Review: The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen by Ada Bright & Cass Grafton

Source: Review copy from the authors

In The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen, book 2 in the Austen Adventures series, Ada Bright and Cass Grafton pick up right where they left off in the first book, The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen. Rose Wallace has just helped Jane Austen make it back to the Regency era with the help of a time-traveling charm and realized her crush, the archeologist Dr. Aiden Trevellyan, feels the same way about her when Jane returns to the present and insists that they travel with her back to Chawton in 1813.

This time it is Rose who is taken out of her comfort zone, and she soon learns that living in the time of her favorite author is not as delightful as it seems in Jane’s books. Rose and Aiden are welcomed by Jane’s sister, Cassandra, and her brothers, Edward and Charles, and while Aiden is thrilled to see the village as it was during Austen’s time, Rose is more preoccupied with the reason behind their speedy departure from 21st century Bath — especially as it pertains to her own past.

I adored The Unexpected Past of Miss Jane Austen as much as I did the first book. The time travel aspect was fun, especially to see the modern-day transports adjust to the clothing (or lack thereof), shoes, and even food and drink of Austen’s time, not to mention the lack of hygiene and modern medicine. There is plenty of humor to balance out the more emotional scenes, and even as the reason for Rose’s travel back into time (and what it might mean for her future) is revealed, Bright and Grafton keep the tone light and hopeful — and there is always Jane or Charles to provide some levity.

It is clear that Bright and Grafton took time to research what Chawton was like in the early 1800s to show readers how much had changed by Rose’s time, and their affection and respect for Austen and her family really shine through. Their Jane felt authentic to me, in her words and her actions, and that made me love the book all the more. I enjoyed following Rose and Jane through time, watching Rose navigate her ties to both the past and the present, and seeing Rose and Aiden’s relationship strengthen in such a short time under such weighty circumstances. The world that Bright and Grafton have created is fascinating, their characters endearing, and I didn’t want the book to end. I sure hope there will be a third book in the series, as I’m not ready to let go of Rose and Jane, their friendship, or their adventures just yet.