill father, Anne's life is a whirlwind.
While a pleasant read, there was far too much going on in this story which led to a severe lack of development in the main romance. Obviously we are supposed to root for Anne and Adam, who's young romance we see in flashbacks and is totally endearing, but for me there wasn't enough in the present to make me think they would actually get back together.
Plus, as we find out, Adam could have one simple conversation with Anne which would have stopped all the ensuing conflict with the other guy. The plots about her best friend Larry were fun, but not really necessary, and adding on the family drama with her father just kind of made me sad.
My favorite bits were Anne's struggles as a young professor in a harsh world, and I wish this could have been the focus. The inclusion of many literary references were also fun, but this wasn't the best Austen retelling I've read recently.
While a pleasant read, there was far too much going on in this story which led to a severe lack of development in the main romance. Obviously we are supposed to root for Anne and Adam, who's young romance we see in flashbacks and is totally endearing, but for me there wasn't enough in the present to make me think they would actually get back together.
Plus, as we find out, Adam could have one simple conversation with Anne which would have stopped all the ensuing conflict with the other guy. The plots about her best friend Larry were fun, but not really necessary, and adding on the family drama with her father just kind of made me sad.
My favorite bits were Anne's struggles as a young professor in a harsh world, and I wish this could have been the focus. The inclusion of many literary references were also fun, but this wasn't the best Austen retelling I've read recently.