Book List: Books for Jane Austen Lovers

Welcome, Tartlets, to my living, breathing, ever-updating list of Books for Jane Austen Lovers.

If you’ve been reading the blog for awhile, you’re well aware that I’m a Janeite, a.k.a, a huge Jane Austen fan. I grew up on Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility (the books and the movies), and I’m always willing to read a retelling, reimagining, or continuation of Jane Austen’s beloved classics and timeless words.

I’ve read a lot of Austen-inspired books over the years, and I thought it was time I shared them with you. As usual, all the books I mention are ones I’ve actually read (or, attempted to read). So, you can take my word on what to skip and what to savor. While some books lists will mention books I’ve already reviewed on the blog, many titles will be ones I haven’t mentioned before except for on my Goodreads or social media.

Table of Contents for Books for Jane Austen Lovers

I’ve broken down my Books for Jane Austen Lovers book list by novel, with a few extras tossed in toward the end. You can scroll through the entire post, or you can click one of the Table of Content links below to jump to your preferred Austen category.

Fans of Pride and Prejudice
Fans of Sense and Sensibility
Fans of Persuasion
General Jane Austen Appreciation

I plan to update this book list on the regular, so check in frequently to see what new reads await you!

FOR FANS OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

An Assembly Such As This: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aiden (series)

I’m kicking off this list with one of my favorites. An Assembly Such As This is the first novel in a trilogy that retells Pride and Prejudice from Darcy’s point of view. We meet Darcy soon after he arrives at Netherfield Hall, and this particular novel ends when Darcy leaves Netherfield after he prevents the most “imprudent” marriage between Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley. We see all the events we know through Elizabeth Bennet’s eyes, though this time through Darcy’s, and witness his burgeoning attraction to Elizabeth. I adored author Pamela Aiden’s writing, which really evokes Jane Austen’s style. I could see events unfolding as she describes them from Darcy’s point of view.

Duty and Desire and These Three Remain by Pamela Aiden

The other two books in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series are Duty and Desire and These Three Remain. Duty and Desire takes a wide left turn as Aiden imagines how Darcy might have spent the “silent time” during Pride and Prejudice, when he tries to get over his feelings for Elizabeth. New characters abound, including a potential new love interest, and a surprising amount of intrigue and mystery unfolds. However, Duty and Desire is my least favorite book in the trilogy and is really only worth a read if you’re completionist.

Otherwise, you can skip right to the third and final book. These Three Remain starts when Darcy stumbles upon Elizabeth wandering around Pemberley. Aiden fills in lots of gaps about what might have went on in Darcy’s head as he set about helping the Bennets with Lydia and persuading Bingley that marriage to Jane might not be so horrible after all.

Don’t miss this wonderful series if you’re a Pride and Prejudice fan.

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Harlow

It’s no secret that I absolutely loved this reimagining of Pride and Prejudice. The Other Bennet Sister gives a beautiful and moving story to the sister that both the Bennet family and Jane Austen seemingly forgot: bookish Mary Bennet. You can read my full book review of this historical fiction gem here.

Longbourn by Jo Baker

I remember when the pub date for Longbourn was announced many years ago. I was SO EXCITED for its release. A behind-the-scenes retelling of Pride and Prejudice from the servants’ point of view? Sign. Me. Up.

Longbourn is literary fiction at its finest – though, maybe not at its best. I read the entirety of Baker’s novel – which is long, indeed – and a lot of it wasn’t what I expected. It’s pretty dull, and it’s pretty depressing. Baker doesn’t sugarcoat servant life; while the Bennets were debating what boys to dance with and what neighbors to visit, the household staff at Longbourn worked its collective ass off. The servants in the book have their own problems, their own hardships, and their own (very few) joys, and that’s what the story focuses on. There’s not much we recognize from Pride and Prejudice in Longbourn, and I was a little disappointed by that. I wanted some more interactions between the Bennet sisters and the servants, but I guess Baker’s version is more in keeping with what would have actually happened than what I wanted to happen.

While I didn’t enjoy Longbourn, many hardcore Austen fans, historical fiction fans, and Regency period fans adore it. If excruciatingly detailed, character-driven, and historically accurate stories are your jam, give this one a try for yourself.

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

I’m going to be honest with you – I barely remember anything about Death Comes to Pemberley. The only reason I remember it at all is because I specifically waited to read it during my vacation to the Cotswolds, feeling oh-so-smug that I was reading an Austen-inspired story while in England.

Thank goodness my vacation was better than Death Comes to Pemberley! This novel promises a murder mystery, but it kind of fell flat. There were looks into the Bennet sisters’ lives post-P&P, but they weren’t that great. I wasn’t impressed. But, I’m also not a huge murder mystery fan, so that could be why.

A television miniseries was made of it, so some people must have enjoyed Death Comes to Pemberley. Read this one at your own risk, Janeites.

Imperfect Bliss by Susan Fales-Hill

This is a modern retelling of P&P that I read ages ago and really enjoyed. Imperfect Bliss moves the Bennet family into the setting of a Bacherloette-style reality dating show that has “Lydia” as its star (of course). The main character is Bliss, our “Elizabeth,” who’s recovering from a messy divorce and not looking for love, even while she tries to support her sister finding it on national television. This is a fun romp and modern twist on a classic tale, showing the reader how much has and hasn’t changed in terms of dating rituals since Austen’s time.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

There are lots of Pride and Prejudice retellings out there, but Eligible is probably my favorite. Curtis Sittenfeld, an author who can do no (or at least very little) wrong in my eyes, completely nailed this modern version of the classic that delves into class, social structure, love, flirtation, sex, money, and, of course, pride and prejudices. She also nails who the Bennets, Bingleys, and Darcys would be if they existed in contemporary times. Interestingly, Eligible also sticks a dating reality show into the mix, though “Chip” Bingley is the “bachelor” figure this time around. Read my short book review for Eligible here.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Let’s get one thing straight: I hate zombies. HatehatehatehateHATE zombies. But, I loved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I started reading this zombified retelling of my favorite Jane Austen tale under protest, fully prepared to disgustedly throw the abomination against the wall after a few pages.

To my shock, I ended up LOVING Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Because, shockingly, the zombies work so well in the story. The byline states that this retelling is by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith, and appropriately so. Grahame-Smith takes much of Austen’s original novel and seamlessly weaves the undead aspects around the characters and events we all know and love. It’s truly amazing how “Well, because of the zombies, of course!” explains away so many Regency life customs. It’s fucking brilliant, and you need to read it even if you hate zombies. Nay, especially if you hate zombies. It’s worth it.

Caveat: don’t watch the movie version of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The movie is crap. I’m not even going to link to it because I don’t want you being led astray. The book, as always, is so much better than the movie.

FOR FANS OF SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

Relative Strangers by A.H. Kim

Fans of Sense and Sensibility will appreciate this fun, honest, and heartwarming reinvention of Jane Austen’s classic. Relative Strangers pays homage to the Regency novel (and the 1995 movie, which is definitely worth a watch) we all know and love, with many contemporary changes to the original story that make sense given the setting and time period of the retelling.

Even if you’re not a Janeite, there’s lots to enjoy in Kim’s novel, particularly when it comes to themes of family drama, sibling stories, found family, foodie fiction, and love and romance. Read my full book review of Relative Strangers here.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben Winters

Unlike it’s brilliant predecessor Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – see above – this ocean-inspired retelling of Sense and Sensibility was a bit of a reach for me. While I appreciate that Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters stays true to many plot points in the classic Austen story (which, interestingly, were omitted from the 1995 movie), moving the entire Regency period underwater didn’t really do it for me. It’s not a bad version of Sense and Sensibility, but it’s definitely not the best.

Notably, the author of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is not the same person who wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. And, it shows.

The Three Weissmans of Westport by Cathleen Shine

This is another book that I read so long ago that I don’t really remember much about it – other than I liked it. The Three Weissmans of Westport is a solid modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility. It takes place in a rich coastal New England town, so it’s a great way to combine a classic novel and a beach read in one. Give it a try if you’re looking for a good summer read.

FOR FANS OF PERSUASION

Once Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards

If you’re a Janeite, you absolutely need to read Once Persuaded, Twice Shy. This is probably one of the best modern retellings of a Jane Austen novel that I’ve found, and you don’t want to miss it. Our Jane would be proud of what author Edwards has done with her often overlooked but marvelous masterpiece about second-chance romance. Read my full book review of Once Persuaded, Twice Shy here.

GENERAL JANE AUSTEN APPRECIATION

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict (Book #1) by Laurie Viera Rigler

Jane Austen time travel, anyone? Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict bends the rules of the cosmos when a modern day Janeite named Courtney suddenly finds herself living the life of a Regency era woman. Even though Courtney thought she knew everything about 18th century life, she finds herself completely out of her depth as she tries to navigate social mores, courtship rituals, and restrictive corsets, all while trying to figure out how to return to her own time period. The story gets a little ridiculous at times, and it does follow certain plot lines and tropes found in Pride and Prejudice, but it’s a fun romp of a novel with an intriguing ending.

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict (Book #2) by Laura Viera Rigler

You have to read Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict after you read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. In this sequel, we meet Regency era woman Jane, who wakes up in Courtney’s modern day life. Out of the two books, I preferred Rude Awakenings. I loved Jane’s quiet, reserved nature and how much she marvels at all differences afforded to contemporary young women. And, the ending to her novel is just as satisfying as Courtney’s.

The Jane Austen Diet by Bryan Kozlowski

Now, don’t cringe away: The Jane Austen Diet isn’t a stereotypical “diet book.” It’s not about depriving yourself to become thinner, or working yourself in a gym to exhaustion to lose weight. It’s about “diet” in the more traditional sense of the word – a way of eating. Author Kozlowski puts forward the theory that Jane Austen’s famous novels demonstrated the keys to living a healthy and happy lifestyle, and that modern society would greatly benefit from adhering to her inadvertent advice – of course, while taking important medical advances (yay, penicillin!) into consideration.

Reading The Jane Austen Diet is just a damn good time. Kozlowski’s sharp literary humor combined with the way he seamlessly weaves Regency quotes with modern speech and scientific explanations is a marvel. You can read my full book review of The Jane Austen Diet here.

Miss Austen: A Novel of the Austen Sisters by Gill Hornby

I tried reading this historical fiction tale about Jane Austen’s sister Cassandra, but I couldn’t get past the first few chapters. Sadly, Miss Austen ended up in my DNF pile. It’s detailed literary fiction, and it’s a little heavy handed when it comes to language. However, like with Longbourn, hardcore Jane Austen enthusiasts and historians seem to love Miss Austen. And, I believe it’s become a TV miniseries on PBS, so I’m definitely in the minority with my dislike for this one. Give it a try and make your own decision.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

In all fairness, I have no idea if The Jane Austen Society is good or not. I barely read more than a few chapters of this historical fiction novel set in the aftermath of WW2. I was reading, and then it became So. Freakin’. Sad. The characters are struggling with post-WW2 loss and trauma, and I just couldn’t. I may pick this one up again in the future since I did like the few chapters that I read… but it’ll have to be at a time when life is really going well for me and I’m not easily depressed.

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Okay, Edenbrooke isn’t technically a Jane Austen-inspired book. But it’s totally Jane Austen adjacent. So many elements of Pride and Prejudice are woven into this “proper” (read: romantically clean and chaste) Regency romance. I absolutely loved this story, and don’t let the “proper” part fool you – I downright swooned for the male lead in this novel who writes deliciously smitten love letters to the feisty heroine.