The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker

It's been a while since I've done a proper review not tied to a teaser or a tour. Well, as proper as my reviews ever get which generally isn't saying much. When I feel it .... really feel it .... I tend to ramble more than review.

So, here comes a ramble.

As I said (only a few sentences ago for those with incredibly short memories), it's been a while since I've done more than tease a book. Book tease posts are easy. Throw together a picture of the cover and a couple of quotes. Maybe ... maybe come up with a few gushing sentences if the cook is gush-worthy. Link it up to a few other blogs. Done. And then came Freddy and Griff and Violet and Charlie and .... and .... I couldn't even bring myself to wait until Friday's "normal" (when I remember) Book Beginnings & Friday56. I have to gush NOW about how absolutely in love I am with Lucy Parker's The Austen Playbook and how ridiculously thankful I am to have been given a copy via Netgalley by Harlequin/Carina.

Back in the day of regular ramblings about books, I would include a section in almost every post of my "Faves on 4s." It seemed to work out that with almost every book I read there was something awesomely quote-worthy and shareable at the 4% mark, 14% mark, etc etc etc (or the 4th page, 14th page, so on and so forth if I actually picked up an actual book instead of my phone). I could easily do that for The Austen Playbook. I realized how easy it would be when this appeared at 4%:

"He's the guy who presents all the arts programmes on TV. Expert in the history of theatre. You know. Short-haired Lucius Malfoy. Tall. Sarcastic. Ice-blond hair. Ice in general."

Wait. What? A Harry Potter shout-out in a book that was already destined to be one giant Jane Austen shout-out? I already had my finger at the ready to hit every 4 with a highlight in my Kindle app.

And then I hit 9%.

Crap.

It was a truth universally acknowledged that an actor in a rut must be in want of a spot of murder, mayhem, and true love.

Just, well, crap. The most perfect line falling on 9% totally throws off my "Faves on 4s" concept.

And it only got more complicated from there.

I made it to 18%:

He took in the shoe problem, knelt at her side, and reached into his pocket.

"Dear me," she said with suspicious blandness. "It's not a Mr. Collins situation, is it? I really prefer to have my breakfast before I receive unsolicited proposals." 

A Mr. Collins slam?  Any good Austenite loves a good slam on Collins (and excellent boiled potatoes ... but I digress ... slightly)

I debated going through and highlighting the 9s ... or the 8s ... and then back to the 4s once I hit 34%.

"Is it just me, or does it even look--"

"Like we should have driven here in the Mystery Machine." 

One of the things I love about reading on my phone is the ability to highlight and highlight often without actually tarnishing a book. I had seventeen different highlighted passages before I gave up on the whole "Faves on ____." There were just too many. Lucy Parker is just too good.

Harry Potter. Scooby Doo. Jane Austen. Theater. Mystery. Romance. Scandal. Humor. More romance.

These are the things that make my heart happy. I could likely find a quote from almost every percentage and claim it as a favorite. Instead, though, I'll just urge you to grab a copy of your own and then thank me (and, of course, Lucy Parker) profusely.