BookTok: Manslaughter Park

* Book 3 in the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series * 

 

@yabooknerdlibrarian The perfect mystery book for #JaneAusten fans! #fannyprice #art #booktok #mystery #yabook ♬ original sound - Jennifer @YA Book Nerd 📚📚📚

Review: Trouble with Flirting

Franny's not attending the Mansfield Summer Theater Program as an actress - instead, she's helping her aunt (the costume designer) for the summer. She's trying to save money for college, but she's interested in acting. Her parents forced her to focus on school and sports - the tools most likely to earn her a college scholarship.  A sports injury changed that idea and she hasn't gone back to acting. This summer, she finds that she misses it.

Franny also finds herself reconnecting with old friends - Julia and Alex. She had a crazy crush on Alex during the 8th grade. She always wondered if anything could ever happen between them. Could this finally be her chance to find out?

Although Franny spends her days sewing, her nights and meal times are free. She finds herself drawn into a group of friends.Most of the group starting pairing off. Julia and Mary shamelessly flirt with Harry. He flirts back, but doesn't seem seriously about anything. As Franny gets to know the group, Harry starts paying attention to her. Will she have to choose between two boys?

My Thoughts: A twist and modernization of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park - fresh, flirty, and tons of fun! I'm always a sucker for a Jane Austen retelling and this one is fabulous. I love the theater take from Mansfield Park and creating a novel centered around that idea. It's cleverly done and easy takes most adults out of the equation. Plus, it's set in summer, which is the perfect time for a light romance.  I love Franny's cranky aunt - she complains all the time, but won't accept help most of the time. I like the fact that Franny was apart from the group - but close with them too. It made the situation very realistic. Plus, it made the separation more than just money, as in the original work. The secondary characters were great - snarky, catty, and full of themselves. I devoured this one!

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library