Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Ratings Explanation

Language: About 7 common swear words. “So effin’ quaint” is used once. I’m not sure what to call that.

Violence: A murder is discussed and investigated. Charlotte is attacked by a man and she fights back. She is abducted.

Sexual Content: There is some kissing. Miss Charming’s “abnormally large and authentic bosoms” are often a topic of discussion and amazement. There is confusion about a vibrator vs. a massager, resulting in a little innuendo. One reference to a “maidenhead”.

Adult Themes: Charlotte’s husband had an affair and left her for another woman. This is discussed throughout the book as Charlotte comes to terms with what has happened to her family.

Synopsis

Charlotte Kinder deserves a break. Pulling the pieces of her life back together after her husband’s affair, she treats herself to a two week vacation at Pembrook Park, the English estate which promises a Jame Austen immersion experience. A little unsure of herself in a bonnet and corset, Charlotte sets off to remember that she is clever, fun and lovable, but she needs something to occupy her mind during all those leisure hours. Luckily, Colonel Andrews provides just the distraction she needs, a murder mystery to be solved by the guests at Pembrook Park. Charlotte dives into the mystery, literally, and discovers that there just might be a real mystery to be solved at the estate. Could murder and romance both be afoot at Pembrook Park? With all those handsome men around, romance is inevitable, but when Mr. Grey is your “brother” and Colonel Andrews is the sworn admirer of another woman, what’s a woman to do but fall for the sullen, dangerous and incredibly handsome Mr. Mallory? Can Charlotte discover what is behind his smoldering, beautiful face – could it be the face of a murderer? She’ll find out at midnight in Austenland.

Another winner! I thought at first that I liked Austenland better, but by the end of Midnight in Austenland, I liked it just as well. I do love a good mystery and the mystery is good, not great, but everything else is perfect. I enjoyed Charlotte’s transformation from the wounded woman back to the witty and clever woman that she always was, but had lost somewhere in her messy life. Hale points out that Jane Austen “created six heroines, each quite different, and that gave Charlotte courage. There wasn’t just one kind of woman to be.” I love the sweet ending and hopeful future – another summer must-read!

Like Austenland, this is not specifically a YA book, but appropriate for our young, Regency loving friends.