Kestrel Klein has always been too much. Too much for her mother to manage or for any path in life to actually work out. Too much for her sweet Hank–the guy she thought was her soulmate, before he broke her heart. Itching for a big change, Kestrel enters a contest and wins a vacation to Pembrook Park, an immersive Austen experience. Bonus: it’s during Christmas, the one holiday where being too much is the whole point.
Once inside Austenland, Kestrel feels . . . dare she say, happy? Is it the cozy hearth fires warming her jaded heart? Is it the fun of gentlemen attempting to woo her under the mistletoe? Is it the instant friends who bring her into the fold? She’s always worried that unless she can tamp down her too-muchness, she’ll never find that found family she craves. Just as Kestrel begins to let down her well-honed defenses, an unexpected visitor disrupts the holiday celebrations. Perhaps it’s the chance she needs to find out if her one true love really was meant to be. But now that she finally feels at home, is he still what she wants?
Much as Austen’s Persuasion shows off her maturity in writing and romance, Hale ups the ante with Kestral and Hank’s second chance romance. Kestral hasn’t had a normal life, growing up in a commune which she later realizes was a cult. As such, Kestral’s insecurity of being “too much” is closely tied with feelings of being pushed into submission or betraying herself. It’s a delicate balance and Kestral’s desire for non-confrontation doesn’t help.
I enjoyed how Hale explored the affects of cults, and overbearing family members being similar although the intentions are different. Both do lead to insecure adults struggling to place boundaries and assert individuality. This dovetails to her relationships with others as she is overeager to please but unsure of how to behave “normally,” leading to some comedies of errors. Readers will enjoy the reappearance of Andrews, Miss Charming and Mrs. Wattlesbrook. Miss Charming having a fulll circle moment as she must deal with her husband. Kestral’s experience fuels her to help Miss Charming disentangle from her verbally abusive ex and allows readers to see the different ways gaslighting and control manifests.
Hank’s relationship with his ultra-religious family reinforces this lesson. Considering Hale’s break from Mormonism, I have a feeling she was working out her own complex feelings with the family she loves and a religion that surpresses and judges people. It adds a layer of pathos to the novel that other readers will be able to relate to.
Still, there is plenty of fun and romance with Yule logs, kissing boughs and the twelve days of Secret Santa. Hale highlights the importance of finding one who embraces all the parts of you, and makes you bigger, not smaller, and learning to find happiness separate from romance. For romance is like icing, it may not be necessary but it makes everything sweeter.
The only downside is that I think some of the thoughtfulness can get lost in the repetitiveness as Hale reaches the 400 page mark. Additionally, with Krestral’s suggestion that Miss Charming seek some therapy as an impartial third party, I wonder why Kestral didn’t go to one because she clearly hasn’t processed her trauma from the Farm. Then again, she doesn’t have insurence or a car, so maybe she can’t afford it.
Still, 4 stars and I hope there’s more to come so Hale can present her twists on Sense and Sensibility, Emma, and Mansfield Park.
Leave a comment