cover image Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

Laurie Viera Rigler, , read by Olagh Cassidy. . Penguin Audio, $39.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-14-314241-6

Orlagh Cassidy is delightfully fun as Courtney Stone, a modern Los Angeles girl nursing a heartbreak who wakes up to find herself inhabiting the body and life of a Jane Austenesque Regency girl. 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 (the Regency girl Courtney has replaced, whose accent came with the body), her pompous, controlling mother, her desperate suitor and her sympathetic best friend. Orlagh's lively narration makes Courtney even more endearing and brings the colorful story to life. Fans of Austen, chick lit, and romantic comedies should definitely put this one on their listening list. Simultaneous release with the Dutton hardcover (Reviews, June 4). (Oct.)