Austenland and Midnight in Austenland (by Shanon Hale)

As soon as I found out this book existed, I immediately had to read it, then watch the movie, then read the sequel. This is the kind of escapism that 2020 is crying out for.  Plus, Midnight in Austenland turns out to be a romance about a single parent (she is divorced) so it qualifies for Read Harder also! Score!

Both books are about an immersive Jane Austen-esque vacation house in England called Austenland; both books feature American women who go there for different reasons - Jane in the first book because she is Austen-obsessed and no man can live up to Mr. Darcy; Charlotte in the second book because she feels trapped in her life post-divorce.

I loved both of these romances (and incidentally also the movie) and all the delightful Jane Austen shoutouts along the way. Pure delightfulness to read, and based on the ending of the second book I would love to read a third one. Shannon Hale, are you listening?