Review of By the Book by Julia Sonneborn

Hello Readers,

Thank you to Gallery Books for generously supplying me with a review copy of By the Book by Julia Sonneborn. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Persuasion is my all time favorite Jane Austen novel. I love its sweetness, I love the main character Anne, and I adore reading the transformation she goes through. Plus the movie adaptation is so enjoyable to watch. I was very excited to see that By the Book was a modern retelling of my favorite Austen novel. I was also a bit nervous going into it because I keep telling myself I am going to stop reading retellings, but I couldn't not read a book with a red door, bike, and a stack of books on the cover. I mean who do I really think I am?

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was that it was set in California and many of my favorite places to visit were mentioned throughout the book. Anne studies at the Library at the Huntington gardens several times, and let me tell you if you are ever in CA you must visit the Huntington Library because it is a delight for all the senses. Anne works at a small college in Southern California called Fairfax teaching literature, which has always been her dream. However college left her with huge debt, a father who didn't approve of her career choice, and above all a broken relationship with a man she loved. Now if she can only get a book deal life will be back on track, or will it?

This book was such a fun and delightful read. I won't spoil the book for you but there is a story that involves a copy of Jane Austen's Persuasion and the library stacks that made my heart so happy. This would be the perfect read for February when you might be looking to read some lighter books with a sweet romance story. I love a sweet romance story that doesn't leave me feeling uncomfortable. 

Overall Rating - 3/5 Stars

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Release Date: February 6, 2018
• Publisher: Gallery Books 
• ISBN-10: 1501175181

Happy Reading,

Rachael